“Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 6:15 in the morning of November 22nd, 2349 in the city of Washington D.C.. Your TelePortation is scheduled at 7:30 PM in TelePort 5 in the Travel District.”

  ===

  Calista had expected to remain by herself in the academy while everyone went home for their Thanksgiving break, but received an unexpected message just four days before Thanksgiving Day.

  Katelyn finally got to call her, and after a few tearful exchanges about how much they loved and missed each other, proceeded to tell Calista all about what they did with their paternal family in Montana. Having been prohibited to use the Hub or any external comms until SECURE deemed it safe enough, they had no choice but to entertain themselves with the many features and amenities their aunt and uncle’s cabin provided.

  They owned a modern cabin in a controlled-weather forest, where the weather barrier let in enough snow for residents to enjoy while protecting them from the biting cold. It had been snowing since late October, and Katelyn and Quincy enjoyed themselves by playing in the snow and swimming in the huge pool house.

  Calista was relieved that they were having so much fun. She’d worried they’d been living a prison-like life, hiding and waiting in agony until all the stalkers, Genesis X criminals, and crazed fanatics would finally leave them alone. They were still at risk, but SECURE gave them permission to use the Hub again and talk to Calista regularly.

  When Katelyn begged Calista to come over to Montana for Thanksgiving, Calista couldn’t find it in her heart to say ‘no’. She wanted to see her family more than anything, but the thought of confronting her mother after all these months of drama and uncertainty brought her more dread than finals week.

  She sat on her bed in her dorm, which had become a sort of sanctuary for her. Lindsay was nestled in her wall space, unable to leave Fistborn’s grounds until the competition started, if Calista got on the team. She would have to brave this alone.

  With a sigh, she sent her selected outfits to the cabin in Montana and tightened her navy blue winter coat around her. Even with the weather barrier, the snow itself would chill her. She headed to the Recreation Station, hoping to catch Camelithia and Belinda and say goodbye before she left. They wouldn’t be leaving until the following morning.

  As she approached the building, she spotted Harrison leaving the Training Center, heading towards the dorms. She quickly trotted over. “Hey, Harrison!”

  “Hey, Calista.”

  “You going anywhere for break?”

  “Nah. Staying here, like usual,” he said. “I have to work on lesson plans for you and Lil. I want you to represent Kappa during finals.”

  Calista blushed. “I hope I do it justice.”

  “I’m sure you will. So, you doing anything for break?”

  “Yeah, I’m leaving tonight. SECURE cleared me to go see my family.”

  “That’s great!”

  “Yeah…” She hesitated.

  “But… your mom.”

  She blinked. “How’d you know?”

  “I think all the stuff on the Hub gives me enough of a hint,” he said with a small smirk.

  “Right… all of that.”

  “Maybe after not seeing you for so long, she’ll come around,” he reassured her. “I can tell she loves you. She just needs to be more open-minded.”

  “I hope so.” Calista hesitated again, a question bubbling at her lips, but she didn’t dare.

  “What’s wrong?” Harrison asked.

  “Nothing. I… I was just wondering if you’re also staying during Christmas break.”

  He inhaled. “Yeah… I’m always here, actually. Even during the summers, and non-Versus years. My family and I aren’t exactly… simpatico right now.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s always been like that. I know you’ve been through a lot, too. I’m glad you have the chance to see them, especially your sister.” He smiled and patted Calista’s shoulder. “Have a great Thanksgiving, Calista. I’ll see you Monday.”

  “Yeah… see you.” Calista watched Harrison walk off. She didn’t know much about his personal life, but she had an inkling that she’d see plenty of details if she searched him on the Hub. Versus Journalists were just as nosy as Socializers were. As tempted as she was, she decided against it. She didn’t want to be as prying as they all were.

  Cam and Belinda were relaxing in the spa, chatting animatedly. Calista sweated in her winter coat upon entering, but knew better than to take it off. She only had a few minutes, anyway. The Air-Bus would leave for the TelePort at exactly 7:00, and she’d have to wait another hour for the next one.

  “Cali!” Camelithia rose from her sunbath recliner, leaving the warm light of the huge lamp. She was dressed in a red and blue full-body swimsuit. Her pink skin was especially strong now, with some beads of sweat sparkling here and there. “You leaving now?”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to say bye.” She gave Camelithia a hug.

