Ellie Holland's Story

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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The brunette found herself so quickly wound up with emotion, that frustrated tears pricked the corners of her heavily outlined eyes. The moment Ellie started talking, Beatrice wanted to stop listening because she had too many illnesses, too many diseases, too many issues, too many faults and weaknesses to keep up and stand strong as Ellie slapped her again and again with the truth. Beatrice's skeletal figure kind of crumpled in on it's self and she dropped by the sink and pulled her knees to her chest trying to breathe and think straight because her stomach was twisting with panic and her mouth was open but no air would open her lungs. She shook and wiped her eyes, shaking her head softly. She was too screwed up to even catch everything Ellie said it was just lightly things that tauntingly spun around in the back of her head and Beatrice thought she might be sick.

You're tragic.
Death.
Accident.
I lied.
Murderer.
Suspicious.
You.

She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing and she buried her head in her knees, breathing ruggedly trying to keep the panic at bay. Trying to keep herself together and stable but it was hard, it was so hard.

She wanted Librium but where the fuck was she going to get that now? She didn't want it, she needed it. It would calm her, make everything okay- take the stress and the pain away. It'd make Ellie go away, replace her with colours and indescribable sensations of enlightenment and madness. She rubbed her wrists, not meaning to move her sleeves past her elbows and up her arms and not even noticing she had, faintly in her left arm you could make out small tracks and scars in her forearm but she was too emotional to realise and it was half hidden by her body but if you looked closely for long enough- there was no denying the scars on her arms were there.

"Ellie, I'm sorry I bullied you into admitting it. I just needed to know and I know I'm tragic, life isn't hard- I make it hard because I think I need to look like I'm strong and can handle shit because quite frankly, I don't want to be beaten up, ridiculed or bullied again- I don't want to be marginalised, locked in toilets or hated and it's stupid but it's true and that's way- I'm stupid I know. And quite frankly, I'm a terrible person- I'm self centred, arrogant, unintelligent in fact I'm slightly nothing more than a waste of space and talentless artist- I'm not even an artist, fuck and Ellie- I'm so sorry about what your sister and no I don't know what happened to her, I don't even know what was supposed to have happened to her, I wasn't around back then and I know the police are terrifying and we're all lying and trying to protect ourselves but please, believe me when I say this okay; I haven't lied to the police. I confessed to remembering very little, being heavily intoxicated possibly even spiked and to have slept with a girl I couldn't remember. I also admitted to leaving the party and trying to go home because after being with you, I had a panic attack and was desperate to go home but that's all I knew and all I could tell them. I didn't even make it home, I passed out somewhere. They went through my phone and got nothing, even my laptop got nothing. I'm a terrible person, I'm a bitch and quite frankly I'm a bit of a slut too but I'm not a murderer Ellie. I'd never hurt you, Alby, Tyler, Sam fuck it- I wouldn't even hurt Scarlet and you know I hate her and quite frankly, I only hate you because I physically can't bring myself to hate you but I'd never hurt anybody Ellie and look at me Ellie-" she stood up and held her arms up so you could see from her slightly cropped shirt how skinny she really was. [color=73203A]"I'd fucking die if I tried to fight someone or hut someone, I'm weaker than piss,"[/color]

She leant against the side, catching her breath- her knuckles white as she grasped onto it. [color=73203A]"I don't know all the things I did that night, I don't know how I feel about you, honestly I don't understand it- I haven't even been able to talk to Alby about it I'm so confused and he's basically my head shrink and I don't know why money is turning up in your account, I don't know what your life is really like, I don't know about your sister- I don't even know much about the investigation but I do know one thing and that's me. I'm a bit of a junkie- I smoke too much weed and swallow too many pills, I drink a lot, I paint ugly pictures and listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers like there's no tomorrow and I act tough but as tough as I might pretend to be, I'm not a killer El. I'm not. I haven't got that in me,"[/color]

She wasn't that sure why she started crying. Beatrice Candor reduced to tears by her notorious nemesis Ellie, it was absolutely ridiculous but it was beyond her control now and she slid off the top of the sinks to go gather tissue and she wrapped it around her hand like boxing tape before pulling it off and pressing it to her eyes, keeping her back to Ellie like it'd hide the fact she was upset. She suddenly became aware of her rolled up sleeves and panicked, dropping the tissues and quickly flailing her arms and yanking the material to bring her sleeve down over her forearms and she sighed huskily as she picked up her tissue, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Everything was so fucked up.

So unbelievably fucked up.

Ellie stopped pacing when Beatrice took over and began ranting as well. She listened closely to everything Beatrice was saying and for some reason it was making her tear up. She felt bad for the girl, she wanted to help out, she felt bad for all the bullying and the hell she put her through. She didn't fail to notice the scars on Beatrice's arms either and pondered if she was the reason for some of them. She wanted to hug her, tell her everything would be okay. She could sense now that Beatrice really didn't have it in her and although her memory was lost she knew Beatrice was innocent.

Her mind turned over to Beatrice's art. She loved her art, in fact some of Beatrice's big sales were from Ellie. She had purchased a couple of her paintings anonymously over the last little while. Ellie walked over to the far wall and slid down it as Beartice started to whimper. She stared over at the locked bathroom door longingly, wanting to escape, wanting to forget everything. But she knew the universe had a funny way of bringing people together and that she needed to make peace right here, right now.

"You may not be physically tough" Ellie said softly followed by a pause "But emotionally or mentally I think you are. I admire your spunk, I think you're actually pretty cool and fearless and your art is awesome. You shouldn't doubt that. Everything is so fucked up. I don't even know what's what anymore. I think I'm just floating right now, longing and hoping for some sort of answer. To think someone in our town is capable of murder sickens me, I tried returning the money by the donor was untraceable. To think I'm an accessory in this murder investigation...maybe we all are. I know deep down you didn't do it. I see something in you, some kind of unspoken innocence in your eyes. You can't see it, but I think I'm skinnier then you under this dress. I've lost so much weight since we hooked up. Literally I'm like skeletor, it's quite gross but I can't help it. I don't know why I didn't just confront you about that night...I can be such a coward. I have such a promising future and to be honest I don't want any of it. I want to be like you, not give a shit and do what I want you know? Like get into art myself or write, or act I don't something fun. All these sports...all these expectations they drive a person mad. I'm sorry I've bullied you, I'm sorry I've made your life here hell. I'm sure it can't be very easy coming to a new place and having the most popular girl in school hate you right off the bat...

