Author Note: I'm sorry for the slow update. I had to rewrite this chapter three times. And this could be a bad chapter to some.
I wanted to show an action chapter. But it would have useless characters that Claire mentioned a bit in chapter 19 and would show a few more times. But it will have a understanding backstory of how Claire learned how to spin with a baton and a bit of dimension to Diego. No, I don't believe she was in a band or color guard in middle school or freshman year. I think it was just a lie to get Darci and Mary off her back.
But I didn't want to have too many characters in this story and many who are useless. I was almost about to make a joke about the action. But the characters don't have to be useless if they serve as a purpose for the story. It's better than explaining everything.
But I want to show some girl power. YAY!
I escaped and left the group as I wanted to be independent. I looked around and was amazed at the tall and colorful buildings as a little girl. I walk around, exploring the town's wonders and looking at it in awe. No one who saw me minded that a young child was alone without a parent. The more I walk, I feel... lost. I felt scared when I knew I was and couldn't find Mom, Dad, or anyone in my family. I looked around and found myself in a dark and scary alley. I try to find my way back, but it makes me more lost. I start panicking, and tears coat my eyes, but I keep trying to find my way home. I hear voices, making me think I've found kids or adults who can help, but all those thoughts wash away when I see a group of boys in front of a girl about my age, and she looks scared.
"Please, leave me alone. I want to go home." She begs, almost crying.
"No way! We want to play." One of the boys laughs.
I can feel and see the horror and fear in the girl. Even though I didn't know her, I had to help. I looked for something to stop them from touching her, or I could just shout at them, but I grabbed a small rock near my feet and threw it at one of the boys without thinking. I aimed at his back but shot him in the head, making the boy cry in pain.
"She said to leave her alone! What do you think that means?" I shout at them.
The boys turn to me, and I can see it's the Mean Boyz group from down a couple of blocks from the manor. Alejandro, Fernando, Carlo, Santiago, and Antonio.
"Well, well, well. What have we here, boys?" One of the boys, Alejandro, asks with a slight snicker.
As all the boys turn to me, the girl runs away. I feel good that she's running, but as soon as I see the smirks on the boys' faces, I wish I was her.
"Are you lost, firstborn?" One of the other boys, Santiago, asks, snickering.
That's what they called me ever since Kyra told them. I hate it! No way am I going to tell them I'm lost. I shake my head and start walking away, but one of the boys grabs me by the wrist.
"Come on! Why don't you play with us?" Antonio asks.
I try to pull my hand back, but he is too strong. As I struggle, I start to tremble.
"Awww, are you scared?" He asks with a smirk.
"Let me go!" I scream as loud as I can. "I have to go back home!"
"Stay; we love to have a girl to play with us." Fernando snickers. "Especially one who is weak and would be a good punching bag."
A chill goes down my spine. I struggle more but get pulled oppositely and slam onto the ground. I cry in pain as they hit and push me with their feet. I may be weak and small, but I won't submit to make something stop. They continue to beat me until I hear Diego shout at them. I don't remember all, but I saw Diego beat up the Mean Boys with his fists and a stick. He scares them away before coming to comfort me and help me. I asked him to teach me how to do what he did before my parents ran to us to scold me, but in the end, they comforted me.
I was only seven years old.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" I yell at the group of kids, looking at the cars in the driveway.
The kids turn to me. They are tall boys, all with dark physical features and biking clothes. They smirk and walk toward me, leaving the cars alone.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here, boys? Firstborn, right?" One of the boys laughs.
My eyes widen. His face, voice, and what he said sent me a shiver down my spine. "What are you doing here, Alejandro?" I ask flatly.
"Aww, guys! She remembers me! How sweet!" He says, making all the boys laugh.
I cross my arms and huff in annoyance. "Why are you guys here?" I repeat, rolling my eyes.
"Well, a little bird whispered in my ear, saying you're back in town. We came here to see if it's true, and apparently, it is."
"Good! You saw me, and you can go now!" I reply.
Alejandro acts like he got punched in the gut and gives me puppy dog eyes. "Awww, don't shoo me away, Claire. I came here to ask you a question." He says sadly.
They pass me and walk into the manor. "Hey, you can't walk in there!" I shout and rush to them.
"Alejandro, Fernando, Carlo, Santiago, Antonio! What the hell are you doing here!" Diego shout as I catch up in the courtyard.
"We just want to stop by, Diego. Chill out, man!" Santiago says flatly.
