We're Not Crazy

Real?

*multiple hours later*

"How's she been?"
"Not good. She just stays in that corner all day, fetal position, talking to the wall about cars and gas stations."

"Josiah...why are those men looking at us?" I asked.
"I don't know, princess." he said and started examining them.

There were two men in the corner of the room we were in. Both were just staring directly at me and Josiah. One finally started walking towards us.

"Hi, honey, can I talk to you for a second?" The man asked.
I turned to Josi to see if he was okay with it.
He shook his head.
"No, thank you." I responded.
"Why not?" The man asked.
"You only go if I go too." Josiah demanded.

"Can he come too?" I asked the man. He looked at me like I'd just asked a complicated question that didn't make sense.
"What?" he asked.
"Can Josiah come too? If he can't go then I'm not going."

The man in front of us looked at the other man that stood in the corner. The other man nodded. I was so confused and honestly uncomfortable.

"Um...Yea. Yea, Josiah can come."
"Okay." I agreed. He held his hand out for me.

I took his hand and he led us out of the room. We started to walk through a hallway.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Just to have a talk." he responded.

"I don't trust him." Josi said and pulled me and the man's hands apart.

"What's your name?" I asked him, ignoring Jo's statement.

"Jeremiah."

"Oh. I'm Leyla."

Jeremiah smiled at me. "I know."

"How the hell does he know?" Jo asked. I shrugged.

Jeremiah was nice. I put my hand back in his. He was tall but not taller than Josi. He smelled really good and he was well dressed. He was pretty attractive but I didn't think he was better looking than Jo.

We came up to a metal door and Jeremiah opened it for us. After he and I walked in he shut the door and Josiah stood outside and banged on the window.

"Why would you do that?!" I asked Jeremiah.
"Do what?" he asked and had a facial expression that showed worry.
"You locked him out!"
He looked at me confused and then at the door then back at me.

The confusion never left his face.

I went to the door and opened it to let Josiah in.
"Can I kill him?" Jo asked. He stared at Jeremiah intensely.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm sure it was an accident."

"He did it on purpose. I told you I don't trust him. He's gonna try to separate us."

"Um...Can you apologize to my friend?" I asked Jeremiah and ignored Jo again.

Again, he just stood there staring at me. Lost.

"He won't do it. He's a dick. I'll just handle it." Jo threatened and whipped out a small knife.
"Where did you get that?!" I asked.
"Store." he answered vaguely and started to approach Jeremiah. I pulled him back by his wrist.
"No." I said again.

"You said your friend's name is Josiah?" he asked.
I looked back at him. "Yes."
"I am sorry, Josiah." Jeremiah stated.
"See?" I told Jo.
"Um...Can you take a seat for me?" Jeremiah asked.
I gave Jo a stare to let him know not to try and do anything drastic. He rolled his eyes in return but I knew he wouldn't do anything I didn't want him to.

I took a seat at the table like Jeremiah asked. But I noticed there was only one chair besides the one Jeremiah sat at.
"Where will Josi sit?" I asked him.
"Ummm...Can he just lean against the wall?" Jeremiah asked.

'Well that's a bit rude.' I thought to myself.

"Fuckin' asshole." said Josiah as he went against the wall behind me.

"Can we start?" Jeremiah asked.
"Yes. And for the record, Josi doesn't like you. I think you should be nicer to him. He feels like you're purposely ignoring him."
"I'm sorry, Josi. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."
"You don't call me that." Josiah demanded and ignored Jeremiah's apology.

"How have you been, Leyla?" Jeremiah asked.
"Um, fine."
"Have you eaten?"
"Sometimes. Josiah eats snacks with me to make sure I don't starve." I explained.
"I see. And how long have you known Josiah?" he asked.
"Two years."
"Is he like your best friend?"
"Yes."
"Why's he actin' like I ain't even here?" Jo asked.
"Because it's not for you." I answered.
"But it's about me."
"Shhh." I hushed him.

"Are you and Josiah always together, Leyla?" Jeremiah asked.
"Yes."
"Stop ignoring me!" Josiah demanded and leaned on the table.
"Stop it!" I shouted at Josi.
"TELL HIM TO STOP ACTIN' LIKE I AIN'T HERE!" Jo shouted and slammed the table.
"STOP YELLING AT ME!" I shouted back at him.
"Are you okay?" Jeremiah asked.
I looked at him.
"Motherfucker." Jo mumbled and walked behind Jeremiah. He had the knife in his hand.
"STOP IT!" I yelled at Jo and he stood behind Jeremiah.
"Leyla..." Jeremiah called me.

'Why isn't he moving...'
'Stop him...'
'He's gonna kill you, why are you just sitting there...'
I thought.

"You know Josiah isn't real...right?"

"...What?" I asked.

I looked up at Josiah. He looked scared. Like he'd just seen something horrific.

"No...what...?" I asked Jeremiah again, but kept my eyes on Josiah.

"Leyla..." Jeremiah called me and I didn't look at him.
"Leyla..." he said again.

Something felt like it was shaking me.

"Leyla!"
"LEYLA!"
I woke up to Josiah standing in front of me and we were back in the motel room.

"Hey...you okay?" he greeted me.

Suddenly, my eyes filled with tears and I went into panic.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted.
"What?" he asked.
"You're not real..." I started backing away from him until my back hit the wall.
"Go away!" I began crying as I looked at him.
"Leyla..." he called me again.
"Stop it...you're not real! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I covered my ears and closed my eyes. I got as close to the wall as I could in fear.

"You're not real, you're not real, you're not real, you're not real, YOU'RE NOT REAL!" I repeated. I closed my eyes tighter and cried harder. This was what I resorted to in order to get them to leave me alone. Times like this, I missed the ward.

This hurt me. I wanted him to be real but like always, I was scared. I want him to be real so bad that I'm crying that he isn't instead of crying that I'm hallucinating to begin with.

And if he wasn't real...how did I get here?
Was I even where I thought I was?

Something grabbed onto my wrists and shook my hands away from my ears.

"LEYLA! LEYLA, LOOK AT ME!"

I opened my eyes like he told me and my vision was blurry from tears.

"Look! It's Josi. I'm real. Touch me." he said. He put my hands against his face. He made me touch every feature.
"You feel that? You can touch me." he said and made me hold his face in my hands.
I tried to control my breathing and stop crying.
He kissed my wrists and hands.
"I'm real, baby. See?" he promised.