‘Hello, am I talking to the Hendersons?’ Amila asked quickly, hoping to rush her thoughts into words. Her mouth hung slightly open as lips were trying to form words as fast as possible. 

‘Yes dear, you're talking to Donna Henderson. How can I –’

‘Your son hasn't arrived home yet!. A loud voice barked behind Donna.‘What is he–’

Amelia’s eyeballs moved from left to right, trying to comprehend the subject in the background. She quickly kept the telephone back on its case, and dialed another number. She closed the telephone to her ears. 

‘Hello….Billy?’ Amelia called. There was a pin-drop silence for once. ‘Hello, am I talking to Billy Henderson?’ She asked again. 

‘Hey! yeah… Ugh’ He groaned and picked up the leftover cardboard boxes from the cargo  truck while sticking the phone to his ears. ‘Yeah Billy is on the call, how can I help’. 

‘Hey, everything alright… I guess you are busy right now? Amelia asked. 

‘Oh Mrs Peterson…’ he looked at the screen. ‘No, everything's okay, just picking–’ He lowered down and kept the box on the floor. 

‘Today should be a holiday, what happened…You aren't at home? . She asked. 

‘I… I uhm. He stammered. I was just helping someone nearby’.He lied. 

‘Oh okay’. Amelia’s mood lightened. 

‘What happened?’ He asked.

‘Listen dear, I… I need a favor from you’. 

‘Uh, okay?’. 

I know Jade, Roger and you are all good friends. ‘I might sound somehow selfish’ she paused, ‘But I want you to look after Jade more closely. 

‘Wait… What, is he okay? He paused, his eyes widened and asked. Sunlight  was casting tension on his tight Jawline. 

‘Yeah he is okay, I don't mean you to spy on him, but I think Jade needs someone else to talk about things that maybe he won't express to me’.

‘I get it Mrs. Peterson but  what if I'm not the right guy for this?’

It's not about being right for something, Think if you can just help me somehow. That is what I all need. You're one of the  closest and bravest friends of Jade I have seen around, and I feel you'll do your best’. 

There was a pause. Billy bit his lips as his forehead tensed. He had a part-time job and he hadn't told anyone. Not even  Donna Henderson, and dad he wished he could look up to. His eyes were fixed on the ground. He paused on the telephone. 

‘Hey… you there?’She asked. 

‘Yes… yes I'm there. He shook his thoughts aside. He scratched his forehead. ‘‘Yeah I see. I think I'll visit him. After all, he has returned from rehab after so long.’ ed ‘from rehab after so long’. 

‘I hope I'm not making things any heavier… I'm there  if you need any kind of support too’. Amelia told him.  ‘Whenever you are free you can visit us, I'll be more than happy to welcome you’. Amelia pressed a smile. 

‘I appreciate it’. He told her and smiled half-heartedly.

 He tilted his head down and gazed at the ground. ‘I wish my– his voice cracked, ‘My  father would have said the same’. He thought loudly.

‘Is  everything alright Billy?’ She asked.

‘Yeah! Yeah, I'm alright!’ His voice faltered and laughed it off.  

‘Hey Billy, be on duty!,there are still large boxes to be loaded back on the truck’. Someone called from behind.

Billy glanced back and returned to his phone, half embarrased.

‘Bill, what's going on?’.

‘I’m uh, You know… I am actually in between a part time job these days, please…please–’ he paused ‘don't tell my mom’ He requested. ‘My mom, she is  already dealing with hypertension’. Bill gulped down as his throat started to dry.

‘I hear you Billy. Just be cautious of this outside world, your mom needs you too. I hope everything gets well”.

‘Thanks. Billy Signed’.

‘Take care ok

‘Yeah’. He told her.

Amelia kept the telephone back on its case, and turned around, she gasped as an oval faced boy stood gazing at her. It was Jade. His unpredictable arrival made it more haunting and uneasy sometimes. He was expressionless. Eyes fixed upon a thought,or maybe he let his thoughts overtake him.

‘What happened? You cut the call?”

‘No, listen, I need to talk. She asked.

‘About what?’ He frowned, lifting his eyebrows upward.

‘About joining backt hudson highschool… see–’

‘I am not’. He turned back towards the bed, sat, laid back and sighned. He looked up and then closed his eyes.

‘Attending high school is necessary, not only for academics son, I want your well being…are you listening to me?’

‘Ugh, Can we talk about it later?’ He said.

