The Conductor {Black Lightning}{Wattys2018}

Ch. 12: For Family

 After her mini-breakdown during Hoon Dok Hae, Eugene quickly steeled herself. Moping wouldn't help anyone, so why did she keep telling herself that while continuing to mope? She had students to teach. She couldn't let her bad day ruin theirs - especially when an inevitable tragedy loomed over them.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mom asked as they drove to Garfield together.

"I'm hanging in there," said Eugene.

"Okay, then. If you ever need to talk to me, I'm here."

Eugene puffed out her cheeks. "Mom, really, I'll be fine."

She appreciated her mother's sentiment, but talking wouldn't stop people from getting hurt. Maybe she could talk to Anissa and convince her not to go to the march, but even that was unlikely. Anissa cared about actions, not words.

***

"You didn't tell me you were going to the march," Eugene said at lunch.

Anissa sighed heavily as she picked at her salad. "Because I knew you'd look at me like that."

"Well, I really thought you'd prefer me giving you a funny look over going to a march and getting shot," Eugene replied, pointedly looking down at her sandwich. "But I get it. We all have different priorities."

"Eugene, I'll be fine," said Anissa. "I have powers," she added in ASL so no one would hear her.

"Oh, yes. I forgot." Eugene mockingly exaggerated her mouth movements as she bobbed her fist up and down. "You can kick a washer machine and break a sink. That helps a lot."

"Dad taught me self-defense," Anissa argued. "Without powers."

"Suppose they have guns!" Eugene signed so passionately that her hand hit the table as she signed GUN. "You don't know if you're bulletproof or not!"

"That doesn't matter," signed Anissa. "Jen wants to go and I have to support her. She's family. You would do anything for Aunt Kaiya. Right?"

"Yes." Eugene nodded, frowning. She would do anything for Mom. That was why she was in this mess in the first place.

***

The awkwardness from Eugene and Anissa's conversation at lunch seeped into their time spent together at home. They sat at opposite ends of the living room while Eugene graded the five hundred word her first-period class' free writes and Anissa did her homework.

Usually, they exchanged a few words every so often as they worked. But today, they sat in silence and the television being off didn't help at all. Instead of helping Eugene focus, it made everything more awkward.

"I prepared dinner for you in the morning. It's in the fridge," said Anissa, finally breaking the silence.

"You aren't going to eat dinner with me?" Eugene asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

Fridays were Anissa's days to cook and while Eugene frequently prepared meals beforehand to manage her time better, Anissa was terrible at managing time. So if she prepared meals earlier, it was probably because she wasn't going to be home at all for dinner.

"Oh, damn, that's right. I forgot to tell you," Anissa said, rubbing her temples. "I got invited to a cosplay party tonight at the Ruby Red Lipstick before the march. I would've invited you if I remembered to tell you."

"Nah, don't worry about it. That's not really my thing." Eugene already spent her nights working for the One Hundred in a costume. Going to the cosplay party would just more of pretending to be something she wasn't. "Is Chenoa going?"

Anissa hung her head. "Uh...I might've forgotten to tell her too."

Eugene turned on Anissa with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. "Girl, you need to get your life together."

"I know, I know," Anissa said sheepishly. "I'll make it up to her."

"But anyway, have fun," said Eugene. "Stay safe."

"I will."

***

While Anissa went to her cosplay party, Eugene skipped dinner entirely and took a short nap. The only reason she wanted to have dinner was to spend time with Anissa and make up for their tense conversation at lunch.

The obnoxious alarm on her phone pulled her out of her slumber, but it was a knock on the door that made her get out of bed. Jennifer and Ms. Stewart had come to meet up with Anissa to go to the march.

"Oh, hi, Ms. Stewart," she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I didn't know you were coming too."

"Well, I thought the march would be some quality family time," said Mrs. Stewart. "So...here I am. Do you know where Anissa is?"

Eugene scoffed quietly. If Tobias was successful, the march would definitely not be "quality family time." Although, for Mr. Pierce's sake, she had to hope that he wasn't now that Ms. Stewart was coming. Mr. Pierce didn't deserve to go through the pain of losing all three of his family members.

"I...don't know, actually," Eugene said sheepishly. "I was sleeping just then. She had a party to go to before this, so she's either on her way or upstairs. Um...feel free to sit down."

Fifteen minutes later, Anissa came out of her room dressed and ready to go the march. Jennifer jumped at the chance to pick at her.

"Took you long enough. We thought you'd be ready."

Anissa rolled her eyes before gesturing to Eugene. "She didn't tell you I was getting changed?"

Jennifer grinned mischievously. "Eugene was sleeping."

Eugene scowled at Jennifer's tactics. Now, instead of bickering with Jennifer, Anissa turned on Eugene.

"You need to get your life together," Anissa said with narrowed eyes.

"I know you ain't talking."