Chapter 6

Cafe Azul is exactly like I remember. It's open to the ocean to let customers feel the sea breeze, its walls are covered in nautical themed decorations, and music plays softly from the speakers. I sit at a booth facing a window and wait for Argentum.

Pretty soon they arrive. They also look exactly like I remember them, with the same dirty blonde hair and the same graphic T-shirt. They smile widely as they sit down across from me.

"Hey," they say.

"Hey," I reply.

"So how have you been?"

"I've been fine. You?"

"School just isn't the same without you but I've been getting by."

"I assume you haven't been hanging around Fallax?"

"I definitely have not."

"That's good."

"So what's the palace like?"

"It's very pretty but in some ways it's extremely boring."

"Like how?"

"Every day is the same."

"I see. That would be very annoying."

"Yeah. And there's all these expectations. You have to do everything fantastically or you kind of…drop off the radar."

"I see."

"A lot of the time I feel kind of invisible. I have a million casual acquaintances just from being in the same environment and a few good friends. To be honest, I have one good friend, but she has this thriving social life outside of just me and I don't exactly have one outside of just her."

"That must be hard."

"I mean I shouldn't complain, should I? You might be having just as hard a time but in a different way."

"Yeah. People suck sometimes."

"We'll get through it though. We always do."

"That's for sure."

—

We order our food and eat in relative silence. "I have something I want to talk to you about in private," I tell him after I finish eating.

They smile and ask in an innocent manner, "Whatever could it be?"

"It's a secret," I reply with a laugh. "So where exactly could we talk in private?"

"We could go to my house."

I've been to Argentum's house a few times, and it is also exactly as I remember. Extremely big, vaguely fancy, yet empty.

"There's something going on in the palace," I explain.

"What is it?"

"Not exactly mind control, but very close. Basically, everyone has potential for Nova powers but only people with certain traits that are favorable to the Nova have their powers activated. Those traits are cultivated so the status quo continues, and if you show any deviation from those traits they give you pills with the brain chemicals that would make you conform."

"Slow down. What traits and how do you know all this?"

"Traits such as being eager to please that make you malleable and me and my friend found files that explained all this. Don't worry, she said that it's ok for me to share all this with you. I just asked her. Telepathically of course."

"Wow. This is a lot to take in. What are you going to do about it?"

"We're going to copy these files and bring them to the public. The problem is we're not exactly sure where to go from there."

"Hmm. How about you give the files to me when you get them and I can help you."

"That's a good idea. You're such a good friend."

–

"Well, how was it?" Andromeda asks when I get home.

"Fine."

"And you're sure that Argentum is just a friend?"

"Yes."

"You know I can read your mind, right? The song that plays whenever you think of them is like something out of a romcom."

"Even if you were right it wouldn't matter."

"Why not?"

"Because why would they like me out of everyone?"

"You underestimate yourself."

I shrug.

"You know, there is one way to know for sure," Andromeda continues.

"No. That's highly unethical."

She lets out a laugh. "How can a person as queer as you simultaneously be so straightlaced."

I chuckle slightly. "Asexuals are famous for being straightlaced."

Andromeda laughs too and adds "If you like them, tell them. It's that simple."

"I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Then make that clear to them."

"Shouldn't we get back to the task at hand?"

"Fine. You think we're ready?"

"Yep."

"Ok. I'll head to the file room to read them and you copy them."

"Meet me in my room when you're done."

–

My room is pretty basic. I haven't had much time to decorate it. My bed is still unmade from this morning and the nightstand is littered with books, both textbooks and pleasure reading, and half finished homework. I take out a fresh piece of paper and a pencil, and put on my headphones. I've found that music makes telepathic communication slightly less jarring, especially soft music. I efficiently copy the files and a few minutes later I hear a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"It's Cygnus. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Just fricking let me in."

—

Cygnus sits down on the chair next to my bed.

"Well make yourself comfortable," I say in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"I know what you and Andromeda have been doing," he says.

The Cygnus I know isn't this blunt. What's happening?

"How?" I ask as if I am completely following the conversation.

"I'm an operative of a rebel group called Astrum to find information about the corruption in the government to bring to the public and I managed to find the room with the files. Unfortunately, I didn't have a way to copy them besides finding ways to slip there every day and copying them one by one by hand and one day I just happened to notice you and Andromeda."

"Why haven't you told us sooner?"

"Bureaucracy. I had to get permission from Astrum to tell you."

Another knock. This time it actually is Andromeda. I let her in and fill her in on what Cygnus explained to me.

"So are you trying to recruit us or something?" she asks.

"Exactly," Cygnus replies.

I start laughing. "We've been doing this ourselves for a while now. We don't need some fancy agency helping us," I reply. "Besides, we already have someone on the outside helping us out."

"Fine. If that's your decision I'll respect it. But I'll remind you that it's a dangerous world out there. Be careful."

Andromeda and I roll our eyes as he leaves. How cliche can one person be? No one ever changed the world by being cynical and misanthropic. What Andromeda and I are trying to do will never work if we can't trust people.

Andromeda and I talk idly for a bit, then she leaves and I hide the copies of the files in a drawer no one would ever look in. No one has any reason to suspect I have them, but it's better to be safe than sorry.