The 7 Year Endearment. √

Chapter 11

She said she had to be somewhere else so she left my place and walked away in a dash before sincerely thanking me in a vulnerable manner. I had never seen this side of hers and the fact that something might have happened to Jason was making me worried.

I drove as fast as I could with different thoughts racing in my head. Was this kidnap? What was in the box? Is Jason okay? The address that Rebecca had written down seemed to be on the outskirts as my GPS was showing me.

After an hour or so, I reached a spot where the GPS signalled that I have reached my destination. I got out of my car and I looked here and there to see some signs of Jason or possibly the kidnapper but there was no one to be seen.

I began walking ahead and I came to a stop when I realised that there was a house which was in its ruins. It seemed too old and dusty as if there was no one and maybe I had reached a wrong location. I walked back to my car and I checked the address which I had typed in and to my surprise it was the same address that Rebecca had given to me.

I remembered the ribbon box that she had given to me and I felt it resting in my pocket as if it were a grenade that was about to be blown anytime soon. I was getting more and more anxious as the minutes ticked by, and the fact that I didn't have my cell phone with me was like a cherry on top for my situation.

Not planning to give up any time soon, I walked again towards the abandoned house and decided to take a look inside. It seemed like those horror movies in which the protagonist walks towards situations that he exactly has to avoid. But I felt like I had to because I was worried about Jason's whereabouts and the fact that Rebecca looked all worried and came to ask me for help made me walk inside the house all alone.

It seemed like a waste of time as the house seemed to have been rotting with no one to take care of it and so after I was sure enough that no kidnapper could possibly have taken Jason all the way here, I back traced my steps outside the house. The kind of feelings that were happening inside of me were not helping either and my attention kept shifting to what lied in the box.

It seemed like half an hour had passed and still there was no sign of Jason. Without wasting any further time I fetched for the ribbon box which seemed to have been buried deep in my coat. Reluctantly I held it in my hand and gingerly untied the ribbon. I knew Rebecca told me that I was supposed to give it to Jason but I couldn't find him so I thought that maybe there must have been something lying inside it which could possibly give me a clue as to where he is.

As I slowly open the lid of the green box, I found myself staring at a piece of paper. As I took that piece of people in my hands, I realised that there was something written on it.

In that piece of paper there was something written and as I unfolded it read, "You should really stay away from Jason after what you did today."

To say that I was confused would be an understatement. Having realised that Rebecca had possibly fabricated all this and made me come here when I could be sitting with my friends in a cafè made me few to no limits.

I rushed to my car and drove as fast as I can straight to the cafe when I know she would be sitting with my friends. I imagined all the profanities that I'd be screaming at her and how stupid I was to believe her story.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I laughed at myself in a shallow manner for being such an idiot to cave in and do what she told me to. I believed that Jason was in danger, and she knew that I would buy anything or even do anything if it came down to him.

I slammed my car door open, and stumped towards the cafè and immediately spotted all of them sitting together, their faces grim. I saw Jason first and sighed in relief subconsciously but shook my head as I marched to the table.

"What kind of a sick twisted joke are you playing at Rebecca?" I screamed at her momentarily making the whole place go quiet for a few seconds.

"Excuse me?" She raised a challenging eyebrow at me and acted oblivious about what I was trying to say.

I was taken aback and I looked at my friends to tell them what she did but they all wore disappointed looks.

"Why would you do that Eleanor?" Beth asked.

"Do what?" I asked as I sensed what was coming was not what I had in store for my summer vacation.

"Send Jason your vulgar pictures?" Rebecca said bluntly.

"I didn't!" I was shell shocked to hard this, "I don't even have my phone— "

"It has your home location with it." Paris said it this time not making eye contact with me.

"I —" My pleading eyes looked at Beth but she shook her head, "Beth atleast you believe me when I say that I didn't do such a thing."

Jason seemed disgusted by my presence and he just got up and walked out of the place.

But no one and I repeat no one listened to me that day. No matter what I said, they just didn't.