Sit down and listen so I can finish. There was this chair and…I don’t know if I fully understand what happened.
Try anyway!
Okay. After I sat on it, I…I don’t know exactly what happened next; but according to Tinley, I was transported to a parallel universe and ended up inside the mind of another me.
Oh, come on! Nexa had a hard time believing him.
I’m serious. I was part of a musical group with a bunch of screaming fans and—stop laughing, sis.
I can’t help it. Where is this magical chair? I want to see it for myself.
I’ll show you, but I need to try something first. Nero may have reprogrammed Tinley to keep us from tampering with the data that guards his lab, but I think I’ve found a way to outsmart him. I’m going to attempt to dismantle the sensors to get into the hideout without alerting Tinley. If my plan works, I’ll bring you there.
That reminds me, Nexa made a sour face, you weren’t very nice to father today.
Maxim shook his head. Why should I be? You told me yourself that he didn’t want me to know that he was here yesterday.
But he saved your life Maxim—and Oddily’s too!
So tell me. How did he know we were in trouble?
He didn’t find out from me! Nexa’s angelic face showed that she wasn’t lying.
Sis, I’m worried. I need to find out who tampered with Tinley and why they programmed the android to harm Oddily.
Do you think it’s that girl with the spiky black hair?
There’s only one way to find out. Maxim stood up and began to pace back and forth again. I saw Tinley shortly after you and Oddily left for school and he was behaving normally. That means I could create a time slip, returning to that moment in time, and hide in the control room. I’ll wait there for as long as it takes until I find out who it is.
I’m ready to do it right now! Nexa got up from the bed and stretched.
What about Oddily? I don’t want to leave her alone.
Activate your bedroom sensors. We will know instantly if there is movement in the room.
All right; but once we are inside the control room, you must remain hidden even after I show myself to the intruder.
Nexa smiled. You won’t even know that I’m there.
After Maxim and his sister materialized inside the control room, Nexa asked, How long do you think we’ll have to wait?
I figure it will be no more than an hour.
You do realize that you can’t tamper with what already happened, right?
Maxim frowned. I know. That’s why I want you to watch from inside the main cabinet.
Where will you hide?
I’ll position myself behind one of the screens.
Maxim readied himself for the encounter while Nexa hid, finding a comfortable position with a view of the room. She couldn’t wait to find out the identity of the demented person terrorizing her family and yet, at the same time, she was afraid. The anticipation of what was to come caused her heart to race, and then it happened! The air began to fill with the same foreboding energy she had felt at school earlier that day. Nexa peered through the crack between the double doors of the cabinet and there she was—the girl with the black spiky hair! But how did she enter the room?
From Maxim’s vantage point, the girl’s sudden presence had stunned him as well, and the girl was wasting no time in examining the control panel. Her technical knowledge of the sophisticated computer was astounding. He watched her search through the database until she found the information she wanted.
“Hello, Maxim.” Unexpectedly, the girl’s sultry voice filled the room.
Maxim’s eyes widened in surprise as he stepped out from behind the screen and looked at the girl who still had her back to him. His eyes first went to her short dark hair—cut at odd symmetrical angles. Then he looked at her dress, a form-fitting garment of shinny black fabric, which looked modern and edgy. The sensuous style suited her well from the backside.
“If you will help me with my zipper, I’ll show you more,” the stranger turned around and grinned at him. Her gaze slowly went over his tall lean body and was exceedingly pleased with how wonderfully male he turned out to be.
“That won’t be necessary,” Maxim flinched, but didn’t look away. “You are one of us, aren’t you?”
Maxim watched the girl lift her dress as she sat down on the chair. “You speak as though we’re not human.”
Maxim ignored her comment. “Tell me who you are, and what you are doing here!”
“I’ve come here for you!” her eyes were full of lust. “I have heard about you my whole life, knowing you were promised to me since birth, another half-breed with the mixture of primitive and advanced genetics giving us something in common, exceptional powers. Unfortunately, I have been forewarned that you have fallen in love with a primitive toad!”
