by Pam Eaton
Tony stands and extends his hand to help me up. “Well, she seemed super intimidating.”
He brushes the dirt off his shorts. “We’d better start heading back. I’m starving. Look at me, I’m practically wasting away to nothing,” he says, patting his perfectly flat stomach.
That couldn’t be any further from the truth. I shake my head in disapproval at him and roll my eyes. “Race you to the house?”
I take off like a flash down the trail, not even bothering to look back and see if he’s coming or on my heels. But I track my speed. Too fast and I’ll flicker.
I reach the stairs and collapse on the top step. Tony brings up the rear. He stops at the bottom of the steps, grabs the railing, and leans forward. His breathing is fast and heavy. “You said race, not all-out sprint the entire way back. My eyes were like going out of focus because we were running so fast. Half the time I couldn’t see you.”
A loud choking sound comes from behind me. I turn, and there’s Gregory with wide eyes. “Becca,” he says. That one word—full of reprimand.
“What’s with the tone?” Tony asks, coming up the stairs to slightly block me from Gregory.
“None of your concern,” Gregory says.
And that was the wrong thing to say.
“Man. I don’t know what your deal is, but—”
I step between them. “Enough. You guys need to knock it off.”
“He’s the one acting like a little b—” I slap a hand across Tony’s mouth.
“Please, just go inside before something is said that can’t be taken back,” I plead with the both of them.
They both stare each other down, but thankfully Tony raises his hands in surrender. He pushes past Gregory and me into the house.
“Really, you couldn’t think of anything better to say to him? Bad move on your part,” I scold him.
I know that he was only trying to make Tony forget about how fast I’d run through the woods, but he definitely struck a nerve. I follow Tony into the house and find him in the kitchen pouring two bowls of cereal. “One of those for me?” I ask gently.
He nods his head yes, but his face is still hard and angry. “Maybe. Are you going to act like a d-bag too?”
“Don’t judge him too harshly. If it wasn’t for him, time at HQ would have been awful. He cares about all of us.”
He scoffs at my comment. “I think he cares more about some of us than others.”
His gaze bores into mine, like he knows there is more to my relationship with Gregory. “I can assure you that he cares the same for you as he does for me,” I say defensively.
“I would hope not,” he shoots back at me as he starts backing out of the kitchen. “Because I definitely don’t want him looking like he’s about to kiss me.”
I stare at his retreating back, completely speechless. Gregory doesn’t look at me like that. Does he?
Twenty-Five
“This is getting ridiculous,” I whisper to Ania. It’s been two days, but these guys are holding grudges like they’re competing for some Guinness World Record.
She looks across the living room to Gregory and Tony sitting in the kitchen, the frustration plainly written on their faces. “You’ve made quite the mess, my dear.”
My jaw drops. “What do you mean I made a mess?” This is their own making, not mine.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Let’s go outside and have a little chat.”
We walk out the front door and we’re met by a cold chill in the air. It seems fitting, because the feeling in the house is not much different from outside. Ania sits down on the porch swing and pats the spot next to her. “Have you ever watched two lions competing to be the leader of the pride?”
Seriously, is she really talking about lions? “I don’t watch much television involving lions.”
“Well, they want to be the lead man, the leader of the pride. And what comes with being the lead man? I’ll tell you: the lioness.”
I stare at her dumbfounded. Are we really comparing them to lions? “Now, I know there is more than one lioness in a pride, but that’s not the point. These two are vying for your attention and affection,” Ania says.
I finally close my gaping mouth. “You’re being absurd.”
“Oh, am I? It’s warmer out here than in the cabin. Just be careful—”
I cut her off before she has a chance to finish. “Don’t worry, we don’t need to go over this again.”
She makes a hmm noise. She doesn’t believe me. “Good. I think you and Tony should work together today. I’m going to have a chat with Gregory, to remind him what it means to be an authority figure and your mentor.”
I walk into the cabin and both sets of eyes meet mine. All I can picture is two lions looking at a fresh piece of meat. Thanks a lot for that, Ania. They’re both waiting for me to speak, but there’s this unspoken question just waiting for me to choose. There’s no real easy way around this. “Gregory, Ania wants to talk to you while Tony and I go for a run.”
A grin creeps across Tony’s face. What is he so giddy about? Gregory just shakes his head at Tony. No one is going to win in this grudge match, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. As Tony gets out of his chair he stands tall and proud. Boys.
I follow him out the front door. He’s still grinning as we stretch a little before we run. “You’d better wipe that grin off your face.”
His eyes go wide in mock innocence. “What, am I grinning? I didn’t even feel it.”
I shake my head at his smug tone. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of a reply, I head off the dirt path into the woods without him. He’s soon biting at my heels. He pulls up alongside of me, panting as if out of breath. “Does Ania really want to talk to him or did you want me all to yourself?”
I look to the sky, praying for an ounce of patience. “You think way too highly of yourself.”
I pull ahead of him, picking up my speed. He pushes himself to keep up the pace. His feet pound the dirt viciously, while my steps seem sweet and light. I do have the advantage here, but I’ll never admit that to him openly.
