When the Parker Sisters realize they have extraordinary physical and mental abilities stemming from a bio-lab experiment gone bad, the teens
must race the clock to find a cureâbefore it's too late.
When the Parker Sisters realize they have extraordinary physical and mental abilities stemming from a bio-lab experiment gone bad, the teens
must race the clock to find a cureâbefore it's too late.
Prologue
Â
His bare feet made a slapping noise on the cold floor tiles, drowning out the shouts of his pursuers as he raced down the narrow hallway. He tried to stop at a door with a window but lost his balance before catching himself on the door handle. His reflection in the glass froze him. He didn't recognize the pale, bald, gaunt face looking back. It looked haunted. Who was this man, and what had happened to him? Distant shouts forced him to leave those questions unanswered. Taking a step back, he kicked the door. It flew off its hinges into an empty lab room with no exits or windows, not unlike the room he just had escaped from, sans the beeping machines and sadistic doctors.
Red droplets appeared on the floor, and he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He felt a tickle in this throat and coughed up blood. It splashed on his dingy gown, his feet, and the floor. Wiping his mouth with the same hand, he wiped his nose again; he swished blood around in this mouth before spitting it out. The blood on the floor triggered a memory. It looked like a baby's crib. More shouting reawakened his urgency. He turned to flee as the blood flow from his nose increased. He started running, shaking his head to stop the ringing in his ears.
A headache made him squint as the walls taunted him by rushing up to meet him and then receding like waves in the ocean. He increased his speed, still thinking about the blood splatter that looked like a crib. A crib. A singular moment of clarity pierced through his fog of pain. He was a father. He had a son. And a wife.
He turned a corner, gathering intel from his surroundings. Faded white walls, an antiseptic smell, the floor layout, and lack of windows led him to believe he was in the basement of an old hospital or lab. Which meant there was an exit somewhere. He slowed to turn another corner and spied a freight elevator at the far end of the long hallway. He coughed up more blood, spit, said a prayer, and sprinted for the elevator that flashed in and out of focus through his pain. Focusing, he increased his speed. His body responded. He ran at a speed that was not humanly possible as his bloody gown clung to him. The exertion chased the pain away and triggered another memory. A face. A woman's face. She was beautiful. She was holding a babyâhis son. Muscles twitched around his mouth. He thought he was smiling. He should be. He was going home.
Thirty feet from the elevator, the doors opened. Two muscular bald men in black paramilitary gear stepped out with raised semiautomatic rifles pointing at him. He gritted his teeth and charged. Nothing would keep him from his family. Gunfire erupted. Bullets ripped through his body. He stumbled to a stop, wheezing and spitting blood as he leaned against a wall. Eyes closed; he became engulfed in searing pain. He focused on another memory. The smell of fresh paint and new carpet. His wife laughed at him as he sat cross-legged on the floor, confused by the baby crib instructions. Another memory: a picnic as his pregnant wife shamelessly ate both sandwiches. Another memory, further back. Graduation from the Military Academy. Dinner that night with family and friends. She proposed to him. She gave him a ring.
Hush, little baby, don't say a wordâŚ
That song? That was his son's song. He had to get home and put his son to bed.
Papaâs gonna buy you a mockingbirdâŚ
He steadied himself and pushed away from the wall. He swayed on his feet as the smell of new carpet and fresh paint revived him. The sound of a baby laughing propelled him forward. Opening his eyes, he took a step forward. The gunmen looked frightened. They seemed unsure as they lowered their weapons and looked at each other.
And if that mockingbird don't singâŚ
He took another step. Then another. Every step ignited pain in his body, but he couldn't stop. His son wouldn't go to sleep without him singing to him.
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ringâŚ
His pace quickened. His son needed him. A barrage of gunfire sent him stumbling back, reaching for the wall for support. Coughing and wheezing, he stood on unsure legs. His wife laughed at his voice. She said he was pitchy. His face muscles twitched again. Another smile? He was now back in his son's room. He sang as he gently placed him down in the crib. Then he collapsed.
And if that looking-glass gets brokeâŚ
Â
***
Â
Peering around the corner, the scientist watched the mercenaries reload and shoot the fallen subject a few more times before they cautiously approached and prodded the body with their rifles, like a child might poke a dead snake with a stick.
The scientist shrugged. The subject no longer mattered to him. He had extracted what value he could, and judging from the cellular degeneration, the subject had only days at best. But the subject had lasted longer than the previous six, so they had made progress. Unfortunately, they needed to acquire more âvolunteersâ to validate his findings. Or maybe there was another way? Like the hacker had suggested.
A small rotund man, puffing and wheezing, sidled up next to him and unceremoniously grabbed his arm for balance as he doubled over to catch his breath.
âOh god!â He gasped. âJust give me a minute, just a minute,â he puffed, standing straight up and gulping in oxygen. The scientist stepped out of his reach and pretended to ignore him while typing numbers into his electronic notepad. A few minutes later, the corporate suit was composed enough to talk.
âWhew, OK, OK, that was, um⌠not productive, right? Right?â the businessman said, mopping his sweat with a silk handkerchief.
