The Door Is Always Open

Who: Jeremy and Cheryl
When: Evening
Where: Jeremy's house

It didn't take long for Cheryl to make the decision to go over to Jeremy's house. As the sun was setting, she was getting a bit anxious at being left alone again and while a part of her wanted to run to Drew, she knew the guy was dealing with enough that he didn't need her clinging to him all night. And after seeing the response to Jeremy's confession on the journaling system, she took a guess that he might need someone too.

She, probably rather stupidly, checked herself out in the mirror before she slipped on her shoes and left. It took her all of twenty seconds to get to his front door where she knocked and tugged briefly at the hem of her sweater. She really hoped he would answer, or at least look through the peephole to know it was her and not a lynching mob. "Jeremy?" she called, leaning in close to the door. "It's Cheryl..."

It took a minute before Jeremy opened the door, peeking out at her before letting her in. He had looked bad the day before but this day he looked worse; haunted and miserable.

"Hey," he said just barely above a whisper, closing the door behind her before giving her a small hug hello. "I guess you saw... Good idea not to, I guess. For you." He stepped away from the door again and closer to where the bedrooms were, avoiding the windows. All the lights were off and the curtains drawn, making the apartment look terribly gloomy.

"They're assholes and you shouldn't worry about them. I'll tell everyone too, if you want." She looked around the living room but didn't take a step further inside. Cheryl took a deep breath and released it, her eyes apologetic as they found his. "Could you maybe open a window? Just a little bit? I'm kind of... feeling closed in with how dark it is. Or maybe turn on a light at least?"

"Maybe you should wait, see if they kill me horribly before you tell," Jeremy said with attempted humor but he was too damn rattled to really pull that off so it came out morbid and paranoid. He smiled apologetically and headed to one of the windows, carefully peeking outside before cracking it open a little.

"Are you okay?" He asked then, folding his arms across his chest as if he didn't quite know what to do with his hands. "Must think I'm pretty stupid too."

Even if he meant it as a joke, Cheryl still winced. Who knew what these people were capable of. She really didn't want to find out, and she certainly didn't want Jeremy to find out either. Once the window was open, she wandered a bit farther into the house, her hands pulled up a bit in her sleeves where her fingers played with the edges. "I don't think you're stupid, Jeremy. I think you're brave," she admitted with a small smile. "I think you did the right thing. Some people might not agree with you, but you took responsibility and you were honest. Screw them if they have a problem with it. You've got me living next door, and Drew more or less behind you. We won't let anything happen to you, you know that." She wished she could have followed through on that promise before her crazy, screaming mental breakdown.

Jeremy smiled at that though he didn't know if she really meant it or if she just wanted him to feel better. Either way it was a nice gesture and he appreciated it. "I hoped that it'd mean something, what we did," he sighed quietly and watched her stroll away, then followed her hesitantly. "Not like we did all those, well we did, but not all... Do you remember what happened? The night you-, when they took you away."

She went to sit on his couch, her hands clasped between her knees. She was having trouble relaxing, which frustrated her since she was with Jeremy, who was one of the few people she trusted. Cheryl peered up at him and then ticked her gaze away with a pained expression. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it. She really just wanted to forget about it completely, though that was impossible. "No. I don't remember a lot, to be honest with you. I remember... them taking me away and then nothing until I woke up. I don't know how long I had been in that room before I was fully aware of it." Her small smile was slightly bitter. "I thought I'd been rescued, you know? Like it was over for me and I was going to go home."

Jeremy nodded, taking a seat opposite her and resting his arms on his knees, looking a little defeated and tired in the dark. "Were you alone all this time?" He asked and he had to wonder. At least he had journals and erratic video feeds despite his solitude. Had she had any human contact? Maybe doctors or nurses, if she'd even been in a place like that.