Alejandro keeps eyeing and grinning at me while I walk over to Diego, who looks at them with evil eyes.
"And Alejandro wishes to ask Claire a question," Fernando speaks up, snickering.
"Not for how you bullied and treated my little cousin in the past!" Diego hisses.
I place a hand behind his back, and he places one on my shoulder. Diego feels tense and rigid, something Jim did when he was a half-troll and felt protective of me. Before I knew Douxie, Jim, Zoe, Toby, Blinky, AAARRRGGHH!, Mary or Darci, Diego was my friend. When I was at Huntington, we were always together. We were inseparable. We told each other's secrets, played pranks, adventured, and protected one another. One time when I was 15, he told me he was bisexual, thinking that I was the only one to be entrusted with that secret. When Mom told everyone we weren't returning to Huntington when I was 12, Diego and I cried for hours. We didn't want to leave each other. Aside from Douxie, Diego was like a brother to me. He could've spent all his time with his brothers, sisters, or male cousins, but instead, he would always want to be with me. He was the only person besides Dad who liked me for who I was. So, to make the separation easier for us, Mom got me a phone, and we exchanged numbers. We talked almost every weekend. But over the years, it had slowed down. But no matter what, we stayed in touch. After all these years, Diego never forgot what the Mean Boyz did to me. It wasn't just when I was seven. Oh no! It had every time I came to Huntington. I roll my eyes and pad Diego on the back. "It's alright," I say softly to him before letting go and stepping closer to the boys in front of me. I cross my arms and glare at them. "Fine! What is the question you want to ask me?" I hiss. With that, Alejandro smooths out his hair and adjusts his jacket. He steps closer to me and gives me a cocky smile. Oh, no!
"Claire Nuñez, would you like to go on a date with me?" He asks with confidence.
I freeze at the question with shock, making my stomach does a complete 360. I feel sick and like I want to throw up on his shoes. Did this guy ask me out on a date? Rage fuels my body in seconds as every curse word and magical spell hits my head. I clench my fists tightly and feel my hands glow.
"You haven't seen me in five years, and you're asking me this?" I say seriously, narrowing my eyes.
Alejandro draws back and looks a bit embarrassed. "Well, I have seen your Facegram pics for three years, and I have to say, you look amazing in all of them." He says with a cocky but slightly shaky voice.
I didn't appreciate nor listen to his flattery. I try to look in the corner of my eyes to find my boyfriend like he was when I first met Douxie, but he's not beside me. "Sorry! I'm already dating. And if I weren't taken, I wouldn't date a smooth-talking, bad-boy jackass who beats up girls like you!" I hiss harshly.
I hear shock throughout the room. Alejandro blinks but doesn't step back. Instead, he grins maliciously. "Oh really? Who is he? A gringo or a Latino?" He asks proudly.
I growl furiously. I post pics of Jim and me on my Facegram profile and post kissing, hugging, and being affectionate toward him. I'm proud of our relationship, but Alejandro made this a nagging weapon. "None of your fucking business!" I reply defensively.
"Whoa, calm down, Firstborn. Don't need to be rude." He chuckles, places a hand on me, and his eyes drift to my neck. "Nice necklace."
I slap it away and step back. "Don't touch me!" I shout. "I'm warning you, leave and go home! This isn't your turf!"
"We're the Boyz of the town, Claire! No one tells us to leave!" He says more angrily, and his eyes look furious.
But I'm not scared. I feel as confident as I did when fighting trolls. Alejandro might be a foot taller and more muscular, but I could beat him and his gang up without breaking a sweat.
"Claire is right!" Diego hisses. "Leave!"
"We're not leaving until you make us!" Fernando shouts back, smirking at us.
Suddenly, all of the young adults made fighting poses. Steve, Toby, Jim, and Douxie want to fight, but I hold them back.
"Oh no! We don't want to fight you and will only go if..." Carlo's finger wanders and points forward. "If she kicks our asses for disrespecting Alejandro."
Everyone in the room gasps as Carlo's finger points at me. I was a bit surprised and sick, but seeing the smirk on his face, he thought this was a fight they could win. They only know small and helpless girls. The girl they beat in the dark alley when she was seven, but from training as a troll hunter, fighting trolls three times my size and ten times my weight for almost a year, I'm ready.
"Are you kidding?" Someone in the crowd shouts.
"Claire?"
"Women can't fight! She's too weak!"
