by Ryan Krauter
He caught her looking at his drink, so he gave her another quick smile. “Nothing smoothes over a rough day like drinking something with flames in it,” he said quickly.
“Must have been a hell of a day,” she replied cheerfully. “That’s some high octane stuff you’ve got there.”
“Well, I have two good friends who are together; they’re going through a very rough spot and have placed me right in the middle,” he responded. “There’s been some yelling, throwing of living room accessories, and to tell you the truth, this bar,” he gestured with his drink to the noise and commotion around him, “is the quietest I’ve had it in days. So, here’s to a relaxing evening in a noisy bar.” He raised his glass to see what she’d do, and she tipped her own in his direction and took a sip.
She looked thoughtfully at her glass, and Garrett sensed that she was waiting for him to say more. He didn’t want to appear too eager- women could sense desperation like predators could smell fear- but it seemed as though she was willing to see what he’d try next. So, he’d oblige her.
“You look,” he said while pretending to study her carefully, “like you’re trying to come up with a better story than me. To upstage me, if you will.” He raised an eyebrow and waited.
“Are you a psychic, psychologist, something like that?” she asked only half seriously.
“Actually, I’m a Political Studies and Analysis major,” he replied truthfully.
“Eww,” she made a face, and Garrett couldn’t help but smile genuinely. “I feel sort of dirty now.”
“You get used to it,” he replied with a grin. “I find it interesting to study people; try to see what makes them do the things they do. Watching politics as it relates to interplanetary issues provides a lot of fodder for analysis. Lots of people doing lots of bad things, and all that.”
“It will keep you busy,” she admitted.
“So, are you still in school, contributing to society, seeing the galaxy?”
“Just graduated,” she said. After seeing his expectant look, she replied, “Accounting.”
“Always jobs to be had there,” he said. “Though you never answered my first question: are you trying to come up with a better story than me? You realize the one with the worst tale gets a free round; that’s how things work.”
“Hmm,” she said, and put her hand to her chin in a gesture of deep thought. “It has to be real, right? Not just a competition for who can come up with the most elaborate and well crafted story?
“No, Fiction Night is on Tuesdays. This has to be the real thing. The judges will expect your best material.” Garrett couldn’t help it; he was having a great time with this woman. It was getting harder to focus on the fact that she was part of something that was tearing up one of his best friends.
“I think a guy I’ve seen a few times already has a girlfriend,” she said finally.
Garrett was shocked. First of all, at the implication that she might be blameless, and second at the fact that she’d tell that to a stranger. “No man would dare,” he said in mock indignation.
“Oh, I think he would,” she replied. “He’s hiding a few things, but I don’t think he expects me to figure that out.” She changed the subject. “So, what brings you here?”
Decision time, Garrett thought. If one told too many lies, they’d start to get impossible to keep straight. Best to keep as close to the truth as possible, in case it came back to him later. “Well, you already know I’m a student from across town. I was paying a call to a family friend and, being a university student, I realized my blood alcohol level was dangerously low. So, I looked around and found this fine establishment. Now I’m talking with you.” It was good psychology, he knew, to make sure he considered the experience complete now that he was talking to her. There was no more adventure to be sought out now that he was here.
“Now it’s your turn,” she said, as she slid over to the barstool next to Garrett. A thrill ran through him. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he sure hadn’t planned on liking her, that’s for sure.
“My turn for what?” he asked innocently.
“I told you something personal,” she continued. “Now it’s your turn.”
“I thought this was the ‘whose story was worse’ competition?” Garrett countered.
“Oh, I won, that much is obvious,” she said easily. “I’ll take another Brandy Burner, by the way. So, something personal. Not your favorite color; something real, something groundbreaking.”
She stared at him, and he finally had to avert his eyes because he felt himself start to blush under her gaze. So much for the suave intelligence gathering mission. Finally, he gathered himself and went for broke.
“Something personal…” he began. “I’m not wearing underwear.”
“You are so messed up,” she said, but laughed softly and took another sip of her drink.
“I thought I should go for the most shocking thing I could think up,” he confessed. “I’m not trying to send a message or anything crude like that, but I wanted to know what it was like, and today has been a big day full of new things for me.” He gave himself a mock toast, finished the last of his drink, then motioned to the bartender for another round.
She studied him for a while and then replied. “Well,” she asked, “I may regret this, but I’ll ask; how did it go?”
“I won’t be doing it again,” he said honestly.
They sat and talked for a long time, and before he knew it, the bar lights were coming up and they were getting gentle but pointed reminders from the staff that the patrons needed to decide where they were going after the bar booted them.
As they left, Garrett held the door for her, then caught up as she waited out in front of the bar for him. “You know, I never even got your name,” he said.
“You never asked,” she replied with a smirk.
“Please, oh please, tell me your name,” he said with a hand over his heart.
“Lexa.”
“I’m Garrett,” he added. “What are the odds I’ll find you here again?”
