The hardest thing sometimes is recognizing you need help. What did I have to lose? My anger was causing problems in my life. I couldn’t even count how many times I fucked up and did something impulsive due to it. “Alright,” I answered, each word coming out slow and deep in thought. “I’ll do it. Let me know if she agrees to take a new patient.”

 

Jezalin smiled, but it wasn’t one of her usual smiles full of joy. It looked a little sad and weary. “You are doing the right thing, Erin. You are…were, no, I mean are but your other self, you know—but you can be too, my best friend, I mean. But I do things all or nothing, I give people all my trust and love, so I need to be sure you won’t be toxic like what happened some time ago… it hurt me. You know with what happened…”

 

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Your father was like that, I know. But he was on another level, way worse. You can’t really compare him with me-”

 

“What do you mean my father?! Don’t talk bad about him! My dad is the best in the world. He takes care of me after my deadbeat mother left us.”

 

Oh right… reversed world shenanigans. “I guess here it’s your mother then. Makes sense. Back in my world your father left and used to beat your mother and you.”

 

It looked like Jez was having a hard time picturing her father who must be really sweet here in such a way. “Damn, that’s crazy—if you are not lying and this exists that is.”

 

I could see my house now, just a few meters away. My resolve which had been steel up until this point started to waver, dread building up from remembering the events of yesterday. My own house felt like a death trap, my mother a horror movie monster.

 

Nevertheless, it’s better to do things than live in fear of them. As I walked up the porch, I steeled myself and extended my hand to the door. However, before I could complete the action some creature crawled up my leg, scurrying real fast.

 

“Oh fuck! What the fuuuuuuck!” I shrieked in a very unmaly way as I desperately tried to grab the thing, a white, lizard like creature the size of my forearm. 

 

“What happened?! Are you okay?!” Jezalin shouted, worried.

 

When I finally got a hold of the thing and was ready to slam it against the floor and tear it a new asshole, I saw something that stopped me—it had a note held in its bird-like beak. 

 

“What the fuck is that?” asked Jez in a mix of curiosity and morbid fascination.

 

As I calmed myself and reached for the note, the thing started rubbing its head against my hand like a cat.

 

The note said: I hope you haven’t missed me too much, my beautiful male fatale. There’s a meeting with the team tonight at 3 am. See ya there. F.K.

 

“What did the thing say?” Jez said.

&

I crunched the paper in my hand in frustration. “It was a note by some villains I was forced to associate with the other day. They want me to come to a meeting they are holding, and I basically have to go or they will get back at me. So… yeah, that means I won’t be able to stay with you tonight most likely.”

 

“Wait, what! What do you mean you are involved with some villains?! Didn’t you say-”

 

I pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her. “I know you are worried. So am I, okay? I wanna get rid of these scumbags as soon as possible and turn them in to the cops. But for now I have to play along: they know my civilian identity.”

 

Worry lines etched her face. She was having a hard time digesting this new fact. “How did you get involved with these people…” she said in low, disappointed voice.

 

“Look I’ll tell you everything latter.” I dropped the lizard thing and it scurried away. “We’ll have plenty of time later. For now, we are here so lets get this over with.” That said, I rang the doorbell.

 

A few moments later, I felt the steps coming up and then the door opened. A middle aged policewoman with a prominent beer belly stood on the porch, her face lined and hardened.

 

“Erin right?” she extended her hand to me in greeting. Like most women in this world, once she catched a sight of the bulge in my tight school shorts she stared for a brief moment and then struggled to tear her eyes away from it. But it never strays away for long their lecherous sight always gets pulled back, like metal to a magnet.

 

“Yeah, that’s me.” I shook her hand and crushed it when I saw her gaze drifting down.

 

She winced in shock, but then smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, can’t help it. Your stunning beauty is getting to me.”

 

Jezalin was enraged when she finally understood what happened. “Stop being such a creep, you pedophile pig!”

 

The old cop’s face soured. “By the goddess! I already apologized, you fucking meninist!” she started walking deeper into the house, grumbling and ranting all the while. “What has the world come to? Can’t even breathe without offending people and grublbhs” Couldn’t hear the rest because it was too low. She was mumbling to herself.

