Slideways

by Jeffrey Grode

  GranPat took the laser tube from Mom. “Let’s have a look.” He went up the stairs with Joanie at his back.

  Chapter 50

  Months later, Ben leapt from the turf of Grover Cleveland High’s football field. Dirt and grass clung to his cleats. His hands wrapped around the brown leather ball as it descended over his right shoulder. A blind hit from the safety jarred his momentum and rolled him to a stop at the forty-five yard line, but with the football tucked safely against his stomach.

  Bouncing to his feet, he tossed the ball to the referee. The Friday night football lights showered the players and the field creating a multiplicity of shadows. First down. Ben sprinted back to the sideline.

  “Nice job, jumping Bean.” Vince knocked his helmet against Ben’s. “For a rookie.”

  “Thanks, Big Dude.”

  Brando thumped Ben’s shoulder pad and smiled. Brandon’s left eye held a splash of red from a broken blood vessel. “Great catch, Benzo.”

  Ben grinned. He scanned the crowd for his homecoming date. Lori waved to him, pom-poms shaking in the wind, and beautiful as ever. He waved back. Still looking . . . He spotted her halfway up the stands and his smile broadened.

  Trudy cupped her hands near her mouth and bellowed, “Beeaaannnnn!”

  Rouge stood next to her sister with her arms open to the crowd. “Bean on three!” she called. “One, two, three—”

  “BBBBBEEEAAANNNNN.”

  Ben laughed. He hadn’t made running back, but loved playing wide receiver.

  “Nice job, Fuller.” Coach said in his gravelly voice. “You’re back out next play. Get us another first down.” Coach spun him around and he flew back onto the field. This one’s for Jack. “Yeehaw!”

  Saturday morning, Ben sat at the breakfast table with his family and chewed on a mouthful of bacon. The salty taste made his mouth water.

  “Please pass the biscuits,” Dad said.

  Ben’s mind shifted to the touchdown pass he’d caught last night after the opposing defense reverted to man-to-man coverage. He’d broken free with a double move on the go route. Finally. He had practiced Tiger-GO/R all week and it paid off.

  Mom tossed a fluffy biscuit high enough where Dad needed both hands to make the snag.

  She clapped and laughed. Her eyes were bright and beautiful.

  Dad winked at her. “Still have good hands.”

  “More bacon?” Mom offered the plate to Ben, but his mind had flown elsewhere. Her left eyebrow rose. “If you swallowed a goldfish, you best spit it out.”

  He smirked and picked two thick pieces. “Just thinking about Jack.”

  “From Terra?” Mom wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin; her eyes intent on Ben’s words.

  “No. Our Jack. I wish he could have been at the game last night.”

  Mom blinked. “Me too. I hope somehow, somewhere, Jack might be watching. He loved you very much you know.”

  “So do we,” Dad said. “We’re very proud of you.”

  Mom nodded. “Yes we are.”

  “Thanks. Love you guys too.” Ben knew they’d seen a counselor together. They never told him, but he googled the doctor’s name he’d seen on her kitchen calendar. Better now, their laughter made a silent house sing.

  “Ready for homecoming tonight?” Mom took a sip of coffee. “Ms. Dora and I have been working on Trudy’s dress. It’ll match your tux. Oh. Don’t forget to pick up her corsage.”

  “Don’t worry so much.” Ben rolled his eyes in mock vexation. “Hey, Dad. Okay if I drive the Mustang? Don’t think Jack would want it to sit all covered up in the garage tonight. What do you say?”

  Dad took a slow breath as his eyes settled upon Ben. “I’m sure Jack would want you to have the car. It’s all yours, if you promise to drive safely and keep it in good condition.”

  “You know I will!”

  “Good. I’ve already pulled the tarp and tuned her up. After breakfast we can take her out for a run.” Dad glanced at Mom and raised an eyebrow.

  She smiled. “Let’s put the top down.”

  Trudy and Ben finished a slow dance in Grover Cleveland’s gymnasium. The light’s dimmed low and the air smelled like a musky floral funk of perfume and sweat. He sat in a chair along the tiled wall near the exit, while Trudy and Charmaine ran across the dance floor to request a song.

  The DJ fired up a Bon Jovi song. This ain’t a song for the broken-hearted . . . The dance floor filled. Ben closed his eyes for a minute, and took a breath.

