Saint Joseph School

Kara was standing outside the principal’s office when Nigel exited. Through the empathic link she shared with him, she had felt a sudden spike of anxiety (and...fear?) followed by a slow sinking feeling, and had immediately headed toward him. She had not expected to see him accompanied by a stone-faced security guard. Nigel was not surprised to see her...he had the link just as well as she did.

“Nigel, what-“ she began.

“Keep walking,” said the guard with quiet authority. They went toward the boys’ dorms. The guard obviously was nervous about her accompanying them, and she was just as obviously determined to do so. Nigel explained on the way.

“I got expelled, babe.”

“What...you...? Expelled?!? What happened?”

He was quiet for a moment, and she felt a stab of fear from him. Not fear for himself...fear for her. It was a subtle difference, but she had spent months getting to know his moods. There was pain, too, but mostly that sharp fear that he sometimes felt when she was fighting next to him. “I can’t...I can’t say. Listen, the past comes back to haunt you sometimes, you know? And with my trip to Boston, and this time...I’m sorry, babe.”

Tears began to flow, unnoticed. “But why? Was it the party? I mean, you were not there! I was the one who-“

He cut her off before she could incriminate herself. “No. Stop right there. It doesn’t matter. It’s done. I can’t tell you the details.”

Kara kept objecting the entire way, but his stoic acceptance turned everything aside. Someone without the link would have seen a typical teenage boy with nothing but a smirk to offer to the world, a smirk that said, “Screw you too, jerk.” Kara felt him through the link, and knew that his façade was about half true, but that he was trying to hide anger and fear. She put her hand on his arm and let him feel her even more strongly than usual, sending reassurance through the link.

“We will fight this. This is ridiculous.”

“Kara...babe...there’s nothing left to fight. They made up their minds.”

“But...it is not FAIR!”

He laughed. “Nope. It sure isn’t. But fair’s got nothing to do with it, I guess. Listen, I have to go pack. Talk to you in a few minutes, it won’t take long.”

Kara sat on the couch in the waiting area of the dorm. How many times had she sat there, waiting on him to come down so that they could go spend time together? Probably just as many times as he’d done the same in her dorm. Shock kept her from forming complete thoughts, as if she’d been hit with lightning.

Ten minutes later, he came down carrying a box and a pair of bags. She took the smaller one from him over his protests and carried it with her while the guard escorted him off the premises. He followed them to the bus stop, his lecture about Nigel’s not coming back to campus falling on deaf ears. Kara briefly entertained a thought about making the man think that he was on fire, but quashed it immediately.

The two of them sat at a bus stop in Atlas, watching the day turn. They talked a little, but so much of what they communicated didn’t need words that an onlooker would have thought they were two very awkward kids on a date. She gripped his hand fiercely, like she did everything, and his grip was no less ardent. He told her about his immediate future.

“It’s a school about an hour upstate,” he finally said. “We won’t be that far apart.”

She smiled slightly, trying to be brave. “We still have the link. You are my beacon. I should come with you.”

“No, babe. You have to finish here and get into that college. I’ll be back. They have a good art program at RISU.”

The bus appeared at the corner and Kara’s eyes overflowed. “No, no, no. There’s so much left to say. I’ll miss you so much and I love you. I’ll come see you.”

The pain and shock tore through the link, both ways. He leaned into her and they clung to each other. “I love you too, babe, I’m so sorry. I have to go. I have to. It’s...I’ll visit.”

The bus pulled up, brakes chuffing, and they stopped talking at all. The link was all that they needed, just pouring raw emotion into each other. Kara watched while he loaded his bags into the belly of the steel monster that was taking him away, and his last kiss nearly tore her heart out. She floated into the air and drifted along above the bus, letting her tears drip down like rain. Finally it sped out of the city limits.

Kara stayed in the air, sitting on a cushion of jet exhaust with her eyes closed and her emotions following a boy in a bus that was heading upstate. The link was strong, and it would stretch as far as she needed it to. It overflowed both ways, the two of them saying goodbye in a way that few had ever experienced.

Their tears fell for a long time.

((Two days later, thanks to wonky time.))

