WOW! TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS, MAN. I'M ON A ROLL! Let's hope I make this the first story I finish!
Love,
LBLP
Luna sat on the couch, curled up in fetal position. Jacob sat next to her, acting as support for her head, absentmindedly running his hands through her hair. She hadn't really said anything for the past five weeks; she only stayed in her room and researched.
She researched Barry Evans, his whole back story; she researched the news, rereading the event of her father's murder. Despite the fact that she was there, she read it as a distant stranger. She looked at surveillance footage of the night at the restaurant, trying to zoom in and out on images to catch a glimpse of something she missed.
This particular evening, she was forced to socialize with a few people, including Jacob. The group- which consisted of Luna, Jacob, and David, were quiet, seeing as Luna would do nothing but stare into the flames of the fireplace, going over the smallest of details which could help her later on.
David was telling a story about how he and Debra really hit it off, and Jacob listened, not at all upset that she had been taken off his arms. If anything he was relieved. It was one less problem he'd have to deal with later on.
"He was using his left hand." Luna said suddenly, sitting up.
"What?" Jacob and David said simultaneously.
"When he gave me the box—the clue—he was using his left hand." Luna said, resting her chin in her fist, trying hard to recollect her memories.
He handed me the box, but he left his right hand in his pocket, she remembered, playing the scene out in her mind.
Bon voyage, kiddo.
"What does his using his left hand have to do with—" David began, but was cut off politely by Jacob.
"Luna's dad was right handed. He had this weird hate of left handers, I think." Jacob said.
"My mom was left handed," Luna added, "but that's beside the point. He wished me a good voyage, as if I were going to travel somewhere. Why would he do that?" Luna got off the couch and paced around the living room.
"Did we get any mail today?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, a few things, actually, I think one of them was addressed to you…" Jacob started, rubbing his eyes of the sleep that never seemed to leave him.
"Where'd you put it?" Luna said, looking around for any piles of paper.
"Look, I think you should lay off the investigation for a little while, okay? I think it would be better if you just did something else. Like, we can go see a movie or go to the beach and have a bonfire…" Jacob pleaded.
"The letter, please." Luna said back simply, stretching her hand out expectantly.
"No." Jacob said, staring at Luna, who stared back.
"Your reasoning?" Luna asked, her arm still outstretched.
"It's not healthy. For you. I mean, Luna, come on, your own father got shot right in front of your eyes, and you want to be forced to remember it?" Jacob said, looking at her.
Luna narrowed her eyes, "I don't need your pity, and you of all people should no that doesn't bother me for one moment."
"No, it's me of all people that know it bothered you and you're too proud to admit it." Jacob said, shaking his head once more.
The room fell silent while Jacob and Luna stared at each other, both intent to stand their ground.
"Well, I'm all for a lunch road trip, if anyone really cares." David said, breaking the silence.
Jacob smiled at David, "Yep. Lunch road trip it is. You coming, Luna?" Jacob said, putting his hands in his pocket and grabbing his keys.
She pursed her lips, and mumbled incoherently about the 'damn hoes of the world'. Jacob smiled, knowing he had won this battle.
Luna sat in the backseat, because David called shotgun.
"Can I invite Deb?" David asked, already in the process of inviting hr anyways.
"No." Luna said from the backseat.
"Yes." Jacob said, turning right to go to Debra's house.
"She said she'd love to join us on our road trip." David said, as they pulled up to Deb's house. David got out of the car to greet his girlfriend.
"I'm not sitting next to her. I'll loose brain cells." Luna said, watching David ring the doorbell to Debra's house.
"Move up front then." Jacob said, patting the seat beside him. Luna obliged. When she sat down, she noticed Jacob's eyes flick towards the glove compartment, and then back to David, who was now walking with Debra towards the car.
"Oh, so it's been in your car." Luna said, while reaching to open the glove compartment. Jacob slammed his hand over the glove compartment.
"Don't." He said.
"Don't lower your voice at me. Fine. I won't look at it." Luna leaned away from the glove compartment, and she leaned her head on the window, readying herself to tune out conversation as David and Debra entered the backseat of the car.
"Hi Jake." Debra said politely.
"Hey." Jake answered back, starting the car, and glancing over at Luna, who showed no intention of listening anymore. He sighed. She was such a child sometimes.
"So what's a lunch road trip?" Debra asked after a few minutes of being on the freeway.
"It's basically when we drive to the most remote place in the world, eat lunch, look around, and then just go back home." David explained.
"Oh that's so cool! Who started that idea?" Debra asked again, feeling the need to make sure there was no silence whatsoever.
"Actually it started with Luna," Jacob said, his eyes on the road, "after a few months of renting out the room in her house; she started to invite me to have lunch with her. She'd just drive to places I've never even heard of, and after a while it juts kinda stuck."
"That's so cool!" Debra said, looking at Luna. Luna showed no sign of movement.
"Luna." Jacob said sharply.
"Huh?" She said, surprised to hear her name.
"Debra was talking to you." David chimed in.
"Oh, yes. What where you saying?" Luna asked, not looking away from the window.
"I was saying how the whole road trip lunch idea was cool." Debra said, her voice growing quieter.
