STATIC; JR [2]

6.2

Phoebe was happy to see us, that much was obvious. My heart grew to be tight in my chest when I saw her on the street, stopped her with a loud call and ran to her spot. I lifted my arms and then halted, mind whirring with the fact that she was not an affectionate woman and I should have done better to remember that. In the midst of me dropping them at my sides, she engulfed me - swallowing me whole in an anxious and thankful hug. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked me, quickly pulling back when the boys approached. She smiled but it was cautious, like she regretted showing the emotional connection in front of them. "It's only been a week." 

Sam smirked but lost the humour fast. "We were never supposed to come back. It's way too dangerous for us to hang around." 

Felix squinted down at her, shielding the sun from his orbs. There was light inside them; happiness lighting the gentle colour around the circle of his pupil but even that grew dim when he was mentally slammed with the confrontation of the task at hand. "We came back to find Andy." Lament. Distraught mumble of a breathless whisper he couldn't express without a true, and most horrid pain. Phoebe remained smiling, but it shifted to an exasperated sigh of confusion when it dawned on her that we were here for a reason that ruled our lives above all else; magic. "Have you seen him?" 

She shifted her weight and shrugged, hesitation to ask why lining her brow. "No. I thought he went home with you." 

I nodded firmly - a promise we were safe, even if it was only for a day. "He did, but then he tried this spell and he disappeared." My words strung together, nerves getting the best of me as I relayed the past events. "We figured he might have tried to come back here." The suggestion was hopeful but full with the hope of an empty wish; I saw it in her eyes when she looked at me. 

Sam elaborated with a quick addition, hand reaching up to adjust his hat on his head as he circled to check on Ellen's whereabouts; she was beside Phoebe's van trying out her phone reception. I remembered the struggle and turned away. "Things were different for him; he thinks they're better here." 

Phoebe scoffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Than his own reality? I doubt it." 

"He got into a fight with Felix." Sam spoke, gesturing absentmindedly to the boy beside him. I was observant enough to catch the scowl on Jake's reddened face, an eye roll both accompanying and demonstrating the annoyance. 

He crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips. "He's not the only one." I said nothing, watching Felix's thoughtful reaction and strict decision to ignore the ploy; the twitch of his nose hinted he'd deal with that issue later. 

Sam drew his gaze away from the angry pair, returning to the conversation with a slight vexation that rose the temperature of his tone. "So you haven't seen him?" He asked, mouth agape because sometimes that was just how he was set. 

Before she could say no once more, Ellen interrupted with a demanding wave of her mobile. "Is anybody else's phone crapping out? I've got no reception." 

She didn't need to ask; Felix knew what she was going to say. "She's a water element... she came back with us." He trailed off quietly, reaching to his chest to grasp tenderly at the talisman over his neck. "We used this; it opens doors between universes." 

The wind blew her hair into her face and when she removed it her expression was grim - deep concern buried in the furrows of her skin. "That's pretty advanced magic, Felix." She said, meeting his gaze. "Are you sure you can handle it?" 

"We have to get Andy back." In that moment, he looked desperate - an anguished plea of sweet despair so loud I had to avert my gaze. It fell on Sam. 

Sometimes, he truly was his element; so airy and full of fluffy thoughts, absent thoughts taking him away from problems in order to subconsciously save his mind from hurt. He was digging through boxes and the intrusion of privacy actually made me take notice of the happenings going on around us; Phoebe was throwing all her things away. I took a glance toward the shop and saw that most of it had been emptied out. 

He was bent over, rifling around ?in one of the containers scattered across the car park. "Why are you throwing all of this stuff away?" He asked after standing upright, two large dream-catchers in his hands. 

Phoebe sighed and ushered him to drop them back, following after him to close the lid. "After finding out about Alice, I just... I realised I didn't really want it anymore. I haven't for a long time." I moved to console her, say anything to diffuse the tension in his voice - she stopped me before I could open my mouth, like she knew I was about to. "It's okay. I'm moving on." 

"I want to go to the hideout." Felix announced, sudden clap of words ending the subject as he stepped forward with an outstretched arm. He was looking down at me - almost as if he was seeking my approval on the idea. When I nodded he finally appeared sure - confident that he was onto something hopeful and with a real lead. "We need to see." 

Jake pushed in, piping up with a raised hand that cut through the air when he emerged. "Can you stop doing that?" He insisted, only just towering over Felix as he glowered at him. 

He was about to retort but Sam was quick to speak instead, ordering silence from them both. "Shut up!" He then glanced to Phoebe, softer features addressing her. "Do you think you could give us a lift?" She didn't say anything, just signaled over to her van as she began to cross the park towards it; Sam and I were the first to move, matching strides as we both repressed the urge to race to the passenger seat. 

I nearly had him and I would have reached the door handle before him if it hadn't been for Jake. I felt his fingers touch the base of my shoulder blade, the odd urgency succeeding in halting me for whatever reason he seemed to need me. His graze was slight and then so suddenly gone as he remembered Felix earlier words; to keep his hands the hell off me. He said my name quiet - shaded - like I had irritated him. I awaited his grounds, sensing the illogicality just by scanning the bearing over his face. 

"Can you just back off with Felix?" He demanded, stimulating me by trying to hide it; I supposed the disbelief had reached my surface but I didn't shy from him. He weakened under my stare and altered his hard stance, shutting his eyes for a hot second before drawing a shaky breath. "Please?" 

He left me at a loss for words - what could I say that he might have possibly understood? Then again, who was I to pressure him? Maybe I was better off setting his toxic masculinity down gently - be the bigger person who had a mentality mature enough to make things okay even if it meant being apart; to salvage something of what we had before. 

Yet, there was this other, uglier side of me that wanted to scratch his eyes out. I wanted to blame him for the personality change or even guess it could be Andy's disappearance, but it made more sense to conclude it was the activated magic that persuaded me to throw him across the road and let the demon have him. 

The expectant tinge of the deep blue in his orbs proposed he thought I would submit. It made me wonder if I was right.