by Carl Alves
Jake waited for Chad to make the first move. The pompous bastard didn’t disappoint him. Chad swung wide with his right fist. Jake blocked his punch and threw a short right to his ribs. Chad gasped. With no wasted motion, he shot in for a single leg takedown that sent Chad to the floor. As quick as a pistol, he twisted around so he was at Chad’s side. Jake grabbed his right arm, flipped his left leg so that it was tightly wrapped under Chad’s chin and looped his right leg over Chad’s forehead. He wrenched down on Chad’s right arm in a textbook arm bar, hyperextending his ligaments and muscles, just the way he demonstrated to his students.
Chad shrieked so loud that Jake’s eardrums popped.
Jake knew that this position left him vulnerable for an attack by Chad’s friends, but he was convinced that they would not intervene. They were all talk and no action. Even if they did, in his current mood he wouldn’t mind thrashing them as well. He stared at them from the floor, almost daring them to jump in. He held onto the armbar for about ten seconds before letting go. He then pinned Chad’s shoulders with his knees and rammed his forearm against Chad’s chin. He bent down so his mouth was near Chad’s ear. “You damn well better stay away from June, or next time I might have to hurt you.”
He stood and glared at Chad’s friends. As expected, they did nothing.
Chad stood like a little boy who had just had his favorite toy taken from him. He was holding onto his arm. He turned to his friends, his hands trembling. “Don’t stand there. Do something.”
A tall guy with closely shaved hair pulled Chad back. “It’s not worth beating up this loser. We might get into trouble.”
A short guy with a thick goatee spoke softly into Chad’s ear. “Yeah, he’s not worth our time. Let’s roll.”
Chad didn’t put up an argument. As he and his friends walked out of the Starbucks, he yelled, “I’ll be looking for you. You better watch your back.”
Jake gazed at him with cold, steady eyes, but said nothing. After they left, he paid for the bill and apologized to the store manager.
As he drove June back in his rusty Hyundai, she had a wild-eyed look on her face. “That was so cool what you did back there.”
Jake frowned. “No, it wasn’t.”
“You were great. That was an awesome arm bar.”
Jake kept his eyes on the road, wishing the whole episode had never taken place. “It was stupid, senseless. What I do in a cage is a contest between trained athletes. I don’t like to fight people who don’t know how to fight back.”
June’s brow furrowed. “But Chad had it coming. He’s a jerk.”
Jake shrugged.
“Thanks for standing up for me. I appreciate it.”
Jake felt his spine tingle. He glanced at June. She looked radiant, even in the dimly lit car. “I wasn’t about to let him treat you like that. You deserve better. I just wish I didn’t have to do what I did. When you know how to fight, you have a responsibility not to abuse your skills.”
When they stopped at a red light, June leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”
Jake couldn’t help smiling. “Well, he is an asshole.”
“You’re damn right he is. Plus, you didn’t actually hurt him. The only injury he sustained was to his massive ego. He deserved it.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to deal with him again.”
“Thank God.”
When they arrived at June’s home, he walked her up to the front steps.
“Do you want to come inside?”
Jake took a long breath. “I’d love to, but I have a class to teach at seven in the morning. I’m filling in for one of the other instructors.”
“Oh,” June said in a low tone.
As much as he would like to spend more quality time with her, he took his job seriously. Joe Renken showed faith in him, continuing to give Jake more responsibilities. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize Joe’s trust.
It took him a few moments to realize she might have taken this the wrong way. He held her hands. “You know, I had a great time tonight. Even with Chad stopping by.”
“Me too.”
“I’d love to this again. Soon.”
“So would I.”
Jake leaned in and gave her a long kiss, something to remember her by until the next time. He walked her to her door and gave her another kiss. When he left, Chad Garrett was a distant memory.
***
When he got home, he was floating in air with fanciful thoughts of June dancing in his head. That was his best first date ever. Hopefully the sequel would be just as good.
