Woot! Another chapter! Quick do the wave *no body follows* …. okay then ahem onto news I have changed the name of this fic a few times now before it was "Just a Matter of Time" then it was "The Gift of the Goddess" and now it's "The Reason". I do have a good reason as I stumbled upon this song written and performed by Hoobastank and it pretty much tells this story from Genesis' P.O.V so if you kinda want an idea of the direction this story will be taking listen to that song. I also noticed that I don't write a whole lot of dialogue but I am trying to change that 'because I'm sure that it gets boring after a while…
But that's all thanks to all who reviewed last chapter oh and if anybody has suggestions for funny scenes between any of the characters feel free to send them to me. I have a few already set up but I am curious to hear YOUR ideas!
Enjoy the chappie!
"I suppose that means it's time to call my mom." I heard myself say and Damien looked at me as if he had just seen a ghost before he managed to compose his features into a mildly surprised mask.
"I reckon that is the only option we have left, do we not?" He asked rhetorically, "But you still have to think of some excuse to tell her, one that she'll buy. Otherwise you might as well tell her that you have a strange man living with you for the time being, and since there is something wrong with him whether it is physically or mentally he repeatedly attacks you—"
"Alright, alright I get it." I interrupted Damien before he could totally go off on a rant, "I'm trying to think of something plausible to tell her." An idea suddenly sprang to mind, "Hey Damien I know I've asked a lot of you lately but what if I said—"
"No."
"What, but why not? You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"Yes I do and I do not want to be affiliated with the likes of him." Damien explained pointing to Genesis' still unconscious form lying face down on the floor; I pouted a little at having my plan shot down so quickly and with so little thought on Damien's behalf. Was I really that predictable?
Sighing I started to rack my brain for other ploys, ironically the one that kept popping to the forefront of my mind was to give the excuse that he was my boyfriend. Psh-aw like that would ever happen! Not even I buy that excuse!
"Why don't you just say he's your boyfriend?" Damien suggested half-heartedly, and I knew he was making a reference to my last boyfriend. He didn't know however that that was the exact excuse that I was trying (unsuccessfully) to banish from my brain.
"Argh! Damien!" I snapped grabbing fistfuls of my hair in a stressed fashion. "I was just attempting to throw that idea metaphorically out the window!" I all but screamed at him, and Damien put his hands up in a sign of peace stayed in their wide open surprised stare. My gaze drifted down to Genesis who was still lying where he had fallen. "AND GET HIM OFF THE CARPET AND ONTO THE COUCH OR THE BED OR SOMETHING! JUST GET HIM OUT OF MY FRONT ENTRANCE WAY!" I screeched my stress finally catching up with me all at once and breaking out without any restraint on my part, not that there was anything I could really have done anyways. "My cheek hurts I'm getting some Tylenol…" I mumbled to myself as the throbbing in the side of my face reminded me of its presence.
Damien I assumed that spurred into action by my outburst but I couldn't be sure as I headed towards the kitchen in search of my drug cabinet. Wow I really just made myself sound like a drug dealer there. Heading over to the cupboard that held my medical supplies I searched through it until I found some Extra Strength Tylenol, and put two in my mouth chasing them down with a glass of cold water. Sounds of shuffling came from the main room and I heard my bedroom door open, but this all barely processed in my mind as it dived back into thinking up lies to tell my incredibly sharp mother.
'Think, think c'mon you can do Calculus but you can't think up a little white lie to tell your parents? I could say that he is my –boyfriend, no! I could say that he is just my friend… no mom would want to know why I was hanging around people like that. I could say that he was Damien's –boyfriend—"NO! HE'S NOT ANYBODY'S BOYFRIEND! STOP THINKING THAT!" I mentally raged it wasn't until after Damien responded to the last part had I realized I'd yelled that last part of my 'mental' rant.
"You better not be thinking about me and him together! Like hell I'd ever go for him I like my guys to at least look manly!" Yelled Damien from the general direction of my bedroom, and I cringed at the mental image of Genesis and Damien together. "Did you ever think that your brain might be trying to tell you something though? I mean she would buy that excuse." He argued and I grudgingly had to admit that he was right.
Sighing heavily a small bit of defeat mixed in I picked up the phone hoping I was making the right choice. With adrenaline pumping through my veins making it hard to hold my hands steady I dialled the number to my parents' house in British Columbia up in Canada. Putting the phone to my ear i listened to it ring a few times before I heard my dad's deep voice answer much to my surprise.
"Hello?"
"Hi dad it's me, I was wondering if mom was home?" I asked hoping that he wasn't going to scream his joy at my call into my innocent eardrum as he was known to do.
"Oh, Erin! I'm glad you called I just heard the most wonderful joke the other day. You see there was this man,-"
"Dad."
"—and he walked into a bar with a giraffe. The giraffe and him got a few drinks, not soon after the giraffe passed out.—"
"Dad!"
"—The man got up to leave but he bar-tender stopped him and said, 'Hey you can't just leave that lying' there.' The man replied,-"
"Daaaad…"
"—'That's not a lion it's a giraffe!'" laughter was heard on the other end of the line, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that that joke was waaaay old. Plus my eye was twitching rather violently not only because my dad was ignoring me but that Damien was silently laughing his ass off at my predicament.
"Dad!" I tried one last time
"Yes?" he asked as if he had just picked up the phone and the previous one-sided conversation never took place. "Did you like my joke? If not I have another one—"
"Dad please is mom home I need to speak with her urgently." I cut him off not wanting to wait for him to go into another story that might very well take up whatever remaining patience I was saving for my mother.
