Why I Run

Chapter fifteen

Joules POV

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I saw someone approach the door as Lucius fell asleep. He looked so peaceful, and oblivious as to what was happening.

My fingers crackled with electricity, knowing that the person at the door was not an ally, at least not this time.

The door barged open and I saw Lucius' mother with a fan that had knives attached to it.

"Where's my son?" She yelled, not seeing Lucius because I was shielding his sleeping body with my own. I sensed movement behind me, and knew that whatever sleep Lucius had gotten, it wasn't much.

"He's not here," I bravely yelled, knowing this woman wouldn't believe me.

"LIES!!!" She shouted, "He's here, I know he is."

Lucius jumped up into view and snatched the fan from his mother's hand, which she had been pointing at me.

"You don't hurt her!" Lucius yelled, just as fierce as his mother.

Lucius' POV

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"You don't hurt her!" I yelled after snatching the fan with blades from my mother's hand.

I was terrified of my mother no less than a minute ago, but the moment she threatened Joules was the moment I had any courage at all.

"Leave us, now." I said, not shouting, but deadly quiet. This quiet voice scared my mother, and she ran out the door.

"Well that was easy." I muttered under my breath.

".....Thank you." I heard Joules say behind me, "And just WHAT has gotten into you? You were scared a minute ago." She said, confused but grateful.

"Well, I really don't know. I just saw her threaten to hurt you with this," I said, waving the fan in my hand, "and I lost it. I just jumped at her." I sheepishly smiled at her, as she was the reason for my courage.

She smiled at me. I knew I couldn't have done this without her. Heck, I probably wouldn't have even made it more than ten blocks from my home without her. She was courageous, everything I wanted to be, but I was constantly scared of my parents, the police, and just about everything else.

"What're you thinking about?" Joules asked, "Your hands are sparking."

Crap. Stupid hands that give away the thought that I am thinking.

I sighed and said, "You."

"Me? Why in the world would you be thinking about me?" She asked.

"Well, Joules, you just stand up to everyone and everything, and I just sit there like the scared person I am. I wish I had your courage, but I don't. You used your powers when you were angry, I used mine when I was scared. Let's face it, Joules, you're far braver than I'll ever be." I said, sitting on the bed, not meeting her eyes.

" C'mon Lucius, you know that's not true..." I heard her say. We argued about who was braver until the sky became dark.

Joules' POV

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Lucius and I stopped arguing when we got tired. He was already sitting in the bed so he just laid down. He opened his arms, as if giving me a spot to lay, but I was scared.

I could never admit such a thing to him, and it wasn't his fault, but ever since my father's friends, I had been scared of men.

Of course, it didn't help that one year prior to the "experiment", my father's friends snuck into my room to watch me sleep. My father found them and chased them out, but I had still feared men, except my father, from that day forward.

"Joules? What's wrong?" Lucius asked, snapping me out of my memory.

"It's nothing. I'll just sleep on the floor." I said, refusing his warm embrace.

He looked hurt, but said, "C'mon Joules, you can tell me. What's wrong?" He still reached out to me with one hand but I laid down on the floor, trying to go to sleep.

I should've known Lucius wouldn't give up that easily. I heard movement, but chose to ignore it. Moments later, I felt the sensation of being picked up.

"What? Lucius..." I said to him as he gently dropped me on the bed as he lay down on the floor.

"Don't fight me on this one. You don't want to share the bed for whatever reason? Fine, but you're still sleeping on the bed. You give me most of your food daily, I'm not letting you sleep on the floor as well." He said, and I sighed.

"Fine, get up here. No use for both of us to fight about this, just come here." I said, as he had said just the right thing. A slight smile played on his lips at the victory as he lay down next to me.

"Just tell me, Joules, who hurt you?" He said, concerned, and I decided to tell him.