Finding Jordyn

Chapter Thirteen: Congrats on Not Getting Kidnapped (Again)

Jordyn's pov.

The alarm went off and I groaned as I realized Taylor's arm was in my ribcage and Carter's foot was on my head. We had fallen asleep in Carter's bed last night. All three of us. And apparently we all slept like wild monkeys on cocaine judging by the positions we woke up in. "Yesterday was insane," Taylor commented. "No shit." I grumbled. "Should we even go to school today?" Carter asked and Taylor grumbled but stood up, "we should get back to normal." We went downstairs and Elizabeth stood there over the toaster. "Want eggs? Or toast or a waffle, I can make a waffle." Elizabeth rambled. "I haven't had a waffle in like ten years," I said annoyed. "Stop fussing mom, you're making it weird." Taylor said. "The last 72 hours have been objectively weird." Carter said and I nodded, "true."

"Want a ride to school?" Elizabeth asked. "No. Thank you, we're fine." Carter said politely and grabbed her car keys. Max and Grant came into the kitchen. Oh right, we were a full house now. "Morning," I chirped at him and he smiled. "Morning armadillo," Carter greeted Grant. Grant was playing his game console. "Isn't it a little early for murder music?" I asked him and he turned it off, "Not in this house." "Grant.." I trailed off and he sighed, "You're here. Carter's here. Taylor's here. Max is here. And that crazy lady is in prison. Everything's really okay now?" I nodded, "everything's okay Grant."

Max had physical therapy. Taylor had a test. Carter was trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. And I.. I was skipping class to hang out with Ofe under the bleachers. I had told Ofe what Lori had said at the diner. "So.. she is your mother then.. Biologically and you still... you still call her mom." Ofe recapped and I nodded, "Elizabeth said that we can't see her.. Carter wants to know why. I get what she's talking about.. I want the truth too but I.. I can't stop picturing that woman attacking Elizabeth.. The gun so carelessly in her hands like it should be there. It reminds me of Crash. Crash shot Max.. could my mom.. Could she really have hurt me or Carter or Taylor?" Ofe put a hand on my shoulder, "I think that you know the answer to that question." I sighed, "I love her. She's my mother." Ofe smiled slightly, "I know."

We met up with Bird, Gabe, and Carter who were giggling like sociopathic schoolgirls. "Okay so we agreed that you guys almost getting abducted again was horrible and we can't live without you so we're throwing a welcome back Carter party." Bird said happily. "and of course Jordyn's happy-that-you-didn't-get-kidnapped-again-party" Gabe said with a smirk. I shared a look with Carter, "I'm guessing that you two are friends again?" I asked and Carter nodded, "you missed the tearful reunion." I rolled my eyes, "I suppose she could do worse in the friend department.. But get her arrested again and I'm making good on my threat, okay?" Bird smirked, "wouldn't expect anything less." Carter looked between us cautiously, "did I miss something?" Ofe chuckled, "quite a lot but it's okay. I got this one." Ofe held me in his arms and I smiled. "So that's like.. Officially a thing?" Gabe asked slightly disappointed and I smiled, "yes." Ofe fist bumped Bird.

"Are you coming to Bird's party?" I asked Ofe later while we were back at the house and he groaned, "got that econ project with Taylor." "You're lucky I'm not a jealous person." I said and he smiled, "don't worry, you're the only crazy girl in my life." "I better be," I said and kissed him. "Fine. Have fun studying with my studious twin sister," I said and he kissed me one more time before disappearing into Taylor's room while I got ready in the room next door before heading to Bird's with Carter and Max. It was okay that we were this way. Different was okay.

Max handed me and Carter a shot of something. "May the wind be upon your back, and the sun be upon your face. Welcome home, Carter. Hey Jordyn, don't get kidnapped out this place." Max toasted. "Amen!" Gabe shouted and we laughed before taking the shot. Max stopped though and made a rare face for him, an angry one. "Max?" I asked but he pushed past us and walked towards the one person I didn't want to ever see again. Crash. "Woah.." Gabe said a little drunkenly. I grabbed Gabe's arm and looked over at Carter who was thinking way too hard about her next action.

"Look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shown up at the rehab place." Crash started to say but Carter rushed over and I followed after her. "How are you here?" Carter asked him. "He's been following me around." Max growled out. "It's really not okay that you're here," Gabe said and I stared at Crash, "I told you that you had to let her go. You promised." "I'm just here to talk to Max," Crash said. "He doesn't want to talk to you. None of us do." I said angrily. Crash put his hands up and walked away but Carter ran after him. "Carter!" I shouted after her. Bird held Gabe back from interfering. 

