The sound of gunshots rang out, deafening all who occupied the house.

"CHRISTOPHER, NO! PLEASE DONT SHOOT BACK!" I screamed, but could anyone hear me?
I must've hurt Irene when I pushed and landed on top of her.... She's wincing. Hell, I would too if someone pushed me to the ground with their body... or is it my desperate screams?
Is she....crying?

"Make it stop! Make it stop! I never wanted this!" She chokes out...

"Come on..." I groan as I try to get up. "Let's get the kids and you outside... and somewhere safe."

I help Irene up and motion for the boys to follow me.

The way to the front door isn't safe... they'll probably get hit.... I'll have to get them out through Brendon's bedroom window. We must use any means necessary.... TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!

"Alois! Help me remove the bedsheets to the mattress and get this damn thing out the window."

"Erica! What the hell are you doing?!" He shouts.

"JUST HELP ME, PLEASE!" I yell, as I open the bedroom window.

"Okay, okay!"

Quickly pulling sheets, pillows.... and DAMN, this is heavy!

"Boys, can you help as well, please?"

"I'll help too!" Irene blurts out.

"One....! Two....! THREE!"

Lifting the mattress towards the window, I call out to Rina... "GET OUT OF HERE. LEAVE! GRAB MONEY, VALUABLES, WHATEVER YOU CAN! PLEASE!"

"Alright, it's out...!"

"Alois, you go first, so you can help the boys."

"What about Chris?!"

"Don't worry! I'll take care of it."

His shoes.... scuffling on the shingles... he gets to the edge to jump onto the mattress...

"Oof! Alright, send the bags down!" Tbe lights from the house illuminated the mattress... at least we can see what the hell we're doing...

One person to another... we were able to pass the bags down and out the window...

"Boys! You first!"

"W-Won't we fall, Eri?!" Noah asks, worriedly...

"Don't worry! That's why we have the mattress and Alois down there! Noah, I need to to be brave, okay?!"

"O-Okay!"

And with that, he steps toward the window, Erica helping him up and onto the shingles...

"Okay, Noah! Jump when you're ready, I'll make sure you're safe!" Aloysius shouts from below.

Noah jumps down, with Brendon stepping toward the window.

Then Brendon....

"Irene, you next!"

"What about my mom?!"

"Don't worry, Chris and I will handle it!"

Okay, she's down...

Now that they're safe... I'm gonna get Christopher the hell out of here...!

Reaching to her side, out comes a semiautomatic 9mm gun...

I just have to shoot him in the shoulder.... then I can grab Chris and Rina... and LEAVE!

________

"HELP ME GET THE BAGS, MICHAEL!"

"No."

"MICHAEL, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Cecilia glares, "Michael! Be nice!"

"Fine. Hand me the heavy ones."

"Wow!! WHAT A GREAT BROTHER YOU ARE! God, you're one pessimistic son of a bitch."

"Honestly, Michael, I don't know why you're so angry lately. I don't know what's going on with you, but please work it out..." Cecilia says, then sighs. "Maybe you two should do something together, like you used to."

"Ooh! I know what we can do!" Erica excitedly says immediately.

Michael looks to Erica. "What were you thinking of..?" 

"That's a secret!"

"Of COURSE it is!"

"Alright, alright! Let's get these in the refrigerator, you two! Tobias, would you be so kind as to hold the front door for us?"

"Sure! I'd like to do anything I can to help."

He's so...kind! Given his circumstances and knowing what I know now, I'd figure he'd be bitter at the world, like I was so long ago... but he never stops trying to help people... I'm actually kind of envious...

"Thank you!"

"Ah!" Adair says loudly, as soon as the door opens. "Back already?"

"Well, we didn't need a lot in terms of ingredients, plus we split up so we could get things done a little more efficiently."

"Do you want me to help with dinner?" Anneka chimes in from the dining room.

"ACTUALLY! We thought that now would be the perfect time for you two to have some alone time! Soooo, go get ready and get the hell outta here!"

________

It'd be bad if police are called... I have to finish this quickly! Hopefully, I won't get hit... It'd be a pain to go to the hospital again...
Alright...
Click.
One! Two! THREE!

Leaping off of the stairs, Erica lunges towards Christopher, Erica aims for the shoulder of that man and anguished cries ring.

"RINA! GO OUT THE BACK!"

Slam!

"Come on, damn it!"

Grabbing him by his jacket sleeve, Erica drags Chris with her, and out the door, meeting the others who'd come around the house, soon running in the light rain, following Erica's lead.

"Erica, you're bleeding!"

"It's fine! I just got grazed, is all! Ah, I'll get the door, so everyone inside!"

Following everyone inside, she quickly turns to the kitchen island, grabbing a whiskey glass and filling it with ice. Then, going to a cabinet on the bottom and grabbing a bottle of whiskey.

"Why the hell are there so many-?! Noah? Rina!" Cecilia yells.

"Cece?!" Noah screams in surprise, running up to Cecilia and hugging her.

"Here, Chris. We only keep it for you, anyways."

