I wake on a soft bed to a beeping sound. It certainly doesn't smell like my bedroom. I open my eyes to a dim lit room. It looks like a generic bedroom with light grey walls, a white ceiling and checkered black and white floor tiles
I try to move my hands to rub my eyes, only to find out I've been handcuffed to the beds railings. I keep pulling against them but nothing works
I start to panic and hear the beeping sound increase. Breathing heavy, I try to calm my state, just to have several nurses run into the room and make it worse
"Calm down Charm. You're safe" One of them says
"We're not going to hurt you" Another adds
"I don't believe you" I growl "Let me go!"
"Please Charm. You need to relax" One I didn't see whisper in my ear. I flinch away from her and panic more
I'm pulling on my restraints so hard, it's making my wrists bleed "Please let me go" I beg "Please please please" I'm almost in tears
"It's going to be okay Charm, I promise" I know that voice. I look up to see Mrs Cappie standing in the doorway next to Bobby
"Bobby please" I beg him "Please let me go"
"I'm sorry Charm, I can't but it won't be much longer" He sighs while looking down
"Much longer for what?" I spit "To kill me! To harvest my organs! You both are supposed to be my friends but instead you're keeping me prisoner!"
"We are your friends Charm" Mrs Cappie says softly as she walks towards me "I promise you that hasn't changed"
"Why am I here?! Why am I handcuffed?!"
"What was the last thing you remember?" Mrs Cappie asks Last thing I remember?
"Who fucking cares! Let me go!"
"Please Charm, try to remember" Mrs Cappie speaks softly
"I was on a train, going home" I growl
"What else?"
"I was listening to a story from a lady about her son's first steps when the train stopped suddenly" My erratic breathing starts to slow
"And?"
"There was a car on the tracks....I-I moved it" I stop struggling and look at my hands "What am I?" I whisper, remembering my glowing hands
"I believe you're a tele-kinetic Super. One of a kind" Mrs Cappie smiles
"Tele-what?" I asked confused
"You can move things with your mind" Mrs Cappie responds "You can shape anything to your will. There are many Supers but none quite as unique as you. We also think you're ammune to all Supers powers"
"Unique?....One of a kind?....you make it sound like you're going to experiment on me"
"Not quite Charm. We will test you to see how far your abilities can reach and how long or strong it is, but other than the spontaneous blood test, nothing painful"
"Where am I?"
"Angelique Tech company" She answers
"Angelique....I'm at work?!"
"Yep" Bobby smiles "Floor 100"
"There is no floor 100"
"There is for someone as special as you Charm" Mrs Cappie smiles
"And you have clearance Bobby?"
"I do now. They thought if your security was someone you were familiar with, it'll be an easier transition"
"What transition?"
"Into your new life" Mrs Cappie grins
"I don't want a new life, I like my old one" I scowl
"Unfortunately Charm, you are currently trending online. A lot of people have watched what you did on those tracks and some of them are not nice" Mrs Cappie sits on the side of my bed near my feet "I help take care of and am in charge of Supers like you. Each have their own gifts and use them to protect and better mankind" She sighs and looks to Bobby nodding. Bobby nods back and walks over to me with a set of keys. She looks back at me with a sad smile "I'm sorry to say Charm, you can no longer have the life you want. You can never go clubbing, you can never go to the store for milk and you certainly can never take your dogs for a walk"
"What?!" I throw my hands up to realise I'm no longer cuffed. I rub my wrists and notice the damage was done "I'm not letting my dogs miss out on.....where are they?"
"Who?" Mrs Cappie asks confused
"Chubby and Mojo. Speedy and Booty. Where are they?"
"Oh. Your dogs and cats are in your new apartment not far from here"
"My new-what?!" I growl "Do you have any idea how long it took to get my apartment just right and I never agreed to move"
"Charm" Bobby sighs "You are wanted by many governments, some for the right reasons and some for bad. You'll never have a normal life again. You are so famous and so wanted, you could sell your hair and make millions. We're foing our best to remove all videos showing your heroic event, but it's going to take time"
"Well shit" I grunt while slumping back on the bed "I only wanted to save the people of the train" I mutter
"And you did" Mrs Cappie sighs "But humans are greedy, they always want more than what they have. There was enough explosives in the car to obliterate the first 5 carriages and take out the rest. There would've been very few survivors"
"What happened to the guy in the car?"
