Mantinas-OKay, here's chapter four. I hope this is satisfactory-me adding a Julie POV in here-I think it's for the best that we see Julie's motives and a little into what she has up her sleeve.


Ben walked to the bus stop, feeling lousy as he spied the glares thrown his way; an indignantly angry one from Gwen and Charmcaster, Julie seemed unsure, and mischievous ones from Cash and J.T.

"Well, Benny, what's wrong?" Cash jeered. "Got diaper rash?"

Ben didn't say anything, keeping his head down he tried to focus on his father's orders. Apologize and ask Julie out. But his stomach disagreed with the plan, his brain that seemed to rebel against the fear of his father screamed for him to stop what he was about to do.

'It'll only confuse things…'

An alarm clock would ensure that he got up, dressed, and at the bus stop before it showed up and he would get to school on time instead of running several miles-miles he was incapable of running-to get there for if he did not, his father would receive a phone call and then…

"What, baby need a blanky?" Cash sneered before groaning. "What…."

'Don't go after her, it'll only confuse things,' Echoed throughout his brain as the bus came down the road, stopping right in front of them. Kevin…

The Illuscien sighed, his mind lost in thought, which the void of space did not help at all. A mirage of his own doing was replaying before his eyes. Ben gasped, his eyes full of wonder as he watched stars stream by in hyperspace. "Just like in the movies…" Ben would finish before looking at Kevin, his green eyes sparkling. Which would then disappear, his thoughts and concentration needed elsewhere(is what he told himself) instead of those eyes-which disappeared again, only to reappear some time later due to boredom.

His bike lock and chain was discarded in the box it was received in, ready to be returned upon his landing. His eyes misted over, that last moment before the alarm rang was special. And despite what he said, a part of him knew that Ben needed him there due to psychological reasons beyond their control. Ben was alone in a dark world that did not seem to want him with a father that was hell bent on ruining the one place a child should call sanctuary. He should have tried. He should have taken Ben, leaving nothing behind to link to anything. Perhaps then Carl would have gotten what's coming to him-his mother, too.

The ship slowed, exiting hyperspace and he was greeted with Illusia in the distance. A radiant diamond in the black nothingness. He felt happy seeing it after so long. Finally, he was home. But someone was missing, even now, looking to the seat next to his, the mirage failed to appear.

"Um, Ben," Julie whispered, standing by his seat when before she sat next to Gwen and Charm in the front. "Can I sit with you?"

"Sure," Ben said, trying to calm his nerves-what luck that the object of his discomfort would land in his lap like this. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by an emboldened Julie.

"I'm sorry I was too forward with you, Ben." Julie said. "I should have realized that by doing that I was moving things too fast for you. What I'm trying to say is; can we be friends?"

Ben's eyes widened in shock. Here he was, going to apologize to Julie for making her cry when Julie was apologizing to him. What she said made little sense to him. It wasn't that last night a relative stranger asked him out, it was that emotions were final-even though he was going to go through with it, anyway to appease his father's wrath. But maybe if he did this, it would still make his father happy anyway. After all, this way he could still listen to Kevin, the voice he knew was right.

But one thing she said did make sense. If there was anything he needed right now-it was a friend. Smiling, he nodded, which earned him a smile in return from the Asian girl.

Julie mentally sighed. The old man was right. After her re-entry to the living room, Max, Gwen and Ben's grandfather, pulled her aside and explained things. That Ben was pretty much an outcast-something she knew and thought that would increase her chances-and that he was just being shy. That she had to start things slow before working up to something like that. Cultural background and the all-knowing look glinting in the old man's eyes made her believe his words. She was, like most young girls, desperate for her knight-in-shining-armor that she didn't stop and think about Ben. But she was glad he was giving her a chance.

Her eyes spied something around his neck. A cheap necklace with what looked to be an hourglass design on it. Julie had to gasp, it matched his clothes, but it also seemed to bring him out, not just his eyes.

"Nice necklace," Julie said with a friendly smile. "Have you always had it? I haven't noticed it."

"Oh, uh," Ben had no idea what to tell her, but then it hit him. Using what she already said, he concocted a lie. "Yeah, my mom gave it to me a while ago, but I lost it. I found it last night."

"It totally suits you, Ben."

"Thanks," Ben smiled. For the first time in his life he was being complimented on the bus by someone from this planet.

At school, Julie invited Ben to hang out with her, Charm, and Gwen. Silence pervaded their space; uncomfortable and feeling weird, Ben tried to bolt. But Julie's reassuring smile kept him in place. She was his friend now, and for now, he'd have to remind himself of that. She was no longer one of Gwen's friends-a being Kevin mocked any and all the times they were forced to be in contact with each other. The alarm clock was also a good incentive.

Saving grace, for once, was the bell. Waving goodbye, Ben headed towards his math class. Kevin's departure really hit home then. Looking at the notes on the board compared to the notes he wrote, he could not understand how he got from a problem to an answer; no matter how detailed he made his notes. Did he multiply here, divide there? Or did he add, subtract, then divide? Or was it all of the above? Placing hands to temples, he groaned, a single tear managing to escape.(1)

Going from there was like being led to a firing range but without the blindfold. But really, after a few minutes, he did not feel as bad in his other classes. Kevin mostly helped in small ways in science, history, English, and so forth. But with his previous encounter with math, who could blame him for feeling overwhelmed without the Illuscian.

