A Shot in the Dark

Becca had been having an incredibly pleasant time shopping in Sheffield with Oli and his girlfriend, Liv, when she got a very disturbing call from Jona.

She'd noticed a few unnerving tweets of Kelly's at lunch, when she had time to browse. The two hours after lunch had proved so busy that social networking had been brushed to the side. Liv had reached out to Becca to start doing some shopping for Warped Tour as they had met again at the Sykes' family reunion earlier in the month. Of course, Oli couldn't leave his girlfriend alone for more than an hour and had showed up at lunch.

Since then, fans followed them doggedly, some asking for photographs. It was still a lot of fun, though it seemed that much less shopping got done in comparison (though enough was done to make Becca's bank account wilt in sadness). In the car on the way to drop Becca off at home was when she received the odd call. She hadn't really been expecting it.

"Becca? It's Jona. I know you're out shoppin' with Liv and all but Kelly won't let me into the flat and I can hear her cryin' and it's killin' me," he spoke in a rush. Becca's heart pounded from the backseat and she flipped the phone off of speaker.

"What do you mean? Why is she crying?"

"I wish I knew! This morning on the phone she told me now would be a good time for me to come over, told me yeh were goin' out and all that. I got here and she opened the door, half dressed and sobbin'. Slammed it right in my face when I asked what was wrong," Becca could hear his distraught undertone, "I've been bangin' on the door ever since. She was yellin' shit before but now...just the cryin'."

Liv was turned around in her seat, watching Becca with concerned eyes. She idly wondered if Kelly's emotional breakdown could be caused by her going out with Liv alone but she quickly disregarded that. Kelly wasn't illogical on that level. Oli glanced in the rearview, his eyes just as worried as his girlfriend's. Becca glanced out the window.

"I'll be home in ten minutes; five the way Oli drives honestly. We'll figure this out together."

"Please hurry Becca," he moaned miserably. She imagined him leaned up against the wall, hand gripping his hair painfully. She hung up the phone without another word. It was silent in the car now but it was fine that way. Worry settled into Becca's skin, pinpricking panic into her heart and icy adrenaline shooting through her veins.

"I'm really sorry to not invite you in or anything," Becca said as they stopped in front of her building seven silent minutes later, "It does appear that my best friend is having some sort of breakdown."

"Don't worry about it," Oli assured her. "Make sure my mate's alright then?"

"Of course," she promised, gathering all of her bags, "I had loads of fun with the both of you. We definitely need to shop more!"

"Definitely!" Liv agreed. They said their goodbyes quickly and as soon as Becca was in the building, her panic mounted. She had absolutely no idea what could have triggered a completely normal Kelly to go into one of these moods. It wasn't completely uncharacteristic, though nothing like this had happened at any time recently.

Jona stood with his forehead against the door silently. Both of his hands touched the door as well, showing just how much he longed to get in. Becca almost hated to interrupt his silent watch--almost. The bustle of her bags alerted him and he looked ready to cry himself. When she reached the door, he stepped aside and she dropped all of her bags to search for the keys.

Becca could hear only the silent sobs of what was unmistakenly her best friend. Kelly must have been right on the other side of the door for it to be within ear's reach so when she put the key in the doorknob, she let out a small warning.

"Kell? It's Becca. I'm about to open the door and come in with Jona, okay?"

The crying stopped immediately, followed only by sniffles and the sound of someone getting up. When Becca turned the key and pushed the door open, Kelly stood with her back to the door and her face in her hands. Jona moved to rush to her but Becca held up a hand. They had to act cautiously. She kicked her bags into the flat before entering and then beckoning the guitarist in after her.

"Kelly, what's wrong?" she asked as Jona closed the door. Suddenly, the dull girl flew into motion. She turned around and snapped her head up, a crazy look in her eyes. Instead of being weepy, she was manic.

"What's wrong?! How could you even ask me that? Isn't it obvious?" she practically shrieked, her hands moving quickly. Her face was streaked with tears and her hair was in a drooping side ponytail. The only clothing she wore was an oversized, army green tank top that barely covered her lacy panties. Becca was beyond startled.

"It may be obvious but I'm a bit thick," Becca answered gently, smiling, "Let's sit down and you can explain."

"I don't want to fucking sit Rebekah, don't treat me like I'm a crazy child. I'm perfectly rational," she snapped.