"He is getting the help he needs. It had something to do with custody over their children. The ex-wife won. She also happened to be in the third carriage on the train"
"Oh wow"
"Yeah"
"So that's it" I sigh "I can never have a normal life. All my friendships I've made, I can never keep....what about my job?"
"You can no longer work the way you did sweetheart"
"So what am I supposed to do for money? What am I to do to fill my time?"
"You have a different job" Mrs Cappie smiles
"Which is?"
"You will be part of a group of Supers that investigate certain phenomenon. Things that can't be explained....bad things. You'll be like the police for Supers"
"How many are there?" I ask
"We're not sure. Powers mature when a heroic event happens to an individual. Not all become Supers, but the ones that do, have a choice" She looks at me seriously "Sometimes they choose to do very bad things whilst others, like the group of Supers I hope you'll want to be a part of, do good things and try to save humanity"
"How have I not heard of anything like this before?"
"Because it would be too overwhelming for humans to comprehend. There was a time when color of your skin was seen as threatening, a time when you religion saw you as a danger. Could you imagine what they would do to souls like yours if they found out you could move things without touching them?" Mrs Cappie asks
"Good point" I huff
"Do you remember the derailing of train K67AD2?" Mrs Cappie asks
"Yeah. It killed hundreds of people and injured hundreds more" I answer "They're still trying to find out who's responsible 5 months later"
"We believe a Super did it" Mrs Cappie growls
"How?"
"We believe they overloaded the system with their electrical powers. Over close examination, every single wire on that train was fried, lights, doors, controls. No matter how bad a short-circuit might have been, every single wire fried is a phenomenon"
I look at her and realise something from her expression "You already know who did it?"
"Yes" Mrs Cappie sighs "His name is Patrick Kilps. 44yrs old. Single. Has anger issues. He was fired from Titans Railway because he lost his temper and knocked out his supervisor. We believe he came into his powers when he saved a man from falling victim to a hit and run by frying a cars electricals and making it crash into the river. What was most upsetting though, was the fact that the occupants of the vehicle had been fried beyond recognition"
"So now he wants revenge on his old employers" I add
"We believe so"
"If you know who it is already, why haven't you got him yet?" I ask her
"Because none of the Supers can get near him without being electrocuted"
"Why tell me?"
"Because I believe you can make it happen"
"By doing what?"
"His powers come from moving his hands and fingers. I believe you can-"
"-freeze him so he can't move, allowing someone close enough to capture him" I cut her off
"Exactly"
"But, I don't even know how my powers work" I sigh
"I know, that is why you're here....to learn"
"Why was I handcuffed?"
"Because we didn't know if you were a good Super or a bad one. We had to protect ourselves as much as you" She says
"What if I could use my powers without using my hands?"
"That's what we'll eventually work out, but for now, I want you to rest. Your mind went into overdrive and that is why you collapsed. When you get the all clear from the doctors, I'll have Lily come and guide you to your new apartment"
"Lily?! She's a Super?!" I gasp
"Yes. Many of those you have come in contact with are"
"But she still works"
"Her heroism was a little more quieter than yours sweetheart. All people will know of her is she works in one of our labs" Mrs Cappie smiles at me before standing up "If you have anymore questions, Lily will answer them for you but if she can't, I'm always available"
"I have one more question"
"Yes"
"Has this company always dealt with Supers"
Mrs Cappie smiles and nods "The company was actually a front to hide the fact that Supers existed. What the bosses didn't realise was how lucrative the front was going to be. It's main focus is people like you, giving them a home and a purpose. Protecting those who need to be protected. I believe the founder of the company was one of the first Supers ever discovered"
"Wow"
"Now just lay back and relax Charm. Bobby will be here to make sure you're safe and Lily will be here momentarily"
"Thank you Mrs Cappie....for saving me"
"And thank you for saving my nephew" She smiles. I look at her confused "He was in the first carriage"
"Oh. No probs" I smile back
She leaves the room and I look to Bobby "So kid" He chuckles "Hell of a day"
"Tell me about it" I laugh "And here's me thinking it was going to be a normal day, even a better day cause I got to go home early"
"It's a great day Charm. Most people go their whole lives without knowing why they're are here, you know" He says
"Like the fact I can move furniture without breaking a sweat" I snicker
"You know exactly what I mean you dork" Bobby chuckles while playfully pushing me
"I hope you got a raise for this?"
