Chapter 38: Ultraviolence
Amanda Morningstar
"Murder me." Amanda said as she banged her head against her desk. God knows she needed a drink badly right now. The five cups of coffee she had drank in the last hour were not doing her any justice.
Her phone was ringing nonstop to the point she had half a mind to rip it from the line and smash it against the wall. For the past few days, she had been constantly bombarded with questions from angry parents about why they barely had any information about what happened at homecoming. Reporters were harassing her persistently like a group of stray dogs near a piece of meat. She had barely gotten any sleep from her cell phone ringing from her colleagues and associates. She was extremely on edge as it was. Why couldn't the parents and the media understand she had this under control and leave her alone?
At the end of the day, she didn't need pain in the ass helicopter parents trying to tell her to do her job.
She looked down at the student files on her desk. Nothing was going according to plan. Right now, Matt was supposed to be alive trying to become stronger than his entire class combined. She was supposed to be training him to make sure he would be ready to take on Cyrus when the time came. Now he was gone. This was the worst-case scenario that she never anticipated.
Cyrus targeted him during homecoming. He must have known the truth, but how? Amanda was thinking to herself. No one else knew but her and Matt's parents. 'Matt's parents! One of them must have told Cyrus the truth. Either that or he got the information from them another way. That had to have been why they were after him.'
Amanda bit her bottom lip. That still didn't explain what Sarah, Hunter, and Cleo had to do with any of this. Those three were targeted for a reason. She just had to find out why.
Amanda looked at Sarah's file. Did Cyrus know the truth about Sarah? He couldn't have. At least not the whole truth.
A loud bang on the door pulled Amanda from her thoughts and she wasn't happy about it. She groaned and got up from her desk.
"What!? I'm very busy right now!" She yelled.
She opened the door and was surprised to see five women angrily glaring at her as they walked in. Shocked was probably the more appropriate word. "Shit." This was the first time meeting them all face to face, but Amanda could tell from their resemblances just who she was dealing with. "Come in."
The first woman was physically fit and had a mane of dirty blond hair. "Mrs. Ritter." She said through the fakest smile she could muster.
She turned to see a short, skinny woman with strawberry blond hair. "Mrs. Hyde."
Her eyes then went to look at a dark-skinned woman with six arms and four eyes, all of them glaring daggers at her. Out of the five of them, she seemed to be the angriest.
"Mrs. Revavi." Amanda sighed.
"It's Rexavi." Mrs. Rexavi snorted.
"Right, my apologies." Amanda said.
Next to her was a brunette with a few strands of grey hair. She had a kind face and seemed kind of jumpy.
"Mrs. Han." She said.
"Hello." She smiled quite meekly.
She turned to the last woman, an olive-skinned woman with dark hair.
"Mrs. Aspida." Amanda said firmly.
Mrs. Rexavi crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure you know why we're here Ms. Morningstar."
Amanda gulped. She feared this day would come. The day when the parents would start asking questions she didn't have the answers too. With everything she was dealing with, the last thing she needed was to handle a bunch of angry moms.
"We came to talk to you about our children." Mrs. Hyde said.
Sarah
Eight Weeks Ago:
"If this is your plan to murder me, I just want to let you know that I have witnesses that saw me leave with you." Sarah chuckled.
It was a nice Saturday afternoon. She was spending the day trying new shades of lipstick while mocking Fouzia's hair when Matt stopped by her room with nothing but a blindfold and a smile. At first, she thought it was something kinky, and she was both disappointed and relieved that instead of going to his bedroom he led her to a limo.
She sighed as she rested her head against the comfortable leather of the vehicle.
Matt laughed. "If anybody is going to murder you it's going to be Fouzia."
"What's that supposed to mean? Me and Fonzy are great friends." Sarah chuckled.
She was able to admit that she was probably the sole reason why the two of them could never get along, but she would never let anyone else know that. She didn't need friends anyway, she had Matt.
"Can I take this blindfold off?" Sarah asked.
She could hear Matt laughing.
"But being blindfolded is such a good look for you." Matt grinned.
If she could, she would've rolled her eyes. "This surprise better not end in sex."
"And if it did?" Matt smirked.
Sarah probably would have had sex with him anyway, but she wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of knowing that.
"Are we there yet?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, actually." He smiled.
The car parked, causing Sarah to grin in anticipation. She felt Matt's hand reach for her blindfold and with one quick tug he yanked the blindfold from her eyes. She was greeted with the bright rays of the sun, Sarah frowned.
"Where the hell are we?" She asked.
"Just wait and see." Matt said.
He opened the door and lead his girlfriend out the limo. She was surprised to see that they were outside a large mall. Her confusion increased when she noticed there were no cars in the parking lot. She frowned, why would Matt bring her to a closed mall?
"I'm confused." Sarah frowned.
Matt chuckled. "I brought you here to shop."
Sarah rolled her eyes. Perhaps he was having a nervous breakdown. He usually had those a lot.
"So how are we going to shop at a mall that's closed?" She asked.
Matt grinned. "Who said it was closed?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Matt, there's no cars here."
Matt laughed and took her hand, an action that made her flinch. Sarah took a deep breath and forced herself to ease up. She needed to learn to stop freaking out whenever he wanted to touch her. He had promised he would never hurt her again. She was ready to move on from this and be able to look at her boyfriend and see the boy she loved and not the violent boy that slammed her against a wall a couple of days earlier.
"Sarah, you are very lucky to be dating someone very rich." Matt said.
Sarah chuckled. "Way to stroke your ego."
He was right, she was lucky to have him. He was all she had.
"I bought the mall for the day. No one is here but us and the workers." Matt smirked.
The words hit Sarah like a semi-truck. Her jaw fell to the floor and her heart began to run faster than a cheetah. She gasped and looked up at the huge mall above her.
"You bought a mall?" She asked.
Matt shrugged. "Rented is a better word."
Sarah eyes widened in shock as she looked back from her boyfriend to the mall. Now Sarah's family was not poor by any means, but she didn't come from a world of limos and renting malls.
"Why did you do this?" Sarah asked.
Matt smiled and leaned in to place a delicate kiss on her cheek. The kiss was warm and comforting, something she did not often get from Matt.
