...Chapter 18, Jackson, the Jackass...

 

 

"Jackson," I mutter, though it comes out as an almost cuss, causing both my sisters to stir. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Came to check out our new settlement hub. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was your family of freaks that brought us here? Oh, right. I wasn't," Jackson says from his perch in Sawyer's window as I sit forward, trying to jostle my sisters awake. "Hell, I'm not even surprised to find you're fucking your sisters. You always were too close to them. Certainly, explains that bitch leaving me. Probably couldn’t wait to suck her brother’s cock."

"Madison left you cause you're a piece of shit, jackass. Couldn't listen and trying to gaslight her. Fuck you," I hiss, as I try to remember where I left the sawed-off shotgun. The breeze across my privates is an unpleasant reminder that I'm still naked and he's fully decked out in some sort of leather armor. Not anything I would've seen back on earth, but it's put together well enough I can't imagine him making it by hand either. Dangerous looking armor.

"Hey, what you freaks do isn't any of my business," Jackson says, pulling out a knife and using it to pick his teeth. I almost sigh at his performance. This sort of thing isn't even out of character for the jackass. Then he stops playing with his knife, turning to glare at me. "Except apparently you're our leaders now. So, I guess it is my business. And it's gonna be everyone's business, soon. Unless you give me... oh, let's say a hundred points. Yeah, a hundred points'll buy you a day."

I squint at him. That's... all he wants? A hundred points? Why isn't he asking for more. I stroke Kaylie and Sawyer's hair, feeling them stir slightly. Should we let him have the points?

No.

My powers might not be good for going on the offence. But I don't need to take him down. I just need mom to know he’s in the house without permission. Or for any of my sisters to catch him. I almost grin when I think about Bethany or Madison finding him in the window. He wouldn't survive to hit the ground.

Some of my amusement must’ve made it to my face because Jackson glares at me. "You think it's funny? Fine, we'll see how funny you think it is when I tell your neighbours the kind of perverts you are."

"I don't think so," I say, shaking my head, watching as his doom creeps up his back.

Jackson halts, his hand still on the windowsill as he looks back at me, letting his doom get into the perfect position. "You think I won't- Urk!"

The vine wrapped around his throat tightens as Kaylie curls up against me, glaring in his direction. "What do you think we should do with him?" Kaylie asks, running her hand across my chest.

"We could drown him," Sawyer suggests from my other side, her hand joining Kaylie's as they hug me from both sides. I can't help but notice how white Jackson's face goes at Sawyer's casual suggestion.

"Nah. He's just being a perv and a blackmailer. Pretty sure those are exile crimes at worse," Kaylie says, rubbing her leg against mine. "Should we ask mom?"

"Mom'd just put a bullet in him for trespassing," Sawyer points out.

“It’d be the right move,” I say, glancing over the side of the bed for the sawed-off. It’s resting atop my boxers near the window.

Kaylie squints, blinking twice before nodding. "True. Guess we shouldn't tell mom about him."

"Nah," I interject. "We're definitely telling mom. I’m tempted to shoot him myself. And she'll need to know Jackson was here either way."

"Wait, that's Jackson. Are you sure we can't drown him?" Sawyer asks as her clothes drift over to her in a ball of water. Jackson's eyes are locked on that ball of water as Sawyer glares at him while using the water to get dressed without even getting out of bed.

"Your magic's making you lazy," I tease, elbowing her. Then I realize Kaylie's paused, halfway through doing the same thing with her vines on my other side.

"Nah. Takes effort to use magic too. It's just cooler," Sawyer says, sitting up. Kaylie's slow nod tells me Sawyer's fibbing at least a little. But I don't press her on it. It's not like I don't use Purify all the time. Not having to take bathroom breaks or clean up after sex is kind of amazing. I start to follow their lead, grabbing the sawed-off and putting on my boxers all while keeping my eye on Jackson.

He's staring back at me, his eyes narrowed as he flexes his right hand.

"So, should we... shit!" Kaylie says, pulling away as she leaps towards the window that Jackson somehow just leapt out of, leaving her vines empty. Jackson is swearing as he thuds his way down the slanted roof outside. I dash over to Sawyer's window, just in time to see him snagged by a hand of lava on the lawn out front.

I don't wait, jumping straight out the window after him. After the shit that Jackson did to Madison, I'm worried about what she might do in retaliation. And as much as she deserves to get back at him, and I want to let her, doing it with our neighbours watching probably isn't the best idea. Shooting him would’ve been fine. They’d understand shooting a trespasser. But killing him with magic might get us in shit. Especially now that he’s outside.

But Maddie’s hand just holds him. It does seem to be singing his armor slightly, but he's otherwise fine as I slide off our roof, landing right behind him. Madison is standing on the porch with her arms crossed. When she sees me land behind Jackson, her eyes flash open. And when Kaylie and Sawyer land on either side of me, her gaze switches back to Jackson. And becomes a deathglare. Before I can step in, mom's hand lands on Madison's shoulder.

"Looks like we have a visitor. Why don't you come inside, Jackson. We should talk."

