by M. H. Soars
“I’m sorry to just dump all that on you, especially with everything that’s going on, but I’m sick of watching the way you two interact – Sam pushing you away because she’s too much of a coward to say anything, and you acting like a complete idiot.”
“This just makes everything so much more complicated,” I said as I looked at Zach.
“How so? Just explain to Gary that Sam slept in your room because she was concerned about you. I’m sure he won't care, especially since her feelings are unrequited.”
I stared at him and didn’t utter a word. How could I tell him that I did feel more? I guess I didn’t need to bother. Zach’s expression told me that it was written all over my face.
“Fuck! You do have feelings for Sam.” He rubbed his face with one hand and continued. “Please don’t tell me you're in love with her.” He looked at me, begging me to deny his worst fear, but I couldn’t.
“I do love her,” I replied. It felt good to say it out loud.
Clearly Zach didn’t share my sentiment, because he immediately moved away from me and started to reorganize a pile of books on his desk in a brisk manner. “You know how messed up this is, Matt? Especially since Durgin, of all people, caught you two together?”
“I know it’s messed up. I heard Durgin tell Gary to put a stop to whatever Sam and I have going on. I just don’t understand why we can’t be together.”
Zach spun around so fast that he startled me. “You don’t know why? How can you say that? You, Sam, and Melanie have the Zenith Powers. You do know what that means, right?”
When I didn’t say anything, he continued, “Come on, Matt! The Zenith Powers are the most important powers of Arcadia — and also the most unstable. Durgin probably came here to escort you to Arcadia immediately, because you’re at a high risk of losing complete control. If you and Sam give in to your feelings for each other, they're bound to grow. Have you seen people in love? They act absolutely crazy. How can you and Sam handle that on top of trying to control your powers? I really don’t see it ending well, do you?”
I rested my elbows on my knees and hid my face in my hands. Zach was right. I hadn’t thought things through. My lack of control last night had been triggered by my jealousy. I looked up again and found Zach squatting in front of me.
“What am I going to do? Before, I didn’t have a clue I loved her, but now I don’t know how I'm going to keep it all bottled up inside without telling her.”
“The same way you did it seven years ago. Push her away.”
“I can’t do that again. I just can’t.” I had tears in my eyes, and I wasn’t ashamed to let Zach see them. My heart shattered in a thousand pieces just remembering how much I had hurt Sam back when we were kids. I just couldn’t bear the thought of doing it again.
“I know it won’t be easy, but I don’t see any other solution. It’s the only way you two can be together in the future. You need to stay away from each other while you’re still unable to control your powers.”
I dried my tears with the back of my hand and nodded. Not that I was following Zach’s advice. But I would keep my discovery to myself. I had to. There was nothing in this world that would make me hurt Sam purposely again. I just needed to learn to control the Phoenix so we could be together. Piece of cake.
I got up and thanked Zach for his help. As I left his room, I was tempted to go check on Sam one more time before I faced Gary and Durgin. But what if she was awake? Would I be able to look her in the eye and not tell her that I loved her? Probably not, so I took the stairs and went to Gary’s office. His door was closed, so I knocked.
“Come in,” he said. He was alone. Better this way. I didn’t know how well I could lie with Durgin around. It seemed like the guy could hear our thoughts.
Gary had his poker face on, which meant that his carefree personality would not be making an appearance today. In that case I needed to tread very cautiously. If he was going to pretend he hadn’t walked in on Sam and me together, so be it. I could also pretend I hadn’t heard him and Durgin.
“I figured you wanted to talk to me about last night,” I said as I pulled out a chair for myself.
“Yes, even though I’m aware of the incident’s details, I would like your input.” He laced his fingers on top of the desk, like a doctor asking a patient questions about his ailments.
“I don’t really remember much of the fight,” I said carefully, picking all the scenes that had led to my big meltdown apart so I wouldn’t slip up and reveal something I didn’t want to. “I was sort of detached from it all. I could feel the Phoenix’s presence, raging, burning. I wanted to hurt the guy, Johnny. Hurt him real bad, and I was scared.”
“I see. Do you remember how the Phoenix was subdued?”
I made a point to stare him right in the eye so he wouldn’t think I was hiding something. “I heard a voice telling me to let go of the anger. The voice was soothing and cold, and it offered a blissful relief against the burning sensation of the Phoenix. I floated toward it. Then everything disappeared.”
It was close enough to the truth. The moment it had happened, I didn't know the voice I heard belonged to Sam. Later I’d remembered that for a split second, I had trapped Sam’s mind inside my own. That was the moment I realized that I loved her, but the memory of it had just come back when Zach told me why I couldn’t have her. How ironic was that?
Gary watched me like a hawk. Unfortunately for him, I also had my poker face on, so he wouldn’t gain anything from my demeanor. I broke the silence by asking a question that was burning inside of me. I needed to know what had caused Johnny’s unusual behavior.
“Did Sean find anything out at the hospital?”
Gary blinked, surprised by my change of subject, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, no. Obviously he couldn’t gain access to Johnny’s medical files. But I already knew that when I asked him to stay at the hospital until Johnny was released. I wanted him to talk to Johnny, but whatever Johnny consumed last night erased his memory. He had no recollection of the fight or what led up to it.”
