And after a long hiatus we're back. You thought I'd quit didn't you, but think again! I was agonizing over what to write for a while.
At around 5 am, I got up to get ready for our flight. Unfortunately, the long flight meant we had to rise early if we wanted to get there on the same day. I got ready to leave and called Watts' name before I left, only to realize he was at the dog hotel. And yes, it really was a hotel. The Ritz Carlton had a pet division and I'd opted for massages and loads of treats.
I frowned and then remembered that the dog would likely be treated better than myself. We'd have the awesome pleasure of economy class seating after all. Joyous.
I get over to the ever crazy, ever overactive, like a kid with ADHD hyped up on coffee JFK airport. It was just bursting at the seams with people. And none of them polite enough to even say 'excuse me' when they push you here and there. As a certified paperweight, I got lost in the crowd immediately, unable to fight back the stream of people. Damn you genetics.
I lower the influence I naturally had on the magnetic fields around me and was allowed through the metal detector as Father had taught me that.
I finally broke free of the crowd, only to realize my friends were on the other side of the airport. However, thanks to my Father I was 20 minutes early. This gave me enough time to go back without having to run around looking like an idiot. I already attracted enough attention being so tiny. I didn't want anyone to go, "Hey, kid where are your parents?" It really hurts the chance of being able to complete a mission if you're stuck with airport security.
Father had to bail me out of a situation like that once, and wipe some memories- computer and otherwise. Thus I was given helicopter access. To avoid being that 'rich kid', I decided to be with my friends and share the pains of air travel as a team. Camaraderie and all that. If we didn't kill each other before we landed we'd probably look back on this as a great bonding experience.
But before long we were actually trying to kill each other. Jack was kicking Amad's seat for no reason- his phone had died and he was bored. Melody was fighting Brenda for the middle armrest and none of them had gotten any sleep as they were too busy talking about how excited they were about the trip till 2 in the morning.
As the president, it was my job to be the team mom and stop them from doing something that could get us kicked off. After a few warnings, I sent Jack the worst glare I could. He stopped right then and there. Thanks, Father.
Jenny, however, was officially my favorite teammate. She caused no trouble- only read her chess book and thought of strategies like the others should be doing.
Luckily, around when we were halfway through everyone got tired and just went to sleep. Naps in the middle of the day are life-changing and are not a waste of time and Father can never convince me otherwise.
We get there by 6 pm and got to the hotel by bus. The hotel was an immense grandiose structure with golden chandeliers and a ceiling that seemed to go on forever. Everything was shining and new and a pleasant scent thrown in for good measure. I didn't know what it was but it definitely wasn't the cheap stuff from the mall. The place even smelled like money.
A bellhop came in and took our luggage and soon we were in our rooms. Being the person I am. I unpacked and planned my clothing in advance. Father always talked to me about the importance of a good image. And the best way to do that was to have good, matching clothing. Not that it would've turned out that badly anyway. I was prohibited from wearing jeans. Father had made sure I knew not to bring a single pair with me. Apparently he didn't want me looking sloppy when awards were distributed. I just told him he didn't even know if we'd win anything. Harvard was looking fierce this year.
He just said "I know you will," and that I had to bring at least one suit for each day. That included a matching tie too. It was non-negotiable. And believe me, I tried to get out of that.
I heard the hotel phone ring. Inwardly, my poor person senses tingled. Hotels routinely charged an absurd amount for using their phones. I knew this and even though I had the money for a thousand calls, I let it ring. But it came again and again. By the fifth time, they'd worn me down. I answered.
"Chris are you okay?" The voice was Jenny's and she seemed panicked? That never happened.
"Um yeah."
"Great. Because I was going to kick your door in if you didn't pick up."
I raised one eyebrow, even if she couldn't see me. "What? Why?"
"You didn't answer the phone. I thought something happened."
"You know people leave the phone ringing for more reasons than being in danger?"
"But you took far too long for it to be a simple accident. I called many times."
"Yeah. But what if that person doesn't want to answer?" I asked.
"Then why let it ring?" Jenny shot back. "Letting the other person wait is mean. Just hang up."
"What if they didn't want the other person to know they heard the call?"
"Why would care if the other person knew they'd gotten the call? Just press reject and the ringing will go away and they won't have to talk to them."
"What if you care about the other person's feelings being hurt if they know you don't want to talk?"
She was silent for a beat. "So it is a convenient way to lie via omission. I see. Grampa tells me people do that a lot. 'They lie without lying' he says. Leaving stuff out so you don't have a clue about their insecurities, struggles, and bad habits."
There was only one response I could give to this. I chuckled.
"Guilty."
"Of what Chris?" Right, this is Jennifer we're talking about here.
"Of lying without lying."
"Maybe you need new people in your life. I read putting up facades all the time isn't good for people."
I frowned. She didn't understand it. "I guess…"
"It makes sense, you know. If you worry about what others think, when are you going to have time to think about what you believe and feel? What you like I know I have autism. And yeah it often makes me unable to comprehend others and their emotions but looking at a lot of people who are so worried about what others think... I think I'm freer for my obliviousness- in a way."
I didn't know how to react. "Umm, wow, um nice," I stammered. I hadn't quite expected the life story.
"Don't worry about responding with a similar experience," Jenny said. Her tone stayed as deadpan as ever but her words were kind. "I was just using myself as an example. Because I'm just me. With everyone I'm with. And I can't be anyone else.". She had been talking in her usual monotone though this time.
She was capable of raising the volume of her voice but she did this rather clumsily. Often too loud or if she quieted down spoke too quietly.
She looked normal enough, but after a few minutes of being around her, you could tell that something was off. I didn't think I minded though. How nice it was to have someone who didn't have a hidden agenda. If she hated you she'd say so. If she liked you she'd also say so.
Finally, she asked, "Hey, Chris, are we friends?"
"Well yeah. Why wouldn't we be," I said, surprised.
"Because there's no exact method of knowing if you're friends with someone. There's no checklist or anything. Besides, there are so many unknowns. How long does one spend with their friends in a week? How much time is keeping in touch? Weekly, monthly, yearly? Other people just get it. It's like when people say to add 'a dash' of something. I've approximated what they usually mean with measuring instruments but… I guess I'll have to approximate here too."
"You've done it all your life. I'm sure you got this.," I said.
"I agree. Also, for the original reason I called. I'm inviting you to my room-"
What the
"- to work on strategies. No chance of people spying on us then.
