Out With The Old, In With The New

Chapter 23

While everyone's siting in the living room talking about funeral arrangements, someone knocks on the door. Katie gets up to get the door and when he opens the door where she sees Atlas standing there with a shoe box in his hands.

Katie: Atlas, right? One of Ethan's friends?

Atlas: Y-Yeah... Are you Jade's mom?

Katie: I'm her sister... Did- Did you find anything...?

Atlas: Yes, but it's better if you sit down for this...

Katie lets Atlas in and everyone sits around him waiting for him to open the box.

Pearl: What's in there?

Atlas: I'm getting to that. I heard what happened, so...I went back to the canyon to see if I could find anything, and...I did.

Ruby: What'd you find!? Is it good!? Is it good news!? Is she ok!?

Katie: Settle down, Ruby. It could be bad...

Ruby: Oh...

Atlas: I- It was- I found-

Atlas opens the box and takes out a teared and shredded, bloody and dirt covered green jersey. It's so torn that the only visible thing on there is the number nine, and the letters 'C--L-NS'.

Sapphire: Oh God...

Amethyst: FUCK!

Atlas gives the box to Katie and all the other girls run to sinks and toilets and puke their guts out.

Atlas: I'm really sorry...

Katie: Thank you. You're welcome to come to the funeral if you want.

Atlas: I'll be there. Her favorite color was green, right? Maybe you could do a white, green, and black theme.

Katie: I'll take that into consideration.

He leaves and Katie folds up the jersey and puts it back on the box. Caleb pulls her into a hug and rubs her back while she cries in his arms.

Caleb: It's all gonna be alright. She's not gone. I can feel it.

Katie: Oh, so you're a psychic now?

Caleb: Well, no... But from what I've seen, she looks like she doesn't take shit from anything or anyone, so getting knocked down is only a pre-game warm up for her.

Katie: But she would never do anything worth losing this jersey... What if-

Caleb: Let's make a bet. If Jade comes back alive, but has a wrapped up wound, which warrants the shredded jersey, then you owe me a date.

Katie: And if you're wrong?

Caleb: Then I go with you the next time you go scuba diving.

Katie: You're gonna lose, but ok.

Caleb: Ok then. I've gotta go. It's been four days since we've seen Jacob and I'm starting to worry.

He leaves to look for Jacob and Liam comes out of Jacob's room with an old notebook in his hand.

Katie: Whatcha got there?

Liam: Jacob's note book. I thought you'd wanna have it.

Katie: Why?

Liam: Read it and find out.

Katie: Ok...?

Liam goes back to his room and Katie starts reading a random page from the notebook.

February 12, 2021

It's our first day at ISP and I'm kinda nervous. We don't really know anyone, and I'm not the best at social interaction. I'm in class right now, but I don't really care because it's not like this is hard. I'd like to think of myself as pretty smart.