Hysterical Much?

Chapter 3

I ran up to Roger who was arguing with the police officer, a normal thing for Rog. I guess he was just concerned, no one had told the public who had died, and everyone was concerned it could be their loved one especially Roger. 

"Are you kidding me! This is absurd! Don't I deserve to know who died in my apartment complex!" Roger screamed. He looked awfully angry.

"I can't tell you that sir." The officer says, only making Roger more angered. 

"Can I at least go to my apartment?!" He asks.

"Sir, you can keep asking that question. But I'm always gonna tell you the same thing, this is a crime scene, you cannot do that." The police officer states.

"Well thank you for nothing then," Roger says before turning away from him. I eventually push through the crowds of concerned and nosy people to where Roger was headed. I rushed past him and grabbed onto his wrist to spin him around. His angered eyes soften when he realized who was behind him.

"Oh my god! Safiya!" Roger said as he gripped me with a death grip. He pulled me away from all the commotion into an ally way. "You're okay! Oh my god, I-I thought you were dead! They wouldn't tell me who died, and you weren't answering your phone and you hadn't been at your father's I was worried sick!"

"I'm fine Roger," I said as he held me tighter. I could feel his tears on the top of my head as he sniffled trying to keep in the rest of the tears. 

"Who died then, and what happened to you," Roger asks, not letting go of me, squeezing so hard I could barely breathe.

"I'm fine. But let me go so I can breathe and tell you what happened." I said as I struggled beneath him.

"Yes, yes I'm sorry." He said, quickly releasing his grip and putting his hands in his pockets. I smile and gesture to the bench to sit down. We sit down and stay silent for a second so I can comprehend what happened, in order to share it with him.

"Well, um, I was leaving to go to my dad's today, and um, when I got to the elevator, I saw Monika and James and they, um, came in the elevator with me. They were fighting again, of course. They wouldn't let me leave the elevator, and then, James just had this, this um, look, I guess." I started, but paused for a moment, trying to remember. Roger didn't say anything, he just listened attentivly.

"This look. And it was one of those looks. Like the look that Morgan had." I say and Roger shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And, he then pushed the button for the roof. I didn't exactly know what he would do, but I guess I just, followed. It was like i had to. It sounds crazy but it's like I could sense the murder."

Roger put a hand on my shoulder to calm my tenseness. 

"It's okay if you want to stop." He said, sniffling here an there.

"No. No, it's fine I should just tell you. I followed them to the roof. I just watched. I saw James hit Monika, and I got terrified. God, I'm such a coward, but, it reminded me of Bryce, and I just got scared. I ran and called the police and waited downstairs. If I tried to intervene, then I would've been killed as well." I said, pausing for a minute.

"Then I came down here and I-" I stopped. I saw Bryce, again. And I freaked. I heard the ringing, they voices, Bryce's shouting. I couldn't speak, I didn't want to worry Roger with this as well.

"Then what. What did you see?" Roger asks, looking me right in the eyes. I looked away. Bryce, you idiot.

"I saw the police coming. I walked closer, then James fell in front of me. And it was just, horrific. It was like Morgan all over again. His bones, like cracked and snapped, and he just hit the ground so hard." I said, finally giving in and crying.

Roger noticed this and gripped my shoulders, laying my head down on his lap. He shushed me softly and ran his hands through my hair. I closed my eyes, knowing where I had to go next. Back to the police station, I was involved with yet another murder, this time I was just a witness and not the killer.

                                                               ................................................

I was use to the stares. Used to the comments behind my back. The rumors and whispers. I was also used to people hating me. Everyone at school hated me through the rest of senior year. Well, everyone except Roger and Alex. Then everyone hated all of us, but they didn't care. They knew the truth.

"Hey, don't listen to them, love," Roger says, rubbing my back as we walked into the courtroom. I can't believe the amount of time I had spent in there, you would think I was some kind of drug lord.

The trial was short lived. I wasn't a threat to the case, but they were angry I didn't intervene. I was put on 6-month probation, so this would be off my record. I already have a murder on my record, damaging it anymore would be awful.

I was almost done my probation for Morgan, but it seems I'll have six more months. I can't believe James had died though. It just happened all so fast. Roger and I had spent this time in Philadelphia with my dad. And to be honest, I didn't really want to go back to that apartment.

The trial was over and we were soon allowed to go back to our apartment. They offered us a different apartment, but we simply couldn't afford anything else. The car ride was silent. Roger had been acting strange lately and I didn't know why.

We got to the apartment, and it felt so off. I saw everything replay in front of my eyes again. I saw the exact spot where James had crashed into the cement. We got into the elevator and we were both silent. If at any moment I were to scare Roger away, this would be it.

I stood in the middle of the elevator, replaying that scene in my head as well. I could've saved James, but he asked for it. He would've killed Monika if she didn't defend herself. I knew exactly how she felt.

The door dinged and we scurried to the apartment door. Roger unlocked it while I looked down the hall to James and Monika's old apartment. Roger opened the door and caught me staring at the apartment crossed off with police tape.

"Don't look Saf, it won't make you feel any better. Come on let's get inside." Roger said, holding the door open. Something was wrong. He never acted this, hostile around me. He was always so gentle, just because he knew what Bryce did to me.

We walked in and I sat down on the couch in silence. I heard Roger reach for a cup, and placed it firmly on the island. I heard the clink of a Vodka bottle against the rim as he poured it. This made me cringe. It reminded me of Bryce. I never intentionally drank, it made me feel dangerous, considering it reminded me of when I saw Morgan drinking all that alcohol that night.

And Roger knew that as well.