Chapter 18

The next day everyone was silent. Only necessary words were spoken. The boys even canceled all of their appointments. No one watched TV, no one left, every one just sat around. Adam spent most of his day sitting on the couch every once in a while get up and going down stairs I assumed just to make sure that it had happened and Kenny was really there. Tyler passed the house over and over occasionally he would hit or kick Kenny’s door as he passed it. Twitch and Sophie spent most of the day with Jonah and me on the couch. The four of us hardly moved except to eat and go to the bathroom. Pat proceeded to follow Tyler around the house but after a while got tired of it and came over and sat on Jonah’s lap, quickly going to sleep. It was one of the longest days of my life.

          It was amazing but while I sat there I could hardly think. How could he feel so bad to take his own life? I knew he was high at the time but still. I don’t now how many times I thought this over and over throughout the course of the day.

          Around six o’clock there was a knock on the door. Jonah got up and went over not opening it.

          “Who’s there? We really don’t want to see anyone right now,” he said.

          “Jonah, is that you Jonah? It’s Layla,” Jonah’s facial expression didn’t change as he heard this but I could see in his eyes that he was a bit uncomfortable with the situation.      

          “Layla, what are you doing here?” he asked still not opening the door.

          “I’ve been thinking about things about things and I want to talk to Kenny,” Jonah looked at me and sighed. Then he opened the door.

          “Come in,” he said as he stepped aside.

          “Well,” she paused, “Where is he?”

          “I’ll take you to him,” he began to walk over behind the stairs were the door to the basement was.

          “Jonah,” I said, he stopped. I said nothing with words but pleaded with my eyes that he not to take her down there. He looked at me as if to say it had to be done.

          “What,” Layla said looking between the two of us.

          “Nothing,” Jonah continued walking and took her down stairs. A few moments later I heard a loud scream. Down in the basement Layla had dropped to her knees in tears.

          “He hung himself from the ceiling fan,” Jonah said bluntly. Layla continued sobbing not taking her eyes off his grave marker. Then suddenly she got up and slinked up the stairs. When she got to the top of the stairs she leaned on the door post burying her head in the frame. I had to go to her. She looked up at me, hair and makeup now all down her face.

          “Why don’t you come over to the couch and lay down,” I suggested.

          “Ok,” she quivered and began slowly making her way over to the couch. She laid there with her face in a pillow still crying until she fell asleep. I slept on one of the other couches when every one else went up to bed in case she would wake up and need something.

          The next morning when I woke up she wasn’t there. I got up and got up and went looking for her, she wasn’t there. Then I want down in the basement. She was standing with her arms crossed just staring at his grave.

          “Thankfully,” I thought, “she isn’t crying.”

          “Layla,” I said. She turned around.

          “I’m going to get the rest of my things I left here and leave. I can’t stay here, I just can’t,” she looked back at him for a moment, “where is my stuff?”

          “Still in his room,” I answered, she grimaced at this answer.

          “All right I’ll be up in a minute,” she said. I nodded and went back up stairs. Fairly soon she came back up herself. She packed quickly and left without saying a word.

           

Author's Note

not proof read

Reviews

[Lauren Xena Campbell]

Tragic. But then it usually is on that side of the tracks. Again I feel complete sorrow for your characters, wondering how anything will ever turn out right. Will Noreen ever get home?