The Agents

Chapter Twenty-Five

*Jaxon's Point of View*

"Dude, what time is it?" Drake yawned.

"How should I know?" I asked, turning over and holding my pillow over my head.

"Wake up! You have to come out here! You guys! Wake up!"

I rolled out of bed, pulling the gun out from under my pillow and aiming before my eyes were even all the way open. When my eyes finally focused, I saw Taylor standing in the doorway, a paper clutched in her hand. Her eyes were frantic and there were tears streaming down her face.

"Taylor?" I questioned, putting my gun down. A snore interrupted from above me and I looked up to see Drake face down, half hanging off the bunk bed, and completely asleep. I took a step forward and thumped him on the back.

He looked up, his curse dying on his lips as he caught sight of Taylor. "What happened?" He asked, worry clouding his features.

"It's-" she began, a hiccup cutting her off, "Jaycee."

"Jay!" I asked, running passed Taylor with Drake close behind me. I looked around the main room, worry threatening to consume me. I didn't see anything which confused me.

"She's gone," Taylor whispered. I was still looking around the room for Jay, so what Taylor said didn't register.

"What?" Drake exclaimed.

A pile of boxes and envelopes sitting against the wall caught my eye. Slowly, I walked over to them. I vaguely registered that Drake and Taylor were talking, but I was too focused on the envelope with Jaxon written on it in Jay's perfect cursive.

Kneeling down, I picked up the envelope, running my thumb over the delicate writing. I turned it over and opened it. Pulling out the silver chain, I let it fall into my open palm. A tear rolled down my cheek as I looked at the diamond encrusted J sitting in my hand. It was the necklace I had given Jay years ago on our first date. A note fell out of the envelop, gliding to the ground. I picked it up and opened it, reading the single line of cursive written.

You should have asked.

I crumpled up the paper and the envelope, throwing both at the wall. Clenching my fist around the necklace, I march away from the wall. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "Dang it!" I shouted. "Why did she do this?"

Taylor put a hand on my shoulder and said, "She'll be fine, Jaxon."

I looked up at her, tears still running down both of our faces, "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself of that."

"You've got to be kidding me," Drake said. Taylor and I looked over to see Drake laughing.

"Drake?" I asked cautiously, slowly walking over to where he was kneeling by the stack of boxes and letters.

"Eight years. She took this from me eight years ago, saying it looked better on her. We argued over who it actually belonged to for weeks. In the end, I gave it to her just so we could stop arguing over it." He turned around to face me, a hat clutched in his hand. "Eight years later, and she gives it back to me with a note that says 'It still looks better on me.'"

"She was definitely a sentimentalist, got to give her that," I said while tightening my hold on the necklace in my hand and trying to make it a joke because I couldn't handle how serious it was getting.

"What's going on?" I looked up to see Jennifer and the other recruits coming out of the dorms and watching us.

"Didn't you hear? It's a good bye party! Jaycee went on a suicide mission and left us with presents," Drake said cheerfully, even though the tears on his cheeks gave away his real feelings.