Keeping the dragon-thing behind us, I went on to school to focus on better things. As the autumn progressed with the election and all, you can imagine the chaos and hype my peers had. Oh and with Isabel and Caryn, we learned how to contend with each other and by that, I mean, having Isabel as the only mutual friend we could have. She became the bridge that we can communicate through.
Yeah, friends...getting into the topic, I never really took in account who my friends would turn out to be until my last soccer meet in November. It was on our field and we were doing some practices. My friend Chris and I were passing the ball to each other on the cool, grassy grounds until Chris accidentally kicked it out of range. He went to go for it among the tall trees. The air was cold enough to turn our sweat into icicles and the clouds were smears of pink and violet against the cerulean sky, surrounding the huge, bright orange circle that neared the silhouettes of the rustling trees.
While Chris went for the ball, I tried to look like I was doing something so I checked my shin guards, removed any dirt clumps from my cleats. Soon the minute he announced his departure became a five-minute worry mark, in which my coach alerted me to enter the forest in search for Chris. I wonder where he has gone. I mean, I assumed that he lived in Great Neck since I know nothing of its topography. The fading sky made the forest even darker, difficult to differentiate the light within the trees.
Finally, after much struggle with vines and roots, I found the checkered ball that belonged to my team. But where was Chris? I picked up the ball and went in search for Chris. I looked around the open space between the skinny trunks and huge trunks. I called out his name and informed him that it was me and I found the ball he was looking for.
Every call grew more anxiety and worry in my soul. I started to think the worst but reassured myself that others may be looking for him too. Ooh, is this anxiety really making my bones hurt? I started to sweat out of worry instead of perspiration and I shouted even louder. I kept calling until it slowly died down when I started to feel something funny. It wasn't my stomach, but it felt like something wasn't going right. I don't feel safe anymore! Where's the team? Where's the way out?
I looked around and figure out where I came from to get this ball. I heard some subtle creaking, like a machine that hasn't been used in a long time was starting to work. It seemed to come from behind, like someone creeping up to do a sneak attack. The only thing I had to protect me was a soccer ball. Yeah, what's that gonna do?
"Chris! Where are you? Can you hear me?" I called out again. The only thing I could hear is my heartbeat, beating slowly and loudly. Out of the blue, I felt a sharp object slowly placed itself on my right shoulder and lift itself back up. Hoping that it was Chris, I turned around to see what it was. To my amazement, it was a bush with a prolonged branch designed so peculiarly that it looked like a scene from Tim Burton's 'The Corpse Bride,' where Victor accidentally proposed to the skeletal zombie and his life changed forever. Hopefully, this branch doesn't think I'm looking for love! Wait, do plants think?
I looked at the bush with intensity, observing its still leaves and stagnant posture. All of a sudden, in slow motion, the branches of the bush started to curl and twirl on itself, creating an odd picture. I stared at its action in fright and stood still. I watched as it created two hollow circles that resembled eyes and a long line of sticks below it to create a mouth. At this point, I didn't think about Chris and thought more about my life. What is it doing? What does it want to do with me? What did I do to it?
The eyes lowered its upper part and its mouth maneuvered so peculiarly as it growled in a gruff voice, "You trespasser!" All of a sudden, roots thundered out of the ground like lasers and struck for me. I started to make a run for it, shouting for help. All around me, I noticed, the trees started to become possessed and bent so fast that I was able to dodge it if I didn't blink. However, it was very difficult to jump off the trunks with cleats and I was afraid that I would trip. But I didn't have time to think about that.
Just when I thought I got past the tree catastrophe, I nearly crashed into a root that sprung up in front of me. As I pushed into it, I turned around and felt the agony of twisting my ankle, causing me to slip on the ground. Soon the bush was now walking, not shedding a leaf, and grinned deviously as it found its prey. This was one of those moments where I really thought I would die. I raised the ball over my face and cringed as I would spend my last moments here being consumed by a tree.
Then, a voice that sounded so familiar thundered from a side and by the time I saw who it was, there was an explosion, spewing shards of tree bits and bark over my head. The root behind me slowly died, falling back. As I tried to pick myself, the assailant saw my unheard call for help and came to my aid. Who is this mysterious figure? I looked up and was surprised to see a smiling Chris, his ocean blue hair swaying over his left side. "Hey," he chimed, as if nothing had happened. "Where were you? The whole team's talking about you!"
"Where was I?" I responded. "Where were you? You were supposed to find the ball, in which I found."
"It's a long story," he cut it short. We heard rumbling and the monster growled, "I'm not done yet!"
"You go on ahead," Chris directed me. "The team's on your right. I'll take it from here...unless you wanna watch."
"Watch what?" I asked, still confused as to what had just happened. Chris raised his arm to my torso and informed me to get back so I won't get hurt. I limped over to a nearby tree and held onto the trunk. The monster took form of the destroyed bush and it slapped a huge stick, enough to be a log, at Chris. I watched intensely as Chris slammed his fist into his open palm, which closed in on it. He thrust it forward to the huge stick, opening the fist like a fan. He shouted what seemed like a command, "Pyro-plosion!"
