HSMTMTS: The Core Four

8

EJ's POV

"EJ, COME ON!"  I hear Ashlyn scream.

I break out of my trance in the mirror, I forgot that we were going to the Mall with our friends.  I guess I'll have to deal with my self-issues later.  I walk into my closet and grab my black jacket, I roll up my sleeves and leave my room.

I walk downstairs to see Ashlyn, Uncle Dennis, and Aunt Debby looking at me with concern, I get a sinking feeling in the stomach and I start to heat up from the stares.  "What's wrong?"  I ask.  My Aunt Debyy takes my hand and pulls me down the last few stairs and I sit down on the couch.

"Sweetie, Uncle Dennis heard you screaming in your sleep, tossing and turning, and even crying a little."

I turn to Uncle Dennis, who mouths "sorry" to me.  I get why he told them, but I just don't wanna talk about it.  I don't even know what it means, an explosion in a laboratory?  These superheroes?  A destroyed city?  Me surrounded by red electricity?  What, am I some hero, and what I saw was my future?  

"I'm fine, really," I tell her, grabbing her hand.  That was a complete lie, I was anything but fine, I hate lying to them about myself, but I didn't want them to know that, I didn't want them to worry about me.  Not again.

"EJ, we haven't seen you like that since after your parents died."

She's right, after I came to live with them, I would lock myself in my room and just let it all out, I wouldn't talk to them about anything, I would ignore their questions, and I would have nightmares about seeing my parents die, I would always wake up sweating and sometimes even crying.  Uncle Dennis would hear me and come into my room,  he would give me a hug and hold me until I fell back to sleep.

"I know, but it was just one nightmare, I'm fine"  I assure them.  They look at me a little longer, but they finally decide to just let it go, thank god that didn't take any longer than I wanted it to.  "We should go," I tell Ashlyn, grabbing my car keys.  When I walk up to Ashlyn, I feel something tug on my leg.  I look down to see Asher grabbing my legs.

"Where are you going?"

"The mall."

"Can I come too?"  He gives me his adorable puppy dog eyes I can never say no to, why is he so cute?  I look at Uncle Dennis and Aunt Debby, they nod their heads  "If it's okay with Ashlyn" we both turn to my cousin, she looks like she was thinking about it.  "Pwease, Ahyln?"  Asher begged.

"Yeah, pwease, Ashlyn?"  I snicker.

"Okay fine, let's go" she finally gives in.  "We'll be back later."

We get into the car, I strap Asher his car seat, and start to drive.  I kept a good look on my face so Ashlyn wouldn't ask questions, but my mind kept going back to that nightmare.  Why was I feeling that pain?  Like something inside of me?  Or in the corner of my body was now growing, increasing, and finding ways to make torment me?

I really hope I don't feel that pain today, I'm hanging out with my friends, and I don't want my problems to make today awkward.

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Gina's POV

Everyone was Mall, waiting for EJ and Ashlyn.  I was kinda excited to be at the Mal again with my old friends, including Nini and the others.  I look at the others, they seemed happy, well, most of them, Ricky is sitting there staring at his phone with what looks like sad eyes.  He's probably looking at the stupid video again, poor Ricky.

I know I just meant him, but there's something different about him, like's he's going through something I might be able to relate to or something like that.