Hey everyone, I've noticed some people are bothered by my writing style and the mistakes I make. Well, that's the effect of not being a professional writer.
You (the people who always complain) are reading fanfiction, what were you expecting, something worthy of Stephen King ? If you don't like it, don't read it, simple as that. I do this for fun, not out of obligation to please anyone.
Thank you to everyone who reads what I write, I'll continue with what I can.
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I didn't decide everything in one moment.
There wasn't a big fight or a clear line where I said that's it.
I just… stopped.
After what Mom did to Emma, something broke inside me. I couldn't look at her the same way anymore. And Dad, Dad saw everything and did nothing. That hurt just as much, maybe more.
So I pulled away.
I spoke only when I had to. My answers were short. I didn't talk about my day, my thoughts, or how I felt. I was thankful for what they gave us, food, a house, clothes, but nothing more than that.
Emotionally, they weren't my parents anymore.
Emma followed my example without me ever asking.
We never told them about her powers. Not a word. I helped her understand it during quiet moments, how strong emotions made her shrink, and how feeling safe helped her grow again. It became our secret.
Mom tried to bring the diets back, but Emma ignored her.
Completely.
No fights. No tears. Just silence. Mom would talk, explain, complain—and Emma would stare at the wall or walk away.
After a while, Mom stopped trying. She focused on her phone. On her job at Vought. On her image.
She gave up on us without really noticing she was doing it.
Dad didn't give up so fast.
Sometimes he tried to talk to me.
"Hey, Barry…how was school today ?"
"Fine."
He'd wait, hoping I'd say more.
"Are you making friends there ?"
"Yeah."
Another pause.
"You and Emma doing okay ?"
"She's fine."
He'd nod and force a small smile. "That's good."
Sometimes he knocked on my door at night.
"Can I come in for a minute ?"
"If you want."
He'd sit on the edge of my bed, hands together, not sure what to say.
"I just want you to know…I'm proud of you."
"Okay."
That usually ended it.
I could tell it hurt him. I just didn't know how to care about that anymore.
Because he at least tried, I didn't shut him out completely. I answered when he spoke to me. Short. Calm. Distant.
Most of the time, though, I ignored both of them.
The house felt split in half, and I stayed on Emma's side.
She was my only family now.
I walked her to school when I could. Waited for her after. Sat with her when she felt overwhelmed. When she shrank, I stayed calm so she could calm down too. When she grew back, I stayed until she felt safe again.
Emma started getting better.
The biggest thing was that she didn't need to hurt herself to use her powers. No throwing up to shrink. No forcing herself to eat to grow. We figured that out early, and I'm thankful every day for that. If I hadn't been there…I don't even want to think about what it could've done to her.
Her size still followed her emotions, but now she was learning to guide them instead of being controlled by them.
When she felt overwhelmed, she'd shrink but she didn't panic.
When she felt safe, confident, she'd grow back.
We practiced in her room, door locked.
"Okay," I'd say, sitting on the floor so I didn't scare her. "Just breathe. Focus on how you feel. Not Mom. Not anyone else. Just you."
Sometimes she'd shrink a little. Sometimes she'd grow halfway back and stop, frustrated.
But she kept trying.
And she was getting close to doing it on purpose.
I knew that she could grow bigger too. A lot bigger.
But we weren't rushing that. Basics first. Control first. Safety first.
—---
School was chaos, in a good way.
At first, Andre didn't trust me.
He wasn't rude, just distant. He watched me more than he talked to me, like he was waiting for something to go wrong. I didn't blame him.
New kid, powerful, close to Luke, it made sense.
Time helped.
Training together helped more.
Getting into trouble together helped the most.
Before I noticed, it was the three of us, me, Luke, and Andre, sitting together in class, whispering jokes, daring each other to do dumb things.
Andre's favorite trick ?
The fire alarm.
Twice, he used his powers just enough to pull the lever without touching it.
WEE-OOO WEE-OOO.
Classes cleared out. Lessons canceled. Teachers are annoyed.
The third time, no one even pretended to be surprised.
By then, the staff had noticed the pattern.
Funny how the alarm only went off when we were nearby.
Funny how Andre always looked innocent, and Luke always tried, and failed, not to smile.
I never used my speed for that stuff. I didn't need to. Watching it happen was enough.
Those moments… I loved them.
Laughing together. Training until we were exhausted. Sitting on the grass afterward, sweaty and tired, talking about nothing important. About powers. About the future. About fights we'd never actually have.