Chapter 19

Over the next few days things went back to normal, well as normal as they could be. Lots of guys came looking for Kenny to sell them drugs but we told them the story and turned them away.

Most everyone in the house continued to talk very little. To the point that most of the time I felt alone even if everyone was in the room. The word got out pretty fast about Kenny so after about a week people stopped asking for him, but still came any way hoping to get drugs out of Twitch who turned them down. Most of them were not very happy with this, but then Jonah would have a short word with them and they would leave on the spot never to be seen there again.

During all of this chaos poor Sophie was still just adjusting to living there. I felt sorry for her, but like most every one else didn’t want to talk much. I was glad Twitch was there for her. Since she was around him most of the time he got high only once a day no matter how bad his cravings got just for her.

Exactly a week after Layla’s visit to the building one of the guys who was a customer of Kenny’s had called Tyler to complain and when he got off the phone Tyler was not happy.

“I can’t believe that guy!” he said hitting the door frame as he came down the stairs and gritting his teeth. “How dare he threaten me.”

“Don’t worry about it Tyler guys like him don’t go through with what they say. You know he was always a chicken when ever it came to stuff like that,” Adam said from his place on the couch with his arm around me.

“Yeah,” Tyler paused looking over at the coat rack. “I’m going out.” Before anyone could ask him anything he had grabbed his coat and left.

“I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Adam said looking back at the door.

“I don’t think he will,” I said trying to reassure him but I was wrong.

Late that night I awoke when the front door flew open knocking over the coat rack to the floor. I threw on some pants and wet out in the hall. Twitch and Sophie where standing there while Jonah and Adam had all ready gone down stairs. I didn’t hesitate and went quickly down the stairs after them. They had Tyler sitting in one of the kitchen table chairs trying to snap him out of what ever world he was in. When I got closer I could see his upper arm arms bleeding it was a gun shot wound. Without even thinking I started going around getting things to fix it up. When I got back they were beginning to get him to talk.

“What happened Tyler?” Adam slapped him again when there was no answer. Tyler moaned slightly.

“Hi,” was all Tyler could muster at the moment.

“Come on Tyler tell us what happened,” Jonah said squatting down so their faces were at the same level.

“I went to the bar and had a f, f, few drinks,” he started.

“We can see that,” Adam said.

“Shush Adam, then what Tyler?”

“I went to see that guy, that guy, Lenny, Larry, whatever his name is.”

“Yeah then…”

“OW!” Tyler yelled as he snapped back into it as I began to wrap his arm, “Noreen,” he growled.

“Tyler what happened with Logan?” Jonah asked.

Then Tyler said bluntly, “I shot him, he’s dead.” The room went slight for a moment. Adam finally broke the silence.

“How could you do something like that?” Adam ran a hand threw the little length of hair he had, “The cops are going to be all over us and even if they don’t find you guilty we’ve got enough stuff here to put us all in the clink for a long time!”

“Don’t you think I know that, I was going to talk to him. He shot at me first,” Tyler protested.

“Well you didn’t have to shoot back,” Adam said in as calm a voice as he could muster. I was still sitting there on the floor wrapping Tyler’s arm. Thought s began rushing through my head. I didn’t want to leave. If they found us the boys would go to jail and I would go home never to see them again. I shivered at the thought shacking Tyler’s bandage.

“Watch it Noreen,” Tyler barked.

“Sorry,” I said quietly.

As soon as I finished I went back up the stairs. I didn’t even look at Twitch and Sophie who were still in the hall way but went strait to my room. I laid there going over everything in my head over and over again not being able to shake it. I didn’t get a wink of sleep. That night seemed to never end and every position I tried seemed even less uncomfortable then the last. Finally it was morning. I got out of bed as soon as the sun’s rays came through my window. I went down stairs. The boys had moved over to the couch but I could tell they hadn’t slept a wink either.

They all looked up when they heard me come down the stairs. Adam got up and came over to me and took my hand. I couldn’t help but smile. He led me over to the spot he usually sat in the morning behind the stairs.

“Noreen,” he started. There was something about his face that told me he didn’t want to tell me thins. “We decided to leave you and Sophie here.” My heart sank.

“No this can’t be happening,” I thought.

“Why?” I asked not wanting to be left.

“You’ll be able to go back home. We trust you and we won’t tell you were we are going so you can answer that truthfully that you didn’t know where we were going.” I shook my head and looked away.

“No.”

“Noreen it has to be this way.”

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” both our eyes grew wide, it was the police.

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