Ellie stared at the bathroom floor tiles as she spoke. The light twinkling from the ceiling made them look sparkly and like everything was okay. She wanted to curl up and die, she wanted to cry, actually no, she didn't want either, she just wanted a fat juicy burger.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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For the first time since they hooked up, when Beatrice really looked at Ellie she really noticed her this time maybe it was because for once, they weren't playing some kind of sick and twisted game with each other, maybe it was because they'd laid all their cards on their table and finally told the truth but whatever it was, it brought her a weird kind of comfort and relief. She was terrified Ellie might have noticed the scars on her arms and Beatrice looked at her arm and even with the sleeves drawn over it she could have told you exactly where each scar lay, the size and shape of it how it happened- whether it was shooting up, panic attacks, from a blood test or just another scar from being beaten up at school. Of course they were incredibly pale almost like silver ribbons on her arm and Beatrice often covered them within make-up so she could still wear pretty things like her favourite shirts and dresses but they felt so significant right now- maybe it's because they were fresh tracks in her arms because before she'd done that she'd finally stopped having to hide her arms so much because everything else was almost invisible and those that weren't could easily be explained as accidents. She tried to stop thinking about it so she looked at Ellie again, focusing on her words and appreciating the softness of her voice- it wasn't a tone she'd ever heard from her before and it immediately reminded her of her how her Mother would read to her as a kid, books like Treasure Island, Pretty Woman, Pride & Prejudice, Shakespeare- all the classics never anything easy to understand or childish, always meaningful novels with depth but it reminded her of that and almost made her smile but there was too much weight on her for her to even try and lift her lips up enough to do that. Ellie as a person, Bea had always shamelessly considered to be mesmerising- she was beautiful, confident, unique and had an aura that instantly made you feel inferior, it was one of the things Bea hated about Ellie because there was no one else who had that effect on her.

"Oh Ellie, you don't need to apologise to me I don't even deserve an 'S' forget the whole word. It wasn't even all your fault- I mean, I was disliked from the start but nobody bullied me until Scarlet had to go and tattle me out for being bisexual," She sighed gently shrugging her shoulders. She looked at her and blinked gently, she couldn't understand why Ellie would even pretend she wanted to be like her, she was probably the most hated girl in town, lonely, uncool and untalented she didn't understand why Ellie would even contemplate it but she didn't bother to argue with her. "If you don't wanna do it then why are you? I mean, don't get me wrong- striking back against what everyone expects from you is hard but people accept it after a while, like providing I don't seriously cock up in the mean time which it's a bit late for but as long as they don't find out- my Dad's finally agreed to pay for me to go to art college or make an exhibition, he said I'm welcome to do either but I can't decide. Everyone would support you and if they didn't then fuck them, I'd support you going for art or drama or writing- I don't believe in academics to be honest," She shrugged gently, letting the topic slide away from herself because she couldn't bare to think about her own mannerisms, personality and tragic nature. She was a sob story and certainly not for the faint of heart so she let it go because whilst she was crumpled there on a bathroom floor she finally realised, she genuinely needed Ellie.

She kept Bea grounded even if it was just by knocking her off of her high horse everyone once in a while and conversations like this one, Bea never got these. Of course her and Alby would always talk about everything but not in this way they were far from the same.

"You're not that awful y'know and your hair is pretty," She mumbled half heartedly, almost laughing at how stupid the comment was when she considered their situation but she looked at Ellie and just smiled at her sadly, tears still shimmering on her pale cheeks and clinging onto the corner of her eye. She turned her head as she blinked and the final one flowed down her cheek and she flicked it away with one finger and sighed gently, wrapping her hands around her legs and resting her head on her knees like a child.

Ellie couldn't help but run her fingers through her hair as Bea complimented it. She could feel her cheeks flush in flattery, it was the first sincere words she ever heard from Beatrice. Sure the girl had complimented her numerous times before but something about the way she spoke made it sound genuine and like a compliment no one had ever given her.

Truth is people always said nice things about her, in the press, at school and on social media and yet she was a massive bitch. She presented herself as above everyone else, she was bat shit crazy, falling for a girl from a different part of the neighborhood and betrayed her best friend for simply trying to help her. So why was everyone always so nice? Did they pity her? Was her life behind closed doors not so secret? What if they felt threatened by her, what if they...

Ellie shook her head and pushed her negative thoughts aside."I can't just do what I want. It's much more complicated then it may seem. I don't believe much in academics either but I have too. My parents, they've been so broken since the passing of their favorite child...I've always hated them for liking her a little more but..I still love them and I want to make them proud. I want to prove to myself that I'm more than my sisters shadow. I work hard at what I do because I do like it but I've just gone off the rails a bit...but good for you for convincing your dad. Seriously, the world needs to see your art. You're truly amazing at what you do...

Ellie sighed and lied her head back on the wall. She closed her eyes and flashes of the last month or so raced through her mind. Everything had become so broken, she'd lost sight of herself, she missed her best friend, she'd been cheating on every test and had smoked weed almost every night with Tyler to ease the pain.

Suddenly, a silent click sounded through the calming air. Ellie's eyes fluttered opened and she glanced towards the door "I think the outside power is back on...I'm pretty sure the door is unlocked" she announced, getting to her feet.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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She hesitated before replying to Ellie and she was genuinely considering what she said which was also something very new to Beatrice, she'd gotten too comfortable with just saying whatever unfiltered words wished to pass her lips but she looked at the girl and sincerely thought about things before she spoke; "But El, how can you be who you are, be more than your sister's shadow if you're living to please someone else and to keep other people happy? That's not being more than your sister's shadow and I don't mean this horribly but that's more like trying to fill the space, you see? If it's not your thing why do it? I'm not thick Ellie, I could have taken any a-levels I fancied and picked whatever college plucked my fancy if I put the time and work into it but that's not me- I chose art. I put my time, work, money and even my mind and heart into that art. Beatrice wanted to be a vet but when she grew up, Bea chose art and what do people expect from me now? Art, people listen to these things," She reminded softly, silencing herself as soon as Ellie mentioned the door might possibly open again but Bea wasn't as happy as she should have been about that because now Ellie could leave-she'd only been with her because she had to be but Bea would have given anything to have a few more moments just basking in their honest conversation and her company but that just wasn't possible anymore. Ellie didn't want to be here and it wasn't like Beatrice could stop her.

"Ellie...when we open that door...can we just stop pretending we hate each other? It's exhausting and I don't know about you but I could really use a friend at the minute," She spoke openly and sincerely, hoping her words weren't in vain and that Ellie wouldn't mock or ridicule her for the suggestion, she climbed to her feet and checked her make-up in the mirror, brushing away the few smudges that were there with one finger so her make-up was somewhat impeccable again then she looked back at Ellie hopefully.

