place. I have a small potted plant in my hands now, a gift from Summer (Lady Rose insisted on me calling her that.)
I stop at the panel outside the canyon, juggling the plant so I can see the footprints and cross through the security system. I'm alone, but I'm sure one of the adult capes is watching me from the apartment building to make sure I get home safe. It's still a little strange, being out in the dark, all alone. I stop, turning and glancing around with a slight frown. It feels like ... well, like someone's out there.
The footprints light up and I head inside, never losing the odd feeling that someone other than Nico or Summer is watching me. I actually feel relieved when I get inside the campus grounds. Maybe being stuck behind walls for that long has affected my mind.
"Where have you been?" The question comes as I reach the bottom of the steps. I look up blankly at Justin, wondering just how long he's been standing there. Instantly I forget about the strange feeling of being watched and focus.
"What's wrong? Who's hurt?" I demand, starting for the dorm.
"Nobody, but--"
"Nobody?" I repeat. "Nobody's hurt--is someone dead?"
"No, everyone's fine, I think."
"Then what does it matter?" I ask irritably. "As long as everyone's fine, where I've been is my own business." I slow down, but keep heading for the dorm, irritated that he'd made me panic for a moment.
"They're fine, but they fought through most of dinner," he says, falling in next to me. "And every time I tried to get them to calm down they would turn on me, even the ones that'd been fighting each other! I can't deal with them, Morgan!"
I stop, turning to look at him. "Then stop trying," I say bluntly. "Go back to the way you were at first, don't try and bother them and they won't bother you."
"This place is enough like prison as it is," he says. "You'd really stick me in solitary on top of it?"
I wince, because his words make me think of my dad. "It's either that or learning how to deal with them," I say a bit too sharply. "Those are your two choices. I asked to get you transferred and Nico said no." I start walking again, leaving him standing there with a stunned expression on his face.
"You were with the principal?" he asks.
"Yeah, I was," I say. "Got a problem with that?"
"Why did you talk about me?"
"The subject of annoying people came up, of course we talked about you," I say callously.
"Thanks for that," he drawls in an irritable tone.
"You're welcome." I open the door and instantly every single person in the dorm starts asking questions. "One at a time!" I yell. The room goes silent and everyone looks at each other--then at Vinny.
"Where were you?" Vinny asks
"With Nico," I say. "There's... um... something I need to tell everyone," I go on, hating the fact that I needed to. But do I? Do I really need to tell them? If they know I'm related to a crazy cape, will they still listen to me? I stare at them, my eyes going from face to face. If they stop listening to me, who would they listen to? I don't--I can't--
"Are you in trouble?" Carla asks.
"No," I say. "I'm not. I just--there's somewhere I need to go in a day or two. I'm not going to be gone long or anything, but I might miss school. It's not anything--I mean, I'm not in trouble or anything, I swear," I tell them. "It's... family business." There. I sort of told them. I told them as much as I dare to. I don't think I could handle it if this group starts to think I might turn out like Dad. I mean, I know Mastermental said I never will, but that hasn't helped me as much as I hoped.
I look at Justin, who's got a dark expression on his face, and I know why I still question myself. If given the chance to start over with a different past, to be someone else with different responsibilities--or better yet, no responsibilities at all, would I turn it down? When just having their basic abilities is a
I stop at the panel outside the canyon, juggling the plant so I can see the footprints and cross through the security system. I'm alone, but I'm sure one of the adult capes is watching me from the apartment building to make sure I get home safe. It's still a little strange, being out in the dark, all alone. I stop, turning and glancing around with a slight frown. It feels like ... well, like someone's out there.
The footprints light up and I head inside, never losing the odd feeling that someone other than Nico or Summer is watching me. I actually feel relieved when I get inside the campus grounds. Maybe being stuck behind walls for that long has affected my mind.
"Where have you been?" The question comes as I reach the bottom of the steps. I look up blankly at Justin, wondering just how long he's been standing there. Instantly I forget about the strange feeling of being watched and focus.
"What's wrong? Who's hurt?" I demand, starting for the dorm.
"Nobody, but--"
"Nobody?" I repeat. "Nobody's hurt--is someone dead?"
"No, everyone's fine, I think."
"Then what does it matter?" I ask irritably. "As long as everyone's fine, where I've been is my own business." I slow down, but keep heading for the dorm, irritated that he'd made me panic for a moment.
"They're fine, but they fought through most of dinner," he says, falling in next to me. "And every time I tried to get them to calm down they would turn on me, even the ones that'd been fighting each other! I can't deal with them, Morgan!"
I stop, turning to look at him. "Then stop trying," I say bluntly. "Go back to the way you were at first, don't try and bother them and they won't bother you."
"This place is enough like prison as it is," he says. "You'd really stick me in solitary on top of it?"
I wince, because his words make me think of my dad. "It's either that or learning how to deal with them," I say a bit too sharply. "Those are your two choices. I asked to get you transferred and Nico said no." I start walking again, leaving him standing there with a stunned expression on his face.
"You were with the principal?" he asks.
"Yeah, I was," I say. "Got a problem with that?"
"Why did you talk about me?"
"The subject of annoying people came up, of course we talked about you," I say callously.
"Thanks for that," he drawls in an irritable tone.
"You're welcome." I open the door and instantly every single person in the dorm starts asking questions. "One at a time!" I yell. The room goes silent and everyone looks at each other--then at Vinny.
"Where were you?" Vinny asks
"With Nico," I say. "There's... um... something I need to tell everyone," I go on, hating the fact that I needed to. But do I? Do I really need to tell them? If they know I'm related to a crazy cape, will they still listen to me? I stare at them, my eyes going from face to face. If they stop listening to me, who would they listen to? I don't--I can't--
"Are you in trouble?" Carla asks.
"No," I say. "I'm not. I just--there's somewhere I need to go in a day or two. I'm not going to be gone long or anything, but I might miss school. It's not anything--I mean, I'm not in trouble or anything, I swear," I tell them. "It's... family business." There. I sort of told them. I told them as much as I dare to. I don't think I could handle it if this group starts to think I might turn out like Dad. I mean, I know Mastermental said I never will, but that hasn't helped me as much as I hoped.
I look at Justin, who's got a dark expression on his face, and I know why I still question myself. If given the chance to start over with a different past, to be someone else with different responsibilities--or better yet, no responsibilities at all, would I turn it down? When just having their basic abilities is a
Similar Books
