Deviant

by Jaimie Roberts

  He shook his head with a smile. “It’s like that, is it?”

  I nodded. “Oh, yes. It’s like that. You and I need to leave this joint. I got somewhere I need to take you. Are you up for a little adventure?”

  Jeremy’s face lit up. “Are you serious?” he whispered.

  Holding out my hand, I nodded again. “As serious as I’ll ever be.”

  Throwing the covers off, Jeremy got out of bed. “Then what are we waiting for?”

  I giggled at his eagerness. “Well, one, I wanted to make sure you were well enough for this, and two, I don’t think it would be a good idea if you left the hospital in your pyjamas.”

  Jeremy frowned and looked down at himself. “Oh, shit. You’re right.” He saw my look and shrugged his shoulders. “What? I’m allowed to say that now. I’m sixteen.”

  Just as I was about to tell him how young he still was, Nurse Rachael came over with some clothes. “Hi, Tyler. How are you today?”

  I smiled, happy in the knowledge they all knew me around here. I was becoming such a regular feature in the ward.

  “I’m fine, thank you, Rachael. How’s Fluffy doing. Any better?”

  Rachael smiled, nodding. “Much better now, thanks. I took her to the vet and it turned out she had cat flu. She’s been on medicine for the past couple of days and is getting much better already.”

  “That’s great,” I said, smiling.

  I knew that was a big deal for Rachael. She was young and let it slip to me that, apart from her job, her cat, Fluffy, was the only other life support for her. It was amazing how much information on a person’s life you can get just by asking a couple of questions. I suppose being a journalist helped me be that much more forthcoming. People just seemed to open up to me for some reason. In just a few days of knowing Rachael, I learned she was twenty-four, recently single from an abusive relationship, and all she felt she could rely on now was Fluffy. I knew she was extremely important to her and that’s why I had to know how the cat was.

  “Hold up,” Jeremy suddenly piped up. “You named your cat Fluffy?” He raised his eyebrow and Rachael blushed.

  Once I saw her embarrassment, I cut in. “Leave her alone, you.” I gave him a reproachful look and turned to Rachael. “Are those Jeremy’s clothes?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I knew you would be coming in soon, so I got everything ready for him. I checked on him earlier. His blood pressure is a little low, but as long as Jeremy is feeling okay, he’s good to go.”

  He grabbed the clothes. “Thanks, Rachael. I’m so ready to go.”

  I frowned. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to push you too far if you’re not up to it. I can always cancel and rearrange for another day.”

  Jeremy vehemently shook his head. “Please don’t take this day away from me, Tyler. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Wherever you take me, I’ll be up for it.”

  I smiled but, in my dazed state, I didn’t move. Jeremy stared at me for a moment. “What?” I asked.

  “Well…unless you want to see a bit more of me, I suggest you turn the other way while I get dressed.”

  Snapping myself out of it, I moved. “Oh, sorry,” I replied, laughing.

  Rachael smiled and pulled the curtain to give Jeremy some privacy. “You know, you’re the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time,” she said, moving away from his cubicle. “Before, he used to just sit during visiting hours and read. I used to watch him. He would always say he was okay with it but, deep down, I knew he wasn’t. Sometimes, with a hint of sadness, he would look up at the others in the room. But since you walked into his life, he won’t stop laughing and joking. He watches the time like a hawk and when it gets to be four, he constantly looks up to see if it’s you that’s heading in. He would see something in the corner of his eye and snap his head in that direction, secretly hoping it’s you.”

  My heart swelled. I knew Jeremy really must have felt this way. No one wanted to ever be alone. I just wished he would talk to me more, instead of hiding his pain through jokes and flirtation. But, then again, now that he knew he had me, he was able to talk whenever he liked. When he was ready, if he was ready, I was here for him.

  “You know, I’m right here and can hear everything you’re saying about me. Just because you close the curtain doesn’t mean it shuts out the sound.”

