“Great, because I never did anything embarrassing or awkward on Caeles, right?” I droned sarcastically.
She laughed at that, obviously recalling the fact that I’d managed to make numerous missteps, in both word and deed, back on her homeworld.
“Fine,” she said after regaining her composure. “I’ll simply say what I feel, and you’ll just have to deal with it.”
“Sounds awesome,” I replied.
“Famous last words…” she shot back, at which point we both started chuckling.
Chapter 72
I hung out with Myshtal until my grandparents came home. She hadn’t been present during the altercation with Jack in the teen lounge, but who knew what was going through my evil twin’s head? There was no telling who he might decide to go after or why. That being the case, I was wary of leaving her alone at the moment. Thus, I made my grandparents aware of the day’s events and that they should probably keep an eye out.
“We’ll keep her safe,” my grandfather assured me, after pulling me aside while Indigo and Myshtal chatted.
“Thanks,” I said. “By the way, where’s Mom? We need to let her know what’s happened as well.”
“She’s still with the lawyers,” Gramps replied.
I raised an eyebrow. “Lawyers?”
“Yes. All of your designated guardians are leaving the planet. There’s a ton of legal stuff that has to be done so that you – a minor – won’t have any issues when it comes to all the things you’ll have responsibility for: money, property, living on your own, etc.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “I guess I never thought about all that stuff.”
“So what do you think we’ve been doing when we’re out all day?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, shrugging. “Saying goodbye to people. Picking up some DVDs to watch on the trip. Stocking up on chocolate and other goodies you can’t get outside the Milky Way.”
Gramps laughed. “Yes, there has been some of that, but mostly we’re making sure you’re taken care of – and can take care of yourself – in our absence.”
“Well, uh, thanks,” I mumbled. “I honestly hadn’t thought about all the ways your being gone will affect me.”
It probably wasn’t clear, but I wasn’t just talking about the legalities Gramps had mentioned. He was the man who raised me, the only father figure I’d ever truly known. For most of my life, he’d also been my best friend. Last but not least, he’d always been my sounding board – someone I could always turn to for sage advice. I loved him, and I reached out telepathically to let him know that (and a million other things I’d probably have trouble voicing). Needless to say, the feeling was mutual.
“Anyway, it’s not going to be forever,” Gramps reminded me as he broke the telepathic connection. “We’ll be back. But while we’re gone, you’re basically running the show.”
“So wait – does that mean I’m being emancipated?”
“Hardly,” my grandfather declared, chuckling. “Emancipation would mean that you would legally be considered an adult, despite not reaching the age of majority. However, there’s a lot of gray area between that and still being a minor, and what we’re setting up for you falls somewhere in that region.”
“So semi-emancipated,” I concluded. “I’m only shackled to my status as a minor by one ankle instead of both.”
Gramps laughed again. “Something like that.”
*****
Shortly after my talk with my grandfather, I left, teleporting to Electra’s house. I popped up outside her front door and rang the bell. About ten seconds later, Electra opened the door.
“Hey,” she said, greeting me with a kiss as I stepped inside.
“I didn’t call first,” I remarked as she closed the door. “Is this a bad time?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Plus, I did tell you to come over, so it’s not like you were unexpected.”
“So you just took it for granted that I’d show up,” I remarked. “What if I’d had something else to do?”
She giggled. “Yeah, right. I can count on one hand the number of times you’ve turned down an invitation to come over.”
She then stepped in close and slipped her arms around my waist. Giving me a flirtatious look, she said, “Of course, if you’ve got something more pressing, I totally understand.”
“Uh, no,” I responded, putting my arms around her. “I’m good.”
Laughing, she stepped back, then took my hand, saying, “Come on,” as she dragged me to the kitchen.
Once there, she guided me to a nearby breakfast table. On it was a half-full bowl of chips she’d presumably been eating when I showed up. Taking a seat, she popped a chip into her mouth as I sat down next to her. Delicately picking up another one, she then extended her hand towards my lips with the chip held between her thumb and forefinger. Taking the hint, I opened my mouth and took it.
“Mmmm,” I mumbled as I chewed and then swallowed. “That’s good.”
“You think so?” she uttered with a hint of excitement. “They’re homemade.”
“Well, tell Esper she did a great job.”
Laughing, she kicked me lightly under the table. “You jerk!”
I chuckled, enjoying the moment. I completely relished spending time with my girlfriend. Whether we were by ourselves or with friends, we always seemed to have fun. Seeing this side of her, it was almost hard to believe that just a few hours before she was trying to send a billion jigawatts of energy through somebody. And with that, my thoughts turned to Jack and I sobered immediately.
“Do you think we’re taking this too lightly?” I asked.
She frowned. “What – the situation with your doppelganger?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “It just seems like I should be out doing something instead of hanging out with you.”
“Doing something like what?” she practically demanded. “You’ve still got to live. You’ve still got to eat, still got to sleep. No one’s suggesting you stop doing those things just because a bad guy is
