"Jackson!" I crumple to the floor and drag myself over to him. "Jackson! Wake up." I can feel the dark edges of unconsciousness seep into my mind, but I fight it. I can't pass out when Jackson's laying on the floor potentially bleeding to death. And part of me feels that if I were to go under, I wouldn't come back up.
I grab his arm and shake him, willing him with my mind to wake up. For a few terrifying seconds, nothing happens. But then, slowly, the nausea and dizziness subside. I scramble up to my knees beside Jackson's head. I feel him wake up, like it's happening to myself.
His eyes open and he looks up at me. "Well, that was weird." I'm so relieved that I almost hit him.
"That was more than weird. What happened?"
"Don't know." Although I can't see it, I can feel him trying to figure out what happened.
"What's going on?" He goes to sit, but I'm hit with a wave of dizziness, so I push him back down. "Oh God, if you make me throw up I might have to kill you." He eases back onto the floor. I remember that his head had been bleeding, so I inspect it, and find nothing. "You were bleeding."
"I heal fast." I feel like I'm lying, which must mean that he is.
"You're lying, I can feel it." I feel indecision, confusion, guilt. This is all too confusing. "What happened, Jackson? This isn't my powers growing. This doesn't feel natural." As soon as I say it, I realize how natural it feels.
"I don't know."
"You never seem to have any answers." I see, as well as feel, the amusement on his face.
"I have plenty of answers, just not the ones you're looking for." Not yet.
"Oh, now I can hear you too?" I don't know whose confusion is it, but I stand up, thankfully dizzy free, and kick the wall, which only makes my toe hurt.
"Ow." I turn on Jackson.
"So you can feel it too?"
"Yep." I kick the wall again for good measure and smile when he frowns down at his foot.
"This is too weird. I don't want this.. whatever this is! I want my mind back. Give it back to me!" Despite how mad I am, I also feel calm. Jackson holds his hands out like I'm a cornered animal.
"Hey, calm down, okay?"
"Don't tell me to calm down. This is entirely all your fault."
"Maybe it is my fault, but that doesn't make it go away." I cross my arms like a mad 3 year old.
"Fix it."
"I don't know how." He's not lying. I sigh and slide down the wall to the floor. This is giving me a headache. I look up at Jackson when I feel like I've figured something out, only I don't know what it is. "What?"
"When did you first notice it?"
"Afrer you left my room. I was going to come down and have a bath then felt like I was falling. That must have been you."
"I think it happened when I took your headache away."
"How did you do that?"
"I took the pain from you, I've told you."
"Not everything. I can tell when you're not telling me everything."
"I don't know how I do it, I just do." He's telling me the truth. I sigh and lean my head against the wall, closing my eyes. So much for my bath. I jump when I hear the front door open downstairs. I feel myself begin to panic.
"What do we do?"
"We don't tell them. We don't tell anyone." The look and feeling he gives me squashes any type of argument I had. "Not even your buddy Zee." His face sends cold chills down my spine.
"Gem - Oh, there you are. What -" I look up at Zee, who's standing at the top of the stairs, looking between Jackson and I.
"Hey." It comes out sort of strangled.
"You okay?" I nod. "What, is that blood?" Jackson wipes at the blood with his shirt.
"I fell and scraped my hand, no big deal." Zee ignores Jackson.
"Why do you look so weird, Gem?"
Nothing.
I flinch at the power behind his voice.
"Weird afternoon."
"Is your head feeling better?" I almost start laughing, but stop at Jackson's warnings.
"The pain is gone." Zee smiles and holds up a shopping bag.
"I got you something." I force out a strained smile.
"Awesome." His smile falls.
"Okay, spill. What's going on?" I stand up.
"Really, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go up and take a bath. I'll see you at supper, okay?" I don't wait for an answer before running up the stairs and not stopping until I'm safely behind the locked door of the bathroom. I start the water and go to remove my shirt, but stop.
You stay outta my head, got it?
I feel laughter in my chest, deeper than my own. He's laughing at me.
Don't worry, just have your bath.
I almost back out, but I can feel that he's not looking in, so I take his advice and have the bath.
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