We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands

I had to admit: I was so disappointed in our friends. I understood they needed time to grieve, but we were just pushed to the side, as if we were invisible. It suddenly became all about the famous bands sticking together.

Cass and I weren't wanted, in simple terms.

A week passed, agonizingly slowly. Selling merch, eating, sleeping, being - effectively - ignored.

I was walking off of Panic's tour bus, in an old hoodie of Brendon's, a knee-length black dress, stripey calf-length socks, and my tatted Vans. Moving away from the vehicle, I put my headphones in and hit the Shuffle button on my music player.

The walk was peaceful for the most part; until I vaguely registered someone lying on the ground in the distance. I frowned, feeling that weird nagging at the back of my mind, and sped up my pace. When I got close enough, I could see the person was unmoving and my throat closed up. Yanking the headphones out of my ears, I ran over to the body, dropping onto my knees beside it. Pressing my fingers to the man's neck, I could locate no pulse; withdrawing them, the tips were stained crimson. I panicked, freezing up, before screaming for help, praying somebody was in earshot.

I lifted his head onto my knees, rocking the two of us back and forth, in a state of fright. Tears lapsed down my face, and I kept shouting out, "Help! Somebody!"

Eventually, I saw a small group - of three, maybe four - approaching. I watched them start into a run, on seeing me, before I looked back down at the corpse I was supporting.

"What the hell - Raine?" the one voice hissed. I glanced up again, observing Ryan crouching beside me, prying the body away, setting it flat on the ground.

"H - he's dead!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide with horror. "Oh my God - I- I touched a c-corpse..." I whispered into my hand.

"What did you do Raine?!"

"Nothing, I swear! I found him like this!"

"Ryan!" Spencer warned, pulling me into his side. "She found him like that - do you really think she would be this upset if she'd done something?! And, do you have that little faith in her to believe she would do something?"

Nate shot in at this point. "Wait- who said anything about this being murder?!" he spat, defending me. "It could have been a simple accident! For all we know, he fell from that ledge!"

"Shut up!" I shrieked then, face red, head pounding. "Just shut up!"

They did; all of them stood, watching me in shock.

"Phone for an ambulance, or the police, now!" I barked, thrusting my phone at Ryan's chest staring at him through hazy eyes. He caught it, and obediently dialled a number.

"Raine," Nate murmured, giving me the once over. "You're covered in blood..."