Jane opened the door to her small apartment, pushing boxes out of the way as she did. “Ugh, I have so much to do,” she muttered. With a couple drags of her feet she was placed on her couch, which was all green, brown, and very retro. As she did a quick panoramic shot of the room around her she laughed. “An interior decorator and I live like this,” she continued to laugh as she stood up and walked over to the kitchen. With a glass of water in her hand she pushed her way through the mountains of boxes that surrounded her and out onto a small balcony. She looked around herself for a chair, but all she was able to find was a sturdy cardboard box.
After a bit of just enjoying the scenery and breathing in the atmosphere Jane decided she needed to finish packing and so she went back inside. With a rather disgusted look she grabbed the things off of her desk and shoved them into a box. She opened her first drawer, shoved those items into the box, and replaced the drawer. Jane leaned back in her large executive leather chair and looked at her office, it was all boxed up, except for the pictures to the right of her. She had amounted a rather massive collection over the last ten years or so and now her favorites lay in a nice organized collage on her shelf.
Jane carefully picked up the first one; it was of Suzy and her when they were about 11. She clutched the picture to her breast and then carefully placed it into the padded box in her hand. She next picked up a picture of her best friend from grade school, Caroline, whose smile brightened up the room. The next picture she glanced at was a love lost, Nathan. She had liked him for the longest time, and many said he liked her back, but it never evolved into anything. She continued to pick up pictures, one by one, and carefully placed them into her box. The last picture Jane picked up was of her two best friends and her in Mexico, she sighed as she remembered the spring break and put the picture into the box.
It had been a couple of hours and everything in her apartment had been packed. Jane began to load the boxes into her car. She looked at her car, and thought about how ironic it was that she lived in such a dump, yet was an interior decorator, how she owned a new Saab convertible, and yet she was packing her old Honda Civic. Once all the boxes had been moved she went for one last look into the apartment. Jane pulled herself up and onto the breakfast bar and looked around her, out into the city, over into her bedroom, backwards into the kitchen, and over to her office. Everything was out. She had no reason to be there.
---
Jane leaned back in satisfaction. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” she asked the man standing next to her. He tilted his head as if imitating a bird, “um, I guess it’s fine, why?” She put on a comical pouty face and began to playfully punch him; he dodged each punch with skill, until one landed right in the gut. “Ahh,” he shouted as he fell back onto the couch. She pointed at him and laughed an evil laugh, “gotcha!” He pulled himself up off the couch with the help of her hand and with a very daring move he twisted around and pushed her onto the couch. She was smarter than he planned, however, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down with her. As soon as she could stop giggling the man that was on her was gone, “Matt!” She bounced off of the sofa with the amazing grace of a cat, “I’m gonna get you!” she shouted.
There were chase scenes around the breakfast bar, through the kitchen, into the bathroom, and everywhere else the new apartment contained. Out of breath they both fell onto the loveseat, “you messed up the couch,” Jane taunted him. They were sitting and trying to catch their breath when the door began to open. “Surprise!” Matt yelled at the incoming visitor. Jane toppled over laughing and the visitor responded, “what?” Jane and Matt fell back onto the couch, “never mind, Lily,” Jane spoke to the girl in the door. Lily looked at the two on the couch and rolled her eyes. “Here let us help,” cried Matt. Jane and Matt grabbed the groceries from Lily’s hands and began placing them in spots, Matt’s choices being more randomized and Jane’s being very orderly. Matt would place an item; Jane would pick it up and put it somewhere else. Lily looked at this scene and became uninterested, “oh my god!” she shouted. Both in the kitchen turned around expecting something to be wrong, “what?” they said in unison. Lily was almost shrieking, “this couch, it’s…it’s…it’s beautiful!” Both Jane and Matt rolled their eyes, “that’s all?” Jane queried. Lily looked back at Jane menacingly, “yes.” They continued to empty the grocery bags until everything was in order.
All three roommates sat on the couch looking out the big picture window, “this apartment it beautiful,” Lily commented in Jane’s direction. “Thanks,” was her only reply. Matt looked around, as if waiting for something, “no thanks for me?” They both looked at him, Lily rolled her eyes and Jane laughed. So there they sat Jane in the middle with Matt on her right and Lily on her left.
