River's Journey

by Arthurs, Nia

  Her sweet features, curvy figure, and intelligent eyes pulled the binds holding my abilities in check.

  My instincts took over. As Tess winced, her hair blew back from her face and her shirt began pulling up at the hem.

  Was I doing that?

  I peeked down at my fingertips. They were moving without my permission. Before I undressed my neighbor, I slammed the door shut.

  Like a severed head, my fingers drooped and all the antics in the house stopped abruptly. I groaned and slumped against the door.

  On the other side, Tess muttered. “Geesh, someone’s not a morning person.”

  Though my circumstances were far from amusing, I laughed.

  “You better keep your end of the deal,” Tess hissed to the door as if she knew I still stood behind it, “or else.”

  Yes, ma’am.

  Though our conversation had taken less than a minute, I felt almost giddy. Adrenaline pounded through my veins and pumped new life into my cold heart.

  I glanced down at my misbehaving hands. The rattling glass panes and shaking blinds were annoying but acceptable.

  Trying to pry Tess’s shirt off was not.

  I needed to find some way to keep my abilities in check.

  Stuffing my hands into my pockets helped a bit. But if my human instincts took over again, I had no backup plan.

  I could no longer hide this from Jones. I needed help.

  I pulled on socks and shoes and checked that my house was properly locked before teleporting to Jones’s place.

  The living room was deathly quiet when I appeared. All the blinds were still drawn and the signs of Jones’s dinner remained on the counter.

  I turned slowly around and clutched my heart in shock. My friend sat in the dark on the sofa bearing the sheet that I had haphazardly spread the night before.

  His grey and black hair seemed especially light today. The glasses, normally perched on the end of his nose, were flush against his face. I counted three added wrinkles.

  Uh-oh.

  “I can explain.”

  “Explain what? That you snuck out last night?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where did you go, River?”

  I had lived more than half-a-century, but Jones’s tone made me quake in my boots.

  “Home.”

  “To your star?”

  “No.”

  Jones sighed. “What are you doing, man?”

  My explanation rushed out in a breath. “She was having nightmares. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “No, you’re not helping yourself at all. This is how it traps you, man. You feel sorry for them and you try to be there for them. Then they want you to define things and then they want rings. Then you’re married with a kid and a pile of bills. It never works out.”

  “Tess and I aren’t like that. She doesn’t even look at me that way.”

  “Dude, all women look at you that way! It’s been going on since we met in college. You’ve just always been so oblivious. If a woman doesn’t come right out to you, you don’t even notice her.”

  “Are you saying I have a chance with her? Has she said something to you?”

  Hope surfaced before my good sense clamped it down. Jones looked disgusted.

  “We have to fix this.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know. You’ve got it bad, man.”

  I agreed.

  “There’s… something else.”

  “What?”

  I scratched the back of my head. “Tess asked me to act as her boyfriend in front of her staff members.”

  Jones laughed. “And you told her ‘no’ right? Right?”

  I winced.

  “Ah, River! Come on!”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “You’re taking ten years off my life.”

  “I would gladly give you some of mine.”

  “Don’t play snarky with me. Yeesh, you’re worse than Leslie.”

  That was not a compliment.

  “Tell me how to fix this.”

  “Why? It’s not like you’ll listen.”

  “Jones, I – I tried to take her clothes off.”

  His eyes bugged. “You did what?”

  “Well, it wasn’t me exactly. The human side, it kind of took over.”

  “You used your alien abilities to undress your neighbor?”

  Shame burned my cheeks as I nodded.

  “I didn’t go through with it, but next time…”

  He pressed a fist to his forehead.

  “And you’re sure it’s just Tess? If I let you loose at USL you won’t try to levitate the shirts off your pretty students?”

  “I’m not an animal. And yes, I’m sure it’s only Tess. Like you said, I don’t notice anyone else.”

  “You really put yourself in a bind this time, River-man. Give me a minute so I can think.”

  I watched him pace from one end of the room to the next. At last, Jones spoke. “I got nothing.”

  “That’s all you can give me?”

  “Are you going to tell Tess that you won’t be able to help her out and that you never want to see her again?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then I got nothing.”

  “Jones,” I stood, “you have to help me.”

  “How?”

  I avoided his gaze. “What do human men do when they have… urges?”

  “Urges? You mean you’re feeling those too?”

  “It’s not me! It’s, um, this,” I pointed down.

  Jones shook his head. “It’s like you’re a teenage boy in a man’s body.”

  I bristled at his observation. In nearly every aspect of our friendship, I had been wiser than Jones, stronger than Jones, and of course, more experienced.

  Today, I felt like an awkward bird in the presence of a glorious eagle.

  The topic was extremely uncomfortable but after several mornings of waking up and realizing that certain parts of my human body were fully functioning, I needed advice.

  “Sit,” Jones pointed to the armchair.

  I did.

  He spoke slowly as if addressing a child.

  “There’s a bunch of advice nowadays about how to deal with that, but this is my advice and the advice my father gave me.” Jones gestured me closer.

  I scooted forward, eager to listen and apply. “What is it?”

