by K Swanson
Fully stepping outside, I considered the three of them. “I can help.”
Bas shoved his sunglasses off his eyes, and they tinged red. “No. Kat would never forgive me if I let something happen to her friend.”
Lacey rolled her eyes. “We’re taking you a few states away, and we don’t want there to be any trace of you between the institute you were in and where you’re going.”
“Where am I going?” My stomach knotted with worry. Did they plan on leaving me on the side of the road somewhere. Okay, maybe I didn’t really worry that they’d be that extreme, but I didn’t know anyone outside of the institute, except them.
“I have contacts, and you’re going to a foster family. We’re headed to a library from here, where I’ll print the documents you’ll need. I’m assuming, since you’re wearing silver and we found you at a Chimera Project building, you have some sort of ability or power.”
“Yes.” Not a useful one, though. That had been pounded in my head every time I failed to do anything but turn invisible. I couldn’t control what I phased through, which was part of my problem. My inability to phase through living matter had made me a liability. That, and when I went invisible, my clothes didn’t go with me.
I wasn’t sure why, but some part of me held back during training. My telekinesis developed some time after the invisibility, and since I could only use it while incorporeal, it hadn’t been difficult to hide.
“I’m sure I don’t actually need to say this, but speak to no one about your abilities.” Lacey’s voice was low and serious.
I knew my powers weren’t something to share with others. If I could, I’d forget about them myself. “Of course.”
She gave a small smile. “Then let’s get this show on the road. From what you told us last night, you’ve spent most of your life in the institute. Which means, while we’re waiting for them to search for Kat, you and I are going to be going over everything you should know about life outside of Chimera Project.”
That made sense, and a little jolt of excitement ran through me. If she was going to be teaching me things, that meant I would get to be a part of the real world, right?
Lacey ushered everyone into the car, and we were off.
We spent the next five days driving west. Ollie and Bas broke into a number of facilities, while Lacey and I spent our time going over things I would need to know. We didn’t find Kat, but Friday morning, as the sun was rising, Lacey pulled into a nice, residential neighborhood. My nose was pressed to the window as I watched each house go by. The front yards were mostly well kept, and each house seemed to be newish. We didn’t stop in front of any of them though.
At the outskirts of the small town, a two-story house made from logs sat back off the street. Was that where I was being taken? I didn’t see anywhere else for me to go. My heart thundered, equal parts nervous and excited. I’d be a part of a real family! Lacey had said there was a good chance I’d even go to a regular school! I couldn’t even imagine what school would be like, but I hoped she was right.
Would my new foster parents like me? What would I do if they didn’t? Could I do anything about it? Probably not.
The car eased to a stop, then Lacey and I got out. The guys had been up half the night, so we were nearly silent as we gathered my bag and headed for the front door.
With a small smile, Lacey handed me a white card. “Here’s my number if you ever need anything. Now go ahead and knock. They’ve been waiting for you.”
Before I did, I asked, “What about Kat?”
The entire week, we’d searched for her, but we’d yet to find her. At least when I was with them, I felt as though I’d know as soon as they found her.
“Those boys are determined. I’ve never actually met her, but I have a feeling we’ll find her soon. They’re leaving no stone unturned.”
“But…” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. I just knew I wanted to find Kat before being dropped off. At least then I’d be able to fully relax.
“I’ll contact you when we find her.” With that, she gestured toward the door.
Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I raised my fist to knock. This was it! I was finally getting a family!
First Day in a New World
A tall, slender woman opened the door. Short, dark hair fell to her chin, and her dark eyes lit up as she met my gaze. “Come in and make yourselves at home! You must be Haylie. Phil and I are so excited to meet you.”
She seemed overly enthusiastic about my presence. Was it for show, or did she really feel that way?
Lacey shifted her weight, drawing the other woman’s attention. “As unorthodox as this may be, I actually can’t stay. I’ll make sure all the paperwork you need is properly emailed to you, but these are all the hard copies. Haylie, you have my number. Don’t hesitate to call if you need me, but I know you’ll be in good hands.”
Panic rose in my chest as I realized she intended to leave me here. I didn’t even know this woman’s name, and Lacey expected me to be okay with being left?
The woman frowned, but nodded. “Thank you, Lacey.” Wait, did Lacey already know her? That might be why she was so comfortable leaving me. Lacey handed the other woman a file and then left.
I remained silent, watching. Taking a deep breath, I winced and bounced on my toes. I could do this. My handlers couldn’t threaten me here.
I put my hands behind my back to hide their shaking.
The woman ushered me into the spacious home while I tried to figure out a polite way to ask for her name. Should I come right out and ask? Or was that too abrupt? She chattered a mile a minute as she led me through the front entrance, which ended in a mostly open floor plan. A large office with glass doors was on the left.
My eyes widened as we walked past those doors. The far wall was lined with books. So many books! And they appeared to be mostly for pleasure. Would I be allowed to read them? I hoped so. Occasionally, a few of the nicer handlers had brought in some chapter books we could read, but generally, the only books we were allowed involved history or science.
