Chapter 3
El
"This is ridiculous, it's getting beyond a joke", "I know but what are we supposed to do about it?"
The sound of the two voices made EL stop. She had been using the training room for nearly two weeks and this was the first thing to break her out of her trance. In a sudden loss of focus El hit the ball too hard sending it bouncing away. "Sorry", she waved narrowly missing a fellow player.
But the break in concentration was understandable, she knew those voices.
"Every time, every time, we can't get a court because some idiot keeps booking one and not showing up!" "Yeah, I know," the other voice said. But the first kept pontificating, "we can't find out who it is because Luke won't tell us, they can't cancel it because they paid in full, and it's very annoying!"
El looked down, her face turning red, because she was that idiot.
Looking around for an escape route, El realised there was nowhere to go except back the way she came.
"Well at least we can," the guy started. But then looked up, "Jane?" El who was trying to exit quietly stood still, he had seen her, there was no turning back now. She sucked in a few breaths before standing to face him. "Hey, how have you been?" He asked stretching out his hand.
"Hi Simon," she said taking his outstretched hand "I'm fine thanks." "Hi" the other guy said also shaking her hand, "hey Kieron," she said.
"Well," Simon said hands on hips, "it's good to see you, I see you've picked up your racket again." "Yeah, I've just started" El responded. The two shared an awkward silence. "Maybe" Kieron piped up, "you can help us solve this mystery?" "Mystery?" El enquired.
"Yeah," Simon said recovering himself a little, "there's this idiot whose been booking a court every time we come and not showing up, we've had to wait ages before we get a chance." El felt herself going scarlet and tried her best to laugh it off, "oh, really!"
"Yeah," Simon went on, "I'd like to meet them, give them a piece of my mind."
"Well," El said almost beside herself, "I have a confession, I'm afraid I'm that idiot."
Simon's face went pale, "oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean." "No, it's ok, it is a bit dumb," El admitted.
Simon searched for words and the only ones he could think of tumbled out, "so you fancy a game?"
El knew it was leading to this, she prepared an apology to decline but the prospect of a match with a real person was too good to pass up. So, her response changed to, "yeah sure why not."
In the blink of an eye, they were positioned on the court ready to do battle.
El gazed diagonally across to her opponent, this was so much better than a wall. She could feel the energy pumping through her, the thrill of the chase.
"You haven't played properly for a while, so I'll go easy on you," Simon called and did a slow serve. But El was ready. She lunged forward and hit a devastating back hand right past him. Simon blinked in surprise, along with Kieron who was watching on the bench. "Love," El said a wild grin on her face, "15". Simon smiled and looked intently at her, "all right he said to himself, this could get interesting."
"You never won that point" El said as the three of them left the leisure centre together. "Come on there was chalk dust!" Simon exclaimed. El laughed, "yeah whatever, what do you think Kieron? You were the line judge." "I don't know, he said sheepishly, I couldn't tell, it was so close."
"Either way" Simon said, "considering you haven't played a proper match in weeks. You were, good, I mean, really good." "I was ok" El admitted, "but your serve was so much better and accuracy."
"That's the problem with playing against a wall Jane," Simon acknowledged, "it always comes back where you hit it." He paused, "will you be back again soon?" "Yeah, I usually come four times a week or so," El said.
"Well," Simon continued, a little more nervously, "since we've discovered the mystery idiot, I figured we could play again, if you like?" "Yeah, sure, definitely," El said but a bit falteringly.
"Cool, so we'll see you around" Simon said. "Yeah, take care" Kieron added. El nodded and left, walking to her bus stop.
"She," said Kieron in awe, "she's incredible isn't she." "Yeah," Simon agreed "she sure is."
…
El rode the bus home in silence enjoying the adrenaline from her match, sparks of happiness running through her. But a feeling of unease also crept in, the combination of the two making her dizzy. "The sooner I get home the better" she thought to herself.
Arriving home El ran straight to her room, changed and jumped in the shower, the hot water made her relax and feel a bit better. Wrapped in a towel she sat on the edge of her bed legs swinging. "That wasn't so bad" she reflected. Looking toward the desk El noticed a piece of paper sticking out one of the draws. Examining it, she realised it was her letter to Mike, she had forgotten to send it. Feeling awful El quickly moved to her chair and began writing a few lines.
She did not know what it was but something else made her look up. Seeing the calendar, her eyes drew towards the 25th, which was circled in a big love heart. Seeing this made El's insides crumble, she placed her head in her hands, it was too late to send it now, he was coming in two days.
