teenagers are braindead, news at 11
i am updating at 3 fucking AM because i can't sleep and have a stressful day ahead of me. please enjoy
Special thank you to my coauthor and lovely wife
@hellgodsrus and the many betas helping feed me validation. Feedback and thoughts are loved! Extra special thank you to
@LacksCreativity ,
@32nd_freeze , and
@Tamahori for their help in deciding some significant plot points!
Genesis
2.2
-.-.-
"Uhh -"
Think faster, think FASTER! "I've been called stupid before buuuut that's a new one." I paused. "... ok, no, it isn't really, but it's the first time I've been told that by a healer…?"
"Oh, you're stupid too, but I meant it literally."
I rolled my eyes with a huff. "Okay, not my greatest moment of wit, but -" I gestured vaguely around us. "Isn't there some kind of policy against this being done publicly?"
"Your body's fucked and you're covered in scars. People bother me about this kind of thing publically all the time." She shrugged, snorted out a long stream of smoke, like a grumpy dragon. A look slightly undercut by the curly hair covering most of her face, but. "So. Do you want me to heal you or not?"
"Uh." I blinked. How do I get out of this? "I dunno. You don't
do brains -
or cosmetics. Letting you do that feels like it'd be opening up a Pandora's Box that I don't want to be responsible for."
"That's why you bumped into me earlier, isn't it? There's no point being bashful now." She sucked angrily on her cigarette.
"Actually, that was because I was distracted and… well, I've kind of been avoiding running into you because of this." I sighed. But - I didn't
know that I was a remote-controlled corpse until recently? So why was I - that felt like it made no sense.
"So…" Amelia scowled at me. "So you
want to be like this. Or think you do."
I frowned. "That's - a bit of victim blaming there. Of course I don't
want to be like this, but I've learnt to deal with it and I don't want to deal with the rather pointed questions I'm going to get if I suddenly show up for class tomorrow clear-skinned and bright-eyed." I sighed. Damnit. Now I felt like… not as good as earlier.
"Which part have you learnt to deal with?"
"The scars. Only learned about the other parts just the other week."
"Right, which is why before this past week you were scowly and angry, but finding out about your nerve damage made you just
so fucking cheery."
I coughed and looked away. "That was more the figuring out I'm gay and - y'know." Damnit damnit
damnit now wasn't the time to get flustered. But Abby was… good to me, I think. How was I meant to deflect the miracle healer?
She's not even in your year-group my ass! Well. She wasn't, but still. Here we were.
"Sure." Amy flicked the cigarette away.
Passive-aggressive. Yay. "Sorry, but - I'd appreciate it if you could just… not tell anyone about the whole brain dead thing? Please? Mom's probably going to kill me when I get home just for talking with you and - urgh." I leaned my head back until it thumped against the brick wall. Ow.
Her eyes narrowed. Flickering. She was going to say no wasn't she?
"... okay."
"Not
literally…" I sighed. "... is this nerve damage you mentioned unrelated to brain stuff or…?" I held out my hand and she poked it.
"Yeah. Also you are
really malnourished." She frowned. "Is your... mom feeding you?"
"Oh. um. Yes, but I think I have that thing where I don't realise I'm hungry until it's really clearly too late and - fuck, I missed lunch today, didn't I?" I muttered that last bit more to myself than her.
"Right. Okay." She brushed down her jeans. "I have to go now."
"Okay. Um. Have a good day?" I waved as she awkwardly stumbled back up the steps. It was almost funny how she was clearly stopping herself from looking back at me.
Aaand I was back to my original problem. The buses weren't going to start up for another hour. I could text Abby - wait. Shit. No I couldn't, she didn't have a phone linked to the staff repeater. Uhh… I had a couple of twenties in my pocket and there was a food shop just across the road. I needed to feed myself.
-.-.-
"Hey, Chris." I waved as he strolled over. He seemed surprised to see me.
"Hey. Thought you would have been in detention."
"Aww, did Mrs. Grace tattle on me?"
"Actually, I was sort of looking out the door window when you walked past my class on the phone."
"Oh. Oh, yeah, wow, that - that's a coincidence and a half." I chuckled. "Nah, Mom was just… I know I'm
meant to only use this to contact
her in case of - seizures or anything like that, but sometimes she just has these
moments where she's like 'oh no, something has happened to my baby' and sends me like a hundred texts - well, the first five were for me, the rest were for whoever kidnapped me."
