Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High.
Read on, oh faithful ones...
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Chapter Forty Six
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Before breakfast, Layla sent a text to Magenta, something cheery and teasing about her Valentine's Day date and her dress. Layla knew very well that Magenta wouldn't be able to reply, since her phone was currently in Craig's possession, but if they ever did return Magenta's phone to her, she wanted evidence that she'd text Magenta before she called her later.
She ate her breakfast with Frieda - oatmeal with soy milk and fresh berries, courtesy of the plants Layla had coerced in the yard outside - washed the dishes, showered and dressed for the ASL class that morning, and then organised her work for the study group later that day. With that all done, almost forty-five minutes had passed, and Layla figured that it was more than enough time to wait for a reply she knew would never come.
"Hi, Mrs. Yolanda. I was wondering if Magenta was home? I text her earlier, but she hasn't replied and I was worried," Layla said.
"It's nice that one of her friends cares," Mrs. Yolanda muttered. "I'll get her for you," she said, calling out for Magenta even as she headed to her daughter's room. "Phone for you. It's Layla," Mrs. Yolanda added, trying not to feel even more annoyed at Will when she saw the disappointed look on Magenta's face.
The nerve of that boy, standing up her daughter on Valentine's Day, and then not calling her the next day!
"Hey, Layla," Magenta said, holding the phone gingerly to the unbruised side of her face. While it was unbruised, it didn't mean it didn't hurt, and she was trying to be careful not to end up with two bruised cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, just a little bruised and sore. I got mugged," Magenta said sourly, sighing as she replayed the events in her mind for the hundredth time that day. She'd started off sore more than anything, had gone on to anger, frustration, helplessness, back to angry, and now? Now Magenta was feeling sorry for herself - hating that she was feeling sorry for herself - and was sore and tired and feeling helpless and hating herself even more for all of it.
"You were mugged?! When? What happened?" Layla asked, voice filled with concern, though her expression definitely wasn't.
"Uh, last night. Will kinda... he stood me up. He had to save people from a burning building, which is... obviously, it's good they're okay and alive, but he didn't even text, and..." Magenta sniffed. "And I was heading to the bus stop to go home and a random citizen mugged me. He had a- a gun, and... I wanted to shift so bad, but I couldn't do that in front of a citizen, and I just... I hate feeling useless, y'know? So..." she breathed deeply and tried to get her emotions under control. "The whole night kinda sucked.
"Ethan and Zach were the ones who found me and they brought me home, which was nice of them. I'm pretty sure a bunch of people just walked past that alleyway and ignored me lying there," she added with a laugh, not humorous in any way.
"I just want to forget it ever happened, and then there's another part of me that's so angry with myself for not doing more. I could've hit the guy or kicked him or something," Magenta said, her jaw and fist clenching in anger, then she let out a sound of pain and stopped clenching her jaw. "Ow, shit."
"Holy shit. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over? I can bring flowers for the bruises," Layla offered.
"Oh. Uh... It's all right. Mrs. Stronghold's coming over soon and she said she'd bring some cream for me. I wanted to talk to Will but I couldn't remember his number, and y'know, the Strongholds' aren't listed, so I called their real estate number. Mrs. Stronghold was really upset about what happened," Magenta said, sounding almost surprised.
Of course she was; her son's girlfriend being mugged would've increased her guilt over not being out patrolling when she knew the crime rate for holidays in Westville, even short ones like Valentine's Day, Layla thought to herself.
"Of course she's upset; you're Will's girlfriend," Layla replied simply. "I did text you earlier, but I'm assuming your mugger got your phone? Or is it turned off? I wouldn't blame you for that."
"Oh, yeah, they took my phone and purse. I only had thirty bucks, so they didn't get much," Magenta said, trying to play it off again with a small laugh.
"I'm so sorry; I hope the cream Mrs. Stronghold brings helps you. Is there anything I can do?"
"My homework?" Magenta asked, grinning a little, more genuinely now. "Nah, I'll be okay. It's mostly my pride that's hurt. That, and my face. I just want to have the weekend to get over it, so I'll be fine. I think I hear Mrs. Stronghold talking with my mum; I'd better go."
