Decay

by J. F. Jenkins

  “So what's going on, and why couldn't it wait for a meeting at The Apartment? Bored again?” Orlando asked as soon as the door was closed and locked once more.

  “I wanted your advice, actually. And it is a private matter. Rather than spark interest by pulling you aside in front of the rest of the group, I thought I would seek you out here. Besides, I know you don't enjoy this particular class.” Alan smirked.

  Orlando shrugged. “You're right, I don't. Just keep it quick because guys don't take a long time to go potty. Wouldn't want anyone to think I was ditching out on purpose or have a bizarre flu bug.” In truth, he didn't care much, but it was fun to give Alan grief sometimes.

  If he didn't know better, he would have guessed that Alan was finally picking up on Orlando's sense of humor. Instead of asking a question or apologizing, the man actually rolled his eyes and let the comments roll off his back. “My superiors do not want to focus on finding out who the Doctor is.”

  “Uh, but isn't he the bad guy? The ring leader? The one who's controlling the actions of your ex-fiancee's group?” Orlando asked.

  “Yes, he is.”

  “So why aren't we supposed to keep looking for him? To keep looking for them?”

  Alan's lips formed a half-smile. “Because we have spies watching his underlings thanks to your discovery of Bean and Sprout's true identification as well as the information provided by our double agent. If something big is going to happen, we'll know. There are other things we are supposed to be dealing with apparently, more pressing things.”

  “I'm guessing your wanting to discuss this stuff privately is related to said things?” Orlando leaned against a wall and watched the young man begin to pace.

  “There is a rumor on my ship, well...no it isn't a rumor. I heard it with my own ears, while I was shamefully eavesdropping. My superiors have found something of great importance to my people, an artifact, and it has a lot of power. I didn't find out what it did exactly, but I imagine it will give us a huge advantage over the other tribes,” Alan said. “I want to push for our group to retrieve it, should they be looking for volunteers. Do you think this would be wise? Are you ready for such a task?

  “Oh? Wouldn't this be something to ask Cadence? She's the smart one,” Orlando pointed out.

  Alan nodded. “She is, yes, but she hasn't been the same since her romance with JD...bloomed. Besides, you see things in a different way than both of them. I've always admired your realism, however jaded it may be at times. Plus you have a different kind of personal connection to the war.”

  “I do,” Orlando agreed, the words barely coming out. Personal connection was an understatement. Bean and Sprout were the woman he loved and her twin brother, Peyton, who might as well have been his best friend.

  “Thoughts?” Alan pressed.

  “Working on it,” Orlando mumbled. What did he think about it? Too many factors for him to weight in. “I guess you need to do what you need to do. If going out to do more field work is what's necessary, then we'll do it. You know JD is going to leap at the chance. If we need to put finding the Doctor and the rest of his minions on hold for another day, then I guess we gotta do that too. Prioritize our goals so to speak, even if we have to stoop down to their level.”

  Alan nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully. “You're right, though I'm not sure what you mean by 'stoop down to their level'.”

  Orlando tapped his lips with his fingers as he tried to figure out how to reword things. For the most part, Alan was getting better about understanding American lingo. There were still times, however when he didn't quite catch on, and Orlando felt like he was explaining things to a two-year-old.

  “Sink to their level. Basically, it means to do the same things another person would do, even if they might be ethically wrong.” Orlando explained.

  “What are you thinking exactly?”

  “I'm thinking we need every kind of leverage we can get at the moment. There are a lot of unanswered questions. We should go on the field mission, but we also need to work on using our resources better. Since we know the identities of some key players, maybe we should do something more aggressive. Can't say I'm tickled about the idea,” he admitted. “At the same time, I'm not sure there's any other way to get what you're seeking. If you need to kidnap them and do whatever is necessary to end this, then do it. They'll understand, because they would do things the same way. That's more what my point was.”

  Brow furrowed, Alan began to pace the bathroom. Clearly, he did not like what he was hearing. But that was something Orlando admired about Alan. The guy wanted to do things the right way, to keep things as normal as possible while still being productive. He cared about how others were treated.

  After a long silence, the alien spoke. “They would understand. This is war. They've done worse things.”

  “Yes,” Orlando agreed.

  “Do you think Bean and Sprout would talk if such an opportunity arose?”

  “I don't know. She'll be easier to break than him, though, if that's any help. Peyton, I mean, Bean, is gentle, but he's tough and loyal. Sprout is tough and dangerous, but if you push the right buttons, she crumbles easily.” Orlando rubbed at his arms, feeling dirty all of a sudden. He was betraying his ex-girlfriend, exploiting her weaknesses. It didn't sit well inside of him. But it's necessary. This all needs to end.

  “But will they talk?” Alan pressed.

  Orlando nodded. “They'll talk, and I think they'll have a lot to talk about. I overheard them talking about betraying their alliance with the green tribe. Might be a good thing to get in the know, right?”

  “Preferably before the betrayal takes place.”

  “Yeah, probably.”

  Alan cracked a tiny smile. “The field mission will help. I won't say too much, but soon we'll be able to rehabilitate the charges trained by the other tribes with ease and little to no discomfort. My people are working on this new technology as we speak.”

