91
"It was just so normal. As if we get together all the time. I was afraid it would be awkward and I mean it isn't totally natural yet, but it was good. Like, really good."
Amber listened as she stretched. M. was happy, far happier than she had seen him in a long time. She felt a little guilty about being wary about his mother at first. She finally admitted to herself that she was afraid this new woman would swoop in and steal her friend away. Not that M. shouldn't be allowed to decide for himself, but honestly, she couldn't just miss the last seven years and then take him away from his life…right? But it seemed she wasn't bent on smuggling the sandy-haired teen out of the city after all, and Amber relaxed.
"I'm glad. What did you talk about?"
He shrugged, moving to stretch out his other leg.
"School, her new job. Just basic stuff, I guess. But she's going to come on Saturday to pick me up for a movie." He paused. "I wonder what kind of movies she likes. I just hope it's not some romance."
Amber made a face as well. She hadn't seen many movies in her life, since they could only watch them in Ninjago. But as Ashely and the twins liked romances, it was regrettably one of the only genres she had seen. She had found them to be boring, dramatic, and unrealistic. What was worse, Theo had actually liked them.
"I'm sure she'll ask you what you want to see," Amber pointed out, pushing herself to her feet. M. shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess. Hey…do you wanna come?"
Amber looked over in surprise.
"To…the movies?"
"Sure. I don't think Mom would mind. Movies are more fun with more people anyway, right?"
Amber hesitated.
"I'm not sure…"
"C'mon; you've spent the last few days absolutely crammed. I only get to see you in class. I know you have a lot to catch up with but you should come with on Saturday," he paused for a moment before continuing almost sheepishly. "I…kinda want you guys to meet each other."
Amber finally shrugged; she could tell this was strangely important to him.
"Alright. But it better not be a romance movie," she warned. He laughed.
"Deal."
"This is Retrevan. He's my bodyguard for a bit, until Tolan…well. While Tolan's having some time off."
Myrah raised an eyebrow as she looked up at the large figure who ducked in after Theodynn. Ret and the Western Leader regarded each other in silence for a few moments before moving on.
"I'm sorry about the last time I was here…" Theo was saying as he wandered away from the entrance. He smiled when he saw the weapons display. "You got the sword back! I was actually going to ask if I needed to replace that."
Myrah turned and smiled a little as she shook her head.
"The Master Healer brought it back. Apparently he knew your ex-bodyguard…"
"Master Hershel? Oh yeah, they do know each other: Tol's bound to Hershel's sister Syn."
Myrah watched the teen curiously as Theo studied the weapons and then moved on to a display of woven baskets.
"You seem to know many people in the realm. Is that a goal of yours?"
Theo glanced back and shrugged almost sheepishly.
"It's…more just what happens. I've been visiting villages since I was little with my Dad. He'd take me along, especially when Amber was a baby—that way Jaqah or Mom or Ret wouldn't have to look after both of us."
He leaned forward to read the placard written on the wall, and Myrah processed what he had said.
"Your parents raised you," she finally stated, and Theo gave her a confused smile.
"Um…yeah. They're my parents."
She smiled thinly.
"It's just unusual. Heirs are often raised by advisors. The rulers of Virgil's line often used slaves until their offspring were old enough to be taught how to rule…"
Theo seemed a little uncomfortable, and he shrugged.
"Yeah, I've heard that, I guess. But my parents aren't like that." He turned to smile at Ret. "Though…I'll admit the head guards did pick up a lot of slack, like Ret here."
Retrevan smiled and Myrah watched the interaction with interest. Her next question came a little more abruptly, though she hadn't meant it to.
"Do you really think that it's wise to make so many 'friends?'"
Theo and his large guard both looked over in surprise.
"What do you mean?" the heir asked, and Myrah scanned him thoughtfully.
"You are going to be the Ruler, Theodynn. Yet I've never seen you meet someone without considering them a friend. It's not practical…and could prove dangerous."
Theo thought about it.
"I guess I get that. I am pretty naïve…and people could use that against me," he admitted. "But it's not so much that I think of everyone as my friend…I just know people. And when I know them and I trust them…I call them my friend."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"It's hard to explain…"
"But there will be times when you have to issue punishment; you won't be able to sweet-talk everyone. Not everyone will do what you say because they consider you their friend. Friendship isn't respect, Theodynn. It's not the way to rule the realm."
