Page 74 of Infinity Chronicles 1
“Well, I’m not sure now. Once I was old enough to understand it wasn’t normal, I started to realize that my mom wasn’t like other moms.” I shrug, hoping they can understand it was all I knew. “My mom would go into these manic moods, where anything could set off her paranoia, and I thought she had some mental issues. But now that I know about you guys and what you say we are, I don’t know if everything I’d always thought is wrong.”
“You need to eat more. Tell us about the moods and paranoia,” Ares demands, his full attention on me.
I can’t do both, so I settle on giving him more information. “Like I said, at the time I thought she was bipolar or something, she would have anxiety attacks if she had to go out of the camper. She wasn’t always so bad. I’d say it got worse when I was about ten, maybe twelve.” I shovel a bite in my mouth.
Ares steeples his fingers, covering his lips. “Do you know the event that precipitated the change?”
“Not really, I can’t even remember what city we were in. I know it wasn’t long after I was noticed in school for scoring high on a test—you know, one of those whole grade level tests for the state?”
“Got noticed how?” Milo questions.
I feel a slight flush in my cheeks, so I look at my plate. “They made a big deal about my score, sent a letter home with me saying I was eligible to test up into another grade.” My confession is met with silence. I push the rice around my plate. Do they think I’m bragging? I always felt kinda funny about being called smart. It’s nothing I do, it’s just something that is. I can’t help that it’s easier for me to retain useless information.
Finally, I hear a deep chuckle, and I look up and meet Dante’s light amber eyes. “I always go with the D, C, D method.” I frown, unsure of what he means. “When we have to do those tests I just fill in random bubbles.” He shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal. I lift my lips in a small smile. I know he’s trying to make me feel better.
“Do you think that was the reason she became more… paranoid?” Milo asks, drawing us back to the topic.
“I’ve never really thought about the why, before she disappeared I always thought it was just who she was.” My hands fall to my lap as I gaze out in front of me. “I came home from work one night and she was gone, and so was some of her stuff. At first, I thought she might have had an episode, and was hiding out or something.” Thinking back to that day, I wonder why I didn’t go out and start looking for immediately. I shake my head, there’s no use wondering now, it won’t do any good.
“It was only a day or two later when you asked me over for the first time. I’ve been a little overwhelmed with everything going on to actually think about everything, especially from years ago. I thought she abandoned me.” Guilt eats at my stomach, if I hadn’t been so self-absorbed I would have given this more thought. I drop my head into my hands, pulling my hair.
A heavy palm lands on my back. “It’s okay Laura, we’ll figure it out together.” Milo glances from me to the others, including them in the promise.
I blow out a breath, tears prickling my eyes. “I should have known right away, she didn’t even go outside anymore.”
“How was she right before it happened? Any changes in her behavior?” Ares leans forward, his elbows on the table.
I nod my head, wiping under my nose with the napkin. “She had been sleeping a lot more than usual, right after we moved here she would sleep all the time.” I sit up in my seat remembering the night I woke up. “There’s something else. One night I woke up and I swear I heard her whispering. I thought she was getting sicker, you know, but I was so sure she was talking to someone, so I got up to listen. But the floor made a noise and she went completely silent. Maybe there was someone there with her?”
Ares looks at Dante. “I think your mom knew what you are, hell she had to know something. I think there’s a reason she hasn’t ever told you, and why she kept moving you guys. But I can’t figure out what it is. I’ve showed the picture you gave me to Maggie and her Infinity, but none of them recognize her and I can’t go posting it everywhere. Now that she’s missing it gives me more than enough reason to believe she was right to hide you. I don’t want to put you in any more danger than you already are,” Ares finishes, his eyes drilling into mine.
“But, then how will we find her?” My voice is small. Please don’t let them give up already. Milo’s hand, still on my back, starts making circles. It’s comforting but not what I need right now.
“We’ll find her Laura, we just don’t want too many people knowing we’re looking for her,” Dante adds, making me feel a little better.
“I think it’s best if only a few people we trust actually know that we’ve found you, and who you are to us,” Ares adds. If it will help find my mom I don’t care if I’m a secret, at least now I know the reason why.
Slowly the guys start eating again, my appetite is pretty much gone, but what I did eat was delicious. I push around my food waiting for them to finish. My mind starts to ponder the events of today and I remember how Ollie acted in class. “Ollie.”
“Hmm?” He looks up at me, waiting.
“Why did you yell my name is class?”
His eyes go wide, and he swallows the bite in his mouth. “Did you feel funny?”
My brow furrows and I tilt my head. “Um…” I look at the others. Thinking about the moment I remember feeling his touch, the warmth from his hand on me.
“Did you feel different?” Dante probes.
“I remember thinking you felt warm, that I wanted to be warm,” I admit, and trying to keep the blush away from my cheeks, I down my glass of water.
“You were warming up, that’s for sure.” Ollie chuckles. “I could see little sparks of energy jumping off your skin. It looked like flint when you strike it.” Ollie wiggles his fingers in the air. “Like you hand fireworks dancing on your skin. It was awesome.”
I nearly spit the water I just drank out of my mouth. “What… you’re joking right?”
“No, I’m totally not joking, I was worried you were going to light up, so that’s why I yelled, to distract you.” Ollie raises his hand like he might reach out to me. “Can we try it again?” There’s a glint in his eyes that shows off how excited he is.
I look around the room. “Like right now?” I’m torn between not believing him and worrying we’ll set the room on fire.
