I was never good at sticking to plans. I am good at making them, ones both smart and stupid (usually stupid). But I change my mind too quickly; I’m too impulsive. I ruin my own plans so easily that I figure it's better to just live life like a bad game of improv.

  At one point, I wanted to apply to the Wardens. Not to be a field worker (you need to be an Eternal for that), but to be an assistant. I asked Dad for the whiteboard he used to use in the cafe before it was replaced, and brought it to my room to write all my ideas down. I spent days planning exactly how to introduce the idea, if I ever wanted to, to my parents, how to apply, and what the Wardens were looking for. I learned about the Director and the Managers underneath him. I learned about the personalities of the higher-ups their assistants. I found that Manager Herald only hires assistants who have gone to college first. Manager Recess had an entire team of assistants, but each of them was at least ten years older than me. Manager Edison was lenient with his assistants, but he was not a fan of my mother (I have still yet to decide whether this would have ruined my chance or bettered it). Manager Torres, Manager Walton, and Manager Nguyen worked on the field frequently, so their assistants were mostly Eternals. The Director himself had only Eternals for assistants. Other than those seven and Mom, I had at least a chance at being hired by the other Managers.

  Franklin Howells is the Manager for Wall Observation, and he was a good friend of Mom's. I had called him one night after finding his number on the Warden’s website. He had picked up, which surprised me. I was expecting to be answered by an assistant. I had asked him if he was looking for new help soon, and told him I had just graduated from high school and was looking for a position. I purposefully didn’t tell him who my mom was. Manager Howells informed me of a period in a couple of weeks when he’d be looking for a new hire. He had alluded to taking my shot then, much to my buzzing excitement.

  I was hopeful for the first time. Sure, I still had to compete for the position, but I compete, which was more than I expected. However, that same hope dissipated in a matter of seconds when Mom had somehow found out about my master plan. If I had to guess, I’d say she had walked into my room when I was gone and turned around the whiteboard that was facing the wall. I had come home from a walk (I did those since I no longer had PE to count on to keep me exercised), and I heard my parents talking to each other in their bedroom. Mom sounded irritated about something. My name was said. I, being far too nosy, had crept closer.

  “He’s really considering it?” Dad said, sounding only tired.

  “Yes, apparently.” Mom huffed. “I’ll have to talk to him. Where does he get these ideas?”

  “What’s going on?” I asked, stepping into the doorway.

  Mom was giving me a look. It was a mix of pity and irritation. “Why do you want to join the Wardens?”

  I stilled, my feet stuck to the floor. “The Wardens? How did you know?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Mom said with a wave of her hand. “Cain, applying for the Wardens is a ridiculous idea. You need to find a different job to apply for.”

  “What? Why?”

  Mom pulled a purse onto her shoulder. “you can only go so far in the Wardens. Cory can become successful, but for you, it would be a waste of time and effort.”

  . Though it felt like that was not what she meant.

  I had given up the idea after that. I didn’t apply like I planned to. I had given up so easily. In retrospect, I should have ignored her. I should have applied anyway, even if I never became more than an assistant.

  But look at me now, standing in the Walmart clothing section, ready to take the first step of my new master plan.

  I thought,

  Baggy clothing would hide my general shape, right? I glanced at my body in a mirror nearby. The hoodie I was wearing did a good job of that. I hummed, stalking around until I saw a rack of plain black sweatshirts. That could work… though it wasn’t very

  I sulked at my own point, but I still moved to the hoodie. My own sweatshirts always have bright colors or art on them, so a boring one should be inconspicuous. It could work. But I wish that I could acquire a suit like Daredevil or another fictional vigilante. Too bad I didn’t know how to sew whole outfits. Too bad that I hate tight clothing too.

  “Excuse me,” a staff member said from behind me. Startled by their sudden appearance, I jumped quite literally, letting out a sound that even didn’t know I could make.

  Ever since the shadow monster attack, I have been even more jumpy than before, somehow. Like to a point of ridiculousness. Yesterday, after Dad made those breakfast burritos, our cat, whom I haven’t seen in a jumped onto the counter, causing me to drop my plate and have most of my sausage fall to the floor. She then ate it, so I’m pretty sure that was her plan the whole time, despite my Dad insisting she’s an angel.

  I then broke a vase when Mom coughed. My demon senses, magnified to a hundred, caused me to leap of our fridge when Dad turned on the TV (no one saw that, thank god). I threw a pencil at the cat when she slipped into my room. The pencil broke when it made contact with the wall.

  Long story short, this staff member should be more careful when talking to customers. She could have been in danger if I had had a pencil.

  I turned to her, faking a smile. “Yes-” I started to say before I got a good look at their face. My smile, phony as it was, fell away.

  Okay, so I had just assumed they were a staff member, but they were in fact not. I knew this person. Sure, I didn’t know her name, but she was engraved into my head in my recent ‘worst memories of my life’ list.

  Ellen Reid’s daughter, the other victim in the Giant attack.

  “Wait, how—” I looked to her, then to the store behind her, expecting to find a camera crew or something.

