by Aaron Slade
Randy and I both watched as she walked away and joined Seth and Sara at the back table. I noticed how elegantly she moved and how her hair bounced with each step. My first bit of jealousy hit when I noticed Randy possibly staring at Evee’s backside. I still didn’t trust him.
“Looks like you’ve got yourself a keeper,” Randy said. “She’s pretty… a-amazing.” I could tell that he meant it as a compliment.
“Thanks,” I said, trying to contain my skeptic tone.
Randy stood a foot taller than me it seemed, but he hunched down and spoke in a quiet voice. “Can I ask you a question?”
I was hesitant when his tone became serious. “Sure…”
He looked at Evee at the table then turned his eyes back to me. “Do you love her?”
His question caught me off guard and I tripped as the line moved forward. I had to look up at Randy, so I didn’t see where my feet were going. I regained my balance and Randy easily helped me up.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “I know it’s an awkward question, especially coming from me. What do I know about love, right? I’ve almost dated every girl in school, and I’ve never felt anything like it.” He grimaced as if he’d just ruined the last hour of casual conversation, calling himself stupid under his breath.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I have an answer, but I’m waiting for the right moment to tell her. I’m afraid if I said it now, it would… scare her away.”
“It’s good you found something like that,” Randy said. “Since she showed up, the two of you have been inseparable. You’re different now, and I mean that in a good way.”
I laughed to myself, thinking how odd it was to have this conversation with Randy. “I never thought you and I would be talking girls.”
His eyes cast down, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry about the other day. Thanks for lying to your dad for me. I’m glad I wasn’t expelled.”
I gave a stiff nod. “Can I ask you a question?”
He nodded. His giant stature wasn’t nearly as intimidating as it had been last week, but I still felt like a weakling next to him. His build would make most guys feel compelled to hit the gym more often.
“Are you being nice to me because you think I have an extra-human trait, or have you realized that it’s ignorant to torture the human?”
He looked as if he had a complicated answer. “What you said in your dad’s office really hit me. You were right… there’s a part of me that’s human too. Regardless of you not having an ability, you and I are the same, and I’m really hoping we can... bury the hatchet. Maybe be friends?”
I nearly cringed at the word friends, but I controlled the urge and forced an awkward grin. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Thanks,” he said. “That’s more than I deserve. I also listened to what your dad said. High School is almost over. I messed around and didn’t work hard enough. I’ll have to go into the Military. If your dad had expelled me, the Military wouldn’t take me. It’s time for me to grow up. And…,” He cut off as if he didn’t know how to continue. “…in the fight, when you touched my shoulder… something changed in me. Whether you have an ability or not, I don’t want to hate you anymore. You have to understand that I was raised to believe that you were inferior. My parents told me to never trust you, never even talk to you. I realize now how stupid it all is now.”
After everything that had happened between us, I didn’t know why, but I believed Randy and hoped that maybe one day we could be friends. That day was still a long way off, though.
The rest of the school day dragged on slower than usual. Evee checked out of school early. She refused to tell me why, but I was sure it was to start cooking for dinner. I stayed in my room until it was time to leave for her house. My spirits were lifted when I thought of seeing her. I drove through the desert to the Military Base.
An orange sunset painted the desert with its rays, giving mountains and cacti long shadows on the flat sand. As I stared at the road, I thought about what it would be like to fly to Evee’s house. My windows were down, and the sixty-mile-per-hour wind was a rush. Flying this fast would be a bigger rush, but I had no idea how fast I could fly.
I arrived at the base and made my way to the living grounds on the southeast part of the compound. Evee had been right when she told me that all the houses were identical. They were nice houses, but the neighborhood became a little bland after driving through it for more than a minute. Each house was two stories and painted white with blue trim on the windows. Every yard appeared identical with the same grass, mailbox, and sidewalk that led to the front door. It was like something out of a movie. I found the house with the number three-seventeen. I parked next to the vehicle that was already in the driveway.
Evee ran out of the house before I even had time to get out of the car. I caught her as she jumped into a hug. She gave me a peck on the cheek, followed by a short, real kiss. I felt the lightness take over, and concentrated hard so that I wouldn’t lift off the ground. The feeling passed quickly.
“So this is my house,” Evee said, leading me in the door by my hand. “Follow me and I’ll give you a tour.”
We entered the front door and the smell of whatever Evee had been cooking hit me. It smelled wonderful, and my mouth began to water as the scent got stronger. I cooed softly as I inhaled the various spices in the air. I spotted the kitchen’s entrance down a long stretch of hallway.
“I made vegetarian lasagna,” Evee said. She took my keys and placed them on a table near the door.
I gave Evee a skeptical look. “You’re not a vegetarian.”
“Maybe I’m thinking of becoming one,” she teased. “I chose the vegetarian style because I think there’s more flavor.” She winked.
“It smells like you’re a wonderful cook.” I’d wait for my chance to let Evee marvel at my own culinary skills.
“Thank you,” Evee replied. She turned her attention to the hallway as her dad approached us, standing tall in full uniform at the living room’s entrance.
