Breaking

We walked out of the school toward Archie’s thrasher car, and Braydie let go of my hand. It felt strange for us not to be physically connected. I stepped up to Barrick’s side and said, “You like her.”

                He stiffened. “Absolutely not. I was merely concerned for her well-being after being so forcefully controlled.”

                Archie snorted, but said nothing.

                “Who’s Leorahn?” I asked.

                Barrick opened the back down and pointed into the vehicle. “Not now.”

                Braydie and I scooted into the torn leather seats. It was a far cry from the limo; that was for sure. For a while as Archie drove back to the brownstone, no one spoke. The events of the day were almost as traumatic as those of the previous day, and no one really wanted to talk about it; though my curiosity was killing me.

                “Please tell me.”

                Barrick ignored me.

                Braydie glanced at Archie, and then said, “Leorahn is one of the most talented Controllers alive.”

                “Braydie!” Archie barked.

                “Geez, Archie!” She yelled, “Why is it such a big deal that Mono not know anything?”

                “That’s his Master’s prerogative.” Archie snapped. “Now keep your mouth to itself.”

                I nodded to her gratefully, but she looked like a dog that’d just been yelled at for peeing on the carpet. I reached over and squeezed her hand, sending her a feeling of comfort. She met my eyes and smiled; I felt my spine tingle as her smile warmed my heart. I didn’t mind her mouth.

                “Thanks.” She whispered.

                “No problem.” I muttered. Then I looked up at Barrick’s shoulders. “Why can’t you tell me anything?”

                “I have my reasons.” Barrick said, “Please respect that.”

                I slumped down in my seat and waited until Archie pulled up to the brownstone before I leapt out of the car and up the steps to the door. I hadn’t waited for Braydie however, so I crumpled on the stoop, clutching my midsection. Braydie caught up readily, but not before letting out a dry heave. Barrick slammed out of the car, his face a mask of fury.

                “You will not injure yourself on account of frustration!” He commanded.

                I ignored him. I busted through the door and clamored up the stairs to the greenhouse, Braydie right behind me. As soon as I got to the roof, I slammed my fist into the desk, sending it flying backward a couple of feet. Anger was boiling up like lava.

                “Flynn?” Braydie asked, coming in.

                I overturned the chair. “Respect him?! I hate that he tells me nothing!!”

                “I know…” She said,

                I turned on her. “You don’t know anything. You understand everything there is to know about what we are; I haven’t a clue! Everything is a secret from me!”

                She stood up tall. “Stop it, Mono! Just stop it!”

                “Why?!  Maybe that Leorahn thing had a point.” I said, running out of steam. I sat on the floor, “Maybe I shouldn’t believe anything Barrick tells me anymore.”

                She knelt next to me. “What are you talking about? He’s your master.”

                “And that makes him perfect, does it?” I asked. I shook my head. “Do you see how easily he lies to everyone else?”

                “We have to, Flynn.” Braydie said, “In order to survive, we all have to lie about a lot of things. How old we are, our powers…everything.”

                I felt hot tears running down my face. “I hate this.”

                She sat next to me and put one arm around me. She pursed her lips before saying, “No one said that it would be easy.”

                I looked at Braydie, trying to see why it was that she had such faith in what she was. “It wasn’t my choice.”

                “Some things aren’t. And we can’t help what we are. Semiens are a rarity among the human race, and…I don’t know if anyone really knows what our true purpose is.” Braydie explained. “But…no matter what my master says, I’m connected to you…and if this link gets much stronger, I don’t think it will matter if I tell you or not.”

                I blinked, “About Leorahn?”

                “About anything,” She said. “I don’t know everything, Flynn. But I do know enough for us to get through whatever this is.”

                “Good,” I said, roughly wiping away my tears. It felt a little better knowing that someone else was with me. It was a feeling I couldn’t associate with Barrick anymore; it had waned over the past three days, in ways I couldn’t have previously known. I looked up at Braydie and gave her a small smile. “I’m sorry.”

                She plopped down next to me, folding her legs to her chest. “I don’t blame you, Flynn. But we have to work on your temper. It stresses me out.”

                I groaned, and she laughed, placing a hand on my knee. From her touch, I began to relax again, the frustrations of the day melting away like the sun melts through snow. Without any hesitation, I put my hand upon hers and we sat there, just looking at one another. I couldn’t put into words the things that passed between us.

