CLAUDE'S P.O.V

Day has passed, and before I know it, Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed. Halloween was boring anyway, and so is Thanksgiving. After Martin picked up Joy on Homecoming night, I rarely saw her at any party except Halloween, and she got home before eleven. I mean, who comes home from a party before midnight? I know she always comes home from a party after midnight.

Also, after that day, we haven't talked anything about what her brother said, and I quote, "Saving me from Martin."

I always tried to talk to her, but she avoided the topic. The only thing I could speak to her about was a play for the winter recital. Mrs. Anna told us to write a story about anything, and the best story will be chosen for the winter recital. I know Joy wanted so badly to write a story that whenever I talk to her about it, I can see her eyes gleamed. I always admire her whenever she talks about something she loves.

"So this play is about a Princess who had to marry another prince but ended up with her gardener?"

"Yes!" Joy said, smiling.

Because she wouldn't talk to me anywhere, and the only place I could speak with her in is English class. I put my chin on my hand as my arm rested on the table, "Hmm, interesting. The fact that it's a musical play made it more intriguing."

Joy sighed and pressed her cheeks with her hands, "But I'm not sure Mrs. Anna would choose mine."

I leaned back and put my hands on my chest in shock, "are you kidding me? You keep saying that a million times now, and I'm going to say this another million times. Your story is perfect, and I'm convinced that Mrs. Anna is on something if she didn't choose yours."

"You know she's right," Rebecca said next to Joy as she chewed her bubble gum with the script in her hand, "this is a masterpiece, Joy. You should be proud of yourself."

"Did you read it?" Joy raised an eyebrow, and Rebecca shrugged.

"I didn't read all of them, but hearing it from Harris sounds interesting," Rebecca said and whispered, "is the gardener hot?"

"I'll try to find the perfect guy," Joy said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Then, I agree that Mrs. Anna is on something if she didn't choose yours," Rebecca said as she nodded her head in pride.

"She gets it," I said, pointing at Rebecca.

"Here it goes then," Joy said as she took a sharp breath. She stood up and walked to the teacher's desk with the script in her hand. When Mrs. Anna read the paper, I saw her nodding her head and pursing her lips in amusement. Joy thanked the teacher and walked back to us. Rebecca and I crossed our fingers to Joy as she smiled.

As I predicted, Mrs. Anna chose Joy's story as the teacher announced it from the school speaker. I was happy that her story was chosen; it's like someone noticed her potential, unlike her father, who only wants her daughter to marry a sociopath he doesn't even know. Also, Joy asked me personally to accompany her to the audition, and I happily complied.

For the past months, I haven't dreamed about Joy's memories because Kinsley thought I knew most of her past, and it's enough for me to know something about her. I still visited Kinsley inside the mind palace by drinking a whole bottle of whiskey or smoking weed until I passed out, and every time I saw her, she always played random songs. Andromeda and lots gonna by Wayes Blood, You, dear by Eloise, Lover, please stay by Nothing But Thieves, and Miel by November Ultra.

I'm here with Joy sitting on the auditorium stage, staring at the auditioner's CV after the audition. I didn't know it was this hard to choose the actors. I wonder how the director of Friends chooses the perfect actors.

"Greg, he's super cute, but he's tone-deaf. Why did he even auditioned?"

"One word. Dauntless."

Joy nodded as she moved Greg's CV to the rejected side.

I took the girl's CV and examined, "Maggie, she has a beautiful voice and the right height. But, she's... How do I put it?"

"Too emo?"

"Yeah, I mean. I don't have anything against the emo teen, but I don't think she has the vibes for Aurora. Do you expect a girl named Aurora with a black eye shadow?" I asked as I rubbed my chin.

"We have Jake, who's an idiot and intelligent at the same time," Joy raises her eyebrow at me.

"Well then, we'll put her on the 'Maybe' side. We can do something about her appearance," I said as I put the paper in the middle next to the Yes and No side.

"This is nuts. We have just selected Fifteen actors out of fifty, and we haven't even started matching each of the actors," Joy said as she lay her back on the floor.

"And we can't stay here until midnight," I added. I lay beside Joy and sighed. The conversation died a bit, but I opened to mouth, "so, it's been a while talking with you. How was your Thanksgiving?"

"It was excruciating because Martin was a constant nag in my ear," Joy said.

I propped my elbow on the floor and dropped my
head on my hand. I looked down at Joy while she was staring at the ceiling before turning green eyes to me, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"However, my brother's proposal to his girlfriend made it better."

"Oh? Congratulations," I said happily.

"Yeah, it's good to see someone committing with their true love," Joy said, but she didn't look happy.

"Aren't you suppose to be happy about it?"

"Oh, I am, but," she sat up, "It's good to see your brother getting married to his high school sweetheart, but I'm here stuck with a fiancee who's sleeping with some chick behind my back- not that I care. I don't want my father to know."

I sat up as I took the papers, preparing to leave the school, "why not? Do you want to be with Martin?"

