For Love of the Cake Chapter 15 TG-GB

As we laid out a more detailed plan we began to all feel more confident. Cornering Jessica’s grandmother seemed like it was our best shot. If not we would die horribly and it wouldn’t matter anyways.



“We need some kind of leverage,” said Tim. “Maybe we should set up some kind of timed e-mail or something that sends out information about magic to everyone on the internet if we don’t shut it off…you know like in the movies.”



I shook my head, smiling. “As much as I love a good movie plan does anyone here actually have the ability to do something like that,” I asked.



No one spoke up.



“Well let’s just go with our initial plan to fake it,” said Natalie. “Should we leave tomorrow or wait a few days to rest up?”

“I don’t think that we should put my family in anymore danger,” I said. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”



“You’re the boss,” said Yolanda. “I think we should rest but it might just be my bones acting up. Been stuck in one place for so long and now I’m on the run.”



“Well, it’s good to have new experiences and try new things,” said Tim.



“It’s a new thing alright. All these years in hiding and everything is blown in one damn hour.”



“Sorry,” I said sheepishly.



“Don’t worry about it. The coward’s way out was starting to wear on me. No matter how many years you think you can change…lie low and stay out of the way…sometimes things are just too ingrained in you. Maybe trouble making is just in my blood.”



“Well, maybe all of us can cause a little trouble,” said Natalie.



“I wasn’t looking for a fight yesterday,” Yolanda said. She turned towards me, “But you seem like a good kid, so why the hell not fight to help you?”



“There’s the grandma I remember,” said Tim.”



“Shut up, boy,” she growled.



“Yep, that’s the old lady I remember.”



“We might as well get some rest while we can,” Jessica said. “I’ve been driving all day and I am exhausted.”



My parents were nothing if not gracious hosts, even for unexpected (and for some of us unwanted) guests. They led her to one of the guest rooms.



“Well, they seem…severe,” Natalie said to me once they left the room. “Not exactly a warm and welcoming homecoming, huh?”



I grimaced. “I wasn’t exactly expecting one…but it’s a small price to pay for safety.” Suddenly, I got the feeling someone was watching me. If I had any hair on my arm it would have stood up. I turned my head towards the stairs my parents had just led Jessica up. Sitting on the stairs holding on to the railing were my two younger sisters. They hadn’t made a sound. They just stared at us. I could hear Yolanda shifting uncomfortably under their gaze. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Natalie had turned her head too. She cocked her head sideways and stared right back at them. Jessica had made her way back into the room at this point and was going to say something but only got as far as opening her mouth before she saw that no one was speaking.



“Hello there,” said Tim. “You’re probably wondering about what a group of strangers is doing in your home…”



His voice seemed to jerk the rest of us out of a trance.



I wasn’t sure what to say. How could they believe what had happened? I opened and closed my mouth trying to form words but none came.



“We heard what happened,” said the older one, Susan. She was about 18 now. When I left years before she was so much smaller. Years have gone by and now she’s as old as I was when I left. Changes are to be expected. Well, maybe not ones as drastic as mine.



“Hello, sisters, how have you been,” I asked. I couldn’t really think of anything else to say.



“So, you’ve finally come back,” asked the younger one, Jamie, rhetorically. “5 years and you expect everyone to welcome you back with open arms. Well I hardly even remember you. Don’t expect a warm welcome from me.”



Susan gave Jamie a look that was a warning with a little hint of visible fear.



“I know. I should have been in touch. I was so angry. I don’t have any real excuse. Time just moved on and by the time I wasn’t angry anymore I was scared.”



“Of what,” she asked.



“I didn’t know what would be waiting for me.”



“Your family,” said Susan softly. Jamie remained silent.



I barked a laugh, trying to hold back tears unsuccessfully. “Well, it’s good to know that now. I wish I had realized it before.”



Jamie went back upstairs. Susan came to give me a hug.



“I’ll try. I’ll try harder to be better,” I sobbed. Good to know I’m always a crier no matter what kind of body I’m in. “I’ll be a better brother.”





So, with that out of the way, we all sat down and everyone else filled Susan in on our adventure that brought us here. At the end she said, “That’s quite the story. I’m glad you’re all here though. It’s good that my brother has made so many good friends.”



“I don’t know if we’ve all known each other long enough to be friends yet,” said Tim. “But at the very least we’re allies.”



Susan smiled, “Allies, friends, what’s the difference?”



“That’s one way to look at it,” said Yolanda a bit snidely.



“Oh, ok was that a shot at me,” asked Jessica.



“Well now that I’ve had a little time to think about it…why did you help us?”



Jessica began to open her mouth. “She’s not a spy or some shit,” I said starting to get angry.



“Oh, really, how do you know?”



“She did risk everything to help us,” said Tim.



“We never would have made it out of there without her,” added Natalie.



“We don’t know that,” Yolanda fired back. “She might have been given orders to befriend us. Help us out in our most desperate hour and now she’s part of the team. They’ve got an inside man and now they get to choose when they come scoop us up. We think we’re safe here but there could be 50 people right around the corner when we leave just lying in wait.”



“Can I speak for myself, please,” asked Jessica.



“Well, let’s hear it,” Yolanda said.



“I didn’t need to do what I did. I’m not trying to get close to stab you all in the back. It’s true you wouldn’t have gotten away without my help because they would have gotten you. They don’t need the help a spy to get the job done. They might have been caught off guard somewhat by your various actions but they would have had you without my help in exploiting their weaknesses. You could have kept running but for how long? With an old woman and a person unfamiliar with their new body Tim and Natalie would have been slowed down considerably even if they were willing to leave the two of you behind which they would not be. Neither would I if it came to it. What can I do to prove to you I’m on your side?”



“I think you’ve done enough,” I said to her then I turned to Yolanda. “If you don’t want to continue with us that’s fine but Jessica says she’s with us till the end of the line and that’s good enough for me.”



Yolanda smiled. “Well it’s about time you took charge. This is your problem to start with, so you should be in the driver’s seat. So keep going how are we going to play this out?”