“Her name is Oddily.” Maxim’s tone carried a subtle edge of annoyance.
“It doesn’t matter. She won’t be around much longer.”
All at once, Maxim lunged at her, but quickly regained control before grabbing her by the neck.
“I’m impressed with your restraint,” she smiled sweetly.
This girl, with her long lashes fluttering up at him, was puzzling. “Who told you about Oddily?”
“It was the wonderfully handsome Nero. He informed my father that you had reached maturity and it was time for us to meet. He even brought me here himself to make sure I made it to the right destination, and now I can see why.
Maxim recalled the conversation he had with Nero about the chosen mates picked out for him and his sister when they were toddlers.
“I have found someone of my own choosing.” Maxim’s voice sounded firm.
In response, she gave him a teasing look as she slid the skirt of her dress up past her thighs.
“Look—whoever you are…”
“My name is Zaylyn.”
“All right—Zaylyn,” he spoke her name clearly. “I wasn’t aware of the arrangements made by our fathers concerning mates until recently, so I can’t honor what they have planned for us. Please try to understand that my heart belongs to Oddily. She has become a part of me in ways you wouldn’t understand.”
Zaylyn sighed. The resonance of his voice when he spoke Oddily’s name made her understand why animals used sound for seduction. “You’ll have a change of heart after you get to know me. Besides, now that I’ve seen you in person and have talked with you, I’m not backing off.”
“Is that a threat?” His eyes narrowed.
“Not to you.” Zaylyn stood up and gave Maxim a playful wink. “I want to keep you around.”
An uncharacteristic look of disquiet shadowed Maxim’s face, knowing Oddily was still her target.
“There you go again, worrying over your precious redhead, but I suppose you should considering the circumstances.”
“If you touch her, I’ll…!”
“You will do nothing,” she smiled seductively, taking Maxim’s hand and pressing his palm to her breast. “Oddily doesn’t have these, does she?”
Maxim angrily yanked his hand away.
“Oops, I’m running out of time. If I don’t leave right now, my continued presence with you could alter our destiny. Goodbye Nexa!”
By the time Nexa stumbled out of the cabinet to wring the girl’s neck, Zaylyn had already begun to shimmer and fade.
11
The next morning, Maxim gave Nexa and Oddily a ten-minute head start to school and used the time to reflect on how effortless it was for Zaylyn to leave the control room. She had used a form of teleportation to maneuver herself around, something he knew in theory, but hadn’t tried yet. Today was the day he would attempt to relocate himself to River Lodge and retrieve his black BMW that was still parked in the lot of the Inn where Oddily had stayed for a few days.
When the ten minutes were up, Maxim readied himself and began to focus on his desired destination. The energy around him started to build momentum, creating a funnel of terri
fying power. Suddenly his body mass was no longer evident, until a split second later when gravity took hold again, and he reappeared standing near his car.
Maxim quickly glanced around to see if anybody had witnessed his arrival, something he hadn’t considered beforehand. Thankfully, there were no bystanders. He hopped into his car and took off towards Bradley Donut’s, a well-known hangout for kids before school. As expected, he found students gathered in small groups, several of them appearing as couples.
“Perfect!” Maxim mumbled as he parked his car and rolled down the window. To remain inconspicuous, he decided to act as if he was talking on his phone while in truth, he focused on the conversations outside his window. With eyes averted, he listened in on the back and forth dialog and began to familiarize himself with the use of slang words.
“Hey, there’s Maxim. I’ll be right back!”
Maxim turned his head to see who had spoken and spotted Paul heading to his car.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Paul bent down and glanced inside the car. “Where’s Oddily and Nexa?”
“They’re at school.”
“Shoot, I needed a lift.”
“What about your friends over there?” Maxim indicated the group that Paul had been visiting.
“Nah…they’re ditching today. If you want, I’ll introduce you around before they leave.”