"All right. Well, take care of yourself, okay? I'll see you on Monday," Layla said.
"Thanks, Layla. Uh, thanks for calling too, that means a lot," Magenta said.
"Of course."
They said goodbye and hung up. Magenta headed down to the kitchen where her mother was looking both awed and pissed off at Mrs. Stronghold for Will's actions. Mrs. Stronghold was using all of her years as Jetstream and the media face to charm Magenta's mother into forgiving her, and possibly Will too. Magenta hung back to listen, curious to hear what they were saying.
"Your boy stood up my daughter, and he hasn't even contacted her once to see if she's okay," Mrs. Yolanda said, glowering.
"Will has been grounded for two weeks and apart from school, he's not allowed to go out. I am still so upset and appalled that he would stand Magenta up the way he did. He's left several messages on her phone, but he believes she's giving him the cold shoulder after he stood her up. Which would, of course, be absolutely understandable given the circumstances," Mrs. Stronghold said.
"Actually, the person who mugged me took my phone as well as my purse," Magenta said, stepping out into the kitchen.
Mrs. Stronghold's eyes widened at the sight of the purple bruising on Magenta's face and the scrapes on her arm from falling into the alleyway. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small jar of cream. "This will help with the bruising. If you're up to talking to Will, I'll be happy to call him for you? Fair warning: I think he's sulking in his room right now," she added with a conspiratorial wink.
Magenta nodded, taking the offered cream. "Thanks, Mrs. Stronghold. I really appreciate you bringing this over for me," she said.
"Of course. I'm so sorry about Will standing you up last night; had I known, I would have saved those people myself," she replied, sounding kind. Mrs. Stronghold pulled out her phone from her bag and called her son's number. "Will, I'm at Magenta's house. She called me looking for you; she was mugged last night. You know, after you stood her up?" Mrs. Stronghold added sternly, appeasing Mrs. Yolanda with her tone and stern facial expression. "I'll put Magenta on for you," she added, holding the phone out for her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Stronghold," Magenta said. She didn't really feel comfortable talking to Will in front of both of their mothers, but she doubted Mrs. Stronghold would let her leave the room to talk privately. Instead, she moved to the doorway, still in sight but affording her a little bit more privacy. "Hey Will."
"Are you all right? Did someone hurt you? Do you know who it was?"
"Will, I was mugged. It's practically an everyday occurrence in Westville," Magenta said, rolling her eyes and then trying not to wince in front of Mrs. Stronghold because holy shit that hurt her face. "Though it would've been better if it hadn't happened when I was alone on Valentine's Day," she added pointedly, trying not to sound too angry right in front of Jetstream.
Magenta could practically hear Will's self-righteous anger deflate on the other end of the phone. Instead, he became sheepish and boyish again. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, Maj. I forgot my phone and by the time I remembered it, I was already at the burning building and I had to save the citizens."
"I saw that on TV. I saw you flirting with the reporter as well," Magenta said, her voice low, but both of their mothers obviously heard her words. She was surprised to see Mrs. Stronghold's jaw clench like Jetstream was just as upset or angry about it as she was.
Will laughed nervously and at a higher pitched than normal. "I wasn't flirting. I was just... being charming, like heroes are meant to be," he said.
"You can be charming without staring at someone's breasts," she muttered sourly.
Will choked on nothing.
"May I use your television, Mrs. Yolanda? I haven't seen the news myself, and it seems my son chose to provide me with a condensed version of last night's events," Mrs. Stronghold said, her voice polite, but Magenta saw that she was floating off the chair by a full three centimetres and her eyes were full of anger.
Mrs. Yolanda looked surprised, but she nodded and led Mrs. Stronghold to the lounge room.
When they were gone, Magenta let an ounce of hurt fill her voice. "Why didn't you come last night, Will?" she asked, aching and sore and sniffing, wiping her tears.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Stronghold returned and politely asked for her phone to talk to her son. Magenta was glad to escape so Mrs. Stronghold wouldn't see her tears or red eyes, and handed the phone over wordlessly.
