Drink Your Medicine (Jalex)

<16>

I quietly opened my door and crept down the hallway to my parent's bedroom. I gradually opened their door, and was relieved to see that both of them were asleep. I closed it over once more and made sure that no one else was in the hallway near the bathroom. When I found that the coast was clear, I crept into the bathroom. There was a nightlight already illuminated on the wall. Someone had finally replaced that bulb. I took the mirror off of the wall. Then I stopped. What would I have to do to hide him? My room is at the front of the house. If he went out of my window, he'd only be making a seven foot jump from the roof to the ground. Then, maybe I could find someone that he could stay with. Technically, he is an orphan. He could always be adopted or fostered. I don't know. I desperately hope that maybe Zack or Rian would help me with that later. 

"Jack?" I asked, starting to pull the cork off of the back.

"Lex?" He replied, sounding nervous. 

"Are you ready to finally have your freedom?"

"As I'll ever be." 

I took that as all of the approval that I was going to get and took stuck my hand through the back of the mirror. "Take my hand."

"I can't do this. I don't think that I'll survive out there."

I stuck my head into the mirror and saw that his hands were trembling, though his left was mere centimeters from mine. "You can go back if you want to. Just try an hour in the real world, okay? I promise that it'll be okay."

Jack hesitantly took my hand and I pulled my head out of the portal. Then, I began pulling him out. I had his hand nearly halfway out before he began walking out by himself. Once he was completely out of the mirror, he hugged me tightly. It took me by surprise at first, but then I returned the hug. "Thank you," He whispered before letting me go. He slid his hand against the counter of the sink and retracted it in surprise. "Eight years I've been on that wall, staring down at this counter, and never once have I ever realized how cold this glossy, white substance is." I chuckled as he curiously began touching other things in the bathroom. He was amazed at the texture of the shower curtain, and astonished at the temperature difference between the hot and cold water in the faucet. I guess that it had been eight years, maybe more, since he's touched common household items. 

"Do you want to come to see my room?" I offered, pointing in the general direction of it. 

Jack only nodded slowly, seeming thoroughly entertained with every part of the world outside of the mirror. I took his hand, which was still trembling, and let him slowly to my bedroom. I did this so that he had the time to be amazed at the walls, the carpets, and the banister. I found the whole thing really cute. When I opened the door to my room, Jack immediately ran out of my light grip and bounced on my bed. "I missed mattresses so much! " He shouted happily. 

"Try to keep your voice down. I don't want you waking everyone else up. " 

Jack pouted, but did stop jumping, choosing instead to land flat on his back. "What's that? " He asked, pointed to my desk. 

"A desk? " 

"Not that. I know what a desk is, though I find it fascinating. The papers. And giant books. " 

"Oh, that's homework. Extra work that the school does to make sure that you understand the idea. " 

"What idea? " 

"The concept of the lesson. " 

"That's a waste of time. They should just leave school at school. "

I laughed, sitting on the edge of my bed next to him. "Many people agree with you. I honestly believe that parents are in on it to keep their children busy. " 

Jack gasped dramatically. "They wouldn't! " He said sarcastically. 

I nodded. "Oh, they would. " I sighed happily looking at the ceiling. "Is there anything else that you need? " I asked, looking back down at him. 

"A change of clothes? " He gestured to his too-small outfit. 

"You're thinner than me, but you can probably wear something of mine. " I gestured to the dresser and closet. "Help yourself. " 

Jack sat up and got off of my bed, opened my closet, and began going through my clothes. 

"So, here's what has to happen. You can spend the night, sleep, whatever. But yoiu have to get out through my window. I'm going to take the screen out, and you can meet me on the sidewalk. You have to come to school with me so I can figure out where you're going to have to stay. "

"I thought that you don't have friends. " He picked up a plain, dark blue tee shirt and moved on to my dresser. 

"I have a few people at the moment who are interested. "

"Why can't I stay here? " 

"I don't think that Mum and Dad will let you. "

"I'm an orphan, aren't I? " He asked quietly, stopping what he was doing. 

"You'll have to go through foster care. " 

Jack looked back, smiling sadly. "I appreciate your honesty. " 

I immediately want to take it back.