by Aaron Slade
“Dad,” I said. “It wasn’t like that. Honestly!” Lying to Uncle Jesse had made me a great liar. If I could fool a mind-reader, a teleporter would be easy.
Dad shut his eyes and let out a sigh before looking at me. I could see that he wanted to believe me, but he knew that I was covering for Randy. It wasn’t the first time I had lied to Dad about Randy. I had never wanted Mom and Dad to know what school was really like for me, but they were good parents and knew without me telling them.
“What was he doing then, Casper?” Dad asked, his blood pressure rising again– turning his face scarlet.
“Adam was really tired and couldn’t help me move the tables, so Randy said he would help,” I explained. The story awkwardly fabricated off my tongue. “The reason I wasn’t hurt by the fire was because Randy was showing me his ability… not trying to hurt me.”
Dad scratched his head. The idea of Randy talking to me in a friendly way must have confused him severely.
“I’m going to leave my office now,” Dad said. He stared at me as if he didn’t believe my story. “Randy, I’m suspending you for the rest of the day for nearly burning down the cafeteria. And you should know that if Casper’s story ever changes, I’ll be expelling you.” He abruptly disappeared from his office.
Randy looked at me with surprise and confusion in his eyes. He didn’t understand why I would lie for him.
I stood up and started to leave the office. I had nothing left to say. It was the last time I would ever cover for Randy. He could never hurt me again, and he knew it. A warm feeling of relief spread over me as I realized my ability would protect me from Randy, and everyone else like him. Randy spoke as I placed my hand on the doorknob.
“You’re not human, are you?” he asked.
I turned around slowly and looked him in the eyes. “I’m very human, Randy,” I said. “I’m proud to be human, if it means that I’m not like you.”
I left my dad’s office and headed for the library. My aura shined brighter than I had ever seen it. The wondrous colors of bronze and amber made a sunset in the hallway. I felt lighter. I still didn’t like Randy, but I didn’t hate him.
The library today was far from boring. If anyone could have seen it through my eyes, then they would have seen the sun shining in the middle of the large room. I was now able to control the intensity of my aura with my thoughts. I didn’t have to concentrate on Evee anymore either; my ability seemed more in tune with my mind rather than my emotions. I figured it was because I was finally getting in control of my emotions.
Evee and Sara entered the library, holding their books– Sara carrying far more than Evee. They walked over to their usual study table across the room from my work desk. They put their books down and walked towards me with unusual, gleeful facial expressions.
“The whole school is talking,” Sara exclaimed in loud whispers. “Did you really best Randy in a physical altercation?” She made an effort to contain her excitement, but the joy seeped into her voice.
I laughed at how the story had been exaggerated in just an hour, but I was curious as to what the rest of the school was thinking.
“I didn’t beat him up,” I confessed. “I just survived his attack unscathed.”
The desire to know the truth spread on Sara’s face. “Tabitha Johnson said she read your dad’s mind. When the fire alarms went off, everyone already knew what Randy was planning. But Tabitha said she saw in your dad’s mind, you standing over Randy’s unconscious body on the ground.”
I shook my head stiffly, glad that Tabitha hadn’t read my mind. I needed to avoid mind-readers. “Like I said, I just survived.”
“Sounds like you stood up for yourself,” Evee said. “Everyone’s confused about what happened, and I doubt Randy will ever tell.” She wasn’t smiling her normal smile. This smile had something hidden in it.
Sara went to the study table, but Evee remained at my desk.
“So what really happened?” she asked.
I smiled big before I answered, igniting her aura, and then my own. “Randy wasn’t able to hurt me. My aura, somehow, stopped the fire from touching me. It’s a shield.” I remembered how I had absorbed the light from the band room to fuel my own aura, and how when I touched Randy something happened that I couldn’t explain. I needed to play with my ability more to understand it.
“That’s amazing,” Evee said. Her blue eyes doubled in size.
