Chapter Two – A Bite of Parenting Medicine

Alex decided to use a transport spell to get them both upstairs, and into Justin's room without their parents seeing. Justin was glad about this. Normally Justin would want his mama babying over him. But not this time. He was still holding the somewhat slim hope that he would be able to go to that concert that he had been looking forward to for over a month. Nevertheless, it was a relief to be back in his room, where he probably should have been the whole day. Still, he did not immediately crawl into bed.

Instead, he looked at Alex meaningfully. "You'll help me right Alex?" he asked when he was sure he was out of earshot of their parents. Justin rolled up the sleeves of the sweater that he typically wore. Was it just him, or was the room uncomfortably hot?

Surprise was evident on Alex's features. "Justin!" Alex exclaimed. "I thought we went over this!" The frustration was evident on her features. Her brother could be unbelievable sometimes. She could not believe that Justin was still trying to go to that stupid concert. It was such a bad idea. Besides, Alex did not like Justin's new girlfriend Kristie. Alex found her to be very stuck up. Some of the girls Justin dated, she did not know what her brother saw in them.

"Come on Alex!" Justin pleaded. "I help you all the time!" He whined, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I know! But…this is different," she said. She looked at him. He looked back at her. After a few moments of this, finally, Alex relented. "Oh fine. But don't come crying to me if you catch pneumonia or something." Not like Justin wasn't headed there already. But Professor Crumbs was going to have it in for them for sure. Alex hoped that he wouldn't just barge in their room and take both of their powers away.

"Thanks, Alex," Justin replied. Alex started to raise her wand.

"Coloporous symptonous…" Alex started to say, but then she suddenly stopped mid spell, after realizing that she did not know how the rest of the spell went. "Uh Justin? How does the rest of the spell go?"

Justin groaned. "I've only did the spell like twenty times!" He said, but then realized that Alex had only been around him for just one of those times. "It's now vanish and be banished!" Justin whispered. "Hurry! Before mom and dad come up here."

Alex waved her wand again. "Coloporous symptonous vanish and be banished!" She pointed the wand at Justin. But the spell did not turn out the way it was supposed to. Alex had forgotten to say "now." The end result was that Justin's ears had steam coming out of them. But he felt better. Still not completely well though.

"Ahhh!! Alex! What did you do?" Justin said loudly. "You did the spell wrong!" How the heck was he supposed to go to the concert like this?

"Keep your voice down!" Alex said. "Mom and dad are going to hear!" Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for that.

Worse, just then their little brother Max burst in.

"Justin! Alex!" Max exclaimed. "You guys are in so much trouble with mom and dad! You guys totally ditched! I saw!" Max exclaimed.

"Max!" Justin said. "You are supposed to be in school!" Justin gritted his teeth together in frustration. He was being his bossy, mature self as usual. Alex was glad to see that was still there.

"Then why aren't you in school?" Max said.

Justin rolled his eyes. Wasn't it obvious? "I'm sick!" Justin yelled. "Duh!"

"You look fine to me," Max said, skeptical.

"That's because we used a spell," Justin hissed. "I was trying to go to a concert tonight."

"Oh," Max said. "Well, I think mom and dad know we're all home. They saw me come into the sub shop." Justin raised his hands in exasperation. That was the last thing that he wanted. He knew that was the last thing that Alex wanted as well.

"Great!" Justin said, raising his arms. Alex glanced at him, but Justin was still looking at Max. "Why'd you leave anyways Max?"

"Cause you guys did?" Max said, shrugging his arms. "You guys never tell me anything, it's so unfair."

"Just because we did something doesn't mean you're SUPPOSED to!" Justin exclaimed. He held out his hands, in a way that suggested his younger brother Max was a complete idiot. Then he looked at Alex, who was just about as mad as Justin was.

"Great, Max," Alex said, "Now they're going to know I ditched school again! They're going to be so pissed off." With that their dad and mom entered. Justin looked at her.

"Yeah, and how many times is it now?" Justin quipped. Alex gave him the death glare. The brief silence was nevertheless soon interrupted. All three of them heard steps coming up to the room. Alex gripped his brother's arm. She was prepared for whatever her dad was about to do. She just hoped that Max would not rat them out about that spell that they used.

"We thought we heard you kids!" Theresa immediately exclaimed as she saw all three of them. Her first instinct was that it was a bit odd that Justin was allowing both Alex and Max into his room. That definitely never happened. Something was up, that was for sure.

"What are you all doing home from school? You're not supposed to be home for another couple of hours," their dad said loudly. Then he spotted Justin's ears with all of the steam coming out from them.

