One-Shots and Holiday Specials

Smile

There aren't many people like me. In fact, I've never met another person that can do what I can. What can I do, you ask?

I take sadness from people. I take pain and anger and depression and hurt. I remove all of it from them and they never know. The downside to my 'gift'? The emotions from those people transfer into me.

My name is James Castor and I absorb negativity.

~~

I can't do this anymore! It's driving me fucking insane and it hurts me! Why do I do this?

Sitting at the table in the cafeteria, watching the two of them fight and grow increasingly angry, I was getting agitated. I wanted to help, but at the same time, I didn't. I knew it would just hurt me. Finally, I couldn't help myself.

I reached over and laid my hands across Lily's and Raymond's. "Lil, Ray, just take a deep breath and calm down," I said soothingly even as the rage began to rush in me. I felt my face tighten and tried my best to keep it blank.

Lily looked over at Ray and smiled uncertainly. "You were right...I'm sorry," she said, sliding her hand away from me and taking his.

"No, babe, I'm sorry, it was my fault. We shouldn't fight about such stupid things," Ray replied and kissed her knuckles with a meek look. She let out a quiet giggle and my face twitched in annoyance.

God, why does she have to be so fucking annoying all the time? All she does is sit there and simper and bat her eyelashes at Ray and he falls for it every damn time! He's such a dumbass. Not to mention I think he's been cheating on her. He's being such an asshole lately. Why can't he be fun?!

I stood up abruptly, knocking my chair back as I coughed. "Uhm, I'll be right back," I said hurriedly and grabbed my backpack, practically sprinting from the cafeteria without waiting for a reply. I ran all the way outside and down to the track, panting for breath by the time I stopped. I dropped my bag and started jogging. The anger in my veins pushed me harder that most things would have and, after a while, I slowed to a stop on the black track. Like that, my mood crashed and I wanted to collapse and start sobbing. No, it's just their emotions.

Why did I do that? Why was I running for so long? God, my whole body hurts and my lungs are screaming and I can't breathe. I'm out of shape. I must be so fat, holy shit. I bet I'm so overweight. Everyone must hate me, God, why do I have to be so unhealthy? I'm gonna go on a diet and try to get better. Healthier. But healthy food is so expensive and, dammit, I'm fucking poor. I'm never going to amount to anything if I don't do better and get a good job and try harder.

With a whimper, I slumped to the ground and buried my face in my hands, taking a shuddering breath. "It's just their emotions," I whispered and drew my knees to my chest. "It isn't me. I'm okay. I'm okay."

"Hey, James, you alright?" a voice called and I looked up in alarmed surprise to see none other than Trey Melbourne strolling toward me across the track. Trey had been my long-time crush, despite the fact that he wasn't looking for a relationship.

Shit, I'm not relationship material. I'll never fall in love, find the right guy, get married. Not that I could get married anyway, it's illegal in this state, dammit, why can't I be happy?!

"I'm alright," I mumbled, rubbing a hand across my face quickly. Trey crouched down next to me with a concerned frown, reaching out and pulling my hands from my face. He studied me for a moment before sitting down, drawing me over into his arms and holding me close. I let out a quiet sound of surprise and alarm. "W-What are you-"

"You're lying to me," he said and put his chin on top of my head. "What's wrong, J?"

"I-I- " I stopped and buried myself against his chest, shivering. "Nothing. It's...strange."

"You can tell me. I won't judge you," he murmured and I let out a bitter laugh, feeling darkness swirl in me. I think it might have been my own, though maybe I took some of it from him.

"You will," I said flatly. "I'm a freak and if people knew why they would either hate me or try to use me. Which would just completely, flat out ruin-" I stopped as I felt a strange rush of softness, calmness, happiness.

"I know what you are. You're not a freak," said Trey, his fingers stroking my hair back from my face. I could feel the pulsing emotions in his fingers and my eyes went wide. I was suddenly ridiculously happy and smiled at him after a moment. Then it clicked in my brain and I grabbed his hand, sucking in a breath. Nothing happened.

"You're like me...Well, you can do the opposite," I whispered.

"I can make people happy," he said softly, running his thumb over my hand. "What do you do?"

"I take away their negative emotions. Pain, hurt, fear, anger," I said, staring at him still. "You...But how? How did you know about me?"

"It was more of an educated guess than anything else. Random bouts of...emotions from you, coupled with the sudden calmness of the people you'd just touched gave me a big clue," Trey stated, pulling me closer.

"Why can't I feel your negatives?" I asked him with a frown suddenly. "I don't get anything from you. You're just...blank."

"Since my, ah, 'gift' is to bring the positives and all that, I think it cancels out the natural negativity in me. I've never been depressed. Or really all that down, or sad, or furious. I've been mad at times, but it goes away fast. I've never had an issue with negative emotions." His eyes softened as he looked at me sadly. "And you haven't had many moments of positive emotions, have you?"

"Since I was little, I was always..." I hesitated and looked away. "I didn't know what was happening to me. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions I took, so I started isolating myself. When that stopped working and there were times I couldn't help but touch people and take it away for them...Well, things got bad for me. Worse, I mean. I got into fights on purpose and usually won, just because as soon as they hit me, they weren't angry and I was. I did reckless things just to feel excitement. It was bad."

"I can help you," Trey said and put his free hand on my cheek. A slow warmth spread through me and my lips twitched up a bit.

Good Lord, he's gorgeous. I love being around him. He's so friendly and cheerful. How could anyone not like him? I want to go run again, I need something to do. I feel amazing!

"Better?" he asked and I nodded enthusiastically, reaching up and hugging him around the neck.

"Mhmm. Let's go do something. Anything," I said and just then, the bell rang. I huffed, pouting just a little bit, and Trey chuckled. He stood, lifting me to my feet with him, and kissed the top of my head with a grin.

"Let's go out to dinner after practice," he suggested. My eyes got wide again and I tried to stutter out a reply, but he just laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. See ya later, James!" With that, he jogged back up to the school for class.

I felt another smile slowly begin to take over my face as I walked after him.

Maybe I can do this.