by C. C. Lynch
“I’ll tell you someday, Abrielle, I promise. As for right now, you should do whatever you can with that information. Luther is keeping contact with me and I’ll make sure to let you know anything pertinent.”
“Personal leverage,” I muttered to myself. I looked over to Aiden who was twirling a large gemstone globe. “Vlaine is safe, everyone else on the list is safe, Nicholas is safe.” Suddenly every single nerve in my body tingled. “Steph!” I croaked. “Aiden give me your hand.”
He ran and grabbed on and I took us directly to her bedroom. Searching around the room, I tried to figure out what time it was and where she would be. With Aiden’s hand still in mine I took us to the lobby of Blyden High School. Some stroke of luck was on my side because there wasn’t a single person in the area when we teleported there.
I ran to the second floor to the principal’s office, my heart beating so loudly that I thought for sure it was going to break through my chest.
Poised at the receptionist desk was my favorite of the three receptionists at the school. “Hi Mrs. Doomey. I’m here for Steph, there’s been a family emergency and I need to pick her up.” Quickly I added to the lie before there could be any follow-up questions. “Her grandmother is in the hospital and her mom is by her side. She just can’t leave because they told the family it is time for the last goodbyes.”
I hated lying about something so tragic but Steph’s grandmother had passed away two years prior, therefore I felt like there was no negative karma that I could have been instilling on the woman from the lie.
Mrs. Doomey’s eyes welled with sympathy. “Of course, sweetie! I’m so sorry to hear that.” She typed quickly, finding Steph’s schedule. “She’s in a class with Mr. Murphy right now in room 308.”
My throat tightened at his name. I had assumed that his stint at Blyden High would have been over after I was taken to Glaston Academy.
“I’ll get her,” I nodded before jogging off.
I was on the third floor in seconds. Just before entering the room I mimicked Vlaine’s gift and changed my appearance to look like Steph’s mom. I calmed my nerves as best I could then knocked lightly on the door.
Professor Horicon, or Mr. Murphy as he was pretending to be, answered the door like the interruption was upsetting his entire day.
“Hello,” I swallowed deeply, “I’m here to pick up my daughter, Steph.”
The muscles in Professor Horicon’s face flexed and his jaw moved like he had just ground his teeth together. He must have picked up on my gifted humming. “Do you have a dismissal note?” His eyes drifted briefly to the folder in my hands that my father had given me then back to my face.
My reflex was to punch him in the face. Steph’s mom would not have taken his attitude so there was no way I was going to while masked as her. “When a parent personally comes into the school to collect their child in the matter of a family emergency, there is no dismissal note required. But by all means, please prove your ineptitude while you waste my time and check the school handbook.”
He sucked his cheeks in slightly and I thought for sure he was going to argue the dismissal but he eventually turned to Steph. “Get your homework from a classmate. I expect you to have the notes from class and assignment turned in tomorrow.”
Steph flipped her hair behind her shoulder and grabbed her books from her desk. “I hope you have a wonderful evening, Mr. Murphy. I’ll be certain to complete all my scholarly duties.”
We took all of about five steps into the hallway before Steph grabbed my arm and twirled me around. “Remember when you destroyed that shirt during our New Year party? Because I do.”
Damn that Steph for always being so perceptive. I allowed my appearance to take over her mother’s. Steph’s eyes went wide and she dropped her books.
Her hand went towards my face just before she took a step backwards. “What the f…”
“Shh,” I grabbed her hand, “we need to get out of here.”
Aiden gathered her things and grabbed onto my arm. She was staring at me as if I was some alien that her mind hadn’t quite processed. “Hold tight,” I whispered just before we materialized in Ernvlik Academy.
I looked nervously to Steph, wondering what she was going to say. Part of me wondered if she was going to scream and run away or be angry with me for keeping such a big secret from her.
After her first instinct wasn’t to run away screaming, I decided an immediate explanation was necessary. “Steph, I’m sorry. I know this is probably a lot to take in.”
She pulled me tightly into a hug and squeezed so hard I thought for sure a rib was going to crack. “I was worried about you.” She scolded me as if she was a mother that just caught her child sneaking into the house late at night. “I haven’t heard from you in so long and I know that whatever chick was on the phone over winter break was definitely not you.”
Steph pulled away and analyzed me as if I was going to change appearances again. “I knew you were different,” she shook her head and snorted, “but this is something else.”
Relief washed over me and I started laughing so hard that tears streamed down my face. “Steph, I have so much to tell you and believe me, I’m so glad I don’t have to hide this from you anymore.” Her eyes finally drifted towards Aiden who had been standing there patiently the entire time. “Oh, this is Aiden. Aiden this is my best friend Steph.”
They gave each other a nod and a small greeting then I took her out to the room and asked everyone to gather together. Once they were huddled into the large sitting area that was quickly becoming too small for comfort I gave a short introduction.
“I saw my dad and he gave us this information about the demonstration rooms. Frankie, Ovolina, Luka, you guys want to take a look at it?”
Luka took the folder from me and opened it up. “This is some complex stuff.” He handed the folder to Frankie who took it strait to his workshop and closed the door behind him.
“Jeremiah was going to use someone I cared about against me so I brought her here. Everyone this is Steph. Steph this is Draxe, Liz, Ovolina, Lena, Luka, Claire, Miranda, Connor, Al, Shane, and that was Frankie.” I tucked my hands into my pockets and smiled. “We’re The Gifted.”
Steph flashed a thousand watt grin at the group. “I may not be ‘gifted’, but I’m pretty exceptional. Nice to meet you all.”
The group said hello but before any conversations could begin Frankie ran to the elevator yelling and banging a device on the wall. His shouts were incoherent and I got into a defensive stance waiting for the worst.
“She got past it. She got past it.” Frankie was shaking his head and repeating the four words while continuing on with his tantrum.
I ran to the elevator ready to decimate whoever was going to come through the doors. “Al, I hope you have healing.” I looked at him pleadingly. In response he flattened himself against the wall and faced me.
The elevator doors opened slowly and the first thing my eyes found was a tint of purple. My jaw dropped. “It’s… it’s… it’s okay guys,” I stammered. “I knew you were real,” I whispered.
Lacey stepped off the elevator and glanced into the room triumphantly. “Do you know how long it took to find you?” She huffed and looked down at her cuticles before returning her gaze to me. “I heard you were going to incinerate the tree house.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, “we’re taking them down.”
Lacey took a turn about the room, ignoring the curious eyes on her. “So what are we waiting for?”
Thank you so much for reading Replicator! Please keep an eye out for the final installation of the series, The Gifted.
Keep up to date with everything by checking out www.cclynchbooks.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.C. Lynch grew up in Massachusetts and earned her bachelor’s degree at Salem State University. She now resides in Virginia with her husband and their pets, Gunner and Rocko.
Along with delving into her imagination, C.C. Lynch loves to read, hike, and has an unquenchable thi
rst for knowledge.
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