Who: Ethan and Jules When: Afternoon, Thursday, July 12 Where: Ethan’s apartment Status: Complete
Jules knew she shouldn’t be up and driving. She was still healing and parts of her were painfully sore, but Jules was bored laying around in bed with nothing to do much watch tv and text her friends. Jasper was working so Jules made a conscious decision to get herself out of bed and move around. Moving around meant getting in her car and driving to Ethan’s apartment to see him. She’d sent him a quick text before getting into her car, but she didn’t think it would be a problem if she stopped by. They had only been able to communicate by phone and Jules was bored with that too. She wanted to see him.
Admittedly, she was a little exhausted just by driving and when she arrived, it took her a few minutes to catch her breath and get out of the car. Apparently, car accidents were no joke… and neither were otherworldly worms that had taken up residence in her body. God, that had been so gross.
Jules slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jean shorts before knocking on Ethan’s door, hoping he’d be okay enough to answer.
Ethan was bored out of his mind. There was only so much he could do from his apartment and he was over all of it. He’d played video games, binged Netflix, and spent more time on his phone in one week than he had in the past month total. The only thing worse had been his time at the AIR facility, where he felt monitored all the time, even when there wasn’t a set of eyes on him. They’d had him hooked up to all kinds of other machines, confirming that all traces of whatever had been inside him was gone. It was reassuring, but he was glad to be done with it. He’d be even happier to be off the crutches and able to drive again. That Jules was up and about was both a relief and a little worrisome–he was pretty sure they’d both fucked up their ribs and if his weren’t healed, then chances were hers weren’t either. But he also wasn’t going to turn her away when she was knocking on his door.
“Okay, I’m jealous. I can’t believe you’re up and driving,” he smiled as he opened the door. It took a bit of maneuvering on his crutches, but he eventually moved out of the way to let her inside. “Come on in. I’d hug you but I might fall over and it’d be painful for both of us.”
Jules's ribs did still hurt, though her pain medication really dulled everything to a tolerable level. She just couldn't stand not having company these days and Jasper was working now so... plus, she wanted to see Ethan beyond Facetime. "I don't want to hurt you so.... I'm giving you a spiritual hug," she said with a grin, closing Ethan's door behind her. "And I'm not really supposed to drive but whatever. Mom's gone and I didn't want to call an Uber. So here I am. Go sit," she instructed, since she knew being on crutches sucked. She'd broken her ankle her freshman year after a cheer routine gone wrong and she had hated hobbling around on those things. "Are you feeling any better? You look better."
Ethan wanted to be a good host, to get them drinks or snacks, but sitting was really all he was good for, so he made his way to the couch. This was going to be his life for the next six weeks, so he should try and get used to it, but the ankle plus the ribs really sucked. Of course, it was all better than the alternative. “Feeling better for sure. I feel fine when I’m sitting and high on pain meds. It’s moving that reminds me how beat up I still am. The doctor at AIR is looking into some kind of miracle meds, but I dunno. I’m worried about putting something weird in my body now.” He had the feeling magic might be involved and normally he would’ve been willing to try it, but after having otherworldly worms under his skin he really wanted to stick to modern medicine—something normal, tested, with few side effects. “How’re you doing? You look a lot better yourself.”
Jules didn't need Ethan to be a host to her, or even entertain her. They were friends and she just wanted to hang out. If she got thirsty or whatever, she knew where his kitchen was. Right now her ribs were starting to throb so she made her way to the couch to sit with him. "The meds are pretty strong, aren't they?" She grinned knowingly. "But yeah, I get being kind of unsure about putting something else in your body. I'll stick with the local pharmacy for now. I'm doing okay, though. Tired a lot, but I guess that's normal. I was going crazy at home... more often than not I'm alone which sucks. I just wanted some company and it feels like I haven't seen you in person in forever."
“Yeah, that’s ‘cause the days are dragging,” Ethan said with a little smile. “It sucks not being able to get out, but it’s worse being alone all day, every day. Scarlett’s come over a few times, but otherwise it’s just me and the tv. I’m glad you came over.” He kept thinking that Scarlett would get sick of him, that sitting around with him when he could do nothing but talk would get boring fast, but she continued to come back. The more she hung around, the more it started to feel like a real relationship, which was also kinda nice. It hadn’t been what he was looking for when he met her, but that didn’t really matter.
