The Trials of Renegade X (10 page)

“She said Kat’s going to get
pregnant
”—she practically hisses the word, as if she might get in trouble just for saying it—“and that she won’t have us related to
him
by blood. Because if you and Kat had a baby, that would make me an aunt to Bart the Blacksmith’s great grandkid.”

I hug my knees tighter. “That’s not going to happen. We’re not stupid.” There is such a thing as birth control, after all, and just because my parents acted like they’d never heard of it doesn’t mean I’m going to be irresponsible like that. Not that I don’t like being alive and all, but it was still pretty careless of them. Plus, Helen’s one to talk. Considering that Amelia’s only eight months younger than me and that Gordon hadn’t even met Helen yet when he and my mom randomly did it in a public bathroom, I’m pretty sure if I look up their marriage certificate, the date
won’t
be nine months before Amelia was born.

But what if me and Kat want to have kids together in the future? Helen doesn’t get to decide that, and especially not because it would mean
her
precious superhero children might appear in the same family tree as her worst enemy. I get why that might annoy her and all, but it’s not like it actually means anything.

“She also said you were wild and undisciplined, because of your upbringing. And that Dad shouldn’t get his hopes up about you ...” She purses her lips and doesn’t finish.

“About me
what
, Amelia?” This is her chance to let me have it—I shouldn’t have to drag this out of her.

“Making it at Heroesworth. Being able to rise above your villain side. Even if you and Kat don’t, you know, ruin your lives. And she said there’s not that great a chance of you getting your
H
.” She shrugs and looks away guiltily. “She said you’re the oldest and the rest of us look up to you too much for you to get away with acting how you do. Though obviously
I
don’t, so she must have meant Alex and Jess.”

Right. “And what did Gordon say? When she told him what a bad influence I am?” I hate the way my throat feels too tight and the bitter taste that creeps into my mouth. As if I actually care that my stepmother thinks I’m ruining her kids. My own brother and sisters.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t hear that part.”

Wonderful. So Gordon may or may not have stood up for me. For all I know, Mr. Subway Bathroom himself could actually agree with her.

Neither of us says anything for a while, the only sound the whir of the laptop and the wind howling outside. “Damien,” Amelia says, her voice barely a whisper, “I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re a bad influence. And neither does Alex. Or Jess.”

“Of course they don’t. They’re the ones being corrupted by me, so they just don’t know any better.” What does Helen even think is going to happen? That her kids are somehow not going to get their
H
s because of me? They have genetics going for them—it would be impossible for them to get any other letter. And why did she have to tell Gordon I’m going to disappoint him? She doesn’t actually know that.

And, I don’t know, I thought she actually liked me. I’m pretty sure she did, but I guess any warm feelings she had for me dried up when she realized me being half villain actually has consequences. Like, for instance, me being in love with the direct descendent of her arch nemesis, the guy who took her superspeed and ruined her career as a superhero, who she obviously still has a grudge against.

“Damien?” Amelia says.

“It’s late and the storm’s over. You should go. I won’t even charge you. At least, not right now. You can owe me.”

“Okay, but we haven’t even started the movie yet.”

“Seriously, Amelia. You’ve said enough. And you’d better get out of here. You wouldn’t want any more of my bad influences to rub off on you.”

Chapter 7

I SIT AT THE kitchen table the next morning, listening to the rain slamming against the window and staring at my phone, which I was able to charge after Gordon reset the fuse earlier. I told him something needs to be done, since the attic isn’t just a deathtrap for the obvious reasons, but that the wiring is clearly also about to short out and start a fire in the walls and kill me in my sleep. But he just laughed and ruffled my hair like he thought I was joking.

Apparently it was only the attic that didn’t have power last night, because of the blown fuse, and I could have been charging my phone the whole time if I’d just gone downstairs. Not that an extra venture down the stairs was on my list of things to do, but I might have, if it meant calling Kat back. Of course, then I might have gotten this picture Mom sent me that much sooner and probably never fallen asleep at all. It’s the picture she took yesterday of me holding Xavier, which she sent to me at one o’clock last night, according to the info on my phone. She actually sent that picture to me, like she has any right to even still have my number.