He just stared at her. After a few moments he glanced over at Ret and was glad to see the guard seemed as equally confused by the conversation.
"I'm not…I don't really know…" Theo tried, before shaking his head. "I mean, I get what you're saying, just not…why you're saying it?"
Myrah was silent and she finally nodded slowly.
"I'm afraid I've overstepped," she tried cautiously, and Theo shook his head.
"No…well. You can say whatever, I don't mind. I'm pretty used to it. Well…I'm used to the leaders speaking their mind. I guess I'm not really used to leaders talking to me about…you know…being Ruler someday."
Myrah seemed surprised.
"But you're the heir…"
"But I'm only seventeen; to be honest, sometimes it feels like when people see me they still see the giggling five year old running around rather than the 'heir to the realm.'"
He said it in a joking way, but above his smile, his eyes seemed sad. Myrah frowned and followed Theo as he headed over to the table in the corner.
"I guess that's what you mean, huh? About having friends rather than subjects. I guess I'll have to tighten up eventually, but my parents have made a lot of progress and they have friends so it's not like it's a bad thing."
He shrugged and glanced up at her with another smile, pulling something from the bag he had brought.
"Anyways…I wanted to show you something."
Myrah sat silently, realizing that Theo was changing the subject.
"What is that?"
Theo unrolled the scroll.
"It's one of the scrolls from our collection back at my fortress…"
"History?"
Myrah took the scroll, intrigued, but frowned as she scanned it.
"I can't read this," she finally pointed out. "It looks similar, but wrong…and it can't have been written that long ago, with the ink being this dark."
"It's written in Ninjagian. My Dad wrote them out a while back…"
"Personal histories, then?" Myrah interpreted, her interest obviously dropping. Theo shook his head.
"No, realm history; they're translated from the ones that Phos had."
"Phos?"
Theo nodded.
"The old Master Healer…Master Hershel's Master."
She blinked.
"Archtivus? You called him friend as well?"
"I called him Master Phos," Theo corrected, and Myrah made a confused face as Theo continued. "I guess he was kind of a friend? I mean…he could be pretty intense when he wanted to be…"
He shuddered, as if at a memory, and continued his story.
"But he used to make my Dad translate his history scrolls, and now we have our own set. These are the ones that I grew up reading; I just figured you liked history and might want to see it."
The Western Leader looked back at the scroll, her brow furrowing as she tried to process what it was Theodynn was saying.
"The Master Healer…he has his own history records? That Archivus kept?"
Theo nodded and Myrah shook her head.
"But…they were lost! Everyone thought they were lost." She looked up at the teen again. "And this is a translation of those scrolls?!"
Theo nodded.
"I only have these ones, the ones in Ninjagian…but if you want to see the originals you could go see Master Hershel about it."
Myrah scoffed.
"I won't lie, it's definitely intriguing. But that Master Healer…"
She trailed off, her expression darkening. Theo looked surprised.
"Do you want me to ask him for you?"
She finally fixed Theodynn with a long look.
"I've never understood Healers," she finally said. "They have their own little set of rules…their own secret societies. And utter disregard for the true leadership of the realm. I expect he treats you and your parents with as little regard as he treats me…"
"Hershel?"
Theo seemed surprised, and he frowned in thought.
"Phos better fits that description…I didn't know him too well, but I remember him being cranky all the time. And my parents definitely have some crazy stories. But Master Hershel's the one who taught me how to control my powers. He…he helped a lot after some crazy stuff went down when I was younger."
His expression clouded, but then he shook himself free.
"You've met him, then? And he was rude?"
"Extremely."
Theo thought about it and finally just shrugged.
"Was he nervous?"
Myrah blinked.
"Nervous?"
"Syn told me that he kinda acts like Phos when he's upset, or nervous. She's always complaining about it."
The Western Leader pondered that, but finally scoffed.
"There really is no excuse for poor behavior towards leadership. You ought to talk to him next time you see him."
Theo looked surprised.
"I can't tell Hershel what to do."
"Why not?"