 

My mother and another female cop waited at a table inside the living room. The cop greeted the both of us, but my mother threw Jez a death glare.

 

“YOU LITTLE DIKE!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, her face red with rage. “I TOLD YOU TO NEVER TALK TO MY SON AGAIN! GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE, YOU GAY LOOKING ASS BITCH!”

 

Jez was shivering with fear beside me, stuttering and trying to form a reply.

 

I stood in front of her, covering her and protecting her, and raised my voice in a commanding manner. “I invited her and you won’t talk to her like that ever again! She is a good friend and a better person than you’ll ever be!”

 

My mother launched herself out of her seat, the chair falling against the floor, and came towards us looking ready for murder. 

 

The fat policewoman interposed herself in her way. “Woah, woah, calm down sis!”

 

“Get out of my way.” she said, her voice cold. “I won’t have this vaginal discharge in my house. MY. HOME.”

 

Policewoman spoke without turning back to look at us, keeping her eyes on my mother and her hand on her gun. “Meninist I think you should go. You can always catch up with your boy here on another less tense occasion.”

 

Jezalin was already heading towards the door, her head hung down in defeat. I grabbed her hand and pulled her back, stopping her.

 

“No. She stays.” I declared, my voice loud. Adrenaline was starting to course my veins again, firing me up for a fight. “She is my friend and if you don’t fucking like that, then go cry me a fucking river! What are you gonna do about it, you crazy bitch?!”

 

My mother roared like a beast straight out of hell and advanced on me. She went for a vicious right handed slap, but I was on fight mode already, all warmed up, and saw it coming a mile away. I ducked under it. Then, letting out my own battle shout, I followed with a savage uppercut,. It connected and made her stumble back. I pressed the advantage and spun around, giving her a roundhouse kick right in the fucking face.

 

The woman that was my mother in this world stumbled backwards further, hitting the table with her back. She looked at me with eyes screaming murder and wiped her bloody nose. She shot out after me with incredibly fast speed. 

 

She made to grab me with her left arm and it was too fast to dodge, but I managed to deflect it. I wasn’t so lucky with the right one though and she grabbed a hold of my neck and squeezed, choking me.

 

“Woa, woa, release him!” “You are going to kill him!” The two policemen came and started wrestling with my mother, trying to pry her fingers loose, but with a burst of beastly strength, she threw them away. They slammed onto the floor harshly.

 

Seeing this, Jez finally broke out of her fear paralysis and went to grab something.

 

I was struggling for air now, my vision starting to go black at the edges, lungs burning.

 

My mother looked hurt and desperate. She leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Is this how you repay my kindness?!” she hissed harshly into my ear, spit getting into my ear canal. “My leniency?! Is violence the only way you will learn to respect your poor m-”

 

Jez brought down a chair down on her head and that finally got her fingers loose enough for me to gasp in a breath of blessed fresh air. Nothing tasted so sweet.

 

My mother released me, taking off after Jez, and I fell to the floor unceremoniously. She didn’t stand a chance. Mother gave her a liver punch that left Jez crying and wheezing. One of the cops, the younger one shot a taser at her, but it did nothing. She raised her fist and I expected her to give Jez a beatdown that would cripple her. Instead raised both hands into the air and backed off, looking at the cop.

 

The older one was knocked out, the younger didn’t know how to make heads or tails of this.

 

“You better hope she’s alive or you are going to jail,” she yelled at my mother as she bent down to check the older one’s pulse.

 

“Look, girly,” mother said, exasperated. “I know my rights. This is Kentucky and corporal punishment is legal, the rest was self defense.”

 

I had finally regained my breathe even though my throat hurt. “What do you mean corporal punishment! You almost killed me!”

 

“Exageration. No permanent damage was done. As a matter of fact, your martial arts are considered lethal weapons so if you want to talk about killing we can start with that. You could have pushed my nose bone up into my brain with that kick. Those trained should not use it lightly and irresponsibly like you.”

 

The cop started slapping her partner and the old woman slowly started coming to.