Next thing Perry would see was a shadowed figure coming up the stairs. . . the same pale-grey skin like a zombie, but unlike any other zombie Perry had seen, its pupils remained in its eyes.
Perry's heart started beating faster. She panicked more. Looking around, she saw nothing but a basketball. She took it, threw it, then stepped back. Though, due to her injured leg she still limped on one foot. The zombie fell back onto the staircase, accompanied with a loud thud.
"Perry!" Perry heard Nicole's voice, running up the stairs.
"Nicole? Are you okay!?" She asked, the concern clear in her voice.
He looked at his best friend solemnly. Nicole had blood on his arm. But unfortunately, Perry had no time to be feeling relieved.
"Let's go, c'mon. Everyone's waiting!" The brunette said, already making her way back Christians window.
"I'm sorry, Perry." The genuine apologetic tone in Nicole's voice, it told Perry something was immensely wrong. She turned back, seeing him stand there, not making any effort to walk forward.
"Come on, this isn't the time to joke around. They're all waiting for us." She said, looking at Nicole. But Perry's heart nearly dropped to her stomach when Nicole just stood there.
"Nicole, seriously. . ." Perry tried to convince herself Nicole was just joking around.
"I'm sorry." He apologized, both in a guilty but certain tone.
"Nicolas!" She yelled with both fury and sorrow in her voice as she realized what her best friend was implying.
"I-I'm. . sorry." Nicole would stutter. "Truth is, Perry, they've had a tracker on me the whole time. So it wouldn't matter if we fled the country, they'd still find us." Nicole started, his voice slightly shaky.
"Im. . going. But not with you guys. I'm sorry, Perry. I hope we meet again. . alive."
He added. Next thing Perry's eyes landed on, a figure standing behind him. The figure placed a hand on his shoulder. Emily, the girl working with Nathan, Perry thought to herself. Emily had a twisted smirk on her face.
". .You." Perry said, her face contorting into a scowl. That would probably mean Nathan would be there too. But both of them were the least of the girls worries right now.
"Nicole, you can't be serious. L-Look at them! Do you not get what they're doing is bad??"
"N.. Perry, please.."
"No! Nicolas Harvey. I'm not going to just let them take you." She argued back firmly.
"Im going by will, Perry!"
"So what. .? Are you going to take me to be experimented on as well? Are you insane, Harvey?!" She was pissed. But it would already be shown by how Perry spoke to Nicole by his last name.
"No! Of course not.. But you have to understand that—"
"Understand what?! That you agree to use innocent lives as sacrifices for another!?!?!" She yelled angrily.
"Jeez, girl. Enough of this. He's ours now, so shoo shoo away." Emily spoke up rudely, replying to Perry.
"Shut it, Emily! I'm talking to Nicole." Perry yelled angrily.
Emily rolled her eyes, but she didn't talk as Perry had told her, muttering a soft 'whatever' under her breath sarcastically.
"Nicole, if this is a freaking joke, I advise you to stop it right. Now. You're my best friend, and I always respect your decisions no matter how stupid. But this? This is another level of stupid. It's not even dumb, it's just. . . insane!"
Perry tried to calm herself, yet ended up to no avail. Her anger only rose with each word Nicole spoke. Yet, oddly the emotions mixed within her. Anger, yes. But what about the sorrow she felt talking to Nicole like this, and having to yell at him so angrily? The two were best friends, yet never fought so seriously like this. Nicole only ever had to stop arguments between Chrisian and Perry. Never having to verbally fight her himself.
On the other hand, Nicole felt guilty. But he was doing this for himself. In his mind, with his thoughts, he thought he was doing a sane thing. Yes, indeed Nicole had been abducted by them, but in his mind, he was doing it for his dear and loved sister.
"Look, Perry. I love you as my best friend. You know that-"
"No! I don't know that anymore, Nicole!"
"Well if you did, you'd know just how desperate I am to save my family!"
"Nicole, that isn't the point! How do you know they're dead?! At least try to find them first! And with us, not them!!"
For the first time in years, Perry could feel tears forming in her eyes, threatening to fall over the edge of her waterline. Nicole scoffed, his expression hardening slightly.
"Ill say this again. I'd do anything, and I mean anything to see my sister again, you know that. She's more important than you ever were. It hurts me to say this to you, but I need her in my life or I'll fall apart and bring you all down with me."
Nicole bit back harshly, making Perry doubt their friendship even more so than before.
Perry had started to doubt their friendship unknowingly due to Nicole being more distant after he was found and rescued by the group of 5.
Nicole spoke coldly. Perry had never seen this side of him, it came off almost as if Nicole didn't care. But that wasn't the truth for Nicole. But, that truth was also the one he'd keep silent and to himself. He felt guiltier than ever, seeing that he was the reason that his best friend would cry again after years of avoiding it.