The scientist turned to face him. âThe death was of no consequence. As predicted, we reached new milestones, which moved us closer to stabilizing the process.â
âGood, good, put that in your report. OK? OK? And another set of volunteers will be arriving stateside in three months. So, prep everything and be ready.â
The scientist nodded. âAs you wish.â Then he added, âBut as I had previously mentioned, Project X is ready to go; we just require funding.â
The suit adjusted his tie, which was probably worth more than the scientist made in a week.
âProject X? Are you crazy? You know how high-profile those subjects are?â
âYes, sir, but again we have taken all the necessary precautions and IâŚâ
âNecessary precautions? No! Just no. Itâs too risky andâŚâ
âBut sir, as you said, the next set of subjects wonât be here for three months and it takes a month to prep them for trials. And we must be mindful that, as we cannot create any more, we only have enough for seven more trials. The rest is allocated for when the process is stabilized. Which, again, is why we need to locate our friend. Also, the next committee meeting is in three months soâŚâ
âEnough! Enough! OK, alright, you got your funding! But I want our top assets reassigned to Project X, and I want us up and running stat. I want clear rules of engagement and I want weekly status updates. We canât afford a miss.â
âOur top assets are looking for our friend. Nevertheless, we have everything we need to start immediately.â
âDo we? I know youâre not thinking about using your science project? That last snafu cost over ten million in litigation and an immeasurable loss in PR.â
âBut sir, the team is already in place with background and cover stories. Replacing them with another team at this late stage might raise flags and tip our hand. Plus, if we initiate the project it will make our other resources looking for our friend redundant freeing up extra bandwidth that we could use.â
âOK, alright. Alright. But again, if this fails itâs your butt, not mine. Got it?â
âYes sir. Iâwe wonât disappoint you.â
The suit nodded and waddled off like a penguin.
The scientist couldnât believe his luck. He had worked so hard for this moment. Now the company would know how valuable he was. No more suits taking credit for his work. And he was not going to second-guess himself for not telling the truth. Besides, if he were successful, the lies wouldnât matter. The mysterious hacker had told him it would work, and so far, he had been right about everything. The scientist just needed to be patient, and he would get everything he rightfully deserved.
â
Chapter One
Â
Eve stood up, narrowed her eyes, and dusted herself off. She had landed hard, but as Grams said, she had extra padding back there that protected her. Gwen, her younger sister, smirked and strutted away while her youngest sister Ana continued to stay on the perimeter, away from the elbows of her two older sisters. Eve didnât blame Ana for this. Eve and Gwen could get rough, especially when Gwen started intentionally pushing her buttons like she was doing now. Eve chose to ignore Gwen as she held up her hand for the ball. It was getting late, and Eveâs mother still had to do her hair for the first day of school tomorrow.
âBall!â Eve shouted.
Gwen turned around and threw Eve the ball roughly, saying, âYou not getting upset, are ya Princess?â The ball came so fast Eve could barely handle it, but she didnât give Gwen the satisfaction of letting it show. She bounced the ball, calculating the best way to attack the basket. Eve wasnât the best shooter, but she could put the ball on a string when it came to handle. But on the last play, she had charged into Gwen and got sent sprawling, so she had to come up with a different strategy.
Eve picked up her dribble as Gwen approached in a defensive posture. Their horseshoe driveway didnât allow for much space to maneuver, but Eve didnât need much space. Gwen reached for the ball, and Eve effortlessly switched to her other hand. Gwen was shorter than Eve but more muscular. Especially as of late. It seemed like Gwenâs muscles had been growing all summer. Anyone else but Eve would be intimidated. But in this relationship, Eve was the alpha and had no problem reminding her younger sisters of that.
âCome on, Princess. You scurred?â Gwen teased.
Eve ignored her. One more bucket and the game was over. And if Gwen wanted to talk smack after that, Eve would handle it. The same skills that set Eve apart on the courtâspeed, agility, aggressivenessâmade her a monster in Tae Kwon Do, so if her little sister wanted to take it there, they could take it there.
Gwen swiped at the ball again, and Eve spun away, but before she could drive to the basket, Gwen yelled, âTime!â
âTime? Quit trippen and take this butt-whipping so I can go get my do did.â
âYo, Princess, thatâs the second time that cable van has drove down the street. My spidey-sense is going off. Something ainât right.â
âYour spidey-sense? That the same spidey-sense that tried to get the ice-cream guy arrested?â Eve asked.
âNow you trippen. Dude was selling second-hand ice-cream. I was sick for a week.â
âYou were sick for a week because you ate like twelve ice-cream sandwiches. I got sick just watching you.â
Ana held up a finger while still keeping her distance. âI believe the count was seventeen. Gwendolyn consumed seventeen ice-cream sandwiches with borrowed money which she has yet to repay.â
âIâm going to pay you yo money! And stop talking with that fake British accent. You think you a Black Hermione or something?â
âItâs the Queenâs English, and at that rate, your debt is accruing interestâŚâ
âYo, both yâall need to chill. One more bucket and Iâm out.â
âOK, letâs do this, Princess,â Gwen said, getting set defensively again to face Eve. They had been playing ball for over three hours, and Eve was ready to end this. The first two hours they played with their older cousins, the Parker boys, who had left early to head back to the city. The last hour was just Eve and her sisters, and Eve had dialed up the intensity.
