Chapter 35: The Wildcard Among Us
It was Jojo.
Her face was red...not just from embarrassment, but like she’d been crying in there for hours. Her eyes were puffy and red.
She stared at us for a second, blinking like she wasn’t sure if what she saw was real. Then her lips twitched.
"Get a room, guys," she muttered, forcing a small, dry smile.
Too late. She saw everything.
Zaara immediately pulled away from me and rushed to her. "Jojo, are you okay?"
Jojo tried to laugh it off, but her voice cracked. "I’m sorry about Charles," Zaara said softly.
Jojo looked down. "Charles was like family," she whispered. "We grew up together. We were always close."
She paused. "When I saw him in that game, I froze. I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t like the others. He had autism. He always struggled... socially, emotionally. But he had a good heart. Always tried to be brave even when he was scared."
She wiped her face. " He hated loud sounds, sudden changes. I always protected him... I should’ve done something. But I didn’t, I was scared too.. I let him die in front of me. Like a goddamn coward. I’m going to take matters into my own arms."
"Jojo," I said softly, taking a careful step closer to her. "I know what you’re feeling right now. I know how it feels to lose someone you love....to stand there, helpless, while they’re taken from you and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. That kind of pain... it cuts deep. But please, I’m begging you, don’t let that pain push you into doing something you’ll regret. Don’t act out of rage. Please."