Sticks and Stones

by Alexie Aaron

  He saw Mia run into the parking lot. She was talking, so he assumed Murphy was with her. Murphy had been omitting Mike in regard to giving the PEEPs the ability to see him. It could be as innocent as staying out of sight of other sensitive people or that Murphy had decided that Mike was treating Mia badly, which, by coincidence, Mike was.

  “Cooper, can I have a word with you?” Mike asked.

  Mia stopped and nodded. She raised her hand until she caught her breath. “Sorry, but I’m way out of shape. What can I do for you?”

  “We have some unresolved business.”

  “I don’t think we do,” Mia said. “Listen, I don’t want any drama. I’ve had my fill. We have to work together, so let’s just drop the façade. You used me to hurt Ted. You used my son to hurt me because when I’m sad, Ted hurts. It all revolves around your lack of confidence and hatred of my husband. Why not wipe the slate clear? You’re really good at making a person feel wanted and respected. I admit you had me fooled. But I got wise, and you’re not going to be able to use me to get at Ted anymore. I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t suss you out sooner.”

  “I don’t see how you can erase all we did together?” Mike questioned.

  “I don’t know how you could have pretended you appreciated all that I shared with you? I’m amazed how good an actor you are. Either I’m right and you’ve taken me for a six-year ride just to irritate my husband, or you’re fooling yourself right now and are delusional enough to think that you didn’t enjoy being my friend. Like I said in my text, all is forgiven, but I want to make this clear, all is not forgotten.”

  Mia stood there, looked into his eyes, and shook her head and left him standing there.

  Gates watched the two of them from the shadows. She wasn’t picking up any hysterics on Mia’s side that would have indicated a love affair. She wasn’t sure what she had just witnessed. Gates was too far away to hear them, but their body language spoke volumes. Mike was stiff as if he was receiving a lecture, and Mia was trying to remain civil. But she had a fist opening and closing behind her back as she talked. At the end of the conversation, Mia walked away as if someone farted and she wanted to get away from the stink.

  “Gates!” Mike called. “Come on, I’m hoping we can get a bite to eat… What are you wearing?”

  “Sorry, but the sprinkler system went off. I borrowed some sweats,” she explained. “It’s going to have to be a drive-in. How about that Sonic we saw on the way here?”

  “Sonic it is,” Mike said. “You can catch me up on all things roller derby.”

  Murphy moved away from the couple. Both were play acting. If he wanted to see a play, he would go downtown, sneak in with Sabine, and watch a rehearsal with the rest of the ghosts.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Ted woke up to find Mia gone. Nanny told him she had fed the girls, dressed the boys, and headed out to skate. He picked up his phone, and she had texted him that she had changed to the road wheels and could be found on the unused streets of the failed housing development.

  He should have known she would embrace this challenge like she had every other challenge of her life. It was one of the things he liked most about his wife. She wasn’t a quitter. Last night, Mia was quiet on the way home. She just listened to him blather on about his irritation at being yelled at by Burt for Cid’s ill-timed pursuit of the sexy Madam Recovery. She giggled at his jokes but didn’t have much to add.

  Mia rolled up the driveway as he headed for the office. She was sweat-drenched but happy. She rolled past him and gave him a wolf whistle but continued into the garage.

  He found her changing her wheels and cleaning up after herself. “I had Murphy give me some interference. I think I embarrassed him when he tried to hold me back and he mistakenly grabbed my boob and not my shoulder,” she said. “If a ghost could turn red, he turned it. Hello, Jake, how’s the great world of the inter circuits?”

  “Fine, Mia. A whole new crop of Russian hackers to play with.”

  “Dangerous games, but I’m sure you’re on the ball. If you gents will excuse me, I’m headed to the shower.”

  “She’s pretty happy today,” Jake observed.

  “Yes. I think Mia needs the physical challenge. Remember how happy she was when she was training for battles,” Ted said.

  “Should I alert Lazar to make up some salve? Mia tends to overdo it.”

