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2: Deal or No Deal

The diner's fifties theme stretched into the bathroom. The floors were tiled black and white, and there were records and photos of influential women from the decade hanging in wooden frames on the wall. The entire place smelled a little bit like bleach and fake lemons with that nauseating public bathroom undertone. A fake potted plant sat in the corner of the sink, collecting dust. I didn't really have to go to the bathroom; I just wanted to get away from Jared's sudden perception and the burning gaze of the dark-haired guy.

For bathroom standards, this one was pretty clean, so I didn't feel all squeamish when it came to leaning against the black silver-flecked counter. My finger fell into a puddle of water around the edge of the sink as I dipped my head and forced myself to take in a deep breath. I turned on the faucet and washed my hands, splashing water over my face and on the tips of my ears, which were strangely hot. Without looking up, I reached out mentally for one of the paper towels. I heard it tear a bit with the force I'd pulled it, and it floated over to me. I grabbed it before someone walked in the room, patting my face dry.

The door swung open with a slight squeak behind me, and I straightened so quickly I clipped my hip on the edge of the counter. Wincing, I crumpled the paper towel and went to throw it in the trash bin, already pasting a smile on my face for whichever old lady was coming through the door. But it wasn't an old lady. My stomach clenched with nerves when she walked in.

I was the type of person that had a gut instinct and trusted it more often than not. I fully believed that people just gave off vibes, and the ones coming from the group of teens were confusing. At first, I'd been just intrigued by them, because there was something about them, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on, that made them stand out from everyone else. But then the tall, dark one, the one that looked around the place like he was expecting trouble, set his sights on me, and I suddenly felt very threatened without him saying a word.

This girl wasn't as threatening as her comrade, but she carried a tension around her that didn't sit well with me, almost as if the air was static around her. I faced the mirror and played with the hem of my shirt, pretending like I was just primping before I returned for my date. I didn't want to just slip out the door the moment she walked in, making it obvious that she was affecting me. Why else would she have followed me in here? Unless she really had to go, but she wasn't dashing for one of the stalls, and that made me uneasy.

She leaned forward and played with her hair in the mirror. The way she was messing with it suggested that she wasn't used to it being as long as it was; I did the same thing when I cut my hair short in middle school. Swallowing, I ran a finger under my eyelashes, collecting any running mascara. I didn't know if she felt the same tightness in the air as I did, but she didn't seem to be bothered by anything. Deciding I'd stood there long enough, I turned to leave, and she spoke.

"I wouldn't leave just yet, if I were you." Her voice was light, but it had enough bite in it that it reminded me, distantly, of Rebecca. It was just sugary sweet, with that undertone of venom.

I froze with my hand on the door handle. I could practically hear her smirk in the mirror. Turning on my heel, I forced myself to raise my eyes to meet hers. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, relieved that my voice didn't waver.

"I'm looking for an Emma Halstead." She said. Sudden fear shot into me, and I swallowed hard. She finished fixing her hair and turned her dark gaze on me. "It's a small town, you know, and I figured that you looked about the right age for Emma." She added, making a point of sizing me up.

"W-Why are you looking for Emma?" I stuttered out, instinctively pretending that it wasn't me she was talking about.

The girl looked at me with clear disdain. "Listen, we all heard that guy call you Emma, and really, how many Emmas are there in a place like this?" She practically sneered. I bit back the urge to get defensive. Sure, there were times when my friends and I had complained about how small our town was, and how there was never really anything to do besides go to the outlet mall, which got old, or go to the bowling lanes, which was expensive for our tiny budgets. But for her, an outsider, to come in and start staying bad stuff about the place I'd grown up… I didn't like it.

"So, are you Emma Halstead or not?" She asked, putting a hand on her hip. She narrowed her eyes at me, and something about the way her eyes and face were shaped made me wonder, only vaguely, if she had Asian ancestry.