He gaped at Justin's ears and then immediately rounded upon Alex who he automatically thought was the culprit. "Why is there steam coming out of Justin's ears? What did you guys do? ALEX?" Jerry was fuming. He recognized steam as being a sign of a failed sickness eraser spell. Or one of the side effects. Jerry could not remember which it was exactly.

"Dad, I can explain," Alex said quickly.

"What did you do to Justin?"

"I," Alex faltered. Justin quickly stepped in.

"Dad, Alex didn't do anything," he said. "I was not feeling well…and well you know how I have that concert with Kristie…well I kind of used a spell you are not supposed to use…coloporus," Justin said quickly, sitting down at the edge of his bed quickly, like he always did when he was nervous about something.

"What?" Jerry exclaimed loudly. "JUSTIN! I'm very disappointed in you!"

Alex stepped in.

"Dad! It's wasn't all Justin! Justin's ears are steaming because well…I was going to help him." She looked down at her feet, bracing for what was coming next. Her dad was about to pitch a serious fit. Jerry pointed his finger at his daughter.

"ALEX! Figures," Jerry muttered. "Justin! Alex! That spell is illegal! You're only supposed to use it in emergencies. It's a very dangerous spell! I expected better of both of you." There was a moment's pause. "Especially you Justin! You never break the rules!"

Justin's face said it all, it was full of shame. He was looking down at the floor and not at his dad. "I'm sorry dad, I know it was wrong, but…" He trailed off, after seeing his dad's angry face. Nevertheless, Justin was not going to back down this time. "But I had to do something," Justin protested. "I've been looking forward to this for a month! I saved up my own money!" He pointed at himself with a huge gesture of his arms.

"Well you're definitely not going now! Both of you are grounded for a week. No magic!"

"Dad!" Alex protested.

"No buts, Alex!" Jerry said. "You both deserve it."

"You tell them Jerry," Theresa said. But then she looked at Justin. Alex's spell was wearing off already, because it wasn't completely effective. In fact everyone had stopped their yelling to look at Justin.

"What are you guys looking at?" Justin said. He started backing away from them all. It was making him nervous, and scared. However, the Russos were looking at him, because he looked terrible. His eyes were completely bloodshot, his hair matted, and his face pale. Alex, especially, was extremely alarmed, because Justin looked far worse than he had that morning when he probably just had a cold or something along those lines.

"Jerry!" Theresa said pointing at Justin. "My poor baby's really sick!" She immediately went over and put a hand on his forehead. "You're burning up!"

"I know," Justin replied, his voice quiet and strained. Alex looked at him worriedly, but did not say anything.

"You did realize that spell makes symptoms worse when the spell wears off?" Jerry said. That was, if the spell was used in non-emergency situations. In emergency situations, the spell sometimes cured the illness altogether, or at least made it relatively mild.

Justin sighed. "I know THAT dad."

"All that for a ridiculous concert," Theresa muttered.

"Yeah, Justin's an idiot, we already know that," Alex quickly interjected, grinning at her older brother while flipping her hair, and winking.

"Hey!" he protested. "I am not."

"Sure Justin," Max replied.

"When you're well you're going to have some explaining to do to Professor Crumbs," Jerry said looking at both Alex and Justin. "And you both better pray that this time he doesn't take your powers away for good!"

"Great," Justin replied. He turned to Alex. "Think of something!" he hissed.

"I am!" Alex hissed back. She looked at her dad. "What are they going to do?"

"I don't know sweetie," Jerry said. "You guys better hope it's not too serious." He looked at Justin then. "You, bed. And Alex, Theresa and I are going out – you have to watch Justin."

"Aww, what?" Alex protested.

"This is both part of your punishments!" Jerry said. "Besides, Justin is clearly too sick to be left alone. Since he couldn't even finish school. Justin, you should be in bed." Justin quickly obliged. No point in arguing any further. Justin knew that what he did was wrong.

Alex looked at her brother. "Oh, I guess you're right." Justin did look terrible. She crossed her arms over her chest. "This is so your fault!" she glared at Justin. Theresa and Jerry exited. Max stayed with them.

"You guys are in so much trouble!" Max exclaimed gleefully. It was quite satisfying when his older brother was the one in trouble, since most of the time it seemed to be him and Alex that got into all the trouble around the house, while Justin was mostly spent trying to clean up after their messes.

Justin put his head down in his hands and groaned.

"I told you…" Alex started to say.

"Shut it Alex," Justin said for he was in a rather snappish mood.

"Justin!" Alex said.

"Alex!"

"You two sound like an old married couple," Max replied shaking his head at the two of them.

"No we don't!" Alex and Justin said at the same time. They both glared at Max.

"Seriously?" Max replied looking at both of them. "Do you guys listen to yourselves?"

