by Jaclyn Lewis
“I’m a protector. It’s my job to protect people from the ones that have turned against the queen, and Andrew is a threat, so I have to protect my planet,” he continued.
I suddenly grabbed the blanket off of my bed, causing Zane to stop talking, and I threw it over myself without a second of hesitation. I didn’t want him to see me as I had a complete mental breakdown. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I sealed my eyes shut and I began rocking back and forth, resting my head on my knees. No, no, no, no, no… It’s not possible… It’s not real… It’s not possible… It’s not real… I just chanted those words over and over and over.
“Amy,” he interrupted softly. “I know you’re freaking out… but I’m telling the truth. You can trust me, Amy. You can always trust me.”
“No,” I whispered. I continued to rock, back and forth. I tried to convince myself that Zane wasn’t real. Andrew wasn't real. I still had my eyes sealed shut, not wanting to see him or him to see me.
“Amy,” he whispered, snapping me back into reality once more.
I sighed and slowly lifted the blanket from my face, but I did so slowly, so he could only really see my eyes.
“Prove it, then,” I muttered, “I can’t…” I was going to say I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t begin to comprehend or understand it. I couldn’t deal with it. I was going to need proof.
He nodded and disappeared instantly.
I gasped and covered my face again, with my hands this time. When I peeked out, he was back in his human form. “How?” I asked, breathless. I shook my head, bewildered. I mean, who wouldn’t be after that? “You’ve done that to me before, but I never caught on that you were actually disappearing.”
He smiled sadly. “I’m not technically disappearing, just changing state of matter and form. That was just what I look like naturally. I’m an Air. I can control air and wind, and really easily too. I am literally made of air, so I don’t really have a body unless I switch to a different form.”
I covered my face with my blanket again. “I thought I was the freak.” I muttered to myself. It was barely audible.
It startled me when he spoke. “You know, I can hear you, even when you’re talking quietly. When I’m in the room, I can hear you,” Zane said suddenly. “Sound waves are in the air, so I can control them and hear them too.” He paused, and then said, “And I found that offensive, by the way!”
I gasped again and shook my head. I couldn’t handle it. It was just an information overload. I kept my face covered with my blanket when I spoke.
“Well, no offense, but you are a freak on Earth terms.”
He sighed, exasperated. “Yes, and you’d be a freak on Ellem terms, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, and I’m also a freak on Earth terms, full time. It’s not something that’s new to me, buddy,” I retorted, uncovering my face again; the worst of my freak-out attack was over.
He smiled, continuing with explaining his powers instead of addressing the freak comments again. “I can also feel emotion. Not yours, but I can feel some people’s. I can feel lies and stuff.” He grinned. “If I could feel your emotions, I’d feel your irritation and anger pointed at me right now.”
I stared at him, and his grin turned more playful. He turned into water right before my eyes. He was water, but in a human shape. It defied the laws of liquids. Then, he splashed to the floor, making a huge puddle. “I can do this too. It’s just about as hard to keep as maintaining a human form, if not even harder. Water isn’t my natural form or state, so that just makes it harder to become and manipulate it.”
The water slowly grew back into a human shape and then he was back to normal. Well, he was back to his human form—normal to him would be Air form.
I looked at my blanket, tears welling in my eyes suddenly. “Why me,” I demanded. Why did it have to be me that was stuck in the middle of alien brothers: one protecting, the other trying to hurt me. “I didn’t do anything,” I said softly, “but I know I’m probably going to end up dead by the time this is all over.”
I just wanted out of it all, but then I looked at Zane. I then realized how much I’d spoken to him already. It wasn’t like me. It was just...
It was so easy, talking to him. I liked it, but I immediately scolded myself for the thought of liking talking; I’d never liked to talk.
When I looked up at Zane, I noticed how horrified he looked. “No, you won’t end up dead if I can help it. As for the whys…” He shrugged. “I’ll tell you some time, just not tonight. You’ve learned so much already.”
I shook my head. “No. Tell me.” He couldn’t just get away from one of the most important things that I’d wanted to know. “I deserve to know why I’m even involved.”
He shrugged. “That depends on who you ask. I’ll tell you later. Maybe, even the next time I see you, I’ll tell you. I promise.”
I glared at him. “When you see me next, or when I see you next?” I muttered, catching the double meaning in his words.
He grinned, looking slightly sheepish. “I’m protecting you.”
“Who do I need protecting from?” I asked, getting angry. I was so tired of it all.
His eyes turned black for a millisecond. He looked angry. “From everyone with the black eyes,” he said. He took a calming breath and was back to normal.
His eyes were back to normal.
It didn’t matter, since he’d just disappeared once again.
My eyes widened with sudden fear. I knew Zane wouldn’t hurt me, but he looked exactly like Andrew when his eyes were black like that, and I knew that Andrew would have no problem hurting me. He’d probably even enjoy it.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them spill over my cheeks.
Andrew was one who terrified me. When Zane had his eyes black, I thought of what would happen if his eyes stayed like that. He’d hurt me instead of ‘protect’ me.
