Connor (5 page)

For the next few days, I lived and breathed in detective mode. I searched all over the house for any questionable family history. I dug through old letters, some paperwork, even an old rusty locked box that had old baseball cars in them but found nothing.

Weeks went by and Tony and I passed each other in the halls with no more than a slight glance. We decided to play it cool for now, not do anything out of the ordinary to make our friends ask any questions, especially Angela.

That was partly true; the other reason is I didn't want to stay hung up on a guy who may have a girlfriend. I didn't feel it was my place to ask, so I kept my distance even though I really wanted to hang out with him during school.

Like usual, he hung with the individuals who did the sports thing, not your typical football or basketball. The only sport he would do in school was swim like me. He liked cycling and surfing. He was good at it and won most local competitions. Geez, I wonder why. He was major-league built, not huge or anything yucky, but lean and muscular.

After school was a different story. Every day during swim practice, the male and female teams competed with each other. My coach wanted to push us harder, so she was adamant about pairing us, and as luck would have it, I paired with Tony. It was not so much as luck, as we were both captain of our swim teams. Each year, the spot of captain went to the fastest swimmer and who won the most competitions the year before.

He seemed to like that we paired together as much as I did, so why didn't he say anything about Cheyenne? It was frustrating trying to figure him out. I couldn't tell my friends about him, so I couldn't talk to anyone about him. This sucked.

Every day after practice and before my parents got home, I would search their room and my dad's office.

On this particular evening after school, while babysitting Reptile Boy, I almost went blind when I stumbled upon my dad's dirty magazines. Gross, Dad, you are way too old for this stuff. Then I stumbled across my mom's naughty wear. Okay, now I am officially blind. I most definitely needed therapy.

What were they thinking?

I decided to call the bedroom quits and try my parents' office upstairs instead for the millionth time. I searched for loose floorboards, under drawers, behind the desk. I mean I dug everywhere. I grabbed a file off the desk right when I heard someone come up behind me.

“What are you doing? You know you are not supposed to be in here. I'm going to tell.” It was Reptile Boy peeping in from the doorway, too scared to come in. This room was off-limits.

“Oh, shut up. Go away, you…”

Slam!

The door shut in his face as if I wished it would in my head. I stood frozen in the middle of the room in awe, listening to him yell at me from the hallway.

“You shut the door in my face with your long monkey arms,” he whined from the other side. He tried to get back in, but it wouldn't budge. The knob twisted and turned as he tugged on it but refused to open.

Standing there still frozen, unlike the way frozen in the tunnel, not wanting to move but pondering what just happened. From here, I could see the door was clearly not locked, yet it would not open.

Could I be doing that?

I took a slow deep breath, allowing myself to relax my thoughts when Kane practically flew through the door. He must have put all his weight into it, not expecting it to open, then tripped over his left foot, hitting the floor hard.

He scurried off the floor, rubbed his nose, and said, “You alien with long monkey arms! I'm telling Mom you're in this office and that you hit me with the door.”

He rambled on about something, but I inadvertently tuned him out. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed myself into hysteria when he fell, but there was nothing normal about these circumstances. All I could think of was the possibility of me shutting the door in my brother's face from the middle of my parents' office.

Next thing I heard was the front door closing, which brought me back to reality, and Kane whining all the way downstairs. “Mom, Connor…”

Seriously, that kid doesn't skip a beat. Attempting to put things back where they were, I overheard him whining about where I was and what cruelty I forced upon him by hitting his nose with the door. What a menace, always getting me into trouble.

“Connor,” my mom said from the front room below.

“Yes,” I said, slipping into the hall quietly, trying to shut the door.

“Come down please,” she said.

Somewhat in a daze, I somehow managed to make my way down to the kitchen. She was fumbling through the fridge, looking for what she was going to make for dinner.

I don't know why my mom wears heels and a dress suit every day to work when she has to wear a lab coat. If I were her, it would be comfortable jeans day every day.

