Disclaimer: Don't own it.

And I need something to help me sleep
When I know you're not good for me
And I need something I can keep
From the empty space in between
From the empty space in between

Sleep-Meiko

Chapter Seven

She goes straight to her room after talking to their parents. She doesn't want to know what he's doing. She doesn't want to see him right now. It's safer for her to assume that he's keeping his word. But she knows Justin and knows that he'll do anything to avoid her. At least for a little while.

So as much as she wants to think that he's downstairs, chatting with their parents before trudging up the stairs and crashing on his bed, she knows that more than likely he's getting back in his car and heading back to Ithaca.

She swallows hard and drops her bag at the end of her bed. The thud it makes when it makes contact with the floor pulls her out of her daze, just for a second. Just long enough to hear her parents mumbling outside of her room. Words of relief over her return. And words of worry about Justin's hasty departure.

She doesn't acknowledge the knot in her stomach or the tightness in her chest. Just brushes away the tears before they fall and curls up under her covers and tries to sleep.

*****

Her mom tells her it's the flu. Alex looks up at her mother, pouting slightly, "Does that mean I can't play?"

Theresa's eyes soften and she pushes back Alex's bangs with a cold hand, "I'm sorry, honey, you just have to stay in bed and rest, okay?"

Alex nods begrudgingly and settles back against her pillows, pulling her stuffed owl closer to her chest, "Will I have to rest for long?"

Theresa shrugs and pulls the covers up to Alex's chest, tucking her in tightly, "I don't know, Alex. Just try and sleep, alright?" Theresa smoothes Alex's bangs back once more and kisses her forehead gently, "Feel better, sweetie."

Alex nods and watches her mother leave the room.

She tries to sleep. But she can't. Even though her head and stomach hurts and it's all she wants to do, she just can't rest. It could be the stuffy nose that's preventing her from closing her eyes, she isn't sure. So she rests in bed as best she can without sleeping. She plays with her owl for a little bit. Asks him about his day and what he thinks they should do when she gets better. But Ollie doesn't know. When she tires of him she reaches for her sketch pad and new colored pencils that rest on her stand. She draws for a little while. That makes her head hurt worse and she starts to cry in frustration.

Finally she falls into a fitful rest and doesn't wake until the middle of the night.

She isn't sure what the time is. Just knows that the loft is quiet, that the lights are on outside and that she's never been awake at this time before.

The shadows in the room scare her so she gathers Ollie and leaves her room.

Justin's room is just as dark as hers, but doesn't scare her as much because she knows that he's in there.

"Justin," she whispers, shaking her older brother, he groans and opens his eyes, looking at her confusedly for a moment.

"What are you doing, Alex?" He asks, his voice sounding silly and tired. But then again, his voice has been sounding different a lot lately, started changing after he started seventh grade a few months earlier.

"I couldn't sleep," she follows his gaze and finds that he's staring at her stuffed toy with amusement, "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"I'm sick, okay? I want my stuffed toy, he makes me feel better. Look, can I sleep with you for the night?"

He hesitates before scooting over in the bed and lifting the blanket, "Of course. Ollie can stay, too." She smiles and curls up next to his body, relishing in his body heat and the warmth it provides.

He doesn't even complain when he's sick in bed with the flu days later.

*****

Alex's stomach starts cramping in the middle of the night. She curls up, holding a hand to her stomach as her face contorts in pain. Her stomach relaxes for a moment before the next cramp literally takes her breath away. She gasps and straightens in bed, struggles to get out of her bed, her mouth is filling with saliva and she knows it's only a matter of seconds before she's throwing up.

She makes it just in time, vomiting everything she's eaten that day, which wasn't much. Theresa comes rushing into the bathroom, frowning at her daughter's frame that's bent over the toilet. She sighs and rests next to Alex, rubbing her back with one hand and holding back Alex's hair with the other. "Again, Alex? Honey, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Alex moans and wipes her mouth on her hand before flushing the toilet and moving to sit on the edge of the bathtub, "I don't know, mom. I'm sure whatever it is, it'll go away soon."

Theresa sighs heavily as she stands, "You've been saying that for a week, Alex, and you're not any better. That's it; I'm calling the doctor first thing in the morning."

Alex grimaces, knowing the doctor won't find anything, she agrees anyway. Shoos her mother from the bathroom and brushes her teeth quickly.

When she gets back to her room she finds her phone and calls Justin as she does every night. And it goes to voicemail, like it has every night prior. "I remembered the trip. We were by the fire. You were trying to tell me everything would be alright, that we would find the stone. That we'd fix everything. You offered me your shirt. But I said no. So you kissed me instead. I didn't push you away. I crawled into your lap and kissed you back," she swallows a sob, her voice breaking as she finishes her message, "I miss you, Justin. Please. Just call me. Let me know you're alright. It isn't fair to let me go through this by myself. Not when you're the one that did this to me. I love you. Bye."

She sets the phone on her stand and stares at her bed, she's so tired but she knows as soon as she sleeps she'll be assaulted by the memories.

She'll be taunted by thoughts, by memories, of the one thing she wants most but knows she can't have.


A/N: Thank you so much for all of your reviews! I love you guys, lol, you're awesome. Leave some more and let me know what you think!