Crossroads

by Mary Ting

  “What time is it?”

  “Time for dinner.”

  I didn’t believe him. “No, seriously, what time is it?”

  “I am serious. You slept for eighteen hours.”

  Shocked, I sat up so quickly that I felt a head rush. I placed my hands over my head to stop the room from spinning.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Just a head rush,” I murmured.

  “It seems that I have that kind of effect on you.” He grinned.

  I smiled back, remembering the first time we met. He held me so I wouldn’t fall. “Yeah, I guess,” I replied with a small laugh. “Did my mom come to see me in the morning?” I asked, worried.

  “Yes, but don’t worry.” He pointed upward. “The roof.”

  “Thanks, sorry.”

  “You owe me one or two, or more,” he said jokingly.

  “I know, someday,” I said. I knew he was joking, but the truth was that I owed him for many things. “Did you leave? I mean, did you need to go back?” What I really wanted to know was if he had a chance to see Michael.

  “Yes, I felt a bit weak so I had to go back. Caleb watched over you while you were sleeping. See, everything turned out fine.” Then he smiled as if he knew what I really wanted to ask. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see Michael. I don’t know what he is up to, and he won’t tell us. That’s just the way he is, always looking after others before himself. All I know is that when he makes a promise, he’s good for it. Don’t worry; I’m sure he’s fine. By the way, this thing keeps on shaking.” He handed me my cell phone.

  “Oh, you don’t know what it is?”

  “Of course I do. You think I’m that ancient?” He gave a teasing smile.

  “No, I didn’t mean it that way.” I could have kicked myself because the last thing I wanted to do was offend him.

  “I was just kidding. When I picked up the calls, this thing didn’t answer back.” He looked confused.

  “Let’s take a look. It’s actually letting me know that I have text messages. I guess Vivian didn’t show you?” I questioned.

  “I don’t pay attention to things we don’t use. Vivian is fascinated by technology, unlike me,” he said.

  “See, I have two messages. The first one is from Patty. It says: Sorry about Gamma. How r u?” I texted her back: Thanx for dropping off my bag. Don’t worry. Text u later.

  The second one was from Kristina. How r u? Gotta talk about b-day on Fri. What should I wear. Lol!

  “Human girls, why don’t you just pick up the phone and talk? Why do you need to make things complicated?” he laughed, obviously amused.

  Our conversation was interrupted by the vibration of my cell phone. I picked it up. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Claudia.”

  “Hey, Kristina.”

  “I just found out. I’m sooo sorry to hear about Gamma. How are you?” she asked caringly.

  It had been only three days since I last saw her, but it seemed like I hadn’t spoken to her in years. “I’m fine,” I said softly.

  “Maggie wanted to call, but I told her that I would.”

  “It’s all right. Just let her know I’m fine,” I said.

  “Sure. I know it’s not a good time, but Ryan’s birthday is this Saturday, remember? Can you go?”

  I wasn’t up for a party, so I tried to think of an excuse. “I know I promised, but…but I didn’t have time to buy a gift.”

  “Don’t worry. I bought a big one. I could say it’s from both of us,” she said. “Usually I would beg you to come out, but I know you probably don’t feel up to it. Maybe it will do you some good to see your friends.”

  “Well, I don’t know.” I was hesitant at first, but she was right, I did want to see my friends. “I did RSVP to the Evite. I’ll need to ask my mom.”

  From the corner of my eyes, I could see Davin frowning and shaking his fingers back and forth. He was mouthing the words, “No, no, no.”

  “I gotta go, Kristina. Thanks for calling. I’ll call you later.”

  “Are you crazy?” Davin blurted out as soon as I hung up. “You know I can’t let you go. Michael will be furious with you and especially with me.”

  “Calm down, Davin. I didn’t say I was going to go alone.”

  “Oh.” He calmed down and then was deep in thought. He gave me a curious look knowing I was up to something.

  “He said to stay put, but as long as you’re with me…,” I said, putting thoughts into his head.

  His mouth dropped. Then he gave me a conniving smile. It didn’t take much to convince Davin.