  Jeremy pushed the curtain to one side and came out with a big smile. With his clothes on and standing tall, he looked different. At five foot, seven inches, he was about two inches taller than me. He was wearing a pair of trainers with dark denim jeans and dark navy hoodie. I kept my little chuckle inside thinking about the hoodie. It was similar to my stranger’s hoodie, except my stranger’s was darker. That could be because he visits me in the dark all the time, though.

  Jeremy also had on a baseball cap. He looked every part the sixteen-year-old now. “Wow, you look... How can I say it? Cool?”

  “Dashingly attractive?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Always got an answer for everything, don’t you, Jeremy?”

  He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Tugging at his cap, I chuckled. “Are you ready to go?”

  Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes. “Haven’t I been trying to tell you that for the past ten minutes? Geesh!”

  “Don’t get cocky, mister. Come on.” I motioned for Jeremy to go ahead of me, but he didn’t need much persuading. He was heading out of the ward faster than I could register.

  “Oh, blimey,” I said as I started walking towards the door.

  “Have a good time!” Rachael shouted from behind me.

  “We will. Thanks, Rachael.”

  “Anytime!”

  I was running for the door as quickly as I could to try and catch up with him. For someone who looked so pale and skinny, he could run pretty fast. “Hey, hey,” I shouted after him. “How do you know where you’re supposed to be going?”

  Jeremy stopped for a moment and spun round to look at me, a sad expression on his face. “I’m not sure where you’re taking me, Tyler. I just want out of this hospital, even if it is just for a few hours. You can understand that, right?”

  He looked at me with his tired blue eyes and, right then, all I wanted to do was hug him. “I totally understand that. You go as fast as you want to, but you better be ready for a race. Starting from…” I didn’t even finish the sentence. I was off, laughing as I went.

  “Hey. That’s cheating!” he shouted from behind me, but he was soon gaining on me. I didn’t mind. I secretly wanted him to have this.

  Soon, we were side-by-side. Then he was past me, heading towards the lift. Jeremy managed to squeeze into it at the very last moment, waving his fingers at me as the door shut.

  I didn’t waste any time. With a smile, I huffed and headed straight for the stairs. I hurried as fast as I could without bumping into anyone. The last thing I wanted was to bash into a sick person. That wouldn’t look too good.

  I got to the bottom floor so fast that the lift doors were opening as I passed. Jeremy spotted me and, with an intake of breath, rushed out to catch up. I was almost at the door when I saw Jeremy out of the corner of my eye. He zoomed past me and, within an instant, was out the door.

  Stopping momentarily, I shook my head, smiling. This boy never failed to amaze me, even in this short period of time we had known each other. Jeremy was quickly becoming like the little brother I never had.

  Once I pushed the door open, I spotted Jeremy hunched over, trying to catch his breath. I instantly cringed, feeling guilty for pushing him too hard.

  I rushed over to him. “Jeremy, are you all right? I’m so sorry. I never should have...”

  Throwing his hand up, he looked at me reproachfully. “Don’t you take this away from me, Tyler. Please. I’m fine, honestly. Just treat me like you would any other day. Treat me like a regular sixteen-year-old about to embark on an adventure. Please, just give me that.”

  Trying to fight the tears, I nodded. “Of cour
se,” I replied, grabbing his shoulder.

  With a smile, Jeremy looked down at my hand. “You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Jeremy, do you ever quit?” I shook my head with a smile.

  “I’ll quit when I’m dead. Now, I have two questions. First, where are you taking me?”

  I stood there motionless, waiting for the other question. When he didn’t respond, I waved my hands for him to continue. “And the other question?”

  Jeremy gave me a cocky grin. “Well, this is the most important question of all. Have you brought me some Twiglets?”

  Laughing, I dug into my bag and pulled out the Twiglets. “Okay, your most important question is answered, but as far as the first one is concerned, you will just have to wait a little longer.”

  Jeremy didn’t have the most amused expression on his face, but I wasn’t going to let him badger me. This little gem of a surprise would just have to wait. “Come on, Jeremy. Let’s get going. We have a timetable to keep. We can’t be late.”

