As he changed back into his own clothes, Sam’s anger seemed to fade. He had told the poor deluded girl what he felt and now he was just empty. He had not waited to see what her reaction had been but he could guess that it was not good. He sighed, did he want to apologize? Or was he going to stick to his guns and let her face reality? If she had been a guy it would have been so much easier, girls had that fragility to them that made it hard for him to hurt their feelings.

He left the clothes that the store attendant had selected for him in a neat pile in the changing room. Putting the damned things back on their hangers was just too much of a pain right now. He made sure he had dressed correctly, smoothed some stray bit of hair down and looked around to make sure he was not forgetting anything. It was then that he spotted the two bags resting in the corner next to his own. Celeste’s bags, the ones she had insisted he carry. Well it looked like she would have to carry them herself from now on. Bending over he picked them up, then turned and made his way out of the cubicle.

The scene that met his eye was one of utter chaos. Celeste was gone and the store was in frantic motion. Some of the store attendants were actually running from one place to the next collecting bags and the manager was stood in the entrance shouting orders. Sam made his way through the chaos untouched, all the while he looked around to see if he could spot Celeste. But she was nowhere to be seen, so the only way to find out where she might have gone was to ask someone. He walked up to the manager, who seemed to pale slightly at his approach.

“Excuse me I’m looking for the blonde girl, you know the one I came with.”

The man just looked at him; then without a word he pointed towards the door. So she had left without him had she? What he had said must really have offended her. Oh well, he would see if she was still in sight and give her bags back. If not he would keep them and that would teach her to entrust her things to the first stranger she runs into. He headed for the exit.

Once outside he found himself faced with a large, black limousine. Ah so this must be the “car”. Slowly he walked up to it; there was no way to tell if little Miss rich had any body guards hidden in there. However as he drew nearer no one came out to confront him, so he reached out and tapped on the tinted glass. Holding up the bags, he spoke not knowing if she could hear him or not.

“You’re forgetting this.”

Bulletproof/tinted glasses. Soundproof Interior. Nothing could penetrate her dream world. Nothing could get out. She was trapped in there but she did not care. She felt secure. Out of sight. She dried her tears then closed her eyes.
In her small modern palanquin, everything was within reach. Music, drinks, a nice controlled temperature. She did not need anything else. No one else.
A small sound caught her attention. Celeste listened trying to find the source. It was so small, so weak, so fragile. Like her.
She opened her eyes looking out. There was her knight. Willing to continue struggling against the ideals of greatness. He moved his lips. She could not hear him. "Kneel down and ask forgiveness." Her telepathic command was not accepted. With the push of a button, the glass gently slide. Leaving her exposed to the outside world. Face to face.
"Can I drive you home?" She offered helpfully. She pressed another button. Max left the car without hesitation. He walked by Sam´s side and opened the door with a feigned kindness. Once the door was opened, she thanked Sam with another fake smile."Thanks for bringing my bags." And took them away from him. Once again in her possession she deposit them with greatest care in the limousine. She looked like a bear protecting her puppies. She was at the entrance of the cave, her precious baby away from humans.
While waiting impatiently for Sam to refuse (obviously he was going to say "no") she saw the arrival of the first two employees carrying several bags. Behind them came more employees. One after another they entered the bags. Each bag had a different piece of clothing in all colors. Even shoes.

He watched as the tinted windows slowly sunk into the doorframe of the car, to expose Celeste’s face to the cold winter day. She looked up at him in an almost nonchalant manner as if she had just happened to run into him in the street. Sam decided this was just another strange facet of her personality, this ability to pretend that nothing was wrong. He sighed and was about to tell her just to take her bags and go when she cut in first.

"Can I drive you home?"

He blinked at her stupidly… once, twice. Had she really just erased the last ten minutes from her mind? Why on earth would she decide to take him home, when he had just told her that her entire view of the world offended him? However before he could even begin to put together an answer the limousine driver had pulled open the door for him and was waiting patiently for him to enter the enormous car.

"Thanks for bringing my bags."

She took the bags from him and put them away at her feet, all the while staring at him with a frigid smile on her face. That look scared him and he was just about to politely decline her offer when an army of store clerks armed with bags started making their way towards him. So he was left with two choices: get in the car or die crushed by a mountain of shopping. Neither option was particularly appealing but the small thing that made up his mind was that at least one option was warm. He turned back to Celeste and gave her his best smile.

