5 — Bay, Jesse, and the Missing Daphne

"I can wait for some time for it to grow, because I still have to find who Daphne is."

"Daphne? Who's that?"

"Uhm."

This was when Bay's fingers cramped.

"Who's that?"

Jesse and Bay stared at each other for four minutes before one responded, "I was about to ask the same thing."

"What?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. I don't know who Daphne is." Bay puffed her shoulders and put her hands on her hips. Jesse flared his nostrils, kicking his every nerve to not laugh, before saying anything, "Then do you think I'd know?"

"That's why I'm asking you."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons." Then the other one asked again, "Did you two get into a fight?"

"No, I just need to do something for my friend, which is, to..." Bay nibbled her fingers, "... give her something."

Jesse shot her down with another question like a sniper, "Why can't your friend do it themselves?" While Bay answers like a time bomb, "Because they just can't. Stop questioning them." Actually, it was surprising that Jesse wasn't questioning Bay's actions. Somewhat, assume he understood the feeling of your brain shutting down when asked a question; we'll tell you what the question was later. For now, that's why he's the one asking vigorously instead. Because, right now, we have to find out who Daphne was.

Jesse continued, "What are you going to give her? The cactus?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"... Yarn."

"Why?"

"Because she likes to knit. Now stop the questions." Bay began rubbing her temples, because she thought maybe it would give her a miracle that Jesse would just shut up and tell her the information she needed.

Once she did, Jesse would do the obvious, "What if I don't?" But being fed up, Bay stopped her stance and confidently declared, "Jesse Hope."

Now, being (a bit) clearly shocked, Jesse put his hand over his mouth and audibly gasped. "Holy."

With Jesse holding his stance for four seconds, and Bay finally getting the stand, she asked, "Can it be me to ask now?"

"Okay."

"Do you know someone named Daphne?"

"You know, there's an estimated eight billion people on earth. Thousands of them are named Daphne."

Yes, Jesse, was in fact, correct. Despite being aggravating and absolutely a monstrosity in the head, Bay thought she was the one who was chafing instead, "Just tell me if you know someone with the name!" Because her reality was that, she assumes her classmate is dead and she can't do anything about it now. But she was still living in her fantasy— that she could still save him.

"Okay fine!" Jesse continues, "Technically, I do. But I don't know if it's the same person."

So she promised to herself that she will keep on asking, knocking on people's doors, searching and digging; even if it means doing something out of her control, "Does she knit?"

"Actually, I never met her in person."

"Shut the hell up."

"Hey, I'm trying to help here!"

Which then, was the point of this whole novel. About a girl hopelessly in denial. But somehow, I'm still willing to write something with a dead end, and Bay was still willing to escape from a maze with no exits.

Therefore, we're back to Jesse, "Why don't you ask your friend?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Just because!" Bay said, slightly louder than her normal voice.

"Why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry!" Bay said, with her voice getting louder.

"Then why..." Jesse wanted to say something, but he couldn't. Probably because Bay was nearly choking him. He attempted to remove her hands and shouted, "Maybe Auntie Sarah knows who she is!"

"Finally."

"Are you leaving?" Jesse rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I will." Bay chirruped. "Hold on though, where are you going?"

Jesse locked the cashier register, "I'm closing the store."

"Why?"

"I'm going to visit a friend, and it's closing time."

"Why?" Jesse bit his tongue, Bay stuck hers out instead. "Because, we're going out to eat together."

"Why?"

"Okay, fine, I get it now."

Being victorious, Bay strutted her way to Jesse, flipped her hair and jested, "I'm getting this cactus now. Have fun with your friend." Jesse shrugged, "It's not more enjoyable than watching you attempt to choke me though."

"Totally."

Then, Jesse mouthed 'wait', and sprinted inside a room. In about ten seconds, he came back with a bouquet of Daisies.

"What's this?"

Jesse handed out his hand and put it in Bay's.

"Take this."

"Ew."

"It's not what you think."

Bay hugged the flowers. "What's this for?"

And for the first time, Jesse thought about what he was going to say, and after a few seconds, he replied, "For Daphne,

She likes Daisies."