"Freaking huge. One week working in this new position will set my families lives up for many generations to come"
"Seriously?" I gasp
"I'm so serious, I might come into work with a platinum gold teeth grillz and gold chains hanging off my neck....heck, I might even show my underwear when u wear my pants" He laughs
I laugh and shake my head "If you do, I'm giving you a wedgie"
"Who's getting a wedgie?" Lily asks when walking in the room
"Hello....Lily McJones" I greet sarcastically "If that really is your name"
"Shut up, you egg" Lily laughs "Of course it's my name"
"Really?" I ask completely shocked "I thought you would have an alias or something"
"My alias is my real name. My superhero name is Bob" She deadpan before bursting out laughing
"You dick" I laugh along with her "But seriously....What's your power?"
She gives me a wide smile and creates a small fireball in her hand "I'm an elemental super. There's a super for each and I'm fire"
"That's so cool" Bobby gasps
"And as for name, I don't have one yet. Nothing jumps out at me" She sighs
"How about Ashes? It's short, to the point. Not too masculine and pretty much describes what you are capable of" I shrug
"That. Is. So. Badass. I love it" Lily giggles "I would love to use it"
"Do we get a cape?" I ask
"No! Why would you want a cape?" She questions me
"Superhero....cape. Kinda goes side by side" I shrug
"You work with a tech team to design your uniform to be practical and work with your power. Devin, who can turn invisible, wears skinny jeans and a t-shirt, also a leather jacket if it's cold, but the clothes disappear when she does. My clothes are fire resistant"
"What about protection? From bullets and stuff"
"All our clothing are installed with state-of-the-art armor. So light, you wouldn't even know it's there. Bobby is wearing some right now" She points to him
"I am?" He gasps
"It's in your shirt"
"Wow" He moves his shirt around to try to see it
"The armor is so thin, you wouldn't be able to see it" Lily chuckles while watching Bobby turning in circles gripping his shirt
The doctor walks in a short time later and gives me the all clear. He thankfully told me that I do not have any permanent damage and I shouldn't pass out again when using my power
I get out of bed and changed into a clean pair of shorts and shirt Lily brought from my new place "So where are we going exactly?" I ask her as Bobby and I follow her out of the hospital room and into an elevator
"To your new digs" She tells me as she hits a blue button on the elevator wall "Each floor above 99 is color coded. Blue for residence. Green is for training. Red is the floor we just came from which is medical. Grey is for when we have meetings and Black is where we meet the true bosses of this place and the top floor. As you can see" She points to a yellow button "That's our garage. All of our vehicles and extra equipment we might need for an assignment can be collected there. In a couple of days, someone will come to you to ask your favourite mode of transport. Now your everyday vehicle will be a lot different from your mission vehicle so decide soon on what those 2 might be. I did a little research before I came up with mine so I suggest you do the same"
"What are yours?"
"John Cooper Mini Hatch GP, with pink interior. A matte black paint job and matching pink highlights for every day use and for missions a Burgetti Divo with metalic black paint job, neon blue accents and matching blue and black interior"
"Divo?" Booby looks like a deer stuck in headlights "That's a 5.8 million dollar car"
"Considering the company we work for, money isn't a really problem when it comes to their Supers" She says nonchalant "The mission cars are fitted with state-of-the-art armor and weapons. My hubcaps are actually discs that can harness my flames and I can throw at the enemy. My side mirrors are shotguns with power harnessing bullets"
"That's so cool" Bobby gasps "Similar to MIB international"
"Pretty much" Lily giggles. The doors open to a square room, opening up to a hallway. The hallway stretched on forever with door spaced apart. We follow Lily to the 4th door on the right "This is you Charm" She smiles "Place your hand on the handle and wait for a beep" I do as she says And I get a little zap. I quickly take my hand off it and shake it around
"What the hell was that?" I groan, still feeling the after effects
"That was the room door calibrating to your fingerprints and DNA. Only you can open it now" She giggles at my state
"You could've warned me" I growl
"And miss the look on your face....not a chance" She laughs
"How am I supposed to protect her if I can't get in her room?" Bobby asks
"The computer attached to the watch I'm about to give her, will deduce if she is in need of any assistance and will alert you, Mrs Cappie and the team, allowing us to only enter than without her permission" Lily answers "Otherwise, you can do whatever you want when she's in her room. You can go home and be with your family and things like that. When she's out and about as a normal citizen, that's when she'll need you most"
"Understood" Bobby nods "But it's kinda weird protecting someone who can do a better job of it themselves"
"Not really" Lily sighs "As normal citizens, we can't use our powers in public. If a threat occurs, you need to eliminate it" She points at him "We try to keep our identities secret from others besides each other, but sometimes secrets are found out. When on a mission, you won't be needed and can go home if you want"
"I'd rather hang around here to make sure she gets back alive" Bobby says and I give him a grateful smile and a pat on the arm
"Thanks Bobby"
"All good kid" He nod to me "Do I get a uniform as well?"
