by Bryan Cohen
"Ted!"
Ted touched Erica's shoulder. "I'll be right back." He was about to jump down to the dance floor when he stopped himself. "I don't think I said this today, but you look great."
Erica took Ted's hand, pulled him closer to her and kissed him. Ted wasn't sure what he would have done if he'd been forced to kill her.
She gave him one more kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."
Ted floated down below. Dhiraj was the leader of the pack. It looked like he was the grand marshal of a parade as dozens of teens came in behind him.
"They're all friendly again." Dhiraj grinned from ear to ear. "I figure we have a couple more hours to party. Jen's trying to find the band."
Ted shook Dhiraj's hand and brought him in for a hug. Unintentionally, Ted's powers let him into Dhiraj's mind. Nearly every thought revolved around kissing Jennifer on the dance floor. An awkward feeling came over Ted, as if he'd just walked in on someone making out.
"What is it?" Dhiraj gave Ted a puzzled look. "Is everyone alright?"
Ted got himself out of his friend's head and nodded. A cheer from across the room pulled their attention away.
Jennifer walked through the front door with four scraggly-looking 20-somethings. "I found the band. And we've got an hour and 45 minutes left!"
The students began to cheer and dance, as if they hadn't spent most of their evening trying to hunt down Ted and his friends. Ted decided not to let it bog him down. After all, this was prom, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't get at least one dance with the girl of his dreams.
* * *
Natalie stood by the refreshments table as she sipped on her third glass of punch. Her nerves still felt on edge from the events of the last couple days. It wasn't every weekend you were kidnapped, framed for arson, taken through a magical fantasy world with your ex-boyfriend and forced to attack said ex-boyfriend. She was glad to see that most of the students around her were having a good time, but she wasn't sure if she could let herself do the same.
Dhiraj and Jennifer jumped into view, taking her out of her thoughts.
"Natalie, you've gotta get out there." Dhiraj looked punch-drunk with joy.
"It's like brainwashing made the band at least 30% better." Jennifer had the same kind of smile on her face.
"So, you guys are finishing each other's thoughts now." Natalie looked to the side. "That's not entirely vomit-inducing or anything."
Dhiraj and Jennifer forced Natalie to put down her punch and join them on the dance floor. While being surrounded by gyrating classmates seemed unpleasant and a little smelly at first, she tried to let the upbeat music take her for the next three songs. Even though it wasn't her choice to attend, she was glad she came. When the music turned slow, she watched Jennifer put her arms around Dhiraj's neck. She wondered if her friend had ever felt as happy as he had in that very moment. Natalie couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever get back to the jubilation she'd experienced at the homecoming dance with Ted.
A familiar voice caused her to turn around. "May I have this dance?"
Natalie thought her mind was playing tricks on her. It would only be the millionth time that had happened in the last 48 hours. But with Redican on his way to a holding cell, Natalie figured it actually was Ted asking her to dance.
"Where's Erica?"
Ted gestured toward a pack of other dancers. "Somewhere over there. I asked if I could have a dance with you."
Natalie frowned. "And if I say no?"
Ted took her hand and pulled her in between a few other couples. When his hands locked around the back of her waist, she instinctively threw her hands around his neck. It had been a while since they had been as physically close as they were just then. Natalie felt a shiver and looked away.
"Hell of a weekend," he said.
Natalie could feel Ted's eyes attempting to meet hers. She resisted for a moment before giving in.
"It was looking pretty bad there for a second." Natalie looked down and back up into Ted's eyes.
His stare was unwavering. "You know, you were right to not want to help me." He loosened his grip on her back to let her pull away a bit if she wanted. "You're gonna be a big star someday, and being involved in all of this is too dangerous."
Natalie moved in closer and put her head on Ted's chest. She could hear his heart start to beat faster as she did so. "I care about you, Ted. It's why I spied for you. It's why I'm going to keep putting myself in danger for you."
Natalie felt Ted's hands tighten around her back. He sniffled. "I care about you, too."
A minute went by before either of them spoke again. Natalie let herself stay in the moment as long as possible, swaying back and forth with her friend as the music came to its final few bars.
"What are you gonna do about the war?" Natalie pulled herself off of Ted's chest to look him in the eye. "And the GHA?"
After the brainwashing passed, the protestors had reformed a mob outside the venue. She wondered what the gang would think of her dancing so close with their mortal enemy.
"I don't know." Ted looked up to the lights. "There are people here I can help. But maybe there are people on other worlds who need me, too. Then again, the light souls gave me this power, so I can't just ignore what they're asking me to do."
Natalie parted her lips and let out a big smile. "You're freakin' Super Ted. You can do whatever the hell you want."
Ted looked back at Natalie. Even though what she'd said was meant partially as a joke, it seemed to make something click. He grinned right back at her.
"You're right." He nodded, more to himself than to Natalie. "You're right."
As the song ended, Ted backed away and gave a ridiculous bow. Natalie clapped and shook her head. Ted wrapped his arms around her in a big hug.
Natalie felt warm as she squeezed her friend. "I'm glad you're still an idiot."
"I'm glad I am, too," he said.