"Gosh no, you know how harsh he is with me? Do you think I want to be with that kind of guy?" Joy answered as she stood up and walked down from the stage with me, "I just don't want to hurt my dad more."

"Really?" I asked. I didn't expect her to defend her father—the father who has ruined her teenage year with a twenty years old man.

"If you have met my dad, you would think he's the kind of guy who orders his wife around the house. However, he's more fragile than I thought," Joy said as we arrived at the door.

"Really?" this time, I said it slowly like It's hard to believe that statement.

"You said that word two times now," Joy stopped her hand on the door without pushing it, "do you think you know my father?"

Then it hit me. It looks like she was offended because of my doubting, "N- no, of course not. I was just curious about your father, that's all. If I'm pushing your buttons right now, I'm sorry."

Joy sighed, and she opened the door, "It's alright. It's just it's my first time opening up to someone."

"Oh?" I said, restraining myself from saying, "you know, I'm holding myself from saying 'Really' again."

Joy cracked a laugh as we stepped outside the school building, "I can see it in your face."

I laughed along with Joy as we stopped at the parking lot, "so, I'll see you on Monday?"

Joy turned her body to face me, "you know? I was wondering. Maybe we could finish this at the weekend to do the next audition on Monday?"

I widened my eyes in shock. She's making progress in opening up to someone. First, she talks about her Thanksgiving day. Second, she talks about her father. And third, she asked me if I could help her to finish selecting the actors? Kinsley, if you see this now, you should be proud of me.

"Y- yeah, sure, where do you have in mind?" I stuttered.

"Maybe, at your house?" Joy cringed as she brought up her shoulder and waited for my answers.

"Are you sure?" I asked her, and she nodded, "yeah, sure. That's a great idea. But, remind you that my house is nothing like yours. I mean, it's smaller and doesn't have a fountain or anything."

Joy laughs as she puts her hand on my shoulders, "relax. I don't mind any of that. I need to get away from my house since my dad is here, and Martin made me uncomfortable."

I nodded in excitement, "it's a date then."

Joy gave me the brightest smile of the day, and it warms my heart, "sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Harris. Text me your address."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I waved my hand at her while walking to her car. I tried to get my eyes out of her ass while it moved side to side- stop it, Claude.

~~~

"Kinsley, my God. I missed you so much," I said and pouted.

"We met a week ago," Kinsley answered as she brought her arm folded in front of her chest.

"And I missed you," I smiled, and I turned my attention to the main reason why I'm here, "so, what do we have today?"

I entered Wright's dining room as I saw Wayne Wright standing in front of the fireplace, watching the family frame on the wall, "context please?"

"Look behind you," Kinsley said as she pointed at the kid behind the wall. I saw sixteen-year-old Joy secretly watching her father reminiscing the picture on the wall, "Joy found out her father for the first time after her mother left them, broke down."

I walked around the long dining table and went in front of Wayne, "I see no tears. Are you sure about that?"

"You don't need to cry to feel sad about something. The way he's looking at his wife's photo, I'm assuming he's fighting with his thoughts," Kinsley said and sighed, "try to read his emotion, Claude."

I nodded and focused on Wayne. The silence was deadly while he held a glass of wine, and he was in an odd and unreadable gaze. I can't read what's inside his mind, even his emotions, "I can't. Maybe I could only see Joy's mind."

"Yes, you can only read Joy's mind. But you could read anyone's emotions here," Kinsley said as she walked closer to me with her gaze locked on Wayne, "I've been busy learning about Wayne, and this is what I know. The reason why we can't read his emotion is that he locked himself from any feelings. It's like, he's the definition of a door that is locked from outside, but you can open it from inside."

"How do you make him to opened the door?" I asked curiously.

"That's what I've been questioning myself. Who is the right person to convince him to open the door? Is it his child? His deceased wife? Or himself?"

"No doubt, it must be Joy."

"If it is her, he should have been open long ago," Kinsley said, shaking her head.

I sighed, giving in, "That explains a lot," I said, referring to Joy, who's hard to open up to someone about her life.

Kinsley nodded, "I agree."

Then I saw Wayne blink a couple of times before he left the dining room. Joy was out of sight when Wayne walked around the wall where she was hiding.

"That was depressing. Is this the only thing his wife left in this house?" I asked as Kinsley shook her head, "Why does he have to go everything that includes his wife back in his old house? Why didn't he choose to accept it instead of running away from his emotion?"

"His past. I'm assuming that it has something to do with his past."

"I guess you're right," I said as I approached her, "by the way, can we talk a little bit more? I mean, I have something to talk about, but I always forgot."

"You know the drill. You can only question me in your mind palace."

"Yeah, but I can't keep passing out a lot."

"Well, that's the only way," Kinsley said as she shrugged, "you know why."

"Yeah yeah," I said as I waved my hand at her face, "because I could forget about it," I said mockingly.

"No, the other one."

"Because it could fucked up my brain?"

She snapped her finger, "Bingo."

***