Sarah bit her nail and looked at the phone laying on her bed. She paced back and forth. Her roommates were watching from her door. She was in her PJ’s already and had her fluffy bunny slippers on she’d washed her make up off from the party. She reached for the phone.

“I can’t.”

“You need to do it and it won’t be any easier tomorrow.”

“But he started school today I don’t want to ruin his year.”

“And next week is you don’t want to ruin football season.”

Sarah sighed.

“I just, I mean I don’t want to break his heart. Can I just text him, I don’t want to see his face.”

“You do not text break up with someone. That is not cool.”

Kerri nodded.

“Even I know that one.”

Sarah fixed her hair which was out of its braid now pushing it behind her ears. She picked up her phone. She glanced at her room mates.

“Privacy please.”

Maria left first the other two left more reluctantly with Sarah waving them away she closed the door and closed her eyes and pressed the call button. He’d be riding the bus home from school. He picked up after one ring on the IM app they were using. She smiled at him.

“Hi Richard.”

“Sarah! How was your first day?”

“No classes, just getting settled in and a welcome party.”

“Wow. So how are your roommates? Stuffy rich girls?”

Sarah shook her head and sat down on her bed.

“What does the school look like?”

Sarah held the phone to the window.

“Wow its dark there already?”

“Its 11:30 pm at night silly.”

“Oh ya, time zones.”

Sarah heard Hana before she saw her.

“Is that my bestie? Oh my god it is my bestie!”

Richard was trying to nudge Hana away.

“Hi Hana, could you umm give Richard and me some privacy? I promise I’ll call you Saturday.”

Hana’s eyes went a bit wide; Richard didn’t see it and She made a call me motion with her hand and her ear.

“So, uh Richard. I…wanted to… I mean. I think we should talk about. I mean, I’m not coming back to Arizona, ever. I think we need to not talk so much anymore. I think you’ll be…better off.”

She felt her bottom lip beginning to quiver as she spoke the words. She watched his bright face fall.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying this isn’t going to work, ever. I like you a lot, but I am never coming back so it’s time for us both to... We’re fourteen we knew you know…I need to go, sorry.”

She felt tears start drip down her cheeks. He looked like she’d just crushed his soul. She hung up and buried her face in her pillows and had a nice cry she punched her bed a few times with her fist. Soon afterward she had Amee and Kerri in there nudging her.

“It’s ice cream time Sarah.”

Sarah was sobbing into her pillow after a few minutes prodding they managed to drag her with them towards Carly’s room. Maria followed along. She was wearing a pair of Amee’s PJs so they were pink, definitely not the usual color you’d see on the dead girl. Amee knocked on the door gently and Carly opened it and dragged the four inside.

“How did it go?”

Sarah started sobbing again and clutched onto Carly who wrapped her arms around the teenage girl.

“Ah first loves. You never forget them and how cringy you were. One tub of triple fudge ice cream and two more in the freezer. Let’s make ourselves sick from ice cream and crying. The girls piled onto the stack of pillows Carly had positioned by her couch and she pressed play on the video.”

The three Earth-2 residents knew every line in the movie. And were all in tears by the end. Kerri had a quivering lip, but she didn’t cry, and Maria seemed confused by the whole ritual. She took another spoonful of ice cream; It was night so she gained no sustenance from it, but the taste was good. She looked at everyone.

“I do not understand, if the movie makes you sad, why would you watch it when you are already sad?”

Amee put her arm around Maria’s shoulders and was still wiping up tears.

“We aren’t crying because we’re sad, we’re crying because Baby got to do her dance at the end with Johnny. We’re happy for her.”

Maria took a moment to process that then nodded.

“So, you are crying because you are happy for her?”

“Yes, don’t you want to be Baby now? She got her dance and her guy.”

Sarah wiped up her tears and took another spoon of the second tub of ice cream. Kerri cleared her throat and took a few minutes to speak.

“I think the reason your movies are so much better on Earth-2 is that your music doesn’t suck.”

Carly touched her chest.

“You know I still can’t hear She’s like the wind, hungry eyes or Time of my life without getting a tiny bit teary eyed.”

