Chapter 14
(Rae)
When we got into the house, our cable telephone rang. Yes, we still had one of those ancient land lines. Dad insisted. He said the satellite phones everyone used were too hack-able.
"I'll get it!" I yelled, hoping that it would be Tanya.
"Uh-uh. No way Missie. You're still grounded. Get in the kitchen."
I pouted.
"Oh Rach, don't give me that face!" Mom smiled into the receiver. "Dinner is on the table."
I went over to the hall bathroom to wash the stink off of my hands and face. My clothes were covered with dust and poop. Luckily, a laundry basket full of clean clothes was nearby. I changed into a fresh pair of gray sweats and went back to the kitchen.Mom was sitting at the table, waiting for me.
"Where's Dad and the Rugrats?" I asked her.
"They're at your grandparents' house. That was him calling. Your father said that there's some traffic. He'll be in soon, he just has to take the back way."
"Ah." I sat down to my place setting and blew on my soup.
It was pretty weird, just the two of us there, eating dinner. Mom and I weren't usually alone together. Not until lately.I almost forgot how nice it was to sit and talk to her.
"Here's the dressing honey." She passed me over some balsamic vinaigrette.
"Are you sure we can start eating without them?"
"Positive. He said they'll eat as soon as they get in."
I started eating the lentils. Hey, Mom didn't do half-bad on this recipe.
"Rachel, I've been thinking. You've always liked to ride horses. And you really took to King out in the barn today. When I was little, before...all this...I used to be in a horse-riding club. I'm sure it's still around. Would you be interested in that? When you get better, of course. I don't want you riding around with a broken wrist and that leg of yours." she explained.
"Hmm..." I put my spoon down and started scratching on my cast. Tommy had signed it this morning with some big old block letters.
"Before you start worrying, it's pretty diverse. There are families that came with ours out of the South after the civil war...you remember me talking about my old friend Juan?"
"Yes Mom."
"Well, he was in it too." she pointed out as she reached for the Tabasco.
"Hot sauce Mom?"That was something REALLY weird to use as salad dressing.
"I just needed something spicier."
"Oh."
That's strange…
"As I was saying about the riding club, it met every day after school when I was a member. I suppose it is the same way now." Mom finished what she was saying to me. Her face was aglow.
I stabbed some tomatoes and olives with my fork. "That's when basketball practice is. Dad wouldn't be too happy about that."
"This isn't about you father Rae, or Me. It's about you. Just think about it. I'm not saying you have to make a decision right now. When you get better, you can decide which one is right for you. In a year, you will probably be so used to living here..."
I scoffed.
"No way Mom. I could never forget the Bay."
She reached over to touch my hand.
"I'm not saying you should. All of your experiences make you who you are-"
We were interrupted by the sound of kids yelling and Dad's wheelchair.
"Tommy, Tommy, you can't ride in on top of my chair! Liss! No running in the house!"
Melissa came storming into the kitchen at full speed in her little overalls. "Dinner ti-me!" She yelled.
"Hey baby." Mom kissed her head. Dad followed behind her, with Tommy hanging halfway off Dad's wheelchair.
"And what are you doing Mr. Tommy?"
"I'm gonna be like Daddy! Superhero!" He raised his little arms high in the sky. Though he wasn't dressed up like one. He looked more like Indiana Jones in his khaki shorts and yellow polo.
"Aw, that's sweet. But Tommy should be happy to be Tommy" Mom explained to him.
Tommy scratched at his Afro. Maybe it was a little to much for him to get right now.
"That might be a little over your head. But someday you will understand."
"So what's for dinner hun?" Dad rolled over to kiss Mom.
"Lentil soup and Greek Salad," she touched his cheek.
"Sounds great. Let's chow down."
They all took their places at the table.
"How are your parents?"
"Fine, fine. Mom and Dad took them out to the tennis courts in the development. I guess they wanted them to burn off some energy." Dad laughed as he placed a napkin over his lap.
"Good idea." Mom grinned.
"And I saw Sara. She's about to go off for her senior year at Irvine. She'll be in town for a few more days."
"Great. I definitely want to see her. Jordan too."
"Oh yeah, didn't I tell you? Jordan and Marco are back in town."
"The one person who tamed him...I never believed they'd actually get engaged." Mom chuckled.
"It's about time. The party life only lasts so long. Hear that, Rae?" Dad winked at me.
"Yeah, yeah." The soup in my bowl was almost gone. So was my salad.