All of a sudden, the huge stick exploded into a million pieces of flaming ash, which subsided on the moist ground. Some of the flaming bits got on the monster and it bawled out of agony. "Now, to rid you of your resources, Arbolisto (Ar-bowl-lees-stow)," Chris said, taking a huge breath in and raising two fingers together between his eyes. His eyes were closed, I believe, and he let out, "I call on thee: Dragons of the Sky! Lend me your power for…"
He raised his head back and finished, "Elemental Dragon Roar!" He took a final breath in and let out a thunderous volume of air out, rocking the dimensions we were in. The trees were shaking and the ground shook violently. I couldn't help but have deja vu, probably because of what I had witnessed from Wilma.
I lost my balance but the noise wasn't as boisterous as it was from Wilma. Man, Wilma's howl literally tore the forest apart for miles upon miles! But with Chris, his seemed more held-back, like he was just getting the hang of it. But what would I know? He can make things explode and he never told me?
What else don't I know?
When roar was complete, Chris fell forward to his knees, taking his time to catch his breath. He bent back up and turned to me with a huge smile of relief on his face. "Well," he croaked, clearing his throat. "That was a workout!"
He helped me up and while he helped me back, I asked him, "What was that all about?"
He sighed and chuckled, telling me, "I guess it's time you knew…"
On our way back, he explained to me that he was a wizard, practicing elements such as fire, water, air, nature and so forth. He kept it a secret because he didn't want to freak me out or anything. I started to laugh and he asked why I was laughing.
"You know, I don't know what's funny: the fact that you think I would freak out about you or the fact that I should let you know something as well." And that's when he found out that Em is really a talking hedgehog.
It was days after the election revelation and the riots along Fifth Avenue had died down. It was a cool weekend, but not too cold. My family and I were in the living room, my parents were picking out places to go for the Holiday break, though it would only be one week, and Em and I were flipping channels on the TV. We soon decided to leave it on CBS News, where there was a news update on the jewelry store robbery that occurred a few weeks ago, the incident that caused a rift between us siblings.
My mom took a peek at it and turned to my dad, whispering something to him. Dad seemed reluctant and Mom urged him to do it. He sighed, got up and left. He came back with a big envelope and a box. He said, "I didn't want to give this to you now, but...as time tells it, I should've given this to you a long time ago."
We turned off the TV and faced Dad. He placed the box on the table, which revealed to be a cellphone, a design similar to an Apple product. Em gasped, "He's giving us a phone? But how will we share it?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. I haven't used a cellphone since the beginning of time. I felt awkward being the only freshman with no phone. I looked up at Dad, who gave me some serious eyes to look at. He said to me, "Kellin, this phone is for you. I guess you know how to use it and all from just watching. I'll let you play with it for a while so you can get comfortable."
He showed the envelope and said, "But this envelope is for you, Em. Dumm gave this to me and wants to meet with us in a few weeks at Trenton."
"Uncle Dumm wants to see me?" Em questioned. All this was new to us.
"I know this is a lot for you to process, but I'll let you in on a secret."
Another one?
"You may know that I'm an accountant, but that's my day shift and I don't really have much of a pay there. However, the job I've been doing for a long time is something you two shouldn't tell anyone."
We confirmed the promise of confidentiality. He sighed, took a deep breath in and continued, "I work with Uncle Dumm."
For some reason, it didn't seem like a surprise to us. We knew the two of them were close friends so why was working with him a secret? Then we both realized something and looked at each other and back. Dad nodded and finished with something distasteful, "I wasn't even supposed to have Em."
"What?" Em remarked with great offensiveness. It struck a chord in my heart too. What did he mean by that? I'm sure he wasn't regretful of that decision. Em got up and asked, "Are you saying that you didn't want me here?"
Dad looked up and responded, "Em, no! I didn't say that! You see-!"
"I'm so confused here! Am I even allowed to be alive?"
"Em, please calm down!" Dad pleaded. He urged him to sit down, which the hedgehog obeyed. Taking his time to compose himself, Dad restarted, "Before, we lived in Ohio and I was still in the lab with Dumm. Kellin, you were about two years old when this happened. Well um, Dumm, he was mixing a few elements together...you know, experimenting. And I was there, helping him out and moving some stuff around. All of a sudden, Dumm was holding some stuff and he tripped and hit a button. That activated the stimulator for morphing, and, little did we know, there was a creature that must've gotten in the container by accident and it got the serum of the chemical composition Cobalt Nitride."
"That creature was me?"
He nodded.
Dad continued, "As for protocol, we were supposed to report this accident, but...those eyes...I couldn't scare you anymore and make me look like the bad guy."
"That's how I was created…" Em trailed off. I started to realize some stuff too and I tagged on, "And why we moved here, so no one would know."