Maxim recalled Nexa’s words from the night before. She said that he needed to familiarize himself with Oddily’s world, so he agreed to go and meet with Paul’s friends.
After stepping out of the car, Maxim stared at Paul’s friends curiously while being introduced. He met Jeff, Mike, Stephan, Andrew, Liz, and Jenny who gawked at him in return. His focus remained on Stephan and Andrew because the two females were apparently their girlfriends. After ten minutes of listening in on how they interacted with one another, Maxim finally understood the meaning of the term, pet names. Nexa was right. He did feel foolish. The strange ritual was supposed to be a form of intimacy between two people.
“What school do you go to?” Jeff asked.
“I was home schooled,” Maxim tried to be friendly.
“Ahhh man, you’re a lucky dog!”
Maxim’s jaw clenched when, once again, he was measured up to an animal. This offensive comparison was going to take some getting used to.
“You’re the guy who was with Oddily at the dance,” Jenny volunteered. “My heart goes out to the poor thing.”
“I appreciate your sympathy, but Oddily’s doing fine now.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” she grinned.
Maxim placed his hand on Paul’s shoulder. “I’m going inside to get some donuts for Nexa and Oddily. Do you have any suggestions on what the girls might like?”
“Yeah, but it’s better if I show you.” Paul joined Maxim inside the donut shop filled with freshly baked goods. “Hey Helen, how’s my favorite girl?” Paul greeted the woman behind the counter.
“You’re such a flirt,” Helen laughed. “What will it be today?”
“My buddy here needs some help.”
“What can I do for you, young man?”
Maxim stepped up to the glass display cabinet and stared at the array of choices while he listened to Helen’s recommendations. Then he ordered two of each, starting with maple bars, apple fritters, bear claws, cinnamon twists, and jelly donuts.
“What if Oddily’s favorite is chocolate sprinkles?” Paul teased him.
“Add two chocolate sprinkles to my order, please?”
“Hey, I was just kidding!” Paul was surprised when Maxim had taken his remark seriously; but when he saw Maxim grin, he knew the joke had been put back on him.
“I’ll drop you off at school.” Maxim called over his shoulder as he headed back to his car.
Paul ran to catch up with him. “Thanks for the lift. I’ll be your donut delivery boy if you don’t want to get out of the car.”
Maxim’s first response was to say no because he already had plans to be on the school’s campus; but, he reconsidered. This would give him the chance to remain unnoticed while he kept an eye out for Zaylyn. “Yes…sounds like a great idea. Thank you.”
*
Oddily walked alongside Nexa and Paul while munching on donuts Maxim had sent along with Paul. She was heading for class when one of the students bumped into her, knocking her into the wall.
“Excuse me,” the girl stared into Oddily’s startled eyes.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Paul grabbed Oddily by the arm in an effort to steady her while she regained her footing. “Are you all right?”
Oddily appeared to be in a daze as she gazed up at Paul. Then suddenly, on impulse, she promptly grabbed him and tried to give him a kiss.
Paul held her off and glanced first at Nexa, then at the girl who had bumped into Oddily. She was ducking out the nearest doorway, but not before she glanced his way and winked.
“Stop it!” Nexa pulled Oddily away from Paul before she could try and kiss him again.
Suddenly, Oddily snapped out of her trance-like state and stared at Paul who had begun to laugh.
“I didn’t know you were a jokester!” Paul playfully ruffled Oddily’s hair in an attempt to blow off the incident, but he couldn’t hide his discomfort from Nexa. It was written in the depths of his alluring brown eyes right before the tardy bell rang.
After Paul’s abrupt departure, Nexa spoke to her brother while she and Oddily rushed to class. Maxim, Zaylyn got to Oddily and she did it right under our noses.
I know sis. You can relax though because I caught her. I’m going to take care of this situation once and for all. I’ll talk to you later.
