by Dee J. Stone
Samantha’s eyes widen. “Ran away?”
I run my hand through my hair. “Yeah, and I need to go look for her. Sorry our day was ruined, kids. I’ll make it up to you.”
I’m about to launch off, but Samantha rests her hand on my arm. “I’m sure she’s okay.”
I nod unsurely and take off. As I fly around, I’m conflicted if I should tell my parents. On the one hand, I don’t want to worry them. On the other, they need to know about this. I choose to wait a little longer. Hopefully I’ll find her soon.
When I’ve covered a lot of ground with no luck, I figure it’s time to fill the parents in. But before I do that, I text Maddie. She and her mom are busy getting everything ready for school this Monday and I didn’t want to bother her, but I need her.
Kaylee ran away.
What? she texts back. A second later, she’s calling me. “What do you mean she ran away?”
I take in a breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. We were just eating ice cream and she freaked out, yelling how she wanted to go home. Then she ran off. I’ve been looking for her for hours, but can’t find her. What if…what if something happened to her? Or someone took her?”
“Nick, you need to calm down. Take another deep breath. I’m coming to help look for her.”
“You sure your mom can spare you?”
She snorts. “Don’t worry about that. We’re talking about your little sister.”
A few minutes later, she’s at my side. She goes in one direction and I go in the other. We remain in contact at all times.
Every time I think I’ve found her, it ends up being some other kid playing Hide and Seek or whatever. Where could she have gone off to?
My phone rings. “Did you find her?” I ask Maddie.
“Find who?”
Oh, crap. That’s not Maddie.
“Who’s missing?” Mom demands.
“What? Missing? Did I say that?”
A pause. I can feel her staring into my face, demanding an answer. “Nicholas McGuire. You tell me right now what’s going on.”
I wince. Never liked when Mom yelled at me like that. I puff out my cheeks. “Kaylee ran away.”
“What?!”
I swallow. “I don’t know what happened. We were having a good time—or I thought we were. Then she had a tantrum and ran off. I can’t find her, Mom. Been looking for hours.”
Mom doesn’t say anything, but I hear her breathing. Can practically see the worry all over her face.
“It’ll be fine,” I try to reassure her. “We’ll find her.”
“Should we call the police?”
“Mom, I think there’s a higher chance for me to find her than the police. Maddie’s helping me. We’ll find her. Promise.”
She’s quiet again before saying, “Keep me updated.”
“Okay.”
“And Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m disappointed in you.” She hangs up.
Great, that’s just perfect. The one time I take out all three of my siblings for ice cream, this happens. Will my mom trust me again?
No time to worry about that. I’ve got my little sister to find. I wrack my brain, thinking where Kaylee would go. She loves dancing, but I don’t think she’s at the studio. She wouldn’t want to be around people.
Think, Nick, think. I shut my eyes, picturing it.
She likes when I give her piggyback rides, and when I make her fly. Fly…fly…
My eyes open. Of course. The park. They have a playground that’s so high, Kaylee told me she feels like she’s flying every time she plays on it.
I call Maddie. “I think she’s at the park near her school.”
“Meet you there.”
I turn and soar there. When my feet hit the ground, my eyes search around. No Kaylee. Dammit. I was so sure she’d be here.
Just when I’m about to give up, I hear sniffs coming from one of the bushes a few feet away. I move toward it. “Kayls? Is that you?”
No response. I push the leaves aside and find her sitting there with her arms wrapped around her legs. She’s rocking back and forth, crying, her face buried in her knees.
I crawl next to her, fix the leaves that we’re hiding behind, then put my hand on her arm. “Kaylee. Do you have any idea how happy and relieved I am that you’re okay? We’ve all been so worried about you.”
She shrugs my hand away.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Is it because I was spending time with Danny and Kitty? You’ve never had a problem with it before.”
She shrugs again. I rest my hand back on her arm. “Talk to me, kid.”
“I don’t wanna talk to you,” she barks. “I wanna be alone.”
