by Lucy Rains
The bathroom door opened as I was running a razor over my arm pits. My hand paused, my arm frozen as it was held high over my head. I closed my eyes and reached out. Kyson.
Kyson? He was usually the most respectful of my privacy.
“Kyson!” I shouted. Both to be heard over the water and out of irritability.
“Sorry,” he apologized insincerely, “just needed to grab my water bottle.”
My arms dropped and I scoffed. “Are you kidding me? You couldn't wait five more minutes?”
The curtain moved suddenly as it swayed towards me and then back out. I gasped, “Kyson!”
A low chuckle came through the curtain and I growled at his teasings. “I could have sworn I was dealing with an adult.”
The last straw came later that night when I tried to go into the bathroom to brush my teeth, only to find Alex standing over the toilet with his pants sagging low.
I slammed the bathroom door shut and stomped into the living room, blocking the view of the TV from Kyson and Pierce. “We need to have a group pow wow thing, or whatever you guys call it.”
Their faces lacked any enthusiasm at my idea and Pierce even scowled. I scowled right back. “Listen, my personal boundaries have been violated three times today and I want some house rules set.”
Gavin plopped down on the neighboring love seat and laced his fingers behind his head.
Alex opened the bathroom door. “You’re such a homewrecker,” he sighed.
“Why am I the only one that is having problems here?” I asked, my hands coming out, my palms facing skyward.
“Because we have been living together for years,” Pierce answered. “We don’t have boundaries.”
“Rule number one!” I lifted a finger, making a point to look at them all in the eyes. “If you are in the bathroom, with any form of genitalia showing, the bathroom door is closed and locked.”
Alex rolled his eyes, “Little melodramatic, don’t ya think?”
“Does your butt count as genitalia?” Gavin asked with a wicked grin.
“And what if the lock was suddenly...broken?” Kyson suggested innocently.
My mouth dropped open at their mocking questions. “Did you pick a one bathroom house on purpose, Alex?”
“Next rule?” Pierce said, folding his arms.
Alex smiled, sitting down next to Gavin, his eyes bright with amusement.
“Rule number two, if the door is locked, you don’t enter the bathroom. At all. For anything. Nothing.” My hand swiped the air.
Alex tapped his chin, “So, what happens if we break one of these rules? Like, accidentally, of course?”
My hands went to my hips and I cocked my head. “Just remember Alex, I am one of the few people in this world that can murder you and leave no forensic evidence behind.”
Kyson snorted and his shoulders shook. “This is fun. What’s next?”
“This is serious!” I shouted. “You had better be taking this seriously!”
Pierce leaned forward, “We are,” he looked around the room, making sure everyone knew this. “We will. What’s next?”
I crossed my arms in front of me, my head lifting. “Nobody eats my pop tarts.”
“But-” Alex started.
“I have waited my whole life to eat those things and I don’t want anyone messing with them.”
Alex sank back into the couch. “They’re organic anyways,” he mumbled under his breath.
“And unfrosted,” Gavin added, like this was a treacherous sin.
“Headphones are required if anyone in the house is sleeping,” I continued.
Everyone looked at Kyson.
“What?” His eyes widened. “I thought everyone was awake!”
“Well, we were after that wretched country crap,” Gavin said.
“Last rule is clean up after yourself. I am not your maid,” I said. “I cleaned up at the last house because everyone was busy getting ready to leave, planning for the lab, and all that. But now,” I looked over at the piling dishes, the socks thrown into a corner, the hamburger wrappers that scattered over the kitchen table. “Now you can put away your crap, throw away your trash, swap your laundry, act like you care about the space around you.”
Silence.
A sniff.
I glanced around, waiting for some sort of acknowledgment or even a snarky comment.
“You sure she’s not about to have her period?” Alex asked Ksyon.
My eyes narrowed onto Alex, and my nails dug into my palms. “Don’t assume that when I’m angry I’m on my period. Otherwise, the next time you’re sleeping I’ll assume you’re dead and bury you out back.”
Gavin stood up, his cool mask back in place as he walked towards the kitchen. I couldn’t help the quick glance to his rear before he turned the corner, bringing a blush to my cheeks.
A sudden clap jerked my head around to see Alex smiling, “I believe it's time to issue out my dare.”
I couldn’t stop my shoulders from drooping. A hand went to my forehead and I pushed my damp hair away out of my face. “You know, I think I need to go lay down.” I feigned a yawn. “I think that fainting episode is having some after effects on me.”
“Lie, but nice try.”
Damn it, I cursed myself.
Sitting down next to Kyson, I resigned myself to my punishment and waited for Alex’s dare.
“We have peanut butter, right?” Alex asked Pierce.
I looked at Pierce, praying he would say no.
“Just bought a container today.”
Alex smiled. “Excellent.” He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. “Don’t go anywhere, Jade.”
I groaned in misery and leaned backwards. “I passed out, doesn’t that mean it shouldn’t count?”
“Too late now, little jewel,” Kyson patted my thigh.
“You guys should probably go get ready for bed, or you know…” they both looked at me curiously, “go for a walk.”