"Because I love you Sarah Smith. Now let's go shopping." Matt said.
Now:
"Sarah!" Sarah's mother yelled.
Sarah groaned and sat up slowly. She was hoping she didn't wake from her dream to face a nightmare. Unfortunately, she was wrong. Her mother stood right in front of her. People often said that Sarah and her mother could have been twins. Her mother, Shaylin, still had beautiful golden hair and clear skin and could probably still pass for a teenage at first glance. She certainly did dress like one.
"Shaylin, what the hell do you want?" Sarah asked.
Shaylin's face fell. For a split second, Sarah could've sworn that she hurt the woman's feelings. A couple days ago, Sarah would have died at the thought of disappointing her mother. Now she could care less. She witnessed the death of her abusive boyfriend, helped cover up his murder, was the target of a villain attack, and was now pregnant. Her immature mother was the least of her concerns.
"Since when do you call me by my first name?" She asked.
Sarah shot up and groaned in pain. Her head felt like a bunch of angry hornets were buzzing inside her brain.
"Mom, my boyfriend's funeral is today, I'm really not in the mood for you shit." Sarah said.
Shaylin crossed her arms and frowned. "That's why I'm here Sarah, I'm here to help you."
"With what?" Sarah asked.
She made her way to her closet and slowly looked at each of the outfits that was at her disposal. She did not really have anything suited for a funeral. Most of her outfits were pink and were deemed too "slutty".
"To help you cope with this. You're young and to lose your first love in such a gruesome way is a lot for anyone to handle." Shaylin said.
Sarah's jaw clenched. A lump began to form in her throat causing her to let out a gasp. Another reminder that Matt was dead.
He wasn't coming back.
She was alone.
She didn't have anyone to turn to.
And now she was pregnant. She was starting to become a burden.
"Shaylin, you haven't been a mom for fourteen years. There's no reason for you to start now." Sarah said.
She ultimately settled on a black sweater and some slacks.
"I could have brought you a dress." Shaylin said.
Sarah always had a short fuse. With everything that's happened recently, it feels like it got shorter. She growled and dropped the clothes on the floor letting out a scream. Anger swelled up inside her as she turned to face her mother.
"Are you fucking stupid! The clothes don't fucking matter! I'm going to a fucking funeral you useless bitch!" Sarah frowned.
Shaylin gritted her teeth and grabbed her daughter's arm.
"I'm going to pretend you don't mean these things and are only lashing out because you're hurt and angry and confused. Sarah, I came because I know about the baby." Shaylin said.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I know Shaylin. The nurse told me she called you."
"That's the real question, why did the nurse have to call me? Why didn't my daughter call me and tell me that not only that she was attacked by villains that she was seven weeks pregnant!?" Shaylin snapped.
"I found out the same time that you did." Sarah shrugged. "Even if I did find out, I still wouldn't have told you because you're fucking useless."
"What is that supposed to mean? I've always been there for you! I didn't leave you like your father." Shaylin frowned, trying hard to keep herself composed.
"You might as well have. I fucking raised myself! You were too busy with your boyfriends to care about what I was doing and how I was doing! You never once helped me with my homework, I did that myself! I'm the one that put you back together when your boyfriend of the month decided to go back to his wife." Sarah yelled.
She got closer to her mother to the point where they were inches apart. All of the emotions she had been holding in for over ten years exploded.
"I'm the one that made sure dinner was on the table. When you forgot to pay a bill, I made sure we weren't evicted! When I was bullied you told me I was weak and that I should hook up with those girl's boyfriends." Sarah screamed.
"Well after you gave Grant Jacobs a hand job, didn't Stacey stop bullying you?" Shaylin said.
Sarah growled. "Do you fucking hear yourself? Normal parents don't talk like this to their child! A normal mom is supposed to teach her daughter to do something stupid like ballet or gymnastics! Not the proper way to jerk some asshole off! Our family is not normal!"
"Say what you want Sarah, but I always loved you and I will never stop!" Shaylin replied.
"Shaylin, I used to date Matt Freeman. I know a liar when I see one." Sarah said with a look of pure disgust.
Just as she was about to say something the desk behind them snapped, causing the two to jump. Shaylin yelped and clutched her purse.
"What the hell? The desk broke!" She exclaimed.
Sarah looked back at the desk that was poorly held together with duct tape and laughed bitterly.
"Don't worry it was already broken." She said.
Eight Weeks Ago:
"So you're really not going to talk to me?" Matt asked.
Sarah ignored him and kept walking to her room. She was not in the mood to deal with one of Matt's excuses.
"Babe wait up!" He yelled.
She picked up the pace, desperate to reach her room before he could catch up with her. She supposed that she could've used her quirk to slow him down, but she figured after a while he would give up. He did not. They stopped at her room, the two staring at each other in silence.
"I'm not talking to you right now." Sarah said.
"What's the big deal? I wanted to partner with Aurelie for the science project, Amelie is the smart one." He said.
"It's inconsiderate, we agreed that we would be partners earlier than you left me out to dry. I had to partner up with Cleo McScream, who is the human equivalent of hepatitis A through Z." Sarah said.
Matt rolled his eyes. "Look, my dad has been on my ass about my grades. You know this. Babe, it's nothing against you."
"It's always about you." Sarah snorted sarcastically.
Sarah reached for her door and pushed on it, walking into her room. Just as she was about to slam the door shut Matt stopped it. He frowned and walked into the room.
"What the hell do you mean it's always about me?" Matt frowned.
"I mean you're fucking selfish." Sarah snapped.
Matt's eye twitched slightly and he chuckled. "Are you kidding me? After everything I've given you? After everything I've done for you? Did you forget how my popularity and wealth has brought you up from being a gold-digging whore to someone with some actual fucking worth? If anything, you're a user."
"Yet you're in my room begging for my forgiveness. If I'm so expendable go find some other blond to torment." Sarah said.
Matt crossed her arms. "You know I love you."
"I don't. I really don't. All I see is some selfish little boy with daddy issues." Sarah snapped.
It happened so fast Sarah didn't understand what was going on. She felt his hands grab her hair and with one quick motion he picked her up and slammed her into the desk, her back slamming against the wooden leg. Sarah howled in pain and squirmed on the ground. The room around her began to spin and her back was on fire.