She was searching for more words as her eyes examined how lathargic Jade has become. 

‘Look– ‘

‘Please, can we?’ He asked as he shifted his head uneasily on the bed.

She just nodded in disbelief.

‘Where is Adam, he came in the morning?’

‘He is gone shopping with his mom, he’ll not arrive any sooner. Besides, you could have woken up early’.

Amelia turned and went back to the kitchen counter. 

Jade clenched his teeth as he looked sideways. In a moment he realised she was right. His tense forehead softened and jawline loosened its tight grip on the teeth.

Amelia knew it is best not to let Jade know about Adam’s note. No– not for right now. 

He himself is not in a condition to cope with any other mess looming around. She was busy cooking for the fourth of july. At Least they could celebrate the day, however small it might look. Her mind was still fixed on the same thought about Jade.

‘Ahem, so…what's your plan for today?’she turned and asked him.

‘Not much…i’ll get along with my friends. Is there anything else we can do huh?’ He signed.

Amelia tightened her lips to a stretch. 

‘Oh…–’ He sat up in bed, half astonished. Are we really gonna visit a carnival…let's just hope we can buy some tickets?’

Amelia frowned. Was he really excited or mocking their own situation for not being able to afford such a thing?

Tickets? Amelia thought.

Yaah, we need a ticket for the entry, if you remember.

‘Yeah…I get it mom, I get it. You're saving up, saving up for the thiegs even I am not sure about’.

‘Jade, its for you ’. am doing,  i can't just–

‘Mom…can't we just make good memories ... .Are my academics powerful enough to overta’ke them?’

‘Noh, I..Did not meant that…–’

‘No…no mom, he disagreed. He was cal but exhausted. I am just caving in here, I..I  am ’ He sighed. ‘Besides i came for the occasion so that we can spend some time along with some good things’.one with it !’He sprang up as he stm…Iefeel like d it open and walked a. He opened his hands sideways in the air. ‘y.

‘Jade!...Pleasethis placear  me out. She stepped forward and looked outside the door. Before, could locate anything else the winds blew mpving through the le

aves and branches, smacking her face. She couldn't look ahead clearly for a moment. The grey clouds hung above and the road stayed silent ready for the oncoming of obstacles ahead. She did not want him to leave like this. She wore her boots and stepped out. 

. Only the green trees and howling of the winds dancing in between the road w. She looked like a detective in red jeans and red a suit. e audible. Before she could move a few blocks of houses further, she glanced above, dark  lines bordered and smudged with the grey clouds. She scanned the area, but as she twirled around her eyes caught so. Some greyn white t-shirt and baggy pants sittn the roof of the caravan.

‘. Snow you up there’,

He glanced back at Amelia  and went back to his thoughts. He sighned.

Amelia climbed up to the roof through the cylindr!i.cal  looked sideways the back of the caravan.

‘Hsy  I got worr His eyes looking at the sky. ied’, she said as she proceeded to sit down beside him. Jade still kept looking where the land met the sky. Somr. and there aimlessly cawing at something. The temperatureyes darted ed down. There was no sign of the sun rays, only the oncoming of an unusual down weather.

Jad  shifted his feet and closed in more firm y by joining his knees together as it moved up. 

‘I just want to be… alone’. He told her. 

‘Are . Heupset ashis knees  we did not ta by bout theit ’ She ar’. He told without any further explanat her

‘So hold your hopes up Jade because…’ A faint smile emerged on her face.

‘He looked quizzical .’ Because what? He asked.

‘Something better is awaiting. Yes, we are going to this carnival!’

Jade pressed a smile and sh ‘ted his gaze back to the sky. The weather was changing, dark clouds hovered above like wet cotton ready to get soaked out. 

‘But how ? I think it's gonna rain soon. He asked.

‘Yeah, the weather's strange today’ she agreed. ‘ButYou know what people say?

Jade frowned.

‘There is always a storm before something good arrives…maybe it is just that.’

Jade nodded. ‘Should we move down, he asked?’ 

Amelia stood up and  climbed down the ladder. Jade stood up, he could see the greenery of the forest far away, its beauty was as luring as the mystery of Kevin's disappearance. He felt as if Kevin  still lived there in a dark corner, waiting for a chance to pounce on his prey. As his foot touched the ground he moved to the door.

He froze. He sensed someone was staring at him – someone unknown standing far away in the rainy atmosphere.

__________________________