Man Made Boy (25 page)

“Um…”

“Do you have any plan at all? Any destination in mind at least?”

“No.”

We sat there at the bar for a little while in silence, both of us just staring at the rainbow line of liquor bottles in front of us. The pulse and heat from the nearby dance floor was thick in the air. I picked at the label on my beer bottle.

“Would you take a suggestion?” Mozart asked.

“Maybe.”

“There are a few other groups like The Show scattered around the world.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“There hasn’t been much communication between them.”

“Why not?”

“Some creatures, usually the ones in charge, live a long time. A lot of history and resentments can pile up over a couple of centuries.” He took another sip of his drink. “I don’t know all the places. But there’s a commune down in New Mexico I used to visit sometimes that has a whole bunch of creatures. It’s way out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you could lay low there for a while until whatever’s going on blows over. It’s run by the Sphinx.”

“Like,
the
Sphinx?”

“Last time I was there, which was about fifteen years ago. Whatever this problem of yours is, the Sphinx can probably help you solve it. He’s just about the wisest creature on the planet.”

“You think he’d help me?”

“He saved my ass several times when I was younger.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Like I said before, I was young and stupid once, too.”

Sophie appeared between us. “That was a small slice of awesome.” She leaned back against the bar, her elbows hooked on the edge. Her pale face was flushed, and her curly long hair was stringy with sweat. “So, what’s the plan, lads?”

“You know how to drive?” Mozart asked.

“Got my license and everything,” she said.

“UK license?”

“It’s valid. Claire checked.”

“I’m leaving the car with you guys, then. Just drop me off at the Amtrak station tomorrow morning.”

“Cool.” She turned to me. “Then where are
we
going?”

“Well, Mozart was telling me about a group of magic creatures out in New Mexico.”

“New Mexico,
the Land of Enchantment
?!” She grabbed my shoulders.

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” I said.

“I’ve heard it’s one of the most beautiful places in the country! This is going to be brilliant!” She grabbed my beer and chugged down half of it. “But first, more dancing!” Then she made her way back out on the dance floor, leaving a trail of confused guys in her wake.

“Yeah,” said Mozart. “It’s going to be real interesting.”

MOZART TREATED US to a night in a fancy hotel.

“One bed, though,” he said as we walked into the lobby. “I’m not wasting my money on prudishness.”

“Works for me!” Sophie bounded up to the front desk. “Your finest one bedroom, sir!” she declared to the sleepy attendant.

It ended up being not quite as crowded as I thought it would be, mostly because Mozart turned into a wolf and curled up at the foot of the bed. But still, I had to share the bed with Sophie, this beautiful girl that I’d only just met. And while that wasn’t a
problem
exactly, I had to admit, it made me really self-conscious.

“You all right?” she asked as we climbed into either side of the big, king-sized bed. She was wearing the T-shirt that Claire had been wearing earlier, but now it was more like a nightshirt. Her smooth, pale legs peeked out from underneath. She looked at me with her head cocked to one side, her curls wet and faintly
floral scented from the shower she had just taken. The combination made me a little dizzy.

“Sure,” I said as I laid down and closed my eyes. “You going to turn out that light?”

“Are you uncomfortable or something?”

“No.”

“Lies!” I felt her shove my shoulder. “You completely are!”

“No, I’m not!” But as soon as I opened my eyes and looked at her, all soft and pink and smiling, I had to close them again.

“You’re turning red!” She gave an evil laugh. “You know I was actually a little nervous going on this trip with you.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you could probably break me in half like a toothpick if you got mad at me.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Yeah, I thought not. Still, it made me a bit uneasy. But apparently, all I have to do is flash some leg and you’re completely incapacitated. Haven’t you ever been in bed with a girl before?”

“One.”

“That’s
it
? Geez, are you ridiculously shy or something?”

“No, I’m just fucking ugly, okay?” Then I rolled over onto my side so that my back was facing her. My pulse pounded loudly in my temples and I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter. In my head, I heard Liel’s voice:
You just need a little glamour.
I closed my eyes and I could see that girl’s face in the travel plaza parking lot, her mouth in a big O as she let out a horror movie scream. I thought of Shaun.
I can’t believe you even thought you had a chance with her
. I promised myself I wouldn’t be stupid again. That I’d know my place. That I wouldn’t get my hopes up, only to have them crushed again.

Then I felt Sophie’s small hand on my shoulder. Gentle this time. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine,” I said without turning. “I’m used to it.”

I
should
be used to it by now. Why wasn’t I used to it? I squeezed my eyes tighter to keep the sudden tears away. It didn’t work, and one leaked across the bridge of my nose and dropped onto the crisp white hotel pillowcase.

Suddenly, I felt Sophie lie down directly behind me. Her warmth pressed against my back and her fresh shower smell made me think of the sunlit fields Mozart and I had driven through that morning.