“Well, how much do you like that family friend of yours that you came over here to visit?”
“Not much at all, but if I can see you as well, I’ll put up with the bad food and awkward silences that I get there.”
“Alright,” she said, “if you think it will be worth it…” she trailed off jokingly.
“I’d like to find out.”
“Ok. How about back here Friday night?”
Garrett’s mind raced. He hadn’t checked ahead on Arlan’s schedule, or whether Cinder and Arlan had plans. Basically, he wasn’t prepared to answer the question, but he’d be damned if he looked hesitant or indecisive.
“What time and what barstool?” he replied.
“Eight, same place we spent tonight,” she said. “Oh, and Garrett, next time, wear underwear. Otherwise, it’s just weird.”
Garrett awoke the next morning to a knocking on his apartment door. Actually, it was more like insistent bashing. He dragged himself out of bed, quick put on some clothes from the top of the ‘dirty’ pile, and stumbled to the door. Never a morning person, he was confused and just a tad angry that somebody was waking him up at the unholy hour of… oh. He picked up his comm unit and checked the display as he arrived at the door and saw it was after ten in the morning.
He activated the security screen and saw Cinder standing in the hallway. She must have seen the activation light, because she looked right at the lens and told Garrett to let her in.
He hit the ‘unlock’ key, and the door had barely unlocked when Cinder opened it and strode in.
“Garrett,” she began as she took in his disheveled appearance, “I get the impression you’re avoiding me.”
Too early in the morning for his brain to conjure up anything in the way of an effective denial, he shrugged and sat down on a chair in the small living area. Cinder followed and took the chair opposite. They were sitting near the only window in the main living area, which o
ffered an unobstructed view of a parking garage across the street.
“You know something,” she stated, and simply waited for him, staring.
Garrett knew this was similar to an interrogation technique called the ‘silent treatment’. The silence hung in the air, with the expectation that it was his turn to say something. Eventually, the idea was that it would become so uncomfortable for him that he’d just start talking. After that, it would be easier to guide him onto the topic of choice.
He was unable to fight the technique. “I don’t have everything I need yet,” he said evasively.
“Garrett, I’ve known you long enough to know that you avoiding me means you don’t want to tell me something that I don’t want to hear. So, out with it, please. I just want to know. It’s not the end of the universe, you understand. We’re still in school, and it’s not like we were going to run off and get married next month. But if this is the way life with him would be, I want to know right now.”
He had to commend her. He knew she loved him, but he also knew she was strong enough to move on if that was what was called for. He hoped.
“I could use one more day to put everything together,” he said, but he knew it was weak. She just stared at him, and he broke. “I saw him at a bar across town with another woman. They kissed. I approached her and got her talking.” He saw the look on Cinder’s face, and pressed on before she could say anything more. “I wanted to know if she was in on it. Not that the last part could change anything, but something in me needed to know.”
“This is the woman who’s cheating with my fiancée, you mean?” she deadpanned.
“I don’t believe she knows about you. She said she suspected Arlan had somebody else, but it didn’t sound like it’s been going on very long. Not that the amount of time changes anything either, but like I said, I wanted to know.”
“Are you interested in her?” Cinder asked in dismay.
Garrett didn’t have an honest answer. He thought he might be, but maybe that’s why he wanted to know so badly if she was a party to this. He didn’t think she could be that sort of person, but he barely knew her and would be naive to make assumptions. He would find out tonight. “I don’t know,” he said finally, unconvincingly. “I’ll find out tonight.”
“You’re seeing her again?”
“I said I’d find out what was going on, and that’s what I’ll do. I want you to know I didn’t just jump to a conclusion. I don’t think I should talk to Arlan yet, but her I can approach.”
“We’re supposed to go out to dinner tonight,” Cinder replied. “Let me talk to Arlan.”
Chapter 3
Garrett met Lexa at the bar right on time, and it was as though they’d picked up in mid conversation from the other night. He kept thinking, does she know about Cinder? He was just going to have to blurt it out and ask her if he couldn’t find a way to steer the conversation that way soon.
“So how are your fighting friends you talked about when we met?” Lexa asked.
Garrett realized this was his chance. “It’s rough,” he said, not wanting to give her too much. “Each has reasons to doubt the other right now. Didn’t you say something about a guy also? He’s not going to show up here and challenge me to a duel or anything, is he?” Garrett needed to give her as many chances as he could to say something about Arlan.
“I think I’m done with him,” she said with a smile. “I’m pretty sure he was seeing somebody else anyway, and I’m not going to be the other girl, if you know what I mean. Besides, I need to keep my options open in case I come across anybody else interesting.” The way she said it left little doubt that she was as interested in Garrett as he was in her.
They spent a pleasant evening together, drinking a little and talking a lot. As the bar started to die down and people filtered out, Garrett had made his decision.
“You know,” he began, “we should meet somewhere other than a bar sometime.”
“You don’t like this place?” she said with a grin.