The words flowing out of Beatrice stung a little mainly because everything she said was true. Yes she loved sports and being admired but Bea was right, she lived in her sister's shadow so much that she was merely filling the gap. Ellie stared at the palm of her hands as if trying to figure out the answers but when Bea got up to check her make-up and request a truce, Ellie snapped out of her deep thoughts.

She slid back up to her feet and glanced over at the mirror, despite having cried a little her make-up remained in tack. She considered the offer of being friends with Bea, honestly she loved the idea but she also loved her personal reputation. If she and Bea were to be friends that would be social suicide, but what did she care? Her best friend was no longer, Scarlet had been MIA for a while now and Tyler was always fucked up. Ellie sighed and locked eyes with Bea's hopeful gaze.

"Honestly, this whole talk made me realize that I don't have a single real friend. Everyone is so fake and trapped in their social circles. I hate it. I hate them. And yet...I'm one of them. I'll stop bullying and I'll defend you if anyone tries to bring you down, but I can't be your friend at least not in the public eye. Despite the truth in your words, I am who I am and the world I belong to will never change. The worst part is I think I'm okay with that. This was great and all Bea, but regardless of what you say and what we may have...I just...at the end of the day we're not friends. I'm sorry"

She gave Bea a soft smile before ducking her head and heading out into the party. She watched Declan being arrested from afar but decide it was better not to intrude, she'd been in enough trouble lately. She made her way out into the hall to get some fresh air when she spotted Alby leaning over someone. "What are you doing?" Ellie asked cautiously slowly approaching him. "Holy shit SAM!" she cried and fell on all fours next to him "Can you hear me?" she asked snapping a finger in his face. "We need to get some help"

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Beatrice didn't look at her again. "Ellie, you're the worst of them because you're even lying to yourself," She sighed. "I might be the most hated girl in this town but at least I say what I think and at least I am who I am," She said it dismissively and didn't wish to hear Ellie's response she just wanted her to go and leave her alone. So she could stop pretending she wasn't lusting after something that would end up killing her, stop squirming under the pressure of trying not to itch her arm and stop looking in Ellie's eyes and seeing a reflection of how tragic, empty and broken she really was.

She sighed heavily, she'd known she was a fool to even ask but in this town of fake somebodies who were all no bodies, Ellie was the worst and as soon as Ellie walked out the door and her pretty face wasn't there to remind Bea of the person behind the words she instantly wished she could hate her, god if Ellie wasn't so...so...if Ellie just wasn't herself, it'd be as easy as it was to hate Scarlet but no, Ellie had to be an individual even if that individual was a bitch. She didn't return her smile, she didn't even look at her because she felt like an idiot. She was still sat on the bathroom tiles ten minutes after Ellie left, she didn't want to move. She wanted the floor to swallow her so she could stop disappointing everyone, her parents, Ellie, Alby, herself. She wished she wasn't bisexual, arrogant, selfish and short tempered. She wished she was kind, loving and academic but the reality was, she never would be and she couldn't change the things that made her no matter how hard she wished.

She decided she was going home and she stepped out of the bathroom and started for the door but too busy staring at her feet when she got to the door she went flat into a police officer and was knocked off her feet. The police officer remained steady but Bea was looking up at her between the mop of hair that had fallen into her eyes.

"You alright kid? Sorry but you can't leave yet. We're on lockdown,"

Beatrice blinked and started climbing to her feet slowly.

"What? Why?

"There was an attack-"

Bea was quick to interrupt her at this point because she was suddenly overwhelmed by panic. "Attack on who? Alby? Sam? Are they okay, fuck where's Tyle-"

"Mam, your friends are inside. You should go join them and watch where you're going kid,"

With a blank expression, Beatrice turned around and walked back into the hall but when she did she discovered all the commotion and Alby kneeling over Sam who as unconscious on the floor. Wide eyed with fright, Beatrice flocked to Alby's side but was respectful of their space.

"Alby, what happened? Are you okay? He's breathing, he'll be okay but shit dude- was it Sam who got attacked? Is that why we're on lockdown?" She asked softly, sympathy edging her tone of voice as she looked down at her friend who laid unconscious. Admittedly she was hardly as close to Sam as she was Alby but she still got on the guy and hung out with him a lot and of course with that came for the fact she sincerely cared for him but here he was passed out on the floor and there was little she could do about it. "Should we move him onto one of the sofas? I can't imagine this floor will be great for him," She managed to keep herself very calm but that was only because she recognised Alby would need her to act in such a way.

Alby didn't even notice Ellie until she was screaming. He jumped, Sam's name bouncing around in his skull like it was determined to be heard, and only then realized he hadn't been breathing himself. He couldn't move. He knew Ellie was talking, a little frantic actually, but Alby was frozen. His fingers were still resting against Sam's pulse, feeling relief wash over him each time there was a beat.

Then there was Bea. Her voice broke through his fog finally. He could tell she was worried, but she was holding it together. For him. Alby took in a shaky breath and then nodded, his hands immediately going to the back of Sam's head, looking for bumps. He'd passed out, but he hadn't completely fainted...probably gone to his knees first or something.

"He's okay," Alby whispered to himself, even though he wasn't, not really. The bruises on his neck were a vivid reminder of that. "B...Bea...I..." Alby swallowed thickly and shook his head. He couldn't move Sam on his own, not at dead weight. Sam was pure muscle, which made him heavier than he looked. He reached up his free hand for his friends, twining their fingers together. "I don't know what to do..."

They needed a damn doctor...or an officer or something. Alby knew he was reacting too strongly for someone who was barely friends with Sam in the public eye, but his feelings were impossible to reel in just then. He didn't even care about coming up with a cover story, or a reason why. He just...couldn't.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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She was quick to try and comfort Alby, she held onto his hand gently and rubbed his shoulder kneeling besides him. She wasn't sure why he was effected so much more than anybody else but he couldn't lie- she'd been suspicious of him and Sam, purely because of how they were at the party every time she'd gone to speak to Sam he'd come with her and that wasn't a problem but it was bizarre but this only confirmed what she'd wandered about before but she didn't mind he hadn't told her and she fully supported him.

"Alby honey he'll be okay, I'll help you move him- might need Ellie to help too and we'll lie him down somewhere safer and call a Doctor. Everything's going to be fine Al, okay? It looks like something happened to his neck- he was probably winded, fainted but as long as his airway is open now he'll be okay so just tilt his chin back a bit," She advised calmly and collectedly. For a moment it crossed her mind how Alby must be feeling, if this was what she thought it was- it was almost be like the same happening to Ellie.

Wait- fuck?