Eve started her dribble, calculating the distance and angles between her, Gwen, and the basket. She tested Gwenâs speed with a jab step. Gwen reacted late, then shook her head, knotted her brow, and bodied up Eve.
Annoyed with the physicality of Gwenâs defense, Eve backed up to create room. When Gwen took a step to close the distance, Eve exploded, dribbling right at her, then leaning against Gwen and using her body as leverage to spin around her. Gwen was visibly startled and stumbled back while swiping at the ball. But Eve was half past her, so instead, she connected with Eveâs leg, tripping her.
As Eve fell forward, she got a tingling in her stomach, followed by a flash of intense heat that consumed her, forcing her to close her eyes for a second. When she opened her eyes, she saw the ball suspended in the air. Confused, she looked around. Gwen was frozen mid-fall. Eve couldnât believe her eyes, but then the ball slowly started to fall again, as did Gwen. Still confused, Eve grabbed the ball, and with one step she was at the rim. Weird. Eve and her sisters had played a thousand games just this summer, and she had never got to the rim from that spot with just one step.
Her spacing off forced Eveâs layup to bang off the rim. Her youngest sister Ana retrieved the ball, dribbled to the designated three-point section, and nailed a three that hit nothing but the bottom of the net. âI do believe that is game,â Ana stated flatly.
Eve couldnât respond. Her mouth was dry, and it felt like an alien was trying to break through her chest. She dropped to one knee on shaky legs, gasping for air. Her entire body was exhausted and spent. âSis?â Gwen said, rushing to her side to help her up.
Eve took a couple of breaths before waving Gwen off and coughing. âIâm good. Just a little tired from schooling you,â she said, faking it. Gwen studied her with a tilted head. No one said anything, and after a couple of minutes, Eve regained her composure. Gwen stayed at her side like she was ready to catch her if something happened.
âGirl, will you please back up off me? I just need to catch my breath.â
Gwen took a tentative step back without taking her eyes off Eve. âSo, um, how did you do that?â
âDo what?â Eve said, annoyed and choosing to ignore the obvious. Gwen had called her sis, which meant she was concerned. Gwenâs natural state was sarcasm, and the only time she used Eveâs name or âsisâ was when she was worried about her. Eve didnât need that right now.
âYou know⌠move super-fast. You were like a blur. It was crazy!â
âThe loquacious one speaks the truth. Your movements were too fast to follow with the human eye.â Ana added.
âPfft, whatever. Iâm going in. Moms has to start my hair before it gets too late,â Eve said dismissively.
âButâŚâ
âGwen! Nothing happened! Nothing! You got me?â Eveâs anger got the best of her. She wasnât popular like Gwen and didn't need any more points in the freak column. She already had that column maxed out.
âAiight⌠whateva,â Gwen replied, sounding unconvinced.
Eve slowly walked through the double French doors of their home, trying to look cool. But as soon as the doors closed, she let out a deep breath. What is wrong with me? Looking at the spiral staircase that led to her bedroom, Eve sighed and climbed with stiff legs that barely responded to her commands. She replayed the basketball sequence repeatedly but still couldnât make sense of it. Hopefully, a nightâs sleep would provide some clarity. But sleep did not come easy, as Eveâs mind could not stop replaying the sequence over and over.
The next morning, Eve was sitting at the marble island breakfast bar in their expansive kitchen, reading a book, when Gwen plopped down next to her. An irritated Eve looked up. The breakfast bar sat ten, yet Gwen was crowding her. Eating from a mixing bowl filled with cereal and milk, Gwen started talking while chewing. How is this girl so popular?
âYo, Princess, you figure out what happened yesterday? Did you tell Mom and Pops?â Gwen asked between bites, milk dribbling from one corner of her mouth.
âI told you, nothing happened yesterday,â Eve said, closing her book. âAnd if something did happen, itâs my business so it better stay my business.â Eveâs tone was intentionally uncompromising. Her mother had told her she needed to work on that. To be more âaccommodating.â Her father told her she should try being nice. Both had no clue.
âWhateva. You do you and let me know how that works for ya,â Gwen said, finishing the cereal and scarfing down a banana. Eve was disgusted.
Ana came down, and as always, was dressed like she lost a bet.
âOh my god! You are a real-life clown!â Gwen said, doubling over in laughter and leaving Eve to sit next to Ana, who always sat as far away from Gwen as possible. âAnd what you are doing with that laptop, nerd?â Gwen added, alternating between eating a Pop-Tart from one hand and an apple from the other.
Ana didnât look up or acknowledge Gwen as she typed away furiously on her laptop. âYo, dork, I'm talking to you. Pops said no laptops because of those games you stole.â
âTechnically, I never stole games. I offered a subscription service so my customers could access games online. There is a difference.â
âHow are you not in jail?â Gwen ate the apple core and started chugging orange juice in loud gulps like she had just been rescued from a desert.
Eve shook her head as she sipped her third glass of water. âWait a minute. Ainât that the latest watch by that billionaire bee eco nerd?â Gwen continued.
âYes, it is the latest eco watch from iconoclast Vande Bader,â Ana replied, finally looking up from her laptop and proudly displaying her watch.
âIconoclast? I cono understand youâre a nerd. Listen, just cause your billionaire boy crush wears a hoodie and rides a skateboard doesnât make him a role model. You think them kids who make them watches in Bangladesh got profit sharing?â
âYou sound like Father,â Ana responded as she returned to her typing.
