I know, I took forever to update. I suck. But the next chapter will be pretty long and will come very soon. So….enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.

Chapter Eight- "I Wish You Were Here."

A pile of books were accidentally pushed off my desk and crashed noisily to the floor. One of the policemen glanced up with a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he muttered, then bent down to pick them up.

My father sighed. "He's new," he said softly so that only I could hear.

I was standing next to my dad by the doorway. My mother was so upset over the fact that someone had broken into my room that Dad had convinced her to go to bed and let him handle it. I of course had no objection to that.

Now it was a little after midnight and the two of us watched quietly as several police and CSIs took pictures and examined every inch of my rather small room. They dusted for prints, took photos and asked me questions concerning the items that had been arranged, suspicious people hanging around my neighborhood and pretty much anything else they could think of.

They had been skeptical of my story at first since there were no signs of forced entry, nothing seemed to be taken or damaged, and there were no witnesses. I suspected if it weren't for the fact that they respected my father so much they'd have dismissed me completely.

Detective Perpetua Marr came to us then. She was a short middle aged woman with graying black hair and squinty blue eyes. She'd worked with my dad back when he was still active and was also the one who had introduced him to my mother, an incident that cemented their lifelong friendship. For as long as I could remember, Perpetua Marr had been an irregular but consistent part of my life.

"You all right Anna?" she asked me, with a piercing stare that would make a saint squirm.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said vaguely.

With that said, she turned and gave my father a look that we both recognized all too well.

"Ah… Annie, why don't you go and get some sleep? Just scoot your mother over- you know how she likes to take up more than her fair share."

I frowned indignantly at them both. "What am I, seven?" Turning to Perpetua, I added, "If you have something to say, I think I'm old enough to hear it."

Perpetua at least had the decency to look embarrassed. When she got a tacit go-ahead from my father, she began, "Well, we're nearly done collecting evidence. And mind you, there wasn't much to go with. You say that nothing was taken…."

She trailed off and my father and I waited for her to continue.

"In any case, I'm not prepared to speculate, not right now. But I have to say… I'm pretty sure that this wasn't random. Based on what you told us, someone came here with a purpose in mind."

Things went quiet, except for the static of walkie-talkies and general shuffling in the background. Finally I managed, "You think it might have been Lisa."

My dad immediately jumped on that. "Annie, she never said that."

"But it's a big possibility," I pressed.

Perpetua opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind. Instead she exhaled hollowly and said, "It is a possibility, yes."

For a while none of us knew what else to say. Then my dad cleared his throat. "All right Annie. Time to sleep. Go on."

I didn't want to leave, even though I knew I wouldn't be of any further use. But the look on my father's face was unyielding. It was better to just go. So I did.

xxxxxxxxxx

As soon as I walked into my parents' bedroom I could tell that my mother wasn't asleep. For one thing she wasn't sprawled out on the bed like she usually was. She was curled in on herself, lying stiffly.

I stood next to the bed for a while, trying to see the movements of her breathing. But she was such a shallow breather that gave up after a few seconds.

"Mom, I know you're awake," I announced. My voice came out clearer and calmer than I expected it to.

My mother remained motionless for a little while. Then she raised her head and turned to look at me. Her expression was resigned, tired. But there was no fear or worry, not this time. "Uh, Dad told me to sleep in here with you."

Mom smiled at me, and nodded. She reached over and pulled the comforter aside, gesturing for me to get in. I pulled off my shoes and slipped in beside her.

For a while we didn't speak. The room held that full silence where thoughts are mulled over and important things are left unsaid. But such moments were always unbearable for me.

"Mom, we're still okay. Dad would tell us if we weren't."

My mother turned over to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said, leaning against a pillow, "We're still safe. Lisa's out there, but she can't touch us. Not with Dad here. I mean think about it. Of all the nights she's been free, she came tonight, when we were out of the house. That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

My mother didn't answer. She looked away, her eyes half closed.

Hopelessly, I sighed. I tried one last time. "It's going to work out. I promise."

