Special

Silver City

Suzi stepped up into the bus first. She swiped her bus pass and walked past all of the less-than-pleasant-looking people to the back row. Matt, Ben, and Wil followed close behind. Luckily the driver of the bus in Golden Cross wasn't too weak yet, and could still make the bus fly. Suzi and the guys were amazed to look out the window and see the world below—they weren't used to powers like everyone else. Luckily, this mostly took their attention off of the...interesting...smell—something like hamburgers mixed in with carpet, chemicals, and...something else—that was apparently typical of this bus. Everyone was excited to get to Silver City and start solving this mystery, but flying only cut off a little of the commute time, so Suzi got out her knitting and the guys started playing Slap Jack.

Two stops later, a man entered the bus who was even a bit less pleasant looking than the others (if that was possible)—but in a more personal way. After a while Suzi noticed this man staring at her with an expression close to a smirk with something more...frightening...mixed in. A little while after the man noticed that Suzi saw him, he casually turned away. It was as if he wanted Suzi—but no one else—to see him looking at her. Suzi was slightly creeped out, and a bit frightened, but decided to make herself shrug it off. Besides, the guys would protect her. The man stayed on the bus until they stopped at Copper Cove—one hour to the South of Silver City, when to Suzi's great relief he finally got off the bus—but not before giving Suzi one more frightening stare.

Three major stops and five and a half long hours after they got on the bus, Suzi and the guys were finally in Silver City.

"What now?" asked Matt.

"Let's go get Maddie." Suzi said.

*******

Knock Knock.

"Who's that?" asked Mr. Smithson.

"That must be Suzi and the guys." Maddie said.

Maddie's mom, Mrs. Marjorie Smithson answered the door and invited them in. Suzi and the guys walked into the Smithson's house, glad to be indoors again. They inhaled the pleasant smell of pumpkin pie and homemade bread—Mrs. Smithson was always cooking.

"Hello Mrs. S." Matt greeted Maddie's mom with a smile and friendly handshake. "Thanks for letting us stay here!"

"Why hello, (cough) Matthew! I haven't seen you in quite some time! How are your parents doing?"

"They're doing just fine. Dad's not feeling great, you know, with the sickness and all, but he's okay."

"Well, (cough)I'm glad they're getting by." Mrs. Smithson said.

"Suzi!" Maddie cried. Suzi and Maddie ran to each other and hugged.

After a moment, Maddie initiated the introductions. "Ben, Matt and Wil, these are my brothers: Jared, Benny, and Josh, and this is my sister Angela."

"Ah! So this is my namesake! Little Benny!" Ben said.

Maddie laughed. "Well, you're welcome to think that."