It wasn’t safe to stay long in an area while staying hidden. The night when Glass told me about Uncle Earl, we left the vacant apartment building the same day. We packed all our bags and items, cleaned the area up making sure it looked like no one was staying in overnight the building for the last couple of days. Hali drove fast towards the city of Vancouver. It wasn’t long since it was only a thirty-minute car ride. Glass and I sat in the back but since then I decided to not talk to Uncle Earl or Hali about what we discussed. I didn’t talk to my uncle much, in general, this whole trip. I didn’t know how to face him, so I’ve been avoiding him. There was a possibility that Glass was just lying to me about Uncle Earl, but when told me about what he had been through sounds like he was being honest to me.
When we finally reached Vancouver, we stayed at a hostel hotel at first but moved into a small studio apartment in the Chinatown area several weeks later. Every night you can hear yelling from junkies that were on the streets. They were high as a kite. It’s been almost six weeks since we arrived, but still doing my training in the parks that were nearby. Circuits were getting easier, my body wasn’t as sore like it was the first week. Ever since it was easier to move with the body weights still on. The first time I did the circuit training it took me four hours, now it only takes two and a half.
“Juvia!” Uncle Earl called from behind me. I jolted. Every time I looked at this man, I think of the white lab coats men that Glass mentioned to me before. I was still avoiding my uncle. Shaking I turned around, “Yea?” I answered. “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. I was thinking since I haven’t gotten to spend much time with you, do you want to go around the neighbourhood for a walk?” he asked while chuckling. “Sorry, I want to focus on my training to keep my powers under control.” I smiled nervously. He shrugged and walked out the door, locking it behind him. I know the situation we are in, Uncle Earl can’t just mindlessly go to bars to drink or get drunk at home, but ever since that day I was attacked I haven’t seen him pick a bottle of liquor since. In a way, I shouldn’t be worrisome about that but he’s been acting a lot different lately. Like scared someone is watching him in the shadows or something.
Hali was on the roof with binoculars, keeping an eye out to see if anyone was after us. Our bathroom window which was located beside the shower had a ladder set up beside it where we can climb up to the roof. Sometimes I would go there at night time to watch the junkies at night time roam around yelling.
It was three in the afternoon. I went back to working on my training. Sweating, I focused on the prickling sensation on my index finger. I was trying to make out a letter ‘k’. Muttering the letter ‘k’ over and over under my breath as I watched the water warp into a ‘k’. A ‘v’ kept coming out instead, grunting I held my breath. I used every muscle in my body to push the bottom part of the letter. Feeling suffocated, I exhaled hard and gasp for air. It was easy to do the alphabet up to ‘f’ but after that, I have to concentrate even harder.
Several thuds sound echoed around the bathroom area, Hali was coming down from the roof. Seconds later, she entered the room. She was wearing a tight black turtle neck and military patterned cargo pants. Her shotgun was strapped behind her back as usual. “Where’s Glass?” she asked. I shrugged, “I think I saw him sitting on the window sill in the bedroom earlier.” She travelled towards the bedroom calling for Glass. Glass just groaned with a long “What?” I giggled. Since Glass has joined us, he’s been helping me with my training. Our bond became deeper over the past weeks. I felt like he was like a little brother to me. He never made the same face he did when we first met at the motel since then. Hali has grown to like him too. The only one that’s still awkward with him is Uncle Earl. Seeing that made me feel skeptical about him. It’s been pretty peaceful so far since we arrived in this city. There were a lot more traffics and buildings than Pitt Meadows. Still, with the three of them here, I guess it was okay for me to call this ‘home’ temporarily. I wasn’t used to a big family since it was always been Uncle Earl and I. But with those two around me, it wasn’t so bad.
I heard arguing in the background, it grew closer with shuffling noises. Hali entered the living room, where I was training, dragging Glass by the hand. “I think we should get you two back in school. First, we have to change your names though. No more Elias family because Juvia’s name has been broadcasted on television already. Maybe new wardrobes change too.” Hali said while scanning me from bottom to top and back down again. He was still gripping on to Glass’s wrist, he was trying to pull away from her.
“Why?” I asked. Her eyes twinkled, “Because if you start school again don’t you want new clothes with it? It will be fun, where’s Earl?”
“Walking around the neighbourhood. Where are we going shopping even? You sold the car so we don’t have transportation to get there.” I responded.