I opened my mouth to reply – I still wasn't sure if I was going to be honest, or if I was going to be sarcastic – when the bathroom door swung open again. My jaw closed with an audible click, but apparently I didn't have to worry too much. It was just the other girl, the shorter one with black hair. It was glaringly obvious now that it was dyed; it had that same dull, over-processed look that Ali's hair had when she bleached it last year. That wasn't the only thing that reminded me of Ali, though. This girl was just as small and birdlike in her frame. This girl's eyes, though, were light blue.

"Tori," she said softly. I glanced at the other girl sharply. That was her name, then. Tori glanced over at the other girl, her eyes still narrowed. "Derek told us that we should handle this more… delicately." She sent me an apologetic glance, as if she knew who I was, too. I swallowed hard.

What would four teenagers be doing looking for someone like me? I was normal, except for my ability to move things. But I'd been so careful to keep it hidden. I'd never told anybody, and usually I only used my powers when I was alone, or when it was impossible to put actual blame on me, like what I'd did with Rebecca. If that was why they were here, how did they know?

Seeing a possible exit, I started to slip around Tori. My fingers just closed around the edge of the door when a hand landed on my shoulder. I froze for a second, then forced myself to look up at Tori. She rolled her eyes dramatically and said, "Not so fast. You're Emma Halstead, aren't you? Just tell us the truth. We'll figure it out eventually."

The smaller girl looked like she was about to object. Tori had a point, though. If I didn't tell them who I was now, they'd find out later. Gran shared the same last name as me, and I knew she was in the phone book. It wasn't like I was well hidden. Next thing I knew, they could be cornering me at my house, or at my school, instead of just a diner bathroom.

"Fine," I said, narrowing my eyes. "I'm Emma Halstead. What do you want?"

Tori seemed pleased that she'd gotten a confession out of me. I wanted to tell her that it wasn't her detective skills that talked me into giving my identity. It was fact that they'd be able to find me even if I ditched them now. And since I didn't know what they wanted from me, I couldn't be sure if they'd be angry when they found out I'd lied. So the truth it was.

"Hi," the shorter girl said, stepping a little bit in front of Tori. She brushed her hair self-consciously behind her ear. "My name's Chloe. And we'd like to talk to you, if we could. It's kind of important." I already liked her better. At least she didn't seem to think that she could push me around.

"What's it about?" I asked. I tried to think of what it could be, but my mind came up blank. If it was anything family-related, Gran would've heard about it before me. I didn't recognize their faces, which I didn't think I could forget, and their names didn't ring any bells.

Tori nearly snarled at me. "It's something you're going to want to hear. Isn't that good enough?"

Chloe cleared her throat. "It's about your past. And Tori's right. You're going to want to hear it." I had to admit, my curiosity was piqued. There was a lot of stuff that I didn't know about myself. Gran didn't like to talk about it, and my mother had been AWOL since she dropped me off with my grandmother for a weekend and never returned. I had no clue who my father was, and if Gran knew, she wasn't talking. When I was younger, not knowing had been a huge problem in my life. Since then, I've gotten over it.

But with only a few words, they brought the need-to-know feeling back to me. If they knew anything I didn't….

My chest felt tight, like someone had sat directly on top of me and was digging into my ribs, trying to crush my lungs with their grip. I wanted to know, but how could I trust them? "Well, I can't talk right now. My boyfriend's out there, waiting for me. We're supposed to go to a movie." I said. My entire body was rigid with anxiety. I clenched my fists, so Tori couldn't see my shaking fingers.

"Fake sick," Tori replied sharply. "And go home. We can meet you there. We already found a Halstead in the phone book." Her lips curled into a small smile, but it wasn't one of friendliness. It was as if she'd won a silent competition. I could nearly see Rebecca's face overlaid with Tori's.

"That's my Gran." I said defensively. "I swear to God," I began, about to tell them what exactly I'd do to them if they harassed Gran in any way, but Tori cut me off with a snort and a dramatic eye roll.

