by J. J. Melvin
Though Ms. Barnett was more pleasant than Ms. Cunningham, there was no way I could concentrate on math. I couldn’t help but think about the weird things happening, like the strange officer who wore the same symbol as Mr. Blithe and Dr. Nanjit. I looked for the symbol on Miss Barnett’s sleeve, but it wasn’t there. I was sure I was going crazy.
Chapter 9
SCHOOL CEMETERY
My third-period class was situated on the other side of the school. My hopes of a quiet walk were shattered when I had to endure being called a fame whore and a drama queen. I had to listen to comments about how I planned the shooting so I could be famous, so I could be popular, so I could be rich. It was difficult for me to discern whether the remarks were spoken out loud or if my mind was penetrating the private thoughts of others. Every now and then I would look up from my downward gaze to see groups of students huddled together whispering. I chose to keep my head down for the rest of my walk until I arrived at the outdoor walkway, where jasmine flowers and bougainvillea covered the arches that peered into the quad.
The rain had stopped, and the sun had just started to shine through the dissipating cloudy sky. The air was infused with the smell of jasmine and rain. The awe-inspiring beams of light hitting the ground would have been beautiful had they not been beaming on an unholy place. The grass that once surrounded the quad was no longer there. It was now covered by cement, a memorial mounted in the middle of the quad where three people had lost their lives. The school tried to make the quad look different with fresh paint and new tables, but they couldn’t hide its treacherous past. It would never be forgotten; I would never forget. How could I forget that the first boy I liked killed three people and shot himself inches from my face, turning me into an unwanted celebrity, a household name? Erika Martin—forever known to some as the girl who saved Riverton, to others as the girl who got away with murder.
As I stood there staring at the memorial, the catalyst for my new life, I gave in to the what-ifs that plagued my mind. What if I had asked Robert why he wanted me to stay away from the quad? Could I have prevented all of this? I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped as the figure came up from behind me. As I turned around, my eyes met those of a man who used to emanate a wondrous glow. I waited for that energy to appear again, but it never did.
“Erika, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Mr. Lapinsky stood next to me sharing the scenery that lay before us. We allowed a few minutes of silence between us before he spoke again. “It’s not good to dwell on the past. Come, let’s get to class. I’ll walk with you, if that’s okay?”
My smile was my silent answer. Mr. Lapinsky smiled back. It was obvious that it took energy for both of us to make our mouths move into an upturned U shape. We walked silently together.
Mr. Lapinsky taught his class, but it was different… he was different. That charismatic teacher, the promise of a fun class… both were gone. He had been replaced by a man who was much like me, a man trying to make it through each day.
The loudspeaker interrupted Mr. Lapinsky. “Erika Martin, please report to Mrs. Wong’s office. Erika Martin, please report to Mrs. Wong’s office.”
“I guess you’re wanted, Erika.” Mr. Lapinsky was smiling as he looked sympathetically into my eyes.
“Murderer!” someone yelled as I walked out.
I heard Mr. Lapinsky screaming at the class, challenging the person who made the remark to show himself. I walked away. I didn’t need to hear any more.
I knocked on Mrs. Wong’s door.
“Come in,” her voice commanded.
When I opened the door I was surprised to be greeted by Liam and Mr. Blithe. I had intentionally been blocking Liam from my brain, but as I looked at him I realized that was impossible. Excitement filled every inch of my body. I blushed as our eyes made contact. I was trying to be cautious, but I knew it was useless. I didn’t trust my judgment. I had been wrong about Robert, was I wrong to feel the way I did about the handsome young man that stood before me now? I knew he believed in fairy tales and magic, but… was he crazy? Was he dangerous? He intrigued and scared me at the same time.
“Erika, so nice to see you again.” Mr. Blithe shook my hand.
“Erika.” Liam reached his hand out to take mine. “You shocked me… again,” he laughed, looking into my eyes as I recovered from the sudden prick of static electricity.
“Ms. Wong, do you mind letting us talk to Erika alone?” Mr. Blithe was already ushering Mrs. Wong to the door.