"Exactly," Dad confirmed. "That's why I got upset with you two the other day when you snuck out. If anybody finds out about you, Em, we are screwed."
The room was quiet and Dad sighed. He got up and finished the conversation, "A lot's happening now, yes. But it's better now than later. And I can't afford a later time."
He left for his room.
A few days later, during the start of the school day, I was met with a surprise. Sitting before me, a person I had never expected tapped me on the head of my sleeping self. I rose up, pupils wide open at the sight of…
"Chris?" I murmured. He smiled at me greatly and asked, "I am in the right class, correct?"
I checked his schedule and it was clear: Chris is the new kid and I officially have a social life at East Riverside! What's even better is that I'm not the only boy sitting at a table full of girls, not that it's a bad thing…
I was ever so excited to share a table with Chris and he had mutual feelings. Caryn and Isabel, suspicious of the new kid, silently questioning everything about him, seemed to stay way too quiet when we sat down to eat. Unable to maintain herself in such an awkward situation, Caryn escorted herself to the vending machine, which she rarely did and the machine always malfunctioned.
She came back shortly, grunting like a depressed mutt robbed of its treats, and explained that the machine was broken. Chris tapped my shoulder and gestured me for something. I then realized what I was avoiding. I spoke to the girls and introduced them to Chris, also mentioning that he's one of my soccer buddies. Isabel's eyes lit up as she said, "Ah, so you do have friends outside school?"
"Yep, I do," I said. "But they don't come here so I don't really mention them."
"So Chris, where are you from?"
Chris answered humbly, "From Great Neck. My mom and I moved here so it's a better commute to work."
"What does your mom do for a living?"
"My mom is a bank teller and holds a real estate business on the weekends."
"Wow, that's cool! Hey Kellin, isn't your dad an accountant?"
"Oh yeah," I stammered. "He is…"
I thought back to what he said about his real job. I then remembered something else. "I almost forgot! My dad got me a new phone!"
I showed it to them and they gasped. They showed eyes of amazement, except for Caryn. I watched her close. She didn't seem a tad bit impressed, but she sure did have a good poker face. Isabel asked to exchange numbers and I let her go for it.
Soon, my contacts not only consisted of my parents and Uncle Dumm, but also Isabel's, Chris's and Caryn's. She crossed her arms and asked me, "What brand is it?"
"Excuse me?"
"What's the make of your phone? It's similar to an iPhone, but its design looks pretty suspicious to me. Where did your dad get this?"
"Um...I'm not too sure. He did assure me that it was a great model and has better service," I lied. He didn't tell me anything other than it's a possible cousin of Apple. While Caryn kept her suspicion, Isabel chimed up a question to draw away from the subject. "Hey, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving? My folks are having a little dinner but that'll take like three hours."
"You don't have relatives?" Chris asked. Isabel sighed, "We like to keep our distance from family matters. Things are kind of tight when it comes to my grandparents."
Caryn nodded in comprehension. I nodded as well as Chris explained his situation. "Well, my family just moved here and they would like to keep it intimate, unless I get invited to someone else's place."
Caryn, leaning her head against her arm in boredom, sighed, "Oh well, my family has a huge place somewhere upstate but it'll be the same thing over and over...I'll play with my cousins and all…"
She leaned back in her chair and yawned, expecting some kind of sympathy from all of us. Turning their heads to me as if on cue, Chris and Isabel wondered what my situation would be. Feeling nervous about being on the spot, I accidentally stammered, "I could host a Friends-giving."
Boy, why did I say that? I didn't get to discuss this with my parents yet! And how will Em react to this? Isabel's eyes glowed and Chris started to smile. "Yeah," Chris cheered on. "Then we could get to know each other. Be friends this school year!"
"Sounds like an awesome idea! Besides, I never got to see your folks' place in a while. How are they?" asked Isabel.
"Oh great, super duper they are," I cynically muttered to myself. What kind of riot am I about to conjure?
Expecting some big blowout from my parents tonight, I was stunned to receive an open welcome from the both of them, even though I hadn't discussed this with them beforehand. "You know," Mom said. "We have been trying to get ourselves a night alone for once. Maybe Thursday we could go out and Kellin, you and Em can handle the Friends-giving?"
"You're leaving me alone?" That sounds ridiculous coming from a teenager, but I got secrets to hold onto! I looked to Dad for support on my side but he seemed trustworthy to his wife. Oh how things just fall into place!
Em, walking out of his room in his hedgehog form, rubbed his head and muttered, "What's all the clamor about?"
As our parents explained it to them, I watched cautiously as Em's eyes glowed up and his spirit was fired. "Whoo-hoo! Our first hosting job!" he cheered, pumping his fists into the air. All I could do was facepalm myself and hope for the best.
The next day was Wednesday, the day before our vacation, and all parties agreed on clarity for the date, all except for one. I knew she would refuse, considering our scuffle before, but hey, it's her choice! I'm not begging her to go...although it would mean that Isabel is left with no friends to talk to.
