freaks!” Tom says as the bus pulls to a stop. “You’ll regret this, Justin--you’ll regret this more than you ever imagined!”
“Get off before I throw you off,” I tell him coldly. He gets off the bus. For a long moment there’s silence, and I turn to look at the others. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t realize he was a super hater.”
“That comment about Senator Herold is what bothers me,” Falconess says, sitting back down and crossing her legs. “That little speech the old man gave on television seems to have had a wider impact than I thought.”
“Are we freaks?” Malina asks softly.
“Sure we are,” Emily says before I can reply. She crouches down in front of the other girl, grinning wickedly. “We’re freaks, we’re different, we will never fit in, Malina--and I’d rather be all of those things than a jerk like that guy, any day, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Malina agrees with a smile, “definitely.”
“I’m going to need a new agent,” I say, dropping down in my chair again and sighing. “There’s also a really good chance that Tom will put the word out that I can’t be worked with.”
“Rather than Double M--maybe we should call Grandpa,” Emily says.
“Superior?” I ask.
“No, my other grandpa,” she says. “Bus, call Grandpa Andre,” she orders. A screen comes down behind my head. I have to turn to see the large black man. Now, think about it here--Emily’s as much an orphan as I am, from what I’ve heard, yet here she is related to THE Superior, and the owner of Hall TV, not to mention a future Liberty girl. I won’t lie, I’m a little jealous—well, I mean, other than the Liberty girl part. I'm not built to wear a stars and stripes mini skirt. You know what? Forget I said anything.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Andre asks. “I thought you were starting your mission today.”
“Justin’s agent turned out to be a super hater,” Emily says. The instant she says it, there’s a look of shock on Andre’s face.
“An agent?” he repeats.
“Yeah.”
“That doesn’t usually happen... at all, actually,” he admits. “In our business, it’s always about the green. Did something happen?”
“We were just being ourselves,” Emily says with a shrug. “Sure, Freddy climbed the Hall, and I might have let Ditto out--but it wasn’t anything to freak over.”
“Huh,” he says, a frown playing on his lips. “What’s his name?”
“Tom Macow,” I say.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Andre says. “So what are you going to do now?”
“Can you send us a replacement agent? Nico can send you all our paperwork and contacts--he’s the one that set up the tour,” Emily says.
“Well, that’s the problem--my agents usually only deal with super work,” Andre says. “Our contacts are strictly interested in stories about supers. Unless you’re willing to be outed as a cape, Justin, I’m not sure how good one of my people will be for you. Supers are as much a genre as any other.”
“But they won’t freak out on us, right?” Malina says to me.
“You’re asking a lot, though,” I admit. “Sure there have been rumors about me being a cape, especially since I screwed up, but--”
“I can pull some strings and find you a norm agent,” Andre offers. “It’s up to you.”
“I was going to have Malina do her water dance--that’s as good as admitting I’m a cape, already, isn’t it?” I realize. “And if I admit to it, there’s a bigger chance of the hidden capes coming to the show. I pretty much outed myself a year ago, after all. Send us one of yours, please.”
“I’ll send a few camera drones as well,” he says. “Where should he meet you?”
“We’re picking up my band in Kansas,” I say. “They’re still a bit irritated by that, but they’re used to traveling to strange places.” I rattle off the address and he nods.
“I’ll send them right over.”
“Will they be a super?” Malina asks.
“He’s a
“Get off before I throw you off,” I tell him coldly. He gets off the bus. For a long moment there’s silence, and I turn to look at the others. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t realize he was a super hater.”
“That comment about Senator Herold is what bothers me,” Falconess says, sitting back down and crossing her legs. “That little speech the old man gave on television seems to have had a wider impact than I thought.”
“Are we freaks?” Malina asks softly.
“Sure we are,” Emily says before I can reply. She crouches down in front of the other girl, grinning wickedly. “We’re freaks, we’re different, we will never fit in, Malina--and I’d rather be all of those things than a jerk like that guy, any day, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Malina agrees with a smile, “definitely.”
“I’m going to need a new agent,” I say, dropping down in my chair again and sighing. “There’s also a really good chance that Tom will put the word out that I can’t be worked with.”
“Rather than Double M--maybe we should call Grandpa,” Emily says.
“Superior?” I ask.
“No, my other grandpa,” she says. “Bus, call Grandpa Andre,” she orders. A screen comes down behind my head. I have to turn to see the large black man. Now, think about it here--Emily’s as much an orphan as I am, from what I’ve heard, yet here she is related to THE Superior, and the owner of Hall TV, not to mention a future Liberty girl. I won’t lie, I’m a little jealous—well, I mean, other than the Liberty girl part. I'm not built to wear a stars and stripes mini skirt. You know what? Forget I said anything.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Andre asks. “I thought you were starting your mission today.”
“Justin’s agent turned out to be a super hater,” Emily says. The instant she says it, there’s a look of shock on Andre’s face.
“An agent?” he repeats.
“Yeah.”
“That doesn’t usually happen... at all, actually,” he admits. “In our business, it’s always about the green. Did something happen?”
“We were just being ourselves,” Emily says with a shrug. “Sure, Freddy climbed the Hall, and I might have let Ditto out--but it wasn’t anything to freak over.”
“Huh,” he says, a frown playing on his lips. “What’s his name?”
“Tom Macow,” I say.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Andre says. “So what are you going to do now?”
“Can you send us a replacement agent? Nico can send you all our paperwork and contacts--he’s the one that set up the tour,” Emily says.
“Well, that’s the problem--my agents usually only deal with super work,” Andre says. “Our contacts are strictly interested in stories about supers. Unless you’re willing to be outed as a cape, Justin, I’m not sure how good one of my people will be for you. Supers are as much a genre as any other.”
“But they won’t freak out on us, right?” Malina says to me.
“You’re asking a lot, though,” I admit. “Sure there have been rumors about me being a cape, especially since I screwed up, but--”
“I can pull some strings and find you a norm agent,” Andre offers. “It’s up to you.”
“I was going to have Malina do her water dance--that’s as good as admitting I’m a cape, already, isn’t it?” I realize. “And if I admit to it, there’s a bigger chance of the hidden capes coming to the show. I pretty much outed myself a year ago, after all. Send us one of yours, please.”
“I’ll send a few camera drones as well,” he says. “Where should he meet you?”
“We’re picking up my band in Kansas,” I say. “They’re still a bit irritated by that, but they’re used to traveling to strange places.” I rattle off the address and he nods.
“I’ll send them right over.”
“Will they be a super?” Malina asks.
“He’s a