"Well, you finished your dinner, so you are excused from the table. Get started on your homework. Your father brought your book bag in, I hope."
"I did." Dad pointed to the hallway.
"Well you know what to do. Your social studies teacher sent a note home, and I'm not happy about this C you got on your last report for him. Turn it around." Mom poured herself a glass of water and gave me a stern look.
I scrunched my face up.
Darn Mr. Turner...
I pushed myself up slowly from the table and walked out to the hallway where Dad left my book bag. As I got up to my room, I felt my head start to hurt.
Not again! crap, that concussion is NOT going away.
I laid down on my bed.
A nap. Just a small nap. I'll get up later and finish my homework.
But I wasn't prepared for this dream.
As I lost consciousness, I could feel everything slip away. Even the air started to flicker and quiver. Smoky haze descended all around me, haze so think that my vision was obscured.
I couldn't see anything. Everything was just this black…..nothingness
HELLO RAE.
A voice. A huge booming voice. It shook me to my core. Literally. My knees were shaking, and I had no control over my body. I was a slave to this, bizarre sound.
I could hear...evil oozing from its tone. There was so much hatred, so much vileness dripping from its tone that it couldn't be anything other than pure evil.
I tried to move around, but I was in a void. There was no light, or dark, land, or air. There was nothing.
"What's going on?" I screamed. "Where am I?" How do you know my name?"
Nothing.
I tried to run, to move, but I couldn't. It was like I was trapped, watching myself.
Like I was paralyzed.
Then this huge Red Eye materialized out of nothingness.
It stared at me. The crimson veins in its eye focused directly in on me, like I was a military target. Then it Blinked.
Once.
Twice.
IT IS DONE. HE WILL DIE. 'It" said.
"AAHHH!"
I woke up, sweat dripping all over me.
My sheets were drenched.
What in the HELL?
I stumbled out of bed and over to my desk. Turning on the light, I took a good look at myself in the mirror.
My hair was damp to my face. I was wet all over. My cheeks were flushed red, contrasting against my caramel skin. One good thing was that my black eye had almost faded away…
I need some water.
I clicked off the light and made my way to our dark hallway. It must have been late, because all the lights were off. Tommy and Melissa must be sound asleep, for once.
BAM!
I hit my foot against our bad top step.
"Ow!" I yelped. "Not again! Son-of-a!" Could nothing go right for me?
I stopped talking when I heard voices coming from the kitchen. Silently, I went down the stairs, trying my best not to make the stairs squeak.
When I got to the bottom of the steps, the voices got louder.
"...You're WHAT?" I heard Dad yell in shock. "Cassie, I can't believe it!"
What's wrong with Mom?
"Jake, I know this is unexpected, but you can't always plan these things. Lord knows I wasn't exactly counting on this happening."
"Me neither. We already have our hands full..." he trailed off into a lower voice.
"Look honey, even though this isn't what we were anticipating...you and I know the best gifts are surprise ones," Mom sounded reassuring.
Ok. I HAD to know what they were talking about. I slowly walked into the kitchen.
Dad was facing Mom, holding her in his arms. He was staring at her stomach...and his faced was loaded with concern.
"Oh, speak of the Devil..." Dad tried to joke. They quickly turned to face me.
Mom frowned. "Rae. You're drenched."
She put a hand to my head. "You're not running a fever."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Bad dream."
They exchanged worried glances.
"You haven't had nightmares in a very long time…not since you were two. What's going on?" Dad adjusted his glasses and stared straight at me, fear in his good eye.
Should I tell them? No. They have enough to worry about, whatever is going on.
"Nothing. Just nothing. Maybe PMS?"
"PMS happens before your period, Rae. Remember?" Mom stroked my hair.
"Oh. Right. Maybe I just need something to drink." I went over to the sink and filled a glass full of water.
"Whatever it is, we're here for you. Don't be afraid to come to us." Dad tried to reassure me.
I almost spit the water out. Dad, of all people, was being warm and fuzzy.
I just wish that what they said was true.
Because I couldn't stop thinking about that huge Red Eye.
The cafeteria was bustling, full of kids going every which way. Since I already had a packed lunch, I didn't bother going up there to see the goop of the day. I did look around to see who was in the room. I didn't see Tanya, Jon, or Derrick.
You're early. Calm down a bit.
I picked a quiet table by myself in the corner to sit down and eat my PBJ sandwich.
