I crouch beside Tasha, unsure if she's even breathing. I see that she is, and my vision blurs. I refocus my eyes, and feel my body shake a little. I feel my body slump to the side, and the bruises on my ribs fall and slam against the door jamb. Once again, everything goes black.
My eyelids slowly lift open and I look around the room in a slight daze. My head is pulsing. I'm in the lab again. I slowly turn my eyes to the right and see Tasha. She's strapped onto a table. Her eyes are closed. She's not moving. She must still be out.
I take a moment to take a deep breath, and try to fully wake up. I look around and it seems like we're alone in the downstairs lab. I try to lift my head, and find that there is a strap over my forehead, and my hands and feet are tied down too. I can't move.
I look over to Tasha again, and see that she is slowly waking up. She tries to kick, and she tries to wiggle free of the restraints. She's as unsuccessful as I am. I can sense her tension. I see her try to jerk her head to the left. She sees me. She asks me, frantically, "What is going on? Where are we?"
I remember that Tasha has never been in the Professor's lab. "Don't worry, I know where we are. We'll get out of this soon. I promise. You're my best friend. I'm here for you." I don't know what we're going to do, but I do know we're both scared - we need to stick together.
Tasha's voice is quivering now, "Bubbles, you have to save us. You know you're strong enough. You can do this, Bubbles! I'd do it, but, well, I don't have superpowers!"
I know she's right. I need to stand up. I need to save my friend. What about Mojo Jojo though? Is this worth the use of my powers? I love Tasha; she's my best friend. I need to save her, but is there another way I can save her? No, there isn't.
Slowly I lift my forehead, with all the strength I can naturally muster. I don't want to use my superpowers. I really don't. I know I'm being selfish. I know I have to. I fly. With all my strength I lift straight up off the table. I don't go anywhere. I'm still held by the restraints. What is wrong?
I try one more time to fly free of the restraints. It doesn't work. I don't know what the problem is. Tasha sees that I'm still struggling, and still restrained. She is still nervous, "Bubbles, try your eyebeams. I know you have it in you still! Don't let Mojo Jojo keep you from being who you are. You are an awesome person and this is just another strengthening battle for you! Remember the courage you had when you were five? Well, now you're eighteen! You're stronger than you've ever been. This is your chance to prove it."
I roll my eyes. "Tasha, you're getting sappy on me. Are you feeling all right?" I'm just trying to avoid reality. I don't want to use my eyebeams - I don't want to betray Ian. I have to save Tasha though. Ian can punish me later. I need to get her out. She doesn't deserve to die, just because I can't listen to my boyfriend. I focus right on the lock, and feel that familiar warmth behind my eyes as my eyebeams fire. Tasha screams as her left hand is freed.
I fire my eyebeams at all of her restraints until she's free. She jumps off the table, and rushes over to release me. I tell her, "No, Tasha, run. Get out of her. I can get myself out. You need to run! Run somewhere safe. Don't tell anyone where you're going. I'll be fine!" She can obviously hear the pain in my voice. I can practically hear the wheels turning in her brain. I guess she decided I was right, and she tells me thank you. She leaves.
I, again, am left alone. This is getting very upsetting. They always leave me. I don't know when Ian will be back. I miss him. I want to talk to him. I hear the door slam open, and I look over to the doorway. My sisters are flying down the stairs. They've come to rescue me. I'm speechless.
Blossom, always the bossy one, shouts out, "Buttercup, grab Bubbles! I'll look for Ian." I see Blossom dart around the room, searching different corners and under desks. She finds him. She picks up his limp body, from underneath a counter across the room. She screams an intense, nightmare scream, and whimpers, "He's dead."
I stare at her. I'm in shock. She's lying. He's just unconscious. I love him. He can't leave me. I wail uncontrollably. I need him. He loves me. After what seems like hours of me screaming, the Professor runs down the stairs, full speed. Blossom shows him the dead body, and he notices that I'm still tied down to the table.
They find the keys to unlock me, and they let me stand up. My shaky body can't hold my weight, and I falter. I catch myself with my right hand, before landing hard on the concrete floor.
"Bubbles, the nightmare is over. Ian is gone now. You don't have to worry." I ignore Blossom as she tries to make me feel better. I am on the couch, trying to sleep. I want to sleep away my pain. Blossom leaves me to myself, and I hear the phone ring. I can't get up. I have no motivation to do anything. I hear Buttercup answer the phone.
"Hello? This is she. How are you doing? Are you okay? What happened?" Her sentences are broken up by the responses of the other person on the phone. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you're stable now. I love you, Jake. I miss you. I'll come visit you in a little while." My eyes get a little wide when I hear my sisters loving side. It's just not something I'm used to.
Buttercup screams for everyone to come into the living room - probably so I wouldn't have to get up. She informs us, "Jake is epileptic. When he left our house that day, he had a seizure right outside our house, and hit his head a few times on the concrete. He's fine, and he's out of the coma. I'm gonna go visit him now." With that, Buttercup leaves the house - probably on the way to the hospital.
I start weeping softly. I just need to know what happened to Ian. My ribs hurt worse than they ever have. I rub them. Just touching them hurts. I just continue to sob on the couch. I really hope I'm not going to school tomorrow. I'll cry all day. They'll all want to know what's happened to me. They'll all have to know my story. I just wish I could be with Ian. He wouldn't hurt me. He wouldn't treat me like that. I really want to know what happened to him.