                It was footsteps on the stairs that knocked us out of the limbo we had placed ourselves in. I prickled a little, waiting for Barrick to come in and start lecturing me. It was Archie, however, who stepped into the room from the stairs. He grinned sheepishly, and then jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “Hey kids. We gotta go to rehearsal.”

                Braydie pouted. “Now? Why can’t we skip?”

                “Because if I get another call from the label, I think I’ll go crazy.” Archie told her. He looked at me pointedly. “Are you okay?”

                I nodded. “Yeah. Sorry.”

                Archie shrugged. “Typical Marcus. Don’t let him get you down.”

                “Where is he?” I asked, knowing that his position in the house was reflected by his mood.

                “Library. Although that’s an understatement; the whole house is a library.” Archie affirmed. I was glad to hear it. If Barrick was in the Library, it meant he would calm down sooner than expected, and most likely would wind up with a small lecture that would make us both feel minutely better.

                Braydie got to her feet before me, and then held out a hand to help me up. I accepted, and our Auras glowed white at the touch. Archie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. I suppose he figured he would get the lowdown at some point in the near future. All three of us trooped down the stairs, leaving the greenhouse in disarray; I decided that the cleanup could wait until a less important time.

                Down in the main hall, Barrick walked out of the Library and leaned against the doorjamb with his arms folded. Mercury appeared from thin air and began to wind his way around Barrick’s ankles, rubbing his soft gray head against Barrick’s trousers. “I take it that Flynn is going with you, Archie.”

                “There’s no other way to go about it.” Archie replied.

                “Can you have him back by seven?” Barrick requested.

                “Rehearsals take as long as they need to.” Braydie told him, “There really is no time limit."

                Archie shrugged in Barrick’s direction, and my Master said nothing in return, just looked pointedly at me, as though it were up to me whether or not I got home on time for our practice session. I looked away, down at my shoes. I didn’t want to talk to him just then; I still needed time to sort out my thoughts. Believe no lies.

                Finally, Barrick said, “At least make sure he’s home by eleven. You know the rules, Archer.”

                “How could I forget?” Archie grinned. “Don’t worry. I have everything under control.”

                Barrick shook Mercury off of his pants and then retreated into his sanctuary, leaving us to fend for ourselves. I have to admit that when we ducked out into the open air, I found it refreshing to be away from Barrick. That thought may my stomach drop a little with guilt, but I told myself that I just needed time.

                “Aw.” Archie muttered as we approached the car. The thrasher had been generously decorated within the last half hour with red spray paint, in shapes that no living being could possibly discern. Archie looked over at Braydie with an innocent look. “Still want the limo?”

                She gave him a sour smile, then opened the car door and slipped inside. I scooted in after her, and in a moment we were back on the road, heading into the heart of the city. Archie expertly avoided traffic, and quickly but efficiently brought us to our destination. I wondered if he used his Meddling abilities to aide in navigating through the jungle of automobiles.

The building we stopped in front of bore the name of the Stampede Records label. I only knew a couple of songs that had been recorded here, but I didn’t care much for contemporary music, so I didn’t listen to it much. When we got out of the car, the valet looked at it with a small measure of amusement.

                “Protective tactic.” Archie said, handing him the keys. “Watch the clutch, it acts up.”

                I looked at the front doors of the building with a little doubt. “You’re performing here?”

                Braydie laughed. “No. This is just where we make sure we know all the parts, and get things sounding good. Next Tuesday we’ll go to the location for a primary sound check, and after that, we’ll practice there before the actual show.”

                “Which will be amazing,” Archie assured, ushering us toward the front doors. They were glass, so I was able to see the modern décor of the lobby before even walking in. A woman in her twenties sat behind a glass desk, typing up a storm at her computer. When she saw us, however, she stopped and grinned widely.

                “Good afternoon Braydie,” She said, “Archie, how are you, sir?”

                Archie gave her a winning smile. “How many times have I told you that I’m not a ‘sir’, Monique?”

                Monique blushed, but kept her professional decorum. “They’re waiting for you in studio six. Have a good rehearsal!”

                “Thanks, Mo!” Braydie said as she led the way to a door on the left side of the lobby. As soon as we were out of earshot I leaned forward.

                “Do they usually just let visitors in like that?” I asked.

                Braydie grinned smugly, and said “You’re with me. You’re fine," As thought it were the most natural thing in the world.