After passing the glass doors, I went back to my previous predicament— what to call the woman before me. She hadn’t taken a break in her monologue since she shut the front door, but I’d lost track of what exactly she was saying.
Scratching the back of my neck as we turned into the kitchen, I blurted, “What should I call you?”
That made her pause. “Call me?” Her brow furrowed before her expression cleared. “I didn’t even introduce myself, did I?” When I shook my head, she added, “I’m Min. Phil, my husband, will be out here shortly. He’d just hopped in the shower when you arrived.”
Now that she mentioned it, I did hear water running.
As I took in the rest of the room, she pulled things out of various cupboards.
“Are you hungry? I was about to fix breakfast before you got here…” She gave a little shrug.
“Um, yeah, I guess.” My stomach growled and my cheeks heated.
She grinned. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix you right up.”
Curiously, I watched as she mixed things together while telling me about being a nurse. As she poured some sort of batter onto a pan, I recognized it. “Pancakes?” Wincing, I realized I’d interrupted her. That wasn’t a punishable offense here, was it? Did they have a panic room in the house? I rubbed my sweaty palms on my thighs.
My question made her pause, her brows furrowed. “You don’t like pancakes?”
I bit my lip then mumbled, “It’s been a while since I’ve had them, but I like them.”
While most of the food at the institute had been bland, we did get treats for a job well done. Unfortunately, those times were few and far between.
She fell silent as she went back to stirring the batter. After I offered to help, she put me to work flipping the bacon with a pair of tongs.
We were nearly done cooking when a man stepped into the kitchen, wearing a pair of black slacks and a maroon button-down shirt. The sh
irt clashed with his red hair and goatee. Smiling, he said, “Welcome. I’m Phil.” After dropping a kiss to Min’s lips, he grabbed a cup of coffee.
Their small display of affection made me smile. I’d never really thought about it while in the institute, but someday, I hoped I could feel comfortable enough with someone to have some sort of affection.
While we ate, I learned that Phil was a lawyer and he really enjoyed golf. For some reason, that seemed fitting. Or perhaps the word I was looking for was cliché.
We were finishing breakfast when he glanced at the duffle bag I’d placed by the wall. “Why don’t I do dishes so you can show her around, love? I’m sure she’d like to get settled.”
Min’s eyes widened as she looked in my direction. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think to show you to your room before having you help cook.”
I gave a minuscule shrug. I hadn’t minded helping. And it wasn’t as if she’d demanded I make food for them. In fact, I was sure if I’d asked, she would have shown me to my room.
After grabbing my bag, I followed her through the house. “This is the front room,” she said. “The TV in here is for movies or cable, and you’re welcome to use it whenever you’d like.”
My gaze flew to her face, trying to decide if she meant her words. She wouldn’t mind me using it? I had no clue how to work it, but her offer seemed genuine. Excitement coursed through me. I hadn’t seen many movies because they were a reward for when I got done training early, and I rarely got through a session without angering my handlers. I shuddered, determined not to think about it.
Two large windows covered most of the front wall, and a fireplace was nestled between them. A flat-screen TV sat in the corner of the room, with an L-shaped, dark green couch facing it and a matching chair next to it. The coffee table was rustic-looking, similar to the small desk at the back of the room.
Even farther back was a closed door next to a wide set of stairs with a black stair rail on each side.
Against the far wall, a bunch of shelves were built in, and they were full of movies.
Turning, she took me back toward the kitchen but kept walking into the small hallway I’d noticed earlier. She pointed at the door a few feet from the office. “This is the laundry room. You’ll also find a half-bath and the door to the garage in there.”
I peeked inside at a large washer and dryer on the opposite wall, a small counter separating the two. A small alcove was across from them, with a sliding wooden door. Next to the alcove was a door that I assumed led to the garage.
“What exactly is a half-bath?” I pictured a bathroom with half a tub, toilet, and sink. Obviously, that wasn’t right. At least, I hoped not. That would make everything awkward.
She slid open the door. “It’s just a toilet and sink, no tub.”
Sounded to me as though it should be called a two-thirds bath. Biting my lip to keep from giggling at my own thoughts, I followed her back through the house and up the stairs.
At the top, we turned left and my eyes widened.
“This is the game room.”
My gaze flitted from the small TV in one corner of the room with a blue L-shaped couch similar to the one downstairs, to the slightly bigger TV in another corner, this one with five large bean bag chairs in front of it.
Pointing at the first TV, Min said, “I have this one set up to watch movies. The other one is Phil’s for video games. He has a couple of friends who come over once a week to play some sort of game.” She gave a small chuckle.
That seemed a bit excessive to me, but maybe that was the way things were done. Min and Phil weren’t that old, probably in their early thirties, and maybe Phil really loved gaming. I’d never played video games before. Would they let me play some? Because that would be awesome!
She led the way past a pool table and into a short, wide hallway. “You can choose which of these bedrooms you’d prefer.” There was a door on each side of me. After a glance at each one, I decided to try the right first.