  Belinda rose from her recliner, her swimsuit matching Cam’s. “How do you feel?”

  “Okay. Excited to see Kate, and Dad, and even Quincy,” Calista said.

  “You’re not too nervous?” Camelithia said, squeezing her gloved hands.

  “No, I think I’m okay. I’ll be fine,” she lied smoothly, ignoring the pancake flips her stomach was performing. She looked longingly at the sunbath lamps shining over the recliners, wishing more than anything to take off her winter clothing and relax with the two girls. A sunbath sounded nice…

  But sooner or later, she’d have to face her mother. Might as well be now.

  ===

  When Calista arrived at the Northern Montana TelePort, she was met with a joyous sight: her father and siblings waiting for her outside. She felt a rush of delight she hadn’t felt in forever. She needed this break from the academy, some solace from the prying eyes of students, coaches, and enemies. Her family’s embrace offered her great comfort.

  On her father’s side, she wasn’t particularly close to anyone, since she only met them a few times. She knew plenty of people on her mother’s side, and they were all fake. Their family gatherings were much like their own personal Sociapaloozas. The Zyben family wasn’t very pleasant to spend time with, bearing similarities to girls like Danica and Rebecca.

  The Medley family, on the other hand, was calmer and more relaxed when it came to socializing with each other. Many of them had their channels, but they were very humble in comparison. Maybe that was why they weren’t as popular as the Zybens’ channels.

  With those differences, Calista didn’t see her father’s family as often as she did her mother’s. The cabin owners were her Aunt Ellie and Uncle Shay; Ellie being her father’s sister. They had three children, two of which were around Calista’s age, but weren’t as close as she wanted them to be.

  She was admittedly nervous about seeing them all; it had been a few years. They didn’t even holo-call each other that often. Calista had always been too consumed with the SociaLights channel and her personal beauty queen lessons with her mother to bother keeping in touch with them.

  Thinking about her mother sent her into an anxious mood again. As much as Katelyn reassured her that she just needed a good talking-to, and that everything would be fine, she couldn’t erase the dread of the upcoming reunion.

  They arrived at the cabin in a small Air-Taxi. Aunt Ellie and Uncle Shay waited at the front doors. Aunt Ellie was exactly as Calista remembered her; shorter than average with short, wild, curly golden hair and long, sparkly earrings that reached her shoulders. She was partial to wearing colorful, patterned frocks, which her mother would vehemently criticize behind her back.

  Uncle Shay, on the other hand, had changed a bit. He used to have bright orange hair, but had now changed it to a pale violet color, and it was shorter than Calista remembered, too. He was a tall, handsome man with steady gray eyes and ebony-colored skin.

  Ellie greeted Calista with a warm smile and an embrace. “You’ve grown, sweetheart!” She took Calista’s delicate hands, holding her arms out. “I can see a fighter’s build in you already!”

  “You think?” Calista said shyly.

  “Of course! Let’s go inside, shall we? The snow’s cold.” They went into the big, spacious foyer with two doorways on either side, leading to the HARP room and formal dining room, and a teleporter was in the middle, leading upstairs to the second floor. “Your cousins should be down soon.”

  As if summoned, the two cousins teleported into the foyer. The middle child, Soko, was a skinny boy with broad shoulders, which gave him sort of an odd shape, and he had long, black hair that fell over his dark eyes. The youngest was Gliss, around her brother’s height, with waist-length blond braids and big, blue eyes. It was clear Gliss had recently been focusing on Socializing, with her perfect figure and fashion sense. Her outfit was of soft, pastel colors, the fabric light and breezy.

  The third cousin was Cassidy, who was the oldest. She had long since gone to the Socializer school in California with her fellow channel hosts. Her channel was called CSD-Vibes, focusing on charitable acts and helping communities in space stations. Calista didn’t know her well, but she hoped to meet her again sometime.

  “Look at you! You’re so tall!” Gliss squealed, taking Calista by surprise by giving her a tight hug. “They beat you up a lot there, huh? You look like you’re battle-ready already!” She snorted a bit, covering her mouth. “Ooh, what was that? Sorry!”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Calista expected her father’s family to support her, but she didn’t think they’d be this excited. Of course, they were probably supporting her in secret, not mentioning a word of it to their followers.