“Oh, it now holds a special place in my heart,” Garrett said. “But if I had your comm address, I could arrange for us to meet someplace other than a bar. Or, I suppose if you really love the sauce, we could try all new bars all over town.”
“A normal date sounds wonderful,” she said pleasantly, and held out her hand, into which he placed his comm unit. She entered her address and returned it, waiting with her hand extended so he could give her his own. When she gave it back, she leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the cheek and a hug, which Garrett savored.
“Comm me tomorrow,” she said, smiling. “We’ll plan something soon.”
“See you then,” he replied with what must have been a huge, stupid grin. He needed to work on playing it cooler, he realized. He started walking towards the public transit station, and passed a drunken bar patron sitting on a sidewalk bench, slumped forward, hooded jacket up over his head to guard against the light chill in the evening air. He walked past and was about to keep going when he heard his name being called by the man on the bench.
“Excuse me?” Garrett said, stopping in mid stride. He saw the man get up and toss his hood back. He was not drunk at all; he was Arlan. A shiver ran up his spine and he hoped to hell the man hadn’t figured it all out.
Arlan walked up to Garrett, not yelling in anger or running, but menacing. Garrett became nervous.
“What are you doing, Garrett?” Arlan asked.
“You mean, right here?”
“Stuff it, you stinking pile of sheifah,” Arlan continued. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Cinder called off the engagement tonight. She gave my ring back. And do you know why? She said I was cheating on her. And here you are, hanging out in the bar I go to when I want to be alone. You’d think you were following me.”
Garrett realized he needed to stand his ground or Arlan was going to get worse very quickly. “Arlan, I saw you kissing Lexa. Cinder thought you were seeing someone else, and she was right, wasn’t she?”
Arlan’s eyes flashed when Garrett said Lexa’s name, and he suddenly realized that standing his ground might have been the wrong direction to take this conversation. “Lexa broke up with me today, too,” Arlan continued. He stepped right up to Garrett and poked him in the chest, causing Garrett to backpedal half a step. “You’ve cost me two women in one night. I think you should have kept your nose the hell out of my business.”
Arlan shoved him this time, and Garrett stumbled backwards. He’d never really been in a fight, didn’t know any actual defensive techniques. Arlan probably didn’t, either, but he was stronger and angry. That went a long way.
“You think you’re so well connected, so popular, all the people you know and talk to but don’t really like,” Arlan said. “Well, here’s a surprise. I don’t like you. I kept in touch for the same reasons you played along as well. We’re not friends, and you don’t get any consideration from me. I think you owe me, Garrett,” Arlan finally said.
“What do you want?” said Garrett, almost yelling now.
“I want you to hurt like I do,” Arlan said, and he sucker punched Garrett in the stomach as hard as he could. Garrett doubled over and fell straight to the ground in a heap. He couldn’t breathe, and felt like his lungs were permanently forced into a contracted state that wouldn’t allow him to suck in air ever again.
Then Arlan was on top of him, and he punched him in the kidneys twice. Garrett yelled in pain and tried to curl up, but Arlan was holding him prone.
“You know what I’m going to do, Garrett?” Arlan asked, way too calmly. It was the collected voice of somebody that was perfectly aware of how crazy they were being, and it scared him. “Every time I see you, I’m going to beat the living hell out of you, starting right now. And if I ever see you around Cinder or Lexa again, I just might have to get angry with them, too. You got it?”
Garrett couldn’t have responded even if he’d had something to say. Arlan hit him again. And again.
Chapter 1
“Everyone wants to believe that they’re destined for something special- that their life will have a grand meaning or purpose. Who grows up hoping to just exist, get old, and one day die? One could ponder how many people daydream of suddenly learning that they’re important, crucial, and will be rescued from their ordinary existence to instead lead a life of adventure. But what if the realization that you were one of the lucky few who were special came with a price- that the fate of billions, entire planets, rested on your shoulders? That you were the one who would have to rise up and carry the responsibility? Would you still want to be special, one of those people who were uniquely placed in history to achieve great things, if only you were up to the challenge?”
This is the question that would haunt Matt Falken one day.
Matt was an ordinary kid, at least in his mind. He was a high school freshman in a suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He would describe most things in his life as ordinary, which to a high schooler really meant ‘boring’. His parents were normal; his mom ran the IT department of a local bank, and his dad was the pilot and one of the salesmen for a small company that distributed sporting goods to larger chain stores. Matt’s social status was pretty low in the pecking order at school- he wasn’t in any sports, in the theater club, band, or anything that made him stand out. He wasn’t even sure what social class the kids at school would lump him in with, but he knew for sure it wasn’t any of the popular ones. He had only one real enemy at school, an older boy named Logan who had for some unknown reason decided to hate him and vowed to make his life unpleasant.
Much to his disappointment, he had no girlfriend. He had a best friend who was a girl, a neighbor named Jessie, but there were a few roadblocks there that put the brakes on anything more with her.