Extraordinary Mistakes

27. Destroy my home

Megan sits under a tree on the university's campus and looks around. Many students pass by, commenting on the massacre that happened on the Institute. They share their theories about it. It has been the most debated theme for a few days now.

The woman with the red shoes, sandals today, leaves a building. Three others join her. They are younger than her. They talk for a bit outside and Megan can tell that both the boys and the girl are flustered. They hide it as well as they can, and the woman with the red shoes either doesn't notice it or pretends not to.

She waves them goodbye, setting a firm distance between them as she puts her hand covering the sun hitting her dark brown eyes. She takes her also black sunglasses out of her pursue and puts them on. As soon as she turns her back on them and starts walking they keep watching her leave their sight.

Megan won't follow her today, she wants to, but a more pressing issue, one that she has to discuss with Rachel, is the priority of the day. When she gets back home, she pulls Rachel to her room.

"I thought we had no secrets."

"Megan, I respect that you're a person of few words. But sometimes more is needed. I don't understand what you mean."

"The connection between deviants with powers. I always thought that was a myth."

"Oh, that." Rachel looks away for a bit. "It isn't. When I first felt it, I thought it was my side effects, but I told my aunt, and she said that her and my mother had it too, and that it stopped when she committed the fatal flaw. Same with me and Emily Roberts."

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because we are entitled to our privacy."

Megan's eyebrows raise immediately, and she crosses her arms.

"Privacy, eh? Want to call it that?"

Rachel scoffs and looks away for a second.

"Where were you until now? I know you won't answer me, Megan. See? I don't ask you about the human that you keep following around, because you are entitled to your privacy."

"Please, it's not the same and you know it." Megan looks directly to her eyes. "Anything else that you are hiding from us?"

"From you, Megan?" Rachel points at her and lowers her voice. "Or from them? There's a big difference on the answer depending on who I'm keeping something from. This Emily Roberts thing didn't feel necessary, that's all."

***

Meanwhile in the living room, Ánh walks around, talking to herself, ignoring that Alex is in the room reading.

"I can't believe they are making up this new extremist group!"

She taps her left foot making too much noise. Alex takes a deep breath and tries to focus on his reading.

"And people just buy it... They weren't using any power. Just regular guns. But sure, they are deviants. Of course!" She shouts.

"Ánh..." He closes his book. "Humans fear all deviants, even those who have no powers. We know this was fake, but to the regular person, the government says they're deviants, so they are. No one questions the most comfortable explanation," he taps on his book. 

Diego opens the door to the living room, Ánh meets his eyes.

"Ánh, can we talk?"

"Perdon, amigo! I am staying. You two find somewhere else to have this... difficult conversation." Alex dives back into his book and stays on the couch.