Portal (12 page)

We started by riding around in circles. Then we drove along the lake. Kellan tried to let go a few times, but I had a hard time balancing so he kept us steady. We kept riding along the lake, the moonlight guiding us until we were back in the same spot that we had started from. We stopped, and I leaned back into Kellan and relaxed, content that we were still in one piece. I could feel his breath against my neck, warm and intoxicating. I wanted to turn around and kiss him but hesitated. I would probably freak him out. After all, he thought of me as a sister? His touch was irresistible. I turned around so I was facing him and studied him intently. I couldn’t read him at all.

He was gazing directly at me and asked or rather commented, “Arizona, something’s changed. I can’t tell what though. Did something happen? What was Harry taking about?”

I closed my eyes and moved closer to him until I felt my lips brush against his. I stopped wondering if I was taking things too far too fast. His lips brushed lightly against mine and I trembled. He hesitated and I could feel him moving away. Then I felt his hands cup my face and I opened my eyes. He gazed into my eyes and moved toward me. He found my lips and kissed me gently.

Neither of us said anything as we put our helmets back on and switched positions for the long drive home. I clung on tightly as Kellan deftly maneuvered the bike through the trees on to the highway. So many thoughts were going through my mind; I thought I was going to explode. This had been quite an evening. I wondered what Kellan was thinking about. Was he as confused about what occurred this evening as I was?

I wondered about our brief, but for me, significant kiss. Had I been too forward? He
had
kissed me back, so it couldn’t have been totally repugnant to him. I wondered if it had been our first time. It certainly felt like it. I think I would have remembered kissing him. It had been the single most amazing moment in my life. I was not particularly confused about the kiss itself. It had felt right, like it was meant to be.

I was more mystified by the “October shivers.” I wondered what that was all about? Was it a common occurrence? Did it only occur during October? What caused it? I had really enjoyed watching the meteor shower and hoped we could come back for the other ones I couldn’t recall the name of. Ori something?

We sped along the highway. I didn’t recognize anything. I hoped Kellan would come along to New York with us. He suddenly slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. My heartbeat quickened. He lifted up his visor and I followed suit. He checked his cell phone, I guess it must have buzzed him.

“Can I stop by my house and pick up a package for your mother?” he asked.

I nodded, and we were quickly on the road again. Kellan soon turned into a dirt road and drove toward an impressive looking mansion. It looked more like a hotel than someone’s house. The house was well lit with exterior lights; we pulled up by the enormous front door. The door opened and a tall man came out to greet us.

“Hello, Arizona! How have you been? Here’s the package for Ollie.”

I took it and carefully placed it between Kellan and myself. I thanked the man who I assumed was Kellan’s dad. He shared Kellan’s looks and smile.

“Dad, I’ll be back in about half an hour. Arizona, do you mind driving my kit to school tomorrow? We could drop it off at your place now.”

I wondered if my little Wrangler could handle three kits!

“Sure, but how will we get it on the bike?” I asked.

Kellan laughed, “We’ll take a car.”

We waved at his dad as we drove into the garage. Kellan parked along a black Porsche. He got up and fetched his kit from the back of the garage. I noticed his U+ stick. He threw it all into the back of the convertible. It barely fit. I took my helmet off and got into the car. Kellan hopped into the driver’s seat, backed the car out, and we drove off home. The surroundings started to look familiar, and we soon turned off at my driveway. Kellan drove right up to garage and jumped out to let me out.

“Is the Jeep in the garage?”

I nodded, keyed in the combination to open the doors and walked over to the Wrangler. I opened the back door to discover Harry’s kit. It pretty much took up all the space. I pushed at it to try to make space for Kellan’s kit. He nudged me aside and shoved Harry’s kit and threw his in.

“There!” he said, satisfied. “Thanks, Shrimp. This means that I’ll get to drive the bike in tomorrow. Are you going to come and watch?”

I muttered, “I’ll be there.”

“Good,” said Kellan and walked me to the house. I could hear excited yapping from inside.

“Bye, Kellan. See you tomorrow. Best of luck at the tryouts,” I said as I started walking to the door.

“Not so quickly, Shrimp. Come here!”

I turned around and met his gaze.

“You’ve avoided telling me what Harry was going on about. What’s the big secret?”

“It’s nothing really. I want to surprise you tomorrow. So can you wait a bit longer?”

He sighed and said, “I suppose. You’re going to have me wondering all night now!” He looked at me curiously. “Arizona, what happened this evening, by the lake….” He paused.

I waited, barely breathing. I stood frozen staring at the ground.

“It was….” He paused again. He took a step toward me. Then, Kellan cupped my face in his hands and turned it up to face his. He then slowly moved forward until I could feel every breath of his against my face. He brushed his thumb against my lips parting them slightly. He stopped and stared into the very core of me as I closed my eyes and found his lips.

Olivia Darley looked out her office window gazing at the wondrous sky above. She had always been in awe of its vast beauty. The planets, stars and galaxies provided a constant source of fascination. She was now transfixed by the Draconid meteor showers. Although she knew she could get a clearer view on her computer, it was so much more beautiful like this. She hoped that Rupert was out looking at them.

Her feet ached. It had been a long and difficult day. She went back to her desk and made herself comfortable in her soft, suede-covered desk chair. She threw off her trusted nude Louboutins and wriggled her toes.

There was a silver frame at the far end of her desk. She pulled it toward her and gazed lovingly at the photograph. She remembered the occasion well. It had been her mother’s 72
nd
birthday. The whole family posing in front of the Falls at Niagara: her mother, Rupert, Harry, Arizona and Ella.

