Together We Fall

Chapter 5: First Days are the Worst for Everybody

**Chapter 5: First Days are the Worst for Everybody**

Jackson Whittmore

Since that night, I've only been able to create memories or remember them in flashes. I no longer had the ability to remember continuous flowing things. It was like I was still stuck in those moments, those flashes, even though I was far away in both distance and time. I hate the goddamn flashes.

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- 1 Week Ago -

Avoiding people seemed to be the best option. Not that the tactic ever helped me very much, but I'd be damned if I wasn't going to try.

Working on this particular tactic, I walked away from Scott McCall as he said my name.

"Jackson, hey, Jackson! Wait up! Where are you going? Jackson!" I kept on walking, avoiding the pending conversation.

As I said before, it didn't help. He grabbed my shoulder pretty forcefully. "Jackson. What are you doing here? You smell different. What the hell?"

I sighed, knowing that the conversation was not one that could be simply muscled through.

"Hi Scott."

"Weren't you supposed to be in London?" He seemed concerned, but I couldn't tell what about.

"Yeah."

"Well, why aren't you there?"

"Long story."

"We have time." He gestured to the empty field around us. I had been coming early everyday to work on my lacrosse skills. Not being engaged in sports for a whole summer takes a lot out of you.

"Not really something I want to share with you right this second, sorry."

"Woah, are you sure you're okay, Jackson?" He left it at that, but a flare of emotion rose in me. Anger.

"Yeah. I'm sure." I stalked away from him. He looked even more confused than concerned, but I wasn't paying attention to that.

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- 6 Days Ago -

"Hello Stiles. What do you want?"

"What are you doing here?" He seemed to move at a speed faster than I would ever be able to go. Hands here, hands there, I could barely even keep up with everything he was doing. "-Jackson? Were you even paying attention to what I was saying?"

"Sorry, sometimes I just can't keep up with you, you know. You move way too fast."

"Um... Okay? Well, I asked what you were doing here and why you felt you needed to move back."

"Oh. I, uh, sorry Stiles. I really don't want to talk about it."

"That's okay. I get kind of how that feels. Feel free to call me if you want to talk. Do you still have my number?"

"Yeah, I do." I was bristling a bit. Who was he to think that something was wrong with me? I was fine. I attempted to voice my anger, but all that I could muster was a deep sigh. I decided to let it go, as he only thought he was trying to help me. "Bye Stiles."

"See you around, Jackson. Remember what I said." If the memory sticks as one of the flashes, I thought bitterly. I could never tell what was going to be cemented into my reality, and what was going to fall away from me into nothingness.