---
Lily leaned back in satisfaction. “Ooh you know what I want?” Matt asked sounding like a four-year-old. Jane decided to satisfy his query and with a drab tone she said, “no Matt, what DO you want?” Matt bit his bottom lip and then jumped out of their 2’ deep inflatable pool. “Where is he going?” Lily asked as she removed her sunglasses. Jane responded by removing hers, “do we care?” They both laughed and put their lenses back on. Lily’s were sophisticated, and she had her hair pulled back tightly into a bun and her bangs clipped back. On the other hand Jane’s glasses were wacky sophisticated, and colored in many different shades. Her hair was loosely pulled up and looked as if she had meant to make a ponytail but didn’t pull it through enough so loose ends of hair popped out of the bun. Matt came running out of the apartment complex and as Jane looked over she couldn’t help but laugh. Matt gaily skipped over to the pool and leaped in, splashing water all over Lily. Her face grew angry as she withdrew the sunglasses, but Matt attempted to fix all sore feelings with the popsicle in his left hand, “here.” Jane looked at him, laughed, looked at Lily, laughed, and then continued bathing in the sun. “Jane, want one?” Matt asked sweetly. “Of course,” she replied.
So the three of them sat in the pool eating their popsicles until Matt’s next bright idea came upon him. He got out of the pool and dashed inside. “You know what? Matt’s a jackass,” Lily commented. Jane smirked, “liar.” Lily sat up, “no, seriously, I can’t stand him anymore.” Jane sat up and looked Lily in the face, “damn you aren’t lying are you,” she paused, “but you can too stand him.” Lily admitted to it, “yes I can I guess but I don’t like like him anymore.” You see Lily had liked Matt as more than a friend, but Jane knew Lily’s feelings would never stay.
There was silence and just as soon as Jane got used to it Matt came running out of the building. In his hand he held some branches off of their tropical tree in the apartment that were attached to paper towel rolls, he held four, two in each hand. Spying the drink holders in the pool’s rim he moved Jane’s hand aside and put the “palm tree” in it. Matt did this until all four had been placed and gave quite a nice shade. “Matt you are a strange child,” Lily commented as Matt contently ate his melting popsicle in his newfound shade.
---
“I locked the door, I swear,” cried Lily, “Matt you must have left it open!” Matt turned around, “you conniving little—.“ He stopped himself there. Lily gave him a look that could kill when Jane interrupted. “Guys, first of all we’re roommates, second does it really matter who left the door unlocked, we’re still robbed, and third if you remember Lily, oh wait no, you were too smashed to remember. Anyway after Matt and I carried you to your room last night we went out for a nightcap, and decided to stay out all night. We didn’t get home until after you woke up and had already left to the store. The place wasn’t ruined until you left. But then again I’m not blaming you, the person who broke in might have had a key, either way it doesn’t matter!” Matt felt vindicated and went to the kitchen. Jane glared at Lily as if to reprimand her bad judgement in accusing her own roommate and then shouted to Matt, “Hun, will you call the insurance company?” Matt popped his head out of the kitchen, phone in hand, “Ahead of you dear.”
Jane left Lily sitting on their new couch. She walked into the kitchen where Matt was seated resting his elbow on his leg and his head on his hand. She walked over to him and gave him a backwards hug and continued by rubbing his back. He argued with the claims adjuster until finally he went, “ok, thank you very much,” and hung up. Jane looked concerned, “what did she say?” Matt looked up at her and she stopped rubbing his shoulders, “well it’s good we went through and video taped everything, even if we were just having fun, she said we can use it to claim our possessions.” Jane sighed and Lily walked into the kitchen, “sorry Matt, sorry J, will you forgive me?” Both patrons nodded yes and Matt got up and gave her a hug, which she accepted but didn’t take part in. “Well anyway,” she continued on, “I’m gonna move out, I mean I’ve already caused so much damage.” Jane immediately responded, “Lily, no it wasn’t your fault, stay…please.” Lily nodded no and walked out the front door. “Damn it,” Matt said, “I liked that girl.”
---
With Lily gone the mood just wasn’t the same, at all. Jane and Matt got along great, as they always had, but the mood just felt different now that she was gone. It was a starry night when Jane finally realized something.
“Jane, I never said thanks for the coffee, thank you.” Matt looked up at the stars as he said it. Jane smiled and poured herself a cup, “Hey, Matt, why don’t we go up to the roof?” Like children they raced up the stairs, making sure not to spill their coffee. They busted out of the old rusty door only to be overwhelmed by the view. Matt had made it up before her, and sat down on the padded wicker sofa, lengthwise. Jane walked up to him, not being disappointed but looking it. Matt laughed at her, “have a seat Madame.” He patted his chest as he said it.