Amee and Sarah nodded.

“Okay the ice cream is gone; The humans have cried themselves out and it’s time for bed. I’m going to have to run for twice as long tomorrow to burn off this ice cream.”

Carly hugged each in turn. Maria was a bit stiff but loosened up mid hug. Sarah wiped away a few more tears.

“Thank you, Ms. Sheppard.”

“Sarah, it will get better. Maybe call your mom tomorrow? Tell her you broke up with Richard? For me? It should have been her eating triple fudge ice cream and watching Dirty Dancing with you. I’m a poor substitute.”

Sarah sniffled and nodded. The girls went to their room, Amee didn’t go to hers and brought her pillow to Sarah’s room and plopped down on her bed.

“Not gonna let you be alone tonight. If I just went through this, it would be my big sister eating ice cream and watching dirty dancing and then she would hug me to sleep. In fact, she did. But… well it’s not important. I’m here for you.”

Sarah laughed through her still falling tears. The girls fell asleep when Sarah woke up Amee was still there. She was feeling pretty stiff, and she stretched and yawned. Her movement woke Amee who waved hand in front of her nose.

“You humans and your BO.”

Sarah giggled. Amee shifted and sat up.

“How do you not smell like you danced all night last night?”

“I don’t sweat, my cybernetics regulate my body temperature. I mean I do if it is really bad. Otherwise, stuff starts to overheat but that is like not normal situations. Speaking of which I need food.”

She wandered off with her Pillow and came back to find Sarah still lying in bed staring at the ceiling of her room. Amee had a fist full of chocolate bars she was devouring one at a time. She offered one to Sarah who wrinkled her nose.

“For breakfast, what are we six?”

“Suit yourself, I can’t help it if your body is inefficiently organic. My body doesn’t care where it gets energy from. High fructose corn syrup is super fuel for me.”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Sarah wrinkled her nose.

“Your teeth…”

“Are constantly being repaired by nanites with the calcium I eat. I am literally always being repaired. Its why I’m always eating.”

“Won’t you get…umm well chunky?”

Amee laughed and waved her hand that was still full of chocolate bars.

“Never. My body only keeps enough fat to make me look real. Energy is never wasted it goes into a battery pack. I am one hundred percent efficient mass to energy conversion. Anything my body doesn’t process as energy it uses to repair my organic parts.”

Sarah groaned.

“Great my new best friend will always be skinnier than me.”

“Well look at the bright side. I can lure them in for your chunky behind.”

Sarah threw a pillow at Amee who deflected it effortlessly and started eating another chocolate bar. Sarah rubbed her eyes and got up. She picked up her pillow and threw it on her bed and she took her ADHD med.

“What are those for?”

“ADHD if you must know you noisy ninny.”

“Oh, and I thought you were just airheaded because you were blonde.”

“Hey, I saw pictures of you before you ‘died’ you’re as blonde as I am.”

“Nope, not anymore, once these stupid things infected me my eyes went purple and my hair went black.”

She shrugged.

“Isn’t that what they call artificial intelligence?”

“Oh, the dad jokes.”

Sarah shook her head and grabbed her water bottle and a set of running clothes.

“Well, I’m going for a run some of us actually have to work at staying fit for hockey and football season and a workout. Enjoy your chocolate.”

“I will.”

Amee waved as Sarah walked into their shared bathroom and wandered into her own room. Sarah pulled on her runners. She synced the wireless ear buds to her holo-tablet which Amee had helpfully linked to her phone and access to all her music and went outside and did some stretches and started her jog. She was already in love with her holo-tablet. She could see her heart rate, calories burned and a bunch of other things it was giving her a HUD in front of her eyes. It was even giving her the best path for how long of a run she wanted. It even provided the best duration for sprints telling her when she should go faster and slow down. She had just finished her last sprint which had left her in front of the athletic center. She was walking back and forth letting her breathing get under control and she almost ran into Misha. She jumped a bit; She hadn’t expected anyone out after the late party last night. He laughed and started speaking to her in Russian.