âJust because Pops said it doesnât mean itâs not true. You need to stay woke, my sista,â Gwen said, tapping a finger to her temple to emphasize her point while chewing on a slice of toast.
Typing without looking up, Ana replied, âLet me provide you some clarification for your edification. Father stated, and I quote, âI better not catch you on that laptop.â And I have not been on âthatâ laptop as âthatâ laptop is still in Father and Motherâs room beneath their bed. This is a new, recently purchased laptop.â
âYou are so dead,â Gwen replied, peeling another banana.
Eve wanted to interject herself in the back-and-forth, but even amongst her sisters, she at times felt like an outsider. Instead, she did what she almost always did when she felt confusedâshe responded with anger. âGwen, you need to get your butt over here and get this bowl and banana peel. Youâre such a slob.â
The words came out stronger than Eve anticipated, and she immediately wished she could take them back. Her tone caused both her younger sisters to look up, but Eve raised her chin and doubled down instead of apologizing. âYou got a problem?â
âLetâs hit it, girls!â their father said as he rushed into the kitchen with their mother behind him.
Eve was thankful for the distraction. Gathering up her belongings, she avoided looking at her sisters.
âEvelyn, clean up your bowl and banana peel,â her mother said sternly.
âYeah, Princess, ainât no maids up in here,â Gwen chimed in smugly.
âAnd whose fault is that?â their father added.
âWhat? We still trying to blame me for that spider thing?â Gwen said innocently, gathering up her stuff.
âYouâre not funny, Gwendolyn, and we are going to talk about you being on that laptop, Anastasia. But I do like that pink and green shirt,â their mother said as she poured herself coffee.
Eveâs mother set down her cup as her eldest daughter tried to rush past her. Grabbing her with both hands, she pulled her into a motherâs hug that Eve initially resisted before realizing how much she needed it. In times like this, Eve wished she was more like her mother. She had her motherâs curves, but not much else. Eveâs mother was calm and cool. Eve was fiery and combative. Eveâs mother was brown-skinned with shoulder-length silky hair. Eve was dark-skinned with hair that couldnât be tamed.
âLove you, sweetheart,â her mother said, releasing her and kissing her on the forehead.
âLove you too, Mom,â Eve replied under her breath so just her mother could hear.
A thirteen-minute drive later and they were at school. Eve enjoyed the drive. It was one of the few times Gwenâs pranks had worked out for the best. The Parker sisters were banned from the school bus because someone had put super-strong glue on the driverâs seat. The driver, a heavy-bodied man with a mean disposition, had to cut his pants off to get out of the chair. He was furious and embarrassed, mostly because everyone saw him in his Superman boxers. No one knew who did it, but the Parker sisters had been driven to school ever since.
âBe good, girls. Seriously, be good. Itâs the first day of school, so no fights, Eve, no pranks, Gwen, and no embezzling, Ana. Can we do that?â
âI got you, Pops! Eve, keep your hands to yourself and stop kicking other students in the face. Ana, you a thief! Stop stealing everything.â
âThatâs not what I said, but whatever. Just get out the car.â
Eve glanced around the middle-school campus, which shared some facilities with its sister high school on the same block. The campus reminded her of the times she had visited her mother's Ivy League alma mater. Romanesque architecture dominated along with large trees and open spaces. A fringe benefit of living in a wealthy neighborhood with rich parents meant rich boosters who competed against each other by donating millions to an already rich school. Eve was not always comfortable amongst these one-percenters and loved dominating them in sports and academics. She gritted her teeth as the sun beamed down on her. Eve was already dark enough, as her grandfather reminded her on occasion, so the stares and whispers were ignored as she quickened her pace to get inside. But her body was so sore it felt like someone took a hammer to every single muscle she had and her leg and butt muscles twice. Everything freakinâ hurt.
Eve focused on the schoolâs entrance. She walked past nosy students without acknowledging them. The Parker sisters were accustomed to attention. People laughed and called them the Black Kennedys. Except the Parkers had more money. Or at least their grandmother did.
Trying to look cool walking with shin splints, a sore butt, and abs on fire was difficult. Eve casually wiped the sweat away at the top of her forehead while concentrating on showing no emotion. She had a role to play. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other until a sudden headache blinded her. Everything went white. Eve gasped as she squeezed her eyes shut. And suddenly, it was gone. Like it never happened. Eve continued walking without missing a beat. But she felt the sweat run down her neck between her shoulder blades. It took all her willpower not to shimmy and shake to soothe the itching it caused.
Eve spotted a congregation of students in front of the doors. She casually glanced around for another entrance, but it was too late. They were all looking at her.
Â
Great. Eve held her head up and switched her electronic tablet and purse to her other hand. Ignoring their stares, Eve was a step past them, thinking victory, when someone called her name.
âEve! Eve!â
Eve stopped, waited, and slowly turned. The diva in her was real. And like a werewolf, Eve had to fight to keep it under control.
âOh my god, Eve! You look beautiful! I love that dress!â Lucia said, leaving her friends to run up to Eve and embrace her in an uninvited hug. The second hug of the day, and like the first one, Eve froze. But unlike the first one, Eve didnât return it. She was not that girl. Releasing her grip, Lucia put her arm around Eve and turned her to face the crowd. Eve held her breath.
