by Imogen Rose
“Half an hour,” I said firmly.
He pursed his lips and stopped to speak to Gramadea on his way out. Dr. Fox and a lady I didn’t recognize walked out with him.
As soon as he left, Ali, Maria, and Kellan came over to the bedside. The new girl hung back with David.
“Hey, how are you holding up, Shrimp?” Kellan ran his fingers up my back.
I stopped playing the guitar. That felt weird; I squirmed a little. He immediately stopped and drew back, his face a mass of confusion. Ali put her hand on his shoulder, patting it. What? Were they going out now? I felt a strange twinge of disappointment wash over me. What was that all about?
“I’m fine, Kell. Worried sick, of course.” I remembered the strange conversation I’d had with him and David before I was taken. He’d told me that I had lost a year. I hadn’t been in a coma like Mom, but I did have memory loss, memory that I needed to recall. But how?
“It’ll be fine.” Maria took the guitar and set it back down by the bed. “Look, we haven’t got much time with you. I’m guessing they’re going to take you somewhere safe. So, tell us what happened to you. Please. We’ve been worried sick.”
The new girl and David moved closer when I started recounting my story. Not sure she could be trusted, I decided to be vague.
“Stan, eh?” Kellan nodded knowingly. “Gramadea thought the Sigma-W-Pi were involved somehow. That’s why they sequestered Harry and Ella. I wonder why they’d help Raj. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Unless Stan has the hots for Simla,” Maria joked.
Stunned, I looked over at David. “Could that be possible?”
He shrugged. “It’s possible. We don’t know what Simla was up to during her time with Potomal. Or how much time she got to spend with Stan.”
“Stan did explain some of this to me, but could you tell me exactly who Potomal is?”
Before David could respond, Dad came back in with Gramadea, Dr. Fox, the lady from before, and a new man I didn’t know.
“Arizona, thanks. I needed a break from this stuffy room. We went outside; the fresh air did me a world of good. I feel refreshed. Now, you need to go. Gramadea is going to take you to where Harry and Ella are. She’ll bring you back for a visit soon. David’s going with you.”
“So am I.” Kellan’s lips drew into a firm line.
“I can only transport two of you at the moment. I’ll come back for you, Kellan,” Gramadea said.
“Actually, may I head back home?” David interjected. I felt a lump in my throat. I didn’t want him to go, but he must be worried sick about his dad. “Poppet, you understand, right?”
I nodded, fighting back tears. He came over and gave me a hug. I held onto his hand once he released me.
“Is that okay?” he asked Gramadea.
“It’s fine with me, but it’s up to Constance. Go seek her permission. Arizona will be fine with me. There is no need for Constance to worry about her any further.”
He turned around and kissed my forehead. “Later, Poppet. I promise I’ll be back to see you soon.” He turned and walked out the door, and the tears that I had fought to restrain escaped and ran down my cheek.
“Arizona, it’s going to be fine.” Ali put her arm around my shoulder. “We’ll hopefully see you tomorrow.”
“Come here.” Dad pulled me in for a hug. “I have a lot of questions for you, but they’ll have to wait. As long as you’re okay?”
I nodded.
“All right, come with me,” Gramadea said. “This is Morten.” She pointed at the man who’d come in with her.
I kissed Mom’s forehead and then followed them out with Kellan beside me. We walked down the corridor to a quiet enclave, and then Gramadea put her hands on my shoulders. I felt the same sensations as when I had been transported to Raj. My eyes were forced shut, but I could feel a glow through my lids. After what seemed like ages, my feet finally touched a solid surface again. I gingerly found my balance and let go of Gramadea.
“Arizona!” Ella shrieked and threw herself at me.
I caught her and started to twirl her–well… I tried. Boy, she was heavy! I put her down and couldn’t believe my eyes. “Wow. You’ve really grown! I didn’t notice that before.”
“You silly! I haven’t grown any. I just look taller with this tiara on.”
