Chapter 11: Explanations
When I get home, Ms Lin is waiting on the couch, her arms crossed and eyes looking over her glasses.
Looking at the ground, I try and escape up the stairs before she demands an explanation, but I could tell it wasn't going to work.
"Juliet Mason, you come here right now."
Oh no….she sounds angry- or is it worried?
I obediently walk over to the couch and sink down beside her into the cushions. "Sorry Auntie Lin-" I start to say before she cuts me off.
"Sorry for what? Disappearing without a word? Not telling anyone you were a meta?" She exclaims, waving her arms in the air. "Do you know what happened this morning? I got a phone call from the police that there had been a meta attack at the school! They said they had retrieved most of the kids safely, but they didn't know where you were! Cara, Oliver and Jimmy are fine- Cara was wagging, thank goodness, and the boys were on an excursion."
She quickly paused for breath and I was going to take the opportunity to get a word in, but instead, sighed and sunk further into the couch. What was I going to say anyway?
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Then I got a phone call from you saying you're a metahuman and you're staying with some nice people who could help?! I still can't believe I said yes to that! But I was so relieved that you were safe, and I guess I wasn't thinking straight."
"But Aunty Lin, they really can help- they have been helping me!" I say, affronted at the thought that my new friends aren't trustworthy.
"I don't know that! I've never met them! And-" I finally decide to cut her off.
"I know you don't, but you've got to trust me; they're good people. Do you want to know what happened to me today? I went to school and-and-" I hesitate, not wanting to reveal my powers.
"And what?" Aunty Lin says in a gentle voice.
"It was me!" I cry, hanging my head, "I was the meta who-who-" I whispered, but couldn't finish.
"Oh, baby girl," Aunty Lin says, features immediately softening, enveloping me in a bear hug as I start to sob, "it's ok, everything's going to be ok."
Eventually when I'm coherent enough to speak, she asks softly, "So what happened? I never knew you were a meta…"
"I-" I take a breath, "I can read people's minds. And make them see things I guess."
She looks at me in surprise but says nothing.
"I don't want to hear them!" I say, "But sometimes I can't help it and when there's lots of people and everything's too loud-" I take another breath; trying to keep calm.
"I just-I just didn't even know I could do that! A teacher was upset because a lot of assignments are overdue, and I had my earbuds in."
Understanding crossed Aunty Lin's face, "So that's why you wear those earbuds all the time- so you don't have to hear everyone's thoughts."
"Yeah." I say softly.
She squeezes me into another hug, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know! If I did, I could've helped."
"It's a bit out of your expertise, Aunty," I said with a weak smile, "but there are some really smart people helping me who know what they're doing."
"Fine, you can go with them tomorrow, but I have to meet them first!" She says resignedly.
"Sure, Caitlin said she'd pick me up tomorrow morning. You can meet her then." I said with a relieved smile.
Going upstairs, I got changed and put my ipod on, but I must've lost my earbuds somewhere because they weren't attached. The music I used to lull me to sleep didn't need to be as loud as my other stuff- it was comprised of soft piano lullabies and gentle classical guitar.
Closing my eyes, I drifted off quickly.
Author's Note:
So, here's another chapter!
I thought we needed to see more of Aunty Lin's reaction to her foster-daughter's experiences. I find cruel guardians to kids in books is a bit of an overused troupe so I try to vary my parents. You'll have to tell me how I did! Is this how you all expected her to be?
Trix