by Rue Volley
“Neither… no… it wasn't. I don't know what just happened. I was dreaming… I think.”
“Way to make a boy feel cheap, Rue.”
“I… I'm sorry Josh.”
I turned around and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I started running cold, very, very cold water in the sink and splashed it on my face a few times. I looked into the mirror and saw that my skin was shimmering gold, with traces of orange. It was faint, but I couldn't help feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. Awesome. I was on top of Josh... great, perfect... exactly what I wanted. I turned to the door, knowing I couldn't live in here forever. Okay... here it goes.
I opened the door and Josh was sitting up in the bed a fake flower in his mouth, candles lit in the room. I looked around and to him and put my hand up to my mouth holding back laughter.
“What is... what are you?” I started to ask.
“Listen baby, I just thought I'd get you back in the mood.” He started laughing.
I dropped my hand and started laughing so hard, I thought I was going to pee myself. He jumped out of the bed laughing too. He came over to me and grabbed my hand. “We're cool… don't worry.”
“You are awesome Josh. You really are.” I jumped up and hugged him. He cleared his throat…
“Yea… okay, but that doesn't mean that I don't need a cold shower now.”
I smiled at him and he went into the bathroom closing the door.
I feel like the biggest turd in the world.
I lay back down on the bed and drifted back to sleep, no more dreams came that night, awesome.
When I woke up I looked over and Josh was asleep, sitting up in the chair at the table. I felt a twinge of guilt but I guess I was kinda relieved that he opted to stay out of the bed. God, if I hadn't woke up… awkward, no explaining that. I sat up and grabbed my bag with all intention of taking a shower. I made it three steps towards the door.
“Hey,” Josh said, as he yawned.
I looked back at Josh, he was stretching.
“Hey… umm, thought I'd take a shower so we can get moving early.”
I looked towards the bathroom.
He stood up and placed his hands behind him cracking his back.
“Oh Godddd… yea, that's better,” he said.
“Ohhh… thanks for.” I pointed towards the chair.
He started tilting his head back and forth until I heard a pop.
“Yea... no problem. Wanna take a shower together?” He grinned.
“No, no I do not.” I walked towards the door and shut it. I could hear him laughing behind me.
I finished my shower. I let the hot water just was over me, for a while. I didn't really care if I let it run until it went cold. I just felt… I don't know. I got out and I could hear Josh’s voice. I wrapped the towel around me and peeked out the door. I looked at Josh, just in time to see him lowering his cell.
“Who was that?” I asked him.
He looked up at me, then started to reach into his pocket.
“It was Sam, she's coming,” he said.
“Okay... why?” I asked him.
He came to the door and opened it.
“Hey, I could have been naked!” I yelled.
“That would have been a bonus.” He smiled at me, looking me up and down.
He raised his hand to the mirror on the bathroom door and started etching a symbol into it. It started to glow white.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You might want to stand back.”
I watched the mirror as it started to wave, like liquid mercury. I started to back away. All of a sudden Kai came flying through it and knocked me across the bed, during which my towel flew off. I slid across it and fell on the other side.
“Ouch!” I yelled.
I peeked up over the side of the bed, Josh was smiling at me. Crap. I grabbed the red silk sheet and wrapped it around me. Kai stood up and started to shake his head. I watched a hand come through the mirror and Sam stepped through gracefully. Much cooler entrance, than Kai. I stood up.
“What the hell just happened?” I said.
Sam looked at me, then scanned the room, she put her hands on her hips.
“Shouldn't I be asking that?” she said.
Josh stepped up to her.
“Yea this, this is all they had here Sam. I think it has potential, don't you?”
“No I do not... looks like a brothel,” she smiled. “A cheap one at that.”
She turned to me. “Why are you naked?”
I looked at her, then to Josh.
“I… I was taking a shower,” I muttered.
“Uh huh…” Sam said.
Kai decided to chime in...