  “So let me think about this.” He was pacing back and forth, probably weighing the odds of Michael finding out. “Girls…dance…girls. Okay, if we go, we can’t stay out too late.”

  “It ends at midnight,” I said.

  “What? What party ends at midnight?”

  “My curfew.”

  “Oh, okay then. And you have to stay right next to me so I won’t feel guilty for you talking me into this, which I will regret if Michael ever finds out. Is that a deal?”

  “Don’t worry, Davin, I won’t leave your sight. I’m not going to party the night away. I made a promise, and I just want to see my friends. Who knows, it may be my last party.”

  “What? What do you mean?” he asked.

  “What if something happens to me? What if Aden—”

  Davin didn’t let me finish. He had a serious look I’d never seen before. “Claudia, you can’t think that way. You need to know that we will do everything to keep you safe. Our lives will be lost before yours. We are your guardians.”

  “I…I…okay,” I said, looking down, feeling humbled. I didn’t know what to say. His words, our lives will be lost before yours, echoed in my head. I was extremely touched, and I knew he meant it. With another question in mind, I looked up. “Davin, when this is all over, will I see any of you again?” My eyes were uncertain.

  “I don’t know what will happen. I just don’t know, Claudia. I wish I could make things easier for you and give you the answers you want to hear. Let’s not dwell on matters you cannot control. But one thing is for sure, knowing Michael; I don’t know how he does it, but he always gets his way.”

  I gave him a smile because I knew he was trying to make me feel better. Then I changed the subject. “Hey! How are you going to get girls to dance with you dressed like that?” I pointed at what he was wearing, scanning his outfit up and down.

  He looked at himself. “You’re right. I look too plain in jeans and a T-shirt.” He winked. “Don’t you worry, I’ll look my part.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Our laughter was interrupted by Mom. “Claudia, dinner time.”

  “I’ll be back,” I said, feeling stomach pangs from hunger.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just surf the web on your computer. I’ve got a lot to learn. You humans are way more complicated than I thought.”

  Just as I was halfway out of my bedroom, Davin placed his hand on the screen, and the computer turned on. Amazing, I thought.

  It had been about a week since Gamma passed away. A part of me didn’t want to go to Ryan’s birthday party because I was still grieving, but Mom thought it was a good idea since I would be surrounded by friends. Although I knew Gamma was gone forever, I was surprised at myself for not falling apart.

  “Hurry up, you’re gonna be late,” Davin whispered.

  “Haven’t you heard of being fashionably late?” I whispered back through the door so Mom wouldn’t think I was talking to myself.

  “I didn’t know you wanted to be late.”

  “Do you have a car? I told my mom that I had a date.” I took a deep breath and walked out.

  “You didn’t say anything about a—” He stopped mid-sentence. Davin stood by the door staring at me. “Claudia, you look great. I mean, not that you didn’t before, but—”

  I interrupted. “Thank you. I know what you mean.” I showed him two items that I held in my hands. “It’s call
ed makeup and a curling iron. They’re two great inventions that can make any girl look good.”

  “Well, thank you to the inventors,” he said, making a whistling sound.

  He made me blush. “Well, you look great yourself. I don’t think any girl will be able to resist you.”

  “Really?” He checked himself in front of my closet mirror. His black slacks and dark gray dress shirt made him look like a GQ model.

  “Let me do something to your hair,” I said, squeezing gel on my hand.

  He backed away as soon as I held up my hands. “Wait a minute. What is that? Nobody messes with my hair.” He lightly tapped his hair. “This is gold to me.”

  “Let me make it golden then.” Without his permission, I ran my fingers through his hair to slick it back. He fussed and turned, but ultimately gave in. “See, much better.”

  “Really?” He looked at himself in the mirror again, amazed how a different hairstyle could change his appearance.

  “This is gel,” I said, amused that this simple thing was so new to him.

  Suddenly, Davin looked out the window, startled.

  “What is it?” I asked quickly and moved behind him as my heart thumped rapidly.

  “I feel a presence,” he said sharply and stood dead still.