Lunch was, for once, really lonely. Julie had asked Ben to sit with her at her table, but mostly the girls chatted amongst themselves and Ben listened in only slightly. He didn't really care about Sandra and Jimmy, or Tommy's sprained ankle, or fashion advice about highlighted tips in Charm's hair, or Julie wearing Prada. What the hell was Prada, anyway?

"Ben?" Julie asked, making the bored boy jump into alert mode.

"Yeah, Julie?" He asked, surprised that he was even noticed when the previous conversation seemed to be so riveting.

"Is something wrong?" A look of concern crossing her face.

"Can I be honest?" He asked, earning a nod from Julie and, unseen by either, eye rolls from the others. "I don't really care about fashion or gossip."

"Oh," Julie sighed, looking truly hurt. This did not fit in with her image of Ben, a desperate boy seeking attention. She hated to admit it, but she thought of her and Ben as the same type of person.(2)

"Don't mind him," Gwen snapped, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He's just a boy."

"No," Julie said. "I'm being rude. I invited Ben to sit with us and we've been boring him to death."

Gwen scoffed. Charmcaster rolled her eyes, lips wrapped around the straw of her chocolate milk carton. Letting go of the chewed, plastic tube, she stared Julie directly in the eyes.

"Don't you find it weird, Julie." Charmcaster said. "That you poured your heart out to him and he steps on it. Shouldn't you, I don't know, make him grovel for forgiveness?"

Julie turned away from her, ignoring the both of them. They didn't understand her plan and she didn't want them in on it because then it wouldn't be hers anymore. This wasn't like a scrunchie or a pen. This was about love, and from what they read, love is meant to be worked out between two, not a group-even if it is fun.

"What do you want to talk about, Ben?"

"Probably sports." Gwen said, sounding annoyed.

"Do you, Ben?" Julie asked, Gwen friend instincts kicking in. "'Cause I've always been interested in tennis."

Ben smiled. He didn't really want to talk sports, but the hopeful look in his new friend's eyes made him cave. Seeing them up this close he could tell that they were dark brown, almost black-like Kevin's. "Soccer's my favorite."

Julie beamed. "I heard that our middle school next year has excellent tennis and soccer teams!" She pauses. "We should totally try out!"

"Yeah," Ben said enthusiastically.

"But we better practice hard, or we might not make the teams."

"True," Ben said. "How about we help each other practice?"

"Yeah, that'll be awesome! How about you come over to my house tomorrow and we'll start our training?"

"I'm not sure if my parents will say yes." Ben admitted, staring at the floor.

"Well ask them anyway." Julie wrote down her number on a scratch piece of paper. "Call me and tell me what they say."

"Sure thing,"

Kevin landed on a chrome platform that branched from the top of a large building that mimicked a skyscraper on Earth. The tall structure was a brilliant glass building with green tint on the edges. Surrounded by a utopian city that went out for many miles before shrubs and wildlife emerged. If the platform was at a slightly higher altitude, he could make out clearings in the wildlife where houses sat in relative tranquility instead of just spots in the would-be-perfect green.

Two guards dressed in black synthetic material made to look like silk, their pale features brought out more, marched towards him. Illuscians were all pale or fair skinned due to their sun-a weak, white dwarf star.

Silently he handed them his cloaking device, they bowed, and he walked past them to the building itself. He knew he would most likely be ridiculed for leaving early, but hopefully they could see that his mission was a success anyway and understand what he was trying to do.

The receptionist at the desk was dressed in a dark, forest green tank top, her blouse was white with black, vine-like patterns swirling in its plain. Her hair came down just before her breasts and curled slightly upward. Her red lipstick made her lips pop and her demeanor would have labeled her a bubbly goth if not for her outfit.

"Hello and welcome back." She said, lifting a scanner gun over his head down to his chin. Biting her lip she began. "It says you're not due back for another year. Is something wrong?"

"The Lovecraftian Clause." Kevin said, lowering his head. "This was the best course of action."

Placing a gentle hand on his left arm, staring into her black eyes, he saw sympathy. It was well known that not everyone liked it when their 'imaginary friends'. And so a clever member of the Illuscien Council, after remembering the weird stories him and his child loved to read by one Howard Philip Lovecraft, came up with that name because of the famous line in "Call of Cthulhu"-a story Kevin had read himself with Ben-about the world being shielded in a bubble of ignorance that best suited the mental capacities of its inhabitants. Not completely fitting, but it basically meant that the parents thought it past the perfect time to lose an 'imaginary' friend and often acted out.

"Take the lift at the end of this hall and push seventeen." She said. "They'll understand."

Bowing his head slightly, Kevin then proceeded towards the lift, his back towards the glass casing as he pushed the required button. Now, starting from the top, he turned and watched as buildings came into level with his sight. Not much had changed since he left, which he guessed was a godsend since others usually weren't lucky. The buildings were glass, devastating storms were a rarity, and even so, glass was made tougher than Earth-yet looked fragile-another pat on their name sake, and earthling might say.

But he knew he wasn't spared from the changes, he could only guess what happened to his house and family since he left. Minimal contact with family was required, lest the traveling Illuscien get homesick and return too prematurely. The ding of the lift's doors opening penetrated his silence. Sighing, he turned and walked out into the burgundy colored hall. Torches lined the walls with portraits of board members that have passed. Friendly yet emotionless, their eyes seemed to follow him as he walked(1).

Two double doors greeted him. They were plain in design, a complimentary contrast to the eloquent room. He knocked. The whole wall opened, splitting from the crevice that separated the two doors; revealing darkness on the other side.

"Come in, Kevin." A kind male voice said through the darkness.

With no fear, Kevin stepped into the darkness.