Lost And Found Part 4
Part 4
The next morning when I got ready for school Mom fretted over whether I should go. Chris had managed to be let into the perimeter by the cops and honked for me which made up Mom’s mind. She tried to kiss me on the cheek as I left like I was a little kid but I got away before she could land I on me. I ran to Chris’s truck and he had the door open for me. As soon as I was inside and the door closed he took off. There seemed to be even more reporters then yesterday and I saw three TV news crew vans. I ducked my head as we passed them and when I looked up saw some of them following us in the side mirror. However, they were stopped at the school gates and Chris got to park close to the front of the main doors thanks to a spot being marked off. I supposed it was so we’d be as far from the gates and cameras as possible. Chris said it was so the patrol officer could keep an eye on it.
Classes were hell as kids were whispering or just openly talking about me and everyone stared. I avoided looking at anyone afterfirst period and didn’t talk to or acknowledge anyone either. At lunch I hid out in an empty classroom so I was hungry by the end of the day. I wondered about detention as my last class started. I hadn’t told my parents and mom would want me home as soon as possible. I wanted to see Jared though. Just as class was starting JD poked his head in the door and asked the teacher, Mrs. Bloom, if he could see me. He only took me out of class long enough to say that I didn’t have to report for detention. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad about it. It didn’t matter much later since the next disaster would have happened either way. At least in my opinion.
Chris and I headed out to the truck after the last bell. However, I had tried to catch Jared before he went into detention but he didn’t show and so we were ambushed on the way to the truck. Being as we weren’t the first out the door the school gates had been open for a bit and someone had gotten in. They had used the ruse of a parent picking up a student; they must have looked up a sports player online or in the local paper and been admitted.
The guy had asked me if it hurt to find someone and was that why I hadn’t found more people before shoving a missing poster in my face and asking me to tell him were the kid was. Chris tried to get the guy away from me but he had grabbed onto my arm was waving the poster in my face. Even with all the jerking around I was able to do my focus thing and the kid, a little girl was stuck in my mind. I didn’t get to see her name or details but it didn’t matter. Tomorrow I would know her name and address. I didn’t know what I would do though since I was not going to go to school I knew that! But I didn’t want the headache either and I would want the girl to be able to go home. With everyone knowing about my powers it would be safe to call from any phone I wanted. But would the FBI make another visit if I did? They were still watching the Center’s network I had no illusions about that.
The new patrolman had arrived and had wrestled the reporter away from us. Chris grabbed my arm and hustled me into the truck. We sped out of the lot and down the street and I wasn’t worried about the police stopping us. “Are you okay, Jensen? Did he hurt you?” Chris took quick glances at me trying to assess me as he drove.
My clothes were askew and there was a rip in my jacket sleeve but other than that, I was fine physically. Mentally, I wasn’t so sure. I was shaken and nervous about someone manhandling me and not in a good fun way. Also I was anxious about the girl in the poster. “I’m okay, he just…” I wanted to say scared but didn’t want to admit it to Chris. “I’m going to dream about that girl.” I changed the subject. It wasn’t something I wanted to talk about either but there wasn’t much else at that very second.
“Damn!” Chris banged his hand against the steering wheel and I knew he was really upset if he was willing to abuse his truck even a little. “I don’t mean to pry, but does it hurt? When you dream about those kids?” He sounded sorry but I knew it’s something he’ll worry about if I don’t tell him and he’ll spot the lie if I try.
“No, not when I dream of them.” I told him the truth. Or rather, part of it.
“Buuutttt….” Chris drew out the word, sensing that I’m not telling him the whole truth.
“If I don’t tell anyone the address I start to get a headache. It gets worse the longer I wait and I don’t know if anything worse will happen if I don’t tell at all. I’ve never waited longer than a day and a half and I don’t plan to find out what happens next.” I avoided looking at him and he blew out a frustrated breath.
“So who are you going to call tomorrow?” He took his longest look at me yet, as if trying to guess.
“The Center of course, who else?” It’s the obvious answer and I glanced at him to see if he was joking.
“The FBI for one, I’m sure they’d be over the moon.” Chris sounded sarcastic and I knew it was because of how I had described them to him.
“I hadn’t even considered them but I don’t want to talk to them at all. The lady who answers the phone at the Center, Danneel, I like her. Or her voice anyway, she sounds nice.” At this I got a stare that had me yelling at him. “Watch the road!”
“I thought you had the hots for that bad boy Jared.” it wasn’t a question but I could hear the interest. He’d probably like it if I never talked to Jared again.
“I do like Jared,” I affirm. “I’d like to actually talk to him sooner rather the later.” Chris knows that’s why he had to wait for me at school. “We’re just starting to get to know each other and I don’t want him to bug out on me over this. I know it’s petty but I want him to be okay with me now that I’m a freak. Yes, again with the negative putdowns.
“Hey, you are not a freak!” Chris always jumps to my defense even when it’s me against myself. “If he can’t accept it or put it aside, then he was never really that into you and doesn’t deserve a chance with you. Not that I like him, but you do, and in the end that’s what matters even if I don’t like it.”
I smiled at that and it made me feel better. “I’m not going to go to school tomorrow so you don’t need to pick me up. I think I’m going to beg off until this thing blows over.” I had no idea how long that would be or if my parents would even approve. I was sure I could get away with another missed day or two, but not for long.
“I’ll bring you the assignments from class. I’m sure JD will call your parents and they’ll work something out. They’d be upset if you fell behind” Chris knows not only me, but my parents well.
When we reached my house he told me he’d call and I went inside to be met by Mom, Dad and Mr. Browne. They heard about the reporter who got onto the school campus. They had tried to talk to Mac’s teachers, too, but luckily, they left Mac alone. I got permission to stay home until the next week and, yes, I would have to get homework assignments to keep up. I told them that I would have to call the Center tomorrow, that I got a good look at the reporter’s missing poster. Mr. Browne didn’t question my decision on who I was going to call.
That night I slept soundly but Mac has a nightmare that sent her to sleep with my parents for the first time in years. In the morning I knew that Rebecca Reid was in Idaho and my parents consider moving us there to get out of the spotlight.
When I call the Center, Danneel picks up. “Jensen, is that you?”
“You know who I am?” I really shouldn’t be surprised but I am.
“You are kind of all over the news right now, and those FBI agents called. I’m not a fan, by the way, they’re kind of rude.” Her answer made me smile. “How are you doing?” She asks before I can give her Rebecca’s address.
“I’m doing okay but I’m stuck at home while reporters are camped out up the block.” I won’t burden her with what is happening.
“I’m sorry,” she says it like it’s her fault.
“Thanks,” I say and I mean it. It isn’t her fault, not personally. “I have a name and an address,” and I give them to her.
“Thank you, Jensen, I’m sure her family will be grateful to you for finding her.” She sounded grateful and happy and I knew what I was going to say next might take that away.
“Look, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call again. I’m kind of lying low, for now. I know that finding kids is good and all, but I need to get back some kind of normalcy.” I tried to make her understand but I didn’t want her to be angry or disappointed. She’s just a voice over the phone but it’s one I liked and so, by extension, I like her.
“I understand, Jensen, it’s okay. You take care of yourself and when you call again I’ll be here. At least when it’s not my day off.” she didn’t sound angry and that made me relax. I didn’t know I’d tensed up.
“I hope to talk to you again soon.” It’s the truth I hang up with.
That day it’s just me and Mom until about lunch time when Mac’s principal calls. A reporter tried to talk to Mac and the school is being flooded with calls. Mom has to go pick Mac up and they stay together in Mac’s room, Mom reading to her until she falls asleep. Dad and Josh get home late from the restaurant because it was packed with people. It’s good for the business but they had to stay in the back to avoid reporters and people showing up who want to ask me to find their loved ones and one preacher who wanted to come and pray over me. None of us sleep well that night.
In the morning a reporter has gotten through the patrol and is trying to talk to us and take pictures through the windows. They already know I’ve found another missing kid. There are national news reporters and TV crews now. Everyone is staying home today and the house is filled with tension.
The real shit hits the fan that afternoon when the mail arrives. There are at least two dozen letters from people in the surrounding states and after Mom and Dad open the first few, all of which are asking me to find someone they pile them up and leave them by the front door. They have to call the post office and tell the postmaster to only bring bills to the house. They’re forced to rent a post office box so that the letters coming in have a place to go until they can be sorted and sent back to their original owners. Our lives are now a zoo, the restaurant is going to suffer without Mom and Dad there to run it, Mac is terrified and it’s all my fault. I close myself in my room to think and come up with a decision that my parents won’t like but seemed best at the time. I would come to regret it soon enough.
“I’m going to go to the research lab,” I tell my family and Mr. Browne, who I asked my parents to call over to the house. We were all gathered in the living room which was dim even with all the lamps switched on due to the blinds and curtains being closed to stop anyone taking photos of us. It also muffled the noise of all the reporters outside with said cameras.
Everyone started talking at once to protest, even Mac, and the tangle of voices was loud and confusing. It only got worse as everyone raised their voices to be heard over everyone else. Telling them to stop or quiet down didn’t help as my voice only got lost in the mass of noise. Finally sticking my fingers in my mouth I let out a loud piercing whistle like the kind you use for far away dogs or at camp. It worked and everyone shut up. They didn’t look too pleased to be interrupted but that was tough luck.
“Please let’s talk about this with inside voices” I used the term mom loved to shout at us when we, the kids, were shouting at each other for whatever reason in the house. Before they could start talking again and we had a repeat of shouting to be heard I pointed to dad, “You first.”
“Jensen, you can’t go to the government just because of a few reporters” he started but he was cut off by mom.
“A few! I counted no less than twenty yesterday when I had to yell at them to stay off the lawn and not to crush my flower garden.” Mom had the front of the yard lined with flowerbeds instead of a fence. She enjoyed working on it when she had time and one year had entered some flowers she’d grown in the local fair. She hadn’t won but she had enjoyed complements from neighbors and regular customers to the restaurant who had seen them.
“Okay it’s a bit of a crowd but it can’t last, something else will come along like it always does and they’ll go to cover that. Especially if we ignore them and they have nothing to report.” Dad spoke quickly to stop mom from going on about the flowers. Or maybe that she had been paying attention to just how big their problem was with them.
“It might and it might not,” Mr. Browne cut in next. “Also it might not be just the reporters.” Everyone looked at him then and he cleared his throat and looked a bit uncomfortable. This look on a lawyer is not a good sign, by the way, when confronted withperson or persons who have done nothing wrong. “There are people in town who want to hire Jensen to find their missing loved ones or just missing people. So far they have been advised to stay away but I don’t doubt that there are one or two in the crowd beyond the reporters.”
