After (Parallel Series, Book 4)

by Christine Kersey

  I thought about all the rules I’d grown up with, and grown used to. Since I’d never known any different, they’d always seemed normal to me, but now I could see how restrictive they were. In this world things seemed to be at the complete other end of the spectrum. Here, no one told you what you could eat, or how much to weigh. On its face that was a good thing, but I also found it startling to see so many people who were overweight. Was that really okay here? Was everyone fine with that?

  My mixed emotions surprised me. After all I’d been through I would have thought I’d want nothing to do with any kind of government control at all. But as it turned out, I wasn’t sure I completely disagreed with every rule that existed in my world.

  As I looked at Morgan, I knew I couldn’t tell her how I really felt. She’d made her feelings pretty clear earlier when I’d implied it wouldn’t be terrible if all the students were required to do a sport of some kind.

  Maybe I just need to get used to living here. Maybe then I’ll better understand the way things work here.

  Chapter 6

  Morgan

  “I’d better go inside,” I said. “Mom told me to be home in an hour, and my time’s up.”

  “Okay,” Billy said.

  We walked into the house and found Mom overseeing my brothers doing their homework. She looked at her watch, then looked at me. “Hmm. You cut it close.” She glanced at Billy, then looked at me. “Morgan, can you come in the kitchen for a minute?”

  I watched her turn and walk away, then I looked at Billy with a frown. “Be right back.” Mom stood in the middle of the kitchen, her arms folded across her chest. “What’s up?” I tried to make my voice cheerful to show I wasn’t going to argue with her. I’d missed her so much when I’d been locked up in the F.A.T. center, and I still appreciated having her around—even if she was mad at me for some reason.

  “Billy needs to go to Richard’s house today,” she said.

  “Dad’s co-worker?”

  “Yes.”

  The thought of Billy going to a complete stranger’s house all by himself made me sad. Not only that, but now that he was with me in my world, I didn’t want to be away from him. “How long do you think he’ll let Billy stay there?”

  “I don’t know, but he needs to get settled there. Richard’s going to come home with Dad after work.”

  The inevitability of it settled over me and I knew it would be pointless to argue. “Okay.”

  She smiled, then hooked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you have homework?”

  I smiled in return. “Yes. Billy and I are going to work on it now.”

  “Good.”

  I went back into the living room where ten-year-old Zac was showing Billy a card trick.

  Billy glanced at me with a smile, then focused back on my brother. “That’s pretty cool, dude.”

  Zac beamed under Billy’s approval. “I have a bunch more I can show you.”

  I walked over to them. “Just one more. Billy and I have to do our homework.”

  “And you need to get back to yours,” Mom said to Zac.

  A short time later Billy and I had our books spread out on the coffee table, leaving the dining room table to my brothers. That had the added benefit of giving us a little privacy so we could talk. We sat on the floor with our backs to the couch.

  As I opened my math book to the assignment, I again felt the joy I’d experienced the night before when Billy had appeared at the front door. Before I’d left he’d made it clear that he couldn’t follow me into my world—he’d felt needed by Nick and his resistance group. He’d tried to convince me to stay, telling me I was his best friend. He’d even said that his feelings ran deeper than mere friendship. I’d been thrilled by his words because I’d come to realize that my feelings for him were growing as well.

  Then I remembered the terror I’d felt when I’d woken from the sedative Enforcer Mills had given me after he’d chased me down, and how I’d seen Billy hovering over me. At first I’d thought he’d been in on capturing me—helping the people who ran Camp Stonewater—and I’d felt devastated by his betrayal. But it had turned out that he’d been working with Nick’s resistance group and had actually been monitoring what was happening to me when I was locked up.

  After we were reunited at Nick’s place, Billy had held my hand while we’d watched the video I’d secretly recorded, witnessing the horror I’d experienced at the hands of the people in both Camp Willowmoss, and then Camp Stonewater. He’d gotten upset when he’d seen Holly activate the torture device they’d inserted at the base of my skull. It was the first and only time I’d seen him lose his cool. After that he’d told me that he cared for me. He’d even kissed me.

  That had only been a few days before, but now that we were out of danger and in my world I didn’t know what his expectations were. Honestly, I didn’t even know what mine were. That’s what I needed to discuss with him—especially in light of the interest that Rochelle seemed to have in him. We needed to clarify our feelings for each other now, before life got too complicated.

  “So,” I began. “What did you think of school today?”

  He gave me a half-smile. “I was ready to stand and say the pledge, but then I reminded myself that it doesn’t exist here.”

  “Thank goodness,” I said, thinking about the words I’d come to hate. They ran through my mind unbidden, and I frowned. I pledge to always follow the rules and to take care of my body. I will strive to put the good of all above the desires of one. A healthy me is a healthy world. “I hated saying that stupid pledge. Especially when the rules were so ridiculous.”

  “Yeah.”

  Lost in our own thoughts, we were quiet for a minute. “Hey, Billy?”

  He turned to me with a question on his face.

  My heart pounded as I prepared to share my thoughts, but I plowed ahead. “Now that we’re here—you know, in my world?”

  He smirked. “Yeah?”