In agreement, Mrs. Wong exited her office. Mr. Blithe closed the door behind her.
“How did you guys get in here?” I was happy to see Liam again, but I knew the police and administrators at the school would not grant any stranger access to the famous Erika Martin.
“Your principal thinks Mr. Blithe is your shrink. Seems as though they feel you may be a little crazy.” Liam stood there with his boyish grin, trying to pull me into his banter.
“Oh, is that so,” was all I could come up with to say.
“Don’t get mad at me, I don’t think you’re crazy.” Liam had his signature lopsided smile on as he stood in the same position he was in when I first saw him, thumbs securely tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.
“Erika, I was phoned about the incident today,” Mr. Blithe said, interrupting my first attempt at flirting. For a second I had forgotten that Mr. Blithe was in the room with us.
“That’s right, the strange police officer— you’re who he meant he was going to call.”
“It looks like your capabilities are getting stronger.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Blithe, but like I told Liam in the park, I don’t have capabilities.”
“What about you bending the bars today, or cracking the cement?” Liam took a step closer to me as I took a step back.
“That… that wasn’t real.”
“Yes Erika, it was real.” Liam took another step, closing the gap I had made between us.
I had thought it was all in my mind. How did he know about that? Mr. Blithe interrupted my thoughts of confusion. “Erika, have you read the book?”
“I’ve read some of it, but I’ve been busy.”
“Yes, I know you’ve been busy. I’ve seen the interviews and I am glad the police have dropped their investigation of you.”
“See, I told you they would,” Liam added. He was as adorable as ever.
Mr. Blithe was whispering now. “Erika, it is imperative that you read the book. We think you may be what is called a Point, The Western Point, more precisely The Reader. It would also be best if you stop giving interviews, for your own safety.”
“What do you mean, my safety? Mr. Blithe, are you threatening me?”
“No Erika, not us. That birthmark you have, the one we share— it makes us unique, but it also puts us in danger. Your powers put you in danger,” Liam said, pleading with me to listen.
“I don’t have powers; I wish you both would stop saying that.”
“Erika, don’t you wonder why it was so easy for you to disarm and hold down a 200 pound, six-foot gunman?” Liam sounded frustrated. “We have so much to tell you! So much to teach you…” He started to elaborate, but was interrupted by Mr. Blithe.
“Erika, this is my telephone number. We can’t talk here.” Mr. Blithe handed me his card. “It is imperative that we meet, right away. Your life is in danger—not by us, but by others who may have started to notice your uniqueness. We need to set up a meeting alone, a time when we can talk away from prying ears.”
“I want to know why you keep telling me I’m in danger. You guys are scaring me.”
“Erika, we would never hurt you. We are here to protect you, to teach you.” Liam lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show me his birthmark again. “Whether or not you admit it to yourself, I know you feel our connection. I know in your heart you know the truth and know that all Mr. Blithe and I want to do is help you.”
Liam was right. I did feel a connection. And though the things Liam and Mr. Blithe were tel
ling me scared me, for some reason I was not scared of them. I kept trying to fight my instincts, reminding myself that I had been wrong about Robert, telling myself to not trust my intuition… but I needed to know more.
“I have to think about all of this. I promise I’ll read more of the book and contact you soon. I have to go now. I’m supposed to meet my sister for lunch.” I didn’t want to leave Liam, but I needed time to think. I opened the door and rushed out.
I ran to where Alyssa was waiting. She looked furious.
“Erika, I was worried sick.”
“Okay, take it easy, I’m just a few minutes late.”
“I told her to chill out,” her friend Stephanie said, trying to defend me.
