In This Dimension

Chapter 4

"Livid! They were absolutely livid!" Samara laughed as she walked with Miguel from the subway station to their school.

Miguel joined in, a smile playing on his lips. He wished he'd been there to see the chaos unfold firsthand, especially the look of shock on everyone's faces. He was particularly amused by the part where Samara stood up to Matias, telling him he needed to start being more involved in the family. It was a subject Samara had rarely broached, but it highlighted how Matias's absence had affected her. As an older brother himself, Miguel was navigating his own challenges, so he understood her. But he had to admit to himself, the whole time, he had to have been navigating with Samara by his side.

"What did your dad say?" Miguel asked, trying to suppress his grin.

"He couldn't even muster a word. And my mom cried the whole time, worried her precious son might scrape a knee," Samara replied, shaking her head with a grin. "It was a mess."

"And you? How do you feel about it?" Miguel asked, curiosity piqued.

Samara shrugged. "I didn't know Matias was so passionate about becoming a police officer. I understand why my parents are upset; it's a tough and dangerous job. But if I had known earlier, I would've been happy for him. It's like he's been hiding this side of him."

"And you're not happy now?"

"I feel neutral about it," she admitted. "I mean, I'm not unhappy. It's just... surprising. I guess I'm still processing everything."

"How about Josue?" Miguel inquired.

Samara sighed. "I don't know. He hasn't mentioned it. It's like he's in his own little world right now. Have you had a chance to talk to him?"

"No, but I'll make sure to reach out," Miguel said.

"Thanks. It would really help. Josue talks to me, but he's not very open about his feelings. He only discusses non-serious topics with Gabe, so I'm hoping this helps."

"It will," Miguel assured, making Samara smile. "And who knows? Maybe Josue will open up more once he gets used to the idea."

They walked a little further until they reached the sidewalk leading to the school entrance. Samara quickened her pace awkwardly, and Miguel slowed down, letting their familiar routine take its course. As they approached the entrance, they fell into their usual pretense of being strangers, a bittersweet habit they both maintained.

Miguel's heart sank slightly as he watched her hurry inside, oblivious to the fact that Samara felt the same pang of separation. He sighed and waited at the entrance for Peter. When Peter finally arrived, they walked in together, but Miguel's mind was heavy with worry.

"Tyler Stone called me," Miguel said quietly, causing Peter to gasp.

"T-Tyler Stone?"

Miguel nodded, his expression serious.

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" Miguel replied, his tone evasive.

"Does this mean you're not going to MIT?" Peter asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Miguel remained silent as they made their way to their first class. "I don't know what this means yet," he finally said.

"Well, what did he want?" Peter asked, pressing for details.

"He wanted to set up a meeting about the cross-species genetics paper I wrote. Apparently, I touched on concepts they hadn't considered before. He said my research was precise and groundbreaking."

"That's your ticket in," Peter said, his eyes widening with excitement.

Miguel felt a pang of guilt. Samara had introduced him to cross-species genetics and encouraged him to pursue opportunities at Midtown and MIT. She was the one who had pushed him to explore his potential. If this opportunity led to the gifted youth program, it would be without her—and that didn't feel right. Samara deserved a chance too.