  “Flee,” Jones whispered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Those feelings are going to get stronger, especially if you two spend a lot of time alone. Sooner or later, you’re going to find yourself in a situation where things can escalate.”

  I squirmed.

  “In the moment, it will be easier to give in and let your urges take over. It’s going to feel good and you’re going to want to ‘seal the deal’ as the young people say.”

  “I don’t think––”

  Jones interrupted. “That’s when you force yourself to get up and run. Run as far as you can. Teleport out of there and land somewhere, anywhere, as far away from her as possible.”

  “You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m warning you. People have dealt with this part of human living far longer than you have. Whether it’s for religious or moral or plain personal reasons, the only way to deny those physical feelings is by running.”

  My beeper vibrated. I clipped the device from my belt and read the number rolling across the small screen.

  “It’s the university,” I checked my watch and stood. “I’m late for class.”

  “Don’t forget what I said,” Jones called as I prepared to teleport.

  I took a deep breath and disappeared from his sight.

  Thankfully, I had no opportunity to dwell on Jones’s ‘father-son’ discussion. My classes were back to back on Thursdays.

  During my office hours, I dealt with a plagiarizing student and a contested grade. By the time I glanced down at my watch, it was nearly three.

  Tess! I had forgotten all about our agree
ment to meet up during her staff meeting. How long did those things usually go for?

  I slapped my books closed and glanced around. The other teacher’s desks were clear. The Sociology teacher had just stepped out.

  I extended my hand toward the door and slammed it shut. Three seconds later, I materialized in the parking lot and climbed into my car.

  Traffic was light and I arrived outside the back gates of Saint Mary’s Academy in less than ten minutes.

  The chirping of teenagers clearing out of the large buildings filled my ears. I tuned them out and focused on the sounds of an official meeting.

  I caught a whiff of conversation and cleared everything else from my mind until it was the only sound I could hear.

  “For the past two months, I’ve been hearing whispers here and there about two staff members who may be involved with each other.” A raspy voice scolded.

  Was this woman referring to Tess and the teacher that harassed her?

  I jumped over the locked gates and used my speed to draw closer to the lounge where about seventeen teachers sat behind wooden desks.

  I needed an excuse to barge in. I glanced at the back of Tess’s downturned head. My gaze swept the floor and zeroed in on her computer bag.

  Surely there was something in there that could help. I jogged for a second and then dashed inside, grabbing the first thing I could hold.

  Everyone in the room felt a blast of wind as I zipped in and out. Breathless and nearly spent from the run, I stepped properly into the doorway and held up the long book.

  The banner on the top read ‘First Form Grades’.

  “Excuse me!”

  The woman at the front of the podium stoped mid-sentence.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’m Ms. Hardey’s boyfriend. She forgot her grade book this morning. I understand she needs it by,” I checked my watch, “three thirty. Am I late?”

  I sincerely hoped that Tess needed this grade book today or my entire story would amount to nothing.

  “No,” the podium lady took a step back. “You’re-you’re right on time.”

  I walked down the row to where Tess was sitting. She looked absolutely stunned.

  “Here you go, Tess,” I stooped by her computer bag and handed the book over.

  “Principal Ramsey!”

  I recognized Riley’s tone and glanced backwards. Indeed, the woman who dearly wished I was in the stripping business sat behind a desk of her own.

  “What were you about to say?” Riley asked.

  “Well,” Principal Ramsey fidgeted. “I – I don’t recall.”

  I smiled as the principal’s pulse quickened. It seemed Tess had succeeded. I was glad for her and felt privileged that I could be the one to rescue her.

  “Wait!”

  I turned around. A short, stocky, Hispanic man with black hair gelled down flat on his head stared at Tess. His black eyes narrowed when they flitted to me.

  I answered his look with a scowl of my own. He was surely the teacher pursuing Tess.

  Who did he think he was?

  Jealousy filled my stomach. I didn’t know him, but I definitely didn’t like him. I didn’t like him at all.

  Chapter 20

  Mr. Pat knew competition when he saw it. I was in the running for Tess’s heart. Whether I wanted to be or not. And I had an advantage.

  I lived next door.

  The teacher extended his arm and pointed a thick finger in my direction. “Isn’t there a rule about outsiders coming into our meetings?”

  “Shush, Mr. Pat,” Principal Ramsey said.

  I restrained the childish human desire to stick my tongue and sing ‘na-na-na-na-na’ at him.

  “This is Ms. Hardey’s boyfriend,” the principal continued. “He’s allowed.”

  “How long have they been dating?” Mr. Pat shot back. “Why haven’t we been introduced yet? If they’re so in love why haven’t we seen them at any of the teacher’s functions? Huh!”

  If I hadn’t approved of him before, it was doubly true now.

  “You’re right!” Principal Ramsey yelled. “Ms. Hardey, you simply must bring your boyfriend to the Family Fun Day on Saturday. Oh, that would be just lovely.”

  I blinked. What was happening?

  “He can’t!” Tess blurted.

  I stood beside her as well. This was her show. I would follow her lead until she told me otherwise.

