Part Nineteen

I woke to my mother’s sobbing. I tried to tell her not to worry, but as soon as I moved, pain shot through my body, mostly from my stomach. I must have made a sound, because my mom stopped crying instantly.

“J-James?” she choked out.

“Yeah?” I croaked.

She squeezed my hand. “Rosa wants to know. I’ll go tell the others.” The warmth from her hand melted as she left the room. I couldn’t even manage a protest.

I pulled my eyes open. I was in my room, my bed to be exact. Somehow the past events didn’t call for a hospital this time. I wished I was in the hospital, because then the doctors would numb up the pain.

Seconds later I heard the thunder of several people running up the stairs, and my door was thrown wide. John and all six of his group shoved into my room with my mom right behind them. John looked a little worse for wear, and Rosa dropped to her knees at the side of my bed. She had tears in her eyes.

“I’m sooooooo sorry, James,” she told me. “That punch was meant for the other boy. Are you okay? Do you see anything out of the ordinary? Have you been having strange dreams?”

“Rosa,” Em said, touching Rosa’s shoulder. “He just woke up. Give him some—”

“I need to know if… if there are any lingering side effects!” Rosa shouted. Her outburst made my head hurt.

“We know, Rose,” John practically growled. I noticed his eyes were red, but no tears escaped.

“I—I need to know…” Rosa whispered.

A coughing fit caught me off guard, and the others looked at me worriedly. When I recovered, I asked, “What’s up?”

They explained to me that Trist wasn’t who he said he was. I could hardly believe them, but I heard them out. They told me he was an instigator in some evil plot they wouldn’t expand on. They insisted he was bad news, and that I should never have hung out with him. It was bad enough that he taught me all that he had.

I couldn’t believe it. Trist had been my best friend since I met him, next to Rich, of course. I had total trust in him. I could tell him everything, and it sure seemed like he had told me everything. Or at least, he was about to.

I scowled. “Next you’ll be telling me to watch out for Rich as well,” I muttered, hardly containing my anger.

John looked shocked. “What are you talking about?”

“Trist is one of my best friends, and you’re saying he should be my enemy? So what about Rich? Should I refuse him, too?”

“That’s not what we’re saying at all,” Levi supplied. I practically growled at him; he didn’t even know Rich. Why should he care?

“James,” John said, “we’re not saying all of your friends are traitors. Tristin has just been… an unlucky acquaintance.” I could tell he didn’t mean it that nicely at all. “Please, James.” I reeled. He looked so sincere…. “I don’t want you hurt any more than what’s happened already. Please, just… just think about it. C’mon, guys. We have work to do.”

John and his group left solemly. Mom asked if I was hungry and left as well.


 
“But there was something about that Tristin....”

The thought nagged at me again.

Part Eighteen

Ding Dong



I opened the door to see Trist. I smiled and invited him in, but he insisted we go to the park. On our way there, I told him about my poor sleep and annoying headache. He sympathized.

“Kay,” he started once we were at the park, “so, today I’m going to tell you another huge secret about me. You gotta listen to all of it, kay?”

“Sure thing,” I told him.

Before he could go on, Rosa shouted out my name. I spun around and saw her stalking towards us from the park’s entrance. Too late I realized my wings were out. Busted.

“James! How… what are…” she looked baffled as she searched for the right words. I was surprised she didn’t faint, but that’s Rosa. She glared at me. “You’re not supposed to know yet! That was John’s job!”

Huh? Oh yeah. He was the leader of the Dae group. It was the leader’s job to teach other leaders, and I was to be a leader. I hung my head in shame.

“And…” she seemed to notice Trist for the first time. I heard her gasp in shock, and the next thing I know, she’s in a total fighting stance.

“What do you want?” she barked at Trist. I was totally shocked, but then I heard Trist snort out a laugh. When I looked at him, his face had a twisted, almost evil look to it. He smirked at Rosa and crossed his arms.

“Looks like my fun has been cut short early,” he said. I think my mouth had dropped in confusion by this point. “I want him—” he jerked his thumb in my direction, “—to help me. I was just going to explain to him why it is important he join me.”

Rosa growled, “No way!” and went in for a powered-up punch. Quick as lightning, Trist pushed me in line, and Rosa’s fist met my stomach with a sickening crunch. I was sent to the ground, where my vision blacked out for a moment, and a rushing noise filled my ears. I’m not sure what happened next. I may have lost consciousness. More than once. The pain came at me in little intervals, like my brain couldn’t comprehend what happened to my body. Heck, I couldn’t comprehend it either.