The bonfire was popular that night. Kara sat and watched, saying little, listening to the confused babble of voices all around her. The babble reminded her of the confusion that she felt from others when she could not figure out what their emotions meant. For the most part, it was happy babble. There were overtones of fear and uncertainty, along with territorial growling deep in the boys’ psyches and some catlike resentment from the girls. In other words, it was totally normal.

She wanted to scream.

How could it be normal when her light was so far away? How could the world keep on spinning when the very thing that let her find her way was so dim as to be almost imperceptible?

Most people did not know about the link, and of those who did, even fewer understood it. No one comprehended the true depth of it besides herself and Nigel. He was always there, a bundle of emotion and sensation that pulsed with life in the back of her mind. He was asleep, but she could still feel him. She hoped that she always would.

She was a little surprised when Aura leaned over to her and whispered, “Did you...did you still want to talk?”

Kara was not sure that she did. She liked Aura, and the girl’s crush/hero worship of Nigel made for some interesting moments, but she was not looking forward to the task in front of her. She remembered how others had reacted, telling her that everything would be all right and that she should just keep her chin up (or any number of other aphorisms), and she nodded to Aura. “If you are willing,” she whispered back.

They got up and quietly left the group, heading to the library at Aura’s suggestion. It was almost always deserted after normal school hours, and Kara was glad to see that no one waited there now.

The two girls sat on opposite ends of a couch, facing each other. Kara looked at Aura’s earnest face and winced inwardly. It would be like kicking a puppy. But of all people in the school, perhaps Aura would understand the most. And after all, she had to know.

Kara took a deep breath. “Did...did you hear about Nigel?”

Aura’s emotions were always harder to read than most. It was as if the girl had two people inside her at the same time. Occasionally she mentioned someone named Mercy, but Kara did not know who the girl meant. Now, though, both auras were giving off the same emotion: suspicion. Aura’s eyes narrowed and she said, “No? What about Nigel?”

Kara picked at the couch and hugged her knees, preparing for the things she did not want to say. Finally she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and said, “He is gone. Expelled.” Her eyes drifted off to the side as she tasted the word again. “...gone.”

Aura radiated shock, as clear to Kara’s inner senses as if the girl had been wearing a sign. “W...what? Nigel’s expelled? But why?! There has to be a mistake...”

“He...I do not know WHY...I just...he is gone. They did not tell HIM, either.”

“They can’t do that!”

Kara’s very thought when she first heard about it. Her strong jaw trembled for a moment, but she had long practice at dealing with emotion. She bit down on it and kept the grief in a small box in the back of her mind, concentrating so hard on her own feelings that she was blindsided by Aura’s next words.

“You’ve made a mistake. That’s not true.”

Shock, her constant companion of the two days, came roaring back. It brought anger along for the ride. “You think I did not check? He is my world. My beacon.”

Aura looked mutinous, as if she was about to jump up and run (or possibly slap her). “You're wrong. It's some sort of mistake.” It was sort of like seeing a rabbit suddenly grow fangs. Aura’s chin jutted sharply, her face set in defiance.

The boxful of grief cracked slightly. Kara kept it together as she explained the scene in front of the office and the dorm. She could feel Aura’s shock and anger mounting with each word, until the girl interrupted with, “Nigel isn't gone. He's not expelled. He would have told me. You’re lying to be mean to me.”

Kara slumped against the back of the couch. Of all the reactions, this one from the normally supportive and sweet Aura was not one that she had expected. She hoped that Aura was saying these things out of shock, and that she was not actually trying to hurt her. Kara clung to that and did not let her own anger overwhelm her. She straightened up and said in a firm voice, “He is gone, Aura. You do not want to know how I feel.”

She felt grief begin to cut through Aura’s anger. Kara was surprised to feel a tear run down her face at the reflection of her own emotions. The combination of Aura’s feelings and her own started to break down the walls of the box in her mind where she kept her sadness. She struggled to keep it under control but the tear was quickly joined by others, and before she knew it she was sobbing openly against the back of the couch.

People had been telling her that she would be fine for two days, smiling sympathetically and leaving her to her pain. Either they had not believed in the depth of her feelings, or they had not known what to do to help. Kara had held onto a nugget of hope deep inside, the hope that Aura would be an ally in this terrible time. To have that final hope kicked out from underneath her was more than she could bear.

