him & i, robin arellano.

𝒊𝒗. four

༺❦༻

❝ and the truth of the matter
is, i'll never let you go, let
you go ! ❞

mary on a cross, ghost.

THE YEAR IS now 1978. after vance hopper got kidnapped last spring, it's been around 10 months. and in between those months, another boy disappeared: griffin stagg.

jaelin didn't know much about griffin, but she still felt bad for his family. missing posters were plastered all around town, and every time she saw one she felt sick to her stomach. griffin was only 11.

you'd think that after two boys' disappearances that the town would be more safer about their children, but you'd be wrong. not much has changed after, only a few earlier curfews here and there.

her mother never really cared about her whereabouts, knowing jaelin never goes out much and only ever goes to three places: the grab n go, finney's house and robin's house.

jaelin and her mother still had a distant relationship- or even a nonexistent one. it was like they knew of each other, but never knew about each other. her mother was always working or going out late at night doing fuck all.

jaelin envied all the people who had good relations with their mother. considering the last good interaction she had was at christmas when the two were in the living room watching random christmas movies.

she was grateful for everything her mother provides for her- but she couldn't help but still feel empty. that's what made jaelin hate herself even more.

IT WAS EIGHT am, just in time for billy to be delivering the daily newspaper. jaelin used to enjoy opening the paper, but now as it was filled with pictures and details of griffin- she couldn't bare looking at the front page any longer.

she opened the door and casually waited for the paperboy. though, she never heard the familiar tires of his bike. instead, she only saw a flash of fur running up towards her.

she immediately grew concerned as soon as the dog barked up at her, looking at her then back at the street. she bent down to his level and ruffled his fur, "what is it, rover? where's billy?"

the dog barked and turned around, racing towards the streets. jaelin instantly shut her front door and ran after the dog. the cold-ish morning breeze hit her face but she didn't care, only focusing on rover in front of her.

after running almost halfway down the street, she spotted a bike tumbled over near the pavement. after running up to it, she saw it was none other than billy's bike, with all the newspapers spilling out of the basket.

she covered her mouth in shock, looking around the street and not seeing him anywhere. she panicked and took rover into her arms, petting him gently, "don't worry rover, we'll find him."

'i hope.'

she held back tears at the mere thought of him missing just like griffin. so with rover in her arms, she semi-sprinted back home and immediately went to the phone and contacted the police.

she told them what she saw and the street name. in a matter of minutes, two police cars and two detectives: detective wright and detective miller were at her house.