I tossed and turned, throwing my arms out violently. My wrist made contact with a pair of glasses, Mikey's no doubt. I felt the screams bubble out of my throat, piercing the silence. I felt a pair of hands hold my upper arms down and another hold my wrists. I felt someone's rough hands against my cheeks and I panicked even more.

"Get off me! Get off me!" I cried, still not opening my eyes.
"Taylor! Taylor!"

Gerard. Gerard cupped my face in his hands as I felt Ray brush the hair out of my face. I opened my eyes and focused on their faces.

A dream.
No.
A nightmare.

My breathing steadied.
My chest collapsed rapidly.
Mikey looked down in my eyes, tears clouding his.

"What happened?" I whispered, shuddering.
"It was only just a dream..." he whispered back, stroking my hair.

I looked around me and noticed I had fallen on the floor. Ray looked at me from the corner of the room, looking sick. Gerard was panting in time with me. Frank looked terrified. Mikey just continued sitting on the floor with me, pulling me in his lap.

"Baby, what was that..?" Ray asked me. I looked up in his eyes and shook my head.
"I.. I don't know."
"You were sleeping peacefully and then all of a sudden.." his voice trailed off.
"You didn't listen to her.. None of you did."
They all looked at me with dumbfounded expressions. Kind of like Dracs. Ironic.
"Chaos told you.. Don't let me fall asleep for extensive periods."

"Was it a memory?" Mikey asked, kissing my temple. I shook my head.
"Worse.."
"What do you mean?"
I sighed. "Ever since you guys left, I've had a reoccurring dream, nightmare. I wake up in this cold, metallic room. Dracs are surrounding the doors and windows, guns cocked and ready. Korse walks in and starts taunting me.." my voice cracks, but I continue on. "And he starts.. torturing me. He gauges my right eye and pierces my sides, laughing the entire time. He says it was all for me. It was a party.. A poisonous, vultured party.." I whispered the last part. "He then mentions you.." I look up at the boys. "He said you would have it much worse than I did... I start screaming for him to stop and take me instead but he just laughs and walks away, leaving me alone."

I look up at Gerard and he looks scary. Angry.
No, infuriated.
No, raged.
Pissed.
Definitely pissed.

I pull away from Mikey and Frank pulls me up. I walk out of the room and down into the basement to Ray's room. I just left them in living room, stunned. I barely noticed the door click shut behind me until I felt a pair of arms around my waist. I gasped and turned around and looked into Frank's eyes.

Scared.
For me.

"Frank.." I whispered, tears kissing my eyes. "Frankie.."
"Shhh," he wiped the tears away from my eyes with his thumb. "Shhh..."
"Frank, I'm sorry.." is all I could say before he covered my mouth with his.

Wait, what.
Are you kidding me?
Now?

"Frank.." I whispered against his lips, unintentionally parting ours. I backed away and he just looked down at me.
"Taylor.. You don't have to be scared anymore. We're here to protect you."
"The question is," Gerard spoke, leaning against the door frame. "Can we?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I spat.
"You're trouble. Always have been, Taylor. It's all you've ever caused."
"As opposed to you, the poster child for perfection?" Frank retorted.
"Look, all I'm saying is that she's going to create distractions for us."

I looked down at the ground.
He was right, all I've ever done is create trouble. It's in my nature.

"Back off, Gerard." Ray voiced. "She's just a kid."
"Exactly. A kid. What is she doing here anyways?"

The 3 of them looked at me, expecting an answer.

"I already told you why I'm here. We're all wanted for extermination and I had to find you guys." I started packing my duffelbag. "But don't you worry, Gerard. I can't stand being with you more than you can stand being with Chaos." I walked past them, up the stairs, bag on my shoulder."

"Where do you think you're going?" Ray trailed behind me, out the front door. I ignored him, shoving my bag into the front seat of stationwagon. "Huh?" He pulled my arm.

"Let her go, Ray," Gerard said, leaning against the frame of the house. "Just let her go."
"Where do you think you're going?" Mikey asked, beside Gerard.
"Taylor, if Nan knew what you're doing out here, she'd--" Ray started to say.
"Nan's dead!" I cried. "She's fucking dead, Ray. Because of you. Because of me. Because of all of us!"
Ray just stared at me, shock penciling his face. Of course. He didn't know.

"Dead?" he repeated. "What..?"
"She died because--"
"Because you left.." he spoke to the ground. "Because you left!" he hollered at me. "You were supposed to be there for her! And you fucking left!" He pushed me against the house, left arm crushing my throat. "You were supposed to protect her, Taylor, and you left!"

Frank and Mikey tried pulling him off of me but to no use.

I bucked my knee into his gut and he collapsed.

"You left, Ray. You left us." I spat down at him. "You were supposed to protect me and you left."
"Then fucking leave!" He spat back. "Go! It's all you ever do: leave."
"I fucking will!" I reached into my pants and pulled out the keys. "I don't fucking need you four, you're all worthless." I started my retreat to the car when Frank pulled me back.

"Please.. Don't do this."
"Fuck you, Frank."

And I drove off.
Leaving my friends behind.

Fuck friends.
I'm doing this by myself.