Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

Interlude V - The Sister - II

  Her phone buzzed and slipped out of her fingers, clattering to the floor. Meg woke up with a start, nearly rolling right off the couch herself. She scrambled for the phone, but suddenly a weight fell off her lap. She'd forgotten the bowl of ice cream.

  Meg twisted around in mid-dive and managed to catch it before it hit the floor, though it meant she landed awkwardly on her shoulders instead.

  Stupid... She groaned and got back to her feet, picking up her phone as she went.

  Hailey: We're here. Open your window please.

  Meg left the bowl on the floor as she hurried back upstairs to her bedroom. It was way past the original time Alden gave her. By her phone's clock, it was past two now. But if Hailey's texting me, that means they're probably okay, right? Even though they're flying back and not driving back, which Alden said shouldn't ever happen... what's going on?

  She drew back the curtains from her window and slid it open. Within seconds of her clearing the way, a shape illuminated by moonlight hurtled through the portal. The familiar burst of wind gusted the room, helping Hailey brake. They didn't usually do this in Meg's room, so her stuff wasn't held down like Alden habitually did these days.

  Homework on her desk went flying, and a few pictures on the corkboard above it fell off. She'd run out of thumbtacks and used tape for the last couple until she found more, and now they were paying the price. One of them, conveniently enough, was Kelly's. She took it as a sign.

  As soon as everything settled, Meg quickly closed the window and the curtains again. Hailey let Alden down, and to Meg's shock, he collapsed. Her brother curled up on the floor, shaking. Meg couldn't take her eyes off him. He'd never been this bad, not even the first few nights home from Rallsburg way back in May.

  She turned to Hailey. "Is it okay to talk yet?" she whispered.

  Hailey shook her head. "I can't do that spell," she whispered back. "We have to stay quiet."

  "You can't?"

  "I can't do Nature magic. Jess always does that one."

  Jess, Hailey's odd mute sidekick. Meg was never quite sure what to make of her. Hailey had explained what happened to her, but it was just too weird and awkward to think about. Whenever she came along, Meg always felt a bit uncomfortable talking to Hailey about things, like Jess were listening in and judging her. No matter how many times Hailey insisted otherwise, Meg was sure Jess understood a lot more than she let on.

  She might be more glad Jess wasn't there that night, if her brother didn't look like he'd just been through Hell and back. He clambered to his feet while they both looked on, waiting for him to say something. Anything to bring back the Alden they both knew—a little damaged, but always ready to help, always willing to listen.

  He didn't say a word. He just stumbled out of the room like a dead man walking. His bedroom door clicked once, then clicked again as it shut.

  "Something happ—" Hailey started, but Meg cut her off.

  "I saw it on the news. The stuff at that bar, right?"

  "How'd you know?"

  Meg hesitated. Alden hadn't told her not to tell Hailey, but it still kind of felt like a breach of trust. He seemed embarrassed by it a few times. "Zack told me where he was going. I think I wasn't supposed to tell you though." Hailey raised her eyebrows, looking confused... and maybe a little disappointed? Meg kept talking, as if she could somehow work her way back around into Hailey's approval. "It looked really scary. Guys with guns took over the place? How does something like that happen?"