I just want to say thank you to WynterStars for suggesting the name Jenny Harvard, which was used in this chapter :)
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The next morning we sat Mackenzie down and explained everything about the Catchers. We told her just how deadly they were and how that they're the reason why she needed to come with us. She listened to us without comment, understanding along the way and when we were done, we headed out for the rest of our journey.
Cole's words kept me up most of the night. Admitting to being jealous? 'Cutie?' I was no expert in boys, but it sounded like there were some feelings from him as well.
Our car ride was much better than the one from yesterday. Mackenzie hummed along to the music in back while Cole would peek at me from the corner of his eye, a little smile on his lips. I was able to get some sleep in along the way and we got to Supernatural Abilities late into the night.
When we arrived, the guy at the gate was surprised to see us. "I'm sorry! We didn't expect you until tomorrow afternoon. I'll page Galen while you head in," he said.
The campus at night was eerie, especially as we drove through the woods. Mackenzie had gone quiet and I knew that she must be nervous just as I was when we arrived my first time. We finally parked in our original space and got out, Cole gathering most of our bags while I got the rest. The three of us filed into the building and to Galen's office, where the doors were already open with her at the desk. For being late, I knew the gatekeeper must have had to wake her up but she looked put together as always. She rose when she saw us and held out a hand for Mackenzie, introducing herself to her.
"It's so lovely to meet you," Galen said. "Now, it's really late so we will have to chat tomorrow morning. For now, can you two show Mackenzie to her room? She'll be rooming with Jenny Harvard who will be expecting her."
Cole and I nodded and brought her to her dorm, bidding her goodbye and promising to pick her up to meet with Galen in the morning. Jenny was only two years older, but the girls immediately looked happy to be roommates, which made it easier for Cole and I to leave knowing that she would be in good hands.
As Cole and I walked to our rooms, he said, "Well, that was an exciting trip."
I laughed quietly, being mindful of the other Supernaturals sleeping. "Not what we had planned but we made it back. I don't have any complaints."
We stopped at my door and Cole patted my shoulder. "Thanks for being my partner this time, Buckley. Let's do it again sometime," he joked before parting ways.
When I opened the door, Claire was already sitting up with a bright smile on her face as I walked in. "Why are you still up?" I asked and she started jumping up and down.
"You and Cole are so close to actually being something," she exclaimed, joy radiating out of her.
I was about to ask what she was talking about until the realization hit me. "You read my mind, didn't you?"
Her smile betrayed her and she shrugged. "Alex and I took bets on if anything would happen. I said yes while Alex disagreed, saying that Cole would be too much of a wimp to make a move. I just can't believe you two were so close to kissing--"
"You're acting like a lunatic," I sat down next to her while leaning back, finally relaxing for the first time since we left. "That trip was crazy."
"And I'm glad you're back. Just please leave again and come back as Cole's girlfriend."
I smiled at my roommate, more than happy to be back at SA. In the past few weeks of me being here, this place, as crazy as it might be, has become my home. I might be in a really dangerous position right now, but at least I'm surrounded by people who support me. Well, the people who I am friends with, that is.
Claire and I went back to bed and Cole greeted me at my room bright and early by waking me up and jumping on my bed. He allowed me a whole five minutes to get ready before we picked up Mackenzie from her room and dropped her off at Galen's who wished to speak with the girl in private.
We sat down on the bench outside her office, Cole sliding closer to me so our legs touched. "What do you think they're talking about?" he asked and I shrugged.
"Everything that we didn't," I answered. "The Big Six, more about the Catchers and how we run. Stuff like that."
"And we weren't allowed in?"
"She seems to get overwhelmed easily so getting one-on-one attention might be better for her... I don't know."
He hummed in response before saying, "I wonder if they'll put her through a Placement exam. The Big Six don't train according to levels anymore, so what would be the point?"
"To access her skills?" I tried.
He smiled at me. "You know, you're really living up to your Brain nickname."