“That’s not all,” I confessed. “Did you hear about the part where I forgave Randy for everything he’s done?” I hoped that the news would make her happy.
“I was hoping that’s how the story ended,” she said. She refused to take her eyes off me. “I’d feel bad if I didn’t say this… told you so!”
I laughed. “I feel lighter. Randy isn’t going to be expelled because I covered for him. He’s in my debt. I don’t think he’ll bother me anymore either. It’s like this huge weight has been lifted.”
Her real smile finally showed itself. It lit up the room as if it had an aura of its own.
“Your smile is perfect,” I said.
Her eyes caught mine. “How about I help you shelve those books?”
She pointed to the cart of books I had neglected to shelve at the beginning of my shift. I nodded and we walked into the tall, towering stacks. We walked to the fiction section, and brilliant colors of cyan and amber, and white when we touched, illuminated the books as we made our way to the back corner.
“I have a confession,” Evee said. She kept her eyes on the cart of books.
“What?” I responded, reading the Dewey number on the book’s spine and placing it in the correct spot on the shelf.
“I’m going to kiss you,” Evee said. Her smile was hiding something from me again.
I wanted to say what as if I hadn’t heard her correctly, but instead I said, “Really?”
She nodded. “We’re alone in the stacks, and I’ve never been more impressed by another person in my entire life– I don’t care if we’re at school. You’re such a good person, and I want to share my first kiss with you… now.”
She pressed her lips against mine as if she couldn’t wait a second longer. The kiss only lasted a few seconds when I felt her pull away. I opened my eyes to see her lips curve into a small grin and the pearl aura that formed when we touched blossomed. I immediately wrapped both my arms around her and kissed her even more fiercely than the first time. The combined white aura exploded all around us. I felt the energy surrounding me, but it felt different with Evee in my arms. It was the closest we had ever been, her stomach pressed against mine, and I felt locked in place like two attracting magnets stuck together.
Her lips were smooth as silk. We both opened our eyes to see the other - the moment was too precious to keep them closed. She smelled sweet and fresh like an ocean breeze. I heard her breathe deep as well, and felt the air rush by my own lips. She moved her hands up my back until they hugged around my shoulders, grazing my skin with her smooth fingertips.
I heard music, and the same exhilaration of moving super-fast hit me again like in the band room. The ball of emotion in my stomach felt like it would explode again. I felt weightless, and then it hit me. My feet weren’t on the ground. I broke away from the kiss and looked down. Our feet dangled several feet off the floor. The feeling in my stomach grew so intense that all my muscles tensed.
Evee, locked in my arms, opened her eyes and let out a small gasp. She tightened her grip on me when the shock hit her.
“What’s happening?” she whispered. Her high voice trembled with her arms as she squeezed closer against me.
The euphoric sensation running through me almost prevented me from answering. “I’m not sure.” The bookshelves were tall enough that they hid us, but we were slowly rising above them. I grabbed the top shelf, stopping us from floating any higher. Thankfully, the two of us were still alone.
“I need to quit asking that question,” Evee said. “Casper…you’re flying!”
Flying was
impossible. There wasn’t an EHT that allowed people to fly. I was eye-level with the top shelf, and I wondered how my ability was doing this.
“I think I’m dreaming,” I said. I’d had dreams where I could fly before, but I assumed it was a common dream.
“No, Casper,” Evee said. She placed her hands on both sides of my face, forcing me to look in her eyes. “You’re actually flying.” Her voiced sounded thrilled and amazed as she battled to believe her own eyes.
I couldn’t accept the reality, not when it felt so much like a fantasy. “How do we know it’s not you?”
“I’ve known what my ability was since I was an infant,” she said. “Flying is supposed to be impossible! How are you doing it?”
“I think it was the kiss,” I said. The lustful rush took over again, and I wanted to press my lips against her once more. Once wasn’t enough!
