Launch, p.14
Launch, page 14
Her heart leapt at the possibilities.
After experimenting with her abilities last night, her exhilaration threatened to bubble over. At breakfast people talked about the light show amongst the chatter. It didn’t sound like anyone had pegged it to her. The thought of their little group breaking up had subdued her emotions, but as they drew near Redwood Hall, excitement powered through her.
The boys and Sarah Jane trailed behind, chatting and laughing. The bond they’d made so soon impressed Lily. Especially Demarcus. His maturity had really impacted her. He had good sense, a wisdom that served him well. It made him so much different than other guys she had known.
The sidewalk opened up to a large circle with different imprints formed into the cement. Palm fronds, swirls, and stars symbolized the Pacific coast and the beauty of the area. She inhaled a deep breath, taking in a little part of California with it. The blast of fresh air awakened her mind even more, a hint of lemon dancing on the breeze.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad here.
The line formed at the circle and extended back out of the area. Ten different portable gazebo covers, their sides draped, offered some privacy. Signs on the outside listed the five people assigned to each makeshift cubicle. Lily’s band said she was in number seven. She was the last in line for her group, so she turned around to survey the scene.
There was Missy going to number one. Missy turned just then and caught Lily’s eye. Lily could make out Missy’s sneer from across the way. Hopefully they stayed this far apart for the rest of the conference. Swapping for Sarah Jane as a roommate had been a huge blessing. As they had talked about their experiences of bullying, it helped Lily open up to someone new. Besides Clara, she didn’t have many friends since moving.
She noticed Demarcus had been pulled aside by an older guy. He looked like he was a custodian of some kind. They weren’t close enough for her to eavesdrop. Demarcus’s body language and crinkled face suggested confusion about what the old guy was telling him.
The sun hovered high enough that its rays heated up the outdoor area rapidly. Some of the kids fanned themselves. Lily marveled at the power inherent in every ray of light. Each little beam contained so much, and she could see every wavelength of potential. Science wasn’t her strong suit, but she had a feeling if she studied light, she could do more with her strange abilities.
The lines shortened. Lily was next. She glanced behind one more time. Staffers shooed Demarcus and Harry to their places, and the old guy had gone. Demarcus looked like he and Harry were arguing about something. She wondered what the old guy had told them to upset things.
A rustling sounded from the cubicle behind her. She spun around. The divider had fallen down, still swaying in the air. A voice called out, “Next!”
A very familiar voice. One that sent chills scattering through her every nerve fiber.
Lily pulled the curtain back. An open chair sat in front of a small table. Behind the table sat Simon, a Cheshire grin on his face.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lily stood there, star-struck. The inventor of Flare sat right in front of her, literally only three feet away. Wow. His dimples were even more impressive from this close.
That was a silly thing to think, girl. Get your head on straight.
“Lily Beausoliel?”
Her mouth opened and words didn’t form. Shaking her head would work, right? She nodded.
“Hi, Lily. Have a seat.”
She floated to the chair and sat down. He extended his hand and they shook.
“How’s the conference been for you so far?”
Perfect, now. She couldn’t get over how stunning he was in person. His tousled hair framed his strong face. His complexion stood out against the shade of the gazebo.
“Uh, it’s been pretty cool. I still can’t believe I’m here, honestly. I keep wondering if you guys made a mistake.”
Simon laughed deeply. He tapped on a sheet of paper on the table in front of him. “I can promise that you were meant to be here. Don’t sell yourself short, Lily. You do not have to do that anymore.”
Huh? How did he know? Her eyes widened. Her pulse pounded in her neck.
“I told them I wanted the chance to announce to someone where they’d be assigned. As luck would have it, I get to meet you. It’s a real pleasure, Lily. I think this next step will be very illuminating for all of us.”
She couldn’t help but giggle at the unintended play on words. If only he knew.
He gave her a quizzical smile. “What’s the joke?”
The sheets of plastic separating the cubicles weren’t exactly soundproof.
“Oh, I’m just pinching myself that I get to meet you. I’m a big fan of your hair. I mean, your social network.” Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she wanted to shrink until she could hide in the grass. What a stupid thing to say.
Simon flashed an “aw, shucks” look and winked. His eyes were such a deep brown. Like a rich cup of coffee. “It’s okay. When I met my first celebrity I was tongue tied myself. I think I accidentally proposed to Jennifer Lawrence.”
Lily found her hands tingling. Was her power going off? No, she was just hyperventilating. Breathe, girl. In, out. Nice and easy.
He shuffled a paper to the top of his pile. “We’ve got some groups that will work on various projects. Social media. Street team. The brain-stormers will work with the planners and hash out some cool new strategies. Awesome stuff going on.”
“Am I in one of those groups?”
Simon leaned in slightly, enough to trigger more palpitations. “No. You may not realize how special you are Lily. I see that you have potential that is vastly untapped. You’re going to be in the group that I personally mentor.”
She gulped. Her world swirled for a moment, and she gripped the armrests to stay upright.
