Chris Redfield
Homecoming dance, this was going to be a night to remember, I can just feel it. Jill and I were arm in arm outside of the gym's entrance. Her hair is done nice, like it was that day she bought the dress, but today she has a bunch of makeup on, her lips ruby red and her eyes lids a smokey grey. She looks absolutely beautiful. Piers, Forest and Richard all just wind up to the left and right of Jill and I. We'd enter as a crew, it'd be pretty intimidating and sweet. "I don't know guys," Piers says. "What do you mean," Jill looks over to him. He's in a suit similar to my own, plain and black. "People are gunna' stare and... and I look terrible... I think I should just go home," he sighs looking down. "Piers, you look great," I say. "And besides, who gives a shit about anyone else? This is your night Piers, enjoy it," Jill interjects. We all walk forward, Piers following, I guess that worked.
We enter and the gym is packed with people, and tables of food. That was always nice. "Come on, let's find seats," I yell. Piers immediately sits at a table he found, Jill and the rest of us join him. "Want me to get you a drink," I ask Jill. "Sure," she smiles. Music is blasting, dance music with no lyrics. I make my way to the punch bowl and hear someone yell Jill's name over the music.
Jill Valentine
Rebecca ran over with Billy. "Jill! You look great," she smiles. I hug her and say basically the same. "Where's Chris," she asks. "Getting me punch," I say. "Hi Piers," Rebecca smiles. "Hey Becky," he sighs. Rebecca raises an eyebrow. 'Don't worry,' I mouth, 'I got this handled.' "See you guys out there," she smiles and heads back onto the dance floor. "Why don't we go dance," I ask him. "No... That's alright," he says looking at the tablecloth. "Piers, please," I ask. He shakes his head. "Listen, you little shit," I yell. He looks up with a confused look on his face. "I understand you lost your mom and your boyfriend, but I'm just trying to help. And nothing will get better if you don't try and make it. Now come on," I yell. "I'm going to the bathroom," he says and walks right past me. "Fuck," I sigh as I collapse into the chair. Chris returns with two drinks in hand. He hands me mine, "Wanna dance?" I raise an eyebrow, "Do I look like I want to dance?" He flares his nostrils. "What," I ask. "I asked you here as my date, expecting to dance. When have I ever wanted to dance? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Now get up! We're dancing," he yelled. I smiled and stood up, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the center of the dance floor.
It doesn't take long for me to lose myself in the fast paced music. Soon enough I find Sheva dancing near me and Chris. It's just like Piers' party. Chris and I are dancing closer now, our bodies grinding against each other. I did most of the work, Chris awkwardly tried to dance.
Piers Nivans
So, sitting in the stall during the dance. Wasn't this a pregnant girl thing to do? Why was this my life? What did I do in a past life to piss god off that much? Damn, like come on! I'm a huge fucking mess as it is. My thoughts are interrupted when someone calls my name. I sniffle, "Finn?" I could tell it was him by his voice. "You okay," he asked nervously. "N-No, just... leave me alone Finn," I tell him. "You sure," he asks nervously once again. Finn was always nervous or worried, he was like an innocent child who understood nothing about life's struggles yet. "Do you want to talk about it," he asks. I open the stall door, revealing my red face. "Yeah, come have a fucking seat," I tilt my head with sarcasm. "Really," he asks. The look on his face is priceless, I'd laugh if i wasn't so miserable. "No," I stand up and walk over to the mirror.
"I know what you're going through," he says. "Oh do you," I ask rudely. "I lost both my parents," he says. "Oh," I say apologetically, I hope he picked up on that. I didn't know that. "It happened at the end of eighth grade, I've been living with a foster family since," he says. I don't say anything, I just turn around and lean up against the sink crossing my arms. "I just... I understand, and I-I want to help," he says looking at the floor. He was so nervous. He was always like this, whenever we talked. Even back in sophomore year. "Thanks Finn," I put on a weak smile. "You wanna head back inside," he asks with a little hope in his eyes. "Nah, you go ahead," I say. "Okay... but Piers... Don't do anything stupid," he says before he leaves.
Jill Valentine
Everything I want I have:
Money, notoriety and rivieras.
I even think I found God
In the flash bulbs of the pretty cameras,
Pretty cameras, pretty cameras.
Am I glamorous? Tell me am I glamorous?
Lana Del Rey's 'Without you' plays over the loudspeaker. Everyone gets closer to their date, including Chris and I. We slowly rock, Chris is definitely better at slow dancing. He moves his hands down to my ass as we continue dancing, and I move closer, putting my hands around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder
I'm nothing without you.
All my dreams and all the lights mean
Nothing without you.
This song was actually good, I never listened to her before, not really. But the song was perfect for my mood, Chris smiled down at me often, and as the song came to an end I noticed Piers standing on the edge of the dance floor. Was he about to loosen up? Once he noticed I was looking he walked away and out of the gym. Where was he going? Home? "Should we go after him," Chris asks. "Yeah, I think so," I say. Chris and I run out after him, I hold my dress so it's easier to run, even if it wasn't that long, but when we get out there Piers is already gone. A car pulled out of the parking lot, Piers' dad's car. Was he that upset? Chris and I run to ours, we needed to talk to him. We got in and drove toward the house, but we couldn't see Piers' car anywhere. When we pull up to the house, a good ten minutes later, the car is already there and the two Nivans' must be inside already.