“Get out of my room,” I muttered to the air, trying to get rid of all thoughts of Andrew.
I heard a chuckle, so I knew Zane heard me. He even made a show of opening my door and closing it, knowing I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was still there or not.
I didn’t care. I just lay back on my bed and threw the covers over myself once again. I closed my eyes and tried to think about anything except aliens.
It was futile, of course. I mean, who sees an alien and just closes the subject and thinks about something else?
Not me, apparently.
***
The next morning, I woke up and got ready for school, just like every other day. I waited for the bus, my mind elsewhere.
“Hey, kid,” Mo greeted me when I got on.
I waved, not saying anything.
He noticed. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. I just didn’t want to talk, especially not to Mo. Not at the moment, anyway. Not at the moment.
“Did I do something wrong? Why are you mad at me?” he continued.
I just shrugged, not really feeling like talking, as I’d already explained. I’d talked way too much the night before, and my voice was really scratchy. I just didn’t want to talk. Was there anything wrong with that? No.
Mo pulled up to the school, and I got off without a word. I made a mental note to avoid the bus. I lived close enough to walk to and from school, and there wasn’t much of school left.
Inside, Andrew was by my locker, grinning again. “Hello, Amy,” he greeted me, trying to wipe the smile off his face so he could greet me in a mocking tone, unsuccessfully. Of course, he still sounded mocking, but he was also smiling.
I didn’t think that was possible, but who knew? Aliens were always full of surprises.
I didn’t acknowledge him whatsoever. I just opened my locker and took out the right book.
He followed me when I tried to walk away.
“What? You can’t even say anything to me?” he asked mockingly. He tried to grab my arm to make me slow down, but I jerked it a
way. I did not want him touching me, not now, not ever.
I just kept walking until I couldn’t take his taunting any longer. I found a girl’s bathroom and rushed inside.
I sighed from relief. It was empty, so I finally had silence.
That was when the door opened again, and another girl came in, looking happy about something.
I recognized her, but it couldn’t be. She moved. She couldn’t be here. Not now… oh no… not now. I would do anything to make her just disappear and never bother me again.
Of course, that was when she looked up. When she recognized me, she smirked. So, she hadn’t changed.
“Amy, what a pleasant surprise,” she said, giggling.
Wow, sarcastic much?
I wanted to say that so badly, which was weird. I’d never wanted to stand up to her before. I’d always just taken whatever she’d said or done.
I tried to go around her and get back into the hallway, where there were witnesses, but she blocked me.
It was ironic that the place I went to get away from Andrew had trapped me with someone even worse. Well, worse by embarrassment and bullying standards. Andrew was definitely more lethal and dangerous. I knew that without knowing him personally.
She laughed. “Wow, I’m hurt. Aren’t you going to say hi to me? I thought you’d miss me.”
I shook my head. I would never be deluded enough to miss her, no matter how crazy or messed up I was. I celebrated the yearly anniversary of the day she’d moved. That was three years ago, right before I’d lost my glasses permanently.
She smirked. “Wow, I’m disappointed then.”
She walked a little closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and I just knew she’d been waiting for this moment.
Thankfully, the warning bell rang, so Mari couldn’t really do anything harmful to me. I was actually saved by the bell!
At least I didn’t have the glasses anymore, or I’d have to go without them and live with the headache until I could get them replaced.
She smirked again and left the bathroom. I followed and went quickly to class, trying to appear invisible in the hallway. It didn't work.
With Mari back, I knew I’d be getting even more attention at school. She was going to make sure I got a lot of negative attention. Well, more than I already had.
Kids were always staring at me as I passed. I never knew why, but it was like they sensed that I was different from them.
I don't know; it was just a strange feeling.
“Amy,” I heard the teacher say, taking me away from my thoughts. I didn’t know whether I should have been grateful or annoyed.
I looked up and everyone was staring at me. The teacher had called on me, but I didn’t know the question, and it sounded as if she had called my name several times before I actually heard her.
I just shrugged, looking around the room again.
“Amy,” the teacher said again, in a far more irritated voice than she’d used before. “Were you paying attention?”
I looked at her. I raised an eyebrow questioningly. I nodded, but I didn’t answer her question.
“Amy, what’s the answer?” the teacher asked, and I could tell she was about ready to come over and shake an answer out of me.
The class began to laugh. I still didn’t speak though, since I was used to kids laughing at me.
“Amelia Saunders!” the teacher yelled. “Answer the question!”
I just stared at her, defiance in my eyes. I didn’t want to talk in front of everyone, and she couldn’t make me. I had the freedom to talk when I wanted to, and this wasn’t one of those times.
“Yeah, Amy, answer the question.” I heard someone say.
I scowled, but I didn’t have any embarrassment. I was used to people being jerks to me, and I wasn’t about to talk in front of a room full of students.
Someone raised their hand somewhere else in the room. When the teacher called on her, she said, “Mrs. Winslow, Amy can’t talk.”
Everyone began to agree with her, even though some of the more snotty kids shook their heads and said I should answer the freaking question. I didn’t know the girl’s name; it was Jamie or Jessie or Julia or something. I smiled at her as a thank you. She smiled back, looking a bit surprised.