Matt was yelling, but he seemed too far away to hear. The only words she caught was "fucking bitch", two words she was most familiar with.
"I'm sorry." She managed to choke out.
It was hear fault. She shouldn't have provoked him. She should have known better.
Now:
"Sarah, are you okay?" Shaylin asked.
Sarah shook her head, trying to ignore the memory. She scratched the part of her head she remember made first contact with her desk.
"Like I said, I need to get ready for a funeral." Sarah said.
Fouzia
"She hasn't left her room in three days." Fouzia's mother said.
Fouzia sighed and pressed her face against her pillow. The last couple of days she had been staying with her brother and Sara, she couldn't be at the Academy without having a panic attack thinking about Matt. She killed him. She took away his life.
Every time she saw someone grieving, she wanted to cry. She wanted to tell them she did it. It was her fault. She deserved the blame.
"Mom, her classmate died. Give her some time." Khaled said.
Fouzia sighed and got out of bed. Her family was being too loud, which might have been a sign they didn't care if she heard. Either way, she knew she could not lie in bed forever and avoid her problems. If only life was that simple. She walked over to the nightstand which her phone was currently resting on. She had dozens of text messages, none of which she felt were urgent enough to text back. She began to scroll through her phone looking at her missed messages.
Kaleb: Hey, are you okay? No one's heard from you. Call me back when you see you this.
Faith: Fouzia, what's going on? Where are you? Please call back!
Victoria: Fouzia, it's an emergency, we need to talk about science fair. I think someone might know about our idea to use rocks for our experiment.
Alexander: I'm sorry.
Alexander's text left a sour taste in her mouth. She sighed and looked back at the message Victoria sent her. What the hell was she talking about? Last time she checked she and Victoria never did a science experiment together. She read it again and stopped when she reached rocks.
"It's a code." Fouzia said aloud.
I think someone might know about our idea to use rocks for our experiment.
Someone might know she killed Matt, Fouzia realized. She gulped and sat her phone down.
"Fuck." She said underneath her breath.
"Fouzia." A voice said.
The girl jumped and dropped her phone to the ground. She looked up and gulped when she saw her father standing in the doorway.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Fouzia swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile.
"Totally dad." She said.
"Well you should probably start getting ready, we'll be going to the funeral in a couple of minutes." He said. "I'm sorry again about what happened to your friend."
Fouzia forced a smile. "Sounds great."
Who wouldn't want to attend the funeral of the person they killed?
Jake
"Jesus Christ mom you spoke to Ms. Mornginstar? Are you fucking insane?" Jake asked.
Jake and his parents were currently standing in the church, waiting for the funeral service to begin. Of course, his parents had insisted on being one of the first one's there to pay their respects.
That didn't keep him from glaring daggers at his parents, who couldn't help but offer apologetic glances.
"We only wanted to help you. The stories we've been hearing makes it sound like you kids are borderline being abused." His father frowned.
"It's private school, not Iraq, both of you are being melodramatic." Jake snapped. The last thing he needed was Ms. Morningstar thinking he was the children of a bunch of pansies. He wasn't weak, he didn't need his parents to fight his battles for him.
"I'm fine." Jake said.
His mother crossed her arms. "Honey, have you forgotten about the attack on the school? For crying out loud, you were almost eaten alive by a cannibal."
"And I'm still alive." Jake snorted.
Jake's father sighed and looked at him. "Jake, are you sure you want to be a hero? You know we will support you no matter what career you chose." His father said.
Jake shook his head. "If my options are either being a hero or being a little bitch, I choose being a hero."
Jake scanned the crowd, looking for Aerolynn. He sighed; he didn't see her anywhere. That meant he would have to sit with his overbearing parents.
"You know son, we can talk about it if you want." His father said.
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Talk about what?"
"Your roommate died, sweetie. I know you must be feeling a rollercoaster of emotions right now-" His mother was caught off by Jake's snort.
"How many times do I have to say I'm fucking fine? You've guys have been crying about this more than me, and you didn't even know him!" Jake snapped.
He marched away from his parents, desperate to get away from them. Jake shook his head, they were like a giant pillow trapped on top of him, slowly smothering him to death. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even realize he was about to walk right into someone.
"Ow." A feminine voice yelped.
He looked down and was surprised to see Fouzia standing right in front of him.
"Watch where you're walking." Jake snorted.
He wasn't in the mood for Fouzia's attitude.
"Jake, I'm kindly asking you to fuck off." Fouzia snapped.
Jake opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw Victoria approaching them. He raised an eyebrow. Ever since homecoming, neither of them had said a word to one another. Considering they both had too much going on and the fact neither of them wanted to address what happened in the locker room.
Victoria smiled weakly and approached the two. "How are you two doing?" She asked.
Jake rolled his eyes. "I'm doing fantastic, I've never had so much fun at a funeral."
Victoria scoffed at his sarcasm and turned to look at the large closed casket behind them. She sighed.
"Can you believe he's gone?" Victoria asked.
Jake gulped. He had been trying to avoid the fact that Matt was dead. Even though he told the boy they were not friends, Jake couldn't help but think about all the times they spent together even if there weren't that many. He was his roommate, and even if he thought Matt was rude and pompous, it didn't mean he wanted him dead.
"He's in a better place or something." Jake mumbled.
"If you ask me, he's probably in hell if we're being completely honest," Victoria said.
She turned to look at Fouzia. "Did you get my texts?"
Fouzia narrowed her eyes. "Yes, all twenty-three of them."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "What was so important you needed to text her twenty-three times?"
Victoria glared at him. "Girl stuff."
Just as Jake was about to say something, he felt a hand grab him. He turned to see his mother looking at him with a beaming smile. Jake rolled his eyes.
"Sweetie would you like to introduce me to your friends? They seem lovely." His mother smiled.
Jake snorted. "They aren't my friends."
Victoria and Fouzia couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Victoria reached her hand out to his mother.
"I'm Victoria Crown." She said.
Jake's mother took her hand and smiled shaking it.
"You don't seem scary." Jake's mother said.
Victoria smirked. "Jake said I was scary?"
Jake crossed his arms and growled. Sometimes he hated how friendly his parents were.