Bea's expression momentarily hardened at the thought and her lips pursed. She was almost starting hate the girl all over again just for being so bloody confusing.

We're not friends

She squeezed Alby's hand to try and calm herself down a little and she sighed looking on over at Sam on the ground, she figured Alby was too emotional so she leaned over herself and with two fingers gently tilted his head so his airways would be completely clear and then sat back again by Alby looking at him, hoping he'd take reassurance in the fact Sam had a strong pulse and was likely to soon come back around.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Beatrice had been worrying about Alby all week- there was no way he was responsible for what happened to Sam or the murder or any of the attacks and she'd tried to visit a few times but these things were difficult and her parents hadn't been supportive of her hanging around a police station, not in the slightest. She didn't believe any of the accusations against him, how could she? The timing couldn't have been worse though, after everything with Ellie Bea had been a lot lower than usual, she'd barely left her attic and barely touched her paints. She'd shoot up more than usual too, the tracks in her arms were becoming more noticeable all the time. She was desperate to just go to Alby's apartment lay on his sofa and talk to him as if she were in counselling, off load her problems- share a joint, laugh it all off and go home feeling confident, enlightened and free again but she couldn't because he'd been arrested.

Beatrice was laying on her mattress in her underwear a joint hanging from her lips and a lighter clasped between her finger tips, a gold one with her initials etched into it. She raised it to the joint and sparked it up and took a long drag before curling up into her sheets again, wrapping herself up wishing she'd turn into a cocoon and come back as something new beautiful and pure. She'd been at rock bottom the past couple of weeks- she could barely get Ellie out of her head and it was driving her mad and when she wasn't thinking about Ellie, she was worrying about Alby or Sam in hospital. She'd been interrogated of course and Bea had explained about being locked in the bathroom with Ellie and that they had an intimate and personal conversation, she explained they'd previously been social nemesis' but they'd made peace whilst they were locked in. She explained, she'd then spoken to a police officer before she discovered Alby with Sam. She stated that Alby was very distressed and Sam was unconscious but she hadn't been able to say anything else- she hadn't seen anything else.

She'd been let go without anything else after that but the sinking guilt and loneliness had been swallowing her up since the Gala. She was staring at her phone like that would make it ring, like Ellie would dial and announce that she didn't hate Bea, that she wasn't ashamed of her and wanted to hang out more, that Alby would call up and say he was out of the woods maybe even someone else would pop up just to check in and have a chat.

She desperately need someone, anyone but she had no one.

She truly had no one.

Her head pounded with the lingering agony that could only be described as a hangover when her stomach suddenly wretched, she leaned over and grabbed her dressing gown as she tried to hold it down in a mad dash to get to the bathroom; she got there and straight acid came flying up, there was nothing to throw up but the acid; she hadn't eaten in a couple of days by this point because all she'd done is drink and get high. She realised continuing like this would wind up with her dead but it was hard to care about that in her mind set at the minute.

After throwing up, Bea was quick to jump in the shower and get clean before she went back up to her attic and collapsed back on the mattress, staring at her phone again and wishing the world would just swallow her up.

"So let me get this straight...this is the third time in the past three months?"

Ellie nodded, she felt frustrated and confused...she wanted answers "It just keeps happening you know? I think I've made $30,000 all together. The worst part is I don't know who the benefactor is or what I'm doing that's so...right..."

Tyler scratched his head and placed his mug filled with dark roast on the chestnut coffee table. They sat in Ellie's dim lit living room, the surroundings almost haunting with pictures of her sister on nearly every wall. The only sound heard aside from their own voices was the ticking of an old grandfather clock sitting on the center of a shelf above the stone fireplace. The windows were sealed shut and had been for weeks now, one of the bulbs in the chandelier was burnt out and all the surfaces were covered in a light coat of dust.

After the gala, Ellie's parents took a much needed stress relief vacation, they left out of the blue and gave no notice for when they would return. During their absence Ellie had spent her days cooped in her large house only leaving when absolutely necessary, basically only for school and sports. On the brighter side over the last two weeks she had gained a few pounds. Her talk with Bea and Sam's unfortunate event gave her a realization that she needed to start taking care of herself. Although nutrition was present and she appeared healthier, she spent most of her nights laying on the bathroom floor crying and throwing up.

As for Tyler, since the gala he was on even closer watch. His outburst attracted plenty of media attention but luckily for him the arrests appeared to be more interesting. He'd been interviewed by the police almost everyday, questions were becoming redundant, the interrogations were useless and Tyler had become annoyed. On his down time away from school and the interviews he'd spent most of his time at Ellie's. They had become even closer friends since the gala since Isabella had become MIA and Ellie was avoiding everyone.

"I've tried on numerous occasions to return the money, I've paid a bank teller to watch my account and see if any signs or clues would pop up but nothing...Ty, if the cops catch wind of this they may think I've had something to do with the murders."

Tyler twirled his thumbs whilst pondering what to say, when he couldn't think of anything he pulled out a blunt from his jean pocket and smiled "Let's forget about our worries?"

Ellie chuckled as Tyler lit up the joint and passed it over. The duo weezed at the burning sensation in their throats and the energy in the room became relaxed. "I miss Bea, I keep wanting to message her but...I just can't"
Tyler took one last hit of the joint, coughed a little and nodded "You know El, why don't you just do it? Clearly you like this girl so give her a shout. I don't think staying in this house is doing much good. I mean sooner or later these walls and that goddam clock that crows every hour is bound to drive you insane."
"I suppose you're right, I should call up Sam too"
"Yup, sounds like you have much to do. Anyways I'm going to take off!"
"So soon? You've been hear like twenty minutes"
"Yea well...you have a lot to do. See yea El" he said getting to his feet and making his way out without another word.

Ellie stared at the empty space next to her in confusion, Tyler had been acting weird that was obvious but considering he was her only friend right now she thought it best not to question him. Ellie grabbed her phone that sat on the coffee table and sent Bea and Sam a text.

To: Sam & Bea
Message: Hey, can we meet? I think we need to talk

She placed her phone on her lap and sunk down on the couch. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, the last couple weeks had been...lonesome.

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Tyler wandered about the streets after he left Ellie's home. He stared at his feet and kicked a rock whilst thinking about the last couple weeks and the night of the gala. There was a huge hole in his memory, his hands had scratches on them for reasons he could not remember and people avoid him even more than usual. The last thing he remembered was talking to Scarlet about Declan's arrest, after that his parents dragged him out and took him home.

