Webspun, Chapter 2: Revealing Burdens

When Jenna woke up the following morning, it was still raining. It was just sprinkling, but it annoyed her. She opened her eyes and in an instant wanted to fall asleep again.
Then the most extraordinary thing happened. The sun came out of the grey clouds, the rain died down, and all was calm outside. Jenna leaned up, slipped her slippers on tightly clutching her silvery blanket, and walked over to her large window. She turned around; looking puzzled, and promptly tripped over her clothes hamper, which was lopsided on the floor. 
The boys downstairs heard a clatter from above, and as Lance moaned and stretched he accidentally kicked Ethan in the face. Ethan wrenched open his eyes, and gently moved Lance’s foot out of the way. He got miserably up, and went to the bathroom to get something for his bloody nose.  There was another muffled thump from upstairs, and Jenna tumbled down the stairs.
Unbelievably, there were snores that could be heard from Jenna’s mother’s room. Ethan crept along the labyrinthine hallways to the bottom of the stairs, where he found the mangled heap that was Jenna. Still clutching his bleeding nose, he looked down at Jenna.
“I know this looks weird, but I just fell down the stairs,” said the muffled voice.
“I know. I heard. Did your mom hear?”
“No. She’s a really heavy sleeper; I could have a party while she slept, and she wouldn’t hear a thing. What happened to you?”
“Lance kicked me in the face.”
“Nice.”
At that moment, a rather jumbled looking Lance appeared, wearing nothing but his boxers.
Ethan turned around very slowly, eyed Lance for a split-second and said, “I’m not quite comfortable with that outfit, Lance. Can you put some clothes on?”
Lance yawned profusely, and then nodded vigorously. He turned around and walked out of the room. Ethan turned back to Jenna and said, “Did not need to see that.”
“I could care less, frankly, he’s my boyfriend.”
“I did not want to see that, either, Ethan, so I can relate, at least.”
They had not noticed her coming out of the room. Kimmy was smiling slightly and walking down the stairs, still looking at Ethan, and, though he had not completely thought it would happen, she slipped and tumbled down the stairs.
He yelled loudly, reached over the banister, and caught her by the arm. Kimmy thanked him, and stood up as though nothing had happened. Jenna looked at him and said, “Now why didn’t you do that for me?”
“I wasn’t there at the time that you fell.” Ethan looked tired and said, “Could I take a shower?”
Without hesitation Jenna said, “Yes. You stink.”
“Wonderful.”
After about an hour, they were all in the kitchen, and having eggs and toast for breakfast. The phone rang.
“Ethan, it’s your mom.”
“Joy,” Ethan said, as he lifted the receiver slowly to his ear.
“Where have you been? Why didn’t you call us? Why didn’t you come home? What happened?” Ethan’s mother yelled to him over the telephone.
“The others can vouch for me, nothing happened, at all,” Ethan said in uttermost calm. “Phone lines went down, nasty storm, I couldn’t get a hold of you; no one was on the street for good reason as.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Ethan did so with a look of obvious exasperation, and Ethan’s mother asked the four teenagers, “Drugs?”
“No.” They said dully in unison.
“Alcohol?”
“No.”
Then Ethan said quickly, “And you need not ask the last one. ATM, remember?”
“Good. Should I come and pick you up?”
“No, Mrs. Anderson, we might be going somewhere today,” Jenna said dismissively.
“I’ll drop some clothes off, Ethan, on my way to the bank. I will also pick up your bike, which I would hope for your sake hasn’t rusted already.”
She hung up. Then the phone rang again. Jenna turned it on speaker.
“Hello, this is Jenna.”
“Where is my auspicious, dazzling, and slightly garish daughter?”
“Kimmy?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Where is she?”
“Right here, dad. Didn’t come home, raining too riotously. Thus I figured you wouldn’t have a problem with me staying at Jenna’s house.”
“That’s her, all right. Kimmy, you left the piccolo out. Do you want me to put it away, or shall I leave it to become vapid?”
Kimmy hit herself and grimaced. “Did you put it away?”
“Yes, Kimmy, I put away the instrument, on the night that it rained, but I didn’t swab it.”
Kimmy grimaced again, “It should come as no surprise that we’re going to hang out today.”
