A Place Worth Living

by B D Grant

  We take a right driving up to a building with, “Stage 2, Youth” written on it. Boston tells us it is for twelve through sixteen year olds. Anne gets off the cart with Boston’s instructions to meet a girl named Jennifer inside. I have a small urge to walk her inside. I won’t unless she asks me too.

  “See you around,” I tell her.

  “See ya,” she says over her shoulder walking toward the doors that other students are coming in and out of.

  I wasn’t expecting her to be so cool about having to leave Boston and I.

  We drive away and I find I’m a bit tense on my own with Boston or maybe it’s this school. The last year of high school was bad for me after the fight. The guy I punched was in the hospital for only one day and I was treated like a criminal. His parents threatened to have me arrested. They raised all kinds of hell for me to be expelled from school. The parents were just as big of jerks as their son was.

  The fight didn’t even happen on school grounds. We were at a party outside of city limits. I’d had enough of him. He bowed up to me like he did to other guys that night running his mouth thinking I wouldn’t do anything. I wasn’t going to either. I was turning around to leave when he tried to sucker punch me. His fist missed the side of my face, landing on the side of my neck. I don’t remember the rest but my buddies told the police that I just hit him once and he fell. They also said that some guys that no one knew at the party then starting taking turns kicking him while he was down until the fight was broken up. The guy had been trying to fight just about every dude there. I didn’t remember the randoms but that’s because there weren’t any uninvited guests. My friends made them up. I was told that he was out after the first blow but I had him around the collar not letting him go. My friends had to pull me off of him. At that point it didn’t matter how hard I worked at keeping my temper in check. I was treated like the plague. These people won’t know my past so I’ll be treated like everyone else. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

  The next building we come to after passing a big courtyard full of students walking to different buildings is mine. “This is where you and I live,” Boston points at the sign saying “Early Adulthood”. Written in smaller print below it is, “Stage Three” in front of the building.

  Off a short distance from the Stage Two and Three buildings are smaller townhouses. “Who are those for?”

  “That’s faculty housing. They’re mostly around the stage buildings to keep an eye on us. The rest are scattered throughout campus.”

  “So everyone lives here? What about their families?”

  “The instructors come and go. Students get out when parents request it.”

  Boston doesn’t stop the cart at our building.

  “Are we not stopping?”

  “Since we’re pals I figured I’ll show you the whole place. Guys normally do better having a heads up about the field.”

  “What field?”

  “You’re about to see.”

  We drive past the activity center. There is a large pool inside. I can see little kids taking turns jumping in the water and splashing the other kids waiting for their turn to jump in. An adult blows a whistle, pointing at the kids, ending the splashing until she returns to a younger group practicing their floating. The next kids jump in and start the splash war all over again.

  We head over a tall hill past the Activity Center.

  “So you were a good football player back home, right?”

  How did he know I played? “Yeah, who told you?”

  “Come on, you’re six feet tall. Your bicep is the size of a five-year-old’s head.”

  I can hear a football game going on before the football field unfolds in front of us as we get to the top of the hill. We drive up to it.

  “Now we probably play a little different then what you’re used to,” he stops the cart behind the gate surrounding the bleachers.

  I reach for my things. He stops me, “Leave your bag we’re just going to watch for a minute.”

  I follow him through the gate, and around the side of the bleachers to a smaller gate surrounding the field. From the looks of it there is a game going on between varsity and junior varsity. Some students are hanging out around the inner gate closer to the team. Two cute girls are among the students. One of them has long legs and brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. The other one is blonde which I like normally, but I can’t take my eyes off the brunette. Boston elbows me in the side. He’s lucky I’m working on my temper or I would’ve given him a nice bruise.

  “Focus. This is the good part.”

  The crash of hard plastic and bodies draw my attention to the field. The varsity isn’t wearing the gear the junior varsity is wearing. In fact, the bigger guys are barely wearing any padding really. “Why did the coaches not let varsity pad up?”

  “Varsity?” He looks at me confused. “Oh, you mean the guys your size. No, we don’t have a varsity team just the Dyna team and the rest of us non-Dyna on the other team. Everyone on the field is the same age.”

  The ball is snapped and ends in a small guy’s hands. He looks horrified running only a few feet before three guys tackle him.

  “What was that?!” A coach on the side screams. “Mase get off of him!” He walks out on the field as the last guy, Mase takes his time getting up with the football in his hand. The coach picks the small guy up. “You didn’t even try! Are you going to be worthless your whole life?” The guy looks down, not responding. “Get off my field!”

  The small guy retreats to the bench and I see him smile real big at the next guy walking up to take his place on the field.

  “Good job Mase!” The brunette says from the gate.

  “Mase is the boyfriend I’m guessing.”

  “Nope, he’s her brother so take my word for it when I say she is not worth it.”

  A time-out is called by the smaller team.

  “So why are Dyna not playing against other Dyna?” I ask.

