Life Light (6 page)

“Lie low,” Liz says.

“Lie low, lie down, there is very little difference,” Tatia says, blowing it off. “This will give you a place to go to if you have another of the ‘home-arrest’ problems.”

“You heard about that, huh?” Liz says, looking sheepish.

“Of course we did! It is not something you should try to keep secret from your parents,” Tatia lectures. “It was very impressive.”

We all stare at her, shocked.

“Impressive?” Liz finally repeats when no one can think of anything else to say.

“Oh, yes, very impressive!” Tatia says. “I was so very proud--your ability is so very amazing!”

“Um... thank you,” Liz says, a little smile sneaking onto her face. “I try not to use it, though, because it's way too exaggerated,” she admits. “I mean, you don’t really need to do something that dramatic when a bit of spark and crackle gets the crowd going just fine, right?”

“A very good way of thinking,” Tatia says. “Now look around--your room is through that opening there. We can put a door on it, if you desire. The kitchen is here. It is only a half kitchen, because your father insists that you will not eat with us if we give you a full sized one,” she says bluntly. “He has been led to believe that you do not like him very much.”

“Well... it’s more like I hardly saw him when growing up--first he was either always off saving the world, and then he was... well, dead,” Liz says. “Nico hates him for it, although I think he’s calmed down since finding out he was a dad himself. Me, well, I don’t dislike him, exactly. I just... don’t know him.”

“That is why it is perfect to make you your own apartment!” Tatia says, walking over to Liz and placing her hands on her shoulders. She looks Liz straight in the eyes, “you are always welcome here. You will have your privacy, when you need it, but we are always here to talk with.”

“Nico said you hated my mom,” Liz says.

The look on Tatia’s face is priceless. “Well--that was--your mother--“

“Nico kicked her out when I was eight,” Liz says, shrugging. “It’s not going to bother me if you hated her, all I remember of her was constantly being forced to do things I couldn’t do at the time. So I don’t care.”

“Oh Liz,” Tatia says, her voice soft as she drags Liz into a tight hug. “Do not worry; I will be happy to call you daughter. We will have family holidays and wonderful adventures together! You, me, and the girls--let us enjoy this week!”

“Let’s go see the polar bears!” Emily says.

“I would actually prefer getting some sleep,” I admit. “I slept a little on the plane, but it wasn’t very good. Can I opt out on the polar bears for the moment?”

“We will go see the polar bears tomorrow,” Tatia says. “I will leave you all to get comfortable in your new place. Dinner will be in a few hours! I will call you!”

“Thank you, Grandma Tatia,” I say as she hauls all of us into one last hug before heading off. I look at the others and point to the stairs. “I’m going to go check out my room, okay? I also have an email to write.”

“Have fun!” Liz says, already raiding the kitchen. They didn’t bother with a fridge, I notice, they simply carved one out of the wall and put a door on it. Liz doesn’t seem to mind at all.

“I’m going to my room, too!” Emily says, following me down the stairs. “I think Superior built my bed, too,” she adds as we reach our hall. “I want to see what else there is.”

“Have fun,” I say as I head into my room and dig through my things. I pull out my laptop, sitting down on my massive rocking chair with it in my lap. Nico built it--that means it runs off of my Super energy. I never have to worry about the battery dying. I tap on the keyboard and bring up my email. The forwarded email pops up and I read it one more time before I start to type.

I erase at least three times, almost giving up. It’s hard, writing to someone I don’t know. There’s always the chance she’ll think I’m pranking her or something. What if she does? Or what if she’s the one pranking me?

I stare at my letter, high-lighting it after a moment and hitting the delete key. After a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, I start typing one more time. Even if this is a prank, I can’t risk passing up the opportunity of finding out.

Hello, my name is Aubrey. I go to Cape High. I’m the one you saw on the video. Can I please ask why you were so interested in talking to me?

I hit send, my hand shaking slightly as the email picture grows small and disappears. Your letter has been sent. Those words seem so final, I think as I stare at them.