"You can wear whatever you want, but try and keep it simple so it doesn't get unnecessary attention. However, the clothes you wish to wear on duty, I suggest you give to the tech team to install protection armor or....you also could have them design a few things for you. Whatever you want Bobby is yours. You'll get the same respect and treatment as Supers do and that includes being privy to mission information and all our identities as well as the use of all our equipment"
"Damn Bobby. You're a secret agent now" I chuckle
"Let's hope I'm more Bond then Susan Cooper" He chuckles
"Come on, Susan Cooper was a total badass" I tell him
"Not with a fungal infection and hemorrhoids" He says making Lily and I laugh "Speaking of, do I get gadgets?"
"You will be taken to the yellow floor later today and there you'll talk to a special team that'll help you pick the perfect gadgets and weapons just for you" Lily answers
"Sweet" Bobby grins
"Shall we?" Lily nods to the door. I nod back, taking a deep breath and open it
"Ho-ly. Fuck!" Are the only words to describe what I see
The room is huge with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the City. It was all open plan with a lounge area with the pushes loungesuit I've ever seen and a huge TV attached to the wall. There was a big full kitchen with white cabinets and butchers-block counters. To the left of it, a small dining table. The walls were a light blue with white accents. The lounge room alone is as big as my old apartment, but there was something troubling me
"What do you think?" Lily asks
"It's....uh....nice but where are my babies?" My boys, Chubby and Momo, should've been barking their heads off the moment the door opened
"If you look up...." Lily points to the wall. I look up and see Speedy and Booty asleep on cat hammocks attached to the wall up high. There are platforms and climbing post all along the walls for them. I somewhat relax and make a kissy noice with my lips. They both wake up and see me, getting down from their platform and start rubbing against my legs. I pick them both up and snuggle into their fur. They purr loudly and rub their faces against my head
"Where are my boys?" I ask while giving lovin to my girls
"Monica took them for a walk" I look at her with a raised eyebrow
"And Monica is?" I ask, worried that a complete stranger has my babies
"She's a Super too, shapeshifter, to be exact. She loves animals and considering we weren't sure when you'd wake up, she decided to be responsible for your babies" Lily smiles
"So I can trust her?"
"Definitely. She'd rather get hurt then an animal" I guess that's something "Now rest up, relax. Have a shower, something to eat....a nap and in 4hrs we're going to have a meeting so you can find out a little more about each of us and what we do. Your kitchen is fully stocked, the groceries are mostly the foods that you've ordered for lunches here and what was at your old home. All your clothes are put away and there are boxes in your room full with everything else from your old apartment" She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a watch "Now considering the fact that we've been best friends for awhile, I knew the design you'd want for a watch" She smiles proudly as she hands it to me
"Wow" I gasp "This is gorgeous"
"And fake" She giggles "Push the smooth nob on the right hand side of it" I did so only to get another zap
"Seriously girl!" I growl at her "You need to tell me these things, it's really starting to hurt" I shake my hand out as I watch the face turn, change and shift into a solid clear black screen before the numbers '51' appear "What are the numbers?" I ask
"That's the number Super you are" Lily responds
"So there's 51 of us"
"Only 11 in use, the rest are either retired or deceased or more managerial roles"
"Wow. That many?"
"The company has been active for 300yrs Charm. When you think about it, it's not that many"
"That's true" I shrug "So I'm a number?"
"For the files, but once you establish a Super name and stuff, to the outside world you'll be known as that"
"Is this some type of 'Avengers' thing?" I ask
"Almost. We're better looking and our powers don't come from a lab or work bench" She smiles
"I suppose" I sigh "Can I ask a question?"
"Sure"
"What happens to the Supers that want nothing to do with this place?"
"Nothing" She shrugs "We let them live their lives. As long as they don't use their powers to harm anyone and as long as no one finds out about us, we leave them in peace" She says "But we give them a number so if they're in trouble, we can help them" She adds
"Anyone turn down your offer?"
