by A. C. Ellas
Evie walked up to him. “Hi, Nicky,” she said brightly as the other girls trailed her with big, interested eyes. “Whatcha doing?”
Nick glanced up again. “Hi, Evie. I’m pulling weeds.” His gaze shifted to the three gigglers. “Friends of yours?”
“Yeah, this is Jennie, Michelle and Tina.” She indicated each girl in turn. As she introduced them, each girl smiled and gave him a greeting. Evie continued, “I hope you don’t mind, but we have a class project to do, and I volunteered our place to meet.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Nick gathered up his pile of weeds. “What’s the project?” He stood up easily and deposited the weeds into the compost pile he’d started.
“We have to do a presentation on plant germination and growth. It was either that or watershed ecology.”
“Watershed ecology would have been more interesting,” Nick replied quietly as Evie rolled her eyes at him. Her friends giggled quietly, causing Nick to glance at them with a wry expression. “Of course, I think I would have picked plant germination, too, all things considered.” He picked up his hoe and carefully smoothed out the soil around the vigorously growing plants.
“I was hoping that you’d help us?” Evie licked her lips.
Nick raised his eyebrow at her. “When have I ever not helped you?” He leaned the hoe against the side of the house along with the shovel and rake. Then, he turned on the spigot, delivering water to the plants via the network of soakers and drip lines he’d spent days routing through the garden. He brushed the last of the dirt off his hands as he walked toward the door.
* * * *
Evie winked at her friends. “He’ll help.”
The three girls smiled.
Jennie looked at Nick’s retreating back and remarked, “Wow. Why didn’t you tell us your brother’s a hottie?”
Tina added, “Yeah. Talk about cute.”
Michelle grinned. “He’s way too good looking to be a brainy.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “He’s my brother. And he really is a brainy. He’s two years ahead of age, that’s why he’s in the remote-learning courses.”
The girls giggled together as they followed Nick into the house. Nick came out of the kitchen, drying his hands as the girls set their bags down and sat on the sofas.
Michelle grinned at him as she pulled her notebook out of her bag. “Doing anything Friday night?” she asked boldly, causing the other two girls to giggle.
Nick looked at her levelly. “No.”
Michelle thought she was making progress, given the intense interest in her eyes.
Evie covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Nicky was good at discouraging unwanted suitors, as her friend was about to find out.
Michelle batted her eyelashes. “Well, would you like to go to a movie with me?”
Nick’s eyebrow jerked up. “No, I don’t like movies. They’re a complete waste of time.”
Michelle pouted. “Dinner, then?”
Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Again, no. Although I do like eating, I must decline.”
“Why not?” Michelle asked, clearly not willing to give up. “Don’t you like girls?”
“I like girls just fine.” Nick smiled faintly. “As friends.”
The eyes of all three girls got very, very wide at that. Evie bit on her lower lip, eyes twinkling merrily at how quickly the girls fell for Nick’s act.
Michelle did a credible imitation of a fish at him. “Oh, I see,” she finally said.
Later that evening, after the girls had gone home, Evie was sitting on Nick’s bed, swinging her legs as she watched her brother work on his own homework. When it looked like he was at a stopping point, she said, “That was really funny this afternoon, you know.”
Nick turned to look at her, brow furrowed. “What was?”
Evie grinned. “Michelle asking you out, of course.” She started to giggle. “You’ve got them all believing that you’re gay. Too funny, Nicky.”
Nick sighed, shutting down his console before he turned around completely to give Evie his full attention. “I wasn’t trying to be funny, Evie.”
“I know. You just think she’s too young, so you were trying to refuse her gently, in a way that wouldn’t offend her or hurt her feelings. But I thought it was funny.”
Nick sat down in his recliner, his expression conflicted, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. After a moment, he gave a little shrug. “Evie, I wasn’t making it up. I wasn’t trying to spare her feelings.”
Evie’s legs stopped swinging as she stared at her brother in surprise. “What?” she whispered.
