“You come here every morning.” The young woman’s voice shook slightly as she spoke. “You move swiftly and silently through our streets while some of us still sleep. You know all of our names. You know where we live…” She paused for a moment. “I know what you are.”

“Say it. Out loud.” The tall man approached her slowly from behind. “Say it!”

“The mailman.”

Juniper shook her head, slamming her hands onto the keyboard in frustration. “This is the worst dialogue ever!” With a few clicks of her mouse, the scene vanished and she found herself staring at a blank white screen once more.

It was no use. Juniper had spent the past week trying to clear her head after the Leblancs’ baby shower, but she couldn’t seem to escape all the paranoia and confusion that haunted her. Nothing had changed at all, it seemed.

The mailman still lingered around her house each morning.

Cole still seemed to be watching everyone in the neighborhood like a hawk. A hawk that beeped and buzzed and clanged around everywhere he went.

John and Jane both continued evading her questions about the night at the karaoke bar and dismissing all of her concerns.

And every moment she spent with either of them, Juniper always seemed to find herself thinking of the other one…

Why was everyone acting so weird? Why did she feel so confused about everything? Could it all be connected? Juniper couldn’t shake the feeling that the answer to all of her questions was right before her eyes… But no matter how hard she looked, she simply could not see it.

I think I could use a drink! Juniper turned off the computer and rose her feet. She just needed the chance to get out of the house and have some time to collect her thoughts, that was all. I’m sure I’ll feel better after I unwind a little.

For a moment, Juniper considered calling John or Jane to accompany her. But in the end, she decided to go on her own.

————————————–

When she arrived at the little dive bar at the edge of the neighborhood, Juniper was not surprised to find the place pretty deserted. She was surprised, however, to find a few familiar faces inside.

Bruce and Randy sat side by side at the dingy little bar, laughing over some shared joke. Juniper smiled to herself at the sight. Bruce never seemed to get out very much, so it was always nice to see him having fun. He’s lucky he has a great friend like Randy!

The young woman approached them, smiling warmly as she did so. “Hey, Bruce! Hey, Randy!”

“Grrrreeeeeeeeevvvvnnnnn! Juuuuuugggggrrrr!”

“Fancy seeing you here, Juniper.” Randy rose to his feet and moved to the next seat over, allowing Juniper to take a seat between them.

“Excuse me?” She waved a bit awkwardly toward the bartender. “Could I have a Sweet and Spicy, please?”

The bartender nodded in reply and quickly got to work preparing her drink.

“You two seem pretty happy this evening.” Juniper smiled, glancing back and forth between her two friends. “Are you guys celebrating or something?”

Randy nodded, returning her smile. “Yup! Bruce here finally found himself a job!”

“You did? That’s great!” Juniper cried happily. She knew Bruce had been unemployed for quite some time, and she had a feeling his unfortunate speech impediment played a large role in holding him back. It was a relief to learn he’d finally found something. “What kind of job is it?”

“Fffffonnnn sssaaaaaax oggggerrrrrradddaaaa.”

“Huh?”

“Phone sex operator.” Randy repeated for his friend. “All he has to do is grunt and groan a little bit. It’s perfect!”

“Ooh! That sounds… interesting!” She laughed as the bartender finally placed her drink in front of her. “I never knew you were into that kind of thing, Bruce.”

He shrugged. “Paaasss bbbiiils.”

“Not like he gets anything out of it… Ol’ Bruce Jr. probably rotted away and fell off years ago, right?” Randy winked.

“Aaassss hohhhh.” Bruce rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on, be nice!” Juniper scolded Randy. She didn’t think it was very funny to tease poor Bruce for not getting any action. He was probably lonely. “I’m really happy for you… Let’s drink to your new job!”

The three of them tapped glasses with each other and eagerly took several gulps of their drinks.

“So what brings you out tonight?” Randy broke the silence at last as the bartender took away his empty glass.

“Annnnn wrrrrrouuuut Johhhh errrr Jaaannnn.”

“Yeah, Bruce is right — and without John or Jane too!” Randy seemed to be studying her face for a moment. “Is everything alright?”

