The Misfits

Cassidy

Cassidy woke up to Myra hovering over her. Cass grabbed her and kissed her, eliciting a giggle from the girl.

“I knocked,” Myra said, knowing Cass might get mad at her coming in without knocking.

She was already dressed in beach shorts and a halter top over her swimsuit.

“Well don’t you look pretty,” Cass said, sitting up.

“Mom’s making breakfast. It’ll be ready in a while since there are so many of us.”

“I should go help,” Cass said, but Myra stopped her.

“She has plenty. Gemma, Jaden, and even Wanda are helping. They kicked me out.”

“That’s because you manage to burn water,” Cass said, laughing. “How can you be so damn smart and such as bad cook?”

“Maybe it’s intentional, so I get out of cooking?” Myra said, offended.

Cass got up, kissing Myra’s forehead. “Yeah, right. Sit and I’ll braid your hair.”

Cass went into her bathroom, peed, washed her hands and face, and grabbed her brush and some elastic bands she kept there for both of them.

She French braided Myra’s hair into pigtails, then brushed her own hair, repeating the process on herself.

“Now, go keep your new friend company,” Cass told Myra, not having to mention Alex by name.

Myra hurried out, letting Cass get dressed.

She opted for sensible and followed Myra’s lead. Cass got out a nice one-piece suit – it was dark blue in the front and back, with stripes of red, white and light blue connecting the front and back – since she was self-conscience of the scar on her hip and put it on. She put on some baggy shorts over it, along with an old t-shirt.

Someone knocked on her door and she opened it to see Jaden standing there. Cass could only assume Jaden was a she today by her dress. Her hair was pulled back and Cass saw she had earrings in.

It seemed that everyone had the same idea, as Cass could see the tie to her top around her neck, and the bottoms of her shorts peeking out of that short dress.

Cass realized that the dress was meant to be worn with tights or something else, or you’d be showing off a lot pretty easily.

“Well, you look killer today,” Jaden said to her.

“As do you. It seems to be a trend today.”

“Breakfast is ready. Your mom said to come get you.

“Okay then, let’s go,” Cass said, taking Jaden’s arm and going down the regular stair. Cass stopped by the kitchen to make sure her mom didn’t need any help, but everyone was already in the dining room, so they walked on.

Everyone was sitting, waiting for them. Gemma had on a t-shirt, which was newer, and Cass saw that Wanda wore a simple t-shirt and cutoffs.

Alex was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

Jaden and Cass sat, and they began eating.

“So, when will your friends be here?” Cass’s mom asked.

“I told them around noon, but probably any time after ten or eleven,” Cass answered.

Cass’s mom had made a big breakfast for them, since lunch was mostly snacks. Dinner would be a bigger meal as well, consisting of burgers, hot dogs, corn, potato salad, green salad, fruit, chips, and for dessert, the fixings for ice cream sundaes.

After breakfast everyone helped clean up again, which made things go quicker.

Cass went to the front porch to wait for people to show up, and Jaden went with her.

Myra took off wit Alex in tow, Gemma disappeared into her room and Wanda went to play video games in the game room.

Harley was waiting for Cass with this tennis ball. She threw the ball a couple of times while talking to Jaden. She stopped and said, “Throw the ball a few times, will you? I’ll be back in a minute.”

Jaden looked at the ball like it contained the plague, but didn’t say anything, so Cass walked back into the house.

She walked into the game room, closing the door behind her. Wanda glanced up at her and went back to playing her game.

Cass sat in a gaming chair next to Wanda and watched until a place to pause came up. She asked the girl to pause the game and she did.

“Wanda, I wanted to talk for a minute. I’ve noticed you seem… uncomfortable here. I’m not sure if it was something I did, or Gemma, or maybe it’s because your brother and Myra are spending time together. Or even something else. But what I do know is that I don’t want you feeling left out or uncomfortable here. Don’t spend it alone in here. Go out with Alex and Myra or come out with your cousin and me.

“My dog is out there, and he’ll play with anyone who will play with him. Harley’s a really good dog. He’s an ex-police dog, so he’s really protective of friends, and he’s actually trained to be a seeing eye dog as well. I haven’t spent a lot of time with you, but I like you. And your brother.”