I could feel a blush creeping up my neck. "Right, okay I just thought..."
"Thought what?"
"Nothing."
"That's not nothing, clearly. A thought is a something. Abstract, but it's a something."
"It you- I'll be there!" I then hang up. What did I just agree to? The guys won't ever stop teasing me if they saw me enter her room. Better not let anyone know.
And that was how I snuck over to a girl's bedroom for the first time. Not nearly as exciting as what's in the movies. I sighed. This wasn't what I honed my skills for.
The darn girl was just so oblivious to how this would look to people. How did I get myself into this mess?
While strategizing I hoped no one decided to come in. After all, where would I hide? Under the bed? No that would look even worse.
We do this. And soon as everything was set up I hurriedly rushed out of the room, hoping my departure wasn't noticed. A giggle behind me said otherwise. I blanched.
I turned around, still terrified, and saw it was a grandmotherly looking woman. Well, at least it wasn't a teammate.
"Don't worry, I won't tell. Had something similar with Leonardo Dicaprio. But don't tell my husband," she said, raising a finger to her lips and winking.
It was just too much. I excused myself awkwardly and all but ran back to my room. Off-handedly I wondered if a shower would get rid of the horrible blush I had. Jenny had noticed but thought it was a rash. So I could use that as a cover story...
Half an hour later, I emerged from my room and went downstairs to the restaurant we'd reserved for the group. The chess organization was paying for this one meal. So we, being college students, did our best to eat as much as we could. We'd eat the sign if it were edible.
While eating my supper, I saw someone walking to our table. I raised an eyebrow. The guy was obviously not our server. He was tall, had rich brown skin and black hair with a rather neatly shaven haircut. From the snickers from the table to the left of us, I could tell he was with them. I soon noted one person at the table holding a Harvard bag.
"I'm Jacob Sinclair, the president of Harvard's Chess team," he said with a smirk. He oozed smugness and confidence. "So who's the president of your club?"
"I am," I answered, not even bothering to stop eating.
"Well, we're looking forward to playing against you this year."
"I see," I deadpanned.
"From what I've heard, you've really lost steam what with all your best players leaving. But hey at least you're still left." He chuckled.
I frowned at my steak. What an- I looked up to glare at him.
He smiled back, unintimidated. "Till then, MIT." He turned around and walked away, but not before throwing a "the almost ivy" over his shoulder.
The Harvard table burst into an explosion of laughter.
They soon left. After that, let's just say we were all very motivated to kick the smirks off their faces.
The next day, we prepared our strategies at a nearby restaurant. Soon, it was time for the competition.
As chess is a one on one game, so each participant would play against someone from another team. There would be a time limit as well. Each person gets 5 matches. Then there'd be the final round where the top-scoring players on the top teams competed for gold.
Something rubbed me the wrong way about the thought of my school being an almost ivy. Even if I knew it was the best science and engineering school in my country, it still hurt. I suppose it was the notion that my school wasn't up to par- and therefore I wasn't either. It was a recurring theme. When citizens were given the option of voting for a bill that would raise public school funding in my neighborhood, many thought it would be a waste of money, as those types of kids 'won't learn anything anyway'... The bill failed. It did hurt to know your fellow citizens lacked faith in you. They only paid the taxes for schools as they had to.
We were doing really really well. Those extra hours Father had made me put in studying were really helping. I was smart, sure, but some of the kids here did nothing but play chess. They got here with blood sweat and tears. Me- this was a hobby and not winning wouldn't be a big deal. Some of the others, their whole identity revolved around it. I couldn't even imagine what they must've felt when they realized they weren't the best. They were damn good mind you. Just not the best.
So, when the first round ended I saw a lot of tears. It was unreal. They'd dominate at the state level only to realize they weren't as good as they thought they were because the competition had gotten a hundred times worse.
At this point, the gap between the best and everyone else started to widen. Just losing one match could make a team fall behind in the rankings. It wasn't even a realistic goal to win every single match anymore. The best teams had most people lose at most one game, with a few players that were perfect. And I do mean perfect. They won each and every match. If you didn't have a few superstars on your team you'd never win anything.
Luckily for us, our team had a few superstars too. Jenny, for example, was one of those perfect players. She kept a steady winning streak. Of course, she also played the game in her head during her spare moments so that helped. Amad, the guy whose chair was getting kicked during the trip here was another superstar. He had come from Pakistan to study at MIT. He was amazing. I was pretty sure he was smarter than me at strategy but I'd played the game so much for fun that I had a better performance due to muscle memory. Overall, most of our kids had some sort of passion for the game.
The sheer number of kids that I saw that just wanted to be anywhere else was ridiculous. Shouldn't they be happy? After all, most had supportive home lives, had households that always had food and heat. They'd taken the advanced courses that were denied to myself and my classmates. Hell, one textbook of mine said Ronald Reagan was president. Maybe he was in the 80's.
Sure, they were good, amazing even. But were they happy? Not even close. Some even studied the game 16 hours a day to get to this point. We might do four hours if we're feeling ambitious. If that is the price of being the best in any field you can count me out. Nope. We'd get there in another way.
As for me, I was doing really well myself. I had a perfect record and just kept winning.
Our team made the cut for finals, with the players representing us being the best on our team. That meant myself, Amad, Jenny, and another kid whose name I forgot. Sorry about that, you're not quite memorable enough.
There was an intermission before the next round which we first spent cheering, then stressing over who we might face in the competition, then cheering again when we realized who cares? We got to the top 10 in the Nationals! We had an amazing team either way.
So did we study in the few hours before the next game? No. In true MIT work hard play hard fashion, we played table tennis and hung out by the arcade. Mind you, it was empty because everyone else was working so hard. Even Jenny, the woman who ate chess for breakfast, took a catnap in an unused race car simulator's seat.
We did get a ton of flack for this. A few thought we'd cheated. After all, we weren't taking the game as seriously as they did.
No, we were being young people who realized that this was a vacation, not a deathmatch. We even had time for a game of beach volleyball.
Shame, I thought to myself. A whole hotel reserved for a chess competition but no one is using the private beach.
I'm sure the reason many were so rude was because we chose to enjoy ourselves. They didn't want to study 16 hours a day but they didn't know how to do anything else either.
What they didn't know was that rest is actually key to learning. We were rejuvenating ourselves before the match. They were driving themselves crazy studying when we were actually going to do better because we weren't tired.
When the time came, the rest of our teammates wished us luck.
