by Namita Singh
doesn’t consider you as her family. She has been taking care of you since you were a kid. She is obviously bound to develop some emotions for you, blood relationship or not, you being the vaticinator or not. She was very clear in stating that you and that David guy constitute her family.”
Neal stoically appraises me for a moment then he sighs, “Develop some emotions?” he says, his voice sarcastic, “Yeah, right. The last time I checked, she had bothered to meet me when I was thirteen. And, even better, she calls to check on me only, maybe, once a year? Don’t give explanations for her.” He ends in a dead serious tone.
I purse my lips, unaware of how Neal has spent his life alone till now. I clear my throat, “Maybe she had her reasons to not be in contact.” I mutter, “You know…since she is a therian and all and because of her contacts with therians in the outside world. I am sure she didn’t want to expose you.”
“Yeah, and that’s enough reason for her to act superficially interested in my life, that is the lone times when she has been around. Distance can’t be the reason behind a failed relationship. Fading interest or even lack of it in the first place causes it.”
I shrug in exasperation, “Why are we even talking about this? Look, okay, I get it, she hasn’t been exactly all ‘we are family’ loveable to you but now you sort of need her too. I mean, take it as payment for all the hardships you underwent and let her carry on her compulsive responsibility of protecting you. You’re at a plus, anyway, even if you want to be angry at her demeanor.”
Neal is silent for a long, long moment, contemplating.
“You’re right.” He mutters. “It’ll be definitely better to have her for my protection, now that I am suddenly so vulnerable.” His serious words are, as usual, accompanied by the roll of his eyes.
I give him a deadpan stare, “Oh, see, how selfless a person you are?”
Neal gives me a dry look, “Selflessness is for those who are satisfied with their lives.”
“Alright, Mr. Miserable with enlarged egoism, don’t be a chick about this. If it is like this, then it is like this. Deal with it.”
“I am dealing.” He mutters. He vaguely waves his right arm in front of him, “It’s apparently not working.”
I frown, “What?”
He sighs, “I was thinking…that…hey, I am the vaticinator.” He says with false enthusiasm, “I have the ability to bend the future at my will. So, why not make the future be favorably inclined towards me and get rid of any therian tailing us.” He then begins in a serious tone, “But I am not able to concentrate well. Though I have been sitting here only since an hour, but my concentration is not developing at all. Meaning, my concentration span is screwed, kind of.”
“Hold on a second,” I say, “You….you…”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of it.” He deadpans.
“I didn’t.” I tell him honestly. “It didn’t cross my mind at all that we can make you build the future in our favor.” I frown by the end, not happy with that. Somewhat, the idea of Neal forming future doesn’t settle well with me.
He rolls his eyes, “You’re slow, Lichinsky. Anyways, as I said I couldn’t concentrate well….probably because I am kind of paranoid.” He mutters, “If I get like four-five hours, then maybe I can see what I can do.”
My frown deepens, “Neal…I may be a slow poke but I am quite sure our elders aren’t so ignorant. If this was possible, I am sure they would have suggested it. Don’t you think?”
Neal opens his mouth to respond but closes it again. He licks his lips, in deep thought, then sighs, “I won’t know till I don’t try.”
“Maybe…I should talk to my father about it…”
Neal stares at me, “Even if he says no then also would it hurt if I try?”
“I don’t know…” I say, dubious. “But I’d rather you don’t do anything about it as of yet. I mean, it’s the Occultists we are dealing with.”
“Who said doing anything to the occultists? I am simply going to see if any therian is going to approach us and I am going to change just that. I’ll just make none of the therians find us.” He pauses, raising his eyebrows, “That is if I can concentrate enough to project my astral form.”
“I’d still want you to consult father first.” I say sternly.
Neal sighs, slightly glaring at me, “Whatever, daddy’s boy. It’s not like I can do anything with people around to distract me.”
“Good.” I say, earning a glare from him. I awkwardly scratch the side of my temple and avert my eyes to look around his room. My eyes fall on an intricately built book shelf, with each shelf protruding from the main trunk like a branch of a tree. Whatever Neal may say about Jennifer, the woman definitely has taste if she has built all the things in this house. The bookshelf is not stacked with books as I expect. It is in fact stacked by the columns of what seems like…paper. A newspaper? So many? I frown and walk towards it, almost without volition, as if my feet have a mind of their own. Upon reaching it, I see that these papers are not the local newspapers…not exactly at least.
