Jesse stepped through the front door quietly, hoping to slip in unnoticed. The kiss with Vanessa still gnawed at the edges of his mind, leaving him rattled and unsure. All he wanted was to retreat to his room, collapse into bed, and escape the whirlwind of thoughts for a little while.
But as he crossed the threshold, his mom’s voice rang out from the kitchen, sharp and expectant. “Jess! Where have you been?”
Jesse froze, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn’t expected to be caught so quickly. Back in his old world, as long as he was home before dinner, his parents never really cared where he was. But here, things were different. This mom, his mom, felt different.
His mom appeared in the hallway, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression pinched with a mix of frustration and concern. “You didn’t tell us where you were going after school.” she said, her voice edged with tension. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Jesse blinked, feeling slightly disoriented by her intensity. “I was… with Vanessa.” he muttered, the words coming out more like an excuse than an explanation. The protective energy radiating off her threw him off, making him feel like a kid being reprimanded.
Before Jesse could process her reaction, his dad stepped into the living room, his face set in a stern frown. “You should’ve texted us, Jess. We were worried.” His voice was firm, but there was something else beneath it: a layer of concern that wasn’t just about being home on time.
“I... I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Jesse stammered, trying to understand why they were so worked up. “I’m home before dinner, right?”
His dad’s frown deepened, his brow furrowing. “That’s not the point. You need to let us know where you are, especially if you’re with someone. You can’t just disappear like that.”
Jesse blinked, his mind reeling. The way his dad was talking like something terrible could’ve happened didn’t make sense. His old life had been so much more laid-back, his parents never this protective. But now, in this reality, they treated him like he was fragile, like they were constantly on edge, afraid for him.
He didn’t know how to respond, so he just stood there, feeling more lost than ever.
“Go to your room.” his dad said, his voice softening but still firm. “We’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
Jesse opened his mouth to protest but quickly thought better of it. He wasn’t in the mood to argue, not after the day he’d had. With a quiet sigh, he nodded and turned toward the stairs, dragging his feet as he made his way up.
Halfway to his room, he heard a voice behind him. “Ooh, you got in trouble.”
Jesse turned, glancing over his shoulder to see Sophia leaning casually in the doorway, arms crossed and wearing a smug grin on his face. The glittery “Boy Power” t-shirt still made Jesse cringe.
“Not in the mood, Soph.” Jesse muttered, too tired for his brother’s teasing.
Sophia, of course, wasn’t deterred. “Where were you, huh? At the ugly store?” he teased, clearly fishing for a reaction.
Jesse sighed heavily, his exhaustion seeping into his voice. “Just go away, alright? I really don’t want to deal with this right now.”
Sophia’s smirk faltered for a split second, clearly not expecting such a flat response. “Wow, someone’s crabby.”
“Yeah, I am.” Jesse snapped, his patience wearing thin. “So can you just leave me alone for once?”
For a brief moment, Sophia actually seemed to consider backing off. His eyes flickered with a hint of hesitation, but then his usual mischievousness returned, and he playfully shrugged. “Nah.”
Jesse groaned, his irritation bubbling over. Without thinking, he got up and, in one swift motion, grabbed Sophia by the shoulders, physically guiding him out of the room. Despite the changes in this reality, Jesse was still stronger than his younger brother, and Sophia didn’t put up much of a fight.
“Hey! I’m gonna tell Dad!” Sophia shouted as Jesse firmly pushed him into the hallway.
“Bye, Soph.” Jesse muttered before shutting and locking his bedroom door behind him.
Alone at last, Jesse collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as the day’s events swirled through his mind. The tension in his chest hadn’t eased. If anything, it had only gotten worse. His family didn’t feel like the safe, comforting presence they once were. Everything here was off-kilter, from the strange overprotectiveness of his parents to Sophia’s constant needling.
And then there was Vanessa.
The kiss still haunted him, not because of the act itself, but because of how it had left him feeling, or rather, how it hadn’t. He’d expected some kind of answer, some clarity about who he was or what he felt. But instead, there had been nothing. No spark, no thrill, just emptiness. If anything, the kiss had killed whatever attraction he’d thought he had for Vanessa. But the confusion lingered.
Jesse groaned and buried his face in his hands, the weight of it all pressing down on him. Everything felt wrong, like he was living someone else’s life, someone else’s emotions, and he didn’t know how to navigate it. His old life felt like a distant memory, slipping further away.