"Oh there you are," Tanya spotted me. "I was looking for you,"
She brought over her lunch tray over to me and sat down.
"Hey Tanya. What's going on?"
"We need to talk. I thought you know, what happened in your barn, before the uh...party...wasn't maybe real...but I've been seeing some things lately."
I dropped my sandwich.
"Like what?"
She lowered her voice and pushed some braids out of her face.
"This big Red Eye...and he keeps on coming in my dreams, saying that I can't help you...that...he's going to get me. All of us."
THAT creeped me out. I lowered my voice as well."I had the same dream too, sorta."
"What do you think it is?" She asked me. "You're like our expert on this stuff. Could it be the same evil that the uh, Ellimist was talking about?"
I scratched at my cast.
"I dunno. But it's sure starting to make sense. Have you heard from anyone else since I'm in permanent lockdown?"
She raised her eyes. "Derrick texted me a little earlier. He and Jon saw the same thing."
Why not me? Other than the fact that they took my cell away...
Tanya must have seen my face, because the next thing she said shocked me.
"Don't worry, he still likes you."
I raised my eyebrows. My cheeks started to blush, I could tell. She giggled.
"Wait, how do you know?"
"Oh please. Just the way he looks at you, especially in class. He LIKES you." She smiled mischievously at me.
"Right. Until my Dad nearly ripped his throat out as a tiger."
"Well, he's just scared to death of your Dad. That's normal. My Dad used to joke that he would have to sit on the front porch with a shotgun to keep the boys away from me."
I leaned back on the stiff green plastic chair.
"Dad has ruined my life for REAL." I put my head down on the table.
"Before you start freaking out, we should probably, um go check out who this monster is." Tanya reminded me.
"Oh, right." I picked my head up and tried to finish my sandwich.
"Anyplace you have in mind?" She took a sip of her chocolate milk.
"Well, my parents will probably never let me look through their stuff again...maybe we could try the museum near uh, my Cousin Rachel's memorial. I'm pretty sure they'll let me in for free."
"Can you go?"
"Well, my Dad visits her statue every Thursday. If I can be really nice to him, maybe he'll let me tag along."
"That's cool, but as you said, you're grounded to the next millennium. How will he ever let us go with you, or even let you lay eyes on Derrick."
"Dad usually sits by himself for a while...just go to the museum and I'll meet you there. Promise."
A little while later, Dad picked me up from school. I was surprised.
"Hey Dad, I thought Mom was coming today." I told him as I climberd into his truck.
"Oh, well she has a doctor's appointment. I told her I'd take you."
"Is something wrong with her?" I got scared about the conversation from last night.
"Um, no, but we'll talk about that later. Right now, I have to take you to St. Augustine's."
"With Father Banion?" I pouted.
"Still thought you could get out of it?" he chuckled.
"Yes."
"Nope." He started the ignition and pulled away. "You're going to confession. Who knows? Maybe it will be good for you."
Dad drove me away from school more towards the city.
We were silent.
He turned up the radio to some classic '90's music he had on earlier, I guess. Nine Inch Nails.
When the lyrics came on, his eyes widened.
"I wanna (bleep) you like an animal..."
"Yeah, we're gonna turn this off now that you're in the car." he switched it to a talk radio station.
Ha, and Derrick touching my back was bad...
"This just in, this just in. The President of the United States has just instituted restrictions on all aliens and alien travel within the United States."
"Huh. That's interesting. They usually call me in regard to Alien Affairs." Dad frowned in the rear-view mirror as he turned a corner.
The church was on the end of the street. I could see nuns walking outside the abbey.
"Look, your Mom says these things take a while, so I'm going to Starbucks to get a cup of coffee. I'll be back at 4:30. No surprises. Your new bodyguard Hank will be waiting outside just in case something happens." His good eye shifted around suspiciously.
I got out of his truck and he drove off.
There was an old man with a bald spot outside, tending to some of the flowers in the walkway.
"Um, Father Banion?"
"Rachel?" He wiped his hands and stood up. "Wow, it certainly has been a while since I last saw you. The little flower girl at your parents' wedding. You look just like your Mother,"
"Uh thanks." I didn't know to take that...exactly...
"Shall we go inside?"
"Sure,"
He walked with me up to the confession booth. Unlike Berkeley, this place was modern inside, with a lot of light and desert colors.
But the confession booth was like all the others.