  “We’ve got a nice room for you! Come on, I’ll show you!” Gliss excitedly led Calista to the teleporter, Soko following silently. Calista didn’t remember him being much of a talker.

  Gliss bounced into her bedroom, which had three beds. One was Gliss’s own, the other was evidently for Katelyn, the sheets in a gradient of her favorite colors; royal purple and sea blue. The last one was blank, waiting for Calista to customize it. It was a little cramped, but nothing too uncomfortable. “All your clothes arrived here,” Gliss said, motioning to the clothing selection system.

  With relief, Calista instantly went and changed into something cooler. “So you’re sharing your room with us? You sure that’s okay?”

  “Sure! Quincy’s sleeping in Soko’s room, and Aunt and Uncle are in the guest room. Perfect for all of us, right?!”

  “Yeah, looks like it,” Calista smiled, a bit overwhelmed by Gliss’s energy. She’d forgotten how pepped-up she always was.

  “Girl, look at you! You look so strong!” Gliss pumped her arms, as if showing off her own muscles.

  Calista had chosen Fistborn’s workout uniform, but with a full shirt rather than the bra, wanting to be more appropriate. The red shirt was sleeveless and the blue pants were loose around her waist.

  Even though she couldn’t compare to the other female students at the academy, her arms had toned up nicely. She smiled and playfully showed off her biceps, making Gliss laugh.

  “How’s Fistborn?” Soko finally spoke.

  “Yes! I want to know all about it! You’re friends with Harrison Smith, right? I didn’t know anything about him until now. When I looked him up, I was so AAH!” The scream made Calista jump. “He’s so GP! How can you play cool in front of him?! He’s SOOO HANDSOME! Is he nice?! Is he a good teacher? Do you like him?” Gliss winked.

  Calista chuckled and sat with her cousin on her assigned bed, put at ease despite Gliss’s intense nature. But before she could delve into the long story that was Fistborn Academy, her mother walked through the wall.

  The sight of her froze Calista on the spot. She looked so different. She was skinnier than she was before— to a very unhealthy degree. She could see circles under her eyes through the thick layers of makeup and her hair wasn’t as nicely done as usual. Even her clothes were lackluster, in tones of pale and dark grey.

  “Um… we’ll leave you two alone.” Gliss patted Calista’s shoulder reassuringly, jerking her head at her brother to leave the room. Calista’s throat dried, longing for Gliss to return and continue the conversation.

  For a few moments, Calista endured the agonizing silence. She stared down at her lap, squeezing the loose fabric of her pants.

  “I… saw your broadcast,” Jennifer choked out. Her voice sounded hoarse.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Um… I’ll admit it was gutsy.”

  “Really?”

  “It actually worked a bit… some people backed off. Some… lots of others were pretty mad. Although I think you scared off the people from Kate’s bar.” Jennifer grimaced, probably attempting to smile.

  “That’s good, then.”

  Jennifer nodded. “Yeah. And… um… well, the fans are sort of… fighting now. Some support you, some don’t. It’s been a little-”

  “Do we need to talk about the fans?” Calista said, irritation rising. Was that all she wanted to tell her? The reactions of a bunch of strangers that forced her into a life she never wanted?

  “Right.” Jennifer cleared her throat. “I… I want to support you.” She sat down next to Calista on her bed. “But… you need to understand the position I’m in. It’s not just about the fans, it’s about you and your siblings, your future. It’s good to have a backup, you know, in case… in case things don’t go your way.”

  “In case I fail.” Calista smiled humorlessly.

  “No, I mean… things happen. You never know. I just want you to have something to fall back on, and that means I need to keep up an image. This is my job. It’s been my career for years on end, and I can’t do anything else. I don’t know… how to do anything else.” Desperation crept into Jennifer’s voice, and Calista almost apologized for everything that had happened, but she pushed down the fleeting urge.

  She knew how she felt. When she thought she’d destroyed any chance of getting into the academy, she felt like it was the end of her world. She imagined fleeing to some distant planet and starting over. She wasn’t good at anything else, either. So, yes, her mother was sort of stuck in the position she was in.