"Well…he's my Teacher. I don't…I'm not really above him, you know? It's kinda the other way around…"
"Politically, you are leagues above him," Myrah argued. "Perhaps I do not have the jurisdiction to chastise him, as he is based in the central province. But you are the heir to the realm, and your parents the Rulers of it. You should remind him of that."
Theo had an amused look on his face as he studied the Western Leader, and he finally shook his head.
"It just…it doesn't work like that."
Myrah scowled slightly, and Theo pushed himself to the feet and reclaimed his scroll.
"But I mean, we already know that Master Hershel respects us…and we respect him. He'd do anything for anybody, you know. Even on his grumpy days."
He flashed Myrah one last smile.
"If you wanna see the history scrolls, I don't think he'd mind. I mean, Phos showed them to my Dad and made him translate it so he could learn the history of the realm."
The leader's frown deepened, but less about Hershel and more about Theo's intent on leaving.
"Do you need to be somewhere?"
"I'm supposed to stop by another village before getting home for dinner. That's the reason I brought the scroll; we read them at the orphanages so that people can learn the history of the realm. Someday, we wanna teach people to read….like, have schools and stuff. But so far we haven't had the time or ability to set something like that up. But if we ever do, more people could come enjoy this library, huh?"
Myrah didn't know what to say, and Theo waved awkwardly.
"Thanks for inviting me back; sorry again about the last time."
The Leader seemed to snap out of her thoughts and quickly stood.
"Of course. Thank you for accepting the invitation, Theodynn. You are obviously welcome here any time."
One last smile, and Theo had disappeared out the door with his very large bodyguard. Myrah sank back into the chair after they left; she had a lot to think about.
92
"Got any plans today? It's your first weekend back!"
Dani was busy pulling her hair up into a high pony-tale and Amber smiled from where she was sitting at her desk. She had furnished her side of the room since moving in…but it still felt basically bare when compared to her eccentric roommate's half. Dani had been honest about keeping her things on 'her side', and more often than not there was almost a visible line where the chaos started. Amber couldn't help but smile at the irony; if someone had to guess which half of the room belonged to a being of destruction, they would probably guess wrong.
"M invited me to go to the movies," Amber answered. She was busy plaiting her own hair, though she had done it so many times she didn't even bother looking in the mirror. Dani's eyes grew large in her own mirror.
"M Openheimer, yeah? I heard you guys were friends. I don't really know him but I definitely know a handful of girls that would kill to go to the movies with him." She met Amber's eye in the mirror. "Are you excited?"
Amber just shrugged. It would be nice to hang out with M again outside of class, but she wasn't sure how she felt about meeting his mother. But she didn't say as much; she was actually fond of her boisterous roommate, but she didn't really speak her mind in front of Dani. Not the way she did with M.
"Movies aren't really my favorite. There aren't any real emotions, you know?"
Here Dani turned and raised a quizzical eyebrow. Amber continued.
"It's more interesting to watch real people."
"Yeah, but real people don't battle space zombies or fall in love with vampires," Dani pointed out with a smile. Amber just made a face.
"If those girls you mentioned really wanna go to the movie with M so bad, they could probably come. I mean, he already invited me…"
Dani just laughed.
"They wouldn't want to go with him all together."
Amber just stared blankly.
"Why? Do the movie theaters run out of seats that quickly?"
Dani laughed harder, shaking her head as she turned back to the mirror to try and get her bangs to stay out of her face.
"Amber, you're so funny!" she exclaimed, and Amber pouted a little. She didn't mean to be. But whatever Dani meant was never explained, because Amber's roommate once again rushed onto another line of thought.
"What time are you going? Me and some of the other musicians are getting together today for a little jam sesh. You should come!"
Amber opened her mouth to answer, but Dani didn't actually give her a break to do so.
"Please? I know you don't really like social stuff. Well, I don't know that but it's just sort of the vibe I get from you…but I mean I think you'll find that musicians aren't as stuck up as dancers…"
Here Dani visibly winced.
"I didn't mean that you're stuck up! I just mean I know some dancers and the ones I know aren't exactly my favorite people. Besides you, of course!"
Dani face-palmed.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a dunce. It's no wonder you don't want to hang out with me…"
Amber held up her hands.
"It's ok…"
She swallowed, trying to think of what to say.
"I mean…I don't think the movie's till the afternoon. I just…what exactly is a 'jam sesh?'"
