Chapter 6

A Chapter by Katie Wan

If any normal person was given the opportunity to fly with the Oresons they’d enjoy the experience. Maybe they would look down or stick their arms out like a bird�"Not me. I shifted and kicked as we soared through the air there was nothing about this experience that was liberating or exciting. I didn’t want to be weightless because I knew I wasn’t. I had every pain and weight in the world on my shoulders: “Drop me!” I screamed, “Let me go!” I kicked at his shins and the rest of his body: “Put me down!” My legs swung as I tried to escape from the one person trying to help me. His grip never loosened, not until our feet planted into sand.

                I gave him one hard punch to the abs and spun around in the soft sand of the beach. Rocks were lying all around my feet. I grabbed a pile and scooped them into my bear arms. Fiercely, I threw them into the ocean screaming at each one. The anger was still sitting high in my chest. Each of the rocks thrown slowly dropped it all down a level. Sweat had begun to pore from each of my pours. My face heated red and I cursed at the ocean. Why would my father do this to me? Why would he leave me all alone? I screamed my loudest scream of all and threw the biggest rock into the ocean. With the last rock in my hand my body spun and I threw it right at Phoenix. My lungs let out one final screech with the toss. His arm snapped from his side and he caught the dark stone only inches from his face.

Phoenix lowered his hands and loosened his grip around the dark rock. It dropped into the sand with a light thud. Tears welled in my eyes, my arms dropped, and my heart fell into the sand below with same thud as the rock. My lungs gasped for air quickly only to bring more pain to my tight and dry throat. Phoenix noticed the sudden decrease of anger so he stepped toward me and I was pulled slowly into his chest. My body collapsed into his. I had to give up this fight. It was going to help anything to sit around and be angry about things. I would just have to put it in the back of my mind and store it like I did everything else. Phoenix’s arms flexed and held me tight against his chest. Why was he being so kind to me? What had I ever done for him? Then I thought a moment. The most popular kid in school was holding me as I cried�"this would not be good for my reputation.

I lowered slowly into the sand and Phoenix let me go. Sand filled in between my fingers as I reached for some more rocks. I sniffed away tears and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. Phoenix stayed standing with his back turned and his hands on his hips he watched the ocean. Gasps still pushed through my mouth as I tried to regain composure.

                All of a sudden Phoenix spun on his heels and turned back towards me. That’s the first time I realized how tired he looked. His shoulders dropped with exhaustion, bags hung low and dark under his eyes, and he almost limped as he walked. Life as a Hero really couldn’t be easy. You were up all night and day trying to save the world when he still had to go to school and football.

He walked up to me until his feet matched up to mine�"toe to toe. Sand bubbled up between our matching sneakers. “It will be alright.” He spoke with great sympathy in his tone. That was utterly the last thing I wanted�"sympathy.

                “How do you know?” I hissed at him. “What would you know about it anyways? How would you know what it’s like to not be wanted by anyone?”

Phoenix’s hands twisted together. Each finger interlaced with the other hand immediately as if, again, he was nervous. His weight shifted between his two feet and his tongue traced his raspberry lips slowly. My eyes glared at him as I waited for his response. “I know all too well.” Pain shot through him, it filled his eyes and I began to see inside of Phoenix Oreson. This was a pain I had never seen on his face before. He was letting a wall down and letting me see his feelings. Again, what had I done to Phoenix to make him realize that I was alive or even cared?

                “Oh really? You’re telling me that Phoenix Oreson�"Savior of the universe�"Boy Wonder�"who everyone worships�"knows what it’s like to not be wanted? That’s really hard to believe.” I exhaled in disgust and sunk my hands lower into the sand where the sun never reached, making a colder section in the sand.

Phoenix sighed. He actually was telling the truth. He thought that he understood not being wanted. Everywhere he looked someone wanted him. I was probably the only person in the world who even had bad thoughts about him.

I saw in his eyes a great debate. He had something to tell me, but would he? What could Phoenix Oreson be hiding? His hands returned to his waist. He raised and lowered his head contemplating whether to talk or not. A couple times his mouth opened but then quickly shut. He really had to debate this. What could be so hard for him to say?

