The Calling
Page 30
We think the St. Clouds were blocking those terms, I said. In case something like this happened and we tried looking them up. If we want clues, we need to look at the extracurricular activities they pushed at us. Clearly, with Daniel and me, they were trying to boost our natural talents: fighting for him and running for me. Serena, Hayley, and Nicole were all in the choir and on the swim team. Plus theyre all blonde and pretty.
Um, thanks, Hayley said as she came over. But what Her brow furrowed. You think were mermaids?
Isnt that sirens? Corey said. Those chicks we studied in Greek mythology. Lured guys to their deaths by singing.
Hayley glared at him. I thought you liked my singing.
Yeah, because apparently its magical. Thats how you seduce guys.
Seduce them? Or kill them?
Same thing, kind of, if you think about it. Like that other guy in mythology. The one who got his hair cut and lost all his power. Mr. Parks said it symbolized men losing their power by falling for women.
No, I said. Mr. Parks said it symbolizes mens irrational fear of losing their power to women. And unless Im remembering it wrong, mermaids dont sing and sirens dont swim.
Ariel sang in The Little Mermaid, Corey said.
Sam came over to join us. Do I even want to know why you remember her name?
Mermaids and sirens werent on the list, Daniel said. Mayas point is that Hayley, Nicole, and Serena shared common characteristics, which probably means theyre the same type, and it has something to do with singing and swimming.
And being pretty, Hayley said.
Thats not a superpower, Sam muttered.
Hayley turned to her. No? How many times have you gotten into movies for free because youre a tough warrior chick?
What about me? Corey said. Whats my superpower?
Silence fell.
Oh, come on. Im good at a lot of stuff. Right?
More silence.
Youre cute, Hayley said. Well, cute enough.
Fun to be around, I offered.
So Im a clown?
At least youre a cute clown, Hayley said. Not a scary one.
Youre a good fighter, Daniel said.
And youre a good drinker, Hayley added. You can hold your liquor better than anyone I know.
Uh-huh, Corey said. So Maya will grow up to be an amazing healer who can change into a killer cat. Daniel and Sam will roam the country hunting criminals and demons. Hayley and Nicolewill divide their time between recording platinum albums and winning gold medals in swimming. And me? Ill be the cute, funny guy sitting at the bar, hoping for a good brawl to break out.
In other words, exactly where you were already headed, Hayley said.
We all laughed at that, even Corey. We had to. For now, this was the best way to deal with it. Tease. Poke fun. As if we were comparing Halloween costumes. Look, Im a superhero. Yeah? Well, so am I.
Im sure you have powers, I said. Youre just a late bloomer.
Thanks I think.
Your headaches might be related to it, Daniel said. They began a year ago, right?
And Dr. Inglis was very interested in them, I said. She started looking after you personally and giving you special medicine.
Corey nodded. She asked about them a lot, too. Whether anything was happening when I got them.
Happening?
Like whether I was seeing things or hearing things. I thought she meant like my dad, who always smelled burned toast before he had a seizure. I figured she thought it was a sign I was getting epilepsy.
More like a sign youre getting your powers, I said.
And the headaches went away with the pills, right? Sam said.
Corey nodded.
That was the point, I said. Suppress whatever was happening to you until they were ready to tell us all the truth.
Or suppress it because its dangerous, Sam said.
We dont know it is, I said.
And we dont know it isnt.
Ultimately, it doesnt matter, Daniel cut in. Because were doing our damnedest to get to safety before anyone needs to worry about a superpower meltdown.
Wheres safety? Sam said. With the people who apparently want to help us by burning down our homes, killing Uncle Phil, and shooting us with tranq guns? Or with the people who did this to us in the first place?
Obviously you have some third option, I said. So lets hear it.
I can contact people my parents knew. One of them must have known why they were on the run. Maybe they can help. I was going to do that after my parents died, only I got shipped to Salmon Creek and for a while everything seemed to be okay.