A soft sigh passed Juniper’s lips. “I dunno.” She confessed. “I guess I’m feeling a little… overwhelmed? Things have been really weird for me lately.”

“Weird how?”

Juniper bit her lip before replying. It felt almost embarrassing to be sharing her concerns. “Can you guys keep a secret?”

“Orrrghhhhh caaaauuughrrrrrr.”

“Yeah, of course!”

“I’ve kinda been feeling a little suspicious, I guess… About Cole.”

“The new guy?”

She nodded. “It’s like he’s always being creepy and watching everybody. And he’s always beeping. I’ve even seen wires coming out of his jacket… And the way he talks and moves is so… stiff. It just feels like there’s something ‘off’ about him, y’know? Like… he’s not like the rest of us.” It felt so silly to say it out loud, but Juniper could no longer hold back her suspicions.

“Not like the rest of us?”

“Yeah… Like… Like he’s not human.”

Juniper couldn’t tell if the warmth in her cheeks was from embarrassment or anger. “I get it. It’s a really stupid thought. You don’t have to make fun of me for it!” She called out over their laughter.

Randy shook his head, wiping away a few tears of laughter from his eyes. “That’s not why I’m laughing. I just…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what Cole’s deal is.” He confessed. “Mr. Grimm doesn’t really tell any of us what we’re getting into when someone new comes. And he’s definitely a little ‘off’, you’re right… But think about the folks who live in our neighborhood, Juniper. I mean, isn’t everyone around here a little ‘off’?”

Bruce nodded. “Aaaaaahhh litttttt difffffrrrrragh?”

“Different? Well, sure!” Juniper agreed.

“Just… think about it.” Randy urged her. “Really think about.”

“Okay…” She raised an eyebrow curiously at him. “Well, I mean, Mr. Grimm and Miss Jones have their skin conditions… And you too Bruce, no offense.” She added almost guiltily. “And Tiffany’s agoraphobic or something, I guess… She never leaves her house. Randy, you have your funny ears and your scary dog. And the Leblancs have their weird sleep schedule…” Juniper shook her head. “But Cole isn’t like you guys, I’m telling you! He’s weird in a different way.” She insisted.

“You forgot John and Jane.” Randy smirked at her, seemingly ignoring her concerns about Cole. “They aren’t weird too?”

“Kind of.” Juniper confessed. “Or they are lately, I mean. Ever since this night we went to the karaoke bar last month…”

Bruce suddenly burst into a fit of giggles at her words. On her other side, Randy also chuckled to himself. “Oh yeah, we heard about that one.” He said, amused. “Anyway, go on.”

“It was a really weird night. And I still can’t even remember everything that happened… But they’ve been acting really funny ever since. They avoid all my questions about it. I can’t get either one of them to crack!” Juniper sighed in frustration. “I’m telling you, they’re so much alike that it’s really freaky. It’s… it’s almost weird, to be honest. They’re practically the same person or something!”

Beside her, Juniper heard a loud, hacking cough as Bruce began choking on his beer.

“Are you okay?!”

He nodded. “Yooorrhhhh juuuuhhh sohh duuuuuuhhmm…”

“Ha!” Randy clapped his hands almost gleefully at Bruce’s words.

“Huh?”

“Nothing!” He smiled at Juniper, suppressing laughter. “It’s getting kinda late. Guess we’d better run. Your drink’s on me, Juniper.” He took a wad of money from his pocket and left it on the bar. “Look, just… All that stuff you’re thinking right now? Hold on to it.” He told her. “Think about it. And maybe things will start making sense.”

He clapped her on the back for a moment and Bruce gave her a small wave and grunt of farewell before both men rose to their feet and headed for the door.

Juniper finished the rest of her drink in silence, her mind going a thousand miles a minute. She’d been so sure that hanging out with Bruce and Randy would make her feel better. Maybe help her find some answers.

Instead, she was simply left with more questions.

————————————

I wanted to give everyone a heads-up that next week’s chapter might be delayed to Wednesday or Thursday because I am going away this weekend and might not have time to screenshot before I leave. Hopefully this will not be the case and I will see you Monday though! (But just in case… I don’t want anyone thinking I’m leaving you with another 4-month hiatus 😛 )