He chuckled again. “Your ears did not deceive you. Our Focuser and interviews helped identify those teens with truly unique abilities. I want to see you harness your potential and let it out. We’re going to meet in room 9-C at the Cove, you and a few others with similar untapped latencies. We’re going to see if we can unlock what all of you are truly capable of.”
He pushed a button on his cell, and a brunette stepped into the square.
“Kelsey here will take you over. We don’t want others getting upset at my hands-on work at the moment, so let’s keep this between us. I’ll see you in about thirty minutes. You just be ready to shine.”
Lily wasn’t sure how her feet managed to move, yet she seemed to be walking alongside Kelsey, the assistant. Lily’s thoughts swirled like the rays of sunlight streaming through the sky. How was all of this—the conference, meeting Simon—even real?
Yeah, if Simon wanted, she could shine. Shine like the sun.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Demarcus left Redwood Hall, ready to join his new group. A small headache throbbed behind his eyes. It had come on right before he got his assignment. He shook his head, dreads flopping, as he tried to clear his mind. He hadn’t gained any more insight on what they’d be doing. The sheet just read: “Target Group.” Whatever that meant.
The directions led him deep into the Alturas campus. He hadn’t been this far back before. He walked past a couple of office complexes and approached a large, gleaming structure. The Cove.
The large columns up front gave it a classical architecture appearance, but the large glass windows and sharp lines marked it as modern as well. His mouth gaped as he climbed the steps.
“Demarcus?”
He swiveled to find Harry behind a column, leaning against the massive pillar. “What are you doing here?”
Harry brought over his own sheet. Yep, it read 9-C. They were in the same group.
“That’s sweet, dude.” Demarcus high-fived him. “I can’t believe we get to stick together.” He had to wonder though: were they in the same group because of their abilities?
Harry squinted at him and cocked his head. “Man, are you sure you’re okay?”
Demarcus cuffed him on the shoulder. “Yeah, it’s all good. Let’s go see what we’re doing.”
Harry stood a few inches shorter, yet he gripped Demarcus’s shoulders and gave him a firm shake. “Don’t you even remember what happened to John? Those security guards were dragging him off.”
John. The name rang a bell. Oh, the old guy that … had warned them about weird things going on. “Security took him away?”
“Are you kidding me?” Harry smacked his forehead and gestured back to Redwood Hall. “You were right there. Didn’t you see it?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t remember that.”
Harry looked up at him, his green eyes ablaze with seriousness. “Dude, we need to be cautious here. Question everything. Remember that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. We need to dig into what happened to John after our session, okay?”
Their Wi-Fi bands both beeped, and a countdown from five minutes started. Demarcus nodded as they entered the building. He wasn’t sure where their confusion came from. If he could find John, that would calm Harry down.
The bit about things being too good to be true, that resonated within him. That was advice his mom always gave him. It seemed like he’d just heard someone else saying it too.
The glass doors closed behind them. The two boys looked at each other, and Harry’s eyes widened. Inside, an expansive leather sectional faced a fireplace, and an ornate wooden coffee table occupied the middle of the room.
However, that wasn’t what Demarcus saw when he approached the glass front of the building. He turned to examine the wall. Instead of an expansive view of the campus, a tropical scene of palm trees swaying and waves rolling placed them in a beach house.
He pulled the door open. No, they were still on campus. He walked outside a few steps. From here the glass shone crystal clear, showing a vestibule leading to a wide staircase. Except that’s not what he found inside when he ducked back in.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?”
Harry shook his head. “Nuh-huh.”
Simon entered from a hallway. “It’s holographic glass. I enjoy the view here, but sometimes I want to see something else. Here’s the surf rolling in on the North Shore of Oahu. Even if I don’t have a different vista up, it works as a one-way mirror so you really don’t see what happens in here. Not bad, right gentlemen?”
Demarcus nodded. “Epic. Sir.”
Simon laughed. “Call me Simon. Come on in. Oh, wait a second. Here’s the last person from your group that I’m expecting.” The tropical image faded enough to see a young woman skip up the steps.
“Motion sensors trigger and show me who’s approaching.” Simon explained.
The door opened and Demarcus’s jaw dropped in shock. Rosa entered, her petite frame dwarfed by the large room. She carried her shoulders high and strode in with confidence. She took in the surroundings with the same expression that Demarcus and Harry had a minute ago—one of awe.
“Is this where you want me? They told me to come here.”
Simon stepped forward and extended his hand. “Rosa Gonzalez, I assume?”
Rosa took his hand. She looked him over once with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Simon Mazor?”
He flashed the megawatt smile from his promotional materials. “That’s right. Welcome to the target group.”
Rosa did a slow spin to take everything in. She twirled as she gawked at the tropical hologram. Her eyes finally fell on Demarcus. “Hey, you. Fancy seeing you here.”
What the heck? If Rosa was here with Harry and him, then she must have something going down. When she’d disappeared by the dorms, did that mean she could teleport too?
She took a step, closing the distance between her and Simon. “Why do you want me here?”
“This is Demarcus Bartlett and Harry Wales. They’re part of your group as well.”
She pointed at Demarcus. “I’ve met Dreads before. We’re from the same school.”
