Author: A. N. Senerella
Category: Young Adult
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/a-n-senerella/page,15,76697-mine.html
“Thou doth protest too much.”
“Could you shut up and be normal for a few minutes? I’m not taking relationship advice from someone who stalks the person they’re interested in.”
“The time without her helped me to contemplate myself and the way I handle things. I’m not who I was, Brady, and I don’t believe you are, either.” He looked at me in consideration and I slowly started toward my next statement. “With that being said, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
“Why should I do anything for you?”
“Because Anika is involved.”
There was silence for a moment. “I’m listening.”
“Mitchell. He changed as well.” I sat forward and rested my elbows on my knees. “We aren’t the only ones who were turned in a one-eighty by Anika’s leaving. By leaving, Anika essentially cast him into a year of solitude since he has no other friends. He changed for the worse. There’s something in his eyes that makes me even more wary than I was, and I don’t know if he’s safe or how much more it would take to push him over the edge. So I need you to stay until the party is over, and I’ll do my best to take it from there.”
His eyebrows pulled upwards and he sat back slightly. “You picked up on that too?”
“Yes.”
“I always knew the guy was a little weird. Someone said that he had to come to our middle school because he got his family practically kicked out of the neighborhood for… doing something, but I figured someone like that would appear a lot more… off than he does.” His tone was doubtful and his eyebrows had pushed together now as he thought more in depth about who Mitchell was and how he acted.
“Actors do the same thing every day,” I said seriously. “That’s what he does. I can see it in his twitching, in his voice, and in the way he moves that he forces himself to appear to be who he is so that he can stay with Anika. Are you going to stay or not?”
“I’ll stay.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
“Go ahead.” He shrugged, then peered at me from the corner of his eye. “You think Sierra is interested in me?”
I fought off my smile and nodded.
Brady nodded slightly and I left him to think so that I could look around Mitchell’s room while he was gone.
The door creaked open quietly in protest to my pushing, and I looked around slowly. It was neat and clean, but wires from chargers, headphones, and computer systems were set up here and there. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had pictures of her plastered everywhere on his walls with hearts drawn in blood around them, but there was no sign of anything like that yet.
There wasn’t time for me to go through all of this. Any minute, one of them could come back; maybe Anika had forgotten something here. Or perhaps Mitchell had cameras set up in his room. There was no telling.
I tilted my head in consideration then walked back out to where Brady was. “You’ve rented a car, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“I’d like to go see Anika and her father now.”
Chapter 28
Brady
I glanced at Foster from the corner of my eye as we drove. His eyes were set on the window, and I took the time to think. I’d had a lot of time to think since I’d arrived.
Anika had busied herself mostly with Foster and Mitchell, even after I’d gotten there. So, because of that, I’d been going out and doing things with Sierra. Yes, she was annoying, but at the same time, she’d been the only person I really stuck with after Anika left. Foster and I hadn’t interacted much, Mitchell had dropped off the map, and it was just her.
That didn’t mean I was attracted to her, though. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I felt for anyone at this point anymore. My hatred of Foster became jealousy then just mild distaste. My attitude toward Mitchell had turned into just a suspicious uncomfortable feeling. And Anika…
She would probably hate me for telling her I was going into the army soon. She’d tell me it wasn’t safe, and that she didn’t want me getting hurt. It wasn’t her call, though.
I’d never put thought into what I’d do with my future. I was just a kid after all. The concept of my future barely ever came into real light, no matter how many times my mom or teachers brought it up. College wasn’t going to happen for me, but I wasn’t going to flip burgers for a living either. There was no direction that I was pointed in. So why not the army? I’d be taking care of my country. My mother was proud of my choice, even though she was terrified. It wasn’t like I had much of a life here, anyway.
“Brady!”
I slammed on the brakes hard when I realized I was at a stop sign, only to have someone honk at me. Driving isn’t something I should be doing when I’m not focused.
As I pulled up into the parking lot of the hospital, I looked at Foster again from the corner of my eye.
He was really into Anika. I knew that much. Even though I still didn’t like him all that much, I could acknowledge that he’d give Anika a life. His father was loaded. Even if he weren’t, though, I felt like Foster would have still loved her. What had made me love her in the first place? The fact that I couldn’t have her? I shook my head to clear that thought away, convincing myself that I wasn’t that shallow.
Truth was, though, that even while I was moping around over Anika for the past few months… I wasn’t sure how much of that was really about missing her. Ugh, this is why I don’t think. It sucks.
Foster and I approached the room, and even if I hadn’t known Anika’s voice, I could have still figured out who was who by the words being exchanged.
“No, you’re going to sit there and let them treat you instead of being a stubborn ass about everything.”
“Anika,” Jensen started.
“No.”
“Can you just—”
“Nope.”
How Anika of her.
I knocked on the doorframe gently to get their attention.
Anika had been standing in front of Jensen, who looked like he was trying to stand up, with her arms crossed. When her eyes caught me, the annoyance faded slightly, and she sighed. “Oh, hey you two. Did you see Sierra on the way in? I called her.”
