Jupiter

C H A P T E R|| e l e v e n

This love is good
This love is bad
This love is alive back from the dead,
oh, oh, oh

E l l i e

It was almost as if I had left the sad, sobbing mess of myself on the floor in Jupiter and my cabin and I trudged the path back to Joel's that morning, memorising the sound of my canvas sneakers and how they crunched the small stone pebbles beneath my feet. I needed anything to take my mind off of what I already seemed to know. She isn't here. Not only that, but someone had taken her. That I knew for sure.

Joel wasn't sitting on his front porch sipping coffee and playing guitar this morning, and I didn't even bother knocking when his front door swung open by the force of my shove. The scene that unfolded In front of me stopped me dead in my tracks, the colour that the morning chill had bestest upon my face no doubt draining quickly,"Cassie?"

There she stood, as clear as day with her arms around Joel's waist whilst he cooked god knows what. The sight made me shiver internally before it made me wonder if this was how Joel felt when he caught Ellie and I sleeping, wrapped up in each other's embrace. I wondered just how wrapped up we were. How things can change so quickly. Too quickly.

Immediately, they sprang apart, the sound of Joel's spatula clanging to the floor echoed through the house followed by multiples of fuck and shit. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. No, we had other things to worry about right now.

Joel's eyes were wide when he looked at me, then Cassie, then me,"Ellie, what are you uh, doing here."

I kept a watchful eye on Cassie,"Jupiter is gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" He asked, talking a careful step forward. Cassie was silent, her back pressed against one of the kitchen cabinets comfortably.

"I mean," I said exasperatedly, not knowing how to explain what I wanted to say,"She isn't here. In Jackson."

"She left?" It was Cassie who asked. I wasn't taking to her, I was talking to Joel.

"No. Someone took her." I told Joel. A pang of guilt flooded through me for blatantly ignoring Cassie. We had always been friendly with one another. Today I just wanted answers, answers she didn't know how to give.

Joel cleared his throat and looked back to the woman standing behind him, flashing her a small smile,"Give us a second, Cas."

Joel strode towards me, softly grabbing my elbow and walking us towards to front door, leaving Cassie to continue cooking. It sure did smell really fucking good. If the situation was different this morning, I'm sure Jupiter and I would've joined for breakfast after some serious sucking up to her for last night, followed by some serious awkward tension at the table were I questioned Joel and Cassie like no tomorrow. There was a possibility Jupiter would've flashed me her crazy eyes, silently telling me the shut the fuck up and leave them alone. I would've listened to her, too.

The situation wasn't different though, the situation was this and Jupiter was gone.

Joel didn't mention his mistress inside as he led me to the porch, finally realising his soft grip on my flesh, again he asked,"what do you mean she's gone, Kiddo?"

"I stayed at Dina's last night, went back to the cabin this morning and she isn't there."

"Maybe she went for a morning walk." He didn't sound even remotely convinced himself.

Without a second though, it was my turn to do the dragging. He let me, I yanked him all the way down the three pathways to the cabin. The door was still open, thanks to my rushed thinking earlier. Joel coughed almost uncomfortably as he entered my home and it only took me a second to realise that this was the first time he had seen it in years. Nonetheless, I dragged him further into it, rounding the short corner only a few feet from my bed. My bed where I should've slept— or watched Jupiter— last night. Making sure she was safe like I had before, but I didn't. Now she was gone.

Joel swallowed harshly when I peeled the shower curtain back, exposing the words that had rattled me to my core when I first took them in. The stomach acid I had excreted still laid on the ground near our feet. Neither of us paid any mind to it. Joel's eyes were fixated on the words, the blood, the smell. Then he looked at me.

"I'll go get Tommy."

So I waited and waited and waited. It felt like I waited so long for Joel's return that I took a seat on Jupiter's bed, held my head between my palms but I didn't cry, I wouldn't cry. Not until she was home, safe. Safe with me. I let my body fall backwards against the mound of pillows and blankets strew across Jupiter's bed, inhaling deeply, and only once because I couldn't stand the smell of her when I didn't know where she was.

I groaned at the sudden impact on my shoulder, the hardback cover digging into my flesh harshly. Lifting myself up on one palm, i tugged the book out from underneath me, holding it carefully. I smiled softly to myself, shaking my head at the title In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It was Dina's, and I couldn't count on all my fingers how many times she had begged me to read this book, she had even thrown it in my face once day. I remember the sound of bone cracking and blood pouring onto my hands. I managed to save the book just in time to complete ruin it, other than the random drop here and there. Dina apologised profusely for weeks, and even said she enjoyed the blood splattered page. It gives the book character she told me. Too bad Jupiter never made it past the first page.

I was just about ready to throw the harsh reminder of Jupiter away when that same page fell from my hands—the familiar blood splatter still recognisable in the corner—landing softly onto her pillow. My hand was shaking as I reached for the torn page, fingers barely scratching the surface as Joel walked back through the threshold of the cabin, Tommy and Maria in tow.

They were silent, watching me carefully as I looked at them. Nobody said anything for quiet some time. It was Maria that broke the silence,"I take it you're going after her then." She said to me, her tone sharp. No doubt they had already had this conversation between themselves. That means they already knew my answer.

"Yes." I told her– told them.

"You think we can spare the weapons?" Joel asked Tommy, pointing to me, then himself,"For the both of us."

"Joel, now think about this," Tommy said, reasoning leaking from every syllable,"I can't have you both leaving mysteriously. Everyone will panic."

"Everyone will already start to panic, Tommy." Maria snapped, thumb and forefinger punching the bridge of her nose in thought,"If Jupiter's been taken– we don't even know the first place to look for her." I glanced down at the page again and this time I couldn't fight the smile that tugged at my lips. Smart, Jupiter. Very smart.

"Actually," I managed to whisper, bringing the page closer to my face to make out the authors words that had been circled by red. Probably the same red that had been used on the wall in the bathroom. I forced down the thought of the blood being from Jupiter,"I think I do."

Kansas, Holcomb.

Thank you
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