A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 79: Back to School, Emily

My alarm clock blares its annoying beep-beep-beep at 7:00. I slam the snooze button with a groan and roll onto my side, pulling the blanket over my head to hide from the light.

It's peaceful under the covers, and warm, like John's Lumen; I hate that it reminds me of that. Instantly, I'm reminded of why he's not here: because I fucked up, and I hate myself all over again.

I don't know how long I lie for, but eventually, the door bursts open. "Are you going to school? Come on. Get up," dad shouts in his usual strict tone, flicking on the light. It's like I'm under the spotlight with him, always. "You know what time it is?"

Reluctantly, I roll over to check the clock. 7:23. "I do now," I answer in a low roar. "Turn the light off." I try to keep my voice level and tame, but really, I want to scream at him.

He shuts the door and again, it's just me. I sit up slowly, begrudgingly. Pixie whines at my feet. I pet her; I'm glad she's here at least. "Wanna walk to school with me, girl?" I ask her. "Huh? Wanna walk together?" Her tail bobbles as her energy spikes. I stand to grapple through my closet when something sharp grazes my heel. I fall back down. "Shit!" I cry. The hell!

My heel is slit open as if I've gotten a big paper cut, cutting into the divot. Blood dribbles out and down, and I look down to see what I stepped on: a shard but not just any shard. It's a shard from a dagger. I know its origins without even batting an eye. It's silver and gleaming even when the light doesn't reflect on it. I pick it up, turn it over. It's broken, not whole, and the rest of it is missing.

It's Mogadorian. What the hell? What's it doing here?!

Images of the maze flicker back, hallways turning one after another. Everything—it's like it's happening all over again. Black blood surrounds me suddenly, leaving me gasping when it's over, and I drop the alien weapon so it clangs against the hardwood floor. It nearly jabs my toes.

"Emily!" dad calls from downstairs. "Are you ready?"

"Almost!" Goddamn it. I'll have to figure this out later. I hide the shard under my pillow and turn to my closet. I look over at Pixie. "Make sure no one takes it," I tell her. "I'll be back."

***

I arrive at school late only because I've been walking slow to stall for time. It's cooler today with a light breeze that messes up my hair in ways that I hate. But by the time I get there, I stop. I stop outside the front doors and take in the front of the building; it looks bigger than I remember it, way bigger than Paradise High, that's for sure.

I walk in with a deep sigh and make a beeline for the main office, keeping my head down the whole way, even though there're almost no students loitering in the atrium.

"Hi Hun, what can I do for you?" asks the secretary as soon as I step up to the desk.

"Hi. I need to register for new classes," I tell her. "Are one of the VPs available?"

"What's your name?" I tell her my name, spell out my last name just in case—because everybody gets it wrong—and watch her type away on her keyboard. "Mr. Nally is currently in a meeting," she says. "I'll see if he can step out for a second. Wait here."

I do as she says without another word. I wait for a minute, which slowly turns into two. She asks me to have a seat in the waiting room, says he'll be out in a few minutes, so I wait for him too—because what else am I supposed to do? "Emily?" I look up to find Mr. Nally sticking his head out from behind the back hall. He's smiling. I don't return the gesture. He leads me to his office, sits, and I sit. "It's good to see you again. I was quite disappointed to remove you from your last timetable two years back, and I'm very pleased you're deciding to continue. Of course, your graduation will be delayed. You'll need to restart the tenth grade."

"I figured." I never thought of Mr. Nally as overly chatty. I guess I'm not the only one that's changed. "Um, thanks for seeing me. Sorry to pull you out of your meeting."

"It's quite alright," he says. "This takes priority. Now, before we begin filling in the slots on your schedule, I need to run something by you first. You're aware that there's a new law stating that all teenagers with supernatural powers are meant to be turned over to the UN so they can be transferred to the school in California, right?"

"Yes. I know."

"So, technically speaking, I'm not permitted to register you for classes, since you know... you're one of those teenagers," he says. "I'll have to contact your parents to see if they approve, and they will likely get a call from the UN sometime this week too." Ugh. Doesn't sound like fun.

I sigh. "If you need to, fine. Go ahead."

He picks up his landline. "Who do you think is most likely to answer?"

Dad. 100%. He asks for the number, so I give him that too even though he probably has it on file. On the punch of the last digit, he brings the phone to his ear. Even sitting a desk away from him, I hear it ring... once... twice... until at last, dad's voice comes on.

"Hello? Mr. De Silva? I have your daughter in my office. She's telling me she'd like to register for classes again. But I'm afraid there are some complications..." Mumbling. "It has to do with the new law passed out a year ago..." More mumbling. "Yes, unfortunately, I have no authority to put her through school again, with her... abilities." His reference to my Legacies makes me grind my teeth. "It's a safety precaution. I'm sure you understand..." Mr. Nally doesn't say much for a long time then. It's only dad. He's talking louder now, ranting it seems. I wish I could block it out. I wish I didn't have to hear anything. "If you insist," Mr. Nally concludes. "Very well." And finally, he hangs up and looks back at me. "Your father has assured me that he'll talk to the UN to see if they'll allow you to finish school."

"Does that mean I'll have to wait to start classes again?"

"Not necessarily. I can set up your schedule now and you can start in January but do keep in mind that if the UN doesn't approve, I will need to pull you out again. Is that understood?"

I don't know why, but I have underlying compulsion to say "yes, Beloved Leader," but I stop myself at the last second and curse myself after. I nod at the VP, who's watching me closely.

"One more thing," he adds. "You know there was a wanted bulletin with your name on it?"

"A... A what?"

"It was all over the country," he says. "There was an all-points bulletin with your name on it to issue your arrest. You were all over the news too. Police said you're an accomplice to the alien invasion and wanted information on your whereabouts. I had to speak to them after it was over, tell them you went to school here, but you haven't been seen for months."

What? An APB? Me?! Because I... of what I did? My last days with Setrákus Ra shoot right back to mind. His hand on my shoulder as we marvel at my gift... how he says he's proud of me... His voice echoes in my head like it did. Even the way I used to call him Beloved Leader. It's like I'm back there... back in the cave... at his right hand. I don't want to be back there again.

"Emily?" Mr. Nally calls. "You alright? You look pale. Do you need to see a nurse?"

"No," I choke out, trying to shake the memories away. "I just... what'd they say?"

"Only that," he restates, "that you hadn't been in school for quite some time."

"That's it?"

"That's it." He regards me with a weird expression, an eyebrow raised. I look away. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. It happened ages ago. I'm sure the police have given up their search, so you should be fine. Besides, I don't believe you've done anything wrong. Even if they do discover your return, they don't need to know if you don't want them to."

"What do you mean? You won't tell them I'm here?"

"Not if you don't want me to," he says. "Do you want me to?"

I shake my head. Of course I don't want him to. I don't want to be arrested! But I can't help but feel I should be. It'd be smart to have me arrested. I probably deserve it. Mr. Nally may think I've done nothing wrong; he may doubt I was involved at all, but he's mistaken.

"Alright. Let's set up your schedule then, shall we?"