“I’m actually very awake right now,” Pierce commented with too much eagerness behind it. There was a twinkle in his eyes that I would have loved had I not been dreading Alex’s next move.
“Ditto,” Kyson agreed.
Alex walked out holding a bowl of peanut butter and a large white plate. He set the two items on the coffee table and stepped back. “Using only our tongue, write your name on the plate with the peanut butter.”
My right eyebrow raised. “My tongue?"
Alex sat down, a big grin on his face, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a sigh. It could be worse, I told myself.
Leaning forward, I brought the bowl up to my face and scooped out a dollop of butter with my tongue, then proceeded to make a ‘J’ on the white ceramic. I used my hands to hold the plate in place, careful to keep my nose out of the brown butter smeared on the surface.
By the time I got to the ‘D’, the air in the room was charged with so much sexual static I could barely breathe. I was so embarrassed. But knowing how much the guys enjoyed the show helped to lessen the pain. The vibrations in my chest buzzed in excitement, unable to contain the pleasure of having three of them so close and so heated. I couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone, knowing eye contact would only make the burn worse.
Footsteps sounded. “What the hell is going on?” Gavin hollered as he walked into the room.
I quickly finished the ‘E’, knowing if Gavin joined the show, that having all four excited males in one room would be too much to handle.
“Done,” I said, as I grabbed a nearby tissue and wiped at the peanut butter on my chin. I balled up the tissue and tossed it on the plate. “Happy?”
“I am happier than a seagull with a french fry,” Alex hummed, leaning back into the couch with sexual pleasure radiating from him.
Before anyone could say anything else, I made a quick dash to my bedroom to lay low and let everyone cool off for the rest of the night. Even though I was desperate fo
r a drink of water I bypassed the bathroom, ignoring the burn in my throat. I counted it as my punishment for being dumb enough go in on a dare with Alex.
Chapter 4
Night time was the hardest.
As I laid awake at 2 a.m., trying to catch my breath and relax, I rubbed my eyes, wishing I could expel the memories from my subconscious. Visions of Chloe and her unnatural wide eyes, crimson blood seeping from under doors, unable to breathe through thick smoke. The memories would mix together and end worse than the actual outcome that had happened.
The worst dreams were of being alone.
Abandoned inside the lab.
The guys leaving me behind. Decided I was too much trouble.
Feelings of insecurity were impossible to get rid of. They were rooted in my mind like a sick cancer. There had never been anyone in my life to want me around, praise me, to tell me I was beautiful, or care about my opinion. The guys had definitely built me up since bringing me into their lives. I knew they felt my insecurities that I tried to hide. But just telling me to feel confident was like telling an anorexic to eat a cheeseburger.
But I wanted it. I wanted to be near them.
And that desire gave me hope.
The ancient alarm clock glared red, telling me I had been trying to go back to sleep for thirty-five minutes. Frustrated, I sat up and pulled on a light jacket over my sleep camisole. My senses told me no one else was awake and that I could get a drink of water in solitude.
A few creaks echoed in the quiet house as I stepped on old wooden floor boards. The window over the sink was cracked and I could hear the swell of the waves. I quickly filled and drained three glasses of water within a few minutes. Once done, I decided to step outside onto the back patio and breathe in the night air.
I leaned over the wooden railing, smelling the ocean and feeling the breeze over my cheeks. The other beach houses that neighbored us were dark and desolate. I couldn’t see any beach fires but my sensitive nose picked up on a tinge of smoke in the air.
A familiar presence filled my mind and I straightened. The hum in my chest slightly intensified. I squinted, narrowing my eyes on a dark shadow that moved along the shoreline. My mind reached out and firmly felt the figure I saw at a distance.
Gavin.
Gavin? Swimming?
I pushed away from the railing and stepped down the stairs to the sand. As I moved, his emotions turned concerned and then tilted towards irritation. The dark figure started walking faster and a few seconds later I could see his wet hair and bare torso gleaming in the moonlight.
Wondering if his face would light up in a pleasant smile when he saw me would be hoping for too much. Instead it held the cold gaze I was use to.
“What are you doing out here?” he called out as he came closer.
I watched him as he strutted up the sand, unable to look away from his bare chest and the line of hair that trailed down from his belly button. I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions cool. “I couldn’t sleep.”
He grabbed a towel off of one our makeshift clothes lines and wiped his face. “Well, let's get back inside.”
I raised an eyebrow and sat down on the wooden step, “I’ll be in in a few minutes.”
He sighed and hung his towel back up on the clothesline.
My mouth opened to ask him why he was swimming so late at night when a new presence entered my mind. I flinched at the sudden sensation and my eyes fell closed.
Fear.
Pain.
“Jade?”
The emotions were small, a good distance away from who I was feeling them from. But intense.
I stood up and took a step forward. My concentration broke for a second when the screen door slammed behind me.
“Why wasn’t I invited to this party?”
I shot Alex an unfocused glance over my shoulder as my attention was pulled in different directions. The fear bled into my mind and took my over my attention completely.
Without speaking I began walking away from the beach house, letting myself be pulled in the direction of the pain.
“Damn it Jade!” Gavin groaned.
“Something’s wrong,” I said.