Like a dark cloud hanging over him, he spotted the unwanted figure of Adam Fallon sitting on the steps leading to his house. He wore baggy shorts and a backwards baseball cap. Whatever Adam had been doing lately must have been lucrative for him. He wore several gold chains and an expensive looking watch. Jake’s smile disappeared. He took a deep breath and continued walking to his house.
Adam stood. “Jake, thank God you’re here. Man, I’ve been waiting for hours. Your mom wouldn’t let me in the house but said I could sit by the steps.”
This was the first time he had seen Adam since his incarceration. Adam had never showed up for his trial, probably thinking Jake would dime him out. Jake never did, a decision he regretted from his first day in jail.
“I’m in big trouble, man.” Adam walked toward him. Blood flowed from an open wound his right hand. “Some things didn’t go down the way they were supposed to. You see there was this shipment…”
Jake raised his hand. “I don’t want to know. Whatever it is, leave me out.”
“You don’t understand. I need your help. If I don’t get—”
“I don’t want to get involved in your problems. I’ve had enough of that for one lifetime.”
“Jake, I don’t have anyone else to turn to. Come on, man, you’ve always been there for me. Doesn’t our friendship mean anything to you?”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “You got some nerve. I did six months of hard time for something you did. I took the fall for you. You could have come forward and admitted that you robbed the liquor store, and I didn’t have any idea what was going on, but you never said boo. Now you’re trying to lay a guilt trip on me. I’m getting my life back together. If our friendship meant anything to you, then you wouldn’t jeopardize that.”
Adam put his arm on Jake’s shoulder. “Come on, man. I have no one else to turn to. I’d be there for you if you needed me.”
Jake pulled away from him. “No, you wouldn’t. It’s always been one-sided between us. You’ve always made a mess of things, and I’ve always bailed you out. Let me ask you this. What you’re asking me to do, does it involve anything illegal?”
Adam didn’t answer.
“Just what I thought. You got yourself into a jam and you’re going to have to get yourself out of it.”
“But, Jake, they’re going to hurt me bad.”
Jake shook his head. “Look, if you need a place to stay for a few days, or a meal or something, I’ll help you, but anything else, back the hell off.”
Adam had the look of a dejected child. “So that’s the way it’s going to be?”
Jake nodded.
“Some friend you turned out to be. I need your help, and you turn your back on me.”
Jake stood firm.
Adam glared at him and walked away, muttering under his breath.
Jake felt a twinge of guilt. What if he really was in danger? Could he just leave him high and dry? After thinking of Kenna’s sweet, smiling face, he had no other option.
He went inside the house.
He found his mother sitting on the sofa in the living room. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. She looked up at Jake and smiled. “How did it go tonight?”
Jake sat on the checkered sofa next to her. “Good. You okay?”
His mom blew her nose. “Seeing Adam tonight dredged up bad memories. Things have been tough the last couple yea
rs, but I’m done feeling sorry for myself. Sometimes life deals you a bad hand, but you have to pick up the pieces and move on. First your dad dying, and then you in jail. I couldn’t cope. I’m sick and tired of feeling miserable. I have a beautiful little girl and a young man trying to restart his path through life who need my help. I’ve been so self-absorbed that I haven’t been there for you two.”
Jake slipped his arm around her shoulder. What a night. All he wanted was a pleasant evening out with June. He wasn’t prepared for this emotional turmoil. “We’ve been through some rough patches, and there’ll be hard times ahead. That’s why we have to lean on each other. We’ll be stronger for it.”
She kissed his forehead and straightened his shirt. “You have blood on your collar.”
Jake frowned as he looked at his shirt, trying to think how he got it. During their fight, Chad had not been bleeding. Then he remembered Adam had a cut on his hand from doing God knows what. “It’s nothing.”
“Listen, Jake, don’t let that boy drag you down again.”
Jake nodded. “There’s no way I’ll ever do anything to let you or Kenna down again. That’s a promise.”
