Rudy stood there, arms folded at the stupid flower. He was glaring at it, making sure all his hatred was conveyed into the look.
There was nothing in this world that Rudy hated more than the stupid flower he saw now. Not even this delinquent who seemed to love torturing Rudy.
"I hate you, you know?" He asked the flower, just as a steady breeze blew it slightly to the side. Rudy felt an irresistible pull towards the stupid flower, and shook his head vigorously.
"Stop it!" He yelled, but the flower seemed to be winning. Because Rudy soon found himself on his knees, leaning to pick up the flower. He hated how this flower did this to him. Couldn't he just have a normal life? But again, he heard the words,
"He loves me." But then suddenly, a smack came to the back of Rudy's head. The first petal had already been ripped off, and Rudy could see the world changing around him. But he was more concerned about the blow to his head.
Rudy turned around to see none other than Jordan Mills, the same delinquent he was thinking about earlier. But instead of yelling, Jordan was just looking at the surrounding change, in horror. Rudy felt sick to his stomach, knowing there was no possible way he could explain this properly.
"What are you doing here, idiot?" Rudy suddenly yelled, stepping up. Jordan was brought to the world of the flower, and Rudy had no idea how to handle it. This had never happened before! Jordan just looked at Rudy in shock, before a voice came saying.
"Carly, I love you." Rudy turned his head to see a boy, who he read the memories of. The boy's name was Jarvis, and he had loved this girl Carly for a long time now.
Carly's eyes widened, not expecting this. To her, Jarvis had always been her friend. Her BEST friend. So this sudden confession was a bit unnerving.
"What the hell is going on?" Jordan suddenly asked, ripping Rudy's attention away from the new forming couple. Rudy's heart pounded out of his chest for two reasons. One, since Jordan, his personal torturer was here in this magical world, and two, because for some reason, Rudy thought about how Jordan's eyes were suddenly very compelling.
"I..uh.." He continued, before Carly spoke,
"Jarvis, are you being serious?" Again, not of his own free will, Rudy turned his head to see the couple, and Jarvis' face was tomato red, as he nodded his head up and down.
"I know it's a little sudden..." He started to say, and Carly nodded.
"You could say that again." She told him, and Jordan shoved Rudy on his shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing? Where are we? Is there a reason you're not freaking out?" He barked, making Rudy flinch. But the love scene that was before him was too compelling. So instead of replying, Rudy just went back to the love scene. Rudy had no idea that if he ignored the love scene, he was still forced to watch.
It must be because he's never had to do it before.
Carly just looked at Jarvis, and wondered if she could ever see the two of them having a future. Looking at his red face, she thought how maybe, it was a little cute.
With a smile, Carly nodded.
"Okay. I'll go out with you. But you're gonna be the one to tell my parents." She told him, and the second she finished, Jarvis' face was the living embodiment of happiness itself.
"Thank you, Carly! Thank you so much!" He yelled, and suddenly, Rudy was shoved from behind once more, but now it ripped him back into reality.
Rudy glared backwards at Jordan, pissed off.
"I'm not a damn punching bag, understand?" He barked, and suddenly, Rudy wondered how the hell he got enough courage to say that. The look on Jordan's face meant that he was thinking the same thing. But then, his face grew angry.
"I'm not the one at fault here! What the hell was that?" He shouted, and Rudy felt his body collapse inside itself. He literally had no idea what he could say. He could lie and say that Jordan was imagining things, but there were still five more scenes to go.
"Um.." He started to say, and suddenly, Jordan slammed him into a tree.
"Do you know where that place was?" He asked, tearing inside Rudy's soul. Rudy just felt the flower calling to him. He started trying to get away so he could get to it.
"Let go of me!" He yelled, and Jordan just held him back.
"Then tell me what happened!" He demanded, and Rudy started to thrash around. The need for the flower almost became sickening. He needed to pull off the next petal. He NEEDED to.
"Let me go!" Rudy yelled again, as the flower still called for him. Almost screaming for him. Jordan just looked at Rudy, and felt worry. Why on Earth was this boy so desperate? He looked awful.
Suddenly, Rudy squirmed out of Jordan's grasp, and bolted for the flower. Jordan raced after him.
"He loves me not!" Rudy yelled, right before he ripped off another petal. Meanwhile, right before Rudy left this world, Jordan latched onto Rudy. Taking both of them there once more.
Rudy let out an angered sigh, as they both tumbled into the other world.
"So...you see...I'm in love with Carly.." Jarvis told her parents, and Rudy was shocked. Usually the memories aren't mentioned in other ones. Jordan just rose off of Rudy, and looked around in another panic.
"What the hell is going on?" He barked, walking around.