“What the hell Sam!? I told you I could do it on my own.”
Sam looked at him.
“We stood there for five minutes, while you kept saying, ‘I'm almost ready.’ I ran out of patience, so I threw you.” Sam grinned at him.
“Not cool Sam!” Kai crossed his arms.
“Stop… being a girl Kai.”
He frowned at her. I wanted to laugh, but I had questions.
“How... how did you guys get here?” I pointed at the mirror.
“Oh that?” Sam swung her hand in the mirror’s direction. “Cool huh...? We can portal through them as long as we have a protector on the other end putting a ‘liquid’ symbol on it. It would suck, just to step into one. You have to have someone on the other end or you can end up lost in la la land.”
Kai just noticed his surroundings. “This is the bomb!”
Josh pulled him over to the side of the bed, to the magic silver box and put a quarter in it. Kai dropped down on the bed.
“TTTThiss isss thhe coolessst shhit!” Kai yelled out.
Sam threw up her hands, “I swear to god.”
She turned to me. “Get dressed Rue. We're going to Barrington with you.”
I just looked at her, not sure what the deal was, but I couldn't stand in this room half naked any longer. I headed for the bathroom, looking back to see Josh had joined Kai on the bed. I hate that bed, I really, really... really do. Cherubs can suck it.
***
I got ready super quick. I came out of the bathroom and everyone looked at me. I put my bag on my shoulder and said...
“Guess we can eat at the diner, while the windows are getting fixed.”
We all stepped out and the windows on the car were fine. I looked back at Josh. “When did they get fixed?” I asked him.
Josh looked at me and headed for the car. I looked at Sam and she smiled.
“He fixed them this morning Rue. Josh is good at fixing things. He's always come in handy when we have had a broken mirror.”
I looked at him “What?”
He got in, acting like he was going to drive. Sam came to his side, holding out her hand. Josh placed the keys in her hand and got in the backseat. I walked around to get in the front with her, but Kai slid past me, so I had to get in the back.
“Fixed them... you fixed them?” I said.
Josh grinned at me, “Yea, this morning, not last night.”
I looked away from him. We said goodbye to Adda and the heart shaped bed forever.
We drove for an hour. Music played and Kai tried to joke around with Sam after a while. He had always been a boy who loved a challenge, so Samantha must be the ultimate conquest for him. Finally I decided to talk...
“So... Sam, Why are you here?” I asked her.
She looked in the rear view mirror at me and said.
“Josh needs help to retrieve Johnathan.”
“What?” I looked at Josh. “What do you mean to retrieve him?”
“Listen Rue, Johnathan needs to come back with us. He can't be left alone any longer. His power is increasing, just like your own and soon he will be a danger to himself and to those around him.”
I leaned up behind her seat. “What do you mean by a ‘Danger’?”
“Just that. If you�
�� well, if I didn't care for you, I would try to kill him myself but truth is, I don't think he can be killed.”
“Kill him?” I looked at Josh…
“You knew this didn't you. You had no intention of letting me visit him, this was a trap. You were using me as bait to throw him off guard or something!”
The light in my palms started to glow…
“Rue, you need to calm down. Don't get yourself all worked up. Remember how I showed you to center yourself?” Josh said.
“Screw your centering. You are the biggest jerk I've ever met!” I yelled.
With that, light flashed in the backseat. Sam swerved the car and barely held it under control, pulling it to the side of the road. Kai and Sam piled out. All the locks went down on the doors. Josh sat calmly next to me, looking at his hands.
“What? Are you going to let a ‘little girl’ kick your ass?” I yelled at him.
He looked at me. “I have seen a lot, in the many centuries that I have lived Rue Volley but I have never seen anyone with a quicker temper than my own.”
“Is that some type of compliment?” All the windows in the car were steaming up and blue flames started to come off of my skin.
“If you want to destroy me, then do it Rue. I won't fight you.” He turned towards me.