“Evee is a fantastic cook,” Colonel Ford said. “I would starve if she weren’t here. The monstrosities I’ve managed to create in the kitchen aren’t exactly edible.”
“I’m going to show Casper my room, and then we will be ready to eat,” Evee told him.
“That sounds fine,” he replied. “I’ll keep myself busy.” He went into the living room and picked up a book sitting on the arm of a recliner.
Evee grabbed my hand and started walking upstairs. “My room is the only room up here,” she said.
The stairs eventually came to a door. The entire upstairs was just one room. There was a closet and a bathroom on one side. Evee’s cleanliness registered somewhere between tidy and messy. A few blouses rested on the foot of her unmade bed, while another group of clothes was piled in a corner. The rest of the room was relatively clean. The walls were white, but she had them covered with different pictures of her and friends she’d made over the years. One picture next to her bed stood out above the rest. It was of me.
“Where did you get that?” I asked. I picked up the picture in my hand. It was good quality and framed.
“Your mom gave it to me,” she confessed. “I thought it was really sweet.” She smiled and I gathered that there was more to her confession. “Actually… I think your uncle must have told her. I had wanted to ask for one for a while, but I was embarrassed.”
I was flattered that Uncle Jesse (or whatever I called him now) had been that thoughtful. I placed my picture back on the table, and saw another picture behind it. The frame was more elaborate than the one holding my picture, and the woman inside it was stunning. The photograph was black and white, and looked like photographs from my parents’ generation. When I picked it up, Evee’s same eyes stared back at me.
“Is this your mom?” I asked.
Her aura brightened; I sensed its energy and watched as mine illuminated too.
“It is,” she answered. “What do you think of her?”
“You look alike,” I said. “It’s obvious where you get your looks from.” I watched as she smiled in admiration of the picture. “You’ve never told me about your mom?”
“She died when I was born,” Evee said. Her aura died. “There were complications during childbirth.”
I felt bad for asking, but I wanted to know. “What happened?” I could see the sorrow on her face.
Evee’s eyes found a spot on the wall to stare at as she told me. “Her name was Emily, and she had a very unique extra-human trait. My dad told me that on their first date, she picked a dead rose off the ground. The rose was dried, wilted, and black. She held it in her hand, and Dad said it came back to life. The color returned to it, and it looked like it had just bloomed.”
I wasn’t sure that I understood. “She was a healer?”
“No,” Evee said. “She was something different. My dad has access to the Military’s records, and he says there’s never been an ability like my mom’s. She could control… the flow of life in a way.” Evee waited until she could see my confusion, smiled, and then continued. “My mom could bring anything back to life, but it weakened her to do it. Flowers were easy for her, but bigger things like a cat or dog would make her weak for a few days.”
It was an unusual and rare ability for sure, but after experimenting with my own, I didn’t think anything was impossible.
“When I was born, my heart wasn’t beating,” Evee said. “They pronounced me dead. My mom asked to hold me, but what nobody knew is what she planned to do with me. She brought me back to life without hesitating. She didn’t say anything to my dad.”
I could guess the rest. “She was too weak after saving you, wasn’t she?”
A tear rolled its way slowly down Evee’s cheek. I lifted my finger to wipe it away.
“She was told to never use her ability on another person because it could potentially kill her,” Evee said. “She exchanged her life for mine.” Evee’s aura dimmed.
“You don’t blame yourself, do you?” I asked.
Evee removed her head from my chest and abruptly quit crying. “No, of course not,” she said. “I tear up when I think about it.” She dried her eyes with her hands and began to smile. “I had a mother that loved me so much, she sacrificed herself so that I would live.”
“She sounds like an extraordinary woman,” I said.
“You can see love, Casper,” Evee said. “If you had to describe it in one word, what would it be?”
She placed her hand on my cheek, and the translucent, white aura filled my vision. The iridescent light showed wisps of blues and reds lost in the dazzling pearl. “Beautiful,” I answered.
She nodded her head. “That’s why I cry. What my mother did was beautiful. I can’t see it like you can, but I can feel it, and it touches my heart.”
I’d imagined that Evee’s mother was a dark subject that she wanted to keep buried, but now I knew that Evee just wanted to tell me in her own time.
“You know what else is beautiful?” I asked.
She raised her hand to my chest and pointed a finger at my heart. “You.” she said. She took my hand and placed it over her heart. “…And me, together.”
She brought her lips to mine for a gentle kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as close as I could, but it still didn’t feel close enough. Our individual auras were gone, but the faint pearl cloud around us was dazzling. This time I was prepared for the weightless feeling, and was thrilled when I remained grounded.
We heard footsteps coming up the stairs and pulled away. Her father entered the room, and I did my best not to look guilty. I never practiced going from kissing to looking natural, and something told me I wasn’t as convincing as I needed to be. Colonel Ford stared at me, but spoke to Evee.
“I’m ready to eat,” he said. I thought for a moment I detected a grin on his face.
“We’re on our way,” she said.
