ELECTRIFIED

CHAPTER 6

TRIGGER WARNING: if you have not read the trigger warning, please look at chapter 1! this story has potentially triggering content!!

There was a long silence between the two once the story was told.  Joey buried his face in his blanket, trying to hold his thoughts back to keep himself from - quite literally - exploding.  He took several deep breaths, but each one caught in his throat.  He could just barely smell Alicia's perfume on the blanket, and other than his loud breathing, he could hear the ceiling fan whirring above them.  There was a shift in white noise as the heaters started up, and the freezer let out several knocking noises as it automatically dropped brand new ice cubes into the ice cube dispenser.  It was a sound familiar to Joey now, as Alicia had brought him over a few times and told him about it.

Alicia finally broke the silence, "So... Essentially, you saved this man's life, he's been looking for you, and every time he randomly finds you in public, you run away from him?"  She sounded genuinely confused.

Joey could barely speak, as every time he tried, his chest pushed air out of his mouth suddenly.  He wished at that moment that he could immediately stop himself from crying.

"I obviously am not in your position or anything, I...  I don't know what it was like, so I shouldn't have said that like that...  I didn't mean it that way, uhm..."  Joey heard Alicia shifting positions on the couch.  "I shouldn't try to put myself in your shoes...  B-But, I'm curious, why are you avoiding him?  Is it just too much?"

Joey nodded, knowing that was all he was capable of doing.  He was shocked he even managed to get through the story.

"Okay.  Okay, uhm."  There was a pause.  "I don't want to ask you questions if you're, like, this upset.  Should I stop?"

Joey managed to get a few words out, "I just need t'calm down."

Joey felt a hand pat his shoulder gently.  "Alright, I'll turn the TV back on.  If you want to talk 'bout this more, I'm all ears, okay?"  She rubbed his shoulder gently after he nodded to her.  "I've gotchu."

The TV started up again, and Joey continued to cry.  He felt something tap his shoulder, and looked up to see a box of tissues, with Alicia smiling sadly at him.  He smiled just slightly to show his gratitude, then took a few tissues and practically shoved them into his face.

He allowed himself to calm down to the point of being able to talk, then looked up from the blanket, trying to focus on the TV.  He needed to get something off his chest, though, so he turned to Alicia.  "Alicia, why are you not freaking out right now?" he asked.  "I feel like you should be panicking about this since I could explode your entire house, or since I could like...  Get you into trouble with the government..."

"Dude, ever since we met when you first came into the restaurant, I felt this attachment to you.  I think we're friend soulmates, y'know?"  After a moment, she shrugged, pulling a strand of her curly hair.  "I knew I had to stick with you 'till the end from then on.  I feel like I'm meant to help you with this.  I don't know if that makes sense, but...  I don't know.  You're my best friend, my only best friend, and I'll literally do anything in the world to keep you safe."

Joey shook his head, wiping a tear from his drenched face.  "You're really cool, you know that?  I thought I was done for when you saw me in the bathroom tonight.  I genuinely thought you would call someone on me and have me sent somewhere to be...  Executed or something."

"No!  I could never do that.  Wait, can I say something?  I don't want to offend you, but I've been obsessed with the idea of superhuman people, like the ones that have powers and all of that, and I just know the wrong thing to do is to report you to the authorities.  You're a person with feelings and I know you wouldn't hurt a fly."