"We should have just holed up together until we were healed up," Jules said with a small grin. "Though I doubt Scarlet would've liked seeing me here every time she showed up." And Jasper probably wouldn't have liked it either. But it was fine. Jules could apparently grin and bear it through the pain if it meant getting out of the house and seeing people she cared about. "How's that going, by the way? The stuff with Scarlett. She's not driving you crazy or anything?" Scarlett could be pretty high maintenance, but Jules knew she had been like that at one point too, so maybe her friend was growing out of it now.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine Jasper would be willing to visit you here,” Ethan said with a little laugh. That might be fine with him, but he knew that would be a deal breaker for Jules. And he couldn’t imagine the four of them together in a room. He knew Jules and Scarlett were friends, but being around both of them at this point seemed like a poor plan on his part. “Things are okay. She’s willing to forgive my, um, indiscretion, since we weren’t really official. But I can’t fuck up like that again.” Ethan thought she was being more forgiving than he would have been in her place, but was still thankful for it. He had no chance with Jules, they both knew it had been a mistake, and he did enjoy Scarlett’s company. “She’s more patient than I expected. I kind of assumed she wouldn’t want to hang out when I can barely even get off the couch.”
Jules wrinkled her nose instinctively at the word indiscretion, because she liked to think it was more than that. It had been to her, anyway. It had been what she needed at the time even though she knew she needed Ethan as a friend more than anything else. Even so, she was glad that Scarlett had forgiven him... and had no idea it had been Jules who had been the one to sleep with her boyfriend. Jules didn't think she could handle that drama. It made her think of Clint and Ruby too. God, she was a bad friend. She was a bad girlfriend. A bad everything. Jules breathed in deeply and then exhaled as she smiled over at Ethan. "Hey, when you like someone, even sitting around and doing nothing can feel pretty great. Does that mean you're official now? Or just... seeing where things go."
That night with Jules had meant a lot more to Ethan as well, but he didn’t think he could say that. It needed to be a mistake because otherwise he’d find himself admitting to feelings that wouldn’t do either of them any good. The only way to keep Jules in his life was to bury his feelings for her and move on, something he’d known for a while but had trouble actually doing. But Jules was back with Jasper, and Ethan had the feeling she would always choose Jasper. It was nice being with someone who chose him, and maybe if he got to know her better, he might find he had feelings for Scarlett as well. “I think I’m supposed to say yes, we’re official,” Ethan said with a little laugh. “I don’t really like that term, since it sounds so serious and I still feel like we barely know each other, but it’s mostly to say I won’t be seeing anyone else while I’m seeing her.”
"No more indiscretions, you mean," Jules said with a small smirk. "But I get it. Some girls like to know that they're the only one you're fucking." She didn't want to add that Jules had always known Scarlett to be a hard-core monogamous. When she found a guy she liked, she latched on pretty hard. If Ethan liked her though, that was fine by Jules. She remembered that time she demanded Jasper only sleep with her while they were sleeping together. Now she wasn't so sure he liked that rule anymore. It wasn't something she wanted to think about at the moment. "I'm glad you've got someone coming around to keep you company though. Jasper comes around when he can but he's got a job, and mom is in and out all the time. I was about to lose my mind being alone in my bedroom." She eyed Ethan silently for a moment. "Do you... do your hands hurt at all? Sometimes mine start to tingle, even though I've been ignoring it."
“She’ll never forgive me if I fuck you again,” Ethan smirked, finally deciding he could be blunt if Jules was going to be herself. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d need to move if she finds out it was you. She seems like the kind of girl to burn the place down.” Ethan didn’t like the drama, but he did enjoy the level of passion that came with it. She might scorch the earth if he wronged her again, but she fucked with that same level of intensity. Ethan looked down at his hands at Jules’s question, as if they would suddenly start tingling, but nothing happened. “Sometimes? Like, I’ll wake up and it’ll feel like I could open a doorway, right there in the bedroom. And then I’ll be up all night staring at that spot, wondering if it’ll open while I’m asleep. Or if you’re awake, trying to open something without me. It happens in the middle of the day too, but it always goes away.”
