"If I'd have to say, your first two days back were, less than satisfactory." It was the day after my incident, and even though I thought I acted fairly normal my second day back, the "report" Greenstein got back from the school said otherwise.

"It's not my fault I had a breakdown yesterday. But really, I did fine." I shifted in my chair uncomfortably, because of course she made me sit at the kitchen table instead of the couch. "I think you're overreacting."

"Having a breakdown isn't fine. That means you're mentally unstable." Mrs. Greenstein leaned on the table, not writing something on her computer for once. "I don't need a master's degree to know that."

"But I'm a teenager. Like, half of the people I know have had breakdowns because of school, or even during school. It's normal." I fought the urge to stand up and start pacing around the apartment, because when I normally do that, Greenstein disapproves and makes me color in children's coloring books.

"And you think feeling like you might be dying is normal?"

"More normal than you're making it sound." I leaned the chair back, bouncing my leg. "I'll do better, okay?"

"Giovanna, I'm not sitting here and telling you that you did anything wrong. I'm just wondering if you're in a good place right now, at least good enough to go to school." Mrs. Greenstein grabbed my arm, pulling me towards her, so I had to put my chair back to normal. "You've gone through a lot."

"I've been through worse. I survived. One demonstration that I had to deal with and nearly getting kidnapped is nothing." I finally got the courage to stand up, walking away before she could say anything. "I'm fine."

"Giovanna, please come back here." Her tone wasn't demanding or anything or the sort, but almost desperate. Somehow, it was enough to make me stop, turning around and looking at her.

"Why, none of this works anyway." I felt everything that should've stayed inside of my head start to come out. "None of this is going to change the fact that I'm a danger to society. Or that my entire life is ruined and that I won't do anything worthwhile in my life."

"Giovanna, if you'd just listen to me—"

"What's even the point of listening to you? You don't give me a solution, you just give me these little, fakey-cute ideas to keep me calm and happy, but they don't do anything." My mouth was moving before my brain could, with every word I was saying being another mistake to add to my long list.

"I don't think you realize how much pain you're in." Mrs. Greenstein started to stand up slowly. "Or how much danger."

"Danger? People don't even approach people like me, let alone try to hurt me. That's the reason I was locked up in here for what? Two, three weeks? It's why you're trying to keep me from going to school." I stepped towards Mrs. Greenstein, my fists clenching. Somehow, she didn't even flinch.

"That may have been why you were stuck here after the, incident, but that not why I'm thinking it's best for you not to go to school." Mrs. Greenstein took a slow step forward, keeping her eyes on me. "You need to believe me. You're in danger."

"It's not like I care." I felt my brain start to catch up to the moment, but I already felt as if I was far too gone. As if I needed to keep up the act, at this point.

"But there are people that do." She sounded like Brandon there. I knew he was trying to become my second therapist. "Please. Just listen to me for one second."

"What?" I turned slightly away from her, not wanting to fully give in.

"You remember the demonstration three days ago? That was led by a group that is trying to kill all that they believe to be Superhumans, even if they aren't." Greenstein placed her hand on my shoulder. "Since that video was spread around, they're getting angry. They're getting pushed into a corner, so now they feel like they have to act."

"And acting has to do with killing me?"

"Exactly. You represent exactly what they hate. You're seen as a danger to society, according to the government, but you're out in society. People love you." Mrs. Greenstein turned me towards her. "They don't like Superhumans that are just as successful, or even more successful, than they are. Or, really anyone that they find different."

"Why aren't they arrested, then?"

"There's too many of them. And they have just enough support to stick around." I found myself getting pulled into a hug, but I didn't exactly protest.

"I still want to go to school, though," I mumbled, thinking of being stuck in the apartment again. I'd rather live in the Artic than be stuck in my apartment for one more day.

"I know. But, I want you and your dad to be safe. I want all of us to be safe." I pulled away, looking at her. A question was burning in my throat, and I had to ask her.

"Are they going to hurt Nadia?" I thought about the weird building she was in. Was it all Superhumans in there? Would they figure it out?

"She's safe where she is right now. No one knows she's in there. I just need you to remember something."

"Are you going to tell me it, or am I just going to have to guess?" I felt myself relaxing now, cracking a smile.

"Of course I'm going to tell you. If you ever see a sticker, a poster, or anything else, say the words 'Brotherhood of Liberty' on it, you run as far away from it as possible."

"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Can I watch tv, or am I going to have to do silly calming exercises?"

"Why don't you read a book?"

"Censorship." I shrugged, before taking her comment as a "yes" to the former and walking to the living room.

"Just, no news today, okay? The amount of news that you watch can't be good for you." Mrs. Greenstein sat back down at the kitchen table, opening her computer up and beginning to type. Now she was back to normal, in that sense.

I sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote as I went down and turning the television on. I followed Greenstein's plea to not turn on the news, instead turning on the science channel and watching some weird show about buildings that had design problems or whatever. Not a thing that interested me, but I didn't feel like flipping through the last of the channels that I had available, so I left it as is.

I watched the show for a while, listening to the person drone on and on about math and uneven ground. When I was about to fall asleep from how boring it is, though, I began to heard chanting from outside.

I should've learned my lesson from when I was at the dojo, but I was too curious to stay where I was. I got up, moving to the window.

"Giovanna, don't get too close to the window," Mrs. Greenstein said, but it was too late for me.

I opened the curtains.