Chapter Ten: Falling
Pouge jumped up when we came into the hall.
"What the heck happened in there?" He said taking in the large cracks in the wall of Caleb's room. I blushed. Reid grabbed my hand.
"Uh, Caleb didn't take the news well." Reid's eyes flashed and the wall flew back together.
"What news?" Pouge motioned for Tyler to come over. Reid waited.
"Catie and I are dating." I could hear the smile in Reid's voice.
"Wow, congrats, guys!" Pouge punched Reid on the shoulder.
"I thought you'd been acting different." Reid and Tyler bumped fists. My face was beet red by now.
"Ah, don't be embarrassed, Cat." Ty nudged my arm.
"Yeah," Pouge tousled my hair, "You two are a cute couple." Sarah walked up.
"Is he awake?" She looked like she might collapse if the answer was no.
"Yeah, Sarah," She smiled, "Go on in." She ran into the room. My eyes flashed and the door swung closed silently. Tyler and Pouge stared at me, mouths hanging open.
"What? They'll probably want some privacy." I frowned, "Could you not gape at me, please? It's just a little creepy." Pouge was the first to respond.
"Catie, how did you do that?" He asked slowly.
"Well, a long time ago our ancestors formed a Covenant of silence-" I started but Pouge cut me off.
"You should barely know how to use your power, and you defiantly should not know how to control it that well." Tyler just nodded along still staring at me.
"Please, stop staring!" I half-yelled, "Sorry, but I don't know why I'm so good at this any more than you do and gawking at me, it just doesn't help."
"You're right, sorry." Pouge said, looking down. Tyler followed his lead. I started to ask Reid a question when a harried looking Susana came out of the elevator.
"There you are!"
"Catie, there you are!" I looked up and saw Tyler running towards me. I jumped to my feet and he pulled me up into his arms.
"Young man, you need to watch over your sister much better. We do what we can but in these kind of crowds..." The security guard trailed off.
"Yes, sir. I'm so sorry." Tyler didn't try to make excuses or correct the man, "Thank-you, so much, for finding her." Tyler's appreciation seemed to cool down the hot headed officer.
"Well, can't take all the credit," He said smiling at me and I sniffed, "she found me on her own. I get that accidents happen, kid. At least this little one's prepared for when they do."
"Yeah," Tyler said hugging me tighter, "she is..."
She had the look of someone who has just been relived of a great deal of stress, "It's time for you to get back to bed young lady." She scolded and moved to hold the elevator door open so Reid could push me into the small car. I waved good-bye to Tyler and Pouge as the doors slid shut. They smiled sleepily back at me. I closed my eyes as the elevator started its slow climb downward, I open them when it started racing toward the basement.
***
"Oh, my God!" Susana shouted as the elevator plummeted out of control. I felt a tingle run down my spine as the elevator slowed, looking up I saw Reid straining with the intensity of the power he was using. I panicked…until I realized I could help him. I willed myself to let the power wash over me and was overwhelmed by the amazing feeling of it. The elevator settled in the basement and Reid released the power.
But I didn't, I didn't want it to stop. It was amazing. I sat basking in it until a sharp pain brought me back to reality. I stared into Reid's panicked eyes and it took me a minute to realize that the pain had come from his slap. I just stared at him, kneeling so he was at eye level with me. His eyes were filled with tears.
"Never think you're above it. Never." He said and then he laid his head in my lap and sobbed.