by Dean Floyd
"Okay see you soon," she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.
I hung up and began rummaging through my mirror for cologne.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Who’s that? I exited the bathroom to find Tain wagging his tail at the door and Rob hovering besides him. There was a knock on the door again, this time louder and more persistent.
“Swellfellow,” I said. “Cat. Now.”
He turned to a cat but remained hovering until I pointed at the ground.
“Are you sure you don’t want Salmon?”
“Shhh,” I said.
I looked through the peephole. Crap. My Landlord. What does she want now? It was always something with her. “Take Tain into Eddy’s room and close the door. Don’t come out. Don’t say anything,” I whispered to Rob. He nodded then resumed his form and led Tain away.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I opened the door. “Hiya Marg.” She hated that name. But I liked the Simpsons and it was short for Margaret. Marge was a woman who had seen her prime, and even then she probably wasn't’ pretty. She probably had lived a pretty hard and interesting life if I ever cared to ask her about it. The problem was she was a real stickler for the rules, and even a toe on the line and she’d come-a-knocking-n-a-talkin’. But now it looked like she wanted to scream.
“Mr. O'Farrell,” she said. “I hear you own pets now.”
“Who’d you hear that from?” I said, scowling.
“We don’t allow large dogs, and some of the tenants are deathly allergic to cats.”
“Well I don’t have any pets,” I said. Which was perfectly true as I did not own Tain, and Rob was technically a shapeshifter. Except for right that moment Tain appeared at my side and began sniffing Marge. She cleared her throat.
“I'm dog sitting for my mom."
"Really, because you do know that if you own a dog you have not given me a pet deposit."
Tain lost interest in smelling Marge and moved over to a small patch of grass where he proceeded to start a bowel movement. Bad timing. "Don't worry. I'll clean that up."
Marge's face was changing colors and her arms were crossed now.
"I'll be dog sitting for a few days."
Then another set of padded feet came up behind me. Rob looked up at Marge and meowed loudly.
“A few days O’Farrell. I’m counting,” she said tapping her finger on her watch. She glared at me one more time and shook her head like I was some kind of totally incompetent dirtbag that she wanted to beat senseless.
I watched her go. I was hot. I wasn’t mad at her per say. I mean she was kind of a jerk, but she got paid to be a jerk. Geez, when was I going to catch a break?
CHARICE'S BROTHER WAS not what I expected.
When I pulled up to his house the garage door was open and he was there working on his Chevy Impala. It was a sweet ride. Candy Apple Red and in mint condition, at least on the exterior.
He was wearing a wife beater that had once been white but was now dirty with car grease. He had on black baggy dickies and sneakers. He was shorter than me, skinny, and had no visible tats. Like his sister he was part Asian, part Hispanic. As a pulled into the driveway he was mean mugging me acting like he didn't know I was coming over or who I was.
He walked over with a slow step and a shoulder lean in his posture. He took a long drag from his cigarette which he was keeping behind his ear and blew smoke in my face as he leaned into my driver-side window. "Can I help you gringo? Why you all up in my driveway?"
"You're Justin right? I was here to..."
He cut me off, "I don't know you brah. You can’t just pull up in here acting like you know me white boy."
I waved my hand to clear the smoke and tried not to cough. I did my best to mean mug him right back. "I'm here to pick up Charice," I said slowly.
He showed me teeth but he wasn't smiling. "Nah brah. My sister is not going out with no white boy."
"Well I don't know what to tell you Justin. Your sister said to pick her up here."
Justin eased off my car and was about to say something but the front door opened and Charice came running out with her purse over her shoulder. She was wearing a purple blouse, faded jeans with designer holes in them that fit her just right. Her hair was dark and thick and she had spent time curling it. She smiled at me waving and ran up to her brother and kissed his cheek.
"J. this is my friend Sean. Hi Sean," she said waving again to me.
"You got all dressed up for this clown?" He said jabbing a thumb at me and scowling at his sister.
"Watch your manners please. I know you love me but geez." She walked around the hood of my car before I could get out and let her in. It would've been awkward anyways because Justin was blocking my door so I couldn't really get out.
As Charice buckled herself in Justin took another drag from his cigarette, this time blowing the smoke outside my car. He leaned in again. "Be nice all right. If anything happens I will hear about it."
"Oh please," said Charice.
"Nothing's gonna happen, brah,” I said in a gruff voice.
"You just keep your hands to yourself gringo." He reached in and patted me hard on the chest several times.
"Don’t worry," I said making a fist. “Only D-bags catch these hands.” I winked at him and smirked. Before he could respond I threw it in reverse and peeled out of the driveway down the street.
Charice and I didn't speak until we got to a stop sign. "Sorry about that," I said awkwardly.
“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “My brother can be a jerk sometimes. He doesn't mean any harm he's mostly talk."
"It's okay," I said. But it wasn't. I gripped the steering wheel hard and realized that I was scowling pretty bad. I took a deep breath through my nose and tried to calm myself. I felt her hand slide over mine and I looked down then at her.
"I'm sorry Sean.”
