Back In Time

Chapter 1- Plot

    Chapter 1-Plot
   

Magda is sitting on the cozy couch while she looks at the clock impatient. 12 o'clock, and no calls from her older daughter, ' that's it' she thinks.
    -She's so grounded- she says as she gets up from the couch unsteady. On the other hand Joe, her husband, who was almost asleep wakes up again and glances at her walking to the door for the twelfth time.
    -Just give her some time- he says yawning.
    -Joe, it's not like her at all to go out with her friends and not even give us a call. I'm worried and it's late- she stares at him as he yawns again, she grabs a pillow and throws at him, he dodges -You should be worried too.
    -Darling, she's fine, you'll see in five minutes or so she'll be home and you will have nothing to worry about, let this one slip- he stands, walks up to Magda and hugs her -She's a teenager, I bet you did the same things.
    -Maybe- she gives out a laugh -But I learned it the hard way whatever I do always has a consequence, she should too.
    -You're right, later we'll discuss about her punishment. Now you should rest, I'll watch from now- he massages her back and sings to her as they both cuddle on the couch.
    Slowly they end up falling asleep, completely forgetting about everything. Later that morning they both wake up with someone knocking on their door. Confused and tangled on one another they rush to the door. Magda opens the door and sees a policeman.
-Good morning Ma'am- he says respectfully.
-Good Morning officer, what brings you here?- Magda says.
- Are you Magda Spencer, Ruelle's mother?
-Yes, I am.
-I got a phone call at the station, earlier this morning. Ruelle apparently called us at 12 a.m. and she was crying out for help. It was just a couple of seconds but gave us a eerie feeling about it. So we tried locating the call but we couldn't find the location, we thought it was probably a prank but we still decided to come talk to you in the morning. Is there anyway to confirm she's okay? - he says.
-Yeah... yes, come in- she widens the door inviting him in.
-Ruelle, Honey, Ruelle- Joe and Magda yell out for her, but nothing.
They go upstairs calling out for her. They open her room's door. The bed is the same way she left last night. Her stuff hadn't been touched. They both look at each other as their heart drops already thinking of the worse thing possible. Quickly they walk into Jesse's room, they wake her up hoping she will know where her sister is.
-Where is your sister? Jesse? Where is she?- they yell at her as they shake her to wake up.
-I... I don't know, why?- she says between yawns but soon gets worried- What happened?- she tries to catch up on them, but none of them is explaining what's happening. Jesse picks up the phone to find no call or messages, she quickly unlocks and tries calling Ruelle several times and no response from her- She's not picking up.
-Call her... her friends, they might know where she is- Magda runs over her words. Jesse calls Audrey and after a while she picks up - Audrey, hi, have you seen my sister?
-No, she didn't show up last night at the camp, I haven't seen her since yesterday morning- Audrey says laughing between the joke someone is saying in the background -why?
Magda violently takes the phone off Jesse's hands- Where's my daughter, Audrey? She was suppose to be with you, where the hell is she?
-I don't know Mrs. Spencer, she never got to the place we planned- she gets defensive.
-What do you mean? My daughter called me yesterday evening saying she was with you, are you saying she was lying? Why would she fucking lie?- Magda loses control.
-I... I don't know, she just wasn't there- Audrey repeats.
She drops the phone with trembling hands and fear of not know where her daughter is or what happened to her daughter. "Would she run away? And why would she do it?"
Magda gets downstairs finding the police officer patiently waiting for them.
She's not here and we tried calling her but she won't respond to any of our calls.
-Maybe she'll be back - Joe hopes.
-Or maybe she won't Joe- Magda cries out.

