20: Pieces To The Puzzle

I've watched Gemmy pace the room about a dozen times after getting off the phone with her grandmother last night. I only heard the one sided conversation from Gemmy.

“How do you-”

“But I can't-”

“Fine..”

She couldn't finish half her sentences, but by the way she keeps pacing and the gears in her head seem to be turning I know it has to be something important. God I would simply ask if I hadn't sworn to myself to stay away. All because I need to hear the truth from my dad. Why can he just tell me?

Asking might not even be an option considering my lack of expression. She probably wouldn't tell me anyway. “Gemmy are you ready to go?” her mother calls from the bottom of the steps. Go? Where? “Yeah just a sec!” she leans over the railing and rushes to her backpack, stuffing all the small essentials she'll need.

Since our encounter last night I've forced myself not to follow her around the house like a lost puppy. It's pathetic really, even though I am technically staying away from her – I still want to know what she's up to. You mean you want to see if she's happier without you.. The small voice in my head boasts. I ignore it hating that it's dead on with it's assumptions.

She isn't happier though, it's only been a day at the most so I guess it's understandable. Then again that phone call with her grandmother really set things over the edge.

Could that be where she's going? Is it that important that she's ditching school for it? Not that I blame her really.. Anything is better than going to that hell hole. Of course things are probably a lot different for her than they were for me when I was in high school..

I watch her from the window seat as she scans over the room one last time. Going over her mental checklist to see if she's forgotten anything. All seems to be fine until she looks in my direction. My breath hitches as I wait for her to say something – to prove that she's capable of controlling every aspect of my being. But she doesn't..

She sighs and rushes down the stairs leaving me paralyzed on my ass. Why do I get the feeling that whatever it is that's got her so on edge has a lot to do with me?

I listen intently to her whole family shuffling around downstairs, muffled voices and cries can be heard. Setting my nerves on edge and my curiosity at it's peak. If this has anything to do with me then maybe I should go? No.

That's exactly what my father would expect me to do. This probably has nothing to do with me at all. I'm not caving in – I always half assed all my decisions in the past and i'm sick of it. What a great time to decide to change.

I wanted to call to him and tell him what was going on but I couldn't help but play his fathers words to me on a loop. “Your his salvation”

Then I came to the conclusion that if I am his salvation and he doesn't know it – its because he isn't supposed to. It would be too easy.

I don't know exactly how i'm supposed to save him or what will come of it but I hope my gramma has the answers. If she knows about Niall without me telling her then she must know how all of this is actually possible.

Through the whole six hour bus ride I didn't manage to get a wink of sleep. I thought maybe I could catch up on my sleepless nights but no such luck. The questions in my mind won't allow it – it's so unsettling that it's managed to disrupt my physical well being.

As usual the Manhattan streets were packed – bumper to bumper the cab driver finally parked in front of our old building. “Thank you” I sighed as I paid the man and slung my back pack over my shoulder. I really never expected to be back in my home city so soon. It's been a little bit over a month.

It's actually occurred to me that I didn't even get a chance to be home sick – or gramma Heather sick I should say. Nothing about this city except for her holds any significance to me.

My heart beats along with the dings from the elevator as I get closer and closer to my gramma's floor. I'm both eager and anxious to hear all she has to say, a whole stream of answers i've been searching for – now i'm finally gonna get them.

The elevator stops and the doors slide open almost in slow motion. My mind has a hard time catching up with my body – my footsteps sounding loud and heavy in my head. I stop outside gramma Heather's apartment and try to mentally ready myself for what will hopefully be a revealing conversation.

Just as I'm about to knock the door swings open. The light gust of air brings me out of the slow mental state as I involuntarily wrap my arms around my best friend – my gramma.

“Shh it's okay” she coos as she rubs my back, I cry lightly into her neck feeling a sense of home and love in her perfume. Her short blonde almost white hair lightly tickling my cheek.

“Gramma Heather – I hate to get right to the point with you, but i'm desperate. I feel like i'm going crazy” I break our embrace and she holds my face in her hands. Her blue eyes filled with tears and love. Gramma Heather's eyes are a gorgeous blue – much different than mine – much more intriguing. I like to think that's where I get my blue eyes from – since neither of my parents have blue eyes. “I think you have the right to be darling” she sighs a smile, “C'mon lets sit” she takes my hand and I let my bag drop to the floor as she leads me into the comfort of her living room.

Everything is just how I remember it. It's only been a bit over a month so I don't really know what I was expecting to find different.

“How have you been Gem?” she asks as we sit on the couch. I find the question just a tad funny.

“You mean how have I been beside the going crazy part – ya know with seeing a dead boy who lives in my house? Fine.” I sigh and she takes my hands in hers. “That good eh?” her eyes crinkle at the corners.

“My unimportant high school mellow – drama is nothing compared to being able to see -” I pause unable to speak his name to the one person who might actually give me answers. To the one person I always had an easy time talking to. I've kept him my little secret for a significant amount of time, that sharing it seems almost impossible.

