"So this afternoon is ok?" Mary smiled at the answer on her phone and nodded her head. "Thank you. I appreciate you accommodating me. Ok, see you then." She flipped her phone closed and slid it into a pocket in her bag. She tied her hair back and called up the stairs. "Guys, time to go."
Suzy was the first down. "Mary, can you braid my hair?" She held out a pink hair tie.
"I'll do it at the bus stop." Mary slipped it onto her wrist. Randy was down a moment later. Mary smiled at her brother. "All right, Rand?" He met her gaze and nodded with a slight smile. "Good. Now, I've packed you two some extra food for when you're at your after school activities. I have an errand this afternoon, so will you two be all right to ride the late bus home and let yourself in if I'm not back by then? Your keys are in the zipper pocket just inside your backpacks."
"What are you doing after school?" Suzy asked.
Mary opened the door and ushered them out, locking up behind them. "I have to run into the city for a while. I should be home by 6:30 and I can pick up some dinner."
"Chinese?" Randy asked.
Mary smiled. "Sure. I'll put the usual order in at the Paper Lantern."
"Can Warren come to dinner?" Suzy looked at her eagerly.
"Warren has rehearsals today. I'll ask if he wants to join us, though."
Suzy nodded and they arrived at the bus stop. Randy joined Taylor and a few other kids. Once Mary was done fixing Suzy's hair, the little girl joined her brother and their friends. Mary took a few pictures, as usual, and waved to the twins when they got on the bus. Will and Layla showed up a moment later. Layla jumped into the plan she was putting together for more inclusive programs in an attempt to soften relations between Heroes and Hero Support. Will smiled and nodded along, but Mary could tell he was only catching half of the surprisingly intricate plan. Mary was following most of it though she was a bit thankful when the bus arrived and Layla got distracted by something Magenta was saying.
"So," Zach said. "We've got rehearsals until 6 but then we're free. Anyone up for a trip to the arcade and some pizza afterward?"
"I'm in," Ethan said.
"Me, too," Will said.
"Sweet." Zach turned to Mary. "You in?"
She shook her head. "Sorry. I'm running an errand today since the twins are starting after school activities."
"Anything we can help with?" Ethan asked.
"No. But thanks."
"So Randy's doing dance and hockey, right?" Will said. "Suzy's doing hockey and band?"
"They have hockey on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Band and ballet are Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They're gonna be pretty busy."
Zach leaned over the back of her seat. "So you'll have time to do something, too. Nice. What if you joined the tech crew of the play and chilled with us?"
Mary gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know."
The belts deployed from the seats, strapping the students in before the bus flew off the edge of the broken bridge. The drop and sudden ascension was always a thrill; it definitely woke you up in the morning. She was glad, however, to land at the school.
Warren was waiting for her at the doors. He and Will nodded at one another but he smiled at Mary. "Hey."
She grinned. "Hey. Oh, the twins want to know if you'd like to join us for dinner? I'm picking up Chinese."
Warren nodded. "I'm in."
"Good. Then you'll get to enjoy an evening of them simultaneously talking about their day and wanting to know how your rehearsals are doing."
"6:30?"
"Better be on time, Peace. Suzy won't be happy if you're late."
"And Randy won't?"
"Oh, Randy adores you. He'd forgive you pretty much anything." She turned to him. "I'd like you to be on time, too. Cold Chinese isn't as good as hot."
Warren chuckled. "All right, Pics. I'll be there."
The M.A.T.S. facility wasn't what Mary had pictures. She'd imagined a tall building in the city with multiple floors and labs. What she found at the address was a three story building in downtown Maxville. She pushed the door open and approached the receptionist on the left.
"Excuse me, ma'am."
The older woman looked up and smiled. "Hello. How may I help you today?"
"My name is Mary Lamb. I called this morning–"
"Ah, yes. You're here for the tour. If you'll wait a moment, I'll just call your guide."
Mary looked around the room while the lady got on the phone with someone. There were a few chairs and couches under a large avant guard painting hanging on the opposite wall. It was made of bright yellows, oranges, and reds with undertones of blue. A sense of peace fell over her, washing away her nervousness.
