Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

5. It's just a migraine... I think

"What's wrong with her?"

"Does this sort of thing usually happen?"

"Never this bad! Come on Bri, open your eyes."

It takes me a minute to get my bearings. I recognize the feeling of the rough wood boxes at my back, little splinters making their way through the fabric of my shirt.  I wince at the cold tile floor on my legs, causing goosebumps to erupt across my skin.  I groan at the voices that are becoming clearer by the second. Gingerly I open my eyes, taking my time in getting used to my surroundings. I'm not in a field anymore, or a tech office.

"Bri?"

I look at my friend, and she instantly relaxes when she sees me awake and alert.

"Thank goodness," she says, sounding relieved, before pulling me in for a hug. Although, the position we're in makes it a bit awkward for me to get my arms around her. She's trembling, or is that me? I can't remember much of what happened. I was looking at the files one second, and the next I was dreaming about rolling hills and... the set of an FBI show? It's all a bit foggy.

"Girl, you gave me quite the scare. How are you feeling?"

Dizzy, nauseated, headache like a jackhammer going away at my brain. All in all, I don't feel great.

"Headache," I mumble.

I take the hand that is offered to pull me up, jumping a bit when I see Kalen attached to said hand. I quickly pull mine away, but not before marveling at the heat that seems to radiate from his skin. It's incredible, border lining on burning.

He looks puzzled, eyes raking over my body as if he were analyzing an interesting new species rather than plain old me.

"Is that normal?" he asks, a tinge of something in his voice that I can't quite put my finger on.

I nod. "Ever since I turned fifteen. But it's nothing, I just haven't had such a bad episode in a while. My body must have not been prepared or something."

I can't remember a time when it had gotten this bad though. Falling down, sure, that used to happen all the time. Especially when they first started happening, when I had just turned fifteen. But I never passed out, not once. And they have been going on for a while. The days were few and far apart when I didn't suffer from a migraine or a dizzy spell.

"You were mumbling something while you were out," says Mara, her voice soothing me somewhat.

There was just something about her, it made me feel more comfortable and relaxed than what I felt towards other people.

"Something about a second one?"

Simon's voice echoes in my head. The second one is back, and this time, he will not be so forgiving. It takes everyone's surprised faces for me to realize that I had actually spoken my thoughts out loud.

"Alright, I think it's about time we get you home." Cassie gently takes my hand and starts guiding me towards the door.

"Let us help," says Mara. She reaches for us, as if to make sure I really am okay.

"I've got her, you've done enough," snaps my friend.

"Yo, guys! What's taking you so long?"

Jayson appears in the doorway, and at first I'm alarmed when Simon Says isn't with him, until I remember that they probably have him locked up in one of the vans.

"Oh my god the other one," groans Cassie, and if she weren't using her hands to guide me she surely would have used one of them to face plant.

"What's going on in here?"