"Not yet" She smirks "I think we agree to be here because out there....being different or our kind of different, can be scary and lonely. Here, we have people who understand us and appreciate us for who we are and what we can do"
"How do you know when a Super is found?" Bobby queries
"We work with every law enforcement agencies and governments around the world. We have teams in every precinct you can think of, so when they find one of us, we're immediately notified, whether their bad or good" Lily shakes her head "This guy we're chasing at the moment is the worst I've come across thus far. It's like he has no conscience, he could do so much good if he wanted to"
"We heard" Bobby sighs "I hope we catch him soon"
Lily puts on a smile and looks at me "With Charm, I'm sure the odds just went in our favour"
"Shit. No pressure" I chuckle
She puts a hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezes "It's okay to be nervous hun. We all were when we came here the first time. Whatever happens, I know you would've done your best"
I give her a grateful smile and nod "Thank babe"
"All good" She steps back and smiles "Well now that's out of the way, Bobby, I'm sure your family have arrived at your new home, why don't you go see them before shit gets real"
I look at Bobby completely shocked "You moved? How long was I passed out?"
"2 days" Lily tells me making me choke on my own saliva "And Bobby wanted to be close to you"
"I'm still a couple of streets away but it's better then a 15 minute drive like before" He tells. I got overwhelmed with love knowing he moved his family for me "Besides, my kids still get to go to their schools and my wife said her favourite clothes stores are closer so that made her really happy. We also have a huge backyard, so I told the kids we can get a dog now" He chuckles "That made the move a lot easier"
"I don't know what to say Bobby" So I do what I do best. I gently out my girls on the floor and I launched into his arms and gave him the tightest hug
"Hey, hey, it's all good kid. You're my friend, of course I'd do this"
"You're the best" I sigh into his shoulder
Lily clears her throat behind me "What am I? Chop liver?" She whines
I turn around and hug her too "Thanks Lily for making this transition a little easier"
"Meh. Tis nothin' gurl" She chuckles as I let her go "I'll let you get settled. Monica should be back soon"
"Thanks Lily" I smile
"No probs hun, I'll come and get you when it's time" She grabs Bobby by the arm "Let's go you hunk of man" Bobby chuckles, nodding while giving me a wave
"See ya soon kid"
"See ya Bobby" I wave back giggling at his state
Once they leave, I get a closer look at everything. I check to see that my girls went back to their hammock in the sun. I walk over to the wall of Windows and look out upon the City. So much has happened and I still can't get my head around it. I move to the kitchen and graze my hand along the butchers block bench top. It's so new....so fancy. I open the fridge to see it packed with flavoured milk, juice of every kind, water, moo juice and fresh vegetables and fruit. I open the freezer to see it filled to the brim with different meats and seafood
I'm about to walk into the bedroom when there was a knock at the door. I walk over to it cautiously and open it. On the other side is a tall Raven beauty with a smile to match. Her light brown eyes look at me with curiosity "Hi, I'm Monica" She greets, but before I can shake her out stretched hand, I'm tackled to the ground by my boys
They bark hysterically and lick my face excitedly "Hello my babies" I laugh "Who's been good boys then?"
I roll around the floor with them as their tails wag uncontrollably. My boy Chubby, takes off running crazily around the room while my calmer dog Momo, sits panting while looking at me "I guess that's one way to say welcome back" Monica laughs as I try to stand up, wiping my face of drool
"It's like that whenever I come home from work" I chuckle composing myself "Now" I take a deep breath and extend my hand "Hi. I'm Charm Winters, telekinesis and probably a whole lot of other things i have no idea about"
She laughs and shakes my hand "I'm Monica Hype, shapeshifter and when a fish, can breath underwater"
"No shit?" I gasp
"No shit" She smiles proudly
"Thank you for taking care of my babies"
"It's no problem, although I had to fight the others to do so" She laughs "Your babies are a hit amongst us Supers. I won cause I can communicate with them"
"What?! That's freaking cool" The astonishment on my face must be priceless
"I have to be that animal to talk to them but yeah" She points to herself "Animal whisperer, right here"
I look at by boys who are now chasing each other around the apartment "I hope they weren't too much of a problem?"
