My name is Marco. And today, for once, there was no running,
screaming, or plotting to save the world. It was just me, and my best buddy
Jake, going down to the pier to hang out. We hadn't had a mission in a
while. The Yeerks seemed to be taking a break for a bit. So we were, too.
We had been hitting them hard, and believed they were 'reworking' their
strategy. Thank God.
"Jake, over here!" I called, waving to the tall, brown haired boy walking towards me. He smiled and quickly jogged to meet me. He looked far to serious and mature for his age. He had the kind of eyes that commanded your attention. He would never make you listen to him, but then again, he'd never have to. A forty year old, trapped in a kids body. Jake and I were meeting at the end of the pier, and being four o'clock in the morning, there weren't any people around. No one wakes up that early on summer vacation. No one sane anyway. Which is why we were there...
"You ready?' Jake asked. I smiled and nodded. Soon we were both beginning to feel the itch of feathers growing out of our skin, the long, hard, orange beak bulging out of our face, and the shrinking. We aren't exactly supposed to use our powers for fun, but every once in a while, Jake lets it slide. Which is why we were both seagulls, flying around the beach, acting absolutely insane.
Looklooklooklooklook! That box of pizza is still half full! Half full!!! I cried in thought-speech, swooping down to land on the dumpster.
A ho-ho! Jake called back, landing on the ground ten feet from where I was perched, chomping down a slice of anchovy/onion/mushroom/olive/extra, extra, 'don't you dare be skimpy with the cheese' pizza. When we had eaten our fill ,(which might sustain us for maybe ten minutes), we were off flying again, soaring over the high ocean waves. The sun was just beginning to come up, casting rays of blood red light across the abandoned pier. I flew back to it, and began demorphing.
What are you doing? Jake asked, who had just been preparing to swoop down upon a forgotten bag of Doritos. When I finished demorphing, I sat down at the small, about to fall apart, picnic table. Jake flew over to me, and began demorphing. Morphing clothing was hard, so we were both wearing bicycle shorts, and small t-shirts. Not such a fashion statement.
Jake looked at me questioningly, and I nodded my head to the rising sun.
"It looks better, seeing it through my own eyes." Jake smiled, and pantomimed a violin, his expression changing to one who was really into the sad, sad music they were playing. I smiled and shook my head.
"It's nice being able to fly as a bird, swim as a dolphin, and beat the crap out of a yeerk as a gorilla," I continued, "But nothing beats this good ol' human body."
"You got that right," Jake said, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. An awkward silence followed. That was the fifth time in the past month something like this had happened. What was Jake talking about? He agreed, being in your own body was best? Or that nothing beats...my body? Neither of us had addressed the obvious tension between us. Usually it would be Cassie who would spot a problem in the group, and force us to talk about it. Yet even she didn't see this. But then again, what is this?
"Jake..." I began, standing up. Jake quickly and expectantly looked over to me. I sighed. "I had better get back home, you know. Before my dad wakes up." Jake smiled weakly and I turned away from him to morph back to my typical osprey. When I was finished, Jake still hadn't even started.
What are you waiting for? I asked, hopping and flying onto the picnic table.
"Just wanted to watch the sunrise."
If I see more clichés on the way home, I'll be sure to tell them to stop by, I said. Jake smiled.
"No, a cliché would be two lovers watching the sunrise. Or set." Jake turned to me and looked into my sharp osprey eyes. I quickly looked away.
Well if I see any fine ladies on the way home, I'll give 'em the heads up I forced meekly. Jake continued staring, his face expressionless.
"Marco, maybe it would be better for me to do this when you're not a bird," he said, moving closer to me. I backed away and forced a laugh.
Do what? I asked. Jake shrugged, and began morphing into a bird. I sighed a very large sigh of relief. See ya later, man, I said as I began flying off. But I wasn't going home. Me and Jake live fairly close together, so I'd have to act as if I was going home for a while. Luckily, we usually fly far apart, as to not make anyone suspicious. So soon I was flying to the edge of town, to a small barn full of everything from horses to wolves to ducks to chipmunks. I landed in the hay loft and demorphed. Quietly as I could, (I didn't know were Cassie's parents were, and I've heard farmers are early risers), I walked down into the barn. Thankfully, Cassie was the only one in there, scooping some food into a manger for a horse. She was singing to herself. Sounded like...The Beatles?
