Far Behind

Chapter 11: Pulling The Last String

Tori opened her eyes as the light shined through the window and onto her face. She sat up in the bed and looked around, realizing that she had fallen asleep in Dustin's dorm. Yawning a bit, she moved her body and noticed that the brunette she had fallen asleep with had disappeared. Brushing her hair back, she turned and noticed Shane sleeping in his bed. Getting up slowly, she moved over to his bed and shook him a bit. Hearing a soft groan, she watched as Shane turned over and looked at her.

"Oh your awake." He mumbled.

She smiled a bit, "Have you seen Dustin?"

He looked over to see the bed empty, then glanced back at her and shook his head. He moved a bit and sat up on the bed, rubbing his arm. She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed a bit, looking out the window.

"Are you all right." Shane yawned a bit, "I didn't want to wake you, even if it was weird seeing you in the room in the first place." He tried not to laugh.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried." She responded, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I was just wondering how you were handling with Hunter."

She looked down at the floor and sighed, "I don't know."

"It just seamed sudden. What went wrong if I might asked."

Tori stood up and paced around the room. She fiddled with her fingers, sighing deeply, unsure what to really say to her best friend. She turned and looked at Shane, who was waiting patently fo ran answer.

"I don't know." She mumbled again.

"I'm sorry, it's not really my business."

She shook her head, "No I meant, I don't know if I really have feelings for him. I mean, I like him, but Dustin and.." She sat back down on the bed and sighed, "I'm so confused. I'm mumbling."

Shane threw off his covers and adjusted his red poke-e-dotted boxers and walked over to his dresser. Tori fell back on the bed as he put on some pants and turned to her. He stretched his arms before heading towards the door.

"Well, I'm going to find Dustin. Maybe it's best if you go for a walk or something."

She smiled and nodded, "All right. Thanks."

"Call me if you need me."

Dustin had been walking for quite a while. He had lost tracked of time or sense of direction and found himself in the park. Feeling the cool breeze against his skin, he continued to walk, pasting a few trees and some kids that were playing. He vaguely remembered what happened last night, and felt a bit awkward when he woke up to see Tori sleeping next to him. He walked for a few more feet before he got to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the beach below. It was a great view of the ocean, but it was also a long way down. He sat down on the edge and let his feet dangle. He picked up a few pebbles and tossed them as far as he could into the ocean. He then sighed as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and notice Shane looking down at him.

"Mind if I join ya?" He asked.

Dustin moved over a bit as Shane sat down next to him. The brunette remained silent, looking back at the ocean, watching as Shane tossed a few rocks of his own.

"How you doing?" He finally spoke up.

Dustin sighed deeply a bit, adjusting himself to get comfortable. He glanced at Shane before looking back at the ocean again.

"I'm fine I guess."

Shane smirked, "No your not."

"I'm not? Who are you to tell me I'm not?" Dustin snapped back at him.

"I'm your best friend. I know these things."

The former yellow ranger groaned a bit, "I guess. I just been through a lot."

"The wedding didn't go to well did it?"

"Not really, but I guess I wont make a big deal about it." He sighed, "I just feel like my life is going no where. Its been nothing but bad news for the last.. Like month."

"Remember what I told you. No matter how bad things get, Im sure it will get better." He then just chuckled a bit, "I know losing a family member is a low blow in life. Or the fact that you lost someone you loved to a friend, the pressure of homework and just trying to be something in life. Its hard and well-"

"Your not helping." He mumbled.

"Let me finish dude." He smacked him on the side of the shoulder, "All Im saying is, hang in there. Were in this together, were friends."

Dustin shrugged, "I guess. I'm still bummed out that Tori is still going out with Hunter."

"Actually, she broke up with him." He informed them, "She felt like it was the right thing to do I guess."

"Oh, is it my fault?"

"Dustin." Shane whispered, "Nothing is your fault."

