Rainy Days

Chapter Seventy-Three: o.O

[jordans house–about three-ten a.m., tuesday morning]

RON AND Jordan stood in the kitchen. It was quiet. A month ago, had they been in the kitchen at three in the morning, Tate would've been there too. All of them would've had on sloppy applied makeup, been singing obnoxiously to Queen or Green Day, slipping around in socked feet.

Now, however, only two of them stood there. It was quiet, no Queen or Green Day to be heard. Ron has goosebumps race up his arms.

"Have you been eating?" He asked suddenly. Jordan shrugged.

"Yeah."

"Have you been eating the 2,000 calorie diet that's normal for the average human to eat?" Ron arched an eyebrow. Jordan shrugged and didn't say anything.

Sighing, Ron pursed his lips and tied his hair up in a bun. "What do you wanna eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Jordan said.

"I didn't ask. What do you want to eat?"

Jordan hugged himself. "You did. But I can make us something to eat."

"Good," Ron nodded. "Because I have no clue how to make food."

Jordan laughed and opened cupboards, pulling down a cookbook and searching for ingredients. He hadn't cooked in what felt like so long.

Ron pushed himself up onto the counter and watched his brother move about.

The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Ron said, and he hopped onto the floor and swung his arms around as he walked to the phone. He leaned against the wall and smiled. "Helloooo?"

"Hi! Is this the Reel residence?" A girls voice said cheerfully. Too cheerfully, honestly, but whatever.

"Yes, this is it. Ron speaking."

Jordan glanced at him and he shrugged.

"Is Jordan there? I'm Thea, a friend from school."

"Yeah, he's here. Do you want me to put him on the phone?"

"Yes, please! That'd be great."

Ron gestured for Jordan to leave the tomato he was chopping (when they'd gotten tomatoes, who the fuck knew) and come take over the phone.

After a moment of silent arguing between them, Jordan groaned and took the phone. He stuck his tongue out and Ron returned the gesture.

"Jordan speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hi, Jordie."

Jordan froze. He felt as though somebody had dunked him in an entire bucket of ice. Ron frowned.

"Can't even formulate a reply? I'm not surprised," Billie sighs. "You never were the sharpest crayon in the box, where you?"

"I–What do you want?" Jordan stammered. He felt like vomiting. His skin was cold.

Ron touched his shoulder, and Jordan nearly punched his brother. "Is everything okay?" He whispered.

"Jordan." Billie hissed, her voice like a knife. "Don't you tell sweet little Ron. If you do, it won't just be the Hargreeves that die."

Jordans heart felt like it was going fifty miles a minute. Ron tugged on his sleeve, trying to get his attention.

"Listen closely, Jordie," Billie said calmly. "In two days, something will happen. You don't get to know what or a specific time. You don't deserve to. That little stunt you and your stupid boyfriend pulled? It landed me in hot water. So you and your friends are going to fucking pay." Billie laughed. "You fuckwads are going to pay."

"Billie," Jordan whispered, his mouth dry. He paused, taking a shaky breath, and licked his lips. Ron was beginning to tug aggressively on his sleeve, getting angry. "List–Listen to me. You don't have to do this. You don't have to do any of what you're going to do."

"Jordan, what are you talking about?" Ron hissed. "Jordan!"

Jordan pushed Ron slightly, listening to Billie laugh. She was cracking up.

"You idiot!" She said. "I don't have to do this. I want to do this. Have you ever just wanted to do something so, so bad that it just burns? It burns inside of you, Jordan, like a forest fire in goddamn California. You think about doing it and your heart just speeds up, an–and your blood really starts pumping and you feel alive. I haven't felt alive in a very, very long time, Jordan Arthur Reel, and the thought of killing you and the Hargreeves?"

There's a pause. Jordan can hear his heart in his ears and Ron is obviously starting to prepare to punch him in the gut.

She giggles. Giggles like a child on Christmas.

"That makes me feel more alive than I can ever explain."

"Billie," he whispers pathetically.

"See you soon, Jordie." Billie said, and then she hung up the phone.

Jordan pulled it away from his ear and stared at it like it was an alien.

"What the crap, Jordan?" Ron snapped. "Why didn't you talk to me about what was happening?"

"Shit," Jordan said. "Oh, shit."

"What? What's 'shit'?"

"Hey, don't say that," Jordan replied.

"Don't say what? Shit?" Ron arched an eyebrow.

"Yes! You're eleven!"

"And you're thirteen!"

"Okay, good point," said Jordan. "But no."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine. Now who is Thea, and what did she want?"

"That was Billie," Jordan said.

"Oh, shit," Ron blinked.

"That is your one pass," Jordan held up his index finger. "Any more and we start a swear jar."

Ron huffed. 

"She's apparently going to kill us all in two days, though, so we have the wonderful job of telling the people having that tearful family reunion upstairs that someone is going to try and kill them in two days." Jordan nodded. "Man, I love this new life we're leading."

Ron burst into laughter. Jordan giggled too, and they just laughed for a moment. It was nice.

Without warning, he hugged Jordan. The two slightly stumbled backwards, Jordan letting out a small noise of surprise.

"Sorry I've been so mad at you lately," he mumbled into his brothers shoulder. Jordan sighed happily and wrapped his arms around the other boy.

"I forgive you," he said.

The two stood here for a moment. For a very, very long moment.

A/N:
i am watching a tv show with my brother and then one the characters jumped off a cliff so now i am concerned