"Miss Lamb." Mary turned, smiling softly at the receptionist. She looked at the painting and back to Mary. "Your tour guide will be with you in a moment. This is your visitor pass that will allow you to move throughout the facility."
Mary took the clip on badge, attaching it to her lapel, and looked back at the painting. "It's very nice."
"One of our students made that. It helps put people at ease." Mary turned, stunned to see a tall dark skinned man in a professional suit standing next to her, his dark braids falling over his shoulders. She hadn't heard him approaching. He towered over her but his height wasn't intimidating like one might think. He extended his hand and grinned, flashing a set of white teeth. "Miss Lamb. Welcome to Maxville Arts Trade School. I'm Samual Kinch, Principal of M.A.T.S."
His hand easily wrapped around hers, his grip gentle surprising her again. "Thank you for agreeing to receive me, Principle Kinch. I apologize for the last minute notice."
"It's no trouble, Miss Lamb. You would not be the first to contact us on short notice. Sky High is a wonderful institution but we understand that some students find they prefer a different line of Hero work." He gestured to the three elevators. "Let's begin your tour."
The elevator was larger than she expected; like the kind installed in hospitals or industrial buildings to move large items. Principle Kinch pressed a button and the doors closed. "All of our students arrive together, more or less, so larger elevators made more sense. There are stairs, as well, but you would be traveling quite a few floors."
Mary smiled slightly. "I can always use the cardio."
Principle Kinch chuckled. "There's a gym available to work out your body or powers. Students are allowed access before and after official school time or during their lunch breaks. It will be one of our stops on the tour."
The doors opened and they stepped out into a large area with tables, chairs, bulletin boards, and hallways branching out into different directions. It was decorated in calm colors and a number of fliers and posters covered the walls. A few tall bookshelves were tucked against a far wall.
"This is the common area. Students gather here between classes or during their free period to chat or work on projects together. We encourage cooperation and collaboration; it will be necessary when they enter the working world."
He led her down a hallway to their left, pointing out the classrooms and labs. Mary was surprised at the diverse style of the rooms. Some were science labs, others were mechanical labs, and others were built like lecture halls.
"Though there's no official hallway for the disciplines, we have organized them so most of the advanced classes in your chosen discipline are grouped together. The basic classes and the ones that overlap disciplines or focuses are located closer to the common area. Certain rooms are off limits unless you are given permission to enter. These are the teacher's lounge, a few labs containing material that requires supervision, and rooms assigned to students working on sensitive projects. You'll know which ones are which by the school ID you'll be given if you enroll with us; it allows you to access the school and facilities."
Mary paused when they passed a lab and stared at the projects inside. Hero costumes in various states of creation, drawing boards with other designs, a giant wall of fabric waiting to be used. A few students were inside, throwing out a few words here and there to the others but mostly focusing on their work.
Principle Kinch stopped next to her. "These are the graduating class' final project. it's not unusual to see people staying after school hours to work on something. They've been assigned Heroes either about to debut or are already working in the field. They are to either design a new outfit for them or to improve upon what is already made." He looked down at her. "You were interested in the costume design and development discipline, yes?"
"Yes, sir. But I was looking at the surveillance course, too. I spend a lot of time behind a camera."
"It is possible to work on two disciplines at once. If you are not sure which course to focus on, I would suggest attending the classes that overlap from those disciplines and see which part speaks to you the most." Principle Kinch gestured down the hall. "Would you care to see the next level? It contains the gym, library, cafeteria, and study rooms."
Mary nodded and they started toward the elevators but the door to another lab swung open. A tall dark skinned girl stepped out, pushing a set of goggles up onto the bandana covering her thick braids and wiping her face with a handkerchief. She paused when she noticed them.
"Oh. Hey."
"Kimmy, I'm glad I found you," Principle Kinch said. "Miss Lamb, this is my niece, Kimmy McClain. She's in the support item course."
"Support item?"
