Lana and Chekof left the room. Blaine's eye in the hall was still twitching.
"So, what do you all have planned for the day?" Lana asked, looking at everyone while moving away from Paul's room, intentionally moving to Blaine's side.
Dobin spoke first, "I'm going to my room to study."
Lana nodded, "I'll bring lunch and dinner up to you. I want you out of sight right now."
Dobin nodded.
As they turned at the landing to head to the second floor, they realized Almin, Alto, and Karlen were standing at the door to their hall waiting for them.
Karlen stepped in front of them. "Whatever you guys are up to, we want in."
Lana looked at Blaine.
Chekof stepped up and looked Karlen in the eyes. He saw no attempt to use his ability on him so he nodded. "Lana, it might be helpful."
She nodded, told Dobin to go study and invited the others back to her room.
She relayed the information they learned from Paul regarding her impending threat.
Karlen nodded.
"I'm suddenly glad I have a common ability," Alto said.
Almin replied, "this is more reason to get stronger. We need to protect each other."
Lana sighed, "we have all known each other only 2 weeks. Nothing marries you to this team or friendship. If you don't want the danger that comes with associating with me, now is the time to bail."
There was quiet for a full minute, waiting for someone to say they were out.
Chekof was the first to speak, "I guess your cooking is top-notch!"
Lana chuckled while the others smiled or laughed.
Kattie smirked, "do you think we are that weak? You are stuck with us. Whether we make a good team or not, we will decide eventually but we are your friends. As for the day, I need to study more."
Lana chewed her bottom lip, "while I want to study, I want to watch a movie as well. We also need to take Sven out."
Kattie nodded, "I was going to mention that."
Almin offered to take her out but Lana interjected. "I need my outside time and taking her to the park helps with that without having to march."
Blaine made a suggestion, "how about you take her to the park then come up to my room to watch a movie. You can come back down to cook lunch after the movie is over but this way you won't disrupt Kattie's studies."
Lana smiled, "okay. But what about your roommates?"
Karlen responded, "I have a date with the roof."
"Is that where you go?" Blaine asked
He nodded.
"Why?"
"I like to understand my surroundings. Even more so now that I know there's a threat. It may help." Karlen bid them farewell and left.
Almin and Alto also informed them they would be back at lunchtime.
Checkof looked at Blaine. Lana smiled at him. "I'll be up soon. Phase 2 starts tomorrow and you'll be able to come with us."
Blaine nodded and reluctantly left her side. Chekof and Kattie exchanged a glance that Lana totally missed.
Lana did her usual. The trees weren't saying anything entertaining that morning. In fact, it seemed the two trees were now giving each other the cold shoulder.
With a bag full of food, they dropped Kattie off at their room and Lana accompanied Chekof to his room. "Are you sure you don't mind if we watch a movie in your room?"
"I know you're safe if I can see you. I prefer it, honestly."
Lana smiled. "Thank you."
Chekof opened the door and the smell of chocolate chip cookies filled her nose. She inhaled as Blaine met her near the entrance. Checkof squeezed passed him.
"Open up," Blaine told Lana and she did. He placed a bite of cookie in her mouth and she smiled.
"That's a party in your mouth! Did you order those?"
He looked at his feet, "you caught me."
Lana chuckled. "Let's find something to watch."
They took off their boots and sat on the bed against the headboard. Blaine started scrolling with his remote.
"Oh, right there!"
"Here?"
"Up one."
"This one… I thought you hated scary movies."
"Zombie movies are not horror movies. They are closer to documentaries."
Blaine laughed, "please explain." Chekof wanted to hear this one as well.
"Well, think about it. Zombies are mindless individuals who aimlessly wander around and eat brains. How is that different from society? People blindly follow the way those around them choose to go rather than thinking for themselves. If someone dares go their own way, society eats them alive. Only difference is one is an actual eating while the other is metaphorical."
Blaine smiled and selected the movie. Soon a red and white umbrella could be seen, a woman staring straight into the surveillance camera before it went to static, she was a killing machine. Lana contemplated the merits of naming her first-born Alice then thought better of it. This movie was over 200 years old but movies from the era were still quite popular. The remakes were horrendous.
They took a lunch break with Lana making sure to keep her word. It was a bit like a school day but movies instead of classes. The afternoon was spent watching the next two movies in the series. After dinner, Lana hit the books. Blaine reluctantly agreed as the internal battle was still being waged. He couldn't help the fact he felt a sense of peace when near her despite the fear his family filled him with.
With her plans with Blaine for Sunday, Lana gave Paul lunch and dinner as well as a tea for both days. She stayed up late studying. She was so close to learning how to heal bones. She wanted to solidify that knowledge. She went to bed confident she could do the task. She did pause briefly to meditate with Kattie.
After breakfast, Blaine asked her to go head and get dressed. He wanted to spend the day in town with her. The rest of the team said they'd make sure Kattie got her time in the park with Sven. Lana was happy this was something that would change. At least on the weekends, they could all go to the park.
Lana was fussing over how she looked, not used to such fancy clothing. She kept running her hands down her dress, still marveling that she was wearing such a nice dress. Blaine knocked on the door and came in for a moment. He closed the door and it took him great effort to take his eyes off her.
"With the present danger, we are going to travel invisible. I'll make you invisible then we will leave. In the stairwell, grab my hand and I will also go invisible. My plans for the day are dinner as we discussed but I want to take you to have your hair done and do a bit of shopping and maybe go to the theater if they have anything you're interested in. It will be your call. What do you say?"
"It's a lot of money."
"Mine to spend. You also need another perspective than what you were raised with. Yes, life can be quite scary but you may also find people who truly care. Frankly, if you can't find a man who will treat you the way I do today, he doesn't deserve you. Okay?"
Lana chuckled, "yes, sir! Let's go."
Not only did the hairdresser take the color out of her hair but she curled it as well. It wasn't a perm but just a nice style to match her dress. She even gave Lana pointers on doing her hair.
Blaine ended up carrying four bags. They travelled between locations invisible but were seen in the locations themselves. Blaine felt a little bit of security was better than none. What he didn't tell her was Chekof and Karlen both had the itinerary and were in the store and outside the salon and restaurant.
While they were eating, Lana asked the question she had been wanting to know. "Why are there two of you in one body? Did someone use an ability on you?"
Blaine smiled, "actually, it's stranger than that. Kyle and I are twins. However, my body became unviable and his absorbed mine. I insisted on living so I jumped into his body. He didn't want me in here so we fought to a standstill. He's more powerful than I am but I have the stronger will. Our plans, now, are if we find someone with the ability, we can transfer me into my own body."
Lana smiled and nodded, "do you like each other?"
"We do. We get along really well most of the time. I'm more cautious than he is and I like to fight more than him as well. The problem is, he always got the better scores, no matter what it was. He could beat or accomplish everything better than I could. He has more abilities than I do as well."
"But he's also more shy?"
Blaine nodded. "You are the first person he's wanted to talk to other than me in 7 years. But he keeps doubting himself."
She smiled, "I'm flattered."
"Do you have any good memories of growing up?"
"Good memories? Of more than just surviving together, saving each other?"
Blain nodded with a frown.
"The only thing I can think of our time under the willow tree."
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