She whispered into my ear, “You want to know something?”

“What?”

“Claire thinks you’re hot.”

“Yeah?” I said, turning to look at her.

“Utterly.” Then she leaned back and turned out the light.

We lay side by side in the darkness for a moment. Then I said, “She’s going to be pissed you said that, isn’t she?”

“She already is.” I could hear the smirk in her voice. “She’ll get over it.”

The wolf at our feet growled. “If you kids are done getting comfortable, I’d like to get some sleep.”

“ALL RIGHT, GUYS,” Mozart said when he pulled us up in front of the Amtrak station the next morning. He turned to me in the passenger’s seat. “The New Mexico place is called The Commune. It’s been a long time since I was there and my memory is a little fuzzy, but I think it’s off Route 56 in the northeastern part of the state about halfway between Clayton and Springer.” He handed me a map of the United States with the spot marked on it. Then
he handed me some rolled-up bills. “This ought to get you enough gas to get there. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Thanks, Mozart,” I said. “I owe you.”

“Yeah, you do,” he said. Then he turned to Sophie in the backseat. “It’s all yours, Soph.”

“Brilliant!” she said, climbing out of the car. “Thanks, Wolfie!”

“Yeah, and take it easy on Boy, you hear me?” he said as he climbed out.

“Of course.” She kissed his hairy cheek and climbed into the driver’s seat.

He looked down at us, a little smile on his lips, then shook his head. “Good hunting.” Then he turned and walked into the station without looking back.

“Road trip!!!!!” yelled Sophie, and gunned the engine to life.

Soon we were speeding along the suspension bridge that stretched across the confluence of the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers. Then we plunged into the Washington Tunnel. Being underground made me think of Liel, but only for a moment. Then I looked over at Sophie, her eyes sparkling in the unnatural light, a bright grin stretching up into dimples on her pale pink cheeks. I turned back to face down the long stream of lights that cut through the darkness on either side. When we came out on the other side, the rolling green hills and deep blue sky opened wide around us, and I had the strangest feeling I was falling.

“Freedom!” said Sophie, and squeezed my leg.

“Yeah,” I said. Maybe it was just the beautiful girl next to me, but this felt good. It felt right. The road was open before us, and it seemed filled with possibility.

WE DROVE FROM Pittsburgh to Indianapolis that day. To save money, we slept in the car at a rest stop that night.

“No hot leg viewing for Boy tonight!” Sophie said as we settled into our reclined seats. Then she winked at me like it was our little joke. I couldn’t tell if she didn’t realize that I was developing a crush on her, or if she
did
realize and was actually making fun of me.

The next morning as we were getting back on the road, I asked, “So where are you from?”

“Venus,” she said.

“Ha. Seriously.”

“You don’t believe in extraterrestrials?”

“Do I believe they exist somewhere out there in infinite space? Yes. Do I think they’re hanging out around our solar system, occasionally sneaking over to steal a cow or probe someone’s ass? No.”

“Arse-probing gets a bad rap,” she said.

“Do you just not want to talk about it?”

“What, arse-probing? We can talk about it all you want. It just didn’t sound like you were interested.”

“No, I mean talking about where you’re from. Why, is it some major secret?”

“I’d tell you,” she said, “but then I’d have to probe your arse.”

“Never mind.”

We drove on in silence for a little while.

Then Sophie said, “So who was the girl?”

“What girl?”

“That one girl you slept with.”

“Forget it. I’m not telling you.”

“Well, it’s going to be a very dull road trip if you refuse to dish the whole ride.”

“I’ll tell you, if you tell me where you’re from.”

She rolled her eyes. “Lame. Look, it’s not a big secret or anything. It’s just that dwelling on the past a lot brings out Claire McGrumpypants and I’m not ready to go back in my box yet.”

“I thought you guys had a schedule or something.”

“Sort of. But it’s loose, right? Because I’m better at some things and she’s better at others.”

“Like?”

“Like road trips. She hates road trips. So if we changed right now, she’d just be miserable, anyway.”

“What’s it like? Being in your ‘box’?”

She shrugged. “Hard to explain.”

“I’m a pretty smart guy. I might get it.”

“Imagine being in someone else’s body, feeling what they feel, but not in the
way
they feel it. Hearing their thoughts, knowing they hear yours.”

“Do you and Claire like each other? I mean, do you get along?”

“Sometimes. When she’s not being a royal bitch.” She smirked suddenly, and I could almost imagine Claire silently fuming somewhere inside their brain.

“Does that make any sense?” she asked.

“Some,” I said. “I have my own weird brain stuff.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“I can disconnect my emotions.”

“What, like make it so you don’t feel anything?” Her eyes grew wide.

“Yeah.”

She was silent for a moment, then in a strangely subdued voice she said, “That sounds fucking brilliant.”

“But it’s just temporary. It builds up, and when you reconnect, it all hits you at once.”