"Get the red phone, call the first number on speed dial; we're calling a press conference," Mrs. Stronghold announced. "And get your father out of bed, would you?"
...
"The crime rate in Westville needs to be addressed so that is why the Commander and I would like to introduce our son, Airborne," Jetstream said, smiling at Will proudly and ushering him forward to the lectern's microphone.
"Good morning, everyone," Will said with a bright smile, looking just like his father, and wearing his super suit that consisted of blue, red, white, and tights. "As Jetstream and the Commander have introduced, my name is Airborne, and I'll be protecting the citizens of Westville to ensure that innocent citizens don't get attacked simply for being out at night. This initiative was definitely discussed at length and not made this morning on a whim. The Mayor has given his full support for the endeavour, and I will be working closely with Jetstream and the Commander to monitor the crime rates in Westville over the upcoming months."
The television screen was turned off abruptly, and Adam looked over his shoulder to see Warren glowering at the TV, the remote control melting in his hand.
"Dude, the remote," Adam said when he didn't seem to be aware of what he was doing.
Warren cursed under his breath, throwing the melted remote in to the bin. He hunted through the drawers for a spare universal remote, hoping it hadn't been the last one his mother had bought. He couldn't find one and cursed again, a bit louder this time.
"Looks like you'll have to use the buttons on the TV for a while, man. You look like shit, by the way. Coffee's in the pot," Adam said, turning his attention back to his phone.
Warren poured a generous cup of coffee for himself and sat beside Adam. "How'd you go last night?"
"Good, got stuff done," Adam said, grinning.
"Good to know. There weren't any troubles?"
"Apart from Craig whining about not finding one damn food cart all night. We had to swap with Ethan and Zach just so he'd shut up."
"No one noticed?"
"Nah, people were too busy with their own lives to realise that one black and one white guy changed to a different white and black guy," Adam said, shrugging. "Feel bad they had to end their date early though. Craig bitched that he couldn't carry her without sustenance, so they offered to switch. Zach's kinda weak, so Ethan did most of the heavy lifting."
Warren raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, sipping at his coffee instead. He noticed that Adam was typing some sort of code on his phone and wondered if that was what Honey had set up for him. He felt exhausted after his night, trying to control the flames in a building the next town over, even while he was working his shift at the Paper Lantern, but Warren didn't regret a thing. He felt satisfaction unfurl and warm his body faster than his flames or coffee ever could, and grinned over the rim of his coffee mug.
If someone doesn't give me a rundown on what happened in the next five minutes, I'm going to attack all of you with the nearest plant life!
Adam snorted in amusement at Layla's text via their group chat, but his amusement faded when he saw the plant on the fridge grow taller. "Fuck that, I'm answering!" Adam muttered, typing as fast as he could.
Lightning hit the lamp post & road & the fire trucks were blocked.
Emergency number was called; Will went to the scene instead of his parents - you still have to tell me how you managed to do that.
Magenta left the restaurant via Craig's street; he mugged her and knocked her out.
Ethan & Zach took her home.
Adam breathed out heavily and looked up at the fridge, relieved when the plant returned to its normal size once more.
I mentioned in class that a real superhero needs to save more than one person, otherwise it's just a fluke. An entire building full of people was too good for Will to resist. He's as easy to manipulate as ever, Layla replied. Ethan, Zach, did Mrs. Yolanda say anything about you taking her home instead of Will?
We left before she truly realised - she was too worried about Magenta to worry about us, Ethan replied.
Good. You're all still coming to the ASL class this morning, right?
Yes, they all replied, including Craig.
Great, see you all soon. You were all fantastic. Can't wait for more details later!
Warren opened an eye blearily when the texts stopped coming, and looked at Adam with a frown. "My phone's in the bedroom, what was all that about? Layla's emotions are all over the place."
"She's happy we got things done," Adam replied vaguely, turning his attention back to his phone when Nina appeared in the doorway.
"Oh, good, you're both awake. Coffee?" Nina asked, yawning widely.