“That is unfortunate. Do you think he's lying?”
“It’s possible. But what concerns me the most is the fact that his medical files are missing. They have completely vanished from the hospital’s network, like they never existed.” Gary frowned and focused on a point over my shoulder, as if his mind was someplace else.
He knew or suspected something that he wasn’t sharing with any of us, and that made my stomach clench painfully. Everything was coming full circle with the Prophecy and I couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. The lives of millions of Arcadians depended on its fulfillment, which ultimately depended on us. We had been selected to bear the Sacred Powers of Arcadia for a reason. We would have to be completely emotionless to not to feel the pressure.
“But don’t trouble yourself with that. Durgin has placed an operative here to investigate the case,” Gary continued.
“An operative? Who?” I didn’t like the news one bit. An operative meant someone spying on us.
“Can’t tell you. The information is classified even to me. But enough of that, I’m taking you to Arcadia immediately. You don’t need to change. The sooner we get there the better.”
Usually, I would take a shower before I was beamed to Arcadia. But considering that Sam was asleep in my bed, going right now sounded like a perfect plan. My emotions were still too raw. I needed to avoid her. “How long am I going to stay there?”
“As long as it takes,” Gary replied.
CHAPTER 11
Samantha
I woke up to an empty bed. Matthew’s side was cold to the touch, which meant that he had gotten up a while ago. I wondered why he hadn’t wakened me. I looked at the clock on his nightstand and saw to my dismay that it was already late. Almost eleven in the morning!
I jumped from the bed and tried to tame my wild hair as I tiptoed toward the bedroom door. I opened it just enough to make sure the coast was clear. I made a run for
my room, but before I could reach it, Sean’s bedroom door opened.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.” He leaned against his door frame with a devilish smile.
“Morning, Sean,” I mumbled. I tried to ignore him as I walked the final steps to my room.
“Did you just come from Matt’s bedroom?” he asked just as I had my hand on my doorknob.
I glanced at him. “No. I mean, yes. I went to check on him. But he wasn’t there.”
“Of course he wasn’t there, silly. Matt left early this morning for Arcadia. Gary talked about it last night when I called him from the hospital. I thought he had mentioned it to you guys, as well.”
I didn't know anything about Arcadia, but I wasn’t going to let Sean know that. “Oh, right. Now I remember. It must be the lack of caffeine. Did you see him before he left?”
“Nah. He left really early, before I got back from the hospital.”
“Right. Well, I’m dying for a shower. Talk later.” I opened the door, but Sean reached me with two giant steps.
“Wait! Aren’t you going to ask me about Johnny?”
I hadn't forgotten about Johnny. But in my current turmoil, I couldn’t bring myself to care. That made me a bad Prodigy, I was aware of that. It was our job to investigate anything remotely suspicious, especially with Alexia around, but my mind was just not in it right now.
Matthew had left for Arcadia without bothering to say goodbye, and that didn’t sit well with me. I thought that after what had happened at the party, and after he asked me spend the night with him, something between us had changed. Apparently I was wrong.
“Can’t it wait? I really need a shower,” I lied.
“Sure, I don’t care,” Sean replied nonchalantly before he went back to his room.
Later in the day, I bumped into Zach and tried to get more information about Matthew and his condition. Zach looked at me in a funny way.
“Sam, we need to talk.”
I didn’t like Zach’s tone of voice one bit, and I immediately thought he had bad news to tell me. We went to the game room, which was our hang out spot. A massive space, it had been decorated to resemble a cool sports bar. There were three big flat TV screens -- one by the bar, another by the pool table, and the biggest one in the center of the room, connected to a surround-sound system and to the latest video game consoles. The plush sectional U-shaped couch sat in front of the biggest TV, and there was a coffee table in the middle where we could place our drinks and snacks. Zach and I sat facing each other. My hands were sweating.
“Before you start with one thousand questions, let me assure you that I spoke to Matt before he left for Arcadia, and he was fine. After what happened last night, the Council had no choice but to speed up Matt’s training.”
“What are we going to tell Alexia?”
“Gary already told her that Matt went to visit Mel at cheer camp.”
I stared at him in shock. “And she bought it?”
“Why wouldn’t she? It was a good excuse.” He crossed his legs and laced his fingers on top of his knee, assuming a more Zach-like position. “But that wasn’t the reason I wanted to talk to you in private.”
If he didn’t want to talk about Matthew or Alexia, then what? Johnny, maybe? When I didn’t say anything he continued. “Sam, I know you have feelings for Matt.”
Where had that come from? I felt the blood drain from my face and I couldn’t stand Zach’s knowing gaze for one more second. I got up from the sofa and went to the bar on the other side of the room, putting some distance between us.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Zach.”
He got up and followed me. “You know very well what I’m talking about. You’re in love with him.”
Angry suddenly at the certainty in his statement, I turned and glared at him. How did he know? The only person who could have known was Mia, and she wouldn’t betray me like that.
