What Life Holds

Chapter 38

Jess's POV

"We need to tell Jem." I said coldly, the color draining from my face. 

"What does it say." Joy asked trying to take the paper from me, by reflex I moved it away from her. "Joy, I'm sorry but I think Jem should be the first to know about this. It isn't that serious." I said as her face filled with confusion. "Jess. tell. me. what. it. is" She said emphasizing, and confusion was replaced with anger. 

"Joy please don't get angry." I pleaded. "But Jem should know this first." I said softly but sternly. "Fine." Joy said after a moment of silence. "Let's go." She said. I gathered all the papers, neatly stacking them. I followed Joy out without saying a word. "How do we close this." I asked. Joy re-entered the code once again without a word, and the wall slit back to it's place.

"I'll flashlight. You climb first." Joy instructed. Nodding obediently, I started climbing the ladder, holding the paper tightly. Once we both climbed up, we arranged the place like it was before in silence. The air in the room was tense and I decided to break it. I mean, what could go wrong. "Listen Joy, I know what I'm doing right now is rude and offensive, but please don't hate me. It's just that, Jem should know this first." I explained in the hopes that she would understand. "You are so easy to fool." Joy said laughing and furrowed my bows in confusion.

"I was just pulling your leg. I can never hate you Jess." She said smiling wildly. "Oh" Was all I could say. "You are still the same. Once Jase, you and I were playing in the garden, you found something. But you refused to show it to us, you kept it in your pocket away from our view. You said that you will show Jem first before anyone. Jase and I knew that you were right, put we gave you a silent treatment and you fell for it." Joy said ruffling my hair.

"What did I find." I asked smiling slightly. "Why don't you ask Jem that." She said walking outside. "That would be so embarrassing." I said as I adjusted the book making the secret room disappear. "That's the fun. Anyway, Jem should be in his office downstairs." Joy said. "Doesn't he usually sit on the third floor." I asked walking beside her. "It's Jem, darling. You never know why he changed his mind." Joy said rolling her eyes.

"We are cool right." I asked once we reached the stairs. "Of course, baby. Now off you go." Joy said waving her hand dramatically while I chuckled. I went down the stairs and ran to Jem's office. Knocking hastily on the ebony door, I impatiently waited for Jem's permission. "Come in." He said and rushed in. "I found something." I said excitedly placing the papers on his desk. "Hello to you too." He said with sarcasm and I gave him a quick smirk.

Jem as usual, sat behind his matt black desk which had neatly stacked papers and his sleek grey laptop. His black blazer hung on the chair, to it's contrast. His brown hair was neatly combed as always, and his white shirt was wrinkleless. Only his black tie hung loosely down his neck. 

"Well, what did you find." He asked sitting up straight. "Okay there is an underground room inside the secret room. Under the wallpaper, there is a ring knob, when you open it there is- " "Slow down Jess." Jem said chuckling. "Right." I said exhaling a deep breath. "Now explain." He said. "Slowly." He added.

"Joy and I were in the secret room, we found something under the wallpaper. It was a knob, when we opened it, there was nothing but blank space, but then there was a ladder. It leads somewhere underground. The place looked like that no one was there for years, there were huge computer screens, weapons, bombs, everything." I paused to catch my breath, to see Jem furrowing.

"And all this was just there, no security." He asked. "No there is dial pad, Joy entered a code. She said that it was the code dad kept for everything." I said and Jem nodded. "This is the most important thig. The computers, they were monitoring cameras. Not just any cameras, Joy said that those cameras were all of mafias and gangs." I said. "Wait what." Jem asked genuinely confused.