Once again, a certain uninvited visitor came over to us.
"So you made the finals." Jacob said.
"Yeah, we did." I couldn't help but feel a little smug.
Jacob smirked at me. "Congrats, but don't celebrate yet. My team made it too."
"We'll see who's better," I said, grinning.
Jenny was totally out of her depth. As she had no idea what to make of it. Did we hate each other or not? Our words were civil but the intense glares we gave each other said another story. She kept looking from me to Jacob to me again trying to understand.
He left.
The next round I was paired with -you guessed it- the jerk I'd just been talking to earlier.
To my surprise the calm collected face I'd just seen had morphed into a pinched pained expression. He grabbed his head. I rushed forward, concerned. He faintly whispered, "Not now, not again..."
"Dude, are you ok?" I said. Sure he was a jerk but I didn't want him dead.
He noticed my concerned expression and tried to regain his composure. "Yeah, just just need some pain meds." I wasn't so easily convinced.
The pain medication was supplied but the guy looked just awful. Still, he refused to sit our match out. That would ruin his team's chances of getting a medal. All that work done, over a year wasted. Plus as president, he had to set a good example for his team.
He was grasping his head the whole time. His control was slipping. I really could see it. There were several times where he'd made a dumb move. Just dumb. By our standards anyway- even like this, he'd trash most people. Still, he was not at his best. I honestly wanted to go easy on him but I remembered what my father had taught me about not taking advantage because others were weak. No, if an opponent is weak you prey on it and use it to propel yourself forward.
I really didn't want to- but I didn't relent. I crushed him.
"Check," I said.
He looked and saw the trap I ensnared him in.
Still, weak from the ravages of a massive headache he couldn't find a way out.
"Checkmate." And I won. I felt horrible though.
We shook hands. I stood up and had just turned around when I heard a loud scream behind me. Then a thud. I turn and see Jacob had passed out. I rushed over to the young man.
"Someone call an ambulance!" I yelled.
But there was no answer.
"Hey guys, a guy just fainted!"
Absolutely nothing.
I gingerly placed the boy's head on a pillow I'd taken from a nearby sofa. There was no way I'd be able to lift him.
Then look up and see everyone focused intently on the game. Furious, I yelled. "He just fainted, just what the hell is wrong with you? The game can wait."
While sitting on the floor with Jacob, my attention turned to the people closest to us. I looked at a boy from another team when I realised that his eyes were intensely focused on a specific part of the board. Too focused. They didn't move at all. Not even a little. It was unatural.
No one was moving their pieces. One girl had picked up a pawn but had yet to place it down and was instead frozen in place. Not just them but the proctors too.
Jacob was the telepath.
I looked back at the boy and found that he'd regained his senses. He soon noticed the issue.
"Oh shit," he groaned. I smiled sympathetically.
To be fair, I couldn't blame him for cursing.
"Wait, so how are you fine?" He asked, confused. He sat up. "You had a wall around you. I felt it. Are you- are you a mutant?"
Wall? Wait, mental barriers.
"I am."
"Oh." He was silent for a beat. "Can you- Hm. So, I'm kinda new to this. Do you know what's happening?"
"Well, you froze them. They'll be okay. Maybe a little sore but fine."
He sighed. "Thank god. Still..I need to undo this before someone sees and sends us both to area 51."
"Agreed."
"Uhm, how do I do this... Unfreeze!" He yelled, holding his hands out.
Nothing happened. I couldn't help but chuckle. He looked so silly.
"Yeah, we're fucked." He said.
I laughed. He might just be right. How the hell would we explain being the only not frozen people in the room?
The window behind us crumbled into nothingness as the glass fell away.
My father, dramatic as always, flew inside, helmet securely on his head.
"Electron, what are you doing here?" he boomed.
"The telepath is, well-" I sighed. This was a mess. "He kinda happened to be at my tournament."
"Wait, you know Magneto?" Jacob asked, even more confused than before.
"Yeah, he's kinda my father."
My Father gave me a look.
"He'll find out anyway. Plus if you're here.."
"Xavier won't be far behind," he concluded. "Don't worry, Toad has already stopped the security feed." He then focused on Jacob, crouching down so he was more on our level. "Young man, consider the situation. You're a telepath, an extremely powerful one. I'm sure my son has told you as such."
"He- he did." Jacob stuttered.
"Well, you're currently in danger. You have no idea how to control your powers. If anyone found out…"
I could hear the telepath's breath hitch.
"You're not going to blackmail me, are you?"
I started laughing. Father shook his head. "No. I'd rather cut off my own hand than send a fellow mutant to be tortured by those monsters… No, I'm here to offer you a safe place to stay."
"Why, what do you get out of it? I don't want to fight in your army. I'm close to people who are," he took a shuddering breath. "human."
"Then don't. I merely ask that you consider it. In the meantime, you're in terrible danger."
The door to the room slammed open before father had a chance to say another word. "You leave him alone Magneto!" came from Cyclops as him and the rest of the X-Men rushed into the room. Magneto stood up and turned around to face them, cape billowing in the wind.
"I was merely warning the boy of the dangers he will face as a mutant who has just gotten his abilities and offered him a safe haven. Please, do tell me how that will harm him?" My father said mockingly. I helped Jacob to stand. He was still a bit weak.
"He shouldn't have anything to do with your wars, Magneto. He's too young." The professor rolled over to where my father, Jacob and I were standing. He glanced at the people around us, still frozen, before focusing on Jacob.
"Hello, I'm Professor Charles Xavier. Now-" He paused.
"Jacob." The boy provided.
"Jacob. I won't pressure you to do anything, but I would like to talk. What Magneto wants is mutant domination- not a world of equality."
"I think that part is pretty obvious." Jacob said. I chuckled at this. He might be young, but he wasn't stupid.
"Do you want to live in a world where humans are treated like mutants are now? Or do you want to end that cycle of violence with yourself?"
At this, my Father rolled his eyes.
Xavier ignored him. "I have a school where I teach mutants to control their powers. What happened just now is simple, a case of untrained telepathy. However, I'm actually the one keeping them frozen at the moment."
Jacob perked up. "So you're a telepath too."
"Yes."
Jacob frowned, still suspicious. "Nice, but none of that changes the fact I don't know either of you. So you are both out of your mind if you think I'm going with either of you."
I couldn't help it. I laughed.
"So vamoose. Go. I don't want to have anything to do with either of you." He flicked his hands in a shooing gesture.
"Jacob-" The professor tried to begin.
