Beyond the Hedge

(14) Beyond the Next Day

I wake up to something heavy on my stomach and push it off, thinking it's probably Ashley who left a big pillow on me yesterday. I yawn and turn around, eyes still closed. Maybe that's the reason I didn't see who the heavy pillow was.

My eyes snap open when I remember it's Josh who was with me last night.

"Josh, move." I try to push his arm off me but it doesn't matter. He stays where he is.

"No." I hear a single muffled reply from him next to me.

"I'm not kidding. What did I say yesterday?" I ask him, trying to distract him long enough for him to get him off me.

"You like yogurt?" He tightens his grip.

"Idiot. No, I told you not to get on my bad side. Remember?"

"Nope." I could just hear his smile.

"Sorry, but you ask for it. " I sigh and from my spot on my bed I grab his hand.

"Oooh. I'm so scared. Your holding my- OWWWW!" He jumps out of the bed as fast as lightning.

"The hell was that for, Steph!!!!" He yells. He goes to the bathroom to do whatever he did. Probably to get ready and when he comes out about half an hour later, he looks better than he did when he woke up.

I don't even know how that's possible but I'm looking at the proof.

"Please, big baby. Don't say I didn't warn you. Now let's go downstairs before they send someone up here. You know what? I have to get ready. Go downstairs if you want to. Tell them I'll be down in a couple of minutes." I tell him and get up myself.

Ugh. I hate mornings. My head is pounding. Maybe because of the lack of sleep. I ignore it as I collect my messenger bag and my knives. Josh has the red pebble and I leave my stuff by the door. He nods and then he leaves, shutting the door behind him on his way out.

"Oh Elders." I look at my stuff by the door and pick it up. The brown leather messenger bag practically glows with all the potions. I have something for everything.

A potion that refills all the other potions and then itself. I grappled it and sprinkled it over the other potions. I look at some of the ones I remember seeing the last I used the bag three years ago. A potion that could help you heal the sick. A potion labeled "Cupid". Ahh. Now that one I remember. I looked at it in my hand. I used it on an elderly couple when the husband told me there weren't any sparks left, and that he was worried. The were both in a home that I volunteered in. I was twelve and I absolutely fixed that problem, even if I wasn't supose to. Looking at all my potions, the things I made myself, I realized I missed it.

Didn't you ever have a hobby or something else that you love that you stopped doing that when you came back to it, you realized how much you missed it? This was what I missed. When I was twelve, I had a bunch of new things to learn. I had to do as bunch of things, like my homework and volunteer work, I forgot what made me happy.

I love making others happy that I left out what made me happy in the first place. I go to the bathroom to take a shower, I brush my teeth (which I hope Josh did without using my toothbrush), get dressed and do everything else in my boring routine. Then, I'm done.

Now to face everyone else. I just yelled in their faces and ran upstairs. I take a deep breath in and take my stuff to go downstairs. I hear voices on my way down.

"Steph? What happened?" I hear Alexander say. They must be finishing watching my action scene.

I walk into the kitchen and see everyone with intense emotions their eyes. They are looking ahead, where I'm guessing the holograph was showing.

"So," I clap and everyone's heads turns toward me." How did you like my home movie?"

"Steph, you should have asked for help. Screamed. Something." Alexander tells me, he also shows concern in his eyes. Tears too. Mostly, I'm guessing, it's because he saw his mother tied up.

"I wanted to...Don't make me cry. Please. Not again." I tell Alexander, hoping it will stop. I have tears spilling from my eyes and Ashley comes over to give me a hug.

"It's okay, Steph. We've delt with worse before right?" She is still hugging me but I look over her shoulder to Josh and Alexander.

"Alexander, what did the Wise Guys say?" I uttered.

"Well," he took a shaky breath, "they said that they may need help. You know Reggie has an army, so the Guys have told me there's more than all of us combined. We need to go talk to the Elders and ask if we could visit the other camps for help. Mom may not have a lot of time."

"I know. " And I've also made a decision.

"Alexander? Can I talk to you about something? Alone?" I ask, my eyes looking at his. I don't risk looking at everyone else. Especially Josh.

"Sure, Steph." He says, looking around. I walk back upstairs and hear Alexander behind me.

When we're up there, I sigh.

"Alexander, I really don't think it was Reggie. It was just someone pretending to be him." I say.

"I don't get it. We saw how he was. You saw us watching the hologram. It was Reggie." He says, not raising his voice. He sounded like he wanted to reason with me.

"I know what happened. I was there. But, Al, come on. You have to trust me! It's not who we think it is. We can't go attacking real Reggie without proof." I state my ground.

"Do you? Have proof, I mean. Because the Wise Guys have a trail and it leads to Reggie's dad's territory. You know that the Wise Guys are, like, the best trackers in the Hedge. Besides, you when you have your potions."

"No. I don't have proof." I say, defeated. I give up. Until I find it to prove it to Alexander, I can't win. Especially if he's going to take this to the Elders.
"To the Hedge we go. Whatever you do, don't scare the younger ones. They need time to train. Tell the Trainers we need everyone with weapon where ever they go." He says, like the conversation is over. I know, him being Alexander, that he's going to keep an open mind.

I nod. "I'm going to go talk to Ethan. Hopefully, he's there with his brother right now. " I take the transportation potion that is fully refilled and throw some behind me.

"Hedge." And then I see smoke.