"I'm Fouzia Zambiea. It's very nice to meet you." Fouzia said.
"That's a lovely name." His mother said.
She turned back to face Jake. "Would your friends like to sit with us?"
"Again, they're not my friends, and mom this is a funeral not a bar mitzvah they probably want to sit with their families." Jake said.
Victoria's face fell at the mention of family. She gulped and forced a smile.
"Jake's right. I should go sit with my family." Victoria said.
Jake's mother frowned. "What a shame, you girls seem so nice."
"Jesus mom, you're like a fucking golden retriever." Jake frowned.
His mother's face fell. She sighed and forced an optimist smile. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go check on Mrs. Han."
She walked away leaving the trio alone.
"Don't you think that was a little uncalled for? Your mom seems super nice." Victoria observed.
"I'm always a dick, you of all people should know that." Jake snorted.
Fouzia shook her head. "She seems sweet. And understanding."
Jake shrugged. "I guess."
"That makes no sense. You're an asshole." Fouzia frowned.
Victoria nodded. She looked at Jake closely as if she was trying to figure something out.
"So that kind, amazing woman gave birth to you? Were you adopted?" Victoria asked.
Fouzia nodded. "He has to be adopted."
"I'm not adopted!" Jake snapped.
His tone caused Fouzia and Victoria to laugh. Something that earned them dirty looks from those in mourning. The three teens blushed and looked away.
"You two are going to hell for laughing at a funeral." Jake whispered.
Victoria shrugged. "I've done worse."
Sarah
"They set up a lovely service for Matt." Shaylin said.
Sarah ignored her mother and kept walking. Her eyes looked over at the people sitting in the crowd. She saw her classmate's families, and a sea of Matt's relatives. His grandmother was sobbing into a handkerchief, his cousins were doing their best to console her. Sarah frowned when she noticed that his own mother was nowhere to be found. Did she even know? Did she not want to go to her son's funeral.
Sarah looked towards the center of the room to see Jake, Victoria, and Fouzia talking.
Just to get away with her, Sarah was that desperate. "I'm going to go talk to my friends." Sarah said.
Shaylin smiled. "You have friends here?"
Sarah tried not to be hurt by the look of surprise on her mother's face. Victoria, Fouzia, and Jake, she could barely call them associates, much less friends. However, she needed to get away from her mother more than anything.
"Why don't you go mingle with the moms or go flirt with the dads?" Sarah said.
She marched off, desperate to get away from her mother when she felt a strong arm grab her. She jumped, startled by the powerful presence. She turned to look at who had ahold of her, and her heart sunk at who she saw.
Connor Freeman. Captain Union. Matt's father.
He was a tall and muscular man. His skin was tanned from days of working in the sun and his hair was the same shade of brown as Matt's. His eyes were gold and bright, commanding power without even knowing it. Sarah's heart winced when she took him all in. He looked just like Matt. There was no mistaking that these two were father and son.
"Hello Sarah Smith." He said.
Sarah gulped.
I know who killed your son. I helped cover it up. I'm pregnant with your grandchild. Your son used to abuse me.
These were the first things that came to Sarah's mind.
All her thoughts and emotions threatened to rain out her mouth like rapid fire. Instead she settled for a simple, "I'm sorry for your loss."
He smiled weakly. "I should be saying the same for you. My son really loved you."
Sarah winced again. How many times had Matt told her that he was the only one that loved her?
"Thank you, Mr. Freeman." She said carefully.
He placed his firm hands on Sarah's shoulders causing her to flinch. She felt all of her hair stand on end and every inch of her skin crawl. She knew one thing for certain, she didn't like him touching her just as much as Matt.
A while back, she had heard rumors on the news of Connor Freeman sexually assaulting several women. Later on though, all these women later recanted their stories. Except for Scarlet Overkill. She still wanted justice. Were all those women lying? Matt had to learn that intense hatred from someone.
"We broke up long before he died, Mr. Freeman, you don't have to comfort me." Sarah whispered.
He sighed. "I regret making him do that fake relationship with Victoria. I guess I was so focused on my image that I ignored what he really wanted. He loved to talk about you and fought hard for you."
Sarah nodded slowly. He fought hard for you.
The words pricked her skin like needles.
"I can see it in your eyes, you loved him too. I'm glad he at least had someone who loved him before he died." He smiled weakly.
Sarah nodded and forced a smile to the point her face had hurt. If only he knew. If only anyone here knew what Matt was really like. The sweet boy his grandmother was crying over was the same boy who dislocated her arm when she made a joke about him being at the bottom of the rankings. The love his father was talking about was addiction. An addiction that made her go back to him no matter how many times he hit her. An addiction that made her believe that he could change.
"If you wouldn't mind, I would love if you could say a few words about him." He said.
Sarah's eyes widened in shock. A few nice words about Matt? She could say a few nice things about him. None of them would be true. However, she couldn't say no. His father had such a hopeful look in his face that made Sarah beam in the fakest smile she ever had to muster in her life.
"I'll do it." Sarah said.
What would she tell people? A lie? That Matt was perfect? That their love was beautiful, and she'll miss him every day?
No more lies. No more covering for him.
How many times had she lied about a bruise? How many times did she change who she was to make him happy? Matt was dead, and she was done catering to him. It was time for the truth to come out.
Lex
"Were you close with Matt, sweetie?" Kaleb's mother asked.
Lex smiled. Before or after I helped cover up his murder?
"Not really," Lex mumbled.
"I feel bad for his family." Kaleb said solemnly.
Lex looked over at Matt's father. The man wore an expensive suit and a gold watch that probably would cost more than Lex's whole college tuition. His stomach clenched when he saw that he was talking to Sarah. What could the two of them possibly be talking about? He supposed that they could have been helping each other cope with the loss of Matt. Lex frowned, what did Sarah see in Matt?
What could drive someone to a person that hurts them?
"Will your parents be coming Lex?" Kaleb's father asked.
Lex frowned. His parents called him two days before the funeral saying they wouldn't be able to make it in time. It was the same story they had told him hundreds of time, they were away for work. They kept texting and calling him, trying to check in on him but he ignored most of them. He didn't necessarily resent his parents for missing the funeral. If anything, he felt relieved they didn't have to pay respect or act sorry to such a piece of crap. He just wanted to see them, it had been so long. However, he was used to disappointment. His parents weren't neglectful, but they usually worked so much it felt like he had to raise himself.
