WHAT LIES BENEATH THE GRAVESTONE

chapter 12: Jasmine's anger

Jamie tucks his phone securely into his pocket, the weight of the impending conversation at the cafe heavy in his mind, like a burden he couldn't shake off. As he began to walk away, the crunch of gravel beneath his feet the only sound breaking the silence, Grant's voice abruptly cut through his thoughts, a sharp blade slicing through the tension.

"And where do you think you're off to?" Grant's words were a challenge, a gauntlet thrown, his tone a mixture of curiosity and accusation, as if Jamie's every move was subject to his scrutiny.

Jamie stopped in his tracks, turning to face Grant with a measured calmness, his eyes narrowing slightly as he searched for answers in Grant's inscrutable expression. "Grant, I still don't really understand what happened between us," he began, his voice a slow, deliberate probe into the unresolved tension between them. "First, you told me it wasn't my fault what happened, then suddenly you started avoiding me and said it was my fault." The words hung in the air, a heavy, unspoken accusation, as Jamie's eyes searched Grant's face for any glimmer of understanding.

He sighed, the weight of unresolved tension between them heavy in the air, a palpable force that seemed to press down on them both. "I get that forgiveness isn't on the table," Jamie continued, his voice laced with a hint of resignation, "but what's Travis got to do with Adela?" The question was a gentle prod, a cautious attempt to unravel the tangled threads of their complicated relationships.

Grant's face was an unreadable mask, his expression unchanged, as if carved from stone, his eyes giving away nothing, like a locked door with no key in sight. The silence between them grew, a living, breathing thing, as Jamie waited for a response, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat in the darkness.

Jamie shook his head, a mixture of frustration and urgency in his voice, like a stormy sea crashing against the shore. "I need to go now," he said, his words a decisive break from the stifling conversation, as he turned away from Grant and strode towards the cafe, driven by the need for answers that seemed just within reach, like a mirage on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Bart lay sprawled on his bed, the room's silence shattered by the sudden ring of the doorbell, a jarring intrusion that made him wince. He trudged downstairs, curiosity piqued, his feet heavy with a lingering fatigue, and swung the door open to reveal Roderick and Jasper standing there, their faces etched with concern, like two sentinels guarding a secret.

Together, they settled into the living room, the air thick with unspoken questions, as Roderick and Jasper took seats on a couch opposite Bart, their eyes fixed on him like searchlights probing the darkness. Jasper broke the ice, his voice laced with concern, like a gentle breeze on a summer's day. "So, why'd you bail on school, Bart?" he asked, his words a gentle prod, a cautious attempt to unravel the tangled threads of Bart's mysterious absence.

Bart averted his gaze, his eyes skittering away from the probing stares of his friends, like a wild animal avoiding capture. "Oh, I'm just... not feeling great, that's all," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper, a fragile, cracked thing, like a leaf torn from its branch. The silence that followed was oppressive, a heavy blanket that suffocated the room, as Roderick and Jasper exchanged a knowing glance, their faces a map of worry and suspicion.

Roderick turned to Bart, a knowing look in his eyes, a glint of "I told you so" that seemed to say he had predicted this all along. "See? Didn't I tell you he was probably just sick or something?" he said, addressing Jasper but keeping his eyes fixed on Bart, his gaze a steady, piercing beam that seemed to bore into Bart's very soul.

Jasper leaned in, his curiosity unsated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he feared being overheard by unseen ears. "Um, Bart, have you had any... strange dreams lately?" he asked tentatively, his words a gentle probe, a cautious attempt to unravel the tangled threads of Bart's mysterious absence.