After the realization that the power dampening cuffs could actually be hurting them (or at least the theory that they are), Lou hasn’t stopped thinking about it.

It made sense with her original symptoms and Jones’ continuing condition.

But the big question is why. What motivation would their school have to want to hurt them?

Will it affect everyone?

The muzzle made her physically ill in the beginning. She’s better now, though she’s always aware of it when she has to on. Why is she different than Jones?

Humans are too complicated for Lou’s taste. Their motivations could be anything. Animals are much better. They don’t try to hide their intent behind a mask.

There are no bad animals. Just humans’ interpretation of their actions that give some that label.

And Lou has a feeling that some of her classmates are being labeled as bad humans.

“Have you noticed that the muzzles have different colors?” Lou asks Amelia. It’s them and Liam in study hall together. The teacher grading homework at the front and doesn’t really care if they talk. All teachers kind of stopped caring now that they don’t have to deal with the human’s’ powers.

At first, she was so overwhelmed by her emotions and the lack of connection to animals, she hadn’t noticed the colors. Now that her mind is more clear, she sees that her own is bright green like parrot’s feathers.

When she talked to Jones, his was orange.

Amelie lifts her wrist up, and hers is green as well. “I think they told us that the colors don’t mean anything.”

“That could be a lie,” Lou points out. “Humans lie all the time.”

She’s seen it first hand. Humans make up all sorts of reasons to justify the lies, but at the end of the day, they are lies.

“True,” Amelie responds. Lou imagines she is also familiar with lies. Even though Lou doesn’t really care about soulmates, she acknowledges it must be hard to live in a world of soulmates when you don’t have one. When they first met, Amelie was an oyster. Closed off. Almost having to pry anything from her. But when she opened up, there is a beautiful pearl inside. That was always there if you are willing to put in the work.

“It’s most likely to identify the danger level,” Liam’s phone voice says. Lou turns to him and he’s already back to drawing in his sketchbook like he hadn’t spoken at all.

“Danger level?” Lou questions. She knows that the principal thinks they’re potentially harmful, but labeling them based on their abilities, seems kind of far.

Liam taps his pen, counting the magnificent little kitties he’s been doodling. “Jeremiah’s is red. So is Bell, Cross, and Ria. My brother and Roman are yellow,” he says, adding whiskers to one cat.

Both Lou and Amelie stare at him, mouths agape.

They are silent little mice which maybe Liam picked up on because he looks up briefly. “What? It was one of the first things I took in.”

Lou hadn’t even noticed. Though if it isn’t cat shaped, don’t expect her to remember.

“That would make sense. I don’t have powers, so I’m no threat,” Amelie reasons, going along with that explanation. She turns to Lou. “You’re power isn’t a threat at school, so you aren’t either.”

“The rest can be seen as more dangerous or potentially so,” Lou finishes for her.

But what did this have to do with hurting Jones. Sure, knowing what the threat level is of a student is fine and all, but it is hurting them. That’s not a coincidence.

Something in her brain is hatching. Maybe the start of a plan.

“Liam? How do you powers work?” Lou asks. When he doesn’t answer, she taps the table twice.

He raises his head, only slightly. “Pocket dimensions,” he answers, simple and curt.

Just how Lou prefers.

“Could you explain what that means?” Amelie gently questions. At first it appeared like he wasn’t going to answer again, staring at the cats on his page, but then he types in his translator again. “I make places that only I can go.”

“So you couldn’t get into a place that’s locked?” Lou inquires. Amelie raises an eyebrow at that. Lou could almost see her brain working to figure out where she’s getting at. Amelie is a silent but curious type. Catlike.

That’s probably why she’s Lou’s friend.

“I’ve never tried. Usually I use them to get away from people,” Liam answers, his hands moving in a motion that wasn’t exactly fidgeting but wasn’t fully conscious either.

If Lou has that power, she would use it for that exact reason.

Shaking her head, she focuses on her task at paw. There’s got to be someone with a power that can help her. She needs to know more. Because she will not wear this muzzle if they are harming her or her human friends. “What’s Zac’s power again?”

Amelie gives her another quizzical look. Liam pays no mind to the odd questions. “Tracking evasion. Which he tells me it means he doesn’t get caught,” he replies.

“What are you planning?” Amelie asks, voicing her confusion.

“I think it’s time we know what these muzzles do to us,” Lou reveals. Her plan coming out of its shell. Her human friend tilts her head like a puppy that didn’t understand. “Do to us? Apart from suppressing soulmate powers?”

Lou blinks and she is brought back to seeing Jones on the stairs, hunched over, unwell. The friend that understands her connection to animals the most. He doesn’t gawk at her animal friends or think she’s weird for liking animals for than humans. He just gets her. “Jones is sick. From the cuffs. I think I was too in the beginning.”

“So what are you suggesting? That we break into the school after hours and magically find information that explains this all?” Amelie questions in a tone that makes Lou think she actually doesn’t think she’s suggesting that. Amelie knows Lou well enough that she knows Lou isn’t joking. Because she doesn’t joke about her friends, humans or animals.

“Yes,” Lou simply says.

“Ria,” Liam says. Both Lou and Amelie look over to him. He is doodling more details around the cats now, a window to the outside being added. It is quite nice in Lou’s opinion.

At first, Lou wasn’t sure what he meant. But then she connected the dots in her head.

“He’s right. Her power could help in case we get caught. She could warp memories like we weren’t even there,” she explains.

It is coming together like a harmonious habitat. Each creature having a part in this. She needs Zac, Ria, and Liam. Possibly the others if they would agree.

She needs to do this. For Jones.

Amelie swivels her head to glance at Liam and then to Lou as if she is processing everything. It goes like that for a long moment before Amelie breaks the silence.

“Ok. I’m in.”

———

(Any time I have that Liam said anything, I am referring to his phone voice/translator.)