11 11: The Day I Came To a Realization

JADE

Arranging the stacks of books in her bedroom, the doorbell suddenly rang which caused Jade to perk up and scramble to her feet. She hurried out of the room, already knowing who was outside.

Nick was already near the front door wiping his hands on the hem of his shirt.

He reached out and opened the door, Jade letting out a gasp and dissolving into giggles as she saw Maxine and Briar on the other side, Nick making a noise of surprise and realization.

Jade reached her brother's side and smiled at her best friends.

Maxine winked at her and crouched at Nick's height, resting her hands on her knees and greeting, "Heya, squirt. Been a good kid?"

Nick chuckled. "Please. You have too little faith in me."

"He's not the type to misbehave," Jade chimed in as Briar giggled. Nick nodded proudly. "But still, you both ready to go?"

"Yes," Briar said. "We're going to find—"

"A place to eat!" Maxine hurriedly cut in, slapping her hand to the blonde's mouth. Jade gave Briar a warning glare and Briar shot an apologetic look with her eyes.

Of course this stilted exchange didn't escape Nick's notice and so gave all three girls curious stares.

"What is this tension in the air? Am I imagining it or is it palpable?"

Jade lightly pushed at his forehead with a finger, smiling at him and stepping out of the house.

"You're imagining it, bud. I'll be back so watch the house, okay?"

Nick still looked at her suspiciously as he said, "Okay" and closed the door behind him. When he was gone, Jade rounded on Briar.

"I know I know," she said as the trio walked away from the Alderson household. "I nearly exposed our plan and we all know your family mustn't know until we're absolutely sure we've checked everything." Jade gave her a knowing look, urging her to continue. Briar rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Only then will you break the news and hopefully buy a new guitar."

Jade smiled and patted her arm.

"Thanks, B. Now, where to first?"

"How 'bout the park? One of us can search the park, another can search the lost and found, and another can ask around if they've seen the case or the beat-up guitar," Maxine listed off. "Hey, we've got the whole weekend to ourselves."

Briar pouted as she held up her manicured nails. "Ugh sorry but I'm not going to subject my gorgeous self into rummaging the dumpster so I'm going to ask around."

Jade and Maxine guffawed at their friend's immediate reaction.

"Okay okay. Max, you're in charge of the lost and found. I'll handle the whole park."

Maxine hummed, hesitant. "You sure, girl? Wouldn't you get tired if you're running on your feet? I was planning to skate around so I won't get tired easily."

Jade brushed off the concern with a wave of the hand and smiled slightly.

"I'll be fine running around. Besides, it's good exercise."

Briar tilted her head. "Well, if you're sure."

The three set off to the local park, splitting up to do their designated tasks.

Jade wasted no time in asking the first person she came into contact with.

"Hello excuse me have you seen a guitar lying around anywhere?"

The teenage boy shook his head and walked away.

Jade went in front of a couple and asked, "Hello sorry but have you seen a guitar lying around, by any chance?"

"Oh I saw one by a tree next to the bookstore," the boy replied, pointing behind him and giving a toothy smile. "Maybe try your luck there?"

Jade hurried off after yelling out a 'thank you', trying to remember how to get to that bookstore just beside the park. She did find the tree the boy described but she knew at first glance it wasn't hers. The casing was different and it was currently being picked up by a middle-aged man with a cowboy hat. When he saw Jade looking at him, he tipped his hat toward her and smiled.

Jade smiled back awkwardly and decided to try her luck in asking him, dashing toward him before he could leave the area.

"Hi sorry to bother but have you, by any chance, seen a guitar lying around? It's pretty beat up with a missing peg and a broken peg."

The man hummed. Planted his hands on his hips.

"I don't know, missy. When's the last time you seen the guitar around?"

Jade blinked.

When did she lose her guitar? It was a weekend just like this one. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember the place and time she had lost her guitar. She was such a genius, wasn't she?

At this realization, a sinking feeling made itself known in the pit of her stomach at the dreadful reality she wouldn't be able to find her guitar anymore.

Her eyeballs began to burn and Jade cleared her throat to try and force out a meek, "I don't know. I don't remember anymore."

The man offered her a sympathetic expression, his eyebrows and lips pinched in concern. Once again, he tipped the brim of his hat toward her before leaving.

She stood there, lost in thought and uncaring of the scathing and concerned looks thrown her way as people weaved through her frozen figure.

Would she still be able to find her guitar? Sure, it had been through a lot of tweaking and Jade stopped counting how many times it had dropped because of her clumsiness but it was precious to her. That guitar was her comfort, her stress reliever, her safe haven. Perhaps... the only tangible memory she had of...

Thunder clapped and lightning appeared in the sky.

It was the only warning as clouds began to cry and pour heavy rain, families, couples, and everyone else scrambling for cover and children screaming in either glee or surprise. Jade slowly raised her head to the sky, wryly thinking how the weather matched her current mood. She walked at a slower pace than everyone else, carding a hand through her wet hair and pulling her phone out from her pocket to contact her best friends and tell them for today, the search was over.