Supporters counter they study human physiology there, which makes it a medical facility.”
“If we’re lucky,” June said, “they’ll blow it up. Then everyone’ll be happy.”
Micha was silent. The revelation had to be difficult for him, his once happy place now a fortress of villainous bullshit. Unfortunately, Micha needed to learn no good deed went unpunished.
“How did you discover your abilities?” Micha asked.
She welcomed the change of subject, even if the subject they switched to wasn’t one she enjoyed discussing.
“Hell if I remember.” She hoped the words sounded casual enough that Micha wouldn’t pick up on the lie. “People didn’t know as much about supernatural stuff when I was a kid, so Jason and I didn’t know we were different for a while.”
“What made you realize it?”
She shrugged. “We were spoiled. Kids, teachers, even our parents, they’d just do whatever we wanted. We didn’t think it was strange. Then around second or third grade, people started noticing we were weird.” An old anxiety stirred in her gut. “Around that time we found out for ourselves we were screwed up.”
“People always find out. One way or another. I saw how my sisters were treated.”
“Yeah. Our parents split up because of us. Always fighting about discipline, about all the stress we put on them. They must have thought they were losing their minds. My dad hated us. He was afraid of us. Me, especially. Jason quit using his power around the time we realized we had it.”
Micha turned his face to her, frowning. “That must have been rough.”
“Yeah, well. When we were fifteen, we moved with our mom from Rhode Island to California to get away from him. She got an offer from an opera company in Los Angeles. Singing’s her passion. Fitting, huh?”
Micha smiled faintly.
“California gave me a place to rebel like crazy. I lied about my age, got an apprenticeship in a tattoo shop, learned my skills. Then I filled my head with holes and covered my skin with ink. My mother was relieved, I think. Normal teenage bullshit versus being a freak of nature.”
“You’re not a freak of nature. Paranormal abilities are not a disease.”
“It’s easy for you to say that.” She tried to keep the bile out of her voice. Micha probably heard it enough. “Our mother got this guy to come over to our apartment and talk to us a couple times a week. He was impervious to our abilities, so he could teach us how to control them. That was when, you know, all this stuff started to become ‘science.’”
“Was he a vampire?”
“A vampire?”
“Vampires can block most paranormal abilities.”
“Hell, I don’t know.” She heaved herself into a sitting position. “Doesn’t matter, though. It was what it was. It is what it is.”
“Eloquently put.”
She sat quiet for a moment, knees drawn up, elbows resting on them. “What about you? What was it like being the odd one out?”
“You don’t want to hear about that.”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
Micha rubbed his face. “It’s boring and inconsequential. Another time.”
“Unfair. After I just told you my darkest secrets.”
“Life isn’t fair. And you wouldn’t want it to be. That would mean all the bad stuff happens because you deserve it.”
She grinned. “It’s a good thing you’re hot. Otherwise, by now I would have punched you in the face for all these gems of wisdom you keep flinging at me.”
Micha sat up too, on one elbow. “So are you in a relationship? Got a special lady?”
“Oh my God, stop.”
Micha laughed.
She feared she might actually blush. “No. I don’t want a boyfriend. Not right now.”
“I don’t remember introducing you to my wife. I do remember meeting you. I remember what I thought of you when I met you.”
“You thought I was an uncouth, nasty little punk girl, didn’t you? Most people do. You probably still think that. Because I am.”
“I thought you were absolutely fascinating, and I still
“If we’re lucky,” June said, “they’ll blow it up. Then everyone’ll be happy.”
Micha was silent. The revelation had to be difficult for him, his once happy place now a fortress of villainous bullshit. Unfortunately, Micha needed to learn no good deed went unpunished.
“How did you discover your abilities?” Micha asked.
She welcomed the change of subject, even if the subject they switched to wasn’t one she enjoyed discussing.
“Hell if I remember.” She hoped the words sounded casual enough that Micha wouldn’t pick up on the lie. “People didn’t know as much about supernatural stuff when I was a kid, so Jason and I didn’t know we were different for a while.”
“What made you realize it?”
She shrugged. “We were spoiled. Kids, teachers, even our parents, they’d just do whatever we wanted. We didn’t think it was strange. Then around second or third grade, people started noticing we were weird.” An old anxiety stirred in her gut. “Around that time we found out for ourselves we were screwed up.”
“People always find out. One way or another. I saw how my sisters were treated.”
“Yeah. Our parents split up because of us. Always fighting about discipline, about all the stress we put on them. They must have thought they were losing their minds. My dad hated us. He was afraid of us. Me, especially. Jason quit using his power around the time we realized we had it.”
Micha turned his face to her, frowning. “That must have been rough.”
“Yeah, well. When we were fifteen, we moved with our mom from Rhode Island to California to get away from him. She got an offer from an opera company in Los Angeles. Singing’s her passion. Fitting, huh?”
Micha smiled faintly.
“California gave me a place to rebel like crazy. I lied about my age, got an apprenticeship in a tattoo shop, learned my skills. Then I filled my head with holes and covered my skin with ink. My mother was relieved, I think. Normal teenage bullshit versus being a freak of nature.”
“You’re not a freak of nature. Paranormal abilities are not a disease.”
“It’s easy for you to say that.” She tried to keep the bile out of her voice. Micha probably heard it enough. “Our mother got this guy to come over to our apartment and talk to us a couple times a week. He was impervious to our abilities, so he could teach us how to control them. That was when, you know, all this stuff started to become ‘science.’”
“Was he a vampire?”
“A vampire?”
“Vampires can block most paranormal abilities.”
“Hell, I don’t know.” She heaved herself into a sitting position. “Doesn’t matter, though. It was what it was. It is what it is.”
“Eloquently put.”
She sat quiet for a moment, knees drawn up, elbows resting on them. “What about you? What was it like being the odd one out?”
“You don’t want to hear about that.”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
Micha rubbed his face. “It’s boring and inconsequential. Another time.”
“Unfair. After I just told you my darkest secrets.”
“Life isn’t fair. And you wouldn’t want it to be. That would mean all the bad stuff happens because you deserve it.”
She grinned. “It’s a good thing you’re hot. Otherwise, by now I would have punched you in the face for all these gems of wisdom you keep flinging at me.”
Micha sat up too, on one elbow. “So are you in a relationship? Got a special lady?”
“Oh my God, stop.”
Micha laughed.
She feared she might actually blush. “No. I don’t want a boyfriend. Not right now.”
“I don’t remember introducing you to my wife. I do remember meeting you. I remember what I thought of you when I met you.”
“You thought I was an uncouth, nasty little punk girl, didn’t you? Most people do. You probably still think that. Because I am.”
“I thought you were absolutely fascinating, and I still
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