ExtraNormal (21 page)

“But he could have been. And all I could do was stare.” He stared at me now, reliving the moment. “I can’t let that happen again. I don’t know…what is wrong with me. But you deserve better.”

“No!” I took his hands into mine. “Don’t say things like that. I don’t even deserve you. You’re the strongest, most loving person I’ve ever met.”

Jesse turned his head away. I suspected he was struggling to keep tears from forming in his eyes. I clutched his arm, thinking. His symptoms had started months ago, before I or the Stones or Everett even moved to Los Robles. None of them could have caused it. I might suspect repatterning to be the cause of his latest symptoms, if I hadn’t already established that was impossible. But it was an awful lot like Becca’s fall off that diving board. Too much so to be a coincidence. “I don’t know about last year,” I finally said. “But I can guarantee that what happened today had nothing to do with you or any mental illness.”

He kept his face away from me. “That’s quite a guarantee.”

“Well…” What could I say?
Don’t worry. Everett is really an alien who uses mind control on everyone but me, since I’m an alien too
. Yeah, that should clear it all up. He’d feel much better. I put my head on Jesse’s shoulder, wishing we could go back to the beach. Or at least the feeling we had there—when Jesse was carefree. “Listen,” I finally said. “Like you said, we
both
have secrets. And I’m glad you told me yours. Truthfully, they’re not as bad as I’d imagined.”

He smiled gratefully, his eyes filled with sadness.

“But,” I continued, closing my eyes. “My secrets are worse…much worse. I’m sure they’re the reason for what happened to you today. But I still can’t tell you. You could be physically harmed if I told you more.” I opened my eyes and looked intently into his. “And I would die before I let that happen.”

***

When I made it home that evening, I found that my parents’ cheerful chatter only annoyed me since it kept me from concentrating. I’d been deluding myself into thinking that I’d just walk away when the time was right. That I just needed to hold out a little longer. Until I was forced to leave.

But now I realized that was the wrong objective. I had to find a way to stay. To hold on to Jesse.

I was tempted to go on a walk. Maybe make my way to the school or Everett’s house to look for clues. But if there were answers to my problem, the only place to find them was in my own mind. The image of Becca face down in the pool was still too raw for me to stay in the backyard. So I confined myself to the prison cell of my bedroom—which was probably appropriate under the circumstances. Considering how close I was to spending the rest of my days in one.

I sprawled out on my bed and reviewed the memory of my most recent conversation with Everett. I wasn’t sure what I could do with any evidence if I found it, since I’d get in trouble for having talked to him at all. But I’d take that chance if he’d said enough to convince Mom that I was on to something. I watched the nauseating conversation a second, and a third time. He had carefully chosen his words. Just one teenager worried about another.

Next I did an exhaustive review of every memory I’d kept of my interactions with Everett. Image after image flashed behind my eyes. His phony smile. His conceited laugh. His face inches from mine. My head began to ache.

Eventually, an awful truth came into focus. I curled into a ball, clutching my pillow.

I’d jumped on the assumption that the only way Everett could have learned about Dad was to read Jesse’s mind. It was the kind of thing I expected of him. And I was so focused on finding something to use against him.

But he’d been at the beach. And at Becca’s accident. He was everywhere at school, watching me. He could have been there when Dad went on a drive that first day. Or when Jesse came over.

He could have figured it all out. Just by being a sleazy stalker.

I’d made so many accusations based on my assumptions. Even committed the crime of trying to stream with him. For all I knew, running into a black wall is always the result of streaming with a human. I’d even told Jesse not to worry about his health issues because I assumed Everett had caused them.

I smashed my pillow into my face and let out a muffled scream. So much wasted time and energy. Stupid human teenagers and their stupid social problems.

I’d put all my hopes on making a big discovery about Everett. Now I was right back where I’d started—with the Stones, who were behaving like a poster-couple for normal school teachers. If a trained agent hadn’t learned anything about them in twenty years of espionage, it was hopeless.

I was lost in this depressing thought when my cell phone buzzed. It was a text from Lacey. >>You won’t believe what happened!

