Cyanide Suicide-part of my first novel

CYANIDE SUICIDE

Kammie sat in the waiting room shaking with nerves. Her mother was in the hospital due to an overdose of anti-depressants. Her mother was a widow; depressed and delusional. She thought she saw her husband everywhere, even though he had been dead for two years. Kammie looked at her watch, it was 1:30 in the morning and the waiting room had closed hours before. She fought to stay with her mother; she couldn't sleep knowing she was here alone. A nurse was walking down the hall, carrying a pillow and blanket. She brought them to Kammie "here, it's going to be a while" she said "get some sleep we'll wake you up if we have any news" "thanks" Kammie said wiping the tears from her eyes.





"Let her sleep" some one said quietly "you're right but we have to tell her eventually" another voice added this time a man's. The hospitals bright fluorescent lights buzzed on waking Kammie up.  "She's awake" some one whispered to the man. "I know" he answered walking over to her.  He sat down next to her "Ms. Shaw?" he asked "are you awake?" "Wha-oh yeah I'm up" she said slowly, remembering where she was. "We have some bad news" the doctor said placing his hand gently on top of hers, as if to give her support "your mother passed away last night, we did everything possible to save her, I'm sorry" "N-n-no "Kammie stuttered "where is she? I want to see her" "you can't see her now, there are other patients in there sleeping" the doctor answered. "I DON'T CARE!" she yelled "ILL FIND HER MYSELF!" she ran down the hall throwing open doors. When she found the room with her mother inside, she ran over to her and collapsed onto her body. "Mom, Mom wake up please wake up." She screamed shaking her mother's lifeless body. "Don't leave me. Please mom wake up" "what's going on" someone croaked from behind a curtain. "Katie calm down please" a nurse said trying to pry her off her mothers' body. "NO!" she screamed "I won't leave her, not again!"  "yes, come on its okay" the nurse said still trying to detach Kammie from the bed "please let go your waking up the whole ward" "BRING HER BACK!" Kammie yelled hitting the nurse. She fell back and touching her face, she felt 3 deep gashes left by Kammie's pointed nails "and my name isn't Katie!"



Kammie took her mothers hand; it was cold and pale. Her face was calm her blond hair pushed back off her face. "Mom! Mom. Don't leave me here please." She sobbed "don't be dead" "she's gone honey its too late now" an old lady croaked from behind a curtain "smell her hands you'll see" "what? Why?" Kammie asked. "Just do it" she replied. She smelled her mothers hand "cyanide" she whispered "suicide?" she questioned looking up at bed where the voice came from. "she drank the whole bottle" the woman replied" I was there when the pumped her stomach" "but why" Kammie asked. "She couldn't take it" was the response "her husband was everything to her, without him she had nothing" "how-how do you know this?" Kammie asked "she told me honey those were her last words." The woman said weakly "she had nothing to live for" Kammie was on the verge of tears now "she had m-me" she said "do the doctors know it was suicide?" she asked after a minute of silence. "Yes, they marked her as hopeless as soon as you brought her in." the woman said "I'm leaving.' Kammie said standing up "I hate this place, and I hate HER" she added pointing to her mother's lifeless corpse "for leaving me like this."  When she walked into the lobby she found the doctor who had told her about her mother. She walked over to him and said "cyanide" she as she turned to leave she whispered" fuck you" just loud enough for him to hear.

"TAXIE" she yelled from under the covered walkway in front of the hospital.  It was pouring down rain and everything was soaked. "The Barton residence" she said stepping into the cab. She didn't need the address; the Barton's were the richest family in the city, and everyone knew where they lived.  Mr. Barton ran a medical company and Mrs. Barton was head chef at the local Hilton hotel. Their daughter Megan was Kammie's best friend. Megan Barton was popular, smart, pretty, and nice. Not like the other girls, who were sluts. "Here you go" the driver said pulling up to a huge house "thanks" she said handing him a twenty "keep the change"

As she walked up to the house she thought about what she would do *I hope the let me stay here a few days* she thought walking up the path to the front door. Before she could even knock on the door, Megan opened it and ran up to her "oh my god I'm so sorry" she said hugging her "you can stay here as long as you want." She couldn't believe it; she had just been taken in by the richest family in the city. This realization, along with the fact that her mother was gone forever, hit her with the force of a truck.



