Terror

Chapter Eight

Back at camp, Jade felt her heart racing. That wasn't normal, because she was worried about someone. Crouching in front of Esme, Hanna had her eyes drifting between the two. There were bandages wrapped around what skin was left on Angel's arm, but it wasn't working much.

"Emma's back!" Talia came rushing over.

Emma had wide eyes as she stared down at the scene in front of her. Jade watched her slowly crouch down, lips pressed tight. Esme's eyes opened, and Jade automatically knew why Emma was silent.

"Try not to vomit a lot," Esme said, sticking up her thumb.

Emma's face looked slightly green as she wobbly set a hand on Esme's cheek, taking it away automatically.

"Here's a bucket," Hanna said, handing her a bucket.

Jade didn't want to stick around, but she wanted to know about Esme's condition.

"Um, can you guys just leave me with them?" Emma murmured, staring down at the grass. It was taking her a lot to not vomit.

Jade glanced at Esme before turning with a nod. Camp has been chaotic enough with people running around or teaming up.

Jade was considered an outer guard with Oscar and Conner. The boy had come back, but he had just been grumpy in general. She didn't have to talk to either of them unless they saw some sign. Other than that, they stood in silence, with Oscar maybe asking the odd thing.

Walking through camp, she glanced around. People were still confused about why the sky was pink or why the burning town was no longer on fire. There were questions without answers, but everyone knew there had been some change. Jade could only guess that Scarlett's mutant child had been born.

Conner approached her with his arms folded. "Do we still have to guard around here?" he asked.

"Is that all?" she asked, seeing him still standing in front of her.

"I have to ask you something," he started, walking away as she followed him inside a small tent as they stood away from each other. "You like girls, right?"

"If you want dating advice, ask someone else," Jade said dryly.

Her dating history wasn't exactly something that's been on the positive end. The few teammates at Uden Academy were supportive, but crushing on two different straight girls doesn't help with experience.

"I can't; that's the thing," Conner spat. "When you figured out you liked girls, did you feel weird?"

"Yes," she replied.

As a sixth grader, she didn't know why she felt these feelings about a girl on her volleyball team. She researched online about why she felt this attraction. It was unclear why she never told any of her teammates, but she asked her parents.

Both of them were horrified, thinking she might be a lesbian. She remembered her mother asking if she was joking. Her father had just shaken his head at her, dissatisfied. The next morning, she was staring down at a brochure for Uden Academy.

Jade had lived in Ottawa, but she had heard of Uden Academy from social media. The place where people are sent for reform or to get rid of their children.

Her mother had pestered her, saying, "We can't have you jeopardizing your father's position."

Her father was her volleyball coach and teacher at the University of Ottawa. They assumed if other members found out about her, they might terminate his position.

"You can't play on a girls' volleyball team with that mindset," her father dismissed.

Her parents didn't want to believe that their daughter was a lesbian. They thought they'd send her away for her sexuality, not for being confused. Uden Academy did shape her mindset to know she was indeed a lesbian.