Down In Flames ✢

✢ FOUR.

heaven knows ; the pretty reckless ✢ here ; alessia cara ✢ fml ; kanye west ✢ till i collapse ; eminem ✢ afraid ; the neighbourhood

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⟨ ELIS ⟩

I watched soundlessly as a girl with tattoo sleeves on both arms pushed everyone out of the way, allowing her better access to the dazed girl who still hadn't moved an inch from her candid position. She pressed her ear against the other's chest and mouthed the count of her alarmingly rapid heartbeats.

With a faint grunt, she lifted the girl's head so it was propped on the armrest of the couch, her fiery hair resembling a lion's mane as it messily spread over the furniture. It was only then that I made the connection. The girl who was currently fixed in a state of lethargy was the same redhead who had been dancing with Nolan earlier, right before he abandoned her to come greet Natalie and I.

"Someone's already called 911, right?" The tattooed girl looked around frantically, waiting for a response.

A chorus of affirmation came soon after, followed by multiple head nods from people who couldn't quite find their words. I didn't blame them. Even I was rendered speechless as the chilling spectacle played out before me. It had all happened so fast and I needed a moment to process everything going on. One minute, I was having a passive-aggressive conversation consisting of undermining insults then the next minute, all hell broke lose, leaving me dumbstruck and clueless.

"Where the hell is your cousin?" Nolan was suddenly inches from my face and glaring at me as redness tinted each one of his features.

"Dude, relax." Bennett pulled him away from me roughly, holding him back so that a only few feet of empty space bridged the gap between us.

"No, I need to find Anthony. Where is he?" He stared directly into my eyes while fighting to break free from Bennett's grasp. Right now would probably be the only time I was thankful for his tactile inclinations.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him all day." I blurted truthfully, taking a step back to further our distance.

"This is all his fault." Nolan raged as he looked around the room maniacally.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Bennett pressed, visibly struggling to find the perfect medium of restraint and release.

"You're taking me to wherever the hell Anthony is." Nolan practically spat the command as he escaped Bennett's handle and gripped my arms, shaking me roughly.

"I already told you that I don't know where he is." I snapped, doing my best to mask the trembling of my hands so he wouldn't be able to detect my fear.

"Then find him." He kicked open the front door while keeping a firm seize on my frail bicep. Without needing to apply much strength, he forced me out the entryway and decisively headed toward the street.

"Nolan." Bennett grimly warned as he followed us outside. "You need to calm down. Let her go."

"Now's not the time." Nolan grunted, shrugging him off.

"She obviously doesn't know anything." Bennett continued in spite. "Besides, do you really think she's gonna lead you to Anthony when you're freaking her out like this?"

My feet faltered in response to Bennett's swift strides toward us. I watched as he reached for Nolan's wrist tautly, consequently causing the grip on my arm to loosen as each of his fingers fought against the abrupt hold. Nolan eventually freed me and began to pace back and forth, heedlessly crushing red cups with every heavy step he took. His chest began to rise and fall erratically, matching the tempo of the redhead laying on the couch as his hands clenched together into balled fists.

"That wasn't my fault." He spat, pointing in the direction of the bay window that put the living room on display to anyone looking in.

The scene hadn't changed much from a few seconds prior. The only variation I noticed was that more people were crowded around her than before. Her head still hung eerily and her mouth was still parted slightly, her lips blanching due to the air drying out their moisture. She looked like the main attraction at a newly opened zoo, fully on view inside a clear cage that left nothing to the imagination.

"Why would it have been your fault?" Bennett asked curiously.

The wail of sirens accented his question and came right before flashing red and blue lights. A police vehicle sped down the street while an ambulance following closely behind, matching the urgency of the initial entrance.

"I have to go. I have — I have to get out of here." Nolan stammered nervously, scanning the occupied road with wide eyes. His fidgety movements incited my own feelings of anxiety, putting me on edge since I was completely unaware of what he was thinking or what he planned to do.

Although Bennett stood as the barrier that separated us, Nolan held the element of surprise which gave him the upper hand. I couldn't exactly say that his behavior was unusual, since I had never been around him long enough to tell what was normal, but even his own friend didn't seem to know what to do in this situation.

With a sharp snap of his head, Nolan's gaze locked onto me. I matched his action but doubtlessly lacked the intensity that he possessed. Just as quickly as he turned to me, he turned away and sprinted toward the backyard, heading in the opposite direction of the officer that had just exited his car.

The distant jingling of a chained fence rang through the darkness a few moments after he was gone, serving as the only background noise to the stare-down that Bennett and I were unwillingly subjected to. Not long after, people began to shuffle out of the house and a crowd soon formed on the littered grass.

We all watched as uniformed medics rushed up the driveway with supplies and materials, the more muscular ones rolling an empty gurney against the rough concrete so that it clamored violently. They paid no mind to the audience watching their every move and instead focused on getting inside.

"You should go home." Bennett suggested in a way that sounded more like a command.

I nodded my head quickly, my tempo paralleling the haste in his tone. He let out an exasperated sigh and looked in the direction that Nolan had run off to before following his route with wary steps.

My arms instinctively crossed over each other as a response to stifle the sudden discomfort I felt. Despite the bustling of the nurses moving in and out of the house and the numerous college kids standing around in anticipation, I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable ache of loneliness.

I stood isolated in the center of the lawn, pretending not to notice the cliques that regrouped and hugged each other dramatically. The combination of the unnerving incident and unlimited alcohol doubtlessly sparked the lovefest currently going on.

While it didn't make me bitter, it did hit me with the realization that Bennett wasn't the only one who had left for the night. I also hadn't seen Natalie, my ride home, since she went off with Nolan earlier — a few minutes prior to his bizarre episode.

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a/n ; sorry for the short chapter but i actually planned for this one to be short & it's also midterm week so ugh !! i'm stressin !! just wanted to post something tho and let y'all know that 5 will be up after exams :-) thank you sooOoOoOo much for reading and please don't forget to vote & comment if you liked this chapter or if you have any feedback !!