  “Great idea,” Ted said, wondering why Jake was being so nice to Mia.

  Mia washed, dressed, and played with her children until it was time for the PEEPs meeting that was planned for a few hours before they headed over to the community center. Varden’s skin was healing well. Angelo called and asked if Mia could fly with Brian to his place later, and he would speak with Brian after they had dinner together.

  Mia said she would get back to him after checking with Ted. She, however, did ask if Nanny could help Ted put the girls down tonight.

  Mia walked into the office and managed to get Ted’s attention. They walked outside. She explained Angelo’s request. “I don’t know why he can’t come here?” Mia asked.

  “I think he wants Brian to see him as his leader and not a family friend when he speaks with him. It will give you two a chance to talk about it on the way home.”

  “I guess,” Mia said. “It means dressing up. I hate dressing up.”

  Ted laughed. “Me too. Wear your Taco Bell dress. I think you look beautiful in that dress.”

  “No. That’s for you. And thank you.” Mia kissed Ted. “I love you, Teddy Bear.”

  “I think we’re all going to get yelled at inside.”

  “I agree,” Mia said.

  Burt waited until everyone was settled. Murphy made himself visible and sat between Audrey and Mia, which put Mia next to Mike, but she moved her chair so she had put distance between him and her. Gates was sitting on the other side of Mike. Cid and Ted had turned around from their consoles.

  “I’ve got some film. Let’s watch it, and pay attention to where Jake has singled out activity.”

  Mia put her boots up on the table and focused on the screen.

  “With the exception of the towel, the stone and stick were put in Mia’s way. It looks like the attacks were focused on Mia. Why?” Burt asked.

  Gates raised her hand.

  “Yes?”

  “Mia’s a threat to one of the teenagers, a jammer named Bakers Dosing. Dosing was brought up from the B team to replace a jammer who fell after a stone took out one of her skates,” Gates said.

  “Why would I be a threat?” Mia asked. “I’m a freshie. Freshies have to go through months of training before they can try out.”

  “No one else was put in with the regulars yesterday to work on jamming,” Gates pointed out. “Maybe if you didn’t show off by finishing the course so fast…”

  “I asked her to do that,” Burt interrupted. “This way, she could nose around while you all were still on the track.”

  “I’m sorry, I just assumed,” Gates apologized.

  “No problem,” Mia said lightly. “Do you have a theory about the towel?”

  “I thought because it was white, someone was saying quit by throwing in the white towel,” Gates explained.

  “That’s very observant,” Audrey said. “While you freshies were working out, I had the advantage of hearing a lot of gossip from the veterans. Evidently, there have been a lot of problems with complacency amongst the present jammers. One of the skaters said that Rolling Thunder was going to switch out some blockers to skate jammer to see if maybe it would put a spark in the existing jammers. Oh, and I think, Gates, that they figured out you were a ringer. One of the girls saw you in something called Eastside Skateboarders.”

  “That was years ago. It was a pilot for a soap opera. They were hoping to bring in the younger generation, but nada,” Gate said. “We filmed six episodes, and they canceled us after two. But they do stream all six on Netflix.”

  “I didn�
�t know you liked acting,” Mia said. “You and Burt should get together. They are looking for a new action star and want to use his graphic novels as a base. Maybe he can draw you into the part.”

  “Why aren’t you doing it?” Mike asked. “The novels are based on you.”

  “I can’t act,” Mia said. “I know my strengths. There is a reason I was always cast as a tree or a rock in school. The best I could do was emote moss.”

  Cid laughed.

  “Back to PEEPs,” Burt said. “Gates, I think we’ll still have you there today. Maybe you’ll pull their focus away from Mia. What amuses me is that I had Mia dress in a PEEPs T-shirt in order to draw the attention away from you.”

  “No one mentioned Mia being anything other than a possible ringer because of her diving for the towel, which saved a lot of skaters a world of hurt,” Audrey reported.