“Concentrate all of your energy into your hands, you'll need enough to strike at my heart.”
I looked at him, completely confused.
“What is this, some kind of reverse psychology crap?”
He took my hands and placed them over his heart. I could feel a steady beat… he wasn't even excited.
“Concentrate on the core and draw the energy into yourself Rue.”
I jerked my hands away from him. “Are you crazy Josh?”
“You have to learn to defend yourself. Why not practice now, while you have hatred in your heart for me.”
“I... I'm not going to kill you Josh.” I screamed at Sam and Kai, “NO ONE IS KILLING ANYONE! GOT ME…”
I rubbed my hand to clear the steam and saw them both staring at me, “Got me!”
I saw both of them nod their heads. I looked back at Josh and he was smiling at me.
“You are a beautiful creature Rue.”
“And you are suicidal,” I said to him.
Sam and Kai got back into the car. Kai turned around to me…
“That time of the month?”
“Shut up Kai,” I said.
I sat back against my seat.
“You guys have very odd foreplay,” Sam said.
Kai turned to her... “For what?”
She rolled her eyes and looked back at the road. I turned to Josh and he reached down and grabbed my hand. I let him hold it. I didn't have the energy to say “no.”
We drove the rest of the way in silence. I really didn't have anything to say. Truth is, the closer we got, the more I keep thinking about Johnathan. Flashes of memory keep going through my mind. I was trying to not think about the heavy stuff, but it snook in. I looked down and realized I was still holding Josh's hand and I let go. It's none of his business. He didn't protest it… good. We started driving through woods, thick and daunting. I leaned forward when I caught my first glimpse of Barrington. It was a huge building, nestled in the side of a mountain. Its bright white stone stood out against its surroundings.
Sam looked in the rear view mirror, at Josh.
“Do you feel that?” she said.
Josh started to look around. “I do.”
I looked at him and asked, “What?”
All of a sudden, something flashed across the road in front of us and Sam slammed on the brakes. We all braced, as the car came to a screeching halt.
Sam turned around in her seat and looked at Josh. They both jumped out of the car. I jumped out of the car, breathing hard…
“What was that?” I said to them.
They both took off in the direction of the blur. I started to run after them, but I lost sight of them almost instantaneously. I yelled out their names and running forward, tripping over limbs and fallen debris in the woods.
“Josh? Sam?” I called out.
Nothing.
Suddenly I felt a flash of air go by me and heard a voice behind me.
“Rue?”
I turned around and it was Johnathan… looking so pretty. The look on his face was odd to me. He looked in my eyes for a moment, but then he looked down at his hands.
“What are you doing here?” he said.
I squared my shoulders, not knowing what to say.
“Listen… Johnathan, I… we came to take you home.”
He flashed towards me.
“Rue, I'm changing, I don't know what is happening to me.”
He reached out his hand towards my face and in a flash he blurred past me, to the left. I heard him groan, as he rolled against a tree. I looked to him and Josh had him pinned against it with his hand at his throat.
“Josh!” I screamed.
Johnathan looked at me but Josh did not, his gaze was set on Johnathan.
Sam came flashing up to us and I could hear Kai yelling out in the distance. I looked at Sam. “Go get him please.”
She rolled her eyes and flashed off.
I looked back at Josh and Johnathan.
“When did you start flashing around the woods Johnathan?” Josh said.
Johnathan looked frightened. “I… I noticed I was able to do it three days ago.”
Sam came flashing up, with Kai on her back. She dropped him off of her.
Kai stood up. “Thanks Sam.”
Sam looked at him, “You really need to learn how to do some of this stuff...! Less games, more learn, got me?”
Kai ran his hand through his hair. “Yea… I will, promise.”
I looked back at Josh, and Johnathan started to have red flame rising at his feet. Josh kept hold of his throat, swinging him over his head and slammed him down to the ground. I screamed at him.
“Josh... PLEASE NO!”