“No problem. I’ve never been in a limousine before and since you offered a ride home sound nice”

He knew he sounded like such a country boy just then, even though he had only ever lived in the city, but it was the truth. He had never been in a limo and he was a bit intrigued. So he slid himself into the leather furnished interior, making sure not to sit too close to Celeste and looked around. It really was huge in here and very, very flashy.

To her surprise, Sam accepted her offer. But this time, she covered her surprise with a well practiced mask of indifference. Look the guest directly at its eyes, keep a smile on your lips. A ceremonial mask for a boring tradition with a big clown smile painted in bright colors. Imagining the scene, it looked just like a smiling tiki mask. "Aloha!"
Now she had the advantage. They were in her territory, there was no way to lose. Each step was coldly calculated.
Once all employees retired, Max closed the door. Sam inside.
It was unlikely that he would accept, but it happened. Now her plan was on its way. Plan A, vandalism. "You will never forget the day you made Celeste Manfrella cry." She grinned mentally. Wickedly. Wicked was good.
When all the bags were inside, Celeste moved even deeper into the limousine, carefully trying to move all her bags forward.

"Sam, where do you live?" The question was an essential part of her plan, but still she had to admit that was a bit curious. Where do commoners live?
Her beautiful eyes fixed on him, covered by invisible lenses of "interests". Its small but cozy world was already in motion. It only needed to find a destination. And then... revenge. Best served cold.
To ease the waiting, she approached the mini bar. That was not so mini. It occupied an entire wall of the limo, the other wall was occupied by the fine leather seats where they sat. Among the multitude of bottles of different sizes and contents, she grabbed two strange 750ml bottles. Then extended one to Sam. It was her favorite. Bling H20. Frosted glass. Handcrafted with Swarowsky crystals on "Bling". What would be his reaction? It was interesting to test him. To compete with him.

Once Sam had finished examining the interior of the limousine, he turned his attention back to Celeste. She was looking at him intently with just the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. What was she thinking about? Whatever it was, Sam could be sure that it did not bode well for him.

"Sam, where do you live?"

It was a question he had been expecting for how else was she going to drive him there but there was something in her eyes as she said it that made him uneasy. Was it curiosity he saw there or something altogether stranger? Well it made no difference now, he was committed. He was just about to reply when with a little smile she turned to the mini bar located opposite him.

The thing was huge; it took up an entire side of the car. There were bottles of all sizes and Sam felt pretty sure that the price of any one of them would have made him feel faint. He watched as she went unerringly to a set of sparkling bottles, although “sparkling” may have been an understatement. When she handed him one he thanked her and then turned to inspect what he had just been given. The bottle was decorated with those Swarovski crystals all the stars seemed mad about these days and frosted as if to hide what was inside. To preserve its mystery.

Tentatively he opened it, half expecting it to be some crazy color like gold or silver or something. Although he had to admit that crazy colored drinks nowadays were a common thing. He took a sip, not even really tasting it and then smiled quietly at Celeste.

“I live across town at a private boarding school. I’ve just moved there from London.”

There, he had managed to avoid commenting on the drink and had given her the information she wanted. Now it was her move.

Sparkling water. Fountain of youth. Eternal beauty. It would be a nice motto since they were drinking water made for Hollywood stars. She was not a star but a queen. Celeste took a long, cool sip. It was a little cold. She look down upon the dead minibar. It was its fault. She will punish "him" later.

Why Sam had not made a single comment on the water? She underestimated Sam. Both knew how to hide some emotions. Surely he was dying of envy. Like which each other small victory, real or imaginary, Celeste smiled mentally. If externalized, it would scare even the bravest.
She let the seat embrace her. It was so comfy. She really enjoyed those trips. She knew she was alone, yes. But she felt protected there.

