[center] [h3]The “my family’s dead” gang[/h3] [color=cd9575][h1]Tessa Gray[/h1][/color] and [h1]Everett[/h1] [i][u]Location[/u]: Home -> Outskirts of town[/i] [/center] [hr] [hr] Tessa needed air. Her mother and grandmother were fighting again and it was driving her nuts. She walked out through the front door not even noticed as she passed right by them. The part of her head that always started aching when she activated her power let her know that it was indeed active. She only kept it up long enough to get off their street unnoticed. There were a few people that might tell her mom she was out and about if they noticed. Once she was a few blocks away she let the power drop and felt the headache take a back seat, even after the advil she had had earlier the headache was impossible to kill. Tessa figured that’d just be something she’d have to get used to when she used her power now. At least it wasn’t a bloody nose. The air was warm, and felt nice as she walked, wandered more like. Lost in thought. Everything that had happened that day ran through her mind. The meeting, the text from Nina, and of course that the next day would be the stupid memorial. Her therapist had brought that up, asked her how she felt about that. Irritated she had tried to disappear, but apparently when someone was watching her she couldn’t vanish from their sight. Now though things just sucked. Her head hurt and her heart ached. If she weren’t so mad at Nina she’d probably take her up on the chat, she could use her best friend. Tessa’s thoughts were cut into when she heard a motorcycle round the corner, she glanced over her shoulder curious as to who it might be. Everett hadn't been gone for more than five minutes. Stopped at a stop sign he looked both ways. All he could see was a figure a couple of blocks down. It was the only person that was gonna be as miserable as he was gonna be tomorrow. Tessa, she lost her sister. He lost his parents, one would think they be close but they did a decent job of keeping away from each other. It was almost like a talent for the both them. He sat there for a moment, thinking of what he should do. The smart thing to do was to leave, and not talk to her. It was just gonna piss him off more to talk about tomorrow but Everett wasn't one to run away from a little hurt. In his pack he could feel the helmet he’d let Nina borrowed get heavy. With a heavy sigh he pulled it out and slipped his arm through the visor. Pulling right up to Tessa, he held it out. “Nice day for a ride. How about it?” There was a certain sorrow in his eyes, one that only Tessa was really going to understand. Tessa was torn. This was Everett, an old friend of Janice’s. She had avoided him, much like she had avoided anything to do with Janice’s life as much as she could. It only took one serious look at him though for her to take the helmet without a word. She slipped it on and climbed onto the bike behind him. [color=cd9575]“Can we leave the town, just for a bit? Anywhere but this stupid place.”[/color] Her voice sounded wet, as if she had been fighting tears. “Yeah… just hold on tight. We don't need another death around here.” That was far from the best thing to say, or to hear. Yet, there was a truth to it that hit home more for the both of them. Tessa’s arms tightened around him either way. He popped his bike into gear and took off. Still heading north. There was a place out of town, an old dirt road, long forgotten by the people of the county. It was quite, peaceful and good hour and half outside of town. The dirt road lead to a hill side, one that you could see for miles around. It was the stuff that postcards were made of. The ride was silent and as enjoyable as it could be, given all the goings on in both their lives. As they reached the top of the hill. Everett killed the engine, letting it roll to a stop. He relaxed waiting on her to hop off so he could put the kickstand down. Tessa climbed off the bike, and removed the helmet. She handed it over to Everett when he was ready. At first she was quiet, what could she say to him? They had barely spoken in over three years. She finally decided for, [color=cd9575]“Thanks.”[/color] Simple and to the point. There wasn’t anything else she could say, at least not yet. Everett didn't reply, he hung the helmets on the rear view mirrors and walked towards the edge of the hill. Lighting a cigarette and exhaling, he just sat there taking in the view. It took awhile for him to say anything. Partly not wanting to, partly because he was worried how far down the rabbit hole this was gonna go. “How yah been Tessa. It's been what…? Six, seven months?” His focus stayed on the landscape. [color=cd9575]“Oh I’ve been okay. Mom’s been making me go to a therapist. He’s pretty useless. It’s not like you can actually talk to them about what you’re really thinking. If you do they send you in for more serious tests.”[/color] Tessa looked out at the land laid out before them. It was a beautiful view, something she hadn’t seen in awhile. [color=cd9575]“I think mom’s getting more religious every day. Throws herself into it like it were her only lifeline. Grandma is getting more insane, half the time she calls me by my aunt’s name who moved to Utah fifteen years ago.”[/color] Tessa took a deep breath. [color=cd9575]“And then today happened.”[/color] Today was just too weird to even start on. “Most you've said to me since we laid your sister low… Don't be so hard on ‘em. Not that they can handle this shit any better than we can... I'd rather lick a bear’s ass than deal with that memorial horse shit tomorrow. I don't see why they can't let a sleeping dog lie.” Everett held out the pack of cigarettes, not knowing if she smoked or not. “Coke in the backpack if you like.” [color=cd9575]“Thanks.”