  Boston leans in closer to me. “It would make sense right, but they only play against students their age. Occasionally there will be some pretty athletic players that aren’t Dynamar but when you’re on a team of guys half the size of the opposition athleticism only goes so far. The idea behind them putting Dyna verse everyone else is so we will use our abilities to win.”

  “Does that ever work?” I ask.

  Another small guy gets tackled who wasn’t even close to the action. Boston nods at what just happened, “The guy they tackled without the ball is the strongest Tempero on the team. He’s gotten good enough he can alter the entire opposition at one time but it alters his team too so he gets tackled a lot.”

  “He alters them?”

  “Yeah, their mood just like the Temp coaches get everyone hyped up. If you pay attention to the game and not the girls you would catch that.”

  There are more coaches around the field than a normal high school practice would have. Watching the body language of both teams seem just like any other game I’ve ever played. They are pumped up, talking trash to the opposing team then the ball is in play, the big guys tackle the little ones. Then I see it, the flip in their demeanor when the play is done. They relax and catch their breath huddling to map out the next play. The relaxing part is off. When you finish a race your body is still feeding you adrenaline. You don’t instantly calm down. You take it easy and slow down, but you are still in that state of mind. These guys have completely flipped the switch. They become animals and then chill. “I think I see what you mean by altering.”

  “Just wait until you’re in it. They can make you feel invincible if they want to.”

  Another tackle and this time someone cries out in pain.

  “Most of the time they don’t though.” He adds.

  Two coaches have to help the player off the field. Boston waves at him as he limps off the field with coaches on either side of him. The guy nods back at him. He gets checked out on the side lines.

  “Come on there’s still more to see.�
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  When I turn to leave I make eye contact with the brunette, “Hold on a second.”

  “Did you not hear what I said about her? Not worth it, Man.”

  “I’m not going to talk to the brunette.”

  I walk up to the girls. They stop talking to each other to look at me.

  “Can I help you?” The brunette says in an annoyed voice.

  This is far from my first interaction with a hot chick and by the time I’m done she’ll be begging for my number. Another time-out is called on the field. I look at the brunette like she’s the one walking up to me uninvited, “I was just going to introduce myself to your friend.” She wasn’t expecting that. She’s used to being the one getting the attention, just like I thought. I take advantage of her sudden lack for words and step around her to the blonde. I offer my hand to her, “I’m Kelly. I’m new here.”

  She looks between the brunette and me smiling like she just won something. “Lena,” she says shaking my hand, “And this is my best friend, Abby.”

  Abby has her arms crossed so shaking her hand is out of the question. I’m fine with that.

  Boston starts backing away from us, “Tell your new friends bye, Kelly. We need to go.” He is watching something on the field while moving toward the exit.

  I see who he’s looking at when Mase joins us. With the tight football armor he has on I know he isn’t bigger then me. He takes his helmet off and looks slightly taller then me but if he cut his hair as short as mine we’d be the same height. I think he would be more of my ugly twin though with the acne scares on his cheeks. My ugly twin doesn’t look very happy either.

  “Is this guy bothering you?” He asks Abby.

  Abby’s irritated look becomes a smug smile. She strolls over to him, “Who, this guy? No, he wanted to meet Lena.”

  He looks just as mad about me not talking to his sister as he did when he thought I was talking to her. He gets as close to me as he can on the other side of the short fence. If there wasn’t a fence separating the football field from the bleachers he would be in my face right now.

  “Is that true?”

  “I’m just being friendly.”

  He grabs the aluminum pole with both hands that runs down the top of the fence. I recognize his tense stance. He’s trying to look like he doesn’t want to kill me but I have the same look when I’m trying to control the anger bubbling up.

  “No,” he grumbles.

  “No?”

  I’m not scared of him, even with his knuckles turning white from the pressure he’s pressing on the pole. I take a step forward, “You’re telling me I can’t make friends?”

  Boston gets between us, “Mase, my man, this guy is harmless. He just got here and I’m still teaching him how things work around here.”

  Mase breaks eye contact with me to glare at Boston, “So you’re admitting to being the reason this idiot is hitting on my cousin?”

  Boston gets shaky but sticks his chest out some when I clear my throat, “I’m only showing him around, chill out.”

  “His cousin? Thanks for the heads up,” I whisper in Boston’s ear.

  Boston gets closer to me and farther from Mase, “You didn’t give me a chance, Romeo.”

  Lena joins Abby and Mase by the fence saying sweetly, “I appreciate your concern but I was just about to tell him about my big cousin and his amazing gift—”

  “Flattery doesn’t do anything to Mase when he gets like this,” Abby tells her.

  “I’m not trying to flatter, let me finish.” She looks at Mase, “You have the amazing gift of running off any cute guy showing any remote interest. Abby might be okay with this over-protectiveness because she gets so much attention that you couldn’t possibly halt every attempt, but I don’t, you big donkey. If I ever need your help it will be unmistakable because I will yell it loud enough for the deaf to hear.” Lena turns around and stomps off the football field.

  Abby rolls her eyes. A coach calls for Mase. The time-out is over.

  Boston steps back, “We are leaving now.”