"Go. At least I know what Mr. Bucket Head wants out of me. You just come here offering to help with my powersm but at what cost, Professor? I'd rather not find out." It was silent for a few seconds, no one daring to speak. Jacob sighed, clearly done with the situation. "You know what? If you won't leave I will." He began to walk away.
"Jacob, I don't want anything from you. I just want to help."
"I don't know enough about you to be sure of that. You just appear out of nowhere right when I need help. Just when I'm vulnerable. Doesn't that sound a bit suspicious?"
"I- I have a device called Cerebro-"
"So you were tracking me. Because that's so much better." At this my Father and I both began to chuckle.
Xavier, You're digging your own grave.
Sure, my Father didn't successfully recruit him. But neither did Xavier. So we both laughed, and hard.
"He's no idiot, Xavier, and slow to trust too. A key trait for any mutant." Father said. He wasn't even mad. No, he seemed pleased that Jacob was so suspicious of Xavier. But he wasn't as suspicious of my Father. Everyone and their grandma knew he was pro-mutant. Father certainly wouldn't ship him to a lab. Jacob just didn't want to fight.
"The professor isn't trying to get anything from you Jacob. You need help." Cyclops said.
"I had the same issues as you. And he helped me. Give him a chance." Jean said gently.
But it didn't work. Jacob didn't even look back as he walked away.
The professor focused on us. He pointed an accusing finger at my Father. "You stay away from him, Magneto," he hissed. As if it were his fault Jacob didn't trust him.
My Father smirked. "And what will you do to make that happen?"
"We won't let you kidnap him, Magneto." Cyclops added.
"Who said I was planning on doing that?"
Then the professor and Father exchanged tense glares. But the professor relented first. "I'm going to find Jacob and talk to him. I think he doesn't need an audience for this."
The others followed him out.
At this point, Father said to me. "I'll be back. Simply stay here. Xavier will likely make some excuse for the damage. You reset the timers. They're all connected to one computer, right? Play it off as a bug in the system or something like that.
I nod."Yes, Father."
He flew away. Soon, everyone was back to normal. There was some mild panic at the timers resetting, and I'm sure the security feed shutting off caused a scene backstage, too. Soon, we were playing again, however each of us ended up losing one game out of five. So MIT took third place that year.
While mingling with friends, I saw see my Father looking at me from the corner. He was dressed up in a suit and blended right in. I excused myself and walked up to him.
"You did very well this year," he said, smiling proudly.
"My team and I did, yeah."
"I told you were going to win something. And it's 'yes', not 'yeah'."
"Right, yes. And it's only bronze."
"It's something to build on for next year. Your team clearly is made up of talented players and if you focused on developing this talent you'll go far."
"Thanks, Father." I took a moment to feel proud, before addressing the elephant in the room. "So what do we do about…"
"Xavier is clearly going to pester him. So I'll leave him to do that." He smirked. I didn't understand but after thinking about it I realized the plan.
"Never interrupt the enemy when they're making a mistake." I said.
"Exactly."
Sometime later was the ceremony for the winners. Unfortunately, as the president of the team who earned bronze I had to speak. And couldn't refuse- Father was right there in the front row.
So I got up there and made the best speech I could. It was pretty cliche talking about what we learned and how much fun we'd had at the tournament.
There was a round of polite clapping and I was allowed to leave the stage. Then a number of photo ops. I hated it. I wasted no time departing as soon as it was polite to do so.
Father and I took a cab away from the hustle and bustle. He had decided to bring me to a restaurant to celebrate our win.
"I'm very proud of you for the leadership you've shown today." I smiled at the complement
"Thank you Father."
"In addition, we are making real progress with your speech making abilities. A year ago you would have fainted in front of such a large crowd."
I smiled. "I'm glad."
After our dinner, I was taken to a nearby mansion. I soon saw Toad and the others when I walked inside.
They were surprised but I had no time to speak with them, as Father had called me to the office he had in this house.
"Electron, rather than staying with your friends you will return home after I speak with Jacob again," Father said, eyes firmly on the chess board and not on me. We had planned on staying an extra day just to have fun.
I stammered. "Wha- I-I see, Father. I'll- I'll get my things packed."
He moved a pawn. "You aren't like your friends who can fool around whenever they want. You just don't have the luxury of wasting time."
"Yes, Father. I- I know, it's just." I fell silent for a beat. "I guess sometimes I forget I'm not an ordinary kid."
He sighed and looked at me. "It will become more real, especially as you grow up. Your friends will graduate and get high paying jobs in the industries you want to enter but can't. They'll have normal lives. You won't. You can't ever live in a dorm, let alone study abroad. They'll vote, travel freely without need for special precautions and more. They have freedom of speech, assembly and press. As far as their governments are concerned you're free to die. I know you sometimes -oftentimes- wish you didn't have to train so hard and that you had more time to be with your friends but you live in different worlds. They will never understand what you have to go through. You wouldn't train as hard as you do if I didn't think it necessary. You must have control and that comes from relentless practice."
I nodded silently.
"Still, I don't want you resenting your gifts. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with you or your powers, you just lack control. You have the right to exist as you are with all the powers you were born with."
" I like them a lot. Though... I guess there is an extreme amount of responsibility involved."
"Understandably so."
I frowned and moved a knight. "But Father, what will I be doing then?" He smiled and turned his focus to the chess board once more.
"Very good. Your mind is back on where it needs to be. As you know, the president is furious with our destruction of the sentinels."
I smirked, proud of our achievement. Father's expression mirrored mine.
"He can't let their existence be public knowledge." He moved his bishop and smiled slyly. "We're going to change that and deliver proof to the world."
I laughed. The president was going to have a tough few months. A scandal of this scale would surely send the media into a frenzy. "Where though?"
"All the reputable networks and papers. We will be delivering packets of information to several places at once. They feed off drama- they will be tripping over themselves to get the story out first."
I smirked. "Exactly," I said before moving a rook. "Will I have a direct role to play in anything in the coming weeks?"
He shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous. Everyone is on high alert still and things will get worse after this."
My smile turned into a small frown. "I see."
After this, Father had decided that Xavier had been given enough time to bug Jacob and together we returned to the hotel. I went in and told my friends that I was leaving and quickly packed my suitcase.
Father had reached out to Jacob earlier. The boy again refused to join either side but admitted that he could at least trust that my father wouldn't kill him.
While talking with my friends the same boy came over to see us.
