Surfacing (Spark Saga) (14 page)

I smile, watching Dani gracefully and enthusiastically move to the music, her skirt swishing back and forth, her hair bobbing.  I am, as always, and once again, taken back by her perfection—her athletic form, curvy hips, and that blonde, cascading hair.  One of my teammates nudges me during the routine.  “Hot,” he says, with a nod and a grin.  I must agree.

As the cheerleaders arrange themselves into a pyramid, I look out over the crowd—some 900 students in the school—some of them cheering wildly, others with their eyes glued to their cell phones.  There is a moment where the lights seems to brighten, sort of an orb-like effect, and my eyes hone in on one person in the sea of faces.

Tess.

She is watching attentively, even approvingly—after all, Dani is—or was—I’m not sure these days—her best friend.  I watch her for a moment, and then, she appears to look directly at me.  All this distance between us, but I can see her face with absolute clarity, the dark, glimmering sheen of her hair, her pale complexion, her perfect smile.  And all at once, I feel a hollowness in my stomach…something missing.  It’s that something that no one—not my mom, or my dad, or even Dani—can fill.  There is just something about Tess Turner that my soul gravitates to. 

I’ve examined the chip.  I know the memories—the times Tess and I were in love.  All of that happened, it was solidified in time, until she erased her ability to see it.  Can I still see it?  Feel it?  I have no idea.  I just know that there is something absolutely intriguing about her, a feeling that I suspect will not leave me, in this lifetime—in this place in time. 

I watch her, and it’s as if I am watching an old movie, the camera honing in on this one person, the rest of the picture fading away to black.  And it’s just her.  Beautiful, mysterious, troubled Tess Turner.  Someone who needs a person like me. 

Then Dani smiles at me and winks and my heart seems to stop.  How in the world will I ever resolve this aching, searing uncertainty in my heart?
             

             
By the end of the day, I have decided two things:  One, I am going to play football like I’ve never played before.  And two, I am going to talk to Tess.  I don’t know how, but sometime before the night is over, I will get her alone and ask her if she remembers that night at her parents’ house.  If nothing else, her recollection of it will provide some proof as to my messenger’s identity.

             
Turns out, my question will come up sooner than I imagined it would.

             
As I make my way out to my car after school, I notice Tess walking in the same direction.  Dani is with the cheerleaders, doing a last minute rehearsal, and here I am, walking to my car, and Tess, it seems, is parked right next to me.  I can feel my heart in my chest, my mind scrambling for the right words.  I notice that she is looking at me.

             
We meet right in front of my car.

             
“Hey,” I say.  “Is this your car?”

             
“My parents’ actually,” she replies, starting toward the door.

             
“Wait—I mean—I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

             
She pauses, turns back, and looks at me with some degree of apprehension.  “Sure, what’s up?”

             
“Are you going to the game?”

             
“Yeah.”  She shrugs.  “But I’m not really that into football.  What position do you play?”

“Quarterback.”

“And that means…what?”

“I basically run the team, lead the plays.”

“See, I told you I don’t know anything about football.”

“No, you said you weren’t that
into
football.  There’s a difference.”

“Ok, well I don’t know much about it, and therefore, I’m not that into it.”

“Can’t argue with that logic.”

She smiles.

“Hey, I saw you and Cricket at the graveyard last Saturday.”

Tess groans.  “Yeah, that was Cricket’s deal.  Some English assignment.”

“Oh really?  What sort of assignment?”  I am intrigued.

“It was sort of a treasure hunt.  Geocaching, actually.”  She looks nervous, all of a sudden, glancing over her shoulder.  A few seconds of silence seem to drag into minutes.  “Anyway, good luck with the game tonight.”

“Ah.  Hey—do you remember….me?  I mean, from way back.”

“Way back…how way back do you mean?  I have some—er—issues with memory, in case you didn’t hear.”

“Issues?”

“Yeah, after my run-in with the lightning.  It sorta messed up my memory.”

“Really?”  My palms are literally dripping with sweat, and Tess looks so adorable, I just want to grab her hands and take her into my arms.  Wait—what am I thinking?  I am seriously involved with Dani.  And yet, there is something…compelling…about Tess Turner.

“My mom was telling me that our parents used to hang out together.”

“Really?”  Tess looks around, slightly disinterested, or uncomfortable.  “I don’t remember.”

“Yeah, I guess you and I used to play together when we were younger…”  I am hoping for a spark in her eyes—something, anything, that she remembers. 

“Cool.  I’ve never heard my parents talk about that.”

“My dad died a few years ago.  My mom and I were actually at his grave Saturday, planting flowers.”

“That’s cool.”

“Anyway, she just started telling me a bunch of old stories, and mentioned you and your parents.”  I am starting to feel uncomfortable myself, unsure what to say next.  My attempts to gain any sort of insight from Tess seem pointless, and she’s giving me a look that suggests she’s wondering where I’m going with all this.  Should I continue or let it go?  I certainly don’t want to scare her away, but I don’t want to let her
get
away, either.  I decide to get her alone sometime tonight and pursue this conversation further.  “All right, well I guess I’ll see you at the game then.”

“Sure, see you there,” she says, a bit too eager to leave. 

I sit in my car for a few minutes, feeling suddenly mentally and physically exhausted.  I know I need to get it together before the team meets for warm-up in an hour.  I need to eat something, run by the house and change, get my uniform.  I glance at my phone to check my email, almost hoping there will be another message, something that will give me a clue about what I’m supposed to be doing, how I’m supposed to feel, and what the future will hold.

In my inbox is a message from my mom.  It says: 
I will be at the field right after work.  Thinking of you.  You are going to be spectacular!  Love, Mom.