Uncertainty suddenly joined the emotions radiating from Aura, and she fluttered around Kara. “Gosh, Kara, don’t cry! It’s not that bad! He still loves you. I’m sure he does, he said so all the time.” Kara’s obvious pain, still fresh even after a few days of trying to come to terms, worried the girl.

Aura trailed off at the sound of her own words, and was silent while Kara struggled to regain control. Kara was ashamed of herself for letting her facade crack. Besides that, losing control was bad for an empath. It could be terrible, but at the moment she simply did not care. “The guard was there, and I checked the records, and, and, it was all real...”

Her sniffling started to abate, and Aura shifted from alarm to confusion. “But...but why? He didn’t do anything wrong, not to get expelled!”

Kara shrugged, trying to get the tears to stop. “The only thing I can think of is the party. Ty’s party. He said that there was something else, but he would not tell me what it was.”

“But we were all there! Why did Nigel get in trouble?”

“Maybe because someone had to, and he was an easy target.” Kara made a small fist and punched the back of the couch, causing Aura to twitch in surprise. “I do not know if that is why...it is just my theory.”

“But he can’t be gone! He didn’t say goodbye! I was going to have a ride on his motorcycle!”

Aura scowled and folded her arms. “That is just so rude.”

Despite everything, Kara had to laugh. “Men,” she said with a sniffle.

“Yeah! Alex would say goodbye. I didn’t even know he was gone! I just thought he was busy. He gets busy, you know.”

Kara nodded. She knew better than possibly anyone, though she was no longer prepared to bet even money on it. Aura went on. “He’ll come visit, though, right? I mean, they can’t keep him from visiting.”

“He will be back. They cannot keep him from visiting. Or me...us from visiting him. We can think of something.”

They just sat for a while, digesting everything. Finally, Kara said, “Thank you, Aura. I knew I was right to sit down with you.”

Aura said, “Well, I'm glad you sat down with me too. I mean, gosh. I didn't...didn't even know. Thank you. For telling.”

“I knew it had to be done. And that you had to hear it from me, in case you got mad or something.” Kara smiled, and Aura looked a little sheepish. Kara could feel Aura's anger subsiding and being replaced by sadness as the news sank in.

“I try awful hard not to. But it’s not always easy.”

“It is just an emotion.”

The two girls jumped slightly when Aura’s comm alarm beeped. She looked at it and said, “I have to disappear for a bit now.”

Kara nodded. “Thanks again Aura...um...would a hug be okay?”

Uncertainty welled up inside Aura again, but there was no trace of it in her answering smile. “Of course!”

They hugged carefully, as if reaching out across a long distance. Aura whispered, “We can both be a little mad at Nigel. I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Kara laughed softly as they disengaged. “Deal. Wait, who is the empath here?”

Aura stood and said, “You. I’m just Aura.”

“Just. Hah. That is a lot to be.”

Aura stopped and said, “Can we...I mean, did you want to hang out sometime? That'd be really nice.” Kara smiled for the first time in two days. Maybe Aura was the ally that she had hoped for.

“I would really like that, Aura. Really.”

“I would too. See you later?”

“Count on it.” Aura left, trailing a cloud of conflicting emotions. Kara sat and enjoyed the relative quiet for a moment, and then pulled out her phone. He had awakened from his nap. It was past time to call him.

((The next day))

Kara walked down the sidewalk, not really looking at anything. She could feel her mind scurrying around, trying one tactic and rejecting it to search for another. She was in some serene place that drifted over the top of the shock and anger that had filled her past days, and she was coldly considering what could be done.

It was obvious to her that Nigel had either done something or was being blamed for something. She could not imagine what he could have done, so she was going on the assumption that he was taking the fall for something. There was only one thing that came to mind: Ty’s party.

Ty had organized an evening of drinking and games about two weeks before. Many people had attended, and the alcohol had been freely available. Kara herself had gone, and had had a wonderful time in spite of wishing for Nigel’s presence every second. It was obvious to her that the administration had learned of the party and had decided to make Nigel responsible. It was logical; he had been caught selling alcohol on campus before, and had been warned and punished.

