headed over and plucked a bagel from the platter. She grabbed a plate from the stack and jelly from the fridge when Angie said nothing.
“I can’t believe these are handmade. I only buy them premade. Did you make them?” Adelaide asked when she returned to the couches. She invited herself to sit on the sectional but still sat on the opposite side of the room from the other woman. Her stay would be brutal if they couldn’t talk to each other.
“Preeti did, but help yourself. Those bagels are meant for everyone.”
Adelaide took a bite to find the taste of cinnamon and raisins. She chewed in silence for a moment before she thought of anything to say.
“I can help cook. I’m not here to be a mooch,” Adelaide offered the rehearsed line for what it was worth but Angie’s face didn’t change. Her green eyes continued to relentlessly bore into the flat screen, but when Adelaide followed her gaze, she saw nothing special about the headlining news. The world continued turning, just like it always had.
“Don’t worry about it. Preeti won’t let you in the kitchen anyway.”
The conversation lulled again and Adelaide focused solely on polishing off the rest of her bagel. She wiped the crumbs on her jeans and set the plate down on the coffee table. When the first commercial interrupted the news, Adelaide spoke.
“Where is everyone else?”
“I think Adam’s in the shower. I don’t know where anyone else is. They should be down here.”
“Are they avoiding me?”
This got Angie to look at her and mute the television.
“I’m not sure…” Angie admitted, surprisingly honest. “I’m not going to take anything out on you and neither should they. I think it’ll blow over once everyone settles in. No one wanted to make this move. They’re frustrated and irritable so don’t take it personally.”
“It’s a nice house. I’m surprised no one wanted to come out here,” Adelaide said.
“Have you seen where we are? It gets boring fast, not to mention completely uprooting our lives for an indefinite amount of time.”
Angie apparently shared Adam’s sentiment—the same sentiment that brought her here. Angie continued.
“Anyway, I think it’ll be nice to have a new person to talk to in the meantime.”
Adelaide opened her mouth to answer, but Angie suddenly hit the volume to the television. The news came back on the screen and Angie returned to watching the television. Like before, she waited for the commercial until she muted it again and turned back to Adelaide.
“Can I get you anything else? Drink? Food?”
“No, I’m perfect. Thanks.”
“Well, feel free to help yourself…”
“Why are you so interested in the news?” Adelaide suddenly asked. It occurred to her earlier but she never considered voicing until now. Angie only looked momentarily startled.
“I like to know what’s going on in the rest of the world. Shade attacks make the news quite often…”
Adelaide nodded.
“I can imagine. They nearly blew half of my street to pieces just a few days ago.”
In fact Adelaide was always puzzled that the shades didn’t make the news more often. While mages tried to blend in, shades made little attempt to hide their appearances. She suspected it was always people’s disbelief coloring their perceptions about what actually
“I can’t believe these are handmade. I only buy them premade. Did you make them?” Adelaide asked when she returned to the couches. She invited herself to sit on the sectional but still sat on the opposite side of the room from the other woman. Her stay would be brutal if they couldn’t talk to each other.
“Preeti did, but help yourself. Those bagels are meant for everyone.”
Adelaide took a bite to find the taste of cinnamon and raisins. She chewed in silence for a moment before she thought of anything to say.
“I can help cook. I’m not here to be a mooch,” Adelaide offered the rehearsed line for what it was worth but Angie’s face didn’t change. Her green eyes continued to relentlessly bore into the flat screen, but when Adelaide followed her gaze, she saw nothing special about the headlining news. The world continued turning, just like it always had.
“Don’t worry about it. Preeti won’t let you in the kitchen anyway.”
The conversation lulled again and Adelaide focused solely on polishing off the rest of her bagel. She wiped the crumbs on her jeans and set the plate down on the coffee table. When the first commercial interrupted the news, Adelaide spoke.
“Where is everyone else?”
“I think Adam’s in the shower. I don’t know where anyone else is. They should be down here.”
“Are they avoiding me?”
This got Angie to look at her and mute the television.
“I’m not sure…” Angie admitted, surprisingly honest. “I’m not going to take anything out on you and neither should they. I think it’ll blow over once everyone settles in. No one wanted to make this move. They’re frustrated and irritable so don’t take it personally.”
“It’s a nice house. I’m surprised no one wanted to come out here,” Adelaide said.
“Have you seen where we are? It gets boring fast, not to mention completely uprooting our lives for an indefinite amount of time.”
Angie apparently shared Adam’s sentiment—the same sentiment that brought her here. Angie continued.
“Anyway, I think it’ll be nice to have a new person to talk to in the meantime.”
Adelaide opened her mouth to answer, but Angie suddenly hit the volume to the television. The news came back on the screen and Angie returned to watching the television. Like before, she waited for the commercial until she muted it again and turned back to Adelaide.
“Can I get you anything else? Drink? Food?”
“No, I’m perfect. Thanks.”
“Well, feel free to help yourself…”
“Why are you so interested in the news?” Adelaide suddenly asked. It occurred to her earlier but she never considered voicing until now. Angie only looked momentarily startled.
“I like to know what’s going on in the rest of the world. Shade attacks make the news quite often…”
Adelaide nodded.
“I can imagine. They nearly blew half of my street to pieces just a few days ago.”
In fact Adelaide was always puzzled that the shades didn’t make the news more often. While mages tried to blend in, shades made little attempt to hide their appearances. She suspected it was always people’s disbelief coloring their perceptions about what actually
Similar Books
