bathroom stalls » mileven

vingt-six

"jane," mike whispered.

she blinked, opening her eyes. "mike? oh my god, was this a dream?" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. he awkwardly pushed her off.

"no, you're still in this world. not your home world." jane embarrassedly sat back, grimacing. "who was i to you in your home world?" mike curiously asked.

"we were dating."

"were?"

"your alternate self broke up with me. we had been dating for about a year and a half." mike startled. mike had known eleven for about that same time. what if they were destined to be together and this was the world's weird way of bringing them back together?

"you're a wonderful person so far," mike whispered.

"you've known me for two weeks."

"two weeks is a long time."

"not long enough to truly know someone," jane mysteriously and vaguely said.

"ms. ives," a new voice interrupted them. it was chief hopper.

"dad?" jane suddenly asked.

"dad?"

jane squeaked, covering her lips. "sorry, you looked like my dad."

"ms. ives," hopper resumed. "your parent is here."

and dr. brenner walked inside with a smile. "jane, you know you're not supposed to go out when you're sick," he said, tapping her nose. jane blanched, gripping the blankets.

mike glanced at hopper with a questioning look. hopper could only helplessly return the glance.

"and jane, who is this?" dr. brenner feigned not knowing mike. he stroked jane's hair. mike watched jane's grip tighten.

"michael wheeler. i'm tutoring him."

"your daughter," mike spit out the word, "is a great tutor."

"jane is a star. she can do anything she puts her mind to." mike didn't miss the double meaning, and neither did jane by the way she blanched even further. they sat in an awkward silence.

"we should leave ms. ives to rest," hopper broke in, grabbing mike's arm.

they left the room, hopper continuing on. mike lingered by the closed door. he jumped when he heard skin hitting skin. then mike heard soft crying, and it became very apparent that dr. brenner had slapped jane ives.

mike felt his heart clench. if jane was really his eleven, then he had to protect her. with a heavy and guilty heart, he left the hospital, but the memory of a bathroom stall filled with quotes never left his mind.