"In the pot," Warren replied, closing his eyes again.
Adam was glad Layla had warned him to have coffee ready for both Ms. Peace and Warren in the morning. They both looked ready to fall straight back to sleep without it and he was kind of looking forward to the ASL class.
...
"Heidi's not coming?" Wendy asked, seeing Heidi in the car with Anita and Richard.
Ethan was still by the car, organising his things for the class and letting his parents know that he and Zach would be going to Freida's that afternoon for a study group with his friends.
"Nah, she's going clothes shopping with Anita and Richard since she's hit a growth spurt and outgrown everything she owns. Besides, I'm pretty sure Heidi doesn't need lessons on sign language anyway," Zach added with a grin.
"I thought it'd be good to practice with her," Wendy said, shrugging.
"Oh. Well, Ethan's got Skype, you can practice with her on that later? She'd probably love it," Zach said, smiling brightly.
"All right, I'll get the details off you later, Ethan," Wendy said.
"Sure, not a problem. What details?" Ethan asked Zach, not having heard the conversation.
"Skype so she can practice signing with Heidi."
"That's a good idea. Maybe Heidi should start charging," Ethan said with a laugh.
"Don't give her ideas; she'll start charging her classmates for conversations," Zach said.
"Come on, guys, hurry up the pace," Craig said behind them, shoving between Ethan and Zach and putting his arms around their shoulders.
"Good morning to you too, Craig," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.
"Morning. Ready to get learning? Even though it's a weekend?" Craig added with a groan.
"Heidi's said that she's going to only talk to you in ASL, so if you don't learn anything, you won't be able to understand a thing she's saying," Zach said.
Craig pondered this as they went into the Council building and towards the meeting room that was being used for the ASL classes. "Hmm. Well, if it's for Heidi, I guess I should learn. Pretty sure any other response would have me lynched and/or set on fire."
"Probably both," Ethan said pointedly, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"True. Oh, hey, the whole gang's here," Craig said, grinning and waving at Adam.
"Good morning," their instructor said, smiling and indicating to the free seats around the room. "Let's get started."
...
"I am in awe right now. How the hell do you move your hands so fast and understand what that means with the adjustment of a pinky finger?" Craig muttered, seeing Zach signing and correcting Ethan's hands when he signed back.
"Practice and necessity. Also, online videos," Zach replied, grinning.
"If you send me the links for those, I can organise them into an order that matches with our classes," Ethan said, trying to sign as many words as he possibly could as well.
"Oh, not bad with the signing. That's a good idea about the videos too," Zach said proudly, kissing Ethan.
"If you two get any sappier, I'm gonna hurl and I'm gonna aim it at you," Craig added over his shoulder.
Zach gave him the finger and kissed Ethan again. Ethan smiled against his lips.
"Fuck," Warren cursed, his hands lighting up in a burst of flames before they died down just as suddenly; the Council building wasn't exactly swarming with citizens on a weekend, but he'd prefer not to be seen powering up there anyway.
"What's wrong?" Layla asked, surprised at his outburst.
"I can't get my hands to work right. Is it left over right, or right over left?" he muttered, trying again.
"Not that I disagree with the teaching methods here, but I really think you should start with the alphabet instead. It's a longer way to sign, but I found it easier to spell words out and then learn the signs for them. Here, I wrote a cheat sheet," Ethan said, pulling a notebook from his bag and handing it over.
Ethan had written each letter of the alphabet and added a diagram of the hands' motion next to it, a few symbols to show the motion of fingers or hands. Warren tried a few in succession, feeling better about his ability with these at least.
"We're still doing a study group now, right?" Craig asked.
"Yeah. Frieda's offered to host it; I think Honey's picking us up in... a van," Layla said, just as a minivan pulled up, Honey waving from the front seat.
"This is even more embarrassing than the bus," Wendy groaned as they headed down to the van.
"It's the only way to get you all there in one shot. Unless you'd like to wait another hour for the bus? It looks like rain," Honey said, looking up at the blue and cloudless sky.
