The Riser Saga

by Becca C. Smith

  “No. Thanks though. I really should do this. Here’s the number.” I flipped up the metal device Jason gave me and a 3D holograph of his number popped up and rotated slowly like it was on display. Nancy quickly dialed and I held my breath as I could hear his ringer through the receiver. Don’t be home, don’t be home, don’t be home…

  “Jason Keroff.”

  Uggghh. Major butterflies. “Um, hi, this is Chelsan, the girl from the trailer park. You told me to call you.” I said this so fast, I wasn’t sure if he could understand me.

  “Chelsan, hi. Did you call from a landline?” His voice was warm, but had an edge of caution to it as well.

  “Yeah, I’m at my friend Nancy’s house.”

  Nancy leaned in to me as close as she could be without toppling me off the couch. Let’s face it, Nancy was definitely in swoon city. She could barely contain her sighs and squeals of delight and I had just started the conversation.

  “Okay, look. I don’t want to talk on the phone. Can you meet me tonight at Alby’s Bar and Grill at the Riverside mall? Say, seven o’clock?”

  I took the receiver away from my ear and placed my hand over it so Jason couldn’t hear me. “He wants to meet at Alby’s.”

  Nancy’s eyes bugged out of her head. “Tell him YES! What are you thinking?”

  I put the receiver back to my ear. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

  “Be careful, Chelsan. I mean it.” Jason sounded intense and it made the pit of my stomach sink even further into the terrified zone.

  “I will, thanks.” And I hung up.

  “You didn’t say bye or anything?” I could tell Nancy was beyond excited and she could care less on how the conversation ended. “I’m going with you by the way.”

  “Of course.” I decided it wasn’t worth an argument and besides, I really didn’t want to go alone. Jason said to be safe, and being safe meant having back-up.

  “When are we meeting him?”

  “Seven o’clock.”

  “That gives us plenty of time to get ready. It’s three o’clock now, so maybe we could go shopping.” Nancy’s head was spinning now.

  “Nancy, I don’t want to go shopping. I want to find out as much information as we can before we meet Jason.” I just couldn’t get excited about meeting Jason like Nancy could. Jason equaled facing the fact that I really was in danger, and staying here at Nancy’s I actually felt safe. I didn’t want to lose that feeling.

  “Okay, no biggie, I have plenty of stuff here. Let’s get back to the readers.” Thankfully, Nancy didn’t seem upset at all, she was just excited to be meeting Jason.

  The thought of the meeting tonight made my belly do flip-flops and not in a good way. I concentrated on my reader. It was an article on a Voodoo ritual involving the slaughtering of a goat. Why goats? What did goats ever do to anyone? I put the reader down. “You’re right. Jason would have access to better stuff than this. We should plan our strategy.”

  Nancy’s face lit up as she put her reader down. “Strategy as in what we’re wearing or as in what we’re saying.”

  I rolled my eyes, but smiled. “You, seriously, have a one-track mind.”

  “I know, I’m sorry.” Nancy smiled back.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Saved by the bell.” Nancy jumped up from the couch and made her way to the front door.

  I stayed put, but peeked over the couch to see who it was.

  And to my shock, Joan, Jill’s lackey, was standing at Nancy’s doorstep.

  “And why shouldn’t I slam this door in your face?” Nancy looked like she was about to punch Joan right there.

  Joan was looking over her shoulder constantly. “Could you just let me in, please?”

  “Are you insane?” Nancy was in shock. “What would possibly compel me to do that?”

  Joan was serious as she stared Nancy in the eye. “Trust me, Chelsan will want to hear this.”

  Nancy was genuinely taken aback. She glanced over at me for instructions.

  “You can let her in,” I said quietly. I was curious as much as I was suspicious.

  “Fine, but if this is a trick, I have no qualms about kicking your ass.” Nancy threatened and I appreciated her loyalty.

  “It’s not a trick,” Joan said as she hurriedly walked inside Nancy’s house. “Trust me, I don’t want to be here either, but I thought you deserved to know what I know, considering what happened to you and your family…” Joan said with genuine sympathy.

  “Know what?”

  Joan sat down across from me.

  Nancy sat next to me so she was facing Joan as well and she could give her dirty looks when needed.

  “Okay,” Joan said, still looking over her shoulder as if someone would show up at any minute to catch her in the act of being seen with us. “Okay. About yesterday.”

  “Yes?” Nancy was even more impatient than I was.

  Joan was one of those girls who could basically be glued to Jill and no one would notice. It was almost like she had no personality of her own, she was essentially an extension of the monster. In fact, I think this was the first time I had ever even heard her say more than three words aside from her outburst at Mel’s when she was trying to get me fired. Why was I listening to her again?

  “I don’t know if this means anything, but it’s been nagging at me and I thought you should know.” Joan was fidgeting nervously.

