The sessions didn’t improve. We each barely tolerated the time spent together, counting the minutes until the agonizing hour was done. At the end of our fourth session, I flipped ahead in the textbook to find out the next topic. When I saw the chapter heading “Genetics” I gave a snorting laugh.
Mindy gave me her usual glare. “What?”
“Nothing, just looking ahead.” I shoved the book in my bag.
Mindy leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms while she watched me thoughtfully. “So, you know, Jack,” she lingered over his name and I tried to hide my wince, “thinks your family is bad for you.”
I tensed. “Oh yeah, what does he know?”
She gave a shrug. “I don’t know, he just told me he’s worried about you,” she said in the most condescending tone possible.
I stood up, the chair making scraping sounds on the floor. “Well, you tell him if he wants to find out how I’m doing, he should ask me.” Without waiting for her reply, I stomped out of the house.
Fuming as I walked to the warehouse (timed and tracked by Aunt Kate), I avoided thinking about Jack and instead thought about genetics, specifically supernormal genetics. Where did we originate from? I knew supernormals had been around a long time, were even a part of mythology, but I didn’t know much more.
Once I arrived at the warehouse, I looked for Aunt Kate. I found her pretty much where I expected: in the classroom area working on her tablet.
“Hi, I have a random question.”
She lowered the tablet to look at me. “Yes, Olivia?”
“So we’re getting ready to study genetics in Bio.” I waited for her nod of acknowledgement. “And it got me thinking.” I hesitated, unsure how to phrase my question.
“Are we human?” Aunt Kate finished, understanding my real question.
I nodded. She patted the couch next to her, and I sat down, ignoring Uncle Dan’s frown from across the warehouse. He was probably annoyed that I wasn’t training as scheduled, but, since I was talking to Aunt Kate, he didn’t gripe at me.
“Alex told you about the cataclysm two hundred years ago,” Aunt Kate began, her voice taking on the lecturing tones I’d grown tired of over the past several weeks, though this promised to be more interesting than learning where crossbows were first developed or how canoes were designed in early North America (I still had no idea why I needed to know that gem of information).
She picked up a pen and tapped it on her palm. “Because of that event, we don’t have access to earlier records. Most of the archives in Edinburgh were burned – probably by Benjamin Hallowfield. We believe he also compelled others to destroy any other records in the rest of world.” She shook her head. “Such a waste, such a loss. It means we don’t explicitly know our origins.”
“Oh.” I felt let down; I assumed she’d have an answer, a factual answer.
Aunt Kate smiled at me. “But where history fails us, science comes through.” She chuckled when I perked up. “Based on DNA testing, we are related to modern humans, Homo sapiens. Probably a branch in the same tree limb – close enough to be able to breed.”
“So we’re not mutants or whatever?” I remembered Mom getting annoyed when she’d found my stash of X-Men comics. At the time, I figured she didn’t want me talking to my friends about my abilities. I thought she was afraid I would let it slip that I was like an X-Man.
Aunt Kate let her breath in a huff. “No,” she stated firmly. “We are not mutants. Well, not any more than any other being.” Her tone shifted from casual lecture into intense lecture mode, warning me that this conversation could get very technical if I didn’t stop her. But I had one more question.
“When, um,” I flushed red, “a normal and a supernormal, um, have children, is the child always a supernormal?”
“Learning about the birds and the bees?” Kevin spoke from behind us, making me jump; he’d approached so quietly that I hadn’t heard him.
“Ha, ha. Shut up.” I tried to will away my red face, but supernormal abilities don’t extend to hiding embarrassment.
“Kevin, Olivia is asking questions about her origins.” Aunt Kate sounded both stern and amused as she regarded her nephew. “Perhaps an example you should follow.”
Kevin gave her a cheeky grin and sat down beside me. “Okay, so we were talking about where babies come from?”
I pushed at him. “Go away.”