This is so unlike her that I’ve got no clue what to say or do.
“Nick?” Maddie calls.
Kaylee’s eyes get big and she scoots further back. “I don’t want anyone to be here. I wanna be alone!” She’s so loud I bet they can hear her on the moon.
The leaves move aside and Maddie sticks her head in. When she takes in Kaylee, she steps back. “Is everything okay?”
Kaylee continues to rock back and forth. Maddie’s gaze meets mine. She looks as lost as I am.
Watching Kaylee like that reminds me of something I saw on TV once, about this kid who went through something traumatizing and kind of reacted the same way Kaylee is.
Could it be…?
Maddie’s watching Kaylee, too, but she doesn’t seem to know what’s the cause of this. I wish I could tell Maddie my theory, but I can’t in front of my sister. Too bad neither of us has telepathy.
Instead, I eye signal her that we’ll talk soon. She gets the message and holds out her hand to Kaylee. “Let’s get you home.”
“No!” Kaylee buries her head in her knees again.
I put my hand on her arm. “Mommy and Daddy are worried about you. Do you really want to stay here all day? Don’t you want to go home and sleep in your bed instead of in this bush?”
She shakes her head. “It’s safer here.”
“Safer from what?” Maddie asks.
“Everything.” Kaylee’s muffled voice says.
Maddie twists to me, her eyes wider than I’ve ever seen them. Slowly, she seems to understand what’s going on. I nod that I get it, too. Kaylee’s traumatized because of what she’s been through. We thought she doesn’t remember anything, but I guess she does.
We can’t worry about that right now. We need to get her home, where she’ll be safe in my parents’ arms.
I reach for her hand. “Come, let’s go. I promise nothing will happen to you and no one will hurt you.”
She slowly lifts her head, her eyes filled with tears. “Do you really, really promise?”
“Have I ever lied to you? Other than when I lied about being Blue.”
She quickly shakes her head.
“Then let’s go.” I pull her into my arms, and Maddie and I fly toward my house. I text my mom, letting her know we’ve found my sister and will be home soon.
Kaylee presses herself to my chest, as if she’s worried someone is out to get her. She’s shivering like she fell into a pool of icy water. I run my hand up and down her back to keep her warm. Maddie motions for me to hand her over, and she uses her fire power to warm her up.
It seems to take forever to get home, but once we do, I find my mom pacing outside the house. As soon as she sees us, her body sags with relief. She rushes over, flinging her arms over Maddie and Kaylee. “Kaylee, you’re okay!”
Kaylee doesn’t react in Mom’s arms. It’s almost like she’s a statue.
Mom draws back and pulls all three of us into her arms. Then she takes Kaylee and says, “Why did you run away? I told you countless times not to—”
“Mom?” I say. “Now might not be the right time. We need to get Kaylee to bed and I need to talk to you about something serious.”
Dad and Matt must hear the commotion because they run out of the house a
nd hug Kaylee, too. “Why did you run from Nick?” Dad asks as he kisses her cheek.
Mom gestures that we’re going to talk about that later. With Kylee in his arms, Dad enters the house. We follow, say good night to my sister, then go to the kitchen for a drink. All that searching made me thirsty. Hungry, too, but I doubt I’ll be able to get anything down my throat.
Matt’s in the kitchen with Maddie and me. He leans against the counter. “So what’s wrong with her?”
“We should wait until Mom and Dad return.”
Maddie asks, “Do you want me to go?”
I shake my head as I take her hand. “No, please stay. Things are always better when you’re around.”
“Good because honestly? I don’t want to be at home right now. I mean, at the school.”
“What happened?”
She waves her hand. “Nothing worth talking about, especially now. Let’s just say my mom and the government don’t exactly agree on so many things. I just wanted to get out, you know. Not that I’m happy I had an excuse to leave.”
“I know. You love Kaylee like she’s your sister and would do anything to help.”
Matt gulps down some orange juice. “Wish I could also help. Seems like I’m not doing anything.”
