Among You (25 page)

A mouthful of half-chewed pancake fell to my plate.

“
You did
not
tell her we were watching
Twilight
. She would never have bought that.”

Sally unleashed a loud guffaw. “I can’t pull that kind of lie off. You’re right. I did tell her we were in the middle of a marathon…rom coms.”

This time it was Timely that laughed. Everyone stared her way and she shrugged. “What? Come on…rom coms? It was funny.”

Before anyone could say another word, the dining room door opened to reveal Skorsdan. Gorman immediately stood and, to my surprise, gestured for him to have a seat. When Skorsdan arrived at the table, our eyes met.

He nodded.

I smiled.

He sat…beside Babbette. Not a word was said; but he did smile at Babbette, who almost imperceptibly returned the smile.

Everyone caught the moment and laughed…but me. I cast a sideways glance to Sally who then whispered ‘Rom coms’ my way.

I smiled and nodded.

Before Gorman reseated himself, he looked down at all of us at the table.

“
So, this coming Monday my two girls will be attending public school for the first time. I trust that the two of you will assist them in their acclimation? Remember, their…” Gorman hesitated and looked to me. “…your true nature must never be discovered.”

“
Understood sir,” Sally and I spoke in unison.

“
I also want to invite you all to a celebration to be held in honor of the newest member of our family. Scott, you are the first. No ‘Kind has ever been created. We have all been a part of this society since the plague nearly stole our lives. We are never one to shy away from a ball and I would like to host one in your name.”

Gorman held up a glass; everyone followed suit.

“
To Scott. May he bring new life to our people.”

Everyone held up their glass and, in a singular voice said ‘To Scott’.

Never in my life had I felt so connected…to others and to myself. That it took an entirely secreted race of people to help me find my true self spoke volumes about my life.

“
Am I,” Sally started.

Gorman smiled Sally’s way. “We wouldn’t have it without you.”

“
What’s the theme?” asked Timely. “Every ball must have a theme.”

“
Metamorphosis,” shouted Timely, “we could go all wearing Kafstumes.”

The blank stares of everyone at the table met Timely.

“
Oh come on,” Timely huffed. “Kafka costumes? Do I have to explain everything to you guys?”

We laughed…all of us. Gorman actually agreed to Timely’s theme and put his seal of approval for a ball this coming Friday.

Breakfast complete, we went our separate ways. Sally and I had to return home to keep the parents from calling one another only to find we pulled a blanket’s worth of wool over all their eyes.

Just before I stepped into Sally’s car, Babbette approached me. The smile on her face was warm and genuine. I dared a glance into her angelic eyes – those orbs of perfection that had once had me under a deep and dangerous spell.

“
So…” I hesitated, unsure of what to say. “Are you and Skorsdan now…”

Babbette shook her head and smiled. “No. I can’t imagine that will ever happen. He has gone to great lengths to make amends, but I’m not ready to forgive him completely. Maybe in the future.”

She gazed at her shoes for a moment. When she spoke she didn’t bother to look up at me.

“
I’m happy for you, Scott. You and Sally were meant for one another. And we are lucky to have you among us.”

Babbette leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “See you Monday?”

“
Oh yeah,” I pulled from the kiss. “I almost forgot. You and Timely should meet me at my house Monday morning so we can all go to school together.”

“
That’s a brilliant idea, Scott.”

I gave Babbette my address, returned her kiss, and got in the car. When I looked at Sally, she had her arms crossed and a wicked glare shot from her eyes.

The realization hit me like a bag of hammers across the face.

“
I didn’t mean to…I mean…it meant nothing. It was just a friendly kiss on the cheek.”

Sally finally broke into a storm of laughs. “I’m just messing with you. Don’t worry, Scott. I’m not one of
those
girlfriends.”

And in the saying…it was made real. We stared at one another for a drawn-out minute, unsure what to say or where to lead the moment. I finally broke the silent spell.

“
You’re only one kind of girlfriend.”

“
Oh yeah, and what kind would that be?” Sally smiled.

“
Mine.”

*

The car pulled up to the house.

Sally smiled at me. “I’ll be a gentleman.”

A smile took control of my face.

“
This was worth the wait, Sally.”

“
I always knew it would be.”

When we arrived at my house, we both out of the car and walked up to the front door together. I leaned in and kissed Sally’s perfect lips. When I pulled back, her eyes were still closed. The look on her face was the purest bliss.

“
The first of many,” she said and then turned to walk back to her car.

I watched. I couldn’t help it. The hypnotic rhythm of her hips had me caught in a hormone-induced trance.

She turned back and said, “Finally.”

“
Finally, what?”

“
All these years we’ve known each other, this is the first time I’ve ever caught you watching me walk away. You like what you see?”

Busted.

“
Very much.”

Sally turned back with a laugh and walked on a cloud back to her car.

I watched the car pull away. When it was out of sight, I turned back to the door and caught my reflection in one of the windows. My hand shot up to my face…my mask. My system flooded with paranoia. What if the mask dropped to the floor in front of my parents? What if they see who…or what…I’d become? Gorman gave me nothing in the way of instructions. I felt like an idiot, waiting this long before I realized how profound the change had been and how blending back into the world might not be as simple as I’d thought. I was so caught up in Sally, I’d failed to grasp the events that led to my personal evolution. Just like that, in the mere act of thinking Sally’s name, a peace flooded through my system. Everything would be okay. Sally loved me, believed in me – what more did I need?