âHey Eve,â Amy said, smiling.
Eve tried to smile back but gave it up âHey, Amy,â she said, sizing the girl up. Eve made a note of her foot placement and weight distribution. Eve did this automatically with everyone she came across. She measured their bone structure, muscles, height and weight, and calculated how long it would take for her to smash them. Eve had a database in her head that contained scripted moves to take out everyone she met. And she constantly updated it. Eve did this automatically as a competitive response to years of full-contact Tae Kwon Do sparring. And because she liked fighting.
âSo, um, how was your summer? Didnât see you at any track meets or AAU ball games?â
Eve gritted her teeth before responding. If you could build the perfect girl, that girl might be remarkably similar to Amy. Tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. Top student, exceptional athlete, confident, charismatic. And her mother was an OBGYN, and her father a pilot. Now she was smiling in Eveâs face like they were besties. Whatever. âSummer was cool but crazy. Spent time with the fam and just did a bunch of traveling with Grams on her private jet.â The private jet part was real but gratuitous. Eve managed to smile. Her smile widened as mouths dropped.
âUm, oh⌠Wow, cool,â Amy said, off-balance. âBut hey, it may seem early, but Lucia and I put in work this summer on the court! This could be our year! We could do this!â
Another annoying thing about Amy was she was a nice person.
Now Eve was off-balance. âUh, yeah, me and Gwen been putting in work too. This year could be special,â Eve replied, stepping away from Lucia and outside of her reach.
Amy laughed, flipped her long blonde hair out of her face, and then ran her fingers through it. âRight!â
Eveâs hand unconsciously touched her hair before she forced it down. Her hair was a hot mess. She fell asleep last night and slept for twelve hours. The longest she ever remembered sleeping, so, unfortunately, her mom couldnât do her hair. Eve was sporting two French braids tied into a ponytail that she did herself. She couldnât run her fingers through her hair if she tried.
âWe are going to kill it!â Lucia shouted, inches from Eveâs face. The girl had issues with personal boundaries, and Eve stepped away. But she looked at Luciaâs beaming brown face and smiled. Lucia was cool. Eve just needed her to back up a bit.
Eve nodded, âUh, yeah⌠Looking forward to it.â She then slowly turned and walked away with attitude. She knew they were looking at her. Especially her butt or her âassets,â as Gwen teased. Eve had come to terms with her physique years ago. And most days, Eve felt she was beautiful. Eve didnât think that to be vain. Her parents constantly told her that and her classmates, especially the boys, confirmed it with stares. And Eve made it a point to carry herself with a pride and confidence that intimated some of her peers and teachers. But today, her hair and skin juxtaposed against Amyâs, and her bodyâs pains and aches had her feeling self-conscious. Out of sorts. But she remained determined. She was going to own ninth grade: all honors classes, againâthe leading scorer on the basketball team. And the one-hundred-meter champion in track to cap the year off. Eve smiled. Thatâs how it was going to play out. She was in ninth grade, it was her final year at middle school, and she was going out with a bang. She just had to speak it into existence. And figure out what the heck happened yesterday. That was the only thing that could derail her plans. She had to figure that out. She had to.
Â
***
Â
Gwen hopped out of the backseat and waited for her father to drive off as she watched Eve head in one direction and Ana in the other. Once the car had disappeared around the corner, she waited another minute to ensure her father didnât circle back. Heâd done that before. Coast clear, Gwen smiled at the sun, rolled up one sleeve of her football jersey to show off her muscular arm, and cocked her baseball cap to the side like her cousins in the city rocked it. SWAG check complete, she smiled at the sun again and strolled through campus high-fiving and fist-bumping students like she owned the place. Which, as far as students went, was close to the truth. Gwen was in eighth grade and had two uber special and exceptional sisters, but this was her school.
âGwen! Gwen!â Melissa shouted as she ran to meet her. Other students parted like the Red Sea as a nod of respect and deference for the two besties. Gwen embraced Melissa in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around so her long red hair trailed her like a dragon tail. âDang, you got strong, girl! Put me down!â Laughing, Gwen set her down.
âYou still got it, bro?â Gwen teased Melissa.
âGirl, you know this!â Melissa responded, and then she and Gwen engaged in a thirty-second handshake that included high-fives, fist-bumps, and other choreographed moves that drew stares and awws from onlookers. âBam! There it is!â Melissa said as they concluded. âAnd what happened this summer? I thought you going to visit me in Italy?â
âWe got sick in Spain. It was bad. I thought it might have been something we ate, but Grams didn't get sick, just me, Eve, and Ana. We were laid up for like a week. Even Moms flew out to visit. We almost made Grams late for business stuff in Japan, so we flew straight there. But I saw you on the âgram. Yâall lost?â
âLost? We got smoked! Three games, one goal! But sis, them Italian dudes is fiiiine! Iâm telling ya, your cousin Antonio better step up or I might bring someone in off the bench!â Melissa said, her freckles brightening with intensity as she spoke.
âMy cuzzin ainât thinking about you. Time to let that go. But dang, let me see your schedule again,â Gwen said as they compared classes on their phones. And for a moment, Gwen forgot what happened to Eve yesterday and that weird cable van that kept circling their neighborhood. But just for a moment. That van did set off Gwenâs spidey-sense. She wanted to do reconnaissance last night but had a headache and was just happy to crawl into bed.
