Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

B2: Chapter 9 - Flying Blind - II

  "Are you sure you wanna do this?" Alden asked, leaning over to pop open the car door for her. "I saw you on the news."

  "Oh god yes. I need to get out of the house, no matter what." Hailey climbed into the passenger seat.

  "Where's Jess?"

  "...She's staying home for a while."

  Alden looked at her curiously.

  Hailey sighed. "She really didn't handle that whole fire rescue thing very well. It's my fault. I kinda shoved us into it without warning, and she had to do all the work holding the fire back."

  "Why didn't you just put it out?"

  "That would've drawn more attention to us. Not that it ended up mattering," she added bitterly.

  "We'll figure it out," Alden said confidently.

  "So where are we headed?"

  Alden shifted the car into gear and took them out onto the main roads. "One of our new awakened needed help with something. He set up the meeting. I was gonna push it back, but then you called."

  "Thanks for indulging me. Which one of our newbies is it?"

  "Harold. We're going out to see what's up."

  "Harold?"

  "He didn't give us a last name. I think Rupert's still trying to figure it out."

  She shook her head. "No, I mean, I don't remember this guy."

  "Oh, right," Alden looked embarrassed. "I did a couple without you."

  "You did? When was that?"

  "When you flew off to Canada to look for Dan and Boris those first couple of days."

  Hailey winced. "Sorry about that."

  "Hey, I would have gone with you if I could."

  "Everything went okay?"

  "Yeah, fine. I'm getting the hang of this."

  "Yeah, you are." Hailey leaned out the window as they pulled onto the highway, enjoying the breeze through her freshly short, straight brown hair.

  "I like the new haircut."

  "It's a lot more convenient for flying," Hailey added, running a hand through it. She'd recently figured out how to keep it perfectly clean and healthy with only a spell or two, in addition to being able to change its length, color and style with only a few minutes effort. She couldn't get it perfectly how she wanted it, but it was far easier than dealing with rollers, irons and whatnot. Still, the contrast between her new straight hair, which didn't even come close to her shoulders, compared to her original long wavy blonde—or even the bushy brown she'd adopted to match Jessica—was striking. Combined with a completely different arrangement of freckles and a pair of glasses she didn't need in the slightest, Hailey felt a lot more confident about not being recognized again. "I don't have to worry about it getting all over the place."

  "Yeah, that got pretty annoying."

  Hailey laughed. "Just be glad I didn't drop you."

  "So just the two of us, then," Alden sighed, merging them into traffic. Hailey closed the window as they sped up so she could hear him. "Who am I gonna make fun of you with?"

  "Harold doesn't have a sense of humor?"

  "Not really. Nice guy, but way too serious."

  "Where are we meeting him?"

  "A bar on the other side of Tacoma. And you're buying me a drink."

  "You drink now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Alden shrugged. "Is that a big deal? Figured you of all people wouldn't mind."

  "I mean..." Hailey shook her head. "I stopped way back, after one night mixing drinking and magic got... messy."

  "Sounds fun."

  "At the time, yeah," she grinned. "Tell you what, soon as we're done with whatever Harold's freaking out over, I'll treat you."

  "Anything off the bar?"

  "Screw the bar, dude. I don't want to deal with sneaking you a drink anyway, Mr. Underage. I'll make you something myself. Special surprise."

  "Yourself?" Alden asked skeptically.

  "Are you forgetting I ran the best parties on the west coast?" Hailey smiled wickedly. "I'll set your toes on fire with one sip. Just you wait."