“The dead boy” she states as if she knows him personally – I nod. “What's his name Gemmy?” she squeezes my hands in hers. My eyes lower to our hands as my heart sinks a little in just the thought of him.

“Does it matter? I just want to know how I can see him” I avoid the sound of his name leaving my lips at all costs.

“It does matter if you can't even tell me his name Gem” she ignores the attempt of moving on with the conversation.

“No it doesn't I -”

“You love him don't you?” she sighs and my eyes dart back to hers, my jaw nearly in my lap. “No, I – that's crazy” I attempt to deny it but she can see right through me. “It's okay if you do Gemmy we can't help who we love” she assures me as if the fact that he's dead isn't a problem and her gaze lowering as if she's thinking back to a significant someone in her past.

“His name is Niall..” I admit my defeat and she sighs her eyes finding mine once again.

“Gemmy, this boy – has unknowingly brought something out in you. And I don't just mean the love that you both feel for one another” she sighs not giving me a chance to get a thought in. “I think – no, I have all the answers your looking for I just wish your mother was here to here it as well” she pats her hair down gently, a nervous action I have come accustom to. I'm starting to think that the answers i've been looking for – are more than I bargained for.

“Before we get into this would you like some-”

“No Gram, this is what I came for – whatever it is I know that I can take it” I reassure, more for my benefit than hers.

“Fine” she looks me right in the eyes, “Gemmy, haven't you ever wondered why you – don't really resemble either of your parents?” I have a hard time seeing what this question has to do with the topic at hand. “I mean I just thought I got it from you” I answer truthfully, my brows furrowed.

“Well – yes you do, in a way” she sighs, and the expression on my face gives her the queue to go on.

“Gemmy – god your mom should be the one to tell you this – but nonetheless. It's time for you to know that-” she stops giving me one last final warning with just a look of her eyes. “That?” I gulp not sure what i'm about to hear.

“That, your – adopted, my dear” It's almost as if time had stopped as the image of her mouth replayed in my head, the words your adopted just falling from her wrinkled lips. Is this even reality anymore? I'm. Adopted.

“Gemmy” my gramma's voice is muffled – distorted even. “Gem, are you-” I take my hands from hers and stare at them in my lap. This explains so much of my early life. I was a baby – barely able to remember a thing yet growing up I felt as if something was wrong, something was missing. Almost like a part of me was missing. Now I understand why.

“If your going to ask if i'm alright – the answer is no. It has always been no. I have never been alright” I swallow the knot in my throat and force myself to be strong. I have to be strong for myself or I'll truly go insane. “But now I know why” I look into her blue eyes and it's now that I see no resemblance at all. I always used to think that we had the same mouth shape, the hair and the eyes. But I know that I was just making up fables – to feed some need in me. To help me feel whole – when truthfully I'm not. I've never been whole – not until he showed up..

And that's where the realization hits me. “You and Niall need each other” His fathers words replay on a loop. He's made me feel like I was complete – of course only in those moments when there seemed to be hope between the both of us. Now it's just me.. he's given up.

“Gemmy I – I've wanted to tell you but – it wasn't entirely my place” Entirely?

“What does this have to do with the fact that I can see Niall? I mean don't get me wrong here Gram – Heather” I correct myself and I can see the hurt in her eyes at the use of her actual name.

“Everything Gemmy, it has everything to do with why you can see him” she sniffs, taking my hands once more and holding on tight. “There's more?” I half laugh and try to pull my hands back but she doesn't allow it.

“I knew your mother – your real mother..” she treads carefully anticipating my reaction.

“What?” Is all I can manage to say while I give my mind to catch up and process everything she is saying.

“Your real mother was – she was a witch – a descendent of the salem witches”

“Your kidding me?” I laugh, a genuine laugh. “Your trying to make up some story now-”

“No Gemmy i'm telling you the truth – I knew her because of her mother who could have been your twin in her younger years” she rushes the sentence as I stand to my feet and pace her small living room.

“How could you possibly -” I begin then stop myself when I piece it together. “You. Your a witch too?” I question and think back to that dinner with my aunt Gene and my – and Melissa. “She gets these feelings”

“You can predict things” I say mostly to myself but she nods. “Am I?” I begin the question and she sighs, “No, your a wicken – meaning you only inherited a part of your mothers gifts because your father – he was a human” she looks down at her hands in her lap. Why does she say it likes it's a sin?

“Why is that a bad thing? I mean the way you said it” I huff, flopping back down on the couch beside her. “It's a very bad thing Gemmy. Witches are not supposed to get tangled up with humans and they're especially not supposed to bare children with them” she clarifies and my mind once more begins to piece the puzzle that is my life.

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Ahh i'm so excited :)))) okay okay sorry i'm crap at updating frequently but i'm not always in the mood idk i'm complicated. Anyway there will be another update within the next few days :) maybe tomorrow lol but don't hold me to that :x anyway enjoy! Sorry for any errors :x