Novels2Search

Chapter 55

"Anything else you need," Alexa asked Jill.

"No, just gotta get stuff put away. I'd really rather do that on my own, mostly," said Jill, pointing at a half-empty box in the kitchen. "If I put it away, I'll know where it is. Besides, I'd rather not give Finn a chance to paw through my underwear."

"I'd! No..." Finn sputtered and got up from the couch. His face had turned bright red again as he tried to find a denial.

"I'm kidding, dummy," said Jill with a giggle. "You wouldn't unless I told you to. And you'd blush so nice if I did, too."

Finn just left the house while the three girls laughed.

"Seriously though, we can bring back lunch, or stick around and shove furniture around so you can see it, or whatever," said Sarah.

"It's fine. Mom wants to take me somewhere she used to eat when she went here, and I think we're meeting someone too," said Jill. "So go, it's all good unless you want to be bored watching an old lady catch up with another old lady and eat terrible health food."

"We can take you with us if you'd rather," said Sarah.

"She'll be fine, she's exaggerating," said Alexa as she pulled Jill down to give her a hug. "Have fun, I'll see you Tuesday, right?"

"Yup, at ten at McNary," said Jill. She gave Sarah a quick hug, still talking to Alexa, "Now we've just got to figure out where McNary is."

"There'll be maps. Or people to ask. Or we can be late. Anyway, I'm starved, so we're gonna go. Call me!" Alexa waved her hand in front of her face, turning the dismissal into a goodbye as she turned to go.

Sarah followed, thumbing her bracelet idly. Finn was outside, leaning against the car. He opened his door but didn't get in right away. Sarah got into the driver's seat, closing her eyes against the heat welling up from inside. She started the car and cranked the air, rolling down the windows to get things cooled off. After a moment Finn and Alexa got in too.

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"Burrito Boy!" boomed Finn, right in Sarah's ear.

"I'm right here, jerk," said Sarah, flinching away from the noise.

Alexa reached forward and smacked the back of his head and said, "Small spaces, inside voice."

"Sorry, sorry," said Finn. "But lunch now, right?"

"Yes," said Sarah, putting the car into gear. "But if we're getting tacos we'd probably better eat inside. Or do they have a porch or something?"

"Yeah, but I just want a fish burrito," he said.

"Gross, fast food fish," said Alexa. "But I'm getting the french fry burrito. We're good to eat in the car? Your mom doesn't mind?"

"It's fine," said Sarah. She pulled into line, waiting to order their food. There were maybe ten cars already ahead of them, and the drive-thru was moving slowly.

"Can I show you two something?" said Finn, going on without waiting for an answer. "Watch this!"

He held out his hand, cupping it like he was holding imaginary water, and he gathered a trickle of red light. He formed it into a circle that looked almost like he'd blown a smoke ring out of the fog, and then it flashed into power. Instead of fire or light though, it erupted with a dull whump. It sounded like two heavy pillows crashing into each other. Sarah looked, but she couldn't see what Finn had actually done.

"Sound effects?" asked Alexa. It seemed she hadn't seen the point either.

"No, watch the tree over there," said Finn, pointing. He gathered his magic again, creating another whump of noise. This time, watching where he pointed, she could see the top of the tree suddenly shake and bend. Finn had called up wind somehow, blasting it out.

"I got the idea from an old toy I used to have. A bazooka thing with rubber bands and plastic, it'd shoot a little wad of wind out," said Finn with a wide smile. "Cool, huh?"

Sarah nodded, but she was distracted. A boy had been eating outside, and she'd seen his head jerk the second time Finn had fired his power. Now the guy was rubbing his beard and looking around, clearly inspecting the line where the white fog was met with teal. He had a book on the table, but he'd set it down open and face down. Sarah cringed at that but still pointed the guy out to Finn and Alexa, and together they watched him.

And then the teal around Sarah's car snapped into a pure blue color, with a wall of purple extending further around them. The boy was staring at a glowing green ball of power floating in front of him, and Sarah could make out the moment when his eyes lost focus too. He didn't really react at all, he took a drink of his soda and followed it with a bite of food.

"Umm, I think this guy is for you, Alexa," said Sarah.

"Yeah, you're probably right," she answered. "But let's get our food first. It'll be a little bit before he can listen anyway. Let's park and order inside. Get a table next to his, but be careful. It's really unpleasant having people touch you when you're deaf and blind, ok?"

Sarah couldn't get out of line until the car in front pulled forward, so Finn got out to grab a place in line. Once she parked, she joined him inside while Alexa got a table by the blind kid.