Xavier was a simple man. He liked cake, cookies, animals, and pranking people. The best part of his day was simply just being with his sister's best friend, who he'd had a crush on for as long as he could remember. The worst part of his day, though, was when that same sister, his own twin whom he loved more than anything else, was having a meltdown and about to destroy the world for the third time that week. And it was only Tuesday.
It wasn't like it was her fault! When you have powers that contradict each other in the way hers does, bipolar disorder makes sense. He just wished it didn't happen as often as it did. Or at least that he was more like their older brother who could calm her down pretty quickly. Even when using his powers to shapeshift into Bridge, it never worked.
Right now was the worst part of his day. Xavier ducked as his sister Callie threw a massive fireball towards his face. "Well that was close!" Xavier stood back up and saw his sister was crying, which meant the dangerous part of the meltdown was probably over. The air temperature noticeably dropped as he approached his sister and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry I'm not as good as Bridge."
Callie lifted her face, which was a mess because of how her tears had ruined the makeup. "You know I'm gonna kill you someday." Callie's voice broke as she warned her twin. Her powers were amazing… When she could control them.
"Well, that would be very uncomfortable." Xavier told his sister in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Are you gonna be okay now?" Callie nodded and wiped her face as Xavier stepped back.
At that moment, Michael decided to waltz in.
He'd always thought she was beautiful. Long black hair, tied back in its usual braid with a few curly strands in the front framing her heart shaped face. An ever playful spark in her almond shaped mono lidded bright blue eyes. Her dad's eye shape but her mom's eye color. Today, she was in a short sleeved black acid wash button down that was tied at the waist along with a pair of red jeans and her signature red and black cowboy boots. The bully of the school, Becca Collins, often said that Michael looked like death.
'A beautiful death,' Xavier thought. 'Like a hundred year old woman who was ready to go, surrounded by her family, peacefully slipping into the night after a life well lived.'
"Xay," Michael snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Are you paying attention?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry, Michael. What did you say?"
"I asked if it happened again," she gestured to Callie with her head.
"Yeah," Xavier sighed then yelped as a fist collided with his bicep. "Ow!"
"Why didn't you come get me?" There was a fire in her blue eyes.
"Because you could've died!"
"I die every day! Most of the time twice a day!"
"I know that!" Xavier's head turned to the ground sheepishly, "but I assume it's tiring and not very fun… I was hoping I could give you a couple day break." Xavier lifted his head back to Michael. "Plus, she's my sister. I should be able to calm her down."
Michael shook her head and sighed. "Yes, Xavier," she started. "She is your sister, but I'm her best friend, and adding on to that I'm practically immortal." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to be like your brother, but until we can find a way to limit the danger, I have to deal with her issues myself."
Xavier brushed her hand off his shoulder and turned away so she wouldn't see his emotion. He felt so embarrassed, so useless, and so much less than his older brother, Bridge. Bridge was smart. Bridge was kind. Bridge was caring. Bridge was actually able to ask out the girl he has a crush on. Bridge was amazing at calming Callie down before a meltdown. But Bridge couldn't always be here for her. He worked in New Tech City at the SPD headquarters. He was a power ranger. SPD Green. He came whenever he could, especially if he knew their sister was having a hard time, but he'd been really busy lately with some Gruumm person threatening earth, and it had made Callie even more unstable. It made her feel like Bridge thought she was a burden and not worth his time.
"Hey, guys," Callie's voice brought her brother back to the present. "I'm really okay now. Please don't fight with him, Michael. He just wanted to help me." Callie's voice was thick with emotion.
Michael sighed. "I'm sorry to upset you, Cal," she pulled her best friend into a warm embrace. "I know he's trying to help. I just don't want anyone getting hurt."
"Except yourself," the brunette pulled away. "I hate it when I kill you."
"Do you kill me, though? I mean, my heart stops for a bit, but it does that every time I get a pop quiz in science. How am I supposed to know the parts of a plant cell?! My powers are better with history! Not now, Abigail!" Michael put a finger up and glared to her side, presumably at a ghost. "I'm trying to have a conversation. I highly doubt your fifty year old love letter is leaving that tree anytime soon."