Tyler paused outside the usual coffee shop where Alby worked. He stared through the window curiously, the place seemed lifeless without the upbeat barista and yet his arrest put him at ease. If Alby had been the one behind anything that would mean the cops would drop his case and move on, but he knew that was unlikely. If he'd remember that night perhaps he could offer freedom to either Declan or Alby but his word was useless according to the cops.

Tyler turned away from the window and leaned against it. He watched the boulevard in front of him observed people as they rushed by, admiring the sounds of the busy streets and zoned out into the abyss.

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He chuckle d a bit at her comment and shrugged his shoulders; "I'm not the toughest but I try," He chuckled gently. "But I think we'll be okay regardless here," He joked light heartedly. He sat down with her and did all the gentlemanly things like pull back a chair for her and wait till she was seated to sit himself, let her make a decision in her own time and before he made his own. It was clear he was well brought up and well mannered but also incredibly caring.

"Awesome," He told her with a smile. "I can't decide between banana milkshake or strawberry but I'm really tempted to say screw it about the whole athletes diet thing and get a cake," He laughed with a small grin. He beckoned politely to a waiter who immediately came over to take an order.

"Charlie?" He offered gently, allowing her to order first.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Bea could have evenly been mistaken for dead as she laid numb across her body as she nestled into her bed sheets, it'd been a while since Sam text her and she'd only just noticed the message on her phone so she quickly picked up her phone to text him back;

To: Sam
That's sound, come to mine I don't really wanna leave the house today so just come round whenever, if I don't answer the door cuz I'm in the attic, just let yourself in

She only said that because from her room, she could never hear people knock and she didn't want him to feel ignored, so she tried to avoid that by prempting the problem.

Her whole body shook and then suddenly froze when she saw Ellie's message, it felt like hell had frozen over as though the sky had fallen. Without prompt, request or encouragement she'd texted B. She'd texted her, herself from her own phone, her own way- Bea had to reign herself in to stop herself from getting her hopes up but the more she thought about it the less hopeful it was; talking was bad. Wanting to talk was even worse.

To: Ellie
Yeah I guess. I don't really feel up to leaving the house though- you're welcome to come here though if it's important

She didn't want to outright invite Ellie over but she didn't want to go out either, so she tried to invite her as casually as possible. It was hard because B really couldn't be doing with going out tonight; she'd need to clean though make sure there was no evidence anywhere about anything being wrong or out of place. Her cigarettes, weed, needles, lighters, Librium, drink- she needed to get rid of it all and that suddenly hit her like a tonne of bricks and she jumped up to begin clearing her whole attic to move everything out of sight.

---

---

He shook his head at the offer of some cookies. As she asked him if she could help with anything, he hesitated for a second. There were so many things he wanted to say to Alby- but he didn't trust Scarlet to relay them to him without giving away the real nature of their relationship. He sighed a little, taking a mouthful out of his coffee.

"Tell Alby I don't think it was him, okay? That I don't blame him," he said. His phone buzzed in his pocket, making his heart pound. He scrambled for it, praying that it was a text from Alby saying that he was out and at home. But instead, three texts awaited him. One from Bea, confirming the details about going over to hers. One from Ellie, wanting to talk. And one from his father, telling him to get his ass home.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably, but he drained the rest of his coffee. "I gotta go, Scarlet. Good luck with getting in to see Alby. Text me and let me know how you get on, 'kay?" He said, getting to his feet and adjusting his scarf. All he could think about was the cop that was friends with his father.

As he started on the way home, he typed out a few replies.

To: Bea
Chat with Scarlet was surprisingly painless- but now Ellie wants to talk and father may or may not be pissed off. Ugh.

To: Ellie
I'll get back to you on that.



Every little thing he did just made her like him more than more- from holding out her seat to letting her order first. He was such a gentleman without even trying, and she loved that about him. When the waiter approached, she smiled up at him. "Hi, can I get a strawberry milkshake and a brownie, please?" She asked. Once Ash had replied, she leaned her chin on her hand and looked over at him.

"So, what have you been up to since the party?" She asked. "Apparently there's been a lot of drama since then, I do hope you haven't been tied up in any of it," she joked, indicating a newspaper on a neighbouring table.

---

---

He smirked a little at Bea's reply, and texted her back as he neared the house.

To: Bea
"Mexico is sounding increasingly appealing right now. And thanks, that sounds ideal"

To: Ellie
"I'll meet you at Bea's in a while."

He hesitated before opening the door. He was sure that it had nothing to do with Alby, that it was something way smaller than that, that there had to be a better explanation for it all. But that didn't stop the awful knotting in his stomach as he opened the door and let himself in.

Both of his parents were sitting at the table, waiting for him. He could see them from the moment he stepped into the hall, and they were staring at him. He forced himself to act normal, unravelling the scarf from around his neck and hanging his coat up.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he headed into the kitchen. For the first time, Allie crossed his mind. There was no sign of his sister, and he suddenly felt guilty for assuming this was about him. Had something happened to her?

"We just got a call from William- you know, who works in the police station?" His father said. Sam suddenly felt like he was going to hurl.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as casually as he could- but that didn't come across as that casual at all.

"How long has this been going on?" His father asked, his tone suddenly changing to one of barely concealed anger.

"What?"

"You and this... boy," he spat, and Sam was suddenly sure that he was going to throw up. His chest was starting to get constricted, and that didn't help anything. He made his way over to the sink ad filled a glass with water, suddenly aware of how much his hands were shaking.

"Samuel Hawkins, you answer me right now," his father demanded.

"A few months," Sam forced out, and he could hear both of his parents exhale heavily.

"So not only did you go ahead and directly disobey our wishes, you then proceeded to lie about it for a few months?" His mother asked. Sam didn't reply, taking a shaky mouthful out of the water.

"Sam," his mother said, more forcefully this time. Sam whirled around to face them.

"Well, I didn't exactly have much choice, now, did I? I got my grades up to the level you wanted, I kept performing at my best, and you still weren't happy. And yet both Allie and David can date as many people as they want- but not me. It wasn't fair!" He protested. He really fucking wished that this could have happened differently- ideally with Alby by his side to back him up. But that wasn't happening.

"You didn't even try and talk to us about it!" His mother replied.

"I did! You didn't want to listen!" He retorted.

"We want you out of this house," his father said, suddenly calm. Sam stared at him, feeling like the floor had just given way from underneath him.

"What?"

"You heard your father," his mother said. "We tolerated this... lifestyle of yours, and gave you only one condition- that you wouldn't date in this household. And then, not only did you break that condition, you lied to us about it, and we only found out because you told the police in your statement," she said.

"So you're just kicking me out?"

"If you won't follow these rules, then you're not living in this house," his father said. "Pack your bags and get out," He added, and they both turned away. Conversation over.