Until you discovered your fake aunt and uncle were evil, I said.
What? No. I never said
Because they arent evil. I dont know whether my folks knew anything about this, but I know one thing. Theyre amazing parents. So were your aunt and uncle.
Um, thanks, Hayley said as she came over. But what Her brow furrowed. You think were mermaids?
Isnt that sirens? Corey said. Those chicks we studied in Greek mythology. Lured guys to their deaths by singing.
Hayley glared at him. I thought you liked my singing.
Yeah, because apparently its magical. Thats how you seduce guys.
Seduce them? Or kill them?
Same thing, kind of, if you think about it. Like that other guy in mythology. The one who got his hair cut and lost all his power. Mr. Parks said it symbolized men losing their power by falling for women.
No, I said. Mr. Parks said it symbolizes mens irrational fear of losing their power to women. And unless Im remembering it wrong, mermaids dont sing and sirens dont swim.
Ariel sang in The Little Mermaid, Corey said.
Sam came over to join us. Do I even want to know why you remember her name?
Mermaids and sirens werent on the list, Daniel said. Mayas point is that Hayley, Nicole, and Serena shared common characteristics, which probably means theyre the same type, and it has something to do with singing and swimming.
And being pretty, Hayley said.
Thats not a superpower, Sam muttered.
Hayley turned to her. No? How many times have you gotten into movies for free because youre a tough warrior chick?
What about me? Corey said. Whats my superpower?
Silence fell.
Oh, come on. Im good at a lot of stuff. Right?
More silence.
Youre cute, Hayley said. Well, cute enough.
Fun to be around, I offered.
So Im a clown?
At least youre a cute clown, Hayley said. Not a scary one.
Youre a good fighter, Daniel said.
And youre a good drinker, Hayley added. You can hold your liquor better than anyone I know.
Uh-huh, Corey said. So Maya will grow up to be an amazing healer who can change into a killer cat. Daniel and Sam will roam the country hunting criminals and demons. Hayley and Nicolewill divide their time between recording platinum albums and winning gold medals in swimming. And me? Ill be the cute, funny guy sitting at the bar, hoping for a good brawl to break out.
In other words, exactly where you were already headed, Hayley said.
We all laughed at that, even Corey. We had to. For now, this was the best way to deal with it. Tease. Poke fun. As if we were comparing Halloween costumes. Look, Im a superhero. Yeah? Well, so am I.
Im sure you have powers, I said. Youre just a late bloomer.
Thanks I think.
Your headaches might be related to it, Daniel said. They began a year ago, right?
And Dr. Inglis was very interested in them, I said. She started looking after you personally and giving you special medicine.
Corey nodded. She asked about them a lot, too. Whether anything was happening when I got them.
Happening?
Like whether I was seeing things or hearing things. I thought she meant like my dad, who always smelled burned toast before he had a seizure. I figured she thought it was a sign I was getting epilepsy.
More like a sign youre getting your powers, I said.
And the headaches went away with the pills, right? Sam said.
Corey nodded.
That was the point, I said. Suppress whatever was happening to you until they were ready to tell us all the truth.
Or suppress it because its dangerous, Sam said.
We dont know it is, I said.
And we dont know it isnt.
Ultimately, it doesnt matter, Daniel cut in. Because were doing our damnedest to get to safety before anyone needs to worry about a superpower meltdown.
Wheres safety? Sam said. With the people who apparently want to help us by burning down our homes, killing Uncle Phil, and shooting us with tranq guns? Or with the people who did this to us in the first place?
Obviously you have some third option, I said. So lets hear it.
I can contact people my parents knew. One of them must have known why they were on the run. Maybe they can help. I was going to do that after my parents died, only I got shipped to Salmon Creek and for a while everything seemed to be okay.
Until you discovered your fake aunt and uncle were evil, I said.
What? No. I never said
Because they arent evil. I dont know whether my folks knew anything about this, but I know one thing. Theyre amazing parents. So were your aunt and uncle.