She stopped and stood still, her mind racing down a new track. The solution was obvious as well; like so many things, it was right there in the problem. Hope flared in her heart as she started making a list of the people who had organized the party. A few minutes of contemplation gave her two names: Ty and Dom. Others might have helped, but those two were the prime culprits. She smiled.

The plan was simple: she would turn them in. Once the administration had the real guilty parties, they would have to let Nigel back.

She started off toward the offices, but stopped when her comm tweedled the opening to the song “Greased Lightning.” Her brother, Mike. She clicked it open, still walking. “Hi Mike. What is up?”

“Hey sis...um, look, I need to talk to you. Can we go have lunch? Now?”

The urgency in his voice surprised her. “I am sort of in the middle of something.”

“I know, remember? That’s kinda what I’m scared of. Can we talk?”

She stopped. Mike was fearless. A couple of hours would not make that much difference in her plan. “Sure, I guess. Where shall we meet?”

“Barbeque from the Rusty Nail?”

“Okay. See you there in ten.”

Most of the students avoided the Rusty Nail, but Kara knew that it served some of the best barbeque in all of Paragon City. You just had to order from the window rather than going inside, but that was okay.

Mike being Mike, he was already there by the time she arrived. “HeysisIwentaheadandordered-“ he started. He closed his eyes and made a visible effort, and then started over. “Hey sis, I went ahead and ordered your usual for you.” Kara smiled slightly and hugged him, and he hugged her tight in return.

They chatted a little while their orders were filled, telling each other about their lives. Mike knew about Nigel, and he skirted the issue several times. When the food arrived, they took it to one of the outdoor tables that were scattered around.

“So, what is so important?” she said.

Mike moved his food around his plate. Even if she had not been an empath, she would have known that something was bothering him. As it was, the discomfort he felt blared through the link they shared. “Um,” he finally said, “I’m sorry about Nigel. Um. What happened this morning?”

She was startled. “How do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, you haven’t been very subtle on the link lately. I know you’ve been upset and everything, but all of a sudden this morning that went away and you got all calm and...determined? I guess?”

She sighed and ate a rib. She had not thought about the link that she shared with her brother, one that was almost as strong as the one she shared with Nigel. Her emotions had probably been very open the last few days; her shock had prevented her from muffling them as she usually did.

“Sorry, Mike, I did not mean to throw those emotions your way.”

“No, it’s okay, I just...it scared me, that’s all. The stuff I felt this morning. What happened?”

Kara was silent for a time, busying herself with her lunch. After a while, she said, “I came up with a plan. You know he got expelled? Well, I assume that it had something to do with a party that took place the other day. I think...I think if I go ahead and turn in the students who were really responsible, they will let Nigel come back.”

She did not have to look at his face to know that he was thunderstruck. “What? Who was in charge?”

“Well, Ty and Dom were the ringleaders. They should be enough.”

It all felt very reasonable to her, so she was surprised when she felt shock and a little bit of fear radiating from him. “Kara, you can’t DO that.”

“Why not? It is my duty as a student, and it will probably get him back.”

Mike was silent for a whole five seconds, which for him was probably an eternity. “Kara...do you know what scared me today, and made me call you up?”

“Well, I assume that a sudden change in my emotional state led you to wonder if I was okay.”

“Well...yeah, kinda. But you know what you felt like through the link?”

She shook her head and sipped some Pepsi.

“You felt like, well, kinda the way you did when you first woke up in the hospital. Remember? Back when you were, um, hurt?”

Kara did remember, vividly, the way that she remembered nearly every detail of her life. She remembered the confusion and shock, and the pain (though, she was glad to note, the pain was not actually experienced again). “Well, sort of. I was hurt, and there were painkillers that were making my mind sort of dull, so it-“

“No. No, I mean when you got past all that, and you were trying to figure out what to do with yourself. When you didn’t know...like, how to deal with what you were feeling. Remember? So you sorta shut down, didn’t deal with it.”

