Disclaimer: All I own is Andi.
A/N: I'm testing a new format today. Hope you all approve.
Learning to Breathe
Chapter Twenty-nine: Secrecy is Our Top Priority
"Passengers, please fasten all seatbelts and raise all seats into their upright positions." The female voice on the loudspeaker crackled. The girl in seat 34A complied and braced herself for a steep descent. Sure, she had flown before, but heights still terrified her to an extent.
Maybe I should tell Zartan about it. Her mind wondered. But not yet. I have to get this under control and he wasn't very helpful yesterday.
On the ground at the airport, a woman paced about while waiting for someone. Absentmindedly, she kept pulling her longish brown bangs behind her ears, and then taking them out again. Finally, one of the attendants called "Flight 307 from Albany to Manhattan is now unboarding at gate sixteen." Over the loundspeaker.
With a great sigh of releif, the woman broke into a running walk—which is very difficult in a straight skirt—on her way to the gate. After five minutes of peering over passengers heads, she spotted who she was searching for. "Andrea!"
Andi had just entered the airport when she heard her name called. Upon turning her head to the right, she saw exactly who she needed to speak to. "Mom!" She shouted, breaking from the crowd and into the pack of civilians. "Mom, I am so happy to see you! We need to talk."
"Not here." The brown haired and eyed woman chided. "Let's pick up your luggage and then we can talk on the way to the appartment."
Andi's eyes failed to hide (1) her disappointment. "Why can't I stay at the borarding house again?" She asked.
Mom sighed. "Magnus has been very active lately, and enjoys paying me visits at odd hours. Pietro is wholly devoted to him, which means if you show up, he will tell his father and get us all in a ton of unwanted trouble."
"I take it Dad still follows his every command like a good little lackey?" Andi replied dryly. It wasn't that she didn't like her father, but sometimes she just wanted to slap some sense into the man.
"Not word for word, but he does what he's told." Mom sighed, looking around cautiously. "We'll continue this later. For now, let's grab your things and head out."
Andi complied, but still wanted to know why Mom insisted on staying somewhere she obviously didn't like.
Once in the car, the two girls carried on their conversation.
"But why stay with him?" Andi countered. "Can't you just leave or find someone else to take your place? You said yourself you aren't the only spy he has working for him!"
"Because he won't just let me go, Andi." Raven sighed. "I've been there too long and know too much. The only way he will allow me to leave will be in a coffin."
"Can't you go to that professor dude you keep talking about and ask for help?" Andi inquired. Raven let out an exasperated groan.
"There's nothing they could or would do help me now." The brunette woman sighed. "I have made my choices and now I must live with them."
"What kind of choices, Mom?" The two-toned girl asked. "What did Magneto do to you?"
"We're here now." Mom replied hastily, changing the subject entirely. "Get your things. We must hurry or we won't have time for lunch."
For once, Andi didn't object.
Ten minutes later, the pair arrived at some local place called "Super Chicken"(2) and placed their orders. Once at their table, Raven began a different conversational subject.
"Well, I think tomorrow we'll have to go find you some new clothes."
"How did I know you were going to bring this up?" Andi groaned.
"Andrea, when I bought you those pants they dragged the floor, and now the're almost to your knees! Of course, this means you need shoes too, no doubt."
"Oh, aren't you going to pick apart my jacket too?"
"No, since it was Daniel's jacket, I think it fits you as well as can be expected. However, I do think you are outgrowing that shirt."
Andi glanced down at her shirt—which was pink and bore the face of Tweety Bird—and groaned. She knew the shirt had been getting tight, but hadn't thought it that bad. "So, where do we start first?" She conceeded. The sooner she got this conversation overwith, the sooner she could get to the real information.
"We'll decide that tomorrow." Mom answered as the waitress brought them their plates. "For now, I suppose what you're wearing will have to work."
"Where are we going?" Andi blinked.
"You are going to work with me today." Mom replied.
"Why?" Andi shot her a look.
"Because I don't feel comfortable leaving you home by yourself."
"What about your boss?"
"He's working on some big project now." She waved. "He'll be in tomorrow—found out this morning—but he's already been by today, so I think you'll be safe."
"How are you going to pass me off?" Andi asked.
"There will be no need for "passing off" just yet." Mom replied. "You can stay in my office or the library. There shouldn't be very many people there today."
Andi nodded an affirmative and continued eating her chicken. Today is going to be a real blast. She thought.
1. Hey! It rhymed!
2. There apparently used to be a tv show called Super Chicken. Thought it would make a good reastaurant.
See? I'm back! Working on that sidefic as you read, so just be a little patient, k?
If you like the new format, let me know.
If you didn't, definitely let me know!
