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"Mara," Jerome stopped her just as she was about to walk into the kitchen, she turned to him, but she had her pink head phones in, the ones that looked like ear muffs, because she refused to put things inside her ears. He thought she looked adorable. "Mara, I need to talk to you,"

Mara nodded, but she was into the song she was listening to, bobbing slightly, without even realising. Jerome rolled his eyes at her, and mimed removing the ear muffs, but Mara just arched an eye brow at him, not understanding the weird hand gestures he was making to his head. He leaned forward and carefully so as not to hurt her, he removed her head phones, placing them around her neck, but he left his hands on her shoulders, looking down.

Mara watched him carefully, everything a lot more real now that she wasn't listening to music. "Jerome," she nodded. Jerome sighed at her

"Can't we forget everything, Mara? Do you even remember why we were angry at each other?"

"Well I remember why I was angry at you, because you br-"

"Okay." Jerome cut her off grinning "But Mara…" he looked down at her, sadly, eyes shining. Mara exhaled, looking up at him

"Okay," she said slowly

"Jaffray," he leaned forward and hugged and her tightly, arms on the small of her back, wishing this embrace would never end, but it did. "I've missed you,"

"We've been fighting for about the good part of a day, Jerome," she grinned at him. Jerome shook his head

"Feels like forever,"

Mara laughed, tilting her head back "Are you competing in the swimming race tomorrow?"

"You know me,"

"Can I…come watch maybe?" she asked, slowly, peeking up at him through her long dark lashes. Jerome laughed

"I was about to ask if you would do me the honour,"

Line Break

The library was normally a very quiet place, but it was not today. And it was a good thing that the librarian was ill today, and that everyone else was outside soaking up the sunshine, running about on the field, all the things that didn't interest Jerome. He had gone into the library, looking for Mara, when he had found Poppy instead. And now he had wished he had never come in.

"Don't touch me!" Jerome cried, shoving Poppy's hand away. Crystal tears were falling from Poppy's eyes, as she looked at her brother, who was turned, angrily staring at the books in the history section. As if, if he glared at them long enough, all the pain and hurt and confusion would disappear, and leave him, moving on to its next unlucky victim.

"Please Jerome! Do you know how hard it was for me to tell you?" She cried loudly, her hair in disarray, her blazer suddenly too restricting for her mad arm gestures.

"Why did you have to tell me at all?" he cried, turning to face her now, but he came no closer, as if she were infected "You disgust me," he looked down at her "Mutant," he looked up at the ceiling, the word falling from his mouth in obvious distaste "I can't believe you're one of them,"

"But Jerome!" she cried "Fo-for years you didn't notice! I'm a super! I'm a super just like you! See? You didn't even notice the difference between me and the other supers here!"

"This isn't about what I notice and what I don't notice, Poppy! This is about what you are, and what you said you were! You don't belong here! You….you have to go home Poppy," his voice got quieter towards the end, having already made the decision in his mind. Poppy looked up at her brother in shock, blue eyes widening.

"B-but…Phil would be there….h-he'd….he'd beat me…..y-you wouldn't send me back there….Jerome…." she whispered, looking at him in absolute horror. Jerome looked down at his shoes, rage and sympathy racing through him, clouding his mind from normal rational judgement.

He shook his head slightly "I have to," he rubbed his face with his hands, sighing, and looking at her "Poppy, it's for your own good-"

"Own good?" Poppy cried, fresh tears falling now, but not for the loss of her brothers love, this time for the pain he was about to throw her way. Like throwing your mother into a tank full of sharks. It was something you would never do, something you would never expect to happen. "You wouldn't!" she came forward and gave him a sharp push, so he stumbled back into the books, a few falling down around him. "You can't send me back there!" she cried, hiccupping loudly. "You're the worst brother in the world and I hate you!" she cried, turning and sprinting away, Jerome was about to run after her, when he realised she had stopped.

He looked up through his scruffy hair….Mara was standing there, a look of realisation on her face, realisation and….fear.

"No," she shook her head, looking between the two of them, Poppy's tears, the way Jerome was surrounded by fallen books and the stance he had taken of running after her. Her eyes connected with Jerome's for a second, but she looked away, breaking the contact, she turned to Poppy instead "Poppy?" she said quietly, her voice barely carrying to the siblings

"I'm sorry," Poppy looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry,"

Mara frowned, looking between them, "You two are related," she stated stupidly, standing there, watching them both, her shoulders sagging. That was it, that was the connection she had been waiting for. "You just told Jerome…and Jerome was your 'cousin' and he he…obviously hasn't reacted well," she hummed looking at the library. She stepped forward, and Poppy took a small step back, all the while Jerome stood frozen. "Poppy?" Mara frowned

Poppy looked up, eyes watering again "You must hate me now," she cried sadly. Mara shook her head, reminded once again that Poppy was just a young girl, she may act mature and older and too good for everyone, but she was just a young girl.

"I could never, ever hate you," she whispered, arms open, and Poppy ran up and hugged her, hugged her tightly, crying into her shoulder. Mara caught Jerome's eyes while she held Poppy, and Jerome sighed, shaking his head.

Poppy hugged Mara tightly, and as she touched her hair, she read her mind

Poppy is getting abused as well? Does she have scars I need to heal? Should I ask her? How would I ask her? What if I can't convince Jerome not to send her back? No, don't be silly Mara, you will convince him, you have to. No one deserves what these two have been through.

And Poppy smiled, despite everything, Mara was still so kind.

Jerome stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching Mara carefully, examining her facial expression, her reaction. He was partly wondering why she was touching a mutant, partly wondering why she didn't look disgusted, and wondering if she hated him. She wouldn't take her eyes off him, but it wasn't like she was looking at him, but rather through him, gazing at nothing but thinking of something doubly important. But she didn't look angry.

Jerome wanted to breathe a sigh of relief,

His sister might be a mutant

He might be sending her back for abuse

She might stop loving him

Alfie may not have forgiven him

Sibuna may still not have told him everything

Rufus might still be scaring the life out of him

But considering all that, the fact that Mara was still his friend, in his mind, it cancelled everything out.

Do you guys have friends like Mara? That when considering all of these things they still make it all better and make you smile? And the person in your mind right now is that person. You might now realise it, after all, you don't' know how much people mean to you, until they're gone…

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