"But you… haven't been kidnapped?" Chris frowned, sitting on the bench next to me.
"Yeah. Well spotted." I sighed. "Doesn't stop her though. You know the phrase 'helicopter mom'?"
"Yes…"
"Now imagine 'helicopter gunship mom'."
He winced. "Ouch. Are there any upsides?"
"As long as we haven't had an argument I can reliably get a pick up if I need it." Also known as the '
damnit, Mom, why won't you pick up?!' I'd been suffering for the last hour. "Though that usually comes with an interrogation as to
why I needed it in the first place, so… not entirely sure that counts as an upside." I shook my head tiredly. Still hadn't fixed the buses yet, so I had another ten minutes before mine arrived. "Did those math tips help?"
"Um, kind of? I… got distracted. But before then they were alright, I think."
"Well, that's good, I guess." I shrugged. "You should probably look into keeping a set of lower-dosage meds in your bag so you can take them here if you've forgotten them in the morning. Might help?"
And who was that I spotted over Chris' shoulder, trying to shoo Glory Girl off into the arms of Dean? The Dallon girls seemed to be bickering about something. I just hoped it wasn't me. Ooh, Victoria was hovering and Dean seemed to be trying to say something but neither side was listening.
"I've thought about it before, but -" Chris sighed. "I keep getting distracted and forget to mention it to anyone."
"That's awkward. Want me to text you a reminder in an hour?"
… wait did I just ask for his number? In a really roundabout way? I'm gay, damnit, I need to not give him the wrong idea but we've already talked about this, and - gahhhh.
"Um. Sure? If you want?" He gave me a look. "Are… you okay?"
I shook my head and slumped. "It's been a long and confusing day. My social life might have some new highlights, but that argument with Mom this afternoon might have made home life that much more difficult. I mean - how are you meant to console your mother on the fact that it's not a failure on her part that you don't feel attractive? Did I even say that right? Ugh. Life is confusing. And hey, maybe if I do something to help out a friend I'll feel better about myself at the end of the day."
That was… probably a bit too much to drop on him all at once.
"... that's a lot. But, um. Okay. If helping me can help you then I'm all for it."
Woo. Awkward phone number get!
Thankfully the topic changed to something less awkward after that.
-.-.-
The bus ride was… weird. Because it was heading in the wrong direction. Just spent the whole time looking out the window before getting off near the mall. Went in there, got myself a snack, headed out in time to catch the actual bus home.
I had to look around, see if any head was familiar. Anybody on both buses was '
definitely following you', Mom said. Then again, it wasn't like I knew everyone on the
previous bus, given the window staring and everything. Was that person in the green coat the same person in a green coat from the last bus? Or was it just someone wearing a coat? Should I be suspicious of the mother and her loud, small child with the pink backpack?
No. I was…
Damnit, her paranoia
was rubbing off on me. And she wasn't answering the phone so I wasn't going to bother texting ahead.
I kept my head down, my hood up, and waited until
after my stop to hit the button. I could afford to walk back an extra bit, but anyone doing the same
past the last stop?
Definitely following. Otherwise they would have just gotten off at my normal stop.
This plan was totally, absolutely, one hundred and ten percent foolproof.
I hopped off the bus, and started down the street towards my house. A bit of a longer walk, but it took me past some shops so I could maybe get a drink or something as well. Looking back at my bus -
Someone walking the same way I was. Hoodie.
No, that was just being silly. People lived this way too. Maybe they were going to the shops.
Definitely just being too much Mom at the moment. Definitely.
I looked back again. Hoodie was loitering after me awkwardly, pretending to look in the window of a nearby shop with overexaggerated motions.
… clearly my stalker was as new at this as I was at being stalked. So… I decided to have a little fun with them. Go into this store, small purchase, go across the road, make another small purchase, oooh, this was that second-hand shop. Browsing the clothing section for a whole ten minutes, carefully pulling out my phone and damnit, low battery - I couldn't warn Mom after all.
I had to fight to keep my laughter down as I exited the store and they were still in there, visible through the window. I might have smirked a bit.
Okay, so I probably hadn't lost them. And even if they were new they were - following me.