"Cassie," I whispered, stepping out of the shadows. Cassie shrieked, and fell backwards in fright. "Sorry," I muttered, walking over to help her up. She blushed furiously.
"How long have you been there?"
"Somewhere around 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', to 'Penny Lane'," I said, grinning. Cassie couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, so what is it? Some new mission?" Cassie asked, sitting down on a bale of hay. I sat down on one across from her.
"Actually, it's kind of a...personal thing," I said, fiddling with a piece of hay.
"Oh, so it doesn't involve the Animorphs," Cassie said, sighing thankfully.
"I wouldn't say that," I mumbled. Cassie looked me in the eyes, a kind of look that wouldn't let me look away. "Fine!" I finally said after five minutes of the 'Cassie stare'. "Ok, say that, hypothetically, someone liked me."
"I suppose that would have to be hypothetical," Cassie said, giggling.
"Ok, Rachel," I said, her joking not helping in the least bit.
"Sorry. Sorry, go on. Hypothetically, someone likes you."
"Yeah. And I think I like that someone. But...we've been friends for a while. And neither of us really knows how to...initiate...the first...contact."
"Well. I'd say one of you should just go for it," Cassie said simply, shrugging.
"I would. But, it's really weird. Neither of us, hypothetically, had ever thought about the other like that before. It's really confusing," I said, putting my head on my lap and my hands over the back of my neck.
"So, you have a thing for an Animorph. This thing is a mutual...thing. But neither of you know how to start the...thing." I nodded.
"Well Marco, I think next time you see her, you'll just have to tell Rachel that-"
"Wait, what? You think it's Rachel?" I demanded.
"Well, I know it isn't me, since you came to me for the help," Cassie said.
"It isn't Rachel," I said, shaking my head furiously.
"But if it's an Animorph, that only leaves Tobias, Jake, and Ax."
"It's not Ax," I said, shuddering at the thought.
"Well then all you have left is Tobias and Jake, and they're both..." Cassie suddenly stopped. "Marco, I didn't know you were gay!"
"What?" I sputtered. "I'm not gay. I'm...keeping my options open."
"Alright then. Tobias is a bird, and him and Rachel are...together. So you and Jake then." Cassie said. I looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Cassie. I know you and Jake were..."
"No, actually," Cassie said, smiling deviously. "Jake told me a long time ago that he was gay, but swore me to secrecy. I don't know why, he knew none of us would care. But still...so I told him I wouldn't tell a soul. That wasn't good enough for him. So I became kind of his...cover up."
"You mean...you and Jake were...faking? So no one would know?" I asked, shocked. What they had seemed so real.
"Yes, in a way. I love Jake, and he loves me, but it's a different kind of love. Not romantic." I smiled.
"So, you think I should just, go for it?" I asked. Cassie nodded. "Alright. Thanks!" I cried, quickly morphing back to osprey and flying home. I demorphed and crawled back into bed just as my dad knocked on the door.
"Marco, I'm going to Dunkin' Donuts. You want anything?" he asked.
"No thanks," I called, burying my face into the pillow. I hate getting up early, and was planing on making up for the lost time that morning.
"Alright. Oh, and Jake's mom just called. He's going to be spending the next week with us," my dad said.
"What?! "I shouted, sitting straight up in my bed. My dad opened my door.
"His mom and dad are going away for a while. Something about a second honeymoon. She asked if Jake could stay here."
"But, what about Tom?" I asked. Tom, Jake's brother, was a known controller.
"He's going on a camping trip with The Sharing. If you have a problem with Jake staying over, his mom said he could just go with Tom," my dad offered.
"No! No, that's ok. It'll be cool, having Jake over for a week," I said, forcing a smile. My dad smiled back, and left my room.
Jake was going to be staying here for a week? I was thinking I'd have a long time to plan my 'mode of attack' with the whole Jake thing. But apparently not. He's going to be sleeping in my room, three feet away, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with me, playing video games, going to the mall, walking on the beach, holding han- wait a minute. No. I couldn't do this. How would I ever work up the nerve to tell him how I felt? With any luck, he'll decide to take the initiative. But what if he didn't.?