Jules grimaced. "She would definitely try to burn my house down, at least." Scarlett could be crazy sometimes. But Jules knew she could be too. Thankfully she had grown a lot since those days. Love and trauma would do that to a person. Jules liked to think she hadn't lost the passion but maybe she had. Maybe that was something she was lacking now. Taking a breath, she focused on Ethan and glanced down at his hands. "I've never tried to open anything without you there, at least since I met you. Sometimes I have this dream, where I'm out at Witcham again and there's this like... shadow person pushing me to do it, but it hurts a lot. I don't know. It's weird. I don't think anything weird will happen while we're sleeping at least. It's just like my hands are reminding me what I can do, even if I don't want to do it right now."
“I used to try all the time, before we met,” Ethan said. “I never got anywhere with it. Never felt anything, not even a tingle. But I didn’t know what it felt like to do it either. Now, sometimes, I feel like maybe I could? Except now I don’t want to try.” It had always felt good to open a portal when Jules was there with him. It’d been exciting and he felt powerful in a way he’d never felt before, aware that they had a skill that was unique to them. But it had always included Jules for Ethan and chances were high it would be horrible without her. If he could do anything at all. “You should stay away from Witcham though,” he said with a small frown. “We know you can open that portal without me. It’s not worth the risk.” Ethan was quiet for a moment, thinking. “It’s just your dream, right? Like… none of the others are having them, are they?”
She felt like she could probably still open portals without him, except it would hurt and be painful like it had before they met. With Ethan around, it was so seamless and natural. Jules didn't want to go back to how it had been before. "I don't think anyone else is having that dream. They're not there in the dream, anyway. I think maybe it's just... memories from that night messing with my subconscious or whatever. I haven't gone into those woods since that night." Jules frowned. Something tugged at the back of her mind, calling her a liar, but that made no sense. She brushed it off and picked idly at the cast on her wrist. "It's fine though. It's just a dream. There are just things I wish I could like, erase from my mind, you know? Ugh, I'm depressing. Do you want to do something? Or I guess, watch something since you're kind of stuck here for now."
“Okay, good. Just making sure since nightmares around here seem like they can be more.” Ethan had had his fair share of terrifying dreams since their accident, but most of them included black worms eating their way through his skin. The fact that that hadn’t bothered him while it was happening was still disturbing. He tried not to think about it during his waking hours, but it snuck back in at night. It was just a dream though, like Jules’s. She just had more nightmare fodder than he did. “You’re not depressing,” Ethan told her. “I never want you to feel like you need to sugar coat things for me. Or try to be something you’re not. But if you want to watch something, sure. So long as we can talk over it.” He’d been watching movies for days; it was conversation and real human interaction he’d been missing.
Jules knew all about nightmares. The dreams she had shared with Carson, Nic and Neil had been bizarre and terrifying. She supposed it was probably just her brain reminding her about how awful that night in the woods had been. Jules gave Ethan a small, grateful smile. "I know I can be myself with you. I guess I'm just used to sugar coating things for people. We don't have to watch anything if you don't want to. I know you're probably on tv overload right now. I just feel bad dumping my stuff on you when you've got your own stuff too. Like, everyone in this town has so much shit going on. I don't know how anyone functions here anymore."
“Well, I don’t have a lot going on right now,” Ethan shrugged. “I’m going in, like, two or three times a week to let my uncle run tests on me, just to make sure everything’s all good, but that’s pretty much it. That and a couple online classes.” He’d only signed up for two classes over the summer, and now he was glad for it. His mom kept wanting him to come home, but that felt like moving backwards. He could make it through this and then everything would go back to normal—whatever that was. He had to admit this looked distinctly different than what it would have looked like if he’d gone away to college. “How’re things? With Jasper. Or moving out. Or school. Anything new?”
Online classes were a lot more than what Jules was doing. Which was nothing. No job, no college. For a moment she thought she might start panicking, but she managed to keep it down, telling herself she had plenty of time for that stuff. And she was still healing, so she couldn't exactly go job hunting at that moment anyway. "Um, things are fine. Moving out has been put on hold until I can walk without feeling like I have knives in my ribs. No school... I mean, I thought about it, because I got accepted, but... no, I think..." Jules trailed off with a heavy breath escaping her lips. "I'm staying here, at least for now. Jasper is fine, I think. Yeah, it's fine." She didn't think Ethan really wanted to hear about her relationship and she didn't want to dump all that on him anyway. "I think I might try to get a place around here though. It'd be kind of cool, living close to each other, right?"
