“Been on my own for three years now. Ran away. Fending for myself,” she said, smiling.

“That’s so sad,” the girl with the braids said.

The smile fell from Ashley’s face. Another member of the group who hadn’t won her over, now.

“I manage,” Ashley said. “I like the sound of Deathchester. Rubs me the right way.”

“Huh?” the oldest boy almost grunted the word. “You want to go to these places?”

“One of them,” she said. She raised her foot without bending over, and reached for her shoe, being careful with how she moved her hand. Some movements were safer than others, and some minimized movement. In a similar way, she was careful with how she stowed her money. Some in every pocket, some in between her sneaker and her foot. It made it harder to destroy too much of it if her power was in a mood. She caught a bill between index and middle finger, then held it out. “For the info. Buy some ice cream, I guess.”

“Yes!” one of the younger kids hooted.

Earring boy reached out. Ashley pulled her hand back at the last second.

He kept his hand out.

“Can any of you drive? I’ll give you this and what I’d pay a cab driver.”

A few glanced at the oldest boy.

“Ed,” Earring boy said. When Ed looked at him, Earring boy gave a little nod.

“Sure,” Ed said. “Doesn’t seem smart, getting in cars with boys you don’t know.”

“I’m smarter than most,” Ashley said. The negative comments were annoying her now. They didn’t know anything. Things were going right so far, and she didn’t need people dragging her down. “Which car?”

“It’s parked across the street. You pay to park here.”

She didn’t tend to make a point of learning the names of people without powers, but there was a chance she could keep these people on. Earring boy was Matias. Braid girl was Xi, short for Ximena, and Ed was Ed.

This was going to be the time it all came together. Ashley smiled as the door was held for her, happy she didn’t have to open it. She settled in, bag at her feet, and stared out the window, studying the city.