• DINNNNNGGGGG.

    I looked up from my book as I heard the doorbell ring. I sighed; I attempted to do my last minute reading before it was day because there would be fewer distractions… Apparently, even at 1:30 in the morning, it's impossible to escape procrastination. Putting the book on the couch I was sitting on, I got up to answer the door. I looked out the window to see who it was; It was hard to make out the figure due to the pouring rain.

    "Hello?" I said to the door, not wanting to let in a stranger by mistake. There was no response. "…Hello?" I called again. Still no response. Assuming it was a bored teenager, I began walking away, but was quickly stopped by a voice.

    "Riley…?" I heard it say. I froze. "…Riley?" I heard it say again, hesitantly.

    I walked back to the door and swung it open. "…Logan?" I asked, completely confused. He said nothing; only stared, dark green eyes staring into my hazel ones. I snapped out of the staring contest and moved to the side, allowing him in. "Did you… walk here?" I questioned after he made it inside, taking in his wreaked appearance.

    "Yeah…" He murmured, shrugging off his jacket.

    I yelled, "Are you crazy?!" in complete shock. I live across town from him and the thought of him walking all the way over here amazed me. He ignored me and sat down on my couch, looking completely out of it. I hesitated.

    He was silent.

    I was silent.

    I noticed how close we were to my parent's room. "Ummm… We might want to move so we don't wake my parents…" Logan didn't even look at me. He stood up and began walking towards the stairs to my basement. After making our way down the steps, I opened my mouth to ask him why he was here, but stopped; He turned around…

    With tears running down his cheeks.

    "Riley…" He closed his eyes tightly to allow more tears to come out. He sat on the edge of the couch, practically on the wall, and covered his face, refusing to let me see him in this state. Forgetting what came over me in that moment, I ran over and grabbed him, bringing him close to me. I soon realized how intimate this action was and began to let go, but was stopped when he pulled me back into him, clutching to the back of my shirt. He was completely and totally hysterical.

    I just sat there and held him. What else could I have done? His grip kept getting tighter and tighter by the passing moment. "Please… No… Why?" He choked out. His grip was getting painful.

    I felt him relax slightly, so I took that moment to speak. "What happened?"

    Logan let go of me. His eyes were once again in that trance from before. "She… Left me…" He looked up at me for a response. Crystal… Left him…? My eyes widened. Millions of questions were swarming around in my head. It was almost as if he could read them because he growled, "She left me…" He looked up with me with such anger than I shivered. "She said I was worthless, that I was worth no one's time. That I should just…" He paused, looking down at his shaking hands. "…Die…" He said so softly I could barely hear him.

    "Don't you dare. Don't listen to her." I leaned my head down so he could meet my eyes. "She's wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong."

    He looked at me. "But what if I'm already dead…?" I looked at him in confusion. "Right now… After that little… Meltdown… I feel nothing…" His eyes widened as he began looking back at his hands. "I'm… dead…"

    "You're not dead."

    "Yes I am. Physically, no. Inside, I'm gone. I feel nothing."

    "But you aren't-!"

    "THEN WHAT THE HELL AM I, RILEY?!" He roared, turning back to me. His glare was so horrifying that I moved back, fearing my safety. He shook as he whispered, "I'm. Dead."

    I wanted to fight this feeling he had in him. "You aren't dead." His glare turned even colder, if possible, but I ignored it. "You're filled with hate now. Hate is a completely normal emotion. What Crystal said to you is awful, but you have to know you aren't dead!"

    Logan was silent for a moment, frowning slightly. Suddenly, his frown twisted into a smirk. "Weird… Those words should mean something…" He moved closer. "But they don't." He growled.

    He was trying to scare me and make me agree with him. I would have none of it. "You don't scare me." I insisted, trying to move away discretely.

    He laughed bitterly. "Then why are you moving away?"

    I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Dead people don't feel anything. You feel anger… Therefore you're not dead." I attempted to change the subject.

    "Who said I feel anger…? I feel nothing… I could do anything right now and feel nothing." Those words made me feel extremely uneasy.

    I moved to the middle of the couch, fearing to be close to him. I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut short by him suddenly grabbing my wrist. "What are you-?!" Before I could say more, he had both of my wrists and pinned me to the couch, him hovering over me. "…Logan?" I whimpered, horrified.

    He had no sympathy in his eyes. They were blank. For all I knew, he was dead. "Scream…" He whispered. I looked up at him, unable to form words. "I'm heartless. Cold. Worthless." He spat, eyes darkened. "You're scared now." He sneered. I shook my head viciously.

    Lying to him.

    Lying to myself.

    "I know when you're lying, Riley…" He sneered, knowing he was winning. "Scream." He whispered in a more demanding tone.

    "No…" I close my eyes and turned my head. I couldn't look at him. Hate had completely overtaken him. I didn't want to believe it could happen to him.

    …My best friend…

    He shifted, his legs holding mine in place and one hand holding both of my wrists. I attempted to wiggle my way out of his grasp, but only ended up humoring him. He giggled grimly. "You know I'm stronger than you, Ri-lily." He sang mockingly, using my nickname from when we were kids. My heart skipped a beat when I felt him twist my head to look at him. "Look at me." He said in a demanding tone. Afraid of what would happen if I didn't, I opened my eyes. He was so close that our foreheads were nearly touching. "Scream…" He breathed into my ear, playing with some of my hair.

    I felt a shiver of terror go down my spine. "N-No." I stuttered, refusing to let him win.

    He said nothing and continued to play with my hair. "You know…" He murmured. "I always liked your hair…" His thumb rested on my cheek and his other finger snaked their way to the back of my scalp. His grip tightened and grabbed my hair. I winced. He smirked, enjoying my misery. "Scream."

    "Never…" I lost control and the tears rolled down my cheeks, my eyes widening in horror.

    He smirked, his victory coming near. He pulled my hair back and I grunted in pain. "There we go…" He licked my tears away. "Scream for me…"

    "No." I cried, practically frozen. I was lucky I could even speak.

    He pulled my hair even farther. Logan placed his head on my neck. His breath lingered on my throat. "You were always so stubborn…" He whispered. "Even when I'm hurting you… You refuse to listen to what your mind says…" He moved his head lower and stayed there. "And listen to your heart…" He sat there and listened to it beat fast. "But even now it's telling you otherwise… "

    I could barely breathe. "I-I-I…"

    "You-you-you?" He mocked.

    I managed to choke out, "The day I scream is the day you die…"

    He started giggling again. "But I'm already dead… Why haven't you screamed?" He traced his finger down my cheek to the dip in my neck. I stared at him, completely silent. He brought his finger back to my chin. Rubbing it slightly, he whispered, "You're at your breaking point." His grip on my wrists tightened intensely. "Scream."

    I twitched, but stayed strong. He let all his weight fall on me and grabbed my wrists tighter. Not expecting that, a small noise came out of my mouth. Seeing this opportunity, he grabbed my hair and pulled it back viciously. "Scream!" He growled into my neck. When I tried to shake my head, he just pulled my hair back and made me completely expose my neck. He straddled me now, looking down at me. He smiled, knowing the moment was close. I lost all ability to speak.

    "The day you scream…"

    I saw his lips curl devilishly.

    "Is the day…"

    He lifted my head up.

    "I die."

    He twisted my neck.

    I screamed.