Who: Jules and Gavin When: Early afternoon, Tuesday, January 23 Where: The Back Porch Status: Complete
It was amazing to Jules how quickly things in town were escalating. Over the last couple of days, it felt like the entire town had been deserted, though she knew that wasn’t the case. Deep down Jules knew it was Jasper and everyone like him. She and Carson and the others had known it was going to escalate and it had. All Jules could do was hope that their plan worked. Because things were getting really scary now and she was starting to feel responsible for it.
She had ditched out on school today, just like the day before. Instead, she was focused on Carson and the others to figure out what they were going to do. Not to mention she was avoiding Jasper, mostly because she was scared of what he might do if they met in the halls. So she drove by his house, noting that Gavin’s truck wasn’t there, so Jules continued on to the bar, thinking that might be the next most logical place to find him.
The truck was there so Jules parked and gathered up Jasper’s coat to take inside. The place was quiet and almost empty but for a handful of people. It was Tuesday afternoon so Jules had to figure that was normal. Of course, everyone was sort of sullen looking. One guy even looked as though he was about to fall asleep at the bar.
Inhaling deeply, Jules was grateful to find Gavin was behind the bar, and not Jasper’s uncle. She approached him slowly, not entirely sure what Jasper might have told Gavin, if anything. “Do you have a second to talk?” Jules asked, clutching Jasper’s coat to her chest. A part of her didn’t want to give it up, but it wasn’t hers and she was betting he might be cold the last couple of days without it.
Gavin felt cranky and tired. He didn't want to be at work, he wanted to be in Charlie's bed, asleep preferably, or really anywhere but here. His mood didn't really improve when Jules showed up. He had nothing to tell her, no good news and how did that saying go? No news is good news? He really didn't think that was the case now. He recognized Jasper's coat in her hands and that definitely sparked some curiosity but only just barely. He sighed, looked around and nodded. It was pretty dead in there and while he didn't want to leave the bar unattended, he could talk to her for a minute if he just left the door open and kept an eye out.
He waved her behind the bar, opening the door to the back. "Can't talk for long," he muttered apologetically, his gaze on Jasper's coat. Why did she have it? Might be an innocent enough reason but he had a feeling it wasn't, nothing really was easy or innocent lately.
Jules nodded, even though she hoped he had enough time to at least listen, if not talk. On the drive over she had tried hard to think of a way to condense everything, but it was important that Gavin understood what was going to happen. "Thanks," she murmured, stepping into the back but staying close to the door so he could keep an eye on the front. For a second she nearly offered the coat to him but found she couldn't part with it yet. So she held it to her chest protectively. "Um... so remember when I told you that I thought the fog had done something to Jasper when he got hurt? And how some of the others who were hurt were having mood swings and everything? Well now I think we know what's wrong. And it's a really long story, Mr. Lucas, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to try and save Jasper but... have you noticed how people have been behaving lately? Like, they're tired or not feeling well? Sleeping a lot?"
Gavin crossed his arms as she spoke and the expression on his face all too well matched what she was saying about people being tired. He could feel it, like his muscles ached from the smallest effort, including talking or furrowing his brows. He thought of Amelia, how much she'd been sleeping, how his tattoo guy had said she probably needed iron in her diet and how vitamins weren't helping at all. There was literally a customer half asleep at the bar right now so he couldn't deny it even if he might have wanted to. "That's related to the fog?" he asked but he already knew the answer. She wouldn't bring it up if it wasn't and it rang true. "How are you going to fix it?" A pair of powerful witches seemed clueless and here was Jules Cooper, sounding like she'd found a solution. It was almost funny but Gavin was desperate for whatever answer she might have.
Jules nodded, chewing absently on the inside of her lower lip. "It's related to the fog, but it's... the people who were hurt. They're causing it. At first it was just the people they were around a lot, but now it's spreading. I don't know if they know they're doing it or not, but I'm guessing not." She shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly uncomfortable with explaining all of this. It wasn't that she thought Gavin wouldn't believe her, but Jasper was his son and she wouldn't blame him if he got angry or protested her plan. "See, I've been having these dreams with three other people, and it's been happening for a while. We only just found out that the dreams were tied to the fog. And I guess we're supposed to do something. Answers have been, like... non-existent." She huffed a humorless laugh. "Um, but... I had a dream where I brought the fog back and I think maybe that's what we're supposed to do to fix them. If we don't do something, things are going to get worse. Like, the people sleeping a lot? Might not wake up at all. And it might keep spreading. I'm going to do everything I can to help Jasper, but it's bigger than that now too."
None of that made any sense. Bringing the fog back sounded dangerous, not to mention impossible considering he had no idea what she was capable of doing. He looked Jules over, trying to imagine her and some unknown others as the saviors of the town and he just wasn't seeing it. "How do you even-" he started before he realized he didn't really want to know because he likely wouldn't understand it so he trailed off tiredly. He just wanted to sit down - no, lie down - curl up with a bottle of jack and not think about anything for a while. Her words were sluggishly swirling in his brain as he tried to make sense of them, shaking his head softly. "If you think there's something you can do, then by all means, do it." What else could he say? Maybe one of her dreamer friends was the very powerful man Reagan had mentioned, it wasn't that big of a town. Maybe whatever they were planning would doom them all but... what else was new? "Let me know if I can help."