“The kiss is insignificant compared to this,” Evee said. She gestured towards the ground and we saw our feet suspended feet above it.
“The kiss is everything,” I said. The tingling sensation of my aura was the most intense it had felt it yet. I didn’t know if I was weightless or if I was being pulled into the air by the pearly energy radiating around us.
Evee cradled her head in my neck. I kissed her on the forehead. I felt as if I could have stayed there for the rest of the day in midair. What felt like minutes had only been seconds when I spoke.
“Evee… we have a problem,” I said.
She jerked her head up. “What?” Her eyes were big and I could tell I had scared her when her aura flickered.
“I don’t know how to get down,” I said. We both laughed and she placed her head back in the groove between my neck and shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re mine,” she said.
I tried to clear my head. I felt gravity return, starting to pull us down again. My feet landed delicately on the ground– Evee still wrapped in my arms.
“I’m glad you’re mine, too,” I responded. We kissed each other gently only the lips, only to feel the weightlessness return for a second. My first kiss had been everything that I wanted it to be.
“Can I ask you something, Casper?” Evee whispered in my ear.
I nodded, hypnotized by her beautiful face.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
I knew my answer without thinking. “I think I have to believe in it.” I admired her bright cyan aura against my amber aura and the pearl light where our hands touched. “Not only can I see it, but it’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt. So, yes… I believe.”
She fell silent, pressing her head against my chest, and I could tell she was taking everything in so that she could remember this moment. I did the same.
“I never believed… until I met you,” she whispered. “I wish I could see what you see.”
FLOAT OR SINK
Casper:
“There’s no way you can fly,” Adam said.
It was rare for Adam to ride in my car, but he insisted on hounding me after I told him about what happened with Evee. Once I parked the car in my driveway, he grabbed my shoulder and teleported us inside the kitchen.
“I didn’t say fly… I said float.” I walked to the fridge, and tossed Adam a bottle of water, grabbing one for myself.
“It’s the same thing,” he argued.
I’d spent the better part of an hour trying to convince him of what happened with Evee in the library. He’d caught up on sleep in study hall, looking more rested than he had in days, but no amount of rest allowed me to see his aura. I told him what happened as soon as the final bell rang, but he felt sure I was playing a trick. Surely, he remembered I’d never been the joking type. We’d rushed home to talk to Uncle Jesse and read more in Dr. Miller’s book. Uncle Jesse was still asleep when I walked by his door, so we went to look for the book in my room. Evee’s phantom body would be here just as soon as she made it back to the base.
He sat on my bed as I ransacked my desk to find the book. I opened my black, leather journal in case I needed to write anything down. I thought Dr. Miller’s book was useless, but now I needed answers again. My ability acted as a shield and let me float in midair, which made me wonder what else I could do.
“Describe what it was like,” Adam demanded, needing further convincing.
I breathed in and tried to remember, but all I could think about was my first kiss. “It was awesome! Her arms were wrapped around me, her lips were silky smooth, her scent was intoxicating, and she was kinda aggressive.”
“NOT the kiss,” he shouted. “Flying!”
“Floating!” I corrected. “I’m talking about the kiss because the kiss is what did it. I didn’t consciously decide to fly– it just happened when Evee kissed me. Forgive me if I’m more excited about the kiss, but I’ve never done it before. I’ve been dating Evee for weeks, and we just now kissed. In the movies, they kiss on the first date… if not sooner. I was beginning to think I had bad breath or… bad lips.”
Adam gave me a look that made me feel stupid. “Bad lips?”
I threw my hands up in frustration. He didn’t understand insecurities the way I did. “Just be happy for me, alright?”
“I’m very happy for you,” Adam said sarcastically. “Congratulations on getting to first base! Now can we please talk about the flying?”
“Floating!”
I wasn’t convinced that I could fly, but at the same time, I didn’t know that I couldn’t. I was sure the kiss made the floating possible. Whatever happened was out of my control, which scared me more than anything did. If a kiss made me fly, I was worried what would happen if Evee and I did it again. My ability wasn’t going to be easy to control in a relationship.