My thumb hovers over the delete button. I should just get rid of it. It’s not like I want any reminders that he exists or that Mom didn’t even tell me about him. Plus, I look awful in this picture. My hair’s sticking out all over, and I look shocked and kind of terrified of the baby I’m holding. He’s so wrapped up in blue blankets that it’s not like you can even see him. So, it’s basically just me looking crazy and holding a wad of blanket. Not really worth keeping.

Well, unless I want to make some informational pamphlets of my own to leave for Helen to find.

“What’s that?” Helen asks, coming up behind me.

“Nothing.” I quickly press the button on my phone to make it go dark and slip it into my pocket. After what she said to Gordon about me, I’m revoking her “getting to know anything about me” privileges.

“Okay.” She sort of laughs, like she’s not sure what to make of my reaction but also doesn’t really care.

Jess waddles in and sits down in the chair next to me. Then she gets up, pushes the chair right up against mine, and sits back down. She leans in close and presses her forehead against my shoulder.

My eyes flick over to Helen, wondering what she thinks of this, now that I know how she really feels about me. She’s too busy peering into the fridge and grabbing a container of orange juice to notice, though.

“Ow!” I feel a sharp pinch on my forearm and look down to see Jess staring up at me. Pinching has quickly become one of her favorite forms of communication. I’m pretty sure Amelia’s the one who introduced her to it, which I think makes her the bad influence, not me.

Despite having just pinched me, she very shyly points to the untouched blueberry muffin sitting in front of me. I take a bite of it, then tear off a piece for her. She smiles at me like I just handed her part of the moon, not an insignificant amount of my breakfast.

And, okay, if Xavier is anything like Jess, how could I not love him? But ... he probably won’t be. And he’ll probably be screwed up from Mom’s stupid formula and growing up way faster than normal. Plus, it’s not like I’m ever going to get to see him. This is the first time I’ve seen Mom in almost half a year, and that was by accident. And even if I did get to visit him or something, what would Mom have told him about me?

Look, Xavier, sweetie, it’s your older brother who couldn’t cut it as a villain and turned to the dark side. Be good and eat all your vegetables, or I’ll have to send you away like I did him.

Just kidding. Mom would never care if anyone ate all their vegetables. If she even served any.

“Amelia!” Helen shouts off into the hallway. “You’d better get out here if you don’t want to be late for school!”

I hope it’s not lost on her that
I’m
the only one up on time and ready to go. Of course, that might have more to do with me getting up super early so no one would see just how long it takes me to get down the stairs than it does me being responsible, but I think it still counts.

“Hey,” Helen says, smiling at me. “You want a ride, kid?”

“Nope.”
Not from you.

She frowns. “Uh ... it’s pouring down rain outside.”

“Is it acid rain?”

“No.”

“Then
I’ll walk
.”

She stares at me, a tentative smile tugging on one side of her mouth, like what I’m saying is so ridiculous, I must be kidding. “It’s over a mile. You’ll get soaked. I’m already taking Amelia—it’s no trouble.”

Jess grabs a handful of my muffin and shoves it in my mouth, returning the favor, I guess. So helpful.

“Jess?” Helen says. “Why don’t you focus on your own breakfast?”

“I’m full.” Or so she claims, but then she immediately starts licking the muffin crumbs off her hand like there’s about to be a food shortage we don’t know about.

“Then why don’t you go find your shoes so we can get ready to go?” Helen waits until Jess leaves, then steals her seat next to me. “I want to talk to you.”

“Wonderful.” I see how it is. When someone’s watching, she offers me a ride to school. As soon as we’re alone, she’s going to tell me off. “And here I thought you were never going to speak to me again. Just like my mom. I do something you don’t like, and you pretend I don’t exist.”

“
What?
Where’s that coming from?”