"Chill, we're not going to do anything to dear old granny. Just go home." As she said the words, her eyes lifted up to the ceiling, scanning the edges. What was she looking for? Cameras? Somehow, for just that moment, she seemed more vulnerable, less hard.

I sucked in a breath. It seemed like I didn't have a choice. I could always tell Tori to screw herself and return to my date with Jared. But Tori knew where Gran lived. I wouldn't pin her for a psycho murderer, but there was a darkness in her eyes that said she'd seen things people our age never see. Chloe's gaze echoed the same, and even though she was obviously softer and kinder, I sort of feared her.

And even if I continued my date with Jared, it wouldn't be happy and carefree like I wanted it to be. Tori and Chloe had ruined it. We stared at each other for a long time, all three of us completely silent while we waited for my answer. Honestly, I was surprised that Tori was waiting, instead of pushing me against the wall and threatening me to do whatever she said. That seemed more her style.

"Okay," I said. My voice sounded distant, even to my own ears. Chloe let out a breath that I hadn't noticed she'd been holding and gave me an easy smile. Tori didn't grin at me. She just gave me a short nod and headed for the bathroom door.

Chloe looked back at me as she followed Tori. She paused and said, "All we want is for you to hear us out. After that, you can ignore us forever, if you want." Without waiting for me to reply, she was out of the bathroom, leaving me completely alone.

# # #

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jared asked. He had his left hand on the wheel and his right on the gearshift between us. He looked over at me, his eyes filled with concern. He'd asked me the question a hundred times from the moment I slid back into our booth to now.

Most girls complained that their boyfriends weren't attentive enough. And most of the time, I was kind of the same way. Jared was sweet, but sometimes he talked too much about sports or partied too much or did the exact opposite of what I wanted. But now, all of a sudden, he was too attentive. I wanted him to just drive and drop me off.

"Yes," I answered, trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice. If he heard it, he might choose to start asking about it, which would make me mad. My anger would set off his temper, and before we knew it, we'd be in a fight about nothing in particular. We'd had a few fights, but they only lasted a few hours at most. I always feared, though, that one day he'd turn his back on me for good.

I angled my body towards the window of his car, gazing out the window. I'd agreed to meet with Tori and Chloe, at my house of all places, because I didn't see any way out of it. They knew where I lived, and if I'd argued with them, they might have turned on me. I didn't know what they wanted, but they were just teenagers. They couldn't have anything that important. So what was with all the cloak and dagger?

"Babe, are you sure?" Jared asked.

"Yes," I snapped, exasperated. I glanced over at him. He was frowning, his eyebrows drawn together. He wouldn't say it, but I could see the hurt behind his eyes. I never yelled at him, ever, and he never yelled at me. We were perfect. I just wasn't acting like it. I sighed. "I'm sorry. I just really want to go home."

His eyes stayed hard, but he nodded, accepting my apology. That eased my guilt a little bit, but I still felt bad. Jared turned onto my street and parked at the curb in front of my house. "Thanks," I said. I turned to face him, leaning over the gearshift. I went to give him a goodbye kiss, but he turned his head the barest fraction at the last minute, so I caught the edge of his lips. He was just mad at me, but it still stung. "I'm sorry I ruined tonight. Rain check?" I asked, quelling the urge to cross my fingers for hope.

"No problem," Jared replied, giving me a slight, forced smile. It didn't reach his eyes. It made me feel worse. "We'll get together some other Friday." He added, and I wondered if that was a jab. Just as football season started to wind down soccer started up. We only had weeks in between our seasons, and most of those were spent with friends and family as the holidays swept by.

"Okay," I managed, pretending like I wasn't bothered. We weren't fighting, I told myself. We were just… not on the same page. "I'll see you later, then." I said.

"Yeah, later," he echoed. I stepped out of his car, only halfway up the drive when he pulled away. I felt like I'd been stabbed in the gut. Usually, he waited until I was at least at the front door before he drove away. He must be madder than I thought.

