by W.J. May
Chapter 8
The radar sense of my hearing seemed to sharpen at night. It kept me waking constantly. One minute I’d bolt up, terrified by someone moaning and then gag when I realized it came from the neighbour’s wife with her husband. Ick! Disgusting! Several deep breathes to slow my racing heart couldn’t erase the image forming in my mind. Just when I managed to drift back to sleep, a car screeching, or a diesel truck flew by. Sirens, horns, animals, laughter, crying, all of it kept me from sleeping. Ear plugs didn’t help, nothing did.
Screw saving people. After a night of no sleep, I was more interested in killing them for some peace and quiet. By lunch time I couldn’t wait to head to Brent’s -- anything to work of the crazy jitters and figure out a way to get my hearing to focus less. I sent Seth a text and offered to pick him, silly to drive two cars when I went right by his place.
I pulled in Seth’s driveway and killed the ignition. Slamming the Volkswagen’s door, I grimaced at the rusty creaking of its hinges. As I turned to walk up the drive,
a motorbike parked near the house made me pause. Whose is that? Seth’s dad definitely didn’t ride, but it wouldn’t surprise me if his mom had taken up a new hobby. I grinned. She struck me as one tough woman. If I ever had kids, I hoped to be just like her.
Seth stepped out of the two-storey house and onto the covered porch. “Hey!” he hollered, or so it seemed to me. Resting his hands on the railing he leaned over.
“Your mom buy a bike?” I asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
A deep laugh erupted behind him. I tried to catch a glimpse of whoever sat on the cedar chair. It was impossible to see because of the brick pillar and Seth’s big muscle body. The laugh made my stomach twist and flip. It echoed against my head making my body tingle and warm. Weird.
“Yer mum would ride a bike?” Kieran laughed again. He appeared at the top of the steps wearing a white tee shirt and a pair of shorts with a Scottish logo near the bottom. He stood two steps above me so the Rangers Football Club emblem hit me eye level.
“Probably,” Seth scoffed, “after she sees yours. Wanna know where she is today?” He rolled his eyes at me. “Bungee jumping! What forty-five year old woman does that?” He tried to sound embarrassed but the right side of his mouth turned up and he pretended to stare off at nothing to show indifference.
I knew him too well, he loved him mom and her sense of adventure. “What’d your dad say?”
“He’s video taping it!”
As Seth rambled on and walked past us towards the car, Kieran winked at me.
I smiled back. He totally gets it.
“My car’s a bit of an antique.” I pointed to the Bug, like I should apologize for her. The yellow paint and rust blended in so well together now, you couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. It looked like a tree in Autumn, and I still loved it.
“Yer parents buy it fer you?” He strolled beside me, his knuckles brushed against my hand as our arms swung with walking.
“Nope.” Momentarily distracted by his touch, I stuttered, “I-I bought it with money saved from a paper route I’d had since I was, like, ten. After passing my driver’s license, my dad took me to this old farm out of the city and I paid cash for her.” I patted the hood, unable to hide the pride in my voice and or to stop myself from babbling. “I know it’s kinda old.”
“It’s eclectic,” he said.
My heart swelled. Cute and a sense of humour. I realized I was staring when Kieran’s heart shifted it’s rhythm. “So…anything going on with you? You know…with the sensation-thing?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, but it’s okay. I’m here ta watch, and cheer you on. I’m yer biggest fan.” He rubbed his shoulder against mine. “I’ll be your guys’ groupie.”
“You comin’ or what?” Seth stood behind the open passenger door, one leg already inside the car. “I call shotgun.”
Kieran crawled into the back behind the driver’s seat. I hopped in and started the engine. I shoved the stick shift into reverse and popped the clutch. Our eyes met in the review mirror as I backed out the driveway. He was smoking-hot. I loved his slightly messy dark hair that my fingers begged to let me run themselves through it. Thin and soft, but any girl knew there had to be power behind them.
I made a mental effort to focus back on the road, wondering if Kieran or Seth could hear my thoughts. They seemed to shout so blatantly inside my mind. Crap, I probably had a neon sign above my head: “I’m hot for the Scot.”
“Brent’s place is perfect,” Seth said, interrupting my thoughts. He threw his arm over my seat and turned back to look at Kieran. “His folks are loaded. His granddad left a crap-load of money to his dad. Actually, I think he left a crazy amount to Brent and his brother, Nate, as well. Anyway, his dad’s some kind of genius and invested the money to make a shit-load more. I think they use hundred dollar bills to line their coffee filter every morning.”
Kieran laughed. “I’ll check the toilet paper roll while I’m there, as well.”
Appalled to hear Seth talk like that about Brent, I threw him a dirty look and thrust my hand out and thumped him across the chest. “He’s your best bud, and you dis him?”
