We were splitting up to cover more families, so far we had two addresses, Mr. Wales was working on the rest. Ryan's family, since he remembered where they lived, and a foster home Sabine and Hayami had shared. Justin and I were going with the girls, because I guess Justin had convinced his uncle to let him go with his girlfriend, and I guess I was a suitable chaperone. I knew Wi was going with Ryan, not sure who else.

    "I haven't seen my parents in years." Ryan commented, as were were all waiting outside for our drivers, Mr. Wales and Abbby, to get ready. "Not since they threw me out."

    "Because or your powers?" Genny asked mildly concerned, I assumed she was chaperoning the boys, "you're like thirteen."

    "I'm fifteen, and no they actually encouraged me using and my powers and stuff. They kicked me out cause I'm gay." He explained grinning happily.

    "Same." Wi added earnestly, wrapping a definitely-not-platonic arm around Ryan's shoulder. "Except my mom's chill, she lives nearby actually."

    "Dude." Justin bro hooted at them, exchanging fist bumps.

"Alright!" Mr. Wales appeared, rubbing his hands. "Ryan with me, girls with Abby. Remember how important this is guys."

    We climbed into our separate cars and soon were off. Abby humming a merry tune under her breath as we drove down a street dotted with palm trees.

    "This might be a bit of a drive." Abby observed, driving with her knees as she entered the destination into her phone. "Do you guys remember anything about this place?"

    "Nah." Sabine said. "This was like the fifth one I been in that year, they blur by after a while."

    "It was always really dirty and Jessica always drank a lot." Hayami supplied, her hair floating lazily around her shoulders. "The week Sabine spent there was one of the best weeks of my life was because of all the trouble you stirred up."

    Sabine smirked. "I still don't remember it but it sounds fun."

    I think I spent a few years in a foster home, it was a really long time ago, when I was like seven or something, I didn't really remember that either. Memories weren't terribly important to me so I wasn't huge on that stuff. If I wanted to forget something it was't that hard, my teachers seemed to frown on this ability however. You know one thing you can't seem to forget? Anne-

    Shut up.

    About an hour and a half later we were in some city with apartments, cruising around and looking for the right one. Abby was still staying positive, probably because she knew this ordeal might be traumatizing. Sabine was doing great, she probably didn't care, besides even if she was feeling down she had Justin. The two were cheesier than Dylan's macaroni. Hayami on the other hand was still just as chill and cool as she always was...just quiet. I wondered if she was okay.

    "Okay..." Abby said hesitantly as she peered up at a small partner building. "Looks like we're here."

    Those of us with wings threw on baggy sweatshirts and Hayami braided her hair quickly with what appeared to be weighted hair bands so it didn't float around so much. Sabine simply made sure all of her various weapons were well hidden.

    "You guys ready?" Abby asked, patting their shoulders.

    "Oh yeah." Sabine pounded her fists together.

    "Sure." Hayami answered with less zeal.

Abby looked liked she wanted to pull Hayami aside and talk over whatever was upsetting her, but it was to late, I got to it first.

"Hey." I said quietly, as the others went on ahead and Abby saw I was handling the situation. "You doing okay?"

I figured we were close enough of friends for this to to not be weird because she yelled me to stop being rude to people all the time, then punched me I think.

She seemed to remember the incident well as she decided how to answer. "Yeah, this just isn't the best environment I've lived in. Jessica, she was our foster mom, she the kind that did it mostly for the paychecks. She was also kinda degrading to me about stupid things, what I wore, because I'm Asian, makeup or whatever. That kinda stuff doesn't bother me anymore it's just...been awhile you know?"

    "Yeah. I know what you mean." I agreed.

    "Sabine is amazing, nothing ever gets to her. She's strong, good with a blade, has a really nice boyfriend..."

    Hayami's forced smile finally disappeared as those final words escaped her lips. "Sorry to dump all this on you it's just...I don't know."

    "Hey, wait a second." I stopped her from catching up with the others now that I finally knew the root of what was bothering her. "Hayami wait."

She turned around and gave me a withering look, hoping I wouldn't say anything stupid.

"Look, I don't know what this Jessica witch said to you exactly but you're beautiful, alright? You're drop dead gorgeous, without even trying. I'm sure plenty of the guys at home would love to ask you out if you weren't so incredibly intimidating." I admitted, blushing slightly, not because I was into her, no no no, but because I had never done this before, encouraging people besides Tui feels weird.