“Evie, I’m gay. I’ve known this for years now. I thought you knew, too.” Nick spoke as calmly as if he was discussing the weather.
Evie cocked her head, thinking about it. “Well, I knew that you were having sex with other guys for money…and some women, too. I kinda figured that you were only doing it with guys for the money, not because you liked it.” She shrugged at last. “Well, the expression on Michelle’s face was still funny.”
Nick chuckled in spite of himself. “Yeah, I guess it was pretty funny.”
Evie slid off the bed and climbed onto Nick’s lap, giving him a hug. “I don’t care if you’re gay, Nicky. And thank you for telling me.”
Nick returned her embrace.
* * * *
Gilly opened the front door, home from work early. Even though she was early, it had still been a long day, and she found herself looking forward to a nice, relaxing evening with the kids. She looked around the living room as she walked in, for Nick usually met her at the door to take her coat. As time had passed, she had come to look forward to that little ritual, the way he’d smile at her as he helped her out of the coat. Nick wasn’t in the living room this afternoon, causing her to sigh in disappointment.
A moment later, Nick came walking quickly out of the kitchen. “Mom, you’re home early. Sorry, I didn’t hear you pull in.” He smiled as he grabbed for her coat. “I’ll take that.”
Gilly smiled back at him, her world right once more. “Hi, Nicky. It’s been a long day, even if I did get out an hour early. What are you doing in the kitchen?”
Nick put the coat on its hanger and hung it in the hall closet like he always did before replying, “I’m making dinner.”
Gilly paused in surprise, turning to look at the teen. “Really? Whatever for? I don’t mind cooking, you know.” She didn’t want him to feel obligated to cook or clean for her, after all.
Nick shrugged. “D’you remember when we met?” Gilly nodded, so he continued. “And you said I could kinda make a trial of living here, and you’d accept my decision, whatever it was?”
Gilly’s heart plummeted to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she tried to cloak her sudden sorrow as she replied, “Yes, I remember that, and it still stands.” Even if it killed her inside, she’d abide by his decision.
“Well, I don’t think I’ll ever have to take you up on it.” As hope sprung back into her heart, he added, “I just…I just wanted you to know that we’re both happy here. I wouldn’t want to live with anyone else.”
“You just made my whole day better.” Gilly grabbed him up in a bear hug.
Nick returned her embrace for a moment before pulling away. “Mom, I need to get back to dinner now.”
Gilly sniffed as she let him go with great reluctance. “Why are you making dinner? You didn’t say.”
Nick walked toward the kitchen, so Gilly followed him. He paused in the doorway to the kitchen, refusing her entry. “I like cooking, Mom. And I figured that if I’m a part of your family now, I should help out some. You said you had a bad day, so why don’t you just go relax or something? I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”
“You know you don’t have to cook for me, Nicky.”
Nick shrugged. “I know I don’t. I just want to, okay?”
“Okay, Nicky.” Gilly paused. “Where’s Evie?”
; “She’s in her room, working on homework. She’s got it under control for the moment.”
Gilly left the kitchen, heading upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes.
Evie heard her coming and poked her head out of her room. “Hi, Mom! Nicky’s making dinner!”
“I know, honey, he told me.” Gilly grinned and winked. “He also chased me out of the kitchen.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “He won’t tell me what he’s making either. Nicky likes to surprise me.”
“You told me once that he’s a good cook, so why are you worried?”
Evie followed Gilly into her room, settling on Gilly’s bed as the woman began to take off her workday finery. “Oh, I’m not worried, Mom. Nicky’s an excellent cook. I just don’t like not knowing. It drives me crazy when he keeps secrets from me.”
Gilly chuckled as she hung up her nice blouse and pulled on an old tee. “And maybe that’s why he doesn’t tell you, honey. It’s much more fun that way.”
Evie sniffed. “Well, it’s not fair.”