Dani looked relieved, probably that Amber didn't seem mad. Amber had learned that Dani really didn't want to offend her…but rather than it being because she was afraid of her horned roommate, Dani just seemed genuinely opposed to hurting Amber's feelings.
"Like a jam session…like, we just hang out in a practice room and was bring our instruments and we either play popular tunes or we make up our own. Just for fun. Sometimes I can get June to come…she used to make up the funniest lyrics to go with the songs but she doesn't really come as often anymore. Siblings…they turn fifteen and suddenly they're too cool for their little sisters, huh?"
Amber thought of Theo and frowned. She couldn't ever remember a time when he seemed to think he was 'too cool' for anybody. Dani was still talking, and Amber forced her thoughts back; she had learned that missing two minutes of her roommate's dialogue was like jumping back into a completely different conversation altogether.
"It's kinda like when rock bands get together, but with classical music. Sometimes we joke that we're gonna make a band, but who would pay to listen to two violins, a cello, a piano, and a flute? Though we only have the cello if David isn't behind on his assignments which he always is because he falls asleep in class consistently…"
"What time are you getting together?"
Amber managed to get the sentence in, and Dani beamed.
"That's where I'm headed now. Really, you should come!"
Amber thought about it, but she could feel that Dani's hopes were up. The cynic in her was wary of some kind of trap. Who were these people? Did they ask Dani to make her weird, freaky Oni roommate come so they could stare at her? Or would they be shocked and disgusted if Amber showed up?
Regardless, Amber realized that she couldn't actually say no; she wasn't sure if she could handle being the direct cause of Dani's disappointment. She wondered briefly if this bubbly girl had this effect on other people as well.
"Alright."
Dani bounced.
"Great!"
"I'm not really…musical though," Amber pointed out, sliding off her bed. Dani waved a hand.
"You don't have to be; there are a couple kids that just sort of hang around and listen. Our own little fan following!"
Dani had made it to the doorway. Seeing as it was Saturday, Amber's roommate was dressed in a loud green shirt with a kitten head on it and leggings. Amber was wearing a loose black top, a fabric belt, and baggy black pants; weekends were the only days she wore her normal Oni outfits. She knew that they were hardly seen as fashionable, but the scratchy cloth was familiar and almost comforting. It felt like home.
"I think everyone will be excited to meet you. I talk about you a lot…in good ways! I promise!"
Dani continued her consistent stream as they traveled through the hallways. The school was always a different place on the weekends; people wore whatever they wanted and talked in loud voices. The recreation areas were generally full, with a few students in classrooms to do makeup work. The hallways were emptier because a lot of people would go to town together to eat lunch at cafes or visit Ninjagian recreation centers. Amber generally spent her Saturdays dancing, or hanging around the school with M. It felt strange to take different turns that led her down to the small musician wing rather than to the much larger dancing wing of the school.
"I just hope that the tuba crew hasn't taken our practice room again. I mean, it's not like we can really claim dibs, but get a clue! We've been in there every Saturday for over a year now!"
Amber wasn't sure what to say, and eventually, they made it to a black door with a small window and a number 5 on the door. There was the faint sound of string instruments warming up and Dani stood on her tip-toes to peek through the door.
"Oh, good. It's our group!"
Amber smiled, but inside her emotions were a sudden puddle of nerves. She always felt like she stuck out, but in the dance wing people were finally at the point where they either ignored her or gave her dirty looks she could pay no attention to. But coming here she was confronted with surprise and even fear as people balked out of their way. Dani had seemed none the wiser, but to Amber it was painfully obvious that she didn't belong here even more than she didn't belong in her usual haunts.
Her roommate had pushed her way into the room.
"Hey guys!" she called brightly. "This is my new roomie…the one I told you about!"
Amber followed almost robotically. She realized a little too late that she wasn't smiling, and that smiling was probably the best way to make a good first impression. Five or six other kids were standing around, some with instruments. They all stared at her as she forced a small smile on her face and waited to see what the reaction would be.
"So she does exist!"
Amber stiffened as a girl with long pigtails finally spoke, and Dani rolled her eyes.
"She's been busy, guys. She's works like crazy hard to catch up."
"Is it true that you got kicked out of school because the green ninja sent you on a secret mission?"
