Chapter 6 - Collapse
Mirror-Josie lay on the grass smiling up at the sky. She didn't even notice Lucas run past her until a few minutes after it had happened. She sat up debating in her mind whether or not it had actually happened. John slid out from behind her and took a seat next to her.
"Hey," he threw off casually.
"John, wasn't it?" She asked slightly embarrassed that she couldn't remember his name.
"Yeah, we haven't had much contact, have we?"
"No, I guess not," she replied. "Not that it matters. I guess we'll be going back soon."
"You don't have to," he told her gently. There should still be a Josie left after all this is over... he though sadly.
She stared at him. "I can't, I have a life in the Mirror-world. You know that."
John brushed his hand over hers and looked into her eyes. He pulled her arm up and pulled her in close, smiling as he pressed his lips against hers.
She pulled away quickly, daggers in her eyes. "What did you do that for?"
"I just... I thought you'd like it. Besides, you can stay, Corrine might be going back instead of staying here, so why don't you stay?" He asked, playing Mr. Nice-and-sensitive. He brushed some hair out of her eyes.
Despite her anger, she'd never been kissed like that before. It made her feel good. "I'm not the Josie that you like."
"You could be," he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "you will be." Satisfied, he stood up and left her alone and scared.
Running away was something Vaughn could do well. He'd had some practice before, but this was different—this wasn't just being angst-y and rebellious. His entire world was turning upside down. His father had offered him what he had always wanted. At cost, of course. Everything came with a price.
Would he be prepared to give up Josie and his friends?
Of course. That was never the dilemma—the dilemma was when?
"I love you," Corrine whispered into Mirror-Marshall's ear. "You know that right?"
"Sure," he replied squeezing her hand. "I'm sorry, you know, that I... Oh god!" Mirror-Marshall jumped from the bed and ran around the room looking for a bin as he vomited over the floor.
Corrine's eyes went wide. She choked back a scream.
"I... I... Get a bucket!" He cried clamping his hand over his mouth.
She ran into the bathroom, and grabbed the bin from in there and brought it out for him. He nodded 'thank you', and brought the bucket up close to his mouth as he vomited again.
"I'm going to go get some help," Corrine told him. "Will you be okay?"
He nodded.
"Good, and please... clean that up as well," she said pointing to the vomit on the floor. "Because eeew, that is so disgusting."
She turned away and tried to get her mind of the sound of his retching as she opened the door and ran into Mirror-Vaughn. She fell onto him with a loud clatter, and slapped him when her eyes focused on his hand.
"Sorry," he murmured helping her up, blushing immensely.
"What's wrong?" Corrine asked concerned. "Is this about Marshall? Real Marshall or Lucas? Because I want to hear nothing about them. Nothing."
Mirror-Vaughn leaned back, scared slightly, and pushed up his glasses. "No, it's just... is... we need to know... is Mirror-Marshall here?"
She nodded emphatically. "He's over there." She gestured to the no longer vomiting Mirror-version.
"He's started?" Mirror-Vaughn asked panicking. "This isn't good."
"Why not?" Corrine asked.
"Because... uh, here..." he said pulling out a book and tracing some highlighted parts with his finger. "Here... the realities because they were bent and bled into each other so recklessly... I think you should... It's not pretty..."
"Oh." She finished reading. "Oh."
Mirror-Vaughn smiled meekly. "I know. Lucas has started as well. Mirror- Lucas I mean. I haven't seen any of the Josie's at all."
"So we have to what? Get you all back or get you to physically bleed into one another like the realities?" Corrine asked. "Oh, this is not good."
"I saw John before," Mirror-Vaughn said unsure of if he should pass on the information or not. "He was acting really... strange. I guess. I don't know him very much; he was very stealthy, and sardonic. Kind of evil looking."
"And we hit a lower place," she said quietly. "What else has gone wrong?"
Vaughn put the book away and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Marshall and Lucas aren't talking to each other. Or anyone else."
Corrine groaned. "I had to ask."
"Human nature to always want to know the worst."
Mirror-Marshall walked into the conversation. "I can't do this."
"Do what?" Corrine asked.
"I'm sorry." He still held the bucket just in case, and pushed past Corrine and out of the room.
Josie2 was with the Janitor. Despite her kicking him in the ribs before, and defying her orders, she still had to return to him. He was the reason she was still alive. He was the reason she lived the way she did. He was... the one to blame.
And she would to just that.
"The superiors they want me back don't they?" She asked.
He nodded.
"Why? What's this change in plan?"
"I don't know. Apparently they've found a fault in our plan," the Janitor told her. "But it's not because of us. Josie, she's going to. Something that wasn't in their scenario will happen. They don't like it."
Josie2 didn't like the implications. "What is she going to do?"
