Soar Chaser

It was around six o’clock when Odette finally got home to find her little sister multitasking; watching Dora The Explorer and practicing her hovering, “Hey Olive, how are you?’ Odette tried to be the nice big sister by trying to show some interest but she only wanted to know one thing from her sister, “Where’s mom?”

Olive didn’t tear her eyes away from the television screen instead she pointed a finger up at the ceiling. To anyone else this would’ve implied that their mom was upstairs but Odette’s house only had one floor so Odette knew that their mother was elsewhere, “She said that daddy needed to talk to her. So she left me with a baby sitter.”

“Ok. Where’s this babysitter?”

“She busy tickling her boyfriend in the guest bedroom. She promised that if I stay out of er way I could eat a whole pack of Zoo biscuits.” Olivia clenched her stomach.

“Nice, well I hope it was worth it.” Odette said as she made her way to the guest bedroom to kick the babysitter out.

Odette opened the door to find two people making out on the once neatly made guest bed, “Get the f**k out of my house you w****s!” Odette ordered. At this Nora’s head whipped up in surprise, “Nora! I’m so pleased that you’ve completely taken advantage of my mother’s trust and allowed my seven year old sister stuff her face with sugary treats but I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave.” The couple went back to kissing; “NOW” They giggled in defiance. Odette had let Nora get the better of her earlier today and she wasn’t about to let this b***h do it again in her own house.

Odette walked over to the bed and seized a handful of Nora’s long blond hair and yanked it with no mercy until she screamed. Odette loosened her grip slightly but still held her hair. She pulled Nora’s ear close to her mouth and yelled, “I asked you to leave Nora dearest then I told you to leave and yet you still disobeyed. Now I’m making you leave.” Odette then walked out of the room with the half dressed Nora behind her being led like a dog on a leash. Odette dramatically opened the door and indulged in her gifted strength to throw Nora’s 100 pound body out of the door. Soon to follow Nora was the boy she had been making out with. Odette slammed the door and wiped her hands against each other as if she had just taken out the trash.

“So when is mom getting back?” Odette asked and Olive’s response was vomit, “Well that was to be expected after a junk food binge. Why don’t you go to bed?” Odette suggested and Olive didn’t protest. After putting her sister to bed and cleaning up her mess, Odette busied herself with homework. She tried to keep her mind occupied so that she didn’t think about her horrible discovery. Odette had finished her simple homework and was about to go to bed when she heard her mother on the roof. She ran outside and flew to her mother because she knew that she had news. Odette knew that trips home were not frequent and only made when something was a mist.

“Odette darling.” Her mother hugged her and lazily hovered off the roof and into the house like she was exhausted.

“Mom, I need to tell you something.” Odette didn’t know how to introduce her news so she just decided on being blunt.

“That makes two of us then. But I must insist that I speak first.” Her mother held her hands and paused a moment, “Your father has just told me the most wonderful news. Our dear Olive has shown advanced ability in her gifts . . . Your father has told me that he has foreseen her not only flying but SOARING!” Her mother squealed and squeezed her.

Odette tried to conceal the extent of her devastation and disappointment, “That’s wonderful mom.” The only thing Odette had ever yearned for was to be the family’s champion; the one born with the superior gift. She supposed that she had set herself up for disappointment because she was quite certain that she was going to soar since both her parents were born with the superior gift and Odette stupidly assumed that both her and her sister might stand a double chance of inheriting the gift.

“But my news doesn’t end there, darling, your father has negotiated that Olive go to the clouds for training and that her family join her for support! Home, Odette! Where is your excitement darling? Why do you seem so dejected at all my good news.” Her mother could see from her daughter’s posture that this news didn’t please her in the slightest.

“No, I just had a difficult day at school.” Odette faked a yawn and started for her room, “I just need some rest.”

“Oh! Wait, what about your news?” Her mother inquired.

“Right, uh, we’re out of milk.” Odette couldn’t bring herself to be more imaginative than that.

Odette stumbled to her room, collapsed on her bed and pondered why she felt this sickening feeling in her stomach. She hadn’t eaten a thing all day so she couldn’t blame it on food. Despite her startling discovery of Tyson’s ‘gift’ she was certain that he was not the cause. Odette pinned the feeling down to green, vile envy. She was ashamed that it was in her capacity to envy a child, especially her adorable little sister. Odette tried to switch her thoughts off and go to bed but the moment the room was dark her mind started to reason with her. Her mind began to bring the fact of her Late Bloomer quality might give her a foolish reason to still have a sliver of hope.

Odette thought of her boy-like figure: barely-there-breasts, hardly any hips and she was as tall as the boy population at her new school. She had always hoped that one day she would wake up one day and have the perfect hour glass shape but the sad realization that Odette was pretty much done with puberty crushed her dream of vanity and her silly thought that she might blossom into the family champion.

She tossed and turned in bed and each time she did she convinced herself that she deserved more than just being her sister’s cheerleader. She was capable of being more than just a simple champion. Odette thought that the ability to soar (fly way above the clouds, penetrate the atmosphere and zoom around the sun) was overrated and an overly celebrated ancient ‘talent’ selectively bred amongst her people to create elitist groups. Odette’s envy inspired a, juvenile, idea. This silly little fantastical idea involved working with the likes of a Soar-Chaser; Tyson. Odette kept telling herself that this was all just an emotional salve to her wounded ego but the more she expanded on her idea she found that her idea grew into a plan.

For her plan to have any chance of working she needed to become friends with Tyson; considering their fun filled day they had endured together Odette found it would be relatively easy but due to Tyson’s boyish-crush-syndrome it would take some time. Odette needed their relationship to be fast and she required his trust. Odette spend the entire night Facebook and Twitter stalking Tyson in an attempt to find out about his interests which spanned from The Sims 3 gaming to Radiohead listening and then to his unique drawings.

