Twin Fire Signs ✓

Chapter 1

"Your brother is an idiot. For being a certifiable genius, he has absolutely no people skills." Johnny Storm said in a way of greeting as he flopped down on the couch next to me.

"I've been saying this for years but what specifically happened this time?" I asked barely looking up from my book. Being the younger sister of Reed Richards, I had grown used to this kind of conversation with people. I spent most of our childhood apologizing for my brother's words. He didn't always see how what he said could be offensive.

"He and Sue broke up. He couldn't commit to moving in with her." I sighed and rolled my eyes. Oh Reed, you fool!

"Well hopefully this won't effect us." Johnny was my best friend, a friend that I had fallen for, harder than I fell for anyone. He was the sweetest guy, always going out of his way to help others. How could I not fall for the guy who saw I was having a bad day and would go out of his way to bring me all of my favorites and sit with me and watch stupid movies with me.

"It won't. We won't let it." I really wish he would've listened to his own promise.

One month later

How time can change things quickly. We didn't even make it a month before Johnny started changing. He would come home later and later, more nights than not with some female company. Each night was the same and each night I felt my heart crack a little more.

It all came to a head exactly one month after Reed and Sue broke up. Johnny had gone out again that night and came back at some ungodly hour in the morning, banging his way through the apartment with some drunk giggling blonde attached to his lips. He didn't see me at the table, books spread out around me as I attempted to study for my last final of my college career. "Could you maybe keep it down? Some of us are trying to better ourselves by means other than upping our body count." I had had enough.

"Don't be a buzzkill Jackie! Live a little." He slurs as he fumbles for his bedroom door handle.

"I'm good. Don't want to catch what you've inevitably gotten from one of the many hookups you've had already this week."

"Wait, are you with her?" The drunk girl asked, disgust.

"No, she's too much of a prude to put out for me." He drunkenly says. I gasp, blinking back tears. I push past both of them on my way to my room, locking the door behind me before I threw myself on my bed, head in my pillows to muffle the sound of my tears.

I heard Johnny on the other side of my door, knocking and asking me to open up. I ignored him, instead I took my suitcases out of the closet and started packing up my room. I was done. It was time to crawl back home and ask my brother if that room he offered was still available. I fell into a fitful sleep.

I woke up the next morning and grabbed my bags, determined to be gone before Johnny and his friend woke up. I tripped over something right in front of my door. I was shocked to see it was Johnny. He grunted as he woke up. "Jack?" He asked.

"Who else would be leaving my room at eight in the morning?" I asked.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving Johnny. I've watched you self destruct for a month, watched as you brought girl after girl after girl back to our apartment and I haven't said anything. You took it too far last night and I'm done."

"What did I say last night?"

"Honestly the fact that you were so wasted that you don't remember is worse. But I guess I just don't understand the appeal of being that wasted and hooking up with anything that moves since I'm such a prude." Realization covered his face and he started tripping over his words, attempting to apologize. "It's not enough anymore Johnny. I'm gone. If you ever get your act together, give me a call." I said as I left the apartment, my keys left on the table beside him.

I was in the elevator before I let myself breakdown. And I cried. I cried for the loss of my friend. I knew Johnny wasn't a bad guy. He was just lost. But I didn't have it in me anymore to excuse his behavior anymore. I hailed a taxi and gave them the address to my brother's place.

He came to a stop in front of the Baxter Building and I paid for the fare and gave him a tip. I walked into the lobby, waving to Jimmy as I made it over to the elevator, taking it up to Reed's floor and knocked on the door to his room.

He opened the door, blinking away the sleep. "Jacqueline?" He asked.

"Hey big brother. Is that room you offered me still free?"