  “Good morning,” she said, her body tense. “You’re Cain Rogue, right?”

  “Yeah, and you’re that girl from the… from before. Is this a coincidence? Did you want to talk to me?”

  did she blame me for her mothers death? I gripped the hem of my hoodie.

  “I followed you from your house,” she said.

  , she definitely did. Wait, she knows where I live? Is she planning to kill me as revenge, too? Can she sneak into a gated house? What if she climbs in through my window? Or worse? What if she says something really mean?

  “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a couple of days now, actually. I went to the cafe your dad owns, but the barista said you won’t be at work for a couple of weeks. So I have been waiting for you to leave your house.”

  “Oh,” I said, sweating. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

  “I wanted to say thank you.”

  I blinked. “Huh? Thank me? Why?”

  I could hear Ron’s voice, Just thinking about Basin brought a surge of frustration.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “There’s no reason to thank me, honestly,” I said.

  She narrowed her eyes in confusion. “That’s not what Ronen Basin said.” “He saw me in the hospital and asked a load of questions, most of them about you. He said that you carried me from the Giants despite the fact that I was dead weight. That I wouldn’t be alive without your help.”

  Ronen said that? Why? Was it because I’m Cory’s brother?

  “So I approached you to give my thanks,” she said. “Whatever it is you need, I’ll help you.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “There’s a tradition in my family, if someone helps us, we’ll repay that thanks equally. You saved my life, I’ll help you with yours.” I just realized how intensely she was staring at me. Her eyes were metaphorically digging into me. It kind of scared me. It was like she could see my soul.

  “You’ll help me… with my life?”

  “Exactly. If you wish for ice cream, I'll get it for you. If you need me to protect your honor, I’ll fight for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I have two shoulders. I have been told I have comfortable shoulders.” She seemed absolutely serious. The bags under her eyes didn’t help with the crazy look in them either. “I’ll help you until the debt is repaid.”

  Looking at her, I noticed things I had overlooked before. Her curly hair was frizzy and sad-looking. She seemed not to have slept much at all, if the eyebags and the exhaustion in her expression were anything to go by. She was also very thin. Was she eating?

  I bit my lip. “I’m not sure if I'm comfortable with this. Look, I saved your life to make myself feel better. I didn’t do it because I’m a good person.”

  I don’t even know this girl. I probably shouldn’t have strangers be indebted to me. She had just lost her mom, like less than a week ago.

  The girl stared at me like my words didn’t affect her at all.

  “I don’t even know you… I’ll feel like I’m taking advantage of a stranger.”

  “My name is Alvita Reid. I live in Gregton. I like cats, I hate snakes, and I’m eighteen years old. I dislike your shoes, I prefer Indie artists, and I despise country music. However, "Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood is iconic and is the only exception.” Her expression did not change at all as she spoke. “There, now you know me.”

  I stared.

  “You’re really lonely, aren't you?” I said without even thinking. As soon as I did, I clasped my jaw closed.

  I think I’m about to start crying.

  “I’m sorry!” I yelled. “I-”

  “No, I understand.” She waved a hand, meeting my eyes again with the same intensity. “You’re trying to push me away with insults so I cannot pay off my debt. I get it. I’m sorry, Cain Rogue, but those tactics will not work on me. Even if you are a complete asshole I shall help you.”

  I stayed frozen before deflating. “Fine, if want to help me, I won’t stop you, but just so you know, I’m not forcing you to do anything.”

  “Of course. You are the one who needs help.” Alvita held out a hand. “Your phone.”

  “…”

  “Please.”

  I raised a brow but reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and unlocked it with my fingerprint. She grabbed it before I could even hold it out to her.

  She swiped up on the screen, which brought her to the main screen.

  “You could have just told me your number,” I muttered.

  She raised the phone so I couldn’t see what she was typing, which made me a little uneasy, but she gave the phone back a minute later. With a glance, I could see that she not only named herself ‘Alvita Reid (your assistant)’ but also took a picture of herself with the store behind her. She had texted herself,

  “Alright. Well, that’s all I wanted to talk to you about. Do you want me to do anything right now?”

  “No- No, I’m good. Thank you, eh, for saying thank you. I guess…” I flattened my hair with one hand, not meeting her eyes. My face heated in embarrassment. Why can I not talk like a normal person, like for once in my life?

  “Alright. I'll check on you tomorrow, then.”

  “Check on me?”

  “Yes. To make sure you are taking care of yourself.”

  What am I? A child?

  “You don’t have to.”

  “No, I can.” She nodded in farewell. “Thank you for your time, Cain Rogue.” She then turned and walked down the store's aisle, slipping past other customers.

  After she disappeared from view, I took a moment to wonder how the hell she knew my address. Was that something Basin told her?

  Speaking of , why would he speak to her at all? Does he talk to every citizen he saves? It had to do with his little rivalry with Cory, right? Or ‘friendship’, I should say.

  I grabbed the black sweatshirt off the rack and folded it over my arm. And just in case, I grabbed a second one.

