Brat

"No, you have to scream at them, not give a scathing reply. Young Ayeri aren't the type to think with their heads, they think with their emotions. Your first emotional response isn't going to be smart, hell it might not even make sense." Cass was trying to teach Annabelle how to act like an Ayeri.

"Don't even think about the situation, just yell at them, call them names, flip them off. I really don't care, just don't think logically about the situation."

"But that will just make me even more of a pariah. I don't want to stand out in a bad way. I need to be making connections!"

"Until you mature into an adult you have to pass off as an Ayeri child, because until you mature you can't protect yourself and those around you! Do you think that the people who destroyed your planet will sit back and wait for you to grow up? No, they won't! The minute they find out that you're alive they'll come to finish the job. They know that if you find out who they are, you'll come after them. They can't afford to let you grow up." Cass took a deep breath, closing her eyes to try and calm down.

They had been at it for a few hours now, Annabelle didn't want to burn possible bridges, but that was the least of their problems.

"Look, I know it's hard, but it's important no one find out that you aren't Ayeri. There are too many people that study race's traits, if you mess up in front of them, they might think of it as nothing the first two or three times, but if it continues, they'll become suspicious. Jazz and Marc are working on a dampener that will suppress your powers when you have difficulty not using them. You're going to have to avoid using them. Also, while we might have a dampener, we don't have very much, so you'll have to exercise self-control and only use it when you absolutely cannot stop your powers from reacting to your emotions."

"You want me to not use the powers I haven't been able to access in thousands of years? I only just got them back, and now you're telling me I can't practice them?"

"No, I'm telling you not to use them in public. We'll find a place where you can practice with them, since it's important that you continue to hone your control. Also, when you're upset, don't try to remain calm. Yell, scream, throw a tantrum, roll around on the floor. This is something that needs to become 'you'. It's best if you start practicing when you're around us. That way you know you can throw a fit without losing control."

"Lose control, but don't lose control?" Annabelle was sarcastic.

"I'm sorry kid… I really am. But the thing is, since we don't have very much of that drug, we need you to constantly be in control. No one can know that you can use energy, you're supposed to be an Ayeri child whose core has broken due to trauma. If even one person saw, you use powers that would be it. You have to be in control of yourself, and act as if you have no control."

"Great, not even a week and I'm already doomed to be the annoying kid that's always throwing tantrums."

"Would you stop being so sorry for yourself? It's not like it's the end of the world, when you mature you can stop throwing tantrums and people will chalk your earlier behavior up to you being an immature Ayeri who has no control over what they do. If anything, they'll be impressed that you graduated from your program." Rou had walked in just as Annabelle was complaining.

"Hey Rou, not that I'm unhappy to see you, but why are you here?" Cass asked.

"I left last night because she was sobbing, and you all seemed preoccupied. But just telling me she was asleep for 50,000 years on Earth isn't an explanation of what she is, and why you're trying to pass her off as an Ayeri."

"Rou, the fewer people who know the better. Please just drop it."

"Cass, I love you, but I can't let it drop just because you asked me to, I shared about my home world on the condition that I was told the truth. I have my own reasons for needing to know, especially after finding out that she survived on Earth for 50,000 years after the apocalypse."

"I'm originally from Pasef, 51,000 years ago I was teleported from my home-town to an unknown planet in an unknown galaxy. In order to escape what was happening, and to avoid being found by whoever unleashed that curse."

"So, you were on Earth for a thousand years before the apocalypse? Wait, you asked about Caperd last night. Did you know him?"

"Yeah, and yes. Does that answer your questions?"

"Well yes… How did you know Caperd?"

"None of your business. Was there anything else?"

"You want to know if any of his family survived right? I might not know off the top of my head, but I can find out. Surely that earns me some answers?"

"Get me the information and I'll answer three more questions, but I won't tell you anything else before you give me the news."

"That's fair, I'll come find you when I have it."

Cass just sat in the background, mouth agape at the way her old friend was acting. She barely noticed when he left, she was still in shock. "I've never seen Rou act that way before. Annabelle, I hate to say this, but please be careful. I trust Rou, but I don't know why he is behaving this way."

"He's probably related to John in some way. That's the only possible explanation."

"You'd be surprised at some of the reasons people have for the things they do." Cass muttered under her breath before starting up the lessons again.

By the time Marc and Jazz were back Annabelle had transformed from the sullen, sometimes sarcastic teen she normally was, to a bratty, b*tch*, teenage Ayeri, who seemed to think the world revolved around her.

"D*mn sis, I don't know if I should praise your training, or cry over the fact that this is going to be our new roommate. I miss moody Annabelle already."

"Here's the syringes. The solution is already in them, you just have to inject it when needed. Please keep in mind that we only have five doses. So, you'll just have to exercise caution, and refrain from using your powers outside of the 'safe' zone we'll take you to later. Are you ready for school?"

"Sure…"

'I am not looking forward to this…'