Chapter Three

"It's done!" you exclaimed at the timer went off. The two of you were chatting as you waited for the cake to finish. Jason stood up and grabbed the hot pads. As he pulled out the cake, Suki burst in.

"That smells amazing! Jason, I can't believe you stole this cutie from me, though!" Suki laughed as she threw her arms around you. "Between you and me, you are the cutest of the newbies." You blushed and laughed lightly at her antics.

"I agree," Jason called from the other side of the room. Your face reddened even more as you covered your face with your hands.

"See! Isn't she precious?" Suki continued as she scooped you into her arms and carried you closer to Jason. I'll have to remember how strong she is.

"You can put me down, Suki," You smiled.

"No way! I'm holding you for safe-keeping, angel!" she winked at you.

"Put her down, Suki," A gruff voice spoke. You looked to the door and saw the man from earlier, Ryo.

Suki stuck her tongue out, "And why should I listen to you?" Despite her retorting, Suki placed you on the ground. The smell of the cake must have traveled the house quickly though because soon everyone entered the kitchen. Quince walked in second to last, followed by a girl you didn't recognize. This must be Dianna, you thought. She had short black hair and golden eyes that quickly found your form. She scrutinized you intensely and you shifted nervously. She made her way over to you.

"I'm Dianna," She grabbed your hand, but instead of shaking it she kissed your knuckles. Although it was a pretty intimate gesture, her gaze held no softness. She made you a bit nervous as she kept eye contact and dropped your hand. Jason walked over with the cake on a plate.

"Dianna, you're scaring her. Can you lay off?" Jason spoke.

"She's kinda cute when she's scared though!" Suki booped your nose. You looked to the floor and held your arm anxiously as you tried to chuckle. Jason saved you again by pulling you towards the table.

"Come on, sit by me. Suki, can you grab plates for everyone?" Suki rolled her eyes but did as he said. You sat at the table and realized that Quince had been staring at you. Rather than look away when you noticed, though, He just smiled and chose the seat across from you.

"Sorry I didn't get to formally introduce you to Ryo and Dianna. It's just someone," he glared at Jason, "wanted to keep you all to himself."

Jason put a hand on your shoulder, "What's wrong with making a few friends?" Quince didn't reply. Jason sat on your left, and Dianna took the seat to your right. This surprised you a little, and to be honest, you were hoping for Suki to sit by you. She wasn't nearly as scary. Don and Jenna sat on either side of Quince, which left Ryo and Suki to sit at the ends of the table.

"This is good," Jenna commented, surprising you with her light attitude again. She must have just been stressed at first. Which is understandable. There were murmurs of agreement as you and Jason said thank you.

"Do we have our own rooms?" Don asked.

"Yeah," Quince spoke in between bites. "I'll show you after this if you'd like." Don nodded at this.

"I want (y/n) to stay with me!" Suki beamed.

"No," Jason and Ryo said in unison. Ryo's response surprised you, but he didn't even look your way. Quince shrugged.

"Sorry Suki, everyone gets their own room. Whether (y/n) sleeps in there or not is up to her," Quince smirked at you.

"Suki, you seem a bit attached to a girl you just met today," Jason commented as he placed a hand over yours. His actions made your stomach flutter. Is the afterlife supposed to be romantic? This is all a bit weird

"As if you're doing any better than me! You've been all over her!" she exclaimed. Before any arguing could continue, Ryo stood up and left the room without taking a bite of the cake. You couldn't help but let your heart sink a little. What a jerk...

The group noticed your crestfallen look pretty quickly. "Don't let him get to you, (y/n). He's cold at first," Dianna comforted you. You nodded your head and took a sip of coffee. Whatever. It's not a big deal anyway. I'm sure he'll come around.

Quince began, "Suki, Jaso- "

"I'll show them to their rooms," Jason said hurriedly as he grabbed you and headed towards the door. You looked back to the kitchen to see Don and Jenna standing up to follow you both.

"JASON! Get back here that's not fair! You can't keep stealing them away!!" Suki yelled after you all. Suki seemed to let go of things quickly though because she just began to clean up the plates.

"That was my job..." Quince pouted.

Don and Jenna' rooms were before yours. "And this is yours!" Jason pushed the door open for you and beckoned inside. You slowly entered the room and took it all in. There was a plush queen-sized bed with a blue cover. There was a white dresser and a vanity as well as a closet and a bathroom. "Do you like it?"

You took a moment to respond, "This is huge, this might be the nicest room I've ever had." You couldn't contain your wonder.

"I have to agree with you. The rooms are pretty sweet. Everyone's rooms are in this hallway, so If you need someone we should be easy to find." He pointed across the hallway, "My room is just across from yours, please don't hesitate to ask me anything."

