The Invisible World

Chapter 9: Cars

So we let Brian lie down on Jack's couch. It wound up becoming a full-on nap with how quickly he fell asleep and how long he stayed asleep. Then when he woke up, he seemed to drop the issue. I guess I was staying here for the time being.

And so was he, apparently. Jack and I had a little talk with Jenny. She doesn't want him to be by himself for as long as he's injured, so she suggested he stay with us until he felt better. She also explained how tired she was of being his chauffeur. Since he was in no position, and the car was still stolen, he wasn't going anywhere. "He needs people to help him," she said, "and he's still adamant about not telling his parents since he's worried they'll punish him for skipping church."

Still? He's in a vulnerable state. If I were him, I would have called my parents as soon as I could to get their help, punishments be damned. I wonder what sort of upbringing he had if he sees them more as overlords than helpers.

"Also, there's one more thing I'd like to discuss." Jenny snuck a peek at Brian, who was fast asleep on the couch at this point. "That part where he accused you of calling him a spoiled baby, Jack, I can't stop thinking about it."

"Well, I did kind of think he was a spoiled baby."

"And that's the thing! You remember what he said before he left the kitchen. He said you were thinking it. How did he know you were thinking that?"

"What do you think?" Jack asked.

Jenny dropped her head onto the table. "I'm trying to do a Socratic method sort of thing where I lead you to the correct answer. It's a teacher thing."

"Alice's little sister is studying to be a teacher."

"That is not important. What am I supposed to do to get you to figure out that your best friend can read minds now?!"

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

Jenny shrugged. "At least, that's the only possible answer I can think of."

"How can it be the only possible answer when it's not even possible?"

"Anything is possible at this point," Jenny reminded him. "Jack, you are at the hotspot. How are you still surprised about supernatural happenings? We have had not one but two people emerge from a hole to the unknown in your basement. We have encountered a ghost that stole Brian's car, and you're still surprised that he's suddenly developed the ability to read minds?"

Jack sighed. "Okay, fine. So he can read minds now, but how? I'm not going to take your 'it's the supernatural, how are we going to explain it' approach. I am a journalist. We are journalists. We are inquisitors, so let's...inquisit."

"Inquire?"

"Yeah, whatever!"

We looked over at Brian, who was still sleeping. "Let's inquire later, though," Jenny decided.

"You know what we can deal with now?" Jack suggested. "Recovering Brian's car. Did you file a police report?"

"Well, I was pulled over by a cop, and I told him our situation. I hope he filed it for me."

Jack's jaw dropped. "You were pulled over?"

"Yes. For parking in the no parking zone in front of the school. In the middle of the night when no one actually needs to be a the school."

"This is just great. Now we have to worry about paying a parking ticket."

"I let it blow off the windshield. It's their problem now."

Jack mouthed, "What?"

"Just let me call the police. I'll see if they have any updates." Jenny walked over to the phone on the wall and called the police. We heard her speak to whoever was on the other end of the line. "Hello? This is Jenny Danberry. I was wondering if you had any updates on my friend's stolen car." A pause. "Yes, my very good platonic friend, Brian Davis, who just so happens to be male."