FALLEN ─ marvel

III. Teenagers

Chapter Three
Olivia

"So Franny gets with her cousin?" Steve asks incredulously, shaking his head in disappointment. "What was Jane Austen thinking?"

Jo has been working her way through the Jane Austen novels the past few weeks, she only has Persuasion left, she's just finished Mansfield Park. Jo has been calling Steve pretty much everyday to talk about the events of the novel and they've picked up their conversation from last night. Occasionally Jo will talk to me about her books, but mostly she talks to Steve In turn she will let him talk about his horror movies and complain about how no good horror movies have come out in several decades. He strongly believes this.

Jo is lying her head on Steve's lap, who is leaning against the wall across from the ladder entrance to the treehouse. I'm sitting in one of the beanbags, trying to listen to their conversation, but feeling far too worried about this new Secretary of State to chime in.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again, no love interest has been as good as Mr. Darcy." Jo says with a sigh.

Stevie shrugs. "I thought Mr. Knightly was the best. I'd date him."

"You've said that about every Jane Austen love interest, even Edmund."

"I never said I didn't like Edmund, I just think it's weird that he's Franny's cousin. And you're one to talk about falling for fictional characters, you go on and on about Elizabeth Bennet."

"Because Lizzy Bennet is the love of my life." Jo puts frankly.

Now I have to chime in. "I thought Jo March was the love of your life."

"Not romantically, that spot is reserved for Lizzy. Being in love with Jo March would be like being in love with myself."

"Well you do think pretty highly of yourself." Stevie mutters with a chuckle, earning a punch in the arm from Jo.

As the two of them mess around I hear footsteps approaching the treehouse. I turn to hush them, but Steve is already silent, having heard the same noise. The footsteps keep approaching the treehouse, and the three of us wait tensely, hoping that it isn't someone who means us harm.

"It's me, can I come up?" I hear Zy's voice ask. All three of us let out a simultaneous sigh, and once Zy actually makes it up here, Jo is the first to say:

"You scared the shit out of us, how about announcing yourself?"

His eyebrows knit together. "I did."

"Before you get to the tree, dumbass!" She says, shaking her head as she pushes herself up and leans against the wall next to Steve.

"I'll wear a bell next time," Zy says with a chuckle, collapsing onto the beanbag next to me. "The new secretary is a piece of work. Uncle Everett was right, he's worse than Ross."

"What's his name?" I ask.

"Daniel Fai. He really hates enhanced people, apparently his wife and baby were murdered by a couple of enhanced citizens over a decade ago. He clearly ropes all enhanced together as monsters."

"Are you okay?" I ask him, placing my hand over his.

I hear Zy's breath catch ever so slightly, his head nodding slowly, giving me a small smile. "I'm fine, so are everyone else. We're trying to put that meeting behind us and prepare for Uncle Khari's party."