Rainy Days

Chapter Fifty-Four: So Close, So Far

[golden crown speakeasy, new york city–friday morning]

JORDAN OPENED his eyes and immediately was assaulted by his thoughts and emotions.

First of all, his head ached. It'd just stopped yesterday and now it was back? Jesus fuck, could he not go three days without a jackhammer inside his brain!

Second, his throat was dry. Like, Sahara Desert dry. He craved water.

Third, his heart felt heavy. He felt like he was a failure, like he'd done something wrong, and he didn't know why.

Fourth, and perhaps the most concerning—he didn't remember anything from after the third glass of water from Suzie.

Had that even been water? Was he actually a fucking country bumpkin?

"Hey," Five said. Jordan sat up so fast the world spun and stars flashed in his eyes. His forehead hit a mop handle and sent a bolt of pain through his skull; Jordan let out a string of curse words as he fell back into the bed, groaning.

"That was attractive," Five snickered, leaning against the doorway as he watched.

"Do you have water?" Jordan asked, ignoring him.

"Yup. And this time, it's actual water, not alcohol." Five smirked as he passed over a few pills and a glass of cool water. Jordan swallowed them with a wince and gulped down the entire cup.

"It was fucking alcohol?"

"Yup."

"Shit."

Five giggled again. "Sorry to rush you so, but we've only got a small amount of time before Teegan and Suzie wake up. When they do, we've gotta be gone."

"Why?" Jordan questioned, sitting up slowly. He swung his legs over the side of the cot, adjusting his jeans.

"Because they're going to try and kill us. I think they where spying on us while we where asleep and now they're plotting murder." Five replied, dropping this with a very bored tone.

"What the fuck?" Jordan said. "Why is it that wherever we are, someone is trying to kill us?"

"Bad luck, I suppose."

"Don't know what I did to deserve it," Jordan grumbled. He extended a hand, and Five grabbed it. Within a few seconds, Jordan was holding Five's hand tightly and putting most of his body weight on the shorter boy.

"Why are you so tall?" Five grimaced. Jordan shrugged, stumbling a little.

"Genetics, I guess."

Five snorted a laugh and then gripped Jordan's hand tightly. "Ready?"

"Fuck it."

Five closed his eyes and clenched his jaws; a whoosh of warm air hit the two and a pale blue light washed over the two of them. They lunged forwards, practically falling into the space hole. It closed after they landed on the sand.

A butterfly was left in the darkness, waiting.

Waiting. Waiting. And waiting.

The door creaked open, and there stood Suzie, a knife held in her hand. "They booked it, Teegan." She called out, peering down the hall at her brother.

"That's fine." Teegan stepped forwards, eyes dark. "We can find them easily enough. Five wont get away with his disrespect any longer, Suzanne."

"Suzie, dumbass."