Keeper of the Lost Cities: Rebuild [COMPLETED]

Chapter Seven - JENSI

Two years of teaching, twice that in prodigies, and Jensi had found only one student who understood him.

Jeri Venet would stand up in their session and shout manifestos about death and plagues and destruction. When Jensi asked who she was speaking to, she'd say, "No one in particular, save for THE GHOSTS OF MY MORTAL ENEMIES, WHO ARE GHOSTS BECAUSE I HAVE RAINED FIRE AND HOPELESSNESS UPON THEM!"

Jeri reminded Jensi of himself at her age. He'd never felt like he "fit in." He was always just... there. Unnoticeable. Invisible. The only way to get people to notice him was to talk a lot. To shove his way into groups. To smile, laugh, nod, talk some more—and while he had never screamed threats at his peers, he got it. He knew it was her coping mechanism, so he let her do it, even if it interrupted his lecture.

Most kids avoided her, save for the Level Three—Pru, a prodigy he'd taught last year. They ate together at lunch, although there for a while Pru's parents had paid for special tutoring sessions, leaving Jeri to eat alone.

Jensi had sat with her then. It was probably "uncool" for a Mentor to eat lunch with their prodigy, but Jeri hadn't seemed to mind. They hadn't talked, and Jensi had found that it was nice. He'd talked so much for so long—random, useless words, meant only to gain an ounce of attention—that he'd felt tired. Finally, at that lunch table, he could relax. Not put on a show.

Today he was going to a different cafeteria. Pru was available for lunch, so there was no need for Jensi to join Jeri again. Instead, he went to the Mentor's Cafeteria and stood in the doorway, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt.

Why could he not be normal? Mentors laughed with each other, picked up little desserts from the tables, gossiped about their prodigies. To Jensi, it all felt like a ruse. Okay, everyone—smile! Pretend you're happy, and no one will know any different.

It wasn't that Jensi didn't like to smile. He did, all the time. And pretending was what he knew best.

"Hey, guys!" he said, walking over to the table in the corner, where Sophie and Keefe were eating. Sophie looked up at him, surprised, and he realized he hadn't greeted her with his usual sugar-rush of words. "How's the food—looks good—oh, wait, am I interrupting something—sorry, I'll just go—"

"It's fine, Jensi," said Keefe, waving for him to sit beside him. "You're welcome anytime."

Jensi stood there for a second, trying to will his legs into movement, before finally walking to the seat and sitting down. His tray hit the table with a loud thunk—the last sound before their corner dissolved into silence.

Jensi cringed. Awkward.

"Councillor Emery hailed me this morning," Sophie said, and Jensi felt his shoulders relax as the tension eased. "The Council wants the Black Swan to be their ambassadors for a certain task. He didn't explain what exactly we'll be doing, just that our job will mean the difference between war and peace. Apparently the whole thing is 'confidential.'"

"Wait—you're leaving?" asked Keefe, sitting his butterblast down. "When?"

"In a couple days. He said we'll be going to the other intelligent species' capitals."

"All of them? That... will take awhile."

"Yeah," said Sophie, eyes downcast.

Jensi felt like he was invading on something, but he couldn't bring himself to get up and move. There wouldn't be anywhere for him to go anyway. So he simply shoved a custard burst in his mouth and tried to chew as loud as he could.

But he still heard when Sophie said, "You could come along, Keefe, if you joined the Collective."

The gooey, fruity center of the dessert lodged in Jensi's throat, and he coughed. Keefe was going to join the Collective?

A bitter taste rose in place of the sweetness. Blur—Fernan, Jensi's brother—had been part of the Collective. Part of the Black Swan. Jensi had found out the secret when Fernan came home late one night. It had been when Sophie and the others had been banished, leaving Jensi behind.

Always behind.

Dex had replaced his mother on the Collective. Jensi had assumed... Well, he had assumed a lot of things, but then he'd discovered he was Talentless, and Tam had taken Blur's place instead.

Despite all those nights when Jensi forced Fernan to tell him what it was like, being in disguise. Being hidden—on purpose.

Despite Fernan's empty promises—Yeah, Jensi, I'm sure the Black Swan will let you join.

Jensi hadn't known his brother didn't mean as one of the Collective. Tam, Dex, Sophie, Marella, and Wylie were the five who had been chosen instead. To add a sixth wouldn't be... it wouldn't be fair. Not when Jensi had been wishing for it all this time.

He'd waited around, happy to let Sophie and the others do their missions without him, because he'd known he would be a leader someday. He would find his purpose, finally belong.

Fernan had taken that from him. Now Keefe too?

"You said we'd talk about this later," Keefe snapped at Sophie.

"When's 'later,' Keefe? We're leaving in two days!"

Jensi's stomach pitched forward. Two days? Two days, and Keefe would join the Collective?

It felt like all his hopes and dreams were being sucked into a black abyss—which was something Jeri would say.

He sighed. Great, next thing I know I'm going to be spouting this stuff at all my friends.

"I'm not talking about this right now," Keefe huffed, grabbing his tray and stomping off.

Sophie growled and stood as well, leaving the room through a different door.

Neither one seemed to remember Jensi had been sitting there the whole time. He'd been forgotten.

Again.