Mike
It was time, the day that he was to board a plane a see his 'sweetie pie' as his father had described her. She was much more than such a stale phrase could describe but he appreciated the sentiment. With a hug from Nancy and his mom and a handshake from his father Mike had left the house. He carried the 'monstrosity' towards the bus that would take him to the airport, along with Dustin and Lucas who held his other things.
"All set?" Dustin asked with a cheesy grin as they sat down. "Yeah" Mike nodded, "ready as I'll ever be."
…
At the airport, Dustin and Lucas carried the Mind Flayer as best they could while Mike wheeled his suitcase. "It's a good job you have us here" Lucas said narrowly avoiding a couple walking towards them, "this thing weighs a ton, how on earth are you going to carry it on your own?"
"I'll manage" Mike said, "Joyce is going to pick me up so I hope one of those guys will help", "not El though" he added quickly, "I don't want her to suspect anything."
"Well judging by the shape" Dustin said examining the many legs of the creature, "I think she will know what it is." Mike looked at him coldly, "hey just joking" he said, "besides which girlfriend really likes flowers anyway."
"Hi, I'm here to check in" Mike said arriving at the desk. "Ok" said the attendant, "so you've got one suitcase and one." She looked at the strange package quizzically. "It's a sculpture," Mike said, "and it's very fragile so I'll have to take it on the plane with me." "Well, if you're sure" she said, "I don't think it would fit in the overhead storage."
"Yeah, I'm going to have it on my lap." Mike said already imagining the anguish of an 8, hour flight with an evil 1000, pound monster on top of him. "Well, whatever you want" she said, stamping his passport.
The three sat in the nearby coffee shop waiting for Mike's flight to be called. While Dustin and Lucas exchanged quips, Mike sat in silence gazing at the steam rising from his coffee. "It was a subtle whisp" he thought to himself "kind of like that curl El has in her hair." "Hello, Earth to Mike?" Said Dustin waving a hand in front of his face.
"Sorry," Mike said looking up, "I was". "You were nowhere," Lucas said leaning in, "I thought we worked it all out, you know, put the world to rights?" "Yeah" said Mike, a smile developing as he remembered that night, the many games of pool, the long conversations, the laughter. "It was a great night" he said.
"Sure, was" Dustin said happily "and I thought we had sorted everything out?" "We had" Mike said with a hint of forlornness, but then changed tactic. "Ok" he gestured emphatically, "what do I say when I see her?"
"What you would say to a normal person," Dustin replied, "hi El." "Yeah," Mike said rolling his eyes "but after that?" Lucas put his hands together, as he often does when he's thinking. "What is it you want to achieve in this reunion?" He asked Mike in a professorial tone. "Well," Mike said surprised at his formality, "I want to, you know". "Just say it", Lucas said firmly. "I want to hold her!" Mike exclaimed, a little too loudly, causing people to look. "I want to run up to her, you know like in Dirty Dancing, sweep her off her feet," he prepared to spout more exposition. "Mike you're rambling," Dustin interjected.
"Ahh sorry," Mike said calming down, "but yeah, I want to hold her, tell her I love her." "Good very good" Lucas said calmly. "That's all you have to say?" Mike enquired.
"Yes," said Lucas, "your problem is, you're overcomplicating the situation, El will be just as nervous to see you and will want to hold you just as much. So just give into the moment, you will know when you get there."
Mike and Dustin starred at him. "When did you become such a love expert?" Dustin asked with a stunned expression. "It's a gift", Lucas said smoothly, before bursting out laughing, causing the others to do the same. As they laughed, they heard the bong of Mike's flight being called.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye" said Dustin as they approached the gate. Mike gave him a sideways smile, "what do you mean goodbye? I'm only going to be gone a couple of weeks." "Yeah, I know, I'm just going to miss you that's all." "Yeah," Lucas agreed in an uncharacteristic tone, "we both will."
Emotion swelling Mike placed the monster on the ground and pulled them both into a hug. "Thanks guys," "don't sweat it" said Lucas, "now go on, you're going to miss your flight." "Ok, see you soon" Mike said with a wave, he picked up the package and walked briskly towards the gate.
…
After making his way awkwardly along the isle of the plane Mike found his seat by the window and sat down, allowing the Mindflayer to sink into his lap. "This won't be so bad" he said to himself, before a man in a suit sat beside him, his arm brushing against one of the creatures' legs. He looked at it and Mike with an expression of surprise and annoyance. Never one for making casual conversation Mike was grateful when he turned away and opened a newspaper.
As the flight got underway a steward came round offering everyone coffee. "Yes please" Mike said, before realising that he could not even reach his wallet. "Oh, never mind" he said disappointed. His head cocked to one side, "this is going to be a long flight" he murmured.