"You can't be serious?"
There's a big commotion throughout the room. I feel hands placed on my shoulders. But the anger rips through my body, and I jerk them away. I take a deep breath and open my mouth. "I accept!" I shout, making the whole room go dead silent. They all stared at me like I was crazy, except for Steve, Douxie, Jim, and Toby.
"Are you sure First Born? You might break." Fernando snickers and walks up to me. He leans down and grins.
But I'm having none of it. I'm not doing it for anyone or satisfaction. I'm doing this for me. I stare at him blankly, but a punched gut reaction replaces his cocky grin. I take a step back, and he howls in pain as his eyes shut tight, and he holds his stomach with both hands. I feel a sting in my fingers, but the adrenaline and my powers heal it quickly.
"What the hell, little girl!" He yells at me with angry eyes, but I don't shiver.
"You let a small girl knock the wind out of your ass!" Santiago shouts at Fernando.
Furious, Carlo came at me, his hand in front of his body, but I didn't know a good move to hit him with. So, I swiftly moved away and lifted my foot for him to trip. He loses his footing and falls face-first to the ground. I couldn't help but feel good and slightly smile about it. I usually didn't like or feel good about beating up someone, troll or human, but these idiots messed with the wrong girl. Some of my family around us shout for it to stop, some for praise, but I focus on the assholes in front of me. I throw a hook punch to Alejandro in the face for Santiago, and when Fernando grabs me from the back, I scissor-hit him in the face and hammer fist him in the Gronk-nuts, making him howl in pain more. Antonio grabs me by the front, his hands on my shoulders, but I jump and kick him in the stomach, making him let go and fly. It's not euphoric bliss, but I feel good beating these bastards up while people watch, dodging and self-defending myself. After a while, I started to get a little tired. I can't show it and need to figure out a plan. I'm half the size of all the boys, but I can use their strength against them. It was a tactic Blinky and Jim taught me while traveling to New Jersey. Aikido is what Mary calls it. When Carlo steps toward me to attack, I use his dominant foot and hand to twist it and throw him several feet away. I push Fernando's fists with mine and drop to swing my leg under his feet when he tries to grab me. Santiago launches at me; I bend down, making him jump, but I grab one of his feet and pull forward, making him fall to the ground. When Antonio gets close, I step on his foot and grab his right arm. I hold my clenched right fist up to my ear, about to punch him in the face, but I freeze.
"You wouldn't dare?" He growls, frowning.
I smirk and hit his leg to make him spin around. I quickly grab a scarf from his jacket and wrap it around his arms. I kick him back, making him fly back a couple of feet. After a few more hits, kicks, punches, and dodging, everyone but Alejandro groans, cries, and curls up in pain. I turn to his cross arms and smug look.
"Think I'm weak now, Alejandro?" I ask, panting a bit. I have some scrapes, and one is bleeding on my arm. But I don't care.
"You're going to beg for mercy soon, girl." He replies calmly.
I think he's joking, but he grabs something in his jacket. At first, I thought it was a gun, and my heart started beating faster, but when he took it out, it looked like a grip handle. He flicks it, and it comes out as a long, thin, metal-looking stick. Crap! I don't have my staff. I could try dodging it, but I need a weapon myself. I glance around but can't find anything, but I spot a similar sticker between us on the ground that I swear wasn't there before. I take advantage of the situation, quickly and swiftly grabbing it while backing away from Alejandro.
"Aww, what are you gonna do with that, poke me?" He says sarcastically, laughing at his joke.
I roll my eyes. "You have no idea what I can do, do you?" I say sternly and smirk at him.
He makes the first move, and I either dodge for him to trip or successfully attack and defend myself. Alejandro is stunned but fights back with the same amount of force. I almost win the duel thanks to Diego, Blinky, and fighting, but with a simple slip, Alejandro cheats and strikes me. I hit my head, closing my eyes as I touch the ground. I groan in pain and feel my magic flow around my body. I try to push it down as I hear the commotion, yelling for this to stop. As I hit my head, I see a vision of a woman. Not of Mom, Abuela, Morgana, or Barbara. She looks like me with her hair, dark hair swept in a high bun, flawless fair skin, and smiling brown eyes. She looks similar to the painting of Veronica of Galot I showed in my presentation. She smiles sweetly at me.
"Wake up, Claire. Fight!" She says gently.
Her voice sounds like the siren who sang Mom's lullaby. The woman feels like someone familiar to me, but I have never seen her before.
