30. P O W E R : Homecoming

CHAPTER VII

Only one light was on inside, since everyone else was asleep or away. Xiao Lang had graciously offered his room to Koko before heading to his own home, while Tián had gone up to the roof to practice. Annie and Kipzie were sleeping in their own room, leaving Addison and MacKenzie as the only people awake in the house.

Addison sat down in the chair across from MacKenzie and leaned back. "So you obviously have a lot of questions for me, right?" he guessed.

"That's an understatement," MacKenzie replied with an awkward chuckle. "I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start."

"Okay, then I'll go first," Addison told her. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward on the table. "How's your mom doing?"

"She's great!" MacKenzie responded enthusiastically. "She's teaching English at Z.P.A. now. It keeps her mind off everything else." She paused before adding, "She also got caught in the crossfire during a turf war. A stray bullet hit her in the leg and she had to go through a year of rehab. But she's better now."

"I'm glad to hear it." Addison tilted his head. "What about Camilla? You guys are still BFFs, right?"

"We... yeah," MacKenzie replied hesitantly. "I mean... we've been... kind of distant recently. She hangs out with Cameron and Kimberly more often than she does with me now—which is understandable, I guess, since I've been busy with teaching and acting and everything..."

"Oh, that's right. You do stage acting now," Addison recalled, nodding. "I've seen your name floating around the internet."

MacKenzie laughed. "Yeah, I—I guess I'm pretty famous, huh?"

Addison grinned. "Yeah, you're up there."

"Well, what about you? You're kind of a celebrity here too, right?" MacKenzie asked, tilting her head and leaning forward. "I mean, you are a member of the A-Team."

"Eh... I leave the celebrity stuff to Tián and Xiao Lang," Addison replied with a shrug. Then he amended, "Well, to Xiao Lang. Tián hates the spotlight. But anyways... I mostly keep to myself."

"Of course! I didn't mean you walk around giving autographs or something. It's just... you're a hero. I figured you'd be a pretty big deal."

Addison scrunched up his face. "I guess I am," he admitted. "People called me 'the Phantom'—before today, anyway, when they found out who I was. But they liked me well enough."

"Oh, that's right," MacKenzie realized. "You couldn't go around the haven because you were in hiding." She frowned sympathetically. "How'd you pass the time?"

"Meditation, MMA practice, exercising, reading, drawing... and sometimes watching TV."

"You still make art?"

"Of course! Don't you?"

"I don't really have time... but I did start on a piece a couple months ago that's about halfway complete."

"That's great! It's always good to keep a hobby, especially if it's something to slow you down after a busy week."

"Yeah. It really does help."

The two fell quiet for a moment.

Then Addison said, "So... you and Koko, huh?"

MacKenzie pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yup."

"Huh." Addison nodded as well, glancing off to the side. "How'd that happen?"

MacKenzie shrugged. "I dunno. I guess he saw the void in my life and figured he could fill it." She giggled and added, "He took me roller-skating on our first date. Of course, he didn't know how to roller-skate, but he got the hang of it eventually."