Each shelf contains huge stacks ofour school’s paper, The Plutocracy, orderly arranged by dates of their publication.
Punch line? These dates haven’t come as of yet.
I pick one paper which displays the date of almost next to next Monday. Upon vaguely roving my eyes on the first page, I see the headlines of events that I am sure haven’t yet occurred in our school. Impassively, I slowly turn around to look at Neal. Neal notices the future Plutocracy in my hands and his ears tinge bright red.
“Um,” he stutters, “Well…” he trails off.
“Know what?” I mutter, “Don’t say it.” I say and toss the paper back onto the stack from which I had picked it up.
I officially don’t like his future making ability.
Neal huffs, “It’s not a big deal…”
I raise my eyebrows at him, making him avert his eyes, his ears still definitely flushed. I huff too, “Aakir will most definitely be pleased to see these.” I say, the thought suddenly occurring to me.
“While you’re utterly displeased.” Neal adds.
I give him a stolid glance, “I never liked your ‘job’, okay? And knowing that you ‘create’ most of it is even a bigger damper.”
Neal frowns but says nothing on it. He sighs, running his hand through his hair, “I don’t understand…”
“That why do I dislike your paper?”
He rolls his eyes, “No, that’s understandable.” He says, “I mean…considering, as you say, we are ‘partners’, shouldn’t we be, like, I don’t know, a little less antagonistic with each other? I mean, we are mostly almost arguing.”
I frown, “Is that how you see it? As antagonism?” I chuckle nervously. “I mean,” I awkwardly shift from one foot to another, “arguing or not, I don’t see you letting out your thoughts in front of any other person.”
“…Right.” Neal says, a thoughtful expression on his face as if he is just realizing that he has been talking about his feelings and doubts to me the most. He slightly shakes his head, “But it’s not like I have a choice. I get along with you the most out of everyone in your house. If in my hands, I’ll prefer Ananya or Alek over you, obviously.”
“….”
“What?” he says as I continue to stare at him.
I clear my throat, “That was very subtle of you to say that I am not the perfect candidate for sharing your thoughts.” I say, my voice dipped in sarcasm.
Neal looks at me amusedly, “Are you going to be a bitch about it?”
“No.” I say quickly, “Forget it. We should go back to home.” I say abruptly.
“Seriously, Josh?” Neal says, his eyebrows raised, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips, “You’re being a bitch about it.”
“I’m not.” I snap.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s not my concern whom you prefer, Neal.” I sat coldly.
“It’s not?”
“…”
Neal
chuckles humorlessly at my silence, again, “You’re being a bitch about it.” He says, again.
I roll my eyes, “We should go.”
Neal is silent for a moment, a comprehending look on his face, “Lichinsky?”
“What?”
“How serious is this…‘partner’ thing?”
“I told you it’s not serious. Have you packed your stuff?” I look around, noticing a duffel bag at the foot of his bed.
“Well, it’s obviously bothering you if I am sidelining you like that.”
“It’s not.” I snap quickly.
“See?” Neal says, indicating at my snappy tone, “It’s bothering you.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, “It’s not bothering me, okay?” I say in a controlled voice. “This ‘partner’ thing is anyways related more with your aura. As long as you’re just around, it’s all cool.”
“…related more with my aura?” Neal says.
“I told you, a therian recognizes his or her partner by the aura of their said partner.”
Neal nods absentmindedly then frowns, “So…aura is for recognition….and…?”
I purse my lips, “As I had said before…your partner’s aura mold with your own-”
“Yeah, I get it.” He cuts me off, “What does it feel exactly?”
I stoically stare at him for a moment. I don’t really want to divulge that it’s attraction I feel for his aura. That’d be just gay.
I clear my throat, “It…uh, it feels good.” I tell him.
“…That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“Come on, Lichinsky. You can be more elaborative than this.”
I sigh, “It just makes me feel good.” I say,