Troubles of Faux

CHAPTER 2.2 || JERYL, JERYL, WHO ART THOU?

"You've been staring at me for the past ten minutes."

"I have the right to stare."

"Yeah, staring without moving, without changing facial expression. It almost seems like you're in a trance, but you're still here, conscious and alive."

"Oh, I'm conscious all right. Can I ask of you a favor?"

"What might the Faux girl require of me?"

"The truth."

Jeryl frowned for a bit, but just for a moment. His expression quickly laxed up. "What do you mean?"

"A Vaux map. From Panphilia."

"Is this about the map I got from Panphilia?"

"Stop being daft, Jeryl, and tell me why you gave the Professor an altered map."

Jeryl shifted a bit on his chair, making it look like he was adjusting. She could've suggested something else, but...who knows? It isn't very rewarding to jump into conclusions and go as far as utter them in form of accusations. Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Addams would tell you that.

"What makes you think it was an altered map?"

"I don't know, Jeryl. You tell me."

"Well, Panphilia mentioned the map was the most recent he had. And I took it because...where else would you find a complete map of Vaux?"

Jenrette cocked her head. "And did you mention that to the Professor?"

"Mention what?"

"That Panphilia's map was the most recent map he had, and not the most recent map there is."

"I'm not...sure–" Jeryl cocked his head to the side a little and squinted a bit "–why you're asking all these questions, Jenrette because...they're beginning to seem a little...accusing."

"Maybe that's because it is."

Jeryl stood up, causing the chair to scratch against the tiled dining floor, rambling up a wooden noise. Then he spread his arms to the sides. "What are you accusing me of, Jenrette? More importantly, why are you even accusing me? I thought we were supposed to be working together to...you know, take down Vaux?"

"You tell me, Jeryl." Jenrette lifted her head off the flattened-out knuckles and let the hand fall straight, still resting on the armchair. Then she pushed herself off the cushion and stood. "We're supposed to be taking down Vaux. Why does it seem like you're not committed to the cause of the Professor and your fellow Bloids? Afterall, you did give them an outdated map." Then she shrugged. "Or if I know Vaux well, a wrong map!"

Jeryl began to walk towards the sitting room. He frowned, looking confused, and spread his arms even wider and higher. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Jenrette! You're being ridiculous right now!"

"Alright, alright, Jeryl," she said, waving away with her palm. "I'll believe you didn't have a part in the Bloids first woeful failure."

Jeryl closed his eyes and then facepalmed himself. "Why would you say that?" he said.

"What I want to know now, is..."

"Go to bed, Jenrette," Jeryl snapped, opening his eyes. He didn't look as relaxed as he was. She felt he was getting worked up. "I'm your perfect host, and it's my duty to see you get a first night rest."

"Just a minute, Jeryl..."

"No, Jenrette! You're going to bed, and you're going now!"

Jenrette frowned a bit, confused at Jeryl's change of tone. Then her face relaxed, realizing that he wasn't getting worked up because of a long day. He was getting upset.

She put out an arm to plead for her cause and began, "Jeryl..."

"Now you shut your traps, Faux girl!"

Jenrette's eyes went wide.

"You come into my house, and the Professor is only pleased and honored to have a Faux in his house. I try to be good to you, but instead you tease me on and on, and then you accuse me of being responsible for a plan gone wrong and the deaths of hundreds of innocent people fighting for their state. Do you even know the gravity of what you're inferring?"

Jenrette's eyes and entire consciousness were fixed on Jeryl's taut face and aggressively moving lips, and she didn't even know when she took a step back. She was never one to be scared of people's anger or anything else they gave off, which made her question whether it was indeed his anger she was taken aback by, or the fact that he was losing it because she'd accused him...wrongly? Wait, was he right? Maybe the whole map thing was just a mishappening, an unfortunate incident that prompted series of more unfortunate incidents. And he didn't even know that.

For a second, looking at Jeryl's upset expression, Jenrette swore she felt a tugging pain in her chest.

"Go to bed, Jenrette! Or I won't be responsible for you in this house anymore! You're a Faux, you can take care of yourself better than I can do for you." Then he shut his lips tight and his jaw clenched. Then he turned around, his back facing her. "And the Professor can't do anything about it." And with that, he began to walk away.

Jenrette felt her lip fall apart without control. She watched him go, climbing up the stairs without even sparing her so much as a flash look. And the further he left, the more her heart tugged. Painfully.

But then her dark personality began to creep over her and the nagging feeling seeing Jeryl painfully storm away began to recede immediately she spotted the necklace hanging off his curled fingers. And they disappeared with him when he passed into a hidden section of the house. The symbol etched on the necklace was vivid before her, but her mind once again failed to process where she'd seen it.

The feeling that she associated with that symbol wasn't a good one. This was the reason she couldn't forget it, and the reason she was very much bothered that something like that, that gave off a dangerous vibe, was before her very eyes, present in her very stay.

Ugh! That aside!

She lifted her foot and began to jog after Jeryl wherever he might have gone. She turned a quick swerve, hand gripping the rail, and began to ascend up the stairs, her shoes making a soft rumbling noise as she bounded up the stairs. His scent was still fresh, and the trail was clear. She would find him. She had to find him. She had to...apologize.

She being wrong or not, apology needed or not, there was something strange happening within these walls. And she'd only realized that in only one night. Good thing she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, as long as she had to, according to Jeryl. She had enough to time to figure it all out, and at the same time pull what she was really here to do.