Rebel Young

Part 18

FUN FACT: As I find it hard to concentrate on just about anything without music playing, I have comprised a Spotify playlist with the soundtrack to this story. Just search "Rebel Young" on Spotify and you should be able to find it. Thanks!

Brodie found me A few hours after the argument. I had retreated to the gym and was taking my frustrations out on one of the many battered punching bags.

"Careful there tiger, it'll be no good to anyone if you break the equipment," Brodie cautioned, he was obviously attempting to distract me from my anger.

I grunted a response before sending a particularly forceful strike barreling towards the sandbag. It rocked back and forth violently before the rusted chain jarred and snapped sending the bag back to earth. I followed it down and slumped, defeated, upon the floor.

"See, what'd I say - now what are people going to use when they're training?" Brodie's voice had adopted the same calming lilt he used for delirious or emotional patients. It was almost insulting.

"I'm not really in the mood to deal with Therapist Brodie right now, so if you'd kindly drop the tone that'd be great." I feigned politeness through a voice as sharp as nails.

"Sorry, I didn't even notice I was doing it," Brodie apologised. "Your Talents are progressing well, have you been practising?"

"What do you think I spend my waking hours doing Brodie? Making paper dolls?" I scoffed, surprising myself with how harsh the statement sounded. "Sorry," I murmured, "I'm just a bit on-edge at the moment. I can hardly control my emotions - I feel nothing like my usual self."

"Don't sweat it, you're still grieving your family," Brodie comforted, "emotional outbursts are part of the recovery process."

"Therapist Brodie is returning again," I teased, a small smile dancing at the edge of lips.

"Sorry. Anyway, I came down here to check on you after your argument with Jack," Brodie admitted, sitting down next to me on the floor.

"You could hear that?" I blushed and shrunk down in embarrassment.

"Nah, I saw Jack just before - he was looking for you y'know, no idea why he didn't try here first."

"Of course he was looking for me," I muttered bitterly.

"April, he knows he made a mistake and what he said was wrong, but Jack sometimes struggles with boundaries - and emotions," Brodie explained, he smiled slightly when I let out a small chuckle. "Why were you two arguing anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

"Skylar," I replied, covering my face as I responded.

"Pardon?"

"Skylar," I repeated, speaking more clearly this time, "she gives me this god-awful uneasy, nauseated feeling whenever we're around each other."

"That would be due to the sensitivity of your Talents," Brodie offered, his medical expertise coming in handy. "I've been studying reports of people with similar levels of Talent to you, and many report an uneasy feeling when they're around someone they feel to be dangerous."

"But it's just Skylar!" I groaned, laying back against the cool concrete floor.

"Don't underestimate her, she is wickedly intelligent and very cunning," Brodie warned. "Remember April, your Talents will rarely fail you, trust your instincts." He climbed to his feet and took a few steps toward the exit. "I have to go, my alerts are going crazy - nice talking to you."

"And to you," I returned with a smile as I thanked the man for listening.

Brodie reminded me slightly of Ethan when he was younger, they had the same instinctual habit of putting others before themselves. I wished I knew what happened to change Ethan so drastically, and I wished I knew how to help him.