Chapter 52
Erica looked around the crowd of happy students. When she was human, there were occasional dances in her village, but she'd never been old enough to participate in the events' more intimate embraces. Though she'd crossed over into a few teenage lives, she'd never had the opportunity to be part of a prom. When the band came on the microphone and said this would be the last dance, she had a moment of panic.
Where is he?
Ted appeared before her as if it was magic. He put his arms around Erica's waist without saying a word.
Have you been reading my thoughts?
"Maybe." Ted looked as sly and confident as Erica had seen him. "I can stop if you want me to."
It's actually kind of fun. I get to make you look like a crazy person.
Ted chuckled, forming two cute dimples on his cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him as the music began to play.
"Mind if we have a conversation out loud?" Ted pulled Erica closer.
She bit her lip. "Fine. We'll talk like normal people."
Ted let his face relax into a calm smile. "So, you're letting me test out the mental stuff. What's next for training?"
As much as she'd been trying to enjoy the night, Erica's mind had been pondering the exact same question.
"We take things slow." Erica's eyes narrowed. "I need you to know that I'm nervous about this, Ted. Having all this power... it changes most people."
Ted leaned down and kissed Erica on the neck. "Are you saying I'm like most people?"
As he kissed her again, Erica felt a tingling sensation trickle down the length of her body. "Mmm." Erica let out a small breath. "I just want you to be careful. If things get bad, I don't want you to get all unethical on me."
Ted pulled back from Erica's neck. He had a look on his face that Erica couldn't read. It looked like understanding mixed with apology.
"I promise I'll use my head."
Erica squinted. "Alright." She figured tonight wasn't the night to press him on his facial expressions. "Good." Erica pulled Ted closer. "I wish we could dance like this all night."
Ted let out a smiling sigh. "Me too."
A few minutes later, the gang gathered at the entrance to wait for their limo. To their surprise, the driver had already gotten the broken windows patched up and was wearing a grin on his face. Dhiraj later explained that he had had so much free advertising by giving a news interview that the damage was completely worth it. As the seven of them walked toward the limo, a group of protestors quickly formed a wall to keep them from moving ahead. In their midst was Thomas Cobblestone, who was close enough to stow the megaphone.
"You know, Finley, that was quite a trick you pulled today." Cobblestone had a growl in his voice that seemed to rile up the protestors around him. "Messing with our minds to make us think that you saved the day in the end. It's one more reason that you should go home. And now!"
The protestors grew from a group of a dozen to several dozen in a matter of moments. Erica looked at Ted. He was staring directly at Cobblestone.
She took his shoulder. "It's OK. We'll get through eventually."
Ted's nostrils flared. "Do you know how easy it would be?" He looked at Erica. "I could wipe all of their minds and that would be the end of it."
Erica's heart dropped.
Have I already lost him?
"He's not worth it." She made an effort to rub the tension from the back of Ted's neck.
He moved forward to escape from her hand. "He put my mother in the hospital and tried to screw with my friend's reputation." Ted began to breathe faster. "You can't tell me he doesn't deserve it."
Erica had a vision of Adam just before she brought the building down on top of him. He'd looked just as angry as Ted. If he turned, she wasn't sure she'd be able to do the same thing twice. She might just have to let the world burn.
"Please." Erica took Ted's hand. "It would be the start of something you wouldn't be able to stop."
Ted turned back to Erica, the anger wiped from his face. "I know." He gestured beyond the crowd. "That's why I had to choose something else."
Sirens blared as at least a dozen black SUVs pulled into the parking lot. The vehicles unloaded to reveal over 50 agents in black suits. Erica recognized Agents Vott and Harding right away. She also noticed a YNN news van that had pulled in along with the DHS.
"Listen up, everybody." Agent Vott's voice carried surprisingly well among the hundred-plus protestors on hand. "We have the authority to publicly arrest you on national television."
Cobblestone looked like he was about to pitch a fit. "On whose authority?!"
Vott looked like he was hoping someone would ask that question. "The President of the United States of America." He went back to addressing the entire crowd. "If you'd like to be placed in handcuffs and broadcast before millions of people, including all your friends and family, please remain where you are. An agent will attend to you shortly."
Erica wondered if Agent Vott had done this before. Suburban life was all about reputation, and it didn't take long for about 90 percent of the protesters to dissipate.
"Man, I wish I'd filmed that." Dhiraj put his arms around Erica and Ted's shoulders. "I could put it on the TedFinley.com home page."
When two agents came to Cobblestone's side, he struggled against them and attempted to walk toward Erica and Ted. The robust government agents put a halt to that in a hurry.
Cobblestone strained against the grip of the agents. "I'll be out in a day."
Vott went back to his Cheshire grin. "That's funny. I hear we're aiming to hold you folks without bail."
Cobblestone growled and pointed at Ted. "This isn't the last you've seen of me, alien!"
As the hubbub died down, it became clear to Erica what had happened.
Agent Harding stopped over to shake Ted's hand and made it even more apparent. "See you this summer, kid. Have a good prom night, you guys."
After they'd gotten into the limo, Erica let all the emotions hit her at once. She wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or shout. "Why didn't you ask me first?"