“Don’t waste your time trying to deny it. Everyone besides Alexia and Gary knows, and we didn’t hear it from Mia. Despite your best attempts to keep your feelings for him a secret, there were plenty of times you weren’t so careful.”
I avoided Zach’s insightful eyes. I was afraid to ask the next question, but I needed to know. “Does Matthew know?”
Zach sighed, and that made me search his face again. Now he was the one who couldn’t look at me. He took a few steps back and stared at his feet, then crossed his arms in front of his chest. “He didn’t know until last night.”
I turned my back to Zach once more and closed my eyes, feeling tears prickle my eyelids. Matthew hadn’t known until last night, but he had still asked me to share his bed and had left without saying a word this morning. I didn’t know what to think.
I felt Zach’s hand on my shoulder. “Sam, you must get over him. It pains me to say it, but Matt doesn’t feel the same way you do. He loves you like a sister, nothing more. I guess that was the reason he didn’t say goodbye to you before he left.”
Of course that had been the reason. He didn't know how to deal with me, so he had simply left without a word, like a coward. I felt like a complete idiot, and now I was extremely glad that he would be gone for who-knew-how-long.
I opened my eyes, dried my cheeks, and turned to face Zach with a weak smile on my face. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I was already trying to get over him, or didn’t you see me with Julian last night?”
Zach’s eyebrows furrowed and his jaw tensed. “Yeah, about that, be careful with him.”
I waved Zach’s concern away with my hand. “You said I need to forget Matthew. Well, I don’t see any better way to get over him than by finding a boyfriend, do you?”
Zach stared at me like he was having an internal debate himself. If he told me to stay away from Julian as well I would be forced to be extremely rude to him. But he surprised me when he finally replied, “I guess I don’t.”
Alexia
A week had passed since Matt left to visit Melanie at cheer camp, and I was still angry at him for leaving without saying goodbye or asking if I wanted to go, too. To be fair, I would probably have said no. I was just mad now because the week had gone by uneventfully and I was frustrated.
I talked to Ethan every day over the phone, but we hadn’t been able to see each other at all. He had been super busy helping his dad with I-didn’t-know-what. Our first date would be today, in the late afternoon, if he didn’t call to cancel again. I didn’t understand how much help his dad could need. Ethan was the one in a wheelchair, after all.
That was petty of me. I guess I was just in a sour mood because his dad had prevented us from seeing each other, and I hadn’t done anything interesting during the week. I signed up for ballet lessons with one of the most prestigious teachers in the country, but they wouldn’t start until the following week. Plus, I had been ignored by all of my cousins.
Sam had started going out with Julian, and they saw each other practically every day. I was happy for her, but at the same time I was jealous that she got to see the guy she liked, and I didn’t.
Zach, Sean, and Mia were all busy with their own projects, and they left me pretty much alone. Sean had promised to teach me how to surf, but unfortunately the weather had been horrible. I didn’t feel like learning how to surf in the rain.
It was around three in the afternoon, and I hadn’t received any text messages from Ethan apologizing for having to cancel again, so I decided it was safe to get ready. I was going to borrow Mia’s car and drive downtown to where I was supposed to meet him.
Just as I was about to leave the house, I got a text from him. I panicked, thinking that he was cancelling again, but he was just asking me to text him once I got to my destination.
I drove a little bit recklessly, excited to finally see Ethan again and unmindful of the speed limit. Luckily I arrived downtown without any problems. I found a perfect parking spot quickly, too — something unheard of at that time on a Saturday.
I texted Ethan like he had
asked, and he replied immediately with instructions. I was supposed to follow his clues if I wanted to find him. A proposition like that from anyone else would have sounded pretentious, but coming from him it was adorable. I was officially reeled in, hook, line and sinker.
I followed his clues and got some funny looks along the way from shop owners and tourists alike. The shop owners were in the know, since Ethan had probably asked their permission to place clues in strategic places, such as under a decorative vase inside of a restaurant or among flowers in a flower shop. The whole treasure hunt lasted about half an hour, and I was glad I was wearing flat shoes.
Ethan’s final clue led me to the art gallery where we had first met. When I turned the corner, I saw him waiting for me with a smile on his face, holding a single Hawaiian Golden Pagoda.
One of the many questions I had answered at Julian’s party had been what my favorite flower was. I had seen it in an exhibition of rare flowers years ago. I couldn’t believe he’d remembered. And where had he found one? There were only a handful of people in the world who grew them. The fragrance was like a mix of coconut and butterscotch.
I walked toward him and pointed at the flower.
“Is that for me?”
“Yep, do you like it?” He raised the flower to his nose and inhaled the rich aroma without taking his eyes from mine. “Mmm, when you described the smell of this flower I couldn’t believe it. I take it back now.” He offered the flower to me, and I took it like it was the most precious thing in the world.
“Where did you find one?” I brought the flower to my nose to inhale its sweet perfume myself.
“I have my connections,” he replied mysteriously, and gave me a playful smile. My heart did several backflips and finished with a cartwheel.
“So was that how you spent your Saturday, placing clues and hunting rare flowers?”
“No, that was how I spent the last three days, and it was totally worth it.”