"No, they won't be here Mr. Rexavi." Lex sighed.
Kaleb smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's okay, you can sit with us bud."
Lex smiled, Kaleb's parents were friendly and treated him like he was their son. It was clear where he got it from. At least he wouldn't be alone today.
"Maybe we can sit with the Ritters." Lex said.
Lex turned to scan the crowd. He stopped when he saw Faith and her family sitting towards the middle of the aisle. Her mother had her arms wrapped around Faith's shoulder, holding the blond girl close to her bosom. Her older brother sat next to her; his face painted with sympathy for the grieving loved ones.
Almost as if she sensed his presence, Faith turned to look at Lex. She wore a simple black dress, yet she looked stunning. He smiled and waved, expecting his friend to gesture for them to come sit with her family. Instead the girl frowned and turned to face the coffin. Lex's face fell. What just happened? Did she just ignore him?
Lex gulped and bit the inside of his cheek. Was she mad at him?
"The service is about to start; we should probably find somewhere to sit." Joseph said.
Kaleb nodded and scanned the crowd. He stopped and pointed to empty seats next to Alice. No wait, he noticed her hair was now indigo like when they first met. It was Aurelie, she was back. She sat next to a slim young-looking man with silver hair and green eyes wearing a designer tuxedo and a silver watch on his right arm. It must have been her father since aside from her copies, she was technically an only child. Next to him was her mother, a beautiful young woman of Japanese descent with chocolate brown hair and matching eyes. Both her and her daughter wore long black yukatas that reached to her feet. She looked Japanese and absolutely elegant.
All three of their hair was well done and shiny, Aurelie and her mother's makeup was impeccable, he could not tell if they were going to a funeral or a runway.
Kaleb's mother led the men over to the Duax family. She smiled as she made eye contact with Mrs. Duax.
"May we sit here?" She asked.
Aurelie's mother nodded. "Of course."
His mother nodded in gratitude and took a seat right next to Aurelie, the others following her lead and promptly sitting down.
Lex and Kaleb poked their heads and gestured to the girl.
"It's good to have you back Aurelie," Kaleb said to her.
"It's weird not seeing your hair and eyes all red." Lex followed.
"Thank you." She said meekly and quietly before turning back to the service. There was a look in her eyes that seemed off.
"Good afternoon everyone." A deep voice said.
Lex looked up at the podium to see a tall preacher with graying hair and a scar on his cheek.
The Preacher sighed. He had a solemn look on his face, a look Lex wish he could replicate. He wasn't happy Matt was dead. He was telling himself that he should feel sad or remorse of the fact someone lost their life. Or at least sympathy for their families. But he didn't feel anything. Just emptiness.
"You all may come from different walks of life, but you are all here for one reason. You're here to remember the life of Matthew August Freeman, a kind, young soul that lost his life to the senseless violence caused by the darkest side of humanity," The Preacher said.
"What bullshit." Lex shook his head. The Preacher must have been referring to the villains. They think the villains killed Matt. At least that is what Alexander told them. No one else denied his story when they were questioned.
Lex turned to see Fouzia sitting with her two older brothers, Mrs. Zambiea, and her parents. Fouzia had large bags under eyes, something that made Lex figure she wasn't getting much sleep.
Funny thing was Lex was able to sleep fine. Should he be more upset by the fact that he helped cover up a murder? Should accomplishes carry guilt?
A couple aisles down sat Maryanne and Alexander. Alexander was accompanied by his two parents. Tears were running down the boy's face, something Lex found intriguing. Was he crying because he was sad Matt was dead? Did he feel guilty? Was he scared of finding out the truth? Or was he crying because he thought what people should be doing at funerals?
His eyes darted to look at Victoria. The girl had her usual poised expression. There wasn't a single crack in her exterior, he admired how easily she could bury her emotions. Sitting next to her was her mother and a large bald man that he could only assume was her father. From what he had heard, her mother was such a large role in Victoria's life that he never considered the possibility of her having more relatives.
Behind her sat Sarah and her mother. The girl's blond hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, something he found unusual. Sarah usually put hours into making sure she looked great, today she looked like she just rolled out of bed. Not that her messy ponytail and makeup free face was not attractive. If anything, it humanized her.
He didn't realize the Preacher was done speaking until he heard the words: "And now Sarah Smith, who was close to Matt, will say a few words."
Lex was worried. She was going to say a few words. What good things could she possibly have to say about Matt? What good things could anyone have to say about Matt? Sarah awkwardly made her way to the podium, she walked slowly and without purpose, almost as if her spirit was crushed.
She gulped when she took her place at the head of stage, just a couple feet in front of Matt's casket. She looked visibly sick.
"Hi everyone." Sarah mumbled.
She scanned, hoping to find something to say in the audience.
After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath. "Matt, like any of us was complicated." Sarah admitted.
That was simplifying things.
"The thing with Matt was…no, no I can't do this." She laughed bitterly. The smile on her face looked hauntingly poetic as tears began to fall down her face. Her eyes were bright with pain and sorrow.
"I'm going to try something new and tell the truth. Matt wasn't perfect, far from it actually. I don't have any positive stories I can recall about Matthew Freeman. All of them, just end with pain and heartache. Despite this, I loved Matt. Even with all his flaws I still loved him, and that may mean that I'm more messed up then I think. I mean you would have to be to genuinely love someone so fucking toxic." Sarah said.
As soon as she finished speaking Matt's father got up. His face was red and there was a clear look of rage.
"That's enough!" He hissed. "Get off the podium."
His tone was filled venom, yet Sarah didn't flinch. She looked down at him with a soulless look on her face and just chuckled.
People began to turn to each other and whisper. Some even joined in his protest and tried to jeer her off the podium. What exactly was her goal?
She continued. "Like the rest of us, Matt just wanted to be the best. His father engraved the idea that if you're not at the top, you don't have any value in his eyes. What do you expect having an abusive, manipulative, rapist for a father? It was clear Matt didn't grow up with a good role model."
"I said get off the damn podium!" He yelled again.