“Come home first, for I need to talk to you.”
“Fine, dad, I’ll be there in a second.”
He hung up.  Kimmy gathered her things, and left, leaving nothing but stunned silence and the shrill sound of tires on pavement.
Ethan whispered back, “I love how she can talk like Spock with her parents.”
“Who’s Spock?” Lance asked quietly.
Ethan didn’t even bother. The phone rang again. A cool female voice said, “Yeah, uh, Lance, when you come home tonight, make sure to put away your clothes. I left them on your bed.”
Finally, silence rang through the room.

Graciously, Jenna’s mom offered to take them to wherever they wanted to go. They met up with Kimmy (Jenna argued that she didn’t need to come, but Ethan won) and headed into an open-air mall with many restaurants and other things to do, including a movie theater. 
“Have fun, guys! Do you have money?” She shot at Jenna.
“Yes, mother. See you later!”
She drove away, and all of the teenagers relaxed slightly.
“Jenna, I know you’ve heard it a million times,” Ethan said, “but your mom is intimidating.”
“I know, I know, just like me. Where do we want to go?”
“Let’s get something to eat.” Lance said immediately.
“Is food all you think about?” Jenna said, smirking, “besides, of course, me?”
“You may not believe it, but some of us don’t just stay skinny.” Ethan said solemnly.
“I actually agree with Lance.” Kimmy said. “Get something to eat would be nice. Not anything extravagant, just like ice cream or something.”
“Ice cream would be good. Look, there’s Mojo!” Ethan said, settling the issue. Jenna got cookie dough, Ethan got strawberry sorbet, Kimmy got pistachio, and Lance got vanilla.
“All those flavors and you pick vanilla,” Jenna shook her head at Lance, and then taking a huge bite of her waffle cone.
“Jenna, that’s disgusting, swallow!” Kimmy said, looking appalled.
“Then I match what you’re eating.” Jenna said rudely after taking a huge swallow.
“That was quite uncalled for. Some of us actually have class, Jenna.” Kimmy said, raising her eyebrows.
“Have you seen our house?” Jenna retorted.
“Have you seen ours? Do you have a harp?” Kimmy said sweetly.
“Do I need a harp? Our school doesn’t even offer harp!” Jenna shrieked.
“Harp opens up a lot of doors,” Kimmy said, obviously flustered.
“Ladies, please,” Ethan said lazily, “is there a point to fighting like this?”
They were quiet, but Ethan heard Jenna say, “She started it.”
Ethan, and by extent, Kimmy, decided to just let it go.
They went around for a long time (Jenna and Kimmy kept quarrelling pointlessly), and eventually went to an early summer blockbuster movie all of them had already seen. They were waiting at the snack bar for some buttery popcorn when Jenna said, “I’ve got to use the restroom.”
She walked across the foyer, and entered the restroom. Then Kimmy turned to Ethan, “I do too.”
He gave her a very curt nod, and she followed Jenna across the foyer and through the door. Jenna was washing her face in the sink, and Kimmy stood near the door, tapping her foot impatiently.
“What are you doing here, Kimmy?”
“I don’t trust you alone.”
Jenna turned, looking appalled. She took slow steps towards Kimmy, keeping her arm as relaxed as possible, as she raised it to slap Kimmy. Kimmy’s eyes widened, not because of the threats to slap her, but because the water from the sink had lifted up and was following Jenna’s movements toward her. Jenna reached Kimmy, and made to slap her, but Kimmy grabbed her forearm, which tightened against her, and the water instantly fell to the floor in a great splatter that echoed through the tiled room. Jenna turned around to look at the puddle that had appeared, and then turned to Kimmy, whose face was full of loathing, and struggled against Kimmy’s prefect grip, unable to do anything because Kimmy stood her ground. Kimmy felt the muscles loosen, and she released Jenna’s wrist. Jenna pulled it away to her side.
Kimmy spoke, softer than ever, evidently furious, “Find some self control.”
Jenna pushed past Kimmy, and slammed the door behind her. Kimmy pushed the hair that had fallen in front of her face back, and looked curiously down at her reflection in the large puddle in the middle of the room.

After exiting the theater, Kimmy pulled Ethan sideways, “Because I know you’ll listen to me, something strange is happening.”