  I was skeptical at anything that Joan said to me and wondered if she was nervous because she genuinely had important information or because this was the longest she had been away from Jill.

  “Just spill it, geez, Joan, you’re acting like a spaz.” Nancy was at the end of her patience and frankly, so was I.

  “Fine. The reason why Jill was blocking you from Bill’s limo was because her dad told her to,” Joan said quietly.

  “What?” Uh, oh. I didn’t like where this was going.

  “Yeah. She got a call from him at the mall, saying you were there and not to let you out of her sight. He said he had direct orders from Vice President Geoffrey Turner.” Joan made another sweep of the room with her eyes as if it was bugged and she’d be arrested on the spot.

  Nancy and I exchanged worried glances.

  “Say something. You guys look like you knew this was coming. Did you hear what I said? Geoffrey Turner, the most powerful man in the world, wanted Jill to keep an eye on you! That’s not a good thing, let me tell you.” Joan was apparently disappointed in our lack of reaction, but I didn’t want to reveal too much to her in case this was a way of finding out what we knew.

  “Thanks for the info, Joan, we’ll take it under advisement. Now leave, please.” Nancy was on the same page I was.

  “I wish I hadn’t told you.” Joan was livid.

  “What do you want from me, Joan? Thank you for telling me the most powerful man in the world is sending orders to his slave’s daughter keep an eye on me? Thanks.” I really didn’t feel like trying to make Joan feel good about her decision to betray Jill. I was glad she did it, but she was still a bully that had been causing me havoc my whole High School career.

  “Fine. See if I ever help you again!” Joan stood up and stormed to the front door, slamming it on her way out.

  Nancy and I had to laugh at the dramatics.

  “She’s going to go tell Jill, you know,” Nancy said in a more serious tone.

  “Yeah,” I said with a sigh.

  Nancy shook her head, “There’s nothing we can do about it now. At least we know more than we did.”

  “He’s probably having your place watched.”

  “Good to know. We’ll have to be extra careful when we sneak out tonight to meet Jason.”

  “We’re going to need a ride. The Hover-Shuttle seems too public. He’ll have people looking there for sure.” I tried to narrow down a plan.

  Nancy was getting very excited by the prospect. “This is like espionage. We’re literally spies working against the government.”

  �
�Nancy, seriously, you’re way too happy about all this. Hello? My life is in danger.”

  “I know, but it’s still exciting.” Nancy went to the window next to her front door and peered out. “Joan’s gone. She lives kind of far, I wonder if she had someone bring her here.”

  “You mean like Jill?” I asked what I thought Nancy was getting at.

  “She’s been Jill’s second limb since I’ve known them. I can’t imagine her doing anything of her own accord.”

  “Me, either. Still.” I let the thought linger.

  “Oh crap!” Nancy leapt back from the window and scurried to the couch.

  “What?!”

  Nancy smiled, “You’ll see in about two seconds.”

  There was a knocking on the door for the second time today.

  “Who is it?” I asked Nancy, since she obviously knew.

  “Why don’t you get it?” Nancy picked up her reader with a Cheshire cat grin.

  “Nancy?”

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “Are you going to get that, or what?” Nancy wasn’t budging.

  “Fine,” I said and rolled my eyes for measure.

  I stood up and made my way around the couch at a leisurely pace.

  “Hurry up. He might leave.”

  He? Uh, oh. It was either Bill or Ryan, and at this moment I didn’t know who I wanted it to be. Bill meant comfort and reassurance. Ryan meant butterflies and hot flashes. Okay, I was leaning towards Bill for the simple reason of keeping the contents of my stomach from making a projectile force out of my mouth.

  I reached the door much quicker than I preferred and opened it slowly.

  Ryan.

  Breathe.

  “Oh, hi, Ryan.” Wow. That was the coolest I’ve sounded yet.

  “Hey. How are you?” How was he always cooler? It was like he was in tune with everything I said and somehow managed to be that much more relaxed and laid back than I could ever be.

  “Come on in.” I opened the door wider to let him through.

  Ryan came in and I shut the door behind him.

  “Ryan! Hey, how’s it going? Come sit over here with us,” Nancy called him over.

  She was acting way more excited than was necessary. I guess that’s what I got for letting her meet the crush of her lifetime tonight.

  Ryan made sure that he sat down next to me on the couch, and even though the couch was huge, he sat so our legs were touching. Nancy tried to hide her obvious amusement by handing Ryan a reader.

  “We’re doing research, dig in and help us, genius.”

  My eyes met Nancy’s with a strike of horror. Ryan didn’t know about anything! What was Nancy thinking? My face must have turned dead white because Ryan didn’t take the reader he just looked at me in sudden concern.

  “What’s wrong?” The worry in his eyes was enough to make me almost forget Nancy’s blunder. Almost.

  Nancy figured it out quickly enough. Her face was actually red. She pulled back the reader and turned it off. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think. I forgot he didn’t…” Nancy was at a loss for words.