This earned a reaction from everyone else in the church. Some like Aurelie, watched the situation in shock, her hand covered over her mouth. Victoria and Janelle watched the scene with curiosity.
Sarah's mother got up and stood between the two. She growled and jabbed her finger against the man's chest.
"Stay away from my daughter." She hissed.
Sarah raised an eyebrow at her mother's show of protection. From what Sarah told him, her mother wasn't parent of the year. However here she stood, glaring at Captain Union, with more courage than most pro heroes had.
"Get the fuck out of my way." Before he could make a move, he felt his armed gripped and turned to see Nadia Rexavi gripping his right arm with one of her many hands. He tried to get her to release him, but he couldn't shake her grip no matter how much strength he used. He couldn't even move his arm. "Let go of me."
"Oh no." Kaleb said.
Lex looked back and forth between him and her. "Shouldn't we help her?"
Joseph scratched the back of his head. "Trust me, when she's like this, you don't want to get on her radar. Pro hero or not, this won't end pretty."
Kaleb's mother stood firm and kept her grip. "Let her finish."
"This is my son's funeral! I will not let his name be tarnished!" He yelled.
Jake snorted. "His name was shit long before this funeral."
His comment earned him a sharp elbow from his mother. Lex looked over at Matt's relatives. They were either crying or shooting daggers at Sarah.
Despite the wildfire she just started, Sarah didn't stop with her eulogy. "Matt didn't deserve to die. I don't think anyone deserves to die. But at the same time, I don't think Matt was a hundred percent evil or a hundred percent good. I think he was like most of us, he was just a truly fucked up kid trying to stop himself from becoming the horrible parents he had." She said.
She wiped a tear away and smiled. "That's all I have to say."
As soon as she finished, Kaleb's mother released her grip on Matt's father and rejoined her family with a content look.
"You ungrateful little bitch! Do you know how much money my son spent on you?" Matt's father screamed.
Janelle stood up from the crowd and ran over to the man. "This isn't the time nor the place to lose your temper." She hissed.
Sarah pushed Janelle aside and marched over to Matt's father. She stopped and looked the man right in his brown eyes. Sarah balled up her fists, causing Lex to gulp. Was she going to punch him? Instead she just laughed.
"I now see where that short temper came from. You're right he did spend a lot of money on me. He always wanted to make sure that I had nice present to forget how much he beat me." Sarah said.
Her words earned a gasp from everyone in the crowd.
Lex couldn't help but smirk. Once Sarah said those words it seemed like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She took a deep breath and faced everyone in the stands. She seemed free. Lex couldn't help but marvel at the girl.
He didn't have time to fully take in the looks on most of his classmate's who didn't know, but he saw a mix of shock and confusion on Kaleb and Aurelie's faces.
"That's right, Matthew August Freeman beat me. I'm done lying for him." Sarah said loudly.
She sighed and looked down at her feet. "I really did love him. Sure I thought about it when he would punch me or pull on my hair, but I never truly wished he was dead…but forgive me if I'm relieved that for the first time in months I can finally breathe again. Thank you."
She grabbed her mother's arm, pulling the woman towards her, without saying another word she walked off dragging her.
Jake sat back and let out a small laugh clutching his sides before wiping a tear from his eyes. "I changed my mind. I love funerals."
Kaleb
After the whole fiasco with Sarah's eulogy, Matt was finally buried after much of the fire ignited by the revelation had died down. Kaleb had never been to a funeral before, but he was certain that they weren't supposed to be this tense and hostile. At the priest's behest, the Freeman family continued with the service to pay their respects. However, that didn't stop them from glaring daggers at the blonde girl who decided to stick around. Some of those hate filled gazes even made their way to most of the other student's as they assumed that everyone was all in cahoots with her. On top of most of them finding out who Matt truly was, it was the most uncomfortable experience in their entire lives, especially when the priest tried to say anything nice about him. Matt's father didn't say a word, grounding his teeth and clenching his fists the entire time. His anger and hatred towards Sarah made him forget his grief towards his son.
After the service was done, the parents of everyone in Class Z stuck around to talk to one another and socialize a little bit. Everyone in the Freeman family left immediately after paying Matt their final goodbyes.
"Should I go comfort her?" Kaleb asked.
He looked over as Sarah and her mother aggressively whispered back and forward. He winced in sympathy, as the girl sighed in defeat and made her way to their car.
Kaleb's mother shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's been a very long day for those two, I think it'll be best to let them process in peace."
Kaleb nodded and frowned. First Hunter, and now Matt. He always came off as supportive and nice, although a bit competitive. To think he had such demons, and Sarah had to bear with the consequences all alone. Kaleb always thought he was a good judge of character. He thought he was able to tell the good people from the bad ones. Two of his friends were awful people and he was oblivious. Because of that people he cared about were hurt in the process.
Kaleb's father noticed the pained look on his face and flashed a smile before giving him a pat on the back. "Why don't we stop for dinner? There's a nice diner not far from here. Your mother's right, it's been a long day and I think we could benefit to follow Ms. Smith's example and have some much-needed family time." Mr. Rexavi said. "Trust me, everything feels better with a full stomach."
Kaleb smiled. It had been a long time since he was able to spend some time with his parents. Because of their job with the circus they were never in one location for too long, and lately none of their tours seemed to be near Miami.
"I would like that. Can I bring Lex?" Kaleb asked.
His mother chuckled. "Sure, he's a nice a boy. Besides after all the drama today, he shouldn't be alone."
Kaleb turned to see Lex watching their classmates and their families. Besides Cleo and Maryanne, everyone's parents and siblings seemed to be accounted for. Kaleb frowned when he realized Aerolynn wasn't in the crowd. Where could the girl be?
He looked back to Cleo and Maryanne. Where were their parents? The way Cleo always talked about her parents made them seem like they were kind and loving, it was strange for them to miss the funeral of one of her classmates.
Kaleb scratched his chin when he realized he's never heard Maryanne talk about her family. They both were alone.
Kaleb turned back to his parents.
"Do you mind if I invite two more friends?" Kaleb asked.
"The more the merrier." His father shrugged.
Kaleb turned to his mother for approval but was surprised to see that the woman was no longer engaged in their conversation. She was currently exchanging glances with Jarret and Faith's mothers. He followed her gaze to a muscular bald man with dark brown skin standing next to Janelle Crown. He must have been Victoria's father. It was weird seeing him considering she never brought him up.