There was still no response from her. Then she moved closer and wrapped an arm around me. "Okay sweetheart," she whispered against my hair. "Okay."

Her voice was soothing, calm. But I could tell that she didn't believe me. The villainous threat was different this time- this time it had come into our house. There was no more mild restless worry on her part. She was waiting for it all to come crashing down. Again.

xxxxxxxx

After ten minutes of pleading, arguing and minor threats, I was well on my way to the bus stop. When I left the house my mom had been pulling out a variety of ingredients on the kitchen table. She was so intent on her task, she barely acknowledged me when I told her goodbye.

I was worried about her and I suspected that Dad was too. Outwardly she looked calm and collected as ever, but I wasn't convinced. It couldn't go on like this. Something had to be done.

When the bus pulled up and I got inside, it went deathly quiet. I tried to avoid everyone's gaze, but it proved useless; I stared right back at everyone. My eyes unwillingly fell upon Jonah's face. The last time he'd looked at me like that had been the morning of Lisa's escape. Only this time I couldn't smile at him to pretend things were all right. Turning away wearily, I suddenly wished I had stayed home after all.

I caught up with Warren during our study hall session. "I guess you've heard by now," I said, pulling up a seat next to him.

"I heard," Warren muttered, staring at the glossy pages of some muscle car magazine. So much for studying during study hall.

I gave him a curious glance. "Well, never mind the fact that someone broke into my house. I'm all right. Thanks for caring."

Warren looked up at me then. His expression was calm, but his eyes were dark with an annoyance I couldn't understand. "Why should I care? Obviously you don't."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you. I saw you going over the edge of the school."

I stared at him, certainly not expecting that. I didn't think anyone had seen us. Not that I wanted to hide the fact or anything.

"Oh. I see." It was the best I could do at the moment.

"That's it? That's all you can say?"

"What do want me to say? It's not like he pushed me over or anything, which is more than I can say for Coach Boomer." I shook my head, still angry at the memory. "Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"That's not the point. What were you thinking Arrian?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "I mean- a total stranger?"

"He's not a total stranger. I think I know him well enough." But somewhere in the back of my mind was a nagging uneasiness. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

Warren was hardly listening. "What was the last thing I told you yesterday? 'Watch out for yourself'. And then you go and do this? Seriously?" I could tell that Warren was trying to keep his voice level. But he still sounded pretty upset.

"Warren, I didn't-"

He looked me straight in the eye. "It was stupid Anna. Stupid and suicidal."

Then he turned back to his magazine, his mouth set in such a way that told me I wasn't going to get another word out of him for the time being.

Hurt, I turned away sharply and folded my arms. I couldn't see why Warren was being so harsh about this. Nothing bad had happened. Ok, so it might not have been the most responsible thing I'd ever done. But it seemed to me that Warren was making a bigger deal of it than it truly was.

But I didn't say anything. Annoyed, I picked up my Mad Science textbook and slammed it down on the table. If that's the way he wanted to act, then fine. I turned the pages of my text, stopping at Chapter Twenty-four: The Theories of Limited Time Travel. He's wasn't the only one who could ignore people.

xxxxxx

Then again, maybe he was.

Twenty minutes later, I closed my book and turned to look at Warren. He'd hardly moved since the last time he spoke. I rolled my eyes.

"So you're still mad at me, or what?" I asked nonchalantly.

Warren exhaled heavily, still staring at his magazine. "I'm not mad at you Arrian."

"Sure seems like it."

Warren closed his magazine. Then he turned around in his seat to look right at me. "It's just…I don't know. What's been going on with you?"

"What do you mean what's been going on with me? Nothing's been going on."

"You've been acting crazy for weeks. And then you go and do this? It's not like you to be so reckless and impulsive-"

"Says the guy who wrote the book on the subject." The words rushed out before I even aware of it.

But Warren wasn't upset. "That's different. That's not you. You don't sky dive with fliers you barely know."

"There's nothing wrong with Jonah. He took care of me out there. And he's training to be a Hero isn't he? He's just like us."