“Hey, I actually know the answer to this question.” He steepled his hands together and raised an eyebrow. “When a normal and a supernormal breed, the result is usually a supernormal.” Aunt Kate started to speak, but Kevin kept talking. “I believe the percentage is about 98.” He smirked at Aunt Kate. “How’d I do?”
“Not bad. It’s nice to know you were listening to some of my lectures.” She stood up. “Olivia, if you are interested in learning more about our origins from a scientific viewpoint, I recommend you read articles by Augustus Minitor. He’s doing the best work in this field of study. I’ll leave them in your locker for you to pick up after training.”
After she left, Kevin turned to me. “Wow, way to get more work for yourself.”
“What do you mean? Was she serious? Will she follow up and ask if I’ve read the articles?”
Kevin snorted and rose to his feet. “Yeah, you still don’t know Aunt Kate very well, do you?” He pulled me to standing. “Come on, let’s get some blood pumping to your brain. You’re going to need it.”
I followed him to the fencing ring, wondering how I managed to get even more homework. And, now that I’d gotten an answer for my genetics question, my brain reminded me to fret about Jack, except fretting about Jack was a circle I’d been going in for a while. I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere.
To distract myself from circuitous trains of thought, I asked Kevin, “So if you and Anna get married and have kids, how are you going tell her she’s raising a supernormal?” I’d never directly asked either one if they were dating, but I thought the evidence was clear.
Kevin stopped and turned around to stare at me. “What are you talking about?” He looked baffled.
“You and Anna. You’re dating her.” His reaction made me ask, “Aren’t you?”
Kevin shook his head. “What gave you that idea?”
“Well, you guys seemed to be so friendly.” I stopped because that was all of my evidence. And then I wondered, the times I thought he was with Anna, like when the Umbrella Man was blown up, where was he really?
“No, I mean, she’s nice and all, but I think she’s dating some guy in our history class, Judson Potter.” Kevin shrugged and looked at me with a wicked grin. “Though I sense I have your approval if the field opens up.”
“Ha, sure, like you could date a girl like Anna.” Before I could voice my question about his whereabouts, Uncle Dan interrupted us.
“Come on, get a move on. You’re both lollygagging today. Do an extra fifteen miles on the treadmill after your fencing training.”
Crap, now I had extra homework and extra workout time. It was no use arguing with Uncle Dan; it would only earn me more penalties. With a deep sigh, I picked up a sabre. I tucked my suspicions away to be taken out and examined later.
Chapter 27
As the days went by, I withdrew from my family, going through the motions of training and school. My dark bedroom walls reflected my dark mood as I kept the curtains pulled over the windows, even during the day. I’d begun binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was up to season six. I felt a kinship with Buffy. All she’d wanted was to stay in Heaven and not get sucked back into the world; all I’d wanted was to be normal and not get sucked back into the supernormal world.
Day twelve of my confinement found me at the warehouse, listlessly lifting weights. I was too bummed to be happy that I was bench-pressing 800lbs. now. I had completed my last set and was sitting up on the bench and wiping my face when I realized Kevin, Lange, and Zoe were lined up, watching me from the edge of the weights area.
Kevin grinned at me when he saw me star
ing back at them. He disappeared and reappeared in front of me while Lange and Zoe followed in the usual method of walking over to me.
“Hey, Ollie, why so glum?” Kevin asked.
My mouth dropped open in astonishment. “What do you mean, why so glum? Are you serious?” I waved my hand around at the warehouse. “I’m basically the walking condemned!” I dropped my hand and slumped on the bench. “Just waiting for the ‘rents to decide I’m a danger to everyone and ship me off to the prison in Colorado.”
“That won’t happen,” Zoe said lifting a 100lb weight out of the way with one hand and sitting down on the edge of another bench.
“It won’t?” I asked hopefully.
“No, they would ask the Council to come and investigate first.”
“Geez, Zoe, way to be encouraging,” Lange said while I blinked back tears.
