Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

B2: Chapter 4 - Comes the Hero - I

  Sunlight streamed through the open window. Hailey groaned and rolled over, pulling the sheets tight over her face to try and block out the light. She reached behind her and magically felt out the window, sliding it closed with her mind and drawing the blackout curtains. The room plunged into darkness once again. She reached forward across the bed—but to her surprise, Jessica wasn't there.

  Hailey's eyes popped open. She flicked on the bedroom light switch across the room. The hands on the wall clock read seven thirty in the morning. They'd only gotten in from another run to Cinza's home at three, so why was Jessica awake so early?

  A week had passed since they'd decided to reach out to the newly awakened. Thanks to Hailey's conversations with Beverly, she knew that somewhere, people were finding pages and scraps, but Beverly remained stubbornly neutral. She refused to reveal any information whatsoever, which left Cinza and Josh crawling through local news while Hailey patrolled every small town within fifty miles of Rallsburg, flying low and watching out for anything unusual. So far, they'd come up with absolutely nothing.

  The constant late-night patrols were really starting to mess with Hailey's head.

  After vaguely hoping for ten minutes that Jessica might come back, Hailey finally gave up and rolled out of bed. She pulled on fresh clothes, then stood in front of her mirror and took a deep breath. Muttering the proper words under her breath, she reached inside her face and cleaned it up, doing the work of ten minutes of makeup in an instant. She sent a burst of magic down through her hair, refreshing the messy bush of the Silverdales instead of the perfect waves her body wanted them to grow into. Hailey winced slightly as it pulled at her scalp, but it was better than taking the risk of being recognized.

  Hailey pulled on a light-blue cardigan and headed downstairs, feeling mostly-refreshed and with a massive craving for doughnuts. As she emerged into the kitchen, that craving disappeared—to be replaced with confused anxiety.

  Jessica was sitting at the small kitchen table across from her parents, silently and deliberately eating through a bowl of cereal and avoiding their eyes. As Hailey walked in, Beth gave her a top-tier disappointed mother glare. It might have been totally withering, if Hailey hadn't been raised by a powerhouse businesswoman with less patience than a hungry cat.

  "Uhh, good morning?"

  Beth shook her head. She pointed at Jessica, then at Hailey, followed by several angry jabs at the sky. She shook her head again, a bit more violently.

  "Dear, Hailey can understand you," said Malcolm, touching his wife's hand.

  She slapped him away. "Excuse me for trying to show some solidarity with my daughter."

  "Do you really think Jessica would want you to be acting like a mime for no reason?"

  "It's my job to make sure she feels comfortable and at home here!"

  "Why don't you just ask her?" Hailey cut in. "Jess."

  Jessica immediately looked up, the spoon halfway to her mouth. Hailey pointed at her mother, then clapped her hand over her mouth, followed by tilting her head slightly to the side as a question.

  Jessica just rolled her eyes and went back to eating.

  "Okay, dear?" Malcolm asked.

  "Would you stop saying 'dear' so much?" Beth snapped. She rounded back on Hailey again. "What are you doing with my daughter every night?"