The Powers

Chapter Six

Six

 

The next week passed by in a flash. Lilac and I became best friends (I guess watching her practice does start friendships). Valerie and I highly dislike each other. She bugs me and tries to get a reaction out of me, but I, on the other hand, am the better person. I just ignore her, and now, she's stopped bothering me. We just don't talk.
     The classes here are fun, and the teachers loved me instantly. The people here (except for Valerie and her friends) are much nicer. I have lots of friends, unlike my old school, but Lilac remains my best friend. Nash hangs out with us a lot, so I guess he could be considered my best friend too.
     "So," Lilac said as we sat down at the table in the cafeteria. "What'd you get on the history test?"
     "What do you think I got?" I asked.
     "One hundred?" Lilac guessed.
     I fake gasped. "Whoa, how'd you guess!?"
     Lilac laughed. "I got lucky." She bit into her sandwich. "I got a ninety-seven. I didn't understand the question about Ashton's grandpa, and I don't know his name either."
     "His name is Earl Holland," I explained, "and he married Bettie Holland, née Wallach."
     Lilac groaned, taking another bite of her sandwich. "You've only been here, what, a week? Yet you're still smarter than me!"
     I smiled. "I can't help it! Information just gets stuck in my head."
     Nash walked over, holding his tray of food. "Whatcha talkin' about?" he asked.
     "The history test and Callie being smart," Lilac said.
     "What did Calypso did on her test?" Nash questioned, sitting down next to me. No matter how many times I told him I liked Callie, he continued to call my Calypso, so in the end, I just gave up.
     "One hundred," Lilac said. "Like always."
     "Has Violet and Ashton figured out your power yet?" Nash inquired. "It could be knowing everything and anything."
     "That would explain all her good grades," Lilac said thoughtfully.
     "No, they haven't," I answered. "Every time Violet tries, she says it's as though something is blocking her from knowing. Like someone doesn't want her knowing."
     "That's weird," Nash commented. "Violet's always been able to figure someone's power out."
     "Maybe someone doesn't want her knowing your power," Lilac said seriously. "Maybe someone knew about you, being the saviour of the Powers, and they wanted to hide you from the world, so they blocked your power, or something."
     I laughed nervously. "That can't actually happen. Can it?"
     Nash shrugged. "It's possible, especially living in a world with powers."
     "Maybe we could talk to Ashton about it?" Lilac suggested.
     I shook my head. "No! If that is the case, I don't want people digging around in my brain just to find out a power."
     "It's not just any power," Nash pointed out. "It's the power that is going to save the Powers, and in case you forgot, you are one of us."
     "Come on," Lilac said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up. "Can we go see Ashton about this?"
     "It would probably help us get closer to figuring out your power," Nash added.
     I sighed. "Fine, whatever. But you guys are talking, alright?"
     Nash and Lilac smiled and then walked down the hallway towards Ashton's office. I had learned my way around the school, now, so I followed them easily, and didn't get lost.
     Nash opened the navy blue door without knocking, and Lilac and I hesitated.
     "We aren't going to get in trouble," Nash called. "First, Ashton and I are buddies, and second, it's about Calypso and her power. I'm sure he'd be interested."
     Lilac and I looked at each other before entering the messy office. Ashton wasn't in sight.
     "Where is Ashton?" Lilac and I asked in unison.
     Nash shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, I'd assume either the cafeteria or his bedroom. Since we're here, his bedroom it is!" Nash ran up a set of stairs I hadn't noticed before.
     "Should we go in?" Lilac questioned nervously. "I've never been in a boy's bedroom before, especially the owner of the school."
     "I think we should just let Nash find Ashton," I said. "Like he said, they're buddies."
     Lilac and I stood awkwardly in the office, until Nash came bounding down the steps.
     "Was he up there?" I asked.
     "Yep," Nash replied. "He was sleeping, so I woke him up."
     Ashton came down the stairs, walking slowly. He had bed head hair, and his eyes were half closed.
     "What's up?" he said, voice husky from sleep.
     "Lilac thought of something about the situation on Calypso's power," Nash explained.
     Ashton looked towards Lilac thoughtfully. "Is that so?"
     Lilac nodded. "I was thinking, maybe someone from Callie's childhood knew about her being the saviour for the Powers, so they blocked her power."
     Ashton looked thoughtful. "That could be a possibility."
     "Hold on a second," I said. "Who could have blocked my power? That's just ridiculous!"
     "No, it's not," Ashton said, looking at Lilac. "It's actually very smart." Lilac smiled, proudly, and Ashton turned to look at me. "Is there anyone you know from your childhood who had something to do with the Powers, or another organization like that?"
     "No," I said, then thought about it. "Actually, yes."
     Ashton was intrigued. "Really? Who?"
     "My aunt May," I said. "I went to her house, and she told me she went through what I was going through, and then she turned out to be a traitor."
     "Was that the woman who was with Phoenix and his brother?" Nash asked.
     "Yeah," I answered. "Aunt May might know about my power."
     "Let's go see your aunt then!" Nash cried.
     "I'm coming," Lilac said.
     "Me too," Ashton said.
     "Who's going to be in charge of the school?" I pointed out.