“You are like a mouse. You jump at everything.”

Sarah nodded and took another drink of her water and kept pacing.

“Are you stalking me?”

“No, just going for my work out, are you stalking me?”

“No Sir.”

He laughed. Sarah’s breath had settled, and her heart rate leveled out. She started towards the Athletics Center entrance. Misha jumped ahead of her and open the door.

“Do you need a spotter?”

“I guess I could use one. I like free weights better.”

“I can help you out until my spotter gets here.”

Sarah nodded and the pair walked towards the work out room. They were discussing Sarah’s workout regimen; He was giving her some smaller free weight ideas. They passed Carly. Who quirked an eyebrow at Sarah speaking Russian like a native. Misha waved to her. Still speaking Russian.

“Carly, I promised to spot the little mouse for fifteen minutes on free weights do you mind waiting.”

Carly shook her head and then jointed the pair. Sarah did her reps. Carly and Misha spotted her and were speaking in Arabic.

“So, what are you up to Misha?”

“Our governments make no secret they try to recruit supers here. Where were you last night, why did you cancel last minute?”

“Sarah broke up with her first boyfriend I was helping her mourn.”

He nodded.

“I will forgive you. But you better make it up to me.”

“You’re a teddy bear.”

Sarah gagged. She spoke in Arabic without thinking.

“Eew. Adults flirting is so gross.”

Both Misha and Carly looked down at Sarah.

“You understand Arabic Sarah?”

“I have no idea what you were speaking in but pick something I don’t understand next time.”

Sarah shuddered.

“I’m going to go put earbuds in and lift free weights.”

Sarah did just that and started lifting some of the smaller weights the two looked after her then at each other. They spoke in Russian. Misha touched her arm.

“Did you know she spoke so many languages?”

Carly shook her head.

“As far as I knew Gaelic and English, what is that now? Russian, Arabic?”

“Do you know where she learned them?”

“No idea, how many languages do you know?”

“English, Russian, Arabic.”

“Same.”

“You know I’m new here is there any super power for languages?”

“There is magic.”

“Well, she is supposedly some sort of mage.”

“Yes, she is a 3rd Generation Archmage, a Grey, and she has superpowers, every government in the world is going to want her living in their country. She is a superstar. And if she is using magic without training, she is worth a bigger bonus.”

Carly shook her head. Misha shrugged.

“What? She’ll live like a Queen she will want for nothing.”

“Can she play hockey for the Olympic team?”

“If she wants and qualifies, Russia will give her anything she wants.”

“How hot is the competition for her?”

“PL8 who is also a mage with high rating who doesn’t have any real ties to Earth-Prime. She is a once in a generation first round draft pick if this was an American sport. The Babe Ruth of supers.”

“Hearing a Russian say Babe Ruth is disturbing somehow.”

“Don’t worry about it beautiful. We all compete. I am just starting early.”

“Did you know she was going to be here?”

“Yes, she still hasn’t removed her monitor.”

Carly frowned.

“You were stalking her.”

She hit Misha in the gut, and he coughed. He shrugged.

“I will use whatever advantage I can. Her parents are living in America, that gives them a head start we tried to invite them to Russia, but they said no. Offered them jobs and everything.”

“Well Misha, because I like you, I’ll let you in on a secret. Unless something changes, that girl is going to want to be as far away from her parents as possible.”

“Why, she seems like a good girl?”

“Because they dosed her with puberty blockers and psychoactive medications without her knowledge. She has been betrayed by the people she trusted most. So, you want a chance? Be an ally, be honest with your intentions and do not lie to her. And God damn that child, I told to have that limiter removed.”

“What kind of monsters do that to a child?”

“The kind that wanted her to not get taken away. It’s like anything, best of intentions worst of outcomes.”

He nodded and crossed his arms.

“Why did you tell me this? It wasn’t in her dossier.”

“Because that girl needs as many people in her corner as possible. Look at it this way even if she doesn’t move to Russia when she finishes school, you guys might get a strong ally out of her if you need help.”

Misha nodded and looked at Sarah doing her workout.

