Brighter Than the Stars

Annabelle - Breakables

"It's me," James said. "It's definitely me." He and Leo stood in front of each other, both trying to see who was stronger–currently, they were flexing, and nearly on their tiptoes (as if being a half-inch taller would make one of them the clear winner). James, needless to say, had started this. I had never been more disturbed or concerned for their well-being in my life–and I'd see James do a lot of things.

Nicole dropped her head into her hands. "Please stop."

"It's because she knows it's me and she doesn't want you to be humiliated," James said. "Except I clearly already have humiliated you."

"You're both ridiculous," I said, "and I'm pretty sure this is humiliating for both of you."

"It absolutely is. Leo, sit down." Nicole gave him an exasperated look, and Leo sat down next to her.

"I'm done, I'm done." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and bent his head closer to hers. "Did you not appreciate my demonstration? Was it not impressive enough for you?"

"Not at all. You should work on that."

"I'll get on it."

"We get it, you like each other," James groaned. "Stop, that's disgusting."

"You were just flexing!" Nicole protested. "If you're going to do that, you can't complain." She leaned back against Leo, pulling her feet up onto the couch. "You're about the least qualified person to be talking right now–we always have to put up with you and some girl you barely know."

James scowled. "I know them well enough."

"Sure."

"What do you want me to do? Date someone like Annabelle?" He gave me a look, and I returned it.

"Not in a million years. I'm too good for you." I smiled at him and he rolled his eyes, his scowl deepening. "She's not saying date me. That's a no–as much as I'm sure you'd like to have a shot. She's saying you have no right to complain–not when we've watched you flirt with a girl at some tavern who's name you didn't even know."

"I know your name, at least," Leo said, looking down at Nicole. "Do I get something for that? An award, maybe?"

"Well, I'm not sure I know yours, so you're doing better than me," she said. "What was it again? Liam? Luke?"

"Close enough."

"Hey." Star came up to our table, breathless. Her curls–always wild–were more frazzled than usual, sprouting out from her ponytail in different directions. "Isa said to tell you that, apparently, they've made progress in the lab. Madeline's already down there–she wants Leo to come down, too, because the rest of the Council is coming. And she said that anyone else can come too, technically, so I'm going. Just in case we can inject somebody and see them turn into a mutant."

"I volunteer James," I suggested, hopping up. "Actually, do you think we can do that? It sounds fun." James gave me another dirty look–or maybe his face just always looked like that. It was hard to tell. "Do we have to do anything important, though? Because I'm in a turn-James-into-a-mutant mood, not a listen-to-Leo-be-a-nerd mood."

Star nodded. "Understandable. I'm sure if it gets boring, we can just break something."

"No one's breaking anything," Leo said.

Star and I exchanged a look. "He's a little delusional," I whispered. "Don't hold it against him."

...

If there was one place I never should have been, it was a lab. Or maybe it was just this one. Because there were a lot of breakables, and Leo's "don't break anything" rule was looking nearly impossible. The temptation to touch and look at everything practically made my hands itch–it was right there! And it looked so interesting! I reached for a syringe–which were all lined up nearly (for now)--and Nicole smacked my hand away.

She shot me a look, and I put my hands behind my back. Still, she kept looking at me for way too long–mostly because Nicole's look scared me, and I tended to think of it as Nicole's Look. Leo, despite the fact that he was far more of a rule-follower, could never replicate it. He just wasn't mean enough. Nicole, on the other hand, probably would stab me, if I pushed her too far.

That was part of the fun of it, though.

"And we think this works?" Madeline was already deep in conversation with several of the scientists. Despite the fancy dress and her face made-up, she looked just as at home and in control here as she would on the throne. She gestured toward the syringes, her nails a pale green (courtesy of me). "Have there been any tests run yet? Or are we still waiting on results?"

"We've had a few of the witches and wizards run tests, and they're all showing positive results," Main Scientist Guy (or, that was what I thought of him as) said. "We'll run a few more, of course, but we have high hopes. It's made it incredibly far in the testing progress, and we've gathered good data, regardless. If not this one, we're hopeful about the next batch."

I was tempted to ask if I could run a test–magic had to be good for something, right?--but figured I wasn't qualified. I did not need James to rub in it for the next week about how I had been denied. The risk wasn't even worth potentially getting to do it. I settled for getting as close to one of the syringes as I could, without Nicole giving me a look, to examine it.

Madeline gave him a brisk nod. "Let me know when the results come back. If it's positive, I'd like to start preparing to send some to wherever needs it. That could even be Atala or Aeloni, if civilians are targeted. James." She turned back to scan the group for James. He stepped forward. "I'm letting you know a declaration of war could come any day now. I want you, as Captain, to be prepared. Obviously, this has been ramping up for a while now, and, despite my trying to avoid it, it looks like there won't be much of a choice soon."

James nodded. "We're ready whenever."

I, on the other hand, might not have been.

Word Count: 1,043