She looked at the girl, who looked bored.

“Look, I might only be sixteen – a mere year older – but I’ve been through some stuff that I don’t wish on anyone, and it’s changed my outlook on life. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the saying, live each day to the fullest, as it might be your last, and I try to. We never know what tomorrow brings, if it comes at all. Kidnapping, being shot, imprisonment, being chased by crazy gunmen, high school, whatever. No matter what it brings, do your best to be nice to others, and yourself. Make sure people that care about you know you care and do your best to be happy. God knows I never quite achieved doing it all, but I try my best. Lately I haven’t been the nicest person to a girl at school, and I need to work on that.

“Myra’s had a very hard life. She’s obviously different, and most people treat her bad, but she’s a very sweet girl, and fiercely loyal. No matter what, she stands up for her friends. Even if it means danger for her.

“You guys are welcome here anytime. Whether you’re visiting Jaden, or just want to come down for a weekend or whatever.”

She paused to see if Wanda had anything to say. The girl was quiet. “Okay, well, more people will be here soon, so I really hope you don’t hide in here the whole day. I’d miss your pretty face.”

Cass got up and went back outside, leaving the game room door open. Jaden was throwing the ball still, and Harley paused seeing Cass, and bounded her way.

He jumped up on her, and she stopped him just shy of her shirt, turning just enough to have her back to Jaden. She scratched his sides, then said, “Go get the ball.”

He bounded off after the ball, brining it back to her. Cass acted like she threw the ball, but Harley just looked at her. “You’re a smart dog,” she said, finally throwing the ball.

Harley ran off and returned with the ball. Cass thew it, adding a bit of power behind it, and Harley took off after it.

She heard the screen door open and close, and turned around to see Wanda hugging Jaden, who was surprised.

Jaden said something in Wanda’s ear and Wanda nodded.

Harley came back and saw a new person and headed towards her. She took a step back, but saw Harley stop in front of her. He had the ball in his mouth, waiting for her to take it. When she didn’t, he sat down, then bent down and set the ball down in front of her.

“He wants you to throw it,” Cass said. “He’s trying to make friends with you.”

Wanda picked up the ball and Harley stood. She threw it and he took off after it, bringing it back to her.

“He’ll do it until you get tired. We seem to tire out before he does,” Cass told her.

Harley brought the ball back to Wanda every time she threw it.

Jaden joined Cass in sitting down. “What did you say to her?” Jaden asked.

“I told her the truth of life as I know it. That’s all. I left it up to her to figure out if it meshed with her reality or not. Guess it did. Oh, and like I told her, her and Alex are welcome here any time. Even if it’s without you. So, if you’re out travelling the world, and they need a mini vacation, they can come hang out here.”

Jaden looked at Cassidy. “Really? Just like that, after knowing them for less than twenty-four hours?”

“Pretty much,” Cass said shrugging.

“You’re trusting.”

“I trust you; you trust them. It’s simple math.”

“You surprise me sometimes. One time, you’re truly complex, and the next time, you’re pretty simple to figure out,” Jaden told her.

“It’s to keep you on your toes. Which, by the way, look nice with your red polish. But what do you do when you feel manly?”

It was Jaden’s turn to shrug. “I hide them.”

Cass laughed.

A car drove up the drive and Harley was running after the ball. Cass whistled sharply and Harley stopped right away, looking around.

He spotted the car and trotted off to one side until the car passed, then he retrieved the ball and ran back to Wanda but held the ball to see if there was a new person to play with.

Jessie got out of the car, and another boy about the same age got out of the other side. He introduced the boy as Mike Tross, who played tennis for another local school.

Gemma came out to see who arrived and led them on a tour and then out back to the porch, where there were snacks and an ice chest with soda, water and juice waiting.

Cass and Jaden continued to wait, while Wanda gave in and threw the ball for Harley some more.

Ten minutes later, a VW Beatle came up the drive.

Harley was with Wanda, so Cass didn’t need to whistle.

A tall girl with curly black hair that hung down her back got out of the driver’s side.

Cass eyed the lithe girl who she knew from school. Gemma’s prom date, Francine “Frankie” Wynette had arrived.