I sighed. Texting was the most tedious form of communication imaginable. I’d pretty much gotten the hang of the miniature buttons, but not the cryptic messages that could go back and forth for hours. I typed the simplest response I could get away with. >>What?

>>Nick asked me out!

My stomach sank. In Everett’s story, the popular boy had asked the girl out right after her big crush. I had assumed that Christian was the crush and Everett was the popular boy in Lacey’s version of the story. But technically Everett had never asked her out, just said he’d meet her at the dance. Was Nick the popular boy in this story? Regardless, the picture of Lacey tied up in the boys’ locker room brought bile to my throat. But if Everett was just a regular kid, why would he be playing these games?

>>Wow.

The only response I could think of.

>>I know. I haven’t been on a date in my life, and now there are two guys that like me. It’s crazy! LOL!

I groaned. I thought there were three involved in this silly little drama. I hated to even ask. >>Which two?

>>Christian and Nick. I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

 This was beyond annoying.
Tomorrow.
Something was happening
tomorrow
? Why couldn’t she just say what she had to say? >>Yeah? I prompted.

>>I get to spend the whole day with him!!

Groan. >>Who?

>>Nick!

Scowl. >>Why?

>>He’s on the decorating committee.

>>You mean with Everett?

>>I guess. We’re decorating the gym for the dance.

I read the message…twice. All of sudden Lacey was all about Nick. Not Everett. This just could not possibly be coincidence. It still didn’t mean Everett was anything but creepy. But it did prove that much. And even if he was only using basic human manipulation tactics, he was somehow, some way, toying with both me and Lacey.

 I read through the string of messages again. Gained no insight into Lacey’s drama or Everett’s games. But noticed one piece of very good news. Everett would be busy all day. Mom wouldn’t have any reason to keep me home from school tomorrow.

 CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I had told Jesse not to pick me up for school. And since I still didn’t have a way to reach him, I had to walk the two point three miles to campus. I was mildly surprised that he didn’t pass me on the way. And that he wasn’t in any of his usual locations at the school. In fact, none of my friends were, which was logical, since they were all helping set up for the dance. But I had no explanation for Jesse’s absence. I told myself not to panic. There was no reason whatsoever to panic.

Dr. Tom’s class went to the science lab to compare plant cells and animal cells. But there were so few of us there that he announced we’d repeat the lesson on Monday. I was able to strike up a conversation with him. But I highly doubted a discussion about chloroplasts would impress Mom.

Attendance in choir was just as sparse. But the only missing student I cared about was Jesse. And the no-panic thing was not working so well. I sent texts to Lacey, Serena and Camille.

Only Serena responded. <

Gym class was moved to the football field where we had to run in circles. I easily outran the few students in class, but found no pleasure in it. I tried to get a look inside the gymnasium on my way to the locker room. But the doors were locked tight. Not that there was any chance Jesse would be inside. By lunch I was tempted to walk to Jesse’s house to check on him. But it was at least five miles from the school.

Instead, I tried texting Lacey again while buying myself a plate of lasagna. I found Serena eating alone in the cafeteria.

“Crazy day, hah?” Serena asked.

“Yeah.” I dropped my tray onto the table and plopped myself onto the chair, exasperated and worried. “Why aren’t you on the committee?” I asked.

“I am,” she replied. “Just not decorating. I do the pep part.”

I took a large bite of lasagna. “Pep part?”

“Yeah. For the football team. We have a big rally tonight before the game. I’m helping with that.”

“Oh yeah. Football. So there’s a game tonight?”

Serena laughed. “Of course. What do you think homecoming is?”

I smiled, trying not to look stupid, while my mind raced. I thought it was a dance. But it was football.
Tonight.
So that’s what Everett had been going on about. The story he told about his friend had happened right before a football game. Just like today. I put another bite of pasta in my mouth, then pulled out my cell phone and typed in another simple message to Lacey. It would be painful, but I’d keep texting with her all day. Just to make sure she stayed away from the boys’ locker room.

By the end of school I had decided the day was a complete bust. I’d typed dozens of useless little comments into my phone. >>Wussup Girl? Having fun yet?

