Rose is sixteen.

Three whole years older than her sister when she went missing.

Her sister at the age of thirteen disappeared in the night like a magician. An eight year old Rose thought it was a trick. That Thorn would poof right back in her room like it never happened.

But it wasn’t a magic trick.

And she never came back.

Everyone says it was a Stranger that took her sister. Maybe her friend Rex was a Stranger and kidnapped her. Maybe it was a random Stranger. But a Stranger was always involved in the stories of Thorn’s disappearance.

Rose doesn’t believe any of that crap. Because Strangers aren’t dangerous. At least not all of them. The Fire Woman, or Firefly as she became known as in Rose’s head, saved her from a house fire. She didn’t need to, could’ve let young Rose die, but she didn’t.

Firefly, a Stranger, is a hero. Evidence that these people with dangerous powers don’t all use their abilities for harm.

While no one believed that a Stranger rescued her, she knew. And that’s all the proof she needed.

She’s sixteen now.

Her controversial views on Strangers does not make her a popular girl at school or at home. But she doesn’t hide. She talks every chance she gets about her experience. Because someday, someone will agree with her. Someone that can actually do something about the inequality. Hopefully.

So the day starts out like any other day. Doing the 4 G’s. Get up for school. Get Linny and ET ready. Get food in them. Get everyone to bus stop.

Linny is eleven but acts like a wise old lady. She’s very particular and critical. But somehow comes out with the right answer almost 95% of the time. She can argue her point and convince you in just one conversation.

ET is six and embodies that age more than any other child Rose has ever met. He is curious and bubbly. He doesn’t fear anything. Except Strangers as per their mother.

Yes, there’s always been a five year age gap between every child. People joked all the time that their parents’ lucky number was five. Rose guesses it only made some cosmic sense that her parents divorced on their twentieth year of being married.

Linny and ET never give her a lick of trouble to go to school thankfully. Their mother says that this is in efforts to instill life skills and independence in them, especially Rose. Though she thinks it’s just because Thorn isn’t there to put that on. So it falls to Rose.

“Rose?”

Someone calling her name jolts her back to reality. She’s in the cafeteria, waiting for them to let the students to go to their lockers and then homeroom.

Mr. Till, the vice principal, is in front of her. She’s alone at a table, since no one wants to sit next to a Stranger sympathizer. That’s ok with her. She’s used to it. Being anything else would mean she wouldn’t be herself.

“Sorry, lost in thought. What did you say?” She asks.

“Don’t worry, I know it’s a Monday. We have a new student who is in a lot of your classes. Could you show him around?” He gestures behind him. Though she can’t see around him with her principal’s tall frame.

It confuses her. Why her of all people?

Principal Till and Rose know each other well. She often is sent to his office with her loud opinion that tends to offend other students. Often, he acknowledges that she’s a good student but hands her detention anyway. She does have to face some kind of punishment, even if she didn’t do anything wrong.

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t sure, Rose,” he states, giving her a pointed look. One that she can’t say no to.

“Ok, sure,” she agrees with a shrug.

This guy probably will hate her and find someone else to show him around by second period anyway.

He steps to the side, and she can see the new student for the first time. Jet black hair, much like her own. Pale as if he’s sick, but that might be his normal skin tone. Dark brown eyes that borderline black that study her with apprehension. Objectively attractive, she guesses.

Though she doesn’t care. There’s a lot more than looks that matter.

“This is Koa Tan. He is transferring from North Millington High.”

That gets her attention. She sits up straighter, eyes more focused now. Millington is known for being a Stranger school.

With that in her mind, she notices the band on his wrist. It’s an identifier. It’s red. No Stranger goes to this school. Until now.

“Koa, this is Rose Tackett. She’ll be your guide.”

He leaves them with just their names and heads out.

Now she knows why he chose her. She’s got a positive view on Strangers. On paper, she is the best person for the job.

Koa slumps into the seat across from her, never taking his eyes off her. It’s a tad unsettling.

“Hi, Koa. Nice to meet you,” she greets, holding her hand out to him.

Just staring at the gesture, he practically grumbles at her, “Don’t try to be nice. I can find my own way.”