“Hey!” Seth blocked his upper body with his arms, expecting me to hit him again. “I was braggin’. Brent’s totally cool. He doesn’t act like big money.” He turned again to Kieran. “I can’t say it doesn’t suck being his buddy, though. Dude’s always footin’ the bill, always got my back. The only other thing he spends money on is his guitar collection.”
I glanced at the review after turning into Brent’s long driveway. “He’s an awesome guitar player. He’s played at PHP a couple times.”
“Cool.” Kieran turned his head to the window and whistled. “Nice pad.”
The huge red brick house sat on too many acres to count. It was one of those monstrous old, estates Brent’s dad had moved from somewhere near Niagara Falls and brought here. The entire thing had been redone, with an awesome white porch you wished you had, except it would never fit on your own house.
Whenever I stepped inside, I couldn’t believe the massive size of each room, with twenty foot ceilings, walnut floors and working fireplaces in, like, every room. Brent’s mom liked antique stuff so she’d filled the house with old and new. It looked pretty cool, but I doubt Brent and his brother ever got to run or play inside.
“His mom’s a fashion designer,” I told Kieran. “She wants Brent to have our grad party here. He only agreed, if it’s in the gym. He’s,” I shot Seth a warning glare, “not into showing off, but would do anything for his mom.” Brent was a really sweet guy, and always had my back. So I returned the favour.
“Wait till you see this billion dollar gym. It’s freakin’ aw—”
I nailed Seth again in the chest, harder this time.
“Okay!” He held his hands up in surrender. “Just make this bug crawl a bit faster and pull around back.”
I drove to the end of the drive and parked the car in the lot at the side of the gym. This place is totally brag-worthy. Massive, with an NBA sized basketball court, a weight room that made any gym seem cheap, ten person sauna, and probably more I’d never noticed. It put the only school in town’s gymnasium to shame.
Brent stood outside with his back against the brick. When I stopped he strolled over and put his hand on the bug. His fingers were spread wide, his brows scrunched together in concentration. He’d touch the car, pull his hand away and then touch it again – from one end of my little car to the other.
“Sheesh, Zoe.” He chuckled. “You got trash in your front trunk, crap under the driver’s seat and I think there’s a mouldy sandwich.”
Seth laughed. “What feel-boy? You can’t see it clear enough? I can sure smell it.”
Brent kept a straight face. “Things so mouldy I can’t tell if its food or if it’s your mother’s underwear from last time I took her out for a drive.”
Kieran and I died laughing. “That…is disgusting!
” I choked out.
Seth swung his door open and set his long legs on the pavement. He stood and stretched, inhaling deeply. “Smells like money,” he mumbled. I heard him clear as day. He pointed to Brent. “I’m gonna let that one slide only ‘cause I know I’ll kick your ass when we get inside.” He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.
I jumped out and swung my worn seat against the wheel, grabbing it just before it hit the horn. For a little old car, my horn blasted like a semi-truck’s. Not so good for the elephant-ear girl.
Kieran brushed against me as he squeezed by. “Ta.”
I fought to control myself. One word and I’m mush?
“T-The girls here, yet?” I asked Brent trying to distract myself.
He tipped his head back. “Yeah, they’re playing around in the gym. Rylee’s built some wicked obstacle course. She got all excited when she found the storage room with the gymnastic equipment.”
“Awesome!” Seth slammed his door. “What have they all done?”
“They kicked me out.” Brent shrugged. “Said they wanted to surprise us.”
“Did you peek?” I lightly tapped his wrist with my finger.
Brent pretended to stare up at the sky. I tapped harder. “Maybe a couple of times.” He laughed. “Come on, aren’t you loving the skills?”
“Yeah!” Seth bellowed. “This is going to be amazing!”
“I don’t get how doing exercise is going to change things?” Kieran asked.
“It’s not the working out.” Seth flexed. “But it does help with attracting the ladies.” He relaxed his stance when he caught my glare. “Watch us on the stuff and see what happens. Let’s go! No time like the present to change the world.” He ran over to the door, disappearing behind it.
We followed, but at a slightly less neck-breaking speed.
“Any changes, Kieran?” Brent asked.
“I wish.” Kieran sighed. “It’s daft but I got nothing.”
I loved the bounce of Kieran’s words as he spoke. Imagine having his voice on the radio. I’d listen to it all night long. Shame I had to listen to annoying humming sounds from inside the building and every bird and animal in a five mile radius along with Kieran’s accent. Nearly walking into the door, I caught myself just in time. Nobody notice, please. Inside, I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the gym. My ears picked up strange building noises immediately. The purr of the fans, the whirring of the electrical power to the lights, an air conditioner…everything I’d heard outside, only louder now.