It was true there were rubberneckers who passed by the house or watched the reporters to just see what all the fuss was about. I hadn’t given any thought to these people previously.
“Then there is a religious group coming. Their pastor or leader or whatever they call him contacted the pastor of your church. Your pastor advised this man and his flock not to come but I’m afraid that they are anyway. There is also the possibility of protesters if the media doesn’t leave you alone in the next day or two.”
“Protesters about what?” I couldn’t think of anything anyone could or would protest concerning me or what I could do.
“Could be anything, so I honestly can’t answer that. But a guess would be something about rights of some kind, that is a favorite topic. Or protesters of the church should they come, someone is always protesting against some religion or another or just to spite them. It could become a real mess if something isn’t done to shift the attention away from you.” Mr. Browne looked apologetic as he explained what could be a nightmare come to life.
I hadn’t thought about any of this and now here is was. The worst part was that even if I decided I could handle it, ignore it till everything went away, my family couldn’t. I had put them in this terrible position. I had been thinking of how good I was doing and how good I was feeling about finding the missing kids. I didn’t think about how they would feel. Even for a second, when I thought about how freaky my new power was, I didn’t think about how they would react, good or bad. I hadn’t thought of them at all and now…Mac was scared and having nightmares and might need therapy someday without intervention into ongoing events. Mom’s flowerbed was being ruined (it was a pretty sure bet) and she would have a hard time looking after Mac. Dad and Josh couldn’t work and the business would suffer and that would be very bad for everyone. It only strengthened my resolve to go to the lab and get out of the reporters reach. I think my family knew it to but they would still but up a protest, that was what a loving family did.
“Jensen, sweetheart, you shouldn’t feel pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable doing,” Mom spoke softly and with concern. It sounded a little bit like when she had tried to give me the sex talk when I was thirteen. That was not a pretty picture for comparison but it was what popped into my head. That had been a very uncomfortable talk, too, since I was just figuring out which gender I liked better and was not about to tell her that her, and societies automatic, assumptions were wrong.
“I might not want to but it might be a good idea.” I tried to pacify her concern. “Those FBI agents were right about one thing, we have no idea how this is affecting me internally and our doctor isn’t the best equipped. I’m not saying I think something is wrong,” I added the last bit when the look of concern on Mom’s face moved towards fear as did Dad’s, “But it would be a good thing to know.”
“When would you go?” Dad asked, knowing that I had made up my mind.
“I don’t know. I’d have to call them first but the sooner the better probably.” I lookedto Mr. Browne then. He was the one who would have the contact information. Also, I wanted to know what he’d say from a legal angle if there was one.
“I suggest that we do a conference call so that all interested parties can be included. I also suggest that you hold off going until at least tomorrow or the next day so that third parties such asother family, the school and law enforcement can be notified and arrangements made for your absence. You’ll need to negotiate how long you will be there, education procedures if it’s going to be more than a few days, housing and transportation. I advocate that one of your parents go with you to see the facility before you agree to stay and make sure that any and all terms you agreed to are in place and adhered to.” As he outline what we should do he opened his briefcase and shuffled things around until he found the contact card Agent Heyerdahl had given out. There was a general number on it and both his name and that of his partner Agent Carroll.
I wondered who would answer the phone and if it was an office number. If it was a cell number wouldn’t there be two? Did they share a cell phone? I pondered this and if I would get to talk much as Mom took Mac up to her room and had Josh follow to watch her so she could be with me and dad when Mr. Browne set up the call. We would be using his cell phone since our house phone was still unplugged and Mom and Dad had turned theirs off when reporters had started calling them. I decided that any talking I would do would be to Agent Carroll, Agent Heyerdahl could piss off for all I cared. I figured that I had the upper handat this little negotiation considering I had something they wanted. In the end I hardly did any talking, that was left to Mr. Browne and Dad. I talked briefly to Agent Carroll and just said yes I agreed with what they were planning.
The plan was this. I would go to the lab with Dad to have a look around the day after tomorrow. If everything was satisfactory I would stay for a week and if things hadn’t calmed down by then, one more week, bringing it to two weeks total at Hotel Government. I would get a full medical and psychologicalexam the first day and at the end of the week. I would be monitored daily for health and I’d have a brain scan for the first three days and while I slept to map out what was going on in my new and improved super-charged brain. If I stayed two weeks I’d have more exams at the end of that week too. I would be housed in a small studio like apartment that was to be converted for me. It would be closest to the housing for government and military families since the lab was shared with a military base. It was the closest lab I was willing to travel to being just four hours from home rather than a lab further away that was suggested by Agent Heyerdahl. I would have a tutor when I wasn’t busy with tests or whatever they wanted me to do. I would be paid for my time as if I were working a full time minimum wage job to compensate for me not working at our family restaurant. This was nice because I only worked there part time and not for minimum wage. Plus, even with me not working, the reporters and people coming into town would help bring in extra business until things settled down so I could keep a bit of this money myself.
I went back to my room after that to pack for my trip so I wasn’t present for the conversations with JD about the school I’d miss. Chief Beaver was to tell him I was leaving and that the police could call off the extra guard soon and a message for my grandparents, although I didn’t understand why they needed to know or why they would care. Dad called the restaurant to arrange a new work schedule that allowed him to be away. Mom would go in and so would Josh, and Mac was excused one more day of school and would stay with Mom. Mac probably wouldn’t have to work since she was a bit young and she was so stressed but Mom wouldn’t want her too far away. That being done there wasn’t anything left to do and I was sure to get bored. Before Mr. Browne left to go work with other clients he let me use his phone to call Chris and beg him to come over after school. I needed to get out of the house. I needed to see Jared. Chris would be my escape.
I spent most of the day with Mac and Mom watching movies or reading rediscovering Harry Potter which Mac hadn’t read before. She’d seen the first few movies and now she had the time to read the books. Josh had ventured out with Dad to go to the restaurant to make sure that any paperwork was filled out before Dad and I left and to do the food orders. With the extra business going on they’d need more than usual and Dad had to sign off on it all and call our venders to change our usual order. I avoided thinking about what my time might be like at the lab.
Chris thankfully showed up half an hour after school would have been out. The police knew who he was so they let him come up to the house. When I greeted him at the door, careful not to let the reporters outside see me, I could see that the perimeter had been pushed back even further and that there were even more people and cars on the street as well as cops. In fact there was the uniform of the county sheriff as well as our city cops and some of the neighboring town.
“What’s up with the reporters?” I asked since I had no idea, being shut in since yesterday.
“You’re national news now, my friend,” Chris dug into his backpack and pulled out a newspaper and a magazine and handed them to me to look at while he took off his shoes.
The paper was the New York Times and I wondered where he got it since I know his family doesn’t subscribe. I was on the second page and the article looked a lot like the one from the local paper a few days ago. The magazine was Time and there was a paper bookmark. The magazine had a half page column about me. Again, I saw a lot of familiar stuff as I skimmed it. Next to it, however, was an article about Jenny Mitchell. The dead girl. I didn’t read it, not yet, I’d save it for later when I was alone.
“Some of the families of the missing kids you found are talking, so you’re national newsnow” Chris said as we moved to my room. “Also there are a few people with signs of some kind, I didn’t get a good look at what they said but the person corralling them is dressed as a preacher, white collar and all.”
“Shit.” I sit heavily on my bed and Chris joined me. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m going away for a bit,” and I told Chris all about my upcoming week as a paid lab rat. When I was done he didn’t look happy at all.
“Are you an idiot or something? You’re willing to let them lock you up and experiment on you?” Chris sounded angry and scared even if he won’t admit the latter feeling. “They could do anything to you and you wouldn’t be able to get help for a week.”
“I’ll have my own little apartment and a phone and free range of the base when I’m not working or doing whatever they want to test and what not.” I felt a little defensive from being thought of and called an idiot. Mr. Browne did help in coming up with this plan and my dad will look over the place before I decided to stay. “Besides it’s only until the reporters go away or a week or two whichever comes first.”
“Why don’t you just tell everyone you’ve lost your powers? They’d all go away in a hurry I’d bet.” Chris sounded defensive now. Like he saw the point I’m making but didn’t want to admit it or that I might be right.
“I could but then what happens when I need to call Danneel, the girl at the missing kids’ center line again? I know at some point I’ll see somepicture of someone missing and then I’ll be stuck hurting if I don’t tell someone. Even If I’m extra careful I would think that someone, the government especially would notice that kids were being found out of the blue on occasion. It got out once, what’s to stop it from happening again and how much bigger would the mess be if I got caught lying about it?” If felt like this time I was the logical thinker, like our places have been reversed. Not too long ago I was asking him for advice and now the shoe is on the other foot even if he didn’t ask me for it. He just grunted at this and I guessed maybe he had thought about it but didn’t think much of it. “On a totally different topic can I borrow your cell phone?” I wanted to get off the depressing topic of my leaving and get on with my own private preparations for leaving. Mainly talking to Jared and seeing where we stood.
“I don’t have it.” Chris sounded very uncomfortable and didn’t look at me when he admitted this.
“You don’t have it?” I was surprised. Even if Chris was grounded or had certain privileges restricted he would have his cell phone whenever he drove anywhere. It was a rule in his family. In case anything happened and he needed help or was going to be late for any reason he was to call home or someone. I tried to process this while staring at him but he wouldn’t look at me. Something was very wrong and I couldn’t figure it out. “Why don’t you have it?” I sounded almost accusing, of what I didn’t know or why for that matter but it must have done the trick because Chris finally looked at me.
“People started calling me to ask about you.” He sounded a bit angry.
“Reporters you mean.” I almost winced. The fact that they plagued our lines of communication so badly wasn’t surprising but to go after my friend? If they were calling Chris enough that he had left his phone behind, and probably turned off, who else were they calling? Was everyone with a close connection to me and/or my family getting calls? Were some of those people answering those calls?
“Look it’s not too bad, it’s just annoying.” Chris tried to reassure me but I could see that he was lying. “Who do you want to call anyway? I assumed you could call that missing kids line from any phone now.”
Now it was my turn to hesitate and hedge. “Just a friend.” I hoped Jared was more than a friend but at this point intime I could be just the freak he knew and made out with at this point. I really needed to talk to him about what was going on and how he felt.
“You mean that Jared guy, right?” Chris nailed it on the head. “You want to call him and what? Tell him to wait for you? Would he even answer your call right now?”
