Now You Miss Me

F I V E

Punches and Pain

Daniel

I'm in the punching room. No, not the "gym". The Punching Room.

It's been a week since we arrived at the strange house the Eye is hosting us in. It's grand and gorgeous, but so empty that when I pace the hallway outside my room at night, the echoes engulf me.

I haven't seen Henley since she revealed what she knew about Jack... Or Archibald? I don't know what to think anymore.. I don't know what to do. I get the feeling Lula's already sensed somethings up, but she's left me to my own devices.

Until now.
It's late evening and after an early dinner (without Henley), we have all retired to our rooms.

I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in Lula. "
"Hey Atlas I was just wondering if you.. Wait, how'd you know it was me? "
"A magician never tells. "
"But an arrogant know-it-all does. C'mon Atlas, spill. "
"Fine."

I snap my book shut. No use reading it right this instant anyway. Once a favorite, always a favorite.

"The boots you're wearing are made somewhere in Boston I presume, and are rare; in that the heel is hollow, which makes for a very distinctive sound when you walk."

"Oh." She looks disappointed for some reason. But then her gaze alights on the bedside table. Her eyes light up when she sees the title of the book. Oh bother she's going to...

"Is that what I think it is?"
She looks like a kid on Christmas morning.
I clench my fists and relax. Breathe in, breathe out.

"It's a classic," I bite out.

Wuthering Heights is the book. Surprised and Amused are the expressions on Lola's face.

" Hey, " she says, raising both hands up, palms facing the ceiling . A symbol of surrender.
"You will get no judgment from me. "

" I'm glad , " I say, and deflate a little. Keeping up a robotic persona is exhausting, despite how effortless I make it look.

Lula looks at me, sympathy shining through in her eyes.

"C'mon, I want show you something," she says, while gesturing out to the hallways.

I raise an eyebrow quizzically but follow her  without question. I wonder when that happened, I think to myself.

When did I stop questioning every little thing everyone around me did?

I'm brought out of my reverie by the stop of the clack - clacking of Lula's boots.

"And where exactly, have you brought me?" I say, trying to inject the usual amount of  contempt into the sentence.

Lula flashes me a look that says You're not fooling anyone buddy.

''This'', she says, and with a flourish,  opening the door, she reveals a long room with large floor length windows and punching bags, "is the Punching Room."
 

       Three days later....

Henley

It's been a week and a half , says my brain.
Honey, trust me, it's been longer than that down here, my heart reports back.

After the confrontation with Dan last week, I've been avoiding him. There, I said it. Who wouldn't? He used to be my.. Something. He used to be something. I'm so stupid for hoping that it would be even close to what we had if I came back.

Ugh I can't do this anymore, I have to get out.

With that I force myself out of bed, where I've been in basically all day. 

On my way out of my quarters (suites, would be a more appropriate word, the Eye doesn't slum it) I see a few cards being tossed in the air in the courtyard. It's Jack, teaching Lula how to throw cards. They look so lovely together. I ache for all the cute moments I missed, and wondered different Lula would mind telling me more about how they got to know each other.

Lula turns and sees me approaching, and her look of intense concentration melts into one of pleasant surprise.

"There you are... So good to actually see some colour in your cheeks." she says warmly.

I beam at her and reply, "The trick is in a quick flick of the wrist", I say, gesturing towards her hand that still holds the 7 of diamonds.

The sound of a throat being cleared breaks Lula Nas I our of our love fest, and I turn to look at Jack, his ears bright pink, looking at the ground.

A lump grows in my throat.

"Uhh Lu.. Could you Uh... Give Henley and I a minute, please?"

"Sure babe" Lula chirps while pressing a quick kiss to Jacks cheek, leaving a red blot.

She turns around to leave and shoots Jack a look I can't decipher.

Sympathy? Appreciation?

I can't place it.

Jack finally looks up and I see his eyes are sad. He clears his throat again.

" I don't think I've ever told anyone this, but.. I had an older sister. "

I gasp. There was nothing in the brief about this. Not just that, the fact that Jack is choosing to tell me this is a... dare I say it... A peace offering?

The largest peace offering I've ever heard of.

Seeing my reaction, he tenses up a little but soldiers on.

"Her name was Amelie and she uhh.. Well she passed away when I was 10. She was cold and cunning around everyone else, but with me, she.. She was warm and protective. "

" Her death wrecked me, and to be quite honest, I don't think I'll ever recover. But when I met you... When I started really trusting all of you guys.. I felt like I had got a piece of her back, in you. "

"I don't care of this means I'm horrible but I trusted you more than I trusted anyone else on the team. And I thought you trusted me. So when you left," his voice cracks and the tears in my eyes still over, "it was like this, little piece of Amelie I had just gotten back was gone."

I'm full out bawling now. I'm cracking and Jack knows this. He pulls me closer in a warm hug. I wish I could tell him everything.

Henley, this beautiful kind boy just told you you remember him of his sister. You can trust him.

So I decide to tell him.
Everything.