With an inner strength I didn’t know I had, I opened the door to begin what some might consider a duplicitous life. Standing in the entryway, my parents beamed.

“
It’s about damn time, Scott,” my dad said with pride.

“
What?”

“
Don’t you give us ‘what’,” mom added. “We saw you two kissing. We’ve been waiting for that moment since you were in junior high.”

Dad raised his hand for a high five. I blushed. My parents are open about everything so this was no surprise. Even though I was embarrassed beyond recognition, I realized just how ideal this situation was. Every high school kid would kill to have such amazingly cool parents.

These were mine.

Dad smirked. “Will I be inking her name on you anytime soon?”

That was a joke. Dad had a few rules at his shop – one was ‘no names’. He’d reached a point in his career where it didn’t matter who he had to turn away – his book was always full. So…no names.

I gave him his high five.

“
That’s my son.”

“
Want some breakfast?” Mom asked.

I laughed out loud. “No thanks, Mom. I’m going to go take a nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Dad winked. “Oh yeah, rom-com
marathon. I’m sure
that’s
what kept you up.”

Mom smacked dad. “Don!”

Dad lightly smacked mom back and mimicked her voice. “Marge.”

I rushed up the stairs to the sound of their laughter. The second my bedroom door was closed, my body was on the bed. The sleep of angels drifted over me gently and completely.

twenty-four | first piss, first kiss

Monday came fast and furious. There was almost too much to deal with at once. Not only was I about to re-enter my own high school a completely different creature, I was to help integrate two others like me. I felt like I’d somehow teleported into the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was late for my first Scooby Gang meeting. Funny I would think that, now I have my own Willow
.

Beyond the obvious high-school metaphors, what would I do if the mask slipped and someone saw the beast beneath? Did I know enough about Babbette and Timely to successfully blend them in? They could certainly hang out with me; but wouldn’t being seen with ‘Spooky’ do them more harm than good? And what about Cody Sloan? What happens when that hound dog of a bully sniffs the change in me…or gets the hots for Babbette or Timely? And what of Timely’s name? And mine and Sally’s newfound thing?

Relationship.

Boyfriend and girlfriend.

The very second I thought of it, Sally’s car pulled up and honked. I rushed out of the house and raced to her car. When she stepped out, I picked her up in an embrace and swung her around as if I hadn’t seen her in years…as if I weren’t in a downward spiral of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what happens’.

“
Are we really
that
couple?” Sally asked.

“
Yes we are, my dear. Yes we are.”

We kissed again before Sally asked, “Where’s Babbette and Timely? Are you sure they know where your house is?”

I shrugged. “I gave them the address. Surely they…my people…have Google Maps.”

“
My people?” Sally grimaced. “Don’t be
that
guy, Scott. You may as well drop a racial slur. Do ‘Kind have racial slurs? Would I call you
that kind
of person or
kinder
? Do you go to kindergarten when you’re young? And do we have a new meaning for killing someone with kindness?”

“
Shoot me now,” I laughed.

“
If, by shoot me now, you mean this…”

Sally wrapped her arms around my shoulders and, yet again, planted her warm lips onto mine. Just as I was about to come up for air, a car pulled up and honked. When I turned, Babbette was waving from the driver’s seat of an Aston Martin. I could feel my eyes bulging at what had to cost six figures.

“
You’re kidding me,” I whispered just loud enough for Sally to hear.

“
What?”

“
That car probably cost more than I’ll ever see in my entire life.”

Babbette and Timely hopped out and raced to meet us at Sally’s Honda.

“
I cannot tell you how excited I am,” Babbette squealed. “We’re attending a normal, public school.”

Babbette and Timely celebrated with an odd, out of place dance. It was the first time I’d ever witnessed anyone so excited to attend a public school.

I raised my hand. “Ummmmm…”

Babbette turned to me, her eyes bright.

“
You can leave your car here and we’ll all drive together.”

We did. The trip to school was full of questions about classes, cliques, and competence. Timely’s curiosity about an in-class particle collider made me realize there was a new valedictorian in town. Not something I had to worry about.

Babbette did finally give me some much needed assurance.

“
By now, your mask will only come off if you will it.”

“
You mean I think it off and it’ll just fly from my face?”

Timely and Babbette both giggled.

“
No, silly,” Babbette’s voice broke through the laughter. “You think it off and then you pull it. If you don’t will it, you can pull all you want and it won’t come off. It is as much a part of you as your flesh.”

I had no reason to not trust Babbette. Should the mask fall in school, my only saving grace would be my reputation. Everyone would assume it just me being Spooky.

I couldn’t help but smile. Sally caught me out of the corner of her eye. “You can’t hide anything from me, Scott. I know that smile. What’s going on inside your brain?”

“
I was just wondering what everyone would think if they saw the new real me.”

Sally patted my thigh. “Let’s just not allow that to happen, okay?”