4. Astrid the Genius

I walked out of the church smiling. The Perdido Beach kids had fallen so easily into our snare. Caine walked purposefully towards town hall, Drake hot on his heels. I hung back slightly, not wanting to make my movements seem rushed. It was then that I realized: Jack wasn't with us.

I stopped and looked around quickly. I spotted him standing just outside the church, talking to the pretty blond girl. I sauntered towards them, trying to appear nondescript. I watched them from behind a nearby tree. I was far enough away that I would not be seen, but could still eavesdrop on their conversation. Jack had obviously asked where the rest of the Coates kids had gone; the girl pointed to the town hall. She went on to ask about the cell phone system. Jack willingly seized the opportunity to brag about his techie lifestyle.

Finally Astrid, I had remembered her name finally, said something useful. "Okay, Jack. What is Caine up to?"

"What?" Jack replied. Do not say anything, do not say anything, I commanded silently.

"What's he up to? You're a smart kid, you must have some idea."

Abruptly I was furious with Astrid. She had no place to pry information out of Jack. Who did she think she was, trying to act all suspicious. And what was up with that freak little brother of hers? He looked more like a brainwashing alien than a human being.

"I know he's up to something," Astrid said. Even though Astrid was completely correct she still didn't have the right to make that assumption. "You know what I think?"

Jack shook his head. That kid was going to have some issues with discretion when he got older. Could he truly not see that Astrid was playing him like a cheap piano?

"I think you're a nice person. I think you're very smart, so people don't always treat you very well. They're scared of your talent. And they try to use you."

Jack nodded, it took all my willpower not to storm out from behind my hiding place. How the hell did Astrid think this kid was smart? He was the most daft person I had ever met!

"But I don't that kid Drake is a nice person. He's not is he?" Jack nodded, I couldn't really disagree with Astrid here. Drake's nastiness was plain to see. "He's a bully isn't he? Drake, I mean."

Jack inclined his head slightly, I rolled my eyes. "I thought so. And Caine?"

Here it comes. Jack was about to blow the whole operation because he wanted to vent about his feelings. What. A. Wimp. "Caine, there's something wrong with him isn't there?"

A thought occurred to me. If Jack was willing to rat out Caine, then he was willing to rat out me. I wasn't going to let Jack ruin my chances of getting a reading off of Astrid.

"He can do things. He can-"

Time to end this little tea party. "Jack. There you are." I said, both of them jumped. "I hope your little brother is all right. The way you rushed out of there, I thought maybe he was sick."

"No. No he's fine." She said a little too quickly. A glanced at the small child, he didn't blink when I met his gaze. Creepy.

"He's lucky to have you," I said. I reached for Astrid's hand, a gesture of comfort to the untrained eye. I felt the little sparks start to travel up my arm, but then she tore away from me. I did not smile, didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Jack shifted his weight uncomfortably, obviously embarrassed at being caught.

The silence was broken by a large backhoe driving down the street. A Mexican kid was driving it, without much skill involved.

"Who is that?" I asked condescendingly.

"Edilio," Astrid replied shortly.

"What's he doing?" The backhoe dug into the ground and pulled out giant heaps of earth. "What's he doing?!" I repeated.

"I think he's burying the dead." Astrid said.

"Caine didn't tell him to do that." I said snobbishly.

"What does it matter? It needed to be done. In fact, I think I'll go and see if I can help. You know, if you think that would be okay with Caine."

I put on my most menacing expression. No one, especially not some blonde white trash, talked to me like that. "You seem like a nice girl Astrid," yeah sure. "I'll bet you're on of those brainy, Lisa Simpson types, all full of great ideas and worried about saving the planet or whatever. But things changed. This isn't your old like anymore. It's like… you know what it's like? It's like you used to live in a really nice neighborhood, and now you live in a really though neighborhood. You don't look tough, Astrid." Not tough, like me.

"What caused it? The FAYZ. Do you know?" She said, standing a little straighter, obviously trying to look tough.

I laughed at her failed attempt. "Aliens. God. A sudden shift I the space-time continuum. I heard someone call you Astrid the Genius, so you've probably thought of explanations I can't even guess at. It doesn't matter. It's happened. Here we are." All of it was true. Astrid's smarts wouldn't help her a bit in this new, much harsher world. She was going to have to find that out the hard way.

"What does Caine want?" Astrid asked.

It irked me slightly that she didn't back down from her attempts. Could she not see that I was quite obviously superior to her. That I had done things, things she would never dare to do. The image of my mother at the bottom of the stairs flashed through my mind again. Eyes searching, lips twitching.

"What does Caine want? He wants what he wants. And he'll get it." I realized the double meaning in my words. Caine obviously wanted me, but I wouldn't give in so easily. " Now, run off to the funeral over there. Stay out of my way. And take care of your little brother." I said in the most threatening tone I could manage. For a moment My eyes locked with Astrid. It was easy to read the fear there. I smiled internally. Astrid the Genius, afraid of me. "Jack?" I said sweetly.

"Yes." He replied quickly.

"Come," I ordered. He followed like a well trained poodle. I added some extra swagger to my walk, knowing that Astrid would still be watching. Watching, and both fearing and envying, my every move.

Author's Note:

Sorry this update was so soon, I meant to keep you all waiting in suspense. It's my HS's spring break this week so I had lots of spare time. I know this chapter is kind of dull, and sorely lacking in sarcasm, but I thought it was time to emphasize Diana's catty side. Next chapter will be more fun, I promise!

~ESpencer