~ Part 7 ~ | Tell Me A Story

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**Porcelain Face (4 Door Theatre) **
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"I met a girl with a porcelain name
Easy to talk to but hard to explain
What do I do when I'm falling for you?
The girl with a porcelain name
Meets a boy with a cardboard face"

~ 4 Door Theatre

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This chapter is dedicated to @cactus_102! Thank you for voting!!!

(comment or PM if you'd like a shoutout!)

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Jay regretted agreeing to the group sleepover in the seating room.

He liked the kids, he really did! But Jay couldn't help but wish he was alone with Nya. Just the two of them talking by the fire instead of failing at s'mores and trying to stop the kids from igniting the furniture with the matches.

"Okay!" Jay finally exclaims after he rescues Wu's armchair from the flames. "Why won't we try a different activity?" He suggested.

The kids look at him curiously. They were all grouped in their little cliques by the fireplace. Games and food were strewn around like confetti, and everyone had a pillow or a blanket. The younger one's were buzzing with excitement while the older children had the bored I'm-Too-Cool-For-This expressions.

One of the miniature Kais-but-worse smiled a little too smugly. "Maybe we could share some scary stories?"

A little girl shrunk back into her stuffed cat when he said that but the rest of them seemed eager.

Jay hesitated and looked to his friends for guidance but none of them were very helpful. Wu had turned in early, as had Misako. Lloyd had been quiet most of the day and was sleeping with his head on Kai's shoulder. Kai had been pissed because no one had come to relieve him of "babysitting duty" as he called it. So, Kai pointedly ignored Jay and focused on watching over Lloyd.

The protective young man had been pretty patient and had managed to wait through dinner before the interrogation started on the woman that had suddenly appeared in the kitchen. The kids had gone to do their homework Kai had dragged everyone aside so he could demand answers in the delicate way Kai did.

By yelling.

A lot.

Jay had been curious as well. He could tell from Nya's hardened expression that something had been bothering her but he knew better than to ask before she was ready. Kai, on the other hand, did not respect that silent rule.

"It's nothing." Lloyd had said to them a little too stiffly.

Kai then snorted disbelievingly and he narrowed his eyes at the rest of the group. "Does everyone know what's going on except me?"

Jay remembered raising his hand. "Uh me?"

He was surprised to see that Cole was also aware of the mysterious woman in their school. Cole wasn't dumb he just... was a little dense sometimes. He didn't always notice things. But Cole had proven him wrong by explaining what had happened clean and simple.

"Lloyd's mom came looking for him," Cole said softly.

If his mother- no.

Not mother.

If Edna had shown up he would've been shocked and maybe a little embarrassed. But his mother hadn't left him as a child at a scummy school. Lloyd's own emotions towards his mom would be very different from his own.

Jay had tried to mask his pitying look. He must not have done it very well because Lloyd just tensely smiled, saying he was okay and left. Nya sighed, her concern for her roommate evident as she watched Lloyd go.

"I know if my Mom showed up I would feel..." Nya confided in him later. She hesitated a moment as she picked out the right words before choosing one. "Torn. I would feel torn into a million directions."

Torn.

What a good way to describe the turmoil of emotions that occurred.

Jay remembered the shock.

Then everything else was too messy to figure out.

Emotions are never black and white. They're a mix of colours, a spectrum of various things you can feel all at once. You can feel sad and happy at the same time. You can feel angry with a hint of jealousy. You can feel scared, excited, and disgusted in one moment and then joyful in the next. It was confusing, it was frustrating, and it made communication ten times harder. No one was able to figure out everything they felt. And if anyone claimed to be an expert Jay would laugh in their face and then rage at them for lying.

Sometimes this mix of emotions was like a sea. It would drown you in its flood, the undertow surprisingly you and leaving you choking on air. Other times it was just like a cold breeze on a hot day. Startling you when you least expect it. It could be a little scary but not necessarily bad.

That's what being with Nya sometimes felt like. Startling and scary, but... nice.

So with that handful of emotions in mind, Jay let the older tweens torture the children with stories while he and Nya stepped out for some time together.

Nya looked amused as Jay led them down the hall towards a more quiet area. "Did you wait until Kai had fallen asleep with Lloyd to leave?"

"What? No!" Jay grinned impishly, a playful look in his eye.

She laughed, loud and hard. "Kai's going to kill you."

Yes, usually that would scare him but Jay was too busy basking in that cold wind to care. He had a girlfriend. An amazing, strong, kind, and brave girlfriend. He was on cloud nine!

Jay took her gently by the hand before he pulled them to the quiet little nook by the stairwell. Wu had a tall bookshelf in the corner with a cushy love seat to read in. All the books were either old classics or written in a language Jay couldn't read. He assumed they were also old classics of whatever culture they came from.

Nya smiled at him as they sat down. The darkness of the night often made the school appear more creepy and haunted. Jay usually avoided walking around the halls when it got too late. But when he was alone with Nya, in the snug little nook, with the flickering candlelight it wasn't so scary. It was calm, peaceful, and warm.

They were still at the beginning of their relationship. Something small, something sweet. No big steps. Which was why Jay jumped a little when Nya tucked herself beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Is this okay?" Nya murmured softly, her dark eyes were happy but cautious. Jay nodded quickly, his voice suddenly stopped working. She smiled then snuggled in closer and closed her eyes with a content sigh.