Ethan wasn’t judging her for not having anything going on. She’d just graduated high school and it was actually more convenient that she didn’t have anything immediately lined up. He’d had to contact all his professors and let them know what happened, send in doctors notes for proof, and it was all a pain. But one of the conditions to him living in Point Pleasant was that he still pursued his education, so he kept at it. He had a long term plan; this was just a minor setback. “I’d like having you for a neighbor,” he smiled. “You could drop by whenever, but we’d each still have our space. I used to think I might want a roommate—apartment mate, whatever—but now I’ve been here long enough that I’ve gotten used to it.”
"Yeah, it would be fun," she agreed, always excited by the prospect of living on her own, even if it was in the same town she had grown up in. Would her mom want to stay in Overlook, in that big house all alone? Maybe. Maybe she would move to a smaller place and save some money. It was weird to think about it, so Jules decided not to. For a while she had wanted to live with Jasper but that was dead in the water. Even if Jules had still wanted to, she didn't think Jasper did and it was probably a bad idea all around. "I think I'll start looking for a job after summer is over. Time to be an adult and all that stuff. But, maybe one more big party before all of that. I'm ready to blow off some steam and have fun... once all the healing is done, obviously."
“What about before the healing is done?” Ethan asked with a little smile. “Scarlett said there’s going to be a party down at the beach on Monday. A bonfire, BYOB kind of thing. I know crutches and sand are a bad mix, but I’m going to try and go anyways. You should go. Drag Jasper out. See people for a bit. I know we can’t really party, but it’d still be nice to get out.” He thought they could both probably do with the social aspect, though he knew Jules might shy away from it if she wasn’t feeling her best. She might be more likely to go if they could go together, but he’d promised to go with Scarlett that night. He couldn’t tell her no, not without causing a fight, but he thought Jules would understand. It was one of the rare times that he wished he was on better terms with Jasper, if only to tell him in hopes that he could drag Jules out.
A bonfire. That sounded like fun, actually. Jules could maybe reconnect with some of the friends she had ghosted since... well, January. Would Jasper want to go with her? It might be good for them both to do something normal. They had gone to parties in the past, after all. Hell, a party is where they had hooked up for the first time. A bonfire wasn't quite the same, but it would definitely be more low key and that might be what Jasper preferred right now. "Yeah," she said with a smile. "I'll see if Jasper wants to go. He's been working a lot lately, so I bet he'd want to blow off some steam." And if Ethan was there with Scarlett, Jasper might be less inclined to be pissy around him. "It's something to look forward to, at least."
Ethan was glad to hear Jules was thinking about going, glad to see her smile. He’d never known her at a time when she wasn’t neck deep in some kind of trauma, always so close to drowning, but he knew that she used to enjoy things like that. Her happiness really wasn’t his responsibility, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself. If he could wash the worry away for just a little bit, he would do it. “Good,” he smiled. “Now I’ll know two people out there, instead of just one.” He needed to make some guy friends, but that was easier said than done. His closest friends were guys he’d known since elementary school, with years of trust built between them. That wasn’t easy to create. He’d invite them, but they’d all opted to go away to college and weren’t going to drive into Point Pleasant for a party with high schoolers that they didn’t know.
"You'll know some of them, I'm sure. If Scarlett is going then I'm sure Vic will be there, and some of the people you met at prom and my parties." People she hadn't really stayed in touch with lately, which was weird since they all lived in such a small town. "Maybe I'll see if Bash and Theo will go, then you'd know them too." Jules definitely wanted Ethan to make more friends, even if she felt slightly possessive of his time. But if he planned on staying in Point Pleasant indefinitely, then he really ought to have a life outside of her. Hopefully Scarlett wouldn't chase him off too quickly.
