“Dad, I said one thirty-five. Nice—you overdosed me!”
“Kyle, aren't you the scientist?” Mom asked teasingly.
He ducked his head then regained the Dad composure. “I am not a pharmaceutical representative, that's for sure.”
“Well, let's not make this a trend.” I had tagged him on that one, and I was taking full advantage.“Humph!” he grunted. “I'll make a supreme effort.” He stabbed a chunk of fish with his fork.
Mom chuckled. She had an evil streak.
“We received your results in pulse-mail,” she said.
I put down my fork.
“Two points,” Dad said.
“Really? Hot damn!” I jumped up and aimed my hand towards Dad's. A resounding high five sounded.
Miraculously, Mom didn't nail me for language.
“The drug worked.”
“It did. But”—Dad waggled a finger at me—“we're not out of the woods yet.”
Mom nodded.
“The threat is still there, but at least it’s not immediate.”
I told them about the testing. I explained how we'd all gotten separated from the other kids: paranormals in Delta Building and mundanes in the other buildings.
“Sounds standard, Caleb,” Dad said.
“Yeah, I guess. But there were these creepers that I nicknamed Formula People.”
“Creepers?” Dad inquired.
“People that lurk about and generally give a sinister vibe,” Mom explained.
“Ah-huh, okay. Go on.”
“They all wore the same clothes and stood guard at the doors.”
“Like uniforms?” Mom asked.
“Not exactly, more like the same but different. And they wore sunglasses inside. How weird is that?”
Dad dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter.
“That's not standard.”
“What are your thoughts, Kyle?” Mom asked.
“That this thing is its own machine. That there are forces working that we don't know or understand.”
“Like I've been saying,” I said.
“What do you mean, Caleb?” Dad asked.
“Dad, come on. Remember McGraw and Garcia at the cemetery when I raised Gran?
And then there's Parker. All the signs are pointing to something bigger.”
I recounted what Jade had felt from the people who had dug through my locker. I also told them that Carson was a pyrokenetic and John was a null. “Jonesy doesn’t have anything.”
Mom looked shocked. “I guess there are some blessings.”
Dad pretended to wipe sweat off his brow. “Jonesy doesn’t have a power.”
I laughed. “There is that.”
Dad chuckled. “Yes, Jonesy with an ability would be...”
“Explosive...” I supplied.
“I don't know if that covers it, Caleb,” Dad said, getting a visual of the Potential that was Jonesy.
We all loved Jonesy, but he was an immovable object. Regardless of what was going on, he was him, sometimes that worked, other times, not. Usually not.
“The officers came by today to let us know they're discontinuing surveillance,” Mom said.
Good. I liked Gale and Ward, but Gale had gotten too close for comfort. And I sure didn't want McGraw and Garcia sniffing around, either.
“When?” I asked.
“While you were running around with your friends,” Mom said.
“Huh. They still don't have a clue, right?”
“No,” Dad said. “So far, they haven't been able to ascertain a motive for the break-in. Of course, there's the matter of my pulse-top compromise. However, we did a full diagnostic at the lab, and everything is in order.”
“I think it was the Formula People,” I said flatly.
“So suspicious,” Mom clucked.
“Somebody's got to be,” I replied.
The parents frowned.
“It's pretty obvious someone knows more about me than we want them to. Why all the interest? As you'd say, Dad: things aren't adding up.”
“You have a point, but that doesn't mean we live in fear.”
“You're concerned, Dad, or you wouldn't have dosed me.”
“Caleb, would you stop saying that, please?” Mom asked.
“Dose, dose, dose, double-dose—”
“Caleb...” Dad warned.
“Oh, okay. Geez, you guys. So stiff!”
Dad cleared his throat. “Anyway, Gale is suspicious. She had your results as a two-pointer. She could have sworn you were much more. She told us that the last time she got a reaction like the one you gave her, it was from Parker.”
We sat quietly for a second.
Then I asked, “What about the dog?”