"What do you mean, you're in love with Carly?" Her father glowered, and Rudy wanted to tear his hair off. It seemed almost impossible to focus on both Jordan, and the flower world.
"Are you okay, Rudy?" Jordan suddenly asked, and just then, Rudy noticed that he was still on the floor. Rudy's face flared. Why did Jordan ask? Did he care? Jordan reached his hand down, and Rudy took it.
"You know that no one is allowed to date my daughter." The father boomed, and Rudy, read his memories. Apparently, in Mr. Rave's religion, dating is not allowed. You may only get married, to someone who shares the same religion.
Carly saw what her father was about to do, and threw herself in front of Jarvis. Instead of his intended action, Mr. Rave slapped his daughter, throwing her to the ground.
"Stop that!" Jordan yelled, running over to the father. Suddenly, memories of when Rudy was first here came to his own mind. He too, tried to stop things from happening. But it never worked.
Instead, Jordan just went through Mr. Rave. Jordan looked around, even more panicked.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" He asked, and he looked towards Rudy.
"Do you know?" He asked, and Rudy saw a passed out Carly. Rudy wished tat he never had this power in the first place. It was ruining his life in so many different ways.
With a sigh, Rudy nodded.
"Look what you did!" Mrs. Rave yelled, her first time speaking. Jarvis felt sick with worry, as he dialed the police.
Suddenly, Jordan and Rudy were thrown back out. Rudy rubbed his head. This was all happening too fast. Why did Jordan have to be here? Rudy looked at Jordan, and expected him to be angry, but he wasn't.
In fact, he came over to Rudy, calmly.
"Okay, now tell me. Where the hell were we? Am I dreaming?" Jordan asked, and suddenly, Rudy burst out laughing. Jordan was a bit surprised at the sudden action, and then lightly punched Rudy's shoulder.
"It's not funny." He told Rudy, who forced himself to stop laughing.
"I'm sorry. It's just so weird to see the meanest kid in school, look so...nice." He spoke, and suddenly, both of their faces flared red.
"So...um..." Jordan spoke, trying to initiate Rudy into explaining.
"Oh...well..you see...I have this weird power. If someone plays "He loves me, he loves me not" on this flower, then I get to read their memories. I don't know why, it just happens." Rudy explained, clamping his eyes shut. There was no way Jordan would ever beli-
"No way." Jordan spoke, his voice low. But his voice did sound like he believed Rudy. Suddenly, Rudy felt compelled to tear off another petal. Rudy started to walk over to it, but Jordan reached out his arms, and yanked Rudy to the ground.
"What the hell are you doing?" He barked, and Rudy squirmed to get away.
"I have to tear off another petal." Rudy explained, and Jordan looked at him in shock.
"What? Are you crazy?" He asked, and Rudy just the realized that he was indeed in Jordan's arms. He suddenly ceased all movement.
"Well...that's another part of the power. No matter how much I don't want to keep going, I have to. That's why I wanted to get out of your grasps so bad, earlier." Rudy explained, and Jordan looked at Rudy in shock. There was so much he was confused about.
Rudy understood why. In fact, he thought that maybe Jordan was the better one. Because Jordan at least believed him. Rudy was sure that if the roles were reversed, he would never believe Jordan. But maybe he would, considering he was living it.
Suddenly, Rudy bolted out from Jordan's grasp, and Jordan raced to Rudy. Right before Rudy grabbed the next petal, Jordan was clutching onto the back of his shirt. Stopping Rudy literally inches away from taking the next petal.
"Let go!" Rudy told him.
"Never!" Jordan yelled, but Rudy had the power of the flower on his side. Because he reached out, and plucked off the next petal, yelling,
"He loves me!"
"Dammit!" Jordan cursed, and off the world changed around them.
"This makes no sense!" Jordan complained, right before they were fully sucked into the other world. It showed Carly in a hospital bed. Jordan and Rudy just watched her from the corner.
"She's all alone." Jordan observed, but Rudy shook his head.
"No. Her father is outside the room. Making sure Jarvis doesn't come in." He replied, and Jordan looked at him, confused.
"How do you know that? Do you relive the same play each time?" He asked, and again, Rudy shook his head.
"No. But I can read the memories of whoever is in this other world. And reading her memory, I can tell that her father is outside the door." Rudy explained, his voice emotionless. Because to him, this was all routine.
But out of the corner of his eye, Rudy could see the pained look Jordan was giving him. To Jordan, Rudy was just some kid he bullied. But now, he was starting to see how bad this kid had it. How odd he was.
And...how different he was.
"Please let me in." They heard Jarvis call, and Rudy just looked at Carly, who perked up at her boyfriend's words. Carly ran over to the door, and tried to see passed her father.
"Father, let him in. Please." She begged, but her father stood his ground. Jordan bit his lip.
