XPLR | Colby Brock

~55~

In two days we gained fifteen thousand reads. Wow. I love you. (See how old this chapter is? I started it when we had 215k)

I pulled my coat on tighter we walked. No text back from Colby, but I wasn't worried about that. I just wanted to spend time with my best friend.

Though as we got farther down the stair case to Murphy's ranch, I started to get anxious. About the darkness and no service. I brought a pocket knife, which I used to keep with me when I was at home in Oregon with my father, just in case. Never know what lunatics could be out there.

I was so tired having played piano for over eight hours today. Not that I wasn't happy about that, I love playing music. I was just tired, exhausted.

Elena filmed, talking about Murphy's ranch,  as if a lot of the viewers she has didnt already know what it was. She has gotten a lot of her following because of Elton and Colby. Not so much Sam, and I don't blame him for staying away.

I lean my head back in my hands as we walk, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Elena points the camera towards me. "How is the fearless Rose feeling?" She asked, laughing softly. "Fearless. Duh," I say and laugh as well. This felt good. It was like the way things used to be: before Colby Brock.

If I was faced with the choice to choose between Colby and Elena, I'd probably choose Elena. After all, I've known her for so long. She wouldn't betray me like that. We're partners in crime, our own loser's club, the closest thing to family I have. I love her.

I like Colby.

But here I am again, Colby on my mind. He's always on my mind, at least in someway. Would Colby like this song? What will Colby think of my concert dress? What would he say if Elena and I went to Murphy's Ranch alone? At night?

Colby's protective, that's what I like most about him. As weird as it sounds, I liked that he hurt someone because they hurt me. No one has ever gone to those lengths for me.

"Rose," Elena sings excitedly and pointed to something the distance. A wooden building was coming into view, we'd arrive.

Colby would be absolutely pissed. Not the mad kind of pissed, he'd be worried pissed. Like how your mother is when you come home after curfew. Well, I would guess so. I don't really have much experience when it comes to mothers and being a teenager.

I snap a picture of it anyway, with flash, to catch any ghosts but also so I could show off to Colby later when I'm alive and well.

God, I can't wait to see him again.

I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him.

I hate saying that, I've always prided myself on the fact that I didn't need anyone, I could survive on my own, but Colby's broken that.

I'll be alright without him, I have to remember. Just in case that happens one day, which I hope it doesn't, but I have to remember who I am. I don't want it to ever end.

Stop thinking of Colby, Rose.

I smirked at the fact that I had a ouija board in my backpack. I would see if I could convince Elena to play with me, and if I couldn't I could come up with a plan b.

Maybe I could get Colby and a few others to come out with us to Murphy's Ranch and play with us. Ever since Elton moved out we haven't seen him. So maybe Colby can get a hold of him and invite him out with Sam as well. It could be fun.

Elena jumped, giddy as she checked the save on her camera. I shone my flashlight at the buildings and looked around. I stretched a bit, trying to keep up my fearless attitude. The viewers love that.

"Rose, isn't it scary?" Elena asked as she turned the camera towards me. "Definitely spooky," I said with a chuckle as I shone my flashlight around to look for a way in.

"Let's try this way," I say and point to a doorway with some wood planks blocking the way. "Keep shining the light towards me," I told her as I pulled the sleeves over my hands and took the plywood in my hands and moved it over to the side until there was a way to get in.

I stepped in and shone my flashlight around the room. The roof was gutted, this place was just a hollow shell of what it once was. Fortunately.

I looked around and I could see where people had tried make spray paint seem like blood and pentagrams, but it did its job. It creeped me out too much to go towards it.

I pushed my hair behind my ear as I looked around, Elena showing the camera around.

"Whatever happens to us, Rose, just know that I love you," Elena said with a laugh as she laid pointed the camera at me. "You act like there's something in here that can kill us," I said with a chuckle as I pushed on a chair a little to test how durable it was. See how old it was.

A Nine Days song played in my head, one that I heard earlier today and I'm absolutely in love with it. I hummed it a bit to distract me from the heavy atmosphere in the room.

Soon there was a loud crashing noise behind us. I turned around just as Elena did, and she flinched. She was still recording. "Was that you, Rose?" Elena asked, not looking away from the areas that whatever it was had fallen.

"Let's go look around the outside." I say and tug on her hand to follow me outside.