The last bit stung a little as he inferred that Jared wouldn’t want to talk to me. And maybe he didn’t, I had no way of knowing what he was feeling. Chris was also right on another level about Jared answering the phone. I had the number of a payphone at the garage where he worked sometimes. I had no idea if it would be answered if I called itor, if it was answered, if Jared would be working or would want to talk if he was working. My plan had many flaws but it was the only one I had. We sat in silence for a moment before I thought of something else. “You could drive me to the garage he works at and I could talk to him face to face.”
“You want me to drive you to a place he might be at to maybe talk to him if he doesn’t leave or have you ejected from the property?” Chris sounded disbelieving like he wasn’t sure of what I had just said.
“Look I need to talk to him okay. I know you don’t like him but I do. I want to see how things stand okay, it means a lot to me.” I tried not to be angry at him or sad about how pitiful I must sound, like someold fashioned woman in a bodice ripper who needed her man.
“If you need to see him that bad why don’t you just go to his house? It’s getting late and I bet he’d be there rather than at some garage.” Chris sounded like he was humoring me but the points he made were logical. Good old Chris and his sound reasoning skills.
“I don’t know where he lives,” I admitted and looked away from him.
There was more silence and it was getting uncomfortable when Chris finally said. “I do.” It sounded resigned and I looked back at him in disbelief. “What? Don’t look at me like that.”
“How do you know where Jared lives?” I couldn’t think of a reason why, they didn’t live close to each other and I was sure Chris would have said something otherwise.
“When you went out on your second date I talked to Steve who knows a guy who finds out stuff. I wanted to make sure I knew where to go to find him if he hurt you.” Chris didn’t seem at all ashamed of this.
“Whatever your reasons I’ll forgive you if you take me to see him.” I had already forgiven Chris but he didn’t need to know that. I understood in a weird way what he had done. If he had started dating someone I didn’t like who had a bad rap and who was bigger and stronger then Chris I might have done the same thing.
“Right and how am I supposed to do that? There is a horde of reporters and protesters and nutcases at the end of your block. My truck has windows you know and they’ll be able to see you. I highly doubt you’ll have a meaningful conversation with lover boy surrounded by all those people.” Chris was being reasonable again but I had a solution.
“I’ll sneak out the back and go across Mr. Bartle’s yard and meet you out front on the next block.” Mr. Bartle lived behind us and if you went through our backyard and his, past his house and into his front yard you would be on a block parallel to ours but unseen by anyone from our side. The reporters wouldn’t be anywhere near it.
“Now I know the lightning did something bad to mess you up. Are you crazy? Do you want to be shot?” Chris had sat up straight and was looking at me as if I had grown a second head.
Mr. Bartle was a Vietnam vet with PTSD and an assortment of other mental ailments. He was constantly vigilant and slightly paranoid. He didn’t like people coming to his house or being on his lawn, and he was sure to freak at anyone on his back lawn. He was known on very rare occasion to come tearing out of his house waving a gun at people who trespassed on his property. The cops had been called to his house many times and a few attempts had been made to take his gun away, but since he had never actually shot at anyone and mostly shouted from his porch, the gun was probably unloaded.Still everyone kept well clear of his yard. I suddenly wondered why he hadn’t caused trouble for the reporters yet. “I think I’ll be okay, he might not even be home. He hasn’t come out for the reporters after all,” I stated my weak case.
Chris was still looking at me like I was crazy but I could see him mulling this over. “If I say no, you’re still going to try to go and see him aren’t you?” It was a statement, not a question and I nodded. “Fine but if we get caught and in trouble, I’m throwing you under the bus and blaming you for everything.”
That was how, half an hour later, we were driving through the main part of town in the direction of the poorer section that was known by everyone as the wrong side of the tracks eventhought there were no said tracks. In a large city it would be the wrong part of town, or the seedier parts. Whatever you wanted to call it didn’t change the fact that was a place most people didn’t want to go.
Chris tried to ask me again if I was sure about seeing Jared a few times before he came to a stop at the address Steve’s mysterious guy had given him. The house or rather small mobile home was just a step up from being a trailer house. The paint was old and faded but not peeling and the roof sagged in places. One of the windows in front was cracked and patched with what looked like tape. The porch that once upon a time must have been there was gone but the place itwas remained discolored. There were concrete blocks as steps to the door now instead. Next to the house was a leaning cover for a car that looked like a stiff breeze would knock it over, but the lawn was mowed and there were flowers along the base of the home along both sides of the steps. Under the leaning cover there was an old faded and beat up looking car which must belong to Jared’s family and Jared’s motorcycle. Jared was home unless he had walked somewhere.
“Do you want me to come in?” Chris asked as he looked the house over as much as I was.
“No, I want to talk to him in private.” I got ready to get out of the car but Chris stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m going to wait here foryou, if you need anything just shout for me, okay?” he rolled down his window with his free hand.
I didn’t think it would be necessary but I nodded. “Sure and thanks.” I slipped out from under his hand and out of the truck. As I walked to the front door I could hear Chris turn the engine off. He was in for a long wait if I got my way. I would need a lot of time to work things out with Jared if he even let me in. I knocked on the door and hoped that I wasn’t about to be humiliated by being asked to leave. It took a minute for someone to answer the door and when it opened it was only a crack with a safety chain keeping the door secure. A woman’s face appeared in the crack and looked me over.
“I’m looking for Jared,” I said giving the woman a smile but not introducing myself.
The door shut and I was beginning to frown when I heard the door chain rattling and the door opened again almost all the way. The interior of the house was dim but I could see the woman clearly enough. She must be Jared’s mom because she looked like him with brown hair and hazel eyes and a slight cleft to her chin. Jared didn’t have her nose so that must be his fathers. I tried not to stare to long though because she had a very noticeable scar running down her left cheek from just under her eye to her jaw. The nose looked as if had been broken once, too, and not set right as was slightly crooked with a bump at the top bridge. When I had stepped inside she closed the door and it took my eyes a second to adjust to the gloom of the house.
“Jared’s out back, Jensen.” Jared’s mom waved towards the opposite side of the room to another door.
“You know who I am?” I was surprised that Jared would tell his mother about me, much less describe me.
“Honey, most of Texas probably knows who you are by now.” She gave me a thin smile and shuffled towards the living room in front of us. I noticed she had a limp and that was likely what took her so long to answer the door.
For a second I felt like an idiot. Of course, she would know who I was, I was the talk of the town. My picture had been in the papers and was probably on the internet and TV, too. I was too embarrassed to say anything, so instead, I made my way to the back door. It was just outside the living room and into the small kitchen. An odd place for a door, but I had never been in a mobile home this small so I didn’t know if it was normal. This door also had a chain lock but it wasn’t in use and the handle turned smoothly in my grip. The steps leading out to the back were the same as the ones in the front and so were the flowers to either side. Jared was a good fifteen feet from the door next to a makeshift table of two saw horses and a wooden plank. The table was covered in parts and half an engine of some kind. His hands and arms were covered ingrease and there was a smear on his forehead. He didn’t look too pleased to see me.
“What are you doing here? How did you even find me?” He sounded a little angry but not like he was about to kick my ass or kick me off his property.
“Hi,” was all I could think to say to that while I worked out how to make him un-mad. It was not what he had expected to hear because he raised an eyebrow at me. When I didn’t say anything else he sighed and pulled a rag from his back pocket to wipe his hands.
“Let’s sit.” He waved to my left and I looked over to see two plastic deck chairs along the side of the house close to the corner. I had no idea why they were all the way over there but I went to sit anyway. As long as Jared was willing to talk I’d sit anywhere he told me to.
“So? Talk,” he instructed once we were sitting.
“Um, I’m not sure where to start,” I admitted since I hadn’t thought about what I might actually say. I had been so focused on just getting to Jared to talk to him I hadn’t thought about the actual talking. I knew I wanted to tell him a little about what I could do. I also wanted to tell him about me going away for a week or two. And I wanted to know if he still liked me at all.
Apparently I had waited too long, so he started without me. “How about the fact that you have some kind of psychic power? Or the fact that you were using me as a chauffeur?” He sounded even angrier then he had a minute ago and was glaring at me, his body rigid in his chair.
“I wasn’t using you as a chauffeur!” I started and he snorted at this, rolling his eyes. “I may have made some calls to a certain hotline while I was out with you, but that was not why I went out with you. I like you, Jared. I like you very much and I had a great time with you. And yes, I did report some information I got using my powers, but I would have called in what I knew regardless of if I was with you or not. I would have gotten Chris to take me someplace with a payphone if we didn’t go to a place with one. I was killing two birds with one stone.”
Now that I had started, it looked like I couldn’t stop.
“In fact, if you must know I almost canceled our first date with you because of my powers. I was hurting because of them and when I used the payphone you took meto I stopped hurting. You did me a favor in more ways than one taking me to a payphone that day. If I hadn’t gone with you I would have found another way I’m sure but that date helped me in ways I can’t explain because I don’t even know myself.”
Jared was staring at me now. I went on. “It was never really about the payphones. If I didn’t have these powers I would still have gone on those dates with you. I may have picked a different place for that first date though. I loved getting to have a picnic with you out in that swamp. I’d go again tomorrow if you asked me to and we could skip the payphone. As for the powers part, I didn’t tell anyone about them. Like I said a minute ago, they came after the lightning. I didn’t know what to do about them at first and then I did want you to think I was making things up, going mental or a freak. I never even intended for anyone to know at all but the FBI coming to town kind of spoiled those plans. I wanted to talk to you that next day, but I didn’t see you. I even got accosted by some reporter after I waited for you, not that it’s your fault or anything,” I added hastily when he stiffened. “And now with all the reporters around I haven’t left the house since then. I came as soon as I could to have this talk with you. Please don’t be mad at me for something I can’t control because I can’t stop how my power works and honestly it’s a bit scary. It can hurt, too, and it’s causing problems for my whole family. I don’t want it to cause problems between us because I would really, really, love to have another date with you.” I had just about talked myself horse and my anxiety was sky high as I riled myself up inside with how I was making a mess of explaining via verbal diarrhea. I just wanted, no needed, him to understand. I was breathing a bit rapidly as I tried to calm myself and wait for his reply.
Jared didn’t speak for so long I thought he wasn’t going to at all. My eyes had started to fill with tears and I was ready to leave so he wouldn’t see how hurt I was.
When he did speak, his voice was flat, almost emotionless and very serious. He didn’t look at me and I thought that he might have been talking toa me he envisioned in his head so he could ignore the fact that I was sitting right next to him. Maybe it was easier on him that way, but it wasn’t easy for me.