“Not with you it’s not!” Alex said.
I kept walking, ignoring their comments for me to stop. “Something bad,” I muttered.
“Jade stop, let’s just go back inside,” Gavin asked in a softer tone.
I paused for a second to pull my wits together so I could explain what I was feeling. “Someone is scared and hurting. Badly. We should go help them.”
"I don't hear anything," Alex said while looking around.
"How do you know it's not just someone watching a horror movie and getting freaked out?"
I frowned, "Someone is hurting!"
Gavin wiped a hand over his face, “Princess if it doesn’t involve you, it shouldn’t concern you.”
I looked to Alex, hoping he would be more willing to help. “Come with me.”
The fear slammed into me again and I stiffened.
Alex sighed, “Fine. I will believe you on this.”
I turned and began moving again, not waiting for anymore feedback.
“But I also believe in bigfoot so don’t get too excited!” he called out.
Gavin cursed again, “We don’t have any weapons Jade!”
I began jogging, moving east down the coast line, where the houses disappeared and the area became rural with tall grasses, sand dunes, and then large boulders. With each step the emotions intensified and multiplied. Anger. Terror. Crushing sadness.
A scream echoed in the dark and I paused. A little ways up from us I could see a bonfire. Its orange flames standing out bright in the pitch black that engulfed the coastline. It was tucked in the midst of large boulders and sand dunes that would hide it from sight if one wasn’t looking hard enough.
“Jade!” Gavin hissed. “It’s not too late to turn around.”
I stopped to scowl at him.
“We are unarmed damn it! We don’t even have cell phones.”
Another scream, and a chorus of male shouts.
“We don’t have time,” I whispered, inching forward again.
“I have come to learn that trying to change Jade’s mind is about as easy as baptizing a cat,” Alex whispered.
“She’s gonna get herself killed,” Gavin growled.
Finally, I was close enough to see human forms. Three standing, three kneeling. I worked to build up a mental wall to ward off the overwhelming emotions coming from the people. It was making it impossible to concentrate.
The figures on the ground had their hands tied behind their backs. All three of the standing men held guns. Only the middle man was pointing a gun at the people kneeling.
We moved closer, crouching low and staying silent.
A gunshot ripped through the night, and I hissed in surprise. One of the kneeling figures fell backwards into the bonfire. Still. Unmoving.
A woman’s voice pleaded tearfully in spanish to the men standing above her.
“What the hell is your plan?” Gavin grunted.
I was trying to understand the scene before me. Why would men be executing these people out on the beach? The men were all light skinned, caucasian. But as I looked closer I could tell they were well dressed, well maintained, and well manicured. Wealth. Status.
“Can you just use your ability?” I asked Gavin without looking at him, watching the man holding the gun with a narrowed eye, ready to act.
“It’s not that easy, not with three of them. I can only control one at a time.”
“I’m going to make my way around to the back of them,” Alex whispered.
I saw Alex slink over a large sand dune and disappear from sight.
“Let’s see what happens when you control one of them,” I suggested.
Gavin grabbed my hand and we went several feet closer. With the closer distance I could see that the other victims were both a woman and a male. The male looked to be her age, and presse
d against her in a way that told me they knew one another.
The middle man spoke in a soft, calm voice, and began to raise his gun again. The woman shook her head and cried. I heard a few words that helped me to piece it all together.
Shipment.
Contact.
Money.
Mexico.
“Drugs,” Gavin whispered.
The man with the raised weapon stopped talking mid sentence, his body straightening. We were close enough that I could see the familiar blank stare that told me Gavin was in his head.
He began twisting, rotating his body slowly to the man at his right. The man cursed at him, looking at him with crazed confusion.
I dropped my mental wall, needing to feel more than I could see.
“Let...them go,” the man said.
A gasp from the woman. The man to the left laughed. But he was not humoured. His mind was dark, murderous. I felt his anger before he lifted his gun.
“No,” Gavin spit out.
The man holding the gun suddenly relaxed as the one on the left stiffened, pausing. “Let them go,” he echoed the first man.
The man in the middle shook himself, rubbed at his forehead. He looked at the man on the left and yelled at him.
“This isn’t going to work,” I whispered.
“I could have told you that,” Gavin said.
Without warning, the man on the right end lifted his gun and shot the man in the middle through his back.
I stood then, throwing my arms out and releasing a rush of energy over the last two men. They stumbled backwards, the shooter only tripping while the left man fell into the sand.
“Alex now!” I yelled.
Alex flew up behind the man on the ground, hopped over him, kicked his gun away while simultaneously throwing a punch into the man’s temple.
The shooter stared wide eyed at Alex, but quickly recovered and began to lift his weapon again. I threw out another wave, harder this time, knocking the man in his head and forcing him down to the ground. Gavin flew past me, jumping over the hostages and dropping on top of him. The man roared in rage and the force of his anger almost made me take a step backwards. Gavin threw a punch into his gut and followed with another to his head, causing the man to go unconscious.
With both shooters incapacitated I stepped forward, realizing I was panting like I had just sprinted. The adrenaline of the situation, using my energy, had tired me more than I was going to admit to the guys.