"Revive Me With Just One Touch..."

I woke up to a tattooed arm wrapped securely around my waist and a hot steady breath on my neck.Didnt this just bring back so many memories?

"Tony?".

He mumbled incoherently before sliding his hand off of me and turning on his other side.Oh delightful.
Yesterday he'd scared the living crap out of me.Every kiss,every touch was setting me on fire, if it wasnt for someone honking their horn I'm pretty positive I would have been a Backseat Bettie.

We spent the night at a local hotel,local to wherever the hell we were at the moment.I was fully clothed and looking back at Tony,so was he.
I noticed he had brought in one of my bags from the car,I silently hoped it was the one with my day clothes.

"Crap..",it wasn't.

Apparently Jalen thought it'd be funny to replace one of my bags with my old beach bag.Guess what was inside:Skin tight swim shorts and a tank.Perfect.

That's exactly what you need babydoll.

Yes I had somehow gained the ability to hear my dead father in my head.How?No clue.I wasn't complaining.

How so?

You're going underwater.

Excuse me?

Don't act so surprised,check the bathroom you're going to love what you see.Hah.

The sarcasm was heavy,but I paid it no mind as I opened the door to the bathroom.Horror washed over me.

Those tiles,that floor,those walls,that paint...that bathtub.

Look familiar,sweetheart?

Very funny..

Hey don't blame me,blame the irony.Hahah.

Irony..no,life..is a bitch.

Visions clouded my every other sight.I was suddenly a child again and the floor was stained crimson.My hands held the color and my nose burned with the smell.Everything was the same except there was no body,no lifeless body.

My father was standing before me,whole and breathing?Tony was long forgotten.

"You need to face this fear before you face your mother."

"Dad?",my hands hovered before me.Desperately trying to reach out to him.

He held onto me."It's me baby,I'm here to help you."

If I wasn't so happy to feel his touch,I'd be extremely confused.My father held onto my hand tighter as he led me to stand beside the tub.It was already filled to the brim with water.

"Dad?",the worry was evident in my voice.

He pressed a finger to my lips before lifting me up into his arms."I need you to be a soldier.Strong and ready.Can you do that for me Velair?"

My eyes drifted to the water below me,the fear shook through me.I couldn't do this for my father, but I had to do this for myself.With a nod I felt myself being lowered into the water.My eyes pulled shut.

The wet soaking through my clothing,a whimper escaping me.

"Shh baby..you're going to be alright."

And I knew I would be.Until I felt the water covering my face,that resulted in me jolting upright.

"You'll be alright,I promise".He waited for my eyes to meet his."I won't let anything hurt you.Close your eyes and take a deep breath.Everything will be alright."

No one could have me so convinced.
The minute the water washed over my face my mind went blank.My fingers no longer felt the wet beneath them,my breath was no longer held.

I wasn't in the water anymore,actually I had no clue where I was.And I didn't mind it one bit.

Leila

Beep..Beep..Beep..

"Ugh now I know why Velair hates this shit so much!".

I woke up in a very uncomfortable bed in an unbearably white room.

"Morning sleepyhead",my mom smiled while moving my hair out of my face.

I looked around the room only to see everyone in beds like mine with their parents around them.Everyone except..Mike!

"Mom,Mom!Where's Mike?".

She frowned.I caught Vic's stare from across the room,his eyes were rimmed red.His dad sat beside him with his face in his hands,his mother was nowhere to be seen.

Oh no..

"Mom?".

She sighed heavily,"Mike is in intensive care,when the call was made well Mike had already lost a lot of blood.No one in his family has the same blood type but he's holding up well..for now".

"For now.."

Her beeper went off,"I have to go,patient needs me.Will you be okay here?".

I nodded,"Yeah..wait!Who made the call?".

"Umm..someone named Jasper,said he was a friend of yours?But when the paramedics got there it was only you five",she motioned around the room.

Her beeper went off again,"Alright I'm going.Love you".

"Love you too".

My reply must have been distant,my mind certainly was.
Jasper?Now why would he have made the call,he was the one who'd hurt us.

"Hey Leila".

I turned around only to come face to face with Jalen.She had gauze wrapped around her head and a cast on her wrist.Besides the bruises and scratches I'm sure we all had,she wasn't that bad off.

"Yeah?".

"You okay?",I couldn't help but notice her eyes were also tinged red.

I tried turning my head more towards her but my damn neck brace was in the way."I don't think any of us are,especially not Vic".

She looked towards him,Jaime was now  sitting next to him.I had failed to notice how banged up both boys were.Vic had on a neck brace as well,a gash across his cheek and a fingercast.Jaime wasn't in any better shape.He had a broken nose,light crescent bruises under his eyes and a brace for what I guessed were broken ribs.

"Have you seen Mike?".