"Uhm, no offence Mrs McHarran, but fuck you," Jackson says, his right hand flexing again as he somehow manages to twist free of Madison's magma hand. As he lands in a crouch on the lawn, I level the sawed-off at him. His eyes dart around, taking each of us in as he begins flexing his left hand.

"What were you-" Madison is cut off by mom squeezing her shoulder.

"I think we should-" mom starts, but then there’s a flash of dark purple.

"Screw you freaks!" Jackson’s voice calls from the other side of the flash. I see him take a single step and then he disappears. Literally.

I stand there blinking at the empty spot where he was standing for a solid second before my brain kicks in, and I start scanning for a sign of where he went. And then I see a rock kicked to the side. "There!"

There's no waiting, a dagger of light whipping through the air as a hand of lava bursts out of the street. I’m half a second behind them, bringing the sawed-off up and firing a single shot. The blade manages to catch him, and clatters to the ground, covered in blood. But that's it. As I charge to where I spotted him, looking around frantically, I realize some of our other neighbours are out.

"Morning Darren," Mr Farlin greets me, his rifle resting on his shoulder as my heart beats in my ears. Standing next to him, I'm reminded of just how big a man Mr Farlin is. I'm a solid six feet, and my eyes barely meet his chin. "Was that the Ferrell boy I saw disappearing into thin air?"

"It was," I say, nodding to Mr Farlin as I lower the shotgun. "He... was watching us. Through the window."

"Ah. I could see how that might be a problem. Useless boy never could keep his mouth shut," Mr Farlin says, shaking his head while looking in the direction that Jackson ran off in. "He's gonna be trouble. Specially now that he knows what you've all been up to."

"Thank you for not mentioning it," mom says, stepping up next to me.

"Course. Ain't none o' my business what your kids are doing. Ain't none of his neither, but some'll think otherwise. Specially with you being our new kings and all."

"We're... that's not what was supposed to happen," mom grumbles, sounding surprisingly embarrassed. When I look at her, her cheeks are even red.

"Didn't think you did. I read the details. And I talked to the Clarksons. But lots of our other neighbours are already making noise. Want a proper election. And I don't think you'll be at the top of the list, no offence, Laura." Mr Farlin really does seem to regret saying as much, tipping his wide hat as he addresses mom. "No matter that you'd do the best job of it."

If possible, mom's blush gets even deeper. "Thank you, Jonas. I... we have... I mean..."

"We've got things to take care of," I interject, "What with our unexpected promotion to lordship and all. Speaking of which, if you have any old computers or spare parts, or even mircrowaves. Anything with a microchip. We think we can use them to get the System working better. Or to be less glitchy, at least. Maybe then it'll hold a proper election."

"I... sure thing, Darren. I'm sure I've got something that'll help. Jake liked to build computers in his spare time. Left a lot behind when... well, you know," Mr Farlin's shrug is casual, but I can't help but wince at the mention of Jake. I liked Jake. A lot. He was like a big brother to me.

A very gay, big brother. But that was part of his charm.

When he was hit by that drunk driver, it hit the whole neighborhood hard. Mr Farlin hasn't come out much after that. In fact, I've heard more from him today than I have in the last five years.

Losing Jake was part of why I'd accepted the scholarship in the first place. Some days it was too painful to look across the street.

There was a lot less pain now. Time really does help wounds fade. Still miss his dorky smile though.

Realizing I'd let myself get lost in reminiscing, I look up to find we're back on our porch. I followed mom back without even thinking about it. Glancing across the way, I realize Mr Farlin's already gone back inside.

The second we get inside the door, I'm brought back to the present by Sawyer stating, "He saw us together. Naked."

"I thought I told you to get some sleep," mom sighs, sounding more tired than upset.

"We did!" Kaylie exclaims, before sheepishly adding, "we just... also did some other stuff after."

A hip check from Bethany, surprises me as she says, "I bet you did."

"Bethany!" mom snaps, "Not the time. We... have two options here. And no, killing Jackson isn't one of them."

While Bethany froze at mom's initial comment, she practically deflates at her second. I catch her in a side hug, and console her for... not being able to kill Jackson in cold blood? Yep. This is my world now.

"Option one. We can try to track Jackson down and convince him not to talk. Personally, I think it's a waste of time. We all know what he's like," mom doesn't glance in Madison's direction, but Madison still winces. "Which means we need to get as much done as possible before he starts convincing people."

"Don't you mean telling people?" Kaylie asks, scrunching her eyes together.

"No. We're not the only ones who know what Jackson's like. There'll be plenty of people who ignore him. Or folks like Mr Farlin who know what we're about. But there are even more who don't know Jackson. And they don't know us either."

"So, what's the plan?" I ask, leaning forward. I'd probably know this already if not for my session with the twins last night. But if forced to make the same choice about how to spend the evening, you bet I'd spend it with them again. No regrets on that front. Just on letting Jackson get away. Part of me hopes that Bethany's dagger struck something vital.

"Well, you already got us started on step 1. We need more computing power. And we need to remind people of who we are. So, the plan..."

Mom stands up, reaching inside the door to where our jackets are held before pulling her hand back out. In her hand dangle a set of keys. The keys to my old Honda Accord.

"The plan is for you kids to do a charity drive."