“Everyone has secrets,” Jared began, “Be they big or small and its human nature not to want to share those secrets. Your powers are the big kind of secret and the fact that they are so new and not an ordinary thing can be scary. Not wanting to tell anyone, I can understand. I don’t think you’re a freak for that. I believe in mediums, not that I’d ever want to talk to one. I would guess that their power isn’t much different from yours except that you find the living and not the dead. The fact that it causes you pain isn’t a small thing, either.” He leaned closer, his elbows on his knees and actually looked at me. “I’m glad that I was able to take you to a place that you could unburden that pain even if I wished you had done so without it being on our date. It may be selfish of me and sound crass but I had hoped that you were there just to be with me, not…” Here he paused, looking for the right words. “Not with the kids or memory of them or whatever it is that allows you to know where they are. I feel a bit cheated that it wasn’t just me you were thinking of when we were together. You did a good thing by letting the authorities know where they were. I just wish you hadn’t done so with me in tow.” He sat back and stared at the floor for a moment, then sighed and looked me straight in the eye. “I do like you, Jensen, and I’m glad you like me, too, but I don’t think I can see you again. Not with all the reporters and police hanging around. I’m sorry.” He actually did sound regretful.
“By why? It’s not like they’ll be around forever!” I sounded sulky, like a child who has been told they can’t have what they want and are about to have a tantrum. “What does it matter?Afraid being seen with me might ruin your reputation?” Now I was just being nasty because I wasn’t going to get what I wanted.
He gave a sardonic smile that marred his handsome face and made it look ugly and a little sinister. “No but I might ruin yours.” I had nothing to say to that, I was too shocked. “How old are you precisely?” Jared’s question threw me off guard.
“Seventeen and two months give or take a few days that I can’t do the math on at the moment,” I stammered trying to think of what my age had to do with anything.
“Well that’s fine now since you are legally over the age of consent to date someone a year older than you but what if someone decides tosay we’ve been going on dates longer? What if someone says we’ve been having sex? It’s statutory rape at sixteen but it could swing either way at seventeen and eighteen, it’s up to the judge in the end with how close we are in age and to the legal adult age.” His voice was still flat and it was beginning to scare me. Looking at me now, his gaze is flat too, that was the only way I could describe it, as if there is no emotion or life in them. My cheeks and neck on the other hand have lots of life as they burned and turned red with embarrassment.
“Bbb...uutttt we…we ha-haven’t!” I stutter. “Why would anyone say that?” I was sure I was very red by now.
“Because they can, and we can’t prove otherwise. It’s not like you have a hymen that a doctor can check, as barbaric as that would be. It would be their word against ours and mine doesn’t count for much.” Jared was so still and calm as he spoke. I had to focus on his mouth to make sure was really him talking and not my imagination saying this to me in his voice.
“Why not?” I was afraid to knowbut I needed to at the same time. Jared was a good person with a bad reputation but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t trustworthy. There was something else between us besides my newly reviled powers.
“As long as we are airing secrets I guess it’s time you knew one of mine. You might have found out later if I never told you, someone else might have. Did you know that I was convicted of attempted murder with adequate justification?” Jared stares right into my eyes and I have to turn away from his gaze.
I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it but the way he said it and the way I could see the truth in his eyes before I had to turn away meant I couldn’t deny it. How was it possible that I had never heard of this? How was it that Jared could even sit here talking to me about it? He’d been in high school for all three years I had been there, so he didn’t do any jail time or I wouldn’t have seen him. His reputation didn’t include murder or attempted murder if you want to get technical. I’m sure I would have heard about that. Chris doesn’t seem to know either and he’s savvy to all the gossip. Unless he does and never told me. But that doesn’t make any sense because if he knew he wouldn’t let me date Jared no matter what.
“Who was it?” I thought that was the most important question. If I knew who, maybe I could figure out thewhy without asking. No use in asking why when I didn’t know the victim, it would never make sense. Not that it did now.
“My father,” Jared replied, his voice still emotionless and it was creepy.
Knowing the who did not help with figuring out the why and I had a strong feeling I really didn’t want to know, but I asked anyway.
“Why?”
“That’s a secret for another time, I think” Jared seemed to come back to life a little. “The point being, it wouldn’t be good for either of us if you were seen hanging out with me. I don’t want to get you into trouble and I don’t want to be in trouble.” Jared sat back wearily, his body going boneless and his head tilting back, eyes closing. “I will miss you, though, the possibility of what we could have been.” He said, dismissing a future that we both wanted without a fight.
I don’t know what came over me, even now, but I just acted on impulse. I got out of my chair and satin his lap, straddling him, knees wedging into his hips. His eyes snapped open as his head flew up and I bent forward to kiss him. It was a hard kiss, lips mashed together so hard I’m surprised they didn’t split, our teeth clacking together from the force. We stayed that way as time seemed to slow before speeding back up into the present. Jared grabbed my arms just below my shoulders and pushed me back enough that I slid to the end of his thighs.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t sound mad, mostly alarmed at my actions.
“I don’t care about your record, you aren’t in jail so it couldn’t have been that bad and you said there was adequate justification so I’m going to say it wasn’t your fault. As for the FBI and the police, I don’t care or the reporters either. I want to date youJared. I’m going to go away for a while, just till the reporters go away, but then when I come back there will be no one around to see or care what I do. We can go one dates and not have to worry. Please, Jared, would you wait till I get back before you decide that our relationship won’t work?” I know I must have sounded desperate and pathetic but I didn’t care.
Jared was looking at me worriedly. “Where are you going?”
“The FBIhave a medical lab,” It was just a lab, but I didn’t want Jared to worry anymore than was necessary or freak out. “They’ve offered to run some tests to make sure that my powers aren’t hurting me and to help me understand them. It will also get the reporters away from my family until something new comes up that they can report on. In return, I’ll find a few bad guys for them and then I’ll come home. It will only be for a week, two tops.”
“Have you lost your mind? Do you know what they’ll do to you?” Jared was not calming down and his grip on my arms tightened. I’d have bruises for sure but I tried not to let him show he was hurting me. If he knew, he might make me get off and then he could walk away from me or change the topic and we needed to finish this.
“Yes, I do. Mr. Browne, that’s our lawyer, helped arrange everything. Plus, I won’t give the final okay to stay at the lab until my dad checks it out. Besides, I’m not under arrest, I’m going voluntarily so I can leave when I want. I won’t be there long, a week, I doubt I’ll be theretwo, the world has all kinds of things going on that the reporters will move on to when they can’t get any kind of story.” I could tell my words were having no effect on Jared but I don’t know what else to say. I couldn’t think of any other way to convince him to give us a chance. I was about to kiss him again to take his mind off it but he started talking first.
“I’ve seen Minority Report, Firestarter, and The Fury, the government can turn voluntary into involuntary. All they have to do is claim you know government secrets and they can hold on to you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t since you would have to prove that and it could take forever with the way the system is run on their end.” Jared was serious but I thought it was all conspiracy theory talk.
I was not going to be kidnapped by my own government. At least I didn’t think so. “I don’t know how you think they would claim I could know secrets since I’ll be at a medical lab. I’ll probably be watched night and day. What on earth could I steal from there that would be so important?”
“All they would have to do is say that they left you alone in some office and you went through their things and saw something you weren’t supposed to.” Jared was logical and it did make sense in a twisted sort of way.
“Jared, I don’t think I’m in any danger. Honestly. But if it would make you feel better we can talk more about it if you make out with me. Infact you can even plan strategies with Chris who is sure to buy into your ludicrous conspiracy theories if you promise not to give up on our relationship just yet. I’ll even agree to whatever you two come up with, within reason, if you agree to more dates when I get back.”
I was not above bargaining to get what I wanted. It was like dangling a steak in front of a starving man. Jared’s grip on my arms lessened and I slid forwards again. I would tempt him with more than words.
“Please,” I half whispered as I leaned closer and kissed him, gently this time as if sealing the deal. I didn’t believe Jared wasweak willed but he did give in to the kiss. For a few minutes we went on kissing and I slid further into his lap until I was pressing against him pelvis to pelvis, and chest to chest. His hands had found their way up the inside of my shirt and he was caressing my back. I could not reach his back as he was against the chair and our chests were to close together for my hands to fit up there. Instead, I had my hands curled into fists in his hair so I could hold his head still while I kissed him. It was so soft I flexed every few seconds to feel the texture as it slid though my fingers. At last he drew back from me and pushed me back down his lap a bit, but not before I could feel how much he had enjoyed our make-out session. I was equally aroused but I didn’t want to push my luck right now. Also it gave him something to look forward to if he agreed to wait for me.
“When do you leave?” He was a little breathless for a second.
“Day after tomorrow.” I leaned in for another long kiss that had me hoping for more making out but he pushed me back again.
“You drive a hard bargain and I would hate if something happened to you even if we weren’t dating.” How Jared could look so serious after what we’d just done I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Tell Chris to come by later tonight and we can talk strategy about what to do. Then you can come back tomorrow and we can go over anything we come up with. If you agree to my terms, I’m sure I can agreeto yours. Now, if you don’t mind, as much as I enjoy having you where you are, you need to get off me, my legs are asleep.” Jared pushed as I moved back until I was standing up. My own legs were a bit weak and tingly from the way I had been sitting. Jared made no move to get up.
“You’re not going to walk me to the door?” I teased but inside I was hopeful.
“No I can’t get up yet and I don’t want to face my mother right now. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Jared started rubbing the tops of his thighs. I watched his hands for a moment wishing they were my hands giving him relief. Before things could get heated again, I left. Opting to go around the house rather than back through it. It may have been rude but I didn’t want to face Jared’s mother either. Not with half a hard on left.
Reaching the front of the house, I saw Chris waiting in his truck just like he said he would be. It took him a second to notice me since he was watching the front door and not the side of the house. When I got in he started the engine and we were off immediately.
“So, how did it go? I didn’t hear shouting or anything breaking and you don’t look hurt. You look a little too good, actually.” Chris took sidelong glances at me as he drove back to my house.
“He took it pretty well, all things considered, but I’m not sure if it really has completely sunk in yet even if he did hear it a few days ago.” I didn’t tell Chris about the secret Jared had told me about himself. “He wants you to go back later and talk to him. He thinks the government is going to try to kidnap me or something. He wants to talk strategy with you about getting me out or some such thing if the need comes up.” At least that was the gist of it from what he’s said.
“Well, at least someone is thinking about your wellbeing logicallybesides me” Chris drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “I’ll go back after I drop you off and see what he has to say.”
“Thanks” I said ,even though I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t know how much I would need to thank them in the future but hindsight is a funny thing isn’t it.
When I finally got back home it was as if nothing had changed while I was gone. Mom was still spending time with Mac and Josh was in his room. Dad was in his home office space trying to do what he could for the restaurant. I was sad that I had brought such stress on my family and relieved that it would be over soon.
Again, hindsight is a funny thing because the past few days had only been the beginning of our problems.