Chapter XI
Cordy pulled Kenna aside before they entered school. School was about to start, and the other kids were all walking inside. “We have to talk to Mia about Mark.”
Kenna looked around to make sure no one else was listening. “I know. I wanted to last time, but Mia’s been acting weird lately.”
“Still, we have to get back to Mark Saleski soon. Otherwise, he’s gonna write us off as a bunch of wackos.”
They had spoken to Mia three times since emailing Mark Saleski. Each time, she intended to tell Mia that they had spoken to him and get inside information to prove to Mark that they really talked to her. The last few times, Mia had been erratic with long lapses in between answers to their questions. On several occasions, Kenna had thought she had bowed out of the conversation before she resumed communicating with them. When Mia spoke, it came in ragged bursts, not with the normal smooth flow of the planchette that Kenna had become used to feeling. Her responses often didn’t make sense, as if she was distracted. Kenna had a good idea what was bothering her. The one time she had brought up Cotter, Mia ended the conversation abruptly.
Kenna rubbed her eyes. “We’ll talk about Mark this time. We’ll get right into it. No messing around. I promise.”
“Good,” Cordy said. “I was starting to think you were wimping out.”
Kenna scowled at her. “I’m not wimping out. Ben’s the one who’s always afraid.”
Cordy smiled. “Don’t worry about Ben. I got him wrapped around my little finger. Boys are so easy to control.”
Ahead of them, Ben was waddling up the steps leading to the front entrance. His backpack was so stuffed he was having trouble walking. Every few feet, he had to hike it up so it wouldn’t fall.
“Hey, Ben,” Cordy called out. “Four o’clock at Kenna’s house. We’re going to tell Mia about Mark. Be there.”
“Um, okay.”
Cordy had a beaming smile. “What did I tell you?”
“You could be a little nicer.”
Cordy frowned. “Why should I be?”
“You’re like a diva.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not sure,” Kenna replied.
“Whatever. So, we’ll meet at your house, and we’re not leaving until we get that information from Mia.”
***
Kenna felt like a celebrity at school. Everyone was asking about her brother’s fight, even the older kids who never bothered with her. She soaked in the spotlight, not because she wanted the attention, but because she was so proud of Jake. She wanted to stand on top of a mountain and let everyone know how awesome he was. When she described the fight, she gave them a blow-by-blow detail, skipping over the part where she had closed her eyes when Jake was down, and his opponent was throwing elbows at him.
She tried to think about Jake’s fight and not about Mia. When Cordy insisted they talk to her about Mark Saleski, she had inwardly groaned. Normally, she looked forward to speaking with her spirit friend, but lately she had been getting bad vibes during their conversations.
Just before school ended, she tried to talk Cordy out of it, but her best friend was adamant. When Cordy called her a chicken, there was no way she was backing down.
***
Right after school, they went to Kenna’s house.
“Did you bring the question?” Kenna asked.
Carlos sighed. “I already told you I have the copy of the email in my backpack.”
Kenna nodded. “All right. I guess we’re ready.”
Kenna didn’t need the email. She had memorized the secret question they were supposed to ask Mia. The question only Mia could know, which would convince Mark that they truly spoke to her beyond the grave. Grown-ups were so hard to convince, especially lawyers. Jake had told her lawyers were no damn good. That was probably because his lawyer had lost the case that sent him to prison.
They had pestered Mark with emails until he finally relented and provided them with the secret question. He obviously still felt something for Mia, or he wouldn’t have bothered.
Once inside their house, Kenna called out, but as expected, nobody answered. Mom was stuck at work for another hour, and Jake was at the dojo. She figured he would have taken time off after his fight, but he was back training the next day.
“All right. Let’s do it,” Cordy said.
Kenna hesitated.
“What’s the matter?” Ben asked.
Kenna replied, “I’m scared.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “You’re scared?”
Kenna turned away. “Crazy things have been happening lately.”
Ben nodded. “We should drop this whole thing.”