"I don't know."
"Why not? You're knowledge guy! Tell me! What's going to happen? Who are you? Why did you help me?" She cried.
He didn't answer.
"Dammnit! Tell me!" She yelled. "I need to know! You sent me to the superiors and now you won't tell me why, or how you knew about them!"
Again, no answer.
"I hate you. I hate this. Why did you send me? Why did you give me a chance at another life?" She asked quieter and fighting tears.
The Janitor looked away. "Because it was necessary."
Lucas found his Mirror-self trying to gather people for his production based on the events, when he wasn't throwing up. He didn't like his Mirror- self. No matter what he did. So, now was a good a time as any to use him as a punching bag to sort out everything that was going on in his head.
"Hey, Mirror-me, come here," he demanded drawing him over.
"What?"
"I don't like you," he said bluntly. "I don't like any of you Mirror- people. And life was—as strange is—normal. Then you show up. And it all goes to hell." Lucas was close to his Mirror-self now. "Isn't that stupidly convenient."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mirror-Lucas said quietly. "We're just here. It's not our choice."
"See that's where I think you're lying," Lucas accused.
Mirror-Lucas pulled back. "Lying? I don't... you're crazy."
"Is that so?" Lucas wasn't sure what to think. But at least he was working out his anger.
He stepped back. "Alright, alright. Fine. But if I find out that you guys are screwing us over, then watch out."
"Alright, alright fine but I—" he couldn't hold it in. Mirror-Lucas vomited on Lucas's chest.
Lucas closed his eyes tightly. "This just gets better and better."
Vaughn was surprised to see Josie standing in the doorway when he opened the front door. Their eyes met for just a second, before he turned away and signaled for her to come in.
Josie was the one to open up conversation. "Is your dad home? I need to see him."
"You've been making a lot of strange meetings haven't you Josie?" Vaughn asked sarcastically. Now that he knew he was going to abandon them all for his own happiness, she seemed... different. Older, more mature, beautiful.
He wanted to tell her. He wanted to scream it out I love you! But that was a dream. A hope, he couldn't do that now.
"What?"
"You know, the clone then the Janitor and now my dad. A man who you hate and hates you just as much," Vaughn told her.
"Were you... you were spying on me! How could you do that!" She whispered harshly. "Look, I have other things I need to do. I didn't come here to talk to you. We can argue later."
Vaughn grabbed her arm. "Why not argue now?"
"Do think I'm Chiana or something? That I respond nicely to the physical grabby hands sticky fingers thing?" She asked tearing her arm away. "I'm not some kind of skanky... attention seeker! I'm here for a purpose."
She pushed past him.
"He's in the den," Vaughn said walking behind her.
Victor couldn't hide the surprise when Josie walked into the den. "Back again I see? Or are you non-science fiction?"
"I'm the real deal. One-hundred-percent Josie Trent. Accept no substitutions," Josie replied a smarmy grin on her face. It suited the mood. "And we need to talk."
"Are you sure you really want to get into this?" He asked.
Vaughn stood behind her ready to support whoever needed the support first.
"Yes. I've been told by a... well I don't want to say friend... uh, acquaintance... what you were doing. What you are doing," she explained moving her hand over some folders. "And I want in. I mean I don't like you. I think you're a real bastard when it comes down to it. But you're just human. Like us. Like me."
"I'm intrigued," Victor said stroking his chin. "Vaughn, leave."
"But I... I..."
"Leave," Victor repeated. "You're little friend and I have things to discuss."
Vaughn nodded as if to say 'fine, I understand' and left them alone to talk.
"Let's begin, shall we?" He asked his bitterness showing through the thin screen of politeness. "Or are you here to debate my evilness?"
"I don't think you're evil," Josie said gently. "I think you're a prick."
"Charming, I can see why Vaughn likes you," Victor noted. "What can you offer me? I already have two people who can keep an eye on the school from the students view."
"John and Vaughn." It was a statement not a question, and Victor knew it. "You're son is just a pawn in some sick little game of yours?"
Victor changed the subject. "Did you come here to talk or make assumptions about my parenting skills?"
"You'd actually have to be some kind of a decent parent to have skills," Josie replied shooting off her mouth. "Was your wife as cold as you?"
For a moment, it looked like Victor would crack. Like he would let the emotion envelop him. But he managed to stave off the urge. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"So it's true, you're playing god."
"I'm merely righting a wrong," Victor turned her argument around defensively.
"Vaughn knows?" This was a question.
A nod.
"What are you getting him to do in exchange for this gift of yours?" Josie asked bitterly. "You're not the kind of guy who would give something away for free."
He changed the subject again. "When do you want to do this? More to the point, what is it you want to do?"
"I want to escape," Josie told him simply.