Magnificent as the tiara was, it didn’t account for her growth. A year of growth. I had missed a year of her life. What had she been up to?
“Arizona!” Harry lifted me up into a bear hug. He looked a bit different, too. He hadn’t grown bigger or anything, but his hair was different, and there was something else, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Arizona, will you come swimming with me and Alexa?” Ella pointed to a gothic-looking girl.
“Hi, Alexa. I am Arizona, Ella’s big sis.”
Alexa smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ella’s babysi–”
“Alexa is my friend.” Ella’s mouth was set in a determined line.
I had to smile; she’d always had a thing about being babysat. I needed answers, but I decided that Ella needed my attention. The questions could wait a while longer. “You coming, Harry? You, too, Kellan,” I added.
“They will in a while,” Gramadea said. “I need them to help me with something first. You and Ella go ahead. Have fun. Ella, shall I keep the tiara safe while you swim?”
She took it off and handed it to Gramadea before taking my hand and leading me outside.
~
“She doesn’t even remember!” Kellan paced the floor, shaking his head from side to side.
They–Kellan, Harry, and Amadea–were assembled in Spencer’s study.
“Kellan, I know how difficult this must be for you, but you’ll just have to give her time. I’m bringing Gertrude back for a visit. I’m hoping that it might spur her on to recall some of what’s happened.”
“What if she just goes back to being Arizona Stevens again? And then when Gertrude leaves, she transforms back again? We can’t be messing with her life like that,” Harry interjected.
Gramadea sighed. “I can’t predict what will happen. I don’t know what to do.”
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with her being back to her normal self,” Harry said. “Yeah, she lost a year, and a lot’s happened. Maybe she’ll remember stuff eventually, or maybe not. In that case, she’s back to being herself and, even though it’ll be tough, we can help her.”
“But I’ll have lost my Arizona,” Kellan protested.
“Maybe, but remember she’s the same person. She’s the girl you fell in love with, the girl who played hockey. Some of that stuff might come back again when we tell her what’s happened.”
“I don’t want you to tell her about us,” Kellan muttered.
“Why not?”
“I want her to find her own way back to me.”
~
“So, Gramadea told me that you can’t remember anything that’s happened since last October.” Ella handed me a swimsuit.
“Apparently.” I took the green bikini from her.
“Nothing at all?”
“Looks that way. Where are we?”
“Oh, at Gramadea and Granddad’s house in London.”
“London? Granddad?”
“Wow, you really don’t remember, do you?”
I shook my head. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“I will, but let’s get in the pool.”
“Ella, I’m gonna get Tallulah. She might want to swim, too,” Alexa said.
“Good idea, we’ll meet you in the pool.”
I followed Ella and, bracing myself for the cold, dove into the water. If we were in London, the water would be freezing. I was wrong. It was nice and warm, bordering on hot. We swam up and down the length of the pool splashing each other whenever we came to the ends. I let her swim ahead of me so I could watch her. She even swam differently from what I remembered, more gracefully, taking each stroke like a ballerina.
�
��Come on!” she yelled when she got to the end.
I swam to her and dunked her. Alexa arrived with the puppy as Ella recovered, and gently stepped into the water holding her.
“Aww, come here, Tallulah.” Ella reached for her. The puppy scrambled over to her from Alexa’s hands, carefully avoiding the water. “Let’s teach her to swim.”
“She may not be ready for that, quite yet,” Alexa suggested. “Just dip her paws in to wet them a bit, then maybe once she gets used to the water, in a few days, we could try to dip her in a bit more.”
“But she loves having baths!” Ella protested. “She swims in the bathwater.”
Alexa looked uncertain. “What do you think, Arizona?”