"Um, Father Banion, bless me for I have sinned...I haven't been to confession since 2013. In that time, wow, uh, where do I start? This year, I've gotten into a lot of arguments with my parents, gotten into a fight at school with this racist girl...and I met a guy who's really nice, but my dad wigged out for me being alone with him. They grounded me, so I threw a barn party behind their back...and they were furious...I ran away from home and almost got hit by a truck…I guess I've done a lot wrong, huh."
He was silent.
"Well, I could tell you to do seven Hail Mary's and light seven candles and make a seven dollar donation to the poor box, which I want you to do, no doubt. But I want to ask you this question. Why did you feel it in your heart to disobey them? Your parents are sacred and to be respected. That's what you've always been taught."
"Because they don't understand me. They try...but they expect me to live by these rigid set of rules...to be exactly like them, but I'm not. Sure, I love the planet, but I'm no tree-hugging hippie like Mom. Basketball is cool, but I'm not obsessed like Dad and I don't want to be a superstar like Uncle Tom. That's what he wants me to be. Like him. Actually, they want me to be carbon copies of them. I don't want that. I just want to be myself."
"And what is that?"
"I don't know. Even I have a hard time with everything that makes me, me."
"Well don't worry. You're destined for great things. I knew that ever since I baptized you, Teresa."
I smiled. My saint name.
"It's not just because your parents are who they are, either."
"You sure?"
"I really am. However, there is something else I want you to do. I want you to apologize to them. I know that one of the other reasons you may not be getting along with them was the...way...you were brought into the world,"
"How do you know that?"
"Your Mom told me."
"Heh."
"Rachel, there are many people who were born out of marriage and managed to make a great mark on the world. Even our savior. Don't let the past actions of your parents destroy your hopes for living a different future. What happened was their wrong. Don't bear the blame for it. But they want better for you. Much better. And you will achieve that. I know it in my heart of hearts."
I bit my lip."Thank you, Father."
"Anytime. I say that your sins are forgiven. Bless you, child."
I opened the door and got out of the booth. Father Banion followed.
"If you want some privacy in the sanctuary, I'll be outside, tending to the flowers."
I walked to the altar and kneeled down with Mom's old rosary beads
There were footsteps behind me.
"Excuse me, have you seen Father Banion?" A very familiar voice said. "I was just in Catchesism class and I wanted to go to confession."
"Derrick?" I whipped around.
"Rae?" he was flabbergasted. "You go here?"He looked a little different. He had corn rowed his hair and he had a crucifix hanging around his neck. He looked extra hot!
Darnit! I shouldn't be thinking like that in church!
"This is my Mom's family's church...what are you doing here?"
"My family goes here too."
"Oh." He started kicking at an invisible stain on the granite floor.
"Well, I should probably go looking for him," he turned to leave.
"Wait, Derrick! We need to talk."
He stopped for a second.
"Please?"
He turned around to face me.
"Rae, I think you're cool. I really do. But-"
"But what?"
"Your Dad. I don't think he'll let me be your friend." He dropped his head. I could tell it had really been weighing on him, the whole my dad trying to kill him thing.
I sighed. My chest started to feel heavy.
"It's the tiger thing, isn't it?" I admitted.
"Rachel, I thought he was going to KILL me! You have no idea how scared I was! Even when I first met him, I knew he didn't like me."
"Dad...he has problems, I know...but I don't. Derrick, I still think you're that cool kid who can hit any shot on the basketball court or the guy who can play the sax like Coltrane. And who held my hand when we went on that inter-dimension roller-coaster ride."
He touched my cast."I know that too, but will it be enough?" .
"It has to be, especially with the dreams. Tanya told me. You and Jon have been getting them. Probably Becky too. I can't believe this is actually real." I tried to change the subject from exclusively us.
"Neither can I. Even with the aliens..." he trailed off.
"Promise me one thing Derrick. You'll help me get to the bottom of what's going on. Even with Dad."
He smiled."Who knows...once we find out, maybe he'll cut me some slack."
I touched his cheek.
"You're sweet."
We were interrupted by the sound of Dad's truck, honking.
"Well, I should go. Dad's outside. So is Father Banion actually."
"I'll wait in here. Just tell the Father I'll be near the confessional."
We held hands for a second.
"I will."
"Bye Rachel."
"Bye."I looked back at him, his emerald green eyes sparkled as I left the sanctuary.
I walked out of the church happy.
At least something is going right in my life.