Kimmy grinned. "Oh, yeah. The things Heroes use during their battles or work with their powers are support items. Strength bracers, fabric that can go invisible with the wearer, goggles that focus laser beams, those utility belts that seem to have exactly what the Hero needs; that kind of stuff."
Mary's eyes widened. "There's a course like that here?"
"You betcha. Best course there is!" Kimmy looked to Principle Kinch before shrugging. "Well, I think it is." She smiled back at Mary. "You wanna see what I'm working on?"
Mary smiled but looked at Principle Kinch. "Is that ok?"
He gestured to the door. "By all means."
Mary followed Kimmy back into the lab, pausing just inside the door way when she noticed the work tables and the wide array of equipment and technology available. Kimmy took her hand and dragged her over to a table holding a pair of mechanical arms. "This is part of a bigger project," Kimmy said, moving one of the arms to show a hallow portion along the inside. "The idea is to build a full sized body that a Hero can slip on and control as if they were extensions of their body. It could be used to battle someone taller than them or maybe handle things that they can't with their own bare hands. I'm at the internal structure at the moment. It won't work if it collapses on itself because of the weight, you know."
Mary stared at the wiring. She didn't understand some of it but it still looked interesting. "And are most classes like this for the support item development discipline?"
"Kimmy's an enthusiastic student," Principle Kinch said. "She's been tinkering with things since she learned how a screwdriver worked. She's skipped a few classes and is working on her graduating project."
"How old are you?"
"15," Kimmy said with a smile. "I'll probably stick around for a while longer, of course. I want to make a few more things and M.A.T.S. is one of the best places to tinker without too much expectation. They focus more on developing what you have and turning it into something useful for Heroes." She leaned agains the tabletop. "What about you? Why are you looking at M.A.T.S.?"
Mary shifted her bag on her shoulder. She'd go with the edited version of things; no need to get into too much personal issues. "I'm currently at Sky High but I've recently been thinking that maybe being a Hero on the front lines might not be the best fit. My guidance councilor suggested this place and I liked some of the programs. And I really like the facility. I was thinking about the costume design or surveillance courses but support items sounds good, too. Have you taken any of those classes?"
"I took the introduction to costuming." Kimmy frowned. "They won't let me near a sewing machine anymore." Her shoulders rose and fell with her sigh. "You accidentally accelerate the speed of sewing due to tinkering one time and they ban you from the lab."
Mary stared. "Did you really?"
"Mrs. Henry was very understanding about everything," Principle Kinch said, giving him niece a look. It wasn't completely chastisement; there was too much fondness in his eyes for that.
Kimmy turned back to Mary. "Transfers from Sky High aren't that uncommon, you know. Most kids that end up there have family that were Heroes and they kind of go there by default. You get a lot of that here, too; alumni family show up even if they don't have powers."
"Do you have any?" Mary asked.
Kimmy shook her head. "Not a spark. But I don't mind; I'm here for the creating." She smiled softly. "But if you want to come here, I'd say do it. We're a trade school, so everything you learn can be applied right to your field. It gets you ready for your future and not many people think about that, so you'll find motivated people here. They're a good bunch; if a bit nuts at times. But think about it and talk it over with your family." She gave her a wink. "I have to say that because my uncle's the principle and he's standing right there. You should seriously come here and I can teach you everything about support items. I have a feeling you're going to really fit in."
Mary smiled and nodded. "I think I'd like that." She turned to Principle Kinch. "How do I apply?"
"Seeing as we're in the middle of a term, you'll have to wait until next term to officially enroll with us. I'll let Mr. Boyle know about your decision and he'll help you adjust on his end. For us, you only need to fill out the paperwork Mr. Boyle gives you, come to orientation, and we'll send you a list of things you can start looking at so you can assimilate better."
"No test or evaluation?" She'd had to do that for Sky High when she was moving back. It was how she'd been moved up to being a sophomore.