  But she didn’t realize that Fistborn itself secured a future for Calista. Even if she graduated without getting on the team at all, and landed a job as a no-name, regional coach— which was a future she wasn’t keen on—, it would still be better than continuing as a professional Socializer. She would get paid a livable wage, she’d be able to have her own life, marry someone she really loved and have children without pushing the generational trauma of a channel and millions of fans on them.

  “I just want you to know that I’m supporting you here, but I can’t go out and say anything,” Jennifer finished.

  “I never asked you to,” Calista pointed out.

  “Yes, I know. But…” Jennifer looked away, her mouth flapping. “We’ve both chosen different paths now. So… we’re going to be different people. But know that… I do still love you. You’re my daughter. And just because we might not be as… close as we were doesn’t mean… it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

  Calista nodded. “Yeah. Same here.” She looked into her mother’s matching eyes. She’d inherited her emerald eyes. Sometimes she wondered if Jennifer made any genetic modifications so her firstborn could be an exact copy of herself.

  “I just want to make something clear,” Jennifer added. She cleared her throat and took a nervous breath. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t… talk about the Games and the academy with me. It’s just a lot to take in. Just save it for when I’m not around… not that I’m around that much, I’m pretty busy now. I just need a break from it, okay?”

  “Okay. Only if you don’t talk to me about your fans or anything about the channels. I don’t even want to hear the word ‘fans’. Especially after what they did at school.”

  “Well, Calista, they were just worried about you,” Jennifer reasoned. “Word got out that you passed out in class, and they were just trying to make them give you a break.”

  “They showed me a projection of me covered in blood with the word ‘traitor’,” Calista told her. “They didn’t seem that concerned to me.”

  “But you saw their faces. They were crying for you. They really don’t-”

  “Mom, the girls smeared makeup so they could look like they were crying. You know makeup doesn’t smear.”

  “There’s a few types-”

  “I don’t need to hear you take their side again, Mom!” Calista snapped. She frowned when Jennifer flinched, scooting away defensively. The reaction made no sense. She looked at her hands, which were still flattened on her lap. She hadn’t moved at all.

  “I’m sorry,” Jennifer said, swallowing. “Force of habit.” She didn’t scoot closer. She turned away, her body tense, as if expecting some sort of blow.

  “Are you afraid of me?” Calista whispered.

  “What? No.”

  “Then what’s that?”

  “It’s… I just…” Jennifer breathed out. “I’m not sure what they’ve taught you at that school, that’s all. One of your friends attacked those fans.”

  “Atta- that’s what you think?” Calista stood, chuckling as she paced in frustration. “You of all people should know how rumors work!”

  “I saw it! That Ilamikoan girl turned into-”

  “She was just scaring them off! There was a barrier between them; she couldn’t even touch them! This is such a stupid conversation!” Calista turned her back on her mother, not wanting to look at her anymore. “I should’ve known. You haven’t changed a bit. All you care about are your stupid, mindless fans that worship the ground you walk on-”

  “I just don’t want people to think you’re some kind of…”

  “Monster? Killer? Rager?” Calista glanced back at her. “Clearly, you do. You thought I was going to hurt you.” She let a couple tears reach her eyes, but stifled her sobs. “I would never hurt you,” she whispered.

  “That’s not what I…”

  “Let’s just make a deal, Mother.” Calista wiped the small tears that had gathered and stuck her hand out. “You don’t mention your fans to me, and I don’t mention school to you. As far as you’re concerned, we’re just two strangers from completely different worlds that don’t even talk to each other. Truce?”

  “Calista, no… that’s not…”

  “Do we have a deal or not?”

  Jennifer’s jaw trembled and she let tears out. She sighed and took Calista’s hand. Calista gave it a firm pump and let go.

  “There. Now, I’d like to tell everyone else about my experience, so you should go back to your broadcast.” She coldly turned away. A pit formed in her stomach, as hard as stone.

  Jennifer lingered a few seconds before leaving. Calista didn’t want to cry. She was too angry. She didn’t even apologize for all that she said and did… not a word about everything that had happened before she got accepted. All she cared about was her stupid, vindictive, horrible fans.

  Maybe it was easier to pretend she wasn’t Jennifer Zyben’s daughter at all. From now on, she was Henry Medley’s daughter. The daughter of a man who loved her, considered her, and supported her. The daughter of a true father that comforted her, advised her, and kept in touch. Him, Katelyn, Quincy, and even her aunt, uncle, and cousins— they were her family.

