The Hero Effect

(7) In Which Carter Helps Find a Boot

In two weeks, Jade had curled her hair three different ways, Kaya had worn my jacket twice, Mikey had "made up" seven new words for "pasta," and Anthony had had a bad dream. We were still in Colorado, which made me uneasy. Jade had paid for another set of hotel rooms. She and Kaya were in one; Mikey and I were in another. Anthony had gotten his own room, as per his agreement to join. The two "boys rooms" were connected by a door in the wall. Kaya and Jade were in the room next to me and Mikey.

We were in Anthony's room. Jade was looking a little manic.

"Carter, where's my other boot?"

"Where's the last place you remember seeing it?" I asked, grinning at how wide her eyes had gotten.

"Will you just check?" she pleaded.

I chuckled and took a peek.

Jade's brain was always fun. I think she must have some sort of attention disorder; her thoughts are all jumbled and out of order. Except the color coded ones. Well, anyway.

"It's under Mikey's bed." I told her, finding the right memory.

Jade looked confused, "Why?"

"I don't know. It's your memory."

She shook her head, looking hilariously dumbfounded, and went to retrieve her boot.

Anthony had been watching us, but he waited until she was gone to comment.

"That's a little bit sick," he said like he was talking about the weather.

I shot him a look, "You'd know all about 'sick,' wouldn't you?"

Something uncomfortable showed on his face for half a heartbeat.

Before he had even thought of anything to say in reply, Jade came back in followed by Kaya and Mikey.

With both boots where they were supposed to be, she took deep breath and launched into her plan of attack.

"Okay, Kaya and Tony are still pretty new, so I'm just gonna go through it one more time."

Anthony groaned audibly; whether about being called "Tony" or about having to hear Jade go over the plan again, I didn't check.

Jade went on like she hadn't heard, "Carter, Kaya, and I are going to sneak into the building through the maintenance entrance and then..."

I didn't pay much attention really. Kaya was standing right next to me, and it was distracting. I could hear her breathing softly, see the light from the bathroom as shining through her fascinatingly purple curls. I couldn't help myself. I slipped into her head, just to look around.

I wasn't listening to Jade at all now, but Kaya's thoughts told me that she was. It was so cute, seeing how eagerly she was taking in what Jade was saying...

"...And then we'll meet Tony and Mikey at Wal-Mart. Everybody understand?"

I snapped back into my own head, "Of course we do. This is the eighth time you've explained it. Now, can we go?"

"Well, I am looking forward to our time alone, buddy," Mikey told Anthony, a broad, genuine smile on his face.

Anthony made a face like a squeamish kid in biology.

I chuckled again, which Anthony didn't appreciate.

"Okay," Jade said. "Well, I think we're ready then. Mikey, Tony, see you a couple of hours. Be in electronics by eleven o'clock, okay? No later, or I'll assume you've been killed, and then I'll have to search for your bodies, and track down your killers, and start wearing black, and find you some nice plots by a river, and only eat liquids, and eventually break down and see a grief counselor, and–"

"Jade!"

She stopped short, "Sorry."

Anthony crossed his arms, hugging himself with the oversized jacket he wore, "Don't talk about bodies."

Jade squinted at him a little before saying goodbye again. Then Kaya grabbed my hand, and we left, off to save to day.

It took a while to get to the compound, and the whole time none of us said anything. Jade was really tense. She always gets like that right before something big is about to happen. It's in those moments when you release how brave she is. I mean, she doesn't really come off as the type of person who ought to be doing what she does. Who on Earth would take orders from a 5'2'' red head with a squeaky voice and who still loses her shoes?  It sounds insane.

The sun was just setting when we were finally in position.

"Ready?" Jade asked, her voiced hushed and urgent sounding.

Kye nodded once, her lavender eyes wide and round with nervous anticipation.

I eyed them both, feeling my pulse thumping in my throat. Off to save the day...

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I wrote this chapter all by myself! Sorry this it's so short. Probably the next one'll be longer, seeing as FlyOn's gonna have to write it. Anyways, hope you guys like it even though it wasn't really a lot...

WL&DSC --TMC