Geek Fire: A YA Superhero Adventure

Chapter 15

Monday after swim practice, Hannah stood outside the rear passenger door of her pink Escalade. The bruises from the Dragon Girl incident had faded from purple and black to green and yellow. Hannah's mouth pinched like Nan's did when she was unhappy. Must be that she'd had to drive the four blocks over to the pool, which wasn't even out of her way home.

Kyle scowled at Emma from the passenger seat.

"You're in the backseat tonight," Hannah said, after inspecting the towel Emma had wrapped around her wet hair and deciding that Emma was dry enough to get in the car.

"Nan said Monday dinners are only for family." Emma glared at the back of Kyle's head as she climbed in. Even his hair was perfect, too.

"Kyle and I have been dating for three years." Hannah's tone didn't allow for any argument and Emma wasn't Nan. Nan would tell Hannah that Kyle coming to Monday night dinner wasn't okay. Hannah could deal with the repercussions.

Emma smiled at the thought of Hannah getting hers.

When they entered the big house, as always Emma stared up at the double stairways into the second story. Why did Hannah get to live in this palace when Emma was stuck in a gross trailer?

Not bothering to wait for Hannah and Kyle, Emma hurried out of the entryway, careful not to knock into any of Aunt Beth's fragile collections with her duffel bag or backpack. On the other side of the wall, the fake wood floors and ornate couches where Nan and Aunt Beth sat still made her feel like the country mouse, but she felt a little better than being a tiny speck under the stairs.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Aunt Beth asked.

"Of course." By the time dinner rolled around most nights—especially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with two-a-day workouts—Emma was starving and could eat whatever was put in front of her.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Kyle." Aunt Beth said with a smile.

Nan's lips turned into a puckered white line. "Mondays are only for family."

"I said he could come." Beth ran her hand over her face. "We need some testosterone to balance us out since Frank's working late again."

"Is he still working on that Jamal Robinson case?" Emma asked.

"Yes." Aunt Beth stood and headed towards the dining room. "But now that Speedster and a couple other wannabe superheroes are causing problems."

"Really?" Kyle asked, leaning forward.

"Frank says supers are making so much more work for the DA's office. Criminals come gift wrapped." Aunt Beth shook her head. "But with no evidence, they have to release them again. So, what's the point? More cases and more paperwork, but with no evidence to back it up... it means more time working for the DA's office, but the criminals are back on the streets in no time."

Emma frowned. That didn't seem right. Were superheroes even making a difference?

"I think they'd be better off if they just arrested all the supers," Nan said. "They're dangerous."

Emma shrank further into her seat. She didn't want to talk about any of this. Would Nan still say that if she found out about Emma's powers?

The table wasn't really any more crowded than usual. But with Nan glaring at Kyle on one side of her and Hannah staring at him all moon-eyed on the other, Emma didn't know what to do. So, she didn't say anything and shoveled salad into her mouth. She reached for a helping of seconds, half oblivious to the conversation between the rest of the family and Kyle.