10/17

Episode 7, Chapter 29

"Getting right to the point then, huh?" Clint said, laughing at Laney's directness. "You really want to know? I'll tell you. But you may not like it."

"Oh, come on," Laney said, shoving at Clint's arm. He chuckled again, but shrugged.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He paused to inspect the peanut butter snack he had just snagged. Without taking his eyes off the treat he said, "I was spying on them." Clint took a tentative bite, and smiled as he chewed, shoving the rest of the bar in his mouth.

"I figured it was something like that," Laney said with a nod, "But why? And when did you start? Oh, and what have you learned." Clint swallowed his second bar and swigged his water.

"Dang, those things are awesome. Does your mom make them?"

"Nan does. They're my favorite snacks so she's always making them. Almost daily, since my birthday, actually," she said with a laugh. "It's her own recipe and she won't give it to anybody. She said she won't even teach me how to make them until I move out of Mom's house." Laney shook her head at the absurdity then pinned Clint with a look. "And getting you to answer questions is like trying to rope a cat, I swear. Come on, spill, already. " Clint cracked up at her aggrieved act but took pity on her.

"Well, the truth is, they don't know it, but I was the first Altered to go to the A-teen Clinic."

"Really? When? That Monday?"

"Yeah. I usually go home to meet the mail, so I was there when my certified letter came with all the info on the clinic. Our mail runs pretty early and I figured I didn't have anything better to do, so I decided to check the place out." He shrugged, as though it were just that simple. Then again, with his power, it probably was.

"Wait," Laney said, confused. "What do you mean you go home to meet the mail?"

"Do you want my life story or my clinic story? I only have one story time in me today. So choose wisely," he said, popping the last peanut butter bar into his mouth. Laney rolled her eyes but laughed.

"Okay, okay, go on. Tell me about the clinic then. How many Altered have you met? How many times did you go? Everything."

Clint gave a little mock bow, "As you wish." He thought for a moment before responding. "I went everyday that first week, watching all the changes. I'm telling you, everyday there was some new upgrade to the building."

"Like what?"

"Well, their is a bank of security monitors in the basement that went from five to fifteen screens within the week. Some of the upgrades were normal stuff, but others were kind of scary when you stop to think about it too hard. It's hard to explain. They also." With his mouth still open to speak, Clint's words fell off. He looked away with a thoughtful expression before turning to give her a curios look.

"Uh oh," Laney said with trepidation. "What's that look for?"

"I was just thinking. Why am I telling you all this when I could just show you." Laney stared at her new friend, utterly bewildered. "What are you talking about? Show me how?" His face took on its usual mischievous cast. Clint stood, moving to her side. Reaching out a hand to her, his eyes sparkled with knowing.

"Do you trust me?"

With his dark hair, high cheekbones and daring attitude, she could not help but think of Disney's Aladdin. Did that make her Jasmine? Was this the moment they went around the world on a magic carpet? Shaking her head at her own silliness, she placed her palm on his.

"Yes."

His smile turned blinding.

"Excellent." With that, Laney's Kitchen dissolved, the shapes and colors reforming until, in less than a breath, she and Clint were standing outside the A-teen Clinic. A familiar boy was coming down the embankment behind the building, moving with the grace of his Native ancestors as he made his way toward them.