Sam stormed up to his room, pulling a backpack and a duffel bag from under his bed. His hands still hadn't stopped shaking, and the feeling of pressure on his chest hadn't dissipated either. He emptied his closet into the duffel bag and backpack, throwing the few pairs of shoes he actually wore into the top of them, followed by the few possessions he truly cared about.

"Sam?" His sister asked, standing in his doorway. "You don't... They're not... You don't really have to leave, do you?" She asked. He nodded without really looking at her, pulling the backpack onto his back. "That's not fair... Can they do that?" She asked. He shrugged.

"I'm eighteen, Allie, they can do whatever the hell they like. But hey, you'll come visit me, wherever I end up, right?" He said, and she nodded defiantly.

"Even if they won't let me. Especially if they won't let me."

"And you'll still come to all my races?"

"Wouldn't miss them for the world," she said. He swung his duffel bag onto his shoulder and stepped over to her to give her a hug. She clung on to him like she never had before for a few seconds, before letting him go.

"I'll text you, okay?" He promised, before heading downstairs. He didn't even glance into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him as a goodbye. As he walked, he texted Bea again.

To: Bea
"definitely need those drinks now. will explain later."

As he walked, he tucked his scarf back into his coat. He had no clue where he was going to stay- would Alby be mad if he hung out in his place until he got things sorted out?



She reached over and swiped the paper from the empty table. "Since that murder, there's been a string of attacks as well. They reckon they're kind of related, but can't be sure." She'd read the paper the whole way through while waiting to see her doctor this morning, as well as googling her father. She'd found something about something he'd done for a charity or something- sponsored an orphan or some shit like that- a few years ago, but still nothing concrete. And it was a pain in the ass.

"Here, I won't mind if you want to skim through it while we wait," she said, shrugging a little. "As long as you don't mind me watching you," she said, leaning her head on her hand.

Ellie's phoned buzzed announcing two new messages. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and read them quickly causing her to scowl. She didn't want to leave. She had only been outside her house for school or volleyball practice. Ellie tossed her phone next to her and sunk even further on the couch. She scanned the room becoming increasingly more uncomfortable as the grandfather clock ticked louder with every second, the dust settled more on the already dusty furniture and the paintings on the walls appeared to be staring. It didn't help that her high had reached it's peek, the paranoia was making her extremely uneasy.

Finally without further thought or reply to her friends she grabbed her phone and ran out of her house.

For some reason, probably out stress or paranoia, she began to sprint as fast as she could. Her surroundings were a blur and she took no time to catch her breath. Visions of her stress filled month clouded her mind, she wanted to scream. She had so many questions, she longed for answers and the suspense was become unbearable.

When she reached an unfamiliar part of town she would have kept running forward but a cop grabbed her arm forcing her to come to a halt. Bewildered, Ellie caught herself on his shoulder, almost launching back at his grasp "Everything okay Ellie? Are you running from someone, your eyes are red..." Ellie stared at the officer blankly and simply shock her head "Just heading to a friends" she mumbled and reclaimed her arm in his unnecessary tight grasp.

At that moment Ellie glanced around to examine her surroundings, she had no idea where she was. She looked over at the officer awkwardly and said "Do you mind giving me a lift? I think I'm lost." The cop examined her face, he had a suspicious and uncomfortable expression but he gave a silent nod and walked over to his cruiser parked next to the road and Ellie followed cautiously. He opened the door to the back seat and Ellie grimaced, she wasn't a criminal...why did she have to sit in the back, all she wanted was a ride?

On the drive the cop left no space for silence. As far as Ellie could tell the camera on his dash had been turned off which made it easy for interrogations. Ellie stared outside the window trying to ignore his sea of questions but he kept pressing and the paranoia from her high made it difficult to ignore him "Officer if you please, I'm not willing to discuss the case at this time"
"Of course you're not, but if you think that money going into your account has gone unnoticed then you must think us all fools"
Ellie glanced at him in surprise through the review mirror "I just--I"
"No sweat, we're at your destination." The cop exited his car and went around to her side and opened the door. Ellie stepped out of the vehicle with her guard up keeping her eyes looked on the officer. She nodded in thanks and was ready to walk off when he pulled her back by her arm again but more aggressively and whispered "we know." On that note he shoved her slightly and jumped back into his cruiser and sped off.
Ellie stared at the open road in confusion with millions of questions and thoughts exploding in her mind. She glanced over at Bea's house hesitantly, she didn't want to go in anymore. She could feel her whole body shaking, the high was lingering longer than most.

Finally after about several minutes of contemplating what the cop meant and debating whether or not to go and face Sam and Bea, Ellie made her way to the door and gave a small knock. She bowed her head nervously awaiting for an answer, there were a few things she desperately needed to discuss.

---

---

Tyler hadn't noticed how longer he'd been staring out into the abyss until a gentleman approached him "Kingsley is it? I'm sorry to bother you young man but people around town are getting uncomfortable with you linger around my shop, would you mind wandering off." Tyler glanced around to see peering eyes and whispering mouths, he smiled at the man weakly and quickly apologized.

Shoving his hands in his pockets Tyler began walking with his head down. Dark thoughts clouded his mind, thoughts of the gala especially. The gaps in his memory made him increasingly more uncomfortable, he wanted answers. He thoughts were disrupted suddenly when he heard his name in an echo. His head shot up and he glanced around curiously, the voice was not one he recognized.

A couple feet ahead was an alleyway, Tyler approached it cautiously and glanced inside, it was dark and gloomy and there was no one in sight. He shook his head assuming it was his paranoia when out of the dark a couple hands grabbed him and dragged him into the alley. He was quickly blindfolded and someone whispered "you little shit." He was about to scream when what felt like a silk cloth was placed inside his mouth, gagging him. He was now on the ground trying to break free as they bound his hands and began beating him mercilessly. They kicked him hard in the ribs and punched his face a few times, luckily as far as he could tell no weapons were being used. Their blows were excruciating and Tyler couldn't help but cry, he kept trying to break free but it was useless.

After what felt like a solid half hour of punches and kicks, they finally stopped and he was propped up against a wall. One final threat, in a woman's was muttered "you dare approach us again...we will end you and your sad life."

Several minutes passed, Tyler stood still in bewilderment, he felt like his insides were bleeding. The voices and all the other noises surrounding him had grown silent, the cold air of the alleyway kissed his cheek as a tear rolled down and Tyler exhaled heavily trying to catch his breath.

---

"Shit, that's awful. It's nothing to do with anyone we know is it?" He asked anxiously, suddenly concerned for his peers. Although he wasn't a main attribute to the circle, he got on with everybody and he certainly didn't wish this kind of thing anybody either.

