Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 7: Pushed

I whispered loudly for Jackson to come to me, he didn't hear the first time. But after two more calls, he came. I laid my back on the wall next to the mini-Starbucks across our seats, next to, but far away from Eiffel.
"Hey, why are you here? Why aren't you in our seats?" I turned to my left to blow some air out. "Is everything okay? I mean, except with what happened earlier?"
"No, yeah yeah, wait... I don't know, actually," I looked down with my arms on my knees.
"Come on, just say it," he said.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"Oh good gracious, I can't believe that's all you're asking me." he laughed, rubbing imaginary sweat off his forehead.
"You haven't even heard what I'm gonna ask you."
"I'm sure it's not that serious, don't worry."
"I think it's pretty serious."
"How bad can it be?"
"Okay, let's see... Eiffel? Come," I said. Jackson frowned and tilted his head out of curiosity. She walked slowly to me with her blonde hair covering half of her face. Her fingers wrapped tightly, dangling over her thighs.
"Who is she?" Jackson asked.
"A person?" I smiled nervously without looking directly into his eyes.
"Jess."
"Fine. I saved her from her dad and, uh... I just wanted to help."
"Did you--" he pulled me by the prosthetic and away from Eiffel with his tight grip.
"What were you thinking? We're not driving attention to ourselves until the Mr. André problem is solved."
"I'm sorry, Jackson. I'm so so sorry. She needed help."
"Did you use your powers?" He whispered low enough that I can barely hear his voice, even though his lips were in my ear.
"No," I whispered back.
"Okay, that I'm proud of. But, why'd you drag her in with us? We got our own problems and she has hers. She didn't need you rescue. She seems independent."
"Really? Look at her,"
We turned and glanced at Eiffel, who was trying to listen to our tiny conversation. Her face pale in fear and sorrow. We turned back and so did she.
"You're right," Jackson said. "She looks really troubled."
"You think?"
"Yeah... I can't blame you for helping. I mean, us, Seekers, it's our job to help," he glanced back at her, but she's turned away. "But I'm having second thoughts. She's a Zip she's a normal human being."
"Zip?"
"I told you it means normal."
"Oh. But I can't just leave her," I sounded worried.
"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to figure out; how are we going to help her?
"We can let her join us on our trip to Hawaii," I suggested. But I choked on the word "join" as I released it.
"But she doesn't have a passport, genius."
"Let's wing it then?"
Suddenly, Eiffel grabs on to my shoulders and I saw a dark shadow blocking the big light.
"Kid, watch it!" Eiffel yells from behind. I see Jackson getting knocked down by a boulder-sized person. It's the gray-brown haired George. He steps closer. I expect him to punch me, but I was shoved hard on the floor. I hit the side of my head on the tiles, my brain shook uncontrollably. I felt like vomiting, but there was no time for that. Eiffel was getting dragged down by her father. I twist back and pushed my arm against the floor. I tried to stand on my two feet, still dizzy. My surroundings spun as I ran for Eiffel.
"Let go of her!" I yelled, but it wasn't very loud.
Eiffel holds out her right hand, because her left hand was grappled by George. I held on to her wrist and she kept on screaming. I dig my heels into the floor, but there was no difference between pulling hard and making yourself heavier. So I got dragged in the process also. I gotta do what I have to do, even if Jackson told me not to.
I felt my right arm's bones crack, and I yelled in pain. My clothes got dustier as George pulled us both towards their gate. The number of people who looked at us earlier when I punched George, it multiplied by two. Or three. Or more than that. This is it, Jess. Just do it. No worrying or thinking too much. Spread, particles, spread! Make way for us to escape!
Eventually, the big crack on the tiles stopped us and George's grip on Eiffel's hand slipped off. Passed through. He was off-balanced, now's our chance. Let's go!

We didn't look back. We just ran. Too fast, I thought. But we made it right before they called our flight number. I helped Jackson up and we grabbed our bags.
We were the last ones in line, Robert, Ace, Sarra, and Leah were three people ahead of us. My legs were shaking and Jackson, who was behind me, still tried to catch his breath. Eiffel stood very close to me. I hear her breath stopping every five seconds, she's sniffling.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She gasped little air and whispered, "I'm fine... I just wanna know what's going to happen next."
"We're heading to Hawaii," I stretch my lips for a smile, but my infection stung me. She looks at me in surprise. "I've never been to Hawaii, it's one of the things on my bucket list."
"Well, check that one off because one of your dreams are coming true."
"Yeah..." she said softly.
I let the woman scan my passport, then Jackson's. I walked straight into the hallway that leads to the plane's entrance. I look back and stopped. Jackson drops his suitcase gently and held up a piece of index card on the woman's face, his emeralds glinting with a new color. Like yellowish, like a cat's eye. His pupil disappears, nowhere to be found. Just the glaring of his mutated vision. The woman stood straight and didn't move. She pointed straight at the hallway, where I was standing.
"Thank you, miss." he said.
"Enjoy your flight," she said. There is something wrong, Jackson did something. And it doesn't feel right. He softly grabbed her hand and escorted her to the hallway. It's odd that there aren't as many people as the airport should normally have.
"Jess? Is everything okay? Anything wrong?" he asked.
"Uhhh... nothing. Let's go," I shook it all off and walked straight into the bright lights the lead to the entrance.