The days passed with exams filling my head until a strange message stirred my agitation. - ``Meet us at the tree, we used for our last talk, this evening, at 10 o'clock, OK, or too early?''
-``Us? 10h is fine. What's the matter? Finally up for a crush study?''
-``No! Just thought you might want to know some things.''
Several texts later I found my way to the college. It wasn't hard to find the same tree, since there were distinctive traces of us still there. My wait's tedium was broken by swift juggles over the branch. Using it as a balance beam. I had been siting still for so long with all the study, although most people would consider I hadn't been able to sit still.
I could never study on a desk, I had to have the whole floor so I could spread the papers and books and roll on my back, and fold and unfold my legs at will, toying with them constantly. If I had to stay still with my body, my mind would not concentrate. Nowadays it was even worst. I would stand on one leg and just stretch the other while my sight focused on the notes and book spread over my bed. Then I would close my eyes to think of what I read and instinctively my body would start moving, balancing and stretching and rotating and pushing my muscles to their limit as if I could better breath my brain with some form of slow exercise. I wasn't as bendy as my prey, or as dancing as Blondie, but still way better than the average human. Sometimes I would even notice the bed squeaking, a sign that my weight on my arms on its boards was too much. Then I would realize what I was doing, with my body upside down and turning vertically on its frame.
A noise made my body freeze, I had one leg on the branch, the other one ninety degrees upwards and a hand at either side holding the branch so I could stretch. With a small squeak of the branch, in a swift move my weight was on my arms, my legs joined in the air and a fast swing made me rotate so when my head passed the branch's height I folded on my belly forcing my legs to cross above the branch and I sat perfectly.
-``You there yet?'' - My Dark knight's sound and smell made my muscles relax. I was so entertained with the branch I didn't even notice them coming. Another wingman came with him, one I recognized only too well and so I froze again. Words wouldn't leave and bottled down my throat clogging the air way. - ``Brought you someone who knows a little more than I do.''
-``Do tell!'' - My wiped out voice betrayed my indifferent words.
-``There you are. I know you two already know each other.'' - Two pairs of bleached-out colored eyes met mine, one as unsettling as the other was smoothing.
-``Yes'' - Came out more of a shriek than an actual word.
-``Come down will you?''
-``Of' course.'' - But my gelid body would not obey. I wasn't afraid of him anymore! I knew how ordinary he was and I claimed my dreads a long time ago. So what was it, that revived this feeling? His eyes shooting right through me? his lips touched by the moonlight, revealing an indifferent expression? I finally jumped, though I felt like I was ending my life instead of greeting two colleagues..
-``I want to meet with your father.'' - Was all Bleach eyes said.
-``Why?'' - His bleach eyes glued on me, as though I was some danger to him.
-``Because he is the source!'' - His voice was as strong and cold I tried to forget.
-``I'll call him, but I don't know if he wants to meet. This wasn't suppose to be spread around like cheap gossip'' - I gave a hard look to my knight who lost his bossy figure. Still wide shoulders straight and full-chested he lowered his eyes, played with his foot and apologize.
-``Sorry! But if you want to know anything, he is way more in deep and he is wise enough not to make a bad choice.''
-``Whatever!'' - I called my father and asked him to meet with us. It didn't take too long, after I said a batman was here to share elite info, for him to find a way around the security at the entrance and our location.
-``So you boys are elite, hum? I remember it being more selective.'' - My father broke an uncomfortable silent, with a controlled laugh.
-``I beg your pardon sir, I assure you we are more than qualified.'' - The bleach eyes met him with defiant respect.
-``I'm sure you are the best your trainer could find. After all if what I heard is correct he restricts his options so much he is left with you guys.'' - Before there could be any retaliation he smiled. - ``But that is not what we are here for, anyway. Can you tell me anything more than what I already know?''
-``Depends on what you know!''
-``Let's skip to the part in which we actually become useful and help each other to understand what is going on'' - I didn't know what came over me, but this alpha mail rivalry was acutely démodé. - ``So far we know that your trainer has had some discussions in the council concerning the new government administration, that you are having extra training and that all therianthropes of age have been summoned to a meeting.''
