Chapter 3 1: PART THREE

[1] : PART THREE

"Do we do these things individually or all of us?" Jimmy ignored a growing tension between Nate and Han, knowing it would disappeared in minutes like it always did. They both were born in the same year, rivalry became a normal occurrence whenever they kept fighting over maturity. Proving further they were not yet an adult, it became funnier to see and more aggravating to watch each time they did it. They just never stopped.

"Definitely only one of us, unless you want to play Oujia or something, but we crossed it out because it's overrated," Trevor stood over, walked over so he positioned beside Jimmy. He nudged Nate using both his feet, "Also Nate isn't really a fan of board games as we know, with an unknown reason he refused to say."

Jimmy would laughed if he wasn't not overwhelmed by his interest, his friends have finally managed to string him out of his boredom. If before Jimmy lied down with an animal plushie on his stomach, eyes lidded down heavily and lips jutted out. This time he sat straight, massaging his shoulders. He looked out intently on what his friends had to say next.

"I don't want to be the lamb, as you all should know," Everybody looked at Han, they shrugged it away. It showed that they expected it.

"We all know, Han," Jerome spoke up, voice cracking at the end of his sentence. He cleared his throat, "We are not expecting you to be one. It probably would be me, or Jimmy. Or Nate. Trevor is too timid and too soft to leave Han alone with the three of us if he's the one who becomes a lamb. In short, he doesn't trust Jimmy, nate, or I."

"I won't trust under you three care," Trevor muttered, "All that in a perfectly good reason."

Jimmy groaned, "Honestly, Trev. That was long time ago, we were just a child."

"A child or not, you were a murderer."

Nate defended them, "We were curious. So we cooked your fish, Trev. We knew nothing, nothing sort of good. Anyway, it was Jimmy's idea."

Or not. Fuck him.

"Oh, fuck you, Nate," Jimmy spat, "You can't just throw me under the bus like that."

Nate threw his head back, laughing, "I'm sorry, man. A guy just gotta do something so they survive."

"I know no traitor," Jimmy pretended Nate was not beside him, poking his arms teasingly. Jimmy smiled softly.

"So who's going to do it?" Jerome asked. He pointed at himself, then Nate, then Jimmy.

Jimmy raised his hand up almost immediately. He saw Nate narrowed his eyes at his wide grin, everyone turned their head to look at him, "Let me do the honor, everyone."

Jerome was eyeing him curiously, "What's the occasion, Jimmy? You don't usually like these kind of things."

"Yeah, what's the occasion?" Trevor asked.

"This is exciting," Jimmy shrugged, "What you guys do usually is boring. Who wants to gossip about spirits every Saturday for hours without actually doing anything? Not to mention you guys showed no creativity."

Several shouts of offended people made Jimmy's grin widened, "I'm not taking it back. What you did was boring and this is not."

"Fine, you can do it, even though you disrespected me," Trevor muttered. Jimin rolled his eyes in expiration.

"So, what should I do?"

"Are you sure we're going to let him do this?" Jerome asked, running a hand down his arm. He looked down for a few seconds before looking up again, watching Trevor intently.

Trevor ignored his gaze and instead discussing it with Nate. Arm still around Han, he shifted a little bit, instinctively moving his head closer into Nate mouth when the older motioned him.

Jimmy snickered, watching Jerome curling himself into a ball. There was no reaction from Trevor even after he shoved the guy lightly. Without further attempt, Jerome pulled his glass of apple juice into his lips, drinking half of it.

Trevor turned his head, looking at Jimmy, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Why not? I'm here, might as well do the most I can."

"There are certain rules about the spirits, you know," Jimmy answered with one raised eyebrow and a nod. He knew.

Jimmy was not actually an unbeliever. His family was one that believed there was life out there that humans didn't really come contact with, not usually and not habitually, whether it was visible or not. Some had humans' form, some didn't. He didn't seek out for answers, he didn't fuck with spirits. However he did spent good amount of his time hiding under the sheets, scared out of his wits and filled with childish nightmares.

If he remembered clearly, his mother used to put his music box out of his room so nobody would bother him at night. Though, he couldn't remember was it him who requested such thing because his fears or it was his mother's own idea. But, as he grew up, at times the concept of spirits being feared or talked about became dull in his mind. He had seen more lies about spirits being spouted so fame could streamed down for the person who told the story than those who genuinely reaching out. It made him wonder if there was an actual spirits out there, or would they show themselves.

He was not an unbeliever of the spirits, rather the humans.

"You've seen my family," Jimmy sighed, brushing his bangs behind, "Do I look like someone who doesn't believe in spiritual things?"

His friends answered 'yes' in unison.

"It's just weird how you show sudden interest, we've seen you slept through our meeting at least four times," Trevor said while looking down on papers he handed him before, "I mean we know how your mama and pops are, we spent good amount of time with you. You, however, never seek it out."

"Fine, I can't blame you, but paying a respect to a spirit is not that hard you know. I don't know about your rules. You know how mama always asked me to do lots of things even when I don't fuck with them, " Everyone nodded at him, "Mama paid respect to them, teach me bunch of times. I learned a lot while chanting begone demons."

"A spirit is not equal to a demon." Trevor piped out.

"I am now perfectly aware of that, Trevor, I'm no longer a five year old who knows nothing but fears."

"Well, if you're sure.." His friend drifted.

"I am sure," His friends looked at each other one last time, shrugging their shoulders.

- END OF CHAPTER ONE PART THREE -