1 years Later
   
A year has passed and no one ever found Ruelle, not even clues of where she was or who saw her last. Ruelle's family only saw her leaving the house to go encounter her friends and never to be seen again. Her friends say she never met them. But somehow everyone ends up having different hypotheses of what might have happened. Maybe she got kidnaped or she ran away. There's so many maybes but no actual answer.
Gradually people started giving up on the searches for Ruelle. Hundreds became fifty, fifty became nine, nine became three and then their hopes were gone. One full year looking for someone who is theoretically dead. People had to keep living their lives even if it was difficult. Ruelle's parents would go to work and come home uneasy and unsteady. Her mom sometimes would fall asleep on the couch forgetting that she'll never be back. Joe tries to pretend he's strong but some nights, at midnight, he goes downstairs to get a cup of water and sees the big picture of Ruelle and it pains him so much that he ends up crying. No one is brave enough to take it off the wall. They would rather cry because of it than discard it. Every time Jesse sees the picture she avoids looking at it for too long because of the look in Ruelle's eyes. She swears that since the moment Ruelle disappeared her eyes changed in the picture. Her eyes look so profound like they are aching. No one seems to see it but Jesse.
    Jesse sometimes dreams of her sister. For example, they're laying in a beautiful garden staring at the moon. They never say anything to each other ,but soon the dream turns into a nightmare; The beautiful garden slowly dies and the moment she looks at Ruelle, she appears dead. Sometimes Jesse looks at her own reflection in the mirror and for a brief second her sister is right behind her. These hallucinations were so problematic for Jesse that eventually she found other ways to feel more relieved. Maybe, that's why she's afraid to roll up her sleeves in public, or even go home with scarlet eyes when all her parents do is get even more frustrated and yell. For her, home was the time when Ruelle was there.
    It's the first day of school and Jesse's Junior year. She always goes to school earlier in the first day. She sits by the main entrance looking at everyone who comes to school. At seven thirty, Ruelle's friends show up. Her best friend, Audrey, parks her car in the usual spot. She gets out of the car, her charming long dark hair dancing with the wind, she grabs her chanel bag in one hand and on the other her usual Starbucks coffee. Then... Ruelle comes out. A light skinned girl with black curly hair, hazel eyes shining as she looks around, she sees Jesse and her expression changes. She looks depressed. Jesse stands up to hug her sister but as soon people pass by she realizes that it's only her paranoia. Instead of Ruelle she sees Stacy. The perfect blonde girl every guy wants to get. A girl who came out of a Victoria's Secret model agency. And for last, Miriam. A dark skinned girl, who has asiatic eyes, she has a great sense of fashion and beauty. These three girls were literally beautiful, popular and rich. Everyone wants to be them. They walk through the entrance ignoring Jesse's presence with small talks. Last year they used to give her the "oh I feel sorry for you" smile and lower their eyes so they wouldn't make eye contact with her. They were practically best friends with her sister, and they were the first people ones giving up on looking for her and moved on with their lives.
     Then they show up, most popular guys in school. Dylan, the most handsome light skinned guy with green eyes, she ever seen in her life. Jesse has the hugest crush on him since 8th grade, yet she never confessed to him. It's not like he's going to give her attention or even talk to her. The second is Mark, the most arrogant person in the football team, or the entire school. He's caucasian ,and also hot, but it doesn't change the fact that he's an ass. And for last Ruben, another caucasian guy who always had this mystery going on with him. He's kind of reserved but also outgoing. Sometimes he seems to be bipolar. Jesse looks around to find Ruelle's boyfriend, but can't see him. It was weird because he would always come with the football team members, unless he dropped out, but why would he do that? She ends  up just going to class and forgetting about it.
    Couple hours later, in lunch period Jesse sits on the table behind Audrey's group. The football guys come in and go directly to them. For her surprise, Stacy started dating Dylan, and Miriam is dating Ruben. Weird couple, and heartbreaking for Jesse.
-Have any of you seen Jayden?- Audrey asks worried.
-No, but I know that he quit the Football team- Dylan says.
-What?- Audrey yells- He wouldn't do that, he loves football and he wouldn't miss the first day of school- then she lowers her voice.
The coach said he came here last week and said he didn't want to be on the football team anymore, he said he seemed strange- Ruben says quietly.
Everyone stays silent for a couple of minutes.
-Anyways how is your relationship with him going?- Mark says arrogantly, shocking Jesse completely. 'How could she ever date her best friend's boyfriend'.
-Shhh- Miriam signals as they all look at Jesse shocked staring at them.
At that moment Jesse was so revolted inside that she didn't care anymore, she wanted to speak up and tell Audrey that was wrong and she should end it. She got up, went up to them.
