~~~The Next Morning~~~
"Kara?" Brian said.
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying on the couch in the living room of the apartment Brian and Kristy shared. "What, huh, how...how did I get here? Last night?"
"Do you remember what happened last night?" Kris asked gently, sitting on the floor beside the couch.
"Um...AJ..." my voice trailed off as the sickening reality set in and I remembered. "NO!" I shrieked. "This isn't real...it can't be real!" I sat up. "This is all a nightmare, a horrible nightmare, and any moment now I'm gonna wake up and see AJ beside me and everything's going to be alright!" I was almost screaming, trying to shut out my thoughts that whispered 'he's dead...he's dead...he's never coming back...' I jumped up and started to leave.
Brian stood between me and the door, however, and put his hands on my shoulders to stop me. "C'mon, Kara, you're gonna have to face facts sometime..."
"Damnit Brian get your hands off me! Just leave me the hell alone!" I shouted, pushing him as hard as I could. He hardly even moved.
Kristy got up. "Kara, please, just accept the fact that he's gone at least," she said, but I wasn't even listening. My attention was focused within myself, memories flooding over me in waves. I turned away from them, full of hate at the world.
But I had to know. "What exactly did happen last night, after AJ...you know..."
"Died?" Brian said like it was no big deal.
I nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah."
Kris and Brian glanced at each other. "Well, you didn't seem to realize he was dead at first, then you kinda went crazy. You were screaming at everybody...you sounded so angry. That lasted about 5 minutes, then you collapsed and passed out," Kris explained.
"We couldn't just leave you there so I carried you out to the car and we brought you here." Brian finished for her.
"Oh...thanks guys."
"Do you wanna stay with us for a while?" Brian suggested.
"I don't know...no thanks. I need to get used to living on my own again." It's been over a year since I've lived on my own...how am I gonna cope? I thought.
"Not yet you don't." Kristy said firmly.
"But..."
"No buts." She said, this time in a gentler tone.
I sighed. "Maybe. I'll think about it."
She and Brian left the room. A moment later I heard them talking.
"Kris, she's right. She does need to get used to being alone, and the sooner the better."
"Thank you Brian, thank you Brian, thank you Brian! Now if only Kristy will listen to him," I said to myself.
"She doesn't need it that bad. I'm worried, Brian. You saw the way she was acting! It isn't normal. She's not even acknowledging that he's dead. She's just acting like...I don't know...like they broke up or something! If she keeps on like this she'll end up going crazy."
"And just what exactly are we supposed to do?" Brian asked sarcastically.
"I don't know. But I'm not just gonna let her go home and go insane."
"I'm not going fucking insane," I muttered as they entered the room.
"What?" They both said.
"Never mind. I'm going home."