"Hey, Alicia, can you do me a favor?" Eli asked out of nowhere on Thursday. I dropped hands with Jackson and turned to them.

"Um depends on the favor, but sure?" I replied.

"Can you help me on our paper for English?" he asked, scratching behind his head.

"Um sure. When?"

"Today after school. You can come to the house," he invited.

"No," I interrupted more so for the location rather than because I previously had plans to tutor Jackson with his math.

"No?"

"I'm not working on a paper there with Chase being back to hate me and Wes resenting me—even though he swears he isn't mad at me," I clarified before being abruptly pressed against the lockers from a newcomer that appeared from behind.

"I'm not mad at you," "Wes hissed before easing up and walking down the hall in his black jeans and dark hoodie.

"You sure act like it!" I yelled after him. I had tried talking to him the last couple of days and it was a lot of the same "I'm not mad at you, just Jackson" thing without him explicitly saying it was Jackson or why he had a problem with him in the first place. It almost made me wish it was a vampire thing because that made sense, but I knew it wasn't because Eli actually tolerated Jackson so it couldn't be that.

"So it's a no?" Eli asked with disappointment dripping his words.

"Eli, if it was just you and Mason, then it would be a yes," I replied, which said something because I could merely tolerate Mason at the least on most days.

"And plus, you're coming home with me today," Jackson reminded in sing-song fashion.

"Correct, you are" I pointed. I turned back to Eli. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he mumbled in a lie before walking off.

"You know, you could've actually gone with them. I'm okay with missing two pages of math," Jackson informed.

"Nope. I rather do math then spend it with them," I grumbled as we walked off. I reached over to grab his hand for once—which was the first time that ever happened, but it didn't grab it.

"What's up with you, Chase, and Wes?" he suddenly asked in a frown. "I know Wes is your ex, but Chase...what's the deal? I know I said I'd be patient, but—"

"Wes being my ex doesn't mean anything. He's more of a best friend and he's...him," I interrupted. I doubted he would like anyone with any interest in me other than Chase. "Chase...is a different story. He hasn't been here for a couple weeks, but that was him on Tuesday at the park."

"Oh."

I looked up at Jackson's twisted face. I still never explained anything concerning the drama with Chase no matter how much I owed that to him.

"He's not my ex though so it doesn't really matter," I informed, hoping it was enough for him not to worry about it. He looked relieved.

"I mean that certainly makes me care even less about him, but there must be something up if you think he's going around hating you."

"It is a very long story," was all I responded, but by then Jackson shrugged and finally grabbed my hand as a way to tell me it was all a bygone.

***

"No excuses Halle," a male voice said as Jackson and I were watching TV in the living room after finishing our work at his place. The man had curly black hair and light brown eyes and was dressed in business attire. The girl on the other hand, had black hair and looked similar to Jackson. I already knew Halle was the name of his sister and that they were twins, but seeing them together really solidified the whole twin thing.

"Dad—" Halle started to whine.

"Up to your room," their dad commanded. I heard her scoff and roll her eyes as she stomped up the stairs. The man shook his head and then walked over to the couch.

"Hey..." Jackson greeted.

"Your sister needs help," he expressed to Jackson with an absolutely exhausted expression.

"She is getting help," Jackson responded.

"Well, with what I'm paying them. They better help her this time," he sighed and then looked to me. His exasperation faded away and he smiled. "Who's this young lady?"

"Alicia," I introduced, shaking his hand.

"I'm Dr. Scott," he returned, but immediately chastised himself for the formality. Jackson laughed.

"Dad...you're not in a lecture," Jackson reminded.

"Well I just wanted to pride my education," he smiled. He turned back to me. "Mr. Scott. My apologies."

"No problem," I laughed. "So you're a professor?"

"I am," he notified. "If you ever need—"

"Dad," Jackson moaned. "She's not gonna want to take your silly class or need any of your help—"

"What do you teach?" I asked, genuinely intrigued by whatever made Jackson squirm.

"History for majors, but on the side I teach historic mythology," he informed.

"What kind of mythology?"

"He is obsessed with the kind of mythical creatures you find in those horror movies—you know, vampires, werewolves, witches, oh my," Jackson humored. "I'm sure that if these boxes were all unpacked, you'd see what I'm talking about."

"That's cool," I commented even though it made me fall back on being one hundred percent for Jackson. One of the qualities that appealed to me about him was that he was outside of the werewolf knowledge even if he feuded with Wes. I couldn't say that anymore.

"Not really," Jackson snorted. "It's stupid."

"I don't think so," I decided.

"Finally a believer!" Mr. Scott exclaimed. I laughed lightly.

"It's a bunch of crap," Jackson corrected himself from cussing.

"Crap is all the literature and Twilight...Vampire Diaries...Being Human media that portrays them—"

"As fake as it all is?" Jackson finished for his father.