"So see you two tomorrow?" I asked them at the end of classes. Chris gave me a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "See you there, buddy! Text me the address and I'll get there around six!"
"When will your parents leave?" Isabel asked. I answered, "Around six as well, just to see if we're covered."
"Wait, who's hosting again?" Chris asked once more.
"Em and I."
Caryn, crossing her arms through all of this and waiting so quietly, waved her hand at her open mouth and turned her back to us. However, none of us seemed to buy into it. We all knew how much of a snob she can be at times, all except Chris. His mom picked him up from school and I walked home with the girls. Isabel lived in another neighborhood so she took a different turn along the way. I watched as the girls hugged each other and bid adieu, leaving me with Caryn.
Us unlikely forces have learned to tolerate each other in such awkward situations. We kept a certain distance from each other, but she always made sure to walk on my right, away from the busy road. I think it's some kind of chivalry thing for guys to do. Soon, I was keeping ahead of her, acting like I was independent and all. She didn't seem to mind.
As we turned on the corner, I found myself looking down at one of the saddest sights I've ever seen. He had his legs crossed, like skinny, meatless bones of brown forming that fancy W, his back was hunched over like the arc of some building and held up his nearly fragile ribs. He was covered in a huge white cloth over his shoulders, but it didn't seem to stand against the weak winds of the city. He was nearly bald, like those smeared streaks of grey and white across the light blue sky surfacing the brown scalp of his. I wanted to take a closer look, but it would seem rude.
I decided to take another step to him and he noticed my shadow. He slowly cranked his head, staring at me with those squinted eyelids of his. His mouth was drooped down by the wrinkles so he gave up on smiling. I lowered myself down, checked how much money I had in my back pockets. Six dollars? That's alright, I got a vacation to enjoy!
I bunched up the money and placed it the plastic cup which already had a few pennies and two dimes. His head urged forth to the cup when I was about to make my departure. As I had my back turned, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back a little bit. As I looked back, I noticed Caryn's presence nearby. I wonder what she was thinking.
I looked to the man as his mouth quivered an opening. He spoke, "Thank you so much, young man. May your life be blessed and have full of surprises!" He looked away and coughed a little.
I smiled at the homeless man and replied, "You're welcome, sir! Anytime!"
When I left, Caryn hovered over to my side and whispered gruffly, "What was that all about?"
"What do you mean?"
"What you just did there...giving that old man money!"
"Caryn, what are you saying?" We slowed down.
"Oh come on now! Do you know the ways people will do to get money? They'll beg on the streets if they have to!"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew she was a little bit of a snob, but I didn't think she would be so...so ignorant! Before she could continue, I cut her off, as I did before, and interjected, "Caryn, I don't know where you're coming from. But where I come from, if you see a person in need, you help that person no matter what! I see people sitting on the sidewalks everyday and it hurts me that they can't get the same opportunities that I do! And so what if he's an imposter? For all I know, I just gave that guy three days worth of meals! Now think about that."
When I finished, her eyes stood still, almost about to water in sympathy. I rolled my eyes and turned my back to her, stating that I would find myself home. I left her there as my anger dissipated.
I came in the apartment with a heavy heart and my mind exhausted. Running like he always does, Em noticed my fatigue and kept his greeting to a minimum. I fell on the couch with my bag thrown in the corner. I groaned, "Oh what a day…"
Sitting right next to me, Em sympathized, "I don't know how you do it, Kellin. First day of ninth grade, you weren't even prepared for that Labor Day weekend and then there was that time you got saved by a dragon…"
"Yeah…" I said, feeling even more exhausted as before. "And then Chris happened…"
I rubbed my face vigorously and Em exclaimed, "Hey, don't be so down! At least you have something to tell your future kids…"
I looked at him with a sarcastic smile and he laughed, "Just trying to humor the moment."
"Well, humor me and leave me alone…" I got up, descending into my room. I took a long nap and woke up naturally through a clear mind. The sun was setting in a burnt orange light, transforming the sky into marvelous mixture of pink and purple. I wonder how the sky knows how to do that. Maybe it's science.
Something then snapped into my mind and I looked at my phone, astonished to see new messages from Isabel. They were little greetings, just simple "hey's" and "hi's". They seemed pretty much harmless. I responded to them.
Within the next minute, we started our conversation. She asked me how my day was and I told her exhausted I was. I wanted to tell her about Caryn, but I didn't want to rupture their relationship. I heard two soft knocks on my door and saw Mom, carrying her blonde ponytail on her shoulder. She had a great big smile and greeted, "How's my young man doing?"
I smiled, showing my fatigue by yawning my true condition. Mom awed and mentioned that she was making us something special tonight. "I can't wait," I cheered on for the surprise. I yawned once more, turning over. I heard the door close and I continued my conversation with Isabel.