The next morning when I got ready for school Mom fretted over whether I should go. Chris had managed to be let into the perimeter by the cops and honked for me which made up Mom’s mind. She tried to kiss me on the cheek as I left like I was a little kid but I got away before she could land I on me. I ran to Chris’s truck and he had the door open for me. As soon as I was inside and the door closed he took off. There seemed to be even more reporters then yesterday and I saw three TV news crew vans. I ducked my head as we passed them and when I looked up saw some of them following us in the side mirror. However, they were stopped at the school gates and Chris got to park close to the front of the main doors thanks to a spot being marked off. I supposed it was so we’d be as far from the gates and cameras as possible. Chris said it was so the patrol officer could keep an eye on it.
Classes were hell as kids were whispering or just openly talking about me and everyone stared. I avoided looking at anyone afterfirst period and didn’t talk to or acknowledge anyone either. At lunch I hid out in an empty classroom so I was hungry by the end of the day. I wondered about detention as my last class started. I hadn’t told my parents and mom would want me home as soon as possible. I wanted to see Jared though. Just as class was starting JD poked his head in the door and asked the teacher, Mrs. Bloom, if he could see me. He only took me out of class long enough to say that I didn’t have to report for detention. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad about it. It didn’t matter much later since the next disaster would have happened either way. At least in my opinion.
Chris and I headed out to the truck after the last bell. However, I had tried to catch Jared before he went into detention but he didn’t show and so we were ambushed on the way to the truck. Being as we weren’t the first out the door the school gates had been open for a bit and someone had gotten in. They had used the ruse of a parent picking up a student; they must have looked up a sports player online or in the local paper and been admitted.
The guy had asked me if it hurt to find someone and was that why I hadn’t found more people before shoving a missing poster in my face and asking me to tell him were the kid was. Chris tried to get the guy away from me but he had grabbed onto my arm was waving the poster in my face. Even with all the jerking around I was able to do my focus thing and the kid, a little girl was stuck in my mind. I didn’t get to see her name or details but it didn’t matter. Tomorrow I would know her name and address. I didn’t know what I would do though since I was not going to go to school I knew that! But I didn’t want the headache either and I would want the girl to be able to go home. With everyone knowing about my powers it would be safe to call from any phone I wanted. But would the FBI make another visit if I did? They were still watching the Center’s network I had no illusions about that.
The new patrolman had arrived and had wrestled the reporter away from us. Chris grabbed my arm and hustled me into the truck. We sped out of the lot and down the street and I wasn’t worried about the police stopping us. “Are you okay, Jensen? Did he hurt you?” Chris took quick glances at me trying to assess me as he drove.
My clothes were askew and there was a rip in my jacket sleeve but other than that, I was fine physically. Mentally, I wasn’t so sure. I was shaken and nervous about someone manhandling me and not in a good fun way. Also I was anxious about the girl in the poster. “I’m okay, he just…” I wanted to say scared but didn’t want to admit it to Chris. “I’m going to dream about that girl.” I changed the subject. It wasn’t something I wanted to talk about either but there wasn’t much else at that very second.
“Damn!” Chris banged his hand against the steering wheel and I knew he was really upset if he was willing to abuse his truck even a little. “I don’t mean to pry, but does it hurt? When you dream about those kids?” He sounded sorry but I knew it’s something he’ll worry about if I don’t tell him and he’ll spot the lie if I try.
“No, not when I dream of them.” I told him the truth. Or rather, part of it.
“Buuutttt….” Chris drew out the word, sensing that I’m not telling him the whole truth.
“If I don’t tell anyone the address I start to get a headache. It gets worse the longer I wait and I don’t know if anything worse will happen if I don’t tell at all. I’ve never waited longer than a day and a half and I don’t plan to find out what happens next.” I avoided looking at him and he blew out a frustrated breath.
“So who are you going to call tomorrow?” He took his longest look at me yet, as if trying to guess.
“The Center of course, who else?” It’s the obvious answer and I glanced at him to see if he was joking.
“The FBI for one, I’m sure they’d be over the moon.” Chris sounded sarcastic and I knew it was because of how I had described them to him.
“I hadn’t even considered them but I don’t want to talk to them at all. The lady who answers the phone at the Center, Danneel, I like her. Or her voice anyway, she sounds nice.” At this I got a stare that had me yelling at him. “Watch the road!”
“I thought you had the hots for that bad boy Jared.” it wasn’t a question but I could hear the interest. He’d probably like it if I never talked to Jared again.
“I do like Jared,” I affirm. “I’d like to actually talk to him sooner rather the later.” Chris knows that’s why he had to wait for me at school. “We’re just starting to get to know each other and I don’t want him to bug out on me over this. I know it’s petty but I want him to be okay with me now that I’m a freak. Yes, again with the negative putdowns.
“Hey, you are not a freak!” Chris always jumps to my defense even when it’s me against myself. “If he can’t accept it or put it aside, then he was never really that into you and doesn’t deserve a chance with you. Not that I like him, but you do, and in the end that’s what matters even if I don’t like it.”
I smiled at that and it made me feel better. “I’m not going to go to school tomorrow so you don’t need to pick me up. I think I’m going to beg off until this thing blows over.” I had no idea how long that would be or if my parents would even approve. I was sure I could get away with another missed day or two, but not for long.
“I’ll bring you the assignments from class. I’m sure JD will call your parents and they’ll work something out. They’d be upset if you fell behind” Chris knows not only me, but my parents well.
When we reached my house he told me he’d call and I went inside to be met by Mom, Dad and Mr. Browne. They heard about the reporter who got onto the school campus. They had tried to talk to Mac’s teachers, too, but luckily, they left Mac alone. I got permission to stay home until the next week and, yes, I would have to get homework assignments to keep up. I told them that I would have to call the Center tomorrow, that I got a good look at the reporter’s missing poster. Mr. Browne didn’t question my decision on who I was going to call.
That night I slept soundly but Mac has a nightmare that sent her to sleep with my parents for the first time in years. In the morning I knew that Rebecca Reid was in Idaho and my parents consider moving us there to get out of the spotlight.
When I call the Center, Danneel picks up. “Jensen, is that you?”
“You know who I am?” I really shouldn’t be surprised but I am.
“You are kind of all over the news right now, and those FBI agents called. I’m not a fan, by the way, they’re kind of rude.” Her answer made me smile. “How are you doing?” She asks before I can give her Rebecca’s address.
“I’m doing okay but I’m stuck at home while reporters are camped out up the block.” I won’t burden her with what is happening.
“I’m sorry,” she says it like it’s her fault.
“Thanks,” I say and I mean it. It isn’t her fault, not personally. “I have a name and an address,” and I give them to her.
“Thank you, Jensen, I’m sure her family will be grateful to you for finding her.” She sounded grateful and happy and I knew what I was going to say next might take that away.
“Look, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call again. I’m kind of lying low, for now. I know that finding kids is good and all, but I need to get back some kind of normalcy.” I tried to make her understand but I didn’t want her to be angry or disappointed. She’s just a voice over the phone but it’s one I liked and so, by extension, I like her.
“I understand, Jensen, it’s okay. You take care of yourself and when you call again I’ll be here. At least when it’s not my day off.” she didn’t sound angry and that made me relax. I didn’t know I’d tensed up.
“I hope to talk to you again soon.” It’s the truth I hang up with.
That day it’s just me and Mom until about lunch time when Mac’s principal calls. A reporter tried to talk to Mac and the school is being flooded with calls. Mom has to go pick Mac up and they stay together in Mac’s room, Mom reading to her until she falls asleep. Dad and Josh get home late from the restaurant because it was packed with people. It’s good for the business but they had to stay in the back to avoid reporters and people showing up who want to ask me to find their loved ones and one preacher who wanted to come and pray over me. None of us sleep well that night.
In the morning a reporter has gotten through the patrol and is trying to talk to us and take pictures through the windows. They already know I’ve found another missing kid. There are national news reporters and TV crews now. Everyone is staying home today and the house is filled with tension.
The real shit hits the fan that afternoon when the mail arrives. There are at least two dozen letters from people in the surrounding states and after Mom and Dad open the first few, all of which are asking me to find someone they pile them up and leave them by the front door. They have to call the post office and tell the postmaster to only bring bills to the house. They’re forced to rent a post office box so that the letters coming in have a place to go until they can be sorted and sent back to their original owners. Our lives are now a zoo, the restaurant is going to suffer without Mom and Dad there to run it, Mac is terrified and it’s all my fault. I close myself in my room to think and come up with a decision that my parents won’t like but seemed best at the time. I would come to regret it soon enough.
“I’m going to go to the research lab,” I tell my family and Mr. Browne, who I asked my parents to call over to the house. We were all gathered in the living room which was dim even with all the lamps switched on due to the blinds and curtains being closed to stop anyone taking photos of us. It also muffled the noise of all the reporters outside with said cameras.
Everyone started talking at once to protest, even Mac, and the tangle of voices was loud and confusing. It only got worse as everyone raised their voices to be heard over everyone else. Telling them to stop or quiet down didn’t help as my voice only got lost in the mass of noise. Finally sticking my fingers in my mouth I let out a loud piercing whistle like the kind you use for far away dogs or at camp. It worked and everyone shut up. They didn’t look too pleased to be interrupted but that was tough luck.
“Please let’s talk about this with inside voices” I used the term mom loved to shout at us when we, the kids, were shouting at each other for whatever reason in the house. Before they could start talking again and we had a repeat of shouting to be heard I pointed to dad, “You first.”
“Jensen, you can’t go to the government just because of a few reporters” he started but he was cut off by mom.
“A few! I counted no less than twenty yesterday when I had to yell at them to stay off the lawn and not to crush my flower garden.” Mom had the front of the yard lined with flowerbeds instead of a fence. She enjoyed working on it when she had time and one year had entered some flowers she’d grown in the local fair. She hadn’t won but she had enjoyed complements from neighbors and regular customers to the restaurant who had seen them.
“Okay it’s a bit of a crowd but it can’t last, something else will come along like it always does and they’ll go to cover that. Especially if we ignore them and they have nothing to report.” Dad spoke quickly to stop mom from going on about the flowers. Or maybe that she had been paying attention to just how big their problem was with them.
“It might and it might not,” Mr. Browne cut in next. “Also it might not be just the reporters.” Everyone looked at him then and he cleared his throat and looked a bit uncomfortable. This look on a lawyer is not a good sign, by the way, when confronted withperson or persons who have done nothing wrong. “There are people in town who want to hire Jensen to find their missing loved ones or just missing people. So far they have been advised to stay away but I don’t doubt that there are one or two in the crowd beyond the reporters.”
