Don't give up on me ✓

[54] Trap

"A trap is only a trap if you don't know about it" - China Miéville 

[54] - Trap

The photobooth was a trap. I knew it was but I didn't know how.

Was it the flash of the lights? Do specters react to light... do they disappear in photos like vampires?

I should really know this.  

I shook my head and tried to be more realistic. I was a specter and none of this happened to me. I may want to disappear in selfies but I'm very much in them.

What was abnormal about us? Aside from our abilities...

The lightning.

I had survived the lightning strike because I was an electrical conductor. That's what Mohan told me.  

We must all be. Connected to our ability to travel across parallel universes, travel through space dimensions, the atoms within our body able to transfer across universes.

That must be it. Maybe.

I analyzed the booth. They had people walk in one way, take a photo in the room and then walk out under an arch on the other side. I saw Hugo and Isla walk in.

I was already late. We were running out of time.

"Hey, have you seen-" Zane and Jesper came up to me.

I pointed.

Hugo was putting on some funny glasses and a fake moustache. Isla was trying on different wigs.  What was conducting electricity there? 

Then I noticed it. The flashes on the arch looked like lightbulbs but really they were sparks. 

The arch had a current of electricity running through it. Unless humans touch it, they wouldn't be affected. But we would.

"The arch!" I exclaimed, "There's electricity on it."

I couldn't say anymore because I was in front of Cleo, Sid and Beckett. But Zane immediately knew and even Jesper caught on. He'd been there when I was struck by lightning.

"CHEESE!" the photographer yelled and took their photo, "Thanks for coming, guys! Your photo will be emailed to you."

Hugo and Isla took off their funny faces and were walking to the arch.

Zane raced through the line of people, shoving them out of his way and barging into the photobooth. If they walked through the electricity...

We'd be exposed.

Zane tackled Hugo to the ground. I ran after him. Nate had seen the commotion and was heading over as well. We had to have a backup plan.

"What are you doing? Get up now!" the lady yelled at the two boys on the floor, "We're going to escort you out."

"Ok, escort us that way." Zane pointed at the entrance, not the exit with the arch. He was holding onto Hugo, refusing to let him walk the other way.

"No. Exit is that way only."

"Hey," Hugo said, "He's my buddy. He just wanted a photo with me that's all."

"I'm not going to do that. Your friend skipped the line and people have been waiting for a while. You have to leave."

"Ok," Zane grabbed Hugo towards the entrance.

The camera-lady blocked them. "I said exit is that way."

They were going to be caught.

"I hear you but we want to leave this way."

"Why?" she stared at him suspiciously.

"Because that way takes too long to get back to the party."

"You would be back already if you weren't talking so much. Is there another reason you don't want to exit that way?" she flipped open her phone.

"No, no," Nate stepped inside the photo area now too, indicating to the boys, "Just walk out that way. No need to call anyone."

He gave them a curt nod. It meant get ready to fight. 

While she still didn't have the backup of her friends, we could take her down and then the others. We needed to do it subtly – since there was a queue of people outside.

We were about to be exposed. My heart thudded in my chest as I watched the boys walk to it first.

Please, someone, anyone, stop this.

No one did.

Hugo stepped under the arch...

And out on the other side.

The other boys followed. I went last. Not a tingle, not a shock. I hadn't felt a thing. What happened?

We looked back at the camera-lady who couldn't hide the disappointment on her face. She branded us troublesome and called in the next couple for photos.

"What was that?" Hugo hissed.

"It was electrical, but it didn't go through us. I don't know what happened," Nate said.

And then we heard a cough. We turned around.

Jesper was standing there holding the plug.

He'd taken the power off.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

All the boys jumped on him when they realized. 

Jesper had saved us.

We'd all been too quick to act, too quick to jump into the action and get ready to fight... that Jesper had done the calm thing. He went the smart route.

Everyone had dismissed Jesper as useless because he was human. But the human had saved us.

We saw the group by the photo area yelling at the camera lady for having the electricity off. "What's the point of this if it isn't turned on? How long has it been off for? Do everyone again!"

We got kicked out of the formal though. Apparently, our behavior had been "grossly inappropriate" and not in the "spirit of the formal." 

"Thank you," I told the boy at the ticket booth as we passed by. He was already staring at us in shock.

"Jesper! Jesper!" Holly ran after him, "You can't leave. It's unfair that they're doing this to you. You didn't do anything."

He stopped to speak with her as we continued on, "I know but I was guilty by association. They kicked me out with the others."

"I want to leave with you, but I can't. They're giving out senior awards and I have to give a speech," she looked torn with her decision.

"It's ok. It's just a party."

"It's more than that," she said sadly, "And I wanted you here tonight."

Jesper calmly took her hands and said, "It's just a party."

A/N: It may seem like Jesper saved the day, but things are about to kick up a storm!  I'll post another chapter in a few days.  Please vote if you enjoy!!