"Kammie, Kammie are you ok?" she heard Mrs. Barton say, placing a cool towel on her forehead. "What happened?" she asked trying to sit up. "You blacked out and fell right into Austin" Austin was Meghan's twin brother. Everyone in school liked him; he was tall, smart, athletic, and cute. Kammie liked Austin a lot but she didn't know how to tell him, or if he liked her. She couldn't ask Meghan, she would laugh.  "Kammie?" someone asked interrupting her daydreams. "Are you okay?" the voice asked again. It was Austin. "Wha- oh hey Austin" she said trying to sit up. She felt dizzy and collapsed back onto the large couch "hey Kammie are you okay?" he asked again. "I guess I am" she said tears rolling down her face. "What happened between ya'll? Every time you were together you fought" he said hugging her. "Since my dad died….we did nothing but fight. Then she became depressed so the doctors put her on medication." She explained crying. "So she was on medication" he asked holding her tighter. "Yeah but it didn't work'' she sobbed. "Then she overdosed on the pills and….."She stopped. "Its ok you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" he said "n-no it's ok." She said "when I went into the kitchen I found her passed out on the floor, I called an ambulance, then I tried to figure out what had happened." She looked up at him "her medications were spilled all over the bathroom floor." "So it was overdose?" he asked pushing her hair out of her eyes. "n-no" she said weakly "that's not what killed her, it was suicide" "what?" Austin said surprised at what she had just said "how?" "Cyanide" she whispered "and the doctors didn't even do anything about it, they just let her die" "why would she do that?" Austin asked drying her eyes with a cornet of the blanket lying on the couch. "She had nothing left, she couldn't take it anymore" she cried. "She had you, why would she leave you? Your smart, pretty, and amazing friend." he said calmly "she didn't love me, no one does" she said her voice now filled with hate and anger "she would come home drunk and not remember who I was" " some one loves you, I promise" he whispered in her ear. "Who? Who would love a freak like me?" she asked "I would Kammie, I love you" he said looking into her deep emerald green eyes. "I love you too Austin, I always have and always will" Austin had liked her since the day he met her; she was beautiful, in a dark way. She wore all black and her hair was long and straight and usually a weird unnatural color like midnight blue.



Kammie was happy for the next week, but all that changed when she received a phone call from her aunt. They wanted her to peak at the funeral "no! I won't go and I sure as hell won't speak" she said arguing with her aunt. "You have to Kammie! Her aunt pleaded "you're her you're her only child it's your responsibility" "no I'm not going, it's not like she would care!' he said slamming the phone back onto the receiver. "What happened?" Meghan asked walking into the room. "They want me to speak at the funeral" Kammie said calmly "but I'm not going" "but you have to go" Meghan said annoyingly "it's your mom!" "No she was as much of a mother to me as anyone else" Kammie said showing obvious hate towards her mother "I hate her and I'm not going!" "But you have to go" Megan begged "I don't 'have' to do anything" she yelled walking out of the room and up the stairs to her own and slamming the door. *what's going on now?* Austin said to himself hearing the door being slammed next to his own. *I wonder what happened?* Austin's room was in between the two girls. Megan didn't like that because when he practiced it was really loud. Kammie, being Megan's polar opposite, like this. She would even play along with him. Meghan really hated this.



Kammie picked up her guitar, black with a silver dragon on it, and started playing the chorus of "Helena". She was singing, something she hadn't done in a long time " long ago, just like the hearse you die to get in again, we are so far from you ……." She sang hitting every note perfectly "well if we carry on this way things are better if I stay, so long and good night so long and good night." She turned around and saw Austin sitting on her bed smiling "shit" she whispered to herself "I didn't thing anyone was listening"  "I knocked but you were playing to loud to hear so I just came in and you were singing" he said "I'm terrible aren't I" she laughed "no your amazing" he said picking up her guitar "what are you and meg fighting about now?" he asked playing a few noted to a song she didn't know. She sat down on the bed "they want me to speak at my mom's funeral" she said "but I'm not going" "you should at least go "he said putting the guitar down "its expected"  "NO, I won't go, I cant" she said "no? Well, okay…" she said smiling "what? What are you thinking?" she asked "oh nothing" he replied clearly meaning the opposite.