Evee served us at the table. She served me first, then Colonel Ford. I waited for her dad to take the first bite, which was torturous because the lasagna smelled incredible. Evee sat next to me at the round table in their kitchen, and we stayed in our own land of conversation as her dad ate in silence. It was clear he was more adult supervision rather than a guest at the table.
“What do you think about Randy?” Evee asked. She took a bite of her cooking, and savored the taste before she began to chew.
“It was weird to see him be friendly,” I said.
“I thought he was very pleasant,” she added, “but I know Sara didn’t trust him.”
Evee’s dad coughed, excusing himself into the conversation. “Is Randy Alcott the bully you told me about?”
Evee nodded, but I felt embarrassed that Colonel Ford was so well informed about my social life.
“Well don’t worry, bullies always get what they deserve,” Colonel Ford stated.
“I think he’s trying to change,” I said. “He’s making an attempt to be friends.”
Colonel Ford patted my shoulder. “Just goes to show you what being the bigger man does, huh Casper?”
I agreed.
“I could tell he was having a good time,” Evee said. She turned towards me. “What color was his aura?” Her eyes caught her error first, flaring wide.
The room seemed to go silent. I was shocked Evee would ask me in front of her dad so blatantly. She realized her mistake instantly. It was so natural for her to talk about abilities like they weren’t secrets. Colonel Ford was confused by the question.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. “What do you mean aura?”
I tried not to look guilty, but Evee had the situation under control. “It’s a game we play at the lunch table, Dad,” she said before I could answer. “It’s just color association with people’s personalities.” She laughed, trying to do her best to convince her dad of innocent lunchtime games.
“Sounds… interesting enough,” Colonel Ford replied. “What color am I?” His mustache hid his grin.
“Casper and I decided that you are a variation of blue, like me,” she answered. “Casper’s parents are both red.”
I found Evee’s improvisation skills impressive, and laughed when she decided to use the real color of our parents’ auras. Her lies were effective.
Evee squeezed my hand underneath the table, and I knew she meant it as an apology.
After dinner, Colonel Ford retired to the living room, while I helped Evee clear the table. Evee operated around the kitchen naturally as if this routine was regular and second nature. The stove was still covered in pots and pans that Evee had used earlier. Fingerprints of tomato sauce speckled the counter and cooking utensils with deep red spots.
“I could be a vegetarian if all the food tasted that great,” I said.
“Flattery isn’t going to help you get out of helping me with the dishes,” she said.
I took all the dishes over to the sink and waited for Evee to join me. I let the sink fill up with warm water. I felt odd in the house, if Evee wasn’t by my side. It was easy to feel like a stranger here. She entered the kitchen with sponges and handed me one. We talked quietly as we did the dishes.
“So that was pretty smooth in there,” I said, handing her a plate to rinse.
She looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t thinking.”
“Have you told your dad about me?” I asked, hoping that Evee hadn’t broken my trust. “Does he know I really do have an extra-human trait?”
“No,” she replied. “I wasn’t going to tell him until after you told your parents.”
She and I still needed to talk. “I have to tell you something,” I said. “We may have to keep my ability a secret longer than I expected.”
I told her exactly what Uncle Jesse had shown me. She kept quiet when I told her that Uncle Jesse had past experiences with Zana. She couldn’t guess what Zana would want with Adam or what she would do with him, but her eyes nearly bugged out when I told her flying could get me killed if I d
idn’t keep it concealed. The only part that seemed to confuse her was when I told her I wasn’t the first person to be able to fly.
“Why would Zana want to kill people who could fly?” she asked. There were traces of panic all over her face.
“I don’t know. Uncle Jesse thinks the person killing flyers is connected with the Zana-woman.”
“This woman sounds like bad news,” she said. “We can’t let Adam go with her.”
A loud noise erupted in the other room. It sounded like an alarm going off in the house. Evee looked worried, but it was Colonel Ford that sprang into action. I watched from the kitchen as he ran down the hall into his study. The alarm wailed through the house, giving me a slight adrenaline rush.
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s the emergency phone in my dad’s office,” she yelled over the alarm. “Whatever it is, it must be urgent.”
The alarm stopped, and I could hear her father talking on a phone. We heard him hang up the receiver and walk into the kitchen.
“Evee,” he said. “I’ve got to go. There’s a situation that our Future Intelligence has detected.”
“Alright,” she said. “I’ll be fine.” Her face turned stoic, and it didn’t suit her at all.
“I have to meet Zana,” he said.
Evee stiffened when her father said the name.
I looked at Evee, hoping that I’d heard Colonel Ford wrong, but he’d said the same name that haunted Adam and Uncle Jesse. Evee and I had used the name several times. Evee stared back, looking guilty. Her head angled down in shame and neither of us spoke until her dad was out the door.
“He knows Zana?” I asked, not wanting to believe it could be true.
She didn’t look at me, but nodded stiffly.
“What?” I asked. Horror overtook her face.
“Uncle Jesse said Zana would hunt me down if she knew I could fly. How could you not speak up sooner?” If Zana was working with Colonel Ford, it was safe to assume he would be after me too if he knew about my ability. “How long have you known about Zana?” My anger was apparent in every word.