I get out of the car and run to the door. "Hold on Jill," Chris called running up the stone pathway leading to the door. The door opens, "Jill? Oh, Chris too. Piers is in his room. I don't think he wants to talk though." "Yeah," I say, "We know." He moves out of the door frame and lets us past. We head upstairs to Piers' room and what we find is nightmare-ish. Piers is hanging from his ceiling fan, his sheets around his neck. I freeze up, I have no idea what to do, but luckily Chris springs into action. He grabs Pier's legs, holding him up so he didn't continue cutting off his breathing or break his neck. "Jill," Chris calls me out of my shock, "I need you to get his head out!" I get on top of Piers' bed, which allowed me to reach his head and neck. I manage to until the sheets and Chris gently brought him to the ground. He held Piers in his arms, my eyes filling with tears. "Jill, get his dad," Chris yells. I run, as fast as I could, down the stairs and into the kitchen where his dad is sitting alone. He sees my tears and automatically gets up, running past me and up the stairs. I didn't have to say a word, and that was good thing because I didn't have any idea what I would've said.
Piers' dad calls an ambulance, Chris is still on the floor holding him and I'm watching from the wall. My eyes were wide with horror as I saw Piers' seemingly lifeless body and Chris tearing over him. And then Mr. Nivans who kept pacing downstairs to check if the ambulance was there and then back to check on us. Piers... I wanted him to come to the party to help him... but what have I done? Is this my fault?
The ambulance arrived after ten minutes and took Piers to the hospital. Mr. Nivans, Chris and I took personal cars and followed them to Raccoon Hospital. Piers' dad waited in a separate waiting room, Chris and I in the main one. Since Piers' dad worked for Umbrella and this hospital was largely funded by Umbrella, I'm sure he was off doing something work related as he panicked about his son. I sat there, straight up, only breathing. I didn't think, didn't move, just breathed. "Jill," Chris asks. I gulp before looking at him with wide eyes. "Jill," he repeats and pulls me close. I finally cry as he holds me there.
Piers Nivans
I survived, why? They told me the story, Jill and Chris had made it in time. If they were a minute later, I'd be dead. And if I'd used something other than a sheet I would've broken my neck. What kind of an idiot fails at killing himself? Just another failure to add to the list. Dad is the first to see me, we don't talk. He hugs me and I hug back. He's crying and i'm straight faced. "I thought I lost you," he whispers and I don't say anything. Next in is Jill, who seems to still be in shock. I can't even look at her, she's still in her beautiful red dress and makeup. Her blue eyes wide and focused on me. "Hey," she says nervously. I don't talk, don't even look at her, just look straight ahead. I don't even know what to say, and neither does she. She takes my hand in hers and lets out a small smile as I look at her. "I love you," she says with a tear, before letting go and quickly leaving the room.
Chris is last. He doesn't say anything, I just watch him as he walks closer. His breath is steady, and he gets closer. He takes the seat next to me and leans over, his elbows on his knees and his hands together. He eventually looks up at me and I fight the tears trying to escape. He pulls me into him, and I let them go. I grabbed the back of his shirt as hard as I could, but I didn't know why I was crying. Was it that I was still alive? Or that I must've looked like a coward to both of my closest friends? I couldn't tell you, but I cried and cried until I eventually couldn't. I let him go and he stands up, "Piers..." I look up at him, tears still in my eyes, but none would fall. "I care about you," he says, "I really do. I can't think of my life without you... Don't do this Piers." I don't reply, but I wipe my eyes. He turns to leave, but I grab his sleeve. He turns to me, not his whole body, but his head. "I'm sorry," I manage to say, but my voice is incredibly hoarse. He swallows and then leaves the room. I'm left to myself and my thoughts, but then the crying starts again.
It was the middle of the night, maybe one o'clock. I was still up, sitting there, thinking. The door opens and I look over, only seeing the silhouette of a woman. All I could tell was it was a woman and that she had long brown hair, I couldn't tell anything else. She walks over, I'm not even sure if this is real. She turns on the light, I close my eyes and let them adjust to the light, but then I see her face. "Helena," I ask. She doesn't smile, she just continues over to me. "I'm disappointed," she says when she finally reaches my side. I sigh, "I know." She gives me a hug. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm sorry too," she says. We spend some time like this, before she sits in the chair Chris had previously sat in. "Why Piers," she asks, "You have people who care about you here. You know that right? I mean, Jill and I, we care about you... And Chris too," she hesitates, "We're all here for you... Even if your mom isn't, or Dave isn't, you'll always have us. I promise that."
I smile at her, "I know." "Why then," she asks. "I... I don't know," I say. "You do," she says. I didn't actually... Everything she said was true, I had them, I knew I would, but I never actually thought about it. I just made a rash decision. I didn't think about anything, I just did it. I had no excuse, or motive, well I did, but I don't remember it. It was in my letter, but I don't even remember what I wrote. I didn't mean it, I knew that now, I didn't want to die anymore. And then I wake up. Helena wasn't there, she never was... but I still knew now that I didn't want to die.