"Hurts. . you?" A tear rolled off Perry's cheek. She took one deep breath, scoffing harshly. Fine. Perry thought to herself. Afterall, she wasn't about to go and beg him to stay when he clearly didn't give a damn about her feelings, in her point of view.
But he has a good heart and it'll only be a matter of time before he comes running back to us.
Perry wished, yet she wasn't sure of it herself. She knew Nicole, but on this, she really and genuinely couldn't tell.
"What about me, Nicole? Don't you think this hurts me more?! I'm losing my best friend! You choose these idiots over me and the rest?! Have you gone insa-" another tear fell off her cheek. Though, she chuckled, the pain evident in her voice. Perry's vision got slightly blurry.
"No, I haven't. I'm just doing what I have to in order to get my sister back." He cut her off.
"Leave, then. I guess you never cared about me, Ruby, Christian and the others. Just don't forget, Ruby will not forgive you like I will." Nicole's eyes widened slightly, at the mention of Ruby.
"N..No.. please tell her I didn't want-"
"Say it to her face yourself, Nicolas." With that, she ended it right there.
wiping her tears, as she still felt a pit in her stomach, still wanting to pull Nicole back and smack some sense into his head, Perry stepped back.
Right before she left, Perry turned back one last time, speaking harshly. "Happy early birthday, I guess." After turning, Perry walked back.
"Perry, Nicole!! Hurry up!"
Axelle yelled from outside. Perry met his gaze, and for the last time at that. She turned around, fists clenching at her sides.
With the help of Axelle, Perry climbed out through Christians window.
"Wheres Nicole?"
"Dont mention his name around me."
"This isn't the time for arguments, Perry. Seriously."
"Im being serious."
Axelle raised her eyebrow in confusion. She didn't understand the sudden hostility Perry started having while saying Nicole's name.
They were best friends, were they not?
Axelle took one look through the window, Perry glanced at her and could see the wheels in her mind slowly turning after seeing Emily there with Nicole.
"Dont tell me. ." She looked at Perry, her gaze with empathy.
"Really?! Nicole? Out of everyone??" Axelle exclaimed quite loudly. But unfortunately Perry couldn't bother to react to her surprise
"Dont ask me about it. I thought he was better than that too."
Perry said coldly. Christian helped Perry down from the roof onto the ground, no words spoken between two of the usually arguing individuals. From the looks of it, they found a vehicle that could fit everyone. Jumping from van to van, it had been.
Christian said no words, helping Perry into the van, before himself. Waylen was in the driver seat, Eli next to him. At the back sat Ruby and Christian. Axelle entered last, sitting next to Perry in the middle.
"Yo, where's the other dude?" Christian asked, not to a specific person, rather a question out of curiosity.
"Nicole. . Apparently he went with the others." Axelle replied to Christian.
"Others? Rexine and the other blueberry head?"
". . who?" Axelle tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
"Wait, wait, if not them, who else?!" Christian asked, the worry starting to make itself clear through his tone.
"WHAT?! N-Nicole.. He left with Nathan and his assholes?!?! NO! Nicole wouldn't do that!! Are you crazy?! Why. . . Why would you let him go?? Why didn't you try to stop him? Is he insane!? Did he forget what they did to him!?!?!?" Ruby, the usually cheerful one, snapped out of nowhere. But Ruby and Nicole so obviously had a thing for each other. So no wonder that she'd be upset by his sudden disappearance, with absolutely zero explanation
"Woah, blondie, calm down. Nico would neve—" Christian started.
"No, she's right, christian." Perry cut him off, her tone lacking its usual will to fight with the blonde.
Silence. Everyone stopped speaking, only the wheels on the road being the ambience in the back. The three closest to Nicole; Perry, Ruby and Christian, were silently trying to process all this new and completely uncalled for information.
"That bastard.. I would've never thought he would do that. Not him, out of all of us." said Christian, in an unusual and weirdly quiet and soft voice for his character.
Ruby on the other hand, looked horrified. Like she'd seen something traumatizing happen in front of her. Which again, was reasonable.
"Ruby? Are—"
"No. . . This is a joke, right?" She cut Perry off with an unconvincing smile, trying to play it off but failing miserably. Afterall, faking happiness wasn't something Ruby was used to. Yet the selfless girl didn't want anyone to worry about. His disappearance affected mostly the three, after all.
"I wish, Ruby. But I guess you never really know someone." Perry said in a quiet, cold voice. A contrast to her usual calmer and playful one.
Ruby looked absolutely dejected. Even though Perry might've been the closest to Nicole, Perry felt bad for Ruby and Christian more so.