Nicer ways to go

FORTY-EIGHT

SEAN

Winter and I jolt awake at the same time, my half of the sheets tumbling off with her as she hits the ground, sighing as she lies there for a moment before getting back into the bed.

"Nightmare?" I ask

"Not quite" she says, running a hand through her hair "One of those dickheaded dreams where you feel like you're falling and you wake up before you hit the ground" she dumps the blankets back on her bed and hangs her head, looking at me as she speaks "I'm gonna go have a shower, I feel all sweaty". Her eyes are far away but mischievous, and I know exactly what they mean, what they are asking, but....

"I'm going to go to the shop to get some Advil, I have a monster headache" I lie, my self-control growling in annoyance as it tightens and she nods, heading out of her room and towards the bathroom. I would have taken up her silent challenge, I would have just let everything go then and there had it not been for the thoughts that have been wandering through my mind for days now, since we crashed at Jack's because Winter couldn't take being at hers. I don't blame her, her mum died just over a week ago, anyone would be doing shit, no matter who their mum was. Scooping up my keys from the hallway table and pocketing them I make my way to the front door, shoving it open and ignoring the cold that peppers my bare arms. I shove my hands into my pockets and walk down the street which has become deathly quiet with night, but instead of turning left into town I turn right onto the next street, my real destination pounding away in my head. The house at the end of the road towers above the rest, the red roof visible from at least two streets over on a clear day, not so much at night though. The door is locked when I reach it so I roll my eyes and take out the bobby pin Shelby leant me yesterday. She doesn't know why I need it, all she knows is that I promised to bring it back in one piece, more or less. It takes me a few tries and a lot of bending the malleable object into different shapes but I do eventually hear the sweet, sweet click of the lock pinging open, although I can confidently say that assassin is not on my list of back up careers if forensics doesn't work out. I shove the bobby pin back in my jeans pocket beside my keys and continue on my way into Alexa's house, being careful not to knock anything over or even put my foot in the wrong place. In the kitchen a glowing light bursts out, illuminating the hall while a loud whistling sound shrieks its way into my ears. Shit she's home... although that is kind of what I was hoping for when I came here.

"You are a downright bitch; you know that?" I make my presence known to the figure in the kitchen and she turns, her platinum blond hair flicking into her face in strips, making me notice she's cut it shorter, but not by much. There is now a streak of intense aqua through the strands by her face.

"That's a naughty word" she scolds, threading a finger through the belt loop of her pink skinny jeans and pulling an overtly sexually suggestive face at me.

"Yes well, killing your parents isn't all that good either" I seethe and she shrugs

"Whatever" she moves towards me; her top becoming see through in the light so that her bright green bra is visible beneath the thin layer of white. "How are you tonight?"

"Pissed off, actually" I say through gritted teeth and she raises her eyebrows, a smirk playing at her lips

"You British people, too polite" anger pulses through my veins and I frown, stepping forward so I'm pretty much in her face

"You fucking killed your parents, you killed your aunt, you killed Shelly Parker and last week you killed Winter's mother- and let me just point out that when someone hurts her they do not get away with it"

"So smart of you, to come to that deduction" she says with a sarcastic smile that may as well be dripping with blood and I grab the shoulders of her shirt, ramming her backwards into the wall and snarling in her face

"You're a killer, you have DID, you buy vials of batrachotoxin off Jane Mortimer and we have all the evidence to prove it"

"That all means nothing" she grins and I narrow my eyes marginally

"You wanna know something? The only reason I am not killing you right now is because I don't deserve to give you the death blow- plus we have the USB. And I want to see you walk away in chains, remember that" I let go with a final shove, satisfied as she thuds against the wall and falls down to the floor, looking up at me through glassy eyes "Slaughter is a nice word for what I would do to you". With that I leave, slamming the door behind me as I melt into the night.

~

"Got the Advil!" I say in triumph as I throw a plastic bag down on the kitchen bench "And a bunch of other stuff too" three blocks of Hershey's chocolate, two packets of cool ranch Doritos two family size bottles of Coke and a box of Advil are all visible through the see through flimsy material.

"Good!" a voice calls from the living room and I frown, poking my head through to see Spencer doing Pilates on the floor with the instruction of the TV, Winter snickering as she also attempts to join in. Her hair is still damp from the shower she took. "I might need a few after this stupid exercise" I blink rapidly in confusion before returning to the kitchen and removing all but the Advil form the bag before throwing it at Spencer, laughing as she almost falls onto her back with the fright it gives her.

"I am so sick of being fat" Spencer whines as she gives up and sags against the couch as much as her belly will allow, making circular motions over where her naval would be with the palm of her hand as she sighs. Winter clicks her phone screen on and frowns, looking up at me

"Hope you appreciate what I did for you" she reads aloud and a shiver crawls down my spine. Is it Alexa texting or someone else and are they referring to her mother? What's going on? The door opens suddenly and there's a chorus of laughter and soft moaning as Josh and Alex stumble blindly through the blacked out hallway where we left the lights turned off, pulling apart abruptly upon noticing out presence.

"Oh, um, hello, ahem" Josh says, straightening his jacket while Alex smooths down his hair and mumbles a bashful

"Hi guys" quietly.

"We have news!" Josh exclaims happily, scooping Alex up bridal much to his evident dismay and Spencer groans

"Please, tell me you used protection and aren't pregnant- please, don't make my mistakes and find yourself unable to see your ugly pig toes or drink coffee!"

"Um....." the couple in the doorway look at each other with confused expressions, choosing to ignore the fact they're both male and gay and can't reproduce with each other, accidentally or otherwise, and just say "Well actually"....

"We are both repeating year twelve here" Alex does jazz hands, whacking Josh in the face by accident, causing him to drop him and land in a pile of limbs on the floor rug.

"Thank the stars!" Spencer cries and I frown, wondering in all honesty if she's on something but then thinking better of it, she wouldn't endanger herself or her unborn baby like that, it's evident in the way she treats herself.

"Oh hooray, I hope it's more fun the second time around!" Kiara suddenly emerges from behind the couch and I jolt back, tripping on the bodies of Josh and Alex and landing on my ass in the archway that leads onto the hallway with the bedrooms and main bathroom with a burst of laughter.

"ROCK ON!" Kiara yells sarcastically as a slow, gentle moving song comes on the exercise channel and she throws the Advil box across the room, Winter bursting in raucous laughter when it hits her dad square in the face and he frowns confusedly. He looks like he hasn't slept in days, which, granted he probably hasn't. He got granted a full two weeks leave after Winter's mum died and I actually suspect it's hindering the grief process rather than helping it chug along.

"Kids I know you're young and energetic and... On the floor, but could you keep it down a little please?" Winter nods, and I almost feel the immense tug of her wanting to follow him and tell him it's okay, and it almost kills me- what's been done to these people I've learnt to love, but then it's gone and so is Jake, and we're all left sitting there on the living room floor. Considerably quieter than she'd normally be, Kiara says

"Can someone pass the chocolate?"