Private school. It was not the same as private teachers. When her father began his career as a mobster, he was totally paranoid. He was constantly worried about his security and his family. Now he almost forgot both. At that time, the school was not safe. So she had to continue her great learning with tutors.
She was still lost in thought, when something changed. She was remembering those old days when her family used to do things together. Celeste missed these times a lot.
Suddenly, an invisible hand struck her head gently, like knocking in a glass door, afraid of breaking it. Private school. Across town. Living there.
"Are you a mutant?." She did not like that word, she hated it, feared it. Feared them. She was not a mutant. Something similar, but not a mutant. Truly, she did not know what she was. What were these mutations? A disease?

Celeste seemed to consider his words for a moment. He wondered if the word “private” had scored him some snob points with the little rich girl. Surely it had to be better than if he had told her he went to some public establishment. Ah well what did it matter anyway, he had only been there a few days and up until then he had been in a public school. He was common and proud of it.

Then her expression changed, as if some idea had just come to her. Her eyes went wide for a second then narrowed and she turned her gaze back to him. He could tell that whatever she was going to say next would probably not make him happy. As a preventive measure he plastered a lovely fixed smile on his face and studied the mini bar with a neutral gaze.

"Are you a mutant?"

The question hit him like a fist. It made him feel sick and he was glad that he had been looking away from her. He knew he did not have the ability to hide his surprise and shock at the question but he was at least glad that she did not get to see the despair that now shone in his eyes. How was he going to answer that? Some people hated mutants and could even become violent around them. Whatever he answered he would have to be careful, because Celeste was not only powerful but she was volatile as well.
He tried to school his features into the fake smile he had been wearing before and turned back to face her.

“Why do you ask?”

He kept his tone as polite as possible and tried as hard as possible not to give himself away.

A bucket of cold water magically fell on Sam, his expression change. He was distracted. He looked surprised. Her mental uppercut caught him off guard, hitting squarely on his face. While trying to look ahead again, Celeste imagined how she moved quickly to land another punch directly to his liver for a quick KO... She opened her mouth in the physical plane to attack once again, to try to corner him. Then she stopped. Her lips opened as she tried to decide what to do. Would him turn to be a dangerous mutant? She knew nothing about him. If he lost control could start spitting acid, or freeze the air around him. She was afraid. She should not have asked that. There was no turning back.

She closed her mouth. Accommodating her thoughts. Forming a sentence with all the words that floated in disorder on her head. "The most famous school with these three characteristics..." She paused. Then recited for him before proceeding. "Private. Across town. Where you can live." She picked up the thread of the conversation again. "... Is the mutant mansion. I really do not know the name." She innocently smiled apologetically. She was not really sorry, she was terrified. Now he was a new experimental bomb, unstable, which could explode at any time. Her gaze was not filled with elitism, but cold. Calculatingly. He was closer to the door. If she had to escape, she must pass near him.

If he really lived at the mansion, she could not paint the entire thing... it would be crazy to try to infiltrate that nest of people with super powers. Almost a suicide. Plan A canceled. Plan B, to infiltrate the mansion and find Sam's room... How? She had to find a good excuse.
Maybe if she could claim to be a mutant, they could show her the facilities... no, too simple. Besides she had to announce to the world that she was one of them. It would not work. She was not a mutant, of course not. A witch maybe. A demon, a sprite, a fairy, anything but a mutant. Its genetic code had no faults. Or so, she wanted to believe.

Celeste’s expression told him all he needed to know. He had given himself away and now she was looking at him like a lion ready to go in for the kill. Crap. He kept his gaze fixed directly at her as he had the feeling that something bad might happen if he looked anywhere else. He knew that his staring would probably come across as a bit creepy but he was past caring. And behind his blank stare his mind raced through all of the possible outcomes he could think of. They had only one thing in common and that was an unpleasant ending.

Then just as Celeste seemed about to say something and deliver the killing blow, she stopped. Her mouth was open and she just seemed to freeze, then her eyes glazed over slightly. She closed her mouth gently and tried again. This time though the words came out slowly almost carefully.

"The most famous school with these three characteristics. Private. Across town. Where you can live... Is the mutant mansion. I really do not know the name."

Ah so he had given himself away, blown his own cover. He bit his lip to stop the involuntary curse that tried to escape him. He hadn’t realized that the mansion he now lived at was well known for housing mutants. Although now it seemed obvious. But that was not the issue anymore, now he had to work out what was going on behind those, suddenly hooded, black eyes. He decided to opt for the avoidance tactic.