In my dilerium, I saw flashes of things I didn’t understand; giant creatures rushed in and out of my mind; demons sang at my funeral; angels destroyed my home; my mom and dad started fighting and their bodies mutated; John hovered over me, his face burning (literally), while he squeezed the life out of me.

Em and Rosa’s voices drifted through the dreams, calling out my name, shouting indiscernible things, whispering prayers. I didn’t know they were religious. What was happening?

Then it all faded into black and I couldn’t tell you more if I wanted.


 
In Darkness To Rest.

A g a i n .

Part Seventeen

Gift?



The next day, Tristin gave me something: a medallion. It was oval, rimmed in gold, and divided into six sections. The gold dividing it radiated from a hole set above the center. It gave the effect of the sun shining down at the ground. The sections were teal in color.

“I want you to have this,” he said upon presenting it.

“What for?” I asked. Do you blame me?

“My dad got it in Greece. He said it’s for good luck, but it only lasts for a while. Then you have to give it to someone else so they can have the luck. It seemed to work for me, and now I want you to have it.”

“Wow, thanks!” I said. “Though, I’m not sure I believe the luck thing.”

Trist shrugged. He had a twinkle in his eye when he said, “Me neither.”

We brawled after that.


 
Good luck, eh?

Part Sixteen

John + Home =

YES!



Finally, John came home the next week. As promised, I didn’t say anything about Tristin or what he taught me. When I first saw him at the hospital, I gave him a running hug that almost toppled him.

“John!” I shouted. “I’m so glad you’re better!”

John ruffled my hair. “I see you’re doing well also. Be careful, or your big bear hug will have me back in bed,” he joked. I let go of him anyway.

“Trev said you have stuff to show me,” I said cheerfully. John’s eyes glinted with that darkness again.

“Maybe later,” he said dismissively. “I’m starving! This hospital food gets boring quickly.”

When we arrived at Applebee’s, John’s group was there to meet us. Trev, Brenda, Em, Rosa, Levi, and Crash greeted John enthusiastically. The happy emotions continued througout the meal.



I’m so glad my big brother is safe.

Next: Dad.

Part Fifteen

The next week, Trist told me about groups and leaders.

“Daes can be found all over the earth, but there’s always a system,” Trist started. “There are groups of six plus a leader. The leader is usually chosen by heredity, which is kinda stupid if you ask me.”

“Yeah,” I put in. “Others should have the chance to lead.”

“Precisely.” Trist nodded. “Leaders are also trainers. They train their group and teach them about Daes. When it’s time for another leader to join the ranks, he or she is taught by another leader. Since it’s done in heraldry, that would mean older siblings and parents teach the next generation.”

“Wait,” I interrupted as a thought struck me. “John is a leader, which means I’m a leader, and he should teach me.”

“Yep,” Trist confirmed.

“And that also means my mom or dad is a leader.”

“You got it.”

“Maybe that’s why Dad is away from home so much! Do Daes do a lot of stuff abroad?”

“If that’s their job, then they can.”

 My heart pounded with hope. Maybe he wasn’t fighting with my mom. Maybe he was just on a difficult mission!

“What sort of jobs do they have?”

 Trist shrugged. “General superhero stuff. Like, have you seen Hellboy?”

“That kind of stuff?” I was worried again. “Could… could my dad be on a dangerous mission?” I asked quietly.

Trist shrugged again. “Maybe. But you shouldn’t worry about it too much. I’m sure you’ll see him safe again.”

I wanted to believe him. Really, I did. I willed myself to believe my dad was safe.

Part Fourteen

Despite Tristin’s initial hesitations, we met at the baseball field regularly. First, he tried to teach me how to fly. I was such a natural at it, I was showing him up.

“Okay,” he said, stunned. “You can fly. Uh…”

I came down for a landing beside him.

“Teach me something else!” I insisted. He was still hesitant. “Come on!”

Trist sighed. “You’re like a puppy. All right, I’ll teach you more. But you gotta keep it a secret between you and me.” I nodded enthusiastically.

“So. We are part of a race called ‘Dae.’ The ‘D’ stands for ‘Demon,’ and refers to our animalistic attributes. My demon is a hawk, so I can use his wings or change into him completely.”

“Wait. The demon… Is the demon its own person?” I wondered.

“I don’t think so. That’s just how I visualize it.”

“Oh. I get it. I think.”

Trist smiled. “It’s okay, my friend. I don’t have to tell you more.”

“No! I mean, it’s okay. Really. Go on.”

“The ‘A’ stands for ‘Angel,’ though I’m not sure what it means.

“Finally, ‘E’ stands for—”

“Wait, that’s not how you spell ‘Day.’”