Robbie got out of the passenger side, and they both walked over to Cass and Jaden.

“Hey guys,” Cass said. “Come out back and we’ll make introductions now that everyone is here.”

Cass led Frankie, Robbie, Jaden, Wanda, and Harley through the house, pointing out the bathroom before going out the back, where Gemma, Jessie and Mike were waiting.

Myra and Alex showed up and they went about introducing everyone to each other. Once that was done the newcomers took turns sing the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms to change, while those that were already there simply took off the extra clothes on the patio.

Myra had forgone her usual alligator swimsuit for a simple aqua blue one, and she took Alex down to the water via the river bank that was more like a beach shore.

Cass and Robbie came out to join them, followed by Jaden and Wanda. Gemma waited for Frankie, who appeared after Jessie and Mike.

Most of the kids stood around until Cass told them the water was fine, it only looked murky because of the nearby flowing water, which pushed in water laced with sediment. If it wasn’t for that, the dirt would settle, allowing for clear water.

Once the locals entered, Jaden and Wanda followed, then everyone finally joined in.

Robbie commented on the skimpy two-piece bikini that Frankie had on, and got an elbow in the gut for it. He was more reserved when mentioning Jaden’s breasts, commenting more on the fact they were there than anything.

Cass gave him a pass on that, since she pretty much had the same reaction the night before.

Frankie was distant at first, to everyone but Gemma, until she realized that Jessie and Mike were gay, and that Jaden was, well, confusing, but no one made an issue of any of it, so she finally relaxed.

Everyone swam and did various things: contests, played tag, splashed each other, etc.

Myra, who usually kept in or under the water ninety percent of the time she was in it, was sticking by Alex, who could swim but didn’t go far since he couldn’t see any of the possible dangers in the water.

Once in the water, she stayed by his side, leading him around, usually by the hand.

Cass smiled seeing the two kids holding hands. It didn’t get lost to her that Alex was aware of and making sure to be careful of how he held her hand, so he didn’t hurt her by pushing too hard on her webbing.

She was glad he didn’t get scared off with her differences. Robbie came over and took her hand. “This turned out to be a pretty good thing. Everyone is getting along pretty well.”

Cass smiled. “It looks like it.”

The kids swam and played until lunch, when everyone got out to eat and take a break. Myra led Alex off on a hunt for wildlife, while Jaden and Wanda laid out on lounge chairs to get some sun.

Gemma and Frankie disappeared into the house, leaving Cass, Robbie and the other two boys sitting inside the patio, picking at snacks.

“So, is everyone ready for prom?” Cassidy asked the three boys.

“We’re going tomorrow to get our tuxes,” Robbie told her.

“Are you guys all set?”

“Yep, we finished up yesterday.”

Jessie took Mike’s hand and they headed back out to the water.

Robbie eyed the hot tub and said, “Wanna?”

“Sure,” she said, getting up starting the hot tub. She got in while the water was still cool, and Robbie joined her. He sat next to her, taking her hand. The water started getting warm and the jet on Cass’s back felt good. She rested her head on Robbie’s shoulder.

“This is nice,” he said, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her. “You know, I know you didn’t like Jessie turning you down, but I’m glad he did. I’ve had a thing for you for a long time.”

“You did? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I was afraid you’d say no. It was okay while I still had hope, but I wasn’t sure what to do if I asked you out and you said no.”

“A big strong jock like you? You could get a ton of girls. I’m no one special,” Cass said.

“That’s not true,” Robbie said, tipping her head back to look her in the eyes. His fingers stroked her scarred cheek, feather light.

“Shut up and kiss me already,” she said quietly.

Robbie didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and kissed her, soft and gentle.

“Ahem. Can we join you?” Gemma asked.

Robbie broke off the kiss, but Cass left her head on his shoulder.

“Please,” Robbie said.

Gemma and Frankie slid into the now warm water. While Cass wasn’t into girls in that way, she had to admit Francine was quite pretty. She was tall, six-two, and while thin, very shapely in the bikini.

Cass thought you could easily be a model. The girl had her hair loose, hanging in curls that were almost ringlets, which Cass knew from watching some of the volleyball games, she usually wore it in a ponytail. Her dark brown eyes projected her happiness.

