a moment I look at him in confusion, wondering if he's going to ask something--like if I have spare change for his game, but he's got a serious look on his face. "You're okay, right?"
"What?" I ask.
"Your dad, you know, after going to see him," he says a bit awkwardly.
"Tell me, Blackjack, WHY were you picked for dorm manager duty?" I ask him. "Cuz it's clearly not for your great ability to comfort teenagers."
He drops his hand. "Yeah, yeah," he mutters. He looks embarrassed. "I... ah..." He hesitates and shrugs. "I'm going through a divorce. It was good to get out of the house," he says simply.
I'm a bit shocked. No, not just a bit. "You're married?" I yelp.
"Not anymore," he says. "Or should I say I won't be anymore?"
"To who? Is she another super? Do you have kids?" I ask as we leave the dorm and head for the apartment. "No, if you had kids they'd be here, right?"
"She's a norm," he says. "And so is my son. He's your age, but he's never shown any signs, so..." he shrugs his shoulders. "Capes... we don't have the easiest of family lives," he adds, looking at me. "You know that."
"You couldn't tell by looking at Trent's family," I mutter.
"Ken's an alien," Blackjack says so seriously that I almost believe him. What? It's not that rare to find out that a cape is from another planet. I'm pretty sure Superior was. "I have no idea how he does it."
"The whole happy family thing?" I ask.
"It's probably because he's married to a cape," Blackjack admits as we reach the apartment building. "She knows exactly what he's doing and going through. But I honestly thought we'd... nah, this isn't something you discuss with a kid," he interrupts himself. "But just so you know, stick with capes, Morgan. Sure you're still likely to get hurt, but it won't be over not seeing what's important in life."
I wonder, I think as we head into the apartment, which one of them doesn't see what's important. I don't know anything about healthy marriages, nor do I plan on ever getting married, so it's a useless lecture for me, anyway. Especially since if I pull this off... I'll never be in the first place.
Wait, does that mean since I'm here that I don't--didn't pull it off? Man I'm confused. I'm about to chicken out, right here. I mean, I like living and I love my Dad, cuz, well, he's my dad, but I don't want him messing up Mom's life or getting stuck in the cells or--my head hurts.
"LIZ!!" I hear Emily bellow from the stairway. "MORGAN'S HERE!"
"BRING HER UP!" I hear Liz shout from above.
"DO YOU HAVE TO YELL?" I hear someone else bellow.
"YES!" both Liz and Emily yell back. I feel a hint of laughter try to escape, even though I'm going through a serious problem right now. What? It's not like I can figure it out, I'm not a genius. I just have to try, then see what happens. Besides, focusing on that right now is stupid. First I have to get the watch back before we can do anything at all.
I look up as Emily grabs my hand, dragging me up the stairs. She's wearing pajamas and carrying a stuffed blob thing. "Um, was I supposed to bring a pillow?" I ask.
"Nah, we got plenty," Emily says with a grin. We stop on one of the higher levels and head down the hall, going through the door without knocking. "I brought Morgan!"
The sight in front of me is shocking, to say the least. Aubrey, Emily (my Emily must be Ditto) and Liz are lying on a giant pile of blankets in the middle of the floor, surrounded by snacks and stuffed creatures. Weird looking stuffed creatures. I look at them blankly, tugging my bag closer and feeling that this might be stranger than I thought.
"Come on in!" Liz says cheerfully. She's got pajamas on, a pair of fluffy yellow pants and a t-shirt that has a picture of a yellow rat thing on it. "Did the girls tell you the rule for movie night?"
"No telling what we watch?" I offer.
"Good. Grab a blanket and take a seat," she says.
"What?" I ask.
"Your dad, you know, after going to see him," he says a bit awkwardly.
"Tell me, Blackjack, WHY were you picked for dorm manager duty?" I ask him. "Cuz it's clearly not for your great ability to comfort teenagers."
He drops his hand. "Yeah, yeah," he mutters. He looks embarrassed. "I... ah..." He hesitates and shrugs. "I'm going through a divorce. It was good to get out of the house," he says simply.
I'm a bit shocked. No, not just a bit. "You're married?" I yelp.
"Not anymore," he says. "Or should I say I won't be anymore?"
"To who? Is she another super? Do you have kids?" I ask as we leave the dorm and head for the apartment. "No, if you had kids they'd be here, right?"
"She's a norm," he says. "And so is my son. He's your age, but he's never shown any signs, so..." he shrugs his shoulders. "Capes... we don't have the easiest of family lives," he adds, looking at me. "You know that."
"You couldn't tell by looking at Trent's family," I mutter.
"Ken's an alien," Blackjack says so seriously that I almost believe him. What? It's not that rare to find out that a cape is from another planet. I'm pretty sure Superior was. "I have no idea how he does it."
"The whole happy family thing?" I ask.
"It's probably because he's married to a cape," Blackjack admits as we reach the apartment building. "She knows exactly what he's doing and going through. But I honestly thought we'd... nah, this isn't something you discuss with a kid," he interrupts himself. "But just so you know, stick with capes, Morgan. Sure you're still likely to get hurt, but it won't be over not seeing what's important in life."
I wonder, I think as we head into the apartment, which one of them doesn't see what's important. I don't know anything about healthy marriages, nor do I plan on ever getting married, so it's a useless lecture for me, anyway. Especially since if I pull this off... I'll never be in the first place.
Wait, does that mean since I'm here that I don't--didn't pull it off? Man I'm confused. I'm about to chicken out, right here. I mean, I like living and I love my Dad, cuz, well, he's my dad, but I don't want him messing up Mom's life or getting stuck in the cells or--my head hurts.
"LIZ!!" I hear Emily bellow from the stairway. "MORGAN'S HERE!"
"BRING HER UP!" I hear Liz shout from above.
"DO YOU HAVE TO YELL?" I hear someone else bellow.
"YES!" both Liz and Emily yell back. I feel a hint of laughter try to escape, even though I'm going through a serious problem right now. What? It's not like I can figure it out, I'm not a genius. I just have to try, then see what happens. Besides, focusing on that right now is stupid. First I have to get the watch back before we can do anything at all.
I look up as Emily grabs my hand, dragging me up the stairs. She's wearing pajamas and carrying a stuffed blob thing. "Um, was I supposed to bring a pillow?" I ask.
"Nah, we got plenty," Emily says with a grin. We stop on one of the higher levels and head down the hall, going through the door without knocking. "I brought Morgan!"
The sight in front of me is shocking, to say the least. Aubrey, Emily (my Emily must be Ditto) and Liz are lying on a giant pile of blankets in the middle of the floor, surrounded by snacks and stuffed creatures. Weird looking stuffed creatures. I look at them blankly, tugging my bag closer and feeling that this might be stranger than I thought.
"Come on in!" Liz says cheerfully. She's got pajamas on, a pair of fluffy yellow pants and a t-shirt that has a picture of a yellow rat thing on it. "Did the girls tell you the rule for movie night?"
"No telling what we watch?" I offer.
"Good. Grab a blanket and take a seat," she says.
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