Crystal Bella (11 page)

“
I don’t like to face walls and I like to see the view but I also like to see what’s coming.”

“Me too, I’m the same. Though I did leave my key ring on the table
to guard it against any rough types.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I left them
there on purpose, but I had a feeling someone may turn up. But I also had a feeling she would have to have some special powers to be able to sit here. You know, with the key there. A symbol of protection, I know some big angels you know.”

Kali laughed.
He’s gorgeous,
you’re an angel
she said to herself and Ethan heard her thoughts and it just made him glow even more.

“
You know I have seen you before.”

“
I know, (matter-of-factly) you walked past me in the hall at college yesterday. It’s an intense stare you have.”

“Sorry about that in the three
seconds that we had, I was trying to read your thoughts.” Kali cracked up and a couple from the table looked over hearing her angelic, loud, impulsive laugh. Ethan continued. “I’m glad you remembered though. I got a whole hour to look at you. You couldn’t see me.”

“
Really?”                                                    

“
Yeah, I was a student in your class of course, I wasn’t just randomly watching.”

“
Oh that changes the dynamics, you’ve heard me talk for an hour.”

“
It was a little unfair. You couldn’t really see me as there was a girl in front of me and I kinda liked being anonymous. Only for that moment.” Ethan paused then leaned forward slightly. “I’m not usually like that. I needed an unfair advantage, only at the beginning.”

“Like a golf handicap?”
Ethan tried not to laugh.

“No
... not like that. It’s like having special powers and just using them at the beginning, and a bit later too maybe.”

“Ok
ay I‘ll let that one slide. Maybe I have special powers.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“You have a lovely accent.”

“
Thank you, I spent a couple of years as a teenager in New Zealand, my mom got a job over there, beautiful place. Some of the words or the sound of the words still remain.”

“How cool.”

“
You’re cool.” It just came out of Ethan’s mouth.

“You are
.”

“You are.”

The words were just slipping out. Ethan almost said the cool bit in his head but they just came out. Kali made him flow, everything was coming out easy. He could say anything. He had to be careful. She was bringing out the essence in him but he knew he had to take it slow, that in life he had been taught already.

The waitress came over
and they ordered their coffees.                                                            

“
Aren’t you meant to be at class?” Ethan asked.

“
Yes and you too I’m guessing?”

“
Yeah but it’s a little more chilled for me, I’m not the professor. Crazy morning, alarm didn’t go off, every street is blocked.”

“
Me too!” she said.

“
And we end up here, and here you are. The same time, in one big city and you’re in front of me again, just a little closer this time”

“
I am.”

They stare
d at one another. It just felt so right for Ethan. She was gorgeous and he wasn’t afraid. He knew if had met her earlier in life he would be afraid. Her beauty was powerful but now he just felt addicted without any pinning from the mind, like two peas in a pod, they fitted and both were fascinated with one another.

“
So you’re okay just not turning up for a class today?” Ethan asked.

“
I normally would be concerned by this, but at this moment I just don’t care. I look honest, I’ll make up a good lie.”

Kali mea
nt every word, she didn’t care. Nothing else seemed to matter right now, like discovering a new wonder world. All Kali wanted to do was stay there.

“
I understand,” he said, “I’ll tell them I was watching you for a whole hour and confirm whatever you tell them.”

“
What should I say I was doing?” Kali asked then remembered she didn’t know his name yet. “Oh before you answer that...what is your name?”
Angel boy I bet,
she thought to herself and Ethan again could sense her words in her head. He was sure he could hear them.

“Ethan.
”

Beautiful
, sounds
like ether.
A world she had read up on, a world of love that she knew existed.
He was love, maybe he was Ethan from the ether.
She couldn’t wait to tell him everything one day.

“Tell me the
story please,” she said.

“
You were driving to college, you saw a car coming the other way, coming right at you. You took a risk, you went onto an unknown ramp, you know those ones in movies where they head down often, with road signs and stuff? Yeah that’s you, death was close. You come to a dead end and drive off into the water, you come out drenched, you look really good, sexy if I may say. You remember you picked up a hitchhiker that day, that’s me of course, so you rescue me, do mouth to mouth. I wake up, we both enjoy it, and in my semi-conscious, delirious state, I say I love you.”

