Chapter 137
“Well…” the counselor hesitated. That pause alone made my heart start racing. “…he and Lila were caught sneaking into the science lab after hours. They set off some alarms. Nothing dangerous… but yeah, we wanted to call you before it escalates.”
I blinked. Blinked again. Blinked a third time while my brain processed the words. Sneaking into the science lab? After hours? With Lila?
My first instinct was to freak out. My second instinct was to grab my keys and fly over there, maybe swoop in superhero-style and lecture them both like my life depended on it. My third instinct… my third instinct was to wonder how Alexander, my calm, smart, slightly-too-cocky-for-his-own-good sixteen-year-old, had gotten this… adventurous.
When I walked into the school a few minutes later, I found them in the principal’s office, sitting on chairs that looked far too small for their rebellious teenage postures. Lila had that mischievous grin on her face, the one I knew all too well meant trouble. Alexander looked guilty… mostly. But that little spark in his eyes screamed fun.
“Aunt Zia!” Lila called out cheerfully.
I blinked at her. “Lila. Seriously.”
She shrugged. “We weren’t hurting anyone.”
“Not exactly,” Alexander muttered. He had the decency to look a little sheepish, but the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth made it clear he wasn’t entirely sorry either.
“Alexander,” I started, voice steady but firm. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it could’ve been to sneak in here after hours? Alarms. Security cameras. Teachers who aren’t as nice as the ones you like.”
He shrugged, still smirking. “We had a plan.”
“Oh, of course you did,” I said, trying not to groan. “Do you always have a plan, or is that just when you want to get caught?”
He looked down at his sneakers. “Well… we didn’t exactly plan on the alarm part. That was… a surprise.”
Lila snickered, elbowing him lightly. “It was awesome though, wasn’t it?”
“Awesome for you, maybe,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You could’ve gotten expelled. Let’s see what Angie and Lucas have to say.”
Alexander’s grin grew. “But we didn’t. See? The plan worked.”
I stared at him. Fifteen seconds. Twenty. My head hurt from trying to keep calm. They were both clearly proud of themselves. Obviously, consequences were optional, nonexistent, or just… another game to win.
“Sit down,” I said finally. “Both of you. The principal’s office is not a playground. You’re lucky Mr. Harrow knows me. You’re lucky he’s not calling Xander to… you know… rearrange your faces.”
Alexander laughed. Lila elbowed him.
I groaned. “Why did I have to be the one left in charge of the two of you?”
“Because we’re unstoppable,” Alexander said proudly.
“Unstoppable and idiotic,” I muttered.
After a lecture, stern but not over-the-top (because yes, I remembered my own teenage years and how bad yelling only made me sneak out more), we walked home. Well, I followed in my car because the two of them insisted on riding their bikes like we were in some movie about reckless teens saving the world.
On the ride home, I tried to keep calm, reminded myself that Alexander had survived chaos before, and that he was smart, careful, and capable. But… sixteen. Hormones. Rebellion. And Lila. Who was just the right mix of wild, clever, and charming to push every single button in his brain.
Once we got back to the house, Xander was already there. So were Angie and Lucas, watching them. Or maybe watching me. Probably both. His brow was furrowed in that “don’t make me explode” way that I secretly loved.
“Mom,” Alexander said, leaning against the wall, “we didn’t do anything that bad.”
“Nope,” I said flatly. “You almost set off a security breach, got caught sneaking into a lab, and gave me five heart attacks. Totally fine.”
Xander’s smirk grew. “Sounds like a normal Saturday to me.”
I glared. “You’re impossible.”
Alexander laughed. “You love it.”
I didn’t answer because… okay, he wasn’t wrong.
Later, in the kitchen, they started plotting their next “adventure.” Lila had scribbled ideas into a notebook like some kind of mini-general planning a mission. Alexander leaned over her shoulder, whispering, plotting, nodding. The two of them were a hurricane together. I watched from the counter, coffee in hand, feeling that mix of awe, fear, and amusement I’d come to accept as parenthood.
“This is… not good,” I muttered.
Xander leaned against the fridge. “It’s exactly what I expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alexander at sixteen. Wild. Lila. Mischievous. You thought the last couple of years were easy?”
“I thought… maybe,” I admitted reluctantly. “But now…” I waved vaguely at the two of them. “Chaos. Pure chaos.”
Xander laughed. “Exactly. Welcome to the teenage years.”
And it hit me. He was right. I had survived the worst threats, the kidnappings, the betrayals, and the almost-apocalyptic chaos of Corallie. But this… this was different. Not life-or-death in the traditional sense. But emotional chaos, heart-attacks-on-demand chaos.
That night, after they’d finally gone to bed they claimed exhaustion, but I knew that meant planning their next operation I sat in the living room with Xander.
Alexander’s sneakers left by the door, Lila’s hoodie tossed on the couch. Mess everywhere, music faintly echoing from their rooms.
“You’re going to survive this, right?” I asked quietly.
Xander smiled softly. “We survived, Corallie. We survived everything else. We’ll survive this too.”
I leaned into him. “I’m scared. He’s… reckless.”
“He’s smart,” he reminded me. “And he’s ours. And Lila… she’s… well, she’s Lucas through and through, but she’s not going to destroy him. Not really.” he said
I nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
Because I did. I wanted to trust them. But Alexander at sixteen, with Lila by his side? Adventure followed by trouble was inevitable. I could only hope that all their schemes, pranks, and sneaking around didn’t end with an ER visit, a jail visit, or worse.
Weeks went by, and the pattern was clear: Alexander and Lila were unstoppable. Planning late-night “missions” around the city, small acts of rebellion, flirting with girls, arguing with teachers, and always, always dragging each other into trouble.
Sometimes, I’d catch Alexander staring at the mirror like he was practicing his charm. Other times, he and Lila would disappear for hours, returning with stories that made me want to pull out my hair and yell but also laugh at their audacity.
I remembered myself at sixteen. Mischievous. Reckless. Clever. But Alexander… he had the Thorne edge. Caution buried beneath confidence. Calculated risks masked as rebellion. And Lila? Perfect partner in crime. Too smart for her own good, and just wild enough to push him over the edge.
By the time school was over, Alexander had built a reputation. Mischievous, daring, charming, and impossible to pin down. And I… I had learned to step back, breathe, and trust that Xander and I had equipped him well enough to survive.