Ethan sighed, “I knew you would bring this up.”
Kimmy rolled her eyes, “It is in my nature to be curious.”
“Yes, yes, fine, I know,” Ethan frowned slightly. “Look, what happened last night has to only be a coincidence. The chances of that happening are not only astronomical, but unsettling. Please, Kimmy, listen to me,” Ethan said more quietly, and much more gravely, “Solitude. Think about the name, and I think you’ll realize the symbolism. This is probably just some pranksters. Like Jenna said”
“I thought that too,” said Kimmy instantly. “But to make that connection, you would need fairly smart pranksters. It has been my experience that pranksters usually aren’t that smart. Think about who the letters were sent to. Jenna and I are not on the best of terms, to say it gently. And there’s probably one waiting for you at home, and one for Lance. Mark my words, though: this is way to smart for the average prankster.”
“Evidently, but Kimmy, this just can’t be happening,” said Ethan, clearly frustrated now. “It’s not logical, it doesn’t make sense. This is the general kind of thing that happens in a fairy tale, a fantasy. Now please don’t take that as an insult, I’m imaginative too. I’m thinking about this like that too, I’m hoping that it might be real. It’s difficult not to. I just think that you’re thinking about this too much.”
Kimmy scowled, “I have proven before that it is impossible for me to think to hard about something.”
“I don’t believe you, Kimmy. In that regard, I’ve never believed you.”
Kimmy pointed with her index finger toward Ethan as though to accuse him of something vile, and incredibly, unbelievably, flames, fire, appeared about two inches from Ethan’s nose. Ethan and Kimmy looked equally surprised, and the flames extended.
“Cut it out!” Ethan yelled. “That burns!”
“I don’t know what I’m doing!” Kimmy screeched.
But she moved her fingers away nonetheless, and suddenly the flames wildly intensified. They were no longer under Kimmy’s control, and after a huge upward blast of fire, they extinguished.
Ethan looked at Kimmy, affronted. His voice cracked as he said, “That was…that was strange.”
“You really think so?” Kimmy said sarcastically, “I could have killed you. Or at least severely burned you. Also, my father checked the wind speeds at Sky Harbor last night, and they were about one hundred and sixty miles-per-hour, far higher than anything Phoenix had ever experienced. We also got ten inches of rain last night, which would be more than an entire year’s worth. That was not a normal storm last night. It could not have been. And in the bathroom today, Jenna made the water move from the sink into the middle of the room. I don’t think she knows, because she’s not good enough of an actor to pull off innocence. Whoever this Solitude person is, she wanted us together. She wants us to try to figure this out together. She wants us to know.”
“Do you think we should talk to someone about this?”
“Who would listen to us? After all, we are teenagers. We’re zitty and melodramatic and smart asses.”
“Jenna and Lance might,” Ethan said half-heartedly as he whipped out a cell phone and dialed Jenna’s number, “Come on, Jenna. Pick up.” He looked at Kimmy and then clapped the phone shut again. “Snickerdoodles. She won’t answer.”
“Try Lance, he always picks up.”
Ethan obliged, and no sooner had he dialed the number, Lance’s voice sounded not a bit concerned, “Y’ello.”
“Hi, it’s Ethan. Yes, I’m aware that got separated. Where have you been? I interrupted a kiss? Oh, I bet she’s thrilled about that. Didn’t you do enough of that in the theater? Can’t you guys stay in a dark room without sucking face? I swear, you guys bring new meaning to it. Right, I’m sorry Lance, I know it’s more her that you. Whatever. Meet us by the exit of the theater. As opposed to what, leave her there? Yes, Lance, bring Jenna. Anyways, knowing her, she’d tail you whether you like it or not.”
He slammed the phone shut.
“You have Jenna on your speed dial?” Kimmy said incredulously.
Ethan ignored her. Less than a minute later Jenna and Lance appeared, gasping as though they had run there.
“Guys,” said Ethan calmly, “Kimmy has something to tell you.”
Kimmy rolled her eyes, “That storm last night wasn’t natural. The winds speeds were insanely fast and we received more rain than we’re supposed to in a year. Additionally, look what I can do.”
