Sequel: Finding Alex ›
Status: Completed.
Finding Jane
Chapter Eight
“Jane, I hope you’re not freaking out right now. Don’t worry, I only went up to the mountains,” Sara said, reading off of the note she took off of the fridge. The one my dad taped on there. The one that caused all of these thoughts that were currently running through my head to begin.
When Sara saw me, my head down, staring at the floor, she stopped reading and walked over to me. “What’s wrong, Jane?” she asked.
I looked up at her and said, “I’m scared.”
She sent me a confused look. “About your dad? Because I think he’s going to be okay. You can stay at my house while he’s gone if you want. You’ve always loved it th--”
“No,” I interrupted her. “It’s not about my father.” I could feel my body start to shake, starting with my shoulders, then my arms, and finally my legs.
“Honey, you’re shaking,” Sara observed. She came closer and wrapped me in a hug. “What is, Jane? Is everything okay?”
“It--It’s--It’s Alex,” I managed to spit out. I tried with all my might not to cry, like I had so many times in the past few days. And this time, it worked.
“Jane?” Sara questioned. “No offense, but who’s Alex?”
I managed to let out a small laugh, before looking back at Sara. “He’s this boy,” I said.
“A boy, huh?” Sara smiled at me.
I didn’t smile back. “It’s not like that, Sara. He’s--he’s quiet,” I said, unable to find a better word to describe him.
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking at me quizzically. “Like, mute? Or just…quiet?”
“He’s only said two sentences to me in my whole life. And that’s a long time. I’ve known him since…3rd grade, I think? It’s just--UGH.” I let out a groan of frustration, closing my eyes tightly. When I opened them again, Sara was still looking at me, waiting patiently for me to go on. “He told me that my eyes ‘shine like the ocean when the sun hits the waves’. What am I supposed to say to that? Especially when he has barely spoken a word to anyone since 7th grade.”
“Wow,” Sara muttered. “That’s--deep.” She laughed, causing me to do the same. “Do you know why he hasn’t talked much since 7th grade?”
“No idea,” I said truthfully. “But I have a feeling I’ll find out soon.”
---
Waking up the next morning, I found that my father wasn’t there to make me breakfast or send me off to school. And I really missed him. I needed him there, that I knew. And he wasn’t. He wasn’t there.
As I made my breakfast, a simple bowel of cereal, I pondered about the day to come. More than likely, it would be another day filled with “I’m so sorry” and “I’ll keep you and your family in my thoughts”. People need to understand that I love that they’re thinking about me, but I don’t want to go on and on about it, I thought.
And then I thought, Well, everyone but Sara. And Alex.
When Sara saw me, my head down, staring at the floor, she stopped reading and walked over to me. “What’s wrong, Jane?” she asked.
I looked up at her and said, “I’m scared.”
She sent me a confused look. “About your dad? Because I think he’s going to be okay. You can stay at my house while he’s gone if you want. You’ve always loved it th--”
“No,” I interrupted her. “It’s not about my father.” I could feel my body start to shake, starting with my shoulders, then my arms, and finally my legs.
“Honey, you’re shaking,” Sara observed. She came closer and wrapped me in a hug. “What is, Jane? Is everything okay?”
“It--It’s--It’s Alex,” I managed to spit out. I tried with all my might not to cry, like I had so many times in the past few days. And this time, it worked.
“Jane?” Sara questioned. “No offense, but who’s Alex?”
I managed to let out a small laugh, before looking back at Sara. “He’s this boy,” I said.
“A boy, huh?” Sara smiled at me.
I didn’t smile back. “It’s not like that, Sara. He’s--he’s quiet,” I said, unable to find a better word to describe him.
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking at me quizzically. “Like, mute? Or just…quiet?”
“He’s only said two sentences to me in my whole life. And that’s a long time. I’ve known him since…3rd grade, I think? It’s just--UGH.” I let out a groan of frustration, closing my eyes tightly. When I opened them again, Sara was still looking at me, waiting patiently for me to go on. “He told me that my eyes ‘shine like the ocean when the sun hits the waves’. What am I supposed to say to that? Especially when he has barely spoken a word to anyone since 7th grade.”
“Wow,” Sara muttered. “That’s--deep.” She laughed, causing me to do the same. “Do you know why he hasn’t talked much since 7th grade?”
“No idea,” I said truthfully. “But I have a feeling I’ll find out soon.”
---
Waking up the next morning, I found that my father wasn’t there to make me breakfast or send me off to school. And I really missed him. I needed him there, that I knew. And he wasn’t. He wasn’t there.
As I made my breakfast, a simple bowel of cereal, I pondered about the day to come. More than likely, it would be another day filled with “I’m so sorry” and “I’ll keep you and your family in my thoughts”. People need to understand that I love that they’re thinking about me, but I don’t want to go on and on about it, I thought.
And then I thought, Well, everyone but Sara. And Alex.
♠ ♠ ♠
I was kind of hesitant to post this chapter. Simply because it's sort of a filler compared to the others. Except for the fact that now Sara's in the loop with this whole situation. I do, however, adore how I wrote Jane's character in this chapter.