Perennial

Chapter 25 -- Vex

When Mr. Suit deems it's alright, he pulls over and lets me move up to the front seat. He asks me where in Paradis I'd like to be dropped off and I give him the address of a fast food restaurant next to the Loretta River. (It's one that Digit and his brothers frequent after school.)

As it turns out, Icarus is only two hours away from Paradis, even after we stop at a rest station so that I can change into civilian clothes and remove my perception filter, which I decide I'm going to keep. It's the least compensation that DSHA owes me for my ordeal at their hands. I'll make sure there's no tracker in it when we reach our destination. (I am now wearing a plain, shapeless, oversized t-shirt and a pair of pants that are way too long and that I have to fold up at my ankles.)

Mr. Suit drops me with some change for the payphone. He's even kind enough to ask me if I know what a payphone is and how to use it. (I already knew both of those things and told him as much. I also told him I find his lack of faith in my generation disturbing.)

Mr. Suit left not long after that.

It must look strange to passersby, seeing someone actually use this piece of ancient technology - the infamous payphone.

At first, I'm sure who to call. I hadn't given it much thought. I honestly didn't think I'd get this far. In the end, I decide on calling the one person in Paradis 1) whose number I have memorized, 2) I know won't be too busy to answer this early in the morning, and 3) is the most likely to probably, actually, physically be in the city.

I call Jason.

He picks up on the second ring.

"Hello?" His voice sounds suspicious, even over the phone's unreliable speakers. Even so, it's good to hear a familiar voice.

"Hey, Jason. It's me." I pause, and then add quickly, "Me as in your sister."

His end is silent for a few seconds. And then, "...Elaine?"

"Surprise!"

"You're finally done with your walkabout, huh?" he says as if I never got arrested and we just spoke last week.

"...Apparently. Look, I'm at Jim's Burgers on Rue Saint-Jean. I need someone to come pick me up."

"You're not going to tell me how much you missed me first?"

"It wouldn't be a problem if you would stop dodging," I shoot back.

He laughs. "Alrighty, then. You're not going to tell me how you managed to disappear for almost five months only to reappear suddenly in a fast food chain, either, then?"

"It's a long story. One I probably shouldn't share over the phone." I glance around.

There aren't many people on the street. The few people that are here don't seem to be paying any attention to me.

"One of those stories, eh?" He teases. "Look, I've got to get to work and you're on the other side of the city. I'm going to send Digit to pick you up."

"Doesn't he still have school this year?" It hasn't been that long, has it?

"It's his senior year. He only needs to show up for his classes at 11:00. Besides, it's still early," Jason says. "He isn't really worried about school this year. He believes he already knows everything he needs to."

Well, he was trained by the Overlords, so it's to be expected.

I don't dare say that out loud where anyone could hear me, though. "Kids these days."

"I know, right?" I can just picture Jason shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I've got to get going, El. See you soon?"

"Yeah." I breathe. "Soon. I'll see you then."

I slowly hang up the phone.

Jason is alive and okay. That's good. He seems to be his normal self. And Digit is in his senior year. That's great.

So why do I feel like it's unfair that their lives went on without me after I left?

I take a deep, cleansing breath and start to walk into Jim's Burgers.

A flicker of motion catches my eye and I stop in surprise. In the building's broad, spacious windows is a vaguely familiar girl, staring right back at me.

Shoulder length, chestnut brown hair, with a fringe and a left side part. Deep, earthy brown eyes. Olive toned skin. A shapeless t-shirt and pants that are way too long. It takes me a second to realize the girl in the window is me. That's my reflection. I'd almost forgotten that's what I really look like.

I quickly look away. My hands find their way to my pockets, where my perception filter/nametag is. It's been turned off. Mr. Suit never asked for it back. (Does that mean it doesn't have a tracking device installed?)

I slip into Jim's Burgers and go hide in one of its many booths. This early in the morning, there's hardly anyone in here.

I haven't spent time here since... who knows when. I fold my arms on the table and rest my head in the crook of my elbow. Instead of falling asleep, my mind turns back to Icarus.

Is Sueña okay? Will DSHA suspect she helped me disappear, regardless of whatever story Valor is going to try to sell them?

What about Maria? Will she miss me? What will she do when she realizes I'm gone?

And finally...

Aether. What's he going to think? And why do I care?

Because I don't. Not one bit.

Or at least, that's what I try to tell myself. It's not working.

Guilt washes over me. Why, I'm not sure.

This isn't right. Something about this isn't right. I've messed up. How? I... I don't know...

I had to do this. I had to leave them behind. My family needs me. And if I had stayed in Icarus, well, I wouldn't have been in Icarus for too much longer, anyway. DSHA was going to come for me regardless.

I don't have anything to feel guilty over. Still, the feeling persists. Despite my exhaustion, I pull out the perception filter and begin fiddling with it.

It's a good distraction, even if I don't find anything that can track me.

There's the ding of a bell as the front door opens. I look up to catch a clear image of Digit Colbert as he enters.

He's a little taller than I am, but nowhere near as tall as Aether.

His sharp eyes, the same shade of brown as mine, find me almost immediately. A smirk lights up his face. "Lainey!"

I cringe.

He slides into the bench across from mine. "You look like you've been hit by a truck."