"No one said yeh weren't rational," Jona added. When he spoke, Kelly became anything but rational.

"How dare you even speak to me! Who the fuck do you think you are? You think that just because you're some hot shot guitarist in a somewhat popular band that you can fuck people over? Well, you can't! I hate you! Everything about this place, I fucking hate it!" she yelled, stomping back and forth and waving her fingers in Jona's face.

"Kelly!" Becca screamed, grabbing her wrists. "You don't want me to treat you like a crazy child? Stop fucking acting like one and sit the fuck down! Now."

Kelly didn't move for a moment, judging Becca's seriousness. She seemed to not want to argue with the stony Australian though and made her way to the couch. As soon as she sat, she began to cry. Becca sat next to her and put her arm around her shoulder.

"It's all his fault," Kelly moaned, pointing a finger at Jona.

"What did I do?" Jona asked, stunned. He went from standing a few feet back to kneeling directly in front of her. "Tell me what I did wrong and I'll fix it."

"You can't fucking fix it Jona. God, I'm so stupid. I always go after the same type that just let me down in the end. I know we're nothing official but still, I thought our feelings were fairly obvious," Kelly said. It was unclear who she was directing her speech to, if she was directing it to anyone at all. "Then I get this fucking letter shoved under the door that you're out fucking some girl. That was cool, as if I'm not crazy enough as it is. You have to fuck me up even more!"

Becca and Jona stared incredulously at each other. This was all becoming ridiculous.

"A letter?" Becca echoed, "Where is it?"

Kelly looked around a bit, deliberately ignoring Jona. She picked up a small piece of paper from the floor and handed it to her best friend. Becca brushed her bangs out of her eyes and scanned the crumpled, tear stained sheet. It was a handwritten note, very short and to the point, explaining that the writer had seen Jona in a club the night before with a woman before they left together.

"I dunno," Becca said, passing it to Jona. He stood as soon as he was done reading it.

"This is bullshit! This is bullshit and yeh know it is Kelly! I was on the fuckin' phone with yeh half the night last night, not out fuckin' some bird. Since when do I even go to clubs? Never alone I'll tell yeh that. Here's my phone; call everyone in it because I would never, ever do anythin' to fuck this up and I certainly would rather throw myself in front of a bus than hurt yeh in this way."

"I dunno," Becca repeated, looking at the note again. "I feel like this could so easily be some deranged fan or something. Why would you let this bother you so much Kell? It's not like you."

The thin American girl played with her ponytail and looked at the ground. Jona knelt in front of her again and began wiping the tears off of her face. Becca smiled thinly at his display of affection and rubbed Kelly's back encouragingly as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I didn't take my meds today," she admitted and Becca nodded. She'd known that was the most likely answer. "I mean, I thought maybe I didn't need them. I've been so happy lately because we're here and Warped and Jona. I don't know. I thought I was better."

"Kelly, you know that's not how depression works," Becca scolded gently. She pressed a kiss to her friend's forehead before getting up to get her the pills and a glass of water. Becca could hear Kelly explain the situation quietly to Jona, who had obviously been in the dark about it all. Her best friend was very private about her depression, which she'd suffered from for quite a few years.

Kelly smiled gratefully at Becca before swallowing the pill. As soon as she was done, Jona was kissing her lips. Kelly smiled but it wavered and she looked like she'd start crying again. Jona shook his head.

"Please...if yeh cry again I might just die," he pleaded, looking up at Becca. The short Australian was seated next to her best friend again at once. She coached her to take deep breaths and relax, asking her to explain what was wrong. Kelly used to get like this in the beginning, when she lived in New York and Becca was still a world away in Australia. The girls knew exactly how to handle each other.

"I just..." Kelly took a deep breath and smiled sadly through the tears at the two of them, "I feel like I don't deserve you, either of you. My mind is racing and I feel like no one wants me around and like I'm just an extra person here, just a filler in your story. I feel like I'm going nowhere with my life like I'm just...here."

"Stop it," Jona said before Becca could even open her mouth. "I want yeh. I always have, since the day I fuckin' met yeh and then that bastard Lee had yeh wrapped around his fingers. Now I'm here and I'll have yeh. Becca loves yeh too, she wants yeh around, right Beck?"

"Of course I want you Kell, Christ. You're my fucking sister, I'd die without you!" Becca said, pressing another kiss to her friend's forehead. She rubbed her back soothingly as Jona dropped his head into her lap. "We're a team, right? Never one without the other, right? I'll always be here."

