I wait with Kota and Nathan for Mrs. Lee to arrive. The boys are talking on their phones to other Academy members, and I'm at a loss for what to do with myself. My eyes stray to my overnight bag, and the toiletries kit contained within, and I wonder if I can get away to the bathroom without raising any suspicions. Probably not. At this point, I'm never going to be left alone again. I clench my fists and let out a long breath as my nails bite into my palm.
"Here," Kota's little sister interrupts my thoughts and unplugs her headphones. "You can watch my movie with me if you want. I'm Jessica, by the way."
"I'm Sang," I tell her. I force a smile to my face as the girl scoots closer to me on the couch. She's almost as tall as me, but looks like she's only eleven or twelve. She has pink framed glasses perched in front of her vivid green eyes that look so much like her brother's, and there's that depth in them that speaks of intelligence and wisdom.
"Do you think everything will be alright?" she whispers to me softly. "Is it the same bad guy that hurt Kota?"
My heart clenches at the reminder of Volto stabbing him in the chest, and I impulsively wrap Jessica into a sideways hug. She burrows into me and I can feel her shudder.
"I know that it will be okay, sweetie," I say under my breath so that only she can hear me. "These guys are an unstoppable force, and the man who hurt Kota and the others is dead. Mr. Taylor will keep you guys safe until we get this sorted, I promise."
Jessica sits up and traces a raised scar on my arm that I got from the explosion. "What about you, Sang? Will you be okay as well?" She looks over at her brother and Nathan and then whispers to me, "Kota really loves you, and so does the rest of the team. I can tell. They're all like my brothers, and if they're worried about you like this, shouldn't you come with my mom and me?"
I gape at her. "How much do you know?" I manage to mumble.
She looks up at me sheepishly and shrugs. "I've known that the Academy was more than just a school for a long time. You pick up on things, you know? But I overheard Mr. Blackbourne talking to my mom after that bad guy did something to Kota's bedroom, and that's where I learned about the missions and stuff."
I laugh, and Kota and Nathan stop what they're doing and join us. "What's so funny, Peanut?" Nathan asks, poking me in the side. I lock gazes with Jessica, who's silently pleading with me to keep quiet about her eavesdropping, and I wink at her before turning to Nathan.
"She was telling me all about the cute little character pajamas that you used to sleep in when you were younger," I deadpan.
His face goes pale, and Jessica's cheeks tint pink. He looks at her and whines, "But I thought you liked me, Squirt? How could you do that?"
My eyes go wide when I realize that he really did have cute little jammies when he was a kid, and Kota busts up with laughter. "Maybe if you stopped calling her that, Nate, Jess would keep some of your secrets...secret." He winks at his sister, who grins at him in response. "Better stay on her good side, or Sang might start getting an earful of your more embarrassing moments."
I can't hold it in any longer and I start giggling. Nathan glares at all of us and goes and stands on the other side of the office. "Girls," he growls as he stalks away from us, "they'll be the death of me!"
Jessica finally joins in on the laughter, and I can hear Nathan muttering something about "childhood stunts," and "it was just that one time." His arms are folded across his chest and he is definitely sulking. I press my lips together and bite down on them in an attempt to contain my mirth. I get up and walk over to him.