It was a story but it was also a path Ethan’s soul knew existed in the future.

“Wow, that’s a big story,” Kali replied.

Ethan
liked how he could use a character to say ‘I love you.’ He couldn’t tell her now but to say the word released the emotion.

~~~~

The time had come to depart and get to their next class. Ethan was paying the bill at the counter with Kali next to him.

“
I’m going to borrow that waitress’s pen and scribble your number down,” he said to Kali while he walked over and grabbed a pen from the waitress. “I can do that?”

“
Yeah, you can, Ethan.”

Ethan wrote
her number down, as he looked up briefly he saw Kali’s beautiful essence, then he returned to the paper and pen, and he saw a glimpse of her wedding ring on her finger.

Ethan tried to block it ou
t. Usually he would be cool as it could indicate true friendship without any distractions. But because of the intensity of the moment together and how beautiful it felt he could not help for that moment to feel initially upset. He felt that disappointed. But mixed within that was the purity he felt, the love she made him feel and then that took over. Nothing else mattered. He had never had an emotion transform so fast. She was gorgeous beyond this world and her past was hers. She couldn’t change herself to who she was prior to their meeting. Kali’s past was hers, not Ethan’s and he started to uplift. This was his challenge, he was going to have to love her unconditionally. Humans sprayed that message, but never delivered it and at that moment Ethan knew he could master unconditional love.

At the front
of the entrance to the cafe they said goodbye. Kali had sensed Ethan’s observation of seeing her ring. She had it covered during their coffee with her positioning and her hand bag. She didn’t want it to be there. Her behavior was surprising herself. She was married, and the man in front of her made her feel like nothing she had ever experienced before. She also sensed how Ethan had observed the ring, but remained beautiful. Not a moment of judgment. She knew he was pure. She also had found herself not wanting anything from Ethan, but feeling a love that was free. It was like she had entered a new sphere where any human elements had been removed. They were both unconditional. Unconditional from day one, the best and only platform to find true love.

They stood in front
of one another and said bye and Kali kissed Ethan on the cheek, softly for one tenth of a second too long.

~ CH
APTER SEVEN ~

A COPPER IN THE MIX

Ethan, Carl and Christian walk
ed together as they entered their class. There was an exam today and the three rocked up with a rebellious look in their eyes. Ethan scanned for the best position. He knew what would be the best seat, the seat next to Lenard. He spotted Lenard and also noticed that there was one empty seat next to him. Carl and Christian went their own way and Ethan sat next to Lenard.

Ethan w
as quite prepared for this exam but he knew there would be a couple of questions that he may struggle with. Lenard was smart, super smart and Ethan thought he may just be the man to help him out. Ethan always had an eye for what was coming in vogue, who would make it big and who was super bright. He knew Lenard was a genius and he wanted to learn off that.

Ethan walked up to where Lenard was. Ethan was wearing a jacket that fell
in between a trench coat and a standard jacket. He had skinny jeans on with a couple of rips and a chain dangling from his jeans pocket. He gave Lenard a smile.

“
Hello, Lenard.”

“
Hello, Ethan.”

“
Lenard, I know you’re super bright. I just need some understanding on a few things.”

“Fair enough.
”

Lenard decided to help Ethan and gave him understanding on the academic parts he was struggling with. Lenard appreciated his directness and was happy to help.
                            

The lecturer commenced the exam and everyone had their heads down concentrating on their paper. Ethan started sketching a picture of Kali. He showed Lenard.

“
It’s a good luck picture,” Ethan said.

Exam finished and c
lass was up. Ethan got up quickly and walked out with Christian, leaving the Exam room and headed down the corridor. Carl was talking to a girl and they left him to it.

“
How did it go?” Christian asked.

“
Perfect, there were a couple of questions I knew I would get stuck on. That’s why I sat next to Lenard, he’s a genius. He gave me the understanding I needed. Sometimes you just have to head towards the support.”

“
I should have sat next to you.”

“
