Welcome To Hell, Enjoy Your Stay (Chapter Twenty - That Brave Girl)

Chapter Twenty – Joshua’s POV1

That Brave Girl2

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Where was she? Where was the brave girl I’d grown to love? Where was the girl who used to beat me at everything? Where was she? She was gone. She was gone forever. I’d waited four months now for her to return and still nothing. On her birthday I remember making a cake and lighting the candles. I’d worked so hard to make that cake, since most of the ingredients were banned from Denmark, yet, there was no one to share it with.4

Except Lane. She and I both got a piece the spent the rest of the evening in silence. There was nothing to talk about. Julia was the conversation starter, not me, not Lane. Not anyone.5

I sighed sadly. Since she’d been taken the world seemed so dull and lifeless, with her, everything seemed wild and fun. I felt free with her. Not now though, she was gone, and she’d taken most of me with her, just leaving a lifeless vegetable. I hadn’t spoken to Lane is over a week and I’d ditched school everyday. What was the point?6

I didn’t have a future without Julia in the picture. I’d never find anyone else. I didn’t want to find anyone else. I wanted to wait forever for my Jewel to return to me. She had to.7

She just had to.8

“Josh.” I looked up at Derek as he clambered through the hallway, his neck like a giraffe’s and his eyes like owls. He grimaced as he hit his head on his way through the doorway.9

“What?” I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding sad. I didn’t think it worked very well. 10

“Come on.” I watched him as he came over and stuck his hands in his pockets, “Well? Why you just sitting there? Come on!”11

“Where?” he moaned in annoyance, and then shot me a glare.12

“You got to get over her. She’s just a girl Joshua.” I glared right back at him, making it obvious this wasn’t what I wanted to hear. He went on anyway, “I’m gonna take you out to a club tonight, to show you what girls are really for.” Anger burned in me as I stood up and socked him in the jaw. He stumbled a few paces, stared at me, and then grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.13

“You’re insane man.” I shook him away from me, dusted my self off, and then turned to face him.14

“I’ll never get over her, leave me alone. You don’t know love until you get it. And apparently, you never will.” Perfect, I thought, I just provoked him. Maybe I could use a couple punches though, anything to take my mind off the agony in my bleeding heart.15

He didn’t punch me, he just shot a death-stare at me then left me in the living room alone, slamming the door shut behind him. I sat pack down on the couch and flopped onto my back. Staring at the ceiling was not entertaining.16

“Oh Julia where are you?” I turned onto my side and cried against the couch. I wanted this pain to stop. Please, I needed the pain to stop! I punched the side of the couch then gripped my head and was quickly overwhelmed by the pain of a migraine.17

I yelled at myself several times in the empty house. Why was I alive? Why couldn’t it have been me? Julia didn’t deserve this! I would do anything for her, I would, but what could I do?18

Where was she? Where was that brave girl I’d grown to love? Where was that girl who used to beat me at everything? Where was she? She was gone.19

She was gone.20

She was gone…21

She was really, really gone…22

I couldn’t take that. I snatched pillow and buried my face in it and screamed, hopefully I’d suffocate myself. I couldn’t take it; I was sitting here and letting Julia suffer. Why wasn’t I helping her?23

Why? I screamed into the pillow again then threw it across the room. I was so mad, and so sad… I couldn’t find even an ounce of happiness left. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I stood and walked over to the kitchen and got a few potatoes and started cooking them. I needed something to eat, it would distract me.24

A knock sounded on the door, light and calm. It was Lane, I knew it already. Anytime a knock sounded on the door, I hoped it was Julia. It never was. Her knock was loud and she yelled at me from outside.25

I walked sullenly to the door and cracked it open, “Hi Lane.” She smiled at me; it was so fake and upset. She only came here when she was sad or upset. It was almost always about Julia. She looked at me for a moment, “Can I come in?” I flushed a bit as I opened the door wide enough for her to enter. She looked pretty distressed. She walked into my arms as I shut the door.26

I always tried to stay strong for Lane; I knew she was troubled about this whole thing just as I was. She’d known Julia longer than I had, and she needed comfort. She didn’t know much about living without her. Neither did I, but I still took care of her.27

“I miss her Josh, I miss her.” I rested my hand on the back of her head and stared ahead. I didn’t know what to say to be strong for her anymore. I just didn’t know.28

“Please Josh… I know you miss her too. Please stop acting like this.” Like What? Like I don’t care? I do care, I do. I miss her more than anything in the world. I sighed and held her closer, “I miss her too Lane.”29

“We have to do something. Anything.”30

“What can we do Lane?”31

“I-I don’t know.”32