Placebo Effect: [Zane X Reader]

Five- Broken Glass Slippers

Ignorance is bliss.

Or so they say.

I don't know who first said that, or how everyone seems to think that it's true. Ignorance isn't bliss and bliss isn't ignorance. Sure, when you're a kid what you don't know won't kill you. I think that's the best part of being a kid: imagining the possibilities. When you're young, the sky is the limit and anything could be possible. As you grow up, this philosophy changes into something... worse. Yeah, you still have ignorance but it's not bliss. Instead of wondering over the possibilities you begin to fear the possibilities. It's not the ignorance that scares you, it's the possibility of not knowing what's to come that really bites you in the butt.

And as soon as those words left Julien's mouth, ignorance was no longer bliss. My mind raced through countless possibilities of what could have gone utterly and horribly wrong. My memory jumped to the last time I had seen him, early this morning when he had woken me up to say he was going fishing and would be back later. I had simply just grumbled something and rolled back over to go to sleep. My chest heaved and my heart thundered in my chest, anxious and paranoid. This was wrong. "I just saw him this morning," I protested, stumbling back a little. I fell into the comforting arms of Jay, who looked just as panicked as I felt.

This wasn't right. I kept repeating that over and over in my head as if it would change the reality of the situation. Julien's just mistaken. It's fine. I willed it to be true. I prayed to anything and anyone who would listen that he was wrong. Hopelessly and utterly wrong.

But that wasn't Julien and that wasn't my fate. Unfortunately. He wasn't wrong and the look of utter horror and terror and fear on his face made my stomach churn. I steeled my nerves and stumbled towards him. He snatched my hand and pulled me from the shop, the jingle of the bell seeming more sinister. He flung open the door to a ratty Jeep, gently pushing me forward as he ran and clamored into the drivers seat.

"Talk to me Julien." I breathed, panicking. The way he seemed panicked only made me even more so. Everything seemed going agonizingly slow around us, the sea gulls cawing, the surfers crossing the road, his driving. We jolted forward as he drove north, opposite of where my father usually went fishing. I turned in my seat and looked back at the shop and down the road.

My heart fell to my toes, going stiff as a board as a wailing cop car sped past and around us, going the same direction we were. Please no. Please please be okay, Dad. I begged and wished as I watched the police cars fly by. Julien's hand found mine and I squeezed it as if it was my life line.

Maybe it was.

Tears welled in my eyes and I repeated my request. "Please, talk to me."

Zane gave me a worried glance and let out a breath through his teeth. "I was hoping that maybe you would like to come with the team and I to Tortuga sometime this week." He fell silent and I heaved. "To remember old times by. Also, of course, to pay our respects to Timmy."

"Timmy would like that."

"I do hope so. Then also, we could go south to the aquarium."

"And pet the dolphins?"

"I am quite sure Lloyd and Jay would love to assist you in petting said dolphins." Julien turned to give me a small smile before he swerved off to the right, following the lights from the police cars.

I swallowed and squeezed my eyes shut before kicking open the Jeeps door. Zane did the same from his side and came to stand at my side, there if I needed him. Though I was unable to say it, I was grateful for the gesture.

And this is where the ignorance really hits you. When you are no longer ignorant and wondering and surmising. You know, and once you do know, you wish for the ignorance to return.