You smiled sweetly, "Thank you for everything, Jason. You've been so welcoming." He beamed at the compliment.

"I hope you just feel at home. Although I would love to stay with you, I should go clean up," he said as he began to leave.

"Wait," you called, and he paused. "Where will I get clothes?"

He pointed to the dresser, "You should have some clothes in there, but if you want anything or if something is messed up you can just ask Quince. He'll be able to ask the people in charge to help out." He smiled before closing the door.

The moment you were alone tears fell from your eyes. Without the distraction of new people, it was really all hitting you. You were... dead? You weren't really sure what that meant anymore. And you died young too! You gasped suddenly, you didn't know how you died! Curiosity filled your mind but was quickly crushed by your sadness. Everything is very different. The life you were leading is long gone without a trace. Can you see the ones you loved ever again? You were still living. Could this still be considered Living? You were existing at the very least. How can you be sure any of this is real anyway? It might be an elaborate dream. That might explain the confusion. Your heart sank deep in your chest, somewhere in your brain you could feel that you were stuck here. You were stuck in this house with no one that you knew. Tears fell rapidly, and you leaned back on your bed. You were prepared to cry for quite a while, but you were interrupted by soft knocking on your door. You gasped, "Just a minute!" you ran into your bathroom and tried to hide the evidence of your emotions. Your eyes were a little red, but whoever it was probably wouldn't notice. You took a deep breath in and opened the door. Jenna and Don stood out there.

"Can we come in?" Jenna requested. You opened the door a bit wider to let them in. "There's some things we want to discuss."

"Alright. Did you guys start this conversation without me?"

"No," Don answered. "She just grabbed me and headed over here."

"I just think we need to create some form of a pact. This whole mess is incredibly fishy, but I know we all came in together. Can I count on you two to help me find answers?" Jenna spoke.

"I'm not sure what's so fishy. We're dead, this is the afterlife, we live here now. What's the issue with that?" Don argued.

"I'm sorry, do you often wake up in a house full of strangers all claiming to be dead?" Jenna retorted.

Don held up his hands in surrender, "Sheesh, Jenna. No, I do not regularly wake up in houses full of dead people. But I am also pretty used to just going with whatever is thrown at me. Even if this is all a ruse, what would creating a big scene do?"

"Are you serious right now? You mean if this is a ruse and you have been kidnapped, you'd rather just go along with it?"

Don shrugged in response, "I'm not sure that causing a scene would help anything is all."

Jenna took a deep breath in. "I'm not suggesting we cause a scene. I'm suggesting we," she gestured to the three of you, "Work together to find out just what the hell is going on? And not to embarrass you (y/n) but it is a bit weird how much the other occupants have latched onto you." Your face flushed. That's hardly my fault!

"Except Ryo," Don pointed out.

"Except Ryo," Jenna nodded. "Look, I know I must seem harsh. I swear, I'm usually much more collected than this. To be honest, I'm just panicking right now and I'm not sure how the two of you are keeping your cool."

"No, I understand what you're feeling," You nodded sympathetically. "This is all a bit weird."

Don sighed, "We have this sweet ass house to live in, no rent, free food, free clothes. Hopefully free booze... Honestly, if I have been kidnapped I'm just not going to complain about it... But I won't rat you out either. I don't want to go on a scavenger hunt with you guys, but I won't stop you." This seemed satisfactory to Jenna, and she looked towards you.

"I don't know... I am a little unsure of what's going on, but I'd like to trust these people. At least for now. If I start getting suspicious, you'll be the first to know," You answered.

"So, I work alone," Jenna sighed. "That's ok. If I find any new information, I'll keep you both updated. I'm trusting you two to have my back if things go south, ok?" She looks expectantly. You and Don both nod. This seemed fair.

"Not to kick you two out, but I could use some time apart," You said softly. "You can come to speak to me at any time, but I'd like a moment alone."

Jenna's gaze softened significantly, and she placed a hand on your shoulder. The gesture was unexpected, but Jenna kept surprising you, "Please, (y/n), if you want to cry or be upset I am here for you. I am just down the hall." She smiled softly, and you felt tears well up in your eyes as you tried to return the smile.

"Thank you, Jenna."

"If I find some drinks later, do you want to join me?" Don offered. His version of comforting was very different from Jenna's, so you couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Maybe. If you have success in your mission, find me," You smiled and opened the door. Jenna and Don walked out, and you sat on your bed again. A few tears fell, but you didn't feel as panicked anymore. Jenna and Don seemed to be very normal, and that was comforting. They both seemed like they could be your friends, despite how they contrast. You giggled at yourself, there's really not many people I wouldn't befriend. You took in a deep breath and covered yourself with the blankets. There's no reason I shouldn't take a nap. And with that, you drifted off into a short sleep.

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