Mirror-Josie lay on the grass smiling up at the sky. She didn't even notice Lucas run past her until a few minutes after it had happened. She sat up debating in her mind whether or not it had actually happened. John slid out from behind her and took a seat next to her.
"Hey," he threw off casually.
"John, wasn't it?" She asked slightly embarrassed that she couldn't remember his name.
"Yeah, we haven't had much contact, have we?"
"No, I guess not," she replied. "Not that it matters. I guess we'll be going back soon."
"You don't have to," he told her gently. There should still be a Josie left after all this is over... he though sadly.
She stared at him. "I can't, I have a life in the Mirror-world. You know that."
John brushed his hand over hers and looked into her eyes. He pulled her arm up and pulled her in close, smiling as he pressed his lips against hers.
She pulled away quickly, daggers in her eyes. "What did you do that for?"
"I just... I thought you'd like it. Besides, you can stay, Corrine might be going back instead of staying here, so why don't you stay?" He asked, playing Mr. Nice-and-sensitive. He brushed some hair out of her eyes.
Despite her anger, she'd never been kissed like that before. It made her feel good. "I'm not the Josie that you like."
"You could be," he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "you will be." Satisfied, he stood up and left her alone and scared.
Running away was something Vaughn could do well. He'd had some practice before, but this was different—this wasn't just being angst-y and rebellious. His entire world was turning upside down. His father had offered him what he had always wanted. At cost, of course. Everything came with a price.
Would he be prepared to give up Josie and his friends?
Of course. That was never the dilemma—the dilemma was when?
"I love you," Corrine whispered into Mirror-Marshall's ear. "You know that right?"
"Sure," he replied squeezing her hand. "I'm sorry, you know, that I... Oh god!" Mirror-Marshall jumped from the bed and ran around the room looking for a bin as he vomited over the floor.
Corrine's eyes went wide. She choked back a scream.
"I... I... Get a bucket!" He cried clamping his hand over his mouth.
She ran into the bathroom, and grabbed the bin from in there and brought it out for him. He nodded 'thank you', and brought the bucket up close to his mouth as he vomited again.
"I'm going to go get some help," Corrine told him. "Will you be okay?"
He nodded.
"Good, and please... clean that up as well," she said pointing to the vomit on the floor. "Because eeew, that is so disgusting."
She turned away and tried to get her mind of the sound of his retching as she opened the door and ran into Mirror-Vaughn. She fell onto him with a loud clatter, and slapped him when her eyes focused on his hand.
"Sorry," he murmured helping her up, blushing immensely.
"What's wrong?" Corrine asked concerned. "Is this about Marshall? Real Marshall or Lucas? Because I want to hear nothing about them. Nothing."
Mirror-Vaughn leaned back, scared slightly, and pushed up his glasses. "No, it's just... is... we need to know... is Mirror-Marshall here?"
She nodded emphatically. "He's over there." She gestured to the no longer vomiting Mirror-version.
"He's started?" Mirror-Vaughn asked panicking. "This isn't good."
"Why not?" Corrine asked.
"Because... uh, here..." he said pulling out a book and tracing some highlighted parts with his finger. "Here... the realities because they were bent and bled into each other so recklessly... I think you should... It's not pretty..."
"Oh." She finished reading. "Oh."
Mirror-Vaughn smiled meekly. "I know. Lucas has started as well. Mirror- Lucas I mean. I haven't seen any of the Josie's at all."
"So we have to what? Get you all back or get you to physically bleed into one another like the realities?" Corrine asked. "Oh, this is not good."
"I saw John before," Mirror-Vaughn said unsure of if he should pass on the information or not. "He was acting really... strange. I guess. I don't know him very much; he was very stealthy, and sardonic. Kind of evil looking."
"And we hit a lower place," she said quietly. "What else has gone wrong?"
Vaughn put the book away and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Marshall and Lucas aren't talking to each other. Or anyone else."
Corrine groaned. "I had to ask."
"Human nature to always want to know the worst."
Mirror-Marshall walked into the conversation. "I can't do this."
"Do what?" Corrine asked.
"I'm sorry." He still held the bucket just in case, and pushed past Corrine and out of the room.
Josie2 was with the Janitor. Despite her kicking him in the ribs before, and defying her orders, she still had to return to him. He was the reason she was still alive. He was the reason she lived the way she did. He was... the one to blame.
And she would to just that.
"The superiors they want me back don't they?" She asked.
He nodded.
"Why? What's this change in plan?"
"I don't know. Apparently they've found a fault in our plan," the Janitor told her. "But it's not because of us. Josie, she's going to. Something that wasn't in their scenario will happen. They don't like it."
Josie2 didn't like the implications. "What is she going to do?"