Taken aback, she retracts her hand. Who does this guy think he is? He has no idea what kind of person she is.

Though she guesses that he may be used to a certain kind of person. So she tries her hardest not to judge him.

He’s probably been through a lot as a Stranger.

“Here I thought I was being nice,” she jokes.

He doesn’t laugh.

“You don’t have to pretend,” he says.

Laughing, at how wrong he is, Rose gives him a break since he doesn’t know her yet. “Believe it or not, this really is me. No mask.”

His eyes narrow at her. “Everyone wears a mask,” he points out. She shrugs in response. He’s mostly right. Mostly.

“I try very hard not to. My sister used to live that way. I intend to follow her example,” she divulges.

He picks up on her use of words. “Used to?” He asks, tilting his head, curious. Finally an emotion that isn’t negative.

“Anyway, we’re in the same homeroom. Let me see your schedule,” she avoids his question and steers it to his schedule. She knows she’s not even a little subtle. But he lets her off and wordlessly hands over his paper.

Scanning the classes and teachers, they have every single class together. Mr. Till wasn’t kidding.

This will be either really fun or really painful. She’s not very enthusiastic on the former.

“If you want, I can show you to your first couple classes. If you can’t stand me by like third period, then you can ditch me,” she offers. She thought it was a very kind offer.

“If _I_ can’t stand _you_?” He questions incredulously. He clearly isn’t paying attention to the fact that everyone avoids her table. It’s practically social suicide, maybe even as a Stranger.

Lazily gazing at her too short fingernails, Rose says, “I’ve been told that I’m very unlikeable. Loud with how I feel.”

He actually smiles, so now she knows he is capable of that. Which is good to know. “That’s lovely.”

“Thank you,” she responds happily, choosing not to comment on his tone. She must come off serious because he is quick to point it out, “That was sarcastic.”

“I’m aware,” she retorts.

After she speaks, it grows quiet between them. It isn’t uncomfortable exactly. Just a smidge awkward.

Glancing at the time, there’s five minutes before they release them to homeroom.

This could be a long five minutes if he never initiates conversation.

“So why’d you move schools?” She inquires to fill the time. It is a genuine curiosity of hers. Why come to a place where he would for sure face discrimination?

He sighs, but answers anyway, even if it a chore. “Stupid program my school started and apparently they partnered with your school for it.”

It’s like a lightbulb turns on in her head. Rose remembers hearing about the program. She never thought it would happen here. People are so….one sided in this town. Narrow minded. It would appear that there are better places to begin this. “Wait, are they trying to integrate Strangers?” She blurts out, a bit too excitedly.

His eyebrows raise in surprise and perhaps some confusion. Maybe she came off a bit too strong there. “You sound way too happy about that. Why are you happy about that?”

Rustling through her backpack, she reaches her flowery folder. She hands it to him.

He gives her a weird look, but he opens it. “Strangers: The Other Viewpoint,” he reads the title out loud. “By Rose Tackett.”

“That’s me,” she answers proudly. That school article she fought tooth and nail to get published and caused her to get some harassment. But it was hers.

She can see Koa skim it quickly. It was something that she wanted to share and had to practically blackmail the English teacher to get her to agree for it to be in the school newspaper.

Once he gets to her story of Firefly saving her, his stare towards her becomes softer. Like he had his guard up and it came down slightly. Only a little. Like he understood her. And maybe she can understand him.

“You serious?” He questions.

“That’s how I really feel. Ask anyone,” she says, gesturing to the whole cafeteria. Some people close by stop to roll their eyes and utter some insults under their breath. She lets it roll off her back. Koa glares at them and they quickly turn back around.

“Does this have to do with Thorn?”

Her head snaps. Instead of her attention on the others near them, she hones in on Koa.

“What?” Rose asks, not so eloquently, but she swears her brain is short circuiting. Exposed wires sparking in her head, threatening an explosion.

“Your sister?” He states, but it sounds more like a question.

A million unknowns swirl in her mind. Something about Koa is different. Not just because he’s a Stranger.

For the first time in her life, Rose thinks she might get the answers she always chased after.

Koa might be the key.

Staring him dead in the eye, they appear honest. She’ll see how long that lasts.

“I never told you her name.”