NYSM •Moments In Time•

One-Shot #3

There are dark days that they don't talk about to each other. They still keep a few secrets from each other, and today was just one of those days.

When Jack's birthday comes around, he doesn't talk. He stays in his room for most of the day, shuffling cards, listening to music, ignoring anyone who knocks. The rest of the Horsemen grew worried, wondering why an uplifter such as him was so down. Nobody was used to Jack not acting like himself. Henley was determined to get him to talk,

"Jack?" She knocks on his door for the sixth time today, "Come on, it's your birthday! You're twenty one now! We should be out celebrating!"

When there isn't an answer, she continues, "Please? I don't get to celebrate other people's birthday very often and Logan was looking forward to getting you a cake! Does ice cream cake sound okay? I know, it's not exactly mature and you hate being treated like a child, but Logan can be a little childish when it comes to birthdays, too. Must be the frosting."

She hears a slight breath that could be mistaken for a chuckle, then she smiles slightly, sighing, "Jack...do you want to talk about it?"

It was another thirty minutes of coaching and comfort before he had let her in and told her a little secret as they snuggled on the bed.

"I don't like celebrating my birthday," he spoke while nestled into her neck, "It reminds me what my parents used to do when I ever had a party. They'd humiliate me in front of family members, they treated me like trash and basically ruined any birthday party I had. Slowly, friends stopped coming to visit and so I never had a birthday party after I turned nine. That's how my parents worked. They didn't love me."

And then, a year later, after the Horsemen had gone into hiding, Henley remembers watching TV when the news came on, and there the news anchor was interviewing two people; a couple. A man strongly built with a beard, dark eyes, eyebrows, hair, and tan skin. The woman next to him also had dark hair, but her skin was a little lighter and she had blue eyes. She was in tears while the man patted her back.

"On behalf on Mr and Mrs. Wilder, I encourage everyone to be patient and show their deepest respect," the interviewer started.

Henley's jaw drops while Danny beside her stiffens, "That...can't be." He muttered.

Logan walked into the kitchen with some Mac and Cheese and nearly dropped the bowl when she stared at the TV, "Woah! They look like..."

She pauses with her eyes wide, seeing their names at the bottom of the screen, "Jack..." She finally finishes, equally as shocked as the rest of the Horsemen.

The interview goes on and the couple that claimed to be Jack's parents were going on about how they loved their son. How they cherished him because he was their only child. They claimed that he was very bright, very smart, and very loving. They raised him like any other good parent would and he had so much potential in the future. Then...they went on about how disappointed they were, how he ran off to be a magician. They were worried he would rot in jail one day, and here we are, Jack is dead because he ran from the police. The interview went on and on, and Logan was disgusted about how good Mrs. Wilder was at fake crying.

Henley had rushed out of the room just as the news went onto a different story when Jack and Merritt walked through the front door with groceries.

"We're back!" Merritt called, smiling.

Jack smiles and sets his bags down, brushing himself off then studies Logan and Danny's faces, who were both staring at him, "What? You guys look like you've been sick."

Logan swallowed in order to talk, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't form words. She turned silent and Danny spoke up,

"...Your parents were on the news just now."