What did I think? Nothing. But I guessed Ella was right. It seemed to be her dog, but it was just a puppy, so she couldn’t have had her long. “I’m not sure. I guess it’ll be okay if she’s already had the puppy in the bath. I’ll help you, Ella. Let’s do it together.” I supported the puppy by putting my hands around her belly and gently lowering her into the water. Ella was holding her front paws, splashing them in the water. The puppy suddenly wriggled with such force that I was taken by surprise and inadvertently loosened my hold. She dove into the water and paddled off, her little paws going like fans. It was hysterical to watch, and we all burst into laughter.
“What is that?” Kellan gaped at the funny lump paddling manically through the water.
“It’s Tallulah! See? I told you she loves the water.”
Kellan and Harry lifted off their t-shirts and jumped in beside us, their eyes fixed on the puppy.
“Wow, that really is something.” Kellan laughed, coming closer to me. I felt strange again, with a weird urge to touch him. What? I moved away from him, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, but he noticed.
“What’s the matter?” He looked decidedly annoyed. “Do I smell or something?”
“No!” I said hastily. “I thought I stepped on something sharp.”
He didn’t look convinced. What was the matter with me? Kellan and I were very close, practically brother and sister.
I didn’t exactly remember how Kellan and I met. Mom and Kellan’s dad, Larry, were best friends, and had been for the longest time. Larry traveled to Mountain View with Ella, Grandma, and me. Kellan had been there, too. That whole journey was very vague in my mind. I had left those memories behind when I came to Mountain View. I had buried all the dark images of those times, the nights I had lain awake crying, listening to my parents fight. I had seen the escape through the portal as my salvation. I hadn’t known exactly what it was at the time, but it was an escape, an escape into normality. And Kellan had been a part of that.
He had become my brother’s instant best buddy. He had also grown very close to Ella. He was my confidant. I told him everything, even about my crushes. His mother had died before I met him, so my mom took him under her wing. Our two families did everything together. He had my back. Always. Even when we fought, I knew that I could rely on that.
Something had changed between us. It was probably me, since he seemed like his usual self, though confused as to why I was being so distant. Why was I? I looked up and smiled at him. His instant grin reassured me that I was just being silly, so I swam over and gave him a hug like I normally would.
As soon as my wet skin made contact with his, I felt like a surge of electricity soared between us. I trembled, loosening my grip before I totally embarrassed myself. I turned and dove into the water. “Catch me if you can, Ella!” I swam away as fast as I could. She caught up with me in no time, and I clambered out of the pool. “I’m wiped. Later, guys.”
I walked back into the house after bundling my clothes from the pool house. Then I realized that I had no idea where to go. I decided to try and find a guest bedroom where I could shower and change. I walked up the curved two-story stairway and then down the hallway.
“Arizona! Are you all done with your swim?” Gramadea asked, closing a door behind her.
“Yes. I thought I might take a nap. I’m wiped.”
“That’s a good idea. You must be tired out from all of your traveling. I do need to have a chat with you, but it can wait until after your nap. Did Ella show you where your bedroom is?”
“No. I didn’t know I had one. I was trying to find a guest room.”
“Let me show you.”
We walked to the end of the hall, to another staircase, and made our way upstairs. We arrived at a circular hallway with six doors. Gramadea walked over to one and opened it.
“This is your room. You should find everything you need inside. I had a few things brought over from your room at home. Ella’s room is right next door.” She pointed to the door on the left. “And Harry’s is right there.” She pointed to the door to the right of mine. Your mom and dad are in there, and Kellan’s over there. My suite is on the other side of the house.”
I looked around my room. To say it was nice would be the understatement of the year. It had everything I could possibly need and more. I even spied a refrigerator.
“Thanks, Gramadea.”
“I’ll come and get you for dinner, or maybe send Ella.” She smiled. “But I’ll tell her not to disturb you for a while.”
I nodded thankfully and closed the door behind her. I buried my face into the soft pillow as soon as I had showered and changed into my pajamas, which had been brought over from home along with a lot of my other stuff. I wondered how long they were expecting me to stay here.
“Hi, Arizona.”
I froze.
