falling - (young) adam reed

part 7

janie

despite the clear fear and sound of uncomfort in adam's voice, i thought that we should go into the forest to help this guy. because strangely enough, a part of me really believed that he was adam. or that he is adam. i'm not really sure, but i just know.

"adam," i began. they both looked towards me now.

weird.

i shifted my gaze from my adam to the new adam. adam put his head down like he was disappointed that i wasn't speaking to him. "we'll go into the forest with you. i don't know about him, but i want to help you. or me.. i'm not really sure."

"what? janie are you insane? and who is we because i'm certainly not going into a strange forest with a strange man. no sir. this is how you end up on Dateline janie!" adam shrieked in frustration at my decisions.

"no adam, he's okay. i can tell. i- i just know, okay? trust me on this one, please adam." i looked over at him trying to instill confidence in him.

"no." adam insisted, "i'm not going back in those woods after we almost died to wolves!"

i understood his frustration, but seeing the growing impatience of older adam as i watched him inch towards the door made me strut my way over there. "let's go." i said to him, and he looked surprised but opened the door and signaled me to follow.

"you coming mini-me?" he asked adam.

"only cause i don't wanna leave janie." he rolled his eyes.

that's my boy! i knew i just had to pull him out of his comfort zone. and we were safe this time, we had older adam.

it was pretty cold outside so i drifted my footsteps towards the left so i would be walking closer to adam. you know, just because of body heat and all that stuff. no other reasons.

we continued to walk into the darkening forest. "okay dude you're really not helping me prove my point. this is very suspicious." i said in annoyance.

"we're close. we're basically here.. ah-ha!" older adam celebrated, but then cringed and gripped tightly at his injured abdomen. "we're here." he said.

"we're where? what is this? just more dark forest? janie you should make a run for it, i'll sacrifice myself." adam said teasingly.

"no idiots, it's here." older adam said as he pressed a button on a small device that was hanging around his neck. the sky around us lit up like a diamond for a split second before it died.

"what was that?" i asked.

"oh crap." he sighed.

"what?" adam asked.

"well, now we've got to switch to plan a. which is actually where you come in, mini-me!" older adam grinned at himself. "see this thing has a key that reads DNA. but since im injured it won't even let me fix the jet, let alone fly it. but well since you're me, it's a perfect match!" he said excitedly. i had to give it to him, older adam was incredibly smart.

adam reluctantly raised his thumb up to the device around other adam's neck, but once he pressed it we watched the jet regenerate itself right in front of our own eyes!

"woah." me and adam said in unison as we looked at the ginormous piece of machinery floating above us.

a small drone like device began floating down towards us, and older adam urged us to climb atop it to be able to enter the actual time jet. that thing was badass.

adam looked at me with his mouth agape. "what is this? i feel like im living out my biggest starwars fantasies right now."

"ewww nerd!" i laughed, but he knew i was teasing because i too was a star wars nerd.

"quit the chatter guys and just sit down. please god." older adam begged. it was so weird to see adam as an adult with serious adult problems and not be his current seemingly careless self.

adam went to explore the spacecraft but i stayed seated next to older adam. i stared intensely at him for a few moments, studying him. i noticed that he did this thing where he rolled his jaw and then tapped his knuckles three times before he said something. that was what really absolutely sold me on this being adam.

i knew he was about to try to say something to me, but i had to speak first. "so you're really him, huh? i didn't believe it. i almost couldn't. i mean, we literally just became friends again and now you show up? it's still hard for me to wrap my head around.. but.. it's you. or- it's adam. i don't really know." i began to ramble. i realized how crazy this whole thing really was.

"i am him. he is me. i am adam. you are janie. not my janie, but janie." he sighed.

" 'not my janie'?" i quoted him and scoffed, "what janie am i then? don't make me feel like i'm not somebody. because i am." i was kind of annoyed. not his jamie. yeah alright.

"you are somebody. you're his janie. you're this janie. every second, every day, every year, you're a new janie. you used to be my janie, but that's when i was him. i don't mean any offense to you. it's just too hard and too much for you, or anybody for that matter, to understand." he spoke more kindly than i had heard him speak before.

"what do you mean his janie?" i understood everything that he told me but i couldn't get past the part where he told me that i was adam's janie. i knew it meant something.

"you'll understand one day. if you want to make your own private guesses now though be my guest. just leave me out of it. there's nothing i can actually tell you even if i wanted to. and believe me, i do." older adam sighed. he looked so sad. which made me sad. i wonder what could have happened to older janie.

i heard some slight metal creaking and adam popped back into the room. "what's going on in here? am i interrupting something? oh my gosh, wait, will i remember whatever janie said to you? i mean like when i turn your age of course.." adam said, almost excitedly.

"i don't know. maybe you will. or maybe she'll tell you one day." older adam sighed.

man, he was really sad.

he got up and walked toward another section of the craft. he walked towards adam and stopped in front of him. he leaned down, gripped onto adam's shoulder, and leaned into his ear. "be careful with her. protect her. and i don't just mean now. i mean forever. don't be like me." older adam tried to say quietly.

but i heard every word of it.

hey guys!! i know you have allll been really wanting a new chapter and im delivering! i'm so sorry this has taken so long but school is very demanding and im trying my best. gotta keep that 4.0 you know? i love you all, and please PLEASE give ideas, requests, and suggestions for the next chapter because im honestly struggling a bit. love you all. please vote bc it will inspire me to write more. ❤️