                I stared, almost annoyed at the long silence between us. Suddenly I saw him come to a decision�"he was going to tell me. The pools of silver stabbed into me holding onto every ounce of my attention. “I would know because my father has basically disowned me.” He sighed. That’s it? Teenage angst? His parents don’t’ like him? A laugh started to bubble in my chest. Being not liked by your parents was just the top of the list. My dad just left me with the woman who hated me the most in this world. “Because well, I’m gay” He added the words as if he was ashamed of himself. Those words are what shocked me.

All the air rushed from my lungs and hung in the air like an ominous cloud. He closed his eyes waiting for my reaction. “What?” I gasped the words with no breath in my lungs.

                “Gay.” His thumb and index finger pinched the bridge of his nose and he seemed to be concentrating. “So I know. I know exactly what it’s like to not be wanted and not because of who you are�"but what you are.” He opened his eyes and looked at me “and I think that’s worse that how you have it.” His body slammed into the sand next to me. His lungs huffed air out next to mine and he punched his hand into the sand. I think he was regretting telling me. “At least with you you’re father left because it’s better for you.”

My head snapped to the right of me. The anger in my chest started to rise again. “You’re kidding right? How can being alone with my mom be better for me?” I actually was curious and searching for an answer.

                “If you were with your dad where would you be?” He asked and I shrugged. I had no idea where he went. “You wouldn’t be stable. You wouldn’t have a roof over your head�"no school�"no future.”

                I smiled, “would that really be that awful?” He shared my smile and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. His shoulder playfully bumped into mine, but it didn’t leave. It stayed planted next to mine.

                He paused for a moment as he thought on his next words. You would have no friends?” I shrugged, “No education?” I again shrugged finally he turned his head and looked straight into my eyes: “no Jo lee.”

                Jo lee�"I had completely forgotten. I always had her no matter how bad the situation she was always by my side. She would always be by my side to tell me the truth and help me through the hard times. She would always know what was best for me and how I should fix things. She would always be my best friend. Always I was welcome at her home I could go there any time that I wanted. My mother would hardly even notice my absence. I could basically live at Jo’s house for the rest of my life without my mother caring. Jo really was all that I had anymore.

Both phoenix and I watched the waves roll in one at a time each time carrying something new. The waves were so nice. They had the power to sooth any mood. You could always count on the ocean to be there, rocking you back and forth�"calming you down. “I’m sorry about your father, Phoenix, and the way he took the news.” My voice cracked when I spoke to him. It was strange to say Phoenix’s name out loud. Sure I’d said it, but never to him.

Phoenix half smiled when he also heard his name. “I’m sorry about yours too. Hopefully someday we’ll be better fathers.” He playfully bumped into my shoulder one more time. The waves still rolled in and I wished that my life could be set like the ocean, scheduled and unchanging, so peaceful and calm. The ocean held so much beautiful life. It just seemed to move one. You could always count on the ocean it would always be moving, whether your life was in stand-still or not.

                Phoenix turned to me and me to him. Our eyes grasped each other’s and didn’t let go. “You know, you always have me, not just Jo.” My heart lifted a little when he said that. Slowly his hand lowered down to mine, tentatively, not making a single fast movement. “Not because of the whole Hero thing, I just want to be there for you. I’m not really the egotistical a*s as you think I am. ” He smiled, “I really am kind of a nice guy.” He smiled once more exposing all of his perfect white teeth. “I always have wanted to be close to you. You may think I didn’t notice you, but that’s a lie. Collin I’ve known you since kindergarten.” His face turned up towards me and the smile turned into a content line. “I’ve notice you for a long time.”

                His hand finally got to mine in the cold sand. I didn’t flinch, I didn’t even move�"I was frozen. My eyes stayed grasped into his�"hypnotized. The silver pools flicked to my lips then back up to me. Oh my�"what was happening? There was this sudden urge inside my body to reach out and touch his face. Butterflies flew in my stomach and I got chills up and down every single bone in my body. What was going on? Our faces soon became like magnets pulling together so strongly no one could stop it. This was me doing this, no his powers�"me. My head tried to pull back, buy my body still moved closer and closer and closer as if it was inevitable. This was going to happen.

We were inches apart and I couldn’t stop. The blood in my body raced all through my veins making my head pound uncomfortably. I couldn’t believe I was going to kiss a guy, not to mention its Phoenix Oreson, only the most sought after person on this planet. My lungs let in one last breath and we took the plunge. Our lips touched with a fierce spark of electricity. We both snapped back�"amazed at what we just felt. His eyes examined my whole body gauging my reaction. I watched as his chest pounded up and down. We were so close together I could smell him. His sweet aroma filled my nostrils. A taste of mint was in my mouth from his always fresh breath.