  ===

  Calista lowered herself to the floor, breathing in and out to avoid panting unevenly. She had just completed her 60 push-ups. She now got tired after the 40th pushup, having to force herself to finish the last twenty. It was a vast improvement from how she started out.

  Thanksgiving was very enjoyable, with just a sprinkle of awkward tension between her and Jennifer. They’d made sure to sit far away from each other at the table and avoid even making eye contact. Calista had a wonderful time feasting on turkey, biscuits, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and the works of Thanksgiving, feeling very grateful for the first time.

  Past Thanksgivings were… alright. When they were children, Jennifer would let them indulge in the traditional human meals for the holiday, but once she got into the phase of turning Calista into a younger, better version of herself, the plentiful meals were gone. Calista would usually have a mushroom spaghetti with red grape juice, which would have a bit of weight-therapy powder in it. The others were allowed to eat what they wanted, but they wouldn’t have much, just so they wouldn’t leave Calista with longing for a better meal.

  Once Calista had stuffed herself full, finishing off with a juicy cherry pie, she knew she’d probably gained a few pounds, maybe enough to reach her goal.

  She drank some water and wiped her sweat away with a towel. Deciding that she’d worked out enough for the moment, she started towards the bathroom to take a soothing, hot shower.

  “Incoming message for… Calista Medley… from… Elizabeth Devon.”

  AIDA’S announcement stopped her. “Could you repeat that?”

  “You have a new message from Elizabeth Devon.”

  Calista’s mind glitched. Elizabeth? Why would she be messaging her? Even if she was the nicer one of the clique, she wouldn’t risk something like that.

  “Um… open the message, please.”

  Elizabeth’s figure appeared. Calista couldn’t believe how different she looked. She wore the NYWS uniform and her hair was a bright candy blue, cut into a bob. The style didn’t suit her at all. Calista preferred her natural red curls. The image seemed to glitch a bit, as if she were using a hidden channel.

  “Hi, Calista, it’s Liz. Elizabeth. Um…” She stammered for a bit. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what to say.” She cleared her throat, glancing over her shoulder. “I just wanted to let you know that… I’m happy for you. I support what you’re doing. You seem a lot more confident now that you’re at Fistborn.” She smiled ruefully. “I actually used to be a Versus fan before I joined your channel. I never said anything, though. But I just wanted to reach out and let you know I’m on your side. Your broadcast last month was pretty inspiring.”

  Last month… it had already been a month? It felt so much more recent…

  “I’m trying to find a way out of here,” Elizabeth continued, her voice glitching slightly. “I have to tell you, this place… it’s awful. You saved yourself, really. Everyone here is so mean and masky. All they ever do is talk behind people’s backs and pretend to like each other. Dani and Becca only ever talk about their ‘best friends’, and what they hate about them.” She chuckled. “And I know they’re talking about me, but I’m probably the only one who doesn’t even care.”

  Calista’s heart clenched with pity. Elizabeth was essentially stuck there, unless she found some other career path that wouldn’t be completely destroyed by the vindictive girls at NYWS. Their hatred and lies about her would be enough to block plenty of potential jobs for her.

  “Anyway… I’m going to try and build up my own channel. Something different and unique. That way when I get found out, I can still fall back on it. Otherwise… I guess I’ll move off-planet or something. Go completely off-network. My parents wouldn’t notice.” Elizabeth took a breath and put on a smile. “I hope you’re doing well there, and I’ll be following you. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving. I’ll see when I can message you again; I can’t receive messages through here. Got one of the ‘outcasts’ here to hack it up for me. I owe her.”

  Calista wished she could reply back. She wished she could help Liz somehow, maybe ask someone if she had a place in one of the schools in Fistborn. She’d probably do great in Design or something; but those schools weren’t free. It was pretty much impossible to get her out of the Socializer school.

  “I’ll see you in the prelims, Cali. I know you can do it.” Elizabeth’s image vanished.

  Calista stared into empty space for a minute. She wished she could call Liz back and tell her everything that had happened. Knowing she was supporting her— even secretly— was enough to make her heart swell. In a way, it also pressured her a bit. A lot of people were counting on her to get on the team.

  Finals week was starting in two days. She had to hope she’d done enough.