“Oh,” Mrs. Winslow muttered, “no wonder.” She’d said it so quietly that I doubted anyone except me heard her. My hearing was just really good. It was another reason to call me a freak. It reminded me of what Zane had told me.
The teacher continued on with her lesson as if she’d never even called on me. I just went back to staring off into space, not worrying about the lesson I was missing. I had other things on my mind.
I thought about everyone: Zane, Andrew, Mari, Mo, and even that girl that had spoken up for me in class, even if her facts were a little off.
I really debated talking to her later, just to say thank you and get her name, but I didn’t want to. It wouldn’t be worth it to her; it would make everyone tease her for a long time if she was my friend, or if she even spoke to me.
I left the room with that in mind.
It was better to just stay away from everyone.
I walked to the library with my thoughts never giving me a break—things would just slam into my mind with no rhyme or reason.
I decided that I would just eat lunch in the library. I wasn’t really in the mood to eat in the cafeteria, and it was raining outside, so the library it was!
As soon as I sat down in the back, hidden from view, I looked around cautiously.
“Zane,” I whispered. It wasn’t really even audible. I was just testing to see if he was still “protecting” me. I also really wanted to ask for advice about Mari, and I didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about it.
“I’m here,” he replied, still in air form. “What do you need?”
I looked around. There were a few students in the room, but it was only really a handful.
“Mari’s back,” I whispered, “and she’s bullying me, again.”
“I’ve seen her around. She seems like a brainless, plastic Barbie doll or something.” he replied casually.
I almost laughed out loud. It was the perfect description of Mari. All he had to add was rich, and it was the exact description of her.
I asked, not even audible, “How do I get her to stay away and stop picking on me?”
I felt the air shift, and I imagined Zane sitting down on the ground, leaning his back against a bookshelf like I was. “Stand up to her.”
I shook my head. “Are you crazy? If I talk to her, she’ll think she’s won this imaginary war that she started in the ninth grade. She’s been trying to get me to speak every chance she gets."
Sometimes it was too much. She would go too far, and I’d end up hurt or worse.
“She would just spread it all over the school and I’d never get a break, and everyone would stare at me for a week,” I continued.
I pictured him shrugging as he said, “I don’t know. If you don’t stand up to her, she’ll never stop. Stand up for yourself. If you don’t, you’ll never get any respect from anyone, and nothing will change.”
I shrugged, trying to think it through a little bit more in depth than I usually did. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.”
I liked Zane a little more after that conversation.
Sometimes, he just made it so easy to talk. I’d never felt like that with anyone, not even Mo. He would try to get me to talk, yes, but he was never really a fantastic listener, not like Zane was. Mo did listen to me, of course, but he didn’t take it as seriously as he should have. Sometimes, it made me feel like he was trying to get me to talk just so he could say that he could get that mute chick to say something.
Mo would never phrase it like that, but that was what I’d heard other students calling me behind my back.
The bell rang, ending my train of thought, and I said goodbye to Zane and walked to class.
Chapter 4
> When I walked through the front door, I looked around. Mom was home; I’d seen her car in the driveway. She was hardly ever home. Usually, I was in bed and already asleep, and she always slept until I was already gone for school.
I ran up to the kitchen, and she was in there… cooking dinner, of all things.
“Hello, Amy,” she greeted me, looking up from the recipe. She had a small smile, but she mostly had that look of vacant concentration that she always wore.
“You're home,” I stated, shocked but happy.
She continued to chop lettuce, not saying anything else to me. To pass the time, I went and grabbed a glass and got some tea.
I still couldn’t believe she was right in front of me.
“I’m not going to be home for very long.” she said finally, quieter than usual, as if she wasn't thinking about what she was saying. “I’m just going to eat dinner, but then I have to go back to work.”
“But you just got home.” She never stayed home, and I didn’t know why. Was it that bad, being around her family? She didn’t need to work unnecessary hours; we had enough money to get by if she just worked like a normal, sane person.
“Go easy on Terrance, Amy,” she continued, oblivious to what I was saying as her eyes lost their concentration and just went blank. “He’s still looking for a new job, and I don’t want to hear him say you’ve been bothering him. Understood?”
I nodded. I never bothered Dad, never had a reason to, but I knew he’d just tell her otherwise no matter what I did. It didn’t matter if I understood Mom’s words or not. Dad’s word went, always.
After she washed her hands and dried them, I hugged her. I had to wait for her to not be doing anything before I could, or she’d just sigh and tell me to let her finish. “I missed you, Mom.”
She hugged me back but didn’t say anything. For once, I thought she actually heard me. It made me smile. At least she didn’t lie and say she really missed me too. She had too much to worry about, so I was pretty low on her list of things to miss or worry or think about. I’d accepted that fact a long time ago, so it didn’t really bother me anymore. Well, I didn’t let it show that it bothered me anymore.
“Go and do your homework.” She walked away.
I grabbed my backpack from beside the door and went upstairs to my room, a smile lighting up my face.