But Lacey seemed fine. Just a ditzy teenager with a crush, excited about a dance. Plus both the Stones were being maddeningly normal. Which meant I had no hope of coming up with some brilliant evidence of their deviance that would delay my departure. And worst of all: there was no sign of Jesse and no one seemed to know anything.

I was opening a stream to Geery while walking to the janitor’s closet for my usual shift, when I gasped at the sight of Jesse standing outside the door. I dropped the stream and rushed to him. “Where have--?”

He put his finger over my lips. “I have a surprise.” His eyes were lit up like a child about to open a present.

“Surprise?” His excitement was contagious. He was immediately forgiven for worrying me.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and directed me away from the closet. “In the gym.”

“The gym? Don’t tell me you’re on the decorating committee.”

“Yeah right. I thought you knew me better than that.” We walked in silence the rest of the way, a simultaneously aching and glorious two inches apart. My curiosity mounted with each step. Geery tried to open another stream, but I sent a message that it would have to wait until tomorrow.

Jesse stopped at the closed gymnasium door, opening it just enough to peek inside. “I think they’re gone.” He flashed the smile that never failed to turn my insides to mush. “Close your eyes.”

He guided me inside—to what felt like the middle of the room—then left me standing alone. After just a moment, music began playing. I didn’t recognize it, which was odd. The melody had a haunting yet soothing quality. It had more depth than most Earth songs—almost like something from my world’s classical period. I concentrated on it, analyzing it, until I sensed Jesse standing close. He wrapped his arms around me and swayed with the rhythm of the rich melody.

I tentatively placed my arms on his shoulders. Stepped back when he stepped forward. Spun with him. Inhaled as deep as my nostrils would allow.

“Okay, open your eyes,” he eventually whispered in my ear.

I obeyed. And gasped. Patterns of light turned and twisted around us—falling across Jesse’s face. Sparkling lights twinkled from the ceiling above yards of sheer white fabric that was draped on wires from one side of the room to the other.

“So you
have
been decorating,” I said.

“I told you no. I’m the sound tech.” He continued guiding me to the rhythm of the mystifying music.

“Sound?”

“Yeah.” He nodded towards a table covered with equipment similar to the stereo Dad had dissected, but even bulkier. “I wouldn’t have taken the job if you could’ve come to the dance. But since you couldn’t…”

“That’s your stuff?”

“Yeah, it’s usually in my room. Along with my sound mixer, keyboard, drums, guitars…” He smiled wistfully as dancing lights streamed across his face. “There’s hardly any room for my bed. I wanted to show you yesterday. But we never made it that far.”

“I had no idea.”

He shrugged, embarrassed, then took a wide step to the side, dipping me slightly. “It’s just what I do.”

“But if you’ve been in here today, why didn’t Camille and Lacey see you?”

He shrugged. “I tend to be invisible. Even to them.”

My heart ached for his loneliness. While my love grew in intensity. “This song,” I said, “it’s yours, isn’t it?”

“I worked on it this summer, while trying to stop the noise. I didn’t really understand it, until I saw you that first day.” He touched my chin with his finger, drawing my face up to his. “I knew immediately it was for you.”

He spun me again. We moved as one with our feet barely touching. The child I’d been days earlier could not have danced like this. The music stirred into a full crescendo. Jesse pressed his hand against my back, drawing me closer still, until my chest was pressed against his.

His lips touched mine lightly, like insect wings. I shivered. He couldn’t know I’d never been kissed. Hadn’t expected to be for many years. He pulled away, searching my eyes for consent.

I could feel his yearning and put my hand on his neck, my fingers intertwining in his soft hair. I pulled him close, placing my lips on his.

He drew me into him, his mouth increasing in its hunger.

The room circled around us, lights falling across our intertwined bodies. The rich musical notes surrounded us in full crescendo. The world and all the forces pulling against us fell away in that bright, singular moment.

I imagined him in his bedroom, tormented and desperate, composing and playing each of those harmonic parts separately then blending them together. Even on my world he would be considered brilliant. I never would have thought my love for him could grow this much.