The Mutant World [UNFINISHED]

3

The bus lurches to a stop and I snap back to reality. I turn away from the bus window and grab my bag before standing. Nathan stands as well and waits for others to pass him before going into the aisle. As we exit the bus, I start to become giddy with excitement over the thought of tonight.

"Is everyone going able to make it?" Nathan asks me as we walk side by side.

"Yeah, I think so," I answer with a wide smile on my face, "I'm so excited to see everyone."

"Me too," Nathan laughs, "Other than you, I got to visit Milo over break but that was about it."

"I actually haven't seen any of them besides you that one time," I reply, my feet subconsciously picking up the pace.

We walk in silence as cars pass by and the sun beats down on us. Within minutes we arrive at my house. I jog up to the door and nearly jump into the house after unlocking and opening the front door. I toss my bag on the ground next to the door and tidy up the room. As I grab the newspaper from the dining table I notice Nathan standing awkwardly by the door with his bag in his hand.

"Just relax," I suggest with a grin, walking into the kitchen and out of Nathan's sight, "What's got you so tense?"

"Will your dad be here?" Nathan asks in a timid voice. I open a drawer and grab a matchbox before walking back into the living room.

"Not until after five," I answer as I walk to the coffee table in front of the couch, "You've met him before though. What's wrong?"

I take a match and run it across the match box igniting it. I carefully light the green candle on the coffee table before blowing out the flame from the match.

"Yeah, he just gets inside my head and it sort of makes me nervous," Nathan explains as he drops his bag near mine before walking over to the couch, "It's like he's trying to figure out something about me, but I don't know what."

"You'll be fine," I reassure him before swinging back around the corner in the kitchen, "He is super terrified of the elite soliders arresting him so he's really careful about using his secret."

I open the fridge and lean in as I look for cookie dough I had bought specifically for this night. I quickly spot the small container filled with chocolate chip cookie dough, but I pause and let the cool air waft over my face. After basking in the coolness for a few moments, I grab the container and set it on the counter. I take out a spoon and metal sheet from the cabniet above the counter. I grin at he countainer and sneak a bite of cookie dough. After I take a second bite, I stop myself and I begin to make small dough spheres on the cooking sheet.

"Want any cookie dough?" I call out to Nathan over my shoulder, focused on perfecting the shape of the dough. I hear someone stand up and walk over to me before a hand sticks into the cookie dough. I gasp and laugh as the hand scoops a bit of dough on its finger.

"There are things called spoons. You should try them sometime," I joke, turning around. Instead of Nathan, I see a girl with shimmering, black hair and bright, green eyes peering from under her straight bangs. She smiles a perfect toothy smile.

"Tara!" I exclaim, hugging the girl, "I missed you so much!"

"Me too!" she squeals breaking the hug and looking at me sternly, "Texting is definitely not enough."

I shake my head in agreement and we laugh together for a moment. Tara's laugh is one of the clearest and natural laugh I have ever heard. It echos in your ears and makes you feel happy and warm.

"I'm going to finish these up and I'll join you and Nathan in a second," I say turning back around  towards the counter and putting the pan filled with cookie dough spheres in the oven. I take the leftover cookie dough and three spoons out to the living room. I hand Tara a spoon and offer one to Nathan. He refuses with a shake of his head before I sit down next to Tara. We make small talk for a while until I pipe up.