Cass had no idea that Frankie liked other girls until Gemma told her she was her date. That secrecy would last as long as the prom, but it didn’t look like she cared.

Laughing, she turned to Gemma and kissed her, not at all bothered by Robbie and Cass sitting across from her.

Robbie squeezed Cass and kissed the top of her head. Once Frankie and Gemma parted, Cass asked Frankie, “So, you set for prom?”

“Yeah. I got my dress a while back. I saw it and I knew I had to have it, so I git it right then. Gemma said you guys got your yesterday.”

Yeah. So, we’re all set, except for the boys,” Cass said, nudging Robbie.

“Tomorrow,” he said.

“Let’s go swim,” Frankie said, pulling Gemma up with her. The two left down the walk, hand-in-hand.

“They look happy,” Robbie said.

“Yeah,” Cass agreed. “I’m glad.”

Myra came in with Alex in tow. Their feet were crusted with dry mud.

“And what have you two been up to, sweet pea?” Cass asked.

“Just out exploring,” Myra said, still holding Alex’s hand.

“Huh. Do you need some birth control for your exploring?” Cass asked with a grin.

“What?!” shrieked Myra, turning bright red. “No, why would you even ask that?”

“Because you turn a lovely shade of red when caught doing something.”

“We weren’t caught,” Myra protested. Then she realized that she had just given herself away. “It’s not like that, I swear, Myra said, desperate to clarify.

“Myra. Stop. Breathe. I didn’t really think you were. I think you’re still too young, but that’s me. What you do is your business. Although if you do decide to… you know, I’d expect you to make sure you’re protected.”

“But Cass…”

“Go hide and kiss. Better yet, don’t hide. I don’t care. I don’t think mom would either.”

Myra looked at her and mouthed, Wanda.

“So go kiss her too,” Cass said.

“Cass!”

“Fine, but honestly, I think Wanda would be happy to know her brother is happy. But whatever. Just be careful. And I mean that, both figuratively and literally.”

Myra grabbed two sodas before pulling Alex back outside.

The boy had remained quiet the entire time but had a smile on his face.

“Do you really think –”

“No,” Cass interrupted Robbie. “It’s just to keep her on her toes. She’s a good girl and I trust her. Plus, she looks good with some color.

Robbie laughed. “Yeah, but that much?”

“With her, it’s usually all or nothing, so… come on, let’s go for a swim. I’ll leave the hot tub on for later.”

Robbie followed Cass out, where Cass stopped when she got to Jaden and Wanda.

“Time to flip, Wanda. You’re starting to get a little pinkish,” Cass said before continuing on down the dock.

She sat on the end, putting her feet in the water.

Robbie bent down to sit, and Cass grabbed him, flipping him into the water, laughing.

He surfaced, sputtering, grabbed her feet and pulled her into the water as well. She came up still laughing.

Jaden and Wanda joined them a short while later, as did Myra and Alex, still holding hands.

They all swam, took turns doing various dives off the dock, and played games like Marco Polo and tag.

When the sun started going down and the temperature started to drop off some, the kids started leaving the water.

Cassidy’s mom came out and fired up the grill, starting on dinner while everybody took turns rinsing off in the outdoor shower.

Most of them threw on t-shirts but that was it. Everyone pitched in to help out Cass’s mom cooking and bringing the food out to the patio.

Cassidy slipped on her tennis shoes and headed out to gather some firewood so they could sit around the fire pit tonight.

Not needing any help, she left while Robbie was doing something else. It was actually easier for her to do it alone. Cass walked the path leading to the clearing where Hugo had ambushed them. She wasn’t afraid of the place, but what had been a peaceful and tranquil place, now gave her some anxiety.

The ambush, the killing, the bodies that went missing after. In her mind, she could still see the blood where Hugo had lain, or the frozen over water with the human popsicle in it.

The knowledge that it’s possible – more probable – that the Facility was still active, just in another location, made Cass nervous. And a little bit angry.

How could they justify kidnapping children to use as experiments in some conquer the world scheme?

Cass stopped at a dead tree that she had slowly tearing apart to use for firewood. Using her power, she pulled off several of the smaller branches, floating them down into a pile. Then she started with the thicker branches, snapping them off in a size to fit the firepit.

