Genius (CENTURIES series: Book #2)

6

"Brainfart?"

"Mia, focus and look!" Zoe eagerly said. "Look at the 32nd element!"

Mia did as she was told with a sigh and found the element Germanium. "Okay, what's Germanium?"

"It's a shiny, hard metal, but that's not the point!" Zoe replied and pointed to the element again. "Look at its chemical name!"

Mia looked again and saw two simple letters. "Ge?"

"Yes. Now look at element number 28," Zoe excitedly continued.

Mia quickly found it and looked. "Nickel."

"Ni," Zoe grinned. "Now number 92."

She looked and found Uranium. "U..."

"And finally, 16..." Zoe said, pointing to it where Mia saw the element Sulfur. "S. Now spell it out."

"Ge... Ni... U... S," Mia said, her eyes turning into saucers. "Genius! Zoe you're genius!"

"I know!" She squealed and could hardly stay still on her feet. "The genius left a signature! 'You're Welcome – Genius,'" She chuckled.

Mia had to admit, she was bloody impressed with Zoe. "That's amazing, Zoe! You have to tell the forensic team! Maybe they can use it."

"I don't know, what if I somehow got it wrong? What if it's just a freaky coincidence..." Zoe slowly said, nervously biting her lip. "I don't want to be a laughing stock."

"Hey," Mia said and placed both hands on her shoulders. "You're not wrong, you got it right. Don't let yourself get intimidated or discouraged by whoever this Genius is. You are a genius too, baby, so shine like a star. If you don't want to go public with your name on it, just stay in the dark. Besides, stars can't shine without darkness, anyway," Mia chuckled.

Zoe smiled a little as well. "Actually, stars can't shine without hydrogen and nuclear fusion, but you're right, I have to go tell them. It'll help us get one step closer to finding the Genius!"

"There you go!" Mia smiled a little, but a hasty movement in the corner of her eye then suddenly caught her attention. Eli had abandoned his mop and was now striding off down the hall, down to the exit that led to the dumpster. It was the way he walked with his fists clenched and his shoulders rigid that made Mia frown and wonder what was wrong.

She knitted her eyebrows together in thoughts and then begun walking down the hall after Eli. It shouldn't really even bother her what he was up to and what had him pissed, but it did. Instead of being fully absorbed in the mysterious Genius like everyone else, she was caught up in Eli; a criminal doing community work as a janitor.

Maybe it's time to sit down and reevaluate your life, Mia thought as she nonetheless went out the exit to the dumpster.

She found Eli smoking away on a cigarette, staring coldly at the ground. He didn't even look up when she came out, crossing her arms. She looked at him for a moment for any sign or response that he had acknowledged her presence, but when none came, she hesitantly spoke. "Eli?"

He slowly lifted the cig to his lips and took a drag before he tonelessly replied, "What?"

Mia frowned and watched the smoke blow out of his nostrils. No point beating around the bush, then... "Who's Caleb and why are you threatening to kidnap his sister?"