Melissa brought Gwen back into the present day. âSee, that frog thing is the reason we donât have any classes together.â
âNaw, we donât have any classes together because the baseball team is a bunch of crybabies!â Gwen replied.
âOh my god! I canât breathe!â Melissa gasped as she doubled over, laughing. âThat was epic!â
âEpic!â Gwen laughed, holding her stomach. She took a couple of deep breaths. âBut I did feel bad for your bae Javier. He spends more on hair products than Eve.â
âGirl, please, thatâs your bae! But he did have some gorgeous hair. Oh well.â
Gwen and Melissa linked arms and walked into the school together, surrounded by a group of admirers.
Later that day, Kang sidled up to Gwen when she was at her locker. âHey, whaddup?â Kang asked while punching her in the arm. âSo, you jet-setting around the world and too busy to get to practice? Got that black belt and thatâs it, huh?â
Gwen returned the favor and punched Kang in the arm while trying not to stare at him. âKang, you know I had to get in my family time. And talk about jet-setting⌠didnât you compete and visit your fam in Seoul this summer?â
âNaw, Iâm not competing in Tae Kwon Do anymore. I might teach a couple of classes to help out my parents, but coach said I needed to be at his summer football camp, so you know what it is.â
âWhat! Your moms is going to kick you out of the family! She goes hard! Plus, our football team sucks! Bro, you chose wrong,â Gwen laughed. âAnd dude, whatâs up with the extra small shirt? They donât make them in your size?â
âWhat, you donât like?â Kang teased, putting both hands on his hips and making his pecs jump.
âBro, you trippen in that baby tank-top!â They both laughed.
âWell, if it isnât the Gwenster,â Kangâs best friend Tyler said, gliding next to Kang and using his shorter friendâs shoulder as an armrest. The two of them together was an image. Shorter, muscular Kang with a tank-top that showcased his physique, high cheekbones, mohawk haircut, lawd hav mercy. And Tyler, dimples, tall, thin, athletic, light brown complexion, with an afro so big it could block out the sun.
âHey T, yo boy Kang here must have hit his head in practice. He thinks yâall might win a game this year. Yâall better put him in concussion protocol,â Gwen laughed.
âPlease believe. As a matter of fact, Imma call my people to have them reserve you a spot on the bandwagon, cause we blowinâ up this year. Kang at QB? Me at wide receiver? Oh indeed,â Tyler replied in his low-key, melodic voice. His tone was so low Gwen had to lean in to hear him and focus on his words, so she didnât get lost in his dimples, which came to life every time he smiled. The brotha was cool personified.
âHey Kang, canât speak?â Toni said as she strolled up. Gwen sighed. Toni was high waisted with legs for days, moved with allure and grace, and made it look easy with her pixie blonde haircut and green eyes. She also dressed like she didnât know she was in middle school and got away with it because her father was a super-rich hedge-fund manager who liked to throw his weight around. Long story short, the girl was too grown for her own good but knew what she was doing.
Toni and Gwen now stood side by side in a face-off with Kang and Tyler. A crowd formed to see where this was going. Kang and Tyler looked at each other, nodded, smiled, and winked, not even trying to hide it before Kang answered Toni. âWhatâs good Toni? How was your summer?â
Toni intentionally looked Kang up and down before responding. âSummer was good. Couldâve been better.â
Kang looked stunned but tried to hide it with a cough. It was hilarious. Tyler sucked in air through his teeth and leaned back with raised eyebrows.
Kang gathered himself, replied, âIndeed,â and just left it hanging there.
Gwen squirmed. She didnât need to be here. She didnât need to or want to see boys drool over Toni while acting like she was invisible. âIâm out. Headed to lunch,â Gwen announced, breaking the silence. Gwen was glad this year she didnât share lunch period with her diva older sister and nerdy younger sister. Eve usually got all the attention, and Ana was just weird and probably adopted.
âYeah, we gotta bounce too. Come on, lover boy, we got class. But yo, Gwen, you and Eve should come to a game,â Tyler said, before smacking Kang in the back of the head and running down the hall.
âYouâre dead!â Kang shouted over his shoulder, but then he turned back to Gwen, grabbed her hand, and pulled her away for a side conversation. âSo, um, I heard what happened last time you sparred. You know you can get at me if you want to work angles and combinations. Just let me know.â He didn't wait for a response but turned and ran down the hallway like he was on a football field, dodging and spinning around surprised students. Gwen laughed.
âThat boy could get it,â Toni said, linking arms with Gwen.
Gwen felt herself blush and just nodded. For once, she was speechless.
âWhat were you guys talking about?â Toni inquired as they walked to lunch together.
âJust some Tae Kwon Do stuffâŚâ
Toni and Gwen entered the cafeteria together and headed for the island of misfits. Gwen smiled and fist-bumped a few friends from the basketball and track teams as she passed them. The island of misfits was a jumble and diverse cross-section of students. It was also the most crowded table except for the two empty chairs reserved for Toni and Gwen. The first day of school, but everyone knew the rules.
