Faith didn't hesitate in pulling her friend into the house before closing and locking the door back. Sherm obviously knew something other than what she had already told him, and at any rate, he was due some honesty for a change about what all had been going on with her.
"Okay, second of all--what is that?" Sherm now pointed at Faith's makeshift weapon that she still happened to be holding, which she quickly and sheepishly tossed onto the couch. I must really look like a psycho. Even if I'm not psychotic yet, I'd probably still be a great practice case for Violet.
It had gotten much too dark inside the house for her liking, so Faith began to turn on some lights around the kitchen and living room while trying to think of how exactly to answer him. But there was really no longer any point in holding back the truth now, was there? "Remember when we agreed on how paranoid I was? Well, that really isn't a joke. It just feels better for me to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it, even just to answer the door. If I don't, it's like I may as well be painting a target on my forehead."
"Faith, I've gotta say...none of this is normal. I mean, I know I'm the one that said normal's a myth before, but still."
"Look, I'll make good on my word from earlier and tell you everything you want to know, but first--what do you know already?"
"Well for starters, Ms. Salter called and told me about your argument and that you never responded to any of her or Mr. Salter's texts or calls, and asked if I'd come by and check on you since you might listen to me instead. And already, I can't say I know what to think here. What Ms. Salter said alone had me concerned, but then I get here and see your CRV outside with a giant sticker promoting Happy Scoops on it, and then to top it off, when you finally answer the door, the first thing I see is a strand of chain in your hand...?"
"Yeah...I figured they would do that, which was why I turned my phone off. I'll check the messages later. But anyway, believe it or not, there's an explanation for all of this. And while I don't want to tell my parents, at least not yet, I can tell you. Let me warn you though--I think you'll want to sit down for this."
"Okay..." Sherm slowly sat down in the chair across from her.
"I'll start with the basics, I guess. Rowan racked up some medical bills, between being unable to stay out of trouble and having a bunch of already-existing health problems, and some of it wasn't covered by insurance. We'd already been late with the rent a couple of times on top of that, and the ideal solution would have been to get back into my parents' good graces, apply for a bank loan, and convince them to co-sign it to improve my chances of getting approved. Or even better, my parents themselves could've helped us out until I could pay them back. But Rowan refused to cooperate with the idea of resuming communication with my family, and my parents never would have been on board either--the deal always was, if something ever went wrong, I could come home but I would have to leave Rowan behind. And leaving Rowan was always a deal breaker. If I'd tried to get him to stay with his brother again, he probably would've run away or just generally done something to harm himself. It's like I could never leave him alone for too long."
"But Faith, it's okay. I can help you out with the bills and rent, and I know Sheena would too if you told this to her. Bad things happen sometimes, and friends are supposed to be there for one another when they do!" Sherm exclaimed. "Don't you understand that anymore?"
"Sherm, what have I even done for you--or Sheena for that matter--as a friend in recent years? Nothing, because it was always about Rowan. Besides, I know you're not exactly rich yourself. You were having to cut back just to get your car fixed, and Sheena had been--and likely still is--squandering most of her money on trying to make her greeting card business into a full-time venture. As for me, well, I had three bad options: one, go back to my parents and basically leave Rowan at the mercy of his excuse for a brother; two, don't come up with any more rent money in time and we both end up living in my car; or three, get some fast money from Aaron without any questions asked and somehow come up with how to pay it back later. I just wasn't ready, Sherm... I wasn't ready to leave Rowan to be tortured or killed while I went back to the comfort of my parents' home, but I also wasn't ready to be homeless. I just needed another month, in the hopes that something would miraculously change, or that maybe I could somehow change something."
Sherm was already beginning to appear nauseous as he put together what she was saying. "You didn't."
"I'm sorry, Sherm, but I did. If I could honestly tell you a different story from this one, I would. But I mean...at least if something went wrong with the third scenario, we would still have a house with doors that locked and a way to defend ourselves for a while longer. It's not like we were any stranger to the idea of somebody trying to break the door down and then break us anyway. And if things got bad enough...I even considered that we might need to just skip town and leave everything behind." Faith shook her head as she heard herself speak. It truly felt as though she was talking about some other person now, and not herself.
When Sherm didn't say anything, only giving her a look of shock mixed with disappointment, Faith continued, "Look, I know it doesn't make sense, but it took Rowan leaving for me to really understand how different a reality we were both living in. I started to become convinced that most people aside from ourselves couldn't be trusted and could turn on us, even my own family. It was no longer a matter of planning for the future--it was a matter of just getting through one more day without the company finding us."
"Yeah, well..." Sherm ran his hand over his face, resting it over his mouth before eventually finishing, "It didn't exactly work out like you thought, did it?"
"Not at all," Faith said. "And the real reason I couldn't stop Rowan from leaving that night? He knocked me out. Not with his fists--he's too feeble for that--but he laced some tea he made me, and was gone by the time I came to. And you know that gun I got for my eighteenth birthday?"
"Wait, so he--? Sorry, I'm just..." Sherm shook his head. "Yeah, I know about the gun already. You think Rowan took it. That's what your mom said the argument was about, and it sounds like that really could be the case. So...let's just pause for a minute, okay? You were right--I wasn't ready for all of this. Just let me try to process what you've already said, then you can keep telling me."
