Sharp Shot: It's Called Living

Jem’s head was pounding when she awoke. She was lying face down on a metal table. The events that led up to this point flashed through her mind like a stop motion film.
She tried getting up but her aching mid-section screamed in the process.
“I wouldn’t try moving for a bit if I were you,” an unfamiliar voice said from off to her left.
Jem turned towards the man, eyeing him with curiosity. He was taller than her and probably older by a few years. He had curly dark black hair, deep brown eyes and some stubble. He wore a black t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it, faded and worn grey jeans and some brown combat boots.
He smiled at her kindly. “That was a nasty hit you took you know. Just a couple of inches higher and you’d have been dusted.”
Jem gulped at the thought.
“Don’t worry though you should be fine in a few days.” He walked over to the table and lifted the blanket that covered her back.
“I’m Jet Star by the way” He said as he helped Jem sit up.
“Jem,” the girl responded. Her throat was dry and her voice barely came out when she spoke. The desert air was going to take some getting used to.
Jet star crossed the room and walked back to her with a syringe and a blue thermos.
“Here,” He handed her the thermos and Jem took a drink of the water inside. She could feel some of the dust and grit being washed down her windpipe.
Jet Star took her left arm and searched for a vein.
“This is just some morphine,” he explained “It’ll help with the pain but I can only give you one dose a day, we gotta conserve and stuff. Plus I don’t want you getting addicted.”
Jem merely nodded in understanding.
“Thank you for helping me.” She said looking down at the bandages that covered her whole upper body like a tube top.
“It’s the least I could do. I mean if you hadn’t taken that blast Party Poison would have been dead.” Jet Star gave her another small smile.
“Let’s go out front, the rest of the guys should be coming back soon.”
Jem nodded and took Jet Star’s outstretched hand. He wrapped an arm around her waist gently and she put an arm around her shoulders as he supported her weight to put less stress on her recovering wounds.
They went through a tiny corridor to the front of the building which would be a diner. There was a very rustic and nostalgic vibe to the place as Jem drank it all in. The dark wood rafters matched the pillars here and there that supported the roof. The brick walls were a tawny colour and the floor was some sort of synthetic tiling that was dark grey with bits of lighter grey in each tile. There were wooden tables and chairs in the middle of the room in neat rows, and to her right when she was standing in the hallway that led to the back room was the bar that had red booster seats around it and various glasses and bottles behind it. By the windows and the front door were comfy looking booths that had some pillows, clothing a blankets piled here and there. Possibly where the killjoys slept.
Sitting in one of said booths was a little girl who couldn’t be over the age of 10, fiddling with a radio. She had light brown hair that was curlier than Jet Star’s and hung about in coils around her angelic face. She was a bit dirty with smudges of grime on her face, possible from working on a car engine, she was in her worn little leather jacket and skinny jeans with beat up sneakers on her feet. A pair of goggles rested on the top of her head like a headband.
As Jem and Jet Star walked out into the main area of the diner the girl stopped tinkering with the radio and turned her big brown eyes to Jem.
“Power Puff this is Jem, she’s gonna be staying with us now.” Jet Star explained to the kid as he helped Jem into the booth she was at. Jem saw across from the little girl and smiled at her. Power Puff returned the smile and shook Jem’s hand heartily.
“Finally another girl around here! I was starting to think I was the last one alive!” she exclaimed. Jem laughed “Well you have me now, I hope we can be friends.”
“Of course, you’ll be my big sis” the girl said happily as she went back to fiddling around with the wires of the radio on the table.
Jet Star smiled at the two and went off into the back somewhere.
Power Puff glanced back up at Jem and frowned slightly. “What happened to ya? What’s with all the bandages?”
“Oh, well I kinda got blasted by some dracs,” Jem explained. She used the term she heard Party Poison use for the exterminators.
Puff’s eyes went wide once more. “You’re one lucky gal to still be breathing,”
“So I’m told” Jem mumbled.
“You want some clothes? You’re about eh same height as Fun Ghoul and I don’t think he’d mind you borrowing some until you get your own.” The girl got up and walked about two booths down and started rummaging through a pile of clothing.
She came back with a long sleeved shirt that was black with yellow sleeves with black stripes and a pair of dark wash jeans.
Jem took them and since there was no one else in the diner at the moment she took off her grimy work skirt and lipped on the jeans, they were a bit too long and hung lower on her hips since they were too loose. She slipped the shirt on, with the help of Power Puff so that her wound wouldn’t re-open.
Jem took a look at herself in the reflection of a piece of metal from the radio on the table. Her long black hair that was usually straight was a tangles mess, her bangs were far from neat and her day old eyeliner was smudged and faded. The sunlight made the splash of freckles on her nose and cheeks more noticeable. Along with a greenish purple bruising on her left cheekbone and along her jawline where she fell the other day. All in all Jem was a mess.
“What’s wrong?” Puff looked up at her when she saw Jem frowning at her reflection.
“I guess yellow isn’t my colour,” the older girl joked.
“I think you’re pretty,” Puff said sweetly.
Jem felt her heart melt a little at the girl’s statement. If her torso wasn’t hurting so much she would have crushed the girl into a hug.