     "Hm, good point," Ashton said. "I'll get Carter to do it." He looked at Nash. "Let's go!"
     Nash smiled. "Calypso's aunt's house, here we come!"
     We formed a circle. Nash put his hand in the middle, and Ashton and Lilac put their hands on his. I hesitated though.
     What if Aunt May had something to do with this? I don't understand why she would. She's my aunt, not my mother! Wait... what if Mom had something to do with this?
     "Callie?" Lilac broke into my thoughts. "You coming?"
     "Oh, yeah." I added my hand to the pile. "Sorry."
     We left Ashton's office and appeared on Aunt May's lawn. I looked around.
     "Won't the neighbors see us?"
     "No," Ashton explained, walking to the front porch. "Their human minds won't allow them to see us. It's just how things work."
     He knocked on the door, and then stepped back. Nash, Lilac, and I stood behind him.
     Aunt May opened the door, looking very tired. "What do you want, kid?" she snapped, and I was shocked. I had never seen this side of Aunt May. Then again, I hadn't seen the traitorous side of her either, so this isn't very shocking.
     "We've come to ask you some questions," Ashton explained, remaining calm.
     "We?" Aunt May repeated. "Who's 'we'?"
     Ashton stepped aside, showing Nash, Lilac, and I. Aunt May's eyes widened as she saw me.
     "Callie," she breathed, stepping back.
     "What do you know about Callie's power?" Ashton demanded, entering the house. "And don't tell me that you know nothing, because I can sense that you know something."
     "W-what are you talking about?" Aunt May stuttered, backing further into the house. We followed her. "What power?"
     "Don't give us that," Nash hissed. "We know you know something."
     "Okay, fine!" Aunt May exclaimed. That didn't take very long. "I know something, but I'll tell you on one condition."
     "Which is?" I spoke up, raising an eyebrow.
     Aunt May swallowed, looking guilty. Good. "I'll tell you if your promise to leave me alone. I don't want to be involved with the Powers and the Goldbloods anymore. I'm tired of it."
     Ashton, Nash, and Lilac looked at me. I guess it was up to me to decide.
     "Yeah, we'll leave you alone," I said.
     "As long as you leave us alone as well," Ashton added.
     "Yes, I will," Aunt May said, nodding eagerly.
     "Okay," Nash said. "Now: what do you know about Calypso's power?"
     "When I was younger, I had a power," Aunt May began. "So did my sister, who is Callie's mother." My eyes widened. "Her mother didn't want her daughter to be involved with the strange people with powers, so she got someone to block her daughter's power so she wouldn't have to be involved with them. Obviously, that didn't work."
     "She probably didn't realize I was going to be the saviour," I muttered.
     "On your birthday, Callie," Aunt May continued, "your mother called me about what happened in the restaurant, with the exact amount of money she needed. She was worried that you had begun to develop a power."
     "She probably didn't realize you had joined the Goldbloods," I spat. "Is that why you contacted Phoenix?"
     "Wait, she's a part of the Goldbloods?" Ashton asked.
     I nodded.
     Aunt May hung her head. "I'm not a part of that group anymore," she said. "I didn't want anything to do with this anymore, so I quit."
     "You don't just 'quit' the Goldbloods," Nash said, glancing at Ashton. "Phoenix now sees you as a threat, most likely."
     "When did you quit?" I demanded.
     "After this boy came and took you someplace," Aunt May said, jerking a thumb at Nash.
     "They're going to come after you," Ashton warned. "We have to get you out of here before-"
     "Before what?" Phoenix's familiar voice reverberated around the room.
     Aunt May's eyes widened in horror.
     "May," Phoenix said, smiling cruelly. "It was nice having you on the team. Shame you quit; you were useful."
     Abaddon was by his side, like always. He looked tougher than before.
     Phoenix looked from Aunt May, to Ashton, to Lilac, to Nash, and then his eyes settled on me. "Ah, the saviour," he said in a mocking voice. "So nice of you to join us. Are you staying to watch your aunt's death?"
     Aunt May's eyes widened even more, as did mine. He was planning to kill-no, murder-my aunt. I couldn't let that happen.
     "You're not going to kill her," I said in as menacing a voice I could muster.
     Phoenix smirked. "Oh, but I am. And who's going to stop me?"
     "Us," Lilac said. Her ball of energy appeared in her hands.
     While Phoenix and Abaddon fell to their knees, clutching their heads in agony, Ashton nudged Nash.
     "Take Callie and go to her house," he muttered, before turning invisible.
     "What? No, I'm not going to let them battle those two by themselves," I said, stepping forward to help, but Nash grabbed my wrist.
     "Come on, Calypso," he said. "You haven't figured out your power yet, and you're too valuable to lose."
     "But Ashton and Lilac are valuable too," I argued.
     "Yes, I know, but-" Nash started, but then a shocked look appeared upon his face. He tackled me to the ground.
     "What the heck, Nash?!" I exclaimed angrily, trying to push him off.
     I catch a glimpse of Abaddon pushing Lilac away with his telekinesis power. She goes flying across the room, landing on a couch and flipping it over from the force of her hitting it. Ashton is nowhere to be seen.
     Phoenix pulls something-a gun-from his pocket. Nash shields me with himself, and I hear the sound of a gunshot. I scream as I hear something hit the ground. Aunt May.
     Nash teleports me somewhere else, and just before we leave, I see the lifeless body of my aunt lying on the ground, unblinking eyes wide open.