“Oh, yay. Victoria,” Ethan said, his voice full of sarcasm. The girl was hot, any guy with eyes could see that, but she was obviously capable of spitting venom. He knew Jules was friends with her, but Ethan had done his best to steer clear of her. “Bash and Theo are cool,” he said, thinking of the handful of Jules’s guy friends that he’d met. “And there’s another guy. The one that was at that party on the boat. Greg?” It had been a small group, so he’d gotten a chance to get to know them a bit better than the rest. “Is he the one dating Ruby?” As soon as he said it, he thought it sounded wrong, that there’d been another guy there as well. “Or is that Kurt. No, that’s not right. I don’t remember.”
Jules tried not to grimace at the mention of Ruby and Greg in such close succession. Not to mention Clint, who she figured Ethan thought was Kurt. Ugh. "No, Greg is dating Phee, Bash's sister. Ruby is dating Clint... was dating, I mean. I guess they broke up." The guilt was there again and while she knew she could tell Ethan what had happened, she didn't really see any reason to do so. She didn't want Ethan judging her. What had happened with Clint had been really good, but also really bad, and she didn't have the energy to explain it all, especially to Ethan. "You know how it is. People wanting to go off to college... it doesn't make a lot of sense to stay together."
“That’s right. Greg and Phee. And she’s a junior. Senior now, I guess,” Ethan said, just getting it all straight in his mind. He wasn’t really close to any of them, but they were potential friends if he would make an effort. Which he supposed he should do if he was going to stick around. He really couldn’t rely on Jules for all his entertainment, much as he might like to. Neither Scarlett nor Jasper would be cool with that, plus he sometimes worried Jules would get sick of him. “It’s pretty common, breaking up before college, and it always sucks. But it’s probably for the better. I think the rate of successful marriages that come from high school sweethearts is pretty damn low.” As soon as he said it, Ethan cringed, realizing it didn’t just apply to Ruby and Clint. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Jules really hoped Ethan connected with some of her friends, mostly because it would be good for him to have other people to hang out with, even if she felt oddly possessive of his time. But she didn't want him to feel isolated or dependent on her. She just wished he and Jasper could get along. It would make hanging out so much easier, even if now it might feel awkward. Jules listened to Ethan, understanding what he was saying, even if it sucked to hear. She cleared her throat and managed a small smile. "It's okay... I mean, you're right. The chances of me and Jasper living happily ever after are pretty small, even without me being the one to send him to a hellish fog world. Honestly, I don't even know if he really wanted to get back together, or if he just felt like... panicked because I was in the hospital." Jules shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, maybe in a small town, high school sweethearts can last. But I don't know. Both people would have to want it, right?"
“I think that’s universally true, yeah,” Ethan said with a small smile. “If one of you isn’t on board, it’s kind of like fighting an uphill battle. But I think there’s more to it than just that. Like, both of you can really want it, but still be a bad match. I’m not talking about you and Jasper, ‘cause I really don’t know much about your relationship. I just mean, you can have two people that love each other, but if one wants kids and the other doesn’t, they’re probably not going to work out in the long run. I think you’ve got to want the same things out of life. Be moving in the same direction, if that makes sense. But I don’t really know. I’ve only got a ten month’s worth of a high school relationship in terms of experience. I’m probably talking out my ass.” He hadn’t been in love like he thought Jules had been, and wasn’t really linked to anyone through shared trauma like she was. He suspected there were things between her and Jasper that no one else would understand. A part of him envied that, though the trauma part didn’t really make it worth it.
Jules's smile softened. "You're not talking out of your ass. I know you're right. I'm just not used to feeling this... insecure... about anything, really. I don't like the feeling at all. Jasper's been through a lot and I think he's still dealing with it all. I don't want to be one more thing he's stressing about. Like, on one hand, I love him and I want us to be together and get through things but then my brain is like... I should just let him go so he can get better and be happy and not feel, like, obligated to see things through with me. Does that make sense?" Jules winced briefly, aware that this was probably awkward for Ethan to hear considering their history, but she still thought of him as her best friend and she didn't think anyone else would really be honest with her the way Ethan was.