"Okay." Faith remained stoic on the outside, but on the inside she wondered if Sherm was going to abandon her too, due to everything she'd just revealed. Will he still want to play superhero and help me now, knowing the utter mess his childhood friend has turned into?
After what felt like hours but was probably just a minute or two, Sherm finally let out a low whistle. "Man...it's worse than I thought, huh?"
"Yeah. Now maybe you understand why I can't tell this craziness to Mom or Dad. I just couldn't do that to them, and I'm sorry I just dumped all of that on you. I had to tell someone eventually. I tried to tell Chance, but...well, you can imagine how that went. I thought I could handle this on my own, but it's like you said--that's not how things ended up working out."
"What are you talking about?" Sherm asked, looking over at her. "Why would you be sorry about telling me this when I asked you to? And I mean...if anything, I guess you should be sorry for not telling me any of this sooner. I would have helped you think up something before it had to get this bad, though I guess Rowan was really doing what he could to try to isolate you from both your family and even your friends in some ways. I had my own personal doubts about the company, but I didn't want to completely rule it out either, since sick stuff like that really is out there and Rowan acted pretty convincing at times."
"Yeah. Even Aaron said the same thing."
"Huh?"
"Well, here's where it gets crazier. Rowan happened to leave on a payment night, so of course Aaron was the first person I came face to face with because I never showed up at my usual time. He could've broken my fingers or worse if he'd wanted to...but instead for some reason he heard me out on what happened, and then showed me how little sense Rowan's lies really made. And there was almost a brief lapse in his usual...disposition as he told me what he knew. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it, but all I'm saying is that while he's not a good person in any sense of the word, there were a lot of times where he could've been a lot worse and chose not to."
Sherm shook his head. "If he had an ounce of good left in him, he would've turned a well-intentioned girl like you away that first night you went into his office, and told you the truth right there. He knew things that neither of us did from the start, but waited to clue you in until it was convenient for him and you were at your lowest point."
"He's been an opportunist the entire time I've known him, so it's not like I'd expect any different," Faith reasoned. "He's even going after Chance now, and while I know should feel sorry for him...I just can't. Ever since I met those two, it's like Chance was always nitpicking and trying to boss me and Rowan around, while Aaron usually didn't seem to care that much what we did. And in a twisted sort of way, I almost appreciated it, because even if he had tried to tell me the truth like everyone else, it's not like I would've believed it at the time." Faith purposely left out the part about Agna--she still didn't think she could bring herself to let Sherm know about that side of her. What she had already told him was enough. "But, never mind all of that. Now that I've told you what you need to know, I think I owe Sheena some honesty too. I need to let her know who and what Aaron really is. I don't want her to suffer the way I did with Rowan."
"What would the likes of him even want with a sweet girl like Sheena though?" Sherm wondered aloud with a small shudder.
"Well, they're technically both business enthusiasts, and giving off the appearance of dating a harmless-looking girl like Sheena probably makes him look better in the public eye," Faith theorized.
"But that brings me to something else--you still never told me about the sticker. How did you get it, and why?"
"Aaron actually just gave it to me one night without much context, as much as I tried to get some out of him. He just said I would be safer going to and from Happy Scoops if I had one. I tried to give it back to him today, since I know it's only a matter of time before he starts acting like I owe him for that too, but he wouldn't take it. He keeps coming up with reasons for me to keep going to that part of town, instead of just sending someone here to collect payments."
"How generous of him," Sherm muttered sarcastically. "Faith, we've gotta get both these crazies behind bars. Though in Rowan's case, I just want to talk to him one last time before they lock him away--just to find out why, you know?"
"That makes one of us, because I'm afraid I might end up in prison myself if you were to put me in a room with him. I just want him locked up, because it's like Mom said--the longer Rowan is free, the more people he could hurt. But as for Aaron, as much as I want out of our 'deal', it needs to be after I'm done paying him back if possible. I'm probably not the first customer who's tried to get him arrested, and he might already be half expecting me to try it. I need him to think I had nothing to do with it, if or when it does happen."
"But the S.A.S. could help with that," Sherm said almost immediately. "Aaron may have friends, but now so do we. Remember?"
"Yes, but even they have to be careful. In that exchange I overheard between Aaron and Nayla, they apparently have this reluctant compromise with each other where as long as Aaron gets to keep his reputation to the general public as a friendly ice cream shop owner, Nayla and the other Salvagers don't get their civilian identities revealed either." Faith paused. "Getting Aaron arrested is pretty ambitious, but it could be easier once we can get Sheena to a safe place out of town, like her dad's or her sister's house. Because I know her--at the very least she'll want to personally whack him a couple of times with her purse once we get her to believe us, and I'll need to be there to stop her and try to calm her down if I can. It isn't much, but it will be a start."
"Do you want me to go with you when you do that? I mean, you'll already need someone like Nayla to back us up on this information anyway."
"No--it's too dangerous right now, that many of us meeting up at the same time like that. But I agree that we'll need Nayla. Sheena's seen her once before and had questions to begin with, so at least she'll get some closure that it isn't what she thought."
