I'll Be Back

Something Is Amiss

Since the bar blow up, Jennie hasn't spoken to Lily, nor has a desire to. That Monday she scheduled an emergency appointment with her therapist, wanting to get things under control before they spiraled again. They talked through the emotions that were brought up from the yelling match, lots of tears had been shed during the session but ultimately, she felt a lot better afterwards. The session had been nearly two hours, the longest they've ever done, but she had a great moment in which he made her forgive herself. Forgive herself of her past discretion when Lisa's death had been announced. It was a huge step for her and she couldn't feel more grateful to have decided to seek help. Jisoo and Rose keep trying to get Lily and Jennie in the same room but Jennie has shut it down each time. So far they haven't brought it up again.

Aden went off to summer camp for a month. It didn't last the whole month though. About a week before he was due back home, he had gotten into a fist fight with one other boy. Jennie had been confused and thought they had the wrong boy but once they said his name was Aden Manoban she knew she had to go pick him up. Aden didn't talk about it on the car ride home. His eye black and blue and bruises forming on his knuckles. Jennie didn't reprimand him right away, just wanting to know what had caused him to get into a fight in the first place. He had never been one to get angry, so angry that he'd beat another kid senseless. When Jennie arrived, she saw the other boy whose face was completely swollen, his eyes nearly shut. She had to talk to the other boys parents and explain the situation at home, luckily they were sympathetic and decided not to press charges or anything. When they got home, they went up to Aden's room to have a private chat. He didn't say anything at first, just looked down at his hands in shame. Jennie waited patiently, knowing that she couldn't push him. After a moment he spoke.

"He took her dog tags. He took them from my neck and threw them in the lake when I beat him in a swimming relay." Aden's voice says quietly. Jennie sighs and looks towards his neck for the first time, noticing the emptiness around it. She feels her blood start to boil at the fact that she apologized to the young boy. He took and threw away the only thing they had left of Lisa's person. Jennie clenches her jaw and tries to keep her anger at bay. She takes a deep breath and speaks.

"Start from the beginning." She tells him. He nods and moves his eyes to meet hers.

"We're from different cabins. We'd always be matched up in races and stuff, like obstacle courses. It was fun, I did have a really good time. But I kept beating him and stuff and I guess he didn't like the fact that I never really got into the whole talking smack thing. He'd try to egg me on and i'd just ignore it and just go back to my cabin after the activities were done. Then the swimming relay was the last competition of the camp. My team put me last because i'm the faster swimmer. He was also last on his team. I beat him by a lot I guess. He got mad and I just ignored him and started walking off the dock. He then grabbed the chain and tore it from my neck. When I turned around he tossed it into the lake. Like really deep end of the lake. I don't know what happened. I just saw red or something and next thing I know i'm being dragged away to the office. I don't remember what I did." Aden explains, his eyes getting glassy. Jennie grabs ahold of his hand.

"Did you tell the counselors what he did?" Jennie asks him gently. He shakes his head.

"No. I was embarrassed and so I just didn't say anything to anyone." Aden explains. Jennie nods. She thinks of what she should do now. Probably call the camp, let them know what the other boy had done. Get the boy's parents phone number and tell them what their heartless son had done. She sighs once more. "Am I in a lot of trouble?" Aden asks timidly. Jennie looks at him and shakes her head.

"No babe, you're fine. He provoked you. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there." Jennie tells him. He shakes his head.

"It's okay mommy. I was at summer camp, parents aren't suppose to be there." Aden gives her a sad smile. Jennie smiles at him using 'mommy' again for her. He had stopped calling her that during her bad phase, just resorting to 'mom'. They sit in silence, Jennie trying to figure out how to handle the situation. "Can we get them back?" Aden asks after a moment. Jennie looks at him and feels her heart breaking. The dog tags are probably long gone, sitting in the bottom of the lake and even then, a fish could have swallowed them up or something. Jennie bites her lip, trying to think if there is a way to get them back but coming up empty. She then closes her eyes and shakes her head.