At first Jane simply pushed Matt’s feet off and sat down, but after a while she became tired and rested her head on his hip, he was now laying on his side. In a quick decision she put his feet back behind her and laid down right in front of him on her side. Matt smiled a smile Jane couldn’t see and sniffed her hair and neck, “you smell delicious,” he paused, ”sweetie.” Jane froze, he had called her sweetie millions of times before, and she always called him hun or dear, but this was different he had paused this time, “thank you," she responded quietly. Matt sniffed again, and then held it all in, he closed his eyes and let it all out. Carefully moving his hands from below him and his hip he put them around her waist and gave a small squeeze. She moved her hands down to meet his and slowly dragged her fingertips across them in a very gentle and caring way. They sat like that for a long time until she stopped stroking his hand. Matt pulled his right hand up to Jane’s face and swept her golden hair behind her ear. Matt paused as he deliberated something, and with reckless abandon he kissed Jane on the cheek. In surprise she pulled her face to face him and rotated her body towards him. The only reason she did this was because it wasn’t abnormal of him to kiss her, but this kiss wasn’t out of friendship, at least she didn’t think so. As she faced him and he faced her he once again swept the hair behind her ear. With a small pause he put his hand on her cheek and pulled her in and with one fateful swoop he kissed her. At first it was an innocent kiss but when she showed some interest it went further, but soon came to an end. The end seemed perfectly timed, like they both didn’t know where to go from there.
It was late, and Jane had fallen asleep in Matt’s arms. The kiss was all that had happened and they stopped there. Fearing waking her, Matt left the coffee cups, vowing to come get them later, and picked Jane up gently. Luckily they had forgotten to lock the apartment door when they had went up at midnight, he nudged the door open with his leather shoes and carefully guided her head away from obstacles. He made his way to her bedroom and put her down gently. She curled up and he took off her coat, revealing her already pajama-clad body. He sighed in relief as he realized he wouldn’t have to deal with pajamas. After removing her shoes, slippers actually, he pulled the covers back on her very puffy bed and put her underneath them. Matt pulled the covers up to her shoulders, knowing she hated them at her neck, and glanced around the room. She had a purple theme at he moment, although not overly purple. In fact it wasn’t overwhelming at all, it was calming. Jane took a deep breath in and sighed. Matt whipped around to fond her still asleep and smiling.
He walked back out towards the kitchen remembering the coffee cups. On his way to the front door he passed the room which was Lily’s. He felt bad that he was happy even though she was gone and they really hadn’t talked since she left, but at the same time his happiness could not be killed.
Matt turned the knob on the door and walked over to the roof. He thought her heard something move behind him but when he turned around he realized it was nothing. He made his way up the stairs, almost solemnly, just a little bit ago they were racing up these steps. Matt grabbed the coffee mugs and walked over to the railing on the tall apartment building. Looking over he heard another noise, he swore it was the door to the roof closing, but hadn’t it already closed? He went back to looking over the ledge until he was sure there was something next to him. He looked that direction, and expecting her, he only found their neighbor. Matt wasn’t too happy, he had expected her, and he was let down. As if he was blind, Matt walked back to the door. “Matt?” the voice asked. “Yeah?” Damn he was caught. “I thought that was you,” that nasally female voice came across. “Yeah it’s me,” he replied, “it’s late I’m gonna go back to bed.” He laughed as he went down the stairs, as if he had been in bed or would be tonight.
---
“Good morning sunshine,” Matt said gleefully, with bags under his eyes. Jane was confused, happy, sleep deprived, whatever. She rubbed her eyes and went over to him and received a surprisingly innocent hug. Maybe she was dreaming last night, no, never mind it didn’t matter. She smelled the bacon and eggs he was cooking, “yum.” A hard knock rapped on the door, “it’s open,” Matt yelled. Quite surprisingly Lily walked through the door with a big box in her hands. Jane looked at Matt and back at Lily. “What’s wrong sweetie?” Jane was even more confused than when she woke up. “Jared’s an asshole,” Lily said as she slumped on the couch. “OK, what’s new?” Jane asked. “Nothing, I just realized it…finally.” Jane walked over to her side and sat with her, giving her a warm friendly hug. Strangely Matt was reluctant to leave his eggs but after Jane gave him ‘the eye’ he came. So they sat with Lily, sobbing in their arms.