"Oh well if you were wanting to speak with her why didn't you say so earlier?" little giggles could be heard in the background as my palm slapped against my face, "Sandra! Erin's on the phone for you!" a pause ensued before a distinctly female voice answered the line.
"Hello?"
"Mom! Thank God I need your expertise opinion on something." I said skipping all formalities and getting straight to the point. The opposite side was silent waiting for me to continue suddenly a devilish idea popped into my head. I could almost feel horns growing out of my cranium as my lips turned upward in an evil grin. "Alright well al little while ago Damien gained a new friend and today brought him over to get us acquainted, and such. Right in the middle however he starts hallucinating and seeing different people in our places. For the next few minutes after that we tried to convince him that we were not the people he was seeing. This however just seemed to aggravate him, and in his rage attacked Damien still under the illusion that he was someone he hated." I could hear my mom 'hmm-ing' on the other side as she thought, "Then he suddenly passed out on the floor."
A few moments passed before my mom asked me, "Did he by any chance have a fever?" I blinked in shock, but recovered quickly at least she had a good idea as to what was wrong with him no wonder she was provincial David Thompson Health Region representative (1)
"Yeah, when we moved him to the couch he seemed to be warmer than normal." I replied not wanting to say that 'Damien's friend' was actually in my bedroom at this moment.
"I thought so…" she said thoughtfully I waited for her to continue, "It seems that Damien's friend is suffering from severe withdrawal. Although if you wanted to for sure why not just take him to a doctor instead of calling me?" my mother questioned me 'Damn! I didn't think of that! Think think!'
"Why waste my time going to a doctor, and paying a small fortune for the exact information that you just gave me? I returned smoothly.
"Well I guess that's true…" damn she doesn't believe me… "In any case though you make sure you take good care of him then if he's not going to see a doctor." I could almost see her finger shaking at me in a do-this-right-or-there-will-be-consequences way, "Now I'm going to write up a prescription for some drugs and email it to you so all you will have to do is take it in and pick them up. Okay so first up is some Barbiturates to help reduce any tremors or seizures if the symptoms become severe enough. Next are some Benzodiazepines which will help hallucinations, and that should about do it any other questions?"
I paused for a few seconds to think, "Nope I believe that covers it. Thanks a ton mom this helped me loads." I thanked her feeling as if a gigantic weight had just been lifted from my chest. "Well I got to go now mom but I'll talk to you later okay! Thanks again for the help!"
A light chuckle was heard, "You're welcome, now go help that boy, but don't' slack on your studies or the money train will be leaving the station you hear me?"
"Yes mom I hear you." I chuckled.
"Good we'll talk later then goodbye Erin." A click was heard signalling that she had hung up and I did the same a second later.
"Well, what did she say?" Damien immediately pounced on me not wanting to be kept out of the loop for any longer than was absolutely necessary. "I was right wasn't I he needs to be institutionalized doesn't he?" he asked seemingly eager to get rid of Genesis. I laughed quietly before replying.
"Yes and no." I answered cryptically Damien stared at me confused; "He's suffering from withdrawal so that means you were wrong about him being insane as hallucinations are symptoms of this. I do however believe you were right about the mako and Jenova cells being torn from his body…"
I got up from my chair that I was sitting in for the entire conversation with my parents to look through one of my kitchen drawers in search of a flashlight. After a few minutes of digging I managed to find it hidden at the bottom underneath a couple of note pads.
"So why don't we test that theory?" I asked heading towards my bedroom where Genesis lay.
"What are you going to do?" he questioned me still slightly shocked that he had been right on such a farfetched theory.
"I'm going to check his eyes to see if there is any trace of mako or Jenova cells left." I answered over my shoulder as I continued walking, "I might actually need your help in case he wakes up so do you think you could come?" I asked him as I turned the knob on the door leading to my sleeping quarters.
Inside it was still dark as I had yet to open my blinds and Damien had not turned on any lights. Genesis lay on the left side of the bed whether he was unconscious or just resting I wasn't sure. Entering silently I stealthily made my way over to the side of the bed my friend not two steps behind me. Clicking on the flashlight I prepared myself for what I was about to do.
Gulping I reached up to his face aiming for his eyes in order to open them and perform my test. Gingerly I made contact with his skin trying to be careful not to wake him up and see me hovering over him like this. That would be just plain creepy. Ever so gently I started to open one eye and shine the light into it.
His eyes were blue though they did not seem unnaturally so nor did they have the otherworldly glow to them. There was no trace of vibrant green either signifying that Jenova cells were present.
Stepping back I clicked the flashlight off the cogs in my head turning at full speed, 'Genesis, why are you here and how do you not have any mako or Jenova cells in you? What has caused this strange phenomenon to occur?' I wondered to myself, soon after I motioned for Damien to lead the way out of the room.
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus and take to the sky…" I quoted not really sure where it came from, "Damien I think I'm going insane." I said bluntly
"Why would you say that?"
"I'm quoting LOVELESS."
The door fell shut behind us and I felt as if I was being watched...
(1) I'm not totally sure if there is such thing as a provincial representative but for the sake of the story please just assume that there is
Lol sorry I had to add that last part in XD
Dun dun dun we meet Erin's parents! He dad was especially fun to write!
Please leave a review if you liked it!
Hot and Cold-Katy Perry