Kenna frowned. “No. Mia’s our friend.”
“She’ll understand,” Ben said.
Cordy put her hand on Kenna’s shoulder. “We should do anything we can for her.”
“Enough with this,” Carlos said. “Just get the board. Gary let me borrow the new Halo game, and I need to get back and play it when we’re done.”
“Is that all you think about?” Cordy rolled her eyes.
As they went to the basement, Kenna experienced an odd sense of déjà vu. Would Cotter show up again? Probably not. After all, they had communicated with Mia over a dozen times, and he had only appeared twice.
They got the board and took their familiar positions. Kenna sat with her legs crossed and stared at Ben. His face no longer had that look of apprehension as if he had just stepped into a yard full of barking German Shepherds. Maybe it was her admission of being scared that helped him.
They circled the Ouija board with the planchette. It was dark inside the basement. Kenna told Carlos to go put on the second set of lights. She preferred the atmosphere to be cheery when they spoke with Mia.
“Mia, are you there?” Kenna asked. Lately, Mia had been responding quickly, but they hadn’t spoken to her in a few days. Hopefully, they had not lost their connection.
Ben looked up at Kenna, his face full of concentration. “Mia, it’s Ben. We want to talk to you.”
Kenna continued to circle with the planchette. “Mia, please speak to us.”
“Maybe she’s taking a nap,” Carlos said. “Or maybe she’s on a hot date.”
Cordy flicked Carlos on the head.
“What’s that for?” Carlos asked.
“Like she’s really going out on a date.”
“How do you know what she does up there?”
Kenna let go of the planchette. “Cut it out. I need to concentrate.”
“Yeah, quit your yapping,” Ben said.
Before Kenna called out again, the planchette spelled out MISSED YOU
“We’ve missed you too,” Kenna said. “We’ve been, um, busy with stuff. You know, like school and everything. So, how’s everything in the spirit world?”
TRYING T
O GET BY
“I hear you,” Ben said. “I feel that way all the time.”
After some small talk, Kenna said, “Mia, there’s something we haven’t told you. We’ve been talking to your old boyfriend, Mark Saleski.”
The planchette tugged violently. YOU HAVE
Kenna glanced at her friends. “We thought it would be a good idea to send him a message from you. The thing is, he kinda doesn’t believe that we talk to you.”
“Yeah, most people don’t believe in ghosts—I mean spirits,” Ben added.
Before Ben finished speaking, the planchette started moving across the board. WHY YOU TALK TO HIM
“Well, we didn’t actually talk to him,” Ben said. “We emailed him. Email’s done through computers and stuff. They didn’t have it back when you were alive. I’d explain it better, but I doubt you’d understand.”
Ben was starting to ramble, so Kenna cut him off. “We thought you would like to let Mark know that we talk to you, and you still care about him.”
There was a long pause before the planchette spelled out WHAT YOU SAID TO HIM
Kenna wiped the sweat off her brow before re-gripping the planchette. “Well, we told him you’re doing fine, and you still think about him, but he didn’t believe us.”
HOW IS HE
Ben tilted his head. “Okay, I guess. He’s a partner at a law firm.”
ALWAYS KNEW HE WOULD BE LAWYER
“Like we said, we didn’t actually talk to him on the phone or in person or anything like that. The way we communicated with him is sort of like how we’re doing with you.” Kenna paused to give Mia time to comment, but there was no resistance on the planchette. “We have to get him to believe we actually speak to you. To make sure we really speak to you, he wanted us to ask you something that only you would know.”
There was an unexpected pull on the planchette. WHAT
Kenna took a deep breath. “Okay, he wanted to ask where you guys went after your senior prom and what he gave you?”
The response was rapid. CLIMB STEPS ART MUSEUM GAVE ME BRACELET SAID 4EVER.
Cordy said, “Aw, that’s so sweet. I told you she was the love of his life. To be broken apart at such a young age. That’s so sad.”