I sighed and paused in the middle of the driveway, looking up at the house. Gran was probably watching some cooking show inside, not expecting me for a few more hours. I glanced around the yard, half expecting to see dark figures hiding in Gran's flowerbeds, waiting for me to come home. But I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was just our regular brick house, shingled roof, and painted shutters. Gran's shrubs needed to be trimmed, and her flowerbed needed to be weeded. She loved to do those kinds of things, but she couldn't spend a lot of time outside anymore, and her old knees wouldn't allow her to weed the place. I should've been doing it, but it always seemed like I didn't have the time.

I was about to make plans to complete Gran's yard work when I heard the sound of a car pull up a few houses down. It was an old van. I realized I hadn't bothered to check and see what kind of car Tori and Chloe rode in. I probably should've.

I wasn't in the beam of the headlights, but I still froze. The van's rumbling came to a stop and the lights flicked off, plunging me back into the night. The front passenger door opened and a small frame slipped out. I didn't need much light to see that it was Chloe. She stepped up to the front as the taller guy from the restaurant stepped out of the driver's seat. Tori wasn't lying. They were here.

I couldn't let them into the house. I didn't want them around my home, around Gran, especially when she didn't know the lengths that Tori had gone through to get me to agree to this. So I made a split second decision and headed back down the driveway, back towards them. As I did so, I took note of the trashcan and the recycling bin at the end of the drive, things that I could pick up and throw at them. I could make the van move, too, if I wanted to. Everything that wasn't nailed down was at my disposal. But I didn't want to use my abilities in front of them.

I had no idea what they wanted from me. At first, I was scared that they were looking for me because they'd heard what I could do. Then I thought that maybe it was because they had information about my past. Maybe they knew something about my father, or my mother. And then I wondered: what if they were the same thing? What if my abilities were because of my parents?

But they hadn't given me anything, so I wouldn't give them anything. Fair was fair.

"Emma?" Chloe asked as I neared.

"Yeah, it's me." I answered. Immediately, I took the defensive. They'd made me feel cornered in the bathroom, and I hated that feeling. Now, I would be the aggressor. Let them be cornered. "What do you want?"

All four of them stood in front of me. They were all silent, hidden partially by the shadows. I eyed them nervously. There were four of them and one of me. I figured that given my weird anomaly, I might be able to get into the safety of the house. Bu that was only if the four of them were completely normal, and if I wasn't normal, who could say they were?

Someone cleared their throat and stepped forward. It was the blonde guy. He was distinctly shorter than the other boy, but he was still taller than me, if only by a few inches. "My name is Simon, and that's my brother Derek." I glanced over at the tall guy. Brother? They didn't look related at all. But his name was familiar. I was pretty sure Chloe had mentioned him while we were in the bathroom. "And I'm pretty sure you already know Tori and Chloe," Simon added.

"Um, yeah," I said. Even I winced at how sarcastic I sounded. Pretending like I didn't care or was extremely put out was my first defense. It made me feel like nobody would dare stop me. "So what do you want from me?"

"You aren't lying about being Emma Halstead, right?" Simon asked, quirking one eyebrow at me.

"Do you want to see an ID?" I shot back. Simon seemed to be waiting for one, and I snorted to myself. "I promise I'm Emma Halstead. Why would I lie about being the one you're looking for? If anything, I would lie and say I wasn't."

"It matters because it's important," Tori said sharply, her words digging at me. I could already tell that there was no possible way we could ever get along. That wasn't so bad, because I wasn't planning on being around her for much longer.

"What could be so important?" I asked.

"How about we promise to tell you everything, if you promise you're not going to freak out and go call someone." Simon said.

"Wow, that sounds comforting." I said. Simon gave me a look. He was being serious. He wanted a promise like that from me.

I paused. What could be so important that they wanted me to promise to keep it a secret? I couldn't imagine anything being that important. I should turn my back and tell them to get out of there or I would call the police. I should completely ignore them, and pretend that I'd never met them. But I couldn't, because my curiosity was growing. What did they want to tell me?

Swallowing hard, I took a strong stance and said, "Deal."

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