Jules couldn't blame him for not wanting to know. She wasn't sure she'd be able to describe it properly, or without potentially freaking him out. "I just thought you should know all of this," Jules explained. "If it works, then hopefully Jasper and the others will be themselves again. If it doesn't work... I don't know what'll happen. Things could go really wrong. But we have to do something, you know? And..." Jules felt her grip tighten on Jasper's coat before she forced herself to loosen her hold on it. She thought about the note she had written, folded up, and slipped into the pocket. He might rip it up as soon as he found it, but she needed to do it anyway. "I would keep Amelia away from Jasper until this is over. You should stay away from him too. He might not seem like it, and he might not know it, but he's dangerous and if he’s the reason she’s been sick, it could get worse. And please don't tell him I talked to you. He's not himself, and now he thinks I'm out plotting something devious against him." She reluctantly offered his coat to Gavin. "He left this behind the other night. If he asks, you can just say my mom dropped it off, or something. It's probably better that he doesn't know I was ever here."
Gavin rubbed his face with both hands for far longer than he needed, it was almost like a mini sanctuary, if his face was covered he didn't need to reply to her just yet but it wasn't really helping him gather his thoughts the way he'd hoped it would. It was a lot of information to take in. His kid was in danger, but he was also dangerous and Amelia might be at risk - again - because of her brother. He wanted to go straight home and not have this conversation, just check on Amelia and be reassured that all of this was just nonsense. He knew better, but that didn't erase the longing for normalcy. When he finally dropped his hands from his face he saw her still offering the coat, so he took it reluctantly and damn it if he didn't feel like hugging it much the same way she had been doing. "When are you doing this?" he asked. "And how bad will it get if it gets bad?"
Jules had the feeling that her presence wasn't exactly welcome, but she couldn't blame Gavin for that. The two times they had spoken one on one had been because Jules showed up with bad news. But it wasn't like she could sugar coat things, and Jules was simply assuming Gavin would want to know what was going on with Jasper. But maybe he didn't. Jules knew Jasper hadn't had the best relationship with his dad. "We're going to try tomorrow," she explained. And then her eyes felt like they were burning and Jules had to take a moment to get rid of the thickness in her throat before she spoke again, though not without a waver in her voice. "If it goes badly, I don't know what'll happen. But if our dreams are like, some kind of omen, it means the whole town will probably go to shit. Worse than it already has, anyway. I guess we'll find out."
I guess we'll find out was such a flippant way of putting it, Gavin almost laughed. Almost. It was more tragic than funny but he was so overwhelmed that he felt like his wires were getting crossed regarding how to feel. Oh to just get to know this girl under normal circumstances where things were awkward but normal and not have to keep meeting her to talk about his cursed son or the possible end of days. He wondered if he should be taking Amelia out of town for this but then he'd need to take the rest of his family with him and would they even listen? He barely knew what was going on and he felt so tired. It felt like something big and bad was coming and all he could do was sit here and let it steamroll him. "What are the odds the whole town will go to shit?" he asked quietly. "What are the odds you'll succeed at doing whatever you're planning on doing."
Jules huffed out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it. Just exhaustion. "I don't know, Mr. Lucas. I mean, it feels like the odds are pretty good that the town will go to shit, but it feels that way like, every day, you know? I think we have some good odds that we'll succeed, but obviously I can't promise anything. I know I'm only seventeen and like, nobody really, but I'll do whatever I have to do if it means helping Jasper." That was all Jules to promise him. It might go bad, but maybe not. Her dream felt like it was the right thing to do, and Jules knew if she was wrong, she would take full responsibility for it.
Gavin didn't much like being called Mister Lucas but asking her to call him Gavin felt wrong somehow, too familiar with a person he wasn't supposed to be talking to at all. He didn't really understand how people could easily navigate normal situations like talking to his son's girlfriend and this was so much more than that, so insurmountable. It felt weird to be formal when she was essentially telling him something horrible might be about to happen and it felt even weirder that he wasn't particularly scared of it. Tired, exhausted really, but not scared. "You're not nobody, Miss Cooper," he muttered. "But I hope you know to ask for help if you need it." That was rich, coming from him, but he wasn't attempting to... save the world? Save Jasper's life. He wasn't even sure what it was she was really doing.
For Jules it felt weird being called Miss Cooper, like she was at school being admonished by a teacher. But Gavin wasn't a teacher. He was Jasper's dad, so awkwardness had no room here anymore. Not when Jasper was in trouble. Despite how miserable she felt, her lips twitched briefly. If only he knew that no one could help them. It seemed like Jules, Nic, Neil, and Carson were the only ones who could help everyone, and that really sucked, considering they had no idea what to do, or why they were chosen for this, if they were chosen at all. "I know," she said finally before clearing her throat. She really just wanted to climb back into her car and cry in private for a while. "I should go though. I'll let you know how things go tomorrow, or maybe Jasper will, once it happens. I don't know." Jules blew a soft breath from her lips. "And check on Amelia, okay?" She started to slip past Gavin toward the front of the bar.
That was the first thing Gavin wanted to do when she left. Call Miles, make him show up a little earlier if he possibly could so that Gavin could go home and check on his girl. Jules had him scared where he'd already been worried and he couldn't help but picture Jasper hurting Amelia somehow. It wasn't fair and it brought about deep feelings of guilt, but it didn't all come out of the blue either. "Good luck," he said, making space for her to leave, his fingers already itching to reach for the phone. "Please try not to-" he waved his hand as words failed him. How could he ask her not to try not to destroy town without people around them hearing. Would they even care? Maybe that kind of talk was just normal now. "Just- good luck."
Jules paused briefly, looking back at Gavin when he trailed off. Please try not to what? Hurt Jasper? Destroy Point Pleasant? Jules felt the crushing weight of responsibility and guilt and for a second she wondered if she was going to crumple. But this bar was the last place to fall apart in, and Gavin Lucas was probably the last person to fall apart in front of. Jules didn't trust herself to speak so she nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets before quickly heading for the door. She didn't like the atmosphere in this place. Dark and lacking anything remotely resembling hope. Or maybe that was just this town. But it would get better. Jules and the others would fix this, if they could. She didn't know what other options they had.