InvaSUn

17

A few days had passed and we were still here in Kansas. But something definitely changed, I just couldn't remember what it was. "Hey Aiden, can you ask James when we're leaving?"

"I don't want to." Aiden crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at me. "You do it." He pressed his lips together and stormed away. I just remembered. What exactly was going on between those two?

I woke up one morning and they were both at each other's throats. And I hated to say that I was quite impressed with Aiden's snide remarks, really. I just didn't appreciate all the swearing.

The reason I didn't want to ask James myself about our departure is because he and Tillie have been getting a little close. A little too close. I didn't really have a problem with it, but I just hoped James had his priorities straight.

Speaking of Tillie, the other day she and I had talked. I ended up telling her about my dream, and she didn't offer any help whatsoever. She concluded that it was just a bad dream because of my anxiety.

I was starting to feel like people thought of me as some insane weakling with healing powers. I noticed that Aiden and James have been able to improve their abilities. Aiden was able to better aim at multiple targets at once, and James learned a new offensive move. He was able to form a power ball in his hands and throw it wherever he wanted.

And me? I still couldn't control my shield. I didn't know what was wrong with me or how to do it. It only worked at random times. So I was starting to feel left out.

James was usually with Tillie, helping her with this research. It was working, and able to keep those creatures away for a while, but they wanted to find out how to kill a creature.

Aiden was either with Tillie or Lieutenant Williams, training. I was the only one left on the sidelines, healing the soldiers and then resting because my abilities drained my energy.

I guess I was going to have to ask James anyways. I was dreading every step I took towards Tillie's lab, which was just a large enclosed area covered in a tarp.

I opened one of the flaps and only saw Tillie inside, super focused on something. James wasn't here. Tillie noticed my awkward stance and stopped what she was doing to greet me.

"Oh, hi Riley!"

"Hey!" I waved at her. "I just stopped by to see if James was here." I did one more glance around to confirm that he wasn't.

"Oh! He went to go help my dad out with something. He should be back soon."

"Ohh.. okay." I nodded at her. Before I could leave, Tillie waved her hands at me and called out.

"Actually! I wanted to ask you something. Come here real quick." She motioned me forward. I studied her for a moment and sighed. It's not like I had anything better to do. I walked back towards her and pressed my arms to my side.

"Yes?" I tilted my head.

"Are you and James.. together? Like.. a thing?"

"What? No! Of course not!" I coughed. Water, I needed water. The holy kind. "Absolutely not! Never!"

"Are you sure?" She blinked at me in surprise.

"100 percent! What made you think we were dating?" I coughed some more, this time trying harder to clear my throat. Just the thought of James and I together made me uneasy.

We're completely incompatible.

"Well.. he's always looking at you some type of way, and I just thought maybe his interest in me was just misguided. We've been hanging around each other and I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to ask out someone's boyfriend."