[/color] She took a cigarette, she had smoked a few times, but wasn’t a serious smoker. The coke sounded more appealing. As she turned to grab one, a tear was visible on her face. [color=cd9575]“Sorry I’ve been such an ass.”[/color] She said as she lit the cigarette. Tessa took a drag and then looked at Everett seriously, [color=cd9575]“Did you see the eclipse yesterday?”[/color] “I ain't mad about it. Yeah I saw it, I was talking to Momma and Daddy when I saw. Shits been weird ever since. Ain't like they were so normal before.” He said getting to his feet. He saw the tears on her face. He reached out and wiped them away before going to get a Coke of his own. “You going to the service tomorrow?” His voice was starting to get a little shaky. [color=cd9575]“Hell no I’m not.”[/color] Tessa finished cleaning her face, [color=cd9575]“Sorry about that.”[/color] She sighed. [color=cd9575]“I can’t stand that stupid service. I went last year, mom made me. I can’t do it again.”[/color] She took a deep drink from the coke. “You ain't gotta have the whole fucking town over to celebrate the lives of the fallen. Fuckin Aunt Lou says it's what they would want. I can't even say no to that, she's right, Momma would do that for the town. Don't mean I wanna sit through that shit.” Everett sighed as he took another drag. [color=cd9575]“I’ll disappear if I have to.”[/color] That probably made no sense Tessa thought, but it was true. She had the power to now. The power to not be where she was made to be, as long as she was careful about it. [color=cd9575]“I don’t think Janice would appreciate it.”[/color] The name caught in her throat as if from disuse. She took a drag, and then continued. [color=cd9575]“I think Janice would like the trees, but the service, every year, she’d call it something like ostentatious. Or she’d say people were living in the past too much. That we all should move on, but how am I supposed to move on when half of me has been taken away? How am I supposed to exist and live when the person I was going to be was always someone who was one of a pair? And now that other part of the pair is gone forever.”[/color] Tessa was shaking and tears had welled up in her eyes again. [color=cd9575]“I feel like everyone just wants to live in this pocket of life that we had between finding out what was going on and what happened. It’s stupid and redundant and I just don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t want to have to deal with any of it anymore.” [/color] “Be happy you got the option to leave. I got three miles of land and rights to pay for. Ain't a one tells a fifteen year old about how to pay off almost two million in debt. Just got word last week, I'm one of the top rated high school football players in the state. Doubt I'll even be able to play college ball without losing half the fucking land I got. Aunt Lou might go hungry. And you know damn good and well your sister would be in the kitchen helping my Momma cook up elk for this town…” Everett's sorrowful voice finally gave way to a tear. “I ought not complain. I got it better than most, but I'd see the whole of that town burn for a little more time with em.” Everett sniffed and tried to shake the sorrow away. It wasn't working as well as he'd hoped. [color=cd9575]“Same.”[/color] Tessa had tears pouring down her face too. She leaned over and wrapped her arm that was holding her coke around Everett. [color=cd9575]“I’d do it myself if it’d bring them back for even just one day.”[/color] The power she held was nothing compared to what that would have meant. She’d give up the superpower in a heartbeat to see her sister again. Everett wrapped an arm around her. “It'll be okay one day… Or we'll both get lost in a bottle. Whatever comes first.” His free hand was clenched in a fist. One that started glowing brightly, responding to not only his sorrow, but anger at the situation. When he looked at his hand and opened up it, he could see a small picture, one of him and his parents. The picture was no bigger than his palm and fading in out. Unable to hold its form. “Well, I got this going for me…” Tessa stared at the bright light. [color=cd9575]“Right the eclipse.”[/color] Tessa wiped at her face again to rid it of her tears. [color=cd9575]“So there was an emergency meeting for the astronomy club. You’re not alone. A bunch of us have powers now. Here I’ll show you mine. Close your eyes for a second, and count to five. When you get to five open them again.”[/color] Everett did as he was asked. Tessa focused on the thought that she knew would make her invisible. [i]‘Don’t see me’. [/i] Everett could still feel her wrapped around his torso “Sure as hell can smell you.” Everett said deadpan. “Looks like you finally got what you wanted Tess, you can't been seen anymore.” He said holding her a little tighter. He couldn't help but wonder, if all this wasn't going on, if the memorial service and his parents weren't messing with his mind so much, just how much would he be freaking out right now? [color=cd9575]“Yeah looks like it doesn’t it?”[/color] As soon as Tessa said that Everett could see her again. [color=cd9575]“Still learning how it works. Apparently touching doesn’t break it. Talking does, and if you’re watching when I do it, it doesn’t seem to work. I tried it at the therapist today. Anyway a lot of people seem to be able to do something. Like Moon can float, and Jay can open wormholes or something. He apparently teleported into girl’s bathroom this morning.”