Gilly pulled on some comfortable pants before she walked into the bathroom to wash her face. “Well, he didn’t tell me either. So we’re in the same boat. Maybe we should come up with some way to surprise him, just to get even.”
Evie grinned in delight for a moment, then her face fell in disappointment. “But, Mom, Nicky’s impossible to surprise.”
Gilly shook her head, smiling. “Oh, we’ll think of something. We just need to put our heads together and brainstorm on it, okay?”
Nick voice called from downstairs, “Dinner’s ready!”
Evie and Gilly shared a smile as they went out to see what Nick had prepared for them.
Gilly was truly impressed by dinner. Salad, made from vegetables crisper and fresher than any she’d had before. This was followed by lasagna, deliciously cheesy, packed with perfectly seasoned beef, and the tomato sauce was just to die for. The freshly baked bread had such a savory aroma, too. After a few minutes of silent enjoyment, she asked. “How did you manage to find such perfectly fresh food? This salad is amazing, and the tomato sauce is incredible!”
Nick smiled. He knew that people living in the city rarely had access to farm-fresh produce. Most of what they got was well past its prime, although certainly still edible, due to the advanced preservation techniques. Those techniques robbed the produce of crispness and some flavor, but the vitamin content remained unchanged. It was merely the cost of living in a high-tech society with billions of mouths to feed. “I didn’t find it, Mom. I grew it.”
Gilly gaped in surprise. She’d known that Nick was spending a lot of time puttering about in the garden, for the groundskeeper who maintained her yard had told her. But she hadn’t known that he wasn’t just playing about but making a serious effort to grow real food. Recovering her aplomb, noting Evie’s soft giggle, she told Nick, “It’s wonderful, thank you.”
Nick inclined his head. “I’m glad you like it, Mom. We’ll have fresh veggies for a month or so, but then, the growing season’ll be over until spring.”
Gilly chuckled. “I understand. I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts.”
Nick’s eyes lit up in sudden inspiration. “Of course, if we had a greenhouse, we could grow all year long.”
“Perhaps,” Gilly allowed, tone indulgent. “But our yard isn’t very big.”
Nick sighed at that. “You’re right, Mom. There’s not really enough room.”
* * * *
Gilly answered the incoming line, eyebrows rising as she saw that the caller was from the School Authority. The woman who appeared on the screen smiled professionally. “Ms. Gillespie?”
Gilly nodded. “Yes, that’s me, how can I help you?”
“I’m Samantha Travers, one of the teachers responsible for following our more advanced students enrolled in the distance-learning program. I’m calling about Nicholas Steele; our records indicate that you are his legal guardian?”
Gilly took a deep breath, suddenly worried. She had no idea what Nick was up to in school, but it was rarely good when a teacher called. “Yes, I am responsible for Nick. What has he done?”
Samantha smiled kindly. “Oh, he’s done nothing wrong, Ms. Gillespie. But I do need to talk to you about a paper he submitted for his final exam in Life Sciences.”
Gilly relaxed, feeling calmer now. “Is there a problem with the paper?”
Samantha leaned forward. “Are you sure that he wrote it himself? This paper of his appears to be well beyond the capabilities of a fifteen-year-old.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Nick’s a remarkable young man, Ms. Travers. He continually amazes me with his intelligence and insight.” Gilly spoke with conviction and confidence. She didn’t know what Nicky had written, but she knew beyond any doubt that he’d done it on his own.
“Call me Samantha, Ms. Gillespie,” said the teacher. “If you’re certain that he wrote this, well, it’s remarkable. We forwarded a copy of it to the Ecology Department doctoral committee at Central University for an opinion. They weren’t told the age or education level of the writer. They unanimously recommended to us that the student be fast tracked into a doctoral fellowship in Ecology. They feel that with maybe another year or two of work, this paper could be polished into a real doctoral thesis.”
Gilly felt like her eyes were as round and large as dinner plates. “But Nicky hasn’t even started secondary education!”
