The Nerd's Secret |Ongoing|

☫ Chapter 39 ☫

☫ Chapter 39 ☫

I found air on the tallest building in Utah.

     Though I wasn't the only one there. At this point, I had already changed into my super suit. I didn't want anyone else finding out that Jeremiah Vincent was Blue Gravity. If I flew, it would have to be in costume.

     It's interesting, in a way that makes me reflect, how I now find solace in flying. There's something about not touching the world, being away from reality since I can't be grounded there. No matter of nature's gravity pulling me in otherwise. Because the ground isn't just for people to stand on, some stay buried under. And the sky was different. Up here, even with the harsh wind thrashing against my skin, I could be away from all that. Even if, ironically, it was physically much harder to breathe up here.

     I wondered if the man at the ledge of the roof felt the same. It didn't seem appropriate to ask. Instead, I calmly sat on the ledge next to him. He was startled at my sudden presence. I leveled the gravity around him so he wouldn't fall.

     "It's not fair," I told him. I didn't look at him, just straight toward the cityline. How some people think they can decide to die while others try to live while dying.

     "Life ain't fair kid." His voice came out scratchy, like he had been crying. I could relate to that. There was a foreboding in his tone, an accepted understanding through running away.

     "So you know that much," I mused. "Go ahead then."

     This time I looked up at him. I released my gravity powers from him. Our eyes met. I saw the disbelief there. And a layer of anticipation as he tracked my movements.

     "You're not going to stop me? Save me?"

     "Do you want me to?"

     "No."

     I shrugged. "If you change your mind before you hit the pavement, call for me."

     "Aren't you supposed to make sure I don't jump?"

     "Can't you make your own decisions?"

     "You're messed up."

       Yeah. Mind games aren't nice. I can barely imagine the hell of mind games he's put himself in to get here.

     He jumped. I couldn't stop that. I can't even stop my brother from dying. I don't have a say in people's deaths. But who really does get a say in that?

     I flew after him. I was at his side the entire time. And I waited. He didn't notice me.

     The panic struck him early. Maybe it wasn't the fact that his life was about to flash before his eyes, but the pain it would take to get there. A pain not yet known and different to the pain he experienced to get to the point of ever trying to learn the new pain of death.

     "Blue Gravity!" He screamed out, but it came out as a mere whisper. He tried to call for me louder. I already heard him.

     Immediately, I grabbed a hold of him and brought us both back to the roof of the building. I set him down gently, far away from the ledge. He started hyperventilating. I did breathing exercises with him. We sat there for a while until he could think again.

     "Why did you let me jump?!" He yelled at me, shaking, terrified.

     I took my cape off and wrapped it around him. That's what I was supposed to do right? Heroes should give some feeling of being safe. He was drowning in cold sweat. "Why did you let yourself jump?" I asked him.