"Don't call me that," I groan.

"What? A truck?"

My glare intensifies.

He laughs. It's an easy laugh. One that I've seen making girls blush far too many times.

"It's good to see you again. I was surprised when Jason called to say you were back in town." He pauses to scratch his clean-shaven face. "Though I was a little hurt that you called him first. I thought we were friends."

He's being facetious. Digit has never liked me all that much, not even when we were children. I've always been a little too bossy and independent for his Type-A personality and megalomaniac tendencies.

"In my defense, I thought you would be unavailable. Not to mention the fact that you let me get arrested, making you the worst partner ever."

"Hey now, don't be like that. You know I didn't have a choice. Protocol and all that." He shrugs. "Anyway, my required courses aren't until 11:00."

I open my mouth to retort - only to be cut off when my stomach growls. Of all the times...

"Hungry?" Digit has the nerve to laugh at my embarrassment. "Have any money for food?"

My face burns. No, I don't. Not enough for a decent meal, in any case. I mean, obviously. I just escaped captivity!

Digit deduces this quickly. "Here, let me get you something."

While my cousin has never liked me, I can say with moderate certainty that on some level, he does love me at least enough to not let me starve.

As we walk up to the counter I ask, "How are the boys?"

He knows which ones I'm talking about immediately: his little brothers. "They're fine. All good. I mean, they're still homicidal maniacs in training, but hey, at least they haven't been arrested yet."

"That's always good," I say, ignoring the unintentional jab. It's always a relief to learn those little maniacs are okay. At one point, Digit and I were going to start a bet on when each of his brothers would get arrested and who would be first, but our mothers made us stop before it got serious.

We approach the counter and I order an egg and sausage sandwich.

The guy at the counter smiles widely at me as he hands me the bag. I frown in confusion (What weirdo actually smiles in the morning?) as I accept it and join Digit in the back.

"Ready to hit the road?" he asks.

I nod firmly and the two of us set out for his car.

It's a little red one with rust around the tires. I don't have to know the make or model to know that it's the worst piece of junk on the planet, and that it's a miracle that it's still running. You'd think, with all the money I know his family has, he's be driving something nicer, but no, he insisted on a "fixer upper".

I get in, buckle up, then move to dig into my breakfast.

I begin to eat as Digit pulls onto the road. In between bites I tell about everything that happened after we split up in that school and I got arrested for setting it on fire. (His crime, technically, not mine.) I explain everything from Midas to joining Nexus.

He listens intently, all the while dodging traffic, stop signs, fire hydrants, and the occasional police cruiser as he goes along.

When I finish, he grunts. "How can you be sure DSHA isn't going to come after you?"

"Don't worry." I assure him. "I have a plan."

"Right. Because your plans always work." If he wasn't driving, I imagine he'd be rolling his eyes. Or maybe he does roll his eyes while driving. I'm not looking at him. I'm too busy watching us miss a truck by mere inches.

"It will work this time," I say, which does nothing to reassure either of us.

"Oh?"

"It has to."

Digit snorts but says nothing; his eyes are fixed on where the car is headed. The traffic isn't so bad right now. The morning rush is pretty much over by this point.

Paradis looks the same as it did the last time I was here, as if my absence did absolutely nothing to change it (which is true). Pedestrians are scattered along the sidewalks, and you can't look at the side of the road for ten minutes without seeing at least one bicyclist.

Most buildings are, at most, six or seven stories tall, with the exceptions of the skyscrapers located in the center of our small metropolis. Old spiral staircases that function as fire escapes reach up the sides of each building, creating an almost whimsical effect.

I've missed this place.

I look back over to Digit and remember what Valor said - that Juggernaut's disappearance and apparent death was part of the reason why Nexus was founded.

Juggernaut was my Uncle Archie, who was also Digit's father.

"What do you know about Nexus?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Not much. I only hear about it in whispers. Whenever I ask the older Overlords they shut me down. Why?"

Of course the Overlord, Maman, and Tante Virginie know about Nexus. How could they not? Why am I surprised?

"Why do you think they've been keeping it a secret from us?"

Digit whips around a corner. I have to grip the handle above the door - a piece of equipment Digit's younger brother Micah has affectionately dubbed "The Jesus Handle" - to stay upright. "Maybe it's a really sensitive topic. Or maybe they're scared of something. "

A horrible guilt wells up inside me again. This time, though, I know why. How will my arrangement with Nexus affect my family? Honestly, I wasn't thinking too far ahead when I agreed to their terms.

Digit suddenly inhales sharply, then exhales slowly. "Look, I know we're just cousins, and I don't have a sister, unless you count the twins, but you've always been like a sister to me. We trained together for years... If you need help with anything, just let me know."

"Aww..." I grin at his uncharacteristic show of sentimentality. "If it's any consolation, you're like the secondary older brother I never wanted. On that note, I just may take you up on your offer."

Digit snorts. "Just be sure to pay me for my services. Since you've been gone, there's been no one else to babysit the boys. I've had to do it all myself. It's high time I get compensation."

"I'll repay you later. As you may have noticed, I don't have any money on me right now."

Digit lets out a few colorful words and then adds, "And here I thought you were rich."

"That's the Overlord, not me." I correct, cracking a smile.

And for the first time, it feels good to be home.