I got back into my bed, and put my pillow over my head. I'd think about this later.
Darkness all around. Being ripped apart, limb by limb. Evil pinchers, attacking me, biting me, killing me, eating me. No room. No air. Demorph! Demorph! Can't demorph! No room! Just do it! Demorph. Dirt walls closing in around me. Buried alive. No room to move. No room to breath. Four bodies around me, growing just like me. Suffocating just like me. The ground moves. Shakes. Splits. Air! I can feel it, soft, cool, flowing painfully into my deprived lungs. Alive! We're alive! Standing next to me, still shaking, is the leader. Tall and built. I turn to him, and we embrace. We could have died, he sobs, but I hold him and make it better. After he has calmed, I take his face in my hands. His eyes slowly close, as do mine, as our faces draw nearer and nearer. I almost have to stand on tiptoe to reach. I can feel his warm, sweet breath, centimeters from my face. The tears that were flowing from his eyes are soaking my hands. Our lips will be touching in mere seconds. Half a second away, I can just feel the brush of the soft lips on mine, silently agreeing, both mouths open before even true contact. Soon to be lost in him. Finally, it's coming.
"Ahhhh!" I cried, falling out of bed into a heap of blankets and sweat onto the floor. "No, no. No." I muttered, clutching my chest. Remembering the horrible ant morph, and the awful claustrophobic feeling. Almost as soon as I began thinking about the dream, it was gone. But I couldn't forget one part. Jake was there. And something happened, between us. Our faces were close, very close. I shut my eyes, trying not to think about it. It hurt.
TBC
"Jake, over here!" I called, waving to the tall, brown haired boy walking towards me. He smiled and quickly jogged to meet me. He looked far to serious and mature for his age. He had the kind of eyes that commanded your attention. He would never make you listen to him, but then again, he'd never have to. A forty year old, trapped in a kids body. Jake and I were meeting at the end of the pier, and being four o'clock in the morning, there weren't any people around. No one wakes up that early on summer vacation. No one sane anyway. Which is why we were there...
"You ready?' Jake asked. I smiled and nodded. Soon we were both beginning to feel the itch of feathers growing out of our skin, the long, hard, orange beak bulging out of our face, and the shrinking. We aren't exactly supposed to use our powers for fun, but every once in a while, Jake lets it slide. Which is why we were both seagulls, flying around the beach, acting absolutely insane.
Looklooklooklooklook! That box of pizza is still half full! Half full!!! I cried in thought-speech, swooping down to land on the dumpster.
A ho-ho! Jake called back, landing on the ground ten feet from where I was perched, chomping down a slice of anchovy/onion/mushroom/olive/extra, extra, 'don't you dare be skimpy with the cheese' pizza. When we had eaten our fill ,(which might sustain us for maybe ten minutes), we were off flying again, soaring over the high ocean waves. The sun was just beginning to come up, casting rays of blood red light across the abandoned pier. I flew back to it, and began demorphing.
What are you doing? Jake asked, who had just been preparing to swoop down upon a forgotten bag of Doritos. When I finished demorphing, I sat down at the small, about to fall apart, picnic table. Jake flew over to me, and began demorphing. Morphing clothing was hard, so we were both wearing bicycle shorts, and small t-shirts. Not such a fashion statement.
Jake looked at me questioningly, and I nodded my head to the rising sun.
"It looks better, seeing it through my own eyes." Jake smiled, and pantomimed a violin, his expression changing to one who was really into the sad, sad music they were playing. I smiled and shook my head.
"It's nice being able to fly as a bird, swim as a dolphin, and beat the crap out of a yeerk as a gorilla," I continued, "But nothing beats this good ol' human body."
"You got that right," Jake said, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. An awkward silence followed. That was the fifth time in the past month something like this had happened. What was Jake talking about? He agreed, being in your own body was best? Or that nothing beats...my body? Neither of us had addressed the obvious tension between us. Usually it would be Cassie who would spot a problem in the group, and force us to talk about it. Yet even she didn't see this. But then again, what is this?