I decide to make a quick turn off the path into the woods. I want to have a little fun with him, see if he can keep up. Without a clear path, I forge my own, darting around the tall pine trees and ensuring not to snag on any roots. The forest floor is littered with pine needles, acorns, and other debris. He follows behind, but at a slower pace. I must look like a deer, running, turning, leaping over fallen tree limbs.
I turn my head and smile at Tony. He’s got sweat running down his face, and judging by how hard he’s breathing, he’s going to be hurting later. His eyes, however, are determined and fixed on me.
We reach an unfamiliar clearing. The ground is covered in clovers and moss and the sun’s beams cut a path through the pine trees’ branches.
I stop to marvel at the beauty of the space. It’s only for a moment, though, because soon Tony’s bent over next to me, gasping for breath, interrupting the silence. “Do you ever get tired?”
If he only knew how fast I could go—and that, in reality, I shouldn’t even need to run anymore if I could transport at will. “I’m a runner. This is what I do,” I tell him in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I feel like an old man when I run with you.” He collapses to the ground in a loud huff. “I think I’m dying.”
I sit down next to him. The moss and clovers make for a comfortable cushion. “You’re not dying, you’re just…not as young.”
“By like two years!” He holds up two fingers for emphasis.
He looks at me and grins mischievously. Oh man, what could possibly be going through that mind? “Okay, tonight I get to showboat. We’re going on the roof and you’ll see how amazing I am.”
I shove him in the shoulder. “Deal.”
He plops down and closes his eyes for a minute. “What now?”
“Do you want to race back?”
His eyes widen and he looks like I just asked him to kill his dog. “You can rac
e back. I’m going to lie here and wait for my lungs to catch up with me.”
I start stretching my legs and arms. Crunches and push-ups come next. He pushes himself up onto his side and gives me a wolfish smile. “Are you trying to make me look bad?”
I look around at the trees standing sentinel. “Who am I making you look bad in front of: Mr. Birch or Mr. Pine?”
His loud laugh bursts out at my question. “You make me feel out of shape.”
My tone becomes very serious. “I need to be in the best shape possible, to make sure I’ll be able to see my grandparents again. And to deal with whatever missions we have.”
In that moment, the reality of the situation hits us both. He sits straight up and begins stretching. As I practice some martial art moves that Ania taught me, my mind drifts to the last time I saw my grandpa.
He pulled me close and whispered into my ear. “Just remember to always do what’s asked of you. I want to make sure that I see you again, whole and strong.”
His words never rang more true than right now. I need to be whole and strong. I need to make my own path and not let these two guys affect my outcome. I hate being a girl sometimes, hate the constant struggle of my heart. Stupid boys, stupid crushes, stupid Mr. Smith, and stupid me for constantly forgetting what I’m doing for so many reasons. I will harness these powers, protect the only family I have left, and maybe find a life within all of this. These powers aren’t going anywhere. This is something I need to embrace.
Tony interrupts my thoughts. “What do you want to do now?”
I turn and look back down at him. He’s sprawled on the grass with his legs out, leaning back on his hands. He looks tired but strong. He’s just another guy, no more special than any other. He’s not Gregory by any stretch, but it doesn’t matter regardless. “Actually, I want to go back and work with Ania on technique.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “What, I’m not good enough for you?”
I know he’s joking, but sincerity shines in his eyes. Should I joke with him or be honest? Partial honesty will have to work. “I’m lacking in a lot of areas, and I really need her to correct me. Maybe later I can take you on.”
“I bet Gregory would come running to your rescue,” he mumbles under his breath.
“Maybe he’ll need to come to your rescue,” I tell him.
His eyes widen at my response, but then he laughs. “Fine, I’ll run back with you, but no more sprinting through the woods like a madwoman.”
“Okay.”
He spins around in a slow circle. “Do you even remember how to get back?”
I glimpse back through the woods. I hadn’t really paid that much attention to where we came from. “You pounded your feet so hard I’m sure we can just follow your tracks back to the path.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” He stands and brushes the dirt from his tired legs and then his eyes widen in amusement. “I almost forgot that I can just look for the cabin. It’s kind of funny how I forget we have powers at times.”
Within a few moments we’re on our way back. Hopefully the mood in the cabin won’t be so cold, and if it is, at least I’ll get to see Tony use his power to look at stars tonight.
Twenty-Six
The night sky seems different to me now. When I was little, I used to wish hard on shooting stars. My wishes would range from my mom coming back, to getting a puppy for my birthday, to eventually wishing that a boy I liked would notice me. Now, when I look up at the sky I marvel at it. What small specks we are here on this earth. What does my future hold? How can I make a difference on this earth? So many questions, especially now since my entire world has been turned upside down. Is this what my ancestors thought? Or did they grow up thinking that they were normal?
Tony breaks the silence from our stargazing. “So, when are you going to tell me what your power is?”
I tilt my head in his direction. “When Gregory gives the okay.”
