Embers

Chapter 11

Erin woke me up early the next morning as she rushed around the apartment, trying to get everything together. I rolled out of bed and changed into some jeans. I quickly brushed my hair and after grabbing a quick breakfast, raced out to the car where Erin and Marco were already waiting for me. I slid in the backseat and we were off.

The three of us talked for most of the time while Erin's music blasted in the background. It had seemed like forever since all of us could just sit and talk, no Raven, no superheroes, just us. Those four hours passed quickly, and soon enough we were arriving in DC. I was amazed. It reminded me a lot of New York, but even better. The buildings, the national monuments, I loved every part of it.

We pulled up to the G.L.A.S.S. building a little while later. The three of us climbed out of the car, staring up at it. It was about half the size of the New York one, though it was still huge. We walked through the doors, my mouth open at the sight inside. The ceilings stretched far above us, with glass chandeliers and intricate designs of different powers on the ceiling. The walls were a pristine white, with shiny marble floors.

Erin walked up to the front desk, asking about her appointment. The lady nodded and guided us towards the elevator, which in itself looked as though it had been dipped in gold.

"If this is what the DC one looks like, what does the New York on look like?" I asked.

"Pretty much the same, only better." Marco said with a smile.

Erin pressed a button and we were up, arriving at our floor only a couple seconds later. We walked out into a waiting room, where several other people were sitting. Some sat silently on their phones, others trying to keep their kids under control, and some experimenting with their powers.

"Erin Nelson?" A lady in a lab coat asked, looking around.

"That would be me," Erin said.

She ushered us in and we all followed. We all sat down on a long bench, filling up an entire side of the room. The woman stepped in, pulling up her clipboard. She glanced over it before looking up at us. "So you have mind reading, is that correct?" She asked.

Erin nodded. "And a bit of mind control."

The lady nodded, folding her arms as she leaned up against the wall. "Do you have a G.L.A.S.S. score?"

"G.L.A.S.S. score?" I whispered to Marco.

"It's a score of zero to ten." The lady explained. "Zero being powerless and ten being the most powerful person on earth. It takes into account how your powers affects you, other people, your weakness to your ability, etc."

"Yeah, sorry about that, she's a zero." Marco explained.

I glared at him. I didn't like being defined by a number.

The lady gave him a confused look. "She... she is?"

Marco nodded, I tried not to make eye contact.

"Oh, uh, very well then." To my relief, she moved on. "Erin, do you have a G.L.A.S.S. score?"

She nodded. "I'm a 6.1."

"And when was the last time that was tested?"

"Last year, just before graduation."

"Where your attacks as bad then?"

She shook her head.

"Can you control your mind reading?"

Erin shook her head again. "If they're with several feet of me, I can hear their thoughts."

"And this is what's causing your attacks?"