“It’s okay. I’m not here to take you or anything. Raj sent me with a message, that’s all.”
“Stan!” I sat up in bed “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t hard. But I can’t really tell you how, now can I?”
I rolled my eyes. “So what’s the message? And why are you still helping that idiot?”
“I’m not helping him. I’m obeying my dad’s orders.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Anyhow, here’s the message: Dillard is home.”
“I have no idea what that means, but he said for you to tell your mom.” Stan blinked at me.
Dillard? My biological dad. I hadn’t seen him since we moved to Mountain View, and I didn’t want to. Not now, after so many years. Rupert was my dad, my real dad. Rupert was the best dad anyone could ask for. Not once had my real dad tried to contact me before, why would he now?
“Home? As in my home?”
“I don’t know. Will you give your mom the message?”
“I can’t. She’s in a coma.”
“I’m so sorry, Arizona. I didn’t know. What happened?”
“How come you didn’t know? You seem to know everything else,” I snapped. “Why did you bring me this message? Why didn’t you try to give it to her directly?”
“You were the first of the Darleys I found, apart from Ryker, and there was no point giving it to him.”
“Ryker?”
“Your cousin.”
“I don’t have any idea who you’re talking about,” I snapped impatiently. “Okay, now that you know I can’t give this message to Mom, what do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know. I’ll find out. Bye for now, Arizona.” Then he just disappeared into a mist.
I threw my head back onto the pillow.
~
“Kellan, give her time. She’s probably got feelings for you that she can’t understand. How could she? So she’s withdrawing from you. Give her space to work through her feelings,” Harry suggested.
“Everything you say makes sense, but it’s so difficult. I feel like I’ve lost her. Then, just for a moment there in the pool, she was back. But then she stepped back again.”
“I know, buddy.”
“She’s going to want answers when she gets up. What are we going to tell her? Ella will tell her everything, anyway; she won’t be able to help herself. It’s probably better if we fill her in.”
“Ye
ah. Ideally, Mom and Dad would do this, but under the circumstances….”
“Arizona’s taking a nap, and Gramadea said to leave her alone until dinnertime. She also said that we wouldn’t be alone at dinner–your cousin’s visiting–so that won’t be a good time. How about we do it after dinner? Just you, me, and Arizona. Unless Ella spills everything during dinner, in which case….” He shrugged.
“Ella’s having dinner with Sally tonight,” Harry said.
“She transported back?”
“Yes, just for a playdate. Alexa took her. She was fed up with not being able to see her friends at school so Gramadea thought a playdate would keep her happy.”
“Well, that’s good. We’ll do it after dinner then.”
~
“Arizona, wake up.” Gramadea gently shook my shoulder.
I opened my eyes, disoriented for a moment. “Where am I?”
“You’re at my house,” Gramadea said. “It’s a bit confusing, isn’t it? I can see it in your eyes.”
I nodded. “Is it time for dinner?”
“Yes. Get dressed, and I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
I noticed that Gramadea had changed into a nice skirt, so I brought out a navy shift dress with a lilac bow belt and slipped into my navy Chanel flats.
Gramadea was back just as I finished applying my eyeliner. “You look absolutely lovely.”
Boy, I must have looked pretty rough recently.
“Your Granddad is home. He was very anxious to see you, so he decided to come over for dinner. He has to leave again right afterwards. He brought your cousin Ryker with him, so you’ll get to meet him as well. Ready?”
I nodded, then followed Gramadea through the house to the formal dining room, which had a massive oak table that would seat at least twenty people. Everyone had congregated at one end of it.
The man sitting at the head of the table got up and smiled, then he walked over and kissed my cheeks, both of them, like they did in France. “Arizona, it’s so good to see you. Are you okay?”
“Yes, thank you. You’re my granddad?” He looked a lot like Rupert. I had never met him before, which was odd. Gramadea came to visit once a year, but never with Granddad. In fact, Dad had never mentioned him.
