Don't you remember?

September 19th: Fight

Bellamy turns down Mainstreet and then again down Burr-street. He pulls over silently parking the car. He stares forward, and the rest of us just stare at him. I have never seen him look the way he does now.
"Where would we find Jake?"he asks deadpan.
"Hell no."I snap quickly. Anyone but him. Just no. God no. He's the one I fear the most to see again.
"He won't agree to any of this."states Lacey dryly.
"Did I ask for a Fucking opinion? Where would I find him."Growls Bellamy making us all flinch. He wasn't one for being harsh.
"He works part time at the Mulligan's Orchard."Says Lacey quietly. I look down at my hands as he restarts the truck and takes a sharp turn towards the farm. Jake cut all ties with us after the funeral. He even went so far as to pretend he never knew us and joined the track team and wrestling team among others. He immersed himself in those pastimes. Maybe he did it to see how many concussions it would take to forget. Not a bad idea I guess.

We let the silence fill the car. None of us dare say anything that could increase the unbearable tension. Lacey glances at me every once in a while. She looks at me as if this is all my fault. If I had the choice, it would just be Eliza, Bellamy, and I. Lacey and Jake have completely lost themselves. For a while, I tried convincing myself that change is good, but some changes leave people forgetting who they once were. Eliza moves her arm over to her lap grabbing her wrist. Something catches my attention in the corner of my eye. Lacey tugs down her soccer shorts ever so slightly, and I notice a few small faded scars lining her thigh. I guess we all had our moments. Some of us just hid it a hell of a lot better.

The orchard is about six miles out of town where the trees grow less densely and the soil is better. Every once in a while, I will see a tuft of orange hair among the trees when I drive by. Jake's hair is something that used to make him very different, but around eighth grade, he began cutting it off. He then dyed it an inky black color. It reminded me eerily of him, so the day I saw it in the halls I nearly lost my mind. They used to wrestle all the time in the clover fields that spot the forest. Bellamy would stop them before it got too rough, but they would just laugh and tackle Bellamy. They knew he was smaller, so they were always gentle towards him. It set them apart. They never made Bellamy feel different. I study him closely. He is no longer a small child, in fact, he looks far wiser than his age would expect him to look. My eyes linger on the charm that swings from his overhead dashboard. The small emerald swings methodically from side to side. If the sun were out, I'd imagine that the emerald would catch the light in an amazing way.
"Where did you get that?"asks Lacey gesturing her hand to the charm.
"He gave it to me."Bellamy says without any distinct emotion. He glances up at the charm but quickly moves his attention back to the endless stretch of road. Lacey looks away from it as if the object itself is a curse.
"How are we going to get him to come?"Asks Eliza shifting her eyes between us all.
"We ask?"says Bellamy still vaguely annoyed.
"He won't come if we just ask."Lacey draws out."He isn't exactly Mr. Compassionate."
"Then we tell."Bellamy grips the wheel tighter as he says this speeding the car up ever so slightly.

"Bell, I'm sorry, but what exactly is happening? You're gone for ages. No letters. No phone calls. Not even a fucking email telling us why you left or when you'll be home. Then you show up out of nowhere and expect us all the be ready to jump back into the past?!"Bursts Eliza.

"I-I'm sorry, but I have to do this, and I cannot tell you until the moment is right. Please, please just trust me?"He said his voice breaking."You will understand soon."

"Why don't we leave things in the past...?"Lacey whispers looking down at her hands. I almost agree with her. This is madness. Bellamy's truck turns down a long gravel road with a groan heading up the hill. Twisting crooked apple trees surround us from all directions. People dot the rows carrying wooden crates full of the green sour apples. The sour apples are the staple food of the fall festival.

"He's probably somewhere in the maze of trees."Sighs Lacey looking out through endless labyrinth that is Mulligan's Orchard. I roll down the window and let the crisp fall air come rushing in blowing my hair back. I feel a shiver run down my spine. Bellamy parks at the top of the hill where the large barn and farmers market lies. We all jump out of the car and look at Bellamy with a mix of annoyance and confusion. How does he expect us to find Jake? There's one hundred acres of apple trees we'd have to look through.

"Well?"Says Lacey snarkily. "Where do we go from here?"
"Do you remember when we would come here to pick Apples when we were really small?"Says Bellamy. I remember those times. We would put on our boots and sweaters and spend an afternoon just as all the leaves were in full colour falling gently to the ground, when the air smelled of crisp leaves and cinnamon, and when the apples were ripe and sour. We would pick a basket full of them, and Bellamy's father would make the best apple cider in existent that night as we sat in his living room watching movies.
"Of course,"Says Eliza fondly. "How could any of us forget?"
"Well, ever wonder how my father learned to make apple cider?"Bellamy smiled softly."the man himself.."
"Mr. Mulligan? THE Mr. Mulligan?"Lacey gawked. I was shocked. I didn't think the old man would tell anyone his secret cider recipe, nor did I have any idea Bellamy's connection with him.
"That's the man. My father and him are close. I called him a few days ago, and if he did as I asked, Jake is standing just inside the market. Waiting. For what? He has no idea."
Bellamy turns on his polished dressed shoes and walks towards the open door of the market. We follow in toe. Lacey gives me a look I have not seen in many years. The "is this going to end well?" look. As Bell walks through the door I hear something clatter to the ground. I quickly step in front of the door frame to see what it was. Jake stands frozen on his feet staring at Bellamy. His bright eyes flicker to the rest of us, and I see something gleam in his eyes. Anger? No. Sadness? Possibly? He shifts his focus back to Bellamy, and I notice he is clenching his fists.
"What. The. Fuck!?" He grabs Bellamy by the collar and pins him against the wall before any of us have time to react.
"J-Jake, please let go! Let me explain!"Bellamy pleads.
"What are you doing back here? You Fucking left like a coward. Why the fuck are you back?!"Growls Jake. He stares into Bellamy's eyes so intensely I swear he must be staring into an entirely new universe. Jake is still far bigger than Bellamy, and I see Bellamy's shoulders start to shake. 

"J-Jake, p-please. . . ."Whimpers Bellamy weakly. Tears well in his big green eyes, and I see Jake's intensity waver. He lets him go and looks down at his feet.

"Why are all of you here?"He asks quietly. 

"I cannot tell you, but please, we need you to do this."Bellamy says looking to all of us."One last time?"