She texted, "Hey Kellin, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," I texted. There was a pause of about two minutes as the grey bubble of fading dots appeared on her side of the conversation. While I waited, I felt this anxietal bubble fumble up in my core, heating up my face slightly. Why am I feeling like this? She's just a friend.
But are you sure you don't…?
Ew, come on man! How would it come to that? We're only friends! If she sees someone she likes, I'll let her have him...or her. It's her choice, you know.
Heh…
What?
Chicken.
"What?" I heard myself shout out of disbelief. I heard Mom call out, "Kellin, you say something?"
"Nothing, Mom!" Whoo, that was a close one…
I dropped my phone on the bed and dashed for the kitchen. As I passed by, Em came through the opposite direction. I noticed he was entering our room and I told him that if Isabel texted back to let me know. He saluted to me and exclaimed, "Got it, jefe!"
She was washing her hands in the basin and kindly asked me, "So got any contacts?"
At first I was confused, but then I realized what she was talking about. "Oh yeah, I have Chris's number, Isabel's, Caryn's…"
"Caryn?" she questioned. She turned to me, whipping her hand off any excess water. She pointed out, "Isn't she the little privileged type?"
As much as it pains me to say it, I had to agree with her. I mean, Caryn's family owns a huge business that must've reigned for decades! Her folks must've had a pretty good occasions. I slowly nodded to myself and I responded, "Well, she's starting to be more compassionate. I mean, she's Isabel's friend so…"
"Ah…" she told herself. She returned to her business and I heard her continue, "Appeasing the lover…"
"What?" I exclaimed, disbelieving her as well. "Oh please, I don't like her like that!"
Mom laughed and said to me, "I'm joking, Kel! Liven up! Don't take things too seriously! You're only young for one time."
She's right. Why waste time questioning when I can find out myself? Yeah, and it's perfect timing! My parents will be gone for the night tomorrow, I'll have my brother and best friend with me and Isabel will have me to talk to! Oh how things just fall into place…
Em returned to the kitchen and I asked him if there was any update from Isabel. He shook his head in negativity and I sighed. I guess she changed her mind about that.
It was Thursday night and Em sat in his little bed, scratching his head full of quills as his bewildered eyes witnessed my rampaging through the closet. There were already a few articles on the bed, but they deemed inappropriate for the night. Already holding a potential flannel in my hand, I grasped onto another and faced Em again, forcing him to decide which is best.
As he pondered upon the question, I gave up before he could even say anything. "Ugh," I shouted, "I have nothing to wear!" I fell face first onto the bed, smothering my face in the rejects.
Em got up, rubbed my back and sympathized, "Hey, don't be hard on yourself. They're your friends, not critics."
"That's the thing!" I muffled through the mattress. I rose up and continued, "Em, Chris has known me for a few years, and the girls knew me since elementary school. I just don't want them to think I'm a loser or anything."
"Hey, why do you think I'm your brother, pal? We'll get through the night! Just go with the flow!" He did a body roll and let it roll through his arms. He makes it sound so easy. I mean, Em doesn't really have friends yet he has so much faith in mine. Maybe I should trust what he says. I mean, he did save me from almost being a rotisserie human...ugh!
I sat up straight and Em presented himself in front of me. He spread out his jazz hands and started in joyous shout, "Alrighty now! Looks like it's Em to the rescue!"
I sat there, half-impressed of what he was about to enact. He grabbed the clothes from my bed and threw them on the ground. Before I could say anything of protest, he exclaimed, "Okay, tonight, the parents are gone and we've got a date to deal!"
"A date?"
"Well, duh! With your friends…"
"Oh…" I feared he meant something else. He continued, grabbing a mint-colored collar shirt and another similar-looking shirt that had golden-plated buttons and an ocean blue hue. Presenting them on both hands, he asked me, "Alright now, it's Thanksgiving! Which one would you choose?"
Stumbling on my answer, I shrugged, "I don't know...the blue one!"
He took a pause and shouted, "UNCLE!"
It took me by surprise. He then whacked on the head with the blue shirt. "You don't go to some gathering wearing this! That's for the forty-year-old men with no life but butt-crack jokes! Now…" still holding onto the mint shirt, he grabbed flannel of red and black. My eyes sort of wavered toward the red, but then I remembered the unremovable stain of bleach a few months ago and I held my tongue back.
Em continued, "Alright, next situation...someone brings up the time you went to the girls' bathroom four years ago!"
"Hey," I shouted. "I was short and I was running away from you and your water-gunning darts!"
He chuckled and shouted, "Which one?"
"Mint!"
Pow! The mint was out and the bleached red stayed. Out came the purple polo, another one of my favorites. It was a dark purple, like the royalty kind. Em, chuckling to himself, announced the final situation, "Alright...here comes the hardest..."
I was ready for the question.
"Somebody…" his voice trailed off like it was slow motion. He then thrusted the shirts to a closer range of my eyes and finished, "mentions a secret to you!"
