Metamorphosis

Chapter 35

Friday afternoon.

When the bus entered the Mayview High School campus grounds and stopped in the middle of the parking lot, the two chaperons were greeted with angry and distressed parents when the bus doors opened.

"How..." A short woman with Asian features gasped as Mrs. McKay descended the bus with a bowed head. "How could you just let my daughter die?" Tears spilled out of her eyes. "How could you let any of them die?"

"I..." The history teacher sniffled, trying desperately to not let any tears fall and failing. "I am so sorry."

"My only daughter..." The woman cried and Mrs. McKay couldn't help but wrap her arms around the shorter woman in comfort, the other parents immediately grabbing onto their children as the students ran out of the bus. "Erika..."

"Mia..." A tall woman with long, curled brown hair muttered frantically as she got out of her car and ran towards the bus. "Please..." She spotted Coach Davis who was escorting several parents and their children back to their cars while explaining what had happened. "Coach," she called and the male turned around automatically, "is it true?" Her eyes and nose were red. "Is my daughter... dead?"

"Mia Cooper?" He asked, seeing the striking resemblance in her. The woman nodded. "I'm..." He whispered, eyes downcast in shame. "I'm so sorry." She covered her mouth to muffle a sob, her tears flowing down her face freely now.

"Who," she choked a sob, "please tell me who her roommate was." Coach Davis bit his lip, debating whether or not he should say. He glanced over to the bus to see the female metahumans descending the bus. He sighed, eyes shifting away from the bus and back to the ground.

"The one with the green jacket leaving the bus." He didn't need to look up to see Ms. Cooper running towards the bus. He sighed and turned back to the scared looking parents behind him.

"Hey," Melarni quirked an eyebrow as she heaved her suitcase off of the bus, "some chick's running towards us." They looked up to see a woman in her mid 30s to early 40s running towards them, a distressed expression on her face. There was something about her face and aura that seemed familiar.

"You," the woman breathed once she stopped in front of them, her eyes focusing on Jazmine, "were you the roommate of Mia Cooper?" The phaser didn't know what to say and could only blink. She knew this was going to happen.

"Yes," the phaser answered while licking her dry lips, "are you her mom?" The woman nodded and the younger girl couldn't help but look at her with sad eyes. "I am so sorry," she apologized and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her in an impulsive hug, "I should've been there." She felt her reciprocate the hug, but tighter.

In the background, Melarni was suffocated by bear hugs from her parents. Marissa was attacked by her younger siblings clinging onto her legs and crying. Christina was pulled into a hug by her mother. Lisa collapsed into her brother's arms and just broke down, her tears spilling out of her eyes and her sobs muffled by his shoulder. Israel was punched on the shoulder by his sister, who hugged him tightly after. Andrew was surrounded by his siblings, who were crying and demanding what happened. David surprised both Erick and Kate and hugged them tightly before attacking Ivan with a bear hug after the telepath finished hugging his father and Doreen. The phaser's parents were nowhere to be found.

"I should've listened to her," Ms. Cooper muttered and clung the phaser tighter, imagining for a moment that she was hugging her daughter instead, "I shouldn't have hung up on her."