“What? Mike, I am dealing with this. I am! It is just that a solution has presented itself, and-“

“Dammit, Kara.” Mike’s voice was quiet but intense, and it was the seriousness in his heart as much as the mild profanity that stopped her. “Nigel’s not coming back. He’s already in the other school, and he can’t just jump right back here. You know that. You’re just...being logical, and all computery. Like you were. Before him. Ty and Dom are your friends, Kara. Are you really going to hang them out to dry?”

The speed of her emotional shift stunned her. Sudden anger blasted through the carefully constructed walls. “Well, what if it was Shelly? What if she was the one who had been kicked, and you had to just go back and pretend like nothing had happened? Huh?”

“You know. She wouldn’t want to come back if it meant a couple of other students got kicked out. And I bet Nigel wouldn’t want that either.”

The anger left her as suddenly as it had arrived, leaving her with nothing to use as fuel. She slumped in her chair. He reached out and took her hand. “Look, you’re a hero. I know it, you know it, everyone at SJS knows it. People on other WORLDS know it. And you’re a good person. Too good to do something like this.”

“But I want him back.” She barely recognized the tiny voice as her own.

He was on her side of the table in an instant, holding her tight again. “I know. I know. It’s okay. I know. It’s not like he’s dead, we can go visit him, it’ll be okay.” He held her as she cried again. She finished her tears faster than the last time, which was a nice change. Eventually they were able to sit down and finish eating.

Toward the end of the meal she said, “It was a good plan, though.”

He nodded and finished his drink. “Yup. Nemesis would be impressed.”

Her slight smile through her tears was all he needed. She would be okay. He stood and said, “Well, I have to meet with Shelly. She’s got an hour for lunch, so I better get over there. Love you, sis.”

“Love you too, Mike.” She watched him vanish in a blue, moving so fast that he was impossible to see. Kara tossed the remains of their meal and headed back to campus. She walked by the main offices on the way, her head not even turning to look at them as she went.

((Wonky time applies, as with the other posts on this thread))

Kara was programming a new subroutine for her gauntlets. The theory was that a controlled recursive loop would actually up the power efficiency by as much as six percent. It was a project that had been sitting in the back of her mind for a long time, but until just recently she hadn’t had time for something so...petty.

The world felt numb and distant, reminding her of the times she’d been hit by a Troll’s club or a Granite’s wildly thrashing arms. She had always been able to shake those things off, either with sheer willpower or a quick trip courtesy of the med-badges. This was sticking around, making her feel as if she was sitting somewhere quiet and watching someone use her body for day-to-day living. She was fooling most of them, but a few people knew her too well. Bobby and Matt understood, of course, and a few others. Even Brianna knew something was off.

As if the thought had summoned her, Kara felt Bri’s presence behind her. “Hey there,” Kara said. “How goes?” Kara saved the program and closed her laptop. The laptop was a gift from Nigel, and she traced the plastic case with her fingertips before putting it away.

“Not too bad. Yourself?” said Bri.

Kara considered. The easy answer would be something chirpy, and she was putting one of those answers together when her mouth betrayed her by saying, “It has been a rough couple of days. I have been moping on the bridge in IP.” Which was true, but would not do much good to say.

A variety of emotions radiated from Bri. She settled on determination and...the slightest bit of amusement? “Well,” said Brianna, “we have to put a stop to that. Come on. Smile. We're shopping. It's the perfect therapy.”

Kara stretched her lips in an approximation of a smile. It felt fake from inside her head, and she was sure that it looked even worse. Bri raised her eyebrow and said, “It’s a start.”

Kara heaved a sigh and slumped. “I know I have not been very good company. Thankfully, I have Chester.” She concentrated, and light bent around a shape in her mind. A small calico kitten appeared in her lap and yawned at Bri. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand through the fuzzy creature, destabilizing it and causing it to vanish. Kara shrugged and said, “So, how does this work?”

Bri put on her cheerleader smile. “Okay! The first thing is to completely block out the idea of price mattering. I've got dad's credit cards. The entire idea is to find the best looking outfit you can. To make you feel better.”

“Is this a freak-out? Like the bungee jumping?”

“Yep. Just trust me.”

Kara nodded and squared her shoulders. She had faced down one of Nemesis’s robots the day before. Surely this would not be any worse. “Right,” she said. “Onward. Where to?”