I listen to her advice and open my eyes to see the lantern and night sky. I feel winded and tired. I groan and roll to my side.
"Looks like you concede." Alejandro laughs behind my back.
I feel rage rise in me again as his laughter becomes louder. I think about what I should do, and I have an idea. The duel isn't over until I say I concede. Instead, I take a deep breath and turn around. "Rule number three!" I shout and kick Alejandro hard in the Gronk-nuts. He howls loudly in so much pain that he falls to the floor. I grab my metal stick and quickly get up. I see Alejandro on the ground, looking pathetic, groaning in pain. He tries to get up, but I place the end of my stick near his chest, making him freeze. I stare at him with narrow eyes. "Do you concede?" I ask sternly. I look into his dark blue eyes and see calm, anger, fear, and disappointment. I'm mad at him for asking me on a date and for judging me, my life, and my choices, but a part of me feels sorry for him. On the ground, he looks like a pathetic and scared boy. Even though how much I want to beat him up to critical condition, I suppress my urge and show him mercy. Alejandro nods and squeaks yes, sighing in defeat. I draw back the stick and step back to let him get up. He takes a deep breath, smoothes his clothes, and gives me a cocky smile. I roll my eyes in disgust.
"Well, looks like I misjudged you." He says calmly and keeps his grin
I stare at him stare in the face. "Get the hell out of this house!" I hiss harshly.
Alejandro blows me a kiss and winks before walking over to his buddies. Diego, Dad, and some other male adults lead the Boyz out while I feel everyone's eyes on me. I look around, seeing some in shock, some in horror, and some in amazement. Despite the awkwardness, I drop the metal stick and hold my head up. The more everyone stares, the more shame and guilt crawl into me. What are they staring at? I feel something on my temple. When I touch my fingers, it feels cold and a bit sticky. It's blood.
Finally, Barbara steps up and walks up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a worried look. "Are you alright?"
Before I can say something, Olivia runs to me with angry eyes. "¿Qué demonios estabas pensando?" She yells harshly.
"I got those guys to leave Tía-"
"¡Cómo te atreves a hablar con tu tía!" Lucas shouts while walking towards us, interrupting me. He also looks angry and unsupportive. "¿Te das cuenta de lo que has hecho?"
"Lucas, she's hurt. You shouldn't say that." Barbara says seriously, standing between them and me, and I am shocked she can understand what they are saying, but where she stands isn't going to end well.
"This isn't your problem, Barbara! Stay out of this!" Olivia replies harshly.
"I'm a doctor, and she's bleeding with open wounds. You're being irrational and rude." Barbara protests.
"What she did was disrespectful and disgraceful," Lucas replies.
"You're the ones being disrespectful," I mumble and walk around Barbara and pass my uncle and aunt, but Lucas grabs my elbow before I can walk away.
"¡No se aleje de mí, señorita!" He yells at me while painfully squeezing my arm.
We turn our heads to see my mom looking furious.
"¡Ophelia, Mira lo que tu hija ha hecho!" Lucas yells at his sister.
"I saw it, but she is my daughter, and you let go of her right now," Mom says sternly, looking angry but stoic.
I jerk my arm out of Lucas's grasp. "I just fought off a bunch of boys who came in here, I'm bleeding, and you think you can shame me for defending myself!" I yell at him and Olivia. They stare at me, unphased. "What the hell is wrong with you!" I hiss. Before anyone can respond, I run. I run up the stairs to the third level, into my room, and slam the door with tears while hearing Lucas and Olivia berate Mom that I'm a horrible daughter.
"Whoa, Sis! What's wrong?" NotEnrique asks with concern as I hit my back against the wall.
The bleeding gets worse, but I don't care. It will heal soon. I slide my back to hit the floor and pull my knees to my chest. "I'm fine!" I hiss while gritting my teeth. I feel a lump in my throat and want to cry, but the tears won't flow. The emotions in my mind hit me hard in the chest like a bullet. I want to punch something, cut, scream, and/or run away. I could portal out of here and sit on the beach, roof, or back in my room in Arcadia. I could punch the wall or cut myself out of shame. I could scream at my family, but I know all those things would lead to more yelling and lectures, which I don't need.
"Claire, don't do that!"
God! I want to punch myself. Whenever I think of something negative to do, a tiny part of my mind tells me to stop. I hate it. I hate it! I hate it so much!-
Someone knocks at the door. NotEnrique squeaks and sprints to his hiding spot.