  “Well, I just thought we should, you know, talk about how things are between us.”

  He set his pencil down and gazed at me. “What do you mean?”

  With his full attention on me I felt more self-conscious, but pressed forward. “Did you notice how Rochelle seemed interested in you?”

  His smile grew. “I guess.”

  I gently pushed his arm. “Oh, come on. I can tell you noticed.”

  He laughed. “Okay. Yeah, I did.” Then he tilted his head. “But, Morgan, you are the one I like.”

  His words thrilled me. “Really?”

  Chuckling, he said, “How can you doubt the way I feel about you after I followed you to another universe? How many guys can say something like that and mean it literally?”

  A blush rose on my cheeks as warmth flooded my heart. “I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that.” Relishing the feelings that pulsed through me, I tried to focus on practical matters. “What should we tell people who ask how we met?”

  “Hmm. Good question.” He stared at the wall across from us, then turned back to me. “Have you told anyone anything so far?”

  “I just told Rochelle that I knew you already because my dad knows the guy you’re going to be living with. Richard.”

  “Okay. So basically you met me when I moved in with Richard, right?”

  I nodded.

  “Which hasn’t actually happened yet, so it wouldn’t make sense for us to know each other all that well yet.”

  “Right.”

  He leaned closer to me so that our faces were only inches apart. “So even though we already know each other so well, I guess we need to back things off, just a bit.”

  When my eyes met his, all I could think of was that I wanted him to kiss me. He’d kissed me twice so far—yes, I was keeping count—and I was ready for him to do it again.

  He smiled, then pulled away slightly. “What do you think?”

  “Uh, yeah. I guess that makes sense.” Although I would have preferred if he’d suggested we move our relationship to the
next level—boyfriend/girlfriend.

  His hand sought mine and our fingers intertwined, which made me happy, then he glanced toward my brothers.

  I looked at them too and saw that they were immersed in their homework, then my gaze went to Billy, who was looking at me. A smile slowly grew on his face as he leaned towards me. I leaned in too, and a moment later our lips pressed together. Happiness poured through me to know that this boy who had saved my life more than once was still by my side, still my best friend, even if we couldn’t advertise to the world what we’d been through and how close we’d become.

  When he pulled away our eyes met, and I smiled.

  We turned to our homework after that and worked steadily on our assignments until Dad got home. When he walked in the door I looked up with a smile, but when I saw who stood next to him my heart thumped in my chest and I wanted to flee.

  “This is Richard Tasco,” Dad said with a smile. “Richard, this is my daughter Morgan. And this is Billy.”

  Billy stood to greet the man who had offered to let him live with him. “Hello,” Billy said, seemingly unaffected.

  I felt paralyzed. This was the man who had run Camp Willowmoss. The man who seemed to enjoy torturing us campers by making us step into pits of live spiders. The man who allowed the Enforcers who worked under him to hit us if we didn’t run fast enough on the treadmill.

  “Morgan?” Dad said, his eyebrows drawn together in irritation.

  “Uh, hi,” I managed to say as I pushed myself to a standing position, but my lips felt stiff, frozen. I reminded myself that this Richard was not the same Dr. Tasco that I’d known in the other world. This Richard was probably perfectly nice.

  Richard stepped forward and shook Billy’s hand, then mine. “Hello.”

  “I appreciate you letting me come to your house,” Billy said.

  “I’m glad I can help out.” Richard said.

  As I listened to Richard’s voice, memories flashed in my mind. Memories of the news conference Dr. Tasco had called when he’d announced that I’d been captured and was now in his custody. Terror whispered up my spine at the memory. At the time of the news conference I’d been cuffed to a chair with two Enforcers standing behind me.

  “Do you have anything you need to pack up?” Richard was asking Billy.

  “No, sir,” he said.

  “Okay then. Are you ready to go?”

  Billy glanced at me. “Sure.”

  Panic swelled within me. I didn’t want Billy to go. Especially with him. “Wait.” I hadn’t meant for my voice to sound so strained. Everyone’s gaze shifted to me. “Uh, I just need Billy’s help with one last math problem.”

  Dad smiled. “Okay.” Then he turned to Richard. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Sure.”

  The two of them headed toward the kitchen and I turned to Billy. My eyes must have shown my alarm, because he put his hand over mine.

  “It’s okay, Morgan.”

  “But it’s him,” I said in an urgent whisper.

  Billy shook his head. “It’s not. You know it’s not.”

  “How can you be so calm? You’re going to be living with . . .” My gaze scanned in the direction of the kitchen before coming back to Billy. “Dr. Tasco.”

  “That man . . .” Billy gestured with his head toward the kitchen. “He’s probably nothing like Dr. Tasco.”

  “But you don’t know that.”

  Billy looked at me with an expression that said Come on, Morgan. “What’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like he can take me to the local F.A.T. center.”

  I stared at him, then I ripped off a scrap of paper from my notebook and wrote down the phone number for my house. “Call me later, okay? Let me know you’re all right.”

  Billy took the paper from me and put it in his pocket. “Okay.”

  “Are you about ready?” Dad said as he and Richard came back into the living room.