  I swallowed briskly and held my breath as I waited for Davin to tell me what to do.

  “We can relax. It’s Caleb and Vivian,” he said.

  When Caleb and Vivian appeared, I exhaled with relief as my premonition of fallen or demons flying through the window disappeared.

  “Don’t think you’re going anywhere without us,” Vivian said, smiling.

  Davin and I were surprised to see them, but I was mostly overjoyed. “Vivian, you look great!” She had on a spaghetti strap V-neck dress that framed her thin body.

  “It’s fun dressing up, and I love your dress too,” Vivian said, looking at me approvingly.

  I wore the black chiffon dress that Patty had given me for my birthday. “Thanks,” I said.

  Then we both looked at each other and said at the same time, “Fashion Wear.”

  As we giggled, I gave her a tight squeeze to show her how happy I was to see her again. I quickly turned to Caleb, not wanting to leave him out. “You look nice too.”

  He gave me a big smile. He wore dark gray slacks and a black-buttoned down shirt, which looked great on him. They always looked beautiful, but dressed up, they were drop-dead gorgeous.

  “Are we going to complement each other all night, or are we going to the party?” Davin interrupted.

  “Do you have a car?” I asked.

  He looked at me with a blank face. Then his face lit up with an idea. “I could go steal one. I mean, borrow one for the night.”

  I frowned, with my hands on my hips. “You don’t have one?”

  “I’m not supposed to leave you.”

  “I thought you could do some kind of magic thing, and poof, it’s here,” I said.

  “I’m an alkin, not a magician, if you haven’t noticed,” he said sarcastically. “Yes, I could make one appear, but I didn’t know which one. There are too many. And I thought I was driving your car.”

  “But you’re my date. You’re supposed to pick me up in your car.”

  “Now you tell me. How am I supposed to know? I haven’t had a date in how many lifetimes, remember? I don’t even know what you mean by dating. We learn by observing and that thing you call “Googling” on the computer. That’s what I was doing while you were eating and sleeping, learning about your mannerisms. You humans are too complicated.”

  “Sorry, I should have explained it to you. I forget sometimes,” I said, feeling guilty for getting mad at him.

  “Don’t worry. Caleb and I did some research. I have one parked right in front of your house,” Vivian said proudly.

  “Good thinking,” Davin replied. “I hope you stole, I mean borrowed, a fast car.”

  “What do you mean?” Caleb said. “I get to drive it. After all, I borrowed the car that I want to drive.”

  “He has a point, Davin,” Vivian spoke in Caleb’s defense.

  Davin frowned and said, “Fine! Let’s go.”

  We parted ways, and Davin rang the doorbell. Caleb and Vivian waited for us by the car.

  “I got it, Claudia. I can’t wait to meet your date,” Mom said, excitedly. I took a quick peek to see what she was doing while I pretended to be getting ready in my room. I observed her sneaking a peek in the mirror, straightening her dress, and brushing her hair with her fingers. As I walked out of my bedroom door, Mom’s eyes grew big. She walked to me, placing her hands on my shoulders, smiling and staring.

  “You look beautiful, honey! I hardly ever get to see you with makeup and your hair in curls. It makes me happy that you’re out of your room and having fun.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said while blushing. “Aren’t you going to open the door?”

  “Ahhh…I almost forgot,” she said as she headed for the door, still staring at me.

  “Hello,” Davin said politely while extending his hand. He was acting like quite a gentleman, much more mature than the usual Davin.

  Mom looked impressed and graciously shook his hand. “Hello,” she said back.

  “Mom, this is Davin.” I introduced hastily. Mom could tell I was in a hurry as I walked out the door and gave her a look.

  “Well, you better get going. It was nice meeting you, Davin.” Then she turned to me. “Remember your curfew.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll bring her home by midnight.”

  “Thank you,” Mom said politely. “I would appreciate it if you kept your word.” She smiled again and looked at me. “Tell Ryan happy birthday for me.”

  I nodded and placed my hands through Davin’s arm and pulled him along. As I turned around to wave good-bye, she whispered something that sounded like, “He’s very good-looking.”