"We've already looked into your record." Principle Kinch smiled softly at Mary's wide eyes. "Please don't fret. Mr. Boyle is an excellent judge of character and he saw that you may be a good fit here. He sends me a few recommendations every year and brings the idea up to them. If they bite, so to speak, then I make it a point to wait for their call. If not, then there's no harm done. M.A.T.S. is very particular about privacy and security, Miss Lamb. Your information is safe."
Mary nodded. It would make sense. If they were training the next generation of behind–the–scene makers, they would do everything they could to keep them safe. You take out a support system and even the most powerful Hero would fall. "So," she said. "I just need to talk to Mr. Boyle on Monday and fill out the paperwork?"
"Pretty much."
"Ok. Then I guess I'm all set." She looked at her watch. "I have to go, actually." The twins would be getting out of activities soon. She turned to Kimmy. "Thank you for showing me your project. I think it's great."
"Hey, no problem. I always like to show off for new people. Oh, hey, let me give you my number. Then you have someone to answer questions for you." She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a notepad. She flipped to a new page, wrote down her name and number, tore it from the pad, and held it out to Mary. "If I don't answer right away, I'm probably up to my elbows in grease or gears. But I respond to texts and voicemails pretty well."
Mary tucked the scrap of paper in her pocket. "Thanks. I'll text you tonight so you have my number."
"Sweet," Kimmy said. "I'll look forward to you coming here. But if you want to meet up outside of school, too, I'm game. I could introduce you to some of the others in our discipline."
"Very thoughtful, Kimmy," Principle Kinch said. "But I should be getting her back to the main floor. Miss Lamb. If you would follow me?"
Mary waved goodbye to Kimmy and followed the tall man back to the elevators. The ride up went faster than the ride down and soon the doors were opening to the reception area. The woman behind the desk smiled at them and then went back to her paperwork.
"I hope you enjoyed yourself, Miss Lamb, and I'll be looking forward to you joining us in January."
Mary smiled at the principle. "I look forward to it, too, Principle Kinch. I have a good feeling about this." He smiled back and she left the building, stepping out into the downtown area. She managed to grab a bus heading back home and sat her bag on her lap.
So she was going to enroll in M.A.T.S. A part of her was excited; finally accepting of what her future could be. Another part was nervous and scared to be starting something new. And a different part– one that dominated a little more than she'd like– asked how she was going to break the news to her friends and family. Would Mom be upset she wasn't going to be a Hero or graduate from her alma matter? Would her friends understand that she wanted to do this? What would Warren say when she told him tonight? That sent a shiver up her spine. Would he think she betrayed him or was leaving him? They'd be doing the same work, too, just in different areas. But his possible negative reaction made her think now wasn't a good time. She wasn't leaving until January; there was plenty of time to tell him. But if she hid it, that would make the news worse, right? Because she'd purposefully hidden this from him? She'd hidden a few things from him, but he had an idea and said she could always come to him. Mary rubbed her temples. Why was this so hard?
She got off at her stop and made her way to the Paper Lantern, pulling out her phone and making the order. She was far enough away that the order would be done by the time she got there and the fresh air was doing wonders for soothing her troubled thoughts. Warren was coming to dinner tonight but she didn't know if she should tell him. She'd have to tell the twins sooner than later, but that could be done when she was tucking them into bed. Randy would be happy to hear she'd be out of harm's way; he'd probably want to see the robot arms Kimmy was making. Suzy, too, actually. They would support her in whatever she did. Mom, too, really; she'd probably be glad Mary was working toward the future she wanted. That news could be brought up tomorrow on their Saturday visits.
Mary arrived at the Paper Lantern much earlier than she'd like, but she collected the bags and headed home. She was setting the bags on the kitchen counter when the front door burst open, letting in the whirlwind twins.
"I love dance!" Randy said, sliding his backpack off and setting it on a chair. "We did stretches and a few moves. Miss Luna is nice and she says I have good form for a beginner. The girls laughed that I was the only boy but Taylor stood up for me and Miss Luna even said that a lot of boys do dance and showed us a few clips of boys lifting girls up over their head. It was so cool! I want to do that some day."