  “Must be the new hairdo,” Cid said. “I think it looks very nice.”

  “Thank you, Cid.”

  “Any words of wisdom?” Gates asked the group.

  “Watch the track,” Mia said. “The sticks and stones that were placed in my way would do more than break your bones.”

  “I think when Mia successfully avoided falling, the teen wanted to call off the practice,” Ted said. “And so, she made it rain. Fortunately, it was water and not rocks.”

  “Then it’s not poltergeists but telekinesis?” Murphy asked.

  “That’s just a theory at this point,” Burt said. “This Bakers Dosing may not be aware she is causing this. She may think she just has these bad thoughts.”

  “I could try and connect with her,” Mia said. “Maybe ask her for outside help. If she is the stimulus, then maybe there are incidents at home too.”

  “Let’s hold back on that for now. I’m thinking we should get through this remaining Fresh Meat workshop and then see where we are,” Burt said. “Mike, you may want to arrive with Gates and sit in the stands. More distraction. Murphy, I want you in the rafters.”

  “I can’t, they’re iron girders,” Murphy said.

  “I’m sorry, I forgot about that.”

  “Do you want me to walk them? Are you looking for something?” Mia asked.

  “Nothing specific. I need you on the ground,” Burt stressed.

  “Gotcha,” Mia said, taking her feet down.

  “Monitoring team, be there at eleven. The rest of you, fifteen minutes prior to starting. Act a little sore, Mia.”

  “I told you I can’t act,” Mia said. “But in this case, I am feeling it.”

  ~

  Mia and Murphy drove to the center together. Mia played Patsy Kline and smiled as Murphy sang along. He didn’t flinch so much as she drove. Mia thought she was a good driver. No one else in her family complained - although, Varden did like a wild ride now and again. For this, Mia took turns fast. Varden was pulled this way and that, and he laughed hard. Murphy, who didn’t have any way to stabilize himself, was not amused.

  He turned the sound off before they were within a block. “Mia, please pull over. I have something serious to discuss.”

  Mia did so. She was early, so they had time.

  “Yesterday, I was surprised by all you said to Mike.”

  “Me too.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of all your friends?” he asked concerned.

  “No. Don’t worry. I just know Mike’s mind right now, and he’s not somebody I want around me. I wonder what Ted ever did to him to cause such animosity. But all the fun Mike and I had together was, on his part, to annoy Ted. Who else did I get rid of?”

  “Whit and Nicholai.”

  “Oh yeah, both I had childish crushes on, and both turned out to not be worth my adoration.”

  “I think you still adore Nicholai, but I believe Whit is toast.”

  “Yes. Whit still believes that I’m responsible for the death of a loved one. I tried to save Sherry, but Whit thinks because I could see the paranormal world, I should have been able to save her. And you and I know that’s bullshit… sorry, hogwash.”

  “He’s delusional. He can’t accept his role in her death. I’ve accepted my role in Chastity’s.”

  “Yes, you have. I’m sorry you had that experience. I would like nothing better than to be haunted by you, Chastity and your sixteen children.”

  Murphy smacked his knee and laughed.

  “Nicholai is harder. I thought he and I were of one mind regarding Enos. I think I was deluding myself.”

  “Enos may return, Mia. Give Nicholai time. He will see that here is the best place for Enos to be.”

  Mia pulled back on the road. Murphy turned on the sound and serenaded Mia.

  Ted brought in a generator and made sure if the sprinkler system did go off, the computers would be protected. He had Jake run the security cameras to see if anything happened while they were gone or if anyone was in the building when they shouldn’t have been. So far, they didn’t find anything. Jake, however, pointed out that the community center was sitting on a ley line.

  “Score one for Mia,” Ted said. “Burt, this building rests on a ley line. Do you have a list of the skaters and their addresses?”

  Burt handed Ted a list. He typed them in and shook his head. “No one lives close enough to one.”

  Murphy appeared. “I’m going to be looking at several veils, so you may not see me,” he reported. “But if you’re in trouble, just call. I will be able to hear you.”