The only thing I need to do at this moment, is prepare myself to play football.  Once the game is over, I can just relax and have a good time at the dance on Saturday, with my beautiful date.  I may or may not have an opportunity to talk to Tess, but that’s ok.  If it’s meant to be, that opportunity will present itself.

Tess

My phone rings.  Cricket.  I answer, “Hey.  Did you have fun at the dentist?” 

             
“I got a freakin’ cavity.”

             
“Nice.  So you’ll never guess who I ran into after school….”

             
“Alex?”

             
“Zach Webb.”

             
“And…?”

             
“And we had an actual conversation.  He started telling me how our parents used to hang out together—and we used to play together.  He wanted to know if I remembered it.”

             
“Do you?”

“No.  Of course not.  I mean, I can barely remember what I did last week.”

“So why did he bring it up do you think?”

“He said he was planting flowers at his dad’s grave last weekend and his mom mentioned it.”

“Crap.  Did he ask what we were doing at the graveyard?  I mean, he had to see us.”

             
“Yeah, and I told him it was for
your
assignment.”

             
“Did you tell him the specifics?  I mean, that it was his dad’s grave.”

             
“No, just that it was an assignment.  Then I changed the subject.”

             
“To…?”

             
“I wished him luck at the game.”

             
“I still say there’s something going on.  I mean, why Zach’s dad’s grave?  And why did he
casually
run into you today and start asking you about all this stuff from the past?   What’s up with that?”             
                “Who knows.  He told me his dad died a few years back.  Maybe he’s just feeling sentimental.”

             
“Or maybe something more….”

             
“Like what?”  Leave it to Cricket to find connections among seemingly random events.  “What are you thinking?”

             
“I don’t know yet.  But I have a feeling that by Saturday night, we will.”

             
“How do you figure?”

             
“We just ask him.  I mean, he already knows about the geocaching thing.  Maybe we just ask him if he planted the messages.”

             
“No way, Cricket.  He already thinks we’re psycho.”

             
“I doubt it.  In fact, if he
is
our messenger, I’m guessing he will be fairly excited to learn that someone has deciphered his clues.”

             
“Crap.  But what if he’s not?  The messenger.”

             
“Then we just laugh it off and he thinks we’re even weirder than we are.”

             
“Great.  Just what I need.  Everyone already thinks I’m crazy or something.”

             
“No they don’t.  What do you mean?”

             
“I mean, people know about my accident and they look at me like I’m a freak.”

             
“Correction.  They don’t understand you.  They feel for you.  Most people think you’re pretty cool, and nice.  Make that:  Pretty.  Cool.  And nice.”

             
I smile.  “Wow, really?”

             
“Really.  And you are.  All those things.  Trust me.  Your perception of what people think you are is based on your own insecurities.  Take it from an objective point of view.  Most people don’t even know you.”

             
“True.  I guess I do keep to myself.”

             
“No, you’re just different.  You are a real person.  And people who are real don’t usually waste their time on the stupid high school drama that consumes everyone else.”

             
Cricket—gotta love her straightforward approach to things.  “I really hate drama.”

             
“Exactly.  Which is why most people don’t get you.  They are too wrapped up in the B.S.  You are too deep for most people.”

             
“Thanks.  I feel better.  But Zach probably still thinks I’m a lunatic.”

             
“If I were guessing, I’d say just the opposite.  Zach has a crush on you.”

             
I laugh out loud.  “Yeah, right.  Maybe I was wrong about you.  You are seriously deluded.  Hello!  He’s in love with Dani…did you forget that part?”

             
“Hey, I call it like I see it.  And right now, that’s what I see.  If Zach Webb doesn’t seize an opportunity to talk to you Saturday night, I will personally denounce ice cream…and you
know
how much I like ice cream.”

             
“Whatever you say, Cricket.  I’m gonna hold you to that, you know.”

             
“All right, what time should I pick you up for the game?”

             
“How about 6:00.”

Cricket is right on time and I’m ready to go.  I’m glad to get out of the house for a few hours and be outside in the cool air.  My mom calls from downstairs that she is here and gives me a pep talk on the way out the door.  “I’m so proud of you,” she says.  “You’re doing so well.”

As if I wouldn’t be?  I know she’s been worried about me.  I can only imagine what it’s been like, to deal with my drama.  But, with my new attitude, I have to agree with her.  “I have fun with Cricket.  She’s cool,” I say, putting on my jacket. 

“Don’t worry about being home right after the game.  Just have a good time.”

Cricket gives me a five minute lesson on football on the way to the field.  I’m not really that concerned about it, but she’s excited, so I
play along.  “Are you gonna give me a play by play?”  I ask.  “Cuz I’m probably not gonna remember any of this.”

She just laughs.  “Have you talked to Dani today?”

“No, she’s been busy getting ready.” 

“Figures.”

“Anyway, we haven’t really been hanging out that much lately.”

“Duh.  She’s been too into the Queen thing.”

“Well, I hope she wins anyway.  I mean, look at the competition.”

“How did you guys become friends anyway?  She’s pretty snobby.”

“No she’s not… I mean, she wasn’t at least…until recently.  I don’t know what the deal is with her.  We’ve been friends since third grade.  But it started to change right around the time of my 13
th
birthday…and well, we all know what happened then.”

“Do you remember what happened?  I mean, specifically?”

“Not really,” I admit.  “I just vaguely remember Dani running towards me, and then a burst of cold air, and light.  My parents said the force of the lightning threw me off the swing and it was hitting my head on the pole that knocked me out.”

“So you
weren’t
struck by lightning.”

“No, I fell.  Lightning struck the pole.”