Neither girl remembered anything, images and sounds flashing through their mind, both happy and stressful, nonsensical, half-formed, distractions that blipped out of thought until the sound of a clicking door lock and a soft creak alerted her.
Her eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar room, bright white light pouring through cracks in the window blinds.
She had a moment of confusion, then panic, but calmed herself as she smelled the air, and smelled Madeline…
… and then a familiar, dark-skinned face leaned over hers, curled hair strands framing it, big, dark, happy eyes staring into hers above a pleased smile.
Taz smiled tiredly as Madeline leaned down and lifted her up into a hug, and Taz gave a small groan.
“What time is it?” She asked in a whisper.
“Almost eight. G’morning, future PA alumni.” Madeline teased. “Was my bed good enough for you?”
“Yeah, it’s nice.”
“Did Noelle do anything weird?”
“Not really.” Taz didn’t know how to quantify ‘weird’, but she couldn’t remember anything weird from last night, not that her waking brain could remember much right now.
She rubbed her tired eyes and took her glasses off of the nearby nightstand, sliding them into place as she worked herself into a sitting position.
This room was in the Puellamas at PA.
Getting to her shaky feet, Taz walked over to the window and opened the blinds a crack, staring at buildings she’d seen many times in promotional material, but now, right in front of her under the brilliant morning sun, a few people wandering the walkways down below.
She was here.
At PA.
Noelle shot up from her bed to the sound of shrieking joy, looking momentarily terrified as she saw a pair of girls hugging across the room, one yelling at a pitch that upset the nesting birds on the roof, the other shaking her like a ragdoll.
Then Noelle relaxed.
“Bonjour, harpies.” Her body unwound, and Noelle fell back onto her pillow with a groan.
Madeline giggled, standing with Taz in her arms like an overgrown teddy bear. “Morning Noelle. You remember what I told you when I first introduced you to my sister?” Madeline asked, almost in warning, almost in amusement.
“Non, non, the moment of meeting ma choupette escapes me.” Noelle stretched out her long, bare arms, her short little red nightie soon sharing a color with Taz’s cheeks. “Do remind me, am I in any sort of trouble?” Noelle rolled onto her side, looking up at her roommate with a cheeky smile.
“Girl…” Madeline shook her head, reaching down to–more affectionately than painfully–squeeze Noelle’s cheek. “Get your ass outta bed, let’s go get breakfast.”
“Oui oui!”
A quick stop by Taz’s still empty room for clothes and a shower didn’t show signs of anybody having arrived, so Taz still wasn’t sure she’d even have a roommate, which was both dismaying and a little relieving; she was used to sleeping alone, after all.
“Ne t'inquiète pas, mayhap it’s for the better?” Noelle suggested, leaning against the doorframe as Taz stared at her reflection in the sink mirror to apply some quick blush, mascara, and gloss, now wearing an adorable little belly top and shorts to enjoy the day’s nice breeze. “Not every roommate is as wonderful and charming as moi! Some like to sit in your bed and eat chips and leave crumbs.”
She heard Madeline stop rooting around through her luggage for a moment. “She’s right. Sometimes they stay up while you’re trying to sleep watching internet videos and scream with laughter.”
“Oh yes, and we cannot forget the roommate who asks to borrow shirts and pants and complains about their tightness!”
“Or who thinks underwear is appropriate clothing while you have a study group over.”
“Or who eats the handmade macaroons your aunt sent you from home while you’re out taking your electrokinesis test, dreaming of coming home and sinking your teeth into—”
“I apologized for that!”
“The scars in my heart are still deep, gloutonne!”
Taz put her makeup down, and Noelle stood with her back to her, arms crossed defiantly. Her hair was in two braids this morning, both long and reddish-blonde, and in contrast to the showiness of her dress from yesterday, or the suit Taz met her in, Noelle was in a pair of shorts with the legs rolled up just above the knee, and a loose, short-sleeved shirt with a deep-v down her back.
Taz was glad Noelle was in a shouting match at the moment so she couldn’t see Taz stare..
She looked back in the mirror, and tried to calm her heartbeat and decide how extra she wanted to be today.
“—make out with the teacher’s aide in the bathroom when she was supposed to be tutoring me!”
“You are the one who turned down my oh-so generous offer, fille têtue! I could have taught you just fine, but non!”
“Maddy?” Taz interrupted, and at once her sister’s voice lost its heat.
“What is it, Taz?”
“Should I wear some jewelry out?”
“Absolutely!”
“Oh of course, chouchou!” Noelle grinned back at her. If either girl was actually angry, they hid it very well…
“I just don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard, but I also wanna look like I’m taking this seriously, so…”
“What about the little silver teardrop earrings mom got you for Valentine’s last year? And that snake necklace I like!”
“Okay!” Taz smiled, envigored. As requested, Taz put on the little earrings, their dangling silver making them only a little more showy than studs, and the necklace she’d bought at a renaissance faire Aunt Zi had taken her to. The chain was a plain stainless steel, but the accessory was a unique piece of work: a pair of snakes curled in an infinity-symbol, swallowing each other’s tails, about the size of a half-dollar.
Madeline told her it was a knock-off of some kind of ‘euroborboun’ thing, and while their moms hated it, Madeline managed to argue for Taz to keep it. It was too late for them to return it by the time Anna had seen it, anyways. Madeline suggested Taz wear it to everything; it wasn’t particularly flashy but it did get people to look and ask about it, and Taz had a fun story about getting to hold some pythons during a show when the reptile owner saw her wearing it in the crowd.
It was the best time she’d almost died!
“Ah! Ma choupette looks so lovely!” Noelle cooed over her, running her fingers through Taz’s long, long hair when she presented herself. Taz smiled much harder than she’d expected at the fille’s touch and praise, and shuffled nervously in place until Madeline stepped forward.
“Looking good, sis! You ready to go? I cannot wait to show you this place!” Madeline’s face was full of giddy glee. “Cocina de Mamá has the best breakfast tacos in all of Arizona, I promise you—don’t tell dad. They make a chorizo and egg taco to die for!”
Taz was unable to suppress a smile as Madeline rubbed her shoulders and favored her little sister with a proud look.“What about the bean and cheese?”
“We’re expanding your tastes while we’re here, little lady.” Madeline said almost warningly.
“They’re good though, yes!” Noelle said with a chuckle as she walked past the two towards the door. “Come, I starve as we stand here and talk about food!”
“She’s right.” Madeline threw an arm around Taz’s shoulder and started to walk her to the door. “Let’s get some breakfast, and then I’m showing you all my favorite spots on campus, and then we’re going to set up your room, and oh my god am I happy you’re here!” Madeline’s voice rose in a happy titter.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Taz laughed, but said nothing; she couldn’t agree more with the sentiment, but hearing it from Madeline just solidified how amazing it felt.
“At some point mom’s gunna come back from the dean’s to hang out a bit before she goes. I am sure she will want pictures galore.”
“Yeah, Aunt Zi can’t take us anywhere without pictures. What’s she doing with the Dean, anyways?”
Madeline shrugged, guiding the little troupe out and, more suspicious than Taz, checked to make sure her door locked properly once it was closed. “Probably security stuff, she’s in charge of all of that for PA while this Brain Scythe business is happening.”
“Tsk.” Noelle shook her head. “It will be a cold and bright day in Hell before those raclure de bidet make it onto campus. I know I am not the only one keeping my thoughts open for those merde pour brains.”
“I’d usually agree, but there’s always that fear that they’ll use something like domination or, I dunno, don’t the ESP have this, like, psychic flashbang they learn? Terrorists seem like they’d be a lot less concerned about safe and proper usage.” Madeline mumbled thoughtfully.
“Whatever their game is, they our outnumbered and outgunned. The men here shall certainly be better equipped!”
Taz instinctively tuned out the conversation as they stepped off the elevator, not wanting to dampen her happy mood listening to talk about Brain Scythe. Her mother sent her here to be safe, so… they had to be safe. Her mother wouldn’t have ever done this otherwise.
‘Mel?’ She glanced up at the ceiling of the dorm’s lobby as they headed for the double glass doors outside.
She frowned a little as she got no answer.
----------------------------------------
Lindsey Michaels opened the glass fridge door to grab a carton of almond milk, putting it at the top of a very full cart of groceries before pushing forward.
“And that’s it, James!” Lindsey pinched her son’s chin, the boy’s big, curious eyes staring brightly up at her, smiling the slightest bit and raising his little plastic stegosaurus up at her. “That’s right Ted, we’re aaaallll done.” She pat the tiny dinosaur on the head with one finger and rolled her way past throngs of grocery shoppers.
Three weeks into January and customer shopping had returned to relative normalcy across Arizona. While the store was packed following the afternoon rush hour, it wasn’t jammed shoulder-to-shoulder with shoppers trying to pack up with holiday feasts or New Year’s beer and brats; though, all the old Christmas decorations had been replaced by pinks, and reds, and whites for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.
James was extra good today, too. Usually long shopping trips involved quite a bit of fussiness, but aside from his toy stegosaurus, they’d also brought his big new toy: a rubber-padded touch screen that could play games, or videos, and instead of getting angry that he couldn’t get out of the shopping cart, he’d pick up his ‘touchatouch’ and play with it.
Lindsey used to abide fully by the idea that giving a child his age a screen to stare into all day was a bad thing, but it certainly solved quite a few embarrassing situations and kept him happy. She couldn’t think of what he would do without it, otherwise; she didn’t like him running around where it could knock his privacy helmet off, and he couldn’t sit there and read labels the whole trip.
He swung his feet through the leg holes of the cart’s seat, making growling sounds as Ted hopped around the cart’s push handle, stomping around on his mom’s hands as they passed through rows of canned vegetables, then a sweet-scented flower section, and got into line at a register.
“Howdy, did you find everything you needed today?” The big, older woman behind the register asked with a smile.
“Yes we did, thank you, miss!” Lindsey answered in kind, starting to take things out of the cart, only to pause as several items floated up in the air and landed on the conveyor belt into the cashier’s waiting hands. “Oh, that’s useful! Sprouts is letting you use psionics now?” Lindsey asked with a smile.
“Yup, kinda!” The woman answered. Lindsey checked her nametag and discovered the middle-aged brunette was named Gloria. “We’re a testing facility for the statewide markets, and they’re seeing how customers here react to us using powers.”
Lindsey set the few items she’d taken on the conveyor as more flew up, slowly and smoothly settling in behind them. “That’s actually great to hear. I have two psychic little ones; this one,” she moved the cart forward, and James turned to meet Gloria’s smile with blinking curiosity, “and Danielle, who just started at PA this year.”
“Oh goodness me, look at you!” Gloria’s grin was that of a woman who knew the joys of raising children, and a sticker flew out from behind the counter, depicting the grocery store’s circular leaf logo surrounding a batch of cartoon bees.
James reached out for the sticker as it floated close by, crushing it in his tiny fist before bringing it to his face to examine.
“We can put that on your helmet, James.” Lindsey offered with a pleased smile, Gloria continuing to check out her purchase.
“Congratulations on your other’n, I woulda gone to PA when it opened if I hadn’t needed to help my father keep his business afloat.” Gloria hand-scanned the discount tag on a tray of pork chops set to expire the next day while more product slid over the larger scanner.
“You seem to be doing pretty fine, if I do say so myself.” Lindsey chuckled, James pressing the bee sticker onto the back of her hand.
“Oh sure, I’ve been going to some little workshops at the recreation center offa West Missouri Avenue. I figured the most useful thing I could work on was telekinesis, but I’m put to shame by anyone who knows a thing or two about anything else.” Gloria admitted with a shrug, but seemed pleased as she floated two ears of corn in a circle in front of her face, before dispensing them into a bag. “Figured it’d help me as I get older, y’know?”
“Oh I know. I used to be able to keep up with Danielle when she was this one’s age, but now I feel winded after ten minutes in the park with James.” Lindsey stroked James’ cheek, smiling back at him. “Still, being specialized in something isn’t a bad thing. What’s the saying? ‘Jack-of-all-trades, master of none?’”
“Yup yup, I’ve gotten used to the idea so it’s not keeping me up at night.” Gloria said, the plastic bags flying over into Lindsey’s basket. The heavier ones Lindsey caught partway over, getting a thankful smile from the cashier. “Cash or credit?”
“Credit.” Lindsey answered, moving to pay, one hand on James’ small shoulder as he pulled the sticker off her hand and slapped it onto her sleeve.
“Thank ya both very much and have a fine day!” Gloria beamed at the two of them as she mentally catapulted the receipt into Lindsey’s hand. “And you have a fun ride back home, little man!” Gloria waved at James, who in a moment of paying attention, waved back with a flail of his arm, getting a giggle from both of the women.