"I don't know."
"Why not? You're knowledge guy! Tell me! What's going to happen? Who are you? Why did you help me?" She cried.
He didn't answer.
"Dammnit! Tell me!" She yelled. "I need to know! You sent me to the superiors and now you won't tell me why, or how you knew about them!"
Again, no answer.
"I hate you. I hate this. Why did you send me? Why did you give me a chance at another life?" She asked quieter and fighting tears.
The Janitor looked away. "Because it was necessary."
Lucas found his Mirror-self trying to gather people for his production based on the events, when he wasn't throwing up. He didn't like his Mirror- self. No matter what he did. So, now was a good a time as any to use him as a punching bag to sort out everything that was going on in his head.
"Hey, Mirror-me, come here," he demanded drawing him over.
"What?"
"I don't like you," he said bluntly. "I don't like any of you Mirror- people. And life was—as strange is—normal. Then you show up. And it all goes to hell." Lucas was close to his Mirror-self now. "Isn't that stupidly convenient."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mirror-Lucas said quietly. "We're just here. It's not our choice."
"See that's where I think you're lying," Lucas accused.
Mirror-Lucas pulled back. "Lying? I don't... you're crazy."
"Is that so?" Lucas wasn't sure what to think. But at least he was working out his anger.
He stepped back. "Alright, alright. Fine. But if I find out that you guys are screwing us over, then watch out."
"Alright, alright fine but I—" he couldn't hold it in. Mirror-Lucas vomited on Lucas's chest.
Lucas closed his eyes tightly. "This just gets better and better."
Vaughn was surprised to see Josie standing in the doorway when he opened the front door. Their eyes met for just a second, before he turned away and signaled for her to come in.
Josie was the one to open up conversation. "Is your dad home? I need to see him."
"You've been making a lot of strange meetings haven't you Josie?" Vaughn asked sarcastically. Now that he knew he was going to abandon them all for his own happiness, she seemed... different. Older, more mature, beautiful.
He wanted to tell her. He wanted to scream it out I love you! But that was a dream. A hope, he couldn't do that now.
"What?"
"You know, the clone then the Janitor and now my dad. A man who you hate and hates you just as much," Vaughn told her.
"Were you... you were spying on me! How could you do that!" She whispered harshly. "Look, I have other things I need to do. I didn't come here to talk to you. We can argue later."
Vaughn grabbed her arm. "Why not argue now?"
"Do think I'm Chiana or something? That I respond nicely to the physical grabby hands sticky fingers thing?" She asked tearing her arm away. "I'm not some kind of skanky... attention seeker! I'm here for a purpose."
She pushed past him.
"He's in the den," Vaughn said walking behind her.
Victor couldn't hide the surprise when Josie walked into the den. "Back again I see? Or are you non-science fiction?"
"I'm the real deal. One-hundred-percent Josie Trent. Accept no substitutions," Josie replied a smarmy grin on her face. It suited the mood. "And we need to talk."
"Are you sure you really want to get into this?" He asked.
Vaughn stood behind her ready to support whoever needed the support first.
"Yes. I've been told by a... well I don't want to say friend... uh, acquaintance... what you were doing. What you are doing," she explained moving her hand over some folders. "And I want in. I mean I don't like you. I think you're a real bastard when it comes down to it. But you're just human. Like us. Like me."
"I'm intrigued," Victor said stroking his chin. "Vaughn, leave."
"But I... I..."
"Leave," Victor repeated. "You're little friend and I have things to discuss."
Vaughn nodded as if to say 'fine, I understand' and left them alone to talk.
"Let's begin, shall we?" He asked his bitterness showing through the thin screen of politeness. "Or are you here to debate my evilness?"
"I don't think you're evil," Josie said gently. "I think you're a prick."
"Charming, I can see why Vaughn likes you," Victor noted. "What can you offer me? I already have two people who can keep an eye on the school from the students view."
"John and Vaughn." It was a statement not a question, and Victor knew it. "You're son is just a pawn in some sick little game of yours?"
Victor changed the subject. "Did you come here to talk or make assumptions about my parenting skills?"
"You'd actually have to be some kind of a decent parent to have skills," Josie replied shooting off her mouth. "Was your wife as cold as you?"
For a moment, it looked like Victor would crack. Like he would let the emotion envelop him. But he managed to stave off the urge. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"So it's true, you're playing god."
"I'm merely righting a wrong," Victor turned her argument around defensively.
"Vaughn knows?" This was a question.
A nod.
"What are you getting him to do in exchange for this gift of yours?" Josie asked bitterly. "You're not the kind of guy who would give something away for free."
He changed the subject again. "When do you want to do this? More to the point, what is it you want to do?"
"I want to escape," Josie told him simply.