Glass looked over at Hali nodding, looks like he didn’t like shopping for clothes as much as I did. In the past, whenever I was forced to go, Uncle Earl would ask a couple of aunties in the neighbourhood to choose outfits at the mall for me. He didn’t want to go because he said he didn’t know what little girls like to wear. I grimaced. “We can walk, or transit. Tell you what. If you go shopping, for new clothes, with me you can skip your circuit training tomorrow. Only if you and Glass come with me tomorrow to get you two accepted into the school.” She bartered.
I stared at her for a couple of minutes. Maybe it will be different this time with Hali. She is kind of like an older sister to me. “Deal…Why do you want me to go back to school anyways? Shouldn’t I be focused on my training?” I sighed.
“I think you should go back to school, I will be working in the school also to keep an eye on both of you. For about a month now, all you have been doing is training. If you go to school maybe you can have some time for yourself. I don’t care about grades or anything, well Earl might, but I just want you to go to have fun. You deserve some time to yourself, this is my way I can think of to give it to you.” She explained.
Have fun? In the past, I never saw school as ‘fun’. I was always alone, didn’t have any friends either. I was too busy trying to work harder in school so Uncle Earl and I could have a brighter future. But Hali is telling me to go and have fun. I wasn’t very sure about the idea, but the thought of not needing to do circuit training tomorrow sounded tempting. Glass finally pulled Hali’s grip off him and ran back to the room. I picked up my smartphone from the table and checked my pockets and bag. Wallet, keys, phone, and bag. Hali waited for both of us at the door. The three of us left the building together and Hali leads the direction towards the mall downtown.
It was a half-hour walk. Since I’ve been running around Chinatown ten times a day, I had no problem travelling that far and long. Before I might have been tired and complained about it, but now it was a cakewalk for me. When we arrived at the mall, we entered inside. There were many crowds inside the mall. Seniors, kids, teens, adults. Hali held onto both our hands and dragged towards a store. We shopped for a couple of hours. I got several new outfits, so did Glass. He looked like he was going to pass out. I don’t think boys his age likes to shop anyways. Hali also picked out notebooks, binders and backpacks for school tomorrow. After exiting one of the shops, Glass and I slumped down onto a nearby bench with both of our hands full of shopping bags.
“I’m going to use the washroom. After this we can go on back home, I’m guessing Uncle Earl should be back from his walk.” She directed herself towards the mall’s washroom that was located nearby. I pulled out my phone to check the time. It was eight at night. We left the house around three. That means we’ve been shopping here for hours. Glass was so tired he leaned his head onto my shoulder. Looking around the busy traffic of people walking past us, entering stores and other loitering around. Everywhere we went inside the mall, there was always a kid screaming or crying. I sighed. I bet these people think that Glass and I just looked like normal siblings. We do look a little similar, we both were brunettes. The thought made me smile. I patted his head. His hair was smooth. I stopped patting and we just sat in that position for a while.
“Glass.” I called him, “Are you sure it was Uncle Earl you saw in the laboratory? Not just someone you might have seen that may have looked similar to him?” He sat up straight and looked at me. “I’m not sure, that’s why I only trust you about this. He seems nice, but he’s always out of the house.” Glass answered.
“I know. Maybe we should talk to him about it. Did he refer himself as Earl Elias?” I responded. Glass shook his head and shrugged, “His name wasn’t Earl, but Seth Dolan. I still don’t trust him about it and I have a feeling that Hali is starting to take notice of him also. Still, don’t talk to him. If he really cares about us, he will talk to us about it. For now, I advise we keep an eye on him.” I was about to ask if we could tell Hali about it, but I saw Hali walking her back from the washroom. When she reached us, we just walked back to the apartment studio with hands full of shopping bags.
On our way back, I stayed silent behind Glass and Hali. The two of them were socializing and Hali was talking to Glass about how great school would be for him. I kept thinking about Uncle Earl. Glass was right. If there was something he was hiding he would tell us. We arrived home around eight-thirty. Uncle Earl was sitting at the dining table with packages of fast food opened for us to eat. He was on the phone when we entered. When he saw us he flustered and hung up the phone. I thought it was so weird. He’s been getting many phone calls lately. Who was he calling? His old buddies back at Pitt Meadows?
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