I returned the grin and thought back to our trip, a question popping up in my mind. "Um, did a Mind ever get to Ryan in time?" I asked and I immediately saw him tense up at the name.
"Yeah, they caught up to him within a few minutes. He hadn't even reached his friends again."
"So he doesn't remember what happened whatsoever."
"No, they erased all memory of us being there. Instead, they made him remember seeing a different person, so his story would match his friends' if they asked any questions. It's a shame, really. I wanted him to think that we had eloped."
I rolled my eyes at him. "As if that would ever happen, Cole. You're not even my type," I lied.
He laughed at me. "Come on, Blondie. You can't deny that you're at least a little bit attracted to me."
I thought back to his statement about being jealous the previous night and if I were to get the ball going on my whole crush issue, then I needed to get my feelings out there as well. "You're right, I can't deny that at all," I admitted and he gave me a surprised look, but didn't say anything else.
Mackenzie and Galen talked for a while and when they were done, our leader called up into her office. "She'll have her test this afternoon. She won't get a level placement but we would like to see what she can do." I shot Cole a look, letting him know that I was right in my assumptions.
Per Galen's suggestions, we then gave Mackenzie a tour of the school. People were out and about this morning and stared as we showed her around. However, they were more surprised about her being there. Supernaturals are easily identified by their eyes but all of the colors are still in a natural pigment, just enhanced to be brighter and hues that are uncommon. Mackenzie's were golden yellow, so completely unique that everyone knew that she was the last person in the Big Six and the only Electric Supernatural known. I didn't know whom they were expecting the last person to be, but I can imagine that a little girl that looked so sweet and innocent would be the last thing they fathomed.
We showed her around the same way Claire did to me on my first day here. Mackenzie was quiet, eyes down, as she noticed people staring at her. By now she knows that she's more unique than all of us, Big Six included. To have powers is one thing, but to be the only one capable of that ability is another.
When we finally made it away from the common area that was packed with Supernaturals taking advantage of their day off due to Mackenzie's placement exam later today, she would finally ask us questions about it. She wanted to know what she had to do during the test, how to hold herself up in a fight. She only came to about her powers a few weeks ago, so this is all very new. I know she knew how to use her power enough to fatally hurt someone, but maybe that was just from an influx of emotions.
After grabbing a quick and late lunch, we decided to take her to the arena a bit early in order for her to get ready without rushing. Waiting for us was some small, yellow clothing that they must have made while we were gone because Mackenzie is the only Electric out there. Adding a new color to the mix, let alone a new ability, will surely make this an exciting placement exam for everyone to watch.
We sat outside while she changed, Cole and I leaning against the building towards each other. Some Supernaturals were already arriving, taking the spots in front where it was best to see. Having never experienced watching someone else's test, I was excited too. I just hoped that Mackenzie doesn't panic too much and freak out.
"Do you think she'll do okay?" I asked.
Cole thought about it for a moment. "Yes," he concluded. "I think so, as long as she doesn't get too overwhelmed. She just got her powers, but she's also a member of the Big Six. She's strong without realizing it."
She called us back in a few moments later by sticking her head out the door and motioning us over. The clothes were a bit big for her tiny frame, but not enough to get in the way while she fought. She looked so nervous that her face was practically turning white. Above us, more voices and footsteps could be heard as more and more people arrived to watch this life changing event.
I stepped back while Cole gave her the same advice he gave me before I went in for my test. It was very helpful and I didn't want to step in and say anything that would make her more nervous than before. Finally, it was her time to go so when the wall dropped, Mackenzie slowly stepped into the arena.
"Come on," Cole said, grabbing my hand and running up to the stands the moment the door closed. The seating area was completely full, but we found Alex and Claire waving us over to where they had saved us two extra seats. Overhead, Galen was announcing the Electric to everyone else.
When it started, I watched as it went down just like mine did. One-by-one, Supernaturals would show up and fight with Mackenzie for a bit, judging how she responds to their attacks. I've seen fire, water, earth, air, and even seemingly invisible, mind powers be used, but watching lightning shoot out of a little girl's hands was incredible.
