Where do they go? Chptr 4

Instructions

Joel was alone in his house, as always, Pearl said she was sick and was staying home, so he wasn't going outside at all, he didn't get groceries until Sunday, and he has no friends. That's a lie, he has friends, but they're busy, or sick, or boring. Maybe Joel is boring… No idiot, you're not boring! How dare you even think that thought! GO DO SOMETHING INTERESTING!! Joel goes and does something interesting. Well, what he thinks is interesting at least. He starts on a new report for some random robbery that happened. Five minutes in and he realizes that this is boring actually! What was he thinking? God there must be something to do around here… Joel looks through the piles of boxes he hasn't gone around to unpacking, even after 3 years of living in this house. He finds an old photo album and decides to take a look through them. · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · Joel was not a happy little guy. He had no friends to play with right now, he didn't have any fun games in his house, and worst of all, he couldn't get candy tomorrow! Stupid “going out of town to see the cousins” bleh. Luckily, it turned out he did have a friend who wanted to hang out with him. DING DONG DING DONG. “JOOOOEEEELLLLLLLLL!! COOOOMEEE ONNNNN” Joel knew that voice! He loved that voice! Lizzie was waiting impatiently outside for him, her antennae flicking around from the force of the wind, “You take so long! How slow are you?” Joel doesn't answer, just runs off towards the woods, he can hear Lizzie running behind him. The leaves underfoot were crispy, and he stops every few seconds to stop an extra crispy one from death. Lizzie loves doing a thing where she flutters up and stomps on a big pile of leaves. It's fun hanging out with her, he loved watching her running around and climbing trees. But the days always end, and Lizzie has to go home, so Joel goes on a search to find another person to play with. But he didn't find anyone, so he just went home. The next days are filled with packing, yelling about time and being late, and Joel sitting on his suitcase bored out of his mind. His friends came before the egg hunt to say goodbye and give hugs. Grian, Scar and Jimmy came first, Mumbo trailing behind them like a bump on a log, they gave him big hugs, and the feathers Grian and Jimmy had tickled, and made Joel sneeze, Mambo didn't hug him, and Joel didn't care. Etho came over with Bdubs and Tango, the two younger kids hugged Joel tightly, even though they barely knew him, Joel appreciated it nonetheless, even if Tango kind of burned his hand and Bdubs got a bunch of moss in his face. Etho gave him a weird side hug, and they barely got a word out to each other before Bdubs and Tango pulled him away. Lizzie was the last to arrive, she gave Joel a BIG hug and promised to steal her moms phone so she could text him. Joel laughs and says he’ll steal his moms phone too, which earns a sharp look and a light wack on the back of his head. And then she's gone. And he's gone too, of in a car for hours and hours and hours, the end of the road never in sight until 500 hours (4 hours) later when they finally get to the cousins house. He had a lot of fun with his cousins, they had a big pool and a trampoline and a lot of games. But Joel missed his friends, Lizzie didn't text him at all, he guessed her mom wouldn't let her, and Grian and Jimmy didn't send him any letters or pictures in the mail, which was a major bummer. When he got back home he learned the truth, his friends had never returned from their activity and they had not been found in the 3 weeks he was gone. They were probably dead, his parents whispered when they thought he was asleep, poor thing, said the neighbors as they walked to school. He should have been happy being gone 3 weeks, but he wasn't, he wishes he could've gone with them, because even if he went missing, he wouldn't be so horribly alone. · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · Joel sat next to Scott and Etho everyday at school, they didn't talk much, just ate their food quietly, which was weird for the two of them, they were very loud children. Joel sat at the swings at recess each day, Lizzie loved the swings, and Joel loved watching her go back and forth, up and down. But now he swings alone. · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · Joel doesn't talk to the others that much after high school, they all stay in town, but never speak, he sees from posts on social media that Scott seems to be doing fine, he seems to have found alc-hol as a coping mechanism or something. Joel feels that sitting alone in your room staring at a wall for hours and thinking of everything and nothing is much better, but drinks are a nice touch. He talks to Etho occasionally, but he still hasn't grown out of his “I don't talk to anyone" thing. Mumbo doesn't post anything, he doesn't talk to anyone, sometimes Joel isn't 100% sure he is still alive, but, whatever. · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · Eugh, remembering things is horrible. Especially when it's bad things you remember. Maybe Joel should lie down…