"I don't want another lecture," I mumble, burying my head between my chest and knees. I hear the door open anyway. I tense up and wait for Olivia's shouting.
"Claire, look up."
The female doesn't sound like Mom, Olivia, Zoe, Mary, Darci, or any of my cousins. It sounds stern but sweet. The same voice spoke to me first in the courtyard after the duel. I take a deep breath and obey. I see Barbara standing in front of the door with a small box with a Red Cross on it. She has a warm and comforting presence with a concerned expression. "Oh..." I frown as guilt pokes my chest. "I thought you were Olivia or Mom."
"No." She replies calmly and knees down to my level. "Come on, get up."
"Why?" I ask a bit louder in confusion.
Barbara looks me square in the eyes. "Your bleeding Claire and I'm here to help, unlike your family." She says sternly.
I roll my eyes but nod my head. Barbara closes the door and sits on my bed. She opens up the box and takes out some wipes. I let Barbara use the wipes to clean my blood and open wounds on my head and arms, making me groan and hiss as the solution stings the wounds.
I try to distract myself. "Where are my parents?" I ask.
Barbara becomes sympathetic and gives me a reassuring smile. "They're talking to your grandparents, Aunt Olivia and Uncle Lucas. Why?" She replies.
I sigh and shake my head. "Never mind." I hiss as she adds pressure on my arm.
"Why ask me and say that?" She asks sternly.
I huff and look away. "If my parents came here, they would probably lecture me as my aunt and uncle did."
"No, that's not fair. Your parents wouldn't do that."
That struck a chord. I turn and look back at her with narrow eyes. "How would you know?" I glare at her.
Barbara looks down and sighs. She doesn't respond, and silence fills the room. Barbara looks sad. Does she know what I went through? Did someone tell her? She takes a deep breath and looks me square in the eye. "Because they wanted me to check on you to ensure you were ok." She says seriously.
I roll my eyes and moan to the pressure. "Why? Because they were too ashamed to come here and say that to my face?" I growl sarcastically.
"Claire, you're parents care deeply for you. Since you left for New Jersey, their actions caught up with them, making them regret it, especially your mother." Barbara replies. She takes off the wipes and takes out some bandages.
I grab her hand as it comes closer to me. "You don't have to do that," I say clearly.
Barbara looked up and raised her eyebrow, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"
"Trust me, Doll, wait," NotEnrique speaks up, coming out of his hiding spot.
We turn to him, and Barbara gasps; her eyes widen, but she takes it in. NotEnrique leaps on the bed and sits beside me.
"What?" Barbara asks, more confused and growing concerned.
"You'll see," I say quietly.
With that, I show my wounds to both of us. I take a deep breath, and my wounds start healing. Purple starts glowing over my wounds and slowly closes them up. Now, it looks like there's no cut. I look up at Barbara, who stares in shock.
"What the hell!" She gasps, grabbing my elbows and examining my healed arms. She looks closer and studies my skin.
"Ummm, Barbara..."
She snaps up and looks flabbergasted. I gesture to my arm, and she lets go, smiling awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Claire. I don't mean to... Ummm..." She loses her words, looking confused. "How did you... That's not supposed to..."
I giggle nervously at her ignorance. "I'm a witch Barbara," I say clearly, a bit embarrassed. She still looks confused, almost like her head is about to fall off her shoulders like a broke bobblehead toy. I frown and lower my head. "Jim didn't tell you that?" I whisper. I feel scared, but Barbara knows about trolls. Sure, it's OK to tell her I'm a witch.
She shakes her head. "Yeah, but this is..." She grabs one of my wrists and lifts my arm. "This was a quarter-inch deep wound that was an inch wide, Claire. That doesn't disappear like that!" She says seriously.
"I have healing powers. It's one of my quirks for being a witch, and I can heal myself on command, or it sometimes just... happens." I moan as I feel a headache come on. I hold my head and feel blood pressure through my nostrils, and I pinch my nose and lean forward. "And this is the side effect." I moan. Barbara relaxes and helps me with the nosebleed. We sit silently as the nosebleed eventually stops.
"So... does it work on other people when you're touching them or?.." Barbara speaks up with curiosity.
I shake my head and turn to look at her. "No. Even though I've known this for about two months, I've never used it on anyone." I reply clearly, playing with my necklace. "But it's probably for the best. Douxie said that if I get a nosebleed when healing myself, it might be dangerous for me to use it on other people."