I was so sick of everything: sick of the tension of waiting, sick of feeling like I didn’t fit in either of my worlds, and sick of not knowing if I was a time bomb of danger. I pushed up to my feet, shoving the bench back a few feet. I marched away from my cousins and over to the boxing ring.
I stood there for a moment before grabbing a pair of gloves, intending to go a few rounds with the punching bag when a quiet voice said from behind me, “Looking for a sparring partner?”
I spun around with surprise and faced Ben. He was dressed for training in black shorts and a T-shirt. His black hair had been cut recently, but still fell in his eyes.
“I didn’t know you were back in town,” I said.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “So you up for a bout?”
My stomach clenched when I realized his family may have come back to deal with me. I opened my mouth to ask if that was why they were here, but Ben had finished pulling on his boxing gloves and held up the rope in invitation.
A few rounds of boxing sounded pretty good right now. I slipped under the rope into the ring and watched Ben join me. He moved lightly and easily as he stretched out his shoulders and jogged in place to warm up. My stomach tightened again, but this time it was with interest. With his striking green eyes and black hair, Ben was already good looking. Adding in a well-toned physique that most high school boys would kill for just completed the young hero package. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, but it didn’t help.
He noticed me watching him and raised an eyebrow. “Ready?”
Oh yeah, I was supposed be focusing on measuring his fighting ability. I nodded, biting my cheeks to keep from laughing with embarrassment. Good God, Olivia, focus. Your life is a total suckfest right now. It’s not time to crush on exactly the wrong guy.
“Ready.” I raised my fists encased in boxing gloves. “Three minute rounds?”
“No powers, okay?” he said as he set the timer in one corner of the ring.
“Sure, no problem there.” I tried to ignore the bitterness in my voice. He gave me a half-smile, and I winced as I remembered he was restricted from using his powers at all times, so we were well-matched in the bout. Unless my powers decided to come out of the closet today.
The bell rang, and I didn’t have time to think for the next hour while we faced each other in round after round. Dancing and dodging around fists and trying to land punches cheered me up. By the time we fought our last round, I was in the best mood I’d been in all week. I even managed a real smile as I pulled off my gloves and shook his hand.
I was still smiling when we left the ring and I saw Emma near the classroom. She was staring at Ben and me with a blank expression. I felt good enough to walk over to her. “Hey, any news?”
Emma seemed to pull her gaze away from Ben. She said in a cold voice, “No incidents, as you well know.”
“Emma, just because nothing has happened in the past week doesn’t mean Olivia is behind the incidents,” Ben said, crossing his arms and frowning.
She stepped back and held up a hand. “Don’t read me, Ben.”
Ben dropped his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. “I. Am. Not. Reading. You.”
I was startled by Emma’s rudeness, not towards me, since I was getting used to it, but it was strange for her to be rude towards someone else. Ben looked hurt as he muttered, “See ya,” and walked over to Lange and Hugh in the weights area.
“You didn’t have to be a jerk to him,” I said angrily. My good mood was replaced by the constant undercurrent of anxiety I’d grown accustomed to in the past few days.
She crossed her arms and gave me a pitying look. “Don’t defend him. He’s as much of an aberration as you are.”
Her words stabbed straight to my heart, and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. I just stared at her, shocked by the amount of anger and hatred behind Emma’s words. There was nothing I could think of as a response, except, “Get away from me.”
The word ‘aberration’ echoed through my head and pushed out all other thoughts. I didn’t wait to see if Emma left before I walked blindly to the most private part of the warehouse, the fireproof room where supernormals with fire powers could practice. Right now, there was no one in the family or in the Hallowfield family with fire ability, so this room was rarely used.
I slid down the wall and put my face in my hands, telling myself not to cry. But I didn’t listen. Sobbing as quietly as possible, I curled into a ball on the floor. All the tension built up inside me drained out with the tears, leaving me exhausted and limp. Strangely, I was also sweating.
