Suzeme followed Poppy to a nearby buiding, staring around her at the ocean and the city on a small island. It wasn't like a normal city, like Compton, her home. It was open, with buildings that mixed freely into nature and so, so many birds. There were giant perches erected and trees everywhere, and half the buildings were on platforms built between trees. It was like nothing else.

Poppy smiled at her, having finished arguing with Mango. “Incredable, isn't it? It's our sanctuary. My only home. You’ll love it!”

“Woah… someday i can live here?”

“Yeah. as soon as i'm 18 i'm staying here full time.”

“You aren't allowed to now?”

“No…”

“By the way, where do you live in… mainland?”

“All around florida. Ussually they don't move me out. I was on patrol looking for any new speakers, so i was in california.”

“Who moves you?”

“The gov.”

“Uh… why?”

“I'm supposed to be a foster kid. Nobody wants me, and they can't keep me in some prison with juvies waiting to happen. I sneak over here a lot, and the rest of the time i’m typiclly on the streets trying to avoid them. Of course, nobody looks for hummingbirds so they don't catch me often.”

“Oh i'm so sorry!”

“Don't be. I’ll get out of there soon and then i can stay here, where i belong.”

“Uh… ok. By the way, how did you cross the country?”

“A lot of energy drinks. And they have some speakers making magic stuff to help those of us not built for long distance flight.”

“Ok.”

“We’re here. So, you have this until lunch. After lunch, we can spend about two hours doing whatever, and then we go home, depending on how far away we live. I live really close, so i have 4 more hours before they send me back.”

“Ok.” they went in. Poppy looked pretty bored, but Suzeme was paying more attention then she did when she was learning how to fly(which is saying something). Her power was:

“Ah, a sparrow. The humble sparrow grants you the power of compassion. Often underestimated, like the sparrow itself-” Suzeme glared at Poppy from the corner of her eye as Poppy was mouthing along with the instructor. “But very powerful.” he turned to a native american girl with a red tailed hawk on her shoulder. “Chetana, the hawk has the power of weakness. Or rather, finding your enemies weakness.” he kept going around the class. A few hours later class got out and she and Poppy walked back into the cafeteria. 

“So, compassion?”

“Yeah, i wonder what he meant?”

“Ask that nerdy girl, what was her name?”

“Ryn. did you mean that offensively?”

“No. maybe if i were talking with some of my friends.”

“Sound like good friends.”

“It's in their natures. Peacocks are generally pretty showy and condescending, and swans and such. Most of the socialites are generally showy birds.”

“If it's in their natures…”

“K we’re changing the topic. Don't get preachy with me, you sound like the shrink the gov tried to send me to.”

“Ok, why were you mocking the teacher? I thought you liked it here.”

“I do. I just don't like people like him. He was raised here, he doesn't know what outside is like. Besides, it's a typical dumb speech. ‘You're soo special and stuff. Not saying you aren't special, just saying that was stupid. As if he doesn't say the same thing to everyone else.”

“I wish he had given me details.” they reached Ciarans table and sat. he glanced up, irritated.

“Right, can I go chat with my friends?”

“Sure.” 

Poppy left. Ciaran sat in silence with Dusk. after a few minutes he seemed to remember social cues. “Hi.”

“Hey!” she waited for a response. None came. “So what do you do after lunch?”

“Go home.” he winced at some thought and didn't say any more.

“Why not come with me and Poppy?”

“Poppy? No thanks, she hates people like me. Everybody knows so.”

“Like what?”

“I was raised here. She resents people like me and Ryn for that.”

“I still don't understand why… but will you come with us?”

“You maybe.”

“She might go off to talk with her friends.”

“Fine.” I would rather be out with a person than at home. She heard a voice in her head.

“Ah! What was that?”

“What?”

“A voice! In my head!” just then Ryn came in, this time with a bag.

“Your power! It's doing it's thing, miss compassion.”

“Huh? I never told you-”

“I got curious so I found a book on songbird powers. You have compassion, the ability to understand someone's feelings. I don't think you’ll normally hear thoughts or whatever, typically when your new your power acts strangely. I set a lot of stuff on robinfyre by accident at first, and the flames were hard to control. But based on the book, you’ll be able to feel other peoples emotions and understand motivations. It's actually fairly powerful if you're clever about using it.”