The waiter returned with their orders and he smiled gratefully; "Thank you," He said politely as their drinks and cakes were laid on the table. The waitress smiled and after checking on them soon left and Ash looked to Charlie, a slight chill in his spine since hearing about the investigation.

He couldn't believe he hadn't heard anything about it in the hospital. Everyone was always gossiping there but he hadn't heard a single thing, he didn't even know the poor guy had died that night. He felt kind of bad about it now- the victim had probably only been looking for a good night out before exams came around, Ash winced a bit at the thought. He felt even worse now though about the Charlie thing, leaving her at a party was bad enough but leaving her at a party where some kid got murdered, that was terrible but he didn't want to apologise again in case he irritated her.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

---

---

To: Sam
You okay honey? I've got drink (obvs it’s me) so just pop round when you want to talk. Hope things are okay, let me know if I can do anything

She very quickly began to worry about Sam after his last text, purely because of how much he had going on she couldn't even begin to theorise how it could have got any worse and she dread to think about it really but she barely dbven have time to coñsider her fears because the door knocked and it was too soon to be Sam so it had to be Ellie and a pit grew in her stomach.

She walked to the door and hesitated. She wasn't sure if she could handle this, whatever Ellie wanted to talk about couldn't be good and every time Bea saw her it was a sickening rush of nausea that Ellie always left her with- every single time.

She eventually opened the door and there she was; the angel from her nightmares.

"Hi," She mumbled simply wishing she was a bit less of a state but the week alone hadn't been at all kind to her but thankfully you couldn't smell alcohol or smoke in her but only would have been because she showered.

She avoided looking at Ellie for a long time because her beautiful brown locks, her unwavering strong eyes and determined expression were just too tempting but she wasn't even allowed to suggest she liked Ellie as a friend forget to act upon something deeper.

She stepped away from the door leaving it open so Ellie could let herself in and she hugged the material of her drop sleeve T-shirt around her petite waist and sighed gently. "Do you want a drink or something?" She asked a little awkwardly. As she moved around the hall, she stole an unwanted glance at herself in the mirror and noticed the darkness under her eyes where shadows clung to her skin and the paleness of her skin- she didn't look great but she's have to live with it.

Ellie smiled weakly as Bea welcomed her awkwardly in her home. She lingered in the doorway momentarily as Bea opened the door a little wider. Her palms felt sweaty, she was nervous and the high was wearing off causing her chill to vanish and her paranoia to set in. On top of that her recent encounter with the cop didn't ease the situation. The last thing she wanted was to talk to her or Sam but something in the last hour or so clicked, she needed to at least talk to someone other than Tyler.

Ellie followed Bea silently in the hall and examined her from behind, Bea didn't look so good. Well not as good as usual, her badass persona is what caused the initial attraction but today the girl she crushed on seemed weary. It was almost as if Ellie's previous illness had transferred to Bea, she could only imagine what the last couple weeks had done to her. She rubbed her temple with a couple fingers debating her arrival, today didn't seem like a very good time.

"If you have Vodka or something I'd love a drink, ease the tension a bit" she said lightly. "Listen Bea, I owe you an apology...the night at the gala was interesting, I don't know I guess being holed up in my house the last little while has given me perspective on things. I guess Sam is on his way over, I'd rather wait until he's here but I think I'm catching on to something morbid...I just need another viewpoint. Oddly enough I think you and Sam know me better than anyone and you're probably the most honest people in my life...ironic isn't it?"

Ellie's phone buzzed announcing a message from Tyler, she pulled her smartphone out of her coat pocket and read the message, her face flushing instantaneously.

From: Ty

Message: It happened, I know what you did.

Ellie quickly shoved her phone back in her pocket and let out a slightly panicked sigh "I think I'm in trouble"

---

---

Tyler had managed to escape his bindings by cutting himself loose with a pocket knife. He sunk onto the cold gravel of the alleyway, he felt weak and exhausted. He pulled out his iPhone and sent Ellie a quick message, he would have been more furious and threatening if he didn't feel like he was about to faint.

Following his threat Tyler dialed 9-1-1, he was pretty sure his insides were bleeding and moving seemed next to impossible. He was ready to cry for help as the operator took his call but his sight became blurry and his dizziness became extreme. He started to see spots in his line of sight and the operators voice from his phone seemed to fade into the distance. "Please describe the situation." Her words seemed to circle in his head the situation...the situation...the situation. At that moment Tyler couldn't do it anymore, his eyes refused to stay open and the auburn bricks of the wall in front of him turned black. It felt nice to have his eyes closed, he focused on his breathing longing to mask the pain and from the distance sirens began to sing.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

---

---

Bea nodded at her request simply, leading the way into a charmingly decorated like something out of an ideal movie scene. All well maintained and polished- nothing like Bea. It was weird being downstairs, she almost never came down here except to leave out the door. She didn't even know where everything was kept but the alcohol; she knew where that was for sure. On top of the fridge there was a collection of spirits to chose from, all the finest- her parents were fussy like that. She climbed onto the kitchen side and sat ok it's, reaching to grab a bottle of Russian vodka. After this she rooted through the cupboard to find a shot glass and ended up pickin up three and laying them out on the side next to her but then changed her mind.

"Ellie, do you mind if we sit upstairs? I don't really like it down here that much," She mumbled vaguely before listening to what Ellie had to say.

She finally looked at the girl properly and sighed slightly. Bea wasn't oblivious to the fact the girl was overly slim but that considered she was still gorgeous in her own right and B was really starting to hate that.

"Not gonna lie Ellie, hardly rebuilds my pride or make me feel less hurt but thanks for apologising, and fuck- really? And yes we are well I am at least but okay; I won't ask lets just talk about it when Sam gets here. I think I need some kind of moral support right now anyway," She mumbled with a sigh before pouring two double shots and handing one to Ellie, she tossed her back onto her throat savouring the burn with a small smile but sadness haunted her expression regardless before she picked up the bottle and other glass and led the way upstairs.

She pulled the ladder down and slipped up into the attic, the trap door was decorated with the words; 'Get out of my swamp' that had been engraved into the wood and the new singed green back when Bea was young and a bit more of a believer in Shrek, Disney and Fairytales. The rest of the room was sparse, vinyls covered most of the sides of the room and she possessed many fairy lights, tapestries and canopies. She had only one piece of furniture and it was a large dark wood wardrobe. A cactus grew in one side where the light from the skylight window finished and the rest was empty. A small, thin and short black table bore home to her vinyl player and in it was fit a single drawer but it was locked but the key could be seen forgotten next to her mattress.