The question was blurted from a heavier kid sitting in a chair with a cello. Dani scoffed.
"You're lucky you don't get kicked out, David…did you manage to stay awake this week?"
The kid shrugged, but he and the rest of Dani's posse were staring at Amber, waiting for her to answer.
"Um…no."
"So you don't know the Green Ninja? I thought I heard someone say you did. Like your Dad used to be on his team, didn't he?" David pressed, and a girl with a gap in her teeth shook her head next to him.
"You're thinking of that restaurant owner down on fifth…"
"No, that's the red one! I'm talking about the black ninja…the Master of Earth…"
"That's my Dad," Amber affirmed. Everyone stopped talking again and she wondered if she had said it too loudly. She cleared her throat and spoke in a softer voice. "He used to be a ninja, but he's not anymore. I do know the Green Ninja, but Uncle Lloyd didn't send me on a mission. I just had to go home because…"
She paused in a panic. She didn't want to tell them everything…she wasn't even sure she wanted to be talking to them at all.
"My brother got really sick. We weren't sure if he was going to make it," she finally said. It wasn't fully a lie, and it avoided the trickier story altogether.
Dani made a sad noise.
"I didn't know that! I'm so sorry…how's he now?"
Amber felt guilty for making her roommate so sympathetic, but she figured Dani would still be sympathetic if she knew the real story.
"He's fine now. That's why I came back. But…I had to audition to get back in…"
"I heard about that!" the girl with the gap in her teeth said. "They said your dance was totally crazy. My cousin was auditioning and she said it was sick!"
"I heard it was terrifying."
This came from another girl in the corner. She was holding a violin and looked at Amber down her nose. Amber frowned, but she decided to ignore the comment; she was used to this kind of treatment, at least.
"How can a dance be terrifying, Jennifer?" David asked as he rolled his eyes. She flushed a little.
"It was…loud. With all this scary red lighting…and, well, you have horns…"
She trailed off, and Amber was surprised to sense the girl's embarrassment and even shame. The Oni wondered if the violinist realized how stupid her argument sounded. Dani just laughed.
"Hey, art is supposed to make you feel something, right? So it sounds like Amber was doing it right."
Dani flashed her roommate a smile and headed over to a piano in the corner.
"Shall we get this jam sesh started?"
She played a quick ditty on the keys that sounded complicated while looking easy. Amber had a feeling her roommate was being honest when she said that she was good on the piano.
However, her fellow musicians seemed far too distracted with Amber's presence to join in.
"You said Uncle Lloyd…do you call him your Uncle?" the girl with pigtails asked, and Amber flushed a little. Why was that so weird to everyone?
"Yeah…"
"Do you see him a lot?" another kid blurted in. He was sitting in a chair, but he didn't have any instruments. Amber figured he must be one of the 'fans' that Dani mentioned. The Oni shrugged.
"Not too often. I mean, before coming to school we only came to Ninjago once or twice a year. We try to see my Dad's friends but they aren't always free. Mainly we talk with my Grandpa and go sight-seeing."
The group felt almost disappointed, and Amber blurted more out before she could think better of it.
"Lloyd was at my birthday party last week, though!"
This had the desired reaction…at least, if Amber was trying to impress them. Was she trying to impress them?
"Really?"
"Oni have birthday parties?"
"What kind of presents does the Green Ninja give?"
She regretted her decision immediately as she was peppered with more questions. The piano music had stopped, and Dani stood to rest her arms on the top. She didn't seem annoyed with the fact than no one seemed interested in playing, but she did seem to notice Amber's discomfort.
"Hey, guys! Give her some space! She's crowded enough already, living with me!"
They turned and looked at Dani almost sheepishly, and Amber realized suddenly that Dani seemed to be the leader of the group. Or…maybe leader was the wrong word; Dani seemed to be the glue. The person that got everyone together and kept everyone together.
"Hey, we've never met an Oni before, Dani," the girl with the pigtails pointed out. Even snooty Jennifer nodded.
"You can't just bring someone new and not expect us to have questions!" she added haughtily, and Dani rolled her eyes. She looked back over at Amber as if to ask her if that was ok, and Amber found herself shrugging.
"I don't mind. I prefer curiosity to the glaring and name-calling anyways."