  “Yeah?” Orlando's eyes grew wide with hope. If Tait could be rehabilitated and returned to normal, then there might be a chance for them after all.

  The alien nodded. “Yes, the other tribes would still know their identities if that were to happen. There is the possibility of them trying to be recruited once more. We'd be able to protect them better, though. We could prevent it from happening. Plus, with the process of taking away the memory of how to use their powers, it could be dangerous to tap them again. As you know, not everyone is ready to receive their abilities to begin with. I think that is why JD hasn't shown any powers yet. He has them. Everyone does.”

  “He's just not ready,” Orlando said quietly. He couldn't help but wonder if JD had powers and the group just didn't understand how they manifested. The guy was lucky, even more so than anyone else, and he had this way of getting what he wanted just by believing it was possible. Orlando noticed it at least. Either JD was persistent, or something else was going on. It could also be a combination of the two. JD's drive was one of the things Orlando admired about the guy.

  Alan rested his back against the tiled walls of the bathroom. “Thank you for the advice. I will be sure to pass it on to my supervisors. I was thinking the same thing, but you know they don't exactly understand.”

  “No, they don't.” If Alan's previous attitude towards the group was any indication of what Alturans thought of the Earth humans, it was clear they had some kind of superior thoughts. For a while, Alan tried to boss them around as if they were soldiers. Orlando hadn't taken it too well. Now the guy was coming into his own as both a man and a leader.

  “We will meet at The Apartment tomorrow evening. I will have your next assignment by then.”

  Orlando let out a sigh of relief. Assignment meant distraction. “Works for me.”

  That was as close to a 'thank you' as Orlando would give. He knew for a fact that Alan wouldn't think he was grateful for the work anyway, nor did Orlando want him to have any clue. Alan needed someone to play devil's advocate in the group. That was
Orlando's role along with being the strong psychic aggressive one.

  “I should let you get back to your class,” Alan said. “Thank you for your assistance.”

  “Anytime,” he said with a slight nod. He even smiled a little, but stopped when Alan stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

  Alan shook his head. “When you do that, I can never quite figure out why.”

  “Do what? Smile?”

  “Yes.”

  “Usually it means I'm happy.” Orlando rolled his eyes.

  “Yes, but you have a way of being happy over peculiar things. You are by far the most interesting person I've ever met.” Alan shrugged.

  Orlando smirked. “Good, my life's goal has been accomplished.”

  Alan peered at him. “Peculiar indeed.” Without so much as a goodbye, he poofed out of the room.

  With a heavy sigh, Orlando unlocked the bathroom and stepped out. He'd been gone for about ten minutes, hopefully his teacher wasn't missing him too much. He slipped back into his desk in the back of the room. On it was a note from Tait.

  I'm not giving up. I meant it when I said I was going to stay. Just reminding you again in case you forgot.

  Chapter Five

  Cadence brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. She opened her locker and saw the picture of JD gazing back at her, his smile as big and beautiful as ever. She fell in love with him all over again.

  JD made her so unbelievably happy, and yet miserable all at the same time. When they were alone, he shined bright with nothing but love and adoration for her, but at school it was another story, and those were the moments crushing her spirits. She may as well have not existed outside of the lunch hour they spent together, and after class. Cadence was pretty sure he gave her more attention and affection when they were only friends than now. Almost like he was trying to make a point of not letting anyone know they were together. Was he ashamed of her? Or was he playing her?

  She scowled as JD flirted with a rather busty brunette named Marcella. She could be the poster model for one of those stupid reality television shows about spring break parties. If the girl had a brain, she made it a point to not use it. It was known by many that the only reason Marcella was passing high school was because she had a lot of favors done by the staff for her in exchange for the new computers her father bought for the library. The computers were not the only monetary donation her family had made either. She was just another of the rich elite that made up about a quarter of the Morningtide class – the popular quarter.

  The girl leaned into JD and nudged his shoulders with a hand. Cadence seethed as he laughed and put a hand on the small of the girl's back to catch his balance. He said something in Marcella's ear, and Cadence slammed her locker door shut.

  “Whoa, what did the locker do to you?” Angela, JD's little sister, asked from behind Cadence.

  With a sigh, she stood up and put her back pack over her shoulder while tilting her head in JD's direction.

  Angela's eyes narrowed as she watched her brother continue to flirt with Marcella before scoffing quietly. “What's the phrase? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt? He doesn't care about her, and he's definitely not interested anymore. Something about how she was more work than it's worth?”

  So he's already been with her too. How many girls in this school has he slept with? Cadence tried to not let it bother her. She'd known for a long time he had a bit of a reputation. JD fell hard and fast, and when that wasn't working out for him he tried doing the uncommitted hook-up thing. None of it seemed to satisfy him, and Cadence had to watch him go on an emotional roller-coaster. Watching her best friend suffer was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.

  She shook her head. He chose me. He stopped being a player almost a year ago because he loves me. I have to hold onto that. Marcella batted her eyelashes at him and lifted up a foot like a total ditz. Images of JD holding Marcella closely and kissing her warmly, began to flood into Cadence's mind. But it still sucks. Obviously Marcella still wanted him.