Her life felt perfect now and she had contemplated closing down the October Project. After all, this time the portal could be shut forever. There were no further loose ends. Nothing more needed to be “retrieved.” She imagined saying goodbye to that life forever and felt no twinges of regret. She was certain that she had done the right thing. Everyone around her seemed happy and she was certainly more content than she had ever been in her life.

She looked at the tattooed wedding band on her left hand. This was a “forever” like no other. The October Project had been for him, for us, for the family.

Her computer bleeped a message. She wondered what it could be this time. It was late and she needed to get home. She was not going to make it back before Ella’s bedtime. She wondered how her lack of involvement in Ella’s auditions was affecting her little princess. It was unfortunate that they were taking place in October, a month when she basically lived at Ames. She clicked on the message icon: a brief message from Dr. Moreau. She needed a quick chat. Olivia replied, asking Glenda to come over to her office.

Her protesting feet were crammed back into the Louboutins. She wondered what Glenda needed to talk to her about. She hoped that Glenda would not become the first October Project failure. Although it wouldn’t be the end of the world, she was replaceable. It was only her “core five” that were irreplaceable. Glenda was an extraordinary woman, though. She would prefer to keep her, as long as she and her family could be controlled.

There was a knock at the door. Olivia checked her computer to see who was outside - just Glenda, looking slightly flustered. She unlocked the door and pressed the computer key, which activated the welcome message outside her door.

Welcome to Dr. Darley’s office. The door is unlocked. Please step inside and close the door behind you.

Olivia watched Glenda walk in and close the door carefully behind her. Glenda was in her late fifties, five foot ten, green eyes and curly blonde hair. Olivia remembered her as very chic, always dressed in smart pantsuits. She guessed that life in New Jersey had rubbed off. Glenda was comfortably dressed in blue jeans, a “Bushkills” sweatshirt and Nike sneakers. It was hard to imagine that this was the same woman from all those years ago at Imperial College in London.

Glenda was a woman whose mind stretched in impressive directions. Olivia had hoped that Glenda’s unlimited willingness to explore new horizons was still intact. It was Glenda who had inspired Olivia to delve into quantum mechanics. This was at Imperial College, over twenty years ago when Olivia was a student there. Glenda had been one of her professors. Olivia didn’t think that Glenda had any recollection of her from those days. She had been just one of many students.

“What can I do for you, Glenda?”

“It’s actually a personal matter, Olivia. Arizona popped over to see Ariele earlier this evening. They seemed to know each other fairly well, and Arizona
recognized
me. I didn’t hear much of their conversation, but I thought it best to let you know.”

Recognized
? Olivia felt uneasy. She tried to maintain a calm front, but was screaming on the inside yearning for more information. She had been very uncomfortable about Ariele making contact with Arizona but it had been inevitable. She hoped that Ariele would have the good sense not betray their trust in her. However, Olivia had not been upfront with Glenda, so she or Ariele may have let something slip inadvertently.

“Thanks for letting me know, Glenda. They probably just met at school and Arizona would have guessed that you were Ariele’s mother?”

Glenda shrugged, “It seemed more than that to me. I’ll keep an eye on the situation as much as I can.”

“How are the tests going, Glenda? I noticed that the tremors were more pronounced today.”

Glenda twisted in her chair uncomfortably. “We had to increase the speed today and the collisions became unpredictable. The collider vibrated more than usual. I am sure the ‘October shivers’ were more distinct. The computer is still analyzing the data. I hung on to look at it. It’s taking much longer than I expected though. So, I’m going to head home and check it tomorrow.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Olivia. “Ariele is still adjusting, she needs you. Has she found any activities to get involved with at school? I hear she was a good lacrosse player at Princeton. Arizona is on the cheer squad and debate team. Would she be interested in those?”

“It’s too early to tell. She’s been moping around since we got here, not showing any interest in anything. Today was the first time I saw her smile, being excited and enthusiastic. It’s all thanks to Arizona. Her biggest issue in school is Simla. You know that I don’t understand all the ins and outs of this situation yet, but I really can’t understand Simla’s attitude. She doesn’t seem to recognize Ariele from Princeton. Perhaps you could find some time and explain all this to me?”

She was right – it did need to be explained. Olivia didn’t have all the answers though. Simla and Justin were not part of the October Project; she had no idea what they were doing here or how they had been transported over. They had not come through the portal, at least to her knowledge. Simla’s mom and Justin’s dad worked at Ames under Larry, but on entirely different projects. She needed to pin Larry down to find out how these families had found their way here.

“I will, Glenda, when I feel the time is right,” she replied firmly but reassuringly.

Glenda got up to leave and Olivia reminded her to ask a guard to walk her to her car. As the door was shutting behind Glenda, Olivia picked up her cell and called Rupert.

“Hi, Honey, how are things? I miss you.”

“Hey, Ollie, things are fine. If you’re going to be much longer, I’ll drive over. Both Harry and Arizona are home so I can leave Ella here with them.”

“That would be great. It’s dark and lonely here, but I still have a few things to do.”

Rupert chuckled, “Dark and lonely sounds good to me. I can work with that!”

Olivia smiled as she turned the cell off. She slid her heels off again turning to the computer. She brought up the collider readings. The computations were still being analyzed. She wondered why the speed had to be increased. The collider had been acting up, however, increasing the speed was exciting. The new data may provide some initial insights into building transportable mini portals, something she had been dreaming about for years. Still, was this something she should be spending her life on at the moment or should she be concentrating on her core five and letting this project die?

She turned back to her photograph, her core five.