“That’s just how it’s pronounced,” Trist explained. “Like a homophone. ‘Which witch is the right witch?’”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yeah. ‘E’ stands for ‘Elf,’ and symbolises our individual powers. For example, I have super strength. Watch.”

He proceeded to lift me off the ground without appearing winded or strained in the slightest. When he backed off, I gaped at him.

“That’s awesome!” I told him. “What’s mine?”

Trist shrugged. “How should I know? You’ll just have to figure it out for yourself.”

Part Thirteen

Wow is right.



Life went back to normal after that. What am I saying? Life will never be "normal." What I mean to say is that things didn't change much. In a bad way, anyway.

Oh who am I kidding? Life was so different! I now had two best friends who knew the truth and a cell phone. My dad was still gone, but John was recovering fast (thanks to Em). I still had no idea what was going on between my parents or with John's six friends (especially Rosa), but the weight of the lie was gone. Well, sort of. Also, the popularity kick looked just about over, even though I would always have that burn mark on my neck.

Yeah, life was pretty good.

So that day after school, Rich joined the fight. With me and Trist, I mean. One on one on one was slightly trickier, but a lot more fun. Rich and Trist tried to beat me while I practiced my old skills. I don't know why it was so fun, but it was. It also felt... right, like this was what I should have been doing all my life, and in a way, I had been. As strange as it sounds, fighting made me feel... free.

The bruises didn't even matter to me. (It's a good thing it was long-sleeve weather, because my mom would have FREAKED!)

I devoted Friday to catching up with Rich in his backyard. He told me all about the two-week-long trip while we played keep-away with his dog. They were going back during Christmas break.

I spent Saturday morning with him too, but then his mom told me off for distracting him from his homework.

So, I called Trist. We met up at the field fifteen minutes later.

"Are you still holding back on me, Trist?" I asked when we met up. "I feel like you can do more."

Trist shrugged. "You caught me. I can totally kick your butt right here and now." He smiled.

"Last time you said that," I reminded him, "I left you in the mud. Are you sure?"

"Only one way to find out."

When we fought this time, I noticed right off his tactics had changed. First I was glad, but I soon realized it actually put him at a huge advantage. Tris had been learning my style all week, constantly keeping his own tricks in the dark. His new moves were different and hard to learn really quickly. He was beating me from the beginning, and though I got the hang of it near the end, I was the one flat on my back in the cold grass.

"Got ya," Trist stated simply.

"Uh, yeah, you did," I admitted as he helped me back up. "But I don't think you will again."

"Why's that?"

"You may have learned my style, but I'm getting used to yours. This new one is still partly your old one. C'mon, we'll go again."

Trist shook his head. "Should you really push yourself this much? Aren't you hurting?"

"A little."

"No, let's take a break," Trist insisted. He sat on the grass and looked up at me expectantly.

I sighed, "Fine. But just for a minute."

"Sure thing."

"Nothing's ever a sure thing," I muttered, sitting next to him. After a second I lay on my back and stared up at the clouds. They moved fast in the sky, despite how little wind I felt down on the ground.

"Ah. It feels good to fight friendly battles," Trist sighed, stretching out on the grass as well.

That statement felt odd to me, but I didn't say anything. Then my mind wandered freely for a moment, no single thought pinning it back down.

Trist sat up suddenly. He appeared distracted when I looked over to him, especially since his face was turned away from me.

"I... I have a bit of a secret, too," he said, and then looked back at me with anxiety in his face. "You've been so open with me, I thought I could return the favor." He stood and faced out again. I lifted myself on my elbows and wondered at what he was talking about.

Trist sighed. "Don't freak out, k?"

If he hadn't said that, I might have freaked out. The next second, feathers started appearing around his back, until he suddenly supported a full set of eagle-brown wings.

I blinked and my jaw fell to the ground.

That was not normal.

Right?

The little something from so long ago found its voice within my head again.

I wanted the same thing.

I wanted to fly.

And, I knew I could.

Next thing I knew I was standing two inches above the ground as Trist turned around to see my reaction. He nodded.

"I thought we might be the same," he stated with only the tiniest ghost of a smile.

My shoes touched ground again and I examined my own pair of cream and pale blue wings. There was no possible way....

But this felt right.

This felt normal.

I felt free.

I was truly free for the first time since the pain in my chest and back, and now I knew where that pain came from.

I was creating my own wings.

"You okay?" Trist asked.

I blinked again, coming back to myself.

"Uh... yeah," I answered breathlessly. "Better, actually. Better than I've been in days." I experimentally stretched my wings in and out. They felt stiff, but it was so natural to me, like a pair of arms.