  Jeremy shook his head, but followed me to my car. “Is this yours?” he asked, heading around to the passenger’s seat.

  I nodded my head. “Yep. This is my baby. I saved for ages to buy this.” It was only an Alpha Romeo Spider, but she was my baby.

  As we both got in, Jeremy hummed his approval. “You have good taste for a chick.”

  I chuckled. “Gee, thanks.” I started the car and we were on our way.

  Jeremy just kept on gazing out of the window, watching everything like it was the first time he had ever seen it. It was hard tearing my gaze away from this boy who seemed so strong underneath his fragile body. He looked the happiest I had seen him and, of course, it made me feel great that I aided to his happiness in some way.

  “What are we doing in this area?” he suddenly asked, making me jump a little.

  “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.” I pulled into a parking space and quickly got out to check the time. We still had five minutes. “We have a little three minute walk to your surprise.”

  Jeremy nodded, but I could see him looking around. We were in Redhill Aerodrome, so he would probably guess soon enough what was happening. My heart was thumping. I just hoped he likes his surprise. In fact, I hope he loved it.

  Tugging him towards me, I linked my arm in his and gave him the brightest smile I could muster. “Walk with me, Jeremy.”

  He nodded and did as he was told, walking beside me with an eager expression on his face. I could tell he was excited.

  As we rounded the corner, his expression nearly floored me. His mouth dropped and his smile spread wider than I had ever seen it. “Holy…fuck,” he whispered.

  “Jeremy!” I scolded, laughing.

  He looked at me, his mouth still wide open. “I’m sorry, but you have to admit that this is pretty much a holy fuck moment.”

  I giggled, giving in. “Okay, I’ll give you that.”

  Once he closed his mouth, he looked at me. “Is this what I think it is? We’re not just going to, like, stand here and watch it take off, are we?”

  Pulling at his arm, I laughed. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t be that cruel.”

  Jeremy scratched his head. “But how do you...? How could you have...? I mean, this is really expensive, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. “Normally, but I’m good friends with a pilot who works for one of the major newspaper companies. He gave me this contact and I got a really good discount.”

  Suddenly, Jeremy swung round and pulled me in for a big hug. “I don’t know how to thank you. This is just so huge.”

  Pulling out of his embrace, I grabbed his shoulders. “It was worth every penny to see that smile on your face. Happy birthday, Jeremy. Now, do you want to come and fly with me?”

  Jeremy beamed. “Do I ever!”

  Giggling, I made my way over to a man standing by the helicopter. He looked up, saw me, and gave me a smile. “Are you Tyler O’Shea?” he asked as we got closer.

  I nodded. “Yes, and you must be Charlie. Nice to meet you.” I offered him my hand and he accepted with a bright smile.

  He turned his attention to Jeremy. “And this must be Jeremy.”

  “Yes, sir,” he answered.

  “Do you want to climb aboard, Jeremy? The weather looks to be about perfect for the trip.”

  “Do I ever!” Jeremy shouted again, making us all laugh.

  “I tell you what,” Charlie said with a wink. “You can be my wingman. How about you sit up front with me? I might even let you fly a little bit.”

  Jeremy gasped, but sprang into action, climbing up into the helicopter. Charlie laughed and I could tell he was just as taken as I was.

  Before getting in, Charlie turned to me. “He’s quite the boy, isn’t he?” I nodded with a proud smile. “Is he your bother or something?”

  I shook my head. “No, although I kind of wished he was.” Then, at least, he would have had a better life then he has, I thought.

  Charlie smiled, but didn’t press on. He helped me climb in and made sure I was strapped in before he got into his seat to help Jeremy.

  Jeremy looked like he could barely contain himself. He was in awe, looking at all the controls and firing question after question at Charlie.

  He took it in stride and told us we were about to take off. I had only booked a half-hour flight because that was as much as I could afford. I was actually quite excited myself. I had never been in one, so this was a first for me, too.