---
Things were different between Matt and Jane now that Lily had moved back in. Really different. For example they had never acknowledged the fact that the night on the roof happened simply because of a conversation Jane had with Lily.
“It wasn’t Jared,” Lily said as she folded her clothing. Jane glanced around the laundry room and out the door before responding. “What?” Lily looked shamefully down at the underwear she folded, “I like black silk.” Jane was quite upset not to the point of screaming but to the point of taking action, “Lily stay on topic. Now what did you just say, and what did it mean?” Lily looked at Jane almost innocently, “you mean ‘it wasn’t Jared’?” Jane was about to yell and spout fire from her nose, “yes.” Jane wasn’t one to get angry like this, but Lily had been acting funnily towards Matt lately and Jane had gotten so used to living alone with him that she didn’t want to share him. “Well it’s like this,” Lily began to explain, “I said I didn’t like Matt, and at that time I didn’t think I did. But now I’ve changed my mind, I do. Jane, I do like him, a lot.” Jane lost the smile on her face but quickly regained it, “yea!” Lily hugged her and thanked her for understanding. They swore that Jane wouldn’t tell anyone without Lily’s permission.
Lily had finished her laundry and so without any explanation she walked upstairs, Jane began to cry. “She’s so selfish. She’s so ignorant. I mean I love her but she’s so ignorant she can’t even see that her feelings aren’t real.” Matt came into the laundry room, but he was just late enough that he couldn’t have heard what she said. Before he had even entered the room she had straightened her shirt and wiped the tears from her cheek. She turned around and continued folding to hide her signs of crying. He came up behind her and tickled her, she let out a fake giggle. “Ouch! That was fake if I’ve ever heard one,” he commented as he deposited his laundry in the washer. “Oh I’m sorry I’m just not in the mood. But leave your laundry there, I’ll finish it and then bring it up so you can put it away.” Feeling almost rejected Matt walked out and Jane resumed her silent crying and folding.
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“Jane, come here for a sec.?” Jane walked over towards her desk, where Matt was seated. “What do ya need?” Matt looked around, searching for Lily, finding her not present he began to speak, “I need to go out to lunch with you.” Matt was quiet in his tone, and appeared almost desperate. The only thing that was on his mind was why was he being so secretive. Lily’s voice pierced the silence, “lunch?” Matt muttered ‘damn’ so quietly Jane could barely hear it and there was no way Lily could hear it. “Oh that sounds so fun! Where do we want to go?” Lily began to make plans. Matt cut into her nonsense babblings, “oh wait, oh crap, I totally forgot.” Lily looked sad and had puppy eyes on, “what?” “Oh man, I seriously forgot I have a lunch meeting with the associates at work, crap. Sorry to cancel what you had planned.” Matt had got away with that one and Lily was satisfied although sad, “ok, maybe another time.” Lily walked out the door and Jane could hear the fridge open and close, then the balcony door open as she walked out, set her plate on the table and close the heavy sliding glass door.
Matt grabbed Jane’s arm, it hurt but she didn’t say anything. He pulled her through the kitchen and was careful to hide himself from view. They got out of the apartment and Jane began to speak, “Matt, what’s going on?” He didn’t respond but pulled her into the stairway. “Jane, we need to speak about that night on the roof.” Jane shrugged away. “Jane, this isn’t you!” She listened to him, she had sworn that she wouldn’t tell Lily’s secret, but what else could she do? “Matt, we can’t” Matt looked around, “can’t what?” Jane breathed in and then out, “Matt we can’t do this with Lily here.” Matt looked confused, “what does Lily have to do with this?” Jane rubbed her hand on her forehead, “I really can’t explain.” Matt’s eyes opened wide, “are you two in love?” Jane giggled, “no, no, no.” Matt smiled, “there’s the Jane I know. Now what’s wrong?” Jane looked at her shoes, “swear to me you won’t tell anyone?” Matt nodded, “well Lily think she has feelings for you.” Jane stressed the fact that Lily thinks, because she felt that Lily’s feelings weren’t true. Matt backed up and sat down on the stairs, “really?” Jane nodded, and Matt responded, “I thought she got rid of those feelings, like I thought she hated me.” Jane looked him in the eye, “did you see the way she acted when you said you wanted to go to lunch with me?” Matt laughed a bit, more of a chuckle. He looked left, then right and then up at Jane, who was on the stairs in front of him with her hands on his shoulders. He grabbed her, gently, and kissed her. Not sexual, or passionate, but sweet. She gave him a small kiss, but immediately stood back up, “we can’t.”