On one hand, I doubted they were going to expect Mom's reaction to their existence and their actions, hell,
I didn't know what she was going to do to them - on the other hand… someone was putting time and effort into tailing me. That meant someone else might. Or someone employed them to. Or - why would anyone
want to follow me? I was just the scarred girl with nothing interesting at all going on in her hidden life in the basement!
I could maybe try get into the neighbour's house, to throw them off the trail, but Mom had kinda forbidden me from ever talking to them and she didn't either, so… that option was potentially
more risky. And I think they'd maybe moved out too, so.
Welp, only one option left. I rounded a corner and while out of sight of my stalker, I punched myself in the shoulder as hard as I could.
Fuck, ow
, god this aches - why did I think this was a good idea? Maybe my basement self would be squirming and - Mom'd notice and - and… overreact?
We passed the stop I usually got off at, and continued walking towards my house. Yep. No chance of anything but being a stalker now.
I trudged up past the rotten step, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. "Mom! I'm home! Can we talk?"
"I'm in the kitchen." Her voice was raspy and quiet which - damnit, now was not the time for guilt, now was the time for paranoid anger Mom ready to kill Hoodie with a toothpick.
"Sorry I'm late, but, um, remember how we switched it up to two buses in case I was followed?" I dumped my bag on the couch and skittered into the kitchen, inwardly pre-wincing.
"Yes, and, um." A sniff. "Do you think I've been being - too harsh with you? I think maybe - " Mom sniffled. "Yes. I've been - stifling you, I can see that now. And I'm sorry -"
I grabbed her and held her tight despite my aching shoulder. Damnit, stalker, why did you have to pick
today? "A little bit but let's talk about that later because, um. Well - you see - I uh -"
"No, I um. This is
important Taylor. Part of your safety is, um." She sniffed again. "Mental safety. I don't want to have damaged that. You should be
happy."
I could hear some scuffling and a muffled yelp outside. "I really think that - this could wait a moment." What was going on out there?
"It - um. Am I being pressuring about - not pressuring you?" She winced.
"No it's - sorry, I - really just need a moment, something's happening outside…" I stepped back and went around to the back door, frowning heavily.
"Taylor?" Mom's voice was distant as I stepped out, round the side of the house. "Taylor - what's wrong - ?"
The two of them were half crouched under the window. I recognised both almost immediately.
The one closest to me and the back of the house was Hoodie, whose hood had fallen back to reveal a mess of brown curly hair and an obstinate, freckled glare. Her hand was half outstretched to the other one, dressed in jeans and a nice dark shirt, one arm hanging unresponsive at her side, the other with mobile phone held up and out of reach by her red hair.
I grit my teeth and took a deep breath. My stalker was Amy. Emma was here for some reason. And Amy had attacked Emma.
"Taylor? What's going on out there?"
Emma made a frantic and incomprehensible gesture with her phone hand, eyes wide and panicked. Amelia made a similar, different gesture, then tried silently lunging at Emma again while Emma crouch-backpedaled, flailing her hand at me again.
I took a quick step forward and kicked Amy in the ribs. "Nothing, just a cat going through the bushes, apparently." I might have hated Emma but I wasn't going to let Amy do - whatever it was she was doing. Healer or not, Emma's arm was unresponsive
and she stalked me! So that was like two reasons not to be gentle.
"Are you sure?" The sound of footsteps, that I was distracted from as Amy tried to grab my ankle, her face red and other arm clutched round her torso before a sudden Emma interception pulled her hoodie hood up over her head, pulling the drawstring tight. "You sounded worried earlier. Taylor - Taylor, were you followed?"
The shadow of my Mom approaching the window from inside, the rattling of her starting to open it -
I stepped on Amy's wrist with my other foot - a muffled, unhappy sound came from somewhere around my thighs - leaning against the windowsill and just shrugged. "I thought so, but turns out a couple of similar-height people have the same taste in jacket, and - well, that's why I was late. I thought I was being followed but our paths diverged after I stopped to grab a snack from one of the shops."
"But… there aren't any shops between your stop and here?"
"Yeah, I got off on the one after so if they followed me past my usual stop, I figured they were
definitely following me, but thankfully it didn't come to that." I shifted my stance a little, raising one knee into something that hopefully muffled any further noises. Felt like it might have been a nose.