  “Hey, Benzo,” said a familiar voice.

  Ben opened his eyes and swallowed. “Lori.” She wore a pink dress with a purple orchid corsage. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks.” Her eyes shone. “Hope you saved a dance for me.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Ah—”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve already cleared it with Brandon and Trudy.”

  He smiled. “Cool. This might sound kinda stupid, but I’ve always–”

  “Wanted to dance with me?” Her right eyebrow rose as she held out her hand.

  Ben blushed.

  As ‘It’s My Life’ reverberated in the gym, the student body crowded the dance floor and sang along. “It’s now or never, I ain’t gonna live forever, I just want to live while I’m alive.”

  Ben stood and took her hand.

  My heart is like an open highway . . .

  Lori grinned as she pulled him into the throng. “Just try to keep up.”

  He danced, jumped, and swayed with Lori as she and the students belted the lyrics. As Trudy and Charmaine danced nearby in the crowd, a sadness seeped into his chest. What? Oh. He liked his girlfriend, Trudy, and Terra’s Ruth even more, but he loved Lori. Always had. He knew she loved him as a friend, and always would. He smiled and realized he’d changed.

  Last summer, he’d grown stronger and more capable to handle almost anything- with the right help. He’d figured out how to use portal technology, and when to destroy it, even though it meant never seeing Jack again. His family and his friends had helped save Earth from destruction by Erde. He’d also learned how much his mother loved him, enough to risk her life to save his.

  Mom, though still healing, could now talk about Jack’s death.

  Ben’s choice to bring Jack’s doppelganger home had helped her move beyond her sadness. Mine too. Sometimes it wasn’t easy for him to admit, or accept, that people were proud of him, or that he deserved their praise, but he was healing too.

  Lori smiled as she danced and he smiled back. He could be happy despite not getting everything he wanted, which was sometimes a blessing in itself. He worked harder than ever in school and kept his eyes on a scholarship. I’m on track.

  Ben hopped up and down with the crowd, his arms in the air, and sang “Better stand tall when they're calling you out. Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down.” He felt blessed to have such good friends and to have survived the summer. Life was good.

  The weather grew warm and sunny for a Sunday afternoon in October. Ben parked the Mustang convertible in front of the house and hopped out without using the door. When his feet hit the pavement, his ribs ached, but he smiled through the pain.

  Cranberry High’s linebacker had rocked him in the end zone on the last play of the game. He’d flipped through the air, but hung onto the ball. GC won twenty-one to nineteen and his ribs would heal.

  “Mom, Dad, I’m home.” Ben called into the once silent house.

  “Come in.” Mom called. “We have company.”

  Ben smelled corn beef and cabbage. “GranPat?” He walked around the corner, into the dining room, and stopped cold. Mom, Dad, GranPat, and Albert sat at the table.

  “Hello, Ben. Good to see you.” Albert smiled. His color had returned and he looked more like GranPat’s twin brother.

  “Oh, my God!” Ben shook hands with Albert. “How’d you get here?”

  Albert swallowed and wiped his mouth with a white cloth napkin. “Courtesy of your grandfather who reconstructed a portal device fr
om the diagrams I’d left him. He crossed over yesterday to return Bootsie, and asked us to visit here for Sunday dinner. So here we are.”

  We? Ben saw his unused table setting, plus two more used settings with empty chairs. Ben looked at GranPat, his eyebrows raised. “Where’s—”

  “Jack? I’m right here, football hero.” Jack laughed as he entered the room from the kitchen. Kipper followed.

  “Jack!” Ben gave him a hug. “Thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Good to see you too, Bro. Wasn’t sure what happened after we lost contact.”

  Ben sighed. “Sorry. I smashed the watch . . . on purpose.”

  “I don’t blame you. GranPat told us about the battle with Erde. I might have done the same thing.”

  “How’s your Mom?” Ben’s voice quavered.

  “Much better. Thanks. She wants you to visit.”

  “I can visit Terra?” Ben beamed.

  “You’ll need this, but keep it secret.” GranPat handed him a large silver medallion on a chain. “I made a few design changes. Albert and I each have one.”

  “Me too,” Jack said.

  “Cool,” Ben grinned.

