I felt a pat on my shoulder and I groaned sitting up.
Good morning. Jordan signed with a smile on his face. Are you hungry?
Can I go home now? I was stubborn when I wanted to be. And I wanted to be fucking stubborn. Jordan sighed.
No. I'm sorry.
I sighed loudly and turned away from him. No. I don't want food.
"You have to eat." Jordan said, dropping his hands. "Please?"
I turned back around and gave him a death glare.
NO.
Jordan looked cross. Please?
I huffed a little and narrowed my eyes at him. Just because you can sign does not mean you're my new best friend. Got it? I don't want to eat, I won't eat. I want to go home. I want to see my mother and my father and my little sister. I want to go home. Please.
Jordan stood there, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Let me talk to the others, okay?"
I nodded. He left, pulling the door shut behind him. I heard him lean on the door so I couldn't escape out the door like a normal person. I sighed covered my face. I was lucky that he could sign. I was lucky he could understand me. If he didn't, I don't know what I would have done. I sighed and decided to listen into the conversation
"All she wants is to go home." I heard Jordan sigh.
"Well, how do we know she won't tell the cops?" asked Oli's voice.
"We don't. But we have to trust her."
"Absolutely not." grumped a new voice. "How the hell can we trust her?"
"We can't, but we have to try." Jordan was trying to be calm. I could tell by the strain in his voice. "She thinks we're going to kill her." Everyone fell silent.
"Did you tell her we weren't?" Oli whispered.
"I did. But she's scared shitless of us. I know it. I can see it. Her hands shake when she signs...she won't eat...she just wants to go home."
I buried my head in my hands and curled into a ball. The door opened and I felt a hand on mine.
"Can you please eat? We just have to trust you and you'll go home." Oli was squatting at the bed so he was level with me.
I just want to go home. I told him stubbornly. I'll eat if you promise I can go home.
"Jordan?" Oli asked painfully. Jordan walked over and I repeated my hand gestures. He sighed loudly.
"She just wants to go home, guys. She said she'll eat if we promise she can go home." He sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair.
"Do you think we want you here?" Oli asked, his eyes widening slightly. I winced at his words. Was I really that bad? It wasn't even my choice to be here. If I had it my way, I would be home in bed with my sister cuddled up next to me reading her bed time stories. Not here. "That's not what I meant. You think we intentionally took you? We didn't mean to kill that guy..."
Murderers never do. I signed coldly, staring at him. Jordan gave an impatient sigh. He didn't even tell Oli what I signed. He just stared at me with confusion. Oli sighed.
"I promise you can go home." I raised an eyebrow. "But, this is all on you. If you give us a reason not to trust you, then...I don't know what we'll have to do to you. You're the only one who saw the accident, so that means we'll still have to do our final two performances. Then, once we think you won't talk, we'll let you go home. Got it?"
Why can't you just trust me? I asked, my hands shaking wildly.
"Trust is earned." Jordan replied. I sighed and lowered my eyes.
I'll eat.
"Good." Jordan smiled at me and told Vegan to go get me some food and bring it up here. Lee offered to go with him and they both left to go get food for the whole band. I heard a person at the door and I looked up to see a man with thick eyebrows and gauges in his ear. He looked at me and then to the other two.
"Hello." He muttered, looking away. "Guys, why isn't she tied up?"
"Trust." Oli and Jordan muttered in unison. He sighed and walked to me. I flinched from him and he stopped dead in his tracks. Then he sighed.
"I'm Matt." he said fixing the beanie on his head. "You are?"
They all looked expectantly at me. I sighed. Might as well just tell them my name. Right? What harm can that do? Anyways, trust, right?
J-A-S-E-Y.
Jordan smiled. "That's a very pretty name." He turned to the others. "Her name is Jasey."
"Nice to meet you, Jasey." Oli said, smiling. I heard the door open yet again and in walked Vegan and Lee. They held chips and muffins and fruits.
"This is what they had." Lee muttered, turning to shut the door.
We sat around on the floor, me on the bed. Oli was keeping an eye on me as we ate. I guess he didn't trust me fully yet. I didn't trust him at all. Jordan handed me a muffin and sighed. "Everyone, this is Jasey...Jasey...this is...everyone."
I know. I know your music. I told him. He smiled at me.
Do you like our music?
I did. Then I turned back to my muffin, but his hands were distracting me.
Why not now?
I don't know. I said, making a face. Maybe it's because you KIDNAPPED me. I don't know. You tell me.
Jordan sighed impatiently. "I'm sorry, Okay? We're all sorry. We don't know what to do."
The others looked curiously at me and I felt my nostrils flare.
I'm not hungry.
Please, eat a little more he urged me. I shook my head and he sighed. Do you need to take a shower? I nodded. The bathroom's all yours. We'll be out here waiting for you. Okay?
I nodded and slowly walked to the bathroom. Maybe it would be easier if I did talk to him. I was never going to talk to them though. If I was going to talk, I'd better be able to talk to my brother. My dead brother.