Opheliac

by J. F. Jenkins

  “Okay, bad example. But Henry sucked. Didn’t he date you and another girl at the same time?”

  Grumbling, she reluctantly nodded. “Yes.”

  “And I don’t need to talk about Vance…”

  “No, no, you don’t need to talk about him.” Shivers ran down her spine at the mention of her emotionally abusive ex, the one she’d foolishly slept with and hoped she could change.

  Her brother gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Orlando is the first boyfriend of yours I’ve actually liked. He’s got his quirks, but I don’t worry about him hurting you. At least, not in the same ways all of your other exes had.”

  “I don’t either.” She was the one who was doing all of the screwing up. The fact that Orlando still loved her despite everything she’d done to him was some kind of miracle.

  “All I’m trying to say is that I’m happy you guys are working it out. I was worried you were going to go off the deep end and find…him.” He frowned, pressing his lips together.

  She raised both of her eyebrows. “Who?”

  “Chihuahua Man’s sidekick. Who else?”

  This is almost as bad as having the birds and the bees talk with my mom. Of all the times for him to go protective brother on me… “Look, I’m not going to deny there’s something hot about him. The suit and fedora, the dark hair, that air of mystery around him, it’s…”

  Payton put his hands over his ears. “I’m not listening to you fantasize about a guy.”

  “I was just going to say it was yummy.” She pulled his hands away from his ears. “Besides, it’s not every day I get to have such stimulating banter. Just because he’s attractive doesn’t mean anything is going to happen with him. I’m not going to go searching for his identity and make him mine.” For now.

  The idea of revealing his true self was all kinds of stupid. At the same time, her curiosity was getting the better of her. Someday, she would find out who he was, just so she could know who the real man was behind the mask. They’d only interacted with each other twice. The first time, he and Chihuahua Man had interrupted some business she was attending to at a park. In an attempt to stop her from euthanizing a sick teenager, he had slammed her intelligence and called her worthless. So she decided to slam him into the ground with her powers and make him regret it. The next time they met, he retaliated by throwing her into a wall and almost killing her.

  Figuring out who this mystery man was would not only give her an opportunity for revenge, but allow her to scratch a nasty itch brought on by her unfortunate attraction to him.

  Her brother’s frown deepened and she wasn’t sure if he believed her. After a moment, he nodded. “Okay, sis. Can’t blame me for being concerned. Ever since Vance, I promised myself I wouldn’t let you get involved in something stupid again.”

  “Should have thought about that before joining forces with Alona then.”

  “I don’t consider the things happening with Alona to be stupid. As dangerous as it is, we need to help her in any way we can. Chasing after a guy who clearly doesn’t respect you or your life, on the other hand…that’s dumb.” He cracked a small smile. “Just stick with Orlando.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I was planning on it. Thank you.”

  “Speaking of Alona, it’s time to get ready to go.” Payton’s entire face seemed to light up, all too reminiscent of a lovesick puppy. As far as she knew, he didn’t have a crush on their alien big sister. He was in a steady relationship too. When it came to dating, he wasn’t anywhere near as reckless as Tait. Payton’s devotion to Alona was admirable. Seeing her brother passionate for something was refreshing. For the most part, he always seemed to coast through life, content but submissive to the rest of the world. Being easygoing was a good thing, but sometimes he was a bit too easygoing.

  Tait stood from her chair, stretched, and went to find something she could work out in. They weren’t supposed to be training tonight, but anything was possible. She had to be prepared for a change in plans. Especially since she didn’t know how Alona would react to Tait’s news of the memory loss.

  Grabbing a pair of yoga pants, a tank-top, and a pair of sweats to wear over that, Tait walked into her large closet and got dressed. She had just enough space to get ready without her brother seeing. Really, she should have just kicked him out, but she doubted he would have listened to her until she started stripping in the middle of the room. He could be a little dense at times. It was an endearing quality of his, all the same.

  Once changed, she rejoined her brother, grabbing her mask along with her backpack. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “Aren’t you going to be cold? It’s still practically winter outside,” Payton said.

  “I’ll wear my coat still. It’s starting to warm up some more. Hopefully, the snow will be melted before prom.”

  “We’ve got about a month to find out.” He winked. “Got your date?”

  She shrugged as they made their way through the house toward the garage. “I’ve been asked by a few guys, but I haven’t committed to anything.”

  “Because you’re still hoping Orlando is going to ask you.”

  “Yup, that’s it exactly. I don’t want to push him to ask me. If all else fails, I’ll just ask him instead. Assuming things are going well, I mean. That would let him know I was serious, right?” She glanced at her brother. “It’s supposed to be the most romantic night of your high school life.”

  Payton gave her a sideward glance. “Supposed to be, yeah.”

  “I honestly think he’s…it…for me. You know? If I could show him that…”

  “I don’t think getting physical with him is going to make your relationship better. Just a hunch,” Payton grumbled. “First of all, I told him if he did anything with you he shouldn’t, I was going to break his ribs and mash his kidneys. Second, you should try this thing called talking. I hear it does wonders for people.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We talk. Orlando is the type of guy who needs tangible evidence. How else am I supposed to show him I love him? I thought that’s how guys communicated.”