  So that’s…

  Thirty for each? Why would a plain sweatshirt cost so much? That's ridiculous! Grumbling, I conceded that I would have to go very cheap.

  I made my way through the store, putting things that seemed helpful into a basket. In a bike aisle, I found elbow and knee pads. Those could be protective and subtle, so they went into the basket. I got a box of cheap face masks, a ski mask, a bike helmet, an extra pair of gloves (this time black), a pair of sports sunglasses with a tie (so they stay on my face), and (the most painful) new shoes. The box said they were good for running, and the bright blue accents were pleasing to the eye. That didn’t change the fact that they, too, were sixty dollars!

  I bought them, but I wasn’t happy about it.

  But anyhow, with about two hundred dollars less in my bank account, I had a disguise! At least for now. Hopefully, it can develop into something cooler as time goes by.

  When I got home, I ran to my room, hoping none of my family would intercept me. I held the bag of my purchases in one hand completely discreetly. No one could suspect a thing.

  I was feeling proud and relieved when I made it to my room. That lasted for approximately three seconds. I had pushed the broken door open, placed the bag on my bed, and glanced at sudden movement outside my window. I found a figure of a person.

  My eyes widened, adrenaline flooded my veins, and tears sprang to my eyes. I was fucking crying, frozen in the middle of my room. I would have set myself on from embarrassment if I weren’t so stricken with fear at that moment.

  The figure leaned closer, and I saw who it was.

  Cory fudging Buttface Rogue, floating outside my window.

  “Cory, !” I said, my voice cracking.

  Cory’s expression turned into one of shock and distress. With a click, the window unlocked and slid open with no one physically touching it.

  “Cain, are you okay?” he asked, climbing inside quickly. He came close, his hands held out as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them. His eyes darted up and down, checking me head to toe.

  “What do you think?” I snapped. “What the fuck?! didn’t you come through the I wiped my face with the back of my knuckles, my ears growing hot.

  “I’m sorry! I thought I could just pop in for a second. I didn’t know- I’m so sorry!”

  “I’m fine,” I said, cutting him off from another thirty apologies. “You just startled me. I thought you were--”

  Cory’s brows creased. “What? Who did you think I was?”

  I shook my head, throwing the thought away. “Nothing. You just startled me. You need to warn a guy first before you come up.”

  “Is it something I should worry about?”

  Does he need to worry about a shadow monster that attacked me? Would he even believe me? No, he may assume it was a nightmare just as Mom and Dad did.

  “No,” I said, taking a breath. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about so badly that you telekinesed yourself to my window?”

  My brother squinted at me, obviously not distracted by the change of conversation, but after a second, he straightened. “Have you found your power?” The seriousness was surprising.

  “You came over just to ask me that?” I moved to sit in my desk chair, still facing Cory. “No, I haven't,” I said with a bitter breath. I picked at my skin. “Honestly, I think this is all I’m going to get. I can jump somewhat high and break door handles efficiently.”

  For some reason, Cory sighed with relief, his shoulders relaxing. He was even poorly hiding a smile. I immediately bristled.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “Nothing, it’s just that… maybe it’s for the best.”

  “”

  Cory nodded. “Maybe it’s a good thing you don’t really have a power. That’s all I’m saying.”

  My jaw dropped open. “fuck you too!”

  “What-?”

  “You know what, maybe get a power! And when I do, it’s going to be the best one ”

  Cory gaped at me, surprised. “What? I didn’t-”

  “Yeah, I bet you didn’t. Just, for the first time in years, I have a chance to be as good as you. That I might be able to do what you do, and you’re what? You’re saying it’s if I can’t?” My nails bit into my palms. My breath shook for a moment.

  gets everything and I what? Get fangs and shadow monsters. How the fuck was that fair?!

  The rage boiled, and I glared death at Cory.

  “That’s not what I meant,” Cory said after a moment. “Look, I couldn't care less if you’re… ‘better’ than me or whatever, it’s just having a power is… It’s tricky. Everything isn’t as easy as you assume, Cain. I’m just looking out for you.”

  I inwardly scoffed, but I forced myself not to retort. I crossed my arms tightly.

  “So, you really came all the way here to say that? Seriously?”

  Cory bit his lip, seeming unable to meet my eye. “I mean… I have some time. To kill that is. Of course, if you don’t want me here, that’s fine.”

  I narrowed my gaze, feeling myself soften against my will. The anger that still stirred in my gut was forced down. “You want to play a video game?”

  “If you want to.”

  A grumbling sound came from my throat as I combed a hand through my hair. “You’re the worst. You know I’m mad at you, right?”

  “I don’t see what that has to do with playing Minecraft.”

  I got up to turn on my console. “It means I’m going to keep killing your dumb ass until you apologize.”

  When I looked back up, Cory didn’t look nearly as scared for his life as he should’ve been; rather, he stood there with a frown. A frown that quickly turned into a smile when I caught his eye.

  “I won’t go that easily on you,” he said. “But you can try to kill me, if you want.”

  I thought indignantly.