These went into a pile next to the smaller branches. One branch only had a few feet left before the trunk and it was about as thick as her torso.

Trying to be precise so to not break the tree trunk itself, she pushed up on the branch just before the trunk, while pushing down just beyond that.

The wood popped and crackled as it slowly broke apart off the tree itself. The branch floated in the air, now free, as Cass wiped sweat from her forehead. It wasn’t that the act was that taxing – she could have just snapped it with pressure downwards easily – it was because of her precision in doing it.

She had used the tree to better her control over her powers, honing the use to precise control. Cass could pluck individual leaves off the branches or strip a whole branch as if she did it with her hand.

Because of practice, she could pull off the seeds of a dandelion one at a time.

Twigs snapped behind her, towards the middle of the clearing, and Cass, already twitchy, flung the thick branch she had in the air behind her, twisting around to guide it at the intruder.

She realized too late that the tension she was feeling caused her to act before she thought. As she twisted around, she caught the dark red braid on a t-shirt she recognized too late.

The velocity on the forty plus pound log was too much for her to stop; the best she could hope for was to slow it down or change the trajectory enough to hopefully miss Wanda.

Cass raised her hands the same time Wanda did. Cass to try to divert the log and she presumed Wanda in a futile attempt to shield herself from the incoming missile.

Although Cass knew raising her hands had no baring on her attempt to move the log quick enough, but because of habit, she did it anyway.

Unfortunately, because of her need to decide which option to choose – to slow or divert – even the split second she took was too long. Cass knew there was no stopping the chunk of wood from hitting her newfound friend.

She watched in horror, not able to look away from her mistake. However, in the two seconds it took for the wood to cover the twenty or so feet to Wanda, dozens of vines, roots, and shoots sprung up from the earth in front of Wanda, creating a living net that grew upward to catch and wrap around the hunk of wood.

The sounds of ripping, snapping, and popping came from the undulating net, stopping the wood inches from Wanda.

Cass sobbed a sigh of relief that Wanda wasn’t hurt, falling to her knees, as she said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” over and over as she cried into her hands.

Wanda, thankful that her probable death was averted, let the log fall to the ground and walked over to Cass and knelt beside her.

She gathered Cassidy in her arms, rubbing her back and head, telling her she was okay and not to worry.

Cass calmed enough to hug her, then sat back on her butt. “Y-you stopped it,” she said.

“I think it was more all the plants that stopped it. I was just kinda there.”

“Then you didn’t…” Cass didn’t finish, confused.

Wanda now sat back too and smiled. “I did. I guess that both of our secrets are out in the open now, huh?”

“You … are special too.”

“Well, I prefer to think of myself that way, powers or not,” Wanda said, grinning.

“You know what I meant,” Cass said, a small smile on her face.

“So, you can move things?” Wanda asked.

“Telekinesis, yes,” Cass Said. No sense denying it. “And you?”

“I can control plant life,” Wanda said, causing a small cluster of meadow flowers to sprout and grow between Cass’s outstretched legs. “We knew Myra was different. We weren’t sure about you.”

“We?” asked Cass, who was now growing suspicious. If this was going to be a repeat of Hugo’s doings, she would put a stop to it right away. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but it would be easy to snap Wanda’s neck and her body would disappear in the water, surely.

Cautiously she asked, “We?”

“Oh. Jaden. She can feel things. Kinda like an empath, but a little different. It’s not just emotions with her. With Myra, it’s kind of obvious, she’s… different. Jaden told me that you might be too. I followed you to talk to you after your little speech earlier. I didn’t expect to nearly die.”

“I’m sorry,” Cass said again.

“No. I am. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. Although I wasn’t trying to, I was just trying not to get lost.”

“I… this spot holds bad memories for me. What I told you earlier wasn’t just idle talk, or me making stuff up to make a point.”

Cassidy decided to trust the girl, so she told her the whole story of her kidnap, the Facility and the escape from Hugo, ending with the ambush in that very clearing. Cass even pulled up her suit, showing Wanda the scar on her hip. The one on her cheek was obvious. She included how she found Myra and the girl’s relocation.