Rylee came running over to hug each of us. “I got a little carried away.” She pointed behind her. “If Brent’s dad doesn’t care, we could keep this up for a while and practice our skills here.”
Brent shrugged. “Not a problem.”
“How long’ve you been here?” I asked. She’d hung climbing ropes, built an obstacle course, gymnast spring mats at one side, a punching bag and some other hitting bag beside. Rylee pushed a red button on a remote in her hand and the Rocky soundtrack started blaring out of the speakers. I jerked in surprise.
“Too loud?” She mouthed and hit the volume button down a tiny bit. “Better?”
“Sorta.” I walked towards the wall console and manually turned it a few more notches down. Rylee went over to Seth and began talking excitedly, pointing at all the equipment. In one corner, Rylee had erected a twenty foot pole diagonally into the air with stacked blocks and a ladder. Not lookin’ too stable. I stared, wondering what the heck she planned on having us do with it. Heidi sat stretching on the blue mats.
Seth clapped his hands loudly together. “It’s time to turn ourselves into superheroes.”
We all laughed, Kieran loudest of all. “What’s yer plan?”
Seth’s face remained serious. “We’ve got these super senses. They’re going to make our physical attributes stronger, as well.”
Heidi patted him on the back, and teased, “Wow! Three syllables. I think that’s the biggest word you’ve ever used.”
Seth beamed as he elbowed Heidi. She had to jump out of the way or fall over. “See, it’s working already. I’m getting smarter as we speak.”
Brent and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.
“I saw that,” Seth said, but I could hear there was no anger in his voice.
“How d’you figure? That yer sense are going ta make you stronger?” Kieran leaned against a wall, his arms tucked snugly against his chest.
“Let me show you.” Seth stepped forward and grabbed one of the long, thick ropes hanging from the ceiling.
Heidi wrinkled her nose and coughed. “Not to be the kid with the photographic memory,” she said, “but these super senses might interfere with physical prowess because of the endocrine system’s reaction to the heightened stimuli. Like a disproportionate overload, and,” her eyes flitted over each of us, “Oh, never mind.”
We all stared, open-mouthed.
“I’m just guessing.” She grinned, probably because she’d grown used to our confused faces. “So, where do we start?”
“Everywhere…Anywhere,” Seth replied. “Pick a station and start.” He pointed to his right. “Try the rock climbing wall and see how easy it’ll be for you, now. Or have a go at the punching bag…whatever.” One hand still on the rope, he reached above it with his other hand and began climbing. In a flash he reached the top, grinned down at us, and swung his body to move the rope back and forth. In reach of the adjacent rope, he grabbed it with a free hand. What the --? How’d he do that so fast? He slid down the two, one hand on each side, his feet set so the ropes slid around his ankles. When he dropped to the ground he laughed. “See? Easy as pie.”
“I don’t believe you.” I walked over and grabbed his wrists. “You’ve got to have blisters and rope burn from sliding like that.” Flipping his hands over so the palms where up, I stared in amazement. Nothing. No burn, or redness, nothing.
He held a rope out to me. “Try it.”
“I can’t climb up there. I can’t even do a chin up.” I grabbed his hand and looked at it again. “You’re hands are probably used to this so it didn’t hurt them.”
“They’ll start hurting, but it takes longer than normal. I’ve been doing some stuff at the park since the night at the mine. The crazy-strong smell thing stinks, but the stuff that comes with it…you gotta try it to believe it.” Seth started up the rope again. He had tanks for biceps, but it looked like an invisible line pulled him up.
Super-strong boy can kiss my butt. Still curious, I walked over to the boxing bag. I rubbed the back of my neck, not sure how to hit the thing. This is stupid. Seth probably planned some stupid joke.
Ticked, my fingers curled and sucked my breath in. I could hear the others trying their stations. Rylee talking under her breath and wondering if Kieran had his eyes on her. Heidi talking quietly to Brent about this idea being a shot in the dark.
Seth’s face. My fist shot out and hit the bag, pretending to punch him. It squeaked back and forth in protest. I punched it again and tried doing that thing Rocky does in his movies. Hit, hit, hititty hit. Shocked, I managed to hit it dead center every time. Take that Mr. Balboa.
As it swung on its little lever, a sound resonated against my ears. My head tilted to the side and I squinted.
A noise so unique it changed the way I heard things – the way I processed sound – forever.
My fist continued striking the bag as fast as it could, but the bag itself moved in slow motion. Or so it seemed. Exhaling the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, I tried alternating both hands and let it rip. I never missed. Totally awesome.
My knuckles felt as if they were starting to split but I wanted to keep going. When my arms began to weigh a hundred pounds each but the muscles had turn to Jell-O, I knew I needed a break. Jell-O now, tomorrow they’re going to be lead. I let them drop to their sides.
