Jeremy Chikalto and Leviathan Island (Book II of The Hazy Souls)

by T.S. DeBrosse

  Chapter 9

  The Reunion

  By nightfall, Jeremy and Maren managed to pawn some jewels for cash and catch a train heading northeast. The other passengers on the train were totally passive, in that extreme state of comfort that develops from the repetition of public transportation. But Jeremy and Maren fidgeted and remarked on all the landmarks they passed. They were on vacation after all.

  From the train station, they caught a cab to Bruce and Janet's place. Their driver was an old man named Herman who had a horseshoe of thin gray hair and a large pair of spectacles. Herman hunched over his steering wheel with his elbows jutting out and grunted whenever he heard either Jeremy or Maren's voice rise at the end of a question.

  "I can't just turn up. How will I get into the building?"

  "Ugh," grunted Herman from the front seat.

  Jeremy shivered at the old man's grunt. "I'll get you in, but we need a story."

  "We?"

  "Ugh."

  Jeremy winced. "Stop doing that, please," he called to the front.

  "Jeremy," whispered Maren, smacking his leg. "Be nice."

  "Lover's quarrel?" asked Herman.

  Jeremy placed his hands behind his head and reclined back in his seat. "Yes."

  "No."

  "That should be our angle, Maren." Jeremy sat up straight and faced her. "Tell your adoptive parents that we ran away together."

  "That's out of character," she said flatly.

  "Is it?" Jeremy smiled.

  "This is different!" Maren stiffened. She then crossed her arms and looked out the window. He had no idea just how much she'd struggled over her decision to travel to Earth with him. It had nothing to do with his gifts, and everything to do with seeing Janet and Bruce again. After losing her real mother, Maren couldn't stand the thought of her adoptive parents believing her to be dead. Maren sighed and made eye contact with the backseat passengers of the next car over. Three children were smearing their faces against the glass. "Fine," she said. "I ran off with you because you were a friend from my past and memories were flooding back to me and I became confused. Remember? My adoptive parents thought I had amnesia?"

  "Ugh," grunted the old man in the front seat.

  "And you were in love with me," Jeremy added, placing his hand on his heart. "Madly in love. And this you'll have to work at. You need to be convincing."

  "As I remember it, you kidnapped me from our apartment. Maybe you should just wait outside."

  "Maybe we've already eloped, and you were afraid to tell them."

  "Wrong emotion. If we eloped I would feel shame, not fear."

  Jeremy looked hurt. "It's only a story, Maren. No need to be painfully honest right now."

  Maren's eyes welled up unexpectedly. "I didn't mean―"

  "The secret is," called Herman, "you have to grow together and share some hobbies. Too much space means she grows in one direction, he grows in the other. Between work and doing your own thing, you'll grow apart. You need shared experiences. That's how to make a marriage work."

  "Thanks for that, Herman."

  They got out a short distance from Maren's adoptive parents' apartment. Behind the massive building, the city's skyline was red in clouds; twilight was still half an hour away. Jeremy artfully short-circuited the apartment complex's front door, and he and Maren rode the elevator up to the 11th floor in silence. When at last they arrived at Janet and Bruce's apartment door, Jeremy hesitated. "Are you sure you want to see them now?"

  "Yes." The butterflies were beginning to swarm in Maren's stomach. She hadn't quite figured out what to say to her former parents, but was too impatient to devise a sound plan. Maybe they'd forgotten Jacey Moon, Jeremy's alter ego. Maybe he'd charm them and offer some persuasive explanation for her disappearance. She knew he'd insist on whatever story he wanted and it was no use fighting him. She just hoped he'd work with her to make it seamless.

  Maren rang the doorbell and then fiddled with her hands. Jeremy grabbed one and gave her a quick squeeze for encouragement. The door opened.

  "Oh!" It was Janet, Maren's adoptive Earth mother. She wrapped her arms around Maren and rocked her back and forth. "Maren, we were so worried! Maren!" She sobbed softly into Maren's jacket and Maren cried too, and soon Bruce, Maren's Earth father, had joined them.

  Jeremy took a step back and fidgeted. Bruce looked up at him and froze.

  "Maren, what's he doing here?"

  "Him? Oh, um, well this is―"

  "We're together."

  "It's Jacey Moon," whispered Janet, now clutching Maren's shoulders.

  Maren gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, yes! Yes, we're... good friends. I am so sorry for leaving, I was just ―"

  "She was so confused," said Jeremy. "So disoriented, and I took care of her. She just had to remember a couple of things, find her... real parents. That sort of thing." He nodded at no one in particular.

  "Why don't you both come inside," said Janet nervously.

  Jeremy and Maren made themselves as comfortable as possible on a beige love seat while Bruce went to make tea and Janet stared at Maren.

  "And Jacey, is he your boyfriend?" Janet forced a smile, but her lips twitched.

  "Yes, he is," said Maren. She shifted uneasily on the couch.

  Bruce entered the room. He held up a phone and walked slowly towards them. "Maren, I've dialed 911 just now―I haven't pressed the call button. If you're being held against your will, please say so now."

  Maren jumped up from the couch. "No! Please don't! I'll explain everything." She froze, her eyes wide and pleading.

  Bruce lowered the phone. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police. Jacey is wanted for murder."

  Maren felt behind her for Jeremy and fell back in his lap.

  "Maren didn't know," said Jeremy, his voice catching. "I never killed anyone but I knew I was wanted by the police, so I admit to misleading her for my own selfish purposes. That's the truth."

  Maren turned around and looked at him, her mouth slightly agape.

  "Maren," said Bruce, lifting the phone, "what did he tell you?"

  "He," she looked into Jeremy's eyes, "told me he could help me find my real parents if I went with him. I was scared."

  "And did you find them?" Bruce's voice was strained.

  "No." Maren hesitated and then pressed herself into Jeremy's chest. She tucked her head into his shoulder.

  "We've had a tumultuous couple of weeks. I knew I'd be endangering myself if I brought her back here, but she wanted to let you know she was okay. Like I said, memories have been resurfacing for her."

  "And he's helped me so much," said Maren. "We were childhood friends. Please don't turn him over to the police!"

  "Okay," said Bruce. He placed the phone back on its holder and sighed. "Well he can't stay here tonight."

  Maren jumped up to protest, but Jeremy intervened. "It's okay, Maren. I'll see you in the morning. Don't worry about me. You need time to talk as a family." Jeremy quickly said his goodbyes, kissed Maren's hand, and then bowed himself out of the room. The door was double bolted behind him.