OverSimplified- DanPlan dystopian future au

9

Stephen

It had been a good four hours since I had seen Jay, and an hour since Hosuh offered to find him. Daniel started talking to me and Ann, but I was getting worried. I look up and see Hosuh coming into the room with Jay. Jay didn't have his normal confident stride, it was more like Hosuh when Daniel pranked him. Hosuh himself was carefully watching Jay, making sure that nothing happened. Like anything would happen when their walking. It was weird like they had traded places. I go back to my conversation with Ann. It had been so long since I had seen her, we spent a long time catching up. Eventually, I got hungry and I guess Daniel did too.

"Hey who else is hungry?" he asks.

"I can go to make some food." Ann offers. "I know how to cook really good food."

"So does Hosuh," I say. "Before the Tainting, he made a majority of the food I ate. He is like a gourmet chef, in my opinion."

"Hosuh, you want to help me?" Ann asks, turning towards Hosuh. He was sitting next to Jay, whispering to him. He looks over and shakes his head. "Okay, I'll just cook by myself."

She leaves the room and Hosuh keeps whispering to Jay. Daniel starts trying to convince me to play one of his games, but I refuse. I don't really feel like playing one of his games. I look over at Jay and try to study his face, which is very hard to do when he keeps it emotionless and neutral. Guessing that he saw me looking at him, he turns to Hosuh, says something to him, and gets up. He walks out of the room and Hosuh follows. Curious me decides that it would be a good idea to follow them.

"I will be right back, don't follow me or I'll kill you," I say. "If Ann comes back, tell her that I'm in the bathroom."

I leave the couch and follow the path that I saw Jay go down. A hallway appears and all the doors are closed. Carefully, I creep down the hallway, listening to every noise. Eventually, I come to the last door and hear voices. One is wobbly and the other sweet. I press my ear up to the door, trying to listen. Not that anything interesting would happen, just wondering what was going on inside there.

"Why do you think he was doing that?" it was Hosuh's voice. "Do you think he knows about it?"

"I don't think so." said the other voice. I didn't recognize it. "It's not like him to figure things like this. He is good at riddles, but that's different."

"I don't think we have to worry about it," Hosuh said, clearly trying to help the situation. "But I do think we should tell them eventually."

"That won't help, Hosuh. It doesn't help anything, to tell the truth. I would know out of both of us."

"Well if you don't I will. You can't keep running, Jay."

It was Jay? His voice didn't sound like him. I had never heard him so fragile and open. He sounded like a new person. I lift my ear from the door and leaned back on the door. Hosuh's voice was more assertive than normal, more like Jay's. I slid down, sitting with my back pressed against the door. The voices continue talking, so I decide to listen some more.

"He will find out eventually, you know that right?"

"Well, it's easier to run than face a problem. And I'm fine if he finds out himself."

"Who should we tell? Daniel? Ann?"

"I think telling you was enough. And I want to be alone right now, so you can go back to the group."

I quickly hop up and hurry back to the room where I left Daniel. Daniel just stares at me as I catapult myself onto the couch. Hosuh walks in and sits on a chair and closes his eyes. He lets out a long sigh and covers his face with his hands. I look over at Daniel for some help and he just urges me on. He was my roommate after all. I walk over and stand next to Hosuh.

"Hey, where did you and Jay go?̈ even though I knew I wanted to see if he told the truth.

̈ ̈That is none of your business, ̈ he said through his hands. "Why would you want to know?"

"Just wondering, itś not like you to disappear with a murderous sociopath. Where is he, anyway?"

"I don't know." he took his hands off of his face. "Can you stop bothering me about it?"

I just sigh and walk back to my spot on the couch.

TBC