Free Aces Wild: Cape High Book Six by R.J. Ross Page B

as she gives me a little smile.  "I followed you earlier.  For someone that's never done much with their powers, you're not bad."
    "Doesn't mean anything now, does it?" I say, looking away from her.  "I'm a norm, now."
    "For now," she says, correcting my sentence.  "You don't feel you fit in here, do you?"
    "Like I would?" I ask, looking back to the moon.  "Whatever has them all intent on getting me to come, I don't get.  I'm never going to be part of some big happy family of cape kids--"
    "We aren't," Adanna interrupts.
    "What?"
    "There's not a big happy family here.  Sure, they try and get along, but there are two clear groups that don't often see eye to eye--or at all.  Max is a born leader," she says, walking closer to look up at the moon.  "He leads the kids that live in the apartment, and sometimes me.  Not often, of course," she adds with a shrug.  "But when you get to the kids in the apartments, they're led by Morgan.  There's a bit of a power struggle there, not that they seem to notice it, themselves.  No, that's a lie.  Max notices.  He tries very hard to keep from trying to take over."
    "Why?"
    "Because they have more internal conflict than he can deal with, living away from both groups as he does."
    "Shouldn't Trent be the leader?" I ask, trying to figure out the group dynamics.
    "Why?" she asks.
    "Because he's like... he looks like the leader," I say a bit lamely.
    "Looks aren't everything.  One day Max will give up pretending to be a super villain and take his rightful place, I think," she says.  "But it's his decision."
    "What's his rightful place?"
    "His father's position," she says.  "Didn't you know that Max is the son of Mastermental?"
    I didn't.  I guess I'm shocked, but I've had so many shocks tonight that I'm feeling a bit numb.  "So... what are you leading up to?" I ask.
    "I think this is your life," she says simply.  "You should decide where you fit in, and if it doesn't feel right at first, keep trying until you find your spot.  Super, norm, it doesn't matter.  What matters is that you know who you are.  Every single person in the dorm right now, they're all trying to find out who they are, too."
    "What are you really trying to say?" I ask.
    "You would fit in here--as much as anyone else does.  But it's your life, right?  Your choice.  You just need to think it through and explain what you think to your mother.  She loves you enough to listen."
    "She's got a point, though," I point out.  "I never lost my powers before coming here."
    "But you never got to use them, either," she says.  "I'll let you think about it."  Then she's gone, disappearing into the dorm and leaving me out here, shivering as another breeze hits me.

CHAPTER FIVE
    It's awkward, being walked home by Dad.  Mom had hesitated before getting in her car to drive, saying that she expected me home before ten, then left me to deal with Dad.  I mean, sure, I guess he's got this huge idea about "talking it out" or whatever, but I can't even remember the last time we had an actual discussion that didn't involve a lot of yelling, or more likely, him giving up a few minutes into it and walking away.
    You know, Dad might come off as a playful, goof-off sort of hero, but when it comes to family relationships?  He sucks.  Like really, really sucks.  "I..." he starts out, making me glance over unconsciously.  "I... am sorry," he says.  "I'm good with details, have I told you that?  A light hits an object and it refracts a certain way.  You need to notice those sort s of things when building an illusion.  Little things, like if someone is wearing a ring, and what type of ring it is, or if your uniform is supposed to have this at the sleeve or that.  But when it comes to the big stuff, I guess I'm blinder than most."
    "You ain't whistlin' dixie," I mutter, using a term he used to say all the time--back when we used to talk.  It startles a laugh out of him, which fades into a mild smile playing at his