                I was content�"shocked, frightened, and confused�"but content. His hands cupped the sides of my face and I wrapped my fingers around his wrists. He shifted his body closer to mine. My heart ruptured into a fast paced sprint. The hair on my arms stood on end and I longed for his lips to be connected with mine once more. Luckily, our lips met again with the same shock of pure chemistry and electricity. This time we didn’t pull away. I shut my eyes and let my body take control over its own actions. His warm lips sunk perfectly into mine, as if they were meant to be there, sending shocks up and down my spine. In between kisses I gasped for air. My hand balled up on the stone hard chest that everyone coveted�"that I coveted. One of his hands found the small of my back and pulled my waist into his I shifted my body into his.

Suddenly a flash of appeared over my left shoulder. My body leapt back and slammed against the sharp boulder behind me. Phoenix also jumped next to me. Through the light appeared a man. My eyes were still filled with a dark blue circle as they tried to adjust back to their normal state.

                The man from the light let out a monstrous scream like the ones I had been letting out earlier and the boulder behind me was gone. The ocean crashed as the enormous rock was thrown into the already large waves. As the colors in my sights began to return I started to recognize the man.

                In a rage filled way he spun around and put his hands up on the back of his head. Although every muscle in his neck was bulging and his nostrils were flared you could always see the resemblance. Ryder Oreson stood in front of me. His chest was heaving up and down with long frustrated breaths.

“I hate him!” Ryder screamed in a loud thunderous voice. Ryder was, so far, the only one who received his father’s body type. His broad shoulders stood at least a foot larger than my own. Each vein was visible in his arm from his bicep all the way throughout his hands. He stands on two trunks that could easily crush watermelons. He, along with Phoenix, got the dark hair. Ryder’s hair is short and gelled usually into the latest style. They share the same thin nose, square jaw, and silver eyes, although Ryder looks more like a full grown man.      I’m guessing that all came with age.

                Ryder’s eyes assessed what he had just jumped in to. They shot to me then to Phoenix who by now had a panicked look on his face. Ryder’s trimmed eye brows raised in curiosity. With a quick smile he spoke calmly, “sorry to interrupt.” He shot a ‘you have a lot to explain’ look to Phoenix. In their eyes you could see the love they had for each other�"brotherly love. They seemed to understand each other. That’s something that I always wanted�"Recognition in someone’s eyes when you know that they love you and you love them just the same.

My eyes turned to Phoenix and my gut churned in embarrassment. I wasn’t gay. What was I doing? Well I’d never actually thought about it. I’ve only loved one girl my whole life�"Jo. Does that make me gay? I’d always been secretly jealous of Phoenix. Did I secretly want him too? A few days ago all I wanted was to be a friend of his, to be able to go to his house hang with him Friday nights. Now I was kissing him. He’d confessed one of his deepest secrets to me. Does that make me a friend or a lover�"a lover? to Phoenix Oreson? What would my parent’s think...? Or even Jo?

                As if sensing my sudden panic, Ryder broke the silence. “Oh my, did I do that to you?” His index finger pointed to my left arm. All eyes fell on me. A large cut was sliced deeply above my elbow. Blood had run down my whole arm and pooled in the sand making a dark maroon color around my hand. “I’m so sorry.” In the panic I had hardly noticed. The stinging soon began after a moment. Obviously I had hit coral on the rock when I jumped back. My right hand grabbed the bloody extremity.

Phoenix broke out of his panicked trance and came to my side. Ryder took off his shoes and walked into the ocean giving us our space as he cooled down. Phoenix kneeled next to me. My eyes avoided his and I stayed as far away as I could. He noticed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that or said all that I did.” His warm hands cupped my elbow so softly I couldn’t do anything but accept his apology.

                “It’s alright.” I whispered hoping Ryder couldn’t hear�"but I knew that he could. “It was just unexpected. That’s all.” His eyes lowered to his work on my elbow. They filled with sadness. I think he was looking for a different answer. Something inside of me, something I had never felt before took control. My hand rose up to his jaw each of my fingers lay cold on his perfect face.