"I'm sure you will if you keep at it." Mary turned to Suzy. "How was band?"
Suzy shrugged, putting her bag down. "A bit boring. We just talked about different types of music and looked at a few instruments. They want us to choose a few we'd like to try next time."
"Any catch your eye?" Mary asked as she pulled out what the dishes they would need for dinner. Randy took the plates to the table.
"Guitar, drums, or trumpet," Suzy said, taking the utensils from the drawer.
"So all the loud ones, then."
"Warren!"
Mary turned, smiling as Warren entered the kitchen. The twins were already hugging his waist. Thankfully, they'd put the plates and utensils down beforehand. He ruffled their hair.
"You're just in time," Mary said. "Suzy, Randy, would you mind letting Warren set his things down and finish setting the table?"
The twins hurried off. Warren set his bag by the wall and smiled at Mary. "I guess you're house is going to get loud soon."
"And won't that be fun?" Mary returned his smile. Why was she always much more relaxed with him around? "How did rehearsals go?"
"Good. We sat on the stage and did a read through with everyone. I made notes in my script and that was about it." Warren took the take out containers out of the bags. "Apparently how we're going to do the Beast and Prince parts, since the Prince only shows up at the end when the curse is lifted, we'll switch who plays what. When Timothy plays the Beast, I'll play the Prince, and vice versa."
"So you each have a chance at playing the Beast. Nice." Mary pulled out glasses from the cupboard. "Do you want soda, milk, or water tonight?"
"Whatever you're drinking," Warren called from the table.
Mary filled the cups with milk and handed two to Randy when he came back into the kitchen. She carried the other two in, setting them down as Suzy and Warren made up plates of food. They were soon seated and Suzy rambled about how she wasn't looking forward to reading music. She saw that need, of course, but wasn't too thrilled looking at dots on a page. Randy was eager to tell Warren about the moves they were doing in class and the videos the teacher had shown them; he was really looking forward to lifting people above his head. Warren replied with his story of how Will had picked him up and thrown him across the room in Save the Citizen. Thankfully, he left out the more dangerous parts of the match; like when Dash had made a whirlwind to suffocate Warren. Randy liked the story, anyway.
"Do you think Will would show me–"
"He is not going to show you how to throw people," Mary said. "If you want to lift people when you get older, you'll learn how to do it safely and when you've gained more muscle. And don't even try to practice with your friends."
Randy sighed and stabbed his fork into a piece of chicken. "Ok," he mumbled.
"And when you choose an instrument," Mary said, turning to Suzy, "I'd like you to regulate it to a certain time. I don't think we'd appreciate you practicing at five in the morning."
"Of course," Suzy said, rolling her eyes. "I'll make sure it's midnight, instead."
Warren and Randy chuckled while Mary smiled softly at her sister. "Thank you for the consideration."
"So what did you do in the city today?" Suzy asked.
Mary paused, the debate she'd managed to push away on the bus surfacing for a moment, but she pushed that back. She set her fork on her plate and looked at those around the table. She took a breath before speaking. "I…have something to tell you." They turned their attention to her and she felt her courage fade a little at Warren's questioning look. But she straightened her shoulders. "I went into the city to tour a facility that trains people in different roles of support to Heroes." Her fingers curled around one another as she met Warren's gaze. "I'm going to enroll there and transfer out of Sky High."
The silence that followed was tense; the pounding in her ears wasn't helping her nerves.
"Wait, what?" Suzy asked.
"Really?" Randy said at the same time, his eyes wide.
Warren was still silent, expression blank.
"So you don't want to be a Hero anymore?" Suzy asked.
Mary turned to her sister. She looked confused. "I've been doing some thinking, especially in light of the homecoming incident. I don't think the Hero course is for me. The drive I see in other people at Sky High just isn't there for me. But there are many courses at M.A.T.S. that are for working in the background; surveillance, costume development, database system creation, all kinds of things. Everything they teach there is to help Heroes do their job. I'm going to join the support item creation and development course. I can make things that help Heroes do their job."