"Hey Chris," he said awkwardly.
"Jacob." I turned away from my friends to focus on Jacob.
"So what if I told you I only said those things to make you play harder?" He said, nervous.
"What?" I raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about?
"Well, I did. That was why my friends were laughing. Because I was pulling off the douchebag persona perfectly. Society kinda expect that out of people who come from our school anyway."
"So it was all a prank?"
"Meh." He shrugged. "I wanted an enemy for once. A rival of some sort.."
"And you said those things to get that?"
"Yup." He shrugged again, feeling awkward now that he realised how stupid his plan sounded.
"You could've just said something!"
"Well, it was more fun this way."
I thought about it. Then I smiled. "Well, okay. Maybe a little." Jacob smiled, relaxing.
"You so wanted me dead. And I got to be the villain I always wanted to be," he laughed.
"You wanted to be the bad guy?"
"Sometimes I do. They get all the nicest weapons. I knew your team was training a bunch of freshman, wet behind the ears, and that your record spoke for itself."
My teammates began to laugh. They were eavesdropping the whole time. Apparently, no one took it personally.
We later excused ourselves.
"So, is he going to end up watching me the whole time?" Jacob asked.
"Until you leave at least."
Jacob groaned. "Can't you stop it? He is your dad."
I smiled. "Sorry, but no. Not really. Just go home. Besides, if the X-Men or Brotherhood move even a finger the other will attack them, giving you an opening to get away."
"And you're telling me this why exactly?"
"Because that's what would happen," I said simply. We exchanged numbers before he left.
Soon after this, he rushed to leave with his teammates. The professor and the X-Men were of course watching to ensure my father didn't try anything.
We returned home, and the next day after training I sat myself down in front of the television. I knew shit was about to go down.
The president was doing a routine press conference when several reporters began getting text messages- some set to silent others embarrassingly not. The looks on their faces after a quick glance at the screen was horror.
The first to speak was a person who stood up and simply said, "Mr President, is it true you've created robots made to kill only mutants?"
He was a straight shooter reporter and a tv favorite, never afraid to ask the big questions. He probably saw this as a chance to be known as the first reporter who pressed the issue and which meant more fame for him. Exactly what we were counting on.
The president's face turned red. He glanced off stage. I cackled, he was obviously not expecting this. I briefly considered getting popcorn. Would the president blow up or melt down?
Finally, he managed a, "I have no idea what you're talking about," but this obviously did not satisfy the reporters. Phones were still going off as more and more reporters received the information we gathered. The next reporter asked where the robots were currently stationed, but the reporter after that didn't allow the president enough time to answer and that's when everyone started talking all at once. The situation escalated as they questioned the legality of his methods, the reasons behind them and more. The flashes from reporter's cameras only added to the chaos.
The president got more and more red in the face as he clenched his fists. He looked absolutely furious. Finally, he snapped. "The damn Mutties deserved it!"
President Clark was quickly escorted out by his PR representative.
I smirked at my Father who was watching with a content grin.
"We should send more staff to help with recruitment. They're going to be very busy."
His smile only got wider. "I agree."
I soon received a call from Jacob. "So that, that was…" he questioned.
"Yep, that was us," I said proudly.
He laughed. "Dude! You fucking badass!"
"I had help." I shrugged out of habit.
"I see. Still man, it's just-"
"Yeah I get it, I get it."
"Keep me in the loop kay? If I can help…"
"Got it, will do."
I went back to Father.
"Well, Jacob isn't joining us but he'd like be kept posted for occasions when he could help."
He smiled. "I see. This is a result of the incident, then."
"It is."
"Not quite a recruitment though."
"We'll just have to settle. At least he's willing to come back. To often scare a lot of people off."
He smirked. "Perhaps, but don't forget- I never settle."
"Good luck with that. He seemed pretty determined."
Soon after I started to have Jacob over more often. It was great having a fellow mutant to talk to. Father made a point of always saying hello to Jacob but Jacob still seemed wary of him. Jacob and I would play chess, video games or just sit and talk.
He felt the same isolation I did. It felt great to know that someone felt the same way. Naturally, a friendship sprung.
He'd often say things just so I could debate him on it and I found I didn't mind. It was fun using my wits against him. This continued for a while.
One day, Father heard that Jacob has been seeking Xavier for help with his telepathy. We were in the living room playing chess when he told me this. After Jacob had left, Father had called me into the kitchen where he'd been listening to our conversation.
Father frowned. "Something must be done. I've noticed that you and Jacob are close."
"We are, Father. I'm glad to finally have a friend who's a mutant like me. We have the same problems, especially with controlling ones powers."
"Very good. I'm glad you have a friend like yourself to talk to. I've noticed that you were very lonely before and that your friend has eliminated this… Also, Electron, I'd like for you to convince your friend to join us. Simply say what I tell you."
I stared at Father, conflicted. "I- Father, I can't do that."
"You'll be coached." He insisted, thinking the problem was like my fear of public speaking.
"Not that kind of can't. I mean I can't take advantage of our relationship like that." It was hard not to raise my voice. Of course I couldn't, wouldn't manipulate my friend!
His face hardened, looking not unlike the steel he could control with such ease- strong, unyielding and unmovable. "You will do as I say."
"You want me to lie to him?"
"If that could get him to join us, then yes." He said it as if it was the most logical thing in the world.
"Father, this can't be ethical. He's my friend." I pleaded, hoping he'd see the issue. See that I couldn't do this to my friend.
He sighed, clearly frustrated but not so angry that he'd hit me. Though I was getting close. I could feel it. "You swore your loyalty to me, Electron, did you not?"
"Yes."
"And you said you'd obey me, did you not?"
"I... I did." I said, quieter this time. I can feel my resolve leaving me.
"Then that's all that needs to be said. Or does your friendship override your loyalty to our cause?"
"It doesn't," I admit.
"Good. Now then, I can't make him stay with us while Xavier is watching but we can convince him through you. As I thought, he equals Xavier in power. He's a very powerful telepath indeed. With him we'll be able to create a Cerebro of our own and recruit quicker. That is a critical advantage that I will not let slip through my fingers."
I said nothing but nodded. I didn't want to get into any more trouble than I was in already. I was soon allowed to leave. For the next hour, I paced the length of my room.
I hated the idea. Was there anything I could do? I'd disagreed with Father before and he'd always won.
It occured to me that I had disobeyed him before. But nothing good had ever come out of it. Hell, I'd even gotten myself captured. But I just didn't want to lie to my friend.