  “Yeah,” Billy said, then he turned to me with a smile. “I’ll call you later.”

  I nodded, then watched him walk out the front door with Richard Tasco.

  Chapter 7

  Billy

  As I followed Richard Tasco out of Morgan’s house, I thought about her feelings of apprehension toward the man who had offered to take me in. I recalled the image of her on TV during Tasco’s news conference at Camp Willowmoss and remembered seeing her cuffed to the chair. When I’d seen how helpless she’d looked, how full of despair, I’d had an overwhelming urge to rescue her.

  Nick had convinced me to stay put, and then he’d confided in me that he had a man on the inside. Enforcer Mills. The very man who had stood right behind Morgan as Tasco had droned on about his excitement in apprehending such a wanted criminal. The memory brought on my own feelings of apprehension. Could this Richard Tasco be anything like the Richard Tasco in my world?

  “I just live a few minutes from here,” Tasco said as he pressed a button on his key fob to unlock his car.

  My gaze went to his face and I flashed to the news conference again. He’d stood behind a podium looking supremely proud of himself for capturing a sixteen-year-old girl—a girl who’d been under his nose the whole time, pretending to be someone else. Disgust at him—or at least at the other-world version of him—flowed through me and I had the urge to punch him in the face.

  Chill out. If you punch him you’ll just end up in trouble. That’s one thing you don’t need. “Great.” I tried to put enthusiasm into my voice.

  We climbed into his car and he started the engine. “How long have you known Morgan?” He glanced at me as he backed out of the driveway. “Steve didn’t tell me much about you.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  Tasco glanced at me again. “He said your parents aren’t able to take care of you and you’re new to the area. He said you’re Morgan’s friend.” Tasco flashed me a smile—the same fake smile I’d become familiar with in my world. “Steve assured me that you’re an upstanding guy.”

  Warmth toward Morgan’s dad filled me. He’d barely met me, yet he’d basically put his stamp of approval on me—at least as far as convincing his friend to take me in. Besides Nick, Morgan’s dad was the only adult who’d shown so much trust in me. Maybe he’d believed my story more than he’d let on. The thought eased the trepidation I’d been feeling. “I’ve known Morgan for a while.” I smiled at Tasco, and it was genuine. “I really like her parents.”

  Tasco nodded. “Yeah. They’re good people.”

  Less than five minutes later we pulled up to a house set back from the street. With no nearby street lamps, and with the sun already down, the house was dark and ominous. When Tasco pressed a button on his sun visor the garage door slid open, a light turned on in the garage, then we drove inside.

  “I do take-out most nights,” he said, then laughed. “I’m not much of a cook. That was my wife’s—well, my ex-wife’s—thing.”

  A new worry filled my mind. What did Tasco expect me to do to pay my way? Surely this wasn’t a free-ride. I didn’t have any experience cooking—and I had no desire to learn—but there had to be some way I could contribute.

  “Do you like pizza?” he asked as we climbed out of his car and walked towards a door which led into the kitchen.

  Today was the first day I’d tried pizza, and I liked it. A lot. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

  “Great. Call the number posted on the fridge and order a large meat-lovers, would you?”

  Order a pizza? How did that work? I felt like an infant—a very stupid infant. In my world I never had pizza. It existed there—at least a healthy version of it—but my parents didn’t have much money and I didn’t remember them ever getting pizza. We always cooked our meals at home.

  “Oh,” Tasco said as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small card, then wrote on the back. “Here’s my address.”

  I took the card from his outstretched hand and looked at it. On one side it had the name and address of the company where he and M
organ’s dad worked, including a phone number, and on the other Tasco had scrawled his home address. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it, but decided to play along like I wasn’t an imbecile. “Okay, thanks.”

  “Phone’s over there.” He gestured toward a corner of the kitchen counter. “You can tell them I’ll pay with cash.” He smiled. “I’ll be in my office.”

  I nodded dumbly, then watched him walk out of the kitchen. Once I was alone I stared at his card again, then walked to the fridge to see if I could find the number he was talking about. It only took a moment for me to find a magnetic square stuck to the door of the fridge with the name of a pizza place on it.

  I pulled it off and carried it over to the phone, then picked up the phone and dialed. A moment later someone asked what I wanted to order.

  “A large meat lovers?” I said, not sure what that even was, although it sounded like it could be good.

  “Anything else?” the man asked.

  “No.”

  “Is this for pick-up or delivery?”

  Though I’d never ordered food over the phone before, the fact that Tasco had given me his home address implied that the pizza would be delivered. The idea fascinated me. “Delivery.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Uh, Billy.”

  “What’s the address?”

  I read Tasco’s address off of his card, then waited for the man’s next question.

  “How will you be paying for that?”

  “Cash.”

  “Okay. It will be about twenty minutes.”

  “Okay.” I set the phone in its cradle and smiled. That wasn’t hard at all. Then I felt my stomach rumble in anticipation. If this pizza was as good as the pizza they served at school, it would be delicious. Then I remembered my promise to Morgan that I would call her to let her know I was okay. I pulled the slip of paper from my pocket and called her house.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Hey. It’s me.”