I spent the next ten minutes convincing Alyssa to give me the keys to her car so I could take a nap. I told her I was exhausted, which was true, but really what I wanted was a quiet place to sit and read more of the ancient book. It was difficult convincing my class president sister to aid me in ditching the rest of my classes, but finally, after pleading my case over and over, she relented. Alyssa gave me her keys and I made my way to the parking lot. I locked myself in the car, thanked God the reporters were gone, and reclined my seat all the way back so no one could see me. I laid there thinking about today’s events. I carefully removed the delicate book from my bag. I had brought it with me out of concern; my mom had a tendency to snoop. Gently I laid it on my lap. It felt so fragile. I was worried I would damage it.
I unwrapped the ribbon from the old book and began rereading the paragraph where I had left off.
I reread the part about the hundred people who were called Diamonds, born every century all sharing a common trait, a diamond-shaped birthmark, my birthmark. The Diamonds were supposed to be the warriors and protectors of our realm. I read again about the mystical powers that were said to be passed down to four Diamonds every century, people who were inherently good and deserving of these powers, people who would never use their powers for evil. I read on about the powers of the rarest Diamonds, The Four Points. They were described to possess the powers of superhuman strength, agility, and speed. Each Point also had his or her own special power:
The Healer: can heal the sick or wounded, and oneself. Cannot heal the dead.
The Reader: can read minds and influence others’ actions through mind control.
The Seer: sees the future and the past.
The Naturalist: controls nature, influences the elements.
I found it interesting that these four individuals were usually born in four different hemispheres: The North, South, East, and West. Together they created a powerful team. They were said to be the only ones who could stop evil and restore Earth’s balance.
I went on to read more about who the Diamonds were. In the book, Diamonds were described as highly intelligent. They had been noted to be among the world’s elite leaders. Some of the Four Points had been rumored to be Presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners, scientists, and other important figures in society.
I closed the book. This was crazy. Even if Diamonds and Points did exist, there was no way that I could be a Diamond or a Point. I could never be the President or a Nobel Peace Prize winner; who were they kidding? This was nonsense. But I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading. A part of me was starting to believe, and I wanted to know more. I opened the book again.
I read on about what happened if a Point died. If a Point was killed, their powers would be transferred to another Diamond. The one hundred Diamonds were backups for the Points. However, if a Point perished at the hands of a Collector, the Collector absorbed the Point’s powers and strengths. I wanted to know what a Collector meant in this context, so I looked it up in the glossary.
Collector: A thief, an evil soul who hunts Diamonds to get rid of Earth’s protectors, to wipe good from the Earth and create an imbalance of good and evil.
Were these Collectors the reason Liam and Mr. Blithe kept saying I was in danger? Could I be being hunted because I was a Diamond, and even maybe a Point? There were things, things that I had done in the past, that didn’t make sense. Times that I was stronger than I should have been… times I heard things when I shouldn’t have… times that I couldn’t explain how I got from one place to another. I was trying to remember all the different incidents, all the times I’d thought maybe... maybe I was crazy… perhaps I was actually schizophrenic.
I was startled by my sister knocking on the window. I had forgotten she was a senior and didn’t have a last-period class. I had been in the car for an hour, and it felt like minutes. I unlocked the door and put the book away.
“Glad to see your reading, Erika.”
“What? Oh yeah, reading.”
“Erika, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Alyssa, I’m fine, stop worrying about me!” I was frustrated. I was sick of that question, and it showed.
“Jeez, I was just asking, Erika.”
Chapter 10
REAL OR FICTION
Finally, the weekend. It was early morning. I listened to the rain as it danced upon the roof. I laid there in bed listening to the blissful calming pitter patter. The rain always had a way of relaxing my mind.
I got up and got dressed. I tried to remember more of my dream from last night. I tried to decipher if any of it could be real. The dream was a variation of the same dream I’d had in the hospital on the first night I met Liam.
I was transported back to the hospital. Wearing a white flowing nightgown, I once again stepped out onto the hospital ledge, but Liam was not there to meet me this time. I was still ten stories up, following the same diamond that floated in the night sky like it had before. I walked off the ledge unafraid, feeling the cold brisk air whip gently at my face. Alone this time, I glided safely to the ground. I was met by Trevor, holding his gun. Pointing it steadily at me, he pulled the trigger. I watched the bullet slowly come toward me, then soft hands created electricity through my body as they gently moved me out of the way. The bullet struck Liam in the chest. I observed in horror, but my misery was short-lived as I watched the bullet bounce off of Liam. My dream ended as Liam turned to me, his gaze piercing my soul “Erika, my Diamond, wake up! You are in grave danger.”
