Outsiders

Chapter 4

We all looked at Asha as I placed my head on Nash's lap and closed my eyes, trying to process the situation. "Shit..." I muttered, my voice laced with a sense of impending doom.

"Um... yeah... we all do," Nash said nervously, his eyes darting around the room. Everyone turned to him, anger flashing in our eyes.

"Nash!!" we all yelled in unison, our frustration palpable. Nash looked back at us, confusion written all over his face.

"What? She might as well know now," Nash shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Asha's eyes lit up with excitement.

"What does everyone have?" she asked eagerly. We all sighed in unison. Except for Michael, we each revealed our powers to her. Ali ended up disclosing that they were twins and shared the same abilities, much to Michael's annoyance. "I found my people!" Asha exclaimed, practically bouncing with joy.

Everyone looked puzzled as she sent a burst of fire from her hands, indicating she had fire powers just like Michael, Ali, Nash, and my ex, Blaze. "Woohoo! I won the bet! Michael, pay up!" Brandon shouted, his voice filled with triumph.

Michael stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with disbelief. Ali walked over and smacked the back of his head, snapping him out of his daze. He turned to his sister, shaking his fist, but sighed in resignation. "Ugh... fine," Michael growled, digging into his pocket for the money.

"No way, he finally won a bet? Is the world about to end? Something is wrong!" Josh said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he tried to process how Brandon could have won. We were all impressed that Brandon had actually pulled off a victory, given his record for the most lost bets in our group. None of us had ever thought he would finally win one.

Brandon held up the cash with a broad grin, clearly savoring his rare victory. "Told you I had a feeling about this one!" he declared, his voice brimming with pride.

Asha looked around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "This is amazing! I've never met anyone else with fire powers," she said, her enthusiasm infectious.

Michael rolled his eyes but couldn't help a small smile. "Welcome to the club," he said, albeit begrudgingly.

As the reality of the situation settled in, we all began to relax a bit, sharing stories of our abilities and bonding over our shared experiences. Despite the initial tension, it felt like we had taken the first step toward truly becoming a team.

"So why did you move?" Winter asked, changing the topic. Asha sighed, the weight of her story evident in her expression.

"The CIA was coming, and my parents didn't want me to be captured. They moved us here in hopes of a new start. My parents don't understand how I got these powers, nor do I. I was just born with them, but my parents don't have any, nor do my younger sister and brother," she explained.

Everyone listened intently, amazed by her story. Unlike Asha, all of us had a family member with powers before us. My dad had them, Nash's dad had them, Ali and Michael's mother had them, Brandon's parents both had them, Winter's mother had them, and Josh's mother had them. Even Anita's father had powers, and my ex's mother did too.

"It's incredible that you're the first in your family," Ali said, her voice filled with awe.

"Yeah, it's like you're a new evolution or something," Nash added, still processing the information.

Asha shrugged. "Maybe. All I know is that it's been a lot to handle. Moving around, trying to stay hidden, and then discovering there are others like me here... it's overwhelming but also kind of a relief."

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "It must have been tough, but at least now you know you're not alone. We're here, and we've all got each other's backs."

"Thanks," Asha said, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and relief. "I'm really glad I found you guys."