Samantha shook her head. “Well, according to our records, Nicholas can start secondary this upcoming term. He’s definitely passed all required subjects of primary with flying colors. Has he discussed with you where he’d like to go to college?”
“He wants to go to the Academy.”
Samantha looked surprised before she chuckled. “So do most young men. It must be a gender thing. While I understand his desire for the Space Corps, he could have a real future in the Life Sciences. Nicholas is on more than one university’s hot list, and as soon as School Authority officially recognizes his completion of primary ed, you can expect them all to come a’calling.”
Gilly shook her head, smiling wryly. “How long before the floodgates open?”
“We’ll publish this term’s results in a week, Ms. Gillespie, directly after the Christmas holiday. I wanted to give you a head’s up on what’s going on so that you can have time to prepare and maybe discuss Nicholas’s options with him.”
Gilly nodded. “I appreciate your courtesy, Ms. Travers. Can you do me a favor, though?”
Samantha raised her eyebrows. “You’re welcome, and if it’s something within my power to do, I’d be happy to help you out.”
“Can you send me a copy of his paper?” Gilly looked the teacher dead in the eye. “I’m more than his guardian; I’m also his Case Worker. Nicholas Steele is a ward of Child Protective.”
“I thought that something must have happened when he gave us the updated contact information. I also recognized your name; we’ve worked together in the past, though never face to face.”
“I thought I recognized your name as well,” Gilly admitted. “I did contact your people about the case, did I not?”
Samantha sighed. “Yes, you did. We’re looking into the loophole, as you suggested. Learning that we’d failed to notice such things, and for so long, was a real shocker to all of us. I’ll forward a copy of the paper to your inbox. Transmitting now.”
Gilly checked. “I’ve got it, thank you.” Samantha signed off after a few more minutes of polite talk, leaving Gilly to tap her fingers on her desk in thought. After a few minutes, she opened the file.
“Predator-Prey Interactions in an Isolated Ecosystem,” she read the title out loud, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. She settled back as she got into the material itself, reading carefully and slowly.
* * * *
Evie tiptoed into Nick’s room. Her brother was still asleep, burrowed into his blankets and pillows so deeply that not even an inch of skin was exposed. It wa
s just barely dawn, and Nicky had never been much of a morning person, particularly since he’d started meeting people late at night. But this was an important day, and Evie didn’t want to let any of it pass by unremarked upon. After all those years of Nicky doing nice things for her, she was going to do her best to ensure that Nicky had a good day today.
So she hauled his covers back as she caroled out, “Merry Christmas, Nicky! Time to get up and see what Santa brought!”
Nick grabbed for the blankets, but his sister had pulled them off his bed entirely. “Evie!” he complained loudly. “It’s way too early to get up! And there’s no so such thing as Santa Claus!”
Evie shook her head and stamped her foot. “Yes, there is! Come on, Nicky. Just come downstairs with me. Please?” Nick grumbled under his breath as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Evie said in a gentle tone, “Your bag’s full, Nicky.”
He sighed as his feet found the floor. “Okay, Evie, you win.” He stalked out of his room, directly into the bathroom, pausing only long enough to grab a shirt on his way. Evie smiled to herself as she settled down to wait. Nick was pretty quick, after over four months of having the bag, it didn’t take him long to deal with it anymore. He came back into his bedroom, scooping up his blankets off the floor. He spread them neatly back over his bed, he’d never cared for messes and had always kept the house picked up, even back then, when they’d lived with Father.
At long last, he pulled on a pair of jeans and stuffed his feet into some slippers. He gave Evie a sour glance. “Well? Are we going downstairs or not?”
Evie only smiled at him as she walked out of his room. Nick followed her after a moment, so they went down the stairs together.
Last night, before Nick had gone to bed, the living room had looked the same as always. Gilly hadn’t done anything to decorate for the Christmas season, so Nick had assumed that she didn’t celebrate the holiday. The sight that greeted his eyes, therefore, was quite a surprise.