Scattered Souls

Chapter 25 - Adventure Time

Getting out of bed the next morning was a mission indeed. I could barely open my eyes, let alone have enough energy to shower and get ready for campus. This resulted in me throwing on the closest non-iron red sweater dress I could find and skipping my usual makeup routine. I was a mess,  however, I needed to get to campus to submit one of my assignments, which I'd barely managed to complete with all the drama I currently had going on.

I had two cups of coffee before campus and I took a few energy bars along for me to survive the day. I felt as ready as I could to tackle the day,  given the current circumstances.

What I wasn't prepared for when I got to campus was: Jordan surrounded by a crowd of students. He was wearing a black pinstripe shirt and black jeans, with shiny black snakeskin boots. This was far too formal for campus, Jordan wouldn't dare to wear something like this to campus. A dead giveaway, to anyone who paid attention, that this was actually Xypher. Like did he borrow clothes from Jordan's dad?  I have to admit he looked good though. I was a sucker for a guy in black and he was rocking it, despite the fact that he was sticking out like a sore thumb at the moment.

His eyes met mine and he started to walk towards me. I started walking in his direction as well.

"More sleepless nights?" he questioned, eyeing me up and down. I suddenly felt self-conscious about what I was wearing.

"Yeah, I was reading through Gran's diary, the one I found in the attic." I decided to go with the truth.

"Ah, I see." was all he said, his frame visibly tightening. I couldn't place why exactly though. I brushed it off as him being uncomfortable with his choice of attire for the day.

"Find anything of interest?" he asked, still looking uncomfortable.

"Not really." I admitted. "I think that there's more diaries to go through, that was probably just the first one I stumbled upon."

I was even more surprised when it seemed like he was breathing out a sigh of relief at my last statement.

"I'm going to check if there's anything else in the attic I may have missed." I added. "Otherwise we'd have to check Gran's place up by Emerald lake."

"That's a lot of effort. Surely, there's no need for such drastic measures." my mouth almost fell open by these words that came out of his mouth.  He could not be serious. A complicated situation such as this definitely called for such drastic measures.

"Actually there is." I deadpanned. "And we'd be able to find that locket you've been searching for at the same time."

"Maybe the locket isn't that important after all. I mean I've got the freedom I've wanted."  he looked nervous as hell.

"Is everything okay?" I felt the need to ask.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just that I'd expect you to take this a whole lot more seriously than I am." I explained. "And the freedom you have is temporary. You said it yourself, the locket holds the key to your freedom. I also feel that if we find the next diary, it will give us some much needed assistance." I added.

"Okay,  you're right." he said, with a distant look on his face. Not looking one bit convinced at all.

**********

"I knew there was something sparking between you and Jordan." Alexa gushed during lunch time.

"It's not like that." I tried to explain, although I should've known better when it came to her.

"Nonsense." she declared. "You'll immediately found each other this morning. And I could sense the chemistry radiating off the both of you by the bucket load." she grinned.

I swear it's like my best friend had an antenna to pick up these kind of things.

"It was so much more intense compared to the previous times." she pointed out.

I have to admit she was good.

"I guess you could say things are progressing." I said with a smile. My mind instantly went back to our make out session the night before, causing my cheeks to heat up.

"Progressing indeed." she teased.

*******

When I got home that afternoon, I immediately went to the attic to start my search for the diary. As much as I wanted a break from it all, a bigger part of me was also eager to unravel the mystery and get it over with. There's no point in delaying the inevitable.

I searched through every part of the attic more thoroughly, wanting to make sure that I didn't miss anything. I wasn't exactly keen on a trip to Emerald Lake unless it was absolutely necessary.

Judging by the way things were going in the attic: which was absolutely nowhere, I'd say it was necessary after all. There was no sign of another diary and absolutely no sign of the locket Xypher had described.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time up there recently, honey." mom pointed out as I closed the trap door to the attic.

"I was actually seeing if there were any more diaries of Grandma's up there. " I admitted.

"They're probably at her place by the lake." mom said.

"Yeah, I'm planning on heading there soon. Do we still have the keys?"

"I think we do." mom said moving towards our storeroom.

"Are you planning on going all by yourself, sweetheart?" mom asked, with concern in her voice.

"No, I'm going with a friend. With Jordan actually." I assured her.

"I'm sure that'll be fun." she said with an air of excitement in her tone.

Poor mom. She was probably excited that I was making progress in the guy department. If only she knew what I was really caught in the middle of.

I smiled in response, hoping she wouldn't probe any further.

She held out a set of keys for me. "You be safe."

"Thank you" I beamed. Taking the keys and heading back to my room.

Xypher was already waiting on my bed.  For a change, he was the one that looked deep in thought.

"So I didn't find anything in the attic."  I admitted. "But I do have the keys to Gran's cottage by the lake."

"So we're going." he stated, with a distant look on his face.

"Cheer up buttercup, it's adventure time."