SPARROWS ✶ FIVE HARGREEVES

9 | Rescued

Y/N

_

I HATED the darkness.

It reminded me how empty my life was, and no matter how much I tried to find a way out, there wasn't one. I just had to suffer through it alone.

Closing my eyes, I curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth. The only thing I could do was accept defeat. Admit that I was lesser than everyone else here, and that my place was the farthest from the top.

Maybe then they'd let me go.

_

"I'm afraid I can't be your friend anymore," Ben said, sticking his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

I was sitting in the living room, my feet criss-crossed on the chair, staring up at my brother. He was so much older than me now, and it made me feel uneasy.

"Why not?" I asked, shutting the book in my hands closed, "what's wrong?"

Ben stared at the floor, as if he was already starting to regret this conversation, "you were gone for almost a year."

"It wasn't my fault."

"But it was your fault," he stated, "and now you're unable to age."

I stood up, my head leaned back to see his eyes. I hated how tall he was compared to me, because it reminded me of how different I had become to them. I hated that everyone else was able to grow up, and I was stuck in a never-ending spiral. 

"And why should that affect our friendship?" I questioned, my eyes starting to glisten, "what's wrong with me?"

Ben was supposed to be my best friend. Our rooms were right next to each other, we had the same jokes, and we always were inseparable. I thought the only thing that changed was that day, but apparently it was everyone else too.

"Dad says you won't use your powers anymore," he said, "that's what's wrong."

"I won't use them, because of what happened."

"What you let happen."

"It was an accident!"

"I'm sorry," he said, turning away, "but I can't be friends with a disappointment."

_

I remembered that day vividly.

I remembered running to my room, trying to hide the tears streaming down my face. I remember not leaving my bed for days, wondering if someone would come ask me what was wrong. They never did.

I remembered promising to myself that I would never give my trust to anyone. I remembered closing myself off to everyone, and beginning to hate all that I could hate. That's when I began to feel angry.

That's why I was angry.

I couldn't let anyone close to me anymore.

"I knew it," a voice echoed out abruptly, accompanied by a woosh, "you got caught."

I'll admit I flinched at the sudden interjection, but I wasn't going to admit it in front of him. I already knew who it was. The sarcastic tone gave it away, and so did the woosh.

"I don't need you to tell me what I already know," I pouted, straining my eyes to see in the darkness, "Five."

He scoffed, "do you want me to get you out of here or not?"

"Yeah, but answer my question."

"What's your question?"

"How did you know I was in here?" I asked, letting out a sigh.

I was pretty sure he could only travel to places he planned on going, but he couldn't have possibly known I was in here. He wasn't at the dinner table with us. I heard Five's foot tapping a few feet away from me, although I couldn't pinpoint his exact location.

"I snuck into the lobby," he explained, "and I overheard your siblings talking about it."

"What did they say?"

Five didn't respond, which gave me all I needed to know. Whatever they were saying obviously wasn't good. I just hoped Five didn't believe it.

"Come on," he said, changing the subject, "grab my hand and let's get out of here."

"I can't see you in the dark."

"I'm by the corner," he said, "I can't see you either."

"Which corner?"

"I don't know!"

Standing up, I stumbled around blindly, my arms outstretched in front of me. I heard Five doing the same, occasionally bumping into a wall.

"Okay, just follow my voice," he suggested.

"These are metal walls," I scoffed, "the sound bounces."

"But I literally can't see anything--"

Before Five could finish his sentence, I felt something wack underneath my ankle, and I lost my balance. Falling to the ground, I felt someone knock into my back, and let out a yell.

Then I felt a pressure on my lower back.

"Five," I hissed, "get your hand off my butt."

There was a sound of breath hitching, followed by an awkward groan.

"That's not my hand," he said bluntly.

"WHAT?"

"I'm sorry! It was an accident and I can't see you at all!"

"Just shut up and get me out of here!"

Grabbing my hand, Five propelled me through one of his time jumps, landing in the alley behind the school. I landed on my heels, the thud of my sneakers echoing down the space. Going from pitch black darkness, to a bright glare of the sun, was absolute torture.

"Let's agree to never speak of that moment again," I said, dusting my shorts off. My cheeks were horrifically red.

"Good idea," Five nodded, "and sorry about that."

"It's fine."

"That was not on purpose, I promise, I'm not that kind of guy."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about it," I winced awkwardly. When Five snapped his mouth shut, I gave him a lopsided look, "so what now?"

He shrugged, "I guess we'll just have to sneak into Dad's office and get it ourselves."

"Ourselves?"

"Unless you want to get caught again," he smirked, his left dimple flashing, "we have to work together."