"Nah" She waves me off "I explained that this was their new home and that you were a hero. They told me about their lives with you....I-I'm sorry you had to go through all of that" She whisper the last bit
I look at her and smile softly "It's okay. My babies got me through and I came out better in the end. Um....c-can you keep it a secret please. I don't want people to know my parents tried to kill me"
"I will Charm, don't worry"
"Thanks Monica"
"Well I better get going and let you have a rest before the big meet up. I'm sure everything will be fine"
"I hope so" I sigh
"Bye Charm"
"Bye Monica" She walks away and I close the door. I walk to my new living room and plop onto my new sofa. The boys jump up and snuggle into my sides "Well boys, I hope you like it here" I wrap my arms around my boys and turn on the huge TV to see the news bulletin is on. It's showing what I did but my face is blurred out, thankfully. They're calling me a phenomenon but some people being interviewed are calling me a monster that should be contained. They fear that I'll start killing for fun. How they came to that conclusion is beyond be, but I have a lot of experts backing me up, saying, I'm a hero
I didn't realise that some people would see me as a villain. It's kinda sad to know that there are people out there scared of me, even though I saved so many lives. I guess it's the unknown that scares them the most
I see Louise getting interviewed and she has nothing but good things to say about me. She tells all the haters to go choke on something, not sure what cause it was bleeped out. I laugh and smile knowing at least, she's still my friend
Chubby starts scratching my lap and I know he's hungry. I look at the time and wonder if they had lunch. I look at Momo and his pit bull blue eyes are staring at me expectantly. They don't usually get lunch cause I'm at work all day but I guess I can change that. I stand up and my Pug and Pit bull follow me towards the kitchen
I search every cardboard, glad they brought my plate set that Nan gave me from home and find a cardboard labeled 'Pooches' When I open it, it's full of Tupperware containers that are filled with homemade dog food. I read the label on the containers seeing, salmon, steak, brisket, chicken and so on. The food looks good enough for me to eat and it smells delicious
I find their dog bowls in their own areas and dish it out. Chubby, of course, goes nuts on it while Momo is a little more reserved
Knowing they're eating, my girls make an appearance in the kitchen. I scratch them both behind their ears then open the cardboard that says 'Goddesses' Same containers as the boys but mostly seafood. I take out 2 containers with fresh crab in them and put it in their bowls on the bench top. If I put it on the ground, Chubby would take it. They munch away, purring and I decide on a shower
Walking into my spacious room was a surprise. A king size bed in the middle, pushed up against the wall with what looks like a walk-in-robe to the right and another door to the left. I open it to find the bathroom. Big spa bath, open shower with a seat and 2 big shower heads. One on the ceiling and one on the wall. Double vanity sink and a mirror. I look around and see a side door, opening it to find a separate toilet almost the size of my old room
I strip off my clothes feeling gross from being asleep for 2 days and jump in the shower. The shower heads cover me from head to toe and I sigh with contentment under the warm water. It feels so good, I don't want to get out. All of my bathroom stuff is here, which I'm grateful for, so I wash myself off before reluctantly turning off the shower and drying myself
Walking into my new room feels so surreal. Just a couple of days ago, I was in a rundown 2 bedroom apartment with a view of the neighbouring buildings brick wall, now, I'm in a state-of-the-art apartment that costs more than most houses, with a view of the city. No words can describe the anxiety I'm feeling about this whole thing
I find a clean pair of boxers and am soooo glad I did laundry before I went to work, a sports bra, plain white shirt and my skinny black jeans. Once put together, I walk back into the main living area and got myself a milk coffee before sitting back down on the sofa. My boys join me again while my girls haven't moved an inch from resuming their positions on their little perch. I look at my watch and see I still have 3hr and 16min of the 4hr time period, so I put on the movie 'Re-education of Nova' I was in a gay mood
Before I knew it, I woke up to the barking of my boys and realised I must've fallen asleep. Knocking starts to echo throughout the room and just registered that someone is at the door. I look at my watch and notice it's time for the meet and greet. I stand up, grab my shoes and open the door to Lily
"Hey sweet cheeks, took you a while to open up" She giggles, looking at my disheveled appearance
"Sorry" I grimace while adjusting my shirt "I fell asleep"
"All good. Got a few minutes if you want to fix your hair" I give her a nod and race to the bathroom. I look at my hair and I look like a troll doll. After some brushing and maneuvering, I'm put back together again
I put on my boots and walk back to Lily "Sorry about that, I had all intentions of being awake and ready when you showed up" I sigh
"It's okay hun" She smiles at me "It's been a big few days for you, no one will judge"
"Thanks babe"
"Ready to meet the team?"
"Nope"
"That's the spirit" She laughs while dragging me out off my apartment. I don't even get a chance to lock the dogs up as they've already taken off towards the elevator
"Deep breaths, you'll be fine" Lily says softly
I take a deep breath, releasing it slowly Here goes nothing