Sam flashed to his side and she started etching symbols all around them... before she finished the last one Josh looked at Johnathan and yelled, “BIND”, waving his hand over Johnathan's wrists. Josh flashed out of the circle and Sam laid the last one. Johnathan rolled over and pushed himself up. He moved forward and cried out, dropping to his knees. The binding circle would not let him leave it. I started to run for him and Josh flashed to me, stopping me in my tracks.
Johnathan looked at me.
“What is going on Rue?” he asked me, with a look of helplessness on his face.
I looked at him, tears welling up in my eyes, “Johnathan,” I whispered.
“We can't destroy him, maybe we should trap him a mirror,” Sam said to Josh.
Josh turned to her, still hanging on to me. “We may not be able to get him back Sam.”
They stared at each other for a moment.
“No... no, Josh do your memory thingy on him... PLEASE!” I said in desperation.
Josh looked at me, “If I do that, he'll know everything Rue.”
“Well, maybe he should… maybe it will make things easier” I said as I looked at Johnathan.
“Or maybe he'll just start to glow and try to kill us all!” Sam said.
“No… no, I don't believe that Sam, not Johnathan, he won't. I just know it!” I must have looked desperate because I could feel Josh’s grip loosen on my arms.
“If I do this, I do it for you. He goes crazy and I'll throw him through a mirror myself.”
I looked at Josh and whispered, “Please Josh, please do it.”
Josh relaxed, and looked at Sam, “Listen I'll do it and then he sleeps, got me?”
Sam put her hands on her hips. “Fine… fine.”
Josh walked towards Johnathan. “Listen to me. I'm going to let you see what you are. Let the memories flood your mind okay?”
Johnathan looked at me then to him. “I think me saying ‘Yes’, is the only option here right?”
Josh gri
nned at him. “Yes it is.”
Josh stepped into the circle with him and grabbed his shoulders jerking him up. He put both hands on the sides of his head and closed his eyes. Johnathan’s face went blank and then his eyes opened and went wide. He sucked in his breath and dropped to the ground.
I ran towards him, yelling his name. Sam flashed to me. “Rue, he's okay, just sleeping, just asleep okay?” she said to me.
I looked at her then to Josh. Josh leaned down and waved his hand over Johnathan's wrists and the white light dissipated from them. He looked back at me...
“Fun starts when he wakes up Rue. You'll need to be there for him, okay?”
Sam let me go and I kneeled down next to him… I touched his hair. He looked like an angel sleeping.
Josh carried him back to the car. I don't think he was happy about it, but he did it nonetheless. He put him in the backseat, between him and Sam and let Kai drive us home. I turned around a few times to check on him. Josh kept pushing Johnathan's head off his shoulder, in disgust. I smiled.
“I'll throw him out of the car, I swear,” Josh said.
I turned around, holding in a laugh.
We got home it was starting to get dark. Everyone got out of the car and headed for the door. I stopped and cleared my throat. I looked back and Johnathan had slumped over, in the back seat…
“Ummm Josh?” I said
Josh looked at me and then back to the car.
“Fine, I'll carry him in,” Josh muttered.
“Thanks Josh.”
He looked at me and went to the car. He grabbed Johnathan's arm and dragged him out letting him flop on the ground. I put my hands on my hips and looked at him. Josh reached down and picked him up. He walked past me, mumbling something. As he got to our door, he let Johnathan’s head hit the doorframe.
Josh looked back at me. “Ooops.” He smiled.
I followed him inside.
“You can put him in my room Josh.”
He turned around and looked at me.
“What?” he said.
“I'll sleep on the couch Josh,” I said.
“Fine.” He headed upstairs and I heard a thump again.
“Josh!” I yelled towards the ceiling.
He yelled down, “Sorry… he has a big head!”
I sat down on the couch and tried to relax for a second.
Josh came back down. “Okay, lover boy is tucked in.” He headed for the kitchen and started rummaging through the refrigerator.