Maxim’s light blue eyes were hooded and unwavering while he kept Zaylyn pinned against the wall of the gymnasium. When she finally stopped resisting him, he believed he had the upper hand…but he didn’t. With Zaylyn’s quick thinking, she had managed to free one of her arms. She ripped his shirt open, gazing at his chest seductively, and then into his eyes.
Stop it! Maxim was the first one to break eye contact. I don’t want you. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Damn it Maxim! You are the one who doesn’t understand. I love you. What will you do in fifty or sixty years after Oddily dies? You will have to move on with your life.
No! I have thought this through and I will find a way to keep her with me.
Obviously, you haven’t considered the fact that she will grow old.
Of course I have. Night after night, I have searched for answers.
So tell me, what did you find?
That is none of your business.
You’ve already discovered the answer, haven’t you? I can see it in your eyes. When do you plan on changing her?
You ask too many questions. Maxim tried to hide his confusion over her last question. He wasn’t sure what Zaylyn was talking about, but it sounded as though she was accepting his quest for prolonging Oddily’s life as a reality. In a strange way, this gave him hope.
It doesn’t matter though. Zaylyn continued. I’ll get to Oddily before you do unless, of course, you stop resisting me.
Maxim began to dig his fingers into Zaylyn’s arms as a surge of rage came over him; but, Zaylyn disappeared in a whirlwind of flickering light.
Maxim was stunned. Zaylyn’s hasty departure appeared to be different from what he had witnessed inside the control room the night before. How many ways were there to disappear?
12
When lunch period finally began, Oddily had shrugged off the near kissing incident and was munching on cafeteria food along with Nexa.
“Thank you for buying my lunch.” Oddily spoke between mouthfuls. “I love this meatloaf. Do you want me to share some with you?”
“No thanks. I’ll stick with my fruit salad.”
Oddily continued to eat while watching Starla and her friends at their reserved table. Observing them was a habit she couldn’t seem to break even after all that had happened.
Then s
he glanced around the table where she and Nexa sat, realizing that she was surrounded by her new friends. She was sandwiched in between Pepper and Carrie, and Nexa sat across from her. Oddily grinned when it dawned on her that her lonely school days were becoming a thing of the past.
“Give it back, dumb-ass!”
Oddily’s head perked up towards Starla’s table again. Only this time Kip was there, stealing Starla’s lunch from her.
“Oh my God,” Carrie began to laugh. “What’s up with that guy?”
“I guess Starla is his new victim.” Oddily mumbled, her attention returning to her friends.
“As I always say—payback is a bitch!” Pepper smiled broadly while giving Oddily the once over. “Damn girl, I know I keep saying this, but I really do love your new look.”
“Thank you.” Oddily accepted the compliment, this time without blushing.
“You kind of remind me of the model, Lily Cole…only shorter. What do you think Carrie?”
“Yeah, you’re right. She has the same heart shaped face and large eyes. Even her mouth is similar.”
“Who knows?” Oddily sighed. “Maybe she’s a relative of mine and I’ll never know.”
“That would be awesome!” Carrie’s face lit up at the thought.
“That reminds me,” Pepper spoke up. “Carrie and I are going shopping after school. Do you guys want to come with us?”
Oddily became excited and turned to Nexa. “What do you think—should we go?”
Nexa’s attention had been split between listening in on Maxim’s thoughts, and the conversation that was going on between Oddily and the others. It appeared that Maxim had the Zaylyn situation under control which meant the danger surrounding Oddily had been resolved. “No, you go ahead without me? I already made plans to be somewhere else.”
Oddily turned to the girls and grinned. “Where should I meet you guys?”
“I’m driving,” Pepper spoke up, “so meet us at my car.”
After school, Oddily hopped into the back seat of Pepper’s black SUV and buckled up. She remembered their crazy trip to the carnival, driving with the windows down and music blaring. This trip was to be no different.
MAXIM: A New Type of Human (Oddily Series #2) Page 6
