totally meta

chapter 22

Henry sat at the kitchen table, casually scrolling through his phone, when his mom walked in with a laundry basket balanced on her hip. She eyed him for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as she set the basket down on the counter.

“You know,” she started, folding a towel, “I’ve been meaning to ask... what exactly do they have you doing over at Seven Labs?” Her tone was light, but there was a hint of concern behind her words. “You’ve been working a lot lately, and they’re paying you pretty well—40 dollars an hour for someone your age is a lot.”

Henry shifted in his chair, trying to hide the tension in his shoulders. He had known this conversation was coming. His mom had been suspicious about his new job for a while now, especially with how little he’d been able to tell her. But he couldn’t exactly explain that his work involved stopping rogue meta-humans and using his super speed to save people.

He met her gaze, doing his best to look casual. "Yeah, it’s... a lot of work," he admitted. "But it’s mostly research. I mean, we’re working on some pretty cutting-edge stuff. New technology and all that."

His mom didn’t seem fully convinced. She sat down across from him, resting her arms on the table. "I get that, but what kind of technology? I know you said they have you doing some lab work, but it seems like you’re always busy. And why the secrecy? If it’s just science stuff, why can’t you talk about it?"

Henry rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the weight of her curiosity. "I’m not really supposed to disclose the details," he said carefully, choosing his words with precision. "They’ve got a lot of projects that they don’t want getting out to the public before they can patent them. It’s... kinda like a non-disclosure agreement."

His mom raised an eyebrow, her expression softening but still curious. "A non-disclosure agreement, huh?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "It’s all pretty normal in the tech world. They’re just trying to protect their inventions before anyone else can steal the ideas." He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping that would be enough to put her mind at ease.

She sighed, sitting back in her chair. "I just want to make sure they’re not overworking you. It’s great that you’re making good money, but I don’t want you getting burned out, Henry."

Henry smiled, appreciating her concern. "I’m fine, Mom. Really. It’s a good job, and I’m learning a lot."

She studied him for a moment longer before nodding. "Alright, I trust you. Just... don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay?"

"I won’t," Henry promised.

But as she got up to continue folding the laundry, Henry couldn’t help but feel the weight of the secrets he was keeping from her. The life he was leading now was so much bigger than either of them had ever imagined, and sometimes he wondered if he was really ready for it. But for now, he had to keep the truth hidden—for her sake, and for his own.