Mom smiled. “You and I will pick him up after school tomorrow.”
“What about a name?” I asked.
“I've been thinking about that,” Mom said. “He’s black, so how about Onyx?”
I grinned. “Cool!”
CHAPTER 23
The school was abuzz over the paranormals who were outed by the AP Testing. I got a lot of “corpse-lover” and, my personal favorite, “Doin' any corpses lately?” All of them, so clever. Dunces.
John didn’t tell anyone he was a null, but he was having a great time running around and getting close to some of the paranormals. They'd try to put their groove on and... nothing.
Evil for John. I liked it.
Classes dragged on as usual. I was itching to get home and get Onyx. Jade was planning to come with us to pick him up.
Finally, the pulse clock chimed, and sixth period ended. I raced to Building D, feeling a fleeting sense of déjà vu. When I got to the band room, Mr. Cole was perched on the windowsill like a cat in the sun. I mentally crossed my fingers and took a deep breath.
“Hey, Mr. Cole,” I rushed on, throwing out all my words at once so my chances would be better.
“My mom and I are going to get a new dog today, and I was hoping I could make up band this Friday.”
Cole took off his glasses, rubbing them on the T-shirt he wore underneath his button-up shirt. I think that was required for adults. I figured Dad had about three hundred.
Then he held them up in the sunlight, checking for dirt. His glasses didn't look dirty to me.
He smiled. “I guess that would be okay. But you'll have to make it up Friday for sure, Caleb.” He gave me a mock stern look.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Cool! Thanks, Mr. C!” I took off for the door.
John opened it just as I got there. “Whoa! Where ya going?”
“I get the dog today, Onyx, remember?”
In a low voice, John said, “Cole let ya go?”
“Yeah, but I gotta make it up Friday.”
John threw his hands around his throat, choking himself. “Oh, the torture! Extra band practice.”
I punched him in the arm. “Shut up, Terran. You're gonna stay, too.”
John rubbed his arm. “I don't know. Friday? I might have plans.”
“Stuff it, ya putz. You know you've got plans, with Jonesy and me. That's your plans.”
John grinned. “Yeah, now that I'm cool like you.”
“You think you're cool like me. Listen, I gotta split and get the pooch.”
I gave John a salute and ran for home.
At the house, I threw open the front door and instantly smelled Mom's banana bread. But Jade was coming.
Decisions, decisions... shower or food?
Sighing, I slogged off to the bathroom. “Mom, be out in a sec. Jade's coming over to pick up the dog with us!”
I ran the shower super hot. Afterward, I got out, toweled off, and resigned myself to having to floss. The hygiene thing was a pain in my ass, but I smelled better. Jade was a great motivator.
When I went back downstairs, Jade was there.
“You ready?” Mom asked.
“Yeah, just had to de-scuzz.”
“De-scuzz?” Jade asked.
> “Yeah, gotta smell fresh.” I flipped my still-damp bangs out of my face.
Jade laughed, and we walked to the garage, our shoulders touching. Mom got behind the wheel, and I tugged Jade into the backseat. I figured Mom would be too distracted with driving to notice us holding hands.
Jade laid her head on my shoulder. Her hair smelled like a big piece of fruit. Nice. I wanted to touch it, but that'd be pushing my luck.
We pulled up front and I listened with that part of me that hears the dead. In the case of Onyx, we had already done that psychic dance, he recognized me. I felt him in my head. We walked through the big glass doors, Jade and Mom in front, me bringing up the rear.
***
When the Boy entered the place-where-he-lived, the Dog knew and howled joyously. He sniffed at the metal tubes that made seeing more difficult. He held the liquid that smelled interesting inside his body because the People who fed him took him to a good smelling place to let the liquid out. The Dog held it but not without effort.
The Dog heard the voices of the People coming with the Boy, who was special because he called the Dog in a special way. The Dog liked the Boy. The Boy would throw the soft round thing. The Boy was... was... using those people sounds in his head.
