Little Green Stars

Chapter 19-Study Buddies

"My family history?" I ask, feeling a little attacked.

"Yes, you said you came from a long line of physics, right?"

"Well mystics, yeah, but..."

"Did I say something wrong?" Jin asks, obviously noticing my expression change. I've never had a poker face—resting bitch face for sure, but definitely not a poker face.

"No," I answer back quickly, "It's just a sensitive subject because of my mom and how she died."

"...Can I ask how?"

As Jin asks, Mom's hair pops into my head. It was my hair, Maeve's hair, grandpa's hair.

"She went crazy, I guess." Maybe apples don't fall too far from the tree after all.

"I don't understand."

"She was having an "episode," and she hyperventilated and fell and hit her head..."

"That's terrible," Jin says, slumping down onto the floor. "But, you said Maeve put her there in the first place, right?"

"Yeah," I say, sitting down beside him.

"Why?"

"My mom has always been eccentric, and Maeve's always hated that about her. I don't really remember much about the events that led up to it besides Maeve trying to explain to me that something wasn't right with mom and that I'd have to come stay with her and Jaxson. But I do remember mom always walking around the house at night, ranting things I couldn't understand. Maeve told me Mom had schizophrenia when the doctors came to take her. She assured me that all Mom needed was help and medicine, and then she'd be home. She was there less than a week before the accident..."

I pause as Jin looks at me. He should be running away from me like the first time he saw me, but instead, he's here, and the only one trying to help me. He gently pushes my head onto his shoulder as I continue.

"Honestly, I thought I was developing it until I met you." Shit. Maybe that would explain why the hell I'm itching.

"Schizophrenia?"

"Yeah...I mean, if Mom had it, there's a good chance I could. I mean, I was watching myself leave my body. That's just isn't normal."

"You said you would see your mom walking around rambling at night, right?"

"Yeah, but that's different..." I know what he's getting at.

"Are you sure? What if what's happening to you was happening to her?"

I sit up quickly at the thought. "You really think it could have been?"

"Anything is possible at this point."

"But my mom was never violent when she would wake up at night rambling and sure as shit wasn't haunting a house," I say, searching my memories of her.

"There are so many unknowns here," Jin says, shrugging. "I think we need to find out more. Do you or Maeve have any of your mom's medical records?"

"She might? But," I say, jumping up to grab the box sitting outside of the closet, "I have this." I bring the box over and plop it down in front of Jin.

"What?"

"My mom's crap. Her tarot cards, her ouija board, her astrology book. She used these for work, and she studies them relentlessly."

As soon as I pull out the ouija board, Jin flinches. Holy crap. He's superstitious.

"Seriously?" I say, trying not to laugh. "You know these things are fake, right?"