Millions

I don't understand what Gee and Pax were up to but I couldn't help but wonder if they were ever going to get around to robbing the bank.

They kept giving each other this long then whispering under their breaths. No one was able to hear what they were talking about and the best guesses anyone had was the few things Pax would say while walking around, most of it being how he planned to shoot everyone if he had to hear the ringing of any more phones.

By the time this was happening it felt like my brain had almost shut down to the fact I could die at any moment. It was more like I was watching one of those theatre shows where the actors come off the stage and walk along the aisles, trying to get the audience involved. I've been to a fair few of those with my parents and I'm really not joking when I say this it was genuinely feeling like Pax and Gee were actors.
Pax would start up about murder and you'd see Gee in the background, sitting on a bench, shoulders slumped as he read Fahrenheit 451, shaking his head in disagreement to almost everything Pax had to say.

They were like a comedy duo and it did a really good job of toning down the seriousness of Pax's threats but maybe that was just me.
I'd originally been scared of the white haired thief but I'd stopped caring and gone down to my usual habit of watching people and judging them.

What I'd collected in the hour that'd passed was that he was an impatient person, very jumpy, didn't like having his ego bruised and even though Gee seemed to get through to him he wouldn't always listen and would prefer to pace despite it getting him nowhere.

Gee was a lot harder to figure out since he didn't do that much. Read, disagree, occasionally look around, he wasn't exactly entertaining to watch but I did it anyone because for some reason I found him fascinating.

I would have been talking to Vera if given the option but she'd somehow managed to fall asleep, curled up into a ball with her head on her arm. I'm not sure how she was able to nap at a time like this but my guess was that her ongoing panic attack had drained her and she'd gotten so tired she just fell asleep. I almost wish I could do the same but something might happen and I didn't want to miss it, especially if something like a hostage leaving were to happen, I wanted to get Vee out of here as soon as possible.

One thing that'd be really useful was if I could get hold of her pills. Drug her up on those and she'll be as cool as a cucumber, no more death grips on me, expressions that went with internal screaming and the chances of her having a full fledged panic attack would reduce by at least sixty percent.

I knew exactly where they were, which was in her locker out the back of the bank and I knew what her locker code was, it'd take me a couple of minutes to get the pills, max, but it'd also mean I'd have to either talk to Pax or Gee. I not only didn't want to talk to Pax, I also wanted to kill him and I could already imagine the annoyed look that would be on Gee's face if I tried to ask anything then the icing on the cake was that how on earth am I going to ask a bank robber a question?!

"Hey, what's up with the muttering?" I jumped when I realized Pax had stopped walking around the room and was standing in front of me with a gun only a foot away from my face but at least it was by his side and not pointed at me.

I still can't believe that when I saw him coming out of the coffee shop I thought he was cute. He is so far from being cute, he's crazy and would be better of in a zoo than being able to mingle with the rest of the world.

"Nothing," I said, looking down and wishing I had my hoodie with me, the closest thing I had was my jacket which I'd taken off and it didn't have the hood I needed to hide under so I might as well not even use it.

Pax didn't seem to be interested in watching the facial expressions that went with my inner monologue and tucked the shiny gun in his hand into the waistband of his jeans before crossing his arms and walking away.

At the same time I thought of want I'd been thinking about before he walked over, that I needed to get a hold of Vee's pills. Remembering how badly she needed them I found the courage I needed to talk to him and sat up straighter, looking at Pax.

"Wait," he stopped in place and turned around, his arms still crossed as he questioningly raised an eyebrow, actually willing to listen to what I had to say, "I need to get my friends anxiety pills from the back room. Could I please go and get them, it'll only take a couple of minutes and I'll be right back?" I wasn't sure what to expect, since he was well and truly crazy he could say just about anything in the human language.

"But why would I want to let you?" He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, looking even more foxlike as I quickly tried to come up with a good answer.

"She's sleeping right now but when she wakes up she'll have even more energy to freak out. She'll be talking to herself and rocking back and forth. She'll be really annoying, trust me I've known her since we were kids." I'd gotten better at talking since I was angry at the same time but I think if I Gee were to walk over I'd instantly go back to staring at the ground and mumbling because I really wasn't angry at him and I didn't feel like I needed to be.

