Drink Your Medicine (Jalex)

<8>

That night, I tossed and turned. I found myself unable to fall asleep while I was thinking about Mum doing black magic and getting Jack out of that mirror. I had to get him out, but I don't know how to do it. I could just keep working at the corkboard in the back, but based on my track record for getting caught, that could take forever. 

I sat up. If it's the middle of the night however, no one else is awake. If no one else is awake, then I can finish it. I threw off my covers and walked off to the bathroom as quietly as I could. I sighed as I opened the door, glad that no one else seemed to be awake. I'd brought a flashlight with me, and I turned it on. I took the mirror off of the wall. 

"Mayday! Mayday! The ship's going down!" Jack cried as I pulled him off. 

"Will you shut up? I'm getting you out of this thing," I whisper shouted. "Be more quiet unless you'd like to get caught. " I pointed the flashlight at the corkboard and started pulling at it once more. Because I'd already started on the top, the part that I'd previously pulled off came right off. I continued to pull it down until I got down to the center. I heard a noise out in the hallway. I'd anticipated this, so I'd brought my phone. I slid it into the mirror, and it went right through to the other side. I put the corkboard back where it was and hung the mirror back up.  "That's a phone. I'll get myself another one and then you can use it to text me, okay? That way we can talk without being in here."

Jack opened it up and looked at my contacts. "You really don't have anyone, do you?" He asked sadly. With the flashlight off, only the light from the phone's small screen lit the room. It scarcely lit his face, but it still had enough effect that I could clearly see him. 

"Don't worry about that. Just know that you can talk to me more often now. I'll give you my number as soon as I get myself a new phone." I looked at the door and grabbed my flashlight. "I've got to go. I want to have a little bit of sleep when I go to school tomorrow." 

Jack nodded. "Goodnight."

I was startled by what he'd said for some reason. "Goodnight." I opened the door and walked off. I quietly went down the hallway to my room. I slid into bed under the covers and felt the warmth and security encase me. I drifted off soon after. 

At five in the morning, I ditched my usual morning rant, drank my medicine, and quickly got ready. In fact, I was so quick that I was able to go downstairs and talk to my very tired looking mother. "Hey, Mum?" I asked. 

She looked up at me. "Alex! I'm so sorry that I couldn't come back before you went to bed last night."

"I went to bed at one in the morning," I pointed out. "But never mind that. I need to talk to you about something that I did."

Her expression grew fearful. "Oh, dear. What is it?"

"I dropped my phone on the street yesterday, and when I went to get it, a car ran it over. I was going to tell Dad, but he seemed preoccupied with Jillian. I didn't even get any dinner last night."

She sighed with disappointment. "I'm sorry that both of those things happened to you. I'll try harder to be here tonight. And as for getting you a new phone, you'll have to wait until this afternoon. I can't get you one at a quarter after five in the morning."

I nodded with understanding. This was working out a whole lot better than I'd imagined it to, and I'd imagined it going over pretty well. "Thanks, Mum." I hugged her briefly. "I should get going for school."

Mum smiled. "Of course. I'll see you this afternoon."

I frowned. "Are you feeling alright?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't need to leave for school for at least another fifteen minutes, and you didn't even question me."

She paused for a long time. "I think that you should drink some more medicine."

"What?"

"Just drink your medicine. You'll be fine after that." 

"Why-"

"Just be normal!" She shouted at me. 

My eyes grew wide with surprise. "I'm trying my best." My voice trembled as I spoke. "I'm just looking out for you. I'm sorry that I was born the wrong way." I stood up to hide how much she'd hurt me. I ran back upstairs and took another dose of medicine before crawling back into bed. This time, I don't think that Jack can fix everything. 

My mum knocked on my door about five minutes later. "Come on, Alex! You have to get ready for school soon!" She called. 

"I'm not going!" I called through the door. I took another dose of medicine, knowing that I'd need it if I was going to do anything with her in the next five minutes. 

"Just cooperate!" She shouted at me. 

I sat there silently. If I didn't respond for long enough, then maybe she'd worry about me enough to come and face me herself. Until then, I was afraid of my own mother.  They always said that using magic takes its toll on you, but they never say what it's like to all of those that surround you. That's what I really want to know about.