There Must Be Something More ( Bellroc x Jim Lake's older sister Iris Lake)

Aftermath of the Revenge of the Baby-Sat

" AARGH!!"
Her soul jumped out of her body from shock,then plummeted back in and clawed at her senses.
Jim's eyes lit up when his door opened to reveal her.
" Are you doing that de- stressing screaming thing?"
" Uh. No. No, it's ...it's..."
He fell back in his swivel chair, groaning miserably,regret,sadness and hopeless anger painted on his face like thick makeup.
His hands covered his face.

She threw her arms around her brother. He got up, and went and sat on his bed, slouching forward, downcast and outraged.
" Jim, is this about a certain, impending annual celebration?"
" Claire's brother has been switched with a Changeling. And now, the whole Nuñez family HATES me!"

" I. See, I think context might help me, to help you."
" I don't think you can. Not unless you have a memory eraser gun I can borrow ."
" For the Nuñezes?"
" For ME! I want to just forget about this whole trollsitting nightmare. "
" Please tell me about it. Talk to me, I want to know so I can help. Even if sympathy,is all I can help with. "

The tale was told in full. She couldn't help but laugh real hard at Aaarrrgghh's door removal.
He told her the ending:" So, I introduce myself to Mr and Mrs. Nuñez. Claire's suddenly, just, right behind them. And then,Claire's mom walks up to me, and I hand her her baby. Her faux-baby. She gives me this look,that makes frost spread all over my skin. Ice cold, deadly glare.
When she's gone- I guess taking him to his crib, making sure he's alright-
Claire and her dad just stand there. Trying to set fire to me with their eyes. I did start explaining. I'd gotten maybe seven words out, half my sentence, before he shuts me up with his eyes. If you'd seen it, you'd know what I mean. He tells me to leave his house Right Now. As I'm going, he says to Claire she's in so much trouble, she cannot guess how much. "
Jim's mouth crumpled. " I leave his house. Of course. But, as soon as I'm outside...dude EXPLODES on his daughter in the fastest, hardest, angriest Spanish I've ever heard. "
He sighed and dropped on his back , the bed creaking. Iris flopped on her back and rolled to face him, grinning. He half-smiled at her.
" That's not the end of it. I get home,five minutes ago, and text her. I have no choice but to lie about a rave that never happened; how else do I explain her trashed house?"
"What did she say."
" Five minutes later, I get a reply. She hopes she'll never see me again. "

" Harsh. But, she doesn't know, Brother. Her parents don't know. They wouldn't hate you if they understood."
Jim sat up, throwing his arms in the air. She flinched at his voice.
" AND WHAT DOES THAT HELP ME?!
Ugh. Tobes is right,all this Trollhunting is getting to me. I'm sorry. I get what you're saying. It can't make me feel better, though. I feel like..."
He didn't finish, shrugging. Jim slid off his bed and laid himself on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

It was probable, that the upcoming birthday was making his mood a lot worse than it would've been. Unless she could time travel,there was little she could do about this, then.
Iris sat up, a light going on in her head.
There was no memory eraser gun, But, she could help him to forget temporarily.

" Hey,Jim. Get on your bed, I wanna show you something. "
He obeyed, frowning.
She stood before the door, to avoid accidentally injuring her brother.
Iris positioned her feet to the side of the bed, and twisted her shoulders slightly to face them. She straightened her back, and clenched her stomach muscles. Bending her knees slightly, she rocked her weight back and forth to test her balance.
Her chin lowered, her mouth closed, her fists hovered near her face.
She inched back-and-forth and side-to-side,arms stiff and knees, again, slightly bent.

Her fist shot straight out and straight back in one cartoon-fast movement.
She injected extra power into the next punch, complimenting it by rotating her hips and shoulders, her right fist striking the air with the viciousness of a snake.
Jim's eyes widened. " You couldn't throw a good punch. You couldn't punch or fight or do a fighting stance. Where did that come from?"

Iris allowed herself to smile.
" Watch this, Brother. "
She kept her right hand up, leaned back, and turned her right foot. Her left shin she swung like a baseball bat, delivering a mighty kick to where an opponent's head would have been.
Final move.
Left hand up, lean back, turn left foot.
Rotate and follow through with hip;
right shin swings inescapable.
Boss fight- super kick to enemy's leg.

Iris slipped out of fight mode, panting slightly.
She raised her arms in a wide gesture. " Ta-daaa. Jab punch, Cross punch, Roundhouse kick, aaand Right Roundhouse kick! Thoughts?"
" Good punches. Very good, actually.
Kicks? Eh, passable. "
" Hey!"
" You always want the whole truth outta me, no sparing you. Like when you loved that dress you were gifted , but it wasn't your color at all . I told you , after you forced it out of me, that you looked like a tomato.You cried, hit me, ran off to play with your bears, then came back and thanked me for not telling ' white lies' like. Like, you know who."

They both ground their teeth at a surge of old,bitter emotions, strong as grape juice fermented into wine .
Iris bent down and hugged Jim.
" Forget about him too. He's not here. We shouldn't bring his ghost in
either."

She asked if he wanted to watch 'Blood on the Black Peonies ' with her, offering to play the movie from the beginning. He said he was going to talk to Tobes on his walkie-talkie.
Iris left so he could get started with that, and went to watch the rest of her movie.

She later lay sleepless in bed,thinking of Jim's not-so-sweet sixteen.
This birthday, would finally be a perfectly happy one again.
She'd make sure of it.