  Within an instant, we were off the ground and my stomach immediately dropped. It was a strange sensation. I had been on planes, but this was a little different. I felt less in control for some strange reason. Maybe it was because you could see a lot more, and we were going up vertically. It wasn’t terrifying, though. In fact, I was enjoying it. And, by looking over towards him, so was Jeremy.

  It wasn’t long before we were up in the air, a birds-eye view of London below us. As we neared inner London, everything came into focus more as I looked across the horizon. The city looked amazing from up here. Up ahead, you could see the London Eye and the Shard standing tall and proud. The clouds were sporadic and the sun was shining, giving us the great day for which I was hoping. If anyone deserved it, Jeremy did. He was looking anywhere and everywhere he could, almost as if he was desperately trying to take it all in.

  As I tried to keep one eye ahead, I couldn’t help gazing at Jeremy. As if sensing I was watching, he turned and gave me that heart-warming smile. “I wish I had brought a camera with me,” he shouted.

  Then I remembered I had bought one specifically for him. It was a disposable camera so he could use them all up, then I could get them developed for him.

  Delving into my bag, I grabbed the camera and nudged Jeremy’s shoulder. He turned, saw the camera, and gasped a little. “Thank you!” He beamed at me, turning to take a picture of everything he could.

  As he snapped away, I looked down and admired all the boats along the River Thames. In the distance, I could spot Grosvenor Bridge and Victoria Station. Seeing everything from up here felt strange. It made me see London in a completely different light. It was like I was seeing the city all over again, but from a different perspective. I loved it.

  “Hey, Tyler!” Jeremy shouted.

  I turned and he took a picture. “Jeremy, I wasn’t ready for that!”

  He just smiled. “Come on. Let’s take a selfie.”

  Smiling, I moved myself forward so Jeremy and I could move in as close together as we could. Jeremy quickly snapped our picture and I moved away. “That’s going to be my favourite,” he shouted.

  I nodded. “I think it will be mine, too. I will have to get a copy and blow it up.” Jeremy smiled, then went back to staring ahead.

  It wasn’t long before we were passing the House of Commons, following the river past Tower Bridge. It was a little way past there that Charlie suddenly turned and we were flying back to Redhill. We were soon over the countryside, which amazed me. I didn’
t realise England could get so green so quickly once you left London.

  “Now, do you want to have a go at the control?” Charlie asked.

  Jeremy looked excited, but also a little hesitant. “Don’t worry,” Charlie said. “I won’t let you fall from the sky.” He chuckled and Jeremy soon followed. I, on the other hand, didn’t find that comment so amusing. Maybe I was a little more scared of flying than I thought.

  Charlie motioned to Jeremy to grab the joystick and held his hand in place for a minute to show him how to control it. Once Charlie was satisfied, he let Jeremy take control and even asked him to slowly turn to the right a little. He did and we went a little off course, but Charlie soon had us back on track. I think I lost a few weeks of my life.

  “Are you okay back there?” Charlie asked, noticing my worried expression.

  Shaking myself out of it, I smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you. This is all new for me, too.”

  Charlie chuckled and looked at Jeremy. “He’s a natural. I may have to worry about my job with this kid around.” Charlie smiled and Jeremy beamed with joy.

  “So,” Charlie continued. “Now that you’ve had a try, would you come again?”

  Jeremy nodded enthusiastically. “In a second! This has got to be the best day I’ve ever had in my life.”

  Jeremy continued to beam, but I couldn’t help feeling saddened by his comment. In such a short amount of years, Jeremy never got to have days like this where he was spoiled rotten by someone who cared for him, and it wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have been that way.

  As we got closer to Redhill, Charlie took back the controls and started descending towards his landing pad. I checked the time and it was a little more than the scheduled half-hour. I smiled a little, hoping that was because the pilot was enjoying Jeremy’s company so much that time simply got away from him.

  As we landed, my stomach seemed to come back down to earth, and I sighed. I did enjoy the ride. I just got nervous when people joked about falling from the sky. I’d always feared dying in a plane crash or drowning at sea. It was something I knew I should never think about, but I thought about it nonetheless.