“That’s not true. You’re always around when Kaylee needs you. You’re the…the normal brother. The one who doesn’t cause his little sister to be tortured and traumatized.”
“Traumatized? What are you talking about?”
I sigh. “It’s all because of me that she’s like this.”
Footsteps enter the room. Mom and Dad must have heard all that. Mom’s hand goes to her chest. “Is that why she’s acting this way?” she asks. “Because of everything that happened?”
“Nick and I think so,” Maddie says. “Maybe she doesn’t remember what happened to her, but her brain does. Or maybe she repressed the memories and they’re resurfacing. Either way, she needs help. Lots of it.”
Mom and Dad exchange a look. “My poor baby,” Mom says, her voice pitched.
I drop down to the floor. “This is all my fault.”
Maddie rubs my shoulder. “It’s not. The only people we can blame is JQ. They’re the ones who did this.”
She’s right, but I can’t help blaming myself. If I wouldn’t have ever been Blue, then JQ would have never found out about me. If I would have kept my powers hidden, Kaylee would be a normal, happy six year old kid.
“We’re not going to let her out of our sight,” Mom says.
Dad nods. “We’ll take shifts staying with her all night.” He rests his hand on Mom’s cheek. “We’ll find the best therapist out there. Don’t worry. We’ll get our Kaylee back.”
Mom lays her head on Dad’s chest. “I hope you’re right.”
I stand. “I’ll take the first shift. You guys should get some sleep.”
“No,” Mom says. “You must be exhausted from all the searching. Dad and I will take the first two shifts.”
“Mom—”
She pushes some hair out of my eyes. “We’re the parents. You’re the kids. Let us take care of you, not the other way around.”
I’m about to argue, but both parents give me looks like I won’t win. Maddie and I leave the house so we can have some alone time together. Dad calls after us, telling us to stay right outside the house.
“I know you told me not to blame myself, but I do,” I say. “I had to be a hero. I just had to be a hero.”
Maddie wraps her arm over my shoulder, pulling me close. “You’re not the only one. I pushed you to be a hero for my own selfish reasons.” She looks into my eyes. “She’s going to be okay. Sure she has a long way to go, but as long as she has all of us, she’ll be fine.”
I kiss her. “You always know how to make me feel better. I’ll always worry about her, but maybe you’re right. I have to be positive.”
Chapter Four
It seems stupid to go to school when all this is happening with Kaylee, but Mom told me there’s nothing for me to do at home. Plus I made a commitment to help the powered kids and I need to keep it.
Kaylee’s still in bed when I go down for breakfast. Mom decided to keep her home today, and maybe for the next few days. She might even have to homeschool her if the memories are that terrible. Everything is all one big blur at this point. I need to stay positive that everything will work out.
Dad already left for work, and Matt left for school. It’s just Mom and me at breakfast this morning. Mom’s eyes are red and she’s walking like a zombie.
“Did you get any sleep last night?” I ask.
She sits down next to me with a cup of coffee. “A little. But I don’t want you blaming yourself and getting distracted. I know this is a major problem, but we’ll get through it. You need to focus on yourself, on school, on being fifteen. Leave Kaylee and me to your father.”
“But I want to help.”
“I know you do, but I want you to be happy, too. To live your life. Do you think you can do that?”
I poke my eggs. “I’ll try. Can I say bye to Kaylee before I go?”
“If she’s awake.”
“Did she sleep well?”
Mom rubs her temples. “She cried out a few times, but went right to sleep. Dad and I are going to look into therapists today. The sooner we get her help, the better.”
“Maybe you can talk to Maddie’s mom. The superhero school has many shrinks.”
Mom nods.
I finish up eating and get to my feet. “Off to my first day at superhero school.”
Mom fixes my hair and my shirt. Normally I’d wish she’d quit that, but it doesn’t bother me now.
“Oh, I forgot. Samantha called a few times yesterday. You might want to let her know that everything is okay.”