Before she could catch a wink of sleep the morning came and Odette was energized at the prospect of her plan which she had deemed fool-proof. Odette had blocked her envious nature and she embraced a more pleasant side to her which she didn’t get to show very often. She practiced her new attitude on her mother and sister who knew her too well; they were able to see through her act. But she didn’t care because it only helped her to improve the quality of her performance.

Odette decided to fly to school instead of walk because she had designated the time before school to find Tyson. She prowled the hallway, library, and the parking lot and couldn’t find him. She was about to give up her pursuit until she walked by a classroom. To be more specific Mr. Flynn’s biology classroom in which she saw Tyson bent over a textbook with a confused expression on his face while Mr. Flynn sat next to him looking exasperated. Odette noted that Tyson was struggling in biology and smiled because biology was her best subject.

Odette decided to give Tyson a bit of space that day; she only smiled and waved at him at a distance so that she could analysis his attitude toward her. Tyson was polite enough and gave her a weak reply smile but he didn’t wave or anything like that; in fact he even relaxed a bit with the staring and Odette worried that this would affect her plan of seduction. When Odette wanted to speak with him she found that he had been rather elusive and another problematic idea occurred, What if he knows what I am? What if he’s planning my demise? She shrugged off the unpleasant thought and just approached him at first break in the cafeteria.

Despite the fact that he was keeping unfavorable company at his table; Odette took her tray of unevenly cooked lasagna and sat down next to him. Her presence had silenced the table but Odette didn’t feel insecure or embarrassed, “Hey Sonny.” Odette gave him a one arm hug and then began to eat the edible portions of her meal. Tyson sat next to her and uncomfortably shifted in his seat. She needed to think of a quick excuse for her behavior yesterday but she couldn’t think of anything reasonable.

“Anyway,” Nora stretched out the word, “Ty, Ms. Storm told us that our costumes were genius! She loved our ensemble and said that we should perform our piece at the Winter ball.” Nora gushed and took a nibble of a grape and stared Tyson in the eye.

“Mmm, should doesn’t mean we will. It’s bad enough that 25 people saw me looking like some porno-clown, I’m not gonna let the entire school laugh at me.” Tyson replied and blushed.

“Just hear me out. What if we wore masks or painted our faces?” Nora was so eager with her suggestion.

Odette jumped in, “I think paint would work to your beautiful bone structure’s advantage.” She let her fingers flutter over Tyson’s cheekbone for a few seconds; long enough to intrigue Tyson and long enough to annoy Nora. Tyson choked a little and Odette took the opportunity to sit closer to him and rub his back. Odette looked at Tyson in such a way that she showed interest in his existence but didn’t intimidate him with the severity of her stare. To her surprise he looked right back at her; into her eyes then his eyes lingered on her lips as if he were remembering their kiss yesterday. She gave him a slight smile then lend in to whisper in his ear, “Can we go somewhere to talk?” Odette could feel two holes burn into her skull and she assumed it was Nora but she didn’t turn to see. She just stood up and left the cafeteria and let Tyson follow her out. Odette had figured that despite Nora’s Harlot quality she had a thing for goofy Tyson, she fought the urge to giggle at how anyone could be attracted to the likes of a Soar-Chaser.

Odette scolded herself for thinking of such poisonous thoughts while she was trying to sting her puppet along. Tyson followed her out into the empty hall but he kept his distance from her and crossed his arms; like he was subconsciously protecting himself from her. Odette sighed and tried to appear sincere, “I guess you’re a little bit confused and slightly pissed off about my episode yesterday.” Odette said this and closed the distance between them.

Tyson sighed, “No, I’m just confused. Why did you call me a Soar-Chaser?”

“Why are you asking?” Odette was nervous now.

Tyson hesitated, “It’s a pet name that my mom calls me or used to call me by when I was a kid. I want to know how you know it.”

“That’s a cute nickname,” Odette tried to say the word with a sense of sweetness, “Why did she call you that?” Odette shifted her eyes to the ground to allow Tyson to reply with pressure from her eyes which reflected her brain’s thirst to find out information.

Tyson suppressed a laugh, “Well, when I was younger I was kinda mischievous . . .you know just boy stuff.”

Odette arched and eyebrow, “Yeah, enlighten me.”

“Um, Max, you met him yesterday. Well, Max and I would sorta hunt pigeons together. I would use a slingshot at first but then it broke and I got innovative and developed a weird technique of stalking and capturing, sometimes I was fast enough to chase and catch them.”

“You killed them?” Odette asked while blocking out the urge to gag and tear up.

“No, Max would kill them. We were like a team.” As he spoke the faux sweetness she tried to fake had slipped away and her contempt was clear and visible. Tyson felt uncomfortable again and asked another question about her which confused him, “Why were you so angry at me yesterday. I mean I get why you would be annoyed and creeped out by my drawings but your reaction was f*****g scary.”

“Ok, I understand that my ‘behavior’ yesterday was boarder line bi-polar and you deserve an explanation but I don’t have one,” Odette theatrically shrugged, “Would it be unfair for me to ask you to forget about yesterday.”

“Depends on what parts of yesterday?”

“Everything! My freak out and my Muhammad Ali moment?”

“I might be able to over look those incidents if you’re willing to forget about the drawings you saw?”

“Deal.” She shook his hand and they stood there looking at each other awkwardly.

“So what does this new agreement mean?”

“Friends?” At this Tyson shook his head and tried to hide his pleasure.