He then realized that all the parents were looking at each other as if communicating in some kind of secret language.
"What's going on?" Kaleb asked.
His mother gulped and opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by a loud horn blaring. Everyone in the clearing flinched from the suddenness and turned to look at the source. Standing in front of the church in a black trench coat was Amanda Morningstar. Her auburn hair was tied into a neat bun and black shades covered her face. She had one gloved hand on the horn of her steering wheel and the other holding a cup of coffee.
"Greeting students of the Class Z. While I have most of you in attendance here, I figured now would be the best time to announce that you know longer have to attend classes. Your parents plan to officially withdraw you from the MSA!" Amanda declared.
"This bitch." Mrs. Ritter scowled
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
Amanda scratched her head in slight frustration. "As I said before, your parents plan to officially withdraw you from the MSA! For the less intelligent students in the crowd that means you won't be attending the school anymore!" She shouted.
Your parents plan to officially withdraw you from the MSA! You won't be attending school anymore.
The words hit his heart with full force. Amanda had to be lying. It would not be the first time she manipulated them. However, when Kaleb saw the disappointed look in his mother's face, he knew Amanda was telling the truth.
"Mom?" He said in shock.
He looked at his classmates as the rest of them began to take the news in.
"Obviously, she's lying. My parents would never do that without talking to me first." Faith frowned.
She crossed her arms and glared at the headmistress. Faith turned to look back at her parents expecting them to back her up. Her face fell when they remained silent.
"Come on mom and dad tell me that she's lying." Faith scowled.
Faith's mother sighed. "Honey we can explain everything."
She reached out to grab her daughter, but Faith stepped backwards out of her mother's reach.
"What is she talking about?" She demanded.
It didn't take long for chaos to erupt. The young teens began to argue with their parents. Jake began to yell at his mother, Alexander and his father were in a heated debate, Fouzia was pleading with her parents who couldn't do anything but sigh.
Kaleb shook his head and stood there in shock and silence. All his life he wanted to be a hero. He wanted to help people. The Morning Star Academy was the only place he could that. It was the only way he could become a beacon of hope.
"Kaleb, we can explain." His father said.
He frowned. "There's nothing to explain. I want to stay. This place is my home. This is where my friends are." His parents were surprised at how assertive he was. Throughout his childhood, Kaleb always put other's needs before his own and never asked for anything for himself once. This was the first time they ever saw him ask for anything for himself. His parents were not angry about this, rather it made everything about this even harder.
"We know that sweetie, but this academy is dangerous." His mother said. "I could never bear the thought of losing you."
Kaleb opened his mouth to speak when a loud banshee like shriek filled the air.
"Will everyone shut the hell up!?" Victoria screamed.
Everyone turned to look at the girl as she made her way to the center of the room. Amanda raised an eyebrow, looking at the situation with intrigue.
Kaleb's mother stared down at her. "Who does that girl think she is?"
Kaleb scratched the back in his head in awkwardness. "Victoria Crown." He sighed.
"For the parents in the audience who do not know me, my name is Victoria Crown. My mother is Janelle Crown also known as the hero Shaman. We, the students of the MSA and your children would like an educated answer on to why you think it's a good idea to pull us out of our school?" Victoria asked.
She crossed her arms and looked at the crowd of parents expectantly. Slowly, one by one, the other students began to flock towards her like a moth to a flame. Kaleb paused and looked back to his parents.
"Can I just have a reason? A reason why you guys would want to pull me out? This is one of the few places where I don't have to be ashamed to be who I am." Kaleb frowned.
Throughout his life, people told him he couldn't be a hero because of his appearance, or he looked more like a villain. He still remembered after the entrance exam when she personally visited him while he was recovering. Despite all her flaws, Ms. Morningstar was the first person, outside of his family, that made him feel like he could really be a hero, who looked at him like he was a human being. For the first time, he had friends who he could see every day, who he could laugh and smile with whenever something good happened, as well as cry and be frustrated with whenever something bad happened. Despite being the only mutant among them, outside of his family, he felt accepted. The Morning Star Academy was his home.
"Kaleb, this school is dangerous." His mother said.
His father nodded in agreement. "You were attacked by villains twice and this school has done little to nothing to ensure that never happens again. I'm sorry, but we can't put you at risk."
Risk? Kaleb's whole life revolved around risk. Growing up in a circus, the possibility that the next day could be your last was a common thought. A long time ago, he had heard that courage was simply being afraid and doing it anyway, and that every action required a leap of faith. Every day was a near death experience for him, yet he never lived in fear, or thought hard about the risks. At the age of five after his quirk developed, he accidentally climbed a hundred meters onto his parent's tightrope and successfully walked seventy-five yards across thin wire. The closest thing he had to a pet cat was a fully grown Bengal tiger named Moana. He took a risk trying to protect Hunter and despite his contempt towards him, he did not regret his decision.
Victoria scoffed causing the other parents to frown.
"We're training to be heroes. What do you expect to happen when we enter the real world? Do you think the villains are going to take it easy on us?" Victoria asked. "They made it real clear that they do not care if we die."
"But you're not heroes yet, you're kids." Mrs. Ritter frowned.
"Kids who were able to hold their own against villains." Jake frowned.
His mother shook her head. "You were attacked by a cannibal! The time before that you were attacked by a man that could make grenades. This isn't the high school experience we wanted for you."
Jake frowned; it was obvious that the loudmouth teen did not know what to say to convince his parents to let him stay.
"I for one trust in our kid's abilities." Janelle smirked. "This place is one of the best hero schools in the country."
Mrs. Duax raised a hand. "There are more prestigious hero schools, not just in the US. My husband and I are discussing the possibility of UA for our daughter. They're doing a better job at making sure villains don't infiltrate their campus. I think it's worth adding a student has never died there."
Aurelie raised an eyebrow and backed away with a betrayed look in her eyes. "Were you and papa ever going to talk about that idea with me?"
Her mother looked down at her feet too upset to meet her daughter's eyes.
"I also think it's worth mentioning Mrs. Crown, that your husband doesn't share your views about the MSA." Mrs. Aspida said.
