Chapter 13 - Superman.
Dougie

I stepped out of the shower, water dripping down my face, and I looked in the mirror. I was looking much better than before. My eyes weren't nearly as red and my headache was almost gone. Nothing a few aspirin couldn't fix. I shook my wet hair and it stood up in all directions. I looked much better. I felt it too.
I heard Danny talking outside. He sounded nervous. I wrapped a green bath towel around my waist and walked towards the door and pressed my ear against it. I couldn't hear much of what he was saying. All I could make out was "cops, Dougie, and search." But I knew that couldn't be good. I dried off and pulled on a clean pair of jeans then stepped outside. Danny looked at me, then hung up the phone, "Hey Doug, feeling better?"
"Cut the crap, what's going on?" I asked him, crossing my arms against my bare chest. He and Shay shared a nervous glance before Danny looked back at me, "N-nothing."
"Danny!" I shouted, "Who was on the phone! Come on, man!"
He sighed and sat down on the couch, "Tom called. A few cops showed at Harry's house with a picture of you. They searched the house thinking that Haz was hiding you. They didn't find anything but they know it was you."
It took me a minute for that to sink in. The cops knew it was me. They had a lead on who it was and where I could be. The knew. Everything.
"Fucking hell man! What do we do!?" I shouted, starting to pace the room, "There gonna catch me and I'm gonna die!"
"You won't die, Doug," Danny said calmly, as if that would fix anything.
"Danny, they kill people like me! They kill murderers! They throw you in jail then they shove you in the electric chair and give you a taste of your own medicine! Danny, they're gonna catch me and kill me, just like some sort of stray dog!"
"Dougie, Dougie, calm down, okay?" Danny put an arm on my shoulder. "They don't know you're in Bolton. They're check all our friends' houses. Asking them. Tom and Harry are the only ones who know we're in Bolton. You're going to be fine."
I heard police sirens and ran to the window, shutting the blinds and hiding behind the couch. I was becoming paranoid.
"Dougie calm down!" Danny repeated, "They aren't looking for you, okay? Now listen carefully. I'm going out to buy some food. God only knows when Elliot will get around to that. You and Shay just stay here, okay?"
"Sure," I nodded taking a deep breath. Danny headed for the door, "You're gonna be fine."
I got up from my hiding place behind the couch and started pacing again, rubbing my arms.
"Maybe you'd be a little warmer if you put some clothes on, hot shot." Shay said flatly. I looked over at her. Her arms were crossed and she was glaring at me like my mother did every time I was in trouble. I was pretty sure she was angry.
I looked down. I had actually forgotten I wasn't wearing a shirt. "Oh." was all I could manage. "So...I take it you're mad at me?"
"Good guess," she said.
"Shay, I'm sorry, okay?" I told her, "I really am."
"Yeah. Sure," she rolled her eyes, "Fifteen years old and there you are getting wasted out of your mind, then pushing me away when I try to help you. That's all I've been giving you lately is help and you don't even care!"
"Shay, I was drunk, I didn't know what I was saying!" I told her.
"Exactly." she shrugged, "I'm in the same situation as you but I'm not getting drunk every night."
"You're NOT in the same situation as me!" I shouted at her.
"I'm running away from my home too!" she yelled back, "How is that different!"
"YOU DIDN'T KILL ANYONE!" I shouted at her. She cringed at that and it seemed like she was a whole three feet smaller at this point. But I was angry. "You aren't a murderer, Shayna!"
"Dougie, I-"
"You don't have to fall asleep with the fact running through your mind that you killed someone, do you?" I asked angrily. She didn't answer. "Do you?"
"No." she mumbled.
"That's exactly right. You don't even have to be here, Shay. You ought to just go back home to your friends. Go to school and live your life normally. I mean, you didn't do anything wrong! You didn't kill anyone!"
"Dougie, I was there. I saw what happened. I was with you during the fight so I should be here too." she said.
"But you're not a murderer!"I shouted.
"Neither are you," she whispered, "You didn't just kill Charlie because you were pissed at him or something. You did it for me. Because I was in trouble. You did it to save me from being killed. If you ask me, you're not a murderer. You're like a superhero."
"Superhero?" I asked with a slight grin. I found it kind of humorous. She smiled and nodded, "Well, minus the cape and the funny spandex outfits."
"Maybe I should get a funny spandex outfit," I smiled. She rolled her eyes and groaned, "Ugh. No thanks. Those things are so gross. They're all tight..." she cringed, "Ew."
I laughed, "I'd look good and you know it."
"Oh, you wish," she giggled. I ran towards her and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her off the ground. She giggled, "Put me down, Superman!"
I wasn't a killer. I was Superman. And even Kryptonite couldn't stop me now.