Unsung

Chapter Fifty-Two

 "No way!" Ty said, shaking his head as he scrolled through the article on his phone. "There's just no God-damned way any of this is true."

"Language, Tyrese," Sophia said, distractedly.

We were all huddled together in the lobby of the training center, rehashing the details of the exposé as we waited for class to begin.

If it would begin at all, I thought glumly.

After the graceful purging of my breakfast, I'd immediately searched for Cain's article online and then sent the link to both McKayla and Garrick. Their reactions hadn't disappointed. Garrick had been just as dumbfounded as I was after reading the story, while McKayla—well, she'd sent me a string of curses and inappropriate emoji's that had continued until I'd finally silenced my phone.

Going to school after that had been a special kind of torture. Since nobody else's world had been torn apart, I was alone in my confusion and anguish. After all, it was hard to explain to my classmates how the rumors that buzzed around the halls paled in comparison to real life. I doubt they even recognized an existence outside of our school's ugly red brick walls.

Even Chuck and Fergus had been unsympathetic about the situation.

"Not surprised," Chuck said after I'd filled them in. "Great leaders always end up being crazy or evil in the end of these things, anyway. You know that, Kida."

"In the end of what things?" I'd asked, annoyed.

"You know...in the epic battles for the fate of humanity," he said, like I should already know this. "There's always a twist, and there's always a guy you thought was good, who turns out to be bad. It's the law of the universe."

"In comic books, maybe," I argued.

"And isn't there always some sort of truth in every story told?" Chuck said, in his best James Lipton voice. He was always trying to do imitations of people, and the "Inside the Actor's Studio" host was one of his favorites. He thought it made him sound wise. The rest of us thought it made him sound like a tool.

"Although I disagree with most of what Charles says, almost all of the time, this might be true," Fergus said. "Show me a hero in history and I'll show you his dark side."

"Challenge accepted," Chuck exclaimed, thrusting his finger up in the air triumphantly.

"But I'm already agreeing with you," Fergus said, his voice nasal.

"Doesn't matter. I can't live in a world where you're right, Fergus," Chuck said. After a long pause he said, "Okay, what about Martin Luther King, Jr?"

Fergus pushed his glasses back up onto his face, his other hand never leaving the screen of his phone.

"Infidelities galore and plagiarism."

"Plagiarism of what?" Chuck spat out, disbelievingly.

"His dissertation at Boston University," Fergus said.

"Not true," Chuck said, shaking his head.

"Look it up."

"I will," Chuck muttered as he typed away furiously on his phone.

"Any-ways," I said, annoyed by the topic change and frustrated that my friends weren't sharing in my shock over the news about Cain. "I'm not saying Professor Cain's a saint. Just that he couldn't have possibly done everything they're claiming he did."

"Didn't you just meet him?" Fergus countered.

"Well, yeah," I said.

"And you've gotten close enough to him to know that none of it's true?" Fergus asked. "You've spent time with him? Gotten to know his past? Told each other your secrets?"