  “We aren’t finished with this, New Guy,” Mase says jogging back.

  There are two indentions on the fence where he was gripping it. I wonder if I could do that. The ball is thrown and Mase collides with a player on the opposing team. The poor guy flies back before connecting with the ground. He limps back to the sidelines. The non-Dynamar team is dropping like flies.

  “Can we get out of here already, that guy isn’t someone you want as an enemy?” Boston says heading for the golf cart.

  “You two should stay,” Abby calls after us as she watches the game. “This is the best he’s played all week.”

  With a good looking girl like Abby talking to me I can’t help but pause. “I know you just want to spend more time with me but I don’t feel like beating your brother up today.”

  “Whatever,” she says with another eye roll.

  “Let’s go, Kelly or I’m leaving without you.”

  I reluctantly follow.

  “Bye New Guy,” Abby says sweetly as I walk away.

  I give her a weak wave without turning. I’d say give her a week before she starts popping up everywhere I am.

  Boston is at the golf cart when I walk around the bleachers. Lena didn’t really storm off. She is out of sight from the field, on the other side of the gate surrounding the bleachers, searching through her purse for something. “You’re welcome,” she says when I walk past her.

  “What was that?” I ask.

  She takes a pen out of her purse, “You were about to get your teeth handed to you before I stepped in.” She writes something quickly down on a folded piece of paper.

  Boston gives me an ugly look from the golf cart when I stop.

  “I can handle your cousin, but it’s nice to know you care. A beautiful girl like you should have a guy protecting her from the world not the other way around.”

  Abby appears by the bleachers, no doubt coming to look for Lena.

  “Now that you mention it I am a little shaken from that confrontation,” she says sarcastically. “Will you hold me just for a minute?”

  I move toward her with my arms open. I’m better then I thought.

  She laughs and holds her hands out in front of her stopping my advance, then she hands me the paper, “If you some how make it to Valor status then you can use this. If you don’t make it to the top then don’t waste my time.”

  Shut down. It hits my ego hard. I wasn’t expecting that. I should’ve with how easy that was. She meets Abby at the bleachers and they go back to watch the game. I regain my composure and get in the cart. The cool composure I’m trying to portrait to Boston isn’t too convincing.

  “Women are heartless my friend,” He explains in a sympathetic tone.

  “I don’t know what you think you just saw but she likes me.”

  I hold the paper out so he can see what she gave me. He takes it from me, unfolds it, and looks it over. “She gave you her schedule?” He gives it back to me, “How?”

  “She couldn’t resist my animal magnetism.”

  We drive past the other side of the football field bringing us down the opposite side of the oval-shaped campus. I tell Boston how I plan on getting Abby and how flirting with Lena is a necessary step. We go by the pool where the kids are more orderly than before with more adults present.

  “Seriously, you had to have said some kind of magic pick-up line for her to give you this.”

  “I’m a nice guy,” I tell him.

  “No, I am a nice guy. You’re a jock with chiseled features, but even that isn’t enough for these girls to give you, a stranger, that,” he says motioning to the paper in my hand. Ahead of us, there is a playground full of shrieking kids running around.

  “She did say something about being on top,” I say giving him a coy smile.

  “Now that makes sense!” He says relaxing.

  He drops the subject and goes back to being the tour guide pointing to the playground connected
to the Early Childhood, Stage One building. The building looks like a big, two story daycare. Classes walk to and from the building in straight lines. I’m sure the first in line are the teachers’ pets with how well they are listening compared to the rest of them. Once they get to the playground mania ensues. The teachers walk the border or sit on the benches. Boston points out the kids whom’s abilities are already apparent. Some kids look out of place being so big compared to the others so he doesn’t have to tell me they are little Dynas. They are the ones fighting over who gets to sit at the top of the jungle gym. When the one sitting on top isn’t looking the other kid shoves him. He tumbles all the way down and looks up in the teacher’s direction but she isn’t paying attention. He hits the ground with his hand then gets to his feet. He doesn’t waste any time hitting his playmate as soon as he gets back on top the jungle gym.

  We drive around the backside of the kid’s building. Boston explains that this was the first structure they built followed by the courtyard in the middle. Teacher housings are scattered around here like at the stage 2 and 3 buildings. The woods are about twenty yards from the back of this building. I do a double take of the woods. Something is out of place. The trees are dense behind the building but I can see though it enough that it stops at a prison style fence that curls towards us at the top. The woods start again on the other side of the fence.

  “What’s with the fence? Are they worried the little kids will run away?” I ask, looking at the fence.

  To have a fence around the football field is normal but this is different. Boston slows down, “That was put up before construction began to protect the buildings from the people that burned down the first one.”

  “That fence works more to keep people in then to stop arsonists from getting in.” “They weren’t just arsonists it was people like us. They moved the school way out here to hide it from the Seraphim that infiltrated the last one and destroyed it. Some have said it started because there was an issue about the lack of equality in ability advancement. Which is crazy because no one advances at the same speed or has the same drive to achieve those advancements.