“Guys, are you getting the same reaction as I’m getting?” Brent called out. “It’s weird and totally amazing.”
; “I-I think so,” I said and moved to a station where Rylee had made some laser-thing with ropes. Each rope had a million little bells that probably sounded like sweet music to everyone ears but more like the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral while standing under the bell to me.
Heidi came over. “You need to figure out how to get through without touching the ropes and setting the chimes off.” She lightly tapped the rope closest to her barely making it moved.
Dull sounds of the metal resounded off the gentle shake of the ropes as they hung. Just figure a way to manoeuvre a way through. That’s all. I bent and lifted a leg to squeeze through the first two ropes closest to me. Over, under and keep my balance. No matter if I stand on one foot, a tippy-toe, or whatever -- focus on your center. Over, under, balance. Over…under…balance. “This one’s kinda fun,” I said and turned to Heidi to see if she wanted to try. I blinked in surprise. “How’d I get so far?”
Heidi grinned. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
Easy as pie. Strange for someone who’s only physical activity consisted of gym class and walking. I slipped through the last section, amazed the simple tension of the ropes made the little bells move in such a way it gave me a different line of vision. “Give it a try.”
Heidi took a deep breath and swallowed. She made it through the first two and ever so slightly rubbed her shoulder against the next rope. Barely a touch but the bells went off like a crazy house.
Covering my ears, I swung around. Waiting for the noise to turn manageable, I watched Rylee at the punching bag, Brent climbing some boxes, and Seth scratching his head. Each of them were grasping the same things I’d just realized. Everyone, but Kieran. He stood observing us, his mouth hung open.
“Hey! Watch this,” Brent shouted. He’d climbed up the boxes and then the wonky ladder by the pole Rylee had set up. After touching the pole with both hands a couple of times, he then stepped on the metal and suddenly slid all the way down – like he was surfing. He jumped off at the end and fist pumped. “Freakin’ amazing! Holy crap!”
If he can do it...While everyone hooted and ran over to ask him questions, I tightened my ponytail and crawled onto the boxes. On the rickety ladder my palms grew damp and I could feel sweat start along my hairline. Noise from all around bounced inside my head. Maybe this is a little too crazy. I paused near the final rung, unsure. The pole seemed pretty narrow, and it looked so shiny – almost slippery.
“Go for it,” Kieran murmured quietly.
I glanced down at him. He smiled and mouthed, “You can do it.” He must have realized I’d hear it.
Determined, I set my right foot onto the slim pole, leaning against the wall unable to move. I wiped my hands against the side of my pants. I couldn’t hear anything coming from the pole. No noise like I had heard from all the other equipment I’d tried. Lips pressed tight, I tried to think of something that might help. I stared down at my hands, my thumb playing with my high school ring on my right hand’s ring finger. An idea popped into my head.
Bending down I clapped the pole with my hands, letting my ring clang against the metal. Metal on metal. The pole vibrated and a shudder ran down its length. No one
even noticed. No one, but me.
The vibration created a rhythm and as I stared in disbelief, I could see the slight movement created a larger surface as it shook. Bigger equals better balance. Perfect – I hope. I hit it again, and jumped on before I lost my courage.
The rush was over before I wanted it to end, like being on a longboard going down a steep stairwell banister – No, wayyy better. Realistically the narrow pole was more like taunt tightrope but as I slid, it seemed more like the width of a sidewalk. It had been…easy. Too easy.
Comprehending what I’d accomplished, I stomped by feet and screamed, “Ewww!!”
The gang raced over laughing and cheering.
Not caring what anyone thought, I started dancing and singing. “I skated the po-ole. I’m on the edge of super, hanging on a skinny pole. I’m on the edge of hero. I’m on the edge—
“Oh no,” Rylee joked, covering her ears. “The happy dance is fine, but can you do it without the tone deaf Lady Ga-ga remix?”
Brent laughed and hopped beside me, bumping my hip as he joined in on the dance. “You’d think with her awesome hearing, she’d be able to carry a tune.” He winked at me. “Wanna do it again – at the same time? Race the pole?” He motioned to Kieran when I nodded. “Let’s make another pole. Zoe and I want to race.”
Kieran clapped his hands and walked over. “Pole skating, eh? You guys made it look effortless.” His gaze lingered a millisecond on me, making my heart flip flop. “Let’s make it more challenging.”
“Whatever you say, coach.” Rylee threw her hair back and laughed. “What do you have in mind?”
“Coach?” Kieran grinned. “I like it.” He leaned forward. “How ’bout we try the water tower?”
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Courage Runs Red
Coming April 2014
Courage Runs Red
Book I
Blood Red Series
By
W.J. May