Teenage debris

Teenage debris

Solan’s POV

“Hey,”

My face scrunches up at the voice.
“Hey,”

At first, I think it’s Jace messing with me. He does that sometimes… mumbles near my ear when I’m half-asleep just to watch me flinch.
Annoying… I know.

With a slight groan I roll over, my eyes darting around until they fall on the door.
Closed?
I lift my head a bit, quickly checking my surroundings.

“No one's here,” I whisper to myself.

"Finally awake? Took you long enough."

My heart slams against my chest and I turn the other way, wide eyes searching for the owner of the voice.

“Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

“What the hell…” I sit up, clutching the sheets. “Who said that?”

“Though, you stink. I suggest a bath before you start panicking worthlessly.” The deep casual voice mutters, sounding like… like it is in my head.

My mouth goes dry. “No… no, no, no. This isn’t real.”
"It’s very real so stop whining. Your giving me a headache."

I grab my head, digging my fingers into my hair. I'm not hearing voices… I am not losing my mind!

What if they hit my head too hard? W.. what if I have some internal damage I hadn't noticed before?

I gasp when another thought hits me. What if it's my wolf? “No way. I shouldn't be able to hear my wolf so audibly. I should only sense it, it's actions, it's…it's…thoughts. Not freaking hear it.”

"Uhhh… how long are you going to keep soliloquizing? Because it's getting really boring over here."

“Shut up!” I throw the blanket off my body, jumping out of bed and pacing the floor. My pulse is pounding so loud it feels like it’s in my teeth. “No white wolf shifts this early. None… at least not at sixteen. Something’s wrong with me since I must have shifted too soon.”

"Wrong? Kid, I’ve been stuck in your chest for years. If anyone’s been wronged here, it’s me."

I grip the dresser, breathing hard. “Dear goddess… I shifted too fast. I wasn’t ready. What if this ruins me? What if I can't shut out this voice?”

"What if you take a bath first? You stink."

I blink. “…Excuse me?”

"You heard me. You reek. Get in the damn tub."

My jaw drops. I whip around like someone’s hiding in the corner. Someone has to be. “Where are you? Who’s talking?”

"Your wolf. The one you’re panicking about. The one you apparently think is some mental disorder. Do I need to knock on your skull for you to get it?"

“Yep, I've officially lost my mind. Too much stress. Seems I'm not that strong after all. And now… now I'll never be the same again. As time goes by I'll slowly deteriorate, locked in the dungeons to rot.”

I grab a shirt from the chair and yank it over my head. I'm insane.

"Insane is trying to fight me about hygiene. You’re welcome, by the way. I’m keeping your scent from exploding off you like a dead fish. Believe me it's not easy, carrying all your teenage debris."

“You’re not real,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I try to breathe. “This is… this is just a side effect from too many hits to the head.” I seethe.

“Kid, you’re talking to yourself in an empty room. If anyone saw you, they’d agree with you. But no, I’m real. I’m actually you... The better half, to be exact.”

I stop pacing, suddenly feeling like there's a presence at the back of my mind. Why do I feel like whatever it is… finds this hilarious?

"I do find it hilarious."

“I’m not ready for this.” Heck, who's ever ready to lose their mind?

“Of course you’re not. But here I am. Listen, you need me now. I know it's strange to feel you have a second person inside you but really there's no difference. I'm still you… your wolf. But, unlike others, I am also a different entity on my own. I can make decisions without your permission but I won't do that.”

“Need you?” I breathe out.

“Yes, to shield you. Just like I've done over the years, taking every pain you couldn’t handle. Or did you think you were just unusually tough for your age?” he scoffs.

I stare at nothing, my eyes feeling wet. Tears of fear and sorrow perhaps.

“Please stop. You’re not supposed to be so loud in my head.” I groan, pressing my hand to my burning head.

“Sorry, but life doesn’t work like that. You’re mine, I’m yours. You need my full protection. End of story.”

I shake my head so hard it makes me dizzy. “You’re insane.”

“Uh, Solan? We are the same person, remember?”
I groan, dragging my hands down my face. “My wolf is talking to me in an audible voice. Not just his emotions but his loud distinct voice.”

"Wow, that was fast. I was worried you wouldn't get it until you've fainted like you did when you shifted."

I spin toward the mirror, staring at my reflection. My eyes are just my eyes. No glowing, no wolf pushing through. “If you’re really my wolf, prove it.”

“Are you sure about that?” The voice asks calmly, almost sounding pitiful.

“Yes!” My voice cracks. “Show me you’re not just some… weird brain damage or…”

A scream bursts from my throat as a bolt of pain tears through my skull. I drop to my knees as my whole body locks.
“Stop!” I cry, pressing my forehead to the floor. “STOP!”
My chest feels like it’s caving, my ribs twisting. The pain I thought disappeared all comes back, but this time it's worse than before.
It lasts forever.

When it finally stops, I collapse onto my side, panting, my neck pulsing.

“You’re welcome.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “What the hell was that?!” I snarl.

“You asked for proof. I gave you a taste of what your body would feel if I wasn’t carrying all the weight. That was five seconds, Solan. Five.”

“That wasn’t five.” I wheeze, dragging air into my lungs. “That was an eternity!”

“Fine, ten… maybe twelve. But the point stands. I’m real. So are you happy now?”
“No, I’m not happy! You almost killed me!” I seethe, glaring into the air.

"Oh please. You’d know if I wanted you dead."
“You could’ve…” I breathe out hard. “I don’t know, tapped my shoulder? Made my eyes glow gold? Why pain?”

“Because pain doesn’t lie. You won't easily forget it. And you won't be asking me to prove it again… at least not anytime soon.”

So I'm not losing it… it's just my wolf? “Nothing to be worried about.” I whisper to myself.

Just then, a knock comes at the door. My heart lurches, but instantly I know who it is. My nose picks up her scent ten times faster.
“It’s Amari,” I whisper, surprising myself when I actually wait for my wolf to respond.

He chuckles. “Well, look at that. Finally using our senses.”

“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath.