The Change

Jack packed all the instruments and other equipment, shoving all but two cases in a corner. He placed Snowy’s case to one side and picked up his.

Snowy watched him. “You don’t have to do this!’

“No, I am the man of this family now. It was a stupid dream. We will work on yours. I can’t handle the bull shit drama, when our lives are totally screwed up. Maybe when we are older I will. Right now we focus on yours. After all we only have each other.” He removed a tear that slipped, tuning it to ice. His headed pounded, his hand shook as he tried to keep control.“Get ready, I have one last thing to do before the Taxi gets here.” He scribbles a note, taping it to the case.

It was six thirty in the morning as he crossed the street. He set the case at the door of Gran’s house. The taxi pulled up as he returned. Snowy came out dressed to perfection, holding the sun umbrella. Jack opened the taxi door for here. He entered and gave the address. It was a short ride, he paid the driver. Holding the Umbrella above them both they found a place to seat and watched the city come alive. They entered the building at 8:40 making it to the reception desk, the receptionist still getting things readying for the day. “We were told to be here at nine, This is Snowy King,” he stated to the women, “I am Jonathan Vargo and will be escorting her.” He didn’t wait for a response he just took a seat next to Snowy.

*************

Gran retrieved the case noting Bell’s name on the folded note. “Bell, some here for you I think.”

“Yes ma’am.” She unfolded the note reading: Live your dreams.” Bell muttered “What this shit? Who dream I gonna live?”

Grabbing up the case Bell headed across the street, knocking on the door. “Fuck!” she exclaimed when no answer came. Placing the case out of the sun she returned home.

“What was that all about?” Gran questioned as Bell entered.

Bell shrugged, “Like I know.”

“If it was supposed to be a gift, you should at least accept it girl.”

“Gran, I got my guitar, don’t need to one pick one out for me.”

Gran gave a questioning look, “You ain’t going to keep it?”

Bell shook her head “Gran, how long it take me to find my Gibson? More dan a year, right? Guitar gotta speak to ya or you ain’t never gonna feel it.”

“You make sure you go over there and thank them anyway.” She instructed her granddaughter.

“Ma’am… I go get it if they ain’t home when the sun hit da porch. I ain’t never gotta let an guitar suffer cuza me.”

Bell retrieved the guitar just after noon but stood it just inside their front door.

***************

Scanning the photos on the walls she noted the poses and lighting used.   Jack just sat there waiting. Snowy browsed through the magazines, checking out the fashion. One magazine, over a year old, had a cover picture of a supermodel who was murdered just before last Christmas. The caption reads Saundra and Actor husband Aiden Collins Murdered, in a small off set circle is a picture of Wren Collins.

Snowy noted it was Ms. Collins she had meet and read the first line of every paragraph to get the jest. Basically it told of the Hollywood power couple murdered on the way home after premier, of his latest blockbuster movie.   Snowy looked at Jack, “She is one of the mean girls. We have to be careful; no telling what she is up to.”   Jack looked at his watch, it reading eight fifty five.

Two young women arrived just as the secretary came out of the inner office, “Miss King, if you will come this way.”

Snowy placed her hand on his arm, as they stood, following. Jack matching her graceful sway, reducing his stride.

Behind the desk was a slightly overweight man of about fifty, as they enter he said into the phone “Right on time, I’ll let you know,” then hangs up.

He stood, coming around the desk, he didn’t offer of a hand but was obviously checking out Snowy from head to toe. “How old are you?”   He made a twirling motion with his hand over her head.

“I am fourteen, we both have valid working permits till November.” She executed a perfect runway turn.

“What experience do you have?” he asked ignoring Jack. Before she could answer he held up a hand to stop her, “Anything in print that I may have heard of?”

“Last thing was a piece in Glamour. They used me in an article. It was just a fluff piece, to get me known.” She took a relaxed poise as she spoke, “Only a page but the biggest thing to date.”

“What kind of work are you looking for out here?”

“I am willing to do most, just no nudes, no semi nudes and I have to have Jack with me. You can say he is my body guard.” She said without hesitation.

“You’re fourteen, we don’t do nude kids, you have to go to Europe or New York for that.” He stepped over to the desk and touched a button, “Get Andre up here.”

“He viajado” Snowy said in Dutch.

Jack half smiled at her.

“Podrías decir que lo hemos visto todo” she stated doing perfect Japanese.

The man turned back to the pair. “I will need to speak to a parent or guardian. Can’t sign anything otherwise.”

Jack spoke up, “That would be me since we are orphans; I am trying to get the legal end done for us to be emancipated. But we still have the signed documents, at the other agent. You might be able to transfer it or sub contract till the legal end here is finalized.”

The man shook his head. “You can’t transfer things like that, kid. I need a guardian then.”

A thin guy with long hair, looking a bit hurried, came in thru a rear door. Around his neck was a camera.

The man pointed at Snowy, “Head shots, full body, all angles.”

Andre acknowledged with a nod as he gestured with his hand, “Sure, come on with me…what’s your name?”

“Snowy”

Jack moved to follow them as Andre stopped and looked at Jack stating, “Closed set.”

“I go where she goes or you don’t get pictures.” Jack glared at the photographer. He then continued, “We don’t have one. Sorry to waste your time. Come on Snowy.”

Andre fired off an entire roll of film as Jack talked. Snowy did what she did best and played to the camera. The lens always on Snowy, Andre reloaded.

The man replied, “Get that settled, then come back and see me.”

Andre shook his head, “Light’s not great but I can work with it.”

Jack answered him, “I will get a rush on it, don’t want to wait to long.”

The man offered a business card which read: Samuel Warren, CSA and a phone number.

Snowy accepted it with a smile handing it off to Jack, “We should have it cleared up in no time was a pleasure meeting you.”

“You might have something kid” the man commented as the secretary lead them out.

“Thank you for your time.” she hooked her arm to Jack.

They left the office. Jack opened the umbrella, as they hit daylight. He thought to her, “That was a waste of time, yet another dream crushed by this place.”

She thought back, “No, they will see what they all see, sooner or later. We just got the ball rolling.”

He thought to her, “Still no deal if they don’t let me be in there?”

She thought back, “You know I won’t be alone with any of them. I am not going to risk it. I am allowed to have a body guard and you are it.” Jack hailed a cab.

Rolling up to the school, looked out the window.   The school was within walking distance of the house. It only looked to be a year or two old.

They made their way to administrations office, which was part of the central rotunda and school was obviously in session as a large number of kids from about 14 to 18 moved purposely thru the halls. One girl spotted them grinning as she approached. She was taller than Snowy by a few inches and deeply tanned with distinctive South Pacific Island features.

“Hi! You must be Jack and Icy! I’m Aveolela Aloese, you can call me Ave.  I thought you guys didn’t start until next Monday!”

“I am Jack and this is Icy, just in case you got us confused,” he joked. “Could you head us to the counseling office we need schedules for next week, books and syllabus. We don’t want to enter behind on anything.”

Ave frowned. “You want to see Miller then.” she says “This way.”

“He works here to?” Jack smiled.

As she led them up a long circular staircase along the inside of one wall, she pointed to the first room down one wing. “That will be your homeroom.”

On the second floor she led them down the other wing from the classroom to a glassed in area where a woman sat behind a counter tapping on a computers.

Ave pushed the door open for them and held it. “There here to see Mr. Miller.”

Jack smiled at Ave, “Thank you for showing us Ave.”

The woman stood, lifting a section of the counter. “This way.”

“See ya Monday,” Ave said.

“See you than” Jack looked back, as they made their way to the office.

Miller was ensconced behind a massive desk. He did not stand when they were shown in. Absent in the room was any seating besides the chair Miller occupied.

“Mr. Miller it is a pleasure to see you again,” Jack offered his hand.

Miller slide two pages across the desk at them. “Schedules, you share all classes. Each class has at least three other metas in them, all your teammates. These are based on your last school but you might find this a little harder than those classes.”

“Thank you, I was hoping to get the books and the class syllabus.” respectful Jack spoke

Miller thumbed a post it on each page. “Locker assignment, yours is the top, Jonathan, Ms. King’s the bottom, combination on the post it. All books are already there.”

“We do have a week to catch up. We will get backpacks to carry our books. So when can I hear some of those Marine stories, my Uncle would tell us his for hours.”

He slide another pair of pages with diagrams, “Map of the school ground and a walk path to your house. Class begins at eight am sharp.”

Snow spoke, ” I am never late. Daddy drilled that in.”

He added yet another page. “Training schedule for your first week with Monday being an evaluation meeting, in the Gym right after your last class. You will meet the rest of your people then.”

Jack piped up, ‘I think you would have liked my Uncle.”

Snowy thought to him, “Oh you are such a liar.”

“That’s all. Anything else you need, talk to Ryan or Thornquist. He turned back to his computer. “And start wearing your earwig when you leave the house.”

Icy rolled her eyes.

“If that is the chain of command, will do, again it’s been so nice seeing you.” He gathered the papers and escorted Snowy out. Both of them laughed to each other in the link as they spotted Ave.

Ave was leaning against the wall just out of sight of the office when they come out. “I didn’t hear any yelling.”

“Why would Mr. Miller be yelling?” he asked

Ave grinned, “Because you are metas.”

Jack smiled in amusement, “We need to find lockers.”

“They will be over in the right wing with mine, I’ll show you.” She led them around the rotunda and up the steps to the third floor.

“We prefer gifted, as our label.” Jack mentioned.

“Some of us don’t feel all that gifted,” she says. She pressed her thumb against a thumb reader and the door clicked, “You might want to test it, see if they got you in the system yet.” She closed the door.

“I only need my books as we will be sharing.”

“Give it a try!” Ave suggested.

Jack pressed his thumb to the door. The door clicked open. He shot a worried look at Snowy. He closed the door staying in the hall. Snowy pressed her thumb, the door opened.

Within the link Snowy asked him, “How did they get our fingerprints?”

“We are so screwed.” He thought back. Verbally he asked trying to fight the growing pain, “So the 1st floor like this, we have to press that thing all the time?” he asked

Inside the door was a hallway with lockers just inside on the right wall. Six rows of lockers over six more.

“This is our classes dorm wing, all our lockers are in here.” She pointed down the hall, six doors on each side

“Miller said hers was on 1st floor.” He rubbed his temple, he could feel warmth to his skin.

“You mean the locker? No, yours is this one, and hers is that one.” Ave pointed to two of the lockers stacked on top of each other.

“No, I will not be back here” Jack said as he unlocked the locker.

Books and supplies filled the space within. He pulled off his shirt revealing his pale but well define chest. He piled the contents into his shirt, as Snowy loaded her locker into it. She hurried noting the sweat now beading on his skin.

“And you will be back here, Wednesday.” Ave informed him.

“Why?” He tried to keep focused.

“Team meeting is held here in the common room.”

“When?. I was told Monday, Wednesday and Fridays are training. I didn’t hear about any meetings.” he looked confused, “How often and how long?”

Ave made a gesture and a snake of water slithers out of one of the open areas further up the hall. It wormed its way up to her feet and coiled around her until in rests like a cobra on her shoulder. “We can use our powers here. We practice here without blowing things up or being seen.”

“That’s the training in the gym, but the meeting shit.” Jack was getting irritated.

“Also WE are the Blue Team and WE need to get to know each other. It is called team building by Mr. Harding.”

“How long are we stuck in the meeting?” he asked again

“Hours usually, depending on the raid.”

Jack grabbed his shirt and pulled Icy back to the door. Opening the door, he pulled Icy down the stairs as he leaves

Ave followed them. “What’s wrong?”

“They didn’t say anything about no damn meetings and they expect me to show up right after a fucking hot day at school! They are either trying to kill me or starve us!” Jack growled out, trying to get to the house.

Mal is waiting at the bottom of the stairs “Language, Jack. How are we trying to kill you or starve you?”

Jack headed out the front door dragging Icy along as he gets bearings for home, still carrying the shirt of supplies “Don’t worry about that’s my problem!” Coming to a stop he scooped up Icy, setting the books on her and walking a fast full stride.

Mal followed along “You seem to think we are out to get you. If there is a problem, tell me.”Mal stopped following. “I’ll have Miller get you back home tomorrow.” She started to return to the building.

“You know the problem,” He said as he gritted his teeth, still moving.

She turned back “I am NOT a mind reader, I don’t know.”

“You want the whole campus knowing!” he screamed

“Well we have a perfectly good common room on the first floor with all new AC you need. Or you can run back home, your choice.”

Icy moved out of his arms. “I am sorry my brother is having a problem. I will fix him by morning.” Icy gave Mal a nasty stare.

Mal came back over to them; her voice lowered “Is that what you have to do? Fix him?”

“I do not mean it literally.” she looked at her, “He thought you would be there.”

“Come Jack, you need to rest.” she commanded as she held the umbrella over him.

“You obviously do not want to be here, so, I’ll tell you what, we’ll set you down back at your home and you can go on about your merry way. If you decide you need even a little help, call us. We don’t need someone who is NOT going to work with us but we also are not going to abandon you completely.”

“We never said we wouldn’t work with you.” Icy said. “You already have abandoned us.”

“You aren’t even trying. We are willing to give you anything you want or need. You get pissed at god know what…what was that last night, Jack? Bell do something stupid?”Mal asked.

“He called you for help and all you could say, was about here.” Icy keep talking Jack keep walking.

“He apologized for what? He said we didn’t get you guys. NO we … I don’t. I asked if he got me or Nat or Bell, then he hung up.”

“She called him WHITE BOY. You know how much we have gotten teased about out paleness. Then she just spouts all her racist slurs at us.” Icy’s head was in a swirl, the pain overriding her fear.

“She calls me Clear girl all the time!” Mal shrugged.

“Should I call Bell, BLACK girl? Would she like it?”

“And what did he say to her that set her off? Bitch about her playing?” Mal nodded, “Yeah, because she IS a black girl. She damn proud of it

“He was taking about a band fit and she was putting me down too.”

“So, he said she might not ‘fit’ huh?”

“We have to attend eight hours of school, unknown training and then go to a meeting! Heat and food!” Snowy was losing her cool.

“To Bell that’s the same as saying she don’t fit because she is black If he’d said ‘let’s get Snowy in on this and see what happens … All Bell cares about is her music.”

“HELL BEN my … best friend and Jacks best friend is Of dark skin!”, She was getting very upset, as she grabbed her head.

“You better get that skin thing out of your head.” She whispers “We are Metas, not black or white or yellow.”

“I need to go. We will be at the school..” she fell to the ground before finishing her words.

Mal was on her knees instantly “ON NAT, get a doctor, Snowy’s down in the parking lot. Jack is down, up the street.” Mal pointed to Jack “There, Nat!” In the distance, a siren was heard.

Snowy opened her eyes, fighting to stay awake. “NO DOCTORS!” She was being carried by a guy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes with Nat carrying Jack back to the house.

“Don’t worry, no doctors,” The guy said with a smile, “I’m Slater and I’ll be your ambulance for today. How are you feeling?”

“MY head hurts, it will pass.” she stated, trying to focus.

“Just relax, only a hundred yards or so to go.” He turned a little to allow her to see Jack being carried by Nat. Jack was out cold. “I am glad I got you, he’s not so beautiful.” Mal followed carrying the books.

“You probably say that to all the women,” she studied him resisting making her head worse by attempting anything.

He smiled “Only the ones that I find myself carrying home after they pass out. Would you happen to have the key to the house?”

She half smiled, “It’s not locked”

Mal rushed ahead to open the door.

Nat spoke aloud, “Miller, cancel!”

Nat let’s Slater thru first “Where would you like me to drop you?”Slater asked with a grin.

“On my feet would be nice,” she requested, “Please put jack on the couch and turn down the air.”

Slater sets her very gently on her feet, holding her a moment to ask “You okay then?”

“He is burning up.” She stumbled to the freezer, pulling out a cube the size of the freezer. Grabbing a towel and hammer, she hit the cube.

“What can we do to help Nat asked, taking the cube from here “Hold on a sec, how small?

“He needs an ice bath..” Snowy said as she tried to steady herself.

“Slater, tub. Turn on the water? He asked her as Slater carried Jack to the tub.

“The water is to hot unless we add salt, which will lower the temp of water as the ice melts.” she searched the cupboards making a mess.

Slater lays Jack in the tub and Nat holds the block of ice over him, knocking chunks off with the edge of his hand

“This is not our first round with change. It’s just the worse one.” she tossed him the salt they had.

Slater caught the box, adding it into the tub.

Nat chopped the entire block into chunks, “We are going to have to put in a different system.”

Snowy headed to the espresso machine, she could feel the pain overtaking her. She had to stay awake. She had to tend to Jack.

“You need Espresso, sit down! I’ll get I,” Mal catches Snowy “Tell us what you need.”

“I need more ice till I can hear him again.” she is almost crying as she make the liquid goo. Steadying herself with the wall she made it Jack and slide to the floor. “You found us at the wrong time.”

“ON, Miller we need more ice, get a truck of it here now. OFF.” Mal says, “So, a walk in freezer is first on the list.”

Nat called out “A bigger AC”

Slater added “TOWELS!”

“We had one in the basement for the changing. It was his bedroom.”

Mal says “What do YOU need?”

“Time to get normal again.” Snowy gulped down the cup, “More please. I have to tend to him.”

Slater turned, rushing out the front door. He ran back in with a pile of bagged ice in his arms. “My nips are frozen!”

Nat ripped open the bags and adding them to the tub. Snowy went to Jack kneeling, singing a lullaby as she opened her mind to his, the pain in hers increasing but he looked more relaxed

“Rock salt is best for the ice to release the cold the fastest.”She held her head trying to think.

Nat spread his arms and herded the now larger mob out into the living room. Mal brought another cup of espresso into Snowy. Snow screamed in pain holding her head as multiples of her run through the house.

Nat stated, “Oh crap.”

Mal caught Snowy putting her arms around her.

“Jack, come back. I need you.” she pleaded in a whispered as tears fell against Mal, her eyes growing heavy.

Slater nodded, “Mental Images.”

Jack’s body seemed hotter as it melted the ice even faster as her pain linger. Slater drained the tub as Nat brought in more ice. Between the two of them they keep the water/ice level near the top of the tub. Jack icicled up. Jack looked like he lost 30 pounds in this form his nose a little longer his hair iced and icicles all over his skin. He even seemed to even be taller.

“Well hello, Icehawk.” Nat remarked.

Snow sniffled, “I can hear him.” She looked relived as sagged in Mal’s arms, “I have to stay awake. Jack is back I can hear him, I need to stay awake.”

“ Another Espresso!” she called out. Mal was shivering but still held Snowy, asking Nat, “Who?”

Ave came in holding a cup. Mal was trembling almost so much Snowy spilled the cup.

Nat s asked, “Ave, can you clear the water?”

The Samoan girl nodded and all the water not in the tub formed up a snake and disappeared into the sink.

Mal smiled, “Thanks, Ave, I can almost feel my feet. No self respecting N’oreasterner is going to admit cold.”

“Sometimes I can’t handle his cold,” she seemed to be drifting in and out as she drifted, he jerked as if fighting to wake.”

Nat suggested, “Why don’t we move out of shrapnel range.” Ave and Slater backed out as Mal came to her feet, Nat offering her a hand up.

Bell asked, “That white boy gonna live? I need him fo my band!”

Mal stepped out of the room, “Bell!”

Jack suddenly stopped moving, a second later, the ambient temperature dropped by two levels, and created   an icy patch moving well into the hall, as icicles shoot from him pelting the ceiling. Ceiling pieces fell into the tub and room, as the projectiles stuck into the roof.

“What?” Nat swept Snowy up and covered her with his body.

“I need to stay awake he needs me.” Snowy was struggling,

“You need to stay un-punctured be ice.” Nat says and sets her down

Nat looked down at Jack, “You got anything else?”

“We have always helped each other. I need to help him. I am just sooo.” she forced herself to move. Reaching the kitchen, took the Espresso cups and drank them like shots, undulated.

“Mal, keep her awake. ” Nat says

“Be calm my prince.” she commanded, he mind reaching his as her head pounded.

Snowy start sing hush little baby the room filling to look like a nursery with two white hair children in bed. The verses come alive. The mockingbird flew through the room.

Slater led Gran, Bell and Ave out of the house. Nat retrieving more ice.

“What tha shit?” Bell asked.

Slater answered, “Mental images, she can make them come alive.”

Gran commented, “Its beautiful n sweet.”

Bell snorted, “She gonna put on some concert show.”

Jack eyes sprung up, as he pulled himself to stand the icicles fell off him. Stumbling to Snowy, he grabbed a hold of her as she passed out again. Jack cried ice tears, weeping silently over her.

“What can we do for her now?” Mal asked

Nat dropped the bags as he started to speak, “If you’d … “

Mal held up a hand, stopping him.

“Nothing all I can do is sing in her mind so she is not alone. I am useless. I can’t do this.” Jack cried softly. The ice droplets fell onto Snowy’s limp form.

“What can we do…we have other resources.”

“I need to get her warmed up, she can’t do the cold like me.” He hugged her tightly.

Mal offered, “Then let me, Nat get out.”

“I have a few things to get set up with Miller,” Nat growled then said to Jack, “I told you ANYTHING you need, I am not bullshitting.” Nat closed the door softly behind him.

Jack placed his frigid hand on Mal. “I tried to reach out. Just… I ..”

Mal took Snowy from him “Which is her room?” There are four bedrooms

Jack pointed to the second bedroom on left side of the house, which was located just before the bathroom he had been in.

Mal carried her in. “Pull back the covers” she commanded, Jack moving away from them instead.

“I’ll freeze her in this state. I’ll kill her too.” he cried, leaning on the walk to stay up right, the ice forming on his skin.

Mal laid Snowy on the bed then covered her, using the blankets to rub some warmth into her. “ON Nat, space heaters! OFF. No, you will kill her if you fall apart! She doesn’t handle your level of cold well?”

“I can’t handle this. It’s draining me. How can I hold together when we are changing?” he wiped the ice drops from his face. “No she pretends to. She is just like all of you.”

Mal checked out her fingertips, the tip of her nose and her toes. “ON Nat, heat packs now! All this ice and you never thought to get her something to keep her from frostbite? Nat … NOW!”

“She does what she wants, I can’t keep her in the parka and gloves” he shook his head, leaning to the walls making it to the living room couch. He placed his elbows on his knees and his head in hands, trying to summons what energy he had left.

Ave came in the house without knocking, a knapsack over a shoulder, “What room?” She asked Jack.

Mal shouted, “In here!”

Ave disappeared into the bedroom.

“Good a space blanket too.” Mal tore open a hand warmer pack as Ave removed her blanket and covered her with the space blanket. Mal padded her fingers with the packs and wrapped the blanket around them as Ave does the same for her feet. ”Get me a warm washcloth, Ave, for her nose.” Mal directed.

Jack started singing with his heart and soul into it, trying to reach Snowy’s mind, “I’ve seen the seven wonders of the world I’ve seen the beauty of diamonds and pearls But they mean nothing baby Your love amazes me.

Ave retrieved a warm cloth.

Mal snapped, “Shut up, she’s not dying today.” She slipped a hand under the blanket onto Snowy’s belly. “Shit, why the hell IS this girl actually warm?”

“It’s her favorite, Ben use to sing it to her.” Jack stopped singing aloud but kept the song playing in the link.

Mal activated several more packs and slipped them in under Snowy’s body, then a few more on top.

Ave said, “Mal?”

Mal replied, “What?”

Ave was holding a hand out toward Jack, “Feel it?”

Jack called out, “Mal I told you in the car. We were changing. I guess I am not very good at… at anything.” He entered the garage leaving the women to tend to Snowy.

Mal growled.

“I’ll get him, ” Ave said.

Ave followed him out into the garage, “You gotta calm your shit!”   She moved close to Jack, “You’re like radiating cold.”

“I am trying,” he picked up Snow guitar and started playing the song again picking up where he stopped.

“Trying what? Are you using any powers right now? Something is sucking the heat out of the area.”

“Only our link, we talk and feel each other through it.” He confirmed.

“Playing calms you?” Ave asked.

“Yes and singing, we use the singing a lot . Just no way of explaining something, something you have done since birth. We were born with the gift.”

“Don’t explain, just do it, I’ll go back in … helicopter.” Ave headed back into the house and out the back where a chopper was dropping in a military grade portable AC unit.

Jack changed the tune singing again, “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”

A couple of sailors helped get it into position, than cut it loose. From inside the body of the machine they pull a couple of elephant trunks and taped one end to the outlet. They run it thru the window to Jacks room and seal it off. “Somebody gonna freeze tonight,” said one of the sailors. A few minute later there was a rumble and the unit came on, slamming the bedroom door.

Ave came back into the garage “You are going to be able to hang meat in your room in about ten minutes.”

“Yeah, Uncle John did that a couple of times when he bagged two bucks,” he tried to jest.

Through the front Nat returned with a pair of space heaters.

Mal sat them up in Snowy’s room then chased Nat out. She called out, “Ave?!”

Ave called back, “In the garage, Mal.”

Mal came out the garage and looked at Jack, “She’s pink again”

Jack stopped playing, putting her guitar gently down.

“What kind of temperature tolerance do you have?” Mal asked.

“I never had a thermometer on me. I lasted three days in northern Canada in a huge blizzard.” Jack shrugged, the pain level almost gone.

“Jesus…are you comfortable in a normal air-conditioned room?” Mal asked, “Were you comfortable on the plane?”

“I caused it, it killed my parents. I was changing that storm killed my uncle.” Jack sighed, “Ac is a little warm, the plane she kept me asleep so I don’t know. That helicopter I couldn’t breathe.”

“Because you were enclosed or was it warm? Plane was at 66, the chopper under 40. Classes are 68.”

“All your combined body heat on the chopper, plus I was in change.” He shook his head, “I can handle school. Have been for this year, but this other stuff…”

“What other stuff?”

“I need to eat more often and I can’t eat the crap you buy in grocery stores, it also agrees better with her though she can eat the other stuff. After eight hours in school Me and Ben would freeze up the school basement before I had to go to another function. You are talking making me stay in heat over sixteen hours. Right now I am changing, so I can’t even do my normal.”

“We will set up one of the rooms on three for you, drop the temp. Classes are usually six and a half hours.”Mal informed him. “You can go up there at lunch to cool off.” Mal frowned.

“Why do you think I am not a model too? Besides that I am not gay. Those light get so hot.” Jack stated.

“You are labeling all male models as gay?” Mal smiled.

“Let’s see I was in it from 6 to 8, she’s been doing it since six and I go with her. I think I saw two straight models. So yes in my experience most are.”

“We can have an ice bath installed in school too, if we have to. As for your meals, you tell us what you want; we will have if catered, no fast food, all fresh. I have been a meta now for about two years…meta, not gifted, meta.”Mal clarified.

“Uncle John would bring our lunch. I was still trying to figure all this out but her pain was getting to me.”

“Why is she in pain?”

“That is the first sign we are about to change. She gets a headache. Either I cause it or she does but she knows it is coming. We thought we were done with this one. Makes it hard to think. I need time to think. We gain the gifts at the same time just a little spaced, might be hours or days apart, sometimes at the same time. Our parents always knew. They had things set up for us not to be found.”

“Miller had the NSA after you.”

“Only after the car crash, I’ve been this way my whole life.   When did he get his bleep? ” Jack looked up at her eyes.

“Bleep?” She asked

“On the spy network for tracking people like us?”

“The NSA isn’t or tracking people like us, or wasn’t until 7/4.   Once Miller got started, he pulled them in.”

Ave added, “Miller heard about me the day after I put my house out….took him two more to get to Pago Pago.”

Mal nodded as she spoke, “ Took him less than a day for me.”

“Uncle John was asked to experiment on…. what you call meta and he refused. Our folks saw the sleazy side of the company.”

“Yeah, there are some people that want to exploit us…more than the government.” Mal agreed.

“I couldn’t run. I had to get capture. I had to rest to think straight. If I didn’t cooperate he would have never caught us. Then there was your eyes.” he looked at Mal, “I thought …”

“Thought what?”Mal tried to understand.

“I thought you understood and could catch us. I believed you and trusted you. I was raised not to trust but a few with this. I openly betrayed Snowy when I told you that we were changing when I stopped the thief’s. I thought you understood what that meant.” Jack rubbed his temple. “It’s hard to be strong and be an adult when you are changing and can’t think straight.”
Mal explained, “None of the rest of us changed like you did, and none were painful…well, Slater did break just about every bone in his body.”

Ave added, “ He got better.”

Jack sighed.

“See, you didn’t tell me what was going on, you assumed. Stop that. Each of us is as different as we are the same.” Mal continued, “We all need different things and I don’t read minds. Not my power. But I know someone that would read your mind in a heartbeat, you want me to get her?”

“Damn it, I tried, it’s not easy for me or her to trust. I even tried to call you. I just couldn’t. This here is ripping me up. Like I am turning from everything I know and I am.” He paused, “Where is Ben when you need him.” He added, “No one touches my mind but Snowy.”

Mal half smiled “You don’t have to worry about her doing it…she’s scared shitless of Wren. Jack, we don’t ask or demand your trust, we just want a chance to earn it.”

Jack looked to Ave, “Mind checking on Icy for me Ave?”

Ave grinned at Mal, “Sure!”

Jack waited till she is gone. “I need a friend that I can open up to, because no way I will do this again. I’m a wreck right now. I need someone that will help me just as Snowy does. I…”

He couldn’t find the words and just sat there.

“I’ll always be willing to listen and like Nat said, I don’t pass anything on unless you want me to.” She tried to comfort him.

He formed an ice rose and handed it to her.

She takes it “Jack … I graduate in June … going to Columbia in July …”

“I don’t want to talk to the second in command. I don’t want it to be a shrink session.. I want it to be like…” he switched subjects, “So we can have this moment to be… close. Tomorrow is never promised, only today.”

Mal eyes him “What do you mean ‘close’? You’re not even 15.”

“I would like you to be my friend and hopefully Snowy’s. Who else am I going to get to order shit on our next computer? Not trying to hop you bones, I can have that any time.”

“Oh, you can, can you.” She eyed him, “What do you like to do on your days off?

“Ice skate, hockey. Snowboarding. playing gigs.”

“Painting, sketching, going to museums, studying art history.”

“I can do that. I might learn something. Just need to have cool off times. Wait!” Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her to the living room window. “I can do this.” He frosted the window over. “Does that count as art?“ He chuckled, “One art thing we were taken to, it had a blank paper entitled snow storm. They called that art.”

“Can you keep it that way except what I do?” she asked

“I can try”

“Give me a nice thick layer, at least two millimeters.”

Jack turned on his power giving it a light blast.

Mal went into the kitchen and coming back with a spoon. She begins slicing the frost with the edge of the spoon, so to the glass, others just a faint mark. Moving back and forth across the window, adding marks here and there, nothing immediately recognizable she worked. Stepping back she pulled Jack across the room.

Jack looked back at the window seeing the frosted painting of Snowy, smiling, eyes almost twinkling. “My queen,” he whispered

“I paint, I sketch, I live to draw.”

“It’s beautiful, can you teach me?” he requested.

“She’s beautiful, I just catch that point in time,” Mal shook her head, “Not in seven months, not in seven years….could you teach me what you know on the guitar in seven months?”

“Not like we have anything else to do. The dick won’t talk to her about her career till we are emancipated, stupid idea to try doing that in a change.”

“You mean Samuel Warren?”

“Yeah we have no guardian.”

“Then get one. Gran would be glad to stand as your guardian, or Keely, Not all of the team have parents.”

“Only one person we both trust.” he grimaced, “Not the position I wanted you in. I rather get us declared as adults with a good friend to help.”

“Or we could ask Mrs. Flores, Shannon’s mom, It will take time to get it thru the courts.”

“Then it will have to be you.” he sighed “but we are not going to look at you like a mother figure.” He added in a mumble, “No way, I can.”

“I’m not sure if I can do it. I’m not eighteen yet.”

“We will have to wait for the courts. I’ll call Miller, he might help me.” Jack was exhausted, his mind moved like molasses. “Can you get us like dozen computers, someone to teach us to turn it on and about twenty cases of sunscreen highest uv you can get?” Jack put in the earwig, “What temp does this thing stop working at?”

“You gotta know something about Miller, Jack…”

Jack interrupted, “That he’s a snake in the grass and hates the gif… metas”

She added, “and he will screw you any way he thinks he can get away with. He doesn’t just hate us, he is scared of us, that’s worse.”

“I really want to hear his marine stories.”

That’ll never happen, not from him.”

“You never know? Some day he might even be fond of a Meta. Tomorrow is never what we see or plan.”

“Mark’s dad, the general, had Miller’s service record pulled.” Mal mentioned.

“She is awake and is hungry,” Jack goes barefooted in his soaking pants to pull out some fruit and cheese from the kitchen.

“What does she like that you don’t eat?”

Ave came out of the bedroom “She’s awake.”

“Can you take her this for now please, I need to squeeze some juice for her.” Jack offered the plate to Ave.

“She needs more than juice … Mal speaking Swedish “Gud jag låter som mormor.” (God I sound like grandmother).

“She likes chocolate, French fries and for some unknown reasons. Milk shakes.” Jack sighed.

“She needs something to stick to her ribs. A good hearty soup right now.” Mal decided.

“Jag tycker att choklad är en kvinnlig sak.” He said in Swedish. (I think chocolate is a female thing)

“Chowder, bean, vegetable beef.” She listed off.

“NO, no beef,” warned Jack.

“Why not?”

“Anything like, chicken, cows, pigs even deer. It doesn’t agree with us. If it comes from the sea, lake or ocean we are fine,” he shook his head, “That’s why I don’t understand milk shakes.”

“Seafood only, I know this little fish shop down at the wharves, everything just off the boat that day.” Mal spoke as she thought.

“Than any fruit, nuts or berries, we are fine. Not like you can get unprocessed food at school.”

“You don’t know our school. Ern’s demands…. But they refuse to serve whale or walrus…”

“No chewing on blubber, how will I survive.” he chuckled as he squeezed the fruits in the juicer.

“I don’t know if he was joking, he is hard to read sometime.”

“I am joking Mal. I only tried blubber once. It wasn’t very good.” He shrugged.

“He loves it…freaks Shannon out. His mom sends him stuff from Alaska every month or so. We go to Balboa park and picnic, great smoked salmon.”

He leaned heavy on the counter.

“What’s the problem?”

” I am wet and tired but she isn’t ready.” He tried to focus, “’So who saw what I can do and what? What did they see?” He grabbed some cheese and sat at the table breaking off chucks

“Only team or people that know of the team. Slater, Nat, Ave, Me, Gran, Bell…miller never got in.” she listed off.

“Who is Slater?”he asked.

“Team White, code name Psiblade, he’s a mentalist, like Snowy.”

“She never meet one like her before.. “He ate some cheese.

“He’s not the only one.” confiding in him she continued. “You haven’t met Deb yet, Code Name Seer, She’s a telepath.”

“Snowy wants that sooooooo bad. So what did I and or her show off? I have a reason for asking.” He looked at her confused face, “When we change we accidentally showed something new as it comes out. I thought the Jack Frost look was going to be it. I have to know what I am trying to control, just like she does, makes it easier. That is why one of us stays awake to watch.   I am asking which of our powers manifested during the change. At least one of whatever you witness is new to us. I just want know what you saw. I’ll know which is new.”

“Well, if I don’t know what powers you have, I can’t tell which is new…we all saw a bunch of Snowy’s running around the house but Slater said they were images.”

“That’s new.”

“And did you see the hole in the bathroom ceiling? That was you and Nat said something about ice hawk.”

“Never heard of it. How did I break the ceiling, an Ice blast?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Nat got everyone out just before it happened. He had to protect Snowy with his body.”

“Well I have to know. Till I finish getting the control, that will go off on it’s own. I have never broken a house before.”

“Just the ceiling, didn’t go thru the roof.”

He considered, “Still a first, That must be my new one”

v      “Do you usually ice over?” Her eyes watched him.

“I was coming into that when you found us. We only received one at a time before but it was rapid this time and strong. I couldn’t control the storm. Guess we still had a few more powers to get out.”

You know Nat’s going to go over all this with you both, he’s going to want to see it work.” She explained, “For you it will be easy…for her, not so much, hard to show mental powers.”

“Not when you are on the receiving end, she gives one hell of a headache to people. I don’t care I will show, but Snowy. She does it at her own time. ”

“Well…I have to warn you about Wren then…. Deb tried to read her…Wren made floor paint out of her.”

“Snowy doesn’t have that one yet, so no prob.”

“Pissed her off, big time, especially after she realize Deb read Nat… If she want to show something, when she is ready…try Josh, he let Deb do anything to him.”

“More than likely me, because I never keep my defense up for her, she is always in my mind.” He pushed his plate of cheese away.

“Don’t think that would be a good test, you are used to it and more than a little biased.”

“Mal one day she will have to sing you starry starry night, for me. I think you would like it. Though I think you would have to be open for it” He wasn’t sure how her power worked on others.

“No, the idea is to see it things work again a resisting meta or a vampire by the way, Vampires…you are useless. A mental power? Like Deb’s mind link thing? We have to agree to that.”

“No, I meant it is something you would enjoy, not test for combat.” Figuring she was joking about vampires he added, “No blood to suck, ice water in my veins. They would never see me coming.”

“You’d never see them coming…they are faster, stronger and really hard to kill. But Snowy, she’d be a delicious little snack. So if you know one is around, run and carry her with you.”

Now he wondered if she was kidding, her tone sounded serious to him. “How do I know?”

“I … they scare the shit out of me but they can’t touch me. …and I can disintegrate them.”

Snow sat up on the edge of the bed. She peeled away all the blankets. Setting her bare feet to the ground she steadied herself as she stood. Grabbing her blanket she draped it around her, leaving her room she headed for Jack.

“Ah, she rises.” He informed Mal.

Appearing silently into the room Snowy spoke, “I am a bit of a mess but we are down a bathroom.”

“You have two…shall I get out of your way?’ asked Mal.

“No, Jack needs to get to bed, he is tired.” She glared at him.

“No matter what he hopes, I am not going to tuck him in,” Mal grinned

Jack stood up bow slightly to them both, ”As you wish.” he trotted off to the good bathroom.

Icy chuckled, “My head is much better.”

You hear another blast Jack came back out going to his new chilled room, saying as he passed, “We need a wall fixed too.”

“I was not concerned with your head so much as your fingers and toes…and nose.” Her concern real. “You realize that a missing nose tends to put off a talent agent?”

“It has only happen a few times . I stayed to long during his change. I think the death of my Father triggered the new ones.” she sighed, “But we need paper work. If this agent just pays a commission to my old agent. He could use us with the paperwork that is still good to November.”

“Borrow Wren’s lawyers.” Mal suggested.

“Can you get me the number? We don’t want to bother Nat or Ms. Collins.” Icy went to the fridge looking for food.

“ON Wren, do you think your lawyers would represent Ms. King with Mr. Warren?”   Mal tapped numbers into her cell. “Thanks, see you later. You have a pen and paper?”

“I am sure there is one in his shirt but if it is for a phone number, Jack activated me one. It’s in my purse.” She retrieved the phone, only one number in it, that from the business card.

Mal read off the number from her phone rather than taking Snowy’s phone.

Icy looked at the phone and hit a button, she waited, hit another. “Is this where I enter it? she asked Mal showing her the phone. “I’ll find that paper.” Making a mess she produced paper and a pen. “Jack has always taken care of our phone. Dad had us share it.”

Mal takes the phone, punched in the numbers then handed it back.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Icy looked at Jack’s door and retrieved a candy bar from her purse and unwrapped it, “Don’t tell Jack okay.” as she took a bite, then hide the rest back in the purse. Snowy jumped up from the table doing a happy dance for no reason

****moments before***

Jack dropped the earwig into his night stand pulling out his old phone and dials it,

As the voice answered he spoke, “Red 2”

“Understand, and you?”

“We are green2 maybe 3. Still trying to figure it out. In a changing.”

“Fuck, how is she doing?”

“Majorly missing you. I want you to Come to San Diego and stay with us. You can decide for yourself.”

“You sure it’s green 2.”

“Yeah, I have a friend.”

“I’ll catch a plane tonight, should I bring my gear?”

“Yeah, looks long term here.” “Give me the address” Jack tells male voice their address.

****

Icy actually smiled at Mal. “OH this is going to be great! You will love him Mal.!” she held her face hardly able to contain herself, “Do we have to tell someone, so he can get to our house?”

“You’ have to meet him at the gates to let them register him as a guest but unless his picture is in some Post Office it should be fine.’

“Not sure what flight he will get, most likely stand by, might be late.”

Mal had never seen Icy happy since they retrieved her.

“Oh forgot, Jack invited our bbf to come stay with us!”

There was a knock at the door. Icy sighed the smile gone as she went to the door and opened it.

Bell, with the guitar case “You cousin left this at my place.” She offered the guitar to Snowy.

Snowy did not take it. “I know it was a present from him to you.”

“Got my own guitar, don’t need another one.”

“What’s wrong with it? My father spent a lot of money for it. It’s top of the line?”

“I GOT my own guitar, guitar be like personal, took me a year to find mine, don’t need no other.”

“Alright I will give back to him, if you insist.” Snowy said

Bell sat the guitar down. “I got music ta make.”

Snowy picked up the case and tossed it towards the garage door.

Bell headed back to her house, flinching when Snowy threw the case.”Mus’ ntt be all dat, thrownin’ it ‘orund like dat.”

Snowy shrugged and shut the door. “I need some food. How far to some where I can get food? We will have to get other stuff for Ben.” She held her forehead, sitting back down with Mal.

Mal responded, “ Nothing closer than a mile or so.”

“Things will be better when Ben gets here. He knows what to do.”

What kind of food are you looking for?” Mal inquired.

“I’m just really hungry. Nothing much left after two days of eating. I don’t know how to cook, either. Jack does all the cooking. Any good vegetarian take out that use all fresh ingredients?” Snowy placed the shirt bundle on the table and untied the books, sorting them and making two stacks.

“Not sure about vegetarian places, most are sea food and only one ‘fast food’ place, a Subway,”

Snowy shivered at the thought, “Does the seafood places deliver?”

“I think Point Loma Sea foods do. They are just on the other side of Point Loma.”

“I haven’t learned any of the area yet. I was hiding inside for my changing. I told Jack to do the same but he had to get supplies.” Snowy sighed, “I thought we had completed, the headaches were going away.”

“What kind of sea food do you want?”

“Un-breaded shrimp, maybe a nice un-breaded seared salmon?”

“This is California, breaded is no the usual way they do seafood.”Mal added, “Except calamari.”

“In Michigan they coat everything in bread and deep fry it, neither will we eat.”Snowy paused, “Except Red lobster, you could get some eatable food there.”

“You want platter or sandwich or just a bucket of shrimp?”

“A bucket would be nice. I will try the platter to, hold anything breaded or deep fried… well except…” she looked at Jacks door. “No hold all deep fried.”

Mal opened her cell scrolled through her numbers. “Grilled or steamed?”

“Safest would be steamed, don’t know if they use butter to grill.”

“You want just shrimp? or fish, scallops, crab, calamari, calms, oysters … and they make killer crab cakes.”

“No crab cakes that contains unknown binder as bread crumbs. The bucket of shrimp and the rest sounds awesome.”

Mal will call in the order for two pounds of shrimp, two streamed platters with scallops, crab and fish then two crab cakes and a half hound of crab with butter.

“Fries? Coleslaw?

“ahhhhh, yes fries .” she bite her lower lip, “Don’t you dare tell him I ordered them.”

“Fires is fine.” Mal looked at Snowy, “Salad for him?”

She nodded, “Vinaigrette on the side.”

Mal closed the phone,   “Twenty five minutes.”

“I will rest again when he wakes. He went through a big one. But at least we know what to control. We will need a few dozen computers.” She offered Mal her bank card. “I’ll pay for them.”

“Why a few dozen? inquired Mal.

“Because I tend to smash them when they refuse to work right.” Snowy shrugged.

“And you don’t know how to use them so you smash more.” she tried to comprehend .

“My dad would just set up the documents for us to type into and he took care of the rest.”

“Those computes are probably two grand each.”

“Jack is much better at than me. He had the one I smashed, running. When Ben gets here, he will pull me away before I break to many of them.” She smiled again at the mere thought of Ben, “He won’t let me near his laptop.” Snowy studied the living room window, “Wow Jack has never done anything like that before. It’s … me!” Snowy got up, going to the thermostat, turning the air to the lowest setting. “I don’t want it to melt, it’s beautiful!”

“I guess he took me at my word, it is still frozen, Mal softly smiled, “I’ll do the next in something more permanent.”

“You did that… Thank you , “She paused, “I would offer you something to drink but we only have water and what’s left of the espresso.” Snowy wipe her forehead, “Do you need a parka? I have mine and his.”

“You might want to … reassess the heating in here.” Mal suggested, “Maybe find a median.”

“Everyone always assumes that we are both able to handle the same temperature because of our skin tone. I don’t mind the cold, as long as he is comfortable. We need a few more cases of sunscreen too. It will go fast, with how sunny it is here.” Snowy divided up the supplies, then opened the top book to the first sticky note. Sighing, she put the books down. “That food is taking forever.”

“Not that long, only been 30 minutes.” Mal grinned.

“Guess I am really hungry, still have a little headache. Makes time feel like it is standing still.”

The knock sounded on the front door.

Snowy sighed.

“I’ll get it.” Mall offered.

“Thank You, “ Snowy pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

Mal went to the door and after a couple moments, came in with two heavy plastic bags. “You really need to stop turning the AC up.” Setting the bags on the counter, she started sorting it into three piles.

“No fries for him.” Snowy reminded.

“I wasn’t sure about drinks so I got lemonade, it is the only fresh drink they have. Got him a salad, doesn’t come with fries.” Mal snagged a fry and ate it. Yours are going to get cold if you don’t get eating.”

Snowy looked confused and joined her at the counter.

“I need some warmth, mind if I eat out back?” Mal took up a large Styrofoam container and large drink.

“Is this the customary way to eat in California?” Snowy devoured the fries like she has not eaten in weeks, as they walked out to the patio.

“Someone should feed you before you start gnawing on someone’s leg. What do you mean? You mean sitting on the patio?” Mal pulled open the sliding door with one finger, the warm air flowing in.

“Well, in some countries all eat from the same pot. Jack always served me my food and you made piles.”

“Grab it and come out here, warm up! That’s an order from the second in command.” Mal sat in one of four patio chairs that surround a glass toped table. All the garden flower were dead. She looked up at the sky “Um…the sun is already on the other side of the house…What did you do to the flowers?”

Snowy closed the door behind her as she sat across from Mal. “Jack was emotionally distraught and covered them with snow, when he lost control.”

“Well…glad I don’t get emotionally distraught. More than plants would die…

So, he just takes it out on harmless flowers?”

“We lose control when we are changing trying to deal with both our pain and emotions. He had to deal with his and mine and I his and mine, it is always that way.” Snowy emptied her bucket of food and tried the lemonade.

Mal pushed up and crossed to a very dead plant. Running her hand over the tops of the dead plants, almost like stroking them as she does, they disintegrate into dust.

“Good pick, he will enjoy the lemonade.” Snowy smiled and took another sip.

Mal returned to the chair after she touched all the dead flowers. “The trees will be okay, but you might get brown grass a little early.”

“I am sure the only one who will use this area will be Ben. He took care of the yard for my Dad”

“Still, no reason to throw a hissy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am talking about control. Just because you are mad, or upset, you can’t go blowing off your powers like that.”

“Guess you don’t understand the change at all. I thought you would, being a Meta. It happen the same fo..” Snowy thought better of completing her statement, “Anyways, when we are in a change we can’t keep things controlled like we can a week or so after. In a week, he should be back to normal with no accidents.”

“So, you’re just going to wipe out grass and flowers for how long?”

“Unless it happens again, this was the first multi changing we have done. Usually if we have time to “think” we are fine in a week.” Snowy stated

“Paige the other day was the closest we ever come to someone blowing things up but she’s eleven and she didn’t expect it, no one did. Her power was all teleporting.”

“We were born mind linked. We have gone through five changes throughout our lives, so far. I get headaches to warn us when it will be starting.”

“Think there will be more? How much warning is the headache?”

“A few days warnings except this time we were going through a change, when it last change happen. My head never stopped hurting the pain was the most I felt like deep down. He had to bare that along with me, we are linked. He was trying to rebuild us and take on things , my dad took care of. I couldn’t help him because I couldn’t help myself at that point and he lost control, dead flowers. That is why I wanted to hide in the house when we arrived. One of us had to be prepared to help the other. We know the routine.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked

“He was trying to when he called you but he was unable to finish reaching out because all the faces and everything crashing in, he didn’t know how. Ben could of helped him, We lied to you. Ben knows our secret. It is hard to fully trust anyone when you first meet. You he trusted once he looked in your eyes. I am trusting you, not because he does. You I will tell the truth to from now on.”

“Next headache you get, we’ll get you both to safety, it is what team does.” She assured the girl. “How long ago did this start?”

“Birth we linked, Six we received our first real gift. It happens about every two years. So, I guess you would say as long as we have lived.”

“Well, we don’t need a destroyed school.”

“We should be done now by all facts we read. We are past puberty.” Snowy stated. “But like it was pointed out, we are not all the same. It was an assumption I made because Of our experiences. Our parents always knew, so they gathered data to find out what to expect. Even they were not ready for the first.”

“What facts are those? What data? How did they gather it?” now she was really interested.

“Come on, they wanted my dad to experiment on the gifted. They only keep working for them because if you leave. You seem to fall off the face of the world. They had tons of data they borrowed.”

“Who are ‘they’?”

She stated, “Worldwide Global Tech. Who do you tell? Who do you trust? Who have they bought? Tell no one, Trust no one, always be on your guard and never lose control. Do you understand now why we have trust issues? You think we trust Miller? Or the government?”

Mal spoke in thought, “We have been researching two groups.”

“You will see you can trust Ben.” Snowy changed the subject.

“Is he a meta?”she asked.

“I am not allowed to answer that under the bond of bbf’s, but I am sure you will figure it out. I said I won’t lie to you and meant it.” Snow sipped her lemonade.

“The fact that you don’t answer is answer enough.”

“Exactly and didn’t betray my Knight, he was with us for the 2nd changing”

“And he is arriving tomorrow?

“As soon as he can catch a plane,”

“Where is he, I’ll send the plane.”

“He should be flying stand by on Delta right now at Metro airport in. No way to contact him, till he arrives here. Are you going to finish your food?”

Mal eyed her “You want it?”

“Please, I am famished.” she chuckled.”Not like I have an agent yet taking all the food from me. This one had me eat noting but celery sticks and carrots because he felt I looked bloated.” The fries disappeared the moment offered, salmon not far behind. “:Can’t eat much when I have a headache either. I think we will need a daily supply delivered and we will have to get junk food for Ben.”

“Well, if you liked this, I’ll give you the number. That fish was swimming yesterday.” Mal offered.

She slide her phone to Mal. Mal added the number.

“Thank you. It is inconvenient when he is asleep.”

“So you can pig out?”

“I do like to do that, but he takes care of lot things for me, so I can study. Once I get working, WE will have no free time. If he changes his mind, free time will be with the band. Like dad always said you must live your dreams.” She sniffled pulling back a tear.

Mal reached across the table and touched her hand, “Your father’s remains will be here tomorrow.”

“Good than we can do our ritual as soon as Ben arrives, and we need to find a place no one can see in an area near the sea.”

“They will be coming into Coronado, Nat ordered a full military reception for him.”

“We would like to see that. Oh by the way he’s awake now. Yelling at me because he can smell the fries.” Snowy lowered her head with a devilish grin.

“Tell him they are mine.” Mal stated.

“He doesn’t believe me, go figure.” Snowy chuckled.

Jack came out of his room dressed in white dress pants and a white cotton loose pull over. He headed to the food left and started to nibble, giving the drawing an extra blast.

Jokingly Mal said, “Must be the fries on your breath.”

Snowy smiled, “You think there is a place we can go that no one is watching it’s private. You of course can come.”

“A lot of places like that, what are you looking for?”

“Open space on a cliff top, overlooking the sea. We will be using our powers so it has to really private.”

“Wow… That’s a tough one in Southern California. I’d have to ask Nat, he knows the coast.”

“That’s how we did Jacks, parents. Something close would be okay.” Snowy looked at her, “This is all between us, Ben has to see before we tell anyone. bf rules and all. If he is good with you than you are a bbf.”

Jack goes to the door and waved at them while eating his salad.

“I am sure Nat will figure out someplace nice.” Mal assured her.

“What you see at it. Will be between the four of us, Okay?   I am putting my full trust in you.” Snowy said seriously.

Mal picked up Snowy’s phone again and transferred a few more numbers. “These are most of the food places within a mile or so. Most are seafood, like I said, There are a couple good Mexican places and a couple Italian. Point Loma Seafood is a popular one for the teams. They deliver to the dorms, they don’t normally do that but we are a huge customer.”

“Do they have Shark Steaks?” She bite her lip.

“I don’t think anyone has thought to ask but it is a seafood market as well as a restaurant.” Mal commented, “It was a market before they served food. I know they have swordfish steak, tuna, of course.”

“They remind me of what I remember beef to be.”

“Why don’t you just have a steak?” Mal asked.

“I don’t want to be sick for a week.”

Mal held up her hand thumb and forefinger about two inches apart “This thick… Why would you be sick?”

“When we were little we became ill and it was decided that we could not eat certain food or we would be sick.”

“You ever have an allergy test?”

“NO!! no doctors ever! You had to of know the rules. Didn’t your parents teach them to you? Rule 1 no doctors ever.” Snowy exclaimed.

“If you have say, a peanut allergy…you could die. I’ve never heard of an allergy to steak, unless it is in some vegan’s head.”

“No he makes peanuts all the time. WE know this works, why change it when we are in need of time? Not a good idea to be experimenting with change, while changing.” Snowy felt Mal was dismissing what they knew to be.

“You guys sure you didn’t grow up in Lancaster PA?”

“No, we were raised in Gaylord so we could hide.”

Mal stopped and listened then says “Ok, I’ll let them know. Where is it better to hide, a town with 30000 people, or a city of 3 million people? I was just told there will be a crew here first thing in the morning to fix the ceiling and wall. They are also going to put in a bigger AC and replace the one back here with a potable walk-in freezer unit.”

“I think our parents did the best they could, for as long as they could. We will forever be indebted to them in our hearts. Jack will never come out, you know.”

“Then we will have to put in a TV and some curtains.”

“We don’t watch TV.” Snowy commented.

For the second time that day a knock sounded at the front door. Setting down his food, Jack made his way to the door opening with a smile.

Delivery man spoke, “Got a pair of mopeds here, you want them in the garage?” A truck was backed up in the driveway. The rolling door was up revealing the bikes in the back.

“Sure, let me get the door.” Jack left the front door open and headed to the garage opening the main door.”

The delivery man picks one up and sets it on its stand. The man lifted the second out and sets it on the kick.

“Thank You , were do I sign?” asked Jack

The man offered a clipboard “Right there, Tanks are full, as requested.”

Jack signed; fishing in his pocket he pulled out a crumbled twenty and handed it to the man. “Thank you.”

He nodded at the twenty then dropped the clipboard into the truck and returned with a pair of helmets, “State law, damn it.”

“We will obey the law.”

“You ridden before in California?”

“No, sir I haven’t. Could you explain?” he asked

“Get a vest, because those assholes are gonna claim they didn’t see you, Day glow yellow. Bike has good lights and plenty of reflectors but watch driving at night, especially around dusk or dawn. If it’s foggy, walk.” The man lowered his voice “and if you’re riding alone….carry something.. some joker will club you and steal the bike.”

“They are for emergency use. We will be getting a car soon.”

“Good, either that or get something that will do more than 30 mile per hour.”

“Thank you. I will get those Jackets as soon as I can.”

The guy handed him the receipt. “Number on that and address we ain’t far, three miles. Drop in and got those vests, I’ll cut you a deal for buying the bikes.”

Jack smile, “You will see me very soon. Thanks again.”

“Be careful out there!”

Jack nodded, “We will be.”

The guy climbed back into the truck and waved as he drove off.

Jack wave to the man and close the door. Walking back he sees his case just tossed and he sings out “SNOWY!!”

******

Snowy stated to Mal, “We are in need of Yellow riding Jackets”

“What for?” Mal asked.

Snow answered, “So we don’t become road pizza. Jack has the place we will by them from.”

“Speaking of street pizza…you ride a bicycle?”

“We had dirt bikes, since almost forever and snowmobile.” Snowy informed, “You don’t live on acres of land and not enjoy it.”

“I was thinking more like ten speeds with Alpine gears.” Mal commented.

“We learned when we where little, you never forget to petal.”

“I know Jack has problems with the temperature but we are doing a ride Saturday morning to Old Town, then over to Balboa Park.”

“When Ben gets here we will have a car.” Snowy shot a look at Jack as he screamed inside the house; he picked up the case and took it to the garage.”

“I’ll ask him. He said for you he would cross the desert.” she chuckled, busting out laughing. “Okay,” she calmed herself to a light giggle, “I was only suppose to say yes, delete the rest.”

“Weather guessers are saying cool, about 55, will that help?”

“My headache is gone so, after a wonderful night sleep in his cool room. He should be good for eight hours but with him still getting control I would limit it to six, for safety reason. Rule six: always take the side of caution.”

Jack starts cleaning the house.

“While you are with him, I will stay here and tutor him in our assignments.” Snowy said.

“Who? Jack?”

“Yes it is very efficient way to study. He can be doing something else and I can be teaching him what is in the books. Rule 13 Never cheat.” she stated “The mind link has its uses” she giggled.

“More then you know,” Mal explained, “White uses it instead of the earwigs most of the time but what do you want me to teach Jack? What subject?”

“Pick one! Than I can go roam too, you teach him and he will feed me.” Snowy smiled brightly at that idea

“I’m an art major; you want to learn art history?”

I am sure you could handle tutoring ninth the grade math and English since you are about to go to college. We are very fast learners and it would be lovely to be taught in Dutch again. We don’t have many opportunities to speak in the others. We both speak multi languages.”

“I don’t speak Dutch, Swedish, yes.”

Snowy made a face looking at the house, “Okay the fart brain told the wrong one. I hate when he does that.”

“Snowy, I do have my own studying to do. I am the leader of Team Red, so we have a lot of team stuff to work on too. This Saturday is our first really free day in a month.”

Snowy understood, “If you can, otherwise we do it like we have since we were six. It lets him live his dreams too. No reason to have us both stuck in the house studying when he can live his dream. He is my bodyguard when I work. I won’t do a shoot without him or Ben in the room. If I didn’t free up his study time, he would be living only my dream. You are to live your dream that is what we were taught.”

“What is his dream?”

“He wants Snowy and the drifters to hit the top ten charts and be the hottest band for years for Ben. I want to be a bio chemist and complete my dad’s work, but for now I want my career, I want to see where it takes me. Jack hasn’t picked a new one yet, but he needs free time so he can.”

“If you are playing with the band, how are you going to get your degree?” questioned Mal.

“Ben goes to college on line. I figure by the time I am ready to go. The Online selection would be better. But we live our dreams and life throws you a curve and the dreams adjust and change. This was more than a curve-ball, or bump in the road, it is a derailment. Ben would of course be the keeper of the computer so I don’t break it. I don’t see why people waste time on them. There is too much to experience.” she sighed “but I know I have to learn how to use one for college.”

“And for team training.” Mal noted.

Snowy turned pale as shook her head. “You use one of those things? What do you type back and forth?”

“Raids, It is all about following orders, about doing your job, playing your role.”

“On a computer.” Snowy sounded doubtful.

“All safely, no one dies for real.” Mal added.

“Except for a few dozen computers, you are talking like a video game right.”

“Exactly…I know, I am not a gamer either, nor were most of the teams. Nat and Wren both were like you, No computer in the cottage, no desire for one. Blame it all on Fuji and Zach.”

“I think a different kind of headache is coming on.” Snowy frowned, “I have always avoided them. I think they are waste of time, Jack and Ben would spend hours on the video games. I tried once. I couldn’t even make it move, dead.”

“The idea is to work as a team and Jack would be right there to show you what to do if he plays already.” Mal pointed out.

“Then why not do it in the flesh, at least you are not sitting on your ass, not moving. You need to know what they move like in the real. He does not play on a computer, they are foreign to him too and Jack plays video games.”

Mal put her chin on her fist “It is either that or real physical training with the team and how are you going to train to take orders?”

“I would rather the physical. Jack I think would have Ben teach him computers.”

Mal stands, “Fine … what are you going to do to stop me, right now, from killing you?” Mal turned slightly transparent. “All I have to do is touch you and you are going to die.” She touched the Styrofoam container and it disintegrates, “Just like that.”

Snowy commanded with her powers, “Be normal.”

“Who are you going to call, who are you going to tell what’s happening,” Mal held her hands out, “Well? See, I learned something; You can’t use mental powers on me while I am in this state. But I can touch and kill you. This is the kind of thing you will need to know. And Jack? He can’t do much either, you need to know who CAN hurt me.”

“But a game can do this magic thing? Making it so we know how? and if I had felt danger Jack would of attacked you. I always have my prince.”

Mal called out, “JACK! Come attack me please!”

Jack look up, “You want me to do what?”

Mal moved between Jack and Snowy “Attack me!”

“Snowy what did you say this time. ” he glared at the girl, “With what?” he was lost.

“That new ice blast maybe?” Mal asked, “Aren’t you curious about it?”

“I can’t do that, please. I’m not ready My lady.”

“One of two things would happen. You attack me…your blast,” Mal turned and looked at Snowy “Would hit her or, since she is my teammate, I drop my de-solidification and take the hit. Which do you think I’d do?” Mal dropped the desolid and picked up her lemonade.

“You would take the hit. But I would never attack someone in direct line of her. I would have to reposition.”

“Thing is, I don’t want to train you to fight meta for Miller, I want to train you to fight to protect her. Look, getting late, I have homework, and I missed most of today’s classes.” She pointed at Jack “You suck it up and keep her room WARM.”

He looked at Mal as he escorted her to the door. “Ben will teach her, might take some time.”

“Let her EAT. Fries do not kill people…or I’d be dead and fries don’t make you fats.” She looked down “Nope, no fat” And chocolate is a woman’s right!”

Looked at Mal as if looking for the first time, he was stunned as he noticed her looks, for the first time. “OH, they don’t.”

“Need anything, call and use the damn earwig, I hate miller listening in on everything.”

“I have already destroyed my old phone. I’ll call you on my new one some time, when I can’t find that thing. I have one question?”

“What?”

“How cold can it withstand before shattering in my ear?”

“You don’t get anywhere near absolute zero, so you are fine. Q made then to work down to like -100c. He says it works better cold.”

“How cold do I get?”

“Too low for zero and don’t freeze her out, you want her to have to have her nose cut off? Be a man and suffer a little 60 degree heat wave.” She directed him.

He handed her an ice rose. “You better go study; you have to live your dream to.”

She took the rose considering, “Maybe it will last until I get to the dorm. I can put it in the freezer.”

“They make great drink stirrer at a party too.” Jack smiled at her.

“Get two ten speeds, alpine gears and helmets and something bright.” She ordered,

“ME?”Jack was taken aback.

“By Saturday,” she waved as she head out into the street.

“Okay, I’ll get Ben to help me.” Jack waved back.

Mal called back, “If Ben is going to help…three ten speeds with alpine gears.”

Jack looked at Snowy, “Why did you do that?”

Snowy replied as he came back into the house, “She guessed after I swore the oath, She is my bf.”

“About time you picked a female.”Jack laughed, “Things are actually starting to look less gloomy.” Jack flipped on the radio singing along, Snowy joined in as they danced to the music.

Snowy grabbed the top book, “You go shopping. Take a taxi. We have studying to do.”

Jack bowed to her, “As you wish.” He pulled out the phone scrolling it to find the taxi service and orders a cab. “OH, shit, the ear wig.” he ran back to his night stand retrieving it and putting it on.