"And we still need to try to get your gun back," Sherm added. "By the way...why didn't you make a report about your gun the night you saw it missing?"
"I thought you knew this already," Faith said, frustrated. "Because the good cops might accuse me of being an accomplice of Rowan's, and the corrupt ones might think I'm just there to make waves. And I don't exactly want Aaron to know that I'm a gun owner either, for multiple reasons."
"Faith, you can't let Rowan brainwash you anymore," Sherm persisted. "There might be corrupt cops out there, but I personally know the good ones, and they'll work with you. I don't know all of the lies Rowan told you, but...the world can be a helpful place too. Not everyone hates you and not everyone wants to betray you. Now come on--hopefully all you'll have to do is make some phone calls and fill out some paperwork."
"Yeah...hopefully. At least I have the gun's serial number written down...somewhere, so looking for that will be the first step. But while I do that, you can get in contact with Nayla and see when she'll be available to help me with Sheena."
Sherm now offered a brief but optimistic smile. "Sounds like a plan."
Faith did feel a bit safer having someone else that she trusted in the house with her once again. Initially Sherm had wanted her to spill everything to the police about Rowan lacing her tea as well, but had ultimately agreed (albeit with reluctance) that there wouldn't be much point without any way to prove it, as she'd let her fear at the time far outweigh any desire for justice.
Faith was finished making the necessary phone calls for her missing gun (after finally finding the serial number written on a piece of paper with some other odds and ends in a desk drawer), and decided she would take a break to focus on Sheena and do her report form later that night or the following day. Coming back down the hall to the living room now, Faith asked upon seeing that Sherm was off the phone, "How did it go? Did you get in touch with Nayla?"
Sherm looked up and nodded, barely able to contain his excitement. As much as Faith's revelations had upset him before, he now seemed eager to play a part in helping her make things right. "Oh, but her alias is Sky. And here's the really important part--you can't call her that or her real name until she's safely inside the apartment with you and Sheena. As far as anybody around the complex is concerned, she's a friend of yours and Sheena's. They want us to call them back once you're ready for them. And they basically said the same thing you did about Aaron--that they'd help get Sheena out of here, but that getting him arrested would be a whole different level of difficult. They never said it would be impossible, but..."
"Well," Faith interjected, "let's just focus on one catastrophe at a time, shall we?" She didn't smile, but her tone carried a hint of dry wit as she began to dial Sheena's number on her phone.
Listening to the ringtone, Faith found that the patterns on the carpet below her were once again an oddly calming sight as she finally heard the tone abruptly stop. "Hi Faith! How are you? Good, I hope?"
"Not great, but I guess not terrible either," Faith replied. "Listen...are you by yourself right now?"
"Nah, not tonight! Would you believe it? I finally convinced Aaron to take a break from work and watch a movie with me here at my place!"
"Oh wow... You did, huh?"
Faith and Sherm shared a brief glance as Sheena replied, "Yeah, we're all good again now. Except now he's falling asleep at the best part--the main character is just about to get proposed to!"
"Ugh, I'm awake," came a familiar irritable response in the background.
"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt such an...exciting movie, but I actually wanted to come over some time soon and just hang out, since we haven't really done that in a while."
"It's alright, I paused the movie just now. That'd be great, Faith! Maybe some time this week?"
"Well the thing is, I was wondering if you would be available some time later tonight."
"Oh... I mean, I guess so. Is it important?"
"Kind of." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "It's just that it's been really lonely since Rowan left, and I've been thinking about getting back into the dating world. I was hoping you could give me some tips on what guys like since I still don't know much about that kind of thing, and it just isn't the same over the phone or through text, you know?"
"Ohhh, I know exactly what you mean! I've got some outfits you could borrow and everything! I'll send Aaron home right after our movie finishes, then we can talk as long as we need to. I'm so glad you came to me about this!"
"Thanks, Sheena. I had a feeling you would understand. So, just text me when you can give me some much-needed girl advice, okay?" Faith cringed from embarrassment at the act she'd had to put on, but reminded herself that it didn't matter--just as long as it threw Aaron off the trail, as well as Sheena for the time being.
"Sure thing!" Sheena said cheerily. "Well, bye for now! See you later tonight. Oh, and Aaron says hi too."
Faith gulped. "Alright, well, I'll let you guys get back to your movie. See you tonight."
Faith stared expressionless at the phone as she ended the call, while Sherm piped up, "Who would've thought? He had to be at her apartment tonight of all nights."
"I know," Faith agreed. "Those two have nothing in common, and that's why I want Sheena somewhere safe--because there has to be some kind of ulterior motives involved here. There's no turning back now."
"Yeah," Sherm agreed sullenly before brightening up once again. "But hey, that was pretty clever--coming up with that 'dating advice' story at the last second." She noticed that he seemed to be doing everything he could not to let a laugh escape his mouth.
Faith cringed once again. "So clever in fact, that we're never going to speak of it again. If I ever do find myself feeling lonely, I'll just get myself a cat. But in the meantime, let's hope this plan works and that Sheena gets back to us soon."
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