Let Me In

Part 5

"Y-you." Steven sputtered. "You're the one who's been stealing the body."

"Stealing it? Hey, this body is just as much mine as it is yours."

"What was it, JI? They said Jake out there, are you-"

"I'm annoyed, that's what I am. Annoyed, and blue balled because you decided to poke your head in at the genuinely the worst fuckin' time. So why don't you hand over the body, and we can squabble over petty shit later."
The longer Steven stood there, the more he began to notice the finer things. Firstly, and likely the most pointless detail out of everything, was the bathroom itself. Everything was wooden, like the kind of restroom he'd find in one of the cabins dad used to take them to when they were kids. Memories of him and Randall running through the forest came to mind, and though he didn't have the same experiences Marc did, the flash still stung. Yet another reminder he supposed of why they kept to the city.

The second detail he noticed was JI's, or technically his mustache. It wasn't overly bushy, but it was noticeable in an instant. It must have taken days to grow it, how long had he been asleep for? Did Marc have any idea what was going on? He searched the edges of his brain, but he came up empty handed.

"Hey, hey, ya-hoo. While you're off in wonderland, I have two beef cakes waiting out there, probably thinking I'm batshit talking to myself."

Steven's body stiffened at the reminder. On pure instinct his hands reached down to cover his groin with the closest towel. "No way, rugged-mustache man. Not until you explain some things. Starting with- where the hell is Marc?"

The man in the mirror shrugged, as if the presence of their fellow alter was the least of his problems. "How should I know? Clearly, I don't have control over you knuckleheads if you're waking up in the middle of my head. Why don't you go hunt him down yourself?"

"Oh yeah, that's rich, and leave the body all to you? Mr. JI-"

"Yes, actually. That'd be great. And hey, why do you keep calling me J I, huh? It's L. You know, for Lockley."

Lockley. Huh, quiet the Cockney name for someone with an American Accent that would leave Marc running for his money. He could imagine the man standing in the alley ways of New York City, selling drugs out of his oversized trench coat. "Well, maybe you should have written that then instead of a random lowercase L, hm? It's not my fault you weren't using your English properly in your little letter." He huffed.

"Ah, yes. Right, sorry. But you know what is your fault, is binge drinking hard enough to where I can't tell what's lowercase and what isn't-"

"So, your name Jake Lockley then, isn't it?" Steven interrupted, both because the name finally clicked, and because he refused to admit he was even partially to blame for the grammar mistakes of a brute like him. "How long have you been here?"
"Long time bub." Jake grunted, leaning against the back wall. "I'd say just as long as you, maybe longer. Now listen Steve, I'd love to chat. I really would."

"From the lack of any communication we've had until now, I seem to doubt that."

"Shut it. As I was saying, I'd love to talk, but I've only got- what, two hours left? Probably less? I dunno the specifics, but this is the only free time I got, so if you would..."

"Wow, is sex really the only thing on your mind?" Steven gasped, face scrunching up in disapproval. "Is our alter really just some- sex deprived deviant? What, do you have a strict- man-meating schedule or something?"

This finally seemed to pull a response other than pure annoyance out of the reflection, who appeared more amused than actually offended. A low chuckle left his lips, in a way that left a shiver running up Steven's spine. "Yeah, sure. That's what I am. And say-" Jake stepped forward and leaned in close to the mirror. It was the level of closeness to where he could make out each and every scraggly piece of hair on their rough five o'clock shadow. "Ignoring the fact my libido says more about Marc than it does me, I'd say that raging cockstand you've got going on proves I'm not alone here."