  I thought to myself; if you think Davin is good-looking, wait till you see Michael. I just gave her a big grin and waved her back into the house so she wouldn’t see Vivian and Caleb. Although I was very excited to go to the party with my alkin friends, I missed Michael madly. Where are you, Michael? What are you doing?

  Chapter 21

  “Cool car, Caleb!” Davin said, making a complete circle around the heavily tinted black Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. “I think I’m in love. So, who did you steal this car from?” Davin asked, placing his hand out in front of Caleb, waiting for the car keys.

  Caleb stood his ground with his arms crossed, shaking his head.

  “We didn’t steal it. We borrowed it from the dealer. I’m sure they won’t miss it just for one night,” Vivian said, admiring the car too.

  “It’s called stealing,” Davin challenged as he gave a big frown.

  “So if you got it, it’s called…”

  “Borrowing,” Davin said quickly.

  “Great, you make it sound like a sin when I do it.”

  “Just messing with you. I’m just bitter ’cause I don’t get to drive it.”

  “You two need to see each other more often, or is it that you two need to be away from each other more often? Either way, we need to get going,” I said.

  “Sorry, Claudia. Davin gets on my nerves sometimes. He’s acting more like a human these days.”

  “Are these two like this all the time?” I asked Caleb.

  “Only when we’re down here. There must be something in the air. I’m almost positive they were brother and sister in human life,” Caleb replied back.

  Vivian let out a short laugh. “You’re funny,” she said lightly to Caleb.

  Davin released a heavy sigh. I don’t think he was paying attention to our conversation. He was admiring the car too intensely. “Sure you don’t want me to drive it, Caleb?” Davin asked with a pleading look.

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Davin. Hop in the front, Vivian. Let’s get going,” Caleb said as he settled himself into the driver’s seat.

  Something about the
car seemed to have given Caleb a sense of power. I’d never heard him speak in such a commanding voice before. Davin and I sat in the back, and I watched Caleb punch in the address of the hotel on the navigator. Realizing that I was actually sitting inside an ultra expensive luxury car, I observed every detail. The one most obvious was the black leather seat I was sitting on. I thought it would feel soft and plush, but it was actually really hard and tight.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! went the music and I was startled by the sudden loudness.

  I could feel the vibrations from the speakers underneath the seat. Davin rested his head back while tapping his fingers to the music. Caleb, with his window down, tapped his hand on the door, and Vivian nodded her head to the beat. It was amusing to watch the alkins enjoying themselves, as if they were ordinary teenagers.

  “Here we are,” Caleb said, turning the ignition off. Suddenly I felt nervous. How was I to explain who they were?

  “Don’t get out yet!” I yelled quickly. Stunned by my outburst, they froze and looked at me. “Well, my friends will wonder who you are. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. We were all on edge. I didn’t blame them for being shaken up by my sudden outburst.

  “What would you like for us to say?” Vivian asked.

  “Well, I thought I could say that you are my cousins from San Francisco.”

  “Okay,” Caleb said like it was no big deal.

  “Could we keep our names? Who knows? I may mess that up,” Davin said with a chuckle.

  “Sure, that would make it easier for me too. Let’s go,” I said.

  We walked excitedly to the front entrance of the hotel. There was a huge sign: “Ryan’s Birthday Party, Grand View Room, thirtieth floor.” I suddenly felt a knot in the pit of my stomach, knowing we would be up so high, but I knew I would be fine since we were indoors.

  “Thirtieth floor; it looks like the elevator is to the right,” Vivian said, pointing to the direction.

  We all followed behind her. The crystals from the chandelier caught my eyes first as they burst with unbelievable brilliance that sent sparkles throughout the room. The front lobby was decorated with beautiful arrangements of flowers placed in tall vases everywhere I looked. Not only did they make the room colorful, they certainly brightened up the dimly-lit lobby. As I continued to walk, I noticed the intricate designs of the marble floor that glistened from the candles nearby. Dark brown leather sofas and couches were arranged on antique rugs.