It was true there were rubberneckers who passed by the house or watched the reporters to just see what all the fuss was about. I hadn’t given any thought to these people previously.
“Then there is a religious group coming. Their pastor or leader or whatever they call him contacted the pastor of your church. Your pastor advised this man and his flock not to come but I’m afraid that they are anyway. There is also the possibility of protesters if the media doesn’t leave you alone in the next day or two.”
“Protesters about what?” I couldn’t think of anything anyone could or would protest concerning me or what I could do.
“Could be anything, so I honestly can’t answer that. But a guess would be something about rights of some kind, that is a favorite topic. Or protesters of the church should they come, someone is always protesting against some religion or another or just to spite them. It could become a real mess if something isn’t done to shift the attention away from you.” Mr. Browne looked apologetic as he explained what could be a nightmare come to life.
I hadn’t thought about any of this and now here is was. The worst part was that even if I decided I could handle it, ignore it till everything went away, my family couldn’t. I had put them in this terrible position. I had been thinking of how good I was doing and how good I was feeling about finding the missing kids. I didn’t think about how they would feel. Even for a second, when I thought about how freaky my new power was, I didn’t think about how they would react, good or bad. I hadn’t thought of them at all and now…Mac was scared and having nightmares and might need therapy someday without intervention into ongoing events. Mom’s flowerbed was being ruined (it was a pretty sure bet) and she would have a hard time looking after Mac. Dad and Josh couldn’t work and the business would suffer and that would be very bad for everyone. It only strengthened my resolve to go to the lab and get out of the reporters reach. I think my family knew it to but they would still but up a protest, that was what a loving family did.
“Jensen, sweetheart, you shouldn’t feel pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable doing,” Mom spoke softly and with concern. It sounded a little bit like when she had tried to give me the sex talk when I was thirteen. That was not a pretty picture for comparison but it was what popped into my head. That had been a very uncomfortable talk, too, since I was just figuring out which gender I liked better and was not about to tell her that her, and societies automatic, assumptions were wrong.
“I might not want to but it might be a good idea.” I tried to pacify her concern. “Those FBI agents were right about one thing, we have no idea how this is affecting me internally and our doctor isn’t the best equipped. I’m not saying I think something is wrong,” I added the last bit when the look of concern on Mom’s face moved towards fear as did Dad’s, “But it would be a good thing to know.”
“When would you go?” Dad asked, knowing that I had made up my mind.
“I don’t know. I’d have to call them first but the sooner the better probably.” I lookedto Mr. Browne then. He was the one who would have the contact information. Also, I wanted to know what he’d say from a legal angle if there was one.
“I suggest that we do a conference call so that all interested parties can be included. I also suggest that you hold off going until at least tomorrow or the next day so that third parties such asother family, the school and law enforcement can be notified and arrangements made for your absence. You’ll need to negotiate how long you will be there, education procedures if it’s going to be more than a few days, housing and transportation. I advocate that one of your parents go with you to see the facility before you agree to stay and make sure that any and all terms you agreed to are in place and adhered to.” As he outline what we should do he opened his briefcase and shuffled things around until he found the contact card Agent Heyerdahl had given out. There was a general number on it and both his name and that of his partner Agent Carroll.
I wondered who would answer the phone and if it was an office number. If it was a cell number wouldn’t there be two? Did they share a cell phone? I pondered this and if I would get to talk much as Mom took Mac up to her room and had Josh follow to watch her so she could be with me and dad when Mr. Browne set up the call. We would be using his cell phone since our house phone was still unplugged and Mom and Dad had turned theirs off when reporters had started calling them. I decided that any talking I would do would be to Agent Carroll, Agent Heyerdahl could piss off for all I cared. I figured that I had the upper handat this little negotiation considering I had something they wanted. In the end I hardly did any talking, that was left to Mr. Browne and Dad. I talked briefly to Agent Carroll and just said yes I agreed with what they were planning.
The plan was this. I would go to the lab with Dad to have a look around the day after tomorrow. If everything was satisfactory I would stay for a week and if things hadn’t calmed down by then, one more week, bringing it to two weeks total at Hotel Government. I would get a full medical and psychologicalexam the first day and at the end of the week. I would be monitored daily for health and I’d have a brain scan for the first three days and while I slept to map out what was going on in my new and improved super-charged brain. If I stayed two weeks I’d have more exams at the end of that week too. I would be housed in a small studio like apartment that was to be converted for me. It would be closest to the housing for government and military families since the lab was shared with a military base. It was the closest lab I was willing to travel to being just four hours from home rather than a lab further away that was suggested by Agent Heyerdahl. I would have a tutor when I wasn’t busy with tests or whatever they wanted me to do. I would be paid for my time as if I were working a full time minimum wage job to compensate for me not working at our family restaurant. This was nice because I only worked there part time and not for minimum wage. Plus, even with me not working, the reporters and people coming into town would help bring in extra business until things settled down so I could keep a bit of this money myself.
I went back to my room after that to pack for my trip so I wasn’t present for the conversations with JD about the school I’d miss. Chief Beaver was to tell him I was leaving and that the police could call off the extra guard soon and a message for my grandparents, although I didn’t understand why they needed to know or why they would care. Dad called the restaurant to arrange a new work schedule that allowed him to be away. Mom would go in and so would Josh, and Mac was excused one more day of school and would stay with Mom. Mac probably wouldn’t have to work since she was a bit young and she was so stressed but Mom wouldn’t want her too far away. That being done there wasn’t anything left to do and I was sure to get bored. Before Mr. Browne left to go work with other clients he let me use his phone to call Chris and beg him to come over after school. I needed to get out of the house. I needed to see Jared. Chris would be my escape.
I spent most of the day with Mac and Mom watching movies or reading rediscovering Harry Potter which Mac hadn’t read before. She’d seen the first few movies and now she had the time to read the books. Josh had ventured out with Dad to go to the restaurant to make sure that any paperwork was filled out before Dad and I left and to do the food orders. With the extra business going on they’d need more than usual and Dad had to sign off on it all and call our venders to change our usual order. I avoided thinking about what my time might be like at the lab.
Chris thankfully showed up half an hour after school would have been out. The police knew who he was so they let him come up to the house. When I greeted him at the door, careful not to let the reporters outside see me, I could see that the perimeter had been pushed back even further and that there were even more people and cars on the street as well as cops. In fact there was the uniform of the county sheriff as well as our city cops and some of the neighboring town.
“What’s up with the reporters?” I asked since I had no idea, being shut in since yesterday.
“You’re national news now, my friend,” Chris dug into his backpack and pulled out a newspaper and a magazine and handed them to me to look at while he took off his shoes.
The paper was the New York Times and I wondered where he got it since I know his family doesn’t subscribe. I was on the second page and the article looked a lot like the one from the local paper a few days ago. The magazine was Time and there was a paper bookmark. The magazine had a half page column about me. Again, I saw a lot of familiar stuff as I skimmed it. Next to it, however, was an article about Jenny Mitchell. The dead girl. I didn’t read it, not yet, I’d save it for later when I was alone.
“Some of the families of the missing kids you found are talking, so you’re national newsnow” Chris said as we moved to my room. “Also there are a few people with signs of some kind, I didn’t get a good look at what they said but the person corralling them is dressed as a preacher, white collar and all.”
“Shit.” I sit heavily on my bed and Chris joined me. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m going away for a bit,” and I told Chris all about my upcoming week as a paid lab rat. When I was done he didn’t look happy at all.
“Are you an idiot or something? You’re willing to let them lock you up and experiment on you?” Chris sounded angry and scared even if he won’t admit the latter feeling. “They could do anything to you and you wouldn’t be able to get help for a week.”
“I’ll have my own little apartment and a phone and free range of the base when I’m not working or doing whatever they want to test and what not.” I felt a little defensive from being thought of and called an idiot. Mr. Browne did help in coming up with this plan and my dad will look over the place before I decided to stay. “Besides it’s only until the reporters go away or a week or two whichever comes first.”
“Why don’t you just tell everyone you’ve lost your powers? They’d all go away in a hurry I’d bet.” Chris sounded defensive now. Like he saw the point I’m making but didn’t want to admit it or that I might be right.
“I could but then what happens when I need to call Danneel, the girl at the missing kids’ center line again? I know at some point I’ll see somepicture of someone missing and then I’ll be stuck hurting if I don’t tell someone. Even If I’m extra careful I would think that someone, the government especially would notice that kids were being found out of the blue on occasion. It got out once, what’s to stop it from happening again and how much bigger would the mess be if I got caught lying about it?” If felt like this time I was the logical thinker, like our places have been reversed. Not too long ago I was asking him for advice and now the shoe is on the other foot even if he didn’t ask me for it. He just grunted at this and I guessed maybe he had thought about it but didn’t think much of it. “On a totally different topic can I borrow your cell phone?” I wanted to get off the depressing topic of my leaving and get on with my own private preparations for leaving. Mainly talking to Jared and seeing where we stood.
“I don’t have it.” Chris sounded very uncomfortable and didn’t look at me when he admitted this.
“You don’t have it?” I was surprised. Even if Chris was grounded or had certain privileges restricted he would have his cell phone whenever he drove anywhere. It was a rule in his family. In case anything happened and he needed help or was going to be late for any reason he was to call home or someone. I tried to process this while staring at him but he wouldn’t look at me. Something was very wrong and I couldn’t figure it out. “Why don’t you have it?” I sounded almost accusing, of what I didn’t know or why for that matter but it must have done the trick because Chris finally looked at me.
“People started calling me to ask about you.” He sounded a bit angry.
“Reporters you mean.” I almost winced. The fact that they plagued our lines of communication so badly wasn’t surprising but to go after my friend? If they were calling Chris enough that he had left his phone behind, and probably turned off, who else were they calling? Was everyone with a close connection to me and/or my family getting calls? Were some of those people answering those calls?
“Look it’s not too bad, it’s just annoying.” Chris tried to reassure me but I could see that he was lying. “Who do you want to call anyway? I assumed you could call that missing kids line from any phone now.”
Now it was my turn to hesitate and hedge. “Just a friend.” I hoped Jared was more than a friend but at this point intime I could be just the freak he knew and made out with at this point. I really needed to talk to him about what was going on and how he felt.
“You mean that Jared guy, right?” Chris nailed it on the head. “You want to call him and what? Tell him to wait for you? Would he even answer your call right now?”
The last bit stung a little as he inferred that Jared wouldn’t want to talk to me. And maybe he didn’t, I had no way of knowing what he was feeling. Chris was also right on another level about Jared answering the phone. I had the number of a payphone at the garage where he worked sometimes. I had no idea if it would be answered if I called itor, if it was answered, if Jared would be working or would want to talk if he was working. My plan had many flaws but it was the only one I had. We sat in silence for a moment before I thought of something else. “You could drive me to the garage he works at and I could talk to him face to face.”