"This is nice." Jay blurted out when he couldn't think of anything else to say in the silence.

Nya chuckled. "It is."

They sat there a moment more. Just enjoying each other company without a word. The only sound was the muffled chatter from the seating room and the steady inhale and exhale of their breaths.

"Tell me something about yourself," Nya said out of the blue. Jay's brow furrowed and he turned slightly to her.

"Alright," he indulged her. "Like what?"

"Anything!" He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"Okay... Uh, My dad and I once put together a plane."

Nya pulled away, her eyes wide. "A plane?"

Jay laughed. "Yeah. It was only a small one but we got all the parts. We spent months and months on it. When we finally finished it my mom made us a cake in celebration. We sold it at an auction for some money and used it to repair the house."

"Wow." Nya sighed. "That is so cool."

She had that look in her eye. The one she always did when Jay talked about his parents. Maybe she was wondering about the things she could have put together with her dad if he had stuck around.

"Now your turn." Jay prompted her, he bumped his shoulder against hers. Nya hummed and thought for a moment.

"Kai and I used to go to the lake by the school. I loved playing in it and feeling the droplets in my hair." She laughed a little fondly. "I learned how to swim in school but they started the swimming program after Kai grew too old for it. He almost drowned once in the lake when we were little which is why he doesn't like water."

Her smile dimmed at that memory. Jay mourned the loss of the happy expression on her face. Hastily he took her hand to get her attention.

"Hey, uh, want to hear how I broke my collar bone? I can assure you it was because of something very stupid!" Jay suggested. Just like that, the grin was back.

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Zane puttered around as the night went on. He cleaned up after the kids as they chatted in hushed whispers, their eyes carefully following Zane with a caught yet mischievous expression. The tall young man ignored them and would continue with whatever task he had been working at.

He smiled as he pulled a blanket over Lloyd and Kai. Zane tucked them carefully in before stepping out of the room for a moment. The two remained snoring away on the couch, completely oblivious to the terrifying tales being whispered over a lit flashlight.

"There was a creaking noise as the girl stumbled closer. She slowly pulled open the door to the coffin, a shiver went down her spine as she set her horrified gaze on what was behind it..." A girl named Meghan growled into the darkness, her eyes gleaming as the younger children shrieked with fear.

"What was it?" They asked anxiously.

Meghan waggled her eyebrows. "A ghost."

One of the boys scoffed. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

Meghan scowled. "Yes, there is!"

"No there isn't!" The boy shot back. "Those are just myths people tell at Halloween!"

"They're real! Why do you think the floorboards creak when no one there? Or the lights flicker?" Meghan argued.

The boy stared at her challenging. "Well have you ever seen one?" Meghan scowled. She of course had not. She tried to think of a good comeback, her mind racing to a moment from earlier that day.

"Rodrigo saw one!" Meghan burst out and she directed her attention to the dark-haired boy perched on the couch behind her. Rodrigo looked surprised to hear his name but he smirked when all eyes fell on him.

"You did?" A little girl whispered. "What did it look like?"

Meghan raised an eyebrow as Rodrigo strode forward. "It was pale," he made his voice thin and whispery as he began his tale. "His eyes were sunken and sad. Like empty pits of hallow sorrow."

There was a chorus of "oohs" that prompted him to continue. "I remember feeling a shiver up my spine as I stared at those soulless eyes. They were as green as acid, like venom from a snake. His hair was pure black, like a raven's wing. Except for the streak of emerald hair that hung over his eyes." Rodrigo traced a finger through his own hair, miming the feature.

"I don't want to see a scary ghost!" The little girl said tearfully. "Why is it here? Why can't it go somewhere else?"

"Good question, Julia." Rodrigo's eyes flashed as he stalked closer, making the kids squeal. "He seeks revenge. Revenge on those who have wronged him. He won't stop until he gets it."

"How will he get revenge?" Meghan crossed her arms, feeling miffed Rodrigo stole her spotlight. She had intended Rodrigo to back her up not interrupt her own story. "He's a ghost. He can't touch anything."

"That's what people think! If ghosts focus clearly they can lift objects! But they can't touch water." Rodrigo said knowledgeably. "But this ghost doesn't wish to haunt a simple object. He waits for the right moment. His green eyes searching every time a student walks by the attic he stays in. So when you least see it coming he will overtake your body and possess you!"

A gust of wind blew over the school, rocking the walls and making the fire flick back and forth.

The older boys were starting to look a little uneasy. "How do you know all this, Rods? You were only in there for a second. Why would he be after the students? We didn't do anything."

Rodrigo grinned, his white teeth stark in the dark shadows of the night. "Because," Rodrigo smiled slyly. "He's not after the students, not directly."

"Then who's he after?" Julia's eyes were wide and fearful.

Rodrigo's eyes narrowed as his lips twitched. "He's after his teacher."

NOTE****

What? Did I just publish before a month has passed?

I love how Jay says Nya is amazing, brave, kind, and strong. Instead of just saying beautiful. Though I'm sure Jay thinks Nya is very beautiful it shows that he sees the more important things! 🥰

Also, Morro is officially a ghost story! I can't wait for this all to unfold!

Have a nice day!

LuckyBugBooks🐞