♥; The Game

Chapter 8

*JAY'S POV*

*SAME AFTERNOON*

I shoved my guitar in my locker with a blank expression on my face. This is crazy. Am I dreaming? What's going on? I am seriously confused right now. I must've looked confused, because that's what people thought.

"What's wrong?" said Courtney, from behind me.

"Oh," I said. "Nothing, just thinking. What's wrong with you?"

She wiped her eyes off, drying them. "Well, things aren't going so well with Cory. He pulled me away and we had this, big fight."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. Um, do you know where Jade is?"

"Probably at  her locker."

"Okay. Are you coming home with us today?"

"Yeah, I think so. C'mon, let's go find your sister."

As we walked, Courtney just talked about the fight she'd just had with Cory. It was nothing big, just a n assumption gone to her head. We finally found Jade and had drove home. The sound of sizzling and the aroma of cheese filled the middle floor of her house.

"Do you want grilled cheese, Courtney?" Jade says.

"No, I'm fine." She replied while simultaneously opening up her email.

"I do!" I yell to Jade, plopping down on the brown, fuzzy couch in their living room, longing for some relaxation. I flip on the TV, and change the channel to MTV, which was playing the show, "Awkward." I love that show. (A/N: All time favorite series!)

"Of course you do," Courtney says, staring aimlessly at the computer screen in front of her, which provide just about enough light for the whole east side of the country.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're a guy. Guys are always hungry. If you were to ask my opinion, I would say it's completely disgusting."

"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion."

Jade giggles lightly at our conversation, while slicing my grilled cheese into triangles. Praise the lord! It'd been a very long, and interesting day. She walks over to the couch and hands me my plate, which was blue, my favorite color, and a napkin.

"Why did you give me a napkin?" I said, in a confused tone.

"So you can clean up anything you spill, duh." Jade replied in the I-know-everything tone.

"Well, I don't like napkins. If you're careful, you won't need them! Plus, if you don't use them, which is scientifically proved that you most likely won't, they just end up sitting where you left it, because you don't want to put it back in with the clean napkins, but you don't want to throw it away because it's not used."

Jade stood there, staring at me with a look on her face that had to be the most bland look I've ever seen. Eventually, she took my napkin away and set it on the kitchen counter. I looked back at Courtney, who was still doing lord knows what on the bright machine. I decided I'd check up on her.

"Courtney, doin' okay back there? You've been a little quiet." I yelled.

No response.

Courtney remained staring at the screen with no emotion. I looked at Jade, who was sitting on the other end of the couch, laughing at the TV.

"Jade," I said, followed by me pointing to her somewhat hypnotized sister, and a confused look spread across her face, knowing some thing was wrong.

"Court..?" Jade said, lifting herself off of the couch, and walking slowly and with caution to the back room. You could tell by her worried expression that in her mind, Jade was begging Courtney to reply, in her mind, of course. But surprisingly, she remained mesmerised at whatever was on the screen. As we got closer, Jade got slower. When we finally got to Courtney, Jade worked her way around so she could see the computer screen. She too, stopped and stared at the screen, and I noticed what they're both staring at. It was a video in Courtney's inbox, with Jailene's face as the screen shot. Who the hell would send this? Who the hell took this? Of course, the email address was unavailable. Whoever sent it had good skills of covering up their tracks. 

"Sh-...should I open it?" Courtney said, shaking, but remained with her eyes locked on the email that just sat on the screen. 

"Um, that would be up to you, but I think it would be stupid of you to not open it. Or maybe you shouldn't. Of course you should." I said, trying to think of what's best.

"Stop confusing her, Jay!" Jade shouted, looking at the screen also.

"I'm really sorry, I'm just thinking! I can't figure out what to do. You guys choose."

Jade nudged Courtney in the shoulder, and Courtney took a deep breath, and gulped along with the sound on the mouse clicking on the link. Then, it started. The video started. The screaming and the wind from the speakers started. The flickering light and bloody images of Jailene started. Everything, right then and there, at that moment, started. 

We all knew at that very moment that Jailene was not dead, but indeed being tourchered and held captive by someone who obviously wanted to see Courtney, and Jailene, suffer great measures. Both of the girls remained staring at the screen. It was obvious that nobody here knew what to do next. 

"Jade..?" Courtney said, her voice shockingly fragile.

"Yeah..?" She replied.

"What should we do now?"

"Even though this might not be the most comfortable thing to do, it might be smartest to just lay low and wait for another clue, signal or piece of the puzzle."

"Really?" I said.

"Really. It's what's best, because this gives us no information whatsoever except for the fact that they've kept her alive long enough to tease us by giving us little pieces of information that were the exact opposite of what we needed."