I went to my Father's office where he would normally be seen working and knocked. The door opened to the man sitting at his large desk filled with paperwork. I chewed on my lip nervously.
"Come in," he said without looking up.
I entered and for a moment said nothing. I sighed in an attempt to make the pain in my chest leave. Then, I spoke.
"I'll invite Jacob over to play some chess tomorrow." My tone was too flat too dead for anyone to mistakenly think I'd suggested this willingly.
At this, my Father looked up from his work and smiled at me, satisfied with my change in tone. "It's good to see that your head is in the right place again."
"I- yes," I said, resigned to my fate. I stared at the ground and frowned.
"I know this isn't easy for you and that you are normally honest, but we can't let this opportunity slip by. Your friend has the ability to be just as powerful as Xavier. He'll be vital in our work."
I look at the man I stood before."I know Father. It's just… what kind of friend does that?"
Father ,for the moment, abandoned his paperwork for the time being and focused completely on me. He moved his papers to the side of his desk "The type that cares about the fate of his people. Make him understand why he must join us."
I sighed again, I was certain to keep it silent though. I didn't want him to think I was being rude. "What would you like me to tell him?"
The techniques he'd taught me about manipulating others began to come together as he gave me a detailed plan on how I was to convert my friend.
"Your friend is extremely intelligent and will be hard to convince. That, however, is for the best. He'll be a better ally for it. He's a generally confident person who is quite content with his life. A rare thing, really. He certainly lacks interest in conventional motivators such as money.
Father knows that much? I stared at him.
He smirked but continued. "You'll need to convince him that the war we fight is his as well. At the moment, he is content with being an observer, but show him enough injustices and he will inevitably turn. He's a logical person and very idealistic, like many of your age. Show him the disconnect between his actions and what he believes and it will be simple from there."
"Yes, Father."
"Effectively it would be close to impossible to manipulate him with falsehoods. He's too intelligent for that. Also, as he is content with his life right now, you must show him what's wrong with that life, with his viewpoints. You must show him that being passive is the wrong choice and subsequently convince him to act."
I nodded but I felt sick.
"I- Father? That's how..."
"I had you join us?" He smirked. "Yes, it is. Honestly, you did extremely well. I did try the conventional methods but they all failed with you. It was surprising as your lot in life was much worse. You weren't content. Yet your integrity kept you going. You're loyalty to your mother. That was what most impressed me about you and led me to recognize you had the ability to lead."
"After all, those who easily turn for money or power easily turn when offered more. I'd never let anyone like that lead anything of importance."
He smiled again. "You were certainly the hardest person I'd ever recruited. And look at yourself now. You're doing things at 16 I hadn't managed until 30."
My disgust immediately faded. I was just swept away by all of the praise directed at me. I could just feel the pride he had. It was overwhelming and made my heart race with excitement. Praise from him, with his exacting standards was worth far more to me than gold. I couldn't help but smile. I wanted this moment to never end.
"As you can see, those who are the hardest to recruit are often the most worthy of it. I don't expect you to convince him in a day or even a week. So you needn't worry about failing me because you haven't completed your mission in a certain span of time. Beyond that, you won't be alone. It would be too much to expect you to recruit someone like this on your first time, on your own. I will be helping you."
"Yes, Father. Still, isn't it ironic?"
"What is?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well, I wanted a mission. I wanted an important one like you and the others do. And I couldn't do that because I'm supposed to be a secret. But then I'm given one and I…" I trailed off.
"Hate it," he finished for me.
"Yes, Father. He's the first mutant I've met with exactly the same problems as me and the first thing I do is... lie to him. It's not-" I don't finish. Still, my hands are soon balled in a fists and the room shakes. My Father's laptop flies off a nearby table and hits the wall.
The shaking stops and I looked at my Father, now afraid that I had hindered his work. "I- I Father, I'm so- I shouldn't have-" He raised a hand, stopping me from rambling any longer.
"When have I ever punished you for telling me your feelings? I can replace it. Simply tell Toad I require another computer."
"Yes, Father." I was so relieved he wasn't mad.
"And no, you're right. It is an unfair situation. But you'll be put in plenty of those over the course of your life. You can't shy away from them. Like with the man you had to kill to keep your secret."
I felt as if I was shot in the chest. I hated thinking about it, but I could see the comparison.
"Yes." I pause then in a slightly trembling tone added "Just like that."
"Good. You're excused from any further training or assignments today. I see that you're upset. I only want you to relax for the rest of the day."
I nodded.
The next day, I invited Jacob over after school.
"So, want to play a game?" He said, smiling after we entered my house.
"Sure." I looked away from my friend.
At this moment Father 'happened' to enter the room.
"Electron, Jacob. I take it you boys have had a good day at school?"
"It went pretty well, actually." Jacob said.
I nodded weakly. "Nothing of note."
Just felt like I was dying on the inside all day, knowing what Father wants me to do.
"My son told me about how you want to help our brethren." He said jumping straight to business.
"Sure. But only if what you're doing is actually my speed. So, breaking out people in internment camps, things like that. But I'd only help you with that because what is going on there is wrong. I'd certainly not be working for you."
"Your assistance in any aspect will be very helpful." Father said.
"Not at the moment. I'm about as dangerous as a two week old kitten," the telepath laughs.
"You're new to your abilities. With more practice you'll gain the strength to protect yourself and others like yourself."
Jacob then added, "To protect innocent people. They needn't be mutants."
My Father did not back down from that challenge. "And what will happen when they discover your powers? Do you think it will end well for you?"
My friend frowned and said nothing.
"Your school bans our kind. The only reason you attend is because you look like they do. Do you think you'd be able to even think about becoming a doctor if they ever found out? Or will you too busy running from those who want you dead?"
My friend grinded his teeth.
"We shouldn't be fighting each other," I said, shooting Father a look that said "don't scare him off".
"Fighting? We're doing no such thing. I'm simply convincing your friend of the danger he can get himself in if he trusts the humans." He looked back at Jacob. " A bit of advice, young Jacob, that is unrelated to my recruiting you. You are a young mutant with great talent. If given enough time you'll become very powerful. But you need time to practice and hone your before that can happen. And if given the chance I guarantee many would love to kill you before that can occur. So don't do anything stupid." He gave my friend the same serious look he'd give me to get me to not do something dangerous. It sent the same tingled down my friends back as well.