Done with crying, I lay on my back and gazed at the ceiling. Aberration. Was Emma the only one who thought of me as an aberration? Or were the rest of my cousins secretly calling me that hateful term as well? Maybe Emma was the only one with the guts to say it to my face.
“Hey, you okay?” Ben stood in the doorway, gripping the frame and peering at me with concern. “Can I come in?”
I sat up and waved him in. He sat beside me. “What did Emma say to you?”
I took a shuddering breath. “She called me, and well, you, aberrations.”
He winced but didn’t seem very surprised. “Heard that one a few times,” he said sympathetically. “It hurt the first time someone said it to me. Of course, they also spit at me, which was equally unpleasant.”
“How can you stand it?” I couldn’t imagine living with an ability that was essentially a curse. It was better to have no ability like me.
He ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in tufts. It was adorable. “Well, it helps that we live out in the country. I can usually get away from people and relax.” He looked at me and I was surprised at how tired and adult his eyes were. “It’s harder in the city. I get tired because I have to fight for control more. Your Uncle Alex helps – he’s working on meditation techniques with me.”
Good old Uncle Alex. I smiled at Ben. “I’m glad someone in my family is helping you.”
To my surprise, he blushed and looked away for moment. He looked right back at me and said, “He’s not the only member of the Brighthall family I look forward to seeing lately.”
Confused for moment, I just stared at him while his words and expression finally registered. I blurted out, “Me? You mean me?” I could feel my face turning red. I must look amazing, red eyes, red nose, now red face.
Ben reached for my hand, hesitating just before he touched me. “Your shield is strong, nothing leaks from it. I know I can touch you without reading your thoughts. And I really want to touch you,” he said softly and wistfully.
I reached my hand out to touch his. His grip was loose at first, but then it tightened as I made sure not to drop my shield. He watched our joined hands for a moment and then seemed to come to a conclusion. He reached out with his other hand to run his fingers along my jawline. His touch was light, but it ignited a tingle in my belly. I leaned towards him, my lips parting. I gasped when he met me halfway, kissing me as eagerly as I kissed him. He let go of my hand, and I wrapped my arms around him, enjoying the feel of his strong arms as they wrapped around me. Emma flashed through my mind but I pushed any thoughts o
f my mean cousin away. I didn’t owe her anything.
He pulled back and really smiled at me for the first time. I smiled back, feeling his heart beating against my chest.
“I guess us aberrations have to stick together,” I said with a laugh.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “Yep.” His shoulders relaxed.
I kissed him again. I pressed against him, wanting to be as close as possible. Without thinking, I relaxed my mental shield. Ben pushed me away as if I’d suddenly become boiling hot. He scrambled back on the floor until he was as far away from me as possible in the small room. He was still close enough that I could see the shock and betrayal in his eyes. His mouth was open as if in a silent scream.
“Oh no, no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to drop my shield. I just got caught in the moment,” I stammered and crawled towards him.
He held up a warning hand and swallowed a few times before he managed to speak. “Stay away. It’s harder to stay out once I’ve been in your mind.” His voice was flat and empty.
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “But it wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you tried to read my mind, right? So you’re not going to get in trouble,” I assured him, wanting to erase the look of betrayal from his face.
“Ollie, it doesn’t matter how it happened. It matters that it did happen.” He shook his head when I started to protest. “We can’t be in this situation again. I don’t think I would stop if you let me in a second time,” he said, looking at me with regret.
I started to say Would that be so bad? and then I realized what it would mean to have someone else in my head. I wasn’t ever going to ready for that level of intimacy. Some thoughts are meant to be private. “I won’t drop it again. I know it’s a risk, so I’ll pay attention.”
He shook his head. “No.” He pushed himself to standing and smoothed down his hair. “I wish…” He stopped himself, turned toward the door, and then hesitated. “Um, I did find out one thing.” He looked back at me.
“What?” I said, not really caring what he said. I was feeling so let down and embarrassed by my lack of control.
Dormant Page 22