“How about the fact that you haven’t spoken to me in days? That’s kind of the definition of not talking to someone.” Plus, I know what she said about me.

“I’m sure I didn’t ...” She pauses, trying to come up with a time she actually spoke to me since Friday. “I’ve been processing. Trying to figure out what to say to you.”

I shrug. “I know what you’re going to say to me.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. You don’t want Kat over here again.
Fine
. She’s at school now, anyway. It’s not like I’m going to get to see her. But when I do, I won’t bring her here.” At least, I won’t get caught again. And my excellent compromising skills would be a great asset to anyone I might be an influence to. Just pointing that out.

Helen folds her arms and leans back a little. “Oh, I more than don’t want her here.”

“Okay. I wasn’t going to say it. It’s not like I don’t know you don’t want me going out with her. But you know what? It’s not your call. I love her. And you can’t tell me who to love. Even if she is related to your arch nemesis.” Who Kat never even met because he died before we were born.

Her forehead wrinkles and she snorts in disbelief. “You might
think
you love her. And if it was the real thing, that might be different. But you’re
sixteen
, Damien! And some girl letting you into her pants is not the same thing as love.”

“Uh, yeah. I
know
. It’s not about that.” Besides, how does she know Kat’s not trying to get into
my
pants? Why does she assume it’s all me? I think there’s an equal amount of pants-wanting on both sides. Or, okay, maybe more like a sixty/forty split. But that’s close enough. “I know when I love somebody. I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense to you.” And if she thinks that me loving Kat has anything to do with getting in her pants or not, then she really doesn’t know me at all. That might be a perk—one we both enjoy—but it’s not why we’re together.

“Her grandfather was a murderer. He was a horrible, evil man, and I nearly died making sure he couldn’t hurt the people I cared about, or anyone else, ever again. Losing my superspeed was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and I’m lucky I escaped with my life. But I’d do it all over again if I had to. I’d risk everything to protect the people I care about.
That’s
love.”

“Just as long as it doesn’t involve anyone related to your arch nemesis, right? Look, I get why you hate her grandfather so much, but
she’s
not a murderer. Her parents aren’t, either.” And her dad grew up estranged from his father—gee, kind of like someone else I know—so it’s not like they were close or anything.

“But they’re still supervillains.” She tilts her head, giving me this pointed look, like she thinks she’s got me cornered. As if them being supervillains automatically makes them evil. “So is she.”

“So, I shouldn’t be with her? You don’t even know her.”

“I don’t need to know her.”

“Wow. Letterist much? My mom’s a supervillain. I guess that means you don’t need to know me, either.”

“I just meant if you want to be a hero, you have to start making hard choices about the people in your life. I’m telling you this for your own good.”

“Sure you are.”

Her jaw tightens. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Especially because of some girl.”

“Whoa.” I glare at her. “Kat isn’t just ’some girl.’ She’s my best friend.” Which she’d know if she’d been paying any attention instead of obsessing over who Kat’s related to. “She’s the most important person in the world to me. And you’re telling me to ditch her because I’m going to hero school? Doesn’t sound very heroic to me.”

Helen glares back at me and doesn’t say anything. An awkward silence hangs heavy in the air. Then Amelia clears her throat from the doorway. “I’m ready to go.”

“Great,” Helen says, jumping up from the table and sounding relieved to be done with our conversation. “Let me get my keys. Damien, are you coming?”

I glance over at the window. It’s still pouring down rain, and she’s right, I’ll get completely soaked. But after she basically just told me all supervillains are evil and that I only care about Kat because I’m too stupid to know better, I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of accepting her help. “I told you. I’ll walk.”

Helen blinks and lets out a long sigh. “Fine,” she says, not arguing. “Come on, Amelia. Let’s go.”

“I’m walking, too,” Amelia says, glancing over at me. “I’ll go with Damien.”

Helen gapes at her, like she thought she was winning this game against me but just lost all her points. Then she holds up her hands, frustrated with both of us, and says, “If that’s what you want,” before storming off to find Alex.