  “Why not?” Principal Ramsey inquired.

  “He has…” she licked her lips, “work.”

  It was a terrible excuse, but since it had already been said, I went along with it.

  “What does he do?”

  “I’m a lecturer at the University of Sacred Lights,” I said.

  “USL doesn’t have classes on Saturday, Ms. Hardey. It sounds like your boyfriend is free. Aren’t you, sir?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  Tess widened her eyes. Her eyelids flapped up and down like an angry bird. Had I said something wrong?

  “But you can’t,” she said through gritted teeth, “remember, honey. You have that thing?”

  “What thing?”

  “That thing?” Her eyelids continued to flap.

  “Is something in your eye?” I asked, worried that she was in pain.

  I grabbed a handkerchief and swiped it on the point of her cheek, gently moving the cloth in circles.

  Tess’s eyes softened and for a moment, everything else faded away. I saw only her… until the other people in the room made themselves known.

  “So it’s settled!” Principal Ramsey broke the moment. “This is the end of the meeting. Leave your grade books on your desks and I’ll collect them!”

  As if a gun had gone off in a running race, Principal Ramsey kicked off her heels and darted toward me. She was not the only one.

  Several other female teachers formed a circle and pushed forward. I lost track of Tess and searched for her in the crowd of women.

  “Excuse me, coming through!” Tess elbowed a teacher and grabbed my arm.

  Immediately, energy shot through my system. I closed my eyes and focused on containing my abilities as best as I could.

  Tess led me toward the front door. I followed willingly for a time, but–like a bottle set to combust–I knew my powers wouldn’t be satiated.

  I wrested my arm from her hold. She stopped short and turned on her heels. Her long hair slapped me in the face.

  “What the heck were you thinking in there?” Tess yelled.

  “What?”

  “Don’t act all cute and clueless,” she wiggled a finger in my face. “Why did you agree to the Family Fun Day? That’s not a part of our agreement!”

  I shrugged. Why indeed?

  “Your boss asked me to come. It would have been impolite to say no.”

  She folded her arms across her ample chest and my gaze remained there.

  Eyes up, buddy.

  Tess hissed. “You’re always impolite to me.”

  “That’s because you show up at the most inconvenient times.”

  “You are the most aggravating person I have ever met!”

  I opened my mouth to agree with her when the sound of footsteps invaded our fight. Tess dived for my arms like a linebacker at a college football game.

  I caught her awkwardly. We were touching. My face reddened as my flesh geared up to misbehave.

  Think about Flowers. Old people. Foot fungus.

  I strained as the battle between my alien sensibilities and my human sensitivities intensified.

  “Oh, look at how cute they are,” a woman I recognized from the meeting spoke.

  “What do the young folks call mixing up the races nowadays?” her friend answered. “Don’t they call it the twirl or the whirl or something?”

  I had no idea what they were speaking of. Caught up in figuring the strange terminology, my logic gained ground over my body.

  “It’s swirl,” a younger woman explained. “It’s called ‘the swirl’, but most interracial couple
s don’t see themselves as anything exotic or weird.”

  Unable to take the mystery any longer, I leaned over and whispered in Tess’s ear.

  “What are they saying?”

  “Sh,” she elbowed me in the stomach. I doubled over. The woman packed a punch in that elbow of hers.

  “I’m sorry, guys,” Tess said while I tried to catch my breath. “My boyfriend is suffering from a case of diarrhea. We really should get going.”

  “Oh, of course.”

  She led me away. Tears blurred my vision as I waited for the pain to abate. How was I still in love with this girl?

  “That was very mature, Tess,” I scoffed.

  “I know.”

  “Should we call off the deal now?” I suggested drily.

  She froze. Annoyance crossed her face. Her pride fought with her need. I stood back and waited for her to decide.

  She forced a smile. “I’m sorry. Would you like me to go back and tell them that you do not have the runs?”

  “Hm,” I leaned against the side of a car and pretended to contemplate her offer. “How about you show me that stash Leslie couldn’t stop talking about and we’ll call it even.”

  Jones had mentioned the ‘Tess’s cave’ in passing. I was curious to see the contents for myself.

  Leslie had a habit of exaggerating, but since this was Tess Hardey, anything with Oreos was possible.

  “How do you know about that? And how did you know about my grade book? How did you get my grade book?”

  I stiffened. The unexpected questions threw me off-guard.

  “I heard about Leslie’s experience from Jones. The grade book, well, you dropped it outside of my house this morning.”

  That was a lie, but I couldn’t explain that I had used super-human speed to remove her grade book without her noticing.

  “Alright, whatever. Follow me.”

  “How ‘bout you follow me?” I said.

  Tess was a little spitfire, but I wasn’t intimidated. Her sass was as attractive as the rest of her.

  I hopped into my car and drove off before she even started up her engine.

  It wasn’t long before she appeared in my rearview mirror. I laughed and guided my truck in front of hers.

  She held her fist over her horn.

  “Jerk,” she muttered.

  I smiled and drove out of her way. Each time I heard her needling close to the speed limit, I swerved in front of her.