He shakes his head as if he’s displeased by my even mentioning Gregory’s name. “Well, what can you tell me?”
I think for a minute. What information do I want to divulge? “I have a wicked 3-point shot from the left side of the hoop.”
We both laugh as we lie sprawled out on a blanket up on the roof. I shift onto my side to face him. “Your turn.”
He lies there, flat on his back, looking straight up at the stars. His chest slowly rises and falls with each breath. The wind gently moves his shirt. His hands are clasped above his head, and for the first time, I see the strength in them. “I really wish my dad was here to fill in all the gaps, you know?” Tony finally answers.
And sadly, I do know. And then it hits me again, the thought that we somehow seem to forget that we’ve all lost at least one parent. That’s the reason why we’re all here: our parents died and we filled their spots. I’ve always felt like my mom died right along with my father. I don’t even have a concept of what a real mother is, except for what I’ve seen on television, but of course those aren’t real depictions. What could my dad tell me about all of this? They’re so vague on what his position was in Project Lightning.
Tony grabs my hand and tries to coax me back out of my shell. “Who did you inherit from?”
“Oh, um, my mom, but she didn’t raise me. My grandparents did.”
He gets that pity look in his eyes and I hate it. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
I’m not surprised by his response, or lack thereof, for that matter. What do you say to someone who really has no parents? As a child, I used to lie to people and tell them all these wonderful stories about my mom and how she traveled a lot for work. I would pretend that she brought me great gifts from far-off places. Around the age of eight, I realized that I had to stop lying to myself and other people. My mom was in some far-off place, but that was of her own making, and she didn’t care if she came back or not.
He flips onto his side and stares into my eyes, making me blush. “What about you? Did you inherit from your dad?”
His eyes finally look away, allowing me to relax slightly. “Yeah, he always told me the day would come, and he would give me clues about what I would be able to do. It was as if he couldn’t tell me everything, no matter how much he wanted to.”
“How…do you…”
He lets out a low chuckle. “Spit it out,” he tells me.
“Do you know how he died?” I ask, and I’m probably crossing a line, but was his dad one of the agents taken?
He looks up at the night sky. “A car crash. He was hit by a drunk driver.”
I touch his arm lightly. “I’m sorry.” Part of my wants to ask more questions. Like how does he know? Who told them? Could his death be a cover-up? But the wound is too fresh, and I don’t think it would be wise to push.
He clears his throat, and I know he wants to talk about something else. “Have you ever thought about what the others we haven’t even met can do?” he asks.
I have been really curious about Gregory and Mr. Smith, but I sometimes forgot about the others we’ve never even see. What was it that Mr. Smith said back during training, that people would seek to destroy us? Does that mean people like us could actually be against me? So many questions keep floating around in my head. “You know, I haven’t really given it much thought. I’ve just been trying to figure out what I can do.”
“I get it,” he says like he completely understands. “I’ve thought about the others a little. I wonder if someone could read my thoughts, fly, change their appearance like shapeshifters…I guess the sky is the limit.”
I guess the possibilities are endless. Shapeshifters? I’m totally living in a sci-fi book. “I had no idea what I was going to be able to do until I got to training and Mr. Smith filled me in.”
The tone in the air turns serious after I mention Mr. Smith. Sometimes I feel as if he can hear everything we’re saying. A smile creeps across Tony’s face. “Why don’t we stop the shop talk and see what I can find in the sky with this nifty ability I have?”
I
laugh as he waves to the sky like a beauty pageant contestant. “Any alien spaceships strolling around up there?”
He looks straight up into the sky. I wonder if he can see the heavens. “No, sorry, just an astronaut picking his nose on the space station.”
We both laugh, lightening the mood of talking about our dead parents. Tony looks back toward me, a soft smile stretching across his handsome face. If my many hours of movie watching are anything to go by, it looks like he’s going to kiss me. Nah. It’s just the setting. We are alone, on a roof, looking at stars, and sharing secrets. I couldn’t go there with him anyway. He’s cute and funny, but those feelings, those stupid butterflies (which I swear exist), aren’t there.
Gregory’s sharp voice from the nearby window startles us. “Becca, can you come back inside for a minute?”
My body goes rigid at the sound of his voice. “Yeah, just give me a second.”
Tony lies back, looking up at the stars. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”
I slink back through the window into my room and follow the sound of pacing feet.
He stops in the middle of the hallway.
He stands rigid at the end of the hall, his eyes staring straight into mine. His body is tense and I can see his muscles working against his shirt. Man, he looks amazing even when he’s pissed. And I can’t believe I’m thinking this right now. But why is even he mad? Because we were on the roof?
He looks ready to pounce or maybe flee. His beautiful green eyes pierce into mine. He shakes his head and turns to walk away, but then stops.
He stands there facing away from me, his shoulders rising and falling from deep breaths. He’s fighting something, but what? He turns his head toward me and looks into my eyes. Could he be fighting the pull, the one I feel between us that is ever increasing the longer we’re around each other?