"Oh," Barbara replies. "And Douxie is a wizard? He's the boy in black who came with us, and Jim told me he's your mentor."
I nod my head, smiling. "Yes! He's taught me to perform magic and become a good sorceress." I say proudly.
Barbara smiles back. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad earlier." She says softly.
"It's ok, Barbara. You're a doctor and have never seen this before." I respond reassuringly. "I'm happy you checked on me."
Barbara nods her head and packs up the first aid kit. "I want to tell you that even though what you did was reckless, you were courageous, standing up and beating all those boys back there." She replies calmly.
"Thanks," I reply flatly. "That's what happens when you were bullied by those boys for five years and trained vigorously for nine months. You kick ass and take names."
She chuckles and shakes her head. "You are just like Jim, trying to show your tough."
"I didn't do that to show off. I did that for myself. They came in uninvited; Alejandro had the balls to ask me out on a date when he knew I had a boyfriend and used it as a poking weapon."
"Well, that shows me you don't intend to cheat on him."
I scowl at her. "That's not funny! I would never do that to Jim, and he's too good to me to be treated like that!"
"I'm sorry, Claire. I know you wouldn't do that to him." She says softly.
My mind goes to thinking of my boyfriend. "Where is he?" I ask timidly.
"I sent him to his room for safety before I came to check up on you."
I frown and look down at my feet. I want him to be with me. "I hope I didn't hurt his feelings at dinner."
"Don't worry, Claire, you didn't." I hear her reply and place a hand on my back. "He knows how tough this is for you and worries for you."
That just makes me feel worse. "Thanks!" I mumble.
"If you want, I can ask him to come in here if that would make you feel better?"
I feel a happy feeling rise inside me. "Really?"
Barbara smiles. "If it makes you and Jim feel better, yes. Since you guys came back from New Jersey, I see how much you two care about each other, and I want to support it because I see how happy you made my son."
I blush and bite my lip. "Thanks, Barbara!" I reply sheepishly.
"Although, I question how Jim turned back into a human. He was a half-troll the last time I saw him before you left, and even he doesn't know how." She says suspiciously, glancing away from me and placing her index finger on her chin.
I tense up and grit my teeth. I give her a fake smile as I haven't told Jim how he returned. Or even explain to me. "Oh, Douxie just found a way to turn him back into a human again." I lie, and it must be convincing because Barbara believes it.
She gives me the sweetest smile I've seen. "Well, I'm just glad you guys are home in one piece." And she pulls me closer to my ear. "And just between us. I like him better as a human." She whispers and giggles.
I laugh and roll my eyes as she pulls away. "Well, I don't care what he looks like, just as long as he's the same person I fell in love with," I say.
Barbara smiles again. "This is why I think you guys are perfect for each other and can stand strong against anything, even through this." She replies.
Barbara hugs me in surprise, and I freeze but return it as her warm body feels too comforting. After a few moments, we let go and said goodnight to each other.
"You are an amazing girl, Claire. Everyone is lucky who knows you." Barbara replies as she gets up.
"Thanks, Barbara! You are an amazing mother and woman."
Barbara nods and thanks me before walking towards the door with the aid kit.
I want to say something to her, and the words are in my head now. "Barbara!" I called for her and tried to tell her about my lie.
She turns around and flashes me a kind, sweet smile, making me feel guilty. "Yes?" She asks sweetly.
I crawl back into my thoughts and think about what I should say, but the words stick on my tongue. So, I just smile at her. "Nothing! Just to say thank you again."
"Thanks." She says softly and walks out the door, leaving me alone with NotEnrique. Barbara helped me calm down from my seething anger toward my family, and thanks to her as well, I feel confident.
Author Note: This is one of the hardest and most fun chapters I've written. This is the first story I've ever done for action. But I hope you like it and hope the next chapter won't wait so long. As for Diego, I always knew he was different from his family. I didn't make him bi because I want to be inclusive. He's a character who likes both girls and boys. If anyone has issue with this, deal with it.
And with Claire talking to Barbara, I wanted her to talk to an adult. At first I thought of Diego, her mom, dad or Abuela. But I though it would be nice for her to talk to Barbara. Yes, I do know how Claire brought back Jim. But she did that unintentionally and doesn't know how she did it. And that doesn't explain how Jim turned back into a human. Please review.