"They will end your life without hesitation. You saw what they did to those mutants in that apartment complex last year, yes?"
Jacob didn't say a thing but his frightened face told Father exactly what he wanted to hear.
"They slaughtered them without a thought. Just for existing. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you're the exception."
"And-and if someone does find out? What should I do?" I could clearly see the fear my friend had. There was a hint of desperation in his voice. His calm facade was melting. He was just a scared kid. Just like I was two years prior when I had a very similar conversation with the same man.
"Call Xavier or myself. Though I'm sure I know who you're more likely to ask for help." My parent said. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to care who Jacob called in an emergency. He just wanted him to call someone.
"You'd kill them," He said, cringing.
"Are you really willing to die to protect someone who would happily murder everyone in Charle's school? Who'd kill defenseless children for the crime of looking different? If Charles isn't around, I won't hesitate to protect a fellow mutant." He gave Jacob a card from his pocket.
"I pray it won't come to that," Jacob said, eyeing the card suspiciously.
"And God has a reputation of ignoring such prayers." Again the card is extended, but this time it's taken.
We soon went to my room.
My friend looked as if his head was spinning.
"Is talking with your Dad always this... irritating..?"
"When he's sure he's right." I said.
"So alway." We shared a laugh.
"Still, I don't think I'm better than anyone for having powers. I'm just different."
" When I think really think about my friends I've met at school or my professors I don't really feel better than them either. The governments that try to mistreat mutants must be stopped." I'd at one point somewhat bought the idea that we were better than humans, but that immature thought process was soon put away. At the end of the day, all I wanted was to make it possible for a mutant to live a full life with all the rights of humans. I had in addition to this committed myself to paying any price to assure this. Still, I found paying for my suesses in combat with my scant bit of childlike innocence easier than with my honestly.
Father lied often and I didn't. And if I wanted his position I had to become more like him.
"Hmm… I can't argue with that. You know I'm used to outarguing people but now..." He sighed.
"My mom's human so yeah. I don't hate them, I just- I want to be free. All of us. I can't let anyone see my powers and I thought that was bad... But then I met these other mutants. The live in abandoned subway lines. Their mutations are visible so they have to hide and search trash cans for food."
"Oh." There was a dead silence. Then he says, "It's not right."
"No, it's not." We were both silent for a minute as we thought it over. Finally, Jacob broke the silence.
"But if we even do take over we'll probably only end up oppressing them like they did us. Nothing will really change."
"Father doesn't really want that."
"Really?" he asked, deadpan.
"Really. And I don't either. They'll have partial control."
"But will otherwise live as second class citizens."
"What else can we do? They chose to elect the bigots that made the MRA. They run the armies that kill us and they're the ones who declared us animals. Do you really think that they'll change their minds? They think they're in danger of extinction."
Jacob said nothing.
"You know what." I straighten my posture. "I'm going to be honest because screw it, I won't lie to the one friend who understands me. Father wants me to recruit you. But I have never and will never lie to you. And I didn't want to manipulate you using our friendship."
Jacob turned around and glared."And what was what you did before if you weren't doing that?"
"I was telling you how I felt. What I think. That wasn't what Father wanted me to tell you."
"Prove it. Prove to me you aren't just acting sincere so you can manipulate me later."
"I said I didn't feel superior to my human mom. Would my Father ever be okay with that?"
He hummed. "No, that doesn't sound like him at all. He'd never be so moderate and I'm sure he'd not want others to know you mother is human. That wouldn't help his reputation."
I said nothing while Jacob thought it over.
"I see, so you're a moderate then," he concluded.
I nodded. "I am."
"The problem I have is that our only chance of survival if things get worse is his organization. He has thousands of trained mutants at his command. In the case of an emergency, that," He paused."is a key resource. So even if I could, I'd never destroy the Brotherhood."
"Hmm, at least you recognize that. I take it that's why you took his card?"
"Yeah. Xavier can't be everywhere and if anyone finds out... I don't think I'd have the heart to kill anyone, even in self defense," he said, frowning.
I sighed. "You don't know until you're there, man. I didn't think so either but then…"
Jacob softened and patted me on the back. "It's okay. You had to protect yourself. There isn't a state in this country where self defense is illegal."
I frowned. "Not if you're a mutant."
That made Jacob sigh, too. "You know what, let's talk about this later. I don't want to ruin my day by stewing in my own misery. And I won't let you do so either."
I smiled at this.
"So just tell me what he wants you to say and I'll ignore it, simple as that."
"Thanks Jacob." I couldn't help but feel grateful that I had a friend like Jacob. He always knew just what to do.
"No, Chris, thank you. For your honesty."
"Did you tell him what I said?" Father asked.
"Yes. But he's not convinced."
"I see." Father frowned.
As I left him I thought to myself, and that is secret number two.
I felt a bit ashamed as I mentally saw the falsehoods pile up. He'd never lie to me, but I did. And he'd given me so much. I thought back to the promises I'd made to him and that he'd made to me back when I'd first joined.
"Swearing my loyalty?" I blinked, surprised. "I'd never expect that from you." Magneto leaned back in his chair behind his desk. He had called me into his study.
"I ask this of you because your word actually means something. I can't say the same of the others." He smiled wryly.
"I see." I frowned while seated across from him. "Then what about you? Does your word mean anything?"
"To you, yes. I won't lie to you. You need to be able to trust me, I am responsible for you after all. However, don't swear this to me just for my approval. I will hold you to your word, Electron."
"Wow, so this is pretty important then."
"The most important decision of your life, yes."
"I'm surprised you think I'm competent enough to make such a serious decision, sir."
Magneto sighed. "Electron, you're not stupid. While you do need to be monitored by me to avoid exposing yourself, you are competent enough to choose a side in this."
I closed my eyes and thought it over. My voices were talking up a storm but we soon came to a conclusion.
"I'll do it. I know this is what I want." I put one hand over my heart. "Sir, you have my loyalty and I'd be honored to serve under you in your Brotherhood until the day that the Brotherhood becomes worse than the evil we fight."
He hummed, pleased. "Interesting caveat."
"Well, it's important. If the organization or you gets corrupted by, say, you being mind controlled by government agents, I must be free to do what's best for mutants like myself… I hope you're not insulted or anything."
He chuckled. "No, not at all. It is a good condition to include. Besides, Electron, I want your loyalty. The promise of being better than the filth we fight is something I'm more than willing to accept. I'd even say the same if I was your place. However, Electron, listen to me." His tone suddenly turned more serious than before. "If I am irreparably compromised, you have permission to kill me."