“I didn’t see anyone,” Foster informed her.
Mitchell was sitting on the bed beside her father, his arm around Jensen’s shoulders as he sat up. He looked at me with slightly narrowed eyes and a subtle tilt to his head that I didn’t like.
“I was worried about your dad,” I piped up.
A bandage was pressed to his forehead with blood smeared on it, causing me to grimace slightly.
“What, you don’t like blood?” Mitchell asked. “I can only imagine how you’ll do in your future career.”
I stiffened and shot my gaze to Foster, but he didn’t give anything away. The only people who knew were me, Sierra, my mother, and Foster because he was somehow a freaky omniscient being or something. “The point is, we’re both here now, okay? How’s…” My voice trailed off as I noticed a brace on Anika’s foot. “What’s that about?”
Her hand went to the back of her neck as she moved her eyes to the ground. “Nothing,” she grumbled.
“Anika got into a fight with a nurse who said she couldn’t come back here to see me,” Jensen sighed tiredly. “She tripped and twisted her ankle pretty bad. She’s gonna be in a boot for a week or so, probably.”
“You fought a nurse?” I asked her in surprise.
Anika glared at me a little. “No, a nurse fought me.”
“…Right.”
Foster knelt in front of her on one knee and inspected the boot with interest. He looked up at her as he twisted the boot very carefully. “Does this hurt?”
“No.”
He nodded and twisted it in the other direction, only slightly, and she inhaled sharply.
“Could you not do that?” Mitchell muttered.
“I’m just testing something.”
“You’re ‘testin
g’ my patience.”
“I’d be disappointed with my result.”
“Enough,” Anika snapped suddenly. “Look, my dad has to stay here for a few days, so can we all just go for now? We have to look after Charlie and my mom’s gonna come look after Dad while he’s here. He’s gonna be back sometime after my party.”
I nodded to her. “I’m glad he’s okay.”
A light, quick tapping at the door sounded and Sierra ran into the room, skidding to a halt suddenly. “Is Jensen okay? What’s wrong with Anika’s leg? Does her mom know? Who’s watching Charlie? Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Calm down,” I sighed.
Sierra threw her arms around me suddenly and my body stiffened in surprise, but I relaxed a moment later. “Uh, question. Why are you hugging me exactly?”
“Because I need to hug someone and two of the five people I can hug are injured, and the other one is Foster.”
“Sierra,” Anika snapped lightly.
A deep chuckle told me he wasn’t offended and Anika raised an eyebrow at me slightly from over Sierra’s head. I shook my head, telling her I had no idea, and she shrugged, turning her attention back to Foster. Slight disappointment tinged my mood, and Sierra’s grip on me tightened. I let my hands go to her back, and I rubbed gently in circles. “Everyone’s alive, Sierra,” I muttered quietly. “That’s what matters.”
“For now,” Mitchell pointed out. “Everyone dies.”
“Ah, Mitchell? Not the time,” Anika half growled.
“Right. My bad.”
She looked up at me. “Can you drive me home, Brady?”
“Actually, I was gonna ask him that,” Sierra cut in abruptly. “I kind of took a taxi here ’cause I was in a panic.”
“I’ll take you home,” Mitchell offered.
“Where’s Foster going, then?”
“I can find myself a ride,” he assured me.
Anika hesitated, catching her lip in her teeth. As I looked at her eyes, then down at Sierra, I couldn’t help but think about how funny it was the way life worked.
Chapter 29
Foster
There was a knock on my door. “Foster?” Anika’s hushed whisper came.
“Mm?” I muttered back drowsily from my state between sleep and consciousness.
“Do you mind if I sleep in here?”
I sat up, no longer half asleep. She had my full attention. “I don’t mind.” Through the darkness, I could barely make out her appearance. She was in shorts and a t-shirt, and her hair was messy from sleep, but other than that I couldn’t make out any details.
Pressure forced the bed down slowly next to me, and I lifted up the blanket I was under to cover her. She silently curled against me, and I lay on my side, just watching her. Leaning over, I gently pressed my lips to her forehead, and lay on my back again.
“Is that all you’re going to try on me?” she asked suddenly.
Heat tinged my face in the darkness despite the amused smirk on my lips. “Would you have let me try anything else?”
“Nope.”
This earned a short laugh from me, and I smiled, shaking my head. That was Anika, alright.
She sighed and rolled onto her side, facing me now, and rested her head on my shoulder. Her hand rested on my torso, and I looked for a reaction from her; I wasn’t wearing a shirt. She didn’t say anything about it, so I relaxed, beyond content to even feel her beside me.
“Why did you invite me here, Anika?”
Her shoulder shifted against me in a shrug, and I shook my head.
“Come on. That isn’t an answer. Why’d you let me come here?”
“Do you wish I hadn’t?”
“I was going to come eventually.”
She sighed quietly. “I missed you. You know that.” Her ankle brace scratched against my leg and I shifted my foot away, moving it to the other side of the bed.
“And why didn’t you invite Brady?”