Unceremoniously, Gwen took a slice of pizza off the plate of the closest student to her, and the student didn't even blink but look honored. âSo, fam, like I was telling you, we are getting that chip this year. Peep it. I did get some background on that new girl. The real tall one. She played ball before. We can put her at center, and as tall as she is, all she gotta do is park in the paint and hold up her hands.â Gwen accentuated her comment by holding up both her arms like she was blocking the basket on a court.
âSo where do I fit in this master plan?â Toni laughed, eating her yogurt.
âYou my girl and all, but you gonna have to come off the bench,â Gwen replied, eating another slice of pizza that was handed to her by another student. It was a makeshift assembly line. As soon as Gwen finished eating, more food was passed to her. And no one said anything. The buzz at the table didnât miss a beat. âPeep it, the tall girl at center, move Lucia to power forward, Amy to small forward, with me and Eve at the one and two. Boom!â
âWhy do we even need a coach?â Toni said, shaking her head, bringing attention to her three-carat diamond earrings that were more about status than style. A school full of rich kids, and Toni made sure to let everyone know who was one of the richest.
âGirl, just trust the process,â Gwen replied, shoving a fistful of french fries in her mouth and stretching her cheeks to their limits. âYou jud gotta beweave,â she struggled to say, drawing laughter from Toni and other students.
Gwen nodded in approval, reaching for a slice of cake being passed to her. But her hand seized and cramped up. The pain was intense as it shot up her right arm to her head and ignited a severe headache that fizzled out after a second. Gwen massaged her right hand, trying to get the feeling back as the pain subsided.
âYou good, girl?â Toni asked, looking concerned.
âPfft, yeah, just a hand cramp. Probably need more potassium or something,â Gwen shrugged with a smile. But she felt the sweat on her brow as well as sweat beads running down her neck.
âI donât know, girl; you donât look good.â
Gwen dismissed Toni with a wave of her hand, picked up the cake she had dropped, and shoved it in her mouth to prove she was OK.
Toni laughed before saying, âOh, girl, your nose is bleeding.â
Â
***
Â
Ana watched as her beautiful sister sauntered off while her popular sister watched their father drive away. Picking up her pace, Ana thought it would be wise to put as much distance between her and Gwen while their fatherâs car was still visible. Peering back over her shoulder, she noticed Gwen strolling off with one sleeve rolled up and her hat tilted to the side. Which, of course, was not in compliance with their parentsâ instructions. But the next time Gwen listened to their parents would be the first time.
Ana took a minute for a detailed check. She patted her afro-puffs to ensure they were perfectly shaped and symmetrical. Ana could not function with uneven afro puffs, and hers were especially puffy today, looking like giant Mickey Mouse ears. Ana appreciated the sunâs warmth, and hoped the clear skies were a harbinger of a serendipitous year. In seventh grade, Ana was in her first year in middle school, and she planned to differentiate herself from her two older sisters.
Afro-puff inspection complete, Ana proceeded with the rest of her ensemble. She carefully adjusted the rolled-up sleeves on her pink and green plaid shirt to ensure they were parallel. She pulled up her orange capri pants and tightened the yellow belt, so she did not sag. Unlike Gwen, Ana could not see the value of sagging, over-sized pants. Having a second thought, Ana decided to tighten her belt one more notch. Unlike her curvaceous sister Eve, a belt was more than an accessory due to Anaâs thin frame.
Now the final step. One of Anaâs knee-high black and yellow polka-dot socks had fallen a bit. That would not do. She readjusted the sock to match its pair and then retied the shoestrings on her mix-match purple and red high-top Converse. Purple for right. Red for left. All good.
âAna! Ana! Ana!â Stacey yelled in rapid succession as she moved forward as fast as her plump legs would propel her. Barely slowing down, Stacey barreled into Ana, almost knocking her over. âI missed you soooo much,â Stacey said, squeezing Anaâs waist and drawing attention to their disparity in height. At five foot ten inches, Ana was the tallest Parker sister, and compared to her five-foot two-inch friend Stacey she probably looked like a parent consoling a child.
Letting go, Stacey went in in typical Stacey fashion, âSo, after fat campâand Ana, fat camp was crazy! Crazy! âSo anyway⌠wait, look, thereâs Maddy. Maddy! Hey Maddy! Did you get taller too! Everyone is growing but me! And itâs the first day! Why did you bring your violin? Youâre going to make me, and Ana look bad. Right, Ana?â
Ana nodded.
âOh, Ana, check it out! I heard Tyler wants to ask Eve out! Eve! Your sister Eve!â And so it went. Stacey talked non-stop, barely taking a breath, while Ana and Madhuri nodded and smiled. But Anaâs smile was genuine. Ana was mindful that her primary allure was her familial ties, most notably her sisters and her grandmother. But Ana knew her self-worth and knew the public perception of her valuation was low. Good thing for Stacey and Madhuri their friendship investment was secured at the startup level in grade school. And they would reap the benefits of their early investment when the entire world discovered Anaâs true valuation.
Anaâs last class of the day was math. She had heard the new math teacher was handsome, which put him as an outlier for math teachers, but it was all academic to Ana. Like in previous years, Ana would do enough to get by so that her parents did not bother her. And hopefully there would be time to take a nap in class. Ana had become a woman in the biological sense when she was in Spain. And ever since, she could not turn her brain off. She was overwhelmed with ideas and had been experiencing breakthrough after breakthrough. The last sixty days had been a continuous stream of discoveries and advancements, putting Ana thirteen years ahead of the plan she originated in fifth grade.