  Shaking his head, Payton got into the car, getting into the driver’s seat. She got in on the passenger side and buckled in, her gaze never leaving her brother. He was the only access to male insight she had. Neither of their parents would ever talk to her about boyfriends. Unless her mom and dad needed to perform a parental duty, they would rather be friends with their children rather than authority figures. Orlando wasn’t the only one who had parents abandon him. Hers did too, but in a different way.

  Payton stepped up and was honest with her at least. When he wanted to be, he could be insightful. She waited to see if he would offer any of his profound, wise-beyond-his-years advice.

  He let out a slow breath and started the car, opening up the garage door at the same time. “I’m not sure how to answer that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s complicated. Yeah, we like the tangible thing, but it just doesn’t seem smart to me to be tangible right now.” He frowned. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Who else am I going to talk to? If I went to Dad he’d walk out. If I tried to talk to Mom she’d march me down to the woman’s clinic and stock me up with five million types of birth control before handing me cash for skimpy lingerie and telling me to ‘have a nice night.’”

  “No she wouldn’t!”

  “Want to make a bet?” She glared at him. “It’s more or less what happened when I tried to talk to her about Vance. I need someone to be straight with me and offer some real guidance, not let me flounder and learn on my own.”

  Payton’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure I’m the one who can offer it to you. None of your relationships have been like any of mine.”

  “But you’re a guy.” She pouted.

  “And as a guy, I know I’d feel like crap if a girl got me into bed thinking it would magically solve all of our problems. Hello, did it work with Vance? No. It’s not going to wo
rk here either.” He rolled his eyes.

  He was right; she knew as much. At the same time, she was at a loss for how to prove to Orlando she was going to stick around for as long as he wanted her—that she meant it when she said she was sorry. Her options were limited, and she was desperate to earn his love.

  Payton gave her a weak smile. “Try not to make it complicated. Talk to him. Go from there.”

  “What do you think Alona wants from us?” she asked. Changing the subject was probably a good idea. It was time to get into a new mindset. There was business to attend to. Orlando would still be there when she got back home.

  Her brother shrugged. “I’m not sure. She said it was important. The whole team is getting together. That’s what Sensor said on the phone, at least.”

  “I don’t like that she’s going to him now to tell him what we’re doing instead of us,” she mumbled. “It’s like she doesn’t trust us anymore or something.”

  “You know she cares about us, Sis.”

  “Yeah, well, I still don’t like Sensor. Nor do I trust him. He’s not one of us, so why is he getting in on all of our meetings?” Tait clenched her fists. “Especially if we’re going to break away from his boss, the Doctor. I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough,” he said. Soon they were at the Lunar Falls High School parking lot. The school did not have any security cameras equipped to the outside, or the inside for that matter. All it had was a security system that was easy to turn off. The enemy tribes knew where the blue tribe liked to train, but that didn’t stop them from using the space. Tait, personally, welcomed the challenge.

  She put on her mask. Simple and black, the mask would protect her identity from outsiders. There was some kind of strange technology that allowed for the wearer to become distorted to anyone who had never seen her take it off – clothes included. Only Payton knew who she truly was. None of her other teammates had earned the privilege to see her face.

  Together, she and her brother found the side door by the theater and unlocked it. Payton was able to swipe the keys from the janitor during the school day and get them copied over lunch before anyone noticed they were gone. Everyone loved and trusted him at Lunar Falls, so he got a lot of perks that only seniors tended to have. The guy could get away with murder.

  They made their way down the stairs next to the stage, heading down underneath to where the dressing rooms were located. Alona stood in the hallway, picking at her nails. It was just the three of them. The theater was their private meeting place where they could talk away from the rest of the group. Often, the twins arrived early so they could talk about business and organize the plans for the evening before addressing all of the others.

  When Alona looked up at them, a smile formed on her face. Tait let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Why was she so nervous Alona was upset with her? When she met the gaze of her superior, she noticed a sadness in the young woman’s eyes.

  Alona grabbed both of Tait’s hands, gently. “I’m glad you made it.”

  “Of course,” Tait said.

  “Were you followed?”

  “No,” Payton said.

  Alona shifted her gaze to him. “I hope so.” She exhaled slowly. “Because your position has been compromised.”

  Blinking, Tait stepped back, pinning herself against the narrow walls of the hallway. “What do you mean our position has been compromised? We’ve been careful. No one is watching us or following us, either.”

  “Alturans will not watch you the same way a human will,” Alona said, her voice so quiet it was eerie. Despite being only three years older, she had a wisdom that often made her seem older. At that moment in time, Alona appeared her age, and she might have actually been afraid. The way her hands started to shake suggested as much, but when Tait risked looking into the woman’s eyes she saw them narrowed and piercing with anger.

  “We were careful,” Payton said quickly. “I swear, we didn’t do anything—”

  Alona let go of Tait and petted Payton’s shoulder. “Oh, I know. My rage is not directed toward you. Remember, we’re family. I’ll be by your side no matter what happens. I’m furious with Alanmendiquixanimackle. He’s the one who’s ruining everything we’re working toward. All because he has a personal vendetta against me. I will not let him get away with this, or what he’s doing to you. Believe me, you will be avenged.”