“I'm here, Onyx. You'll come home with me.”
The people sounds were very exciting, and the Dog could feel a little liquid come out.
Bad Dog, Bad Dog. He must hold the liquid.
The Dog saw the Boy and his People come to the bars and look down at him. He was a Bad Dog because of the liquid accident, but the Boy did not notice. The Dog was relieved and moved his tail, hoping the Boy would be pleased.
The Dog wagged his tail harder, the end hitting the metal tubes.
He pressed his nose to the metal tubes. They were cold, but he needed to smell the Boy and his People. The small female smelled like not-right garbage and was excited to see him, so he wagged his tail harder. The older female smelled like the Boy. They were pack. Would it be a pack like his other Boy’s? The Dog felt a sharp pang of sadness when he remembered his other Boy, but he shoved it away because the new Boy was making the sounds from his mouth, and he must listen.
“That's a good dog, Onyx,” the Boy said.
The Dog jumped up on the metal tubes, and the Boy stuck his hand through them. The Dog gave it one lick. The Dog understood some people did not like a lot of the wet thing in his mouth that was so good for all kinds of things.
One of the people-who-fed-him approached. He was a Good Dog and sat down. He continued wagging his tail when the small female put her hand on top of his head and moved it in a most pleasant way.
The alpha female of the Boy's pack made new sounds out of her mouth.
“Arlene, is there any more paperwork to fill out before we take Onyx home?”
“No, Mrs. Hart, just sign this form.” She showed Mom where and Mom bent over the 'X', marking out a quick signature.
“Thank you. By the way, we're sure glad that he's going to a good family.”
The Dog saw the person-who-fed-him make dominant eye contact and he shifted his eyes away politely then looked back.
“We'll miss him around here.” she smiled.
The Dog heard the sounds, good dog, which was his signal to begin to wag his tail again. Which he did; thunk, thunk, thunk. He also heard that strange sound, Onyx and realized it meant something important. He would try to remember it for the Boy.
“Okay, Onyx, let's go!”
The strange word again. The dog wagged his tail. Thunk, thunk, thunk.
“Caleb, he probably needs to go out to the potty area and do his business,” Arlene said.
“Oh, right. Jade, let's go,” I said.
The Dog heard “potty,” and the liquid wanted to rush out, but he held it in. The Dog bounded around, hoping the Boy and his people would notice that he was a Good Dog and needed to let the liquid go.
The Boy and the small female went toward the doors that led to the place-that-smells-very-interesting. The Dog burst through when the hole appeared and lifted his nose in utter bliss. So many different liquid smells here! Where to start?
He wanted to impress the Boy with how quickly he could let the liquid go.
He trotted over to an especially good smelling corner and let the liquid rush out and was very happy when it covered the other dogs’ liquid smell.
When the Boy called the word Onyx, the Dog ran back. They put the leash to his collar and took him out another door.
The pack made noises with the person-who-fed him then opened a metal box with holes on top and with foul smelling round shapes on the bottom.
The Boy gestured to the Dog to get in, but the Dog didn’t like the box. He remembered that it was a Bad Thing. The two females got into the big metal box.
The Boy scooped up the Dog. The Dog gave him an appreciative lick. The Boy tasted like a Good Boy. He liked his new pack and wagged his tail.
***
Onyx explored every, tiny corner of our house, spending an especially long time in my room, stumbling over all the crap on the floor then rolling around on top of it.
Jade had gone home already. I was feeling righteous. The testing was over, the government hadn't come to kidnap me—yet—Jade and I were together, and Onyx was finally mine.
Mom had done some crock pot thing... chili, so we could just scoop and pork. I liked that.
When Dad came home, he looked a little frazzled. Onyx let out a low growl.
I thought, It's okay, Onyx. It's just Dad.
Onyx cautiously approached Dad.
Dad hunkered down on his haunches and put out his hand. Onyx sniffed the proffered hand, doing an exaggerated lean with his neck, slowly wagging his tail.