---
“Jane!” Lily’s high-pitched voice squealed. “Yeah?” Jane responded with little if no emotion. Lily continued what she was talking about, “oh, I’m so happy I’m back to living with you. Oh, I forgot to tell you! Today Matt came up to me in the kitchen and said ‘excuse me’ as he passed me, not only that but he brushed up against me! Can you believe it?” Jane spoke slowly, “no Lily, I can’t.” The funny thing was that since Jane had divulged Lily’s secret, for safety reasons of course, Matt had actually pulled away from Lily. But it was understandable that Lily would act this way, it only further proved Jane’s thesis that Lily's love was fake, one sided, and wrong. If Lily could be in love with only one part of a relationship, herself, then her love couldn’t survive. Lily danced around the lobby floor, singing horribly as she did. When she reached the elevator she turned to Jane, “do you think he wants me?” Jane opened her eyes wide and began to speak sarcastically, “oh my God! Maybe he wants to marry you! Do ya think?” Lily hopped onto the elevator with a hop and a skip as well as a smile before she even processed what Jane had said. As if she was a bimbo she paused and didn’t even realize Jane had spoke, but then she computed it, “Jane, why do you have to be so mean?” Jane stepped over the gap in between the elevator and the hall floor on their level. She realized Lily was following her, waiting for an answer, and so she satisfied her with a lie, “sorry Lil’ I’m just not feeling to good today.” Lily shrugged at her answer and closed the apartment door. Matt was not home, but Lily would search anyway. Jane breezed pass Lily and into her room, where she closed the door and fell backwards onto the bed with her arms open.
---
“She’s not giving up, Matt. I tried I really did.” Jane had her back facing Matt as she sat in her office chair. Matt walked around the desk and slowly spun the chair around so that she was facing him, “I know you did. It’s not your fault, trust me.” Jane grabbed a piece of scratch paper and began scribbling, “ok so you think it isn’t my fault, but that still doesn’t change what we’re going to do about Lily.” Lily passed by the office and continued on, both in the office held their breath as she passed. Jane continued her phrase in a whisper, “we can’t keep living like this!” Matt looked guilty, “I know I know, but what am I supposed to do? I really don’t have any other choices.”
---
“Lily, want an ice cream cone?” Matt called from in side the freezer. Lily shook her head no and walked away with a smile on her face. Jane was on the sofa. Matt looked at her, reading her favorite magazine, funnily enough Esquire, laughing at the funny article. With every laugh her hair bounced a little and the sun gleamed off of it.
He drew himself out of his gaze and began to speak, at first his voice was hoarse, but it corrected itself soon. “Jane, you want one?” Jane nodded her head yes and then replied, “yeah that’d be nice.” Matt pawed through the freezer, “what flavor do you want?” Jane put the magazine down and thought for a second, “I donno, what is there?” Matt was still looking through the freezer, “Um, chocolate, raspberry, strawberry…there’s too many come here and pick.” Jane stood up and as she walked over to the freezer she left her copy of the magazine open on the breakfast bar. Matt moved aside and pointed to the shelf where the ice cream was located.
As Matt pulled back Jane leaned over and Matt had to force himself to look away. After digging for a bit Jane began to speak, “ooh caramel.” She stood up, closed the freezer, and began to take the wrapper off of her ice cream. She put the wrapper in the trash and they both leaned on the kitchen counter as they ate. Jane was intently licking the caramel out of the center of her ice cream cone when Matt moved right next to her. Without a second thought to it she continued licking at the center. Matt took one last lick of his ice cream then set it aside as he moved himself in front of her, grabbed Jane’s waist, and kissed her. Jane set her ice cream down as soon as she realized what he was doing, and even though Lily was in the apartment Jane wasn’t hindered in any way by the thought. They continued, and locked in a passionate kiss they didn’t even notice Lily walk in.