"No, Carly." He barked, and Rudy was smiling. Jordan cocked his head.
"Why are you smiling?" He asked, and Rudy just kept looking at the couple.
"Because, this is a good memory." He replied, and the sunlight seemed to be in Rudy's eyes. Jordan looked away from him, just as Carly threw her body against the door, throwing her father to the ground.
Everyone in the room was still.
"Car..?" Her father mumbled, before Carly yelled,
"You can't tell me who to love! I love Jarvis, and there's nothing you can do about it!" She shrieked, and Jordan's eyes widened. His eyes probably weren't the only ones.
"You..love me?" Jarvis asked from outside, and Carly giggled.
"Yes, Jarvis. I do." She replied, and suddenly, the door opened. Her father had let him in. They both ran into each others arms, and even though he didn't want to, her father accepted him.
Suddenly, the world was back to old one, and Jordan let out a sigh of relief. But then he leaped in front of the flower, and Rudy glared at him, folding his arms. Jordan kept his ground.
"You know you're going to have to move." Rudy told him, and Jordan just looked up into the sky, pretending he didn't hear. Rudy burst out laughing, and Jordan cocked his head.
"What?" He asked, and Rudy kept laughing.
"You just snubbed me!" He added, lightly punching Jordan's shoulder. The second his hand touched his shoulder, both of them felt a spark, and they both leaped back.
Rudy jumped, taking the opportunity.
"He loves me not." He spoke, although his heart sounded sad.
"I think I might hate you." Jordan told him, and Rudy just stared into nothingness.
"You already hate me. Remember?" He asked, and Jordan then remembered all of those times he would tell Rudy he hated him, and all of the torture he made Rudy go through. Jordan opened his mouth to apologize, but then they heard Jarvis yell,
"Well, this isn't my fault!"
They both looked over, and Rudy knew that it had been six months since the hospital incident.
"Really?" You're the one who just had to have sex!" She yelled back, and both boys cringed, instantly knowing what was wrong.
"What! You're the one who wanted to do it, not me!" He yelled back, and Rudy just watched. Jordan tried to touch one of them, but he went right through.
"Oh, that's so rich, Jarvis! Blame it on me. You always do." She yelled, crying. Jarvis glared at her, arms folded. They both stayed silent for a moment, until Carly touched her stomach.
"What are we gonna do?" She asked, and they both just started to cry.
When Jordan blinked, they were back.
He was about to pounce in front of the flower, when Rudy was already pulling off the next petal. As fast as they had appeared, they were once again sucked into the other world.
"You're a real card." Jordan grumbled, an Rudy laughed. Jordan's eyes widened, seeing him laugh. His heart pounded, and Jordan didn't know what it meant. Well, he knew what it usually meant when someone's heart beat, but he thought for sure it must have been a mistake.
Suddenly, a baby began to wail.
Both Jordan and Rudy looked over. Carly was sitting in a hospital bed, Jarvis standing above her. He looked at his girlfriend and child with such love, and much pride.
Jordan didn't know what that felt like. His parents never payed him a second glance.
Jarvis put his hand on Carly's cheek, and she looked up at him, smiling. Even though they were babies themselves, they were going to have to raise a baby. But, looking in one another's eyes, they knew. They knew that they would defeat any obstacle that came their way.
"I love you." Jarvis told her, and Carly giggled.
"I love you, too." She added, but then she pretended to think about something.
"But there is another man in my life." She added, and Rudy knowing what she meant, laughed. But both Jordan and Jarvis, who didn't know, had their mouth gaped open.
"Who? Jarvis asked, and Carly looked down at their son.
"Him." She replied, and Jarvis smiled kindly.
"I feel the same way." He added, before they all fell asleep on the hospital bed. Again, they were sucked back. Rudy was used to has fast the transition happened, but Jordan wasn't.
Of course, he wasn't used to a lot of the things happening.
Then, Jordan realized something. Rudy was pouncing at the last petal. In fact, he was clutching onto a near by tree. Jordan walked over, concerned.
"What's wrong?" He asked, and Rudy shook his head.
"I don't want to. I hate this power." He spoke, and Jordan again just realized how small this kid was. How, even though he had to deal with this, he also had to deal with bullying from him. Jordan felt instantly guilty. If he had known all that Rudy was going through, he would have helped a lot sooner.
Also looking at him, Jordan wondered how Rudy was so strong. Jordan leaned forward to pat Rudy on the head, but he was gone.
"He loves me not." Jordan heard, as he rolled his eyes, ready.
"It's okay. honey." A now three year older Jarvis was telling his wife, Carly.
She looked back at their house with worry. This was the first time they were ever leaving their son alone with a baby sitter. And Carly was concerned.