Ted looked calm, which infuriated her even more.
"First of all, it's on a trial basis. I'm going to work with the government during the summer. On natural disasters and stuff. In return, they're going to shut the GHA down."
Erica looked around the limo. She was hoping for some moral support, but pretty much everyone was too tired to react to Ted's news.
"What if there's an attack?"
Ted nodded. "If something happens I'm allowed to come back. No questions asked."
Erica crossed her arms and looked away from Ted. Away from everybody. "Sounds like you've got everything figured out."
Erica wasn't completely sure why was she was so angry. It would've been much worse if Ted had brainwashed Cobblestone. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she'd feel lost and purposeless without him.
Ted sat beside her. "I think this'll be good for my training. I'll be able to use my powers in a pressure situation without relying on you guys. I can test out my mind stuff by searching for people in danger. It's a win-win."
Erica didn't want to have tears in her eyes when she looked back at Ted, but it was the only option. "What about us?"
She didn't care that there were other people in the car. It didn't bother her that after all the talk of Ted spending the summer touring around the country that her public relationship question was what perked their ears up. Erica could feel Natalie's eyes on her, but that didn't bother her, either. She needed an answer right away.
"Nothing's going to change." Ted took both of her hands in his. She noticed he had tears in his eyes as well. "You're still my girlfriend. You're still my protector. You can even come visit me at nearby disasters."
His soothing words helped, but she still felt devastated. "I'm just blindsided is all."
Erica let herself fall into Ted's arms. He wrapped himself around her. "We have two months left until summer. Let's make the most of it, OK?"
She nodded. In the short time she'd been back on Earth, Erica had been attacked multiple times, but it wasn't until this very moment she felt vulnerable.
The next two months flew by without much incident. Dhiraj and Jennifer continued to date and grow their relationship. After a gentle prodding from Ted and Erica, all charges were dropped against Beth and she was let back into the school system. Mrs. Finley recovered quickly with only minor scarring. And Ted continued to train with Erica five days a week.
He agreed to focus on his new mental powers for now. When senior year began, they'd crack the spine on the other four books. Erica was proud that he continued to grow stronger, even outside of his powers, but she couldn't help but count down the days until she'd need to stay goodbye for an entire season.
After Ted bid adieu to his parents in person and his sister via video chat, a black SUV took the gang to a private airfield where Ted would take a government-chartered plane to Washington. From there, he would go wherever help was needed most. The vehicle drove right up to the runway and even Erica was impressed by the size of the plane.
Dhiraj was the first to put it into words. "It could carry a tank if it had to."
Agent Vott slammed the front door and beamed with pride. "It has."
Erica looked around at the high barbed-wire fences and the guards with earpieces. She felt like she was in another world – a world in which she wasn't sure she belonged.
After the agents loaded his luggage, Ted began to say his goodbyes. First, he shared a hug with both Jennifer and Dhiraj. "You'll keep the business afloat?"
"Afloat?" Dhiraj laughed. "It'll grow by at least 20% while you're gone."
Ted smirked. "Jen, please keep him from going crazy without me."
Jennifer ran her hand through the back of Dhiraj's hair. "I can only do so much."
Natalie was next. When they hugged, Erica couldn't stop herself from feeling jealousy. She tried her best to squelch it.
To Erica's surprise, Natalie started to cry.
"What's wrong?" Ted appeared to tighten his grip around her.
/> "I don't know." Natalie sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Be safe. Don't fall in a sinkhole or anything."
Ted pulled back and kissed Natalie on the cheek. Erica started to rhythmically tap her hand on her hip.
"I promise I'll be safe." Ted pulled back from the hug and focused his attention on Erica.
She tried to hide the fact that she'd been dreading this moment since the night in the limo. "You'll let me know if you're within driving distance?"
"I'll fly to your house and pick you up if I am."
Erica ran toward Ted and kissed him deeply. She wanted to get as much of the smell and taste of him into her mind as she could, as if it would somehow help her survive three months without seeing him. Ted kissed her back, and she felt a few of his tears run down her cheek.
When Erica pulled away, she rested her forehand on his. "You're gonna be a hero out there. Just remember to come back if we need you. If I need you."
Ted kissed her forehead. "I will."
Though they embraced for several minutes, it felt like five seconds in Erica's mind. Before she knew it, he was waving goodbye as the door to the aircraft closed for departure. Erica had the strange feeling that he wouldn't be the same Ted when he returned.
She felt a hand on her back. It was Natalie's. The cheerleader put her arm around the basketball star and they watched together as the plane flew away.
"Good riddance." Everyone looked at Dhiraj, who burst out laughing.
The others responded with chuckles and tears in equal measure.
He let out a big sigh. "What do we do now?"
"We wait for something bad to happen." Erica wiped away the last of the moisture from her face. "Then we stop it."
Natalie kept her arm around Erica's shoulder and gave her a squeeze on the back. "It almost sounds like you want something bad to happen."
Erica looked up in the sky and watched as Ted's plane disappeared behind a cloud. "I have a feeling that we won't have much of a choice."
The four of them piled back into the SUV and headed home.
