Extraordinary Mistakes

16. Just smile

Ánh has breakfast by herself, accompanied by the sound of the news. Usually, only Rachel joins her, but never on a Friday. On the night before, she went out and came home in the early hours.

The Parkers show up on the news. They are going for a week to the Asian part of Eurasia. Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand are their stops. To talk with the governments about deviant integration. China has finally agreed to meet with them.

"A sign that times have changed", Mark enthusiastically says, with his wife and daughter smiling.

Ánh preferred to stop searching for and trying to see what Abigail had been up to. At first, she'd do it, but Rachel suggested she cut ties with everything from the Institute so it would be less painful.

She smiles, seeing that Abigail is doing well. But it quickly disappears. There she is, dutiful, obediently living a life that isn't what she is eager for. A role she'll undoubtedly play as long as her parents live. Same could've happened to Ánh. She figured out that if she stayed, a role would be played, a lie would be lived for too long and she would lose herself in the process. One always does. 

Ánh stopped searching for her family as well. The thought of contacting them would pop into her mind every so often, but it could compromise the security of the rest of the group. Abigail's parents assured her parents are well taken care of. That's enough for her to know that she didn't disappoint them and that her death didn't ruin them, at least financially.

***

At the Institute, Aminu, Padma, and several other colleagues work for endless hours. They started early and left on the day before already past midnight. They ordered pizzas for lunch and talk about the weather, plans for the summer, when they are finally free.

"Are you heading to Nigeria?" Padma sits next to him.

"Nah, don't think I can. Had a ticket, but with everything that's going on here... I won't even make it to Emily's party."

"Sorry, Aminu. Some other time." She places her hand on his and he immediately retracts.

Saif enters the room, notices that they have already eaten, and asks them kindly to go back to work. He'll supervise it for the day.

***

Alex, Rachel, Diego, Ánh, and Megan are on the living room, talking about what they've found about Marianne so far and discussing their next steps.

"Another day with no results. Tomorrow is the day!" Alex says. She will never be there.

"We haven't seen any sign of Marianne Olsen since we started staking out her house," Rachel says.

"Maybe she's away on a beach," Diego suggests.

Have you changed that much? Nine years and they never vacationed together once. She didn't even have weekends. Always working. If she was now the sort of person that went to the beach, what else has changed about you, mum?

"There aren't any recent movements in her credit cards. And the old ones aren't unusual," Ánh says.

"Safe to assume that she's not living there. If she's even around anymore," Rachel looks to Megan, who isn't paying attention to them.

"There is arelationship between the Institute and this secret lab. Why not followthem?" Diego keeps typing on the forums.

"We don't have enough people, maybe just focus on one or two. Ánh, can you grab a list of everyone who works there, and we'll try to narrow it down?" Rachel gets closer to her.

They all work for a few more hours and finally take a break. Dinner tonight is a different one. Usually everyone minds their own business, eating at different hours, but it's Rachel's birthday, and they decide to make it special.

Rachel and Ánh make pizzas together, Diego runs to the store to buy drinks, Alex sets the table, and Megan tides up the room.
The group gives Rachel a board game and play it together, Ánh argues with Alex whenever he tries to cheat. They laugh and talk loudly over one another, all but Megan.

Are you a different person now, mum?

***

Meanwhile, at the Roberts' house, fireworks ramp through the sky. Everyone looks enthusiastically.

Emily doesn't know half of the people there and her friends couldn't make it. In the company of her parents, she goes around and shakes hands with a lot of influential people.

The Roberts gather and take a photo together, all smiling. Stunningly dressed, wearing the best designers. Thomas and Joshua with custom suits, her mother with a dress, making sure to be the most stylish there, and Emily with a beautiful jumpsuit, chosen by the marketing department.

She excuses herself and goes to a balcony as far away as possible from the party.

"Your father will find you here." Jade shows up behind her.

Emily pretends not to care that she's there, but a smile shows right away.

"Hyperawareness always finds you," she disguises her smile and meets her eyes.

"That... and you always come here whenever you need to be by yourself. He knows that."

Jade gets near Emily and admires the view. The peacefulness is interrupted by the drunken laughs from the party.

"Are you enjoying it?" Emily tilts her glass.

"Free food and drinks. It's perfect!" she mocks.

Music plays and the older people in the party scream with excitement.

"Wow! Early 2000s, how fun... they'll go wild!"

Emily keeps looking over the view.

"Let's get out of here! Go to an actual party." Jade finishes her glass in one go.

"Can't."

"Okay then. We'll just stay here in silence. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. Just us, in silence. Being perfectly quiet here."

Emily smiles and Jade comes a bit closer to her.

"You should go back to the party."

"It's your birthday, Emily. I'll stay wherever you are. We'll party in Africa next month. After we fulfill all our obligations, let's go dancing!"

Just the two of us. Emily hopes.

Jade keeps talking, distracting Emily. She smiles and acknowledges the effort. Jade has this about her. She has a caring soul, protective of her people, will stay with you no matter how hard things get. That's one side of her. She can also be selfish and uncaring, especially when her side effects appear. The price of invincibility.

"Why did you break up with me? I mean, the last time. I thought everything was going great... wonderful, really," Emily blurs it out.

"There's a time and place for everything. I'm too drunk and you're not okay."

"I just want to understand it. Should we just give up trying? 'Now isn't the right time, let's be just friends for a while,' you said. Whatever that means."

"Emily..."

"I know." It's not the right time... place. Never is.

They face each other in silence for a few seconds.

"Emily!" Thomas shows up. "Head back to the party. Jessica Miller is asking for you to make a video, thanking all the fans for the birthday wishes. She has found the perfect spot for it."

Even Jessica has more to say about my birthday than I do. Just smile, will you? Who cares about some stupid birthday? You're living your best life. It isn't perfect, but this is the price of being the most powerful deviant. Isn't it worth it?