"I don't know, Jarvis. Maybe we should just go out when mama and papa visit. I trust them." She spoke, and Jarvis kissed her cheek, and even though they were married, Carly still felt the just started dating rush of a kiss. They let it every time.
Thinking about their kiss, Rudy looked over at Jordan. Then he realized what he was doing, and quickly looked away. But little did he know, Jordan looked over the second Rudy was finished looking. Of course, he also looked away a moment later.
"Trust me. That baby sitter is a good one. Her older sister used to look after me when I was young." He insisted, and Carly just nodded, not wanting to think about it. She made the choice to trust her husband. Her trust has never been misplaced before.
Suddenly, the evening turned into night, which was rare. Usually the flash back just showed the bad time, and Rudy would get whatever memories he needed. So Rudy wondered if maybe the world was trying to accommodate for Jordan, so he could understand it better. Rudy then reminded himself that the world wasn't evil, like he thought it was.
It was just doing what it had to do.
"That was fun, baby." Carly laughed, nudging her husband. Jarvis opened his mouth to respond, when he saw it.
The cop cars in front of their house. Both Carly and Jarvis gave each other a look a worry, before dashing inside the house. The cops jumped, startled. But then quickly understood who they were.
"What happened?" Jarvis asked, panicked. Meanwhile, Carly began to hyperventilate.
"Someone one broke into the house. We got a call about an hour ago from the baby sitter, saying that someone was inside the house. Then, we heard a scream. We came rushing, but by the time we got here, the girl and the baby were gone." He explained, and already, Carly was bawling her eyes out. Jarvis wanted to comfort her, but he was too shocked.
"We're doing everything we can." Another cop explained, and Jarvis thought how there was no way this could happen. Like how maybe, it was all just some big misunderstanding.
"We're sorry." One last cop told them, before they got back to work.
Carly was still sobbing, it growing louder and louder. Jordan's eyes glossed over with tears, and he walked over to her. He tried to hug her, but of course, went right through her.
But a second later, Jarvis put his hand on her shoulder.
"Honey-" Was all he said, before she swatted his hand away.
"Don't you honey me! How could you do this to me? If we had just stayed home, we would all be safe! This is all your fault!" She sobbed, and despite himself, Jarvis felt anger.
"Honey, if we were here, we would have been the ones who got kidnapped. Actually, we probably would have been killed!" He shouted back, and Rudy felt it come. The ending.
The bad ending.
Rudy suddenly dropped to his knees, clamping his eyes shut. He put his hands over his ears, and Jordan came running over.
"Rudy, are you okay?" He asked, when Jarvis started walking up the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Carly asked, following after him.
"I'm giving you some space. I need some space." He replied, and Carly bolted after him. The cops, realizing something was about to go down, started to get ready for a battle.
Meanwhile, Jarvis got to the top of the stairs. Carly zoomed under his arm, and blocked him.
"How could you? Our son just got kidnapped, and you're trying to avoid the problem?" She sobbed, and Jarvis looked at his wife, sad eyed. He didn't want this to be happening either. Just five minutes ago, everything was okay in his life.
"Carly, just let me pass." He told her, and Carly glared at him.
"No." She replied, so Jarvis just pushed her forward, trying to get her to move. The second Carly realized what he did, she threw her foot forward, connecting it to his chest. But there was one problem.
She forgot where they were standing.
Jarvis came crashing down the stairs, and right before his head split open, Rudy curled into a ball as much as he could. Jordan watched, horror in his eyes, as the cops came running towards Jarvis.
"JARVIS!" Was all they heard, before they were pulled back into the normal world.
Jordan sat there, horrified.
Meanwhile, Rudy just stood up. He brushed the imaginary dust off of his clothes. He was trying to get his mind off of what he just saw. While Jordan, couldn't handle it. He couldn't move. Noticing this, Rudy got down on his knees once more, but this time in front of Jordan. He cupped Jordan's face in his hand's.
"Are you okay?" He asked Jordan, and again, it looked like all the good in the world was coming from this one person, sitting in front of him. At least, that's how Jordan felt.
"Of course you're not okay." Rudy added, and a second later, his arms were wrapped around Jordan.
"I didn't want you to see that." Rudy spoke, but Jordan still couldn't speak.
"You..." Jordan mumbled, and Rudy pulled away.
"What?" He asked, and Rudy saw how truly mortified Jordan was. Seeing Jordan's head split open.
"You have to?" He asked, and it took Rudy a moment to realize what Jordan was asking. But after a few moments, he understood.
"Yeah. I have to see that. The last petal always shows me something terrible. But sometimes it's just a really nasty bre-" Rudy started to explained, but Jordan pulled Rudy into a hug.
In each others arms, they both felt something they had never felt before.