But as Bea sat down on the mattress that covered her entire floor, Ellie spoke again and her words snapped Bea into reality. Ellie? Trouble? She didn't like to admit but just the thought made her stomach churn with worrying for the other girl but she didn't voice it. "How do you mean?"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Look I'll do what I can. Just hold on, let me get Sam. Make yourself comfortable just don't go through my shit alright?" Immediately after saying this she'd disappeared down the ladder to let him in.

"Hey man, you alright? Ellie and I have got Vodka upstairs, come on," She touched his arm reassuringly as she shut the door behind him and showed the way back upstairs. "Ellie's kinda shaken up so I guess we've got a lot of crap to go through really, you okay?"

---

He listened to her with a nod, he found it hard to imagine she was a time wasting kind of person, which part of him thought travelling might be but maybe she was on a discovery route or something. He didn't blame her, if he didn't have so many responsibilities he'd want to do the same. "Ah well I couldn't leave you on that, you might not believe me but there's more to this town than a coffee joint and an affordable restaurant," He told her with a grin. "I'll show you around, no way can you visit our humble town and only see two places- my Mother would kill me if I allowed that," He joked gently, speaking of his Mother in a noticeable respectful and admiring way.

"Caldwall? Sorry I can't say I do but I could ask my Mom if you want; she does a lot of community work, she might know the name," He offered gently as ever always trying to be helpful and sweet.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

---

---

It struck Bea immediately he didn't look that much better than she did and she felt bad for him but it was nothing in comparison to how she felt when he told her and her heart sunk into her stomach to think how hard that must have been for him. She knew the kind of family Sam came from and could only begin to imagine how they'd reacted to this kind of thing.

"Sam honey I'm so sorry man, if you don't want to be alone my parents would let you stay here no questions asked, they'd be relieved to see me talking to someone," She offered honestly and coming from Bea you could be assured t was anything but an empty gesture. She was many things but Bea would never lie or be deceitful or misleading to anybody. She wore her heart on her sleeve just like any other good person, the only thing she'd ever been even remotely false about was her drug habits. She had to lie about that though- no one could ever find out, so she had little choice.

When asked if she was okay, part of her wanted to break down- sink against the wall, cry a bit and express all her crazy conflicts and fears but she just couldn't. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't have it didn't feel right to confide in someone that wasn't Alby- especially without telling him.

"Well, I think we've all been better really haven't we? There's a couple of things I could do with some advice on but it's okay to wait and besides I think Ellie's got some pretty important shit to explain. She probably won't stay long, she more or less hates me anyway so we can talk properly when she goes," She mumbled quietly before they were close enough to the stairs Ellie would over hear them, then she led the way up and sat down on her bed with a sigh.

"Sorry Ellie, just had to let him in. What were you saying about trouble?" She asked gently, genuinely sympathetic and concerned because as much she wished she didn't and she'd pray for it all to go away; she cared. She cared a lot about this girl, so she couldn't help but get swept up in protectiveness and concern.

Ellie felt appreciative of B's willingness to help, to her surprise she seemed genuine. As Bea scurried off to answer the door Ellie plopped down on the mattress and examined the room in the attic, her surroundings made her slightly more uncomfortable than in her dusty abandoned home. As she waited in the dim lit room Ellie's nerves were on the rise so she took a couple shots of vodka in effort to calm herself. It failed, first she started by tapping her foot anxiously, then tapping her hands on her thighs and then finally she began biting her nails feverishly. In Bea's absence Ellie began to ponder what brought her here and those thoughts lead to her longing for an escape. She pulled out her phone and read Ty's message again, her heart began to sound loudly in her ears and she felt like a river was flowing from her palms. At that moment she decided, she was ready to jump down the ladder and simply run away from it all but she knew that would just cause more trouble, especially for her friends.

Just as she had given up on waiting and was ready to bolt, B reappeared with Sam behind her. A feeling of relief overcame her, half of her expected it to be someone else for some reason. "First of all...Sam I owe you a huge apology. I think I had a psychotic breakdown or something I just I don't know what happened. I completed overreacted, the pressure was insane and I just shouldn't have taken it out on you...but anyways what I'm about to say is bigger than this whole mess...I think someone is out to get me. B remember I told you about that money appearing in my account? Well apparently it hasn't gone unnoticed especially by the cops. I think, they think I'm guilty and I realize they have every reason to believe so but I've been spending a lot of time with Tyler over the last couple weeks and..."

Ellie paused for moment trying to catch her breath, her mind was cluttered and she lost control over her thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a deep sigh. She reached over and poured herself another shot of vodka before continuing more calmly "The day my sister died, I was off being reckless with Ty. When I arrived at his house he seemed more than surprised to see me despite having made plans the previous night, I guess my arrival was early. Anyways, he introduced me to cocaine and we got weird and next thing I know, I get a phone call and my sister's dead. My parents, told me to lie and tell the cops I was with her. We always went hiking in the nearby woods and she apparently died by falling through the old bridge, for one we never crossed that thing, Andy was smarter than that...we knew it was un-sturdy...I don't know...the whole story just doesn't make sense...whatever...I think what happened to her was meant to happen to me and I think my parents are the one's who are putting that money in my account. You see, the cops showed up to my house not long ago, before my parents skipped town. They said new evidence of my sisters death was found, Tyler knew about this. I don't know how though, about a week ago he said I think it was her body you know. We were drunk so I didn't think anything of it, but then I was questioned the next day and then money appeared in my account again. I was lying to the cops and didn't even know it. Long story short, my sister was murdered and someone was paid to do it. I think she was the first in the series. When she went hiking, I was supposed to go with her that day...my parents were surprised to see me when I got home, Tyler was surprised to see me when I showed up at his place...something doesn't add up. All these attacks, I'm not sure whose causing them, but I think my parents are the benefactors, I think they're paying someone to kill and they're paying me to lie about it...or I'm being framed"

Ellie examined her hands as she spoke, she didn't want to read B or Sam's expressions, she sounded so foolish. "I told Tyler this theory yesterday, he seemed so mad when I told him, it was weird and he stormed off. He seemed better when we were hanging out today but something was odd about him, he left so quickly again. Part of me just thinks my house is bugged because I got text today from an anonymous number that said thank you and now I just got a text from Tyler. I think whatever just happened to him was because of me...I don't know...I just have this feeling that whoever was trying to kill me a few years back is ready to try again or they are trying to frame me." Finally she looked up at her peers, the buzz from the alcohol slow setting in. The worry in her eyes was apparent, she bit her lip as she thought through everything that was just said "I'm crazy...right?