"A secret?" I took a pause and repeated the question to myself. What secret would I know? Then how would I react to that? I mean, they're my friends. We should have an open conversation about ourselves.
Em noticed my hesitation and I heard him mutter, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…"
"No, wait!" I halted him. We heard the doorbell. I grabbed the two shirts and ordered Em to the door. "You sure you know what you're doing," Em asked me, getting his bracelet out of his hat. I nodded to him. He affirmed mutual agreement and descended our room, transforming into his human self.
Ignoring the stain, I went with the red flannel. I fixed my hair and shook it around a bit, entering the hallway of greetings. Chris was the first to arrive. "Hey compadre," he chuckled. He so badly wanted to learn Spanish, so I guess he's trying now. We hugged and accepted each other's greeting. "You know, my Mom told me I can stay till eight or nine-ish," he explained.
"Why so early? We have vacation."
"I got relatives tomorrow…" he whispered. I then understood his reasoning. His parents' folks lived in Damarus, huge acres of ranch homes and a church every few horizons. He saw Em and the two shared a handshake we mutually created. "So when do we eat?" Chris nervously asked.
I chuckled after his apology and explained that I would wait for Isabel to come. "Oh yeah, I forgot you had a special little friend," he teased. I rolled my eyes and groaned, "Why does everyone have to be childish about that?"
Em responded, "Well, what do you expect? You knew the girl since third grade, she gave you so much confidence and you were practically excited when you found out she came back!"
"And now you're fighting over her with her best friend," Chris added on. I grabbed the remote and switched onto the news station, digressing from the situation. "Let's just watch TV and wait," I moaned.
The boys took either side to sit and while I kept my eyes glued on Channel 2, Em and Chris devised their own type of sign language and there was obnoxious giggling and laughter on either side. I ignored their banter and raised the volume before switching onto the guide. I blew a whiff of frustration at their obnoxious muted conversation. Scrolling through the guide, I paused upon one of my favorite shows to watch, Beyond Scared Straight. As soon as I pressed on the information, the two sides exploded into laughter.
I immediately turned off the television and I sprung up in front of them, more enraged than I have ever been. Ready to snap, the doorbell rang. I relaxed and muttered, "Saved by the bell."
I went to open it and found a shy-looking Isabel at my doorway. She had on jeans and a white blouse with the sleeves covered by her maroon cardigan. Her hair was a calm waterfall of a soft shade of golden blonde raining upon her chest. It surely complemented her blue eyes and that graceful smile she had.
"Hey," I chuckled, feeling almost nervous. "You're here."
"Yeah," she said. She stepped aside and added on, "And I've brought company." And out came the obstacle I dreaded. The obstacle, hair tied up in that bun again and adorned in a whimsical fashion similar to her friend's, seemed to be disappointed as well as I to be attending this Friends-giving.
Em exclaimed in the background, "Alright, let's eat some food!"
Mom had already prepared food for the gathering and Em helped me take it out of the fridge while my friends, plus Caryn, sat awkwardly on the couch. Chris decided to break the ice with a bizarre statement. "So...President Trump, huh?" he started.
Then Caryn, feeling bored as she always has, yawned, "Yeah, he took to politics alright...just think of how the family business will be…"
"Family business?" Chris questioned. I silently groaned to myself and felt Em's nudge to the shoulder. He whispered, "Let them have their conversation. You may be the host, but they got minds too, you know."
Yeah, I am kind of controlling. Similar to how I was with Em when he ran off and tried to stop that burglar. Then I remembered about Caryn's subject of encountering a dragon. I wonder if it was still true. Hell, it must be! How many dragons roam this world, huh?
Snapping out of my daze, we rested the platter of mashed potatoes and a seafood medley upon the kitchen table. Em grabbed the plates and utensils while I opened out the couscous salad Mom made yesterday. Em and I test-tasted it since it was her first time making it and it was mmm-mmm sweet!
"Oh yeah, let's eat!" cheered Chris, rubbing his hands vigorously. They grabbed a plate and scooped out the food, getting as much as they could. Waiting for a word from my peers, I was pleased to hear Isabel's gratitude for the food's appearance. "This bead-thingy looks delish!" she complemented. I chuckled and corrected, "It's actually couscous. It tastes sweet, though."
But not as sweet as her…
Em startled me through my name. He notified me that I was pressing a butter knife along my skin. I snapped out of it and caught Chris's eyes. He winked and whispered, "I knew what you were thinking. Think a wiz is all I am?"
We took a seat on the couch and Em got hold of the remote. "Hey! Let's all watch a movie!" he exclaimed. Chris suggested that we watch Unfriended but we reminded him of how we get nightmares for days when watching horror movies. "Alright…" he trailed off, taking the first bite of the jumbo shrimp. "Mmm, pulpy and tasty…"
"You must have a very good cook," remarked Caryn, taking the slightest nibble of the mashed potatoes. Her plate had a little bit of couscous and a portion of mashed potatoes, similar to Isabel except for the seafood. I sighed a breath of frustration and corrected, "My Mom cooked this yesterday. She and my Dad went out for the night and will be home soon."