"You're just hating because you're a normal human," I stuck my tongue out at him even though I thanked God he was a non-believing human.

"Right..." Jackson said, playfully rolling his eyes. His dad laughed once before walking away. "You should bring us dinner when you come back in here!"

"That would be a negative," his dad responded once he was back in the living room after changing from his suit pants to some jeans. "Because I am going out and you can get your lazy butt up to retrieve your own food."

"Going out where?" Jackson asked. "You just got here."

"Well there's this girl—"

"Oh God," Jackson groaned, throwing a pillow over his face.

"She was my best friend in high school and we got separated before I could ever build up enough courage to ask her out," he finished. "I found her online and we started to rekindle our relationship."

"Wow," Jackson commented. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Great question," he said. Jackson gave me a look, a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head as if he was over the situation before it even happened.

"Well I'm happy for you," I told Mr. Scott.

"Thank you Alicia," he smiled before walking off and leaving.

"Is he gone?!" a voice yelled from upstairs.

"No!" Jackson lied. I smacked his shoulder and he gave me a look. "She's grounded anyways," he whispered to me.

"Right," I nodded. "So it sounds like you have a new addition to the family."

"You mean my dad's girlfriend? Yeah right," he replied. "He just finds anyone to get over my mom with."

"He just said they knew each other back in high school though," I reasoned.

"It doesn't matter. She's not my mom so she's just another girl to me and probably to him too," he shrugged and I saw the usual-happy Jackson serious about something for once. Only, it also made me realize that we were in the same boat because no man would replace my dad, but I knew I shouldn't dwell and be as unaccepting as Jackson was being.

***

"Did your bitch leave?" Halle spat when I climbed the stairs.

"Well you're still here so..."

"Jackson..." she whined as I passed her to go to my room.

"Shut it," I commanded. She placed a hand on my chest. I stopped walking and hung my head into a roll to look at her. "Move."

"Is she your girlfriend now?"

"It's none of your business," I replied, before walking around her. She grabbed my arm and turned me around.

"Is she or not?!" she hissed. I grabbed her and pushed her into the wall.

"It's none of your damn business Halle," I muttered. I already knew if I answered her, she'd ruin any relationship I had with Alicia before it even happened. If I said no, she'd wonder why I was spending so much time with someone who wasn't her. If I said yes, she'd feel threatened for another girl in my life that wasn't her. Honestly, even though I liked Alicia, there was something telling me that there was an unexplainable distance between us that we would never be able to close. The thought of her made my vision blur as pain struck my side.

I let Halle go after glaring into her dark eyes that matched mine. I slid into my room and let go of the breath I had been holding for hours. My side was hurting more than ever. It throbbed all day, but ever since I came back home with Alicia it began burning painfully. I just didn't say anything. I moved the boxes that blocked my bathroom before pulling off my shirt. I unwrapped the dressing that held my wound together and my eyes widened.

It disappeared.

"Jackson?" Halle asked, knocking on the door. "Hey, I'm sorry about what I said."

"Not now," I responded. I wiped a hand over my side and felt nothing but smooth skin. I had the injury for two weeks, but there was no way it was healed that fast and that smoothly. How was that possible? As if instinctively, I suddenly turned to see a familiar man standing in my room near the window.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. He took slow steps towards me as his thumbs were tucked in his skinny jeans.

"What do you think?" his deep voice responded. I looked around and laid my eyes on my nylon baseball bat. I grabbed it to arm myself. He only laughed. "Interesting you think that would help you."

"I can only hope," I whispered to myself. My side started to ache again. This time it was throbbing. "What did you do to me?!"

I grabbed my side and dropped to the ground.

"Actually, right now I'm not doing anything. That's your own pain," he informed and pursed his lips once he crouched down near me. "You're stronger than I thought you'd be. I mean you sat through hours with Alicia without acting like it was getting worse even though I know it was getting to that point for more reasons than one—"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he winked. "When something finally happens, you know where to go." And then he disappeared.

"Jackson? Are you okay?" Halle asked, muffled by the door.

"Yes," I lied.

This was not happening. I do not believe this.

"Jackson, I'm coming in," Halle said. I threw on my shirt as I heard the door turn. "What are you doing...?"

"Nothing. Get out of my room," I demanded.

"Look. I'm sorry for what I said, but you can't just keep treating me like this all because of what happened—"

"Yes I can!" I yelled. "Because of you, everything screwed up. So yes I have a reason to hate you."

"Jackson, we're twins," she reminded in a break down because my words were harsh. Nowadays, I couldn't control them. My heart started to race at the thought of everything that had happened between me and her. Before she could say anything back to me, my body started to hurt in a new way and something flashed in my mind that caused me to push her out of my way so I could make my way out of my room and out of my house.

Unfortunately, I knew exactly where to go.