She did the fire thing again. Jenna looked appalled, and said aggressively, “Oh, let’s add that to Kimmy’s many triumphs.”
“Watch it, Jenna,” said Kimmy in a quietly sinister way, “You wouldn’t want another bathroom incident, would you?”
Suddenly, the lid of Jenna’s water bottle blasted off like an uncontrolled bullet, and Jenna move the water so that it was a spear to Kimmy’s forehead, swiftly turning, almost drilling into her head. Kimmy narrowed her eyes as Jenna came nearer; Ethan stood back looking mortified and Lance was attempting to make conversation with couple pigeons away from them while Jenna said, “You know, Kimmy, I thought you were smarter. You thought I didn’t know, didn’t you. Well, I’m sorry to be disappointing, but I’ve known for a long time.”
She let the water crash to the ground, “Self control. Ha.”
The pigeons flew away from Lance, and he looked slightly disappointed as he said, turning to his peers, “What about this?”
Lance moved his fingers in a circular motion, and Ethan was blasted into the air. He landed several feet away, and moaned loudly. “Why me?”
“How do you do that?” Kimmy asked curiously.
“I don’t know,” he said uncaringly, “I’ve been able to do it for about two weeks.”
Ethan and Kimmy looked at Lance incredulously. Lance looked back at them, his head tilted slightly and his mouth in a small smile. Kimmy slowly shook her head, rolled her eyes and looked exasperated, but still smiled.
“Should I have told you?”
Ethan sighed and waved his hand uncaringly, “Yes, whatever you say, Lance.”
They stared at each other, awkwardly. Ethan kept opening and closing his mouth stupidly; Kimmy looked as though she was contemplating the physics of the fire from her fingers. Jenna looked as though she could punch someone, preferably Kimmy, and Lance, of course, stood there as though the turn of events was as boring as the movie they all had just watched.
“What are we going to do now?” Jenna said. “I’m bored. Entertain me.”
Ethan turned around and hit her on the arm. She punched him back.
“Okay, well, let’s just think about this,” said Kimmy.
“That’s all you ever do, Kimmy!” Ethan said, annoyed. “Be happy, for once, that you’ve actually done something incredible.”
Kimmy looked slightly offended.
“You know what I meant.”
She sighed. “Yes, I suppose so. Ethan, listen. I am happy. I’m just confused.”
Jenna’s eyes widened, and she did an elaborate double take. Even Lance looked at her questioningly. Ethan stared at her, clearly at a loss for words.
Jenna said, cruelty echoing in her voice, “She’s happy. The lumbering, vain smart girl is actually happy. Imagine that.”
“Shut up, Jenna,” Kimmy said angrily. “You need to learn to be quiet. I’m just going to ignore that uncouth comment you made. At least you understand what I’m saying,” she said, pointing at Ethan.
Ethan’s eyebrows rose into his hair. Ethan spluttered for a moment, clearly still at a loss for words. His finally just punched the air above him in frustration, and behind him, earth shot upwards in a tower to where his hand had touched the air.
Unaware of the stone pillar behind him, he stomped on the ground, and the pillar floated in the air. When Kimmy’s mouth dropped open, he turned around and said as he punched the thing, “That’s what I thought.”
And the piece of earth crashed through the wall of the movie theater. They ran off, faster than they had ever run before, into a field of shrubs. Ethan doubled over his heart pounding, as the others looked at him, surprised.
“I think it’s really important that you learn to control that.” Lance said matter-of-factly.
“Do you really?” Kimmy said as she smacked him on the arm. She stood next to Ethan and said, “But he’s right.”
“I know,” Ethan panted, “that. I also know that we should not be here.”
“Why not?” Jenna said.
“Because I just smashed a rock through a theater wall and the only girl in the world who can control fire is standing in the middle of a field of desert shrubs.”
Kimmy hastened to be on pavement again, as did the others.
“Hello, um, mom? Yeah, it’s me. Can you come pick us up? Yes, I think we’re done.” Lance’s phone conversation was very short, and in no time at all, they were all in Lance’s Minivan, except for Kimmy, who was standing next to the car. Lance’s two brothers Arthur and Maxx were in the car as well.
Lance’s mother looked through the mirror at Jenna, Lance, and Ethan, and said, “Did you guys have fun?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ethan said slowly.