“Okay, the mall would be the first stop. Plenty of stores there to dive right into. To Independence Port!”

There followed a time of utter confusion. Kara was a product of a laboratory; her super-intelligence had manifested early, and she had spent most of her childhood years in one laboratory or another, learning and inventing. It was not that she had never had dolls. It was just that they had always been the leftover beakers and Bunsen burners. Bri’s world was as far from that as it was possible to get.

Their first stop was a more casual place, looking for everyday wear. Kara was used to simply buying things that would fit, with the recently added criterion of drawing Nigel’s gaze. She had no idea that there were so many different cuts and styles of cloth, much less that they were put together in such a variety. The confusion was starting to remind her of battling the Carnival of Shadows. She wound up with tighter pants, a nice green shirt with an undershirt, and some strappy high heels that made her totter for a while. She felt a sense of pride as she kept walking, learning the steps like a new dance. They had a brief argument about skirts versus jeans, but she won that one and felt as if she had accomplished a great victory. Skirts made her self-conscious.

“Now how about makeup,” said Bri.

It was not so much confusion this time as utter incomprehension. It was as if Bri was asking her something in Ancient Sumerian. “Um. I do not know much about makeup or hair or anything.” She felt that she had a lock on the Understatement of the Year award.

“Then we’ll stop by a salon before we go back. Full day of beauty.” Bri smiled, and Kara once again shrugged and surrendered. Bri continued, “Now, what about other stuff? There are going to be football parties, you know.”

Kara dithered. “Okay. Um...maybe something that would work for the D too?”

“D I can definitely work with. Something casualish, but cool enough for a party. Preferably in blue.”

“Blue? Really? I thought green was more my color.” Given the emotions she felt from boys when she wore her green shirt, that was.

“Well, any cool color should work. Let’s get to work.”

Her arguments about skirts did her no good this time. When Bri was done, Kara was in a short, tight white dress with blue designs, and was wearing a vest and high heels again. She had to admit, she DID look nice.

The salon was another new experience. Mud packs, exfoliation, conditioners and rinses...Kara felt as if she had descended even further into a different dimension. A consultant worked with her for a long time, teaching her about makeup and showing her the basics. Kara made a mental note to find a book on the subject; obviously, there was more to it than first met the eye.

She looked in the mirror and was shocked. She was used to changing her appearance with a thought, but this time she had done it without illusion. “This makeup feels weird,” she said, just to have something to say.

Bri laughed. “See? You look great!”

“I do!” Kara smiled a little, marveling at the sight of the beautiful stranger in the mirror. She took a mental snapshot, to be sure that she would not forget the way she looked. Future illusions would use this picture often.

“I told you. A new look can change your entire mood.”

Kara was rocked back in her seat. It was true. She had not felt the wrapped-in-cotton effect in...well, hours. She started laughing, and it was amazing.

“Okay. I think it is time that I treat you to a smoothie or something,” said Kara.

“Nah. Today is my treat, but we can hit that little coffee shop near the college.”

“I will not argue too hard,” said Kara with a smile. She did not want to lose the smile; it was the first she’d had on her face in a long time.

She stumbled around the coffee shop, still a long way from being at ease in her heels the way Bri was. She half-collapsed in the chair, keeping her smoothie upright with an effort of will. Bri snickered a little and said, “You'll get used to them, Kara. And once you do, you'll never go back to flats.”

“They make my hips swing.” She settled on the chair and said, “Thank you, Bri. For all this.”

“No problem. Hey you pulled me out of a funk once.”

Kara suddenly became fiercely interested in her smoothie. She said, “How is that going? I mean, what did you do to STAY out? Of the funk.”

“To stay out? Well, I threw myself into helping with the cheer squad. I did everything I could to forget what happened. I had a close call with a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream around Prom when I couldn't find a date.”

Kara laughed, but sobered too soon. The good mood from earlier was leaking away. “I...sometimes, I wish the link was not there. The one with Nigel. It might make it a little easier to adjust, you know?”

Bri shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I can't lie to you. I don't like Nigel. I probably never will. But you obviously care for him. So don't you think that knowing he feels the same way would be better than being completely cut off?”