Janelle's face dropped. She slowly turned to look at her husband who despite being several inches taller than the woman, was cowering in fear at her stare.
"Is there something you would like to say, Maurice?" She hissed.
"I just met up with the other parents to discuss a plan. I was worried about our daughter." He sighed.
"Every single day, I regret marrying you." Janelle sighed.
"Mom!" Victoria yelled in shock.
The girl's lips quivered, and her eyes began to water. If Kaleb didn't know any better, he would have thought Victoria was about to cry.
This was going on long enough. "Ah screw it," Kaleb gulped and took a step forward. "Can I have everyone's attention please?" He asked loudly.
The parents and students turned to look at the boy who towered all of them. A lump formed in his throat from the unexpected response and all the attention. Victoria made it look easy. This was not the first time he ever had all eyes on him, but this time, it felt especially anxious. Even Janelle Crown was looking at him. He loudly cleared his throat and took another look at the crowd.
"As our parents, I know that all of you love us. You only want the best for us and for us to be safe. We'll never be thankful enough how much you've all had to sacrifice for us. But now, just as much as we have faith in you, we need all of you to trust us. The world out there is flooded with terrifying people. People who are going to want to hurt us, who want to kill us."
For a brief second, Dr. Chen's sadistic grin flashed in his mind. He clenched his fists in an attempt to pull himself together. "And I would be lying if I said that we won't get hurt." He bit his lip and looked towards where Matt was buried with a crestfallen look. "And I can't say for certain for the next encounter, whether we'll survive or not." After learning about Matt's true nature, Kaleb didn't know whether he wanted to mourn him or curse him.
"Is that supposed to be encouraging?" Mr. Han asked.
"Let him finish." Mrs. Hyde hissed.
Kaleb nodded and looked back at the crowd. He looked at Fouzia as the girl nervously played with some rubber bands on her hand. His far-right eye wandered to Alexander as he had one hand wrapped around Maryanne in an attempt to comfort her. On his left side, he noticed Lex as he tried to make himself invisible in the crowd of dysfunction. He looked at Faith as the girl was doing her best not to make eye contact with her parents. Since day one these people had been there for him. They had become more then friends to him, they were a new family. Just as irreplaceable.
Even Victoria, who had barely said more than two words to him was considered a dear friend.
"Nothing we do won't be easy. There will be those who will knock us down, whether it's villains, or even each other. But the important thing for us to learn is to get back up. And that's what we've been doing every time the villain's attacked, we get hit but we get right back up and we hit back harder. More than that we protect each other. We may not all like each other. We may lie, manipulate, and use each other but at that moment when one of us needs help, we always show up for each other. When the villains go after one of us, we fight with everything we got to protect our classmates, because we're more than just heroes in training. We're a family." Even after learning the truth, a part of Kaleb considered Matt and Hunter like family too. That's what made their betrayal hurt even worse. Even after everything, Matt truly didn't deserve to die. He had already lost two people who he thought were his friends, and with what happened to Lex, he had almost lost one of his best friends.
He clenched his fist, holding firm to his conviction and resolve. "I don't want to lose anyone else. That's why I think we should be able to stay at the Morning Star Academy and become the heroes we were meant to be, because I truly believe that as a family, we're stronger than any villain out there." He said.
Everyone was silent for a minute. Even when he stood firm and confident, inside Kaleb felt extremely embarrassed for possibly the first time in his life; he sounded like a character straight from some cliché teen drama. His speech must have been awful. A part of him wanted to crawl under his bed covers and stay there till his own funeral. Then he heard a sob, he turned to look at the source and saw Maryanne was crying. He gulped, what did he say wrong? Before he could answer she ran over and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. Her eyes red and puffy.
"Kaleb, you're way too kind! That was beautiful!" She said through her snot and tears that made it hard to understand her.
Her tears began to soak into his shirt. Kaleb looked back and forth between her and Alexander for a suggestion at what to do but instead the boy just ran over to the two and wrapped his arms around them.
"I love you man." Alexander grinned.
Alexander joining the hug set off a chain reaction. Soon Faith and Fouzia joined in. Cleo skipped over to the group hug and squirmed her way in, giggling as she did so.
"Fuck it, I want a hug too." Jake grinned.
He ran over and pulled the group into a tight hug, using his strength to squeeze them extremely tight. After Aurelie and Kevin joined. Then a reluctant Jarret. Lex not long after that. Before Kaleb knew it all his classmates were wrapped around each other in a large group huddle. The only other people absent was Aerolynn, who was still nowhere to be found, and the two girls, Sarah and Victoria. Sarah was still watching the scene from her mom's car; a look of longing in her eyes.
Victoria stood near her parents, no emotion in her eyes, yet Kaleb could tell she wanted to be a part of the group hug.
"Victoria, Sarah, that means you too." Kaleb smiled.
"I respectfully decline." Victoria said with a dead panned look followed with a hand in refusal. "I'm not a hugging kind of person."
"Me neither. Plus, I kind of hate all of you." Sarah said with a quiet tone.
"Come on, we wouldn't be the same without the two biggest bitches in our class." Jake groaned.
"Damn you to hell, Jake." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll join this pitiful group hug."
"Yay!" Maryanne cheered.
Victoria sighed and walked over to them, she looked at her classmates awkwardly as if she was trying to analyze a puzzle. Maryanne grinned and opened her arms out.
"Get in here Crown." She smiled.
Victoria chuckled and walked into Maryanne's embrace.
"This is…uncomfortable." Victoria muttered before giving a light smile where no one could see it. "But I don't hate it." She whispered.
Everyone turned to look at Sarah, waiting for the blond girl expectantly.
"Now Sarah, if I have to be a part of this, so do you. You can get in this damn group hug or we can drag you over here." Victoria threatened.
Sarah laughed as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"You guys are such dorks." She laughed.
She ran over to the kids and joined their group hug. She sighed as she rested her head against Aurelie's indigo colored hair.
"Well as nice and suffocating as this is to watch, do you all still plan to take your kids out of the academy?" Ms. Morningstar asked.
Kaleb's eyes widened; he had forgotten the parents were there. He was so caught up in the happiness of the moment that he didn't realize the bitterness. Their parents still had to make a decision.