"Like how soon?" urged Chris. "You gotta a really nice place here. Nicer than my folks' place."
I chuckled, "Well, thanks Chris. I don't know what time exactly. When they text, I'll know."
I noticed Em's eyes lit up and Isabel took a stern look at him. Did something happen that I didn't know about?
That conversation died out and I went out for seconds. Behind me, I heard Isabel ask Chris how we met. Chris laughed like an old man reciting a story and I smiled. He explained the time when he tried out for the team and kept his eye on me during the games. I never knew he had so much admiration for me, especially when I had that minor injury and I had to sit out on the sidelines to recover. I sat next to him with my right leg sprawled out on the field, I remember. Noticing him looking at my bandages, I chuckled, "Oh come on, I'll be out there in a week."
"Yeah," He said. "But what about me?"
"Hey, I saw you try out! Coach saw some potential in you! We all cheered for you to break that time!"
I remembered him looking down at himself as I said that. "Hey...Chris, right? Don't be so hard on yourself. Before you're you, you're a human. Humans are not machines, my dad always told me. We don't have replaceable parts. We got changing ones. We are our best in our own way, so don't doubt it." I recalled his eyes glowing up when I said that to him. It was like he had found the friend he never knew he had.
Unlike the teammates on my team, he was the first to shed a tear. It trickled down on his right cheek, parting the way of his concealer. It was makeup to hide that birthmark of his. He noticed my bewildered expression and realized what had happened. He stammered and I stopped him, assuring him that his secret would be safe with mine. Then he smiled, pleased at the friendship we created.
"Hey Kellin," Em called out. "How long are you gonna stare at that couscous? The movie's about to start!"
"Oh right," I stammered. I grabbed some more couscous and took a seat between Chris and Isabel. Quickly stuffing my mouth with the delicious couscous, I gave a snarl look at Chris when he winked at me and gestured me to look at Isabel. I rolled my eyes as the intro to Cars commenced. I definitely loved Pixar movies, especially the Cars series.
When the movie was finally done, Chris gasped at the window. "Whoa! Look at that view!" he exclaimed, walking up to it. He turned to me and continued, "You never told me you lived this close to the Empire State!"
I chuckled, "Well, it's not something I brag about."
I felt I was being dragged away and noticed Em pulling me out of the scenery. When we got near the bathroom, he pulled me in and whispered, "Alright, I don't know how to tell you this, but um…"
"Tell me what?" I asked. I started to get serious. "What did you do?"
Em stammered, twiddling with his fingers, "Well...uh…" Before he could continue, I heard Chris holler, "Hey, Kane! Where's your bathroom at?"
"Um right here!" I shouted back. I turned to Em and responded, "Whatever it is, it can wait."
I left and showed Chris to the hallway. When he entered, Em dragged me into our bedroom and muttered, "Do they know?"
"Know what?"
He growled out of frustration. "Do they know about Chris? About that incident?"
"No, they don't know that he's a wizard, but I'm keeping it a secret, and you should too!"
I tapped his head and he pouted at me. The bathroom opened and closed as Chris exited. I stayed close to Em and whispered, "Listen, I know this may seem too much to handle, but we gotta keep the confidentiality or else, I wouldn't know what to do!"
"Well, deal it yourself. They're your friends, not mine."
"Yeah," I sighed to myself, giving Em some breathing space as I backed away. In the living room, we heard the girls shout, "Whoa!" and Isabel exclaiming, "That is so cool!"
Both curious, we ran to the living room and saw the unthinkable: slowly spinning pillar similar to a log, crystalline in its features and distorting the view behind it by the use of his one finger, a smirking Chris presented, "And this is just the tip of the iceberg!"
He winked as the girls laughed at the pun. I noticed Em was laughing as well and I elbowed him in the gut. Chris saw us and gestured for us to join. As we neared, Isabel exclaimed, "Kellin, you never told us your friend could do that!"
Chuckling nervously, I stuttered, "Well, he is a man of many talents."
Bewildered at what had just occurred, I wanted to ask Chris what he had just done and Isabel noted, "I never knew you were a wizard!"
So just like that? We start spilling our secrets like it's nothing? Well, I guess I should break the ice about Em. Dropping his finger, the crystalline log returned to its original form: a glass of water. Just how was he able to do that? From transforming water into ice sculptures to fighting a talking, man-eating bush with the use of fire...just who was he?
Caryn, more excited now, turned to Isabel and urged, "Oh Isabel, you gotta tell them!"
Resisting the urge, Isabel protested, "Nah, I think I'm good."
Chris and I, anxious to know as well, shouted at the same time, "Oh come on, come on, come on! Tell us, tell us!"
Looking at me strange, Isabel asked me, "You didn't get my text?"