And get Carl next to you. Answers going through the chain, a Dandelion chain.”

“
Sounds like a children’s story.”

“
Oh yes, when I said I had something to tell you at the poker game, I did mean it.”

“
I remember, I thought it was just part of your strategy to bluff.”

“
No, it’s about Chuck, the first feeling when I met him, I just knew he was a cop. I get those feelings as you know.”

“
Fuck, really?”

“
Yeah, really man, just letting you know.”

Ethan
could see Kali coming down the corridor towards him and realized he had to shoot the gap and be with her.

“
I have to run, here she comes. I will talk to you later,” Ethan said.

Ch
ristian walked off thinking about what Ethan had just told him and Ethan walked right up to Kali. There were people everywhere walking around and for Ethan to see her pop up out of the blue at college made him feel light on his feet, with a spring step. Again she radiated, the pull was electric. Ethan felt for a moment almost fearful, in the way her beauty gave him nervousness. She was so gorgeous to him that she nearly gave him insecurities.

“Hi,” Ethan said.

“Hi, you look quite cute carrying those books.

“
Thank you,” Ethan laughed. “were you okay missing class the other day?”

“Oh yeah fine.”

They kept chatting, Ethan leaning in with Kali resting against the locker.
It was like they needed some time to warm up after the intensity of seeing each other again, and when Ethan could feel normal again he would bring it up, the situation with her wedding ring. A couple of minutes in and he was ready.

“
I saw it the other day, not that it matters in some ways. You have a wedding ring on, so I assume you are married, though it would seem he’s not here with you.” Ethan looked at her as he said it and saw the layers of her beauty in her face, the full lips, the high cheek bones and the love in her face. The way she looked he felt he could tell her anything and she could understand. Her vivacious face seemed to tell him everything, like it glowed and listened with just her expressions. It was like he could just face her and say nothing and she would understand. When he looked at her he felt his eyes nearly water. It was the depth of her, the depth of him. Her beauty was nearly making him cry. He blinked a few times to reduce the water.

“
Yeah I know…I am married, Ethan. It’s a big subject to just pull out…I know it’s significant so I will tell you.”

Just then Lenard walked
past.

“
This is the girl I was drawing,” Ethan said to Lenard.

“
Okay..nice,” Lenard replied and kept walking.

“
Sorry please keep going,” Ethan said to Kali.

“
You were drawing me?”

“Just a sketch on my exam paper. F
ully clothed. He was next to me.”

“
Oh okay. Lucky it was fully clothed,” she said looking at him right in the eye. She said it in a bossy way, quite assertive. She wasn’t serious but she sounded like she was. She continued talking, “so yes I am married though because this job came up and I wanted to shift states and my husband didn’t, it was seen as a trial basis, get it out of my system, a partial separation? I don’t know, how do you define it? It’s ambiguous as when I left it was interpreted as a two or three month holiday apart to sort things out with the idea to return…things can change though.”

Ethan liked what he
heard. She wasn’t happily married. He was trying to be unconditional but a part of himself wanted to scream with joy,
thank god you are almost single!
The intensity of what he felt when he was around her was extreme. It was light but there was also the unknown and the potential for anguish with what possibly could happen. She was married and just hearing her talk about that gave him chills. He was already highly sensitive and her situation seemed to put him into overdrive.

“
I know,” he said, “like how things change. Sometimes something can enter your life which just makes change inevitable.” Then Ethan laughed. “I feel like a teenager up against this locker.”

“
That’s what I’ve missed, youth, fun.....”

They stare
d at each other, like teenagers against the lockers, finally Ethan said, “I could stay here for hours, though I’ve got to meet my mom.”

“
Okay.” She didn’t want him to go and looked for an excuse to make him say just a little longer. “Show me the picture. I want proof.”

“
Proof of what?”

“
That it is fully clothed.”

“
What if it isn’t?”

“
Then you will be in trouble.”

She looked at
Ethan in a way that made her look light and adorable to him. She could make him do anything when she looked at him in that way.

Ethan showed Kali the picture. It was in pencil. She looked perfect in the
