[color=darkgray]The car ride was silent as Geraldine Pritchard pressed lightly on the gas pedal, moving through the Canadian wilderness. Harlowe didn't know where they were going. She expected to be sent to juvenile detention or, more likely, prison after what she did. She moved the left sleeve of her shirt, eyeing the bruises there. They healed somewhat, but she could still see the finger marks on her skin. She rolled it down and glanced at Geraldine to see if she noticed.

She did. Of course she did.

[color=white]"Why didn't you tell me?"[/color]

Harlowe sunk into herself. She hated feeling small. She never wanted to feel small. [color=D3E498]"I can handle myself,"[/color] was all Harlowe said. Geraldine scoffed, though it was more a chuckle than a mockery. [color=white]"Clearly dear, if the destruction is to be believed."[/color]

Harlowe's mind flashed back to the McMiller household. The father, Humphrey, was a drunk who hurt whoever he could get his hands on. Harlowe thought she would have a protector in the mother, Heather, but more often than not, whenever something went wrong, Heather immediately blamed Harlowe and that was when Humphrey went after her. Moving around the foster care system, she was used to abuse. How people like the McMiller's got chosen was beyond her. She made a note that, in the future, she would do her best to bring families like that to justice.

Not the kind of justice she delivered though.

She knew she was a Hyperhuman for a long time. She didn't tell anyone or show anyone. She knew what would have happened. She would be captured and taken somewhere. Experimented on. Locked up. Who knew? Or worse...

But she had had enough. She knew if she didn't stop him he would escalate. She saw the looks he gave her. So when he tried, she screamed.

And it was loud. She did so unwillingly, but it had to be a defense mechanism. Her ability to manipulate sound must have stepped in to help, increasing her voice to a shattering effect. Humphrey was bleeding from his ears, she was sure she shattered his eardrums. The house was blown, half of it gone and the other in disarray.

Geraldine picked her up after that.

So now Harlowe was sure she was going to be locked up. But why were they in Canada? Geraldine must be a mind reader, because she answered the unspoken questions. [color=white]"Had I known earlier, I could have stepped in. Gotten you out before this....event happened. I don't mean the abuse, though I do wish I was made aware of that also. I know of your abilities Harlowe. I understand they can be scary. That's why we are going somewhere else. Not another home. Not a laboratory. A school. A boarding school if you want to be technical. A school for people like you to learn how to manage your abilities without fear. Be amongst your peers. You also get a good education. You are already enrolled, though we are a bit late. The opening ceremony must have started. Here we are."[/color]

Harlowe glanced out the window and saw the school. It looked normal, she supposed, though if it was a school for Hyperhumans she was sure there was more that met the eye.

Geraldine got out of the car and opened the truck, taking out Harlowe's suitcases. [color=white]"I packed everything you'll need. There's a strict uniform code, but there are times when you can dress how you want. I am sure after the ceremony you can get settled. And you'll need this."[/color] Geraldine took out Harlowe's phone, or rather her music player since that was the main reason Harlowe had it. She handed it to Harlowe. [color=white]"I'll check in when I can, but the staff here are, more or less, your guardians now. You'll be 18 soon and we can discuss what that means when you leave here. But I trust you'll behave. This is an opportunity for you Harlowe. Don't squander it."[/color] Not one for sentimentality, Geraldine went back in the car and drove off. 

Harlowe turned to face the school. This was going to be interesting.

[hr][sup][h1][center][img]https://media.tenor.com/MQ6KL3l9hBEAAAAC/it-hurts-logan-browning.gif[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] H A R L O W E[/color]
[color=D3E498]H A R L O W E[/color]
[/center]
[/b][/h1][/sup][indent][sub][COLOR=D3E498][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78 Campsite - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=D3E498][b]The Homecoming Trials #1.83: [/b][/COLOR] [I]Let The Music Move You[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][sub][color=D3E498][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=SILVER][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]N/A[/I][/right][/SUP]

After the opening ceremony and running to get changed and ready, Harlowe followed the others in her assigned group to their campsite. She looked at those with her. She wondered what their stories were. Harlowe, headphones in her ears, turned up the song she was listening to.

[url=https://open.spotify.com/track/0JLymXPLclzVfjS4EuTZVH?si=b8315a58032945b3]Strength[/url]

As the beat filled her, she considered her options. This was to be an opportunity, though she didn't know what to expect. The opening ceremony outlined a bit, but she was still lost. She barely had time to read up on classes or the school map before she had to get going. Perhaps the others knew more?

Once at the campsite, things got underway real quick. Pizzas were being made and their tents looked like something out of Modern Architecture magazine. This was not camping. 

Harlowe noticed a few of the others were all getting together to talk and exchange information. It was kind of nice to see people getting along quickly. She sat down and took her headphones out. She didn't want to appear antisocial. She overheard someone asking about tent sharing. [color=D3E498]"I don't believe we were assigned anyone. I'm open to sharing with whoever. Name's Harlowe. I'm a pretty sound sleeper. Probably due to my abilities."[/color] [/color]