Young Writers Society

Amy took a deep breath. That was pretty serious stuff, but it wasn't Amy's job to fix it.

"Look, can't you ask whoever brought you here to bring you back to your time?" Amy said. "Or, I don't know, find someone and life your life out here. I don't know how far in the future you are, but... things aren't so bad now. Find your parents or something."

She took a deep breath, thinking about how much she would have loved to have spent a day with her mother when she was young.

They had to stop to order and by then Scott was back at the table.

Wren didn't get a chance to give an answer. She had simplified what had happened when explaining it to Amy and Scott, but she had hoped that Amy would read between the lines - she couldn't ask the villain to send her back, even if he was somehow here, too. And going to her parents' home - where were they even living now? - seemed like a terrible idea, too.

She glanced over at Scott and muttered an awkward, "Hi."

Then she ducked her head back down, hoping that she could figure out someway to get back home.

"I think Wren has family in New York," Amy told Scott when he returned to the table, surprised that she remembered. "Remember when we were there? It was fun."

She tried to be as obvious as she could about what she was suggesting.

Wren looked up at Amy.

"...They're busy right now," she quietly said. She knew exactly what Amy was suggesting, but she also knew this situation wasn't as easy to solve as Amy thought it was. "I don't think now's the best time for me to visit them."

"They're busy?" Amy said, as valley girl as she possibly could. Even though she had grown up in Southern California, she didn't normally act like this, and hated the girls she'd grown up with that had.

"You should totally go, see them. It would be fun. They'd love it, unless you're like, totally from the future and you don't exist yet."

Scott raised his eyebrow, confused. Amy knew she was being mean in the back of her mind, but she didn't care. She just wanted everyone to leave her alone. Why couldn't anyone do that?

For a moment, Wren didn't say anything.

She just stared at Amy, eyes wide in shock - and tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She wasn't hurt about mentioning it around Scott. Wren had already said the truth to him earlier.

Wren stood up, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands as she tried to fight against the tears threatening to fall. She was a hero. She could handle something like this. She had to handle something like this. She was in another time and another place. She couldn't risk letting herself get upset.

"I...I need to use the bathroom," Wren said. The bullets in her pockets clinked together as she stepped to the side of the table.

She took a deep breath, trying her best not to cry, and walked over to the bathroom.

She managed to hold her tears until she stepped inside the room. The moment the door shut behind her, Wren started quietly sobbing.

"What is going on here?" Scott demanded as soon as Wren was out of earshot.

"I don't know, okay?" Amy spat back. She sighed, covering her face in her hands."Look, a lot has happened in the last few months."

Scott said nothing.

"I'm Jay Whitman's daughter, okay? My mom told me this past summer," she said. It was hard to get it out at first, but once she did, she couldn't stop it. "That's my dad."

"The cult leader? Your mom..."

"Yes." Amy snapped.

Scott started to breath heavily, and Amy wondered if she'd made a mistake in telling him.
"Look," he said finally. "Have fun with your friend. I need, a bit."

"What? Don't leave," Amy pleaded.

"I'll call you, okay?" He handed her a twenty dollar bill, and gave her a pitied look before he left the restaurant.

Amy contained her scream so as not to make a scene. Then, she walked into the bathroom where she heard crying.

"Wren? I'm sorry, okay? Come back. Scott just left."

She sniffled and peeked out from one of the stalls - trying to hold back the tears that were still sliding down her cheeks.

"Why did he leave?" she asked. Her voice was still unsteady and quiet. "Is...Is everything okay?"

"He's had a long day too," Amy said. She took a deep breath. "Look, remember how I told you who my father was? I just told Scott and he... I think I kind of freaked him out."

She quietly pushed the stall door open and stepped out.

She wasn't sure what to say to that. She hadn't known who Amy's father was when she had mentioned back at the cabin, and she didn't know if Scott was justified in rushing off - she didn't think so, but she also fought supervillains after school. Her life wasn't really normal anymore.

She thought for a moment, then wiped the tears from her eyes again.

"...Do you want a hug?" she asked.

"I've never been a big hugger," Amy replied, stepping back. "But what we can do is go back to my apartment, and figure out how to get you back to your time." She took a deep breath. "I hope you understand. I just.... I just can't deal with any more drama. I just want to live my life like everyone else."

Wren nodded.

"I understand," she said. She understood Amy's boundaries and the need for some sense of normalcy. Wren didn't really have that anymore; her entire life had changed when she discovered she could shapeshift. But maybe that was her normal life now - she couldn't imagine it being any other way.

She gave a tiny smile.

"Going to your apartment sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

The short walk back was relatively silent. Amy kept thinking about how Scott had just stormed out like that. She had told him a little suddenly, but it occurred to her if he was worth it he would have stayed. He said he'd call her, but she thought not to count on it. Eight years of her life she'd been with him. And for what?

Once they got back, Amy told Wren to make herself comfortable. Then, Amy showed her a picture of her and Tara from their trip to Disney World the summer after Amy's college graduation. Both smiling. Both wearing mouse ears. That had been a good trip. They'd been so happy then.

"This is my half sister," Amy said. "Before I knew she was half sister." She laughed emptily. "We've known each other since we were young. And all that time, our moms didn't tell us. How crazy is that?"

Wren knew that Amy was just trying to change the subject and get her mind off of everything that had happened, but she didn't want to take away her comfort.

She looked down at the picture.

"That is crazy," she softly agreed. "I'm an only child - I've never had any siblings..."

She looked over at her. "Were you happy when you found out?"

Amy shrugged. "That's a loaded question." The truth was, if Wren had asked her months ago Amy's response might have been different. The truth was, she was grateful to have not only Tara but Adam and his family, her family, in her life. "I just wish my mom had told us. I mean, they went as far as making sure we were in each other's lives from the time we were kids but forgot the whole sisters part."

Amy took a deep breath. "My father is Jay Whitman," she said, excepting Wren to have the same reaction she did before this past summer. Knowing the name and knowing it was bad, even if she didn't know more than that.