She sat up slowly, looking down at me for a moment before looking away. “Brady and I are going to lead very different lives. He’s who he is, and I’m who I am. Sometimes people just don’t work well together, you know?”
I nodded. “And… we do work well together?”
“Better than me and Brady.”
“Alright.” I laid my head back down again and looked up at the dark ceiling.
Though she hadn’t said it, I was almost certain she’d just chosen me.
***
Mitchell
I stirred, the light from the window bothering my eyes. There were no sounds, just the silence of morning. Which, I guess, was normal for Anika’s house, without her father awake to force her to get out of bed.
Picking up a picture of Anika I’d had printed, I hummed quietly and pinned it next to the other ones on the board in my suitcase. I had a picture of her from almost every year of her life that I’d known her. She was just so beautiful to look at.
As I wandered down the hall, I tapped on her door lightly. “C’mon, Anika, you gotta wake up this year.”
Nothing.
“Anika,” I repeated softly, pushing on her door. It gave way, swinging open lazily and I peered into the sunlight-flooded room. Her blankets were bunched and spread; she’d always been an aggressive sleeper. One thing was missing from this picture, though.
Her.
Curious, I walked from her room to the kitchen, trailing my fingers over the table slowly. She wasn’t in there either. I opened the fridge and several cupboards, but none of her dishes seemed moved, so she hadn’t eaten yet today, which was very unlike her.
“Come on, Anika,” I hummed lightly, inspecting the knife I’d pulled from a drawer. “Where are you?”
Just as I expected, though, the silence didn’t reveal her location. A pain in my temple hit and I rubbed it slowly, closing my eyes as the world turned fuzzier and watching the colors distort slightly. Soon enough, though, it was gone. It always went away. I could see the world more easily when it was there, though. I could see it how it was.
Wandering farther still, I saw Brady’s gun in its case on the counter beside the microwave. What an irresponsible thing to do.
Holding the cold metal, I tilted my head. I’d always wanted to shoot a gun. I’d never had the opportunity before, though, nor the proper target. I was certain I would be a good hunter if I tried it, however. Hunting would be quite a fascinating experience; the adrenaline, the hunt, the actual kill.
Fascinating.
I decided it was time to check on Foster. He was one irritating bug, that one. As I walked to his room, I chuckled at my stupidity. “Oops,” I laughed, setting the knife on the ground. I’d forgotten to put it down, and Foster would probably try to hurt me if he thought I was threatening him. Foster was one of many I would never be able to remove by myself just with brute force. He was much too large for that. However, I was confident I could outsmart him. He’d be gone soon enough, though, and it would be over.
“Foster?” I chirped, pushing his door open.
What was inside, however, made me freeze.
That’s where Anika was.
Her head was on his bare chest, only her bare legs exposed from under the blanket she’d pulled over her shoulder. Was she… naked?
My heart beat wildly, though fury was not a word I could place to the sensation. It felt like something was breaking. Perhaps my bond with her.
Either way, I just stood, staring.
He’d ruined her.
I was so patient. So patient, waiting for so long for her to be mine. And yet she’d given herself to someone else. Someone like him. He wasn’t me. It should have been me.
Very slowly, I slid backward from the room, and went to sit in the living room.
I wanted nothing more than to grab the nearest thing and throw it, but I didn’t want to wake them. All I wanted was time to process what I’d just seen, and how I would handle it.
One thing was for sure: it was over.
It was all over, for all of them. All of us.
My eyes caught the gleam of the gun I’d moved from the kitchen to behind the television, out of sight. It was out of its case now, loaded, and merely hidden beside a television and a wall.
Curious, the ideas that swim through a jealous man’s head.
Though my eyes burned, I knew what had to happen. This had to be the end for her as much as it was for me. I slid my hands to the back of my neck, placing my elbows on my knees and rocking slightly.
Maybe it didn’t. Maybe.
After all, I did love her.
But she broke me. She had to be punished. All of them did. She made the wrong choice, my inner self whispered reasonably. She has to suffer the consequences of her choice, just as any other person would. She’s an adult now. Don’t treat her like a child. Obviously she’s been doing things that aren’t exactly childlike. A strange calmness came over my body as I sat up.
Perhaps calmness wasn’t the word?
It was more like certainty. I was certain. They all had to go.
Chapter 30
Anika
My arms were locked around Mitchell’s waist as I hugged him, burying my face against his shoulder. “Thank you for telling me,” I murmured quietly. “Someone needed to. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me himself.”
“Are you angry with him?”
“I’m seething,” I laughed briefly as my voice cracked.
“Alright.” Mitchell’s hand smoothed over my hair, his head tilted. “Don’t go too hard on him.”
“Are you kidding me? His ass is out of my house. Today.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Your party starts in like an hour. You’re just gonna kick him out without giving him a reason?”
“Oh, I’ll give him a reason,” I growled. I sighed, hugging Mitchell again and looking into his eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked slowly, noticing that his eyes seemed a little more empty and glazed than usual.
“Hm? I’m fine.” He offered me an artificial grin.