She had meant it kinda as a joke, but nobody laughed. The feelings in the room immediately turned awkward, and suddenly nobody would look at her. Even Dani seemed at a loss for words. Amber flushed.
"I just mean…sometimes other people can get…"
She trailed off, feeling stupid. Surprisingly, David was the one who spoke up.
"Don't let them get to you, Amber. All those Dancing kids are rich and spoiled; they care more about money than they do people."
"I tried to sit with a group of dancers once during lunch," Gap-tooth offered. "Never made that mistake again!"
"It's stupid, them acting so high-and-mighty," Jennifer said in her usual nose-in-the-air way. "It's not money that's going to make them successful after graduation, it's talent. It feels like they can't even bother to try half the time!"
"That's why I like you, Amber," Dani chirped in from her place by the piano. "You try and you don't act like you're better than everyone else."
It was an unexpected compliment, and Amber felt a rush of warmth. It was strange…this whole experience.
"Thanks," she finally managed. As nice as it was having a non-angry group of peers talk with her, she felt a sudden rush of discomfort. "But…I mean…I don't want to get in the way of your song-playing."
Dani laughed and the others joined in. They were hesitant too, and Amber realized that they were using her bubbly roommate as a gage of how to treat the Oni in the room. Dani sat back down on the bench with a flourish.
"That means enough with the interrogation, guys. No more using Amber as a distraction so I won't see how much you all haven't been practicing!"
This was met with scoffs and incredulous noises.
"I did, practice!" David argued, pulling his cello back up into playing position. He played a single tuning note and winced, and Dani laughed again.
"Your cello isn't even in tune!" she argued, and everyone laughed again. Amber smiled, happy that the room had lost the last of its unsure tension. She wandered over to another chair in the room so she could watch, and soon the sound-proofed practice room was filled with fun and lively music. The whole room was full of happy and friendly feelings as the group messed around together. Amber's smile widened slightly as she realized that not only was this a happy group of friends…but she had someone managed to become a part of it.
93
M checked his watch again, biting his lip. He was waiting in the front lobby of the school, but so far neither Amber nor his mother had shown up for the movie. He wasn't even early...maybe they had both been early and left when he hadn't shown up?
There was a burst of giggling to his right and he glanced over in spite of himself. He was shocked to see that it was Amber, laughing with some girl with big-rimmed glasses. He smiled in relief that his friend had finally shown up…but he felt a twist of something else when he saw her laughing with that other kid. It was just…unlike her.
"Amber!"
She looked up and waved with a smile, and he headed over.
"I was beginning to think you were ditching out on the movie after all," he said, and she shook her head. His gaze went over to linger on the other girl, the twist starting again. "Who's this?"
Amber was studying him now, in that way she had. He felt a flash of annoyance; she didn't need to read him all the time. She was the one acting out of the ordinary!
"This is my roommate…."
"I'm Dani!" the girl cut in happily, thrusting her hand out. M. blinked and then Dani laughed and withdrew her hand.
"Perhaps you would prefer Oh, Mister Openheimer…a pleasure…."
Her voice became dramatic and she dipped low in a mock-curtsy. His expression immediately soured.
"No, the handshake would have been fine," he said, clearly irritated, and she popped back up with a laugh.
"Right, sorry. I just never know. Good to meet you…Amber's told me lots about you! You were partners last semester, right?"
"Yeah," M. snapped, and Amber's frown deepened.
"Are you alright?" she finally asked, and he looked over at her.
"I'm fine. You're just late."
"Where's your mom?"
"She's late too."
He looked back at the door, remembering that they were still waiting on Matilda's arrival. Amber nodded to herself.
"Dani said there are other girls that might want to come…."
"Amber no, shhhhh!"
M. turned back to see Dani giggling at some hilarious secret joke while Amber stared at her roommate in irritated confusion. It was a look he was used to seeing, and he would have smiled if the brunette next to him wasn't being so weird and annoying.
Amber rolled her eyes as her roommate seemed to be shooting her silent instructions.
"I guess they don't want to come."
"Who?" M. finally asked, completely lost. Amber looked a little lost herself.
"I don't know. Which movie are we going to?"
He shrugged.
"There's this new comedy about a group of teenagers that get sucked back in time."
Amber nodded, and her eyes flicked over to the doors.
"Is that her?"