Shoot. I totally forgot to tell her we found Kaylee. She’s probably still worried. I’m not used to having my bio mom in my life. “I’ll call her soon.”
Kaylee’s still sleeping when I climb the stairs to her room. “Sweet dreams, little sis,” I whisper before returning to the kitchen.
Mom kisses my cheek, tells me to have a good day, then I float in the air. As I turn toward the direction of SPC, I call Samantha. “Good morning,” she says. “Is it a good morning?”
“Yep. We found her.”
“I’m glad. Everything is okay?”
I puff out my cheeks. “Not really. She needs help.” I tell her everything. “My parents told me to let them deal with it and focus on myself, but it’s hard. Kaylee is my little sister. Guess I feel protective of her and want to do anything to help.”
“I understand how you feel. It’s the same way I need to step back and let your parents raise you. Honestly, they’re doing a fantastic job and I don’t regret anything one bit. Let your parents handle your sister. They are her parents and know what’s best for her. For all of you.”
“I guess you’re right. There really isn’t much I can do, since I’m not an adult and I’m not her legal guardian.”
“All you can do is be the older brother she loves and looks up to.”
I smile, liking the sound of that. “Thanks, Samantha.” I clear my throat. “We never talked about this, but is it okay if I call you Samantha and not Mom?”
She laughs lightly. “That’s perfectly fine with me.”
“Are Danny and Kitty okay? They’re not upset because our day was ruined, are they?”
“Danny was a little, but I talked to him. Kitty was actually a little scared of Kaylee’s outburst, but I talked to her as well. The kids do expect to hang out with you again, but I told them you have many things you’re dealing with. They understood.”
“Hey, if they want to hang out, we can hang out anytime.”
She pauses. “Don’t you have schoolwork and training and being there for your family and friends?”
“Yeah, but you’re all my family, too. Don’t worry, I can handle it all.”
She pauses again. “Don’t overwork yourself, Nick. It’
s great that you want to be there for everyone, but like your parents said, focus on yourself, too. Okay?”
“Yeah.”
As I continue heading to school, my bio mom passes the phone to Danny and Kitty. They ask me about Kaylee and I tell them she’s going to be okay. They’re relieved to hear that.
Before I hang up, Danny says, “So…I was wondering if you can come to my school as Blue and sign some autographs for my friends?”
I don’t have a chance to answer because Samantha takes the phone and apologizes for that. It’s cool that he looks up to me, too, but I really wish he’d see Nick as cool, too, not just Blue.
Maddie’s waiting for me outside the school building. I lower myself to the ground and walk over to her. She’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Guess what?” Her face falls. “Oh, I don’t mean to be all happy after what happened yesterday. I’m so selfish. Is Kaylee okay?”
I pull her close to me. “She’s fine. And it’s okay to be happy. Life moves on and we can be happy. Because everything is going to be okay. I can feel it.”
She smiles. “Okay, then guess my good news.”
I wrack my brain. “Dunno.”
Her smile widens. “Guess who’s going to be a free woman?”
My eyes bug out. “Your mom’s getting a divorce?”
She dances around, rising in the air. “Yep, yep, yep!”
I’ve never seen anyone this happy over news like that. But Maddie hates the guy and her stepsister, so I can’t blame her.
I’m in the air, too, and join in her dancing. All this pent-up stress leaves my body and I let go, enjoying myself and goofing off. I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun since we took down JQ.
“Maddie,” a voice says.
We stop and look down. Melissa stands there with her hands on her hips. “I’ve been calling your name.” Her eyes move to me. “Hi, Nick.”
I wave lamely. “Sorry. We were just celebrating…um…” I rub the back of my neck.
“Your divorce,” Maddie finishes for me. I shoot her a look, but she pretends not to see it. She and her mom don’t have the best relationship, so I guess Maddie feels like she can be blunt with her. I wish Maddie would be a little sensitive to her mom’s feelings. She kind of doesn’t look that well, not that I blame her.
