EJ's POV
"EJ, COME ON!" I hear Ashlyn scream.
I break out of my trance in the mirror, I forgot that we were going to the Mall with our friends. I guess I'll have to deal with my self-issues later. I walk into my closet and grab my black jacket, I roll up my sleeves and leave my room.
I walk downstairs to see Ashlyn, Uncle Dennis, and Aunt Debby looking at me with concern, I get a sinking feeling in the stomach and I start to heat up from the stares. "What's wrong?" I ask. My Aunt Debyy takes my hand and pulls me down the last few stairs and I sit down on the couch.
"Sweetie, Uncle Dennis heard you screaming in your sleep, tossing and turning, and even crying a little."
I turn to Uncle Dennis, who mouths "sorry" to me. I get why he told them, but I just don't wanna talk about it. I don't even know what it means, an explosion in a laboratory? These superheroes? A destroyed city? Me surrounded by red electricity? What, am I some hero, and what I saw was my future?
"I'm fine, really," I tell her, grabbing her hand. That was a complete lie, I was anything but fine, I hate lying to them about myself, but I didn't want them to know that, I didn't want them to worry about me. Not again.
"EJ, we haven't seen you like that since after your parents died."
She's right, after I came to live with them, I would lock myself in my room and just let it all out, I wouldn't talk to them about anything, I would ignore their questions, and I would have nightmares about seeing my parents die, I would always wake up sweating and sometimes even crying. Uncle Dennis would hear me and come into my room, he would give me a hug and hold me until I fell back to sleep.
"I know, but it was just one nightmare, I'm fine" I assure them. They look at me a little longer, but they finally decide to just let it go, thank god that didn't take any longer than I wanted it to. "We should go," I tell Ashlyn, grabbing my car keys. When I walk up to Ashlyn, I feel something tug on my leg. I look down to see Asher grabbing my legs.
"Where are you going?"
"The mall."
"Can I come too?" He gives me his adorable puppy dog eyes I can never say no to, why is he so cute? I look at Uncle Dennis and Aunt Debby, they nod their heads "If it's okay with Ashlyn" we both turn to my cousin, she looks like she was thinking about it. "Pwease, Ahyln?" Asher begged.
"Yeah, pwease, Ashlyn?" I snicker.
"Okay fine, let's go" she finally gives in. "We'll be back later."
We get into the car, I strap Asher his car seat, and start to drive. I kept a good look on my face so Ashlyn wouldn't ask questions, but my mind kept going back to that nightmare. Why was I feeling that pain? Like something inside of me? Or in the corner of my body was now growing, increasing, and finding ways to make torment me?
I really hope I don't feel that pain today, I'm hanging out with my friends, and I don't want my problems to make today awkward.
____________________________________________________________
Gina's POV
Everyone was Mall, waiting for EJ and Ashlyn. I was kinda excited to be at the Mal again with my old friends, including Nini and the others. I look at the others, they seemed happy, well, most of them, Ricky is sitting there staring at his phone with what looks like sad eyes. He's probably looking at the stupid video again, poor Ricky.
I know I just meant him, but there's something different about him, like's he's going through something I might be able to relate to or something like that.
Soon, we saw EJ and Ashlyn walking near us, EJ holding cute little Asher on his hip. "Sorry, he wanted to come with" Ashlyn explained. "It's okay, as long as he does wander off" Andi smiles. "Well, let's get to it" I hop up, and we all walk into the Mall.
--After some shopping--
The girls and I have really been taking the lead on this shopping trip while the boys are just trailing behind us. I can see they're kinda bored that they're not getting to the stores that they want to go to. I mean, why would they wanna go to Claire's, Rue 21, or Victoria's Secrets? We also went to Children's Place for Asher.
I turn back to them. "Hey, how about you guys go hit some of your own stores and we meet in the Food Court in 15?"
"Oh thank god, I was getting so bored" Carlos lets out a sigh of relief. We start to laugh at him. "Be nice" I hear Seb whisper in his ear. "Don't waste your money on anything stupid!" Amber yells at her older brother as they walk off.
"Could tell you the same thing" TJ shouts back.
____________________________________________________________
Ricky's POV
We've been shopping for a while now, I'm the only one who isn't buying that much stuff. It's not that I don't have any money, I'm just not buying as much as they are, they're just shopping at places I don't really shop. I really just buy hoodies, jeans, and Vans.
Everyone else was buying all kinds of clothes.
"Hey, you guys wanna go to HotTopic?" Red asked, nudging me. "What's HotTopic?" Asher asks. "It's a store for older boys," EJ tells him
"I'm an older boy."
"No, you're not, but I'm good if y'all are good."
Red looks at me for my answer, I nod my head, I don't really care, I've been there a few times, I basically bought most of my jeans from here.
