A couple days.
That's all it took for my world to be flipped upside down.
A few days.
That's all it took.

It was a gloomy day, rain pounding on my bedroom window and wind whipping through campus, shaking the trees and blowing abandoned papers to who knows where.
I was sitting on my bed, scrolling through Twitter when I went to the news page.
19 year old Jackie Warner killed by 37 Year old Albert Reethes during Denver Pride
Jackie Warner was beaten with a baseball bat by Albert Reethes during Denver Pride. This being classified as a hate crime against the LGBTQ community and 1st degree murder Albert has been sentenced to life in prison.
And there, the picture is what made me drop my phone with a clatter.
A picture of my online best friend, Jackie.
I felt a spark behind my naval and tears pricked behind my eyes. I felt tears run down my face as my hands shook. I picked up the phone again and went to Instagram where I had one message.
J- This is Ivy and I'm so sorry to have to tell you this but Jackie passed away. She was murdered by some homophobic bastard. She told me how you were such a great friend and I'm so sorry that she had to go like this.
My phone clattered against the wood floor of my room. Sobs racked through my body, my breaths were barely more than gasps, my body shook violently as I curled up into a ball. My vision blurred, my heart was pounding, hands shaking, breaths echoing in my head, Jackie was gone. Murdered. I couldnt think, I couldnt do anything.
I heard a voice of the other side of the door but I couldnt tell who it was. In barely a moment someone was staring into my face. That someone being Elijah Best.
"Hey, What's wrong?" He asked in a worrisome, slightly panicked voice. I just shook my head and pointed at the phone which sat face up on the ground. Elijah checked the screen before turning to me with a solemn expression. "YN?" He asked again, worried as ever.
"Lije..." was all I could muster to say before falling forwards into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. I wrapped my arms around him, grabbing at the back of his shirt as sobs escaped from my lips. My tears stained his shirt as he rubbed my back in a soothing manner.
"Hey, its gonna be okay."
"No... 'lijah, it's-it's not." I shake my head.
"Maybe not but... it is what it is." Elijah gulps thickly
"But she-she di-nt deserve i-it." My voice cracked as I spoke.
"Nobody does."
"Lije." I sob into his shoulder as he ran his fingers through my hair.
"I know. I know." He comforted, resting his head on top of mine.
"Shes g-gone!" I sobbed violently into Elijah's shoulder.
"Its hard, I know."
"She was just being her-herself!" I pulled myself closer to Elijah's body as he slowly nodded. "I-Imagine I-if it was someone c-close to you! Like D-Denis!" Elijah tensed at my words before hugging me even tighter to his body.
"I'm sorry."
"'S'not your fault." Elijah just pressed a comforting kiss to the top of my head that for some reason made me start to calm down.
My breathing slowed the smallest bit and my sobs became less frequent. Elijah still ran his fingers through my hair.
"Shh, shh, shh." He spoke quietly and carefully.
"Sorry." I turn my head so that my cheek rested against his shoulder, my nose skimming the side of Elijah's neck so that my tears would no longer stain his shirt.
"Its okay. Its gonna be okay."
"But-"
"No, listen to me. It's going to be okay. I will make it okay."
"You cant do that. You cant bring her back." I shake my head. Elijah just replied with a sad sigh.
She couldnt be gone. She couldnt be! She couldnt be gone!
I slammed my fist against my bedsheets as hard as I could as a strangled cry left my mouth.
"Hey, dont get mad." Elijah grabbed my hand which was about to hit my covers yet again.
"No." Was all I could say before lightly punching Elijah's shoulder, a final attempt of staying mad. I had a sudden wave of tiredness wash over me, making my eyes droop and my head to nuzzle deeper into the crook of Elijah's neck.
"Are you tired?" He asks to which I simply nod. He hums and traces little circles into my back with his finger. "Okay, got to sleep. You might feel better once you wake up."
***
I did not feel better once I woke up. At all.
The next four days were like hell. I stayed in my room, didnt go to any of my classes and called in sick for work twice. The weather had stayed gloomy and dark until the fifth day that I was planning on spending in my room.
"Get up." Amie spoke from my door. I snapped my head up to look at her. She stood leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.
"Hey, dont be so mean!" I voice scolded Amie quietly.
"Oh, sorry, Pretty boy but it's hard not to when she has been cooped up in here for four days!" Amie snapped at the person.
"A friend of hers died, Amie!" I hadn't told anyone about Jackie so the person could have only been Elijah. I didnt want to look at him out of fear that he would tease me for crying as hard as I did.
"Wait- what?"
"She is- She's grieving. Can you blame her?"
"Why didnt you tell me that..?"
"Because I thought she would have told you? I dont know!" Elijah said as if the words had zero spaces that's how fast he spoke.
"Wait... howd you find out?"
"Its a long story, okay?"
"No I want to know."
"Shed rather tell you, Ik not gonna say because then I'd feel like I stabbed her in the back because she's YN. She already hates me and I dont want her to hate me more! Ask her yourself!" Elijah spoke in a whisper but still sounded very frantic.
"YN," Amie turned to me, "what happened?"
"You're gonna tease me." I narrow my eyes as her and pick up a book.
"No, no, I promise I wont."
"That's what you always say."
"I swear."
"I dont want to say."
"What did I tell you." Elijah speaks up from where he stood, leaning against the door frame.
"He was right." I point at him.
"YN, are you okay?"
"No, she's not okay! She's been antisocial for four days!" Elijah speaks up again.
"Stop being so protective! My God! You dont even know her that well!" Amie snaps.
"No... he's right" I nod at Elijah to which he gave Amie an 'I told u so' look.
"Well... it's a nice day and you arent going to get any happier sitting in here."
"I dont wanna go outside." I shake my head, pursing my lips.
"We can just watch a movie?" Elijah suggests.
"Yeah... that would be nice."