"I call shotgun!" Craig yelled, running down to the front passenger seat before the others could.
"I'd be fine if it rained," Wendy said, though she climbed into the back of the van anyway.
"Who's sitting on the floor?" Warren asked, seeing that the van was an eight-seater. With Honey, there were nine of them.
"I will," Donny said, standing back and waiting until everyone was seated before squishing in between the floor and door.
"Hmm. We shouldn't get pulled over. But if we do, then start retching," Honey said.
"What?" Zach asked, trying to pull his feet up off the floor and away from Donny.
Donny just rolled his eyes.
"It's a very low possibility, don't worry," Honey replied. "I might go the long way, just in case," she added, turning on the ignition and driving out of the parking lot.
Layla sat next to Warren in the middle seats, both of them using Ethan's cheat sheet to practice their alphabet.
...
When they arrived at Frieda's house, everyone spent a good few minutes exploring the house, eyes wide in wonder at the splendour around them. Honey grinned at their expressions, laughing outright when she heard Craig's loud gasp at the sight of the chandelier.
"Why didn't you tell us you're loaded now?" Craig asked, grinning at Layla.
"Because I'm not," Layla replied, shaking her head.
The doorbell sounded before they could get into a discussion about Frieda's wealth, and Layla went to answer the door. She was surprised to see four food delivery people standing outside, each loaded up with bags and boxes of food.
"Bettendorf residence?" the first person asked, seeing Layla's surprised expression.
"Um, yes."
"Great, these are all for you," they replied, handing over their bags.
"Having a party?" another asked, their boxes loaded into Craig's arms.
"Honey said you'd need hel- whoa," Warren trailed off.
"It's all already paid for," the third person said, gratefully handing over three bags to Warren.
"Wouldn't say no to a tip though," the fourth added with a grin as he handed the last of the delivery bags over.
"It's next to the keys! Ten each!" Honey called out.
"Uh, you heard her?" Layla asked, now weighed down by the bags herself.
"Sure, ten each. Hey, get back up here or I'm stealing your tips!" the fourth person added, the first three running back up the driveway to get their money. "Thanks!" the fourth person called out, obviously to Honey since she was the only one who had any idea of what was going on.
Layla gently kicked the door shut once they'd taken their tips and left. She, Craig, and Warren headed to the dining room where the others were gathered. Layla noticed that they hadn't started on their homework yet; even Ethan was simply sitting down and not doing anything.
"You bought a month's worth of takeaway food?" Layla asked Honey, setting the bags down on the table.
"Pizza burns," Craig groaned, setting the boxes down and inspecting his red arms with a wince.
"Why didn't you shift?" Adam asked, surprised - Craig rarely turned down the opportunity to use his power.
"Because he can't. I'll wager that none of you can use your powers right now," Honey added, looking around at each of them in turn, not receiving a response. "Except you Adam, but you're just as exhausted mentally as they are with their powers."
"Did you overexert yourselves with your practising after school?" Frieda asked, bringing drinks in from the kitchen.
"Not quite," Layla said. Then, to the surprise and amazement of the others, she told Frieda what they had planned for Will and Magenta.
"Oh, so that's why I saw young Will in the news. I didn't know he was dating Magenta; he seemed rather enamoured with that young reporter," Frieda said.
Craig was staring between Layla and Frieda, his mouth hanging open. "That's it?"
"Well, I suppose there's no harm in looking if he's just looking - "
"No, not that. The other thing! People were actually hurt in the fire, and I held Magenta up at gunpoint."
"It was a water gun, and you're a white male in this country, you would have been fine, dear," Frieda said, patting his hand.
"Why are you so exhausted anyway, Lay? You didn't use your powers, did you?" Zach asked, reaching over Ethan to fill his plate with several slices of greasy pizza.
Warren looked at Layla with a frown when she didn't answer straight away. She was serving herself lunch from one of the Indian curry containers, handing the rice over to Wendy who was waiting patiently for it next.
"Thanks, Layla," Wendy said with a nod.