I let them talk for a minute before Gabe couldn't stop himself and walked towards him and I ran after him. Gabe shoved Crash but Crash wouldn't fight him back. "I'm not fighting anyone anymore." Crash said a little too honestly. Crap. I believed him. He looked over at me and nodded in my direction, "I promise." I narrowed my eyes but we let him leave. 

After that the party was pretty much over and Max drove me and Carter back home. Gabe was also a little drunk in the back seat with me. We sat in his car and I leaned my head against the cool glass window, "Carter.." "I know." Carter said and Max tapped the steering wheel while we sat there silently in the car. Max and I dragged a little too drunk Carter inside the house, Gabe trailing behind using me as walking support, waking up Taylor and Grant. "What's wrong with her?" Grant asked. 'Nothing buddy, just too much beer. Go back to bed," I told him. "No that's not it." Carter complained. "What's she talking about?" Taylor asked. "Nothing, Carter, come on." I tried pulling her to the stairs. "It's not nothing. It's Crash. Who's out of jail." Gabe said, not realizing the chaos he was causing by doing so. "You saw Crash?" Taylor asked in a hurt voice. "Why?" Grant asked angrily. "Gabe punched him and Taylor- I don't love him anymore." Carter drunkenly admitted. "Carter. Let's go." I said and dragged her upstairs with Max and Gabe helping me up the stairs. We put Carter down to bed and then Max stumbled downstairs. I brushed my teeth and came back inside only to find Gabe passed out on my bed and I begrudgingly climbed into bed beside him. Max slept on the air mattress downstairs and Carter sprawled out on her bed.

The next morning I woke up with Gabe's arms wrapped around me. I pushed him off of me, "get off weirdo." "Sorry. I'm a cuddler," he apologized and rolled over. I threw a shoe on the ground at Carter's sleeping body, and Gabe crawled over to me to go to the bathroom. "You slept with Gabe last night?" Carter asked and I flipped her off, "he passed out in my bed and you took up the entirety of yours spider monkey." Gabe left early and in a hurry. We went downstairs and Elizabeth looked at me strangely, "Gabe slept over?" I grabbed a cup of coffee, "I don't want to talk about it." "Good morning," David chimed. Taylor stared at Carter with the same hurt expression as last night. "Taylor I'm sorry, I didn't see him on purpose." Carter defended. "Saw who?" Elizabeth asked. "Crash," Carter admitted. "You saw him?" David asked, concerned. "He showed up at the party. She asked him to leave." I said a little grouchily. "It's my fault. He was looking for me." Max interjected.

Max left to go to physical therapy and we went to school. "Hey I heard about Bird's. Are you okay?" Ofe asked me at my locker and I nodded. Gabe came running over to me, "Hey I'm sorry about last night. Hope I didn't keep you up." I narrowed my eyes, "No. It's fine." Gabe side hugged me and then said hi to Ofe before running off to class. "What was that about?" Ofe asked. I shrugged, "he was too drunk to go home so he crashed at our house last night." "Oh. Where did he sleep?" Ofe asked and I stared up at him, "why does that matter?" "It doesn't." Ofe said. "Me and Gabe are just friends," I said and he nodded, "yeah I know. I would just like to know as your boyfriend where he slept last night." "You think I cheated on you with Gabe?" I asked him, in a hurt voice. "Did you?" He asked me and I pulled away from him, "You're unbelievable." "Just answer the question," he said again and I crossed my arms, "he slept in my bed but nothing happened." "Were you gonna tell me?" Ofe asked and I shook my head, "it doesn't matter." I didn't recognize the look on Ofe's face. "If you don't trust me then I don't know why we're even doing this," I said. "I just want you to tell me things," Ofe said. I scoffed, "I don't need another parent to monitor me." Ofe looked into my eyes, "I know that you've been through a lot recently and I.. I don't want you to break my heart." "You're breaking up with me?" I asked him and he smiled softly, "I think we need a minute to think.." I took a step backwards from him, "there's no magic button to make this make sense. I'm damaged goods Oscar, you said it yourself." "I didn't mean it like that and you know it," he said softly. "I'm not your problem anymore. Now you can go chase after Taylor like I know you wanted. Max is crippled now so she's probably available." I said bitterly to him and his face fell. "I love you," he said. "I don't believe you," I said back. "I know. That's the problem." He said. I searched his eyes for a sign that this was a sick joke but I didn't find it. "Fine," I said and walked away from him. It was for the best.. Wasn't it?