At this point we were at the door, the rest of our group was giving us curious looks and waiting for us to join them. Hayami smiled at me before wiping her eyes, then pulled me forward in a surprise hug. Whoa, hug, girl, whoa. I tensed up, but then softly patted Hayami on the head and wondered people normally breathed during hugs.

"Thanks Tyler, you're actually not that bad of a friend." She mumbled.

"Thanks...?" I had not expected this outcome I was sort of panicking.

Justin gave me his signature eyebrow waggle after she let go and I bared my teeth back at him. Abby knocked.

A middle-aged woman with fading dyed red hair appeared with a salty look on her face. I didn't like her.

"Jessica Rosenbloom?" Abby asked.

"Depends." Her eyes traveled over our small group until she locked eyes with Sabine.

Sabine raised an eyebrow at her.

"What is this?" She asked hesitantly. "If you've come to drop off that devil I'm not taking her."

"We've come to talk Ms. Rosenbloom." Abby interjected, stepping a toe ever so slightly in the doorway. "May we come in?"

Jessica scrunched up her face in doubt and suspicion but opened up the door anyway. We shuffled inside and up some stairs until we were directed to a small and slightly beat up sitting area.

"So..." She started, "why is she here...and her! Who are you and why are they here." She pointed to Hayami then folded her arms.

"Do you have any memories of handing out children to a specific company other than the agent you got them from or parents who adopted them?" Sabine demanded, getting right to the point.

Jessica looked uneasy, with everything, her apartment was a mess. "Yes, every few months or so the Laguna Adoption Bureaucracy contacts me about the children."

I did the math in my head and discovers to my amusement that still made the acronym Lab, for evil scientist masterminds they were really ridiculously on-the-nose sometimes.

    "And takes them from you? And I assume you don't know where they end up?" Sabine continued.

    Jessica started nervously sweating. "No, but that's just because of laws-"

    "Save it. I'll spare the details and simply tell you they go from and adoption agency to a biology lab where they're painfully experimented on until they die or escape. I don't know what kind of benefit they're giving you but you need to cut ties with them, immediately." Sabine interrupted her.

    Jessica's face got all red. "Th-that's ridiculous, what kind of joke is this."

    Sabine's eyes landed on me and I suddenly realized why I came along. "Tyler, could you please do the honors."

    I shrugged off my jacket and stopped tensing my wings up against my back. The unfurled slowly until they were half and took up most of the room. Jessica's eyes widened in horror as I showed off.

    "You're-you're the kids from tv." She realized with a gasp.

    Justin, despite the situation, grinned madly. "I've always wanted to hear that."

    She stared at all of us in shock. "Th-that where I've been sending those kids? I...I can't believe..."

    "What's done has been done." Hayami told her quietly. "Please, help us by not doing it anymore."

    Jessica's fingers curled around the hem of her shift and unfurled a few times. "But, they're supporting me, I won't be able to-"

    "Get a real job." Sabine told her. "Stop being such a sad adult."

    Jessica was in so much shock she didn't even register the insult. "I...I will."

"We'll know if you don't follow up." I added, folding my wings back in. "We done?"

"Done?" Jessica realized. "I have so many questions-"

She was interrupted so many times I was starting to feel bad.

"We can't really spend to much time here, or answer questions." Abby explained, flashing a badge that was definitely fake. "It's very confidential."

We stood up, Jessica still staring at us, mouth open wide.

"Really wasn't all that great seeing you again, have a nice day." Sabine waved, and we shuffled out.

Outside, she jumped on Hayami and my shoulders. "We rock! Everyone was amazing."

Hayami glowed. "Yeah...we kinda did."

"Sabine." Justin started, stars in his eyes. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"Everyday babe." She replied, ditching us to hang off of him instead.

"That's one, maybe two down." Abby said, pulling out a list as we buckled our seat belts. "The Wallace's are next."

"Who has the last name. Wallace?" Hayami asked.

    I was already two steps ahead. "Genevieve."

_____________
   
    Hello! I'm out of school (finally) that means my writing time has opened up considerably. So instead of random updates, I'll be uploading a new chapter of TSB every Friday! Yay for more frequent chapters! Starting this Friday, today of course.

Also next Friday is Willevieve ;) so it's definitely exciting.

That's all I wanted to say, hope you're all having a good day!