Wanda was surprised to learn about Gemma. Jaden hadn’t picked up on that.

Once Cass was done, Wanda said, “It’s getting late. We should head back, or they might come looking for us.”

Wanda helped Cass up, giving her another hug when Cass apologized again.

“No harm done. Thankfully,” Wanda told her.

Wanda offered to carry some wood back and Cass told her to grab some small branches, so it didn’t look suspicious. She could get the rest and would set it down just out of sight and make the boys carry the heavy ones.

Cass picked the piles up, impressing Wanda with the ease she did it, and they walked back along the path. After setting the wood down, Cass picked up a few branches and she and Wanda walked back to the house.

“There you are,” Robbie said, looking concerned. “You two have been gone an awfully long time.”

“We got wood for the fire. We got it as far as we could, so now it’s up to you big, strong, jock types to get it the rest of the way,” Cass said pointing to where the wood waited.

Everyone around pitched in, getting a laugh watching the boys struggle with the largest piece of wood.

“How did you two manage to get this here?” Mike, Jessie’s boyfriend asked.

“Girl power,” Cassidy said, flexing.

The boys laughed, nearly dropping the big log.

All the wood was moved near the fire pit, except the big log, which Cass had them put in the pit, so they wouldn’t have to move it again.

The food was done, and everyone sat down to eat.

Gwynne Gray joined the kids once again to eat, commenting on how nice they all were. They all talked and joked as they ate, enjoying the company.

Cass noticed that Wanda let Myra sit by and help Alex without hovering or interfering. Myra seemed to enjoy helping Alex with the little he did need help with.

When dinner was finished, the kids helped Ms. Gray clean up over her protests.

With that finished, Jessie and Mike excused themselves, saying they had a movie planned.

Cass walked them out, and both said how much they enjoyed the day, and they were looking forward to prom with the group. Walking back in, she found Harley laying on the front porch.

He looked up at her, thumped his tail and yawned.

“Lazy bones,” she said to him. “I put food and scraps in your bowl if you get hungry.”

He barked and got up, going through the house with her.

She went back outside, and found Gemma had lit the fire, after building a little wooden pyramid over the big log.

Four large logs sat around the fire pit for people sit or lean back on.

Gemma and Frankie sat on one, Wanda and Jaden on another, Myra and Alex leaned up against the third, and Robbie sat waiting for her on the fourth.

Gemma told Cass that her mom had gone back inside, telling them the sundae fixings would be left out and the ice cream was in the freezer.

They all sat around the fire talking for a while before Myra and Alex headed off into the dark.

Wanda looked like she wanted to say something, but Jaden put a hand on her leg, stopping her.

The talking died down as night fell and to Cass’s surprise, Frankie sat on the ground and Gemma sat on her lap and they began kissing. This surprised Cass because Gemma didn’t usually display much emotion in public.

They weren’t groping or making a scene, but they were simply kissing.

Wanda sighed and got up, walking away towards the dock.

Jaden seemed amused at the display but turned around on the log to look out into the swamp and sky.

Robbie took his cue from Gemma and leaned in and nuzzled Cass’s neck and ear. After a minute, she broke down and caved in, kissing Robbie.

She heard a scuff and opened an eye to see Jaden going past, motioning her to stay. She mouthed, hot tub, and left.

Robbie put a hand on the nape of her neck, running his fingers into her hair and she closed her eye.

They were still kissing when Cass heard Gemma and Frankie get up. Cass opened an eye, expecting them to go to the water or something, but they went the other direction. She thought they might be going to get ice cream until she saw Gemma’s bedroom light turn on, then turn off a minute later.

Cass pulled away from Robbie. “Frankie is your ride home, right?”

“Yeah,” he said looking over to where they had been.

“Crap, she didn’t leave, did she?”

“Um,” Cass started biting her bottom lip. “You might be stuck here for the night.”

“Huh? She left?”

“No. I think she might have been persuaded to stay the night.”

It dawned on him what Cass was saying. “Oh. Well, I guess I can stay the night too,” he said, hinting.

“Sure. We have plenty of extra couches,” she told him. “Why don’t you go cool down in the hot tub. Jaden is there, I think I’ll join you two in a few minutes. I gotta do something first.”

