The Fairy Boy (G #2)

Secrets

I pushed myself awake in the middle of the night. My back was aching, it usually did.

We were still on the plane, the trip from the abandoned School to my uncle's second secret headquarters had been a long on. I drowsily picked my way through the sleeping children on the floor of the plane to the closed off cockpit. My uncle was flying, he had a license. I mumbled something incoherent and spun the shotgun chair, sitting myself down in it.

"Hey kiddo." He yawned.

"Hey." I tried to sit back, but my back wouldn't allow it and sharp pain ran up my spine. I breathed in sharply an settled for leaning on my side.

He gave me a concerned look. "Your wings hurting you again? There's no one awake but the two of us."

I didn't answer him for a bit. I stared out the windshield into the starry sky. We wouldn't be landing for another three hours, I don't know if I could make it that long.

"Fine." I grumbled, pulling off my shirt.

Tied around my torso was another strip of tightly wrapped fabric, after undoing this, two delicate, nearly see-through white and blue wings unfolded out behind me, glowing faintly. They hurt a whole lot less now that I didn't have them folded and strapped onto my back. They resembled a butterfly's, with thin fingers stretching out and clear papery skin draped in between. They were a milky white with occasional blue stripes.

I breathed a sigh of relief and my uncle reached over and yanked my hat off my head.

"Hey!" I protested weakly in my tiredness.

"You always wear this hat, I barely get to see your face without it, cut your uncle a break."

I grumbled, folding my legs in and tried to ignore him, which didn't last for long because I was fading back into sleep. I absentmindedly reached up to brush my hair over my ears, which were a few inches longer then normal and pointed at the tips. It was the reason I always wore a hat 24/7.

My uncle sighed and just concentrated on flying the plane.

I started to fade. It was one of my powers, turning invisible, it only happened when I was completely still. Sometimes it happened in my sleep, I couldn't control it then.

"Uncle Rich?" I asked, biting my lip and forcing myself from falling asleep.

"Yeah J?"

"Will and Tyler, saw me sleep fade. I... I didn't talk to them about it after that, but I bet they still wondering."

He frowned. "Are you going to tell them the truth?"

"I don't want to, I really don't want to."

"Well they seem like nice kids, Will at least knows how to keep a secret, I bet you could trust him."

"I don't want to though, they'll judge me," I sighed.

"No they won't."

"Tyler will, he hasn't exactly been kind to me."

"Trust me, I did some background checking on Tyler, he was abandoned and left for a freak show, the kid's been judged his whole life, I seriously doubt he'll think any less of you."

I swallowed, letting the information sink in. I did not know that, though Uncle Rich always made sure he knew where his students were coming from so he could try to relate to them.

"You look exhausted, why don't you get some rest and I'll make sure nobody comes in all right?" He asked, giving me a fatherly smile.

"Kay," I mumbled, leaning into the soft side of the chair.

The last time I had slept with my wings unraveled was weeks ago. I hated the cramped sensation I received, but looking like I walked out of a Disney movie was worse. I was just scared of what people would think of me, therefore, I had kept in a secret.

Will had come close to discovering way to many times. First when I went to Self-Defense, he had landed on my back and bruised one of my wings pretty badly, I hadn't been able to wear my ties for a few hours and Uncle Rich had excused me from class the rest of the day.

The second time was when I had been holed up in the empty medical ward, with my tie off and my wings spread out against a pillow. Will had actually walked into the room and held conversation with me, I'm pretty sure he was having a pretty bad headache because he didn't even notice.

The last was in the same room, he had come back for some meds while I was trying to fold my wings back up. Last minute I turned invisible though I knew it was the wrong move.

A couple hours later, I rose from my light slumber. My uncle had kept his word and the door was locked. I sighed to myself and started folding in my wings awkward angles. Then securely wrapping them up tight, like a twisted christmas present to yourself. Except mine started to ache after a few hours.

I slid open the door to find most of the smaller children were still sleeping, the dull rhythmic buzzing was lethargic. I spotted Will staring out a small window and went to go see what was up. He had been acting depressed ever since we managed to drag him into the plane. Will almost flew away right then and there to chase after Genny, but he wasn't faster than my uncle's plane.

"We're going to California." He announced mysteriously.

"How do you know?" I questioned, unless my uncle told him nobody seemed to know.

He shrugged. "I don't know, it's just a feeling."

I was wondering if he had started to develop a sense of direction, kind like a pigeon or something when he said something else.

"My parents live in L.A." His voice had dropped low, almost chocking sound.

"Are you going to visit them?" I tried, sensing this was somewhat sensitive ground.

"I... I probably shouldn't." He sighed miserably.

I punched his shoulder in attempt to cheer him up. "Come on, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

He shook his head. "My father wants me to inherit his company after college, which I don't want to, and my mother wants me to marry some rich girl, I'm only fifteen and they have my whole life planned out."

"Well isn't that what parents do, make sure their kids have a good future?" I inquired. I wouldn't know, I was technically an orphan.

"Not like this, people should be doing what they love with who they love, and that's not the path for me." He had that distant look in his eyes and I realized he was thinking of Genny again.

Several older kids had gone to the cockpit to see how long we had till we landed. Most kids were awake and having small, quiet conversations with another.

There a small whimper in a dark corner, not many people heard it but I focused my attention on the sleeping figure. Tyler was making small sounds in his sleep, kind of like a dog, and his fist kept clenching and unclenching.

He make a chocking sound and gasped, wide awake. He glanced around for a second with wide fearful eyes before resting on me.

"What are you looking at skinny boy?" He growled menacingly.

I dropped my eyes, he didn't look menacing at all, just frightened. That the most emotion I had seen in him ever, and it made me wonder what his nightmare must have been about.

"Was he really given up to a freak show?" I asked Will quietly.

"Yeah," he whispered, watching Tyler too.

He had sat up, and was growling fiercely at anyone who tried to approach him. Though the tips of his wings were quivering and his skin had gone a rather pale shade. It must have been one twisted nightmare to shake him up that badly.

Some lights started flashing, and the plane dropped a bit. We were landing, I had felt this numerous times on my trips to collect more students. I grabbed onto the railings on the side.

California, here we come.