Michael Conor's Sister || A JHype Fanfiction

Thirty One- Jay

Jay's POV

   No.

   No.

   No.

   This isn't real.

   But it is.

   But I don't want it to be real.

It can't be though.

Maybe it's just some prank.

I know she is okay.

But I know deep down...

she isn't.

   The tears started pouring down.

   I knew it was real, but it hurts too much to tell myself that. I know Erica would never do something like that as a joke, and she does text super fast and it doesn't surprise me that she was able to type that much in a few seconds.

   I can't accept this.

   Erica is dead?

I couldn't move.

I sat there.

Frustration overcame me because I couldn't do anything about it.

Finally, feeling returned to me.

Tears poured out of my eyes like a major rainstorm.

Since I could move again, I got up and sprinted down the hall to Michael's room. I pounded on the door.

"Wake up!" I screamed, not caring which neighbors I disturbed or if I was going to get a noise complaint.

Michael opened the door, looking groggy. He looked confused as to why I had disturbed his sleep.

"Y-Your family," I stuttered.

"What? Jay, what about them?" Michael asked, his face full of concern.

I couldn't speak.

I slowly unlocked my phone and opened up to see the text Erica has sent me. I showed him. I saw his eyes pacing back and forth over the phone screen.

Still staring at his eyes, I noticed the water forming in them. The tears started dripping down his face and I didn't know what to do, so I just hugged him. We cried there for a few more minutes.

His mom woke up and Michael took my phone and handed it to her. She joined us and started crying. She couldn't believe it, so she ran inside and grabbed her phone. She tried to call her husband, but it kept ringing and eventually went to voicemail. That did it for her, and she started bawling.

I couldn't take it anymore. Seeing them like this. I had to go back to my room. I hugged both of them goodbye and walked back.

I laid down on my bed staring up at the ceiling, eyes still as wet as the ocean.

   What am I going to do without her?

   My mom woke up and asked why I was upset. I told her the whole situation and she left our room to go give her condolences to Michael and his mom. She was devastated about it, too. Over the span of this competition, our families have gotten really close. Like one big family.

I had to tell Molly.

I didn't want to, however. Molly was best friends with Erica. She absolutely adores her. Plus, Molly thinks of her almost as her big sister. They are that close. I have no idea how in the world I am ever going to bring myself to tell her. But I have to. If she knew I already knew but didn't tell her, she would be very upset with me. I would never want to upset Molly.

I dialed her number, memorized by heart. It rang a couple times before she answered. Deep down, I kind of hoped she didn't pick up, so that I wouldn't have to tell her but I could still say I tried calling. The world just didn't like me very much right now.

"Hi Jay!" Molly said in her usual, happy tone. That made me cry even more. I realized how much this news would destroy her. Finding out your closest best friend got in an accident and died? I doubt anyone would be able to handle hearing that very well.

"What's wrong, Jay? Did I do something?" Molly asked. Her tone immediately changed, and was filled with concern.

"N-no, Molly. It's not you," I tried my best to say, but I stuttered out most of the words.

"Then what is it? Are you okay?" Molly questioned.

"I need to tell you something," I said, really quickly just to get it over with.

"Go ahead, Jay," Molly said. "I'm right here."

"Molly," I said. "Erica is dead."

"What? That's not something to joke about, Jay," Molly said.

"I wish I was joking," I said. "She got in a plane crash on her way home."

Molly was silent. I could hear her breathing heavily on the other end of the phone. It broke my heart having to tell her this. It made me cry even more.

"How do you know?" Molly asked, through sobs.

"She texted me, real quickly, as she noticed that the plane was falling downwards," I said. "She loves you, Molly. Don't ever forget that."

Molly and I stayed there. On the phone with one another for five more minutes. We didn't say anything. Not one single word. We just remained in each other's presence and cried. I cried so much. She cried tons.

I never really had someone this close to me pass away. I had no idea how to really cope with a loss like this. So, I did the most basic thing. Cry.

Molly finally hung up and said 'I love you.' I said it back to her, of course. I laid back down on my bed and sobbed into the pillows. My mom got back from seeing Michael and his mom and immediately rushed over to comfort me. She pulled me into her chest and I cried all over her. I'm sure her shirt was going to be soaked by the time I was finished.

Our silent mother/ son moment was quickly interrupted by loud banging on our hotel room door. I thought it was just Michael or one of the boys coming to say goodbye to me or something, so I walked over to open it.

I was wrong.

An unfamiliar face looked back at me.

But that's the thing.

I couldn't see their face.

A black ski mask was covering it.

Then I heard a gunshot, and I fell to the floor.

x