The Runner

"Wait up, Cordy!" Chris shouted after me as I raced away down the stairs, his foam bullets bounced off my back.

I laughed and hid behind a corner to ambush him as he raced past but I got pelted with more bullets from Jazz's toy gun. I happily returned fire.

It felt like months had passed, maybe because they had. But nothing had really happened. Jasmine and Alyssa had played with their newfound powers, Jazz and Lizzie had gone back to a boarding school in Hastings during the weeks and I had begun to fit in. I had to keep pinching myself as a reminder that I wasn't in a dream. There were really people around me who accepted me for who I was. For who I am.

We had discovered a supply of Kaia's old toy guns while she was at work at the army museum. I had shot Chris and the next thing we knew, the floor was littered with bullets and we had a full war on our hands.

At least this hurt less than paintball, my bruises still hadn't faded from that.

Notes