The math teacherâs name was Mr. Little, as if irony did not exist. He was more manicured than handsome, but young and fit with a motorcycle helmet on his desk prominently displayed, curly brown locks that fell to his shoulders, and a meticulously curated close-trimmed beard that was identical to every protagonist in every cheap B-movie. Ana sighed and laid her head down while he introduced himself and started roll call.
âAnastasia Parker? Anastasia Parker? Parker!â
Ana jerked her head up. It sounded like someone was shouting her name for some reason. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at everyone staring at her before noticing Mr. Little.
âAre you Anastasia Parker?â
âI am.â
âWell, glad youâre here, Ms. Parker, and if you could kindly do me the favor of not falling asleep in class it would be appreciated. Ms. Parker, you look confused.â
âFor the sake of clarity, your preference is that I do not sleep in your math class?â
âExactly. Thank you for agreeing, Ms. Parker.â
âApologies, but again to avoid confusion I would like to be clear that I understood the request. However, there was no agreement or acceptance of terms on my part,â Ana said, yawning.
The class watched the back-and-forth like a tennis match with a few incredulous looks.
âMs. Parker, I expect a bit more respect or you will find this will be a very long year for you. Are we clear?â
Ana could not understand why Mr. Little was still talking to her. His attention was not welcomed, and he was disturbing her rest. Mr. Little must have taken her silence as acquiescence as he continued. âAnd am I to understand that you are the granddaughter Josephine Jefferson-Harris?â
Ana was confused. She could not ascertain what Mr. Little did or did not understand. âIf you are asking if Josephine is my grandmother the answer is yes,â Ana responded, annoyed by the question and irritated from her lack of sleep.
âFabulous! Please know, Ms. Parker, I am a huge fan of your grandmother. Her legacy, her story epitomizes the American dream and in as much I expect the very best from you, is that understood?â Was Mr. Little hoping to leverage this math class to meet her grandmother? It was all very confusing, so Ana just stared at him.
Mr. Little coughed, looked away, and finished roll call. Ana put her head back down, but she was too irritated to go to sleep. All the attention Ana received was because of her proximity to power. But that calculus would change. Soon. Ana just had to figure out how to manage all the headaches she had been experiencing.
â
Favorite Line: "We can't even get a dog, you think Mom and Dad are going to let us have a hostage?"
Not going to lie; the title throws me off. Sins of the Father has a thriller vibe, but this is a middle-grade, sci-fi action book. Nevertheless, let's dive into the review.
Sins of the Father follows the three Parker sisters: Ana, Gwen, and Eve. In act one, the sisters' powersâwhich their dad passed down to themâare activated. Once the author reveals this bit in the story, I get why the title is that. Still, these superpowers are something I'm utterly envious of.Â
Gwen has super strength and can basically eat and not put on any visible weight. She's also a super prankster, which reminds me a lot of the show Punk'd. Ana has a keen intelligence and becomes the mastermind of the group. Eveâthe loner and the more introspective of the three gains speed as her superpower.
I'm going to admit I'm a sucker for characters and character-driven stories. This book has three. I appreciate that the three sisters are wholly different from each other, both physically and mentally. Yet, by far, my favorite of the three is Eve.
Like I explained earlier, Ana's character is very introspective. She also takes her family responsibilities seriously (something I can relate to). Externally other characters who are not within Eve's close circle view her as snobbish. Yet, as the story goes on, I note that she is this way not only because of her focus on family and getting a cure (you will have to read the book to figure this out) but because she feels a bit insecure about her ability to fit in with the other kids. To top it all off, when Eve spars or has a fight, the author shows her analyzing her opponents and potential move like a machine (I love this!). In a nutshellâshe is a bada**!
This does not mean I don't like the other two sisters. I do. Only Eve stands out the most for me.Â
When it comes to the pacing, act one moves along in a timely fashion. I don't feel rush or lost, and this is important for me because act one is where I get to know the characters and what they are up against.
Act two ups the ante because now the girls find out more about the enemy and, thanks mainly to Ana (the brains), develop a plan to get after them. In this act, it is refreshing to see epic fails because often in stories like this, I've seen where the hero succeeds without working for it. Not here. However, in act three, I feel like the pacing slows.Â
Usually, when I get to act three in a story, I expect it to pick up a bit, and with all the significant action scenes in this book even more so. But it did not happen. I would have preferred to have a shorter act three while leaving the get-together at the end that acts as a setup/cliffhanger to let the reader know there's more to come. Nevertheless, the action scenes in the book give me major Charlie's Angels and Die Hard vibes.
Additionally, there are some passages in the book where Ana speaks Spanish (you will have to read to figure out why). The conjugation is off on some, making the character's background (as fluent in Spanish) incongruent. As an ESL author (Spanish is my first language), I am more than happy to help in the future.
Overall this is a great middle-grade story that doesn't fall for the cookie-cutter stereotypical let us shove down a moral lesson down kids' throats. It shows a well-to-do family, with its own messy problems, trying to get right, which is super entertaining for me. I look forward to future works from this author.