"Tell me pleeease..." she begged "if you insist" he said calmly "but your not going to like it"  "tell me anyway" she said "alright, alright calm down, I just thought you could sing at the funeral." He said looking at her and smiling. "What?" she laughed "I would need a band" "you've got a drummer" he said spinning the drumsticks in his hands. "Okay but we still need guitarists" she said trying to think of people she knew that played. "You can play" he said nodding toward her guitar "and I think I know some people that would be willing to play" "oh, okay" kammie said smiling "call them tonight and we can practice tomorrow morning" "okay" he said laughing "we have one problem with that" "what?" she asked looking extremely confused. "School" he said calmly "my mom thinks you should go back tomorrow, she even called the school to explain" "Oh….." she looked down. Since her mother's death three weeks ago, she hadn't been back to school; neither had Austin and Megan.



The next day was a blur; all Kammie remembered was almost the entire school asking where she had been for three weeks.  She didn't tell them what happened, she just said she had been really sick, and that she had stayed at the Barton's house. "We're still practicing tonight right?" Austin asked her at lunch. "Practicing? For what?" Megan asked looking up from her food. "Nothing you care about." He replied playing with a guitar pick hanging around his neck. "Yeah, we can use my garage. It's empty" Kammie said breaking up what was bound to be a fight between the other two.

After school, she rode back to the house with Austin in his lime green corvette. "Nice car" she laughed "did ya' steal it?" "Yeah and I stole the jeep to" he replied sarcastically "haha Austin" she said "all we need to do is pick up the stuff and go right?" "Umm…no." he said looking at her like she was crazy "we can't fit it all in the car, we have to wait for the van" "van?" Kammie asked opening the door to the house. "Yeah, you don't think we can fit my drums, your guitar, and four amps in my car do you?" "Good point." She said "but who's got the van?" "Skyler, he keeps all the band equipment in his trailer" Austin smiled looking out the window. "Their here" he said pointing to a black van with a beat up trailer hooked up to the back. "Hey! Skyy come up here and help us!"

"Skyy this is Kammie, she's the vocalist now" Austin said. "Kammie this is Skyy he's on bass." "Hey" she said picking up two of the amps and bringing them out to the van. "You like her don't you?" Skyy asked while helping Austin disassemble the drum set. "Yeah I do, she knows I do" he replied. "Okay boys lets go!" kammie yelled from downstairs. "We're coming!" they yelled back in unison

          When they arrived at Kammie's house two people were waiting for them. They were leaning against a deep black car. "Jimina, Zahi" Austin yelled "Come on!" Jimina was tall, dressed in all black with deep purple hair, she had snakebite piercings on her black lips and her eyes were lined in purple eyeliner the same shade as her hair. Zahi was taller than Kammie; she guessed it was because of his inch high combat boots, he had shaggy black hair with bleach blond bangs.

        "Where did she go?" Skyler asked. "Where did who go?'' Jimina asked confused. "Kammie" Austin replied. Just after he said this, the garage door creaked open to reveal a car; it was deep red with black dragons airbrushed on the sides. "Who's car?" Zahi asked finally speaking. "No clue" Austin said just before the car honked. They moved out of the way as the car pulled out of the driveway and into the street.  Kammie opened the car door and got out, she had changed clothes. She was wearing a black shirt with a neon pink butterfly across the front, black jeans, and thigh high stiletto boots. "Ready?" she asked grabbing her guitar out of the trunk. This one wasn't the guitar she had before, at Austin's house. It was red with a silver butterfly in the middle and stars along the sides. "Yeah, lets go" Jimina said picking up her guitar from its spot on the ground. Skyler and Austen went to go unload the van. "She's amazing isn't she?" Austin asked his voice barely above a whisper.  "Yeah" Skyler replied "how did she get that car?" "Her family had money, she just doesn't like to show it" he replied. "Do yall' know 'DEAD!'?" kammie asked when everything was set up. "Yeah" they replied "but isn't that a lil' weird to be playing at a funeral?'' Jimina added "its okay, it fits the occasion and my aunts okay with it." She replied. The truth was, her aunt didn't know she was coming more or less playing. *it's a surprise* she thought to herself. * A big cruel surprise*

          "Kammie?? Come on." Zahi said plugging his guitar into a nearby amp. Jimina removed one of abut ten guitar picks from a chain around her neck. "Sorry, lets go" she said grabbing the microphone. "1…2….1234…" she sang loud and clear. "And if your heart stops beating, ill be here wondering, did you get what you deserve? The ending of your life…" she sang, the walls shaking. "Have you heard the news that you're dead? No one ever had much nice to say I think they never liked you any way. Oh take me from the hospital bed, and wouldn't it be grand to take a pistol by the hand…if life is just a joke, then why am I DEAD?!" everyone had stopped playing except Skyler, who had started playing another song. "SKYY!" Jimina yelled "sorry..." he said sheepishly.

