The End of the Road

Chapter Twenty Two

I've called many places my home before. In California, then the Lost Cities, now back in the human realm.

They've all felt temporary, like there's always somewhere I was heading for next. With my human family, I knew I didn't belong and there wasn't a moment I was with them that I couldn't help to think of how nice it would be when I could go off on my own and live a quiet life, both figuratively and literally. In the lost cities, I never knew what would happen next. The neverseen was constantly changing things and forcing me to move from place to place. And as much as I wish it could be different, I know here is no better. We can hide from the world all we want, but eventually we will be found, by the black swan, the council, or the neverseen, I don't know, but I do know that it won't be pretty when it hits.

The longer we wait, the more catastrophic it will be when we return.

But for now, I pretend away our problems, because Keefe is happy and we're not in immediate danger at every second of the day, which is more than I can say for when we're in the lost cities.

Living on a tightrope can be nice.

Until you fall.

By the time I had gotten out of the shower, Keefe was almost done making dinner. I had set the table before I got in. 

I was wearing one of the oversized shirts we had bought with pajama shorts and I noticed Keefe had also changed into his night clothes, long, blue plaid pajama pants with a gray t-shirt. He stood over the table with a pot in hand, some sort of soup pouring out into his bowl. 

"Mmm, that smells delicious," I compliment as I quickly walk over to my seat.

"It's some type of cheesy soup. I got the recipe from a friend at school," Keefe says casually as he pours me some of the soup.

My mind flashes to the girls at school, their arms around Keefes shoulders, flirting relentlessly with their glossed lips. I wonder if he could tell what awful people they are, how they treat people who are different from them. I wonder if he likes it when they flirt and talk with him everyday. 

"Whats got you in a mood?" Keefe asks and I realize I've been glaring at my soup with my white knuckled hand clutching the spoon.

I take a deep breath and shove the thoughts away, with it the emotions. I wipe my face with a smile and blow on the steaming soup.

"Nothing, just the reminder of school. So, who's your friend?" I say as I close my mouth around a spoonful of the white soup. It burns my tongue but after a second, I'm pleasantly surprised with the cheddary taste.

"Oh, Avery? We're in the same English class. We're usually partnered together for projects and reading," Keefe innocently eats his soup, also seemingly happy with the flavor.

I try to keep my emotions at bay but all I can picture is Avery and Keefe sitting together in English, the one class we don't have together. Shes probably fallen head over heels for him, and who could blame her? Anyone would.

 I did.

I shake the thought away before Keefe could sense there was something wrong. "That's cool. My English class mostly just has the worlds most boring conversations about the meaning of sky colors. If humans focused all this learning into actual useful things for life, maybe they wouldn't be so completely lost after they're done with school." 

"I know right? Like, I think all this stuff is interesting and all but when do humans learn things they actually need to know in life?"

I shrug my shoulders because I really don't know and likely never will. My mind has yet to catch up to the concept of taxes or even the science behind airplanes.