Freaks

17 • mythos

❝there is no greater agony
than bearing an untold truth inside of you.❞
ｍａｙａ ａｎｇｅｌｏｕ

___

"ＬＡＴＥＲＡＬ malleolus is fully healed. Inflammation around tibial nerve and ligament significantly reduced... There appears to be slight abrasions around calcaneus, but carpal joints are back in place... Reflexes are fast — good — and all in all, you seem in general good shape and health. Eyes are generally healthy as well, but— hmm... They seem to be a shade or more lighter than in your last check."

The doctor ceases to speak.

I blink once, twice. The torch that she had been shining in my eyes flickers off. Instead, a pair of pale grey eyes replaces the blinding light. Moments later, the rest of my vision returns and I am able connect the serious eyes to the face of the serious yet kind Dr. Soho, who was currently conducting my checkup.

"Have you been exercising a lot recently?" she asks me. Exercising...? "Physical exertion has proven links to enhancing your abilities, which could be the reason for your eyes appearing this way."

Or maybe I've just been using my powers outside the Dauntley Academy?

I let out a cough. "Ahem, um, yes," I lie. "I've been doing a lot of climbing recently."

It wasn't a complete lie. Rescuing people from burning buildings did generally involve a lot of climbing, though of course, I couldn't tell Dr. Soho that — using abilities outside of campus was a direct violation of the Academy's rules. I didn't want to think what the repercussions would be— Logan had already been eager enough to spend the rest of the journey here scaring me about them. . .

Someone is laughing.

It's a quiet chuckle coming from the temporarily assembled cubicle opposite mine and one to the left, of course belonging to none other than Logan.

No doubt he is finding all of this hilarious.

After his initial shock, Logan had actually been pretty helpful in concealing my secret. We'd been able to find a clothes shop that accepted American money and sold jeans a similar style to the one I was wearing. I wasn't so lucky when it came to shirts— I had ended up buying one of those 'I Heart...' T-Shirts meant for tourists (not that a remote uncharted island got many of those). Fortunately, save for the raised eyebrow I receive from one of the plane crew, I got on with no questions asked.

It was a shame Logan was now going to ruin it all by giggling like a two-year-old high on helium.

I manage to avert Dr Soho's attention long enough to send him a piercing look I hope he read as : shut up.

Noticing my glare, Logan quickly silences. The rest of the check-up goes by smoothly— ignoring the occasional sporadic burst from him, shaking with mirth in silent chuckles (usually shortly after I responded to one of Dr. Soho's inquiries with a ridiculously unbelievable excuse, which she ridiculously believes).

This is how my first morning back at the Dauntley Academy begins.

A wellness check-up at 7:03 in the morning.

Beforehand, Willow had told me it was normal. They always did these after everyone came back from a school break. One of the halls would be sectioned into several cubicles, ten rows long, four columns wide. We'd been sent in alphabetical order according to last names to have a 20 minute 'chat' with the doctor we'd been assigned, followed by a set of check-ups to ensure abilities were functioning correctly and posed no threat to the other students.