"I spent most of the night redecorating the Hive," Layla finally admitted. "I was frustrated and feeling useless; next time I'm making a plan that I'm actually participating in," she added with a small huff of annoyance.
"You found out where Magenta was going for her date," Ethan pointed out, taking a container of pasta salad and several slices of thick baked ham and pineapple.
"Did you go out last night, dear?" Frieda asked, frowning as she tried to remember if she'd heard Layla leave after they'd returned home from the Council office that night.
"No, I was here. I was practising from a distance. I think I overdid it a little," Layla admitted, looking down at her hands with a frown.
"Oh, that's wonderful. Not that you're exhausted, of course - you should always leave a little in reserve, just like money for a rainy day - " Frieda said with a bright smile, "But to have that much control over a large distance is a wonderful achievement. The same can be said for you, Warren dear; I'm very proud you were able to maintain that fire for so long and while you were working," she added, and Warren ducked his head at the unexpected compliment.
"Thanks, Ms. Bettendorf," he said, eating a mouthful of beef and broccoli to escape any more conversation.
"Now, I'd like a full rundown on everything that happened. I'm sure there's more that I haven't heard," Frieda said, looking at them expectantly.
"Donny, why don't you and Wendy start?" Honey suggested.
Donny nodded and started to explain his part, Wendy adding her own comments along the way. Everyone listened intently, and Honey seemed pleased when Donny mentioned about wiping the driver's short-term memory.
The others continued with their contributions for the night, questions asked every so often to clarify certain events.
"What happened with Adam and Craig taking Magenta home?" Layla asked, scooping the last of her meal with naan bread.
Craig looked contrite. "I was hungry and I couldn't shift to carry her all the way through Westville to Maxville."
"I shifted Magenta down instead, and Zach carried us to her house in a Slurpee cup. I'm just glad he didn't drink us down," Ethan said, shuddering.
Honey paled at the sudden thought and accompanying vision. "Never do that," she said, her words fierce enough to worry everyone, the vision disappearing almost a second later.
"Don't plan on it. Ethan's got more elasticity than normal water anyway, it'd taste weird," Zach said, frowning.
"Are you saying I taste weird?" Ethan asked.
"Seriously, guys?"
"What?" Zach asked, frowning at Wendy.
Craig snorted and patted him on the shoulder. "We'll tell you when you're older."
"Craig, shut up and pass the potato and cheese thing over," Adam said, nodding to the container near his friend.
"What's the magic word?"
"Abracadabra," Adam deadpanned.
Craig laughed and passed the container over to him anyway.
...
"I thought Zach went to get a drink? He's been gone ten minutes," Layla said when she looked up from her homework, realising that Zach was nowhere to be seen.
"Do you want me to find him?" Ethan asked, glancing over from Adam's homework to Zach's empty seat.
With the end of the morning and ASL class, Adam was now working on his computer, headphones plugged in and thousands of lines of code in front of him.
"No, it's all right, I'll look," Layla said, setting her pen down and standing up to stretch.
Warren watched her for a moment, eyes dark, then he returned his attention to his essay for Media for Heroes.
Layla touched Warren's shoulder gently as she passed, letting him know that she'd noticed his gaze. He grinned and continued working; they'd have time alone later that night.
"I'm just worried that the cut won't allow enough room for manoeuvrability," Zach said, drink sitting beside him on the bench and a piece of paper in his hand.
"You'll be surprised how much stretch you get from these sorts of materials, even the ones dense enough to stop bullets," Frieda replied. "Not as much stretch as lycra or spandex, of course, but those materials are practically ruined after one wear anyway," she said dismissively.
"That's what I figured; they're like the material for swimming costumes: one use and they're stretched and useless!"
"That's how the companies make a profit; if your swimmers are ruined after a week or two, then you're forced to go out and buy another one. Most people wouldn't consider making their own: the material's much thicker than the actual designs in stores."
"The polyester-nylon-lycra combo still burns too easily. It's easy to dry, sure, but there's not much point to that if Warren comes out of a fight naked."
"He'll certainly have news coverage," Frieda said with a laugh.