"Yes," Alex said glaring at her little brother. "I do not sound like Justin!" Then she turned on Justin. "And I'm blaming you for having to stay here." She folded her arm across her chests.

"What happened to you wanting to help me?" Justin complained. Man, Alex had been so nice at school. Now back at their house, it was back to usual. He sighed and then coughed, while clearing the back of his throat. Alex, meanwhile, was scheming for a way to get Max out of the room. She had something important to talk to Justin about, concerning his friend Mark, who Alex totally had a crush on. Then a brilliant idea flashed into her head.

"Hey Max," Alex said suddenly, "I think I saw something new to order in the wizard mail. It was really cool too."

"Ooohh what is it! What is it?"

"Go find out!" Alex said. She shooed him out of the room. She laughed and shook her head. Then she looked at her brother. "We should really find a way to send him somewhere. For an entire year."

"Yeah, mom and dad would be really happy then," Justin said. "As if they aren't already mad enough."

"Yeah, mom and dad are pretty mad," Alex agreed. But she changed the subject in a hurry. "Listen, Justin. The thing is, I need your help with Mark."

Justin groaned. He knew it. Alex was only being nice to get something. How typical. He wished his sister could be sympathetic for once. "What happened now?"

"Nothing," Alex replied, "I just can't figure out if he actually likes me!" Alex's voice had a hint of frustration to it.

"He does Alex," Justin said his teeth beginning to chatter, "How many times do I have to tell you!"

"He's got a funny way of showing it," Alex replied. There was a moment's pause and then she finally noticed Justin shivering. "Are you cold?" she interjected suddenly.

"I'm freezing," Justin admitted.

"How can you be freezing?" Alex asked. "You have a fever."

"It's the chills!" Justin said. "Don't you know what a fever feels like?"

"I haven't been sick in awhile," Alex replied defensively. "Unlike some people, ahem, Justin, ahem, I have a good immune system." Justin glared at his sister, and then grabbed her arm on purpose.

"Yeah, we'll see about that, when you're as miserable as I am!" Justin replied. "You've been exposed to my contagious germs." He started to bring his hands up to her face.

"Ugh!" Alex exclaimed, backing away in a hurry. "Gross Justin!" She started backing away from him. "Well maybe I won't get it. Besides it won't be as bad as yours. You used the spell and made yourself worse."

"Oh yeah," Justin replied quietly. He was feeling bad. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Alex," he said quietly. "Can I have some juice?"

"Sure," Alex replied. "Like in a million years." She noticed Justin's voice sounded weak, but ignored it.

"Alex!" Justin protested weakly.

"Oh fine," Alex said and she went downstairs to make Justin some juice, and she also used magic to make him some soup. Then she brought it up to him.

"You made me soup?" Justin asked weakly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." There was a moment of silence between both of them. Alex was about to say something else, but then at that exact moment, Max came back into the room. He looked about and spotted the soup and the juice.

"I can't believe you're being nice to Justin!" Max said to Alex, his voice full of surprise.

"I can be nice to my brother," Alex shot back.

"Yeah, sure," Max said. "But, you normally write on Justin's face when he's sick, and put salt in his water, and things like that. And I normally get to help." Max was already scheming about something that he could do to Justin on his own. Justin was normally an easy target, but he'd be even easier now. Max grinned gleefully to himself.

Alex laughed, remembering all of the pranks that she had pulled on Justin in the past. It was pretty funny the things she had done to Justin. Like put ice in his covers when he was sleeping. Actually, that one had been slightly evil. Justin had woken up the next morning with a horrible fever, after shivering severely for about half the night. The images of the memories faded away and then Alex responded, "Yeah I know, but this is different, okay Max?"

"How?" Max said, clueless.

"It just is!" Alex exclaimed stomping her foot in frustration. "Max, just leave us alone, all right?"

"Fine," Max said, and he stormed out. Alex watched him leave and then she turned her attention back to her older brother. His eyes had a glassy, sickly looking to them, and Alex felt sorry for him.

"Justin," she said, "I'm sorry." Alex was actually sorry. She felt this weird feeling of sympathy for her brother.

"What are you sorry for?" Justin asked. "This was my fault. I used that spell that…" he broke off as a fit of coughing overtook him. Alex patted him on the back while the coughing fit persisted. When it subsided, she grabbed him and hugged him hard. Justin looked surprised at first and then he hugged her back.

"Thanks Alex," Justin said smiling at her, "I needed that." He did not know why his sister was being so nice, but hey, he would take it. It was a nice change from her trying to get back at him all of the time. He loved his sister…but there was something more to it. It was not like he did not love his whole family, because he did. But with Alex, his best friend, there was something deeper. He just could not put his finger on it. Instead he just continued to hold on to her, knowing this was just the calm before the storm. They both had some explaining to do.