Robbie was disappointed to see her leave but didn’t complain and headed for the hot tub. Cass headed for the dock, looking for Wanda. She was sitting at the end with her feet in the water.

Cass sat behind the girl, putting her legs around the girl and began kneading the girl’s shoulders. “I know you kind of feel left out, I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

Wanda shrugged. “I’m actually glad Alex is happy. He’s had a hard life, and I do what I can to make it easier, but I don’t exactly make him happy like Myra does. I just worry about him.”

Wanda seemed to sag under Cass’s hands. “I get it. I’m kind of the same way with Myra. Physically she’s a lot stronger than she looks, but emotionally she’s easy to damage. She’s had no one to trust, so when she trusts someone and they break that trust, it devastates her. While I’m happy that she and Alex are enjoying themselves, I worry about what happens when you two leave. All that newfound happiness will be gone, leaving what?”

“I feel the same way about Alex,” Wanda said leaning back into Cassidy.

Cass put her arms around the other girl and said, “And that’s what sucks. If we break them up now, they both get hurt. If we wait, then when you leave, it hurts them. I don’t really see any winning unless we have a shotgun wedding and you both stay. At their age, it’s legal here with parental permission. Think your parents will go for it?”

Wanda laughed, stress leaving her. “I doubt it.”

“Oh well, just a thought. So, we just let it be and deal with it when we have to. Wanna see something cool? I used to do this when I was little.”

Still holding on to Wanda, Cass raised a globe of water, bringing it up to within a few inches of Wanda. Wanda reached out, touching it with a finger. The globe wobbled, but it stayed intact.

“That’s cool,” Wanda said.

“Watch. The magic of biology. Mitosis,” Cass said, making the globe split in two, then those two into four and so on until there were thousands of raindrop sized spheres.

“That’s about pushing my limits before I start suffering some nasty side effects,” Cass told her, letting go. It briefly sounded like a rain shower across the water.

“For you,” Wanda said, pointing across the water.

Cass watched as lily pad after lily pad grew on the surface of the water, shining in the moonlight. In the middle of them all, a huge lily pad grew in excess of five feet across.

“With as small as Myra is, it should support her like a float. Maybe even Alex as well. If you can raise them into it that is.”

“No sweat. Does Alex have any abilities?”

“No. At least none that we know of.”

“Does he know about your or Jaden’s?”

“Yes. He knows about Jaden, and we grew up together, so when we were little, I made all kinds of things grow. My mom thought I just had a green thumb, but it was more than that,” Wanda said.

“I bet. I was getting toys from across the room while I was still in the crib. Mom and dad found out pretty early. Okay, well, Robbie is probably wondering where I am. You wanna join Jaden, Robbie and I in the hot tub? I promise to keep it PG,” Cass said.

“Sure.”

Cass lifted both of them up until they were high enough to stand, then set them down, and let go of Wanda, and took her hand instead. “Come on,” she said leading them back to the patio.

They walked in and Robbie said, “I was beginning to wonder if I should worry.”

“Nope, we were just admiring the plant life, in the moonlight,” Cass said pulling off her t-shirt.

Wanda followed suit and they both got in the hot tub.

Cass sat next to Robbie, who took her hand.

“You having fun?” Jaden asked Wanda.

“Yeah. It’s been exciting. I like it here.”

They sat, soaking in the hot tub until Myra came in with Alex. “It’s time for ice cream,” she said.

“How about you join us in the hot tub for a while to relax before ice cream and bed?”

“Aww, Cass, it’s Saturday It’s still early.”

“It’s after ten, and if you join us, then eat, it will be midnight. With a shower, it’ll be later than that.”

“Fine,” she said. Myra helped Alex, then took off her t-shirt and joined them all. She sat shoulder to shoulder with Alex.

Cass knew Myra liked the water but enjoyed the hot tub even more so. There was something about the water temperature that soothed the girl.

After a while, Myra’s head was against Alex’s shoulder and Cass said, “Okay, Ice cream time before Myra falls asleep.”

“Am not,” Myra replied.

Cass reached over and put her finger on Myra’s nose. “The correct answer was will not, which just goes to show you will.”

