Worst Cupid Ever

You Need To Chill

Teddy wouldn't stop squirming in his seat or twiddling his thumbs. He was sweating buckets. Ada stifled the urge to facepalm for the hundredth time. He was sucking hard at playing it cool. It was crazy obvious he had never done anything serious enough to warrant being called to the Helmets' conference room. Unlike Teddy, this was another day in the park for Ada.

The three Helmets sat across them and seemed to be waiting for whatever Tasha was searching for on her monitor.

Tasha was nursing a steaming cup of coffee, her red hair held with a pencil in a high messy bun. The glossy surface of the table in front of her glowed with a wide monitor screen. She had been swiping through content since Bo herded Ada and Teddy into the conference room. Bo furiously stabbed away at her Nintendo Switch all the while chewing gum and blowing bubbles.

Maya, on the other hand, simply sat, one finger tapping the table surface as she stared at Ada and Teddy. It made Teddy's squirming worse.

"Bo tells me she is certain you were at the garden," Maya said, expression serious. "How was it that we were unable to see or sense you?" She first sent Ada a pointed gaze before shifting her focus to Teddy.

"It was her wings," Teddy said in a rush before Ada could get a word out. "I saw Ada crutching behind a hedge, went to say hi and the next second her wings hid us and made us invisible. Cool, huh?" He released an awkward laugh and pulled at the loose collar of his shirt. "Please don't be mad at us."

Tasha stopped her swiping and looked up with wide shocked eyes. "Your wings did that?"

Ada massaged the back of her neck and shrugged.

"It was amazing," Teddy gushed, now abandoning whatever caution he previously displayed. "We could see you all. But you couldn't see us. Wild."

"Haha! I knew it." Bo laughed and grinned big. "Rollicks rule."

Ada chuckled and soaked in their warm response. For once she felt insanely proud of herself. Her wings were weird but in a good weird way. What a relief.

"It's already happening." Instead of reacting with excitement like the rest, Maya shoved her fingers into her curly white hair and groaned.

"Huh?" Whatever relief Ada felt fizzled to nothing.

"Uhhh... is there something we should know?" Bo asked with a raised brow.

"What did you learn from Nathaniel's file?" Maya asked instead. She began massaging her temple, eyes shut.

"He has a seeing gift," Teddy said in a careful tone. Ada was grateful for his presence. The dread she was feeling made it impossible to think. "There were two futures recorded. One was about the day a unique Rollick will be delivered to the Division. The date coincided with Ada's delivery day. The second date and details were blurred out."

Finally, Maya opened her eyes and looked straight at Ada. There was concern there. "Adarosa, do you know what being dropped means?"

Ada's heart did a slow sink to her belly.

"I..." The memory of Haruto's story rushed in. Becoming a rifter. Losing her wings. "Will you drop me? Is the blurred date when I will be dropped?" She didn't realise her fist was clenched until Teddy placed a gentle palm on it. Her heartbeat was throbbing in her ears and that choking sensation that brought tears pressed in her throat.

Maya repeated her question in a gentle voice. "I need you to give me a clear answer, Adarosa."

Ada gulped down the urge to cry and nodded. She was staring at Teddy's hand over hers.

"Who told you?"

Looking up, Ada finally answered. "Haruto."

The Helmets frowned.