I don't think he wanted to be involved in the bank robbery.

"So is what you're saying is that she'll annoy me?" He didn't seem to care a bit about how Vera felt but he was acting as if he might agree so I went along and nodded.

"Trust me, you don't want to be around her when she's freaking out." I was talking as fast as possible so he'd be hearing everything I had to say before deciding and making up him mind, if he wanted some reasons I'd give them to him.

"Fine you can get the pills," he said, stopping me from babbling and I immediately stood up, glad that I was going to be able to get what she needed, "but you're kidding yourself if you think you're going alone. Gee, look alive!" He called out and Gee looked up from his book, putting it down when he realized he had to watch the hostages.

Pax put a hand on my shoulder as I timidly walked towards the back of the back of the bank. I'd been with Vera to her locker so many times but had to think hard where it was with how all over the place my head was. I was getting bad vibes from Pax and wanted him to take his hand off me but I was afraid to ask because he might change his mind or do something crazy so I kept quiet and led him to the lockers.
Vee was still asleep and I was worried she might wake up, see I wasn't there and think something bad had happened to me so I was determined to get back as soon as possible.

I was free to have my shoulder back once we were surrounded by the dark green lockers and I went over to the one I knew belonged to Vee. It wasn't hard to guess which one was hers anyway because you could see the strap of her bag hanging out the jammed closed door because she was too lazy to open the door and fix the problem.

It took me a minute to remember what the code was but once I did the door was open and I was searching through her bag, last time I saw her taking her pills they were in a small pocket in the back of her bag.

Why did she have to have so many things?

Vera had a serious problem of never cleaning her bag out. Makeup, plastic forks, napkins, coins, small pieces of candy and paper satchels of salt, if we make our way out of this alive then I'm gonna be making her clean her bag out as soon as possible.

'She might have needed to take the pills recently', I thought as I went through her overcoat that'd also been stuffed into the small locker. Sure enough the amber bottle was in the pocket and I sighed when I saw that it was nearly completely full, I wouldn't have to worry about her having any over the top panic attacks.

There was one other thing in the jacket pocket that I hadn't expected to see, her mobile phone, turned off and I knew it was it was working since she'd only bought it last month. Trying to not look so suspicious I put it in the same hand that was holding the pills and started to slip it into my pocket as I turned around.
I stopped when I saw that Pax was standing right behind me. I immediately backed into the lockers, wanting to get as far away from him as possible but not having anywhere to move because he was as far into my personal bubble as he could possibly get and I couldn't escape him since he had his arms against the locket on either side of me, it felt like I was in a cage.

"P-please move back," I whimpered, I wasn't angry at him anymore, I was just plain scared because we were completely alone and he'd hit on me pretty aggressively earlier and Gee wasn't here to stop him.

"Aw, you know you don't really want me to do that." He was grinning, a big, white grin that scared the hell out of me and made me wish I was in the front of the bank with my sleeping friend.

"Yes, yes I do." I was nodding quickly, agreeing with everything I said and having my brain run around screaming, banging its head against everything and rolling on the floor, I was surprised I even managed to get the pills and phone in my pocket.

I felt myself cringe when his mouth touched mine.

He was kissing me, I was being kissed by a homicidal, crazy, criminal and there was no one to come in here and stop him and I was too afraid to stop him because he might hurt me or even worse. The most I was able to do was cringe and keep cringing when he kissed me harder, putting his arms on my waist and taking away any chance I might have had of running for my life screaming and praying someone would save me from the psycho.

I just held my hands up, hoping he'd realize I didn't want to kiss him and would stop by himself.

When I felt his tongue is when I started hitting him on the arm, by that point he could do anything else he wanted to me but the kissing was going to stop one way or another because I would frankly rather be shot than have his lips on me another second.

"Off!" I shouted, finally shoving him away and wiping my mouth with the back of my arm before spitting on the floor because I swear to God I could taste his saliva.

"You're a bit of a dead fish aren't ya?" He was still grinning and I moved away, holding up my hand to stop him in case he tried anything else, if I was going to be kissing anyone it'd be on my own terms and I could do a lot better than him.