“Did you show them what you could do with the air, Lance?”
All of them turned to Lance, and Lance looked back rather blankly. Arthur rolled his eyes. Kimmy looked as though she could hit him, but Maxx turned around to Kimmy as though he knew what she was thinking and said, “Oh, for goodness sake, dear, ignore him.”
“You’re sure you can get home, honey?” Lance’s mother said affectionately out the window.
“Quite sure, yes,” Kimmy said.
“And your parents are okay with me leaving you here, Kimmy?” Lance’s mom said cautiously.
Kimmy said, “Oh, no, I’ll be right home, it’s no problem at all.”
Lance’s mother rolled up the windows and drove away slowly. The passengers sat in silence for a while. “This has been a very, very strange day.” Ethan said, clearly frustrated. Ethan pulled out his phone and started texting Kimmy: “What are you doing tonight?”
She texted back: “My parents are hosting a party for some of mom’s fashion friends. I am without a single doubt playing harp. Piano too though, and I might do that piano-and-piccolo solo thingy from Stars and Stripes I’ve been working on.”
“Can you call me?”
“If I can get away from the ‘Oh, is this your lovely Kimmy? Gorgeous, talented, witty Kimmy?’, yeah, sure. Better yet, why don’t you just call me when I get home? I have to drive anyways.”
Ethan slapped his phone shut again; Lance’s mom dropped them each off at different homes, but the instant she left, Ethan dialed Kimmy.
Just as Kimmy had walked through the doorway of her house, she stopped underneath the gigantic gilded crystal chandelier and began to walk across the marble entrance to the large ivory banisters on either side of the off-white room, her phone broke the silence. She ran the rest of the way up the stairs, down three different hallways and into her room.
“Hello, Ethan.”
“Hi, um, yeah.” He said slowly, as he leaned onto his bed.
“You just couldn’t wait to talk to me?”
“No, I couldn’t, Kimmy.”
Yeah, well, there’s not much to say,” Kimmy said thoughtfully, “unless, of course, you’re looking for a rant, which knowing you, I’m sure you’re not. I’m just as confused as you are about this entire thing. It just doesn’t make sense. The fire is, just there.
There’s no other way to explain it.”
“Kimmy, you’re ranting.”
“Right, yeah, since that’s all I can do right now and God forbid you have to listen to it, I’m going hang up, because...”
“Ranting again, Kimmy!”
And she hung up.
Ethan’s phone rang again, “Y’ello?”
“You’re surprised I’m calling?”
“Not in the slightest, Lance.” Ethan said, “Weird changes, huh?”
“Yeah, I noticed it when I was about twelve.”
Ethan smacked himself on the head, “Always in the gutter. Always in the gutter. I wasn’t even remotely talking about bodily changes. Luckily, I knew about those changes before they happened.”
“Oh, um, I wasn’t making sexual reference.”
Ethan opened his mouth, and then closed it again, “What?”
“I’ve always really known I’m different. I recognize this about myself, always a bit weirder than everyone else.”
“You didn’t tell anyone?”
“Ethan, there wasn’t anyone to tell. I mean, I wish there was, but there was no one to tell. And the wind thing’s recent anyways, so I told my mother.”
“Right.”
“Anyways, you were talking about what happened today?”
“Bravo, Lance.”
“Oh, today’s events, well…I’m not worried about them.”
“What do you mean you’re not worried about today? Nothing just sent a rock through a theater wall.”
“That’s really more for you to care about, because you did it. So we can control things most people can’t. Who cares? By the way, could you talk a bit slower? I’m having some trouble understanding you.”
“Yes, fine, Lance. Apparently, this Solitude person cares quite a bit.”
“Well, yes, but she’s a give in.”
Ethan spoke through his teeth, “Lance, I’ll see you later. We’ll probably hang out tomorrow, in fact. Maybe Jenna will enlighten me.”
“Okay, Ethan, see you tomorrow.”
Ethan hung up. When he called Jenna, she said, “What?”
“Will you enlighten me?”
“Were you just on the phone with Lance?”
“Sadly, yes.”
“I have absolutely no solution for you. Lance is how he is; and that’s what I like about him. You know how he can be. It’s what makes him so fucking hot.”