"So you won't have to be on the front line?" Randy asked. He sounded relieved.
Mary smiled softly. "No. I'd be working in a lab away from most danger." She slowly turned back to Warren. His face was still blank. "Warren…please. Say something?"
He set his fork down. "You talked to Mr. Boyle about this?"
"He's the one who suggested it."
He nodded slowly. "He's got a good idea about these kinds of things." He sat a little taller in his seat. "If you feel that M.A.T.S. is the best choice for what you want to do, then I support you. 100 percent."
The weight lifted off her shoulders so quickly, Mary grew light headed. "Really?"
He gave a soft smile, breaking his blank expression. "Who am I to stand in the way of what you want? Hasn't worked so far."
She was out of her chair in a second, rounding the table and launching herself into his arms a second after he stood. He caught her, holding her close and she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. "I was so scared you might think I was abandoning you," she said, voice wavering as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "That you might hate me for leaving you."
"Never." He tucked her closer to his chest and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You have to reach for your dreams. You supported me and I'm supporting you. It's what we do for those we care about."
There was no stopping the water works, now. They fell and didn't care that they were quickly soaked up into Warren's shirt. The twins joined the group hug, though awkwardly due to their size. Mary couldn't be happier; the rejection and hurt she had imagined were unfounded. Her family was still with her. She drew comfort from their embrace, calming herself until her tears finally stopped. Eventually, she pulled away and returned Warren's smile.
"I'm all for you doing what you love," Suzy said, "but did it have to be at a school called M.A.T.S.? What an awful name."
The observation broke the moment and they all laughed. Mary wiped her tears away with her sleeve and they returned to their seats.
"Could be worse," Randy said. "Their name could be H.A.T.S. Then they could put it on actual hats to show school pride."
"Could be C.A.T.S.," Warren added. "Then their mascot could be a puma or something."
"Why a puma?" Suzy asked.
"Why not a puma?"
"Well, why not a lion? Or panther?" Randy added.
"Or a house cat," Mary said.
Warren laughed. "I can see it now. At pep rallies, you'd bring out multiple house cats from the neighborhood and let them loose on the gym floor."
"I'd go to a pep rally like that," Suzy said.
"Yeah. And smuggle some home," Randy teased.
Suzy's eyes lit up. She turned to Mary. "Can we get a cat?"
"What?"
"Can we get a cat? Please? A big fluffy one."
"We're not home enough to look after one."
Suzy frowned. "That's not fair. Taylor has a cat."
"That's not an excuse for us to get a cat," Mary said, returning to her rice.
Suzy turned to Warren. "You'd let us get a cat, right?"
He shrugged. "I like cats, but you're sister's in charge. Sorry. Can't help."
Suzy groaned. "What good are you if you're not on my side?"
Warren raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember agreeing to be on your side."
"It's an unwritten rule," Randy said, nodding his head as if imparting important wisdom. "When you join the family, you side with the twins."
Warren blinked a few times. "I'm family?"
Mary blushed but Suzy was quick to answer. "Of course. Have been for a while. And you have to side with us. To balance out Mary."
"I'm not that awful," Mary said.
"Then we can get a cat?" Randy sat taller in his chair. Both the twins had wide pleading eyes. Damn; the puppy dog look.
Mary forced herself to look away or fall prey to them. Unfortunately, that meant she ended up looking at Warren. He was trying to hide a smile but he held a fond glint in his eyes as the looked between the twins and back to her. When had he started to be part of the family? The second dinner? When he'd stayed to look after Mary? When she'd realized she had feelings for him that were more than friendship? For a moment when their gazes met, it didn't matter. Warren was family; this was true. Mary sighed and shook her head.
"Here's the deal," she finally said. "If you still want a pet and you can show that you're ready to handle that kind of responsibility," she added as the twins cheered, "then we can revisit this discussion after Christmas. Deal?"
"Deal!" the twins said.
Mary met Warren's gaze. "Softy," he mouthed as the twins brainstormed what kind of pet they would get.
Mary smirked and mouthed back, "They're yours, too."