“Even without knowing the details of what he’s been through, I would expect him to need time to heal,” Ethan said. Every one of those people probably needed to be in therapy, but who would even be equipped to listen to them? The situation was so unique, the trauma completely unreliable to almost everyone. “Has it always been difficult?” he asked, not entirely sure what their relationship looked like before things got bad. “Do you think you can get back there, to the way things were, or to some place better? I just wonder what’s best for you. And for him, I guess. I want you to be happy and… I don’t know. It seems like that’s all on him.” It made Ethan realize that in all the time he’d known Jules, he’d never known her to be happy—not when Jasper was gone and not when he’d come back. He seemed to generate grief and heartache, to the point where Ethan wondered why she was holding on so tight to someone that made her miserable.
"It wasn't always difficult," Jules said. "Before he got hurt in the fog, it was, like... so easy. Once we started having feelings for each other, I mean. The fog just changed so much. And I know he needs to heal and everything. I just don't know if he needs or wants me around to help him do that. Maybe that's not fair of me to think..." She trailed off and clasped her fingers together in her lap. "I want him to be happy though, whatever that might look like. Maybe we can get to a better place, but I don't know. Maybe he's not really ready for that?" Exhaling slowly, she looked over at Ethan and then managed a small smile for him. "If you love someone, you're supposed to let them go, right? Whatever that saying is. I just kind of feel like he'd be better off not having to worry about me right now. Or be a boyfriend. I feel like I'm being selfish, wanting him to be with me."
Ethan knew a thing or two about having to let go of someone he had feelings for and holy hell did it suck. He couldn’t honestly tell Jules that it would help because he was too much in the thick of it; he just knew that lingering, wanting something he couldn’t have, wasn’t good for him or her. “I think…” Ethan said, eyes rolling up as he licked his lips. “I think he needs to want to be with you. And not just to make you happy, but because it makes him happy too? I get it if happiness is hard for him right now. For both of you. And maybe that’s why relying on each other to make you happy isn’t a good thing.” Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He needed to get it cut. It was falling in his eyes and he was sure he looked a mess. At least Jules didn’t seem to care or notice. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I think you need to find something that makes you happy besides him. Not another person. Just something for you. And then, when he’s ready, maybe it’ll be easier. But that’s just my opinion. You do what’s right for you, and I’ll do my best to support you in it.”
Jules wasn't unhappy. She was just... lost. Maybe she wouldn't feel so untethered if she had plans for college in the fall, some kind of goal, or something to look forward to. And she felt useless and incapable of fixing Jasper's issues. She didn't know what to say or do to help him. All she knew was she loved him and didn't want to lose him. Did he feel the same way? Exhaling slowly, Jules smiled a bit for Ethan. "I appreciate your opinion, and you've been a really great friend to me. I know all of this has to be, like, pretty exhausting. I think you're right, though, I need to just... figure out what I'm doing. School, or a job, or something. Right now, I just want to heal and get this stupid thing off." She lifted her wrist, still wrapped in a cast. "And for you to be off your crutches so we can go out and have fun and do stupid stuff that won't land us in the hospital."
“Yeah, this kinda set things back, didn’t it?” Ethan said with a little smile. He knew Jules had been adrift before the accident, but was willing to pretend it was the cause of it if it made her feel better. Maybe she’d bounce back from this and figure everything out. He hoped that was the case. “I’m so done with this already. I miss driving. I miss my car,” he sighed. “I want to start looking for something pre-owned, but I can’t even do that until I can walk properly.” It felt like his life had been put on hold, but complaining would do nothing to move it along faster. This was his own fault. If they’d been more careful, they wouldn’t be where they were now. The only upside, if there even was one, was that his uncle had a new creature to research. It was the kind of thing that Ethan would have jumped at in the past, would’ve begged to be a part of, but this time Ethan wanted nothing to do with it.
"I can always drive your butt around until you get a new car," Jules offered with a grin. "You can always look online for something. I'm sure your mom would help you out." Jules would go crazy without her car, especially living up in Overlook. It was too far to just walk into town whenever she felt like it. Belatedly, Jules realized Scarlett could drive Ethan around too, but she decided against suggesting it. She was sure Ethan was aware of it already, especially if the two were sort of seeing each other again. "How's your uncle? Is he still pissed?" Jules had been too busy recovering to talk to Dr. Wilkes in depth, but she knew it would happen eventually.
