Geek Fire: A YA Superhero Adventure

Chapter 26

 Nan towered over Emma and Ollie as she paced in front of them. The two girls cowered in front of her. Nan stood half a foot taller than either of them, and her fluffy white hair bounced with each step.

To avoid the tears that always came with eye contact, Emma studied the carpet. At first glance, the carpet was solid gray. But Emma relaxed the focus of her eyes, making shapes emerge from the subtle ridges and valleys in the carpet.

"Supers attacked your classmate," Nan said, pausing momentarily to make her point, "and you didn't even call me?"

Emma dug her teeth into her tongue. She didn't dare point out that Ice Queen had attacked Riley.

Ollie'd gotten a hold of her mom, but Nan hadn't answer her phone the first time. Since they had already been biking to Emma's house, they thought telling Nan in person made sense. Who knew Nan would get this pissed?

Nan stared at the both of them, her cheeks sucked in.

Emma chewed her lip, waiting for the lecture to start again. Had she missed something? Uncomfortable under Nan's gaze, Emma shifted her weight to her other foot. Did Nan want an answer? An explanation? That bit of carpet looked like a tiny squid silhouette."I'm sorry?"

"I don't even find out until it's on the news and you two girls were already putting your bikes on the porch?" Nan's face had turned red, and spittle made the gap between her bottom teeth shine.

At least Nan didn't know Emma was one of the supers on the news. Still, if Emma didn't say something soon, the plaque in the gap was going to fly out of Nan's mouth and get her. "I did call you once I could, but you didn't answer. Everyone was running everywhere and..."

Emma's voice petered out, not sure what else to say. She hadn't had more time to call Nan because she'd been involved.

Ollie had been right. They should have called the cops or the Super Commission or whoever could deal with Ice Queen, and Emma could have hid with everyone else.

"And then, we all had to go into the old gym to get interviewed, and they took our phones." Ollie elbowed Emma.

"What am I going to do with you?" Nan started pacing again. "You're all I have left of Rosalie. With those problems you've been having and the supers everywhere, maybe I should homeschool you."

"No!" Emma's voice shot out of her. Her throat closed in. No way would she stay home with Nan all day every day. Even if she could learn everything she needed or wanted from a computer or a book, she needed to get out of the trailer. She needed to get away from Nan. She needed her friends. She needed Ollie.

Nan didn't say anything. Was she waiting for Emma to say more? Emma looked back at the carpet squid. It was a sooty gray around the edges. But since neither Nan nor Emma used candles unless the power went out, it must have been a Mr. Sniggles related spill.

"Nana Harrison." Ollie cleared her throat. "You can't keep Emma out of the world forever. Besides, anyone could be a super. Even you."

Nan choked.

"Okay, bad joke." Ollie crossed her arms as if to fortify herself. "But supers are everywhere, and we can't hide and hope we'll stay safe. Emma needs to go to school. She's learning to deal with those executive function issues there."

Nan glared at Ollie.

Emma's heart seized. She didn't need Nan turning her wrath on Ollie. "I can't quit school because there are supers running around, can I? You always say school is the most important thing."