"No Arrian," he said so suddenly that I flinched. "That's just it. You can't be sure of that in a place like this."

"A place like-" I shook my head, confused. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Warren ran a hand over his face. When he looked at me again, his expression was tired and strangely distant. "Anna…this place, this school….some of the greatest Heroes in history have been created here." He closed his eyes briefly. "And some of the worst Villains you can imagine."

That silenced me. As his words began to sink in, the weight of them made me realize how different Warren's views on Sky High and its students were from my own. Jonah Mackenzie as a potential Villain… I just couldn't picture it. He'd have to go against everything that he was, abandon everyone and everything that was dear to him, and obsessively pursue his own evil purpose.

Just like my cousin had done.

Warren must have taken my silence for remorse, because his expression softened. "Look, I'm not saying that he'd ever…." He looked upwards before closing his eyes. "Some Heroes have more than one secret identity. And it's not always that easy to detect."

I didn't reply. I just sat there wondering what truly made us change from inherently good to irrevocably evil. It was a conscious decision for some, a subtle transformation for others. Maybe it was fate. I wondered if Paul had known the path he'd taken, or if he would have even admitted it to himself. There was no clear answer, and I began to understand how little I knew of the Hero world.

"Hey….you are okay though, right? I mean…was it Lisa?"

I roused myself from my thoughts, and looked up at him. "The police don't know for sure. But they think so."

"How're your parents taking it?"

I blinked at him, mildly surprised. "They're okay, I guess. Mom's been kind of quiet though."

He nodded sympathetically. Then the bell rang. Warren put away his things and stood up. "Guess I'll see you in Hero History?"

"Yeah."

I leaned back in my seat, staring blankly at the closed textbook on the table. I didn't want to think about it; the knowledge that someone, very possibly Lisa had come into my home, and the fact that Sky High had a far more sinister quality than I'd ever wanted to know.

Standing up, I put my textbook away. I had a free period before Hero History. Maybe it was time to start catching up on my studying.

xxxxx

In the library I began perusing Mad Science texts, looking for revised editions of The Advanced Basics of Mad Science. The results of my last quiz had been awful, and I was hoping to brush up on my theory.

My fingers traveled along the spines of various books, looking for the ones I wanted. It was there that I saw them. Jonah and Kylie were standing against a wall near a shelf of outdated texts, clearly having a tacit argument about something. They were signing fervently to one another, their expressions heatedly indignant.

I kept myself out of sight but continued to watch them, unable to tear my gaze away. I couldn't understand what they were fighting about but whatever it was, it was making Kylie furious and Jonah very distressed.

Kylie stopped signing at one point to glare at him, even as he continued. His deep brown eyes became pleading as his hands began to slow down. But Kylie's stance was unyielding. She waited with narrowed eyes for Jonah to finish. When he was, she responded at length- verbally.

"I've already told you what I have to say about that," she whispered. "And I'm done trying to convince you."

Eyes widening, Jonah tried to sign something to her. But it was useless- Kylie was already walking away, and his speech was lost on her.

I stood there staring at him for a moment longer. Then I turned and left. I wasn't sure what had happened, but it left me with an unsettled feeling that didn't go away for a long time.

xxxx

In Hero History I was barely listening to Mr. Mnemonic. The dates and names made no sense, and I couldn't hold on to any of it. Gradually my gaze drifted towards the window. Outside the clouds in the distance were dark gray. I hoped it that wasn't going to rain any time soon; I didn't bring an umbrella, and Mom hated it when I tracked mud in the house…

Mercifully the class didn't last long. The final bell of the day rang out, and I gathered up my books quickly, not wanting to be late for work.

"Hope you got all the notes today," I heard Warren murmur as he placed his textbook in his bag. "'Cause I swear I'm not giving them to you later."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that, knowing that no matter what he said Warren would help me out. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. And hey… look out for your family, ok?"

I stared at him curiously. It seemed like kind of an odd thing to say. But I didn't question it. "Yeah Warren, of course I will."