Shane stood back up and patted him on the back, "Look, we got class. Let's go."

"I don't."

"What do you mean?" He arched his eyebrows.

"I got kicked out." He mumbled, "I don't have anymore classes."

Shane sighed, rubbing his forehead, "We'll talk more when I get out, okay?"

"Maybe."

Dustin turned his body to watch Shane scurry away. He then sighed and looked back over at the ocean, feeling the cool air against his face. He kicked his feet up and looked down at the beach, yawning a bit. He then turned to see one of the kids that he had met earlier walking towards him. He was the one that he had been getting his drugs from, the kid with the hat.

"Hey man, can we talk?" He asked.

Dustin nodded, "Sure."

Tori had cleaned herself up and left Dustin's dorm quickly. She closed the door and headed downstairs and into the lobby where she saw Blake. Slowly making her way over, she tapped him on the back and watched him spin around. Taking a few steps back, she smiled a bit and waved.

"Hey Tori. What are you doing in this dorm building?" He asked, "Is Shane and them around?"

She shook her head, "No. Shane left to go to class and stuff. I was just heading out to get some fresh air."

"Hunter told me what happened." He brought up the one topic Tori didn't want to deal with, "Sorry, not my place."

She shrugged, "It's fine. I feel bad, at a wedding? I just had to, cause I needed to." She grumbled, "Where is he?"

"He somewhere on campus."

"How long are you guys sticking around?" She was curious.

"Few more days, then Cam has to get back to Ninja Ops and I have to go back to Factory Blue."

She nodded, "I better go talk to Hunter then. I don't want him to leave with bad terms between us."

"He'll understand." Blake whispered, "I did.."

Tori slowly dropped her heads and walked towards the door. She turned back and forced a smile at Blake before leaving to head outside. She walked down the path and looked around to see if she find the crimson blonde. She brushed her bangs out of the way and smiled as she spotted him. Running over to see him sitting on a bench, she waved to him. Hunter looked up and saw her making her way towards him.

"Tori.." He forced the words out.

She sat down and kept a big smile on her face, "Can we um talk?"

"Sure."

"Look, Im sorry, it was wrong of me to break up in the middle of the wedding, but I didn't mean too."

"I know. I just don't understand."

"I thought I moved on, but I guess I cant deny my feelings for someone else. I tried by liking you, hoping to forget."

"You were using me?"

She shook her head, "No, No. I did like you, but after everything has happened, I cant seam get rid of my feelings for Dustin. I'm sorry."

"I get it."

"Please Hunter. Will forgive me, I don't want this to ruin our friendship." She begged.

He chuckled a bit and pulled her close to a hug, "Of course Tori."

Dustin glanced at the guy that sat down next to him. There was a few awkward silence, he was curious of why a guy like him wanted to talk to him.

"What can I do for you Mark?" He asked.

Mark shrugged, "Just seeing what your up to. I got this great bag that you have to try. It's the sweetest thing, it will get you high beyond your belief."

Dustin rubbed his arms and sighed, "I don't know. I think Im done with that crap."

"Crap? What are you talking about? Hasn't this stuff made you forget about all your problems?"

"Yeah true, but. My friends-"

"Friends? You mean like that guy Shane?" Mark pointed out, "Oh don't be so dense dude."

"What?"

Mark adjusted himself a bit, "Guys like him, wont ever understand what your going through."

"Yeah, but they are there for me." He pointed out.

Mark bursted out laughing, "No, you really need to hear what they say. They are sick of your whining. They are just saying this crap just to shut you up."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because you turned into a whiney little girl and the fact that they just can't understand what your getting at."

Dustin bit his lips, refusing to listen to what he was saying. It wasn't like his friends, he shook his head as he looked back down below him at the beach.

"Besides man, with your bad luck, do you really believe that things will get better?"

"I don't know.." He whispered

"You got kicked out of school dude, what do you think your mother is going to say about that?"

"How do you know?"