“For you I will look out for her.”

Carly rolled her eyes and punched him again.

“Liar.”

He laughed.

“Drink at place tonight?”

“If by drink you mean what we did before the kids got here, I’m in.”

Carly laid on the bench and the pair started their work outs.

*****

Carly knocked on the door to Eyre’s office. She heard Eyre shuffling papers.

“Come in.”

“Carly, how are things going? Have a seat.”

Carly closed the door to the office.

“Things are good, trained with Misha this morning, Russians think she is a PL8, but know she is a mage. Something else came up I’m worried about, well a couple of somethings.”

“That’s good they usually have the best intel. Do you feel guilty spying on him?”

“Hell no, he’s spying on me too. I fed him enough info he’ll be Sarah’s personal bodyguard at this rate. I mean I’m not going to marry him or anything, the sex is great but we’re using each other. It’s how this game works.”

Eyre nodded.

“So, what is concerning you?”

“First, she hasn’t taken off her ankle monitor-limiter. It also isn’t the one you gave her.”

“Yes, she fried four of them before her grandparents got fed up with our cheap hardware and bought her some fancy PL20+ one.”

“Is it actually any better than yours?”

“No, it’s the same thing it’s just pink. Higher numbers make kids look stronger than they are so the companies charge a premium. But it is concerning that she is refusing to remove it.

“She said she forgot, but if I see it on tonight, I’ll know it’s because she’s actively avoiding it.”

“Okay, noted, I’ll assign someone to remove it. What is the other thing?”

“She is speaking fluent Russian and fluent Arabic, Misha even told me she can read Russian, in their alphabet.”

“Is she using magic?”

“You tell me, doesn’t she need training?”

Eyre closed the folder she was working on.

“That is a rather disturbing new development.”

“She is either psychic and pulling the languages out of people’s heads, she is using magic untrained, or she is something different than we’ve ever seen before.”

“The only person I’ve ever seen use magic without training is my mother. She was a PL19M.”

“What do you mean? I just don’t understand how you’d tell.”

“My mother and I stopped a vampire from destroying London in the 19th century. I saw her make a spell up on the fly to drain the energy from the storm the vampire was summoning. She taught it to me while she was coming up with it. I have a copy of every single Atlantean spell on my tablet and it doesn’t exist anywhere.”

Eyre rubbed the bridge of nose with her index finger and thumb. Carly looked at the desk.

“What is the worst-case scenario?”

“Either of the above means I have underestimated how strong she is by a factor of one hundred. I want her tested, linguistics, combat, physical ability. I need it done in a way that will not alert the different government interests we have on campus. Get Helen, take some senior students use the old school facility. Schedule it for tomorrow morning. Tell her it is a test everyone has to go through but since she wasn’t born on Earth-Prime she never had it. It’s sort of a half-truth. Just tell her we’re doing it away from the main campus because we don’t want to embarrass her because most kids do it when they’re ten.”

“I’m not sure lying to her is the best choice, she trusts us, and if she finds out then who will she have to trust after her parents betrayed her and we betrayed her? Cause Misha has been very honest about his intentions since the beginning we cannot say the same.”

“Noted. Now do as I ask, please.”

Carly frowned and stood up.

“Fine. I will go set it up.”

“Carly, the less she knows about herself, the better off she is for now, until she’s older and more in control. If she finds out she is as powerful as she is who knows what she will start thinking?”

“You are taking away our ability to find out.”

Eyre wrote something on her notepad then ripped the paper off. Carly looked at it.

“What the hell is this? Just looks like a bunch of dots and lines.”

“Just show it to Sarah if she understands what it says then we’re in deeper than I thought.”

“What does it say?”

“Good afternoon, Sarah.”

“What language is this?”

“Is Atlantean. Only two people alive can read it, I am one, Maria is the other.”

“It means she’s not using telepathy to read people’s minds.”

Eyre opened her draw and gave her a ruby necklace.

“What is this?”

“If it glows someone is using magic in your vicinity. If it doesn’t glow and she reads that paper, then I have no idea what we are dealing with. Let’s hope it glows.”