"This is your first time, isn't it?" Trist asked as he watched me discover. I nodded in reply. "Oops," he continued. "I probably shouldn't have done that then." His wings disappeared, feather by feather, and I let mine droop.

"Why?"

Trist sighed. "That's the leader's job, and I totally ruined it for you."

My feathers started leaving me in the same way as Trist's had. I asked, "Leader?"

"Yeah. Each group has to have a leader, and the leader has to teach the group. That's just the way things have been for ages."

"Oh," I said. "Huh?"

Trist smiled. "You have a lot to learn."

"Teach me, then," I insisted.

Trist shook his head. "I've already ruined your start. I can't ruin your training. I just wanted to know if you really were the same as me."

"Isn't that a risk?"

"Not all that much, since you can usually tell. I'll bet that's why we're friends; we were automatically drawn to each other by the same power."

"Oh." That made sense. Sort of.

"Look, I should probably go now," Trist said. "Maybe we can talk about this more later. Just don't tell your group about me, or we'll both be in trouble."

"Okay."

I couldn't comprehend much else at that moment anyway. Trist waved as he jogged away, and I waved back.

Then I slumped back to the ground and let the past few minutes sink in.



Wow is right.

Part Twelve

 My Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of me: fighting Tristin, visiting my brother, doing homework, and Rosa placing her head on my forehead every night. (I really don’t get the point of her doing that.) For some reason, I kept my activities with Tristin a secret from everyone, including John. They just didn’t need to know everything I was doing.

Oh, and Trev came over with Rosa on Wednesday night to say John wouldn’t let him teach me, that it was a leader’s job to teach another leader.

Okay….

 No one EVER told me anything.

Thursday morning, hurried over to my best friend’s house. The family suburban was back in the driveway.

Yes!

I ran right up to the door and rang the door bell. I sighed in anticipation as I waited.

I tapped my foot.

I looked around aimlessly.

Where was he? I was about to knock when the door opened.

“What the—” the girl at the door wondered. Then she relaxed. “Oh, it’s just you, James. I shoulda seen that one coming. Just wait here; Rich is running late,” Stacy explained as she rushed off the porch. “See you later!”

“Bye, Stacy,” I waved as I watched her go. Then I looked through the door, which she left open. The family hadn’t quite cleaned up their stuff from their trip yet. I couldn’t blame Richard for being late. I heard him yelling for clean clothes as I stepped inside to wait. I rolled my eyes; he must have left the dirty laundry to rot again.

“Oh, never mind!” Rich yelled, and I heard him shut his door. Less than fifteen seconds later, he tumbled down the stairs, nearly running into me.

“Let’s go,” he said. I just laughed as we stepped outside.

“You’re so predictable,” I told him.

“I am? You are. Like a puppy, you show up at my door the first day I’m back.”

I laughed again. “Touché. C’mon, or we’ll be late.”

In English, Rich stared at the back of Desire’s head, as always. At lunch, we sat at the same spot, as always. However, today I had a host of followers, so we left the lunch room early and headed to my new hiding spot. Tristin was already there. On the way, I explained the reason for my adoring fans.

“Hey Tristin,” I greeted, sitting down. “This is Richard Ediger, my best friend since forever. Rich, this is Tristin. He just moved in last week”

“Hey,” Rich said amiably with a wave.

 “Ah, so the famous James does have friends,” Tristin replied. “I was starting to worry I was your first.”

I punched his arm.

 “Anyway,” I segwayed, “I was just telling Rich about Monday.” I didn’t say anymore, though, because I was prepping myself to spill it. To both of them.

“What I don’t get,” Rich said, “is why you were hospitalized in the first place.”

I sighed. “I know. I’ve been saving that for last. Just the two of you, where no one else can hear.”

“What is it?” Tristin asked in his coaxing way.

I sighed again and began my tale. I told them everything I knew, and everything I didn’t understand. I told them my fears and my complaints. I even started crying again. Both Rich and Tristin handled it well (i.e., without laughing or joking).

I actually didn’t stop talking until the warning bell rang. Nobody reacted to the chime. I stayed where I was and tried to compose myself.

“Wow,” Rich commented after a bit. It seemed like that was all he could say.

“I can’t believe you trusted me with this,” Tristin breathed reverently.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “You’re my best friends. Only you two can handle it.”

Rich nodded, but Tristin gaped.

“Am I… really?” he asked quietly.

“Yup.”

I took a deep breath and started cleaning up my lunch. “We’d better hurry,” I said. “Class will start in about two minutes.”

“James?” Rich said.

“Yeah?” I replied without looking up.

“Thanks. I’m glad you know I’m here for you, no matter how fictiony that sounds.”

“I know.”