“You want me to drive you to a place he might be at to maybe talk to him if he doesn’t leave or have you ejected from the property?” Chris sounded disbelieving like he wasn’t sure of what I had just said.
“Look I need to talk to him okay. I know you don’t like him but I do. I want to see how things stand okay, it means a lot to me.” I tried not to be angry at him or sad about how pitiful I must sound, like someold fashioned woman in a bodice ripper who needed her man.
“If you need to see him that bad why don’t you just go to his house? It’s getting late and I bet he’d be there rather than at some garage.” Chris sounded like he was humoring me but the points he made were logical. Good old Chris and his sound reasoning skills.
“I don’t know where he lives,” I admitted and looked away from him.
There was more silence and it was getting uncomfortable when Chris finally said. “I do.” It sounded resigned and I looked back at him in disbelief. “What? Don’t look at me like that.”
“How do you know where Jared lives?” I couldn’t think of a reason why, they didn’t live close to each other and I was sure Chris would have said something otherwise.
“When you went out on your second date I talked to Steve who knows a guy who finds out stuff. I wanted to make sure I knew where to go to find him if he hurt you.” Chris didn’t seem at all ashamed of this.
“Whatever your reasons I’ll forgive you if you take me to see him.” I had already forgiven Chris but he didn’t need to know that. I understood in a weird way what he had done. If he had started dating someone I didn’t like who had a bad rap and who was bigger and stronger then Chris I might have done the same thing.
“Right and how am I supposed to do that? There is a horde of reporters and protesters and nutcases at the end of your block. My truck has windows you know and they’ll be able to see you. I highly doubt you’ll have a meaningful conversation with lover boy surrounded by all those people.” Chris was being reasonable again but I had a solution.
“I’ll sneak out the back and go across Mr. Bartle’s yard and meet you out front on the next block.” Mr. Bartle lived behind us and if you went through our backyard and his, past his house and into his front yard you would be on a block parallel to ours but unseen by anyone from our side. The reporters wouldn’t be anywhere near it.
“Now I know the lightning did something bad to mess you up. Are you crazy? Do you want to be shot?” Chris had sat up straight and was looking at me as if I had grown a second head.
Mr. Bartle was a Vietnam vet with PTSD and an assortment of other mental ailments. He was constantly vigilant and slightly paranoid. He didn’t like people coming to his house or being on his lawn, and he was sure to freak at anyone on his back lawn. He was known on very rare occasion to come tearing out of his house waving a gun at people who trespassed on his property. The cops had been called to his house many times and a few attempts had been made to take his gun away, but since he had never actually shot at anyone and mostly shouted from his porch, the gun was probably unloaded.Still everyone kept well clear of his yard. I suddenly wondered why he hadn’t caused trouble for the reporters yet. “I think I’ll be okay, he might not even be home. He hasn’t come out for the reporters after all,” I stated my weak case.
Chris was still looking at me like I was crazy but I could see him mulling this over. “If I say no, you’re still going to try to go and see him aren’t you?” It was a statement, not a question and I nodded. “Fine but if we get caught and in trouble, I’m throwing you under the bus and blaming you for everything.”
That was how, half an hour later, we were driving through the main part of town in the direction of the poorer section that was known by everyone as the wrong side of the tracks eventhought there were no said tracks. In a large city it would be the wrong part of town, or the seedier parts. Whatever you wanted to call it didn’t change the fact that was a place most people didn’t want to go.
Chris tried to ask me again if I was sure about seeing Jared a few times before he came to a stop at the address Steve’s mysterious guy had given him. The house or rather small mobile home was just a step up from being a trailer house. The paint was old and faded but not peeling and the roof sagged in places. One of the windows in front was cracked and patched with what looked like tape. The porch that once upon a time must have been there was gone but the place itwas remained discolored. There were concrete blocks as steps to the door now instead. Next to the house was a leaning cover for a car that looked like a stiff breeze would knock it over, but the lawn was mowed and there were flowers along the base of the home along both sides of the steps. Under the leaning cover there was an old faded and beat up looking car which must belong to Jared’s family and Jared’s motorcycle. Jared was home unless he had walked somewhere.
“Do you want me to come in?” Chris asked as he looked the house over as much as I was.
“No, I want to talk to him in private.” I got ready to get out of the car but Chris stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m going to wait here foryou, if you need anything just shout for me, okay?” he rolled down his window with his free hand.
I didn’t think it would be necessary but I nodded. “Sure and thanks.” I slipped out from under his hand and out of the truck. As I walked to the front door I could hear Chris turn the engine off. He was in for a long wait if I got my way. I would need a lot of time to work things out with Jared if he even let me in. I knocked on the door and hoped that I wasn’t about to be humiliated by being asked to leave. It took a minute for someone to answer the door and when it opened it was only a crack with a safety chain keeping the door secure. A woman’s face appeared in the crack and looked me over.
“I’m looking for Jared,” I said giving the woman a smile but not introducing myself.
The door shut and I was beginning to frown when I heard the door chain rattling and the door opened again almost all the way. The interior of the house was dim but I could see the woman clearly enough. She must be Jared’s mom because she looked like him with brown hair and hazel eyes and a slight cleft to her chin. Jared didn’t have her nose so that must be his fathers. I tried not to stare to long though because she had a very noticeable scar running down her left cheek from just under her eye to her jaw. The nose looked as if had been broken once, too, and not set right as was slightly crooked with a bump at the top bridge. When I had stepped inside she closed the door and it took my eyes a second to adjust to the gloom of the house.
“Jared’s out back, Jensen.” Jared’s mom waved towards the opposite side of the room to another door.
“You know who I am?” I was surprised that Jared would tell his mother about me, much less describe me.
“Honey, most of Texas probably knows who you are by now.” She gave me a thin smile and shuffled towards the living room in front of us. I noticed she had a limp and that was likely what took her so long to answer the door.
For a second I felt like an idiot. Of course, she would know who I was, I was the talk of the town. My picture had been in the papers and was probably on the internet and TV, too. I was too embarrassed to say anything, so instead, I made my way to the back door. It was just outside the living room and into the small kitchen. An odd place for a door, but I had never been in a mobile home this small so I didn’t know if it was normal. This door also had a chain lock but it wasn’t in use and the handle turned smoothly in my grip. The steps leading out to the back were the same as the ones in the front and so were the flowers to either side. Jared was a good fifteen feet from the door next to a makeshift table of two saw horses and a wooden plank. The table was covered in parts and half an engine of some kind. His hands and arms were covered ingrease and there was a smear on his forehead. He didn’t look too pleased to see me.
“What are you doing here? How did you even find me?” He sounded a little angry but not like he was about to kick my ass or kick me off his property.
“Hi,” was all I could think to say to that while I worked out how to make him un-mad. It was not what he had expected to hear because he raised an eyebrow at me. When I didn’t say anything else he sighed and pulled a rag from his back pocket to wipe his hands.
“Let’s sit.” He waved to my left and I looked over to see two plastic deck chairs along the side of the house close to the corner. I had no idea why they were all the way over there but I went to sit anyway. As long as Jared was willing to talk I’d sit anywhere he told me to.
“So? Talk,” he instructed once we were sitting.
“Um, I’m not sure where to start,” I admitted since I hadn’t thought about what I might actually say. I had been so focused on just getting to Jared to talk to him I hadn’t thought about the actual talking. I knew I wanted to tell him a little about what I could do. I also wanted to tell him about me going away for a week or two. And I wanted to know if he still liked me at all.
Apparently I had waited too long, so he started without me. “How about the fact that you have some kind of psychic power? Or the fact that you were using me as a chauffeur?” He sounded even angrier then he had a minute ago and was glaring at me, his body rigid in his chair.
“I wasn’t using you as a chauffeur!” I started and he snorted at this, rolling his eyes. “I may have made some calls to a certain hotline while I was out with you, but that was not why I went out with you. I like you, Jared. I like you very much and I had a great time with you. And yes, I did report some information I got using my powers, but I would have called in what I knew regardless of if I was with you or not. I would have gotten Chris to take me someplace with a payphone if we didn’t go to a place with one. I was killing two birds with one stone.”
Now that I had started, it looked like I couldn’t stop.
“In fact, if you must know I almost canceled our first date with you because of my powers. I was hurting because of them and when I used the payphone you took meto I stopped hurting. You did me a favor in more ways than one taking me to a payphone that day. If I hadn’t gone with you I would have found another way I’m sure but that date helped me in ways I can’t explain because I don’t even know myself.”
Jared was staring at me now. I went on. “It was never really about the payphones. If I didn’t have these powers I would still have gone on those dates with you. I may have picked a different place for that first date though. I loved getting to have a picnic with you out in that swamp. I’d go again tomorrow if you asked me to and we could skip the payphone. As for the powers part, I didn’t tell anyone about them. Like I said a minute ago, they came after the lightning. I didn’t know what to do about them at first and then I did want you to think I was making things up, going mental or a freak. I never even intended for anyone to know at all but the FBI coming to town kind of spoiled those plans. I wanted to talk to you that next day, but I didn’t see you. I even got accosted by some reporter after I waited for you, not that it’s your fault or anything,” I added hastily when he stiffened. “And now with all the reporters around I haven’t left the house since then. I came as soon as I could to have this talk with you. Please don’t be mad at me for something I can’t control because I can’t stop how my power works and honestly it’s a bit scary. It can hurt, too, and it’s causing problems for my whole family. I don’t want it to cause problems between us because I would really, really, love to have another date with you.” I had just about talked myself horse and my anxiety was sky high as I riled myself up inside with how I was making a mess of explaining via verbal diarrhea. I just wanted, no needed, him to understand. I was breathing a bit rapidly as I tried to calm myself and wait for his reply.
Jared didn’t speak for so long I thought he wasn’t going to at all. My eyes had started to fill with tears and I was ready to leave so he wouldn’t see how hurt I was.
When he did speak, his voice was flat, almost emotionless and very serious. He didn’t look at me and I thought that he might have been talking toa me he envisioned in his head so he could ignore the fact that I was sitting right next to him. Maybe it was easier on him that way, but it wasn’t easy for me.