The room was filled with neutral colors, and I couldn’t figure out where to look first. A large window on the other side of the room drew me closer and the bed, with its fluffy sand-colored blanket and mound of matching pillows, sat directly underneath. I could probably lie here and stare up at the stars! It would almost feel like I was completely free.
I forced myself to turn away from the greenery outside and gently opened the white double-doors nearby.
Rows of shelves greeted me, and I bit back a laugh. I didn’t own enough possessions to need all that space, but the idea that some people might have that much was astonishing.
A dark dresser was against the opposite wall, and I frowned. If there was that much room to keep clothes in the closet, what was the purpose of the dresser? Just for decoration? There were a few knick-knacks on top of the dresser, so I supposed it might be.
Other than another plain white door near the one we’d walked through to enter the room, there was nothing else in here.
This room was a definite improvement over my last one.
Curiosity had me opening the final door in the room almost before I realized what I was doing.
A bathroom? On the white and gray marble counters sat a couple of fancy-looking candles, one on each side of the sink.
Min stepped into the bathroom behind me. “These rooms share a bathroom, so if anyone is ever staying in the room you aren’t in, you can lock their door,” she gestured to the doorknobs on either side of us, “and everything you need should be in the drawers.”
My skin prickled when she moved closer to open one of the drawers in the dark wooden cabinets. I forced myself to stand still when I wanted nothing more than to pull away.
Rubbing my right hand against the opposite shoulder, I turned my attention to the rest of the bathroom. The toilet had something red and fuzzy on the lid with a matching rug wrapping around the toilet and another in front of the shower.
The shower was solid glass, and it was huge. Would I be timed while showering here? I had been at the institute. With Lacey and the guys, I’d had a time limit, but I’d also had warm water, so I hadn’t cared.
With a last glance around the room, I headed for the door leading to the second bedroom. I should probably look at both before making my decision.
As I stepped through the doorway, I gasped while trying to take in the entire room. A bed sat against the left wall, the comforter bright blue with hot pink chevron stripes. The walls even matched! How crazy was that? At the institute, my walls had been a sterile white, but this… this could be mine? I wanted to squeal with excitement and flop onto the bed, but I forced myself to look around the rest of the room first. Across the room was a small walk-in closet and a wooden desk.
What really drew my attention was the sliding glass door. Pink curtains that matched the pink on the bed and walls were open, allowing me to see to the back yard. I hurried to the door and practically plastered myself to it while looking out. I’d have my own balcony? Complete with a small white lounge chair even!
Min spoke up from right outside the door, her voice sounding a little anxious. “Do you like it?”
I spun quickly, and after forcing my attention to her words, I gaped. Like it? She wanted to know if I… holding back a laugh, I said, “I love it! It’s so bright and colorful.” I wouldn’t even have to think about which bedroom I wanted. This one won, hands down.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, good! And you can go onto the balcony, if you’d like.” She came closer and showed me where the lock was. “Just make sure you keep it locked at night when you aren’t out there.”
Nodding my agreement, I dropped my bag on the floor and stepped out. “I might just live out here,” I admitted, letting the sun warm my face.
Min chuckled. “I’ll leave you to unpack your things. Before I head downstairs, I do want to talk to you about school. It starts next Tuesday. I know it’s likely been a long day for you, but in a couple of hours, I’d like to take you to enro
ll for classes.” She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “That way you can begin when all the other students do.”
School? She wanted me to attend a public school with a bunch of other teenagers my age? Could this day get any better? No, wait! Could this life get any better? Doubtful. “Really? When can we go?” My heart thundered with excitement.
“Let’s say, two hours?” When I nodded, she added, “I’d also like to take you shopping this weekend. All you brought was that bag, and that definitely won’t be enough for school.”
I glanced at my duffel. She didn’t think that would be enough clothes? It had always been enough at the institute. Maybe laundry didn’t get done as often here. Plus, after spending the week with Lacey and the guys, I’d seen different styles that might be fun to try.
Biting my lip, I studied Min. Lacey had explained to me how money worked, but I wasn’t sure if it was okay to let them spend it on me. Perhaps I could just let her purchase one or two new outfits.
After she headed downstairs, I took a quick shower. I wanted to spend the remainder of my time alone on the balcony, watching the clouds drift lazily by in the bright blue sky.
* * *
Later that day, we went to the school. It seemed huge compared to the institute, and few people were actually there. My stomach knotted with anticipation as I tried to imagine the halls full of students. Not far from the front door was the office. After speaking with the woman at the front desk, we were ushered into a smaller office.
A tall, thin woman with mocha skin and every single strand of dark hair in place stood, holding a hand out to shake Min’s. “Welcome. What can I do for you today?”
After we were seated, she sank back into her chair.
Min leaned forward as she spoke. “Haylie is a foster child who was put in our care today.”
The woman’s lips thinned as she stared at me. “And you’re here to enroll her for classes.”