Free Opheliac by J. F. Jenkins Page A

with it. Since he didn’t have any money to pay rent, and his parents needed him too much at home, he couldn’t exactly do that. Even if Orlando let him stay there for free, it wouldn’t be right. JD didn’t like handouts, for one, and two, he wanted to show his parents he could be responsible. Someday, all of the time I’ll have put into the family will pay off.
    In an effort to hide his nerves, JD hummed quietly as he made his way up the stairs to the War Room. If anyone was there, they’d hear him coming. The room was empty when he entered. He took his usual seat on the couch and relaxed. For the first time in a while, he would be in close proximity to Cadence and he needed to get a handle on himself before he started letting his mouth fly. Running off his mouth is what ended up getting him into the most trouble. Censoring himself was getting a little easier, but he still had a long way to go.
    Alan popped in first, which surprised JD because usually the guy was the last one to arrive. His teleportation abilities made coming and going a lot easier for him, and JD was also pretty sure he had some kind of way to track who from the group was where, to an extent. Normally, Alan didn’t make his appearance until after everyone else was already there.
    The two young men briefly made eye contact. Alan offered a weak smile. “Greetings.”
    â€œHi,” JD said, wondering why there was so much awkward tension between them. No, they weren’t best friends, but Alan was always so much more at ease. The way he held his body was tight and conservative, almost as if he were on edge. Strange.
    Alan glanced around the room. “I thought everyone would be here by now. My sensors from the ship had everyone placed inside the building.”
    â€œThat explains why you’re so early.” JD laughed. “Angela is over at Orlando’s for dinner, or something? She didn’t get into a whole lot of details, just mentioned pizza and a movie.”
    â€œAre they dating?” He narrowed his eyes, obviously not approving of the idea. Not like JD could blame him, given how badly he’d messed up the team by attempting a romance with Cadence.
    JD shrugged. “Pretty sure they aren’t. She’d be a lot more giddy at home if they were, seeing as how she’s never had a boyfriend before. Come to think of it, I heard Mom say something to Dad about him needing moral support dealing with his parents.”
    â€œThey don’t get along, I take it.” Alan’s expression changed from intense to almost sad. His eyes softened and he wore a different kind of frown than the one from only a few seconds before. It was a look JD had seen on his father on a number of occasions, almost akin to disappointment. But why would Alan be bothered by Orlando’s family problems? They weren’t his business.
    Letting out a quiet laugh in an effort to ease some of the tension, JD threw up his hands. “Does anyone get along with Orlando?”
    For a moment, Alan tilted his head to the side and scratched his chin. “I suppose you make a good point, though he is much more pleasant to deal with as of late.”
    â€œTrue, okay, so I guess we get along with him fine. Maybe the guy is just mean to everyone as some kind of hazing ritual.” JD believed it possible.
    â€œHazing ritual?”
    JD put the palm of his hand to his forehead. “You don’t haze people back on Altura?”
    â€œWe do,” Alan said. “I just don’t see a point to it, especially when it comes to someone doing something as simple as making new friends or being around one’s family.”
    â€œI didn’t say it had to make sense, but I wouldn’t put it past him to put them through some kind of a test.” JD waved a hand in front of him.
    Orlando and Angela walked into the room then. “Both of you gossip like girls, seriously. Don’t you have better things to be