  “Have you seen Cid? He and Audrey are late.”

  “Audrey is on her way in. Cid’s trying to explain to Madam Recovery why he didn’t call her last night,” Murphy explained.

  Audrey walked in from the refreshment stand. “Mia’s waiting for her earcom.”

  Ted handed Audrey the earcom. He waited until Mia received it and put her voice on speaker. “Bull Ette on com.”

  “Bull Ette, head to the parking lot. See if you can pry Cid out of Madam Recovery’s arms,” Ted said.

  “Oh man. You do know that she outweighs me by sixty pounds, and that is all muscle.”

  “Did you show him how to use a rubber yet?” Ted asked.

  “Me?” Mia squeaked.

  Burt and Audrey stifled their laughter.

  “I told you that I’d buy them for the boy, but you have to teach him how to…”

  “I don’t remember any such thing.”

  “Jake has the recording,” Ted lied. “I put the condoms in with your lunch.”

  “I better go break it up. I better start paying better attention…” Mia mumbled, grabbing her lunch bag. They could hear Mia running out of the building. She stopped and bellowed. “Hey you! Get your hands off my brother or I’m going to separate them from your body. Yes, you!”

  Jake had the parking lot security camera online. They saw little Mia approach the wall of beautifully sculpted muscle. Ted adjusted Mia’s com so they could hear Madam Recovery and Cid too.

  “Your brother came here with the redhead from refreshments.”

  “He was giving her a ride.”

  “Bad choice of words, pumpkin,” Ted said.

  “I told him, if he wanted to navigate this prime property, he had to be a single guy,” Madam Recovery said.

  “He’s not married.”

  “I’m talking no hos, and that redhead is definitely a ho.”

  “Hey!” Audrey squealed in protest.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s my grandfather’s caregiver. And Ms. Audrey may leave Grandpappy with a smile or two, but she’s no whore. Cid, are you sure you want to dip your stick in this bucket of STDs?” Mia asked.

  Madam Recovery launched herself at Mia. Mia stepped aside, and the woman ended up on the ground.

  “The reason I ask is that she’s what’s called a double bagger, which, according to Uncle Teddy, is a woman you wear two condoms with, or was it one condom and a paper bag over her head?”

  Mia jumped up on the car to avoid the kick from the downed woman
.

  “Mia, this really isn’t any of your business,” Cid said, backing away as Madam Recovery got to her feet.

  “Oh, it’s my business alright when you can’t get to your part-time job at the concession stand because you’re detained in the parking lot. You know Nanny needs us to bring home money. We can’t have you losing another job because you were found fornicating next to the garbage bins. Bad enough, we have to support Jake’s transition meds. Those testosterone blockers alone cost an arm and a leg.”

  “How many people in your family?” Madam Recovery asked.

  “At home?” Mia asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Let me see, our cousin Lazar. Poor kid, he only has one leg. He was supporting us with his military pay, but a roadside bomb ended that. I have five kids. I used to have a great job, but since Uncle Teddy knocked me up, all I can get is handyman jobs. We rent out a room to that drunken sot Altair, and don’t get me started on Uncle Murphy. He’s always has his hands where they shouldn’t be.”

  “I’m counting twelve,” Madam Recovery said.

  “Hey, you may as well move in with Cid and make it a baker’s dozen. He’s got a room to himself. Although, you’ll have to put up with the washer and dryer. On laundry days, you’ll have to get up at five. Don’t be thinking because we live in a duplex that you’ll be getting a free ride. You’ll have to kick in your paycheck. As it is, we had to get a collection together to buy this boy some condoms,” Mia said, patting the lunch bag. “He’s pretty fertile. Show the lady your equipment. Pretty impressive.”

  That was the bucket of ice water that cooled Madam Recovery’s ardor. She shook her head and got into her car and drove off.

  Cid glared down at Mia. “Was all that really necessary?” he asked.