~♡~
You and Stygian barged into the inn, causing Sarah, who was cleaning up to jump, almost dropping the tray of dirty dishes in her arms.
"Oh, it's just you," Sarah said in relief. "It got so dark, and you haven't gotten back in time that I was about to ask Jim to go and find you. I was worried."
You smiled reassuringly and lifted up your shopping bag. "Just visiting shops and stuff. They've got nice stuff here. By the way, is Jim in his room?"
Sarah picked up one last dish into the tray and commenced walking to the kitchen. "Yes, he is." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and a small, sly smile crept to her lips. "Why do you ask?"
"Uh, no reason. Just wanted to know he didn't run away or something,: you said nervously.
Sarah stretched her lips onto a tired smile and pushed the door open with her hips.
"Sarah?" You called. She paused midentry to look at you.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for letting me stay. I am grateful, really."
That brought on a wide smile to her lips, and she looked younger again, like in the hologram when she was dancing in her wedding dress with Leland. It made you stomach bubble with joy.
"You are most welcome, dear. And thank you for helping me. And Jim."
Sarah entered the kitchen and disappeared from sight before you could grasp her meaning of that last sentence.
You shared a glance with Stygian, and bounded up the stairs, your boots making loud thumps as you took two steps at a time.
As you grasped the post at the top of the stairs and rounded the corner to the hall, Stygian was too slow and failed to turn and crashed onto the wall above a window.
When you reached Jim's door, you rapped your fingers continuously for a few seconds. Then you heard a clink inside, following a loud thump and a grunt. The door then swung open hastily.
"Jim," you said as soon as his face appeared in the door. His hair was slightly disheveled, his sky blue eyes were wide in alert. Behind him, you could see a lamp on beside a small working table against the wall to the left with small tools and metal pieces. "Good. You're not asleep. I need your help."
He took a moment to furrow his brows
"Wa-wait, what? What happened?"
When you tried to explain, you suddenly realized how out of breath you were from sprinting to the inn and up the stairs. You began to feel dizzy and your vision blackened and you took uneven breaths as you nearly fell forward.
"Woah!" Jim grabbed your shoulders to support you. You were surprised at how strong he actually was. "You okay, Read? You look like you ran a mile." Jim helped straighten you up.
You let out a breathy laugh as you leaned against his doorframe. "I think I...kinda did."
"Here, uh, come inside and take a seat." Jim gently wrapped an arm around your shoulder and led you to the chair you assume he pushed back abruptly, fell down, and got back up to answer the door. Jim let you go for a moment to scoot the chair closer to the desk and flipped it to face the bed almost.
He then sat you down on the chair and closed his door and reappeared again to sit on his bed.
You sighed and closed your eyes briefly as you felt your heartbeat calm down and your head clear up.
You heard the flap of Stygian's wings and then silence in front of you where Jim currently was. You opened your eyes again and there they were.
Jim's eyebrows were slightly raised and his eyes looked upon you in wonderment. Like the way a child would look when they see their favorite hero or heroine.
You suddenly blushed and felt self aware at the thought of what you might look like; a mess, no doubt. With a sweaty and dirty flushed face.
You almost felt relieved when he spoke first. "Where'd you go, Read? Did something happen? You said you needed my help."
Your eyes lit up. "I was stalked- but Stygian scared him away! That's not why I ran. But I just had a great idea that I think could help me a bunch."
Jim leaned forward, and you tried with all your willpower to keep a straight face and refrain from leaning as well to see what it would feel like to kiss him.
"Well, what is it?" He asked with a small smile. "What made you run nearly a half a mile just to tell me your grand idea?"
You told him your idea and mentioned the vague memory of your old home and where you worked. Maybe that's why you were so good at being a waittress, you had experience working elsewhere.
When you finished Jim immediately jumped up and bent down on his knees and crouched below to look at something under his bed.
"Jim? What are you doing?" You asked, mildly surprised at his quick reaction.
Jim stuck his hand inside and felt for something. "It's a writing board. We could use it to write down the events."
You beamed. "That's brilliant! Now all we need is to write down what I remember and also hope that somethings may appear."
Jim finally pulled out a rectangular object and stood and went over to his desk. You stood to see what he will do and moved the chair aside to move closer to him. With one swift movement of his arm, Jim pushed aside his little project and set the object down in the center.
You stared at the little oval object the size of an eyeball in which he pushed aside. "Won't you need that later? I mean, it looks interesting."
Jim picked up the oval object, stared at it for a few moments and closed his fist slowly around it. "Yeah. I-I just. I was just tinkering with it. I'll finish it later. Thanks." He opened up a small metal box and gently placed it inside and on top of a shelf above his desk.
