“Don’t you have a home?” the man sad, his eyes settling on Frankie.
“If I did I wouldn’t give you the address,” Frankie retorted.
“Can we help you?” I said, ignoring the obvious undercurrents of dislike between my best friend and this man.
“Piper, this is that guy I told you about, the annoying one who came by the other day when you weren’t home.”
I got up off the couch, wondering why someone I didn’t know would come here to see me.
“I’m sorry, do we know each other?” I asked. Maybe he was someone I had a class with and didn’t remember.
“No. We don’t. We have a mutual friend.”
“Who?” I asked as he stepped through the door into the apartment. A feeling of unease came over me.
“Dex.” He replied around a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Oh,” I said. “You know Dex?”
I noticed Frankie had yet to close the door but was walking farther into the room, watching him. “I don’t know, Piper. If Dex is anything like this guy here, you should get out now.”
He glanced at Frankie and grinned. This time it seemed more genuine but also very annoyed. Then he glanced back at me.
“I’m afraid it’s too late to get out.”
“What?” I said, confused.
He began to pull his hand out of his pocket and I noticed there was something in it.
“Look out!” Frankie yelled. “He has a gun!” She threw herself at me and we both went sprawling on the floor Frankie landing on top of me.
“Get up,” the man said, annoyed, reaching down to pull Frankie to her feet. “I can’t get a decent shot with you in the way.”
“Did you just call me fat?” she said, offended. “I am not fat. I’m curvy.”
He snorted and as I was getting up off the floor Frankie swung at him.
It didn’t work out too well for her. He grabbed her arm and twisted it around her back, making her cry out in pain.
“You have to be the most infuriating girl I’ve ever met.”
Frankie stomped on his foot with her heeled boot.
He howled in pain but didn’t let go. Instead, he pointed his gun at her.
“Wait!” I cried. “Please don’t hurt her.”
He glanced at me and I thought what a shame it was that such good looks be wasted on a monster.
“Didn’t you come here for me?”
“Yes. Yes, I did. I seem to have gotten distracted by this loud lump of a girl.”
Frankie stomped on his foot again and this time he released her. “Ouch!” he yelled.
She dove at him, trying to knock the gun from his grasp, but he pushed her back and then leveled it right at her chest.
All at once I understood why the sweater she was wearing looked familiar. It was the one she wore in the vision I had. The vision where she died.