"What?" I was stunned for a moment.
"If I'm corrupted in a way where I'm killing my own kind and can't be freed, you have permission to- no, the obligation, to kill me. That person wouldn't be me anymore and I'd rather die than live as their puppet. I want you to promise you'll follow through on this if you can do so without endangering yourself." I fiddled with the lining of the chair, thinking it over. I was still deeply disturbed by the thought of killing Magneto, but I could also see the logic in his command.
"I- I will." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, relieved.
"Good. Then I accept your oath. In turn, I promise to teach and protect you until you're able to defend yourself. I will in addition never reject you because of your powers." He thought for a moment. "Alright, just to be certain you understand what you're agreeing to, summarize what you think I'll expect from you, in your own words. I don't want you to go into this blind."
I was surprised. "Sir? You're giving me an out?"
"Yes. I want you to be one hundred percent sure of what you're agreeing to. It's not as glamorous as you might think."
I took a while to think before answering. "Well, I'll train under you, and carry out your orders. I want to help make the world a better place for mutants like us. I want to be a full member of the Brotherhood so I can do all I can to achieve this."
He nodded. "Good answer, and you understand that you are to obey all my orders? That's not just the ones you happen to agree with."
I nodded. "Yes, I understand."
"And you will show me the respect due to a superior."
"Of course, sir."
"Very well."
He stood and stuck out his hand. Seeing my confused expression he said, "In matters of this importance, the proper way to seal an agreement is with a handshake."
I looked at the outstretched limb. Then I got up and took his hand. He gripped my much weaker hand way firmer than I had expected.
"When you shake someone's hand, Electron, it's key that you look them in the eyes," Magneto lectures.
I looked up and into his eyes as he said, "Good. Now, an ideal handshake is firm. Not too firm or too soft." He added.
I did as he said. "Very good Electron. Very good." We shook hands and released.
I smiled at him. "Hey, can we go out to get something to eat? To celebrate."
Luckily, he indulged me. "As long as it's real food and not junk."
"Does icecream count?"
"Try again."
I settled on Korean and he accepted that suggestion. A cab was called and we were soon at the restaurant. It was a rather high-end location.
We were seated at a table on the edge of the room. Most of the other tables either had people sitting at them or had a sign with 'reserved'. I looked around. There were certainly enough interesting people to look at. Everyone was dressed to impress. I could imagine politicians and movie stars strutting around here.
I raised an eyebrow as a lady in a glittering purple gala dress walked by. "I still can't believe people dress up to go out to eat," I said, unbuttoning the top few buttons of my shirt.
A quiet, cold look from Magneto and I sighed a silent sigh before rebuttoning them.
"If you hadn't you would've stuck out like a sore thumb," he said before taking a sip of his wine. "In addition, I'm very proud of you. This is the start of a new chapter in your life."
I smiled at this. "I'm glad. I want to be able to help people."
"You will. We need talented young people like yourself."
"I'll do my best, sir."
"And that's why I know you'll excel." He looked pleased.
Eventually the food arrived, we ate, and then we talked some more. The one thing that continued to stand out to me as I got to know him better was that Magneto was incredibly intelligent. I had thought so when I first met him and I hadn't been proven wrong even once. As we talked at the restaurant, I was reminded of this over and over again. We discussed topics I knew would go above most people's heads, even the very powerful people seated around us.
We returned home and later I was summoned to his office again. I knocked on the door. The man inside stayed seated as the door opened. I enter and take a seat.
"You can now be trusted to return home without incident. These are your keys." They floated into my hand as if by magic. I smiled. He trusted me! "Take a seat, Electron."
"Yes sir." I sat down, giddy with pride. I was a real member of the brotherhood and not just some kid that tagged along.
"In addition, you won't need to ask for my approval to send an email or make a phone call. This envelope contains your payment for the months of work you've done for The Brotherhood prior to joining."
I looked inside and almost cursed. I glanced at Magneto, smiling in his seat, and began counting the bills. I then count again to be certain. I shook my head and wondered if I had woken up that morning after all. "There's over $10,000 in here!"
He chuckled at my surprise. "I know that. I was the one who sealed the envelope."
My mouth was opened wide but I said nothing, too shocked. I could only stare at him and clutch the envelope as if it could disappear any second now.
"It's okay," he said, still smiling fondly. "Now, Electron, I will be trusting you with a number of secrets. I'm not concerned given your past history of keeping them. If you would like to know whether something is to remain confidential, feel free to ask. You'll be surprised at the number of seemingly innocuous things that can't be shared. Toad will give you a second, civilian phone that can be used for non-brotherhood business. I want you to keep the phones separate but if you forget one or are in an emergency use either." He stopped talking for a second. "Now, you might want to prepare yourself for this one. You'll also be enrolled in a college."
"Wait- college?" I couldn't stop myself from blurting out. "Oh, sorry."
He waved my outburst away. "You're forgiven. Yes, you'll be going to college. You're too intelligent for your education to stop at high school."
I took a deep breath and fistpumped mentally. "Thank you so much, sir. It's just- no one in my family has ever graduated from college."
"Then be the first," he stated simply. I smiled. He really believed I could do it, that I could handle higher education. If possible, I felt even more proud. He had such high standards for me that when I met them, it was as if I had won a marathon.
His face became more serious. "But there are some rules. Firstly, I'll be monitoring your grades. And you will take these studies as seriously as anything we've done here. See it as a mission. I want to be notified of your grades on all exams as well."
I nodded. "Yes, sir."
"If you have any questions, just ask. You'll be left to determine the appropriate hours to study for your classes but should any grades get too low I'll be sure to implement a method of correction. However, I don't think this will be necessary with you as you're self-motivated.
"I understand." I had expected something like that.
"Very well. I'll accept nothing but excellence from you. I know you're capable of that. If I find that you ended up with a grade lower than what you're capable of, you'll retake it even if you've passed. Understood?"
Alright, that was a bit strict, but I already knew he'd want me to excel excellence itself. "Yes. I understand sir."
"Begin applying to colleges within the area. You will immediately begin studying for your standardized testing and take it soon."
"I'll start applying, sir."
I didn't like the idea of lying to my Father at all. Not with all the memories, struggles and triumphs we shared. Even before he adopted me I was basically his kid. He knew almost everything about me. How could I betray the trust he had in me? Still, I wouldn't let him make me lie to my friend. I wouldn't.