"What text?" I asked her. I then remembered yesterday when she texted me if she could ask me something. I left that room for Em and he told me nothing had happened...or did it? I slowly looked to Em, who was trying his best not to catch my eye. Was Em lying to me? If he did, then why?
I looked back at Isabel and responded, "I never got it. What did you want to ask me?"
As she started speaking, my mind started to lose its gravity on this reality. Her voice got distorted as my ears started hearing the shouts I made to halt my brother from going haywire on the streets. My eyes immediately panned to the racing lights I paced through as I rode to the bridge where it happened. Where my brother may have met his match and tried to be the hero...where I tried to help him and not be a bystander and...and...about ten feet below the bridge, the faded lighting showed her face. Who was that? Hanging onto the railing next to the grey hedgehog, her golden blonde ponytail hanging down her left shoulder…and she jumped off.
"Kellin?" a familiar voice called to me, but it was too late for me to come back. My vision went black and I fell into a deep slumber.
I couldn't recall how long I was out. I don't even know how I got out so quick. It was like I had no control, like I lost control and all I could do was fall. But this is not the first time it happened. I remembered it happening whenever we go to the Nites for a small gathering or that elementary school dance and everyone was getting it on. I opened my eyes to the sound of my name and my vision was very muggy. I thought I would have a headache, but it turns out, I didn't so it must've been one of my episodes. I was relieved to see Chris, Caryn and Isabel by my side. When I realized it, they immediately saw my sparked eyes and begged me to calm down. Chris reassured me, "Em is in the kitchen, making you something to eat. Relax, bro...are you okay?"
I made an effort to push myself on my bedhead and felt a huge rush of blood pressed against the front of my head. My eyes refocused and I examined their worried and shocked faces. It was like they've never seen me faint before, which was true. All except for Em and Wilma never experienced this type of episode before.
There was an awkward silence that surrounded the room. Caryn and Chris looked to Isabel and she nodded her head with a subtle affirmativeness. They left the room and it was just me and her. I think it had to do with what she was gonna tell me. She sat beside me and sighed. She looked to me and asked, "What was the last thing you remembered me saying?"
I thought back hard. It's pretty hard to grasp an entire footage of memory when your brain decides to collapse on you. I recalled, "You mentioned something about the bridge."
She nodded and she was waiting for me to finish, but I couldn't find the words to do so. She took the silence as an answer and explained in simple terms, "I saved you that night."
In disbelief, I repeated her statement in the form of a question. "You saved me?"
She nodded. I chuckled, almost laughing out of astonishment. However, she didn't smile. I remained silent as she continued, "I was the one who saved you at the bridge when Em saw you falling. I didn't know what happened at first. I was just chilling with my aunt and I felt you."
I cut her off. "You felt me?"
"It's not what you think! I'm not the girl you used to know!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Will you listen? There was a reason I went to Paris!"
"For what? To leave me behind with your obnoxious snoop of a friend?"
"I was training!"
I caught myself. I asked her slowly, "Training for what?"
She gulped in some air and looked down at herself. She looked up and back to me. She started, "I am not entirely human…"
Replaying that statement to myself, I remembered when Wilma revealed herself to me. Man, it was epic! She stood up to that Alpha wolf and transformed herself. She was ready to get in on it just to save us in the ring! Then that fight with Chris and that weird tree thing...and now Isabel…
Whoa, it's as if everywhere I go, I encounter another adventure that involves my closest people. Those adventures should teach me how valuable those people are to me and that I shouldn't take them for granted...especially those I haven't seen in a while. I caught myself and looked up at a concerned Isabel. Looked like she was spooked or afraid that I would reject her. I mean, I already freaked her out before and she already freaked me out about the truth. I asked her, "Does this change anything between us?"
She looked down and thought hard about that question. She looked up and responded, "I don't know if it should. I mean, I'm there if you want to do any sightseeing or need a lift above the traffic."
I cut her off to ask this trivial question. "If you could fly this whole time, then why have you been walking with us the whole time to school?"
Looks like she got caught red-handed for a crime as her fiery blue eyes seemed to take a jump back from the offense. She bit her lip and answered, "Because I wanted to. I wanted to have a normal life, without the strings of being a humagon and all."
"Huma-what?"
"Humagon, it's a hybrid of a human and a dragon...please don't ask me how the breeding works." We both laughed at the tidbit and managed to find ourselves on a level bridge. I'm glad to have this tiff settled out. I'm also glad to know that I have friends who will protect me no matter what, including Em.
She placed her hand upon mine and asked if we could go back to the living room. Avoiding the temptation of staying in solitary, I went along with her suggestion. There was no struggle to get out of bed and Em was already at the door with his "Kellin Episode" snacks. I felt all warm and cuddly inside knowing that I have support from my friends and my brother.
"Yay, you're alright, Kel!" Em squealed. "Come on! They're broadcasting a live news report right now!"
Ugh, not another news report! Lemme guess? Em wants to take the reigns? This weekend could not have gotten any more troubling than it could!