-``We also know it is not the first time your trainer shows an affection for confront with humans, nor his dislike for their free lives. We know he has servants and would like to restore the world to its ``balance'' - having humans subjugate or die.'' - Turns out my father has been informing himself.
-``That is not true! Though he comes from an old traditional family and he himself has followers, he has never shown any signs of disdain for the fragile equilibrium of our worlds or shared ideas of expansionist idealism. What you are accusing him of is still considered legal in opposition to mutiny against the minister of the council.''
-``So how does he justify the extra training?''
-``He says we are lazy and need discipline to compensate the lack of training during the academic year.'' - my Dark Knight joined the fight with calm weighing, obviously still considering all this a misunderstanding.
-``Officially, but obviously something else is in his mind, or his training could wait for our vacations, instead of interfering with the exams.'' - Bleach Eyes surprised us all, gazing now at the half fool moon he took a deep breath and continued. - ``I recon you are more right than wrong, but that doesn't mean you aren't reading him faultily. He is a military man -between prudence and the responsibility of our world's defense he is incubated to think of our defense first. To suggest that that, however, implies a preemptive strike, and furthermore without the council's approval is beyond speculation. It is borderline defamation.'' - His vacant words took a little to sink in.
-``You don't think then that he is thinking of confronting the new president with our force?'' - My father's words were now wise and sensitive to this fragile subject.
-``As you know our trainer believes in appointing a freshman as his wingman, literally. This assures him of a faster connection and abidance of the new comers. This year that honor has fallen over me, and I can guarantee that there was no acceptance, during the council meetings, of such a strategy, nor has he referred at any time a will to go above their heads.'' - Bleach eyes body was frozen expressionless but his voice increased in pitch.
-``But I heard my trainer arguing with him, reminding him that acting in defiance to their decision would mean his expulsion of the college and maybe even jail.'' - I was lost, but his bleach eyes seemed too untouched by our feelings to ever resort to lies. His indifference was broken surely and his emotions were never skin-deep, but his lack of consideration for us should keep him from even considering lying.
``What you are saying is that considering the same facts as you, your trainer reached the same conclusion. How original of you dogs.'' - He didn't sound arrogant, just as though he didn't care. - ``Well, we have few days until the meeting and we will know for sure, I am sure it is nothing out of the ordinary. So I think I will be seeing you then.''
Bleach Eyes turned his back and left proud of his deed, as though he reached our doubts and showed us the light. I changed a condescending look with the pale dark skin barely visible under this light. - ``I don't really know what you were thinking, were you thinking?''
-``What? He was in his best! I don't know why, but he was as nice to your father as he is to our own trainer.'' - The Dark knight answered softly to my ear, with this dim light I don't think my father could even notice.
-``Do you want a lift home?'' - He looked imperatively at me untouched by his own free words.
-``Sure. You OK here?'' - I consulted with the sad eyes that watched me leave.
-``Sure.''
On the way home I could feel the air dry with silence. When we started to approach home my father decided to break the thrill and in a leap of faith he crushed the vacant words that were unsaid. - ``You're good friends with these two? They seem so much bigger than you.''
-``Naturally, the way they have been working out lately they will be bigger than Conan soon enough!'' - I mumbled interiorly and reorganized my thoughts in a polite answer. - ``Not really. The pale guy I only talked with once and the other I told you about him.''
-``Oh. Yes, indeed! The one who took you dancing?'' - He made a casual accusation and focused on the road, so I couldn't show my indignant face or read his.
-``It was a ball, I went alone and yes he ended up dancing once with me. He's a good guy, but I don't really like him that way, don't worry!''
-``What? I didn't... that's not what I meant!'' - An obvious smile reached the corner of his face I could actually see, that stained his innocent and offended words.
-``Of'course!'' - And I laughed. He continued talking, asking how were things going and what I thought of my classes... and the hardest one... what would I like to choose next year? But across the long row of houses I spotted our home and that made my spirit relax. ``You're Safe'' - I heard a sportish voice inside my mind.