"No, I just don't like having people force themselves on me now back the hell off!" I'd been told I was a fairly good kisser and I wasn't going to waste my talents on the likes of him, especially when he'd just as happily kill me.

"I reckon I can put a bit of life in you." I wasn't given the option to make him move away and before I could do a thing he had me pinned against the lockers again and I was assaulted by his face and wishing I never left the house this morning.

My heart was beating fast but not from him kissing me, from the fact I was scared and had no way to escape, his whole body was against mine and I couldn't move my arms or my legs, I was lucky I could even breathe.

His hands were running all over me, specifically over my butt and I tried a couple of times to shove him away which didn't work, the best chance I had was when he stopped kissing me on the lips and went to my neck.

"Help! Someone help!" I don't anyone was going to come, Gee was out in the back and stopping anyone from moving around and even then no one would be able to hear me through the thick wall.
This fucking psycho is gonna rape me.

Then I heard the best thing ever, the sound of the locker room door opening and someone running in, I'm not going to be hurt, thank God.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Pax was pulled away and I gasped for breath before spitting on the ground, I could really taste his spit and it was probably the most disgusting thing ever and I go to medical school.

"Just trying to warm up the ice queen," Pax laughed and was cut off by a rough shove from Gee who actually looked pissed off, I hadn't expected anyone to hear me but someone did and it was him?

"Don't fucking touch her. We agreed on a couple of things and I don't remember rape being one of them! I said we were going to get in here, get the motherfucking money, not hurt anyone, then leave!" I was frozen as I watched them, Gee was looking angrier and angrier while Pax had a flippant expression like he couldn't care less which I'm pretty sure he couldn't.

"You just don't know how to take what you want, you only know how to give others what they want."

"If you like a girl you ask her out, try to get her phone number! You don't go and try to fucking rape her!" I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do but the question was answered quickly when Gee grabbed my arm and marched me out of the room.

"Thank you," I mumbled, having too many words and not enough time to say them, at the moment I didn't give a shit if he was in the middle of robbing a bank, he saved me from his crazy friend and that was enough.

"It's fine, don't let yourself be alone with him again," he said calmly as we returned to the front of the back and I gave him a grateful smile before going over to Vera who'd woken up and was looking anxiously around the room.

"Jet, where were you? I heard you screaming then that guy with the vest ran into the back of the bank and then I heard shouting, what happened? You're okay, nothing bad went down did it?" She was talking almost too fast for me to keep up but I nodded, trying to listen as much as possible but struggling slightly.

"Pax, Whitey, he tried something but Gee came in and stopped him before...it doesn't matter I'm fine now and I've got your anxiety pills okay? Take them and you'll be fine again." I pulled the amber bottle from my pocket and held it out to my friend who gratefully took it before shaking out a couple of the small tablets and downing them dry.

From experience I knew it'd take a couple of minuted but they'd kick in and she'd be as right as rain, no more arm death grips and she'd be able to breath without sounding like she needed a paper bag or an oxygen tank.

"Okay, are you sure he didn't do anything?" She double checked, putting both hands on my shoulders and looking at me seriously, already seeming a lot calmer, like she wouldn't have a full metal breakdown at any second.

"He kissed me but like I said, Gee came in and everything's fine. I'm safe, you're dosed up on your pills and I think there's a pretty good chance we'll make it through this. I don't think Gee's that bad of a guy and if Pax tries to hurt someone or do something crazy I think he'll stop him." It sounded stupid but after hearing him yelling about the robbery I don't think he wants to hurt anyone or see anyone get hurt.

"Jet, don't be stupid. Gee is a bank robber, a criminal and a bad guy It's his job to do bad things then he gets chased by the police for it. He isn't the good guy, he's not a knight in shining armor. Let me repeat this again in case you didn't hear me the first time, he's a bad guy," she whispered madly at me and I felt positive by this point that her anxiety meds had kicked in good and she was back to her normal self.

"He's not a bad guy," I told her, taking a glance at Gee who was sitting on the floor with his back against the bench with his eyes closed and his head tilted back like he was asleep but I couldn't see Pax anywhere.

"He is," she repeated, her grip on my shoulders getting tighter.

"I don't think he wants to be."

Notes