"And I'd like to always be here, if yeh'll have me," Jona said, lifting his head up suddenly.

Kelly looked slightly overwhelmed but then smiled and shook her head. She wiped her tears away with her tank top, lifting it a few inches and making her panties completely visible for a split second.

"I've been stupid haven't I? I hate myself for this one, you two are so good to me," she said, finally sounding logical. Jona look relieved and smiled weakly. "Jona..." she trailed, smiling lightly. He looked up at her and she pressed a kiss to his lips and then another. "You're never getting rid of me."

At this, he stood up and brought her to her feet with him. His hands gripped her scantily clad hips as they kissed deeply. Becca lounged back in her seat on the couch, unfazed by the activities in front of her. Kelly certainly put up with enough between her and Matt. Becca texted her boyfriend, filling him in and demanding that he come over with takeout for the four of them.

"I probably look idiotic right now," Kelly laughed. Jona didn't let her go though and shook his head, smiling down at her. He placed a playful kiss on her nose.

"Yeh look just as gorgeous as yeh usually do," he commented. Becca and Kelly shook their heads simultaneously though Kelly kissed Jona while Becca rolled her eyes.

"Okay lovebirds, my boyfriend is bringing food over so please put some fucking pants on for God's sake," Becca complained, bouncing up from the couch and making her way into her room to change into something more comfortable. She heard a sarcastic comment from Jona that made Kelly giggle and she rolled her eyes.

All in a day's work.

*

"They say if yeh eavesdrop your ears will fall off," Matt said, walking into Becca's room. She smiled and removed her ear from the wall it was pressed up against.

When Matt had disappeared to the bathroom, Becca felt the need to hear her best friend's mutterings in the room over. She couldn't hear much but she did hear soft kisses and something about how Australians always took care of her. Becca had smiled at that one. It was true. Despite never having lived in Australia, Kelly's closest and most supportive friends had always been from there.

"Shut up Matt, I'm just checking in on her," Becca said, crossing the room to bounce down onto her bed. Her boyfriend chuckled and browsed her movie selection. She watched him fondly, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Yeah yeah, yeh just wanna hear her and Jona tellin' each other their mushy feelin's," he said, turning around and grinning at her. Her heart warmed at the sight of him. "I'm concerned about this letter though. I hope there's no one crazy around knowin' where yeh live."

"I'm more concerned that it isn't someone crazy," Becca said. Matt sat down next to her and she wrapped him into her arms. "I mean, I just hope it's no one we know closely. That would be something else."

"I hadn't thought of it," he said, looking up at her and then shrugging, "Whatever, we'll figure it out. Just be safe and keep the door locked, yeah?"

"Yeah," she echoed, absentmindedly playing with his hair. He hummed in content and they were quiet for a moment. There was the sound of muffled talking from the room over and Becca marveled at how amazing it was that her and her best friend always seemed to lead parallel lives. Whether it was high points or low points, the girls always had something sort of similar going on.

Now they were both content and both happy.

"How was shoppin' with Liv?" Matt asked conversationally.

"It was good. I bought a bunch of stuff for Warped, probably shouldn't have though," she answered, "Liv's really nice too. Oli stopped in around lunch, he's never away from that girl."

"And? I'm never away from yeh either, at least not when I can help it," he said. She sighed happily and kissed the top of his head.

"And you won't be away from me this summer either. I'm so excited Matty, you have no idea."

"I'm even more excited. I get to do the thing I love with yeh," he said, shifting around so he was sitting on the bed facing her. Becca smiled as he grabbed her hands. "I love yeh. I really, really do Becca. I want yeh to know it."

Her heart stopped. It was quiet completely; in her room, in the room over, and even out the open window. She was surprised but pleasantly so, and her toes tingled with happiness as her face broke out into the widest smile she could muster. She nodded, trying to contain the smile but just giggling instead.

"I love you too Matty, so much."

"Good," he said, leaning in and kissing her passionately on the lips. She smiled into the kiss and held his face in her hands. Becca was truly happy, kissing Matty as meaningfully and deeply as she possibly could. She loved him and he loved her. Everything was falling into place. "God, I love yeh so much. I'm so glad I've said it."

"I'm so glad you've said it too," she whispered, kissing him again.