Anti Socials Ch.2

Author's Note: Ch1 and prologue found here http://lookerpie.blogspot.com/2011/10/anti-socials-prologue-and-ch1.html

"What was that?" I angrily asked my sister, who flinched away from the sound of an upcoming scolding. We both knew I already knew the answer, and she remained silent as we walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria. I decided to skip out on the lecture. She looked miserable enough and had instantly understood her mistake. So I drill her.
"What happens if they find out?" we both knew the answer. It had been drilled into our heads since we were small children.
"They take us away, we never see mom or dad or Jason again." The thought of never seeing our parents or younger brother again made her eyes water. I continue anyways.
"What happens to mom and dad?" I open the door to the cafeteria.
"They spend the rest of their lives in prison." Ella chokes this out in a whisper. We step inside, grab our usual table.
"What," I ask, leaning across to look in the eyes " happens to Jason? To us?"
She doesn't answer doesn't look at me as she rifles through her bag, looking for the paper sack that holds her lunch. Its a distraction. A means to avoid answering the hardest question of them all. She knows. I know. She finds the crumpled paper bag sets it on the table, not touching the contents inside. Neither of us are hungry. Our conversation was quiet. We made sure to keep a safe distance from the other students and talked so low so that no one could make out even a snatch of the conversation. But now I reach out and touch the feathery existence that is my sister's mind. And there I find my answer.
In her mind is a montage of newspaper clippings and evening reports telling of the capture of children like us. With special abilities. Pictures of children flash by. Their faces are different in so many ways, but they have the same expression on them one by one as they flash by. Their eyes are distant, glassy. Their shoulders are slumped, from exhaustion or sorrow or both I do not know. And all of them look broken, and I know as I see them that the world they live in is inaccessible and inescapable, and in it there is no hope no future. Just sorrow and longing. And I know from this signature expression that all these kids are in the Crib. Its real name is the Human Hazard Protection Center. But it gets its name because none of the kids that were put there are older than fifteen. All of them have abilities that when wielded in anger could cause enormous problems for civilians. Children like us.
I withdraw. Ella's on the verge of tears, still not looking me in the face. We eat in silence. Suddenly I jump as someone whacks me in the back of the head. I turn and glare angrily into the laughing green eyes of my friend Josh, and standing a couple of feet away is Maria. Josh is tall with a muscular build and jet black hair. Several girls in the school whisper about him in the school bathroom, and I know more than a few girls are now shooting burning glares at my back. Maria is prissy, her clothes is always looking like they've been freshly ironed and forever free of stains, lint, or any other uncleanly piece of matter you could imagine. She has chestnut brown hair that rests neatly on her shoulders in perfect orderly waves. Maria and Josh are constantly bickering, what with her neat freak attitude constantly clashing with his slovenly one.
I rub the back of my head "Y'know if you spent a little more time reading those books instead of using them to bludgeon your friends, you might do a bit better on your tests."
He grins "Aww c'mon we all know as soon as I am out of this school some Hollywood producer is going to snatch me up and put me on the big screen."
Maria snorts " Any movie with your face in it is sure to be a horror movie."
Both sit down at the table and continue bickering. I sigh and roll my eyes. Ella giggles, having quickly recovered from the conversation that took place just moments ago. It seemed that instead of telekinesis Ella had an unnatural optimistic attitude that was as permanent as a sharpie. I allow a small smile at my friends antics and join in on the teasing, just hoping silently that Ella took the talk we had to heart. I broadcast this into her head, and she nods, just slightly, to let me know she did.