Excerpt: Secret Reader

The Outside (Dawn)

I switched off the ignition and sat there for a minute before picking up my cell phone and punching in Dev’s number. “Come on Dev pick up. Pick up Dev, please.” I felt my hopes raise when the line clicked but then I was directed to his voicemail and I felt them sink again.

The phone beeped and I sighed. “Dev it’s me. I’m worried about you. Something weird happened on my way home from work tonight and I was just calling to make sure you were okay. Dev I miss you. I’m really sorry for what I said the last time I saw you. Please forgive me. Dev, where are you?” Hanging up I sighed and opened the door.

Opening my front door and flicking on the hall light I leaned against the door and locked it, trying not to worry about Devin too much.

Journey mewed and sauntered toward me with Bon Jovi at her heels, both purring by the time they reached me. I smiled down at them and pushed past them to the kitchen. “Come on kits. You must be starving.”

Walking into the kitchen I fished my phone out of my pocket and turned the speaker phone on before dialing my brother’s phone. Leaving the phone on the counter next to the microwave I opened a couple of cans of cat food and scraped them into the cats dishes before taking a can of soup out of the cupboard for myself.

Dev’s voicemail was full so I closed my phone and leaned against the counter. Closing my eyes I tried to figure out what I could do. My parents would have no clue where he would be. He had no girlfriend that I knew of and I didn’t even know what he was doing. The last message I got from him ran through my head as my soup spun in the microwave.

“Do you remember that job I told you about? Well, they want me to do more for them. They say that I am one of the brightest people they have in the company. See? It only took me two weeks to find this job and now they’re offering me even more. And yet you did not believe in me. Thanks ever so sis. See if I believe in you the next time you are trying to do something. I told you I would get work. I told you so.”

Taking my soup out I slammed a spoon on the counter, startling the cats. Journey looked up at me, her green eyes blinking in her dark tortoiseshell face. Bon Jovi fled the room, his black tail flicking around the corner.

I sighed and turned the spoon over in my hand. My left hand cradled the still too warm bowl. My tattoo was just visible under my sleeve and I stared at it for a second. It was the kanji symbol for Secret and I had gotten it in an attempt to ease the pain of the secrets my brother was keeping from me. And the secrets I had kept from him.

Giving up on my soup I checked the locks and walked to my bedroom and plopped down on the bed, pausing just long enough to drape my coat across the nearest non bed object.
 

Academy of Superheroes
1-1/2 years ago
(Fiona)

I opened my bag and pulled the flier out, comparing the address on the brightly colored piece of paper to the drab building in front of me. “Well, I guess that this is it. I do not know what I was expected. It just was not quite… This. Oh well. Better get going now.”

Taking a deep breath I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and slid it open. Typing in Tammy’s number I dialed and held it up to my ear. Letting it ring a couple of times I smiled when my older sister’s voice came across the line.

“Fiona I am glad you called. I was just about to call you.”

“Hey Tam. I’m just about to work. I just figured that I’d call you and let you know.”

“Be careful Fiona. Be very careful. I don’t want you to get hurt doing this.”

“I know.”

“And don’t say stupid things.”

“Okay. Love ya sis.”

“Love ya too Fiona.”

I pulled my phone away and clicked the phone off. No time now to think about what I’m doing here. I signed up. I chatted with Tammy about this and now it’s time for me to pull my act together and just do this.

Flicking my blonde braid over my shoulder I adjusted my brownish green colored canvas bag over my shoulder and stepped up the concrete steps. Pausing to adjust my jean jacket I grabbed the handle and twisted it down, pushing forward and stepping inside. Warm air blasted my face, blowing my bangs out of my eyes. I stayed in the doorway for a few seconds, letting my eyes get adjusted to the dim fluorescent lights.

A poster caught my eyes hanging halfway down the blank white wall it disclosed directions to a room further down the hall. Mentally brushing out my mind I strode casually down the hallway and stopped outside the door. Glancing around the corner I saw what appeared to be a classroom with three people sitting toward the front of the room, sitting in school style desk and chair sets. They turned when I walked in, eyes taking in my casual appearance. I nearly blushed when I realized that they were all dressed nicely rather than in denim as I was.

Ignoring the red on my cheeks I walked forward and took a seat next to a thin woman with a pinched face, short red hair and sharp green eyes. She sniffed at me so I looked her over. Her hair was the healthiest part of her. I had a feeling that if she had been wearing a tighter dress I would have been able to count her ribs. As it was her dark green dress hung off her frame like a piece of canvas draped over a baby grand.

The man sitting next to her looked very uncomfortable in his black tuxedo, I was guessing it was borrowed. His blond hair was thinning rapidly though he didn’t look to be older than I was. The last was a beautiful blonde woman was kept patting the man’s hand. She was dressed in a light blue, dress suit that matched her eyes perfectly.

A man in a dress suit walked in from the back and I swiveled around to look at him. He was tall, taller than most guys I knew, about six foot nine I guessed with waist length blond hair and purple eyes. Contacts probably. This must be Tristan. Let’s see. Tammy said that he was a little bit nicer than the rest of them but that he is more likely to stay angry if I inadvertently insult him. So I’ll need to watch what I say about him.

A woman entered behind him dressed in a denim skirt and a button up red shirt. Her eyes were a light green and her brown hair was cut short by her ears. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that this is Jasmine. Tammy said she liked to keep her hair short. She said she sees more than she lets on but I can already see that by the way she’s looking at everyone. I have a feeling she’s not going to trust me. Not for a while anyway. It’s going to be really hard for me to disguise that I know something about each one of the founders of this company. Maybe I can just act like I think I’m better than everyone else but I don’t want to alienate anyone either.