M. whirled around and sagged in relief as he saw the woman in the neatly tailored suit walk in. She was still professionally dressed, but she had traded her heels out for flats. Matilda noticed M and waved, and Dani turned to her roommate.
"I guess I'll see you when you get back!" she said cheerfully, and then she ran off. Amber gave her a wave and then turned to face the approaching woman.
"Sorry I'm late, Marty. There were just a few things I had to get cleared up at the office before…"
Matilda O'Keefe paused, both in walking and in talking. M. saw that she was looking past him and he turned and realized his mother had seen Amber. The Oni's earlier smile was gone as she stared at the woman in front of them.
Matilda finally gave a bright smile.
"I would ask who this is…but I suppose her reputation proceeds her."
"This is Amber," M. confirmed with a smile of his own. "I was wondering if maybe she could come to the movies with us?"
Matilda continued to stare at the Oni with a frozen expression. After a moment she sighed.
"Oh, Marty. You should have told me sooner; I already bought the tickets."
"Oh." He blinked in surprise. "I'm sure the theater will have more…"
"No."
He turned in surprise as Amber spoke up. She was still staring intently at his mother, but her expression had become both angry and intense. He frowned.
"Amber…"
"Your Mom really doesn't want me to come."
He scoffed and turned to his mother, and Matilda seemed surprised at the accusation.
"If I had known sooner…"
"You don't have to lie to him. You don't want me to come." Amber paused before narrowing her eyes. "I can feel perfectly well how you feel about me."
Matilda seemed at a loss for words and color rose quickly up M's face. The tall, blonde woman finally sighed as she turned to her son.
"Well, Marty, it seems your friend has changed her mind about accompanying us. But the movie will start soon without us, I'm afraid…"
M. turned to give Amber one last baffled look, but she just scowled. He wasn't sure what to think, and he found that his heart was pounding. Then he felt a sudden rush at injustice; was it really too much for him to expect to spend a Saturday with his friend and his mother without drama getting in the way? What on earth had gotten into Amber?
"Uh…I have to go, Amber. I guess I'll see you when I get back?"
His words came out awkwardly, and the Oni finally turned to look at him. Her face fell and she almost looked betrayed. That made him feel a flash of guilt, and then a rush of anger that he had felt guilty. She was the one making things weird…she was the one who didn't want to come.
"Fine."
Amber turned and walked away and M. sighed heavily. Behind him he could hear his mother tutting to herself.
"Is she generally that moody?" she asked, and M. turned. He was embarrassed, but he tried to play it off as casually as possible.
"Nah. She just…gets like that sometimes."
Matilda nodded as if that made sense and then gestured to the doorway with another bright smile.
"Shall we?"
He nodded, relieved his mother didn't seem more weirded out by everything that had just happened. As they headed out the doors, Matilda spoke again, her voice light.
"What did she mean, that she knew how I felt about her? I didn't say a single unkind thing…rather judgmental, wasn't she?"
M. felt suddenly uncomfortable.
"Well…it's cuz she can like…sense emotions."
Matilda turned to look at him, her expression blank with confusion. M. continued awkwardly
"Like, she can feel when people are mad, or sad, or…"
He trailed off, his brow furrowing. He glanced back up at his mother.
"What…what were you feeling back there?"
Matilda blinked.
"When I saw her?"
He nodded and the woman sighed almost sadly.
"Pity, Marty. I was feeling so much pity. When I think of the things that girl has been through…"
M. nodded, feeling a little relieved. He could see Amber getting upset at that; she didn't like it when people pitied her.
"A lot of pride in that one. I shall have to be careful not to upset her again," his mother continued simply, and M. shrugged.
"Ah, she'll get over it. I don't like making her mad either, but she generally comes around."
Matilda nodded, lost in thought. But then she turned back to M with a bright smile.
"I thought we could go see that new comedy…the one about those kids getting sucked into that time vortex…"
M. grinned.
"Sounds great, Mom."
"She hates you? How can you tell?"
Dani was staring at Amber with wide eyes. The Oni had stormed into their bedroom just a few minutes earlier. But unlike when she had a private room, Amber could no longer sulk without explaining the why behind her sulking.
"It was obvious. Sure, she was good about not letting it show on her face, but she just reeked of disgust and loathing when she caught sight of me."
