Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

B2: Chapter 8 - Making a Difference - II

  She held him there for a moment. With her other hand, she plucked another beer out of the bucket of ice sitting on the table and opened it one-handed. She chugged the whole bottle dry, while Elissa and Trevor gawked. Trevor continued to struggle in vain against her arm, but Hailey finished off the beer without losing a millimeter in the contest.

  As she drained the last few drops, Hailey leaned forward. Looking Trevor directly in the eyes, she held up the bottle. She moved it toward his hand, and—ever so lightly—tapped the glass against the back of his fist.

  An instant later, Hailey slammed his hand flat against the table.

  "And that's how it's done," she crowed, dropping the bottle on the table with a flourish.

  Rupert smiled. Elissa was still looking at the spot in midair where their hands had been a moment earlier, her mouth slightly open. Trevor rubbed his hand, eyeing her with newfound respect.

  "Okay, maybe you're right," he said begrudgingly.

  Hailey rolled her eyes. "Don't make me beat you up every time you're losing an argument, man. That's gonna get old quick."

  He smiled. "Nah, I'm rethinking my entire life right now."

  "What were we even arguing about again?" Elissa wondered aloud, hiccuping slightly.

  "If you're too drunk to talk straight?"

  "Hey, I'm not drunk. I've had way less than Hailey, and I'm just having wine."

  "Oh, you don't want to get in a drinking contest with her," Rupert added, dropping onto the couch next to Hailey and putting an arm around her. Hailey settled in comfortably, still enjoying the rush of victory coupled with the solid warmth of her boyfriend's chest. "It's even more one-sided."

  True to form, Hailey was barely feeling the three beers she'd already drained. She wasn't planning to drink much that night, since she still had to fly home with Jessica later. Flying around intoxicated wasn't something she felt like trying anytime soon.

  Remembering Jessica, Hailey sent a tiny breeze to flow around Jessica's hair where Hailey knew she'd be laying down, just to say hi. Her friend was currently on the roof of the apartment complex, a couple floors above them. She refused to meet Rupert's friends, though she never said why. Hailey secretly suspected she didn't want to deal with teaching yet another group of people how to interact with her. Whenever they ever visited Rupert and he had company, Jessica spent the time on the roof, practicing magic or doing whatever else she might be doing.

  It was always a bit dangerous, going out into the world with their status as refugees-slash-wanted persons, but Hailey didn't want to get trapped in a cycle of being stuck with so few people to interact with, as they had been in Rallsburg. Hailey had offered to go out alone, since they didn't need to risk both of them being recognized somehow, but Jessica insisted on accompanying her every time.

  After their day in Seattle, the original plan had been to come back to Rupert's place and spend the evening with just the three of them, but Rupert's friends ambushed them on the way home. Jessica had pretended not to know her, discreetly following them home and levitating herself up to the roof from the dark alleyway.

  As soon as Hailey's breeze hit her, Jessica sent one in return, fluttering the shades near the window. It looked like the oscillating fan in the corner (always on to mask Hailey's unconscious air currents from Rupert's friends) had moved them, but Hailey could tell the difference. Thanks, Jess.

  "So what were we talking about?" Rupert prompted, who hadn't actually been in the room when they'd started getting into it.

  "One person making a difference," answered Elissa, getting up to refill her glass.