Myra stuck her tongue out and everyone laughed.

They all got out and dried off, collecting their clothes but not dressing, then went into the kitchen. Cass got the ice cream out and filled six bowls and let everyone put on their own toppings.

Cass managed to spray whipped cream into the mouths, and onto the noses of Robbie, Wanda and Myra before Jaden declined.

She put some in Alex’s mouth but didn’t try to fool him.

They stood around in the kitchen eating, not bothering to sit. Once that was done, Cass said, “Myra and I will take my shower. Jaden and Wanda, upstairs, and Alex and Robbie, downstairs. I’ll show Robbie to a couch, and Myra can help Wanda with their beds, then off to bed for her. I’ll leave everyone else to their own devices.”

Myra gave Cass a look but said nothing. She helped Wanda with the pullout beds, then went back upstairs to shower, while Cass got blankets and a pillow for Robbie, then led him to a couch in the TV room.

She gave him a kiss and he pulled her back in, kissing her in a way that made her toes tingle.

He let her go and she walked away with a smile on her face.

Going past Gemma’s room, she heard sounds that were not meant to be interrupted, so she went straight to her room.

Myra was in the shower, so Cass got bed clothes and waited for Myra to finish. She finished and came out in a long t-shirt.

“Brush out your hair while I shower. I’ll be right out.”

Cass showered and dried off before dressing and came out into her room to find Myra sitting in front of Cass’s computer.

“Snoop,” she said.

“You got another email from Lyle. Another email was sent to the friend of the missing boy. I’ll check better tomorrow, but it looks like it’s from the same person as the last one. This one has more info and Lyle says that both the parents and the friend are now positive it came from the missing boy.

“Lyle also said the police seem to be useless. They still say he’s a runaway.”

“Anything else while you’re reading my email?”

“An offer for a pill to make your wang longer. It’s a steal at only $19.95. Would you like a longer wang?” Myra asked straight-faced.

Cass ran her fingers through the girl’s hair. “Speaking of…”

“Nooo. I already got the birds and the bee’s lecture. We didn’t do anything. We explored and I described a lot to Alex.”

“And kissed.”

“Fine. And kissed.”

“What about the dirty handprints on your suit?”

“What?! That’s a lie. Alex was a gentleman.”

“Okay,” Cass said. “That was a lie. I’m just checking. Come on, come lay with me.”

Myra hesitated.

“Expecting someone tonight?”

“No. But what if…”

“He won’t. Alex is a gentleman, remember? Plus, you’re too young.”

Cass laid down, patting the bed beside her. Myra laid down next to Cass, and Cass pulled her in, snuggling.

Cass put her arms around Myra, who said, “’You don’t have to protect me.”

“I told you that same thing, and you did anyway. I do have to protect you, because I love you. But what you do with Alex is your business, not mine. Do what you want, just be careful. We don’t need baby alligators around here.”

“Cass, I don’t lay eggs. I’m a normal girl like that.”

“Yes, I’ve seen it enough to agree, thank you very much,” she said, tickling Myra. “No, what I really want to talk about are two things. First, Wanda is like us. She can control plants. And Jaden can… kind of feel emotions. I think Wanda is way more powerful. And they know about us.”

“They do? How?”

“To them, you’re kind of obvious. Me, Wanda snuck up on me, scaring me and I reacted badly and kind of tried to kill her. Before I knew it was her. But she stopped it, so I found out about her as well. I simply told her about Gemma.”

“And Alex?” Myra asked.

“A normal boy. Which brings me to my second topic. I know you like Alex and it looks like Alex likes you. And I’m glad for both of you. But I don’t want to see you hurt, and I fear that’s what’s going to happen when they go home. You know they live in Indiana.”

“I know,” Myra said. “We know. There’s the phone, and internet. And they can visit, you said.”

“Yes, I said that. And I mean it. But that doesn’t change the fact that he won’t be here,” Cass told her.

Myra sighed. “I know.”

Cass kissed the back of her head. “You’re smart enough to know what you’re doing, so I’m not going to say anymore. Although I did suggest to Wanda that we marry you two. That would solve everything.”

“Caaaassss…”

“It was just an idea. Goodnight sweet pea.”

“G’night.”