“Uh, I don't want to constantly feel peoples emotions.”

“No, you choose to activate it. Like I don't control every fyre I pass or create fyre accidentally anymore. Some have drawbacks, like Poppy will get pretty tired after she uses hers, but yours doesn't. Often depends on the bird, like hummingbirds are high energy but they easily tire. Sparrows not so much. By the way, you need to have a sparrow near you for your power to work at its best.”

“Oh, do you want to come with Ciaran and I around the city?” the bell rung. 

“Is Poppy going to be there?”

“I already told her Poppy hates us and I would only go with her if Poppy wasn't there.” Ciaran said. Poppy had just arrived, sparing her the awkwardness of coordinating.

“So are you going to go with them or me? I'm ok with either, I’ll be taking you home later so you don't get lost, so we can hang out then.”

“Uhm… ok?” 

“Alright, cya later. Uh, island brats keep an eye on the time, i’ll meet her in two hours here to get her home.”

Poppy walked off and Ryn smirked. “Told you she hates us.”

“That was harsh…”

“Eh. there's a small division between island kids and mainland kids. She's the most extreme case i've ever met, but it's not uncommon. There's actually birthism on both sides, like if mugglebloods in harry potter hated the other people... you know, the pure things? Too.” 

“Uh, purebloods?”

“Yeah, that.”

“But she seemed mostly willing to pretend not to hate you.”

“Yeah.”

“Dusk doesn't like her.” Ciaran said in his monotone.

“Tori doesn't like Dusk. she says she knows someone eaten by a raven. No offense!”

“None taken. But there was a dove speaker who punched an eagle speaker and knocked him out because eagles eat pigeons once. The claim was his companion had been threatening his. There are laws protecting companions, but there was no real proof and everyone saw the dove as eccentric and way too invested, so he ended up the one in trouble.” it was the most voluntary information she had gotten from him.

“Yikes, I'd hate to be the eagle. I thought they were tough!”

“Yeah, I think the worst it hurt was his ego. Where do you want to go?”

“I dunno. You grew up here.”

Ryn answered, “Yeah, but I always read instead of go places, and he doesn't like to go to the popular spots because too many people.”

“I know some quiet perches.” 

“Uh… Ryn, did you read any books about attractions?”

“Actually yeah, I was going to go to several.”

Ciaran rolled his eyes. “Yep. just like your going to find the missing race.”

“I am!”

“Yeah, you’ll read about it. Maybe if you did something besides reading and drawing you could achieve some of your dreams, it's not like you couldn't if you had the time.”

“I will put down my books! They're research for the future, when I will try real life.” behind ryns back, Ciaran winked at her and mouthed ‘book addict’ she giggled and became fascinated with the surroundings when Ryn looked at her. Ciaran was suddenly very engaged in examining his shoes for dirt. It was impossible to see, as they were a black that seemed to reflect no light to show dirt.

They ended up going to a couple of places, including an area with every known species of bird where Avis kids could find their companion, a museum with a bunch of factual historical stuff that she actually paid attention to, and a penguin pool where penguin speakers swam in synchronized patterns. They brought her safely back to the cafeteria where Poppy was waiting. Suzeme didn't miss Poppy's glare and pointed glance at the clock. They were only 2 minutes late.

“Hey, islanders! Suzeme, ready to go home?” she filled too much friendliness into ‘islanders’. 

“Yep. I… can't wait to come next week?”

“Yep. tell your parents you're going to some kind of camp. Maybe a sciency camp about bird migration or something. Anyhow, I'd love to stay and chat with those two, but we need to go so you’ll get home in time. By the way, pay attention to the route I might not be able to pick you up next time.”

“Ok.” they turned into birds and started flying.

“Dibs on teasing you! So how was your date with Ciaran?” 

“Not a date.”

“Of course not! Did you kiss or will you save that for the second date?”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, second non-date.”

“Ryn was with us the entire time! And besides, she's more likely to be dating him than me, she knows him!” 

Poppy kept teasing her until she ignored her and started chatting with Tori.