“Did you slam the door in your brother's face, and were you in the office?” she asked, pulling out some meat and stared at me.

What was I going to say—no, it was a figment of his imagination, or the wind did it? So I owned up to it.

“Don't slam the door in your brother's face, and stay out of that office please. You know we have important papers in there,” she said, pissed.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Not to me. I mean, sure.” I tried to suppress a grin, failing miserably. She gave me that look parents give that says, “You're pushing it,” while trying to console the little reptilian who was holding on to her leg for dear life.

Little brothers are so annoying and dramatic. Thank goodness for kids' rationalization of things. If he were more aware, he would have realized I was about ten feet from the door so I could not have reached it. Also, my hands were holding some files.

After ten seconds of the stare down, I turned to leave. I wanted to call Tony and tell him the good news when she stopped me first pivot.

“Where are you going, young lady? Turn right back around and get dinner started, and next time, do it as soon as you get in. You know the rule: whoever is home first starts dinner. Is your homework done?” she snapped at me. She hates it when I roll my eyes, but sometimes they just do it on their own. I cannot control all my bodily movements.

“Why do I have to start dinner all the time? Queen Precious is never here to do any work, and yes, I finished my homework in free period. It's in the den on the table like always,” I said, frustrated that my parents constantly stay on me about my schoolwork. It's seriously annoying. Well, it is my fault, but still they could ease up.

“If you were in a sport that ran late a lot, then you would not be here either, but you are, so get started. I will look your homework over in a bit,” she said, pointing to the stove.

“I didn't know making out was a sport,” I said, stomping hard toward the kitchen counter and slapping the package of meat over to open it, portraying the role of the abused brat.

“Do that over the sink and watch your mouth, Connor. We say nothing when your swim meets run late either. Your sister is cheer captain, and the big game is this weekend. You should try out for cheerleading next year. I'm sure you would be great. You have such a tiny frame for the pyramid, and you don't seem to fear anything, especially with that mouth of yours.”

I would rather die first. “I don't do cults, and I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid,” I yelled to her as she headed up the stairs to shower and change.

“Connor, you are way too young to be so cynical!” she yelled back, trying to still sound pissed, but I heard humor in her tone. She knows I'm right. They take cheer to a whole other level. Constantly practicing, having to wear the school colors of red and white daily and at private meetings. Please, they are probably out terrorizing little children as we speak.

Reptile Boy stood there the whole time, grinning at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he ran off. What a brat.

Dinner was exceptionally brutal, sitting with my parents, trying to make small talk. All I wanted to do was break into song and dance from the excitement of a possible ability. Right after dinner finished, I rushed to my room and called Tony to tell him the good news.

“I knew you couldn't hold out much longer. You miss me, don't you?” he said. “Okay, okay, tell me what happened.” “Yes, you're right. You're all I think about night and day,” I said. “No, seriously, my abilities may be developing.” I told him what happened about three times. I couldn't

stop myself, my mouth was going a mile a minute. “Cool, that's awesome. Hey, how about I come by in about an hour so you can show me?” he asked.

“What, um, sure,” I said, jumping off the bed to try to find something nice to wear. That was a challenge for me. Everything I owned just about had some sci-fi connotation or simply jeans and T-shirts.

“I feel an hour is plenty enough time for you to put on your cute jammies,” Tony said and hung up before I could say a word. He thought he was so funny.

I was scrambling to find something decent to put on, but wearing my brother's pajamas would show him I didn't care. Yes, it is sad that I can still fit some of his clothes.

Who was I kidding? Tony was adorably cute. Okay, seriously, he was a doll with those long eyelashes above those light brown eyes and the way he smirks when he looks back at me…

“Connor!” my mom yelled from downstairs, yanking me right out of my lovely daydream. Snap out of it, Connor. The first boy that shows you attention, you get all giddy.