"You know me too well. Now, go clean your face up. I'm sure your mother wouldn't like that wound on you."

"Oh, yeah... Cecilia... I'm home!"

"It's a bit late for that, don't you think?! And go fix your face, Erica!"

"Okay, okay!" She says, going toward the stairs. "Wait."
She pulls the gun out and dislodges the magazine still loaded.  "Oh, hi Tobias." she says as she walks by, fiddling with the gun.
"God, why do my days always turn out like shit? Ugh!" Her voice disappearing into her room.

That was a gun. A real, actual gun. She seemed so.... casual about it. What the hell did she go out with a gun for? And who are these people. I only recognize Irene, Aloisius, and Rina. And even so, why is Irene here? Didn't they basically threaten to kill each other not too long ago?!

"Oh, Tobias! Could you help Adele with the banner, while I make dinner for everyone?"

"O-Of course!"

But why? Why does she have a gun?! A fucking loaded gun all to get her brother? What the FUCK has she gotten herself into?

"Oh! Need some more help?" Erica suddenly comes behind them.

She came back fast...

"Thank you, Erica." Adele replies.

What's the purpose of her carrying a loaded gun around? Why did her family just make Noah stay with them while moving? Is that why there's an empty room? Is it Noah's room? That makes the most sense... Erica's reaction to the room back in September was off putting, hell, even that cat didn't like it, but there could be-NO!There HAS to be a reason! There has to be a reason why she was so apprehensive about it!

Time passing- no, more like it doesn't exist.
Who are all these people that Erica brought? Won't her parents question the large number of people? I will admit, though some of them are headstrong, they did help with putting up the rest of the decor...

"Dinner's done, everyone! Good job on finishing the decorations!"

"YEAH! FOOD TIME!"

Erica is... quite food driven at times.... though her emotions are like that of a light switch... does that mean she's-?

"Heyyy, Tobias!" Erica whines from downstairs. "Your food is gonna get cold!"

"Oh, sorry... I was lost in thought."

He walks down the stairs to join the others in the kitchen.

I wish I could read your thoughts.... be what you like.... But I'm tainted, aren't I? Do I even deserve you? Seeing those damn faces at the funeral... Is that how Noah felt last year? And... HER family... that stuck-up pompous BITCH! She's the reason we left London.

"Erica!" A voice calls out...

"Huh?! Yes, Cecilia?"

"We forgot to tell you! Your medications finally came in! It must've been horrible being off it for a few days... Here, and remember to stick to your schedule!"

"Ah, thank you. I've been a bit... off this past week... Can we eat now?"

"Yes! Everyone, to the table!"

"You're a freak!"
"Hey, Four-Eyes! Why don't you try and see if the schools high enough to jump off of it? You, AND your weird ass family."
"Bitch..."
"Stay away from her."
"I heard she killed someone!"
"Murderer!"
"That's the girl in the rumors!"

Yes... they're all true, aren't they? I lied, cheated, stole, and killed..to survive that hell of a place... I only shot because they shot him, and me... I didn't mean to kill him, only harm. Of course, with my luck, things took a turn for the worst and he ended up bleeding internally... I wasn't charged with anything thanks to Father...
But the broken windows, the scribbles on the desks, the threats, the constant pain... I snapped and I decided I didn't want to deal with it anymore...

"Erica, no! Erica?! Mother! Father! It's Erica! I think she's dead!"

Noah found me... the poor boy. All I remember was suddenly waking up in the hospital... Noah was a wreck and wouldn't stop hugging me after I awoke... And that's when Michael started being more serious, shutting people out and walking with me everywhere, protecting me.

Then that stupid blonde bitch had to go and hurt Michael! We were both so pissed, I hit her and Michael screamed while trying to hold me back, resulting in both of us getting suspended. Not long after, Rina moved but Noah begged to go with them. It left me so EMPTY... Father eventually had enough of everything so we decided to move... In the same town my younger brother moved to.

God, am I crazy? I ended up here, now I have my brother back... but it just feels like something's missing... like a happy ending...

"Erica, would you be so kind as to get some extra sheets for everyone?" Cecilia spoke up, breaking Erica's concentration.

"Of course."

Cecilia took charge and assigned everyone rooms. "Okay! Noah, you're with Brendon. Alois, you're with Tobias if you're not going home with Christopher. Rina, you'll take the guest room. And Irene, you'll be with Erica."

"Why her?!" The short-fused brunette yelled.

"BECAUSE.... I SAID SO! Now go, go, go!"
______

At least Irene seems comfortable...

"Um, Irene?"

"What?!" she spat back.

"Well, first things first, I want you to take my bed. I'll sleep on the floor. You're our guest after all... and-."

"Are you serious?!"

"Quite..." Before Irene could say anything further, Erica sped up her words... "BUT! I also wanted.... to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I acted a few weeks ago... I shouldn't have acted the way I did... and seeing you earlier really made me reflect on things..."

"H-Huh?! Oh... well... APOLOGY ACCEPTED! I... shouldn't have been the way I was, either... Can we just call it even?!"

"Sure!"

"Erica? What kind of things do you like...?"