Jalen shook her head,"From what I heard none of us are allowed to go in and see him.His mom's been pacing the hallway outside his door since I went in to get stitches."

Well that explained the gauze.

I pulled the sheets away from my body only to see that I had a boot over a light cast on my foot.How that happened,I had no clue.

Jalen laughed lightly at me,"Yeah that was my expression when I saw this",she lifted up her casted hand.

I allowed myself a chuckle,"C'mon help me out here.I want to go talk to the guys".

She wrapped her good hand around my waist and helped me on my feet.We shuffled across the, now parent free,room to where Vic and Jaime were.

Jalen let go of me as I limped over to my boyfriend,"Hey baby".

He offered a sad smile.My heart broke for him."Mike..he's going to be alright".

Vic didn't look at me,instead he dropped his head and fiddled with his fingers.I wrapped my arms around him in a hug.

"Hey does anyone know how we got here?",Jaime spoke up.

I absentmindedly caressed my boyfriends cheek,"Jasper made the call".

Jalen scoffed,"Oh the irony."

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips,that girl was all kinds of fiesty.

"Where is that little fuck?",Jaime growled.

"He wasn't there when the medics showed up.My best guess would be that he went out to look for Vela-"

The door suddenly flung open.Jasper strutted in,clad in a fresh long sleeved plaid shirt and pressed jeans.His eyes were glazed over,of course he'd be one to come to a hospital high out of his mind.A figure loomed in the shadows behind him.

"Haven't you done enough?!".

I'm sure we all jumped at the harsh tone of Vic's words.

Jasper,however,only chuckled."Aww..at least I didn't leave you for dead.Doesn't that count for something?".

I glowered at him,"What the fuck do you want?".

The figure behind Jasper came into view.
She was..beautiful?
Chocolate brown eyes,hazelnut tainted hair,and sunkissed skin.The only thing distorting her figure was the synical smile plastered across her face.

Were we all staring at Velair's mom?

"Hey chicos",she had the thickest accent,"I hope my son didn't traumatize you too much".

Her and Jasper shared a laugh.

"Oh no,really I could go for a few more rounds.There's a tub in the bathroom, you want to come reinact the day you went psycho?!".Jalen was never one to be afraid of something,let alone someone.

Jaime tried pulling himself in front of her but she kept pushing him back.

Velair's mom grinned at the little outburst,"Ah you must be Jalen,Velair talks about you so fondly".

"'Jalen's going to save me'.'Jalen will never forget me'.'Jalen loves me'.",Jasper mocked.

We all glared daggers at him.

"Where is she?",I heard Jalen growl.

Velair's mother walked over to us,"I wish I knew,I really do.But she got smart on me all of a sudden.I can go inside her head but she's nor giving me any clues about where she's going.She must not want to see me,isn't that sad?".

"She was right in calling you a fucking bitch!",I spat.

"Well that's no way to speak to your elders",her fingers curled under my chin,lifting it up so I met her gaze."You have a real pretty face,it'd be a shame if something happened to it."

That being said her nails dug into my skin.I had too much pride to let her see me flinch,I held myself perfectly still as she pierced my flesh.

Jasper was the one to pull her away from me,"Listen we didn't come here to torment you further.You're obviously too stupid to keep track of my sister"

Jalen was about to make a whitty retort when Jaime clapped his hand over her mouth and held her to him.

Jasper paid no attention to that scene,"We came here as a warning,stay put and don't go looking for Velair.She's out there with that idiot and our thoughts of sparing him might change if we even think you've followed us".

Tony..

We all exchanged glances.Mike was already in a drastic state,none of us knew much about it.We couldn't afford to lose Tony too.

"Why can't you just let her go?".The voice that spoke it was racked with sobs.

Velair's mom grabbed onto Jalen's bad wrist,we watched her intently as she massaged it through the cast.The look that came across her face was almost normal,almost...motherly?

"You know,I remember when Velair was just a little girl.She was always..always,looking for...trouble!!",a deafaning crack and a glass shattering cry echoed throughout the room.

The door was once again thrown open as a group of nurses and doctors flooded in.
Jalen was on her knees holding her limp hand.Her pain/horror stricken face made me want to fall onto my knees too.
Jasper and his mother were gone in the blink of an eye.She caught my stare before she left,her twisted smile burned forever into my memory.

"She found it..."

I heard the witches cackle.Looking around the room I noticed everyone had crowded around Jalen.
Had no one else seen Velair's mother?Had no one else heard her?

Vic caught on to my vacant look in my eye,"Leila?".

I shook the thoughts away,we were all going to be alright.Velair was stronger than she let on and she was going to be alright.

I slipped my hand into his,"Everything's going to be alright,babe".

Don't let it show.
I love you too much to let you know..I'm lying to myself.