"Yes." Luna said, as if answering a question. Jacob shook his head, and he saw Luna's eyes flicker towards the glove compartment, and then back to the window, where she pouted.
"Oh my god, you are not pouting." Jacob whispered over to Luna.
"I'm doing nothing of the sort." Luna said indignantly.
"You were totally just pouting," Jacob said, laughing.
"Can you turn the radio on?" Debra asked. Jacob took one of his hands off the wheel and turned the radio on.
HEY I JUST MET YOU
AND THIS IS CRAZY
BUT HERE'S MY NUMBER
SO CALL ME MAYBE—
"Oh, I love this song!" Debra exclaimed, getting ready to sing along. Luna leaned over and shut the radio off. Debra pouted. Jacob sighed, as did David. They drove for about three hours, and they couldn't see any other cars, nor could they see houses, but there was an exit sign.
"Here." Luna said, pointing to the woods, and the sign for a local town. They pulled off the highway, and were greeted by the sight of a small run-down general store.
"Pull over." Luna said, and Jacob did. Luna was the first one out of the car, and she walked directly into the store. It was small, and only held homemade products—jam, candles, quilts, snacks, sandwiches, shampoo's, conditioners, face washes—all homemade. The owner of the store, hearing the bell ring, walked into view.
She was small and squat. She looked like she hadn't bathed for a bit, but she looked like she had eaten just about everything. She smiled, revealing a few missing teeth.
"Welcome. How may I help you?" She said, looking at the group.
"Do you know anywhere good to eat around here?" Jacob asked, while Luna wandered about the store.
"Well, what are you in the mood for, sugar?" The woman said, while her eyes followed Luna around the store.
"Anything, really," David said from behind Jacob.
"There's a nice classy restaurant just east of here. I'll draw you up a map. My daughter works there, and the food is very nice." The lady said, waddling over to the cashier station to draw a map.
Luna had stopped in front of a small jewelry stand, and she picked up a necklace. It was simple, and silver chain with a single two feathers attached to the ring of the necklace. One was large and a blackish blue color, while one was a small white feather.
"How much is this?" Luna asked, holding up the necklace. The lady looked up from explaining the map to Jacob, and smiled.
"Good taste. That's a cormorant feather and a dove feather laced together. It's said that they bring good luck when they're in the same place." The lady explained.
"How much is it?" Luna repeated.
"Thirteen." The woman responded, smiling. Luna looked at the necklace, and then looked down. She put it back, and walked slowly out of the store. David and Debra followed.
Luna sat in the car, and Jacob emerged from the store shortly after, holding a piece of paper and a small bag. He got in the driver seat and threw the bag over to Luna, who peeked inside of it and smiled to herself. Jacob started the car, and began driving according to the map. They arrived at a little restaurant called 'Le Chapeau'.
"The hat?" Luna asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"They probably just made a mistake," Debra said.
When they walked inside, they found that it was no mistake. There were hats everywhere. All types of hats. Goofy hats, top hats, fur hats, pirate hats, all the hats.
"Welcome to le chapeau! How many?" A small waitress chirped, wearing a peter pan like hat which looked ridiculous with her formal garb.
"Four." Luna replied, an amused smile on her face. They sat down at a table, and in their chairs there were top hats waiting. Genuine top hats.
"Oh my god." David gasped.
"Are we supposed to wear those?" Debra asked the waitress.
"The boss prefers people to, yes, but if you don't wish to you don't have to." She said while handing everyone their menu.
Luna had already sat down and placed her hat on her head. She noticed the glasses they were to drink out of, and how there were small distinguished mustaches printed out on each water glass. She broke out into a grin.
"Oh my god this is the best place in the world." She said, sipping out of her glass and displaying her mustache. The others at the table laughed and partook in the actions; they all smiled at each other seeing the tops hats and mustaches on each other.
They all ordered their food, and, to Luna's pleasure, their food came with a free monocle. A man came over playing the violin, and Luna listened with silent glee. They ate their food, and they were all back on the road. It was about nine, and it would take them about one more hour to go home. Luna bought the mustache mug, and she bought the monocle along with the top hat. When asked why, she simply smiled.
Debra and David fell asleep in the backseat, and Luna looked silently out of the window.
"You can look at the envelope if you want to…" Jacob whispered after a little while of watching Luna watch the glove compartment.
Luna opened the glove compartment immediately, and tore open the letter. She emptied it's contents, and then her eyes widened.
"SHIT. FUCK. SHIT. SHIT. SHIT." Luna screamed.
"WHATHAPPENED?" David screamed from the backseat, startled.
"What?" Jacob said, pulling over to the side of the road.
"Oh my god, NO DON'T STOP YOU ASSHOLE DRIVE GODDAMIT. DRIVE HOME. NOW. DRIVE FAST. GO. GO. GO." Luna yelled at Jacob, who agreed, despite being scared out of his wit.
"We don't have a lot of time, okay? We have a place to catch." Luna explained after a little while of reading.
"What? A plane? A plane to where? Who's we?" Debra asked. Luna turned around and looked at her straight in the eye. She held up four tickets.
"All of us." She said, and the car went silent again.
(A/N): a plane ride? WHEREVER COULD THEY BE GOING? TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO FIND OUT!