The sparkling silver gems jumped excitedly to my face. With a slight smile I knew that was what he wanted. His hands removed from my arm and the pain vanished with it. My hand stayed on his face and he smiled as if it was releasing so much pain and stress. I thought that actually a tear swelled in his eye, but he blinked and stood. My hand stayed frozen in that same spot, but now it was just holding air. He grabbed it and helped me pull myself up.

                Ryder spun and came back onto the beach. His pants were rolled up to his knees exposing perfectly sculpted calves. They were the calves of someone who ran 20 miles a day.

Phoenix and I met him at the tide line. The last existing foam of the wave curled around my feet. Phoenix spoke and I kicked off my soaking shoes. “What’d he do now?”

                Ryder sighed “The twins are suited up; he pulled them out of school.” The warm water ran around us.

                Phoenix’s eyes now glared. Ryder continued “I was standing next to him when he got the call. I was halfway suited when the twins warped next to me.”

“What the hell?” Phoenix hissed through his teeth.

                Both he and Ryder went silent and looked around as if they were trying to find an answer. My teeth bit my bottom lip. I really had no clue what was going on anymore. The twins were Phoenix and Oresons younger brothers. Tex and Zane were their names. They were both freshman this year and I saw them every once in awhile. I hadn’t realized that they didn’t get along with Ryder and Phoenix. Not only was I confused with the conversation going on but inside my head everything was jumbled and I was searching for my own answers.

                I didn’t actually notice that my eyes were glued to Phoenix so, Ryder noticed for me. “I don’t think I know you.” My muscles twitched snapping my head to Ryder. My eyes rounded and I dropped my mouth open.

My mouth went dry from the air. What was my name? Who was I? Did I like men or women? His one statement shot off a million different questions inside my head and in that moment I thought that I would spontaneously combust.

                “He’s Collin Hanks�"a friend.” Phoenix voice was strained and I could tell his focus wasn’t on this beach anymore. His face was pained in concentration. Suddenly both Phoenix’s and Ryder’s eyes lit. The illuminated beams focused on nothing.

                When the silver was dimmed back to normal they looked at each other. “Mom’s calling it.” Phoenix seemed worried, as he spoke. “Collin, we’ll take you home.” Ryder shot me a look as if he was trying to figure me out. He was probably wondering what I was doing there as much as I was.

“Well,” Asked Ryder as if he was waiting for something to happen.

                Phoenix’s face lowered in embarrassment. “I’ll make him sick. I haven’t quite figured out moving other people yet.” A playful smile spilled out across Ryder’s face. “Shut Up!” Phoenix laughed. Yet again I was confused. Before I could pick it up Ryder’s hand grasped my shoulder. It’s not like the movies with colors and warped lines like you’re going through an acid trip land. Instead it’s nothing, with a flash of light you’re moved from one place to another. In this case my apartment complex.

                Jo lee appeared in front of me. She jumped and fell backwards. We all leapt for her, but Ryder got her first. His large hands caught her inches from the ground. Her black hair spilled across the dark grey cement. Her eyes were large with fear. Ryder slowly brought her back to her perfect feet. Their eyes never left each other’s and my heart tugged out of my chest. She was my Jo and no one looked at her like that�"only me.

                Truthfully, I couldn’t do anything. Ryder was so much stronger, but I wanted to be holding her trembling body next to me. My anger was soon filled with question and a somewhat calm. Eyes burned a hole in the back of my head. My heels spun on the pavement. Phoenix’s eyes were sitting directly on me. They were filled now with sympathy and sadness.

“Are you alright?” Ryder’s low voice filled my body as he spoke to Jo.

                Again I spun but to face Jo. Her chin was tilted up in awe of Ryder “A little light headed, but I think I’m okay.” Her voice cracked.

                His smile made her melt and he caught her again. “I’ll take you home.” She and Ryder turned to walk down the stairs to her waiting car. Ryder looked behind me and nodded to Phoenix.

                Phoenix walked in front of me. He stood shorter than me as I stood one level up. His sympathetic eyes looked up to me. “I’m sorry.” He meant about my dad�"I had forgotten. Now realizing where I was the sadness filled my chest again. “I’ll be watching out�"if that’s alright with you?” I nodded and his hand went to one of my buttons, he fiddled with it between his fingers. “Be careful.” The sad silver comforters looked up to me and he spun. I watched his body use all its energy to leave. He met up with Jo and Ryder. In a flash they were gone.

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