[/color] [i] “Fuck Moon, I hope her French ass floats off to whatever swamp she learned that voodoo shit in.”[/i] Everett thought bitterly. He knew she'd been hanging out with Moon as of late. That was the only thing keeping his mouth shut. “Jay in girls bathroom ain't all that surprising, bet he wanted to the study the effect of a used tampon.” There was a hint of a chuckle there. “I know that Nina can control fire, she's just shitty at it.. Poor girl.” Everett said almost coming back to his normal self. She took a drag off the cigarette. [color=cd9575]“Guess I will have that chat with Nina tomorrow. She’ll be surprised.”[/color] God the world was too different. Everything was just wrong. Tessa finished the cigarette, and put it out on the bottom of her boot. [color=cd9575]“How’d you find out?”[/color] Everett wasn't ready to tell Tessa about the budding… Whatever they were. What happened out in the woods, might be better told from Nina than Everett. “She came over and we banged. For like… three hours, all kinds of butt stuff. That girl in the sack… Damn that's the shit dreams are made of.” Everett couldn't help but bust out laughing. The first smile since he last saw Nina. Tessa’s jaw dropped. Nina, her best friend since they could walk, Nina... [color=cd9575]“That explains the text.”[/color] She took a swig of her coke, finishing it off. [color=cd9575]“No but in all seriousness.”[/color] She added, for a moment she had believed him, for one brief second she thought Nina had gone to the ‘dark side’, but now she was grinning at the joke. [color=cd9575]“Bet it was hot.”[/color] “She's got this one thing she does with her tongue, honey, it'd make a porn star jealous… That girl has talent. You should call her Tessa, she'd love to hear from you.” Everett was trying not to laugh. It was nice to see Tessa smile, even if it was just a little. Tessa was a little grossed out, she knew Everett was joking, but this was her best friend, well Nina had been her best friend before... She gave a bit of a shiver, and was glad she didn’t have anything more to drink because she was certain she would have choked. [color=cd9575]“Yeah, she’s planning on dropping by tomorrow morning before school. I may not hide from her anymore like I was planning.”[/color] “She'll have a story to tell to be sure.” Everett said calmly. “You ought not hide from her, do you good to be friends again.” Friends was reaching, Tessa was still mad at Nina, but maybe something in between. [color=cd9575]“What are you going to do tomorrow to avoid the ceremony?”[/color] Tessa asked deciding a change in subject was in order. “Same thing I do to avoid everything else. Work, unless Aunt Lou throws a fit. We're having a party afterwards, you outta come. Might be fun, I think me and Rowdy are gonna go a couple rounds.” Everett said with a certain resignation to his voice. [color=cd9575]“I’ll see about that. If you don’t see me around I may still be there. Or I might be in my shop building something. That’s what I do to avoid stuff.”[/color] Tessa wasn’t certain if Everett knew about her art, it had been that long since they had really talked. “Am I gonna need to send a search party? Nina ought to be there, bunch of other people from school.” Everett said trying to coax her into it. [color=cd9575]“They’d never see me.”[/color] She grinned a bit. [color=cd9575]“I might be there okay, no promises though. Don’t freak if I’m not. Sometimes I just can’t do things, even if I want to. The shrink says it’s because I’m depressed. I say it’s because sometimes even the things that seem like fun have no life to them.”[/color] “You know I gotta wolf right? If I can smell you, he can too. We'll find yah Tess. Even if it's just to check in on you.” Everett sassed back. “Maybe Jay can use his tampon research to locate you.” Tessa was about to say something smart back at Everett, but the last bit caught her off guard. She stared at him wide eyed, and grinning. Tessa shook her head. [color=cd9575]“Oh my god. I was going to say I’ll take a shower, but that takes the cake. All right you win. If mom let’s me I’ll be there okay.”[/color] She held up her hands in defeat. Everett took a couple of small bows. “Thank you, thank you. I'm here till next Tuesday. I may not be the smartest around, but I know pink haired dude. You ready to head back?” Everett said fully satisfied. [color=cd9575]“Yeah I’m getting tired, and I know mom will eventually realize I’m not home.”[/color] “Home it is, let's get going.” Everett said handing her a helmet. Tessa took the helmet, and once Everett had climbed onto the bike she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around him again. The ride back was much more enjoyable than the last one coming out. He stopped about a block from her house, wanting to make sure he'd not cause any issues. Tessa climbed off the bike and handed Everett the helmet back. [color=cd9575]“Thanks Everett. I appreciated it tonight. I needed that more than I thought. I hope you feel a bit better too.”[/color] “Don't be a stranger Tess. Stop by the lodge sometime.” That was all he said before riding off outta sight. Tessa gave a deep sigh and headed toward her house. God she smelled of smoke, and that apparently didn’t go away when she disappeared. She was dead meat if her mom was awake. Once inside the house she could hear the television going. Her mom was awake. Maybe just maybe she hadn’t noticed her missing daughter. She closed her eyes for a second and willed herself to be invisible again, and she bolted up the stairs to her bathroom. Her mom never called out her name.