The male was Alpha. He smelled very much like the Boy but not at all like the Alpha female. The Boy smelled like both of them. The Dog made his tail move. Thunk, thunk, thunk.
The Dog likes the Alpha male. The Dog shows respect by lying down.
I watched Onyx show his belly. Dad petted him, and Onyx wagged his tail harder.
Suddenly, Onyx flipped over and stood. He trotted back over and sat down next to my chair.
Dad stood, arching his back and standing on his tiptoes.
“You stiff?” Mom asked.
“Some. Been in a chair all day.”
Dad turned to me. “Feel like some one-on-one after supper?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it's been forever since we played.”
“How do you like your new dog?” Dad asked.
“Onyx is awesome!”
Mom looked critically at Onyx, who stared back at her expectantly. “He sure is black, like an ink spot that barks.”
We sat down to eat, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, we just talked about normal stuff—no government threats, break-ins, bullies at school, or raising dead people.
Time for more chaos.
After supper, Dad and I cranked it up on our cement basketball court. I was guarding him like a cheap suit, and he was huffing and puffing around me. I jumped up just as he was shooting and slapped the basketball right out of his hands.
The Js came walking up. They took off their hoodies and piled them at the edge of the court.
“Hey, Kyle!” Jonesy yelled.
Jonesy ran over, and we ganged up on Dad.
We tore around the court. Dad drove the ball toward the basket, while Jonesy and I tried to steal. John pretty much got in the way of all of us. It was the absolute best.
We horsed around until the light faded so much we couldn't see the basket. When we went in the house, Mom was already in her pajamas, but she had made two pitchers of iced tea. Jonesy grabbed the biggest cup he could find out of the cupboard, filled it to the brim, and chugged down the tea. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Hey, Mrs. H., what do ya say about some banana bread?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Mom laughed. “You bet. It's right over there.”
Onyx s
at patiently in the corner, eying my friends with curiosity.
Mom said, “Looks like someone wants to meet your friends.”
“Hey boy!” John said.
“That's right! You got him today,” Jonesy said. “So this is the famous dog?”
“That's him,” I said proudly.
We all looked at him and his tail started to wag.
“Mom, is it okay if he sleeps in my room?”
“It's okay, but I think that he may want his own space,” Dad said.
I felt a lecture coming on.
John laughed. “Kyle means that you have to move all your junk on the floor to some other spot so Onyx will have a place to lie down.”
I frowned. “Maybe he would like the smell of my stuff around him.”
Mom shook her head. “No, Caleb, he can't just lie on your clothes.”
Uh-huh.
I surveyed the Js. John's hair was standing straight up because he was always pushing it out of his eyes and a combination of boy-grime and sweat had acted as... I don't know, some kind of gel, I guess. Jonesy's hair was cut close to his scalp and seemed to dry instantly when he was sweating. We all thought that was really cool. Mine hung in strings. We all needed showers but I wanted to get my room in shape for Onyx.
“Hey, guys, let's go clear a space for Onyx.”
Jonesy said, “Sounds like a plan.”
We climbed the stairs, opened my door, and surveyed The Cave.
“Crap, Caleb,” Jonesy said. “It's a mess in here.”
John cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, I don't know. It looks a lot like your room, Jonesy.”
Jonesy gave John a dirty look. “Mine’s not this bad.”
“Whatever,” I said. “This isn't getting a spot for Onyx figured out.”
“Caleb's right,” John said. “Let's get to work.”.
We started picking up all the clothes off the floor and throwing them into a pile on top of my bed that soon became a mountain.
“Where do the clothes go?” John asked. “This clothes hamper here?” He pointed at the pile on the bed. “Are those dirty or clean?”
I shrugged. “If they smell bad, I don't wear them.”
John folded his arms across his chest. “This is your closet?”
“No. This is my closet.” I opened the bi-fold doors and a bunch of crap rolled out at our feet.
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