"I think we have a problem" Zahi said "we can't keep moving all this" he nodded at the guitars and other equipment strewn around the garage. "No problem" kammie replied "we can keep it inside, no one lives here."  "That's right your mom left you the house." Austin said "but you're really going to let us use it?" "Yeah think of it as headquarters from now on" she said smiling "I'll have keys made so I don't have to let you in all the time." "Sweet!'' Jimina said "lets move this inside so you an keep your car in here" "I'm taking my car with me, but we should still move it inside I'm worried about robbers." Kammie said throwing her car keys onto a table near her. "Megs going to love that" Austin laughed.

        The day of the funeral, Kammie woke up early and went to the house to get ready. "Their here early" she said to herself seeing Jimina, Skyler, Zahi, and Austin waiting for her at the front door. "HEY!" Jimina said smiling, "let us in!" "Sorry, I still need to key keys made" she said unlocking the door and letting them in "but why are yall here so early?" "The guys are gonna load the van and I'm here to help you get ready. Duh!" Jimina said holding up a bag full of makeup and hair stuff. "Oh, okay come up stairs and we can get started." Kammie said motioning to the large and spiraling staircase in the corner.  "Guys, leave my stuff here for a few okay?" she yelled down to the guys, who were moving the equipment into the van. "Yeah sure!" Skyy yelled back.

            When the girls got to the top of the stairs, kammie walked down the narrow hallway to the farthest room and opened the door. "Come on in" she said to Jimina who followed her in to the room. She flicked on the lights, revealing a large deep red room. "Hey, why'd you tell them to leave your guitar?" Jimina asked putting her bag on the vanity table against the wall. "Because I'm not using either of those. I'm using this one" she answered opening a closed containing over twenty guitars. "Holy shit" Jimina said in awe "there are so many" "yeah there are but I'm using this one" she carefully pulled a black coffin shaped guitar case from between two others. 

we last left kammie and jimina getting ready for the funeral. the guys (austin, zahi, and skyler) were moving stuff to the van. they went and played at the church, then went back to kammies house. it was then decided that they would all move in after they graduated. kammie's house was huge. it had a media room, gym, underground pool (below the basement) and a spa. about a month after they had moved in skyler got a call from pete wentz, they were to drive to chicago and meet with him at decaydance. they recorded a cd and had gerard way (ger) come in to design the cover. jimina and frankie became good friends, and gerard fell down the stairs. he is now in the hospital.

Jimina left the hospital at around 6 a.m.  She went back to the loft and crashed on the couch in the living room. She slept for what seemed like days. When she woke up no one was home, she found a note on the kitchen table from kammie, and they had gone to the mall.  The note said to meet them there if she wanted to and to be at the ball room at 8 that night for the release party. She only had a few hours till' the party so she decided to stay at the loft and clean up a bit. She was cleaning in the rec. room when she found a small green notebook with a tiny gold lock. She put the notebook on the table and continued cleaning. She moved the couch to clean underneath in and found a fine gold chain with a gold key on it. She looked over at the notebook. *I just want to see who it belongs too.* she said to herself, inserting the key into the lock ant turning it until it clicked open. It was Skyy's journal. She read a page toward the middle 

MONDAY- 12 pm.

I think I'm going crazy; I saw Gerard today and noticed his eyes, there an amazing hazel color. His smile is even more beautiful than I had ever noticed.  What's wrong with me? I didn't let Jimina kiss me that day and now I can't stop thinking about Gerard. Am I gay...I don't know anymore.

Jimina closed the notebook, she couldn't read anymore. She put the key under the couch again and put the lock back on the book. She put the book back on the chair she found it on *that's why* she thought *he's gay* she left the room to go get ready for the party. 6 O'clock, she had another hour. It was a formal party so she wore a scarlet dress and strappy silver stilettos. She grabbed her purse off the chair in her room; it was silver to match her shoes. She went into the bathroom and lined her eyes in black. She stenciled in three stars in the corners of her eyes in dark blue. She took a bottle of crimson nail polish and slipped it into her purse; she would do her nails in the cab. The cap pulled up in front of the loft at about 7:45, she jumped in and went directly to the party.