Cheryl nodded a bit, staring off into space for a few moments. "Though I guess it depends on what you consider being alone. I didn't see anyone but for a few couple doctors and nurses. They kind of kept me in the room and I didn't have much of anything in there. Sometimes I went days without seeing anyone at all." Cheryl breathed in to stop herself. She didn't want to talk about it right now, and Jeremy looked bad enough that she didn't want to dump all of her issues on top of his. Reaching over, she took his hand in hers. "Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone, and I would go to Drew, but I know he's... I don't know. Would you mind?"

"It may not be safe," Jeremy said quietly. "I've pissed off pretty much every psychopath in town and we both know there's-, They're all here." He turned his hand up to hold hers back, giving her a weak smile. "I'm sure it'll be okay," not really. "But I don't want to put you at risk."

Of course he wanted her to stay, Drew too for that matter, anyone sane and friendly that he could trust and didn't feel terrified of should by all rights be in his house now. But he had a hard enough time living with himself as it was without being the cause for Cheryl getting hurt.

There was disappointment, and a tiny trickle of panic that she would have to be alone again, but she didn't want to press the issue if he was already worried. It was just a bit of anxiety, that was all. She could push through it. And Drew was right behind her, if it got too bad. But she needed to realize her two friends had their own issues. It wasn't fair of her to be so clingy. They couldn't handle her on top of themselves. Cheryl swallowed and nodded, squeezing his hand lightly. "Okay. Do you want me to stay for awhile at least?"

Jeremy smiled at that and nodded. "Very much," he replied, thinking how great it would be if there was just one more bedroom and the three of them could just live together when the air had cleared. If the air would clear. "What's wrong with Drew?" He asked then, since she hadn't finished that thought on why she couldn't go see him. "I mean, is he-, I'm sure he likes the company, he always was... " He paused and shrugged helplessly. "We all were-, but guess things have changed."

"I don't know. Maybe nothing? I just don't want him to think he's got to take care of me," Cheryl admitted. "If I keep showing up at his door, which I'm afraid I might do, that might be more than he's willing to take on, you know? And it's not like I want to be that desperate or that weak, and I'm trying really hard not to be, it's just, I don't know anyone else here other than you and him. I mean I know people, I just don't know them." Cheryl took a breath and exhaled slowly before she smiled faintly. "Things haven't changed that much. I still care about you both, and you're still my friends. I feel better knowing we're in this together instead of being separated again."

"You're welcome here anytime," Jeremy said and really, he preferred knowing someone else was around since he didn't exactly sleep very well in this new building. "Just not now, I don't want to put you on the line, I don't know who-, I don't know where I stand." He gave he a pleading look, hoping she'd understand. "I can't speak for Drew, don't think he's... I think we're all in the same boat."

She wondered if that meant she shouldn't ask to stay with Drew either. Same boat or not, wouldn't they maybe be safer if they were at least together? Cheryl didn't like to think she was so weak that she needed to be in someone else's company twenty four seven, but maybe she was. She didn't want to be separated from them for fear that they would disappear, or she would be taken somewhere again. But she wasn't going to beg so Cheryl gave another small nod. "It's all right, I understand. I'll be fine." Cheryl lifted the hand she was holding to press against her cheek softly. Every time she had touched Jeremy in the past, before all of this, it had always done silly things to her pulse. She wondered if that had changed along with everything else. His skin was warm at least. "My door's always open for you. If you ever need company, or you don't want to be alone. But I'm pretty sure you know that."

"Thanks," he whispered and it was good to hear it, to have that confirmation on the table that he wouldn't be intruding. As much as he didn't want to be alone however, he didn't feel that much more secure among others. He'd seen how the experiment went down, had been part of drugging people. A little sleeping gas, drugs in the food, poisonous darts... There were too many ways he could think of for a group of unwitting people to get subdued and the thought of waking up alone again... He couldn't even go there.

"You're welcome." Cheryl held onto his hand, knowing that she could at least be there for him. It might be easier to do what she could for Jeremy and Drew, rather than wallow and let her own fears take hold. She would feel useful and not so helpless that way. Like now, Cheryl knew she would stay with him until he was ready for her to leave, and maybe that would be something.