I find myself pushing F5 a few times after returning to the inbox. That’s stupid, I know, there’s no way she’s just sitting by her computer or her phone waiting for an email from me, right? I should call up the zoo kids and tell them that I’m here safe and sound--

1 New Mail.

I jerk, my hand shaking slightly as I brought it up. It’s RE: Hello. She did see it. She’s already written a reply. Wow, that was fast. I click on the email, opening it and reading it slowly.

Some strange guy came to our school today. He said he was from the Hall. How can I know you’re not him or somebody else out to do strange things to me?

Strange guy? I look at it blankly before pulling out my phone. “Mastermental,” Double M says.

“Double M?” I say. “Did someone go out to the school of the girl that emailed the hall about me?”

“Actually, yes, Nico sent in Andre Henderson.”

“Oh! Grandpa went! Did he find out for sure if she was one of us?” I ask, getting excited.

“He believes so, yes,” Mastermental says. He sounds like he’s smiling. “You sound quite excited by this.”

“If she’s what we think she might be, shouldn’t you be, too?” I ask him. “I wish I was there--not that I don’t really enjoy being here, of course, but--I’d like to meet her face to face,” I admit.

“She seems skittish. It might be best that you aren’t here just yet,” Double M says. “How are things up there, good?”

“So far, yes,” I say. “It’s cold, though.”

“I would only expect as much.”

“How is Grandpa doing?” I ask, turning away from the computer. “He actually talked to you, right?”

“He did. I assigned him to Nico, since Nico is constantly finding himself in interesting situations,” he says. “Nico took advantage of your grandfather’s high social status to get him into the high school.”

“He’s devious, isn’t he,” I say blandly.

“I expected nothing less,” Double M agrees in an equally bland tone.

I let out a laugh. “I need to call Jack and tell him we’re here safe and sound,” I admit, “along with the others. Make sure Grandpa Andre doesn’t just call it quits after this, though, okay? He needs a vacation as much as I do--more, even.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but try to remember he DOES have a company to run,” Double M says.

“I know, I know, but he’s been doing that forever, right? He can handle a break for a bit!”

“Duly noted. Have a good vacation, Aubrey.”

“Thanks, Double M,” I say, hanging up. I turn back to the computer--there’s a new email. I didn’t even get the chance to respond to the last one!

I click on the link, my heart dropping as I read it.

I knew it--you’re just pretending to be the alien, aren’t you. Don’t email me again, or I’ll call the cops.

I let out a groan, leaning back and sending the rocking chair rocking wildly. Something has her seriously paranoid. How am I going to--

I pick up my phone again.

***

“Why does my girlfriend have to ask a favor from you?” Jack demands as he and his brother fly through the sky. They’re flying high, since they don’t want people seeing them together. Of course, even the norms know they’re brothers, but they still hide the fact they get along. Well, right now they aren’t getting along very well, at all, actually.

“Because she needed someone that was clearly related to the Hall,” Trent says, pulling to a stop over the small house in the middle of the suburbs. He touches his ear, going, “Nico, is this the place?” and rattling off the address.

“That’s it,” Nico says. “Do you see her?”

“No,” Trent says, pulling out his smartphone and looking at the picture of Alyssa. “She might be in her room--“ he lets out a groan as he realizes Jack’s already flown down next to the house and is peering through the windows. It’s the middle of the night, but there’s still a good chance people will notice. “Jack, get back up here!” he hisses as he sees a car turn the corner at the end of the street. Jack comes back up, his silver surfboard glinting in the street light until he gets high enough.

“Weren’t we supposed to get her attention?” Jack asks as he sits down on the edge of his board, his legs dangling. Trent will never admit how cool he finds the surfboard, but right now he wishes it wasn’t quite so shiny. It’s not right for spy missions. Then again, he admits silently, he’s not right for spy missions, either.

