July (The Year of The Change Book 1) (26 page)

“
I do need some fresh air
.” Even though I wasn't so sure about this, the idea of stretching my legs was irresistible. “
Okay, but if anything happens we come straight back.
”

“
I can live with that.
”

Could he, really? I guessed that we would find out.

I stepped into the hall and looked both ways with my heart pounding cadence and my feet ready to run back to safety. The hall was empty. I turned to close the door. My hand opened to grasp the handle, and stopped less than an inch from my target.

No matter how hard I tried I couldn't put my hand on the knob and grasp it. “
I can't touch it.
”

He snickered. “
It works, yesss!
”

“
What works?
”

He chucked me under the chin. “You
are in Phase.
”

“
And …?
”

“
And you can't touch objects.
”

“
Huh?
”

“
While in Phase you can't touch solid objects and they can't touch you.
”

I just stared at him.

“
Look down.
”

I did, and sure enough, he and I were just above the floor. Not enough that I’d noticed it before. Now that I was looking I could see what he was talking about.

Great, just what I needed, to be taller. I met his eyes then looked at the door. “
So, how do I close it? I can't leave it open.
”

Drew blinked slowly. “Now close it.”

I reached out and clasped the handle without a problem. Shutting the door I listened for the lock to click. Satisfied, I let him pull me down the hall.

“
This is going to be great, like nothing you've ever experienced before
.”

Why didn't that alleviate my fears?

The first test came at the T section at the end of the hall. In the cross hall, two guys and a girl walked toward us. I threw myself against the wall, jerking Drew with me. He controlled his laughter as he leaned, beside me, on the wall.

“
You don't have to worry about running into someone
.”

I closed my eyes. “
Shhh!
”

“
They can't hear you, either, remember?
”

I opened first one eye, then the other. “
Oh, yeah.
”

“
It takes some getting used to, but that force ...
” He pulled me from the wall. “
That kept you from touching the door handle keeps you from running into things and people. It's kinda like when two magnets are reversed, they repel each other. At least that's the best way I’ve found to describe what it's like when you're in Phase
.”

He pushed, without actually touching, and the outside door opened. He pulled me through into the fresh salty air that gusted past us. The sunshine! The glorious, bright and reinvigorating sunshine! I breathed in deep and luxuriated in the sun's warmth on my face. It was a beautiful day and I was outside in it. Oh, it felt so good!

The breathtaking Alaska shoreline, about a mile away, was shrouded in lush green. Miles and miles of trees as far as the eye could see!

“
There aren't this many trees in the whole state of Oklahoma!
” My jaw hung loose as I took in the majesty of it all.

Seagulls swooped and dove nearby as they lunged for bread some people were throwing or hunted for their next meal in the ocean. I dragged Drew to the rail so I could see them better. He didn't say anything. He just watched as I pointed to things. I didn’t lingering long on each new sighting. Between discoveries I stood with my eyes closed feeling the afternoon rays enliven me. I hadn't felt this good since before we left Oklahoma.

After some time of him being quiet I looked at him, embarrassed. “
I must seem like an idiot to you.
”

His face was somber. “
No, you don't. It's good to see you so happy.
” He reached over and brushed some hair back that blew across my face. “
You've been cooped up longer than this boat, haven't you?
”

As I thought about it I realized this year, even when I’d been outside, I’d still been cooped up and confined to the restraints of The Change.

“
Yes, but it's been necessary.
” This was something I kept telling myself over and over again.

He frowned and shook his head. The weight of his eyes was too much and I looked away. That's when I noticed them. There were seven guys wandering aimlessly toward us. They looked around, confused.

I tugged on Drew's hand. “
They can't see me right?
”

“
Right
.” His glance at the herd held no interest.

“
And they can't hear me, right?
”

“
Right
.” With a step he blocked my view.

“
Then why are they following me?
”

He pulled his chin back and looked at me anew. “
How do you know they're following you?
”

“
Look at their eyes, they're glazed, and those stupid smiles are all I need to see to know they're affected
.”

“
What do you mean by affected?
” He swiveled to stand beside me.

Uh-oh, that was a little bit too much information. Come to think of it, who’s he going to tell, especially now that I know his secret? “
Affected means they think they’re in love and as soon as they see me they'll think they’re in love with me.
”

“
Without even seeing you, they're affected by you?
” His eyes narrowed as they pivoted back and forth.

“
Yes, just like you are.
”

“
I'm
not
affected.
” His body stiffened as tension rolled off him, he was in denial. He didn't look like he would do well in an argument, so I closed my mouth.

