“Come on, we’re going to be late!” The shrill voice came from around the door frame, and Memory’s head peeked around the corner.

“Chill out, Mem’, we’re fine,” her brother replied, setting down his headphones. Simultaneously combing his fingers through his nearly-black hair and picking up his bookbag, Matthew then strode right past his sister as he left his bedroom.

Pulling a face, Memory followed him down the stairs and out the door. As if he had planned it, the ugly yellow school bus pulled up just as they made it to the curb, squealing to a stop.

Even after all this time, Memory couldn’t help noticing the way their fellow students reacted when she and her brother boarded the bus. It was as if they tried to look away, but couldn’t avoid staring. While the pair looked normal, for the most part, they looked remarkably like stretched rubber bands, long, lanky, and slightly taller than the vast majority of their schoolmates.

The siblings quickly settled into an empty seat, eager for the staring to end.