“Everyone has secrets,” Jared began, “Be they big or small and its human nature not to want to share those secrets. Your powers are the big kind of secret and the fact that they are so new and not an ordinary thing can be scary. Not wanting to tell anyone, I can understand. I don’t think you’re a freak for that. I believe in mediums, not that I’d ever want to talk to one. I would guess that their power isn’t much different from yours except that you find the living and not the dead. The fact that it causes you pain isn’t a small thing, either.” He leaned closer, his elbows on his knees and actually looked at me. “I’m glad that I was able to take you to a place that you could unburden that pain even if I wished you had done so without it being on our date. It may be selfish of me and sound crass but I had hoped that you were there just to be with me, not…” Here he paused, looking for the right words. “Not with the kids or memory of them or whatever it is that allows you to know where they are. I feel a bit cheated that it wasn’t just me you were thinking of when we were together. You did a good thing by letting the authorities know where they were. I just wish you hadn’t done so with me in tow.” He sat back and stared at the floor for a moment, then sighed and looked me straight in the eye. “I do like you, Jensen, and I’m glad you like me, too, but I don’t think I can see you again. Not with all the reporters and police hanging around. I’m sorry.” He actually did sound regretful.
“By why? It’s not like they’ll be around forever!” I sounded sulky, like a child who has been told they can’t have what they want and are about to have a tantrum. “What does it matter?Afraid being seen with me might ruin your reputation?” Now I was just being nasty because I wasn’t going to get what I wanted.
He gave a sardonic smile that marred his handsome face and made it look ugly and a little sinister. “No but I might ruin yours.” I had nothing to say to that, I was too shocked. “How old are you precisely?” Jared’s question threw me off guard.
“Seventeen and two months give or take a few days that I can’t do the math on at the moment,” I stammered trying to think of what my age had to do with anything.
“Well that’s fine now since you are legally over the age of consent to date someone a year older than you but what if someone decides tosay we’ve been going on dates longer? What if someone says we’ve been having sex? It’s statutory rape at sixteen but it could swing either way at seventeen and eighteen, it’s up to the judge in the end with how close we are in age and to the legal adult age.” His voice was still flat and it was beginning to scare me. Looking at me now, his gaze is flat too, that was the only way I could describe it, as if there is no emotion or life in them. My cheeks and neck on the other hand have lots of life as they burned and turned red with embarrassment.
“Bbb...uutttt we…we ha-haven’t!” I stutter. “Why would anyone say that?” I was sure I was very red by now.
“Because they can, and we can’t prove otherwise. It’s not like you have a hymen that a doctor can check, as barbaric as that would be. It would be their word against ours and mine doesn’t count for much.” Jared was so still and calm as he spoke. I had to focus on his mouth to make sure was really him talking and not my imagination saying this to me in his voice.
“Why not?” I was afraid to knowbut I needed to at the same time. Jared was a good person with a bad reputation but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t trustworthy. There was something else between us besides my newly reviled powers.
“As long as we are airing secrets I guess it’s time you knew one of mine. You might have found out later if I never told you, someone else might have. Did you know that I was convicted of attempted murder with adequate justification?” Jared stares right into my eyes and I have to turn away from his gaze.
I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it but the way he said it and the way I could see the truth in his eyes before I had to turn away meant I couldn’t deny it. How was it possible that I had never heard of this? How was it that Jared could even sit here talking to me about it? He’d been in high school for all three years I had been there, so he didn’t do any jail time or I wouldn’t have seen him. His reputation didn’t include murder or attempted murder if you want to get technical. I’m sure I would have heard about that. Chris doesn’t seem to know either and he’s savvy to all the gossip. Unless he does and never told me. But that doesn’t make any sense because if he knew he wouldn’t let me date Jared no matter what.
“Who was it?” I thought that was the most important question. If I knew who, maybe I could figure out thewhy without asking. No use in asking why when I didn’t know the victim, it would never make sense. Not that it did now.
“My father,” Jared replied, his voice still emotionless and it was creepy.
Knowing the who did not help with figuring out the why and I had a strong feeling I really didn’t want to know, but I asked anyway.
“Why?”
“That’s a secret for another time, I think” Jared seemed to come back to life a little. “The point being, it wouldn’t be good for either of us if you were seen hanging out with me. I don’t want to get you into trouble and I don’t want to be in trouble.” Jared sat back wearily, his body going boneless and his head tilting back, eyes closing. “I will miss you, though, the possibility of what we could have been.” He said, dismissing a future that we both wanted without a fight.
I don’t know what came over me, even now, but I just acted on impulse. I got out of my chair and satin his lap, straddling him, knees wedging into his hips. His eyes snapped open as his head flew up and I bent forward to kiss him. It was a hard kiss, lips mashed together so hard I’m surprised they didn’t split, our teeth clacking together from the force. We stayed that way as time seemed to slow before speeding back up into the present. Jared grabbed my arms just below my shoulders and pushed me back enough that I slid to the end of his thighs.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t sound mad, mostly alarmed at my actions.
“I don’t care about your record, you aren’t in jail so it couldn’t have been that bad and you said there was adequate justification so I’m going to say it wasn’t your fault. As for the FBI and the police, I don’t care or the reporters either. I want to date youJared. I’m going to go away for a while, just till the reporters go away, but then when I come back there will be no one around to see or care what I do. We can go one dates and not have to worry. Please, Jared, would you wait till I get back before you decide that our relationship won’t work?” I know I must have sounded desperate and pathetic but I didn’t care.
Jared was looking at me worriedly. “Where are you going?”
“The FBIhave a medical lab,” It was just a lab, but I didn’t want Jared to worry anymore than was necessary or freak out. “They’ve offered to run some tests to make sure that my powers aren’t hurting me and to help me understand them. It will also get the reporters away from my family until something new comes up that they can report on. In return, I’ll find a few bad guys for them and then I’ll come home. It will only be for a week, two tops.”
“Have you lost your mind? Do you know what they’ll do to you?” Jared was not calming down and his grip on my arms tightened. I’d have bruises for sure but I tried not to let him show he was hurting me. If he knew, he might make me get off and then he could walk away from me or change the topic and we needed to finish this.
“Yes, I do. Mr. Browne, that’s our lawyer, helped arrange everything. Plus, I won’t give the final okay to stay at the lab until my dad checks it out. Besides, I’m not under arrest, I’m going voluntarily so I can leave when I want. I won’t be there long, a week, I doubt I’ll be theretwo, the world has all kinds of things going on that the reporters will move on to when they can’t get any kind of story.” I could tell my words were having no effect on Jared but I don’t know what else to say. I couldn’t think of any other way to convince him to give us a chance. I was about to kiss him again to take his mind off it but he started talking first.
“I’ve seen Minority Report, Firestarter, and The Fury, the government can turn voluntary into involuntary. All they have to do is claim you know government secrets and they can hold on to you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t since you would have to prove that and it could take forever with the way the system is run on their end.” Jared was serious but I thought it was all conspiracy theory talk.
I was not going to be kidnapped by my own government. At least I didn’t think so. “I don’t know how you think they would claim I could know secrets since I’ll be at a medical lab. I’ll probably be watched night and day. What on earth could I steal from there that would be so important?”
“All they would have to do is say that they left you alone in some office and you went through their things and saw something you weren’t supposed to.” Jared was logical and it did make sense in a twisted sort of way.
“Jared, I don’t think I’m in any danger. Honestly. But if it would make you feel better we can talk more about it if you make out with me. Infact you can even plan strategies with Chris who is sure to buy into your ludicrous conspiracy theories if you promise not to give up on our relationship just yet. I’ll even agree to whatever you two come up with, within reason, if you agree to more dates when I get back.”
I was not above bargaining to get what I wanted. It was like dangling a steak in front of a starving man. Jared’s grip on my arms lessened and I slid forwards again. I would tempt him with more than words.
“Please,” I half whispered as I leaned closer and kissed him, gently this time as if sealing the deal. I didn’t believe Jared wasweak willed but he did give in to the kiss. For a few minutes we went on kissing and I slid further into his lap until I was pressing against him pelvis to pelvis, and chest to chest. His hands had found their way up the inside of my shirt and he was caressing my back. I could not reach his back as he was against the chair and our chests were to close together for my hands to fit up there. Instead, I had my hands curled into fists in his hair so I could hold his head still while I kissed him. It was so soft I flexed every few seconds to feel the texture as it slid though my fingers. At last he drew back from me and pushed me back down his lap a bit, but not before I could feel how much he had enjoyed our make-out session. I was equally aroused but I didn’t want to push my luck right now. Also it gave him something to look forward to if he agreed to wait for me.
“When do you leave?” He was a little breathless for a second.
“Day after tomorrow.” I leaned in for another long kiss that had me hoping for more making out but he pushed me back again.
“You drive a hard bargain and I would hate if something happened to you even if we weren’t dating.” How Jared could look so serious after what we’d just done I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Tell Chris to come by later tonight and we can talk strategy about what to do. Then you can come back tomorrow and we can go over anything we come up with. If you agree to my terms, I’m sure I can agreeto yours. Now, if you don’t mind, as much as I enjoy having you where you are, you need to get off me, my legs are asleep.” Jared pushed as I moved back until I was standing up. My own legs were a bit weak and tingly from the way I had been sitting. Jared made no move to get up.
“You’re not going to walk me to the door?” I teased but inside I was hopeful.
“No I can’t get up yet and I don’t want to face my mother right now. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Jared started rubbing the tops of his thighs. I watched his hands for a moment wishing they were my hands giving him relief. Before things could get heated again, I left. Opting to go around the house rather than back through it. It may have been rude but I didn’t want to face Jared’s mother either. Not with half a hard on left.
Reaching the front of the house, I saw Chris waiting in his truck just like he said he would be. It took him a second to notice me since he was watching the front door and not the side of the house. When I got in he started the engine and we were off immediately.
“So, how did it go? I didn’t hear shouting or anything breaking and you don’t look hurt. You look a little too good, actually.” Chris took sidelong glances at me as he drove back to my house.
“He took it pretty well, all things considered, but I’m not sure if it really has completely sunk in yet even if he did hear it a few days ago.” I didn’t tell Chris about the secret Jared had told me about himself. “He wants you to go back later and talk to him. He thinks the government is going to try to kidnap me or something. He wants to talk strategy with you about getting me out or some such thing if the need comes up.” At least that was the gist of it from what he’s said.
“Well, at least someone is thinking about your wellbeing logicallybesides me” Chris drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “I’ll go back after I drop you off and see what he has to say.”
“Thanks” I said ,even though I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t know how much I would need to thank them in the future but hindsight is a funny thing isn’t it.
When I finally got back home it was as if nothing had changed while I was gone. Mom was still spending time with Mac and Josh was in his room. Dad was in his home office space trying to do what he could for the restaurant. I was sad that I had brought such stress on my family and relieved that it would be over soon.
Again, hindsight is a funny thing because the past few days had only been the beginning of our problems.