“
How do you affect them like this?
”

“
I don't know, it has something to do with a family problem.
” I pulled him away from the rail. “
Can we go somewhere else, please?
”

“
Sure, let's stroll around the deck.
”

My feet took off. He pulled me back, and forced me to walk leisurely. With the guys closing the gap my nerves prodded my feet. Each time he reined me in he told me I was safe. I wanted to believe him, I really did. I was too exposed.

"
I'm headed to Fairbanks to see the wild, open spaces. Where are you headed?
"

The guys did fall behind a few steps. "
We're headed to Talkeetna. Why are you going to Fairbanks?
"

"
I read a book about Fairbanks once when I was a kid and always wanted to see it for myself. One day I realized there wasn't a single reason I could think of for not going, so here I am.
"

The guys fell further behind, although they didn't look like they would give up.

"
How long have you been a Phase Walker?
"

"
When I was fourteen, my uncle came for a visit. He watched me go into Phase without me even knowing what I was doing. Since I was such a quiet kid my mother seldom noticed me so she didn't know anything was different.”

Somehow I could imagine him curled up in a corner with his nose in a book. "
Where was your dad?
"

"
Long gone by then. Mom said he wasn’t easy to get along with.
"

We had something in common after all.

"
But your uncle noticed.
"

"Yeah, he's a Phase Walker, too, and knew exactly what was happening. He pulled me aside and explained everything to me. I didn't believe him at first, but it didn’t take much to convince me."

"What's your uncle like?"

"He's a little shorter than me, with the same brown hair. He's a really angry guy and didn't stick around long. I was glad when he left. He and Mom argued the whole time and I didn't like the way I felt around him."

Ah, so it runs in the family.

"Did you Phase around other people?"

"At first, I wasn't sure how I did it, until I got to where I could really creep my teachers out."
He looked out over the ocean with a sneer.

"It must’ve been tough getting through high school?"

"Yeah. By sixteen, Mom and me were arguing so much, I quit school and left home."

"That's awful."

"Nah, it's okay, really. I like it better on my own where no one tells me what to do."
His nonchalance didn’t fool me.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"You've been away from home for five years, don't you get lonely?"

He shrugged.
"Sometimes, but I can always find ways to entertain myself."

"Yeah, like getting me to act crazy around that poor woman."

He let out a loud, hard laugh. "
Yeah, that was funny
."

I hit his arm. "
No, it wasn't. She's probably still telling people what a crazy person I am
."

He shook with mirth. "
Yeah, I sure hope so.
"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're really irritating?"
I turned my back on him.

"Only my mom."

Over my shoulder, I frowned at him.
"Well, then, let me be the second. You are very irritating!"

"Thank you."

"You're not welcome."
We were quiet for a moment. "
How do you live ... all on your own?
" I’d thought about this possibility many times. Most often after a run-in with Sue.

He shrugged. "
Quite well, actually.
"

I looked at his thread bare clothes. "
Really?
"

He smirked. "
I don't need to impress the Joneses, so my existence is very simple.
"

"
How so?
"

"
When I'm hungry, I eat.
"

"How? Do you have lots of money?"

"No, I take what I need."

"You steal?!"

"I acquire, only taking what I need."

"That's stealing!"
I thought of how much my dad worked to keep me fed and knew he couldn't afford to have someone steal from him.
"People can't afford to be stolen from."

He raised his hand as if he could quiet my complaints. "
I don't take from individuals, unless they’re really rich. I take from big companies, like this ferry, who probably waste far more food in a year than I would ever eat.
"

I didn't like that answer, either.

"
I have freedoms most people can only dream about. I go wherever I want, whenever I want. Since I like to observe the stupid things that the human race does, I'm always provided with plenty of entertainment.
"

The subject change distracted my anger. "
You like to observe? Like what?"

"Well, the game I most enjoy playing is guessing where people come from and what they do for a living."

We rounded a corner and it opened into a wide area with chaise lounges scattered all around.

Drew stopped to examine a large, short woman in a big floppy hat with white sunglasses and a gigantic romance novel that she was devouring along with a bag of chocolate chip cookies. My stomach growled. It had been uncharacteristically quiet since lunch. It now woke with a vengeance.

“
Was that you?
” He eyed my hand that covered my midsection.

“
Yes, I'm hungry. Let's go.
” Somehow it just seemed rude staring at someone, even if they couldn't see us. Drew wouldn't budge.

“
Not yet, I'm still studying
.”

Urgently turning the next page, the woman under observation stuffed another cookie into her mouth, whole. My stomach grumbled.

“
Okay, I've got it. When this poor woman is in her native, albeit boring, habitat, she's a receptionist in a dentist's office.
”