Laconic » a.i

0.6

//ashton//

"No fucking way." I breathed.

Annie cleared the space between us, wrapping her arms around my neck. Not only was she already on her toes, but I had to bend down for her to hug my like that. I put both of my arms around her waist and rested my chin on her shoulder. Finally, someone I actually knew and liked. I knew if Annie was like the Hoods, she would actually want to help me; she'd actually do it.

"That's Rebecca, and this is her mother," Mali-Koa told me after Annie and I had stepped back to our original places. "They're going to help me help you."

You haven't even helped at all.

"We hear your issue is pretty serious," Annie nodded. "I never knew you had MPD."

"I- What?" I questioned. Multiple Personality Disorder? I didn't have that.

Mali-Koa jabbed me in the side. Of course, she told them I did. Well I'd be spilling real soon about how she's a liar and has been taking advantage of me since I asked her to help me, which she hadn't even got started on doing. I knew Annie would help me, and if this Rebecca girl and her mom were friends with Annie at all, I knew they'd help me too.

"We don't know if it can be reversed if you were born with it," Rebecca's mom told me. "We can try, but we can't make any promises."

I was born normal, Mali turned me into this.

"I'm just thankful you're trying." I nodded.

"Annie lives with my mom and I here in town, so you can always swing by if you need anything." Rebecca told me with a sweet smile.

Everyone in Brisbane was just so nice. Why weren't there more people in Sydney like them?

I looked to Annie again, "When did you become a witch? I didn't think you were one when you were with Michael."

"I didn't even know I was one until a few months ago," she shrugged, the trace of a smile still on her face. Annie was always happy; how did her and Michael get along so well? "I mean, after Mikey passed away, I suspected something was off about me. But it wasn't until then that I realized."

"It's something you're born into." Rebecca's mom explained.

"But I don't think anyone in my family is a witch or anything." she said with a sad smile.

My phone went off in my pocket. I dug it out and looked at the ID. Speaking of nice people in Sydney....Calum's name showed up on my phone. They kept trying to call me, but I knew I couldn't say anything to any of them. I knew that I'd end up breaking down and trying to find a way back to them. Not to mention it would break the deal I have with Mali. I had to do this. I declined and put it back in my pocket.

-

//cooper//

We had been driving in my car for a few hours, actually. Jeremy insisted on driving while Michael took shotgun. Luke, Calum, and I piled into the backseat and were staring out the windows at the rainy day. We decided to check out Brisbane and see if we could hear about anything else along the way. The radio played softly in the background. It was some news station and it was making Michael want to throw himself out of the car but we had to keep the radio on in case something was reported that could lead us to Ashton.

"No answer," Calum reported with a sigh, removing the phone from his ear. "Again."

"Why is he ignoring us?" Luke groaned.

"Probably Mali." Calum guessed, resting his phone in the cup holder.

"Isn't there a faster way to get to Brisbane?" Jeremy complained as we stopped at a red light.