Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

B2: Chapter 16 - Rebirth - VII

  "So you really beat him in your first game?" Mitch asked.

  "Of course she did, she's the smartest in the group," said Kelsey.

  "She is?" asked Tyler.

  "I don't think so," said Natalie dubiously.

  "Nah," said Kelsey. "I saw the report on Mrs. Brackett's computer. She and Steven had the top grades in our whole year."

  "Where is Steven, anyway?" asked Mitch, glancing around the cafeteria.

  "Detention," Natalie muttered, embarrassed.

  "Oh, damn. Is that what he ended up with?"

  "Coulda been worse," Kelsey pointed out. "Coulda been a lot worse. This is just for show, right?"

  "Pretty much," said Natalie. "She promised that his parents wouldn't even find out if she could help it."

  "Nice."

  "How'd you guys get the evil queen on your side?" asked Tyler.

  Natalie frowned. "She's actually really cool. You shouldn't call her that."

  "Oh."

  "Forget her, we gotta figure out what to call us," added Kelsey excitedly. "The Glasses Gang is way too tame for the badass we got hidin' out."

  "Plus neither of you wear glasses," Tyler pointed out.

  "Like that was really the problem," grumbled Mitch.

  "Gotta be somethin' to do with magic, right?" Kelsey continued. "Something that says who we are and what we do."

  "Kelsey, she's in hiding. This is all supposed to be secret."

  "Well yeah, but not forever. I'm talkin' when she starts the real stuff."

  "The what?" asked Natalie, confused.

  "Well, when you start being a superhero, obviously," said Tyler.

  Natalie shook her head. "I'm not a superhero."

  "Well duh, not yet," said Kelsey.

  "This is where you get your start, and we're your team," added Tyler.

  "Guys, lay off," Mitch cut in angrily, to Natalie's relief.

  Tyler looked confused, but Kelsey seemed to get it right away. "Sorry."

  "I'm not," Natalie repeated, with all three of them watching her. "I'm just me, okay? I can do some cool stuff, but I'm not a hero or anything. I just want to go to school and be normal."

  "And we're gonna make sure that happens," said Mitch. "We got this."

  "Yeah," Kelsey agreed. Tyler nodded too, after the briefest hesitation.

  Natalie smiled. She had real friends, finally, just like Cinza had said. She had people to watch her back. She could actually start living her life again, bit by bit. She'd be safe for the time being, while she continued to wait.

  Because she hadn't forgotten. There was still something she had to do, and it was the real reason she'd never be called a superhero.

  She decided to show off a bit. It was fun and mostly harmless, so why not? She picked up her purse and opened it, though she hadn't opened the spell that kept the contents inside. She showed it around, seemingly totally empty, then zipped it shut again.

  When Lily had given it to her, she'd explained how to control the spells that made it work. Since the bag was actually enchanted, a secret ritual set still only known to very few awakened, Natalie could maintain the spell and even trigger certain things without actually knowing how it worked or how to cast it. In that sense, she could 'open' and 'close' the bag, which made it appear empty until she opened it properly.

  She did so, and unzipped it again. The whole group gasped, and Kelsey leaned in for a better look. Natalie played it totally cool, and just plucked her lunch out (which was obviously bigger than the purse itself) before zipping it shut.

  "Mostly normal, anyway," she joked, before picking up the sandwich Lily had made that morning and starting to eat. They only had a few minutes left in lunch, and she was starving.