I found Dr. Miller’s A Guide to Extra-human Traits, and I flipped to the table of contents and hoped some answer awaited me. The last chapter in the book might be able to help. The title was The Rare, the Unique, and the Unusual. I started reading, and Adam skimmed the words over my shoulder.
The discourse on the following abilities is not well developed. Many scientists disagree on the facts about people referred to as gems, treasures, diamonds, or pearls– people with extremely rare abilities. As far as my research has led me to believe, 95% of the time, a person’s ability can be classified into modern nomenclature. For example, Telepathy, Pyrokinesis, and Increased Intelligence are all common classifications. The other 5% of the time, however, science is lacking in answers and names.
Not every extra-human trait can be easily categorized into chapters in this book. I call these abilities rare and unique. These abilities are truly one of a kind, and they are difficult to be summarized or explained in words. For the people who have these abilities, this book will be little help, and this chapter will be even less.
There are some areas of the brain in which Ghost Matter rarely develops. Most often the Ghost Matter is found in the frontal lobe of the brain, but for a few people the Ghost Matter will manifest in less common areas. When this happens, the person’s extra-human trait could range from slightly different to truly one of a kind.
These people will have to learn to control and understand their ability through trial and error. A rush of adrenaline helps many people learn to control their ability, allowing the brain to react in its own natural way. In other cases, a strong emotion can lead a person in the right direction. Not every EHT is connected to our feelings, but the brain reacts differently to various emotions. I should warn readers, however, that anger can be an unstable emotion to explore one’s ability.
My thoughts wandered away from Dr. Miller’s words. My emotions were the key to my ability. I already knew that, but I understood now, after kissing Evee, that some emotions and urges were more potent than others.
“What do you think?” Adam asked.
I sighed. “I think my sex-life will be more complicated than I’d like.”
“Maybe if I throw you off a building, the rush of adrenaline will naturally make you fly,” Adam said
with more sarcasm.
“You’re not helping,” I said. “Look here, though.” I pointed to a line in the book as I recited the words that caught my eye. “Strong emotions… kissing Evee would have definitely caused a strong emotion. Maybe that’s why I was able to fly– I mean float.”
Adam and I jumped when the door to my room slammed open, causing me to drop A Guide to Extra-human Traits on the floor. Uncle Jesse stood in the doorway with his long hair partially covering his eyes, looking confused with a hint of fury, or maybe he looked that way because he just woke up. It felt like I was in trouble, but as far as I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not to mention that Uncle Jesse wasn’t even a real parental figure, but he looked more grown up than I’d ever seen him.
“The book isn’t going to help,” Uncle Jesse said flatly.
“Uncle Jesse I…,” I started to explain, but he stopped me.
“I already know everything,” he said, raising a halting hand in the air and pointing to his temple.
I was thrilled I didn’t have to explain or convince him of the truth. He could see the truth in my head, but he didn’t look happy or excited like I anticipated.
Finally, he let out a stale breath and said, “We need to talk.”
Evee:
The sun finally came to a position where the area I waited for Dad to pick me up fell under shade. I pulled my sunhood off. The shade was nice, but I spent three hours waiting for it, and Dad still hadn’t shown up yet. All the other students were gone. I was supposed to meet Casper at his house once I’d gotten back to the Military Base. I felt tempted to use my ability to go to his house now, but that meant that my physical body would be left unattended outside the school. My only rule with my EHT was to make sure my physical body was safe. I had no choice but to wait on the bench until Dad arrived.
Dad told me there might be days when he would be late picking me up, but he chose the worst day possible for it to happen. I wanted to go to Casper’s house so that we could discuss the new developments of his ability– surely he had to tell his parents now. He seemed sure his uncle might be able to help him. There were a few things that I knew that Casper didn’t.