Suddenly all the anger melted away and was replaced by a warmness that made me smile. "I'm hungry. You want to eat now or later?"
"I'm starving!" She smiled at me.
That smile, that face. I could look at it all day. Beautiful. All I could do was sigh in reply.
"So where we going?" she asked.
"Do you like Vietnamese food?"
Chapter 11
Date Night
I just slayed a monster, but wouldn't you believe it I was shaking in my boots.
We pulled into the Pho Noodle house parking lot. The lot was butted up against the old Kmart lot that had been vacant for years. Now it was just rusted light poles, broken shopping carts, and a garden of weeds taller than me. That’s Vallejo for yah. Always on the brink of death and bankruptcy. And yet this new Pho place had cropped up last year and blew all the other Pho places out of the water.
Across from us was Bud’s Burger, Vallejo’s number one burger joint. The smell of cheeseburgers almost made me change my mind. We can always go there on the third date, I thought with a grin.
I’m on a second date with Charice! We waited to be seated with a family that came in just before we did. The parents were young, maybe only ten years older than myself and Charice but they had two kids, a boy and a girl. I wouldn't put either of them over ten years old.
The hostess wasn't paying attention and tried to seat us first.
“They were waiting first,” said Charice. The parents smiled and said thanks.
“That was nice of you,” I said.
Charice shrugged. “It's only fair.”
The hostess returned and seated us.
“And we didn't have to wait any longer for it,” said Charice.
I smiled. She's so chill. Easy going.
“What?” she asked me.
I frowned. “Nothing,” I grinned. “Patience is a virtue. “
“What comes around goes around.”
We were seated in booth seats parallel to the family.
“Anything to drink?” asked the waiter.
“Two waters for starters,” I said. My mouth was p
arched.
I eyed the menu. “So many good choices. I’m ready for some noodles and meat.”
Charice didn’t respond. She was holding her menu so that it blocked the bottom half of her face. She mimicked the little girl sitting parallel to us who had her fingers and eyes peeking over the edge of her chair, staring at Charice. Charice made a face at her and the girl giggled, the sides of her eyes squinting just enough to know that she was smiling.
I chuckled. She’s good with kids. Even though he was annoying, I could see Charice and Aiden getting along just fine. “You work with kids?” I asked her.
“I want to,” she said. “I’d like to be pediatrician someday.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. I don’t run iFnto too many people that want to be a doctor, let alone one for kids.”
“I like to make kids happy. Keeping them healthy seems like a good choice.”
I nodded. “It’ll take a lot of schooling though.”
“It’ll be worth it. Maybe I’ll even get to save lives,” she said. “Plus with all that schooling I’ll have an excuse to get away from here.”
The waiter came around and dropped us some ice water in glass cups. The water was so cold condensation had already sweat through the glass. I took a long swig. It hurt my teeth, but it was refreshing. “Aaaaahhh,” I sighed. “I needed that.”
“Dehydrated?” asked Charice.
I thought about it. “Yeah probably.”
“What was so urgent that you overreacted and canceled this dinner anyways?”
“Oh, you know. Saving lives,” I said.
Charice smirked. “If you want to be private it’s cool. I just thought we were here to get to know one another.”
“Touche,” I said. “Know what you’re ordering yet?”
She looked at the menu. “There’s so many good options. I think I’ll get the #1 Dac Biet Bo Vien. Wet noodles sounds good on a cold night like tonight. Plus I can make it extra spicy.”
“It’s not cold,” I said. “I’m sticking with meat plate.” I pointed to the picture on the menu so she could see.”
“That one is mild though.”
“I don’t do spicy.”
“Wimp,” she said.
“Whatever,” I said. “I’d like my stomach to feel good.”
“White people,” said Charice, mocking me. “Such sensitive stomachs.”
The waiter came back and took our order. While we waited we chatted small talk and Charice continued to make faces every once in a while at the girl sitting next to us.
The food came shortly and it did not disappoint. Both our dishes had thick steam rising from the food. The smells of meat and noodles and freshly sliced pickled vegetables filled my nostrils and my mouth watered.
“Looks amazing,” said Charice.
I was taking smaller bites than I normally would, until I realized that Charice wasn’t holding back. “I thought you were hungry Sean,” she said.
“I thought girls don’t like to eat too much food because it’ll ruin their form.”
“Please!” said Charice. “Not this girl. She’s gotta have her food. Ain’t no shame in it. Good food is a good life.”
“Amen to that,” I said. Man, I like everything about this girl. “So what do you have against Vallejo?”
She had a mouth full of noodles and looked confused.
“Earlier you said you wouldn’t mind all of the schooling because it’ll give you an excuse to get away from here.”
She nodded and swallowed her food. “It’s not that I don’t like living here it’s just—”
She stopped as if holding back.
Next to us the boy and girl were play fighting at their table.
“It’s just what?” I asked.
She eyed the family. “I never had what they have. My home life kinda sucked growing up. Until my brother finally moved out.”
“Because he was in a gang?”
She nodded. “Growing up, we were pretty poor. We always lived on the South side of Vallejo.”