  Know was the end of that sentence. Although a part of me agreed with her. It felt like Ryan knew everything already. Like he was in on all the secrets and yet he wasn’t.

  Ryan looked back and forth between Nancy and me and he placed his hands up in surrender. “I have no idea what’s going on, but this is really weird.” He turned to me suddenly upset, “Do you… oh man, I’m so sorry. You don’t like me, do you? You must think I’m this clingy jerk. I’m going to go.”

  Ryan stood up, face flushed, tail tucked between his legs and I nearly had a panic attack.

  “Ryan, stop!” I said that a little too loud.

  “No, it’s okay, Chelsan, I get it. I’m a jerk. Seriously, I get it.” Ryan was genuinely hurt, and for no reason. I had to tell him.

  “Ryan, sit. Please. I like you, dork.” Just the way I always imagined telling him. Uugh.

  It was enough for Ryan, he smiled his heart-wrenching smile that always gave me goose bumps, and sat down next to me. Even closer than before. “Then what is it?”

  “There are some things you need to know about me.”

  And I told him everything. I didn’t mean to. I started out thinking I’d only tell him what he needed to know, but by the end of it I guess he needed to know everything because I hadn’t left anything out.

  By the end of the conversation, instead of revulsion (as I fully expected), I saw wonder and awe in the way he stared at me. And he was definitely staring. Then his expression turned sad.

  “I’m really sorry about your mom. She was a really nice lady,” Ryan said quietly.

  At the mention of my mother, that familiar lump of anguish stuck itself in my throat. “Thanks.” Then it occurred to me, “You sound like you met her?”

  Ryan’s face flushed red. “I did. About six months ago,” he paused as if unsure if he wanted to finish this story. “I came by your trailer one night to see you. I guess you were at work, but she invited me in and made me a chocolate shake.”

  I was shocked. A: my mother never told me, and B: Ryan came to see me at my house! “What?” was all that came out.

  “Don’t be mad. She promised she wouldn’t tell you and by the look on your face, she obviously kept her word. I didn’t want to freak you out. I just wanted to apologize for ignoring you all the time. But I wanted it to come from me and not second hand from your mom.” Then he smiled. “She gave me some really good advice.”

  I was going to ask him exactly what that advice was, but I decided that was between the two of them. No wonder she was so judgmental of Bill. She had obviously picked sides once Ryan had come to see her. He must have been the other boy she kept on hinting at. That was so Mom.

  “I’m glad you got to meet her,” I said and meant it.

  “Me, too.” He smiled, “Do you think you could show me how you bring something back to life?” he asked a little shyly.

  “Sorry, no dead things in here.” Nancy punched Ryan’s shoulder in a joking manner, but there was definitely some protectiveness packed into that punch. It was Nancy’s nice way of saying, ‘don’t make Chelsan perform like a monkey you jerk.’

  “It’s okay, Nancy. I would need proof, too, if someone told me all this,” I said, trying to reassure Ryan and Nancy, but Ryan’s face fell. He looked like I had kicked him.

  He turned to me so we were eye to eye. “I believe you. You don’t have to prove anything to me. I was just curious.” He turned to Nancy, rubbing his newly smacked arm. “And I deserved that.”

  “No, really, it’s no big deal. Here.” I searched the room for anything dead. There was a particularly large cockroach, but I decided to keep insects out of this, Nancy would freak. And then I saw the perfect thing.

  A small houseplant that was on its last legs. It was some kind of flower plant, but the petals and leaves were brown and dead. I walked over to the small pot (it was only a few inches high) and brought it over to the couch. I connected to the plant’s swirling black hole and brought it back to life. Green leaves and vines grew higher, larger, fuller than this plant had ever dreamed, and white silky flowers bloomed from every corner. When I was done, a two-foot masterpiece stood before us.

  Ryan’s mouth had dropped and even Nancy was a little taken aback. I think it was good for her to see me bring life back to something as opposed to the nightmare I left her with when I disconnected Bruce from his black hole.

  “Wow.” Ryan had finally spoken.

  “Yeah,” Nancy chimed in.

  “I can put it back the way it was,” I volunteered. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. What would Ryan say if I brought a human back, I mean, hearing about it and actually seeing it were entirely two different things. Nancy had been exposed to Bruce, but I think she was in some kind of denial about that. I didn’t want to scare them off. “Guys, wow and yeah, not very encouraging.” I decided to take the honest approach.

  Ryan put his arm around me
and gave me a little squeeze. “You just became even cooler, and I thought you were just about the coolest person I’d ever met.”

  “Don’t put it back. My mom will love it. This was her favorite, but she over-watered it to death.” Nancy was taking the relaxed approach at this point.

  “Okay. Just tell her I gave it to her as a thank-you for letting me stay with you guys.” I turned to Ryan, his words hitting me like a ton of bricks. “You thought I was cool?”