You focused your attention back to the object he pulled out of his bed, and watched with astonishment as he pressed a button and a transparent blue screen appeared to shine above it. It was about four by three feet long. It covered nearly the whole wall behind it, and in the dim light, it glowed faintly.
"It's a screen board!" You exclaimed. You turned to look at Jim. "Where did you- nevermind." A smile made its way to your lips.
Jim touched the screen and slid his hand and a white line followed.
"You can write on it and add images if you want. I don't use it anymore. I only remembered it after you told me your idea."
You placed two fingers and made a big circle. You smiled wide and looked at him. "This will be helpful, Jim. Thank you."
Jim lowered his head a little and you could see his cheeks turn pink.
Stygian stood on the table with a suspicious glare at the screen. He lifted a paw and stuck it through the screen, which he widened his eyes in astonishment.
You wrote something in the top left corner of the screen and then something beneath it in smaller writing and circled both. You continued to write, circle, and underline automatically. You weren't thinking, just writing.
Jim didn't say a word. He just stood back, quietly observing you as you worked. Stygian, well, knowing Stygian, he flew out the window out of boredom.
You reached certain points where you hesitated before writing things down. For instance, your relationship with you and Edward. As you wrote a plus sign in between both of your names to signify your relationship, you felt your arms shaking the whole time and you refused to look back at Jim, not wanting to see his expression as you circled it.
You don't know why this seemed awkward. Maybe because you thought Jim thought he might have a chance with you or something. He is nice and all, but he is a teen boy and just talking about relationships sometimes makes any guy feel awkward.
Soon, you decidedly let your arm down by your side and felt your fingers begin to cramp for the first time. You have completed most of the timeline.
You examined the board. It looked exactly what an investigator's board would look like. Reds, and whites were mixed with small images to represent your memories on the circles.
"That's it," you declared bluntly. "That's all I could remember. I know there's more, but it's going to make things much easier." You looked at Jim, who was supposedly standing behind you, was now in a chair, arms crossed and sleeping.
You looked at a clock on the wall and realized only a few hours have gone by.
You looked back at Jim and admired how peaceful he looked asleep. The glow of the screen illuminated enough to see him clearly.
You didn't want to disturb him, but he deserved to sleep in a bed, not a stiff chair. You turned off the screen, and went over to Jim and gently shook his shoulder.
"Jim?" You said softly. "Jim. Wake up. You have to get up so you can get into bed."
Jim only continued sleeping, his chest slowly rising and falling as his head lay on his shoulder.
You shook him again, a little rough this time.
"James Pleiades Hawkins," you tried mimicking his mother's stern voice in the most dramatic way you could. "If you don't get up now, you're going to miss school and you will never graduate and you will spend the rest of your life in misery. Do you want that?"
Jim's head twitched, but didn't wake up.
Finally, you thought of one last option which you apprehended.
You leaned in his ear, your cheek brushed against his, and gently said, "Jim. I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for me. I just wish I could tell you everything about me. I can't. It's so damn hard." You stared at his motionless face, wondering what he could be dreaming about that allows him to not wake "If this...endeavor goes wrong, and something terrible may happen to me because I forced myself to remember...I wanted to say that...I appreciate your help. I've really come admire you as a friend. So, thank you." You sighed. "Please wake up now, so I don't have to embarrass myself any further."
You leaned away and reached a hand out to move his fair from his face, when he stirred. He lifted his head anf sat up and unfolded his arms to rub his aching neck.
"Read. What time is it?" He asked and yawned.
"It's time for you to go to bed, sleepyhead," you replied and offered to take his arm and take him to his bed.
"You don't...happen to have to change into sleeping clothes, do you?" You asked once you've sat him on his bed.
He yawned. "No. I just sleep in my underclothes."
You blushed, knowing he was too exhausted and therefore his demeanor caused him to not think twice on his choice of words.
"Well, then. I'll leave you to it, then. I'll be going to my room." You turned to go, but he called you back.
"What did you mean?"
You froze and turned, confused. "Excuse me?"
During the brief moment's pause, you saw his eyes were on the brink of closure and he looked immensely tired, but he had a pleasant expression on, as if your answer amused him.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Nevermind. I, uh...good night."
You gave him a small smile. "Good night, Jim. I'll see you tomorrow."
You left his room and slowly closed his door and then went to prepare for bed.
It has been a long and exciting day, and you were so exhausted, your fingers hurt from writing and your feet as well from standing too long.
You changed into a nightgown, and during so, you wanted to think about Jim and how peaceful he looked as he slept. But once your head touched the pillow, you fell into a blissful sleep.
~♡~