You could tell that she was uneasy on her feet and not comfortable using her ability but for being thrown into this world only days ago, she was doing alright. Her powers were different than any I've seen. Electricity of all sorts of colors would light up the arena every time she would aim it at someone and when it hit something, it would burn. She was going through the Supernaturals one by one and when Sophia arrived last, Mackenzie immediately dropped to the ground and began screaming.
Looking at my instructor now, it was written all over her face that she hated doing this but in order to see if they could overcome a mental invasion, it needed to be done. When it was obvious that Mackenzie was not able to break away, Sophia dropped her power and left the arena without another look towards the girl.
The whole thing only took less than ten minutes, which seemed much shorter than mine. Cole nodded me towards the exit, signaling that it was time to get her out of there and assess her wounds. This wasn't a placement test so Galen thanked her for her time, and called it to a close.
We rushed down to the preparation area just as the door of the arena opened, Mackenzie running out with tears streaming down her face as she fell into Cole's arms. He slowly moved her over to the bench, sitting down with her as he told her what Sophia does to people with her ability.
"She made me see my parents," she exclaimed, making Cole and I look at each other. We've been with this girl for several days and this is the first time she ever mentioned her family that she killed. "Before the accident."
"It was all ruse," Cole said to her. "None of that was real."
"Galen explained to me that you two got a lot of information on me," Mackenzie sniffled, "But you didn't get the full story. That woman made me see my parents happy, just as they acted like. She put us in our basement."
"Why was that so bad?" Cole asked slowly, not wanting to push any buttons.
She took a deep, shaky breath, wiping her nose as she continued resting against my friend. "Our house had a lot of windows and they were happy and nice when they knew people could see. When I acted up by not cleaning something right or getting a bad grade, they'd take me downstairs and hurt me."
Cole and I looked at each other, not expecting this at all. The files were supposed to be accurate but if this wasn't in it then the child abuse was never reported, not even after she had gone into foster care.
"The day I got my powers was bad. They were screaming at me, threatening all sorts of things and the moment they got too close, I... exploded. I remember letting go of all my anger, it all turning white, and then I passed out. When I woke up in the hospital, I was told there had been an accident and our house had gone up in flames for some unknown reason. I wasn't hurt too bad, only some burns that came from the fire, but my parents were gone. I knew it was my fault but I didn't feel bad. They hurt me so much all the time, that I couldn't take it anymore. I swear that I didn't want them to die, but it just happened."
Her story struck a nerve with me. While everything was good with my parents, I understand waking up to a loss. While we both had two different emotions about it, just listening to Mackenzie's story made me reimagine the day my own powers came to be.
Before I dug too deep into the memories I wanted to forget, Cole asked the girl some questions. "Why didn't you tell anyone they hurt you? How did they hide it for so long?"
"They always warmed me that if I told, I'd be sent somewhere even worse. They never hurt me enough to cause anything that would make it obvious and when the doctors helped me in the hospital, any the wounds they had given me were written off as a result the accident. To this day, no one knows. When that woman made me see that again, it scared me. You two picking me up and Miss Valerie have made me so happy these past few days that going back to that, even though I knew in the back of my mind that it wasn't real, scared me."
I understood how being angry could make your powers go out of control, especially in a situation when she knew she was going to be hurt. All of this answered a lot of questions: Why she was so small for her age, her pure innocence, her attachment to Cole, among other things. Even her talking so much is a sign that she was always censored, but now felt comfortable around Cole and I. For someone who had never experienced love from a family, we were all that she had.
"Well, you're all safe here," Cole said to her, a smile on his face. "I promise you that."
She grinned and gave us a hug. She seemed more relaxed, having finally got something so large off her chest. From over her shoulder, Cole gave me a look and I knew that she wasn't as safe here as he had promised.
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Question of the chapter: Who is your favorite character and why?
As always, thank you for everything!