Kayla was barely conscious when Summer went to visit her. How was she meant to convince Kayla to go home with her without letting on that she had been asked to take care of her? Not only that, now that she saw Kayla’s weakened state for herself, the guilt was eating her alive. Harper was right. She needed to do her best to make it up to her.

  “Summer?” Kayla questioned. She didn’t bother to move and her voice was a groggy mumble.

  “Hi. How are you doing?” Summer asked. Her mind was still going a mile a minute trying to figure out how to bring things up in a natural way.

  “Like an idiot,” Kayla replied with a sigh, “Just because I can’t use my power for myself doesn’t mean I should be helpless. I can’t believe a weak old man like that got the jump on me. Now I even got suspended.”

  Summer winced. So she had been told that part of the news. “Me too,” she told Kayla, “Since we both got suspended together, want to come with me? I am heading back to my parent’s house.”

  “I don’t want to get in the way of your family time, but thanks for the offer,” Kayla turned down.

  “You won’t get in the way,” Summer pressed, “My mom is always nagging me to bring friends over. Honestly, the only person I have invited over in ages is Ashton. We could even have a sleepover.”

  Kayla was stunned for a moment. "Friends? Are you sure you don't just want comfort since I've been suspended too?"

  "That too," Summer admitted, feeling like she wasn't even lying at this point, "I don't think I can handle being alone right now. I met Ned on the rooftop. He thanked me for being the perfect bait to allow him to get to Ashton."

  "That's why you were suspended," Kayla realized, "Alright. Sleepover it is."

  "Alright!" Summer celebrated, managing to muster some excitement, "Do you know when you are going to be clear to leave?"

  "No, but I mostly just feel tired. Last time I was drugged was far worse. I had a terrible headache for days afterward and I couldn't keep most of my food down," Kayla answered, adding on some rather concerning information at the end, “Were you able to get permission to bring me along?”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell my parents,” Summer realized. She doubted they would be against it, but she should at least call to ask.

  “I meant permission from my handlers,” Kayla corrected, “Gale Research and F2 are both probably upset about what happened because of my carelessness.”

  Summer had forgotten after spending so much time together that Kayla was a special case. Her power made her a target for dangerous people. That must have been why Harper had insisted on providing assistance for Kayla’s protection.

  “I don’t know about F2, but Harper said it was a good idea to give you some time to relax,” Summer replied, “She even said she would provide everything needed to take care of you.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “That means installing a security system and some assigned bodyguards, at least,” Kayla considered, “Make sure to give your family a heads up when you ask them. I won’t be offended if they turn it down. I know letting me stay will mean a huge invasion of privacy.”

  For some reason Summer could picture Ashton with a smug expression saying that it was the perfect opportunity to snag a free security upgrade. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him after finding out she had been suspended. It felt a bit lonely, but part of her was afraid to face him. Lately, every time they had been together, Maskz had started something.

  “I will do my best to convince them,” Summer promised, pulling out her phone.

  Should she say goodbye to the rest of the team before they left? What if they took missions during her suspension and realized they were better off without her? If only she could focus her desire whenever Kayla gave her a power so it would be controllable, or at least consistent. She was dragging both of them down.

  “Summer, are you alright?” her mother answered, “I heard you collapsed during your last mission. Your father is beside himself with worry. He keeps blaming himself for telling you about May’s situation.”

  “I’m fine. I just overused my power,” Summer replied, “Actually, they are giving me a vacation so I can rest, and I was wondering if I could come home and bring a friend with me.”

  Vacation sounded better than suspension, right? If her father found out about the suspension and how reckless she had been he was sure to flip out. It sounded like he was already flipping out. Why did Ashton have to tell them she had collapsed?

  “A friend? Is it someone you know from work?” her mother asked.

  “Yeah. She is on my team. Since she is on vacation too, I thought it would be fun to spend some time together,” Summer continued, “She does need a little extra protection, so there might be some security measures-”

  “Good,” she heard her father say in the distance over the line, “That company had better do everything they can to protect you. A vacation is the least you deserve.”

  “She can stay with us,” Mrs. Aster confirmed directly, “The spare bedroom might need a little cleaning up, but I can get started on that right away. Do you know how long the two of you will be staying?”

  “I don’t,” Summer admitted, “Since I did collapse, they said I can’t return until I pass my checkups.”

  “I’m glad to hear they are taking care of your health. When will you be dropping by?” Summer could hear the care in her mother’s tone. It was nice. She missed this.

  “We still need to settle some things here, but we should be there by tonight,” Summer promised. It was still early morning, so that should give them plenty of time, “I will give you another call when we head out.”

  With permission secured, Summer put her all into helping Kayla get ready to go. She still had plenty of things at the house, so she didn’t need to pack much for herself. She ended up grabbing one of her own suitcases to help pack some of Kayla’s things since she didn’t have one of her own. Backpacks were fine for overnight trips but there was no telling when this ‘vacation’ might end.

  When she made it back to the medical center to pick up Kayla, the security team was already there waiting. Luckily, Harper had already filled them in, and they promised to stay out of the way once the new security system was installed. Summer could only hope that this new system wouldn’t be too invasive since she was bringing it into her parent’s home. Then again, having security at home made her feel a bit better. She had been trying to ignore it, but she had been worried that going home might make her parents a target.

  In the end, they left the premises of Gale Research without saying any kind of goodbyes to the rest of the team. Summer had half expected Kayla to say something about it, but she never did. Instead, she asked Summer questions about her parents and the house they would be staying in. Summer answered each one, eager to reminisce about the time in her life before she had gotten involved with MysteriousMaskz.