“I think you’re pretty too,” Jem smiled.
The two girl sat there and got to know one another. Well it was Jem that did the majority of the talking but she didn’t mind. Power Puff was a quiet person and she liked to listen to Jem’s stories.
“So you’re really twenty two?” Puff asked
Jem nodded laughing “Yeah I know people still think I’m sixteen! Blame it on genetics I guess,”
Suddenly there was the sound of a car engine approaching and Power Puff jumped out of the booth.
“They’re back,” she said
Jem knew she was talking about the other Killjoys.
“I have to work on the Trans AM for a bit, but I’ll be back later okay sis?”
Jem just nodded. “Don’t overwork yourself kiddo,”
Puff walked out of the Diner and Jem could hear her greet the incoming Killjoy’s. Laughter filled the diner as the three strolled in. Jem recognized Party Poison, but this time his mask was off and she could see his entire face. He had defined eyebrows and the same beautiful hazel eyes framed by long dark eyelashes. He had a slightly upturned nose similar to her own and that crooked smile. His red locks were dishevelled and came to about his jawline.
Then there was the tallest of the three which she assumed was Kobra Kid since the helmet he had under his arm was the same one as yesterday. He light brown eyes, dirty blonde hair that was long at the top and shaved at the sides, he had dark brown eyes and a pointed chin. There was a slight resemblance between him and Party Poison but Jem’s couldn’t quite place it.
Finally the shortest once she didn’t know, but assumed was Fun Ghoul, the one who’s clothes she was borrowing. He had black hair that hung just below his jawline and hazel eyes that had a glimmer of mischief in them. Like he knew a really funny joke and wasn’t going to tell you.
The three were chatting and laughing about something when Jet Star came out from the back.
“Oh you guys are back already?” he asked as he joined their conversation
“Yeah we just had to run a few errands for Dr. D since we got supplies yesterday.” Party Poison said stretching his arms above his head.
“Well you picked up more than supplies last night,” Jet Star quipped.
“Oh yeah how’s she doing?” Party Poison suddenly became more serious, his voice laced with concern.
“Why don’t you ask her yourself,” Jet star said nodding in Jem’s direction. The three guys turned and looked at her laying down in the booth.
“Why didn’t’ you guys tell me you brought a chick back?” Fun Ghoul asked. His eyes trailed over Jem’s face and wandered down her body as he added “And a really hot chick at that,”
Party Poison rolled his eyes and walked over to the booth followed by Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid.
Party Plopped down in the booth across from Jem and Fun Ghoul skipped in next to her, with Kobra right across form his next to Party.
“What’s your name cutie?” Fun ghoul asked
“Jem,” she responded. Man what was with these guys? Every single one of them was hot, she was surprised she hadn’t blushed a lot when Jet Star was with her.
“Name’ Fun Ghoul, nice to meet ya,” Jem held out her hand for him to shake ad he took it but instead brought it to his lips and kissed her knucles.
Jem could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she retracted her hand, while Fun gave her a sly wink.
Party Poison cleared his throat and glared pointedly at Fun Ghoul. “I’m Party Poison and this is my brother Kobra Kid,” he said jerking his thumb at his brother.
“Nice to meet you,” she said smiling.
Kobra didn’t really meet her gaze but she saw him smile as he looked down at the table and played with one of the screws from the radio Puff was working on before.
“So how’d you get out here in the zones?” Ghoul asked as he casually rested his arm on the back of the seat, his fingers touching Jem’s right should slightly.
“Well I was in Battery City when I ran into Party and Kobra and we had some trouble with some dracs.” She explained.
“She took a blast in the back that would have dusted me otherwise,” Party Poison interjected “Thank s again for that. And since we dragged ya all the way out hear consider yourself an honorary Killjoy.”
Jem’s eyes widened “Really? Me?”
Kobra shrugged and finally looked up at her “Why not? You saved my brother and you don’t really have anywhere to go now, the dracs will assume you’re one of us anyway since you were spotted with us running.”
She felt another unfamiliar feeling twist in her gut. Jem suddenly felt her mouth go dry.
“S-So I’m never going home?” She asked in a small voice.
Fun Ghoul and Party Poison exchanged glances, seeming to have a silent conversation.
“Well it wouldn’t be safe if you did go back sweetie,” Fun Ghoul replied “They consider you one of us now, and besides you were being brainwashed back there. You know those so called vitamins you take every day?”
Jem nodded.
“Well that’s what they use to eliminate all your emotions, just giving you a false sense of calm and turning you into a mindless zombie or them.”
She gulped. So that was why they always made everyone take their dose. Even the youngest of children knew never to miss their vitamins.
“So that’s why when I missed my dose last night I- I felt…” Jem trailed off
Party Poison looked at her intently as he leaned forward on the table.
“What did you feel Jem?”
“When I was chasing after you guys to get my purse back and the dracs appeared I- I felt this thing in my chest like, I couldn’t breathe right, and my heart was pounding and this voice in my head was telling me to run away,” She explained, clutching at her chest. She could almost feel her heart rate go up when she recounted the experience in her mind.
“That’s called fear sweetie, you should get used to it,” Fun Ghoul said.

Notes