Kara nodded. “I know. And yes, it DOES make it better. You might recall that we were totally cut off not too long ago. And I became Darth Kara.”

“I was the roomie hiding behind her teddy bear, remember?”

Kara smiled. “I know you do not get us. Me and Nigel. But thank you for sticking by me.”

“Well, why not? Out of all the people in this school, you were the one who didn't suddenly develop sympathy and pity for me when I was down.”

“Nah. You needed a good kick in the butt.”

They laughed. Smoothies finished, they picked up their shopping bags and walked out into the growing twilight. Bri stopped just outside the door. Her face worked, and she said, “I just think that...despite all that's happened...you two are going to make it.”

Kara stared in total amazement while Bri continued. “Yeah, I know. Brianna Landers just said something encouraging about Nigel Barlow. You tell anyone and I’ll deny it.”

Kara felt so much, all of a sudden, that it nearly knocked her down. Just like that, the cotton was gone. It might take a while for her to deal with the sudden overload, but she was back in her own body and in control again. She thought of several things to say, but settled on, “No one would believe me.”

They headed for the train, both of them fully enjoying the evening.

((Wonk wonk))

“It is very difficult.”

Kara sat on Nigel’s bed, cross-legged and facing him. He sat in the same manner, holding both her hands. They’d been there a long time, talking. It was almost time for her to go.

Her brother Mike was in town too. The nuns had insisted on a chaperone, and he was quite acceptable as a legal adult. Shelly had joined them as well. She and Mike were off seeing the sights, secure in the knowledge that Mike could be there in mere seconds.

“It’s not easy for me either, babe.”

She nodded. “And you still cannot say...why...”

He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek, wiping away a budding tear. “God I wish I could.”

She nodded again and hid her face for a moment, working hard to keep her emotions in check. He understood, felt everything that she did, as soon as she did. He was a lot better at not bursting into tears, though. “It will be okay,” she said.

“You bet, babe. I’m going to come down and visit in a couple weeks. And you can come up whenever you get a chance. We still need to go visit YOUR folks, too.”

She smiled. He really meant it. And even with the link, even when she knew what his every emotion meant, even then he still managed to surprise her. “I really like your family.”

“All of them?” he said with a small smile. She smiled back, and leaned in for a kiss.

She pulled back and got serious. “Okay. This is not forever. I am...I am learning that. People have helped. When you graduate, are you still planning to come to study at RISU?”

“So far, yeah. They have a good art program.”

She nodded. “Okay. Then we only have a little while before you are back, full-time. It...I can wait. I can wait.” She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.

He reached forward, putting his hand behind her head. He drew her forward until their foreheads were resting against each other. “Me too. You’re worth waiting for.”

“My beacon.”

He sighed hard and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Kara Evans.”

She smiled. “I love you back, Nigel Barlow. See you again soon. And until then, there is the link.”

They kissed, and time went away for a while. Bri might not get it, and no one else on the outside might understand, but this is where she was meant to be. She was not at home without his arms around her. But there was real life, interfering.

They pulled apart, and it tore at her heart all over again. “There’s the link,” he agreed.

He walked her down the stairs, and they went as slowly as possible. They did not talk, just holding close as they walked. When they reached the lobby and she sent her text to Mike, they sat and held each other while they waited. “It is very difficult,” she echoed herself. “But you are worth it. I will wait, and I will talk to you and come see you when I can.”

“I know, babe. I’ll do the same. Two weeks, it’s my turn. Be sure and tell Aura I’m coming, okay?” They smiled at each other again. Aura would be thrilled.

Mike suddenly appeared, followed a moment later by Shelly swooping down from the sky. They greeted Nigel and stood looking the other way while Nigel and Kara said their goodbyes. The three of them piled into the car, Kara cinching the seatbelt tightly around herself and Shelly arranging her wings in the backseat while Mike got ready to drive.

This time, when the link stretched, it still hurt a little. But this pain was a good hurt, like when she stretched before running in the morning. She knew that it was only temporary, and that it would lead to something better.

She felt at peace, for the first time in weeks. The depression would come and go, but it would level out. And it was not forever. She felt Shelly’s hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed in spite of Mike’s driving. She would make it through. There was a beacon.