“You’re gonna have to drive me around. My mom’s holding out on the car ‘cause she’s still pissed at me for wrecking mine,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes as if it wasn’t his own fault. Which, it was. Just not how his mom thought it was. She thought he’d just been an idiot for driving in such a bad storm. He refrained from telling her the whole story at his uncle’s request. If she thought his powers were dangerous, Ethan might not get to work for AIR. She might even discourage him hanging out with Jules, and Ethan would do anything to avoid that. “I wouldn’t say he’s pissed at this point. He’s got a new creature to research, so from that point he’s thrilled. But now he’s got questions about the other doors we’ve opened, or might’ve opened. It kinda feels like… I dunno. There’s just some stuff I don’t want to tell him, you know?”
A new creature to research. Jules thought about the things she'd had living in her body and for a moment, she thought she might puke. But the feeling passed quickly and she took a breath to calm herself. "Don't tell him anything," she murmured. "I mean, obviously... he knows we did it once, but... I don't want him to know about the rest. I don't want them to start like, following or monitoring us, you know?" She knew what they could do was dangerous and probably important, but they were still people. Jules didn't want to be forced into isolation or treated like some kind of weapon. "I'm sorry about your mom, though. My mom is still pissed too, though she's more like... ignoring me than anything else. She thinks the cold shoulder is worst than yelling or grounding me or whatever." Jules glanced at Ethan. "I know we said we were taking a break from opening doors, but... I don't know. I've kind of been itching to do it. Not anything new, but like, at Sweetbriar. Places we know."
“Yeah, I know,” Ethan said softly. “I don’t want to risk him tracking us. I didn’t even tell him about the door we opened for Jasper and Amelia.” His uncle was family, and he trusted him, but he’d still avoided some of the questions he’d been asking. He clearly believed Ethan and Jules had opened more doors, regardless of Ethan’s silence on that topic. He didn’t want to be pressured into opening doors that were better closed, and some places were just between him and Jules, like the door at Sweetbriar bridge. “Sweetbriar is ours,” he said. “We knows it’s safe and… I don’t really feel like sharing it. We can go there whenever you want.” He didn’t have proof that it was safe, but they’d been there a number of times without issue. If something bad was going to happen, it felt like it would have happened by now.
Jules definitely didn't want to tell anyone about helping Amelia and Jasper. The last thing she wanted was for any of the AIR employees showing up on the Lucas doorstep. She would much rather keep all the potentially dangerous parts of this to herself and Ethan. "I don't want to share it either," she said after a moment. "I just like that it's a place we can go to to get away from here... and no one knows where we are." Though, would Jasper? If he wanted to find her and she was there, in that place, would he know? Jules doubted that would ever happen, but still. "We'll wait until you're walking again," she added with a small smile. "And we know for sure that your uncle doesn't have his people following us around."
“Yeah… just in case,” Ethan said, a small frown on his face. Something was still bothering him about his uncle coming to their rescue the night of the storm, a detail that he hadn’t even wanted to voice. Uncle Wilkes had saved their lives. There was no reason to be suspicious of him. But…his timing was impeccable. And he’d known exactly what to do. Maybe he had a psychic on his team that had helped him, but if that was the case, why didn’t he come pick them up earlier? The questions ate at him, creating just enough discomfort to be cautious. “I’m sure if he knew of the other places he’d have asked to see them, but we’ll be careful.”
Jules nodded. They would be careful. Extra careful. She didn't want to repeat what had just happened, after all. But it still felt good that they had been able to do something helpful by helping Jasper and Amelia. "Are you hungry?" she asked Ethan, pulling out her phone. "I can order some food or something." She was ready for less depressing conversations. They could eat and do something fun... watch something fun, or just talk about dumb stuff for a while. This was so much better than sitting in her bed and texting people.
“Yeah,” Ethan smiled. “Let’s order something—not pizza. I’m loaded up on pizza.” He knew they didn’t have a ton of options, but he didn’t really feel like braving the outside at the moment. It would be nice to order some food, put something on the tv, and just chill together. Maybe he could even talk Jules into playing video games with him, something relatively easy and not sports related. He might even have Mario Kart sitting around somewhere. He knew it probably wasn’t her thing, but it could be fun, and they could both use a little more of that these days.