sketch. Her eyes were a little bigger than normal and so were her lips and mouth. She looked big and happy, like a magical creature. It was romantic and she loved it.

“I love it,” s
he said almost childishly.

Ethan just looked at her and smiled
, then laughed. It felt perfect to be around her. Her energy felt so calm.

It was time for Ethan to leave and meet up with his mom but he knew he had to see Kali again really soon, so he asked her, “are you free tomorrow?”

“
I am. I have the day off.”

“
Oh cool, maybe we can meet up late morning and we’ll do something.”

“Perfect.”

Kali broke into a big smile and Ethan stepped in closely and kissed her on the cheek and then hugged her for the first time. He did it gently, not for too long. He felt her soft skin and light frame in his arms, the softness of her skin on her face when his lips touched her cheek. Then he stepped back almost like he had been mildly shocked. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was. He wanted to scream it, but he knew he couldn’t, not now, but one day he would tell her.

                                    ~~~~

Ethan caught up with his mom at her shop and helped with a few jobs around the store. He spent an hour there before heading off to see Christian and Carl. On the way out Elisabeth asked him.

“Something’s happened to you. Did you meet a girl?” Ethan turned around trying not to glow too much.

“
You don’t miss a beat, mom I have. We’ve only just met but I will tell you all about her.”

“
I bet she is lovely and adorable.”

“
She is adorable, truly lovely, you will like her a lot. We haven’t kissed or anything yet though.”

And with that Ethan left
, jumped into his car and headed towards Edgeoholic café.                               

Ethan weaved through the traffic. So much was going on for him really, but he didn’t feel
inundated with stuff but fulfilled and excited by his humming life. Ethan always wanted to be free of the heavy, busy, boring life, but be imbued with adventures. Right now he had it. He was up to date with his study, his mom cooked most nights, did his washing too, he had money, he was falling in love with his professor and was about to catch up with his two best friends. Not a care in the world really, all was sweet in this pumped up life of his. Just as he jumped out of the car he remembered Christian and the copper and it gave him a feeling he didn’t like.
Nearly care free.
He walked into the cafe and there was Carl and Christian waiting for him. They were in a side booth and it gave Ethan the opportunity to slide in. In doing so it nearly spilt Christian’s coffee.

“Watch out
man,” Christian said. Carl tried not to laugh. They shared their normal chit chat about life, the coffee and the lovely spring day, then Christian brought it up.           

“
Okay about Chuck the suppose copper.”

“
It’s a problem really, at least you know though,” Ethan said.

“
How did you become friends with him, Carl?” Christian asked.

“
I met him through a friend at college and he just kept sitting next to me in class. Now that I look back, yes, not that natural. Kinda wanted something in a subtle way.”

“
So what do I do?” Christian asked.

“
Don’t hang out with him is a start,” Ethan said, “but it’s not like a normal friend, his objectives are different so he might be hard to bump off. You know, he has his target and he wants you.”

“
Stop it…but really what do I do?” Christian asked.

“
I don’t have the answer, Christian. Maybe try and avoid him and be diplomatic, and if nothing works then stop dealing drugs perhaps.”

“
I’m not doing that, I like it, connects me. It’s not really about the money, you wiz through school, this is my niche.”

“
I know, you wiz through school too, you just juggle more things.”

“He’s a ju
ggling act with a copper in tow,” Carl said.

“At least w
e know who he is, imagine if we didn’t?” Ethan said.

“
Yes indeed…nice to have a psychic friend. You are right?” Christian asked.

“
Yes, I know I am. Just look at the patterns from here on in. If he is a cop and he is, he will behave accordingly, he will be nearly impossible to bump off, that will be your proof right there. The other reality is when he busts you and we don’t want that.”

They all sa
t there contemplating and listening to Ethan. They all paused, sipped their coffee and then Ethan continued talking.

“
It’s not just my feelings that made me realize this, it’s also his behavior, he’s just shades off with a lot of things. He just doesn’t seem to fit authentically. Something’s not right.”