“Yes, Mom,” I said, so not wanting to answer back. “Come clean up the kitchen. Your sister is not back

yet. Practice ran later than expected,” she said.

“No, it didn't. She knows exactly what time to come back so she won't have to clean,” I barked back, knowing full well Ebony is full of crap. She pulls this all the time, and they let her get away with it.

“I will talk to her later about it. Just come down here and finish up. We already did most of it. I have to get your brother ready for bed,” she said.

She has the worst timing. I ran down the stairs, rushing to the kitchen, causing my dad to yell something about not running down the stairs. I grabbed the broom and got busy. My mom thanked me with a kiss on the forehead then rushed off. They didn't leave me that much to do, so I quickly cleaned up what was left and had thirty minutes to spare.

Tap, tap, tap.

No way. Please don't let that be Tony knocking at my back door already. Sure enough, there he was, standing on my deck with a nauseating grin. The shade on the back door was open, so he got full view of my ensemble.

My hair was a mess because strands of it hung down across my face, and of course, I had on old comfortable clothes. The kind you seriously don't want anyone to see you in except your family.

With my head hung low, I walked over to the door and opened it, “You said in an hour? I have thirty minutes to spare, man,” I said, giving him the cold stare. He leaned against the doorsill, enjoying this way too much for my liking. I know he showed up early on purpose.

“I thought to myself, why wait and pass up the opportunity to see your latest fashion of home wear? I was simply hoping for something cute or maybe a superhero costume, but what you have on now has a certain homeless flair that goes beyond mine or anybody else's wildest imagination.”

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and said, “Let it go, man. Let it go.” After telling him to stay put, I ran upstairs to change.

A pair of dark jeans, a sparkly black tank top, and ten minutes later, I shut my bedroom door behind me. On the way down, I peeked in on Kane and found him sleeping at the foot of his bed, so I turned him around and tucked him in. He is so cute and innocent when he slept; awake was a different story. After checking on my parents to make sure they were in for the night, I headed out back down.

As I have said before, Ebony will sneak in later. “Tony, Tony, where are you?” I whispered, searching

the yard for him, but he was nowhere. I figured he would be on the deck like last time.

There were several hideouts in my backyard, and he must have found one. Going down the deck steps to search for him, I couldn't help but wonder, do boys ever grow up?

“Toneeee!” I squealed, when he sprang out and grabbed me from behind. “Grow up already!” Glad I wasn't gassy, or it could have gotten ugly.

He was hiding behind the gazebo in between the flowerbed and bushes, just like my little brother does to terrorize Ebony when her boyfriend, Robert, comes over. With her, it's funny; now not so much.

“You are crazy, you know that? Your mother should have you tested,” I said, pulling myself together. He scared the crap out of me.

I couldn't stay mad at him for too long. He looked nice in his baggy, but not too baggy, dark jeans, gray T-shirt with some emblem in it, and a silver bracelet that stood out against his caramel complexion. He stood about a foot taller than me. Who doesn't though?

He just stood there as if he was waiting for something, then said, “So let's see it.”

“What a way to put a girl on the spot. I don't think I can just turn it off and on like talking about it,” I said.

“You have to practice at it. That is how we learned on command. Try to see what you can do. Let's see,” he said, stepping back, searching for something. “Focus on that branch over there.” He pointed to a small branch about ten feet away from us.

I was hesitant but attempted it anyway. I turned toward the branch and focused on it hard, but it didn't move at all.

“I think you are trying too hard. Your body tends to show what you're feeling, so relax your face and hands,” Tony said. I did as he suggested. “Now try again.”

I stared hard, telling it to float in my head. About a minute later, still nothing.

“That's okay, breathe. What were you doing when the door suddenly closed?” Tony asked.

“I was in my parents' office when my brother showed up. I was thinking I wish the door would shut in his face so he could leave,” I said.

“So how were you feeling?” he asked. “Annoyed, agitated,” I said, shrugging not sure.