"That's what I heard from the Dean. You failed dude, you let down your friends and your family. You lost your girl. Is life really worth living?" He asked.

Dustin sighed deeply, his eyes were beginning to wire. He refused to listen to what he was saying, but he had a lot good points. He didn't know what to do, what to think. It was making him confused. He stood up, gasping for breath as he wiped his watery eyes.

"I got to go."

"Things don't get better Dustin. Friends don't last forever. If you fail at one thing, you eventually fail at everything. " He whispered, "Your life is going no where, why do you struggle?"

Dustin ignored him and quickly walked away. Mark smirked as he watched him leave with haste. He then turned back and continue to watch the ocean, yawning a bit, feeling as if he accomplished something.

Night had fallen upon the campus and Dustin slowly made his way back to the dorm. It began to sprinkle a bit outside, as he turned on the lights. His eyes were heavy, as he felt the burnt out of the drugs he had taken a few hours earlier. He moved over towards his bed and bent down by his dresser, opening it up. He pulled out a small box, and opened a box. He began to feel a bit teary, as he wiped his eyes and opened up a box, revealing a small dark gun. He had gotten it a few days before he was sent into Rehab, but he wasn't able to use it cause of a few events.

"Things don't get better Dustin. Friends don't last forever. If you fail at one thing, you eventually fail at everything. Your life is going no where, why do you struggle?"

Mark's voice echoed in his head as he slowly turned and exited quickly.

Tori had exited her own dorm building, feeling the rain fall upon her head. She sighed a bit, feeling a bit happy that things were going a little better then ususal. She turned and noticed someone in yellow quickly running across the campus. Titling her head, she realized that it had to be Dustin. She swiftly ran after him, using her ninja speed to catch up. A few minutes later, she found herself in the park. It began to rain a bit harder, as she looked around, hoping she didn't lose him. Walking a bit, she spotted him at the edge of the cliff, facing the ocean. The silver moon was reflecting off the water as it continued to rain. She stood there, watching as he raised his arm. She noticed an object in his hand, and gasped realizing what it was.

"Dustin!" She screamed.

The brunette put down the gun and turned around to see the blonde dashing towards her. The rain ran down his face as his clothes was soaking wet. She stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes, catching her breath.

"What do you think your doing?"

"I'm solving the problem." He wiped the water away, "I'm done."

She gave a distraught look, shaking her head. She couldn't tell if he was in tears, or if it was the rain running down his face, but she knew she had to do something.

"Please Dustin, don't do this."

He cocked the gun and lifted it up, he closed his eyes, squeezing a few tears out of him before placing it against his head.

"Wait!" Tori screamed, "Please!"

"I don't care anymore Tori! You can be with Hunter! You can do whatever! I lost everything, I cant keep doing this to myself."

"Dustin! Please. I love you." She shouted, "Don't do this to me."

He blinked a few seconds as he took a few steps back. He didn't realize how close he was from the edge, and the drugs were beginning to kick in again. He began to lose balance, as his arms began to flail around.

"Dustin!" Tori shouted.

She dashed for him and grabbed him, pulling him into her. Dustin's hand slipped and a loud bang came out of no where, as the gun fired. Tori winced in pain as she fell to the side. Dustin's eyes widen as he crawled over to her, throwing the gun aside.

"Tori. .Tori.."

He shook her a bit, pulling her close. The rain fell harder upon him as he shook her. Tears began to rush out of him as he held her. She wasn't moving, she wasn't saying anything.

"Please, don't die. You can't die." He begged.

He wiped his tears away and put her down slowly, crawling through the grass to find the gun. He lifted it up and pointed it towards himself. He didn't know what he was doing, but the thought of losing Tori, he couldn't live with himself. Everything was his fault, he had to end it now. He turned and crawled back to Tori, pointing the gun at his head. He closed his eyes as the gun fire echoed the night....

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End chapter.... uh-oh. Getting good..