Picturesque

Chapter 32: Bunny Boob

I was quieter than ever as I snuck down the stairs and through the dark, quiet house. I slipped out of the patio door, my bare feet touching the grass as I jogged over to the bench way back in the backyard, right under the rosewood.

I was out of breath by the time I reached it, and there I saw her. Jo was sitting high up in the tree, so high I could hardly see her. All I could see was the reflection of the moonlight on her white blouse, her blonde hair against the dark wood of the tree trunk.

"Jo," I said as calmly as I could. Her eyes turned down to me, and even from way down there I could see how dark and red they were. I could see the glare of tears in her eyes.

"Do you think it would hurt if I jumped?" she asked simply, her voice echoing through the trees. "It didn't hurt last time."

My heart started to race again. I glanced over to the bench and saw a tiny bottle sitting on its side, white powder spilled out of it. Carefully, I looked back up at her and said, "Jo, please don't jump."

She didn't say anything. She just stared down at the ground, clutching onto the limb that she stood on.

"Jo, please," I begged, stepping closer to the tree, ignoring the word stupid still carved into it. "Please don't jump. You're way too high."

"No, I'm not."

"Jo, just climb down."

"No!" she yelled, and I winced, fearful that someone in the house would wake up and hear her.

"Jo, please."

She stared at me, her lips turning into a trembling frown. "I don't wanna. I'm gonna stay here forever."

"Don't be stupid."

She looked around again, swallowing hard as she stared at the ground. She moved a little, and fear jumped through me.

"Jo, come down right now," I said as firmly as I could, though my voice was wavering from the tears welling in my eyes. I didn't want her to jump. I didn't want Katie to be right when she said that Jo would get herself killed one day. I didn't want to be the reason for it.

She looked at me again, uncertainty in her eyes. Finally, she stepped down onto a lower branch, holding herself up on other branches as she slowly climbed down the tree. When she was down far enough, she jumped down, landing on her feet right in front of me.

We stared at each other. I don't think either of us were sure of what to say.

"Katie read my journal," I blurted, wincing at my own words.

Jo was looking at the ground, her body trembling a little bit. Redness streaked up her cheeks, a few tears spilling out as she nodded her head.

Breathing hard, I clenched my jaw and stepped closer. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Her eyes flashed up at me, the whites in them illuminating under the moon. I could see even then, in the blue hue of the night, that her pupils were wide. Her eyebrows trembled as they sewed together. "What?"

I hesitated, unsure of what Katie had told her. "She threatened to tell everyone about me... about us. And she threatened to cut you off."

She shook her head, her fluffy blonde hair bouncing on her chest. "But the apartment." Her voice was meek and shaky, just like the day Willow died. "I thought—I thought we would go there."

Guilt and pain stung at my chest as my hands started to shake. "No, Jo," I whispered. "We can't do that now."

Her mouth contorted into some kind of pout. "But... but why not?" She adjusted her feet where they stood, her fists clenching and shaking at her sides. She looked like Holly when she was told she couldn't do something.