“Anyway, it’s nice of you to take me home. I hope it’s not too far out of your way.”

He had decided not to give her an answer to her questions and hidden behind the politeness that was his best weapon. He turned slightly away from her now and tried to study the changing scenery through the tinted glass. It was hard to be sure where they were, mainly because he had only been here for a week, but at least they were clear of the city center. Surely they would get to the mansion soon.

Sam did too much to avoid admitting he was a mutant. He would not talk about it, but neither denied being studying at the mutant mansion. Then he was a mutant after all. Something in his attitude calmed Celeste, a least a little. Her companion was not a monster, he was more afraid of the rest of the world.
Of course the driver was listening, he knew exactly where they went. He always did. There was no direct order to give. He was a good listener.
She would be really scared to admit being a mutant, too many people feared or hated them. She had money. It would be harder without money.
At least she could hide it, living behind comfort and luxury. What about Sam? For a moment she had the crazy idea to cancel Plan B. To cancel the entire operation of revenge. That was not her style. She rejected the idea, like sheer folly. Forget it.
Still, Sam was in a situation very similar to hers. Bridging the gap.
He just arrived from another country, probably would not have many friends. He was a mutant, and had no one to tell it. Except for all the people in the mansion...

She just nodded, smiling. Then asked without realizing it. " Do you have any friend in NY?" Yes, it was a good thing even though she did it to see where he lived. That little statement almost makes her sad. Almost. He failed. He would have to make a better effort to make her cry for second time in the same day. The plan would continue. But... Why would someone cross the ocean to find solitude? It was a good question. So did their parents, and now they were constantly traveling to Italy. Was not easier to stay there? "No, it's close." She lied. Her building was located in the heart of the city. There was nothing to do across town. Again she asked a mental question aloud. She asked her father. But Sam would help too. "Why do you move here?"

It appeared that Celeste had decided to accept the fact that he was avoiding her questions as she changed the topic of conversation. Relief swept over Sam like a wave, he was not good at talking about his mutation. Although he had to admit that he had gotten plenty of practice in trying to describe it since he moved here. Even before moving to the mansion, he had had an encounter with a very interesting person in the form of Noel, which had lead to talk of powers amongst other things. He smiled slightly at the memory; that had been a very random day indeed.

"Do you have any friend in NY?"

He looked back at Celeste because for once this was a question he could imagine coming from any normal teenage girl. It was not a particularly diplomatic question but then again teenagers had minus points when it came to all that kind of stuff. Did he have any friends in New York? No he had only been here a week. Sure he had met a lot of people and some were nice but he did not know them yet. Did he have any friends period? Well not many, if any at all. But that was his fault; he was too used to keeping people at arm’s length.

"Why did you move here?"

Ah that was also a touchy subject. He did not feel like telling people the truth, because admitting the fact that his mother was embarrassed by him and had shipped him off to the other end of the world to get rid of him was not something he was prepared to do. So he had decided to make up a lie that included as much of the truth as possible. He had only had to tell this story a couple of times since he got here but he was getting good at making it sound convincing.

“I moved here to get special tuition;” Into which one needed to read “mutant training” rather than tutition “there was nowhere good enough in the Uk. And seeing as I have only been here a week I have not yet made any friends.”

As he told his now well rehearsed lie he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of lie his mother and step father were telling back home. Oh it was probably something along the line of “He’s gone to study at a great university in New York.” That way everyone would think him privileged and his parents could boast of how bright he was.

That answer was not the divine revelation she expected to hear. She still did not know why her father had left his beloved country. Or why he had left her. Surrounded by a crowd, but alone. That question would remain unanswered. Forever.

Celeste looked outside. They were near the mansion. A few blocks ahead, maybe. She was not be sure. The landscape was so different from the city. More space. Greener. Much more quiet. They were not so far from the center of the city, but the landscape had changed so suddenly.

He lied. She knew it. She smiled without wanting to press her guest. Something in the story he was not telling touched her heart. They were so similar in their tragedies. Or at least, in the tragedies that she imagined for them. Because she really knew nothing about him.
Still, Sam had something she liked. She decided to remain quiet the rest of the trip. To learn more about his past could cause new doubts about the implementation of her plan.