“Excellent. Then we’re a step ahead on team-building. The others are waiting for you all, so let’s join them.” Simon led them through a short corridor until they reached an even larger room with vaulted ceilings.
There, at a long wooden table, sat Lily and Sarah Jane.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Lily’s heart leapt at the sight of her friends coming in. What were the odds that they’d all be in the same group? A Hispanic girl followed the boys in. She walked with a swagger and with searching eyes. Lily offered her a wave, and the girl nodded in return.
Simon motioned for everyone to sit down. The smooth wood gleamed in the light of the conference room. Harry made a beeline for Sarah Jane’s side, so Demarcus joined Lily. The new girl hesitated, then she sat next to Demarcus. A soft leather chair enveloped her.
Now this was Silicon Valley.
“I’m glad everyone’s here. Let me make the introductions.” He pointed to each one in turn and gave their name and their hometown.
The girl was Rosa Gonzalez from San Jose. She kept eyeing the other teens and shifting around in her chair. Could she tell that the rest had become friends? Rosa’s steely brown eyes focused on Simon. It might be awkward to have a new person affecting their group dynamics. Still, somehow luck had it that they all ended up together.
Simon laced his fingers together at the head of the table, his face a mask of concentration. A rush of confidence welled up within Lily, along with a feeling of trust. Today was going to be amazing. She truly had something to offer, like Simon had said. Despite her suffering and loss, she could do some remarkable things. With the guidance of Alturas, she would be a light to the world.
The lines on Simon’s face relaxed and his easy smile returned. “You five made it through the screening. We knew there was some amazing potential here in central California, and after a long time of sifting through school records, test scores, interviews, and the results we gathered at the conference here, it’s down to you.”
He gestured to their group.
“Everyone we brought here to Launch has something to give. Each of you has something unique, special, and powerful to offer. It’s time to realize your latent abilities.”
Lily wondered where this was going. Yeah, her friends were here, but they were brand new friends. Could she fully trust them?
A familiar warmth filled her again. It would be all right.
Sarah Jane raised her hand. “Uh, Mr. Mazor? I wonder if you’ve made a mistake. With me, at least. There’s nothing special about me. Very ordinary, right here.”
Simon waved his hand over a small screen built into the end of the table. A holographic projection displayed in front of him, and he tapped some sort of virtual keyboard or interface. Lily couldn’t help gasping at the sight. Everyone’s eyes goggled at the fancy sci-fi tech.
Now a new projection extended from a camera in the ceiling. An outline of each of them slowly circled in the air above the table.
Simon stood and sauntered around the table. “You all are modest and inhibited. Maybe also deceived. And that is such a shame. This group right here may be the most impressive collection of teenagers the planet has ever seen.”
The teens eyed each other. Lily knew something incredible was happening with her, but what was going on with everyone else? Were her friends keeping secrets as well?
“Sarah Jane, that includes you. We didn’t make mistakes with this group. We take this too seriously. Tell me, when you dream, what do you dream about?”
Sarah Jane hesitated at first. Simon fixed his gaze on her. She sat up straighter and set her jaw. “I always dream about healing people. Or animals. Lately it’s been every night. I’m always helping people with their injuries. But I’ve never thought of doing medicine. I hate needles.”
“Believe or not, we picked up on that. My question is this: why are you dreaming about this so often? Isn’t the subconscious a strong predictor of things to come for us?” Simon pulled a small metallic object out of his pocket. He flicked his wrist, and a blade clicked out. He walked over to Sarah Jane and knelt beside her.
“I believe in you.” With those words he dragged the blade down his wrist, and blood squirted from the cleaved edges.
Everyone at the table screamed as red stained the carpet under Simon. Sarah Jane was near hysterical. “What on earth are you doing? Are you crazy?”
Simon winced but held his bleeding arm out in front of her. “No, I’m not crazy. I want you to embrace your potential. Heal me.”
The frightened girl shook in her chair. Lily wanted to comfort her, except she felt paralyzed herself. Was this real? Or was Simon a madman?
“I … I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Then I’m going to be in a lot of trouble in a few minutes.” Simon’s face blanched as he took the blade and lined it up against his other wrist, blood running down his arm. “Can you at least try?”
A sob escaped her lips. “What do I do?”
Simon set the knife on one knee and took her hand in his. “Just believe. Focus on stopping the blood flow. Bring the skin together. I have faith.”
Sarah Jane turned her head away, but set her hand on his. Her eyes squeezed shut as a squeal slipped out. A coppery scent drifted through the room. Lily’s feet froze to the ground, but she whispered to her friend. “You can do this.”
Her face scrunched up in concentration. She took Simon’s lacerated wrist with both of hers and leaned over, pushing a grunt from her lungs. Then Sarah Jane jerked back with a gasp.
Simon twitched as well, then held up his arm for all to see.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The skin had stitched itself together—intact, all the blood gone.
Lily stared in disbelief. Simon had just slit his own wrist, and Sarah Jane had apparently healed it. The girl went pale, and her eyes started rolling back in her head. Lily found the strength to move her feet, and she dashed around the edge of the table to catch her. Then a rush of air passed her, and Demarcus caught Sarah Jane before she hit the floor.