-How dare you?- she says quietly in tears- How dare you date my sister's boyfriend, your best friend's boyfriend? How can you do something like that to her knowing how much they liked each other?
-Jesse, please, let's talk somewhere else- Audrey -walks up to her and grabs Jesse's wrist trying to pull her out of the cafeteria.
-No, Audrey we're fine here... Now speak up. My sister leaves to go hang out with you and never comes back, everyone keeps getting these theories about my sister, then you give up looking for your freaking best friend, your one and  only friend who you would give up everything to be with her ,and then you go and date her boyfriend, the guy who she liked since childhood?
-Jesse, please...- she interrupts Audrey.
What kind of best friend is that? Answer me you bitch- Jesse throws the coffee right in Audrey's face. Audrey completely changes, runs up to Jesse and jumps on top of her; they both fall on the floor and Audrey keeps slapping Jesse. Jesse takes control and punches her on the face, everyone gathers around them recording everything. Dylan suddenly grabs Audrey and Ruben grabs Jesse. Then the principal and and the security come and drags them both to the office. They both end up getting suspended for the day, just because of my sister's missing which still seems to be a validated excuse.
Later on that day, when Jesse decides to go home is already late. As soon as she walks in the house she sees her parents in front of the tv listening closely to the news, and at the same time they're shocked. And suddenly a picture of Jayden shows up on the news, and the woman says " Jayden Albino was found dead at the Oakland Forest; the police is not sure yet what was the cause of his death but they suspect is suicide. We're still waiting for more information about his death. Back to you Roger."
They all look at each other speechless. Nothing is actually making sense, "why would he ever commit suicide?" they think."Does it have anything to do with my sister? But why would he do it now? A year later? This doesn't make any sense" Jesse drowns on her thoughts as they all look at the big picture of Ruelle on the wall.
That evening no one had enough courage to actually say anything to one another. They didn't even have any clue on what to believe in and no one would advance that information about his death. When it was night they went to their room still wordless. Magda's and Jesse's consciousness was so heavy that they didn't fall asleep. In the middle of night Magda gets up and goes to Ruelle's room. She stares at Ruelle's pictures on the wall, approaches the closet, opens it and picks one of Ruelle's pink fuzzy sweater and holds it tight in her arm.
-What happened to you my babygirl?- She starts tearing up, searching for Ruelle's scent on her sweater, but then throws the sweater to the floor, angered leaves the room locking the door behind her. She goes to Jesse room and sees her asleep, or pretending to be. She closes the door and goes back to her bedroom, gets in the warm bed and cuddles with Joe.
As the long night goes by, Jesse gets up, passes through Ruelle's room and surprisingly her door is closed, she goes to twist the doorknob, but surprisingly her mom starts calling her to go eat. She hurries downstairs and sits at the table. Finding her mom making breakfast and for once her mom has a smile on her face, and her Dad is talking to mom instead of reading the newspaper and for the first time in a year Jesse felt like she was home even if it didn't include Ruelle.
-Good morning Mom, good morning Dad- Jesse says feeling smiling endlessly as she gives them both a kiss.
-Good morning, honey- her mom sets the table, as her dad starts telling jokes.
-Mom, did you close Ruelle's door?- Jesse hesitates as she sees her mom's smile disappear when she asks the question.
-Yes, I'm thinking of starting to get rid of some stuff and I don't want us to think about these things anymore.
    Jesse looks in the living room and sees that Ruelle's picture is not there anymore.
-Are you sure this is the best way?- she asks them.
-It's the only way, Jesse- Dad says- We can't be stuck to this house or this part of our lives much longer. Ruelle is gone and that's not going to change.
-I agree with your dad in this- She tries to smile but she gives up.
-If you are okay with this, so am I.
-Thank you, honey- Magda hugs her daughter tight and then sits at the table with them but realizes she forgot the cups. She gets up to get them and Jesse hears a weird noise upstairs but pretends nothing happens, then she hears the noise again.
-Did you guys hear that?- She gets anxious and nervous as she looks at her parents.
-No.... -her mom responds- Can you help me with the....- she stops her sentence when Jesse gets up to go help her and her face changes when she looks towards the stairs; She gets pale like a ghost, the cups she has on her hands falls shattering all over the floor, her body begins to shake, she's breathing fast and then at the top of her lungs she screams looking terrified to the stairs , Jesse and Joe look at the same direction she's looking and Ruelle is just standing there wearing her pink fuzzy sweater and pajama shorts, her hazel eyes shining, her black curly hair is all messy, she gets scared and confused with Magda's scream.
-What's wrong?- Ruelle breaks the silence with a raspy voice.