“Goodbye!” Lindsey said, leaning down to whisper to James. “Goodbyyeeee~!” She encouraged into his ear, but he took his touchatouch out to load up the cookie maker game.
Lindsey rolled on out of the store, relieved the trip had gone easily today, and gave James no shortage of ignored compliments on his good attitude in the store. They crossed the parking lot to the umber family van and opened up the trunk door.
James was still strapped into his seat, tapping away at his game as Lindsey took the piles and piles of groceries to put in the trunk, glancing constantly at her son just in a small fit of paranoia.
As she placed a bag of potatoes down, her vision suddenly started to swim. Her stomach, for a moment, twisted up in nausea as a light-headedness came over her, leaving her wavering in place for a moment, hands planted on the trunk’s floor, her feet firm on the ground to keep herself standing.
She held her face for a moment, her middle finger and temple pinching her temples as the last of the swimminess left her head and her eyes, leaving her standing in front of the trunk, half full of groceries.
With a sigh, she picked herself up and groaned. “Ugh, you need to eat something, Lindsey.” She turned and reached into her cart, lifting up more bags of groceries, pausing briefly as she caught the eye of a little boy. Small, wide-eyed, looking confusedly curious at her as he was walked past her car by a man and a woman, both holding his arms carefully, but firmly so he wouldn’t slip out and run off.
Lindsey smiled and waved to the boy, briefly wincing at the sunlight glinting off his big, shiny privacy helmet. He couldn’t wave back, not with his parents holding his hands, one of which was tightly wrapped around a little green dinosaur.
She went back to putting groceries in the back of the car, and dutifully returned the cart to a corral before stopping at the rear of her car. Somebody had dropped a kid’s touchscreen on the concrete behind her car. She wondered if it was that couple and their boy…
It looked new, probably a Christmas present, and Lindsey considered hunting for the couple, but a cursory glance in the direction they’d been walking told her they were already gone. With a shrug, she walked back into the store to turn it into the lost and found, waving to the cashier as she walked past with a smile, though it was slightly dampened by Gloria’s confused look.
Lindsey got into her car and settled down with a sigh. It had been an easy shopping trip, and she was hoping for nothing but green lights and good drivers the whole way home.
Something niggled at the back of her mind, and she paused in clicking her seatbelt shut as she wondered what it was. Gloria’s confused look? She pursed her lips thoughtfully, but buckled herself in, and turned her head to start backing out, stopping as her eyes settled on an empty booster seat in the back row.
Why did she…?
James.
That’s right, it was for James, not Danielle… why did that confuse her so badly? She chuckled to herself.
He was probably with his father, which was a little odd, considering Trevor was still at work, and she always took James with her to go shopping.
The little gaps in logic were niggling harder now. He was probably with Trevor, for... some reason. She couldn’t think of why, she couldn’t recall a conversation about it before. It would have been a big deal for him to have gone with his father down to the office.
But where else could he be? They didn’t hire a babysitter, at least as far as Lindsey could remember.
Well, the only way to put her anxiety to rest was by calling her husband.
One ring, two, then three on her phone, and then she heard her husband’s voice.
“Hey baby, I’ve got a meeting in about five minutes, what’s up?”
“Hi hon,” Lindsey began, then paused, her voice hesitating in her throat as she suddenly felt silly for worrying so much, but… she gave a little laugh.
She could hear her husband’s smile as he asked: “What? What is it?”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Is James doing okay?” She asked, rubbing her forehead in disbelief. Why was she doing this? Of course—
“James?” Her husband’s voice was full of confusion. “Isn’t he with you at the store?”
Lindsey slowly turned back to stare at her child’s seat. “No.”
“Where is he, then?”
Lindsey stared unblinkingly at James’ seat, and slowly lowered her phone. Where was James? He couldn’t—what did he look like?
“Baby?” Her husband pressed more anxiously. “Baby, where’s James?”
She opened her phone’s photos, and holes in her memory began to fill as she stared down at the small, wide-eyed boy with the big helmet clinging to her side, or sitting in the middle of a mess, stegosaurus in hand.
“Lindsey?!”
She threw the door open and unbuckled herself, rushing out towards the rear of the car to stare down the parking lot where that couple had walked their child.
Her child.
“Lindsey, what’s going on?!”