Chapter 2.2

“My problem,” Edmond boomed, “is that you are treating our guest like scum on the bottom of your shoe! An inanimate object you can abuse as you will!”

Mason laughed. “You’re kidding me, right? She might as well be an inanimate object, Dad. I mean, look at her. Her face hasn’t changed once, not even when the soup hit her. She’s just a breathing doll. And you saw how she caught that bowl, she moved so fast that you couldn’t even see her hands! She’s a freak.”

Nyla unconsciously reached up to her face and felt her mouth. It was relaxed, different from the tightly pressed lips all around her. She knew that her face was different – it was part of being a Menhit. Emotions were a foreign concept she didn’t understand and couldn’t display. “It’s okay,” Nyla cut in. “I know I’m different. Mason is just pointing out the obvious.”

The room froze, and Nyla felt all four sets of eyes boring holes into her. She had said something wrong again, but she didn’t know what. For the first time in her life, Nyla wished that she knew what the identical looks on all their faces meant.

Veronica hesitated, “Nyla, dear, I don’t think you understand what’s going on here.”

Meeting her concerned gaze, Nyla said, “No, I think I understand. Mason doesn’t want me here, and she doesn’t want to be near me. It’s only natural. Humans don’t like Menhits. It doesn’t upset me.”

“It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t like you,” Edmond fumed. “She will do as she is told, and I told her to treat you as a guest. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Menhit; I agreed to house you until you turn eighteen. She will be civil to you until then.”

Veronica sat back down, and her eyes glistened as she looked between her husband and her daughter. Eason stood up and went back to his seat. He placed the dirty napkin into the hands of the waiting butler. “Did you want to go change?” he asked Nyla.

“No, I’m alright.” She didn’t have anything to change into.

Edmond remained standing while staring at Mason. “Apologize,” he hissed.

The warning is his voice was so clear even Nyla picked up on it. “Whatever. I’m sorry,” Mason said flippantly, not looking at Nyla.

Edmond, still glaring at his daughter, had a pinched expression on his face.

I’m missing something, Nyla thought.

Edmond sat down. “As I was about to say before you so rudely interrupted us by your display of childishness, Mason, Nyla is going to start school tomorrow. Please take care of her.”

“She’s in school with us?” Mason gasped. Eason didn’t say anything, but instead concentrated on his bowl.

“Of course she is, Mason. That’s part of the host program. The juvenile Menhits have to go to school,” Veronica chirped.

“But why does she have to go to our school? Can’t she go someplace else? She doesn’t belong there!” Mason whined, glaring daggers at Nyla as if she had any say in this. Nyla stared back blandly. She and Mason were both lost.

“No, she can’t. Someone must monitor and direct her during school now that she doesn’t have a handler anymore. She starts tomorrow,” Edmond said curtly.

“Who’s my new handler?” Nyla asked. She didn’t know what to think – the Major had always been her handler, but he was gone now. Was it acceptable for her to receive a new one?

“You misunderstand, Nyla,” Veronica clarified. “You aren’t getting another handler. You can’t under the new laws. But, Eason is going to be in charge of you at school - to watch out for you.”

“I’m what?” Eason gasped. His mouth hung open as he stared at his mother.

“You’re going to be watching over Nyla,” Edmond repeated. “And you,” he pointed at Nyla, “will obey any directions that he gives you. Do the two of you understand?”

Nyla and Eason nodded. Her stomach dropped. She would not be receiving a new handler, someone to trust and obey without thought. Thinking had suddenly become far more complicated now that she was out in this world.

Mason stared at her father. “What if people realize she’s a Menhit? That I’m associated with one of them? My social standing won’t survive!”

“That’s the next order of business. The Menhit Rehabilitation Program hasn’t been officially announced yet. We’ll be at the launch next week as the first family to have one. Because of this, I think it would be best if we didn’t announce that Nyla is a Menhit until then. That means you three have to keep it quiet at school,” Edmond said.

“God, this is all some political stunt for you, isn’t it?” Mason accused with her arms crossed.

            “That is enough out of you tonight, missy. I will not have my motives questioned by a child being churlish,” Edmond snarled. Mason jerked back from her father as if he had slapped her.

            “Dad, you can’t deny she looks… different,” Eason pointed out. “What if someone asks what’s wrong with her?”

            “Lie,” Edmond declared without hesitation.

            An unfamiliar pit opened up in Nyla’s stomach, twisting her insides together into one big knot. She interjected, “I can’t lie. It’s in my training to only tell the truth when I am addressed.”

            Edmond trained his cold eyes on Nyla. “You can lie, and you will. That’s an order.”

            A rush of coolness flooded her senses, filling in the pit that had opened. If he was giving her a command, then it didn’t matter. She was bound to follow his directions. “Yes, sir. What do I say?”

            Edmond rubbed his forehead. “Your coloring is so different than ours, so we can’t say that you’re a distant cousin. Instead, say you’re from the rural countryside near the border. You and your mother followed your father’s platoon, as so many rural families do, but both your parents died in the final conflict. No one will ask for more details than that, and the sudden death of your entire family will explain away your face.”

            Nyla nodded, committing the story to memory. She could almost see it happening inside her head.

            Veronica turned to her son. “She’ll be in your classes, Eason. It’ll make looking out for her very easy,” Veronica explained.

            Eason frowned, glancing between his mother and Nyla. “Mom, I’m in the top classes. Don’t you think they’re a little too advanced for her?”

            “She tested out of all the others. In fact, she tested out of your classes as well, but we had to place her somewhere,” Veronica answered. She shot a furtive smile at Nyla.

            So that’s what all those tests were, Nyla thought. She had taken a barrage of exams several weeks ago, but no one had told her what they were for and she hadn’t asked.

            She met Eason’s wide eyes. “You tested out of everything? How?” he asked in wonder.

            “I would like to know that as well,” demanded Edmond. “Since up until a few days ago, Menhits were forbidden from attending school. How is it that you even know how to read?”

            “The Major,” Nyla supplied. “He taught me how to read and would give me textbooks to memorize as part of my duties.”

            Edmond frowned. “That’s unusual.”

            Had she just gotten him into trouble? It doesn’t matter, he’s dead, the voice in the back of her head whispered. Nyla jerked in response.

            “You didn’t do anything wrong, sweetie. It’s just unusual,” Veronica assured her.

            “Very unusual. Where is this Major now?” Edmond questioned with probing eyes.

            “He’s dead,” she said simply. The words seemed to steal the air from her lungs. Never having spoken the fact aloud, the sharp pain in her chest surprised her. Was she sick?

            “I’m so sorry, dear. He sounded important to you,” Veronica said, looking like she wanted to grab Nyla again. She was glad Veronica couldn’t reach across the table. Touching made Nyla uncomfortable, and the woman’s bone-crushing hug from earlier was still on her mind.

            “He was the only important person in my life; he was my Handler.”

            Everyone stared at Nyla. Each person in the Braun family wore a different expression, and each expression was lost on Nyla.

            “So, I’ll show her where the classes are tomorrow,” Eason broke through the silence. His words seemed to do the trick, breaking whatever spell the family was under.

            “Good,” Edmond said. “That’s settled then.” They ate the rest of the meal in an uneasy silence. Nyla tried her best to avoid everyone’s eyes.