We enter the store and Cyrus and Walker look surprised. "No way!" Cyrus gasp like a little kid.
"You guys have never been here before have you?" TJ asked. "No way, I haven't even seen the outside f of this place!" Cyrus says. "I've seen it a few times, but I never went in" Walker explains
"well, let me show you around" TJ wrapped his arm around Cyrus's shoulder and he walked off from us. Carlos went with Seb, Walker went with Jack, and EJ went with Red, leaving me alone, as usual.
I walk alone in the store until something catches my attention. A hoodie, a black one with multiple pictures on the front. Skateboards, skulls, and a lot of other things I kinda like. I take it off its hook and look at the Price tag. $20.
I bet I could afford that, dad and Miss Jenn sometimes give me money, Miss Jenn gave me a couple $20s for this Mall, mom only gave me money one time, and it was just to leave her alone. I look in the mirror and see how it looks. Pretty good, I'm about to leave, but then something catches attention.
My hand reaches out for the dog tag locket I'm wearing around my neck. My parents got it for me on my 4th birthday, somehow I was never able to outgrow it. It was the last gift I got from both of them before the fighting started. While the inside was a picture of the 3 of us, I'm focused on what the outside of the locket says.
Family is forever.
I guess something's are a lie, huh? Lie, the things I've been told my whole life. The things my whole life was built on. The one thing in my life that never changes.
I feel my eyes start to burn and a lump in my throat. NO, Ricky, stop, you can't cry! Not now, not in front of everyone, especially not my friends.
"Rick, you okay?"
I look next to me to see Jack looking at me, he looked really worried, but I can't let him see me crying. "Something wrong?" He asks, his hand makes its way to my shoulder. I quickly shake my head at his question and try my best to smile, but it turns into a sad smirk. "Um, no, no, nothing wrong, all good, uh...cool jacket" I point at the dark purple jacket in his hands. Well, it's not all dark purple, only the sleeves and the inside of the hoodie, the main part is black.
"Oh, thanks, Walker picked it out for me, I like your hoodie," he smiles at me. My head drops to the hoddie in my hand, I forgot for a minute I'm still holding it. "Oh, um thanks, but I don't think I'll buy it."
"Why not? It would look good on you."
Before I could respond we both turn our heads and hear Red yell at us, guess they already bought all their stuff.
"Come on, hurry up! Were all waiting!"
I ultimately decide to take Jack's advice and buy the hoodie, he's a pretty cool guy. We both walk out with our bags and we head to the food court to meet up with the girls. We walk into the food court where the girls are standing, with a bunch of bags.
"You guys look like you had fun" Walker chuckles. "We did" Nini smiles. "Well, we did, Andi sometimes picked up a bunch of junk from who knows where" Amber's headshot towards Andi. "It's not gonna be junk when I'm through with it. One man's trash is another girl's creation."
They all laugh and start talking. I feel my phone ding in my pocket. I take it out and see that someone tagged me in something on Instagram.
I can't believe it!
Andrew posted a picture of me bruised and bleeding on the ground in the Alleyway. I look at myself, my body was laid out on the ground, my hands, arms, and face were covered in marks and blood. I read what he typed below the picture.
Demon thinks he's so tough, couldn't even fight back.
I scroll through the comments as see was people said about me, how I'm weak, how I can't fight, and I should just leave the Earth, but one word they kept calling me was a demon. That nickname Andrew started.
I feel my chest start to tighten, I look around to see my friends all engaged in conversations, not paying attention to me, they wouldn't care if I left, and I'm not about to look anymore like some loner so I just walk away. I find myself in the middle of Gamestop, I sit down near its window, put my hoodie over my head and bring my knees up to my chest.
I take out my phone and continue scrolling through the comments. I, the so-called demon shouldn't have even come with my friends, I should've just stayed with Miss Jenn. They should just leave without me.
____________________________________________________________
Nini's POV
"Well, food?" Cyrus ask. We all take the time to decide on what to eat, but I start to realize something isn't right, actually...someone's missing. I continue wondering who, but then it hits me.
Ricky.
"Hey, where Ricky?"
We all look around, but his curly locks are nowhere to be seen. "Wicky missing?" Asher asked. I slowly start freaking out inside, Asher's right, he's missing! What if he gets jumped again?!? "I say we split up and look for him, and we meet up back here," Gina says.
We all agree and split up, some of us will check upstairs and the others will check downstairs.
Ricky, please let us find you.
There you go, Ricky goes missing and the others will search for him. I decided to add this moment because in the next chapter, Ricky's gonna have a heart-to-heart with the person who finds him, so get ready. I really enjoy writing this book, I think I might do more superhero books. Stay safe and have a nice day or night wherever you are.