  “What do you mean, what he’s doing to us? Is he just watching us, or…” Tait frowned, her stomach beginning to knot with fear.

  “He is taking away part of who you are, your memories,” Alona said.

  Payton shook his head. “What? No way.”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Drone, you may join us now.”

  Tait was about to ask what was going on when a young man stepped out of one of the dressing rooms. The most she could make out of his appearance was that he had dark hair and was tall and lean. He had to be close to her age, but he also could have been a few years older. A black mask rested over his eyes, causing a distortion to the rest of his physical features.

  A small growl escaped from her lips. Tait hadn’t meant to express her displeasure so obviously, but she couldn’t help it. “Who is he, and why is he invading on our time?”

  “Drone,” the young man said, bowing grandly in front of her. “Let me guess, you’re Sprout and this is your charming twin brother, Bean.”

  “I see,” Tait said, folding her arms in front of her. She glared at Alona. “You promised everything about us would stay a secret unless we told you otherwise.”

  Drone laughed. “She didn’t tell me anything. All of that information is downloaded onto my handy dandy hard drive.” He tapped the side of his head. “And the reason I got it is because the Rosalotuve have it, along with just about every other detail of your life.”

  “H-how…” Payton gasped.

  “It’s this device called the Ilotus. They retrieved it from a facility up north not too long ago. Chihuahua Man and his comrades found out your real identity, marked you, and then decided you’d make a great guinea pig for figuring out how the technology works.”

  Tait pursed her lips. “And you know all of this how?”

  “Because they’re the tribe I’m aligned with.” Drone folded his arms in front of him.

  “So we should trust you why? What’s that phrase? Once a traitor, always a traitor.”

  “Then I’m a traitor,” he stated. Then he lifted his mask off his face. All of the blurry details from before were now clean and crisp. She could see that this…Drone…guy was in his later teens and only slightly older than she. His short dark hair was tousled about on his head, as if he had forgotten to brush his hair before he came. True to her first impression, lean muscle gave a strong, sturdy appearance to his otherwise thin frame. Dark eyes gazed back at her.

  Unsure of what to make of his bold move, Tait tightened her posture, needing the confidence as well as the control. “I don’t get it. Care to elaborate on all of this?”

  “Drone holds ideas similar to our desires rather than those of the tribe who tapped him for use. Not to mention the way they sold him off to be experimented on by his own government,” Alona said.

  The young man bristled. “Fond memories, let me tell you. The red tribe is hoping to keep everything hush-hush, to get off this planet and basically leave us to clean up the mess. To continue to preserve the norm without actually doing any work to do so. The government has made a deal with them. If the red tribe shares their technology, then the government will conveniently step out of the way to let them accomplish their goals. But meanwhile, they want me to spy and take notes for them so they can more or less plan their own counterattack.”

  “Sounds messy,” Payton said. “And confusing.”

  “How do you think I feel? I’m the one caught in the middle of the whole thing,” Drone said. “And that’s a problem for me. I don’t much like to be in the middle. So I’ve decided to take con
trol of the situation and that’s why I’m helping you. Don’t get me wrong—we’re not on the same side, not entirely. I’m team Earth, and you all seem to be the closest to that for the time being. You’re pushing change, but at least you’re not ditching us after you do it. All your tribe wants to do is pay its debt and then get out. Am I wrong?”

  Alona shook her head. “No, you aren’t. You have the basic understanding of our goals. The Rosalotuve does not see our efforts as such, of course. All they see is murder and forcing our ways onto the people of Earth. Those are the goals of the Gelandrosimbol, not us.”

  Tait still was unconvinced that this guy deserved her trust. The only reason she wasn’t lashing out was because Alona seemed to deem him worthy of their attention. She trusted her leader, her sister. There was a reason she sought his aid.

  “So why are you here?” Tait asked. There was no point in hiding her displeasure over the situation. At the most, she could attempt to be civil—keyword being attempt. Drone rubbed her the wrong way right off the bat. Probably because he was so arrogant. Taking off his mask as if he didn’t care about being known? Did the guy have a death wish? Because exposing himself to everyone he met was a good way to make enemies.

  Drone laughed. “I’m here because my real boss failed to obtain the Ilotus. I guess you could say I’m part of the contingency plan. You want your memories back, right? This way, you get them back, I get what I want, and we make a dent in our enemies’ plans. Everyone wins, well, everyone we want to, I should say.”

  “They seriously have our memories?” Payton asked. “How can we have not noticed this? I’ve felt fine. Tired, but fine.”

  “I’ve been tired as well, and there have been a few gaps in my memory, but not too many,” Tait added. At least, I don’t think there have been too many gaps. “I figured it was just because I wasn’t sleeping well lately.”

  Quietly, Alona walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her. “Believe me, I will not let them get away with this. If Drone hadn’t come to me with the information, it would have taken much longer for us to find out.”