My thoughts about Liam and my dream were interrupted when Alyssa walked into my room. “Hey Erika, do you have my green army jacket?”
“No, it’s too big on me. Why would I have it?”
“Uggghhh! I can’t find it anywhere. I’m so annoyed. I have a date with Anthony and it’s freakin raining! Now I have to figure out a whole new outfit. I planned on wearing this one all week.” Alyssa waved her hands over her body, showing me her cute shorts and crop top.
Anthony was the star of the football team, and this was going to be Anthony and Alyssa’s first date. I knew she was nervous. I was happy for Alyssa; Anthony was one of the cutest and smartest guys in school.
“Where are you guys going?”
“We were supposed to go paddleboat in the river, but now I think we’re just gonna go bowling or something.”
“Why don’t you wear your skinny jeans with that beige top you wore last week? That looked good.”
“Erika, I just wore that last week. Don’t you know anything about fashion? You have to wait at least a month before you recycle the same exact outfit.”
I didn’t know anything about fashion. I didn’t care. My sister, on the other hand, was obsessed. Obsessed with purses, clothes, shoes. She wrote down her daily outfits on a little notepad just so she could remember not to wear the same outfit too close together and to remind herself of the pairings. I, on the other hand, didn’t even own a purse.
“Oh.” I tried not to roll my eyes, but I couldn’t help it.
“What about my skinny jeans with this top?” Alyssa suggested as she pulled one of my only stylish shirts from my closet.
It didn’t matter what Alyssa wore; she always looked good in anything.
“I… I think it’ll look good.”
“Me too. Th
at’s what I’ll wear. I can borrow it, right?” But before I could answer, she was heading out the door. She turned one last time to give me some sisterly guidance. “Erika, just a little fashion advice, you should really change those pants. They make you look way too skinny.”
I didn’t bother changing. I wasn’t going anywhere, plus everything made me look too skinny.
My mom took Kai to a birthday party which she begged me to go to; she didn’t want me staying home alone, but for some reason a seven-year-old’s birthday party was not appealing to me—huh, go figure. After I reassured my mother that I would be fine, she left with Kai. My sister went on her date with Anthony, so by eleven a.m. I had the place all to myself. As I walked around our empty apartment, I settled in on the couch. I turned on the TV, changing through the channels. Nothing was on. I played on my phone, watching videos and reading stories. I was so bored that I actually wished I had a Facebook or Instagram page just so I could pore through the numerous pictures and stories people posted every second of every day. I knew what I was doing; I was trying to keep my mind off Liam. What I really wanted to do was call him. I had Mr. Blithe’s number and it was tempting, but I needed today for myself, time to process everything that had happened. I went to my room and picked up the ancient book that awaited me on my nightstand. I brought it out to the living room. As I held the delicate book, I thought about Liam, the Points, the Diamonds, and the so-called powers I was supposed to possess.
Okay, well, if this stuff is real I’m supposed to have superhuman strength. Hmmmm… what can I pick up? I scanned the room. We had nothing heavy to pick up. The couch it is. I bent down and grabbed the left corner of the couch. I lifted it. I put it down. Of course I can lift the corner of the couch, Kai could probably do that. I knew I wasn’t giving it my all. I wasn’t actually trying to pick up the whole couch. I couldn’t believe I was giving into any of this. Mr. Blithe probably had a hidden camera in here right now and was laughing at me. “This is so stupid,” I said out loud as I plopped down on the couch, hanging my legs over the cat-scratched arm. I laid there in the dark quiet of the living room, laying back listening to the never-ending rain. Isn’t there a song called It never rains in Southern California? Because the rain as of late seemed to be endless.