“Emotional then, maybe that is your thing. Cheyenne, Willow, and I were that way too. Emotions controlled our abilities in the beginning. Byron, well, he is always calm. Mine was associated with anger until I learned to control it through a lot of practice. We all had to practice. At times Willow's emotions still get to her,” Tony explained.

“Try this: close your eyes and block out everything around you. Recreate those same emotions and contain them. See the branch in your head first, then imagine it moving. Next, open your eyes to focus on that branch only,” he said.

I turned away from him as he spoke, then closed my eyes to block out everything else. I thought about how I felt at that moment upstairs, opened my eyes, focused on the branch, but still nothing.

“It's not working. Maybe I didn't really close the door. Maybe the wind blew it shut. Maybe I made it all up,” I said, feeling deflated.

“Don't give up so quickly. Try not to only feel the emotions, but let them build up in you and take over your doubts and those fears of negativity you're holding on to, blocking your flow of energy.” He walked around me as he spoke. “Allow the positive energy to flow around you, through you.” His voice was soothing, helping me relax, letting me travel to an inner sense of balance I never knew I had. My breathing slowed considerably. My muscles loosened, detaching from me, allowing my mind to levitate. My senses were alive, but I felt and heard nothing around me, only the wind.

I felt happiness earlier in the room, not annoyance or frustration, so I let those emotions swallow me. In my mind, I pictured the branch move off the ground. Staying in that moment, still controlling my breathing, I slowly opened my eyes and saw nothing but the branch. At first, it started to shake, then it elevated until it was eye level with me.

It just stayed there, not moving; and neither did I, afraid it may drop or, worse, fly off.

I could hear Tony telling me to hold it steady now, see if I could make it come to me. He sounded far away, a million miles away.

“Who's there?”

Shoot, it was my sister Ebony. The branch dropped at the same time we hit the ground. We took cover behind the same bush he hid from me and stayed quiet as a mouse. Neither one of us heard Robert's car pull up.

Please don't let her catch me or I will be grounded for life. I was just thankful we kept the gazebo lights off.

“Who's there? I swear I heard something, Robert,” Ebony said.

“No one is out here, babe. What you heard was my heart aching for your love. Let's finish what we started earlier,” Robert said in an unusually deep voice.

I vomited a little in my mouth. How cheesy was that line? I turned to mouth something sarcastic to Tony, but he was too busy trying not to crack up. I had to cover his mouth and pin him down to stop him from rolling around on the grass, dying of laughter.

“Back off, Robert, I told you I am not doing that. A guy has to put a ring on this finger before anything else,” Ebony said.

“Oh, come on. Do you know how many girls would love to be in your shoes? A guy has needs, you know,” Robert said.

Could it be that my sister is still a good girl? Have I been wrong all these years? I lifted my head a little in order to peep through the bushes past the gazebo so I could see what was going on. My head was so awkwardly cocked that I'm sure resembled a chicken, but this was good stuff. Robert had Ebony pinned against the house.

“I am sure Patricia would love to be in my shoes. If you are so inclined, go call her. She is always chasing after you anyway,” Ebony said, easing inside the house, slamming the door in his face.

“But, baby…” were the last few words Robert got out before she slammed the door in his face. He pressed his head against the door, lightly tapping it with a fist a few seconds longer, then walked off toward the front of the house with his head hung low.

I waited until I heard his car drive off before moving another muscle.

“So jock Robert has no game, huh?” Tony said, still cracking up.

What Tony found hilarious, I found shocking. I thought for sure Ebony and Robert went way past kissing. I was somewhat proud of her, but it lasted only a minute and quickly got over it.

We chilled, sitting still a while longer until we figured the coast was clear. Tony whispered. “You did it. This is amazing. What do they call it again, telekinesis? I'd pick it if I had a choice.” He gave a high five, congratulating me.

I was overjoyed, even speechless, and that was major for me not to have anything to say. All I could do was gloat. I did it, and it felt wonderful.