Strange Tides [Bree Davenport]

Chapter Five

I let out a sigh of relief once I step into the empty Mentor's Quarters. Thankfully, Emmie, Leo, Chase, and Adam are all having the best time together watching a reality show about people getting married or something like that. I didn't want to join them because I want as much of my free time to myself, not to anyone else. Besides, it's almost time for my nightly video chat with Maggie, which is much needed today.

Leo has gotten more adventurous with how he treats me lately. I don't know if it's the addition of his new friend in River or not, but it seems like he doesn't care at all about hurting my feelings anymore. He just says whatever is on his mind, much to my hurt feelings and angry looks. Leo even ignores Mr. Davenport and Douglas when they tell him to stop. All he does is laugh and ignore them.

I pull up a chair in front of the monitor above the fireplace just as Maggie signs onto the video chat. Immediately a smile appears on my face when I see her. "Hi!" I say. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good," she says, smiling back at me. "All my siblings stopped here this morning and --"

"You'll never guess what Leo did today," I say, interrupting her. Her smile falls, but I ignore it because I really need to get this off my chest. "He almost put hair removal in my shampoo, but Emmie stopped him before he could do it."

"Bree, you have to figure something else out when this stuff happens," Maggie says with a sigh. Her eyebrows are creased together like she's worried about me. I try to force the smile on my face again to show her that I'm okay, but I'm sure I look absolutely crazy. "You can't just keep calling me every single time something bad happens with Leo or Emmie or Chase."

I swallow hard. Maggie hates me now, too. "You're my best friend, though. You told me that I could talk to you about anything."

"You know that you can tell me about anything," Maggie says quickly. "But I can't be here for you at all times, Bree. I still go to school. I'm busy. Besides, you need to figure out how to handle this stuff by yourself without relying on anyone else to process your emotions for you."

I lean back in my chair with a sigh. I hate that she's right. I hate that she's so much smarter than me. "Right, your therapy sessions are coming in handy," I say to her with a roll of my eyes.

"You don't have to make fun of me for going to therapy."

The look on her face makes all the anger in my chest dissipate. I sigh yet again, scrubbing a hand over my face. "Sorry," I say softly. I'm not even sure if she can hear me right now, but I don't care. "I didn't mean to make fun of you. I'm just tired."

"I know, Bree." She smiles at me. "Why don't you tell me about some lesson plans you have been coming up for your group?"

"I was thinking about doing a trust building exercise with my girls," I tell Maggie with a grin. Her smile tells me that mine is real and true instead of being one of those fake ones. I actually feel really happy right now, which is a change. "What do you think about the human knot? Do you think they will like it?"

Before Maggie can even answer me, I hear laughter behind me. I whirl around and see River and Leo walking into the Mentor's Quarters, both of them laughing at me. My smile falls off my face when Leo points at me while slapping his knee with his hand.

"Bree, if you think doing the human knot will build teamwork, you must be mistaken," Leo says, still laughing. He hasn't seen Maggie yet on the monitor above the fireplace. "That's the --"

"The what, Leo?" Maggie asks, her voice hard. Leo's laughter immediately disperses when he sees the angry look on her face. She even has her arms crossed over her chest, making her look even more ridiculous. Unfortunately, she doesn't look intimidating, but I still appreciate her for talking to him. "What were you going to say, Leo?"

"Nothing," he mutters, shooting an angry glare at me. "It's nothing."

"Here, I'll say it for you," River says. A small grin lights up his face, almost shining brighter than the dazzling look in his eyes. "Your lesson plans sound incredibly childish and terrible. If you really want to create teamwork with your students, try something a little more . . . intense. Like a battle to see who's the best and who's the worst."

The dazzling look in his eyes disappears when he locks eyes with me. A cold look crosses his face, making goosebumps rise up across my skin. There's something in the look on his face that forces my heart to speed up in fear. Right now, he doesn't look that attractive to me. Instead, he looks mean.

"I'm still coming up with ideas for my lesson plans," I say to River and Leo. "That was just one of my ideas."

"With the speed you're going on coming up with those ideas, it seems like you'll finally get a good idea when you're old and gray," River continues. Leo snickers behind his hand. "And you say you have superspeed, Bree."

River and Leo high-five each other as I shoot both of them glares. I hate seeing Leo this happy with his new friend. He doesn't deserve to be that happy. I know Maggie will hate me forever if I'm rude to him, though, so I keep my mouth shut as they leave the Mentor's Quarters, their laughter echoing behind them. 

"Who was that?" Maggie asks after the door to the Mentor's Quarters closes. "He was so rude to you."

"That's River, the new guy here," I explain to her. For some reason, I find myself saying, "He wasn't rude, either. He was just telling me the truth about my lesson plans. I didn't even like that idea, anyway."

"Are you sure? You looked really happy when you told me about it."

"I'm fine," I tell her with a shrug. Unfortunately, I think my face is telling the truth because she just shakes her head at me. "I'll think of something else to create better teamwork with my group. If I don't come up with anything, I'll just ask Emmie to help me."

"Help you with what?" Emmie asks suddenly. I let out a little scream when I realize that she's standing right behind me. I grip my chest as her and Maggie both laugh at me. "Oh, hey, Maggie!" Emmie says, waving at the monitor above the fireplace. A grin is decorated on her face, and I sigh when Maggie returns it. "I didn't know you could do a video call on this thing."

"Yeah, I figured it out the other day when Mr. Davenport called Tasha from it," I mutter to her with a shrug. 

Now that she's here with me, I doubt I'll be able to talk to Maggie for much longer. I just wanted a little time to myself without anyone interrupting me, and I've already had three people do that. I can't get any free time to myself, though, not here. I have to learn to live with it, I guess.

"Anyway, what did you need my help with?" Emmie asks me, pushing her glasses farther up her nose. 

"She's been trying to come up with ideas for her lesson plans," Maggie explains behind me. "But someone said that they were childish."

"I'll help you, Bree," Emmie says with a warm smile. "Chase has been running his lesson plans by me the whole time I've been here, so I'm a master by now with this stuff."

"There you go," Maggie says to me, gesturing at the screen, "you have Emmie to help you with your lesson plans. My work here is done, Bree."

"Okay, whatever," I tell her, rolling my eyes. She still smiles at me, and I smile back. "I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you too."

The monitor above the fireplace goes dark, leaving me and Emmie alone together. I can feel the awkward tension in the air, almost as thick as Chase's ego. Emmie and I really haven't spent that much time together since she came to the island, which is probably leading to the awkwardness between us. But Emmie's my best and first friend, so I know this will turn into one of our best memories yet. That always happens whenever I hang out with Emmie, and I'm so excited.