You Should've Seen This Coming

Chapter 4: Stockholm Syndrome

Jo's POV

The gun feels heavy in my hand.

I aim it at the middle can that sits on the stump of a cut down tree. My grandpa stands next to me and the protection goggles feel light on my skin.

"Take a deep breath Josie, this is just practice," he says to me softly. I take a deep breath, getting a better grip on the gun before I take the shot. I miss the first time, hitting the can the second. "You've practiced too much to miss," he says as he's clearly disappointed in me.

"I know," is all I can say as I hold the gun over to him. He shakes his head, pointing at the other two cans.

"You we're in your own head to much, just aim and shoot," he says and I do just that, hitting the other two cans immediately. "There you go!" He says excitedly, using the grandfather friendly laugh most grandfathers use.

"Albert!" I hear a voice from behind me yell and I turn to see my grandma. "She is just a child she should not be playing with guns!"

"She's seventeen Melissa, and she needs protection from those boys at school," he says back to her and I look down. I don't need protection from them he just thinks I do.

"What, are you talking about that nice boy Jacob?" She asks and from the silence behind me I can tell he's nodding. "He is the furtherest thing from dangerous, you have nothing to worry about. Come on Jo, let get your cleaned up for dinner," she says, beckoning me in.

"A few more minutes, I almost have this down," I say and I see the disappointment on her face. She goes back inside without a word and I aim the gun at the other targets, hitting them perfectly.

"You're a natural," my grandpa says happily.

"I shouldn't be..." I say softly and hand him the gun before running inside.

I wake up with a start and my head aches like it always does.

I sit up a bit and look around at my surroundings, taking it all in as something is different. My dreams weren't like they usually were and I feel moisture on my head as I must've been sweating. I feel the side of the bed and notice Hero isn't there. I look over at the clock and see that it's 8:25. The bed is still warm, so he must be in the kitchen. I get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom before opening my medicine cabinet.

  I hesitate for a split second before taking the Tylenol bottle down and shaking the bottle until a pill or two comes out. I stare at them in my hand, not wanting to do the monotonous task of taking headache medication. I pop them in my mouth and dry swallow them.

  I grab one of Hero's hoodies and make my way downstairs, putting it on as I walk down the staircase. He must hear me coming down since he yells, "I'm in the kitchen babe!" He's wearing his usual dress shirt, tie, and dress pants with his jacket hanging over one of the bar stools that are for the island. He comes over and kisses me softly, leaving a smile on my face. "You slept late today," he says and I smile a bit.

"Yeah, I did," I don't know what else to say to that, being that it's just a statement. I feel a wave of deja vu come over me but I ignore it. It's probably nothing. He pulls me closer, kissing my head as he starts to make me some bacon.

  I move away from his grasp and go to the fridge, looking for something to drink that's not water or apple juice. "Derek called me for a meeting today," he says and taps my shoulder, handing me a glass of orange juice. I smile, taking it from him.

  I never really understood the politics that go on around here so I can't tell if anything is good or not. I sip my drink as I await an answer, but the long silence is telling me otherwise. "What does that mean?" I ask him softly, if it's bad I don't want to have the wrong reaction.