  “Seriously, don't let it bug you,” Angela said. She patted Cadence's shoulder. “Especially since he showed me your Valentine's Day present. You guys are MFEO. You're all he talks about.”

  “Meant for each other? You think so? And a Valentine gift already? That's a month away,” Cadence responded, translating Angela's latest teen texting speech. She didn't quite understand why anyone talked like that. Ever since Alan gave her the ability of knowledge, Cadence's entire world view changed. I never used to be this insecure.

  Cadence forced a smile. “Ugh, you're right. We are. We definitely are. It's not easy, that's all. JD's my first boyfriend, so it's not like I have an ex to be buddies with. She and I are nothing alike.” Cadence pointed to Marcella. He finally left the girl's side and stopped to talk to a couple of his guy friends instead, but Cadence didn't watch him. Her eyes remained focused on Marcella, and she saw a lot of the person she used to be in the other girl.

  I was that ditzy girl before I got my powers. Maybe not so needy and desperate, but I hung on his every word. What if he still misses the old me? They weren't fighting about it anymore. For a long time the issue of her getting more intelligence caused a lot of problems in their friendship. JD had a hard time with change. She had to respect that. He claimed it had nothing to do with her being smarter than him now, and she trusted him. She had to.

  “Oh, he's aware that you've never had a boyfriend before. He talks about that all the time, too. I never realized he was so chatty. How do you deal with it? I kind of miss when we hated each other’s guts,” Angela said. It was hard to tell if she was teasing or not. Cadence personally liked that the two siblings were getting along for a change instead of trying to kill each other all the time, another gift from Alan. Ever since Angela joined their seemingly random group of teenage super heroes, she and JD were forced to be civil with one another.

  Angela waved her hand in front of her, and the two walked through the hall towards their last class for the day. Cadence had World Literature. She didn't know what Angela was going to, but it was only a few doors away. “Anyway, back on topic. Speaking of Valentine's Day, I need your advice about something.”

  “Okay,” Cadence said and decided against pointing out that the original topic they'd been talking about was JD. Valentine's Day was a much more pleasant thing to talk about in her eyes, even if there was still a lot of time to plan for it. JD and Angela were a lot more alike than they'd ever admit. They were both saps.

  “I'm trying to plan ahead with my budget and stuff. Do you think it would be weird for a girl to get the guy she has a crush on, a gift?” Angela asked with a curious glance.

  “Depends on the gift and the guy,” JD said, butting into the conversation. He stood next to Cadence and leaned on her shoulder but only for a moment.

  And for that moment she had hope that maybe he would finally show his claim on her. It didn't make much sense to her. In the past he was usually all over his girlfriends in the hallway. Besides, who's to say another guy wouldn't try making a move on her? She had her fair share of admirers on occasion. JD was good at keeping them away, but if he put too much distance between them, the guys who were interested might not keep their distance anymore. Granted, they only wanted her because of her model like looks. She was tall, curvy in all of the right places, and had a nice dark skinned complexion. Wouldn't JD feel threatened by other potential suitors anyway?

  Angela rolled her eyes. “Your opinion doesn't count because you're a mutant. Not a normal guy.”

  “I am not a mutant!”

  “You cry during sappy chick flicks.”

  “Who doesn't cry during those movies?” he protested.

  She tapped her chest. “This girl.”

  JD raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure I'm the mutant? Maybe you're just heartless.”

  “Cadence, help, please?” Angela fluttered her eyelashes a little. “You always seem to know what to do.”

  “A guy only wants
one thing for Valentine's Day, sis, and it's not something you're allowed to give,” JD said, while he glared at his sister. “I'll see you both after school.”

  “You say that like I'm some kind of a skank,” Angela said, perhaps a bit too loudly because a few students were looking at them. There was a genuine disappointment present in her gaze. Actually, Cadence was pretty positive the girl was about to cry. She took in a deep breath. “I got cheer practice bro, remember? So I'll catch you at home.” And then she shoved her brother away.

  Cadence glanced back at her boyfriend. He is my boyfriend right? He hasn't asked me out yet, but shouldn't I treat him like we're exclusive? Would he like that? Something about the way he'd just chastised his sister was troubling, like there was some kind of double standard present. He had his big brother duties, but his tone suggested if the girl didn't wait until she was married, then she was some kind of a hussy. What does he think of me if that's the case?

  “Hey, are you listening?” Angela asked all of a sudden.

  “I'm thinking, sorry,” Cadence said. “I think in a way, JD does have a point. It depends on the guy. Most guys I know wouldn't want any big bells or whistles. I'd go with something small and heartfelt. Is your crush anyone I know?”

  Angela was known to have a thing for a new guy just about every other week. Her having a crush wasn't anything new. The way she tensed up when Cadence asked, however, was. Usually, she was a lot more vocal about which lucky guy caught her eye. Typical sixteen-year-old girl behavior it seemed. Unlike her brother, Angela, had yet to have a relationship. In fact, she griped a lot about still having never been kissed. To have her not give a giggling confession was different. Maybe her crush was more serious than normal.