“Not yet--we’re supposed to see if it’s actually her,” Trent says, crossing his arms over his chest and watching as the car that’d been driving down the street pulls to a stop in front of the house. A handful of teenage boys get out of the car, staggering drunkenly towards the house. One heads to the first window on the left, knocking on it. After a moment of no response he knocks harder. The window opens and Alyssa looks out with a scowl on her face.

“No,” she says, starting to close the window.

“C’mon, Alyssa, I need you!” the teenager says, stopping the window. “Do that thing.”

“I won’t!”

“Do you want me to look stupid in front of my friends?” the teenager hisses. “Do the thing or I’ll tell Mom you snuck out again.”

“I didn’t sneak out!”

“Yeah? Well who do you think she’ll believe? You or me?” he demands. “Do it, NOW.”

“I won’t--“ she grunts as he grabs her hand, ripping the glove off and pressing it to his arm. The strangest thing happens. Trent had expected the same sort of reaction as Aubrey has--glowing eyes, floating hair, that sort of thing, but instead he sees a haze appear around the boy. It’s glowing and golden, and it promptly heads straight for Alyssa, draping over her before sinking in. The girl staggers slightly as the boy straightens.

“Now do the rest of the guys,” he says, moving aside and motioning his friends forward.

“No,” Alyssa says, but it doesn’t have the same impact. She’s staggering slightly, obviously drunk already.

“This stops now,” Jack snarls. Trent grabs him before he starts down.

“Don’t kill anyone,” Trent says, earning a sharp look from Jack. “I’m just saying that’s probably her brother. If you kill her brother, Aubrey won’t be happy.”

Jack nods. Then he stops, an evil grin crossing his face. “I’ve got a better idea,” he says before grabbing Trent’s arm and twisting, sending his brother flying straight into the car Alyssa’s brother had been driving. The tank teen’s heavy weight and momentum totally demolishes the old car.

It sobers all the kids at the house far faster than Alyssa could have managed. “What the--“ her brother yelps. “That was MY CAR!”

“You want to complain about it?” Jack demands, flying down and floating just above their heads. “Word is you’ve got a healer in the area--I collect healers,” he says as he leans down, his shiny teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Actually, most of him is gleaming in the moonlight. “I’m here to get this one.”

“You can’t have her,” Trent says, climbing out of the remains of the car. “She’s going to the Hall--we’ll put her in Cape High.”

“I’m taking her,” Jack says as Trent rushes forward, tackling him off of his board and straight into the group of teens. The boys barely manage to jump out of the way.

“Over my dead body,” Trent declares dramatically.

Jack grins evilly, reaching out to the streetlight at the end of the driveway. “That can be arranged,” he says as the metal pole starts shaking before ripping away from the base.

The door of the house slams open and a large black man steps out, wearing a pair of pajamas and holding a baseball bat. “JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING OUT HERE?” he bellows--only to stop as he sees Trent and Jack. The color leaves his face and he sways slightly, only to get pushed aside by Alyssa.

“Stop!” she yells.

“Alyssa?” the large man asks. “Are you drunk again?”

“I’m NOT!” she says, looking close to tears. “I was in my room--I--“

“I can smell it on you!” he declares. “Where are you getting it from?” he demands, seemingly forgetting about the two supers right in his front yard. “Your Ma--“

“I’m not drunk, Dad! I--“

“I’ll be taking this,” Jack says, grabbing the curvaceous girl easily and pulling her onto his board. “You might notta noticed it, mister, but this is a healer.”

“Wha--put my daughter down!” the man says, waving his baseball bat through the air, trying to hit the kidnapping teen. “MAMA, CALL THE POLICE!”

“That’s not necessary, sir,” Trent says, jumping into the air. “I have this under control.”

“You destroyed my car!” Alyssa’s brother wails. His buddies are too busy recording the fight with their phones to back him up.

“Don’t struggle too hard,” Jack whispers to the girl he’s holding, “I’m Life Light’s boyfriend. She sent us here to prove she’s exactly who she says she is.”