      When she got there it was like being at an award show, there were reporters everywhere. Cameras were flashing in her face and people were yelling her name. She was stopped by a reporter for a magazine she had never heard of and was asked for an interview. "Yeah okay but I can't say much yet. Not until later tonight." She said "what's the hardest part about being in a band?" he asked, completely unfazed by her response. "the hardest part for me would have to be being away from my family all the time, but we, kammie, Austin, Zahi, Skyler, and myself, have been through so much making this record; were so close, their my family now." She replied smiling "with out them I'd be lost." "What is your favorite track on the album?" the reporter asked, shielding his eyes from the flashes of nearby cameras. "My absolute favorite would be track 12-poison, because it's loud and just really fun." She laughed "but I can't say anything else" "Jimina over here!" "Look this way!" they yelled as she turned in circles for them to take pictures.  She looked up the walkway to see kammie laughing at her "come on Mina!" she yelled "sorry," she said walking over to the rest of the band. "It's okay we got bombarded when we got here" Austin laughed. "Yeah no big," sky said "lets get this party started" "yes lets" someone said from behind them, it was Pete. "Hey" they said in almost perfect unison. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your first album, it's amazing." Thanks we just hope they", he Zahi nodded in the direction of the ballroom "like it as much as you do" "they will," he said "and I know for a fact that there are at least three big radio stations in there so go chat em' up and get on the radio as soon as possible." "If you say so" Skyler said nervously "just be yourselves and you'll be fine, I promise" "thanks Pete" kammie said "see you inside"



At the release party the band was asked if any of the members were gay, Skyler to everyone's surprise (other than Jimina) said he was. After the party the band left almost immediately to go on tour for a year. Jimina and Frankie got engaged during the tour and are now planning the wedding



"Skyler, how has last night affected you" a reporter asked, signaling his cameraman to start recording.  He was referring to the concert the previous night; kammie had burned literally hundreds of flags during the last song. "It hasn't" he said walking toward the mailbox. "Its caused quite a stir in the media, has that had any affect on your plans for a new record?" he asked looking in the direction of the twenty or so other reporters covering the front lawn. "No it hasn't. And I think it was time for something interesting to happen in the news." Skyler replied casually. "You said recently that you were gay. Is this true or was that just publicity?" "No. its true" he laughed. "Do you have a boyfriend?" the reporter asked. "No. now if you don't mind, you and your reporter friends need to leave before we call the cops." Skyler said turning to go back inside.

      Soon after this there was a knock at the door. It was Frankie and Gerard; they were coming to help with the wedding plans. Frankie had already gon inside when Gerard pushed Skyler up against the door and kissed him. "ive wanted to do that for a long time" he said smiling. "Me too" Skyler replied kissing him again. The door opened at this moment and Zahi saw them kiss. He slammed the door in surprise and went back to the living room. "What's wrong Zahi?" Austin asked seeing his pale face and wide eyes. "They….he….uhmmm….." he stuttered "god that was strange!" he finally said. "What the hell happened?" Kammie asked looking up from a magazine. "They were kissing…" he replied. "Who?" Jimina asked putting down the invitation she was writing. "Gee and Skyy" he said weakly. Frankie dropped the glass of water he was holding while she wrote. "No really." Kammie said, she thought he was kidding. "Gee is gay but that's just strange." Frankie added.  "Sky wouldn't do that…no" Jimina said, but she knew he might; she knew how much he liked Gerard.

The door opened and Sky and Gerard walked in, arms around each other, laughing at something.  "Hey mina" Gerard said sitting next to her. "Hey Gee" she replied, flipping through a magazine full of designer wedding dresses. "I don't want a white dress" she said tossing the magazine back onto the stack "I want something dark" "like black?" Frank said sarcastically. "Yeah!" she replied "we could do like a reverse wedding!" "You could have it at the cemetery" Gerard added. "Yeah but we have to go back to Newark, we have to invite our families" Frankie laughed "unless you don't want to" "ill look up addresses to the cemeteries in Newark" kammie said ending the conversation.

