The Gifted

The Long Walk Back

Carmen's POV*

The table is absolutely quiet. No one says a word, drinking this new information in. It's like reality hit them in the face, and it came hard. Shawn's playful smile is gone, replaced with one filled with uncertainty. "How long have you known about this?"

I look down at my empty plate, not really shamed, but disappointed. I know Ellie's upset that I didn't tell her last night. "Well, since I was in the Nurse's office so I guess yesterday?"

He nods looking at the crust on his plate before moving his eyes to the silver platter that once held the pizzas at the center of the table. I look away from everyone, turning my head watching the waiters walk from table to table. Jack's place is pretty quiet today, everyone's probably spending the last of summer outside. I don't know how they could possibly stand the chilly air. It gives me shivers just thinking about it.

"So what are we going to do about it?" I swivel my eyes to Aaron rubbing my arms, eyes widening slightly. Shawn, Khalene, and Ellie look at him. Cody's the only one who questions him, "What do you mean, 'we'?" His eyebrows lift up suspiciously.

I narrow my eyes at Aaron, before looking to his siblings. A mixture of brown and green eyes stare back at me. Honestly, it's not even weird that they all simultaneously look over at me at the same exact time. In fact, I feel like it's even normal for them to do that. Ok, maybe it's a little weird. I shivered again at the thought. They're eyes track the little movement.

I choose to ignore that, turning back to the ever watching Aaron. His green eyes completely ignore Cody, as he continues to talk; eyes trained on me. "You heard what I said, 'we', as in the 12 of us. We're already involved in too much to not help. Besides you're our tutors. It's too much of a hassle to go through the process of finding and meeting new mentors." He waves his hands around while he talks to emphasize his point.

"It's not like it's a problem to help either. We're used to stuff like this anyway." He winces, making eye contact with his beta. Lucas flinches as if he's being scolded. "That was one time! Are you really going to bring that up now?"

There's a slight whine in his voice, making me smile. He sounds like a little kid, it's kind of cute. Malachi snorts drinking his coke, "Right, because it totally didn't happen three other times."

I giggle, "I wish I could banter back in forth like you guys can. It must be easy not to have to say a lot to understand what your referencing." I lean back in my chair, balancing on two of the legs. Sometimes I really wish I had siblings.

"I'm gonna stop you right there." I smile wryly glancing over at Khalene, "And whys that?"

She flips her brown hair over her shoulder, "I know that look on your face." She points one blue manicured finger at me, "You're wishing you had some siblings, and I'm here to tell you that you wouldn't be able to handle it." I roll my eyes, drinking my sprite through the straw.

Khalene taps her nails on the polished table. "There's only so many screaming children you can take before you wish you were an only child." Cody looks up bewildered, "What are you talking about?! You absolutely love our siblings!"

She rolls her brown eyes dramatically, "Yes I know that. I was talking about you dummy."

Cody smiles sarcastically, "Right, because having lots of children going into your room and messing up your stuff makes you just love them to death." I turn my head watching them counter each other like a dog watches a tennis game. Back and forth, back and forth.

"I think we should continue on like everything's normal." Ellie frowns at her plate. "So far Carmen's only been threatened, nothing serious has happened. If more notes start popping up, we can use them to investigate who's been sending them. I mean, it could have been anyone who wrote the note on the wall. Literally anyone." She raises her forest green eyes up appraising the people around her. The way she looks at us makes me feel like a lab experiment in a cage.