Layla stifled a laugh herself and headed back to the dining room.
"Everything all right?" Ethan asked when he saw she'd returned without Zach in tow.
"Yeah; Zach's working on something with Frieda," she replied, taking up her pen again to continue working.
Ethan was surprised at her response, but shrugged and continued to work on both his and Adam's assignments.
...
The doorbell rang loudly, startling the teenagers out of their focused mindsets and they looked around, somewhat confused at the sudden sound.
"It's Anita and Heidi," Donny said, sounding relieved when he realised he could hear their thoughts again. "We need to practise on our stamina more next week," he agreed with Layla.
She nodded and coaxed the plants along the windowsill to stand up straighter and brighter. Layla sighed in relief when they did so, a little slower than normal, but she was just pleased that they'd actually responded this time.
"What kind of redecorating did you do anyway, Layla?" Wendy asked, remembering why her powers were just as depleted.
"You'll see when we go to the Hive next; will next weekend suit everyone?" Layla asked, looking between them.
"Fine with me," Craig said with a nod.
Beside him, Adam nodded as well, and the others all agreed. Zach saw Heidi in the doorway and grinned at her.
"How'd shopping go?" he asked.
Seeing that Craig was in the room, Heidi only signed in return.
"I know that's blue," Ethan said, repeating the motion. "What was the rest of it?"
"I'll tell you in the car," Zach replied, realising what his sister was doing.
"Looks like we'll have to learn ASL sooner rather than later," Warren said, signing hello to Heidi.
She smiled brightly and signed hello back, the lights overhead turning on with a dim glow.
"Hello, Warren. Would you like me to drop you off at work?" Anita offered.
"Honey's offered to drop me off, but thank you, Mrs. Damsale," Warren replied politely.
"I'm dropping most of you off, so start packing," Honey called out.
"Oh, right," Craig muttered, realising the time and hurrying to pack his things. He got Adam's attention and indicated to the time on his computer screen. "C'mon, hurry up or my sis'll freak out."
"I'm only going if you keep those kids away from my charger; they almost broke it last time!" Adam muttered, slinging his headphones around his neck and starting to pack up as well.
"Who are you talking about?" Layla asked, frowning.
"My twin nephews. I babysit them on Saturday afternoons so my sister can go out with her husband. Adam usually hangs around 'cause they think he's awesome," Craig said, grinning.
"That's 'cause I am awesome," Adam replied.
"Don't start or you'll all be late," Honey said, looking in the dining room. "Warren, your mother's about to agree to let you stay over here tonight. Mum and Layla will pick you up."
Warren's ears burned red at the insinuation and he studiously ignored the wolf whistles coming from Craig and Zach. He kissed Layla's cheek and headed to the front door without a word
"Bye. See you on Monday," Ethan called, leaving with Zach, Heidi, and his mother.
Anita hurried them to the car, glancing up at the dark clouds overhead. They were gone with a squeal of rubber on asphalt, Frieda waving from the door as she finished her conversation with Ms. Peace.
"You've got 'til the count of five to get into the van or you'll get drenched," Honey called out. "One! Two! Three! Four," she called, Adam, Donny, and Craig running outside before they could get wet. On the count of five, a torrent of rain started to pour from the sky.
Wendy stepped onto the front steps under the overhanging roof, looked up at the sky and concentrated for a moment. There was a brief gap in the rain and she ran for the car without getting a drop on her. As soon as the door shut, the rain started again, a heavy torrent pouring onto the ground.
"You could've run out with the us," Donny said.
Wendy smiled. "I know. I wanted to make sure I could still use my powers," she replied.
"Next time, wait a few more seconds. The rain will lessen and it won't cause so much damage. You'll have to rest and recover now," Honey said, closing her umbrella as she got into the driver's seat. "I'll drop you off last so you have a bit more time," she added.
"Thanks, Honey."
Honey smiled at Wendy in the rear view mirror then reversed out of the driveway to drop everyone off to work and home.
...
End of the forty-sixth chapter.
Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it!
Note: the next chapter focuses on Warren and Layla.