Callie sighed but then smiled softly. "I'm fine now, honest. If you'll excuse me, Bridge should be calling anytime now, and I don't want to miss it. Again."
Turning on her heel, the brunette left the training arena and headed back to the room she and Michael shared. There were times she enjoyed having her powers, but most of the time lately, she'd despised them. They felt more like a burden than anything else. Sure, her roommate could come back from the dead, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill her.
Callie's parents had always called her a gentle soul, but when she had a meltdown, she thought of herself more as a monster. While they'd called her their Cinderella, she'd felt more like Black Annis than anything. She had thoughts she couldn't control, parts of herself that were becoming harder to hide. She knew the only way Bridge couldn't see right through her was because he wasn't physically there. It killed her to keep these secrets, but she had no choice. It was the only way to keep everyone she loves safe. But, alas, even that wasn't working very well.
Walking into the room she shared with her best friend, Callie grabbed her reusable makeup removing towel and micellar water from her wooden vanity. The two sides of the room looked as different as the girls were. While Michael's side was covered in black, red, horses, sewing equipment, and antiques, vines had overtaken Callie's side. She'd always had a connection to nature only her parents seemed to somewhat understand.
She took off her new ruined makeup. She stared at herself in the mirror as she did so. Her hazel eyes were bloodshot and under them looked like she was picking for a year's vacation. Her normally tanned skin was only getting paler, and her typically joyous features were looking more gaunt by the day. For the past few months, she hadn't gotten much sleep, worrying over her brothers and what she could do to her loved ones should her powers get out of hand. Even her sense of style had changed slightly. She used to get up early and spend at least half an hour playing with the different braids she could put in her hair, but lately, she'd just thrown it into a messy bun and wrapped one of her mom's old scarves around her head like a headband. While she still wore long flowy skirts and dresses, she'd gone from lighter greens and yellows to dark, faded greens and browns. It wasn't much of a difference from the outside looking in, but she could see it in herself.
She could see it in Michael, too. Her best friend used to rarely get angry. "Tara gets angry enough for the both of us," she used to say, talking about the ghost who had followed her for as long as she could remember. But now, she and Xavier kept fighting. All over Callie. They'd all gotten worse over the last few months. Xavier's anxiety had gone through the roof and Michael's depression had nearly driven her into the ground permanently more than once.
Callie was pulled from her thoughts by her phone ringing. Great. She'd been so lost in her own mind that she hadn't redone her makeup and now Bridge was going to see right through her; she just knew it. He always could. Even without using his powers.
"Callie! How are things today?" Bridge's bright voice broke through the phone speakers as she answered her phone. Bridge looked to be in his room, where he usually was when he called Callie. It was a wreck, like usual, but Bridge's bright personality made you not care about his slightly messy living situation.
"I'm doing good today, Bridge! I haven't even killed Michael today!" Callie told her brother with every acting bone in her body. But it didn't work. She saw Bridge's face change as he started studying the bags under her eyes, the slight remnants of her smeared makeup, and the messiness of her hair.
"What happened, Cal?" Bridge asked softly. "I can tell something's wrong." There was no malice, no judgment, and no anger in Bridge's voice. He was just worried about his sister and her wellbeing.
Callie could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to think of a response. She was trying her best to be okay; she knew Bridge had important work to do; she knew he couldn't just run back to the school to check on her whenever she had a bad day. But it seemed like bad days were all that she had anymore and she was so tired of trying to deal with it on her own.
"I'm sorry, Bridgey," she started crying, causing it to start raining outside. "I've been fighting as hard as I can. I've been doing everything you taught me, but none of it's working…" Callie wiped her tears off her nose and continued, almost imperceptible. "I've killed Michael every day this week except today so far." Callie looked back up and met her brother's eyes. "I know you have so much important work to do. You quite literally have a main role in keeping the planet safe from villains like Gruumm. But I don't know what to do, I don't know how to stay okay and keep people safe," she trailed off, feeling as though she'd let not only her family, but also herself down.