The South side was notoriously HOOD. I filled my mouth with a forkful of beef and let her continue.
“My dad was always working overtime to make ends meet. And my mom worked part time too. That left me and my brother alone most of the time. He hated our childhood. He’d go to school and see what the other kids had, nice clothes, nice shoes, nice backpacks. Parents available to help them at home with their homework. We didn’t have any of that.”
“But you’ve turned out okay,” I said. “Why didn’t your brother?”
Charice shrugged. “I guess he saw how hard my dad worked just to barely scrape by, meanwhile he realized he could make an easier living slinging weed and other drugs. When he got jumped into a gang he finally had that male camaraderie that he was looking for from my dad.”
“Geewhiz,” I said. “That’s heavy. Are you sure you don’t want to be a psychiatrist?”
Charice swallowed more noodles. “I just notice things about people. When they’re hurting. That’s why I want to become a children’s doctor, so in some small way I can help kids feel better.”
What about you Sean? How was your family growing up?” she asked.
That’s a loaded question. “Growing up it was good. When the whole family was together.”
“Now that everyone’s grown, did others move away?” she asked.
“Gavin did,” I said. “He’s my younger brother.”
“Where’d he move?”
“Washington,” I said. “The state. He wanted to get away from it all after my sister and dad passed away.”
Charice’s eyebrows furrowed with concern and her eyes got watery. “I’m sorry Sean. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“It’s cool,” I said. “You didn’t know.” My voice cracked as I got a little choked up. I cleared my throat. I noticed she was wearing a butterfly bracelet. I took the opportunity to change the subject. “What’s that about?” I said touching it. “Seems a little girly to be wearing.”
She rolled her eyes and flashed me her brilliantly white teeth. “This is a present from my Lolo. Grandma,” she added, clarifying for me. “I told her I what I wanted to be after school and she gave me this bracelet.”
“That’s cool. I don’t see what a butterfly has to do with being a children’s doctor.”
“I doesn’t have to do with the profession. It’s a reminder that we all can transform into something beautiful if we want to. If we work hard enough we can change.”
I nodded.
Charice must have sensed my discomfort. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said, not wanting to dampen the mood.
“No really Sean. What?”
I sighed. “It’s just that for the last few years, changes were always results of something bad happening.”
I thought she’d try to argue, but instead Charice just nodded, letting me continue.
“I just wish...” I motioned with my hands. “I just wish some things could stay the same.” I put my hand down on the table.
“Change isn’t always bad though Sean,” said Charice, comforting me with her hand on mine. I don’t think she was insinuating that not all things were bad because I had her. She was genuinely just trying to comfort me in some small way. But when her hand touched mine I smiled and then we both looked at our hands touching and retracted them.
“That wasn’t awkward,” I chuckled.
“I’m serious Sean,” she said. She reached over and playfully punched me. “I was trying to cheer you up.”
I laughed. “You did... by being awkward.”
She rolled her eyes and blushed. We both grinned at each other. They brought us the check.
“Shall we?” I said, rising from the table.
“Awe man,” said Charice. “We didn’t get to talk about what you want to do for a career.”
“We could get dessert somewhere. You like FroYo?”
“Okay,” she said.
This date is actually going rea
lly well, I thought. We’re chilling and I’m digging this vibe, even if things did get real a little too fast.
As I was paying for the meal I got that sickening sensation. My Keening was burning.
Chapter 12
How Not to End a Date
No, I just defeated the Sluagh! Not another monster!
Superheroes get days off right? These things were supposed to be spaced out over week long increments. I fought one last week, and then tonight. The next one wasn’t due until at least next Thursday.
Charice didn’t notice my discomfort. She was still smiling and chatting to me. I was no longer paying attention though. My mind was racing. I need to get her home ASAP. Then I could see what this thing was and deal with it.
They gave me back my debit card and the receipt so I could leave a tip and sign it. I had a hard time computing the tip amount. But I had a pretty good time with Charice so I threw ten bucks cash in the tip jar.
Where the heck is Nehemiah? I couldn’t be everywhere at once. I couldn’t be expected to handle every monster that came to town. Wasn’t he already doing this way before me? That was the impression I got from him last week. And yet that was the last time I had seen him. A new thought dawned on me. Perhaps he was handling monsters elsewhere too. Perhaps he’d gotten busy. Or maybe like me he needed a break.
But then I thought of Spider-man. With power comes responsibility. And Spidey knew that no matter what he had to do the right thing, even if it meant exhausting himself. But I didn’t have superpowers, I had magic. Like Harry Potter. Harry-Spider? No. Spider-Potter. Potter-man.
I thought of Charice, my family, and the jogger. If I didn’t handle this thing, whatever it was, then nobody would. I couldn’t count on Nehemiah because I had no way to contact him.
No, like Spidey, I was caught in the middle of the web and it was my job to sort this thing out no matter how much I hated being sticky. I was Potter-man, and I had to do the right thing.
As we exited the restaurant I instinctively grabbed Charice’s hand. “Oh,” she said, caught off guard. It was still one of the first times we actually held hands. “So we’re doing that now?” she asked.