          The planning of the wedding went by fast and soon it was time to drive back to New Jersey. The morning of the wedding Jimina and Kammie went to get ready. Jimina's wedding dress was a black strapless gown that stopped just above her knees. Her hair was tied up in a red ribbon; she had painted her nails the same color. "I look amazing" she said looking in the mirror. She went over to the table with all their makeup on it and picked up a tube of black lipstick. "No, not today" kammie said taking it from her "your not performing" Jimina always wore black lipstick when they preformed. "Use this," kammie handed her a tube. "Thanks," Jimina laughed." Don't you think you should start getting ready?" she added seeing that Kammie hadn't even started. "Yeah I guess so" she laughed, taking a dress bag off the hook on the wall. Slowly she slid the dress out of the bag and onto the chair, Jimina gasped, she hadn't let her see it before now. "You like?" Kammie asked "I love it" Jimina replied, it was a floor length dress, deep red with black trim. "It was my mom's" she said sadly. They finished getting ready and went out to the car, a hearse.

         

            The guys, for once, took longer than the girls; they were all wearing black and red. Zahi and Austin were almost done when Frankie ran into the room and collapsed into one of the chairs.

"Frank, what's wrong?" Austin asked going over to him. He looked up, "Austin. I can't do this, I can't get married!"  "Calm down. You can do this, its just nerves." Zahi said "your right," he replied "have yall seen Gee and Skyler?" "Weren't you with them this morning?" he asked Zahi. "Yeah but I met yall for lunch remember" he replied, "I haven't seen them since." "Call em" Austin added throwing Frankie the phone. "I can't, Gee doesn't have a phone anymore" he replied smiling "he dropped it in nacho cheese dip" "I don't even want to know" Zahi said, dialing the Skyler's number. It rang, once….twice…"hello" he finally answered. "Hey where are yall?" he asked, "we're coming, sky can't find his shoes" Gerard laughed" we'll be there in a few." "do ya' think the girls are ready yet?" Frankie asked nervously. "I'll go check" Austin said walking out the room. He walked down the hall to the girl's room. He knocked on the door, no answer, he went in and no one was there. He went back to the other room "their not there" he said "I guess they went to the car". They walked outside to the car, kammie ran over and stopped them "no you take the other one!" she said pointing to a second hearse. "What? Why can't we go with you two?" Austin asked "because its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding" she said "now go!" "Hey wait for us!" someone yelled from behind them, it was Skyler and Gerard. "We got lost; this damn hotel has to many rooms!" Gerard said after catching his breath. "It doesn't matter lets go!" Frankie said nervously. After the wedding, Frankie and Jimina boarded a plane to Hawaii for their honeymoon. They could no be contacted on the island because it didn't have cell phone service. They didn't know about the car crash.



Kammie had been going back to Chicago, to get some stuff from the loft, when her car was hit by a moving van.  She was rushed to the hospital, where they called Austin. The three of they flew to Chicago on the first flight they could get. When they got to the hospital she was giving up. "Don't do this to me Kam" Austin said weakly, his eyes glassy. He took her hand, "you can get through this." "Austin, I cant, my time is up." She said, barely audible. "No…please, kammie don't." he begged, tears forming I his eyes. She squeezed his had, "I love you Austin, forever and always."  He brushed the hair out of her face "I love you too, and I will till the end of the world." "Goodbye" she said faintly, "No… don't" it was too late.  She closed her eyes and took her last breath.  She was dead. Skyler went over to Austin. He said nothing; there wasn't anything left to say.  A nurse came in "you should go now" she said sympathetically. Zahi and Skyler turned to leave. Austin stayed seated; he was totally unaware of what was going on. The nurse started to walk over to him, Zahi stopped her "give him a minute, its hard for all of us but for him it's nearly impossible." "I understand" she said before leaving them alone again. Austin stared at her pale, lifeless face; her emerald green eyes frozen in time behind her eyelids. "Kammie" he whispered", her name was so hard to say now and just this morning he had said it so easily. "Austin…" Skyler said sadly, taping him on the arm. He knew it was time to say goodbye, this time forever. He kissed her one last time, her lips cold as ice. He let go of her hand, his fingers sliding off the tips of hers. This was goodbye.  He unclasped the gold key hanging around her neck and put it in his pocket. The drive back to the loft was silent, not even the rental car made any noise.  Days went by, no one spoke. They hardly ate. Austin stayed in his room, he left only once to eat, he couldn't; he could hardly live knowing that Kammie was never coming back.