"NO!" Effy screamed suddenly.
She couldn't stand it. Saying goodbye to Freddy forever was something that her heart couldn't take. She just couldn't do it. Without a word to Cook, or Freddy, she took off running... And didn't stop. She ran as fast as she could to get far away from it all. Away from Cook. Away from the grave stone. Away from her pain.
Cook stared after her, unable to see his best friend doing the exact same thing. He wished that he could see Freddy too, the only person he knew that understood Effy, and could help him understand her. But that was never going to happen, and he knew it. As much as he needed some serious help, he would have to figure her out on his own. He glanced down at the ground, bumpy and uneven from the soil being unearthed and then returned again, and noticed that during her rush to get away, Effy had dropped her phone.
He bent down and picked it up, flipping it open to find the screen too messy to see. Pulling his sleeve over his hand, he wiped over the small screen so that he was able to see it. He knew this was wrong, and if she found out then she'd have every right to hate him, but he was unable to stop himself. This might be the only chance that he had at truly figuring her out. Hesitantly, he pressed down on the middle button, opening up the screen that showed all the apps. He looked through them until his eyes settled upon the message button. With a hefty sigh, he opened it up and instantly regretted doing so.
Every message on there was sent to Freddy's phone. There was a message dated with every date since he'd been murdered. Over ninety days worth of texts that had sent to his phone. Texts that he would never have the chance to read. Cook felt vile for what he was about to do and silently apologized to his best friend, before opening up the first message that had been sent; the day of the murder.
'Hi Freddy, it's me again. I think we should talk. Please stop by the clinic after college to see me.'
Cook swallowed hard as a lump formed in his throat. Freddy had seen this message. But he'd not had the chance to see her that day. He knew that if this was how he felt reading the first message, then he'd probably feel sick by the time he reached the last one. Though he couldn't stop now that he'd started. He was just too desperate to understand. Bracing himself, he scrolled up to the next message, dated the day after the murder; the day that he'd had to go and tell Effy about the tragedy.
'I can't believe it. I just can't... Wait, no. That's a lie. I can believe it, but I don't want to. The thought that I'm never going to see you again... Or hear your voice... Or hug you again... It's just too painful. Please tell me this isn't real, Freddy. Just one message to tell me that this is all some sick joke.'
This time Cook winced at her words as they felt like a knife through his heart. He'd known that she had trouble accepting the truth. That much was obvious when he'd broken the news, but this... This hurt him to read. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process what he was reading, then he opened them and scrolled on up to the next message.
Effy stopped running when she came to realise that she was in a place that she was unfamiliar with. She had wound up in some sort of tunnel, with ongoing traffic rushing by up above. A bridge, she guessed. She was underneath a bridge. Her guess was confirmed correct when she glanced down and saw the water rushing through, with only a narrow concrete path protecting her from it.
In this moment she wished for someone, anyone, to find her. Tony, Panda... Or even Cook, she didn't care who. She just wanted the nightmare to be over. But it never would. No matter what she said or did, it would not bring Freddie back, and it wouldn't reverse the damage that had already been done to her.
"Cook!" She called out. Her voice cracking as it became hoarse from lack of hydration.
She mentally kicked herself and regretted running away from the situation. It was even worse knowing that he would not find her. Anywhere else, it was possible... But only if Cook could somehow be Freddy, because no one else could understand her. Especially not Cook.