On the school bus Kylie and Jonah were looking up at me, wearing the same expressions they had when I'd first gotten on the bus at the beginning of the school year. Kylie with her hostile glare, Jonah with his vacant eyes. It felt wrong now, after all of his warmth. Something inside my head was issuing a warning, but I ignored it and went up to him.

"Jonah? You all right?"

And I saw it then. The flicker of subdued desolation in his eyes that abruptly vanished beneath lowered lids. Why was he acting like this? Why wouldn't he look at me?

Kylie put an arm around Jonah's shoulders, giving me a nasty look. She didn't saying, but her eyes clearly told me that she wouldn't mind in the least if I dropped off the planet. Confused, I turned to Jonah. But he still wouldn't look at me.

"Jonah?" I tried again.

"I think you should take your seat. The bus is about to leave," Kylie said coldly.

I rounded on Kylie, seething. But she got her wish. I took my usual seat in the far back in an incredulous daze. Kylie had gotten to Jonah. It was the only explanation.

As vindictive as Kylie was, I still couldn't believe that Kylie would go this far. I no longer harbored any grudge and it wasn't as if I was trying to steal Jonah's friendship away from her. But she seemed to think so.

The ache of loss that suddenly filled my chest surprised me. I looked outside and watched the gathering storm clouds. Lisa Kline's escape, my mother's withdrawn state, and now losing Jonah-

I didn't want to come undone like I had so many times in the past. But I felt as if I was losing control over more and more aspects in my life.

xxxxxx

I spent the afternoon stocking cans on the shelf of Maxville's Value Mart, thinking about what Warren had said to me concerning Sky High's populace, worrying about my parents, overwhelmed by everything. I was slowly breaking down. I could feel it. And I didn't know how to stop it.

After work I left the supermarket, and made my way toward my usual bus stop. But then I changed my direction at the last minute. I couldn't go home. Filled with desperate understanding I realized- I had to see him.

There was a florist nearby, and I bought a small bouquet. Ten minutes later I found myself standing in front of the gates of Maxville's Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Kneeling in the soft green grass, I set the flowers down and stared at that headstone for what felt like hours. The last time I'd been here was for the funeral. I couldn't bring myself to go back since, even though my parents often visited.

For the longest while I didn't know what to say. But I had to say something, or I was going to go insane.

"Um…h-hi Paul," I stammered softly. "Sorry I haven't visited. There were things… I got busy-" I stopped, closing my eyes and cursing myself. "That's a lie. I wasn't busy. I just… couldn't."

As thunder rumbled overhead, long minutes passed before I could speak again. "But I do think about you a lot you know. Every single day." I smiled. "Remember when I was eight, and I fell from that apple tree in your backyard? I barely grazed my knee, but I screamed like there was no tomorrow. But you, you took me inside and put a band aid on it. You said it was going to be okay." I sighed. "You'd say that whenever I went through a bad time. And I believed you, because you were always there to help me." My smile disappeared. I quickly wiped the tears away.

When I tried to speak again my voice broke, "I need that now Paul. I need you to tell me that it's going to be okay because…things haven't been going very well. I thought it would turn out all right, that I could be strong enough. But I don't think I can and- I just don't know. It's always been you Paul. Please. I don't know what else to do." No longer caring, I sobbed openly. "I miss you so much. I just wish you still here. But you're not, and….it's my… fault…."

The only sound to be heard was the soft wind through the oak trees. There was no one to answer.

Sighing, I wiped my eyes on my shirt sleeve and stood up. I stared at Paul's headstone for a long time. Eventually the sky grew so dark I had trouble making out the epitaph. Burying my face in my hands for a moment, I managed to pull myself together.

Yet strangely enough, I felt like Paul had listened. And that alone made me feel better. I would be able to handle tomorrow. I didn't have my cousin anymore, but I learned so much from his achievements. But more than that, I'd learned from his mistakes. I wouldn't make the same ones he did.

I knew now what had to be done.