Perfect || Jellybean Jones

20. CLUES

     I was flipping through the Griffins and Gargoyles manual when I heard my name being called.

     "Jughead," a small voice said. I look up to see my sister, awake.

     "What happened?" She asked. "You were poisoned from that little game of yours." I scowled.

     She tries to sit up. "What's this?" She asks in a bored tone, referring to the cuffs onto her hands. "You didn't do this, did you?" She asks. "It's a protocol for suicide." I say.

     "I didn't d—" I cut her off. "You did," I stand up, walking towards her. "And im gonna make sure that this is the last time you'll ever play G&G."

     I lean my hands on the bars of her bed. "He knows." she said.

     "Who knows?" I ask. She forces her mouth shut and glares at me. I sigh. "I guess that's all I'm gonna get." I say and walk out.

—     —     —

     It's been three days since Jellybean has gotten out of the hospital, and first day back to school since then.

     "Trying to kill yourself?" Reggie asked JB. "How do you like stripping for your brother and his snakes every night?" He asks. The hell?

     Jellybean ignored him and shouldered him, continuing to walk through the halls. I get back to getting my laptop from my locker.

"Don't you walk past me!" I hear somebody shout. I turn and look to see Jellybean and Reggie fighting each other. Ten year old against tall, muscular seventeen year old.

I run up to stop him when Jellybean kicks Reggie in the place no boy wants to be kicked.

She had blood trickling down her head from a cut.

"Forsythia Jones, to the main office right now." The intercom spoke.

Jellybean looked around. Then she bolted out of the school. "JB!" I shout.

"Sweet Pea, Fangs! After her!" I yell. They take off, as well as Toni. I run after them, catching up to their pace. Where could she be?

• • •

"What if she's playing that trashy addict game? The one with the poison!" Toni yells as we run out of my trailer after searching for JB in it.

I mutter a curse word. "Fangs, Sweet Pea. Take the left route into the woods and look for Jellybean. Toni and I will take the other way. Betty texted me saying her, Archie, and Veronica are looking on the North Side for her." I order. They nod and take off. Me and Toni run to the right.

Toni took the other trail so we could search more quickly. That's when I heard a scream.

I run towards her. "What?" I ask. She points to the tree. On it is a symbol carved into the wood. "That's from the G&G manual." I say.

"We need to find her." I mutter. "Let's see if the others found her." Toni suggests. I agree and we speed off, again.

• • •

We run up to the trail Fangs and Sweet Pea went on. "Let go of me," the voice of JB says. We run into her view. "Jughead help."

Fangs and Sweet Pea were holding her against the tree so she couldn't run. She was sitting down.

"JB, what were you running from?" I ask. She doesn't answer. I take a sharpie out of my pocket and draw the symbol that was on the tree. "What does this mean?" I ask her.

"I can't say. He won't le—" she cuts herself off. "Stand her up." I tell the guys. They yank her up so she's standing. "Jughead, please." JB whispered.

"No, Forsythia. I can't let you go. I need to know what this means, okay? Now talk or we won't let go." I say.

"It means sacrifice." She whispers.