#Juvon friendship

[nyikondlovu]

“Devon's at Charles Lee Ray’s house.” Jake dejectedly tells his blonde friend. He feels dizzy, like he’s fading in and out of consciousness. “And he’s not picking up. SHIT!”

Is this what they mean when they say your heart drops?

When they say your world is thrown off its axis?

“Jake!” He’s thrown back into the now by Lexy’s shout directed at him.

The blonde girl looks at him and asks in concern; “Are you okay?”

Honestly speaking, he doesn’t know and he says such as he looks at Devon’s picture on his phone. The photo is one he took when he caught the other boy mid laugh, his eyes closed and face lit up. Shaking the memory of the sound of his laugh out of his mind, Jake presses the ‘call’ option again.

No answer.

Lexy comes closer to him and rests her hand on his shoulder, “he’s gonna be fine. C’mon it’s Dev. If anyone is going to survive a homicidal supernaturally possessed doll, it’s him.” she comforts with an attempt at levity as she requests an Uber to the childhood home of said homicidal doll.

“What if we get there too late?” Jake can literally feel his anxiety spiking and starts pacing. “I can't lose Devon Lexy, I won't. I refuse to.” he rambles.

He keeps calling Devon's phone until finally:

“Hey-”

“My God Devon, I’ve-”

“You've reached Devon Evans. I can’t answer my phone right now so text me instead, bye!”

“FUCK” Jake shouts into his speaker before pressing too hard on the screen as he hangs up.

Jake’s pacing now, unable to stand still

‘He’s all that keeps me going.

God Dev, what were you thinking?!’ the curly haired boy internally monologs.

Everything around him is nothing but white noise. Everything falls away; Chucky, Lexy, the deaths, all of it as the only thing in the front of his mind is Devon.

He's looking out the Cross’s kitchen window as if willing the Uber to arrive quicker.

‘I need you to be fine, Dev. There’s so much I haven't said to you..’

In an attempt to control his hyperventilating and rushing thoughts, Jake Wheeler turns to lean on one of the counters and the Good Guy Doll he got from the bus station catches his eye.

‘It’s fucking mocking me. It knows how much Devon means to me and it’s having a laugh at my precious Devon's expense.’ he glares at the red headed doll in front of him.

Lexy hasn't spoken in what feels like forever to Jake but in reality is less than two minutes.

“We’re gonna get Dev back. I promise you.”

Whirling his face around to look at her, he loudly asks “how? How can you promise that?”

at her silence his shoulders slump like a puppet whose strings were cut:

“I've done nothing but fail him this entire time, Lex’. No, it’s true.” he rushes to say when he sees her mouth open, probably to reassure him that he didn’t let the third member of their trio down.

Jake smiles to himself, “you know I can remember the first time I saw him? It was third grade, Mrs Williamson’s class, I wasn't the ‘school freak’ yet so I was sitting with some kid I can't even remember. Our elementary school principal walked in and told us we had a new classmate, then he came in and I swear Lexy something drew me to him..I immediately wanted to be his friend. to bask in his sunlight.” If he closes his eyes Jake swears he can just see little eight year old Devon, introducing himself without a hint of hesitation in his voice standing there beaming with two missing front teeth, a pink backpack with its straps on his tiny shoulders, fearless as always.

He doesn’t see it but Lexy has a smile of her own on her face. She might not remember the play by play but; she does remember Devon Evans being shown to sit next to her crush Logan Wheeler Jr and by the end of the day they were talking like they’d been friends for years, till this day seven years later.

“Yeah, he’s always been the most outgoing and kindest person in our grade. You know he’d sneak Jun-Jun a cookie everyday? Because your uncle had started him on this insane training diet and he wasn’t allowed anything fun. But little Devon Evans saw Junior eye a piece of candy one time and never forgot to bring extra sweets for him each and every day. Whether it be cake or a lollipop without fail he made sure that there was always something for Junior. He still does it to this day actually.” she affectionately reminisces.

Jake looks up at his friend, surprised at how fond she sounds, how thoughtful Devon has always been and how close it seems Junior and Devon actually are.

“A lot of Jun-Jun’s smiles lately are because of him if I’m being honest with myself. I haven’t been the kindest to him…or Dev…or you…or anyone really,” the oldest Cross daughter sadly chuckles to herself.

The tall 14 year old leans against the counter;

“The first time we sat together was the day you made that gofundme. I was listening to his podcast during lunch and he probably saw how sad I was and just walked up to my table, sat down THEN asked if he could sit there. I didn’t want him to know I was listening to Hackenslash so I said I was watching The Vampire Diaries.” he says, “he wanted me on his podcast to talk about bullying and all I did was yell at him and storm off? For wanting to help. Even then he defended Junior when I called him a bully. Which he is, or was I guess..I don’t really know anymore.”

The blonde bumps his shoulder with hers

“We’re gonna get him back, Jake.”

“We do that and what? I've still done nothing but let him down this past month Lexy. I've always wanted the courage to talk to him and now that I’m close to him all I do is take take take. The night of the fire he almost died too and the first thing he asked me about was how Junior was doing then he admitted he was glad I wasn’t at the party so I couldn’t get hurt. The day after Oliver's Halloween party he said he wished he could protect me. Even when he didn’t know what was going on with Chucky he was there making sure I was okay. The only person who asked or cared to be honest.”

After a brief silence he continues:

“Did you know he’d come out to his mom? And told her he liked me? I’d even asked him on a date then..” he trails off

“Then his mom died.”

“His mom died and I didn't even go to the fucking funeral. God Lexy if something happens to him, he wouldn’t know that I…that I love him because I haven't told him. He's probably terrified and feeling like he can’t hang on to the hope of us saving him because he thinks we don’t care about him.” the curly haired boy laments

“…We haven’t been the best of friends to him, have we?” Lexy finally states what they’ve been thinking.

Resolved to show Devon how cared for he is, Jake leaves his rucksack on the floor, puts in 987 Sherwood Lane into his map app and prepares to save the best thing in his life.

“Whoa, where are you going? The Uber isn't here yet,” Lexy tries to intercept him

“Alexandra, move. I’m not waiting a second more for that fucking Uber. I’ll walk there. Devon needs me NOW. Fuck the ride,” he says as he pushes past her and takes long purposeful strides to the front door when his and Lexy’s phones both ping.

The two share a look and with a furrowed thick dark brow, Jake turns back to look at his phone.

It's a picture.

a picture of Devon.

It's a picture of Devon and he’s tied up with duct tape over his mouth and his forehead is bleeding.

his Devon.

“I’m going to fucking tear that doll apart piece.by.fucking.piece for laying a plastic hand on him.” Jake growls, his anxiety replaced by fury.

Jake Wheeler is a man on a mission and that mission is to save Devon Evans no matter what, kill the fucking chucky doll and do whatever he can to make up for taking him for granted.

‘I’m coming, Dev. please, just hold on for me,’ he pleads, hoping Devon will somehow hear the promise and believe in that Jake cares so much to the point where he’d go into a psychotic murderous doll’s home by himself just to rescue and prove he would do anything for him.