A high pitched scream, on Lily’s part, made all three people in the kitchen aware of what was happening. Lily ran to her room and Jane ran after her and got to the door just as she was about to close it Jane stuck her foot in its path. “Lily!” Jane pleaded. Lily stuck her head out, “what?” Jane looked down at her foot, it was barefoot and the pressure of the door hurt. “We need to talk,” Lily let go of her grasp and Jane wanted to clasp her foot but prevented herself from doing it and instead walked into the room where Lily was sitting cross legged in her wicker chair. Jane continued, “Lily, please look at it from my perspective. How could I help love? You yourself always say ‘one can never stop love.’ Don’t you always say that?” Lily was silent, “Come on hun, I couldn’t help it, I tried my best not to, I swear.” Lily interrupted, “bullshit! You knew I liked him, and you of all people, you…you could’ve stopped your self. Plus when I walked in it didn’t look like you were trying at all to stop!” Lily was enraged, as much as Jane was insulted. Jane began to yell back, “Lily! I have been keeping my feelings under wraps for 3 months! I didn’t try my ass! I’ve been putting my all into this, I’m occupied by it 24/7. I mean hello! Listen to me Lil’ I figured that if even after 3 months I still liked him, and my love survived then it was love, not just random, spastic feelings like yours!” Lily was taken back, “what?” Jane breathed in deep and then out, “Lily, your feelings aren’t true. You can’t have love made up of only one person. It just doesn’t work. In fact my love would still be undercover if it hadn’t been for Matt, he’s the second part of my love for him. I was strong enough to keep myself silent but it’s not my responsibility to keep his feelings locked away, plus that’s not fair to him.” Lily was calming down and the tears that had been stopped by rage returned. Lily picked herself up off of the chair and Jane moved out of her way as she went to the apartment door, Matt still in the kitchen cleaning up the melted ice cream. As Lily went out the door she left them with one last remark, “no Jane, it’s not fair to me!”
---
“Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…” Jane sang as she walked up the stairs to the roof. She wouldn’t have known that Lily was up there except that Jane’s neighbor had seen her run up there three hours prior. Lily responded to Jane’s singing, “I always hated that song.” Jane walked up to Lily, who was leaning on the brick edge and looking down a the street. Jane was silent as he looked at a bird soaring above but Lily began to speak as if she wasn’t really mad, just that she had been laughing. In fact she spoke as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders and she would be free for all eternity. “Jane, you were right, I thought about what you said. My feelings were never real were they?” Lily asked rhetorically. Jane remained silent. Lily looked up to spy what Jane was looking at, but the bird was gone and now Jane was just staring at the sky. Lily continued, “not only that but I shouldn’t have freaked out, you have just as much claim on him as I do. Not only that but he actually likes you, so Jane one, Lily zero.” Jane giggled, “I have a point? I don’t want a point, the game is tied, nothing to nothing, and may it remain that way…” Jane paused and smiled, “forever.” Both girls smiled and hugged and Jane was daring enough to ask, “so are we ok now?” Lily glanced down shoved her cold hands into her sweatshirt pocket and replied, “yeah.” Jane was happy, “good,” she said with relief. Matt was walking by the door deciding whether to enter the roof or not, but when he heard them laughing he began to make his way up. Just before Matt made it to the top Lily stopped laughing, but kept on smiling and said, “but it doesn’t matter anyway.” Jane put on a puzzled face and queried, “doesn’t matter? Why?” Just as she finished her sentence and Matt opened the door to the roof Lily leaped from the ground to the ledge. Spreading her arms, as if she had wings, she let herself topple forward. She kept the same content smile on as she dove. Jane grabbed, but was too late. Matt rushed to Jane’s side and caught her from hitting the ground, “LILY!” she screamed. Both Jane and Matt ran down to their level. Matt pushed the elevator button, but it seemed to be taking ages. Frantic, Jane ran to the stairs opening. She ran down them as fast as she could, missing a few, and the entire time Matt was right behind her. They reached the lobby and ran towards the street where a ring of people were gathered. Jane pushed her way through the crowd, with no care for those around her at the moment. Lily lay there a bloody mess as Jane fell to her knees, with Matt beside her. Jane looked at her face, strangely not smashed. Lily wore the same smile, a smile of pure joy, that she had on when she jumped. Jane cried into her hands and then looked up and screamed, “WHY?” Matt got down right next to her and she fell into his warm inviting arms and he stroked her back and the side of her face as she cried. Matt wiped the tears from her eyes and compassionately said, “Jane, it’s ok. It’ll all be ok, don’t worry, I’m here.”