This wasn't supposed to happen. No, she wasn't supposed to die. She'd never been on his list. And he hadn't killed her.

There was a note. Clutched in her slackened grip like some twisted sort of lifeline that had run out, sullied by blood from the deep gashes in her arms.

It was all his fault that she was dead. Even with the police all over him, he still managed to hurt people.

Soon the cops would figure out what kind of conniving person he was. He wasn't good. He was a killer. And they were all eating out of the palm of his hands.

They'd figure out soon enough what kind of monster he really was.

                                                            ~GP~

Jay was looking out his back window watching the boy. Despite his goal to be nicer to Patric, out perhaps in spite of, the kid had insisted on practically moving into the back yard. Every night he'd curl up under the big tree on nothing but the moist ground as Jason laid in his warm bed, unable to sleep. He worried about the boy freezing out there, as much as it pained him to admit it.

Right now, in the early hours of morning he watched Patric talking with a girl. She was a pretty little thing of obvious Asian heritage. Long brown hair framed her face falling gracefully past her shoulders.

She handed him a bag which Patric took gratefully. He carefully set the bag down at his feet and pulled the girl into a hug. As Patric rest his head on her shoulder she rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

Jason could see she was saying something to him but it was anyone's guess as to what. Probably whispering sweet little nothings in his ear.

An unpleasant pang shot through Jason's chest as he watched the two continue their each. She pulled away a little bit holding onto Patric's hand. Jason growled. He realized, with much difficulty, that he might be jealous.

He wanted to be in her place.

But he'd never admit that out loud. Had trouble admitting it in his head. Jay crushed that line of thinking and directed his attention to the happy couple. Only to see, they weren't so happy.

Patric... he looked like he was crying, hands balled up near his face. And the girl, she was looking at him like she absolutely didn't know how to handle this mod change. She said something else then left.

Patric practically crumpled to the ground growling in anguish as he pounded the dirt with clenched fists.

He seemed a tad upset. Jay briefly considered going out to comfort the hurting boy. That's his girlfriend's job a seething voice echoed within. Jason hastily walked away from the window trying his best to wipe the scene from his mind.

                                                               ~GP~

Patric couldn't believe it. Miranda was dead. She killed herself. And it was all his fault.

He was glad Mia had visited him. Glad that she had brought him some of his own things. Glad that she told him about Miranda. Apparently she had thought Patric wasn't coming back after Russell told her whatever. Heartbroken over the abandonment of a friend, she had taken a knife, a butter knife, and slit practically her whole arm.

She left a note that centered mostly on her not being able to live without her friend Patric. He was the only person Miranda thought would ever understand her and treat her like a friend. She was so blinded by her friendship with Patric that she never even noticed how much Russell adored her.

"Oh God," Russell how would Patric ever face his friend? To make matters even worse, Russell had been the one to find her... and the note.

This was not how Patric planned to start his day.

He wiped the tears off his face and takes a hand through his hair. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. Maybe he'd sleep straight through until tomorrow and this shitty day could be put behind him.

Yeah, that's what he'd do.

He grabbed the bag Mia had left him and walked over to the large tree in Jay's yard. Opening the bag he got out a blanket and curled up at the base of the tree to sleep.

Tomorrow would be better. 

                                                             ~GP~

Jason watched the news with way more interest than it deserved, especially since it was the weather forecast. The meteorologist was saying something about freezing rain and unusually low temperatures for mid-October. For some reason Jay's mind was stuck on that forecast. More specifically still, on who that first would effect. His traitorous conscience was acting up.

His gaze shifted towards the window overlooking the back yard. Patric was out there in these conditions.

Sighing, Jay made his way to the back door. He opened it and swore when a blustery gust of wind yanked it right out of his grip.

Striding across his lawn to the tree, Jay gazed form at the kid. The thin blanket wrapped around his shoulders did nothing to abate the bite from the cold and wind. Jason could see Patric's body raked with shivers and there was a noticeable blue tinge to his lips.

That wasn't good.

It was time to change Patric's living arrangement, whether he liked it or not. No more would he live in Jason's back yard. Just because Jason didn't like the kid, didn't mean he wanted him to freeze to death.

He gently bent down and picked the boy up worried when Patric didn't show any signs of waking up. And the kid was skinny almost dangerously so.

Swearing under his breath Jason vowed to make the kid eat more. But now it was time to warm Patric up.