Dani's brow furrowed in confusion. Amber sighed; she often forgot that other people couldn't actually sense emotions.
"It's something I can do because I'm an Xinta. I know how people are feeling…"
"You can read minds?!"
Dani's eyes were wider than Amber had ever seen them…which was saying something, because with the magnification from her glasses the girl's eyes were already huge.
Amber shook her head.
"Not minds, not thoughts…"
She immediately countered the statement in her own mind, remembering back to the empathetic connections she had made. But there was no point in bringing those up.
"Just…I can sense emotions, kind of like how you can smell things, or hear things…"
"Wow." Dani rolled over so she was on her back. "That's a pretty sweet superpower, Amber."
Amber scowled.
"It's not a superpower. It's just how I am."
Dani nodded.
"Right. Geez…so you've been able to sense everyone's emotions this whole time? Even mine?"
Amber blinked. She had never thought about how people might view such things as an invasion of privacy, and she had a sudden rush of fear that her roommate might be offended. She nodded hesitantly, but to her relief Dani seemed more impressed than anything.
"That's so weird! What do my emotions feel like? Like can you feel them right now?"
Amber nodded again and Dani rolled back over.
"And?"
"You're confused…but…happy too?" Amber said. She had to focus harder in order to pick the actual emotions out; she had gotten used to the way that her roommate generally was and the emotions themselves had faded into a kind of background haze. It happened a lot, especially in large groups; like sound fading to white noise or getting used to a smell after being in the room for a few minutes.
Dani seemed to be reflecting on her inner state and she finally nodded energetically.
"Yeah! That's exactly how I'm feeling! I mean…I think." She made a face, but then rushed on. "So you just pass people and you always know what they're feeling? Man…I wish I could do that. Like you'd always know when people were sad and needed a hug or when people were mad about something even when they say they aren't mad even though you know they still are but if you could sense it you could say 'I totally knew you were still mad about that time I broke your favorite pen and spilled the ink on your carpet and now your room doesn't look neat anymore no matter how many times you clean it!'"
Amber didn't say anything, just watching her roommate as she went on and on. It was basically the pattern they had fallen into.
"It's kinda funny, you know? Cuz you know how I'm feeling all the time but it's not like it's a mystery cuz I'm a pretty open book. Mom says I wear my heart on my sleeve which I guess is just a fancy way of saying that everyone can tell exactly what I'm thinking and feeling just by looking at me. But you're like the total opposite! I mean, you could be thinking anything right now but I don't have the superpower to know what! Like you could be totally annoyed right now and…oh my gosh, that's it, huh? I'm talking too much again, aren't I?"
Amber couldn't help but smile at that.
"No, Dani. I'm not annoyed. I'm just…I'm not really good at showing how I feel."
Dani nodded to herself.
"That's ironic. I mean, I think it is. Like, you know how everyone feels but you're not good at showing feelings yourself…like you should be the expert." Dani paused, lost in thought. "At least, I think that's ironic. I've never really understood what irony is."
The words sunk in and Amber sat quietly, pondering them. Dani looked up.
"You promise I don't drive you crazy?"
Amber met her roommate's eye and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Promise."
She could feel Dani's relief then.
"Good. I'm glad. But you know who I think I did annoy? M. Openheimer. Like I was just trying to be funny but I think I made him mad…he kept looking at me like an annoying little bug."
Her eyes widened as she looked up at Amber.
"Hey! You would know, wouldn't you? Did you sense his emotions? Did I make him mad earlier? Was he super annoyed?"
Amber was taken aback, and she thought back to the previous encounter. She remembered how M. acted and felt and tried not to scowl. There was no way she was going to tell Dani the truth.
"No…I mean, he felt annoyed, but I think it was just because his mother and I were late. I think he's just been really nervous ever since she came back…"
She trailed off, remembering Matilda. Remember the feelings of utter loathing. The Oni's expression darkened and Dani nodded sagely.
"What are you gonna do, if she really hates you? I mean, she just sounds like a jerk. But you're going to tell M, right? She totally acted like it was your fault that you weren't going with but who would want to go anywhere with someone who hates them? M. needs to know the truth!"
Amber exhaled, her expression still angry as she remembered back.
"Yeah," she finally agreed. "He does."
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