  Mom smiled and glanced over her shoulder as footsteps approached from the kitchen.

  “Hello, Ben,” said an older woman. She set a tray on the table with seven servings of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.

  “Grandma Betsy.” Ben hugged her.

  “So nice to see you again.”

  Mom’s eyes glistened, and she never looked happier. She fixed Ben a plate of food, while GranPat told his story.

  “After the Erde incursion, everythin’ went helter-skelter. Me property had become a war zone and an environmental hazard. The authorities wanted to put us in jail. FBI’s Agent Miller wanted to prosecute us for kidnappin’, breakin’ and enterin’, aidin’ and abettin’ escaped prisoners, weapons charges, and assaultin’ federal officers. Luckily, Phylo Caliban wanted me help with their detection equipment. He gave us immunity from prosecution, so long as we swore not to speak to anyone about portals.”

  “Agent Miller survived?” Ben shook his head. “No one told me.”

  “The National Guard found him half-buried under a metal desk. His eardrums were ruptured, but the old metal desk had saved his life. He’s recovered and back to work. The National Guard’s Colonel Armstrong? Not so lucky.”

  GranPat sat silent for a moment. “In order to get immunity, I had to ante-up. I traded the S46 solar chip for our freedom. Besides, Earth needed the solar technology for our environment. Thank you, Albert, for sharin’.”

  “What’s mine is yours.” Albert said. A cold look passed from Albert to Patrick for the briefest moment.

  Ben tilted his head. What’s that about?

  GranPat swallowed. “For now, I’m helpin’ Homeland determine if Erde had sent anythin’ else through the Carmichael portal. I’m also examinin’ their laser and robotic technology. I agreed to help as long as they didn’t ask for me beacon technology. They understand the danger.”

  “Congratulations are in order for everyone here.” Grandma Betsy beamed at Patty. “I hear you’re a good shot with a laser rifle.”

  “The best.” Dad said, and smiled.

  Mom grinned. “We’re all blessed to be survivors, but we might not be here if it wasn’t for Ben.” She lifted her glass toward him. “To my wonderful son.”

  Ben saw the pride in his parent’s eyes and raised his glass.

  “Hear! Hear!” GranPat said. Everyone clinked glasses and drank.

  After dinner, Ben and Jack went for a ride in the Mustang. Jack drove. Ben knew he’d always miss his real brother, but spending time with this Jack made him happy.

  Jack wound through the gears as they zipped down the highway. “You have to visit me at Pitt.” His brown hair flapped in the wind. “My friends on Terra keep asking about you.”

  “Who?” Ben sat up straight in the car.

  “Ruth, for one.” Jack downshifted and slowed for the railroad crossing, despite the dormant signal lights.

  A slow smile spread across Ben’s face as he remembered her eyes. “Ruth?” She had cared about him, despite how much he’d disliked himself. “I thought I’d never be able to see her again.”

  Jack glanced at him. “You can now.”

  “I know.” Ben’s face grew serious. “I want to see her again, but I’m dating Trudy here on Earth. I don’t want to be a jerk.”

  “Naw. Don’t worry so much. Just treat everyone the way you’d want to be treated, and the rest will sort itself out. Besides, you can never have enough friends.”

  Ben’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m really glad to hang out with you. I’ve felt guilty all this time about Jack’s death, but now that you’re here, I feel like I have a second chance. Is that wrong?”

  Jack slowed the car. “No, I feel the same way. You think our brothers would forgive us for being survivors?”

  Bad memories had haunted Ben since the accident and he’d carried them inside himself like a stomach full of thorns. Could he just wish them gone? No, but his real brother had given his life to save him. There was no greater act of love. “Yes. I do.”

  “Good.” Jack glanced at Ben. “Bad things happen, and even though they can rock our world, we need to keep breathing and live our best lives. What do you think?”

  “I think we’re going to be okay.” Ben leaned back into his chair and felt the wind wash over his face. He might not be able to let go of all the bad memories, but he could live a good life and still make Jack proud.

  THE END

  Look for SLIPTIME,

  A Brothers of the Multiverse Series,

  Book 2, in 2018.

  About the Author

  Jeff Grode grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, currently resides on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and knows his way around a kayak, horses, and a good story. A lifelong fan of reading science fiction, fantasy, and spy novels, he found a love for creative writing.