"... are you
sure you weren't followed? You're acting very - oddly."
"It's been a stressful day." I winced. "Coming out to my friend, the - thing that happened at lunch and the talk we had…"
Mom seemed to shrink back a bit. "Oh. Um. Well. I'll be inside when you want to talk." She began to shut the window, then paused. "Don't stay outside more than three minutes, or I… might end up assuming kidnappers."
"Don't worry, I'll be in in five." I smiled. "Should probably water the garden or something while I'm out here."
Mom gave me a sad smile but nodded, shutting the window and turning away.
Which was good because the next moment my legs turned completely numb and I fell over backwards onto the grass.
I growled. "Amy, you've got about five seconds to
fix this before I call for help and Mom comes running with knives."
"You attacked me! Self defence with a parahuman ability." She glared. "It's only fair given what you and your
thuggish friend here - "
"I'm - " Emma stopped her fierce whisper. "Look, we need to have this conversation somewhere Mrs. Hebert can't hear us. Why were you even
following Taylor?"
"Because she's a Master victim,
obviously. Why are
you here?"
"Probably because she cares more for me than you do, little miss trespasser." I stopped, seeing Emma's face. "Well, she likes to think she cares, anyway. And it's not self-defence -" I grunted and propped myself up into a sitting position, "When
you're the one breaking the law first. If I was a victim, Mom would know you're here. And I don't think
any of us want to see what she'd do about it."
Emma opened and closed her mouth. "Look can you just - fix us and we can explain - "
I scowled at her. "What the fuck is this
we nonsense?"
" -
we can explain what's going on, somewhere Annette won't find us and
murder us."
"So there
is something parahuman going on."
"Obviously. Just - fix our limbs, um. Meet Taylor and I at that um, that park? The one nearby where…" Emma's eyes flicked to me again. "Where, um. We used to hang out? Is that okay, Tay?"
"I - I haven't really been out of the house for anything other than school in a while. Is it the one in -" I pointed vaguely… north-western. "Thataway?"
Amy scowled again. "The one full of drug dealers?"
"I meant more the, uh, the kid's playground bit but yeah, that one."
"So we can be arrested for pedophilia instead.
Wonderful plan, Barnes." Wait, they knew each other?
"Look, either we can
all be arrested for that, or
you can be arrested for stalking me. And… Emma too, maybe, I - honestly don't remember seeing you following, but you're here, and I still have no idea why."
Emma shuffled. "I'll explain at the park. Just um. Go there as soon as you can. Please?"
Did I
want to? No. But did my desire for answers and a chance to escape the house overwhelm that? Yes. "Fine. Don't know how this talk with Mom'll go but - fine." Now to turn my glare at Amy. Was I impatient about getting my newly found paraplegia cured? Yes. Yes I was.
And if she decided not to, I'd break out of my tank and bite her fucking stupid pretty little head off.
"I'll be there too." She glared, tapped Emma and my ankle, then crouch-limped away. "You'll be fine in thirty seconds or so."
We better be.
"... okay but seriously, have you been hanging around for a while, or just intercepted my stalker on coincidence?"
Emma winced. "Um. Bit of both? Um. It's good to see you're - up and around again. After the… incident at the
diner the other week."
I frowned. "Diner? Weren't we on the bus?" Oh, great, I could feel my toes again.
Emma gave a long sigh of relief and shook out her hand slowly. Flexing her fingers like I was with my toes. "Yes. On the bus. Good. Um. I'll explain my reasons at the park - here." She dug into her pocket and pushed a slip of paper across the grass towards me. "Text me if you can't make it before six? Please - I know you have no reason to trust me but it's - it's really important, Taylor."
"I -" Did I really want her to have my phone number? A way to contact me? "Okay." I slipped it into my pocket - "You should… probably get going then. Before Mom comes to investigate." Just because I didn't like her didn't mean I wanted her
dead.
I wanted to make a reply of '
you better not use this to harass me in class' but… she seemed
genuinely worried and it was throwing me off. What the hell was going on?
"Okay." She gave me a small smile. "Okay, I'll - I'll see you there then."
I shooed her off and slowly got to my feet as she crouch-waddled away. That was… a
thing.
Time to face the Mom.
-.-.-