"Jake..." I began, standing up. Jake quickly and expectantly looked over to me. I sighed. "I had better get back home, you know. Before my dad wakes up." Jake smiled weakly and I turned away from him to morph back to my typical osprey. When I was finished, Jake still hadn't even started.
What are you waiting for? I asked, hopping and flying onto the picnic table.
"Just wanted to watch the sunrise."
If I see more clichés on the way home, I'll be sure to tell them to stop by, I said. Jake smiled.
"No, a cliché would be two lovers watching the sunrise. Or set." Jake turned to me and looked into my sharp osprey eyes. I quickly looked away.
Well if I see any fine ladies on the way home, I'll give 'em the heads up I forced meekly. Jake continued staring, his face expressionless.
"Marco, maybe it would be better for me to do this when you're not a bird," he said, moving closer to me. I backed away and forced a laugh.
Do what? I asked. Jake shrugged, and began morphing into a bird. I sighed a very large sigh of relief. See ya later, man, I said as I began flying off. But I wasn't going home. Me and Jake live fairly close together, so I'd have to act as if I was going home for a while. Luckily, we usually fly far apart, as to not make anyone suspicious. So soon I was flying to the edge of town, to a small barn full of everything from horses to wolves to ducks to chipmunks. I landed in the hay loft and demorphed. Quietly as I could, (I didn't know were Cassie's parents were, and I've heard farmers are early risers), I walked down into the barn. Thankfully, Cassie was the only one in there, scooping some food into a manger for a horse. She was singing to herself. Sounded like...The Beatles?
"Cassie," I whispered, stepping out of the shadows. Cassie shrieked, and fell backwards in fright. "Sorry," I muttered, walking over to help her up. She blushed furiously.
"How long have you been there?"
"Somewhere around 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', to 'Penny Lane'," I said, grinning. Cassie couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, so what is it? Some new mission?" Cassie asked, sitting down on a bale of hay. I sat down on one across from her.
"Actually, it's kind of a...personal thing," I said, fiddling with a piece of hay.
"Oh, so it doesn't involve the Animorphs," Cassie said, sighing thankfully.
"I wouldn't say that," I mumbled. Cassie looked me in the eyes, a kind of look that wouldn't let me look away. "Fine!" I finally said after five minutes of the 'Cassie stare'. "Ok, say that, hypothetically, someone liked me."
"I suppose that would have to be hypothetical," Cassie said, giggling.
"Ok, Rachel," I said, her joking not helping in the least bit.
"Sorry. Sorry, go on. Hypothetically, someone likes you."
"Yeah. And I think I like that someone. But...we've been friends for a while. And neither of us really knows how to...initiate...the first...contact."
"Well. I'd say one of you should just go for it," Cassie said simply, shrugging.
"I would. But, it's really weird. Neither of us, hypothetically, had ever thought about the other like that before. It's really confusing," I said, putting my head on my lap and my hands over the back of my neck.
"So, you have a thing for an Animorph. This thing is a mutual...thing. But neither of you know how to start the...thing." I nodded.
"Well Marco, I think next time you see her, you'll just have to tell Rachel that-"
"Wait, what? You think it's Rachel?" I demanded.
"Well, I know it isn't me, since you came to me for the help," Cassie said.
"It isn't Rachel," I said, shaking my head furiously.
"But if it's an Animorph, that only leaves Tobias, Jake, and Ax."
"It's not Ax," I said, shuddering at the thought.
"Well then all you have left is Tobias and Jake, and they're both..." Cassie suddenly stopped. "Marco, I didn't know you were gay!"
"What?" I sputtered. "I'm not gay. I'm...keeping my options open."
"Alright then. Tobias is a bird, and him and Rachel are...together. So you and Jake then." Cassie said. I looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Cassie. I know you and Jake were..."
"No, actually," Cassie said, smiling deviously. "Jake told me a long time ago that he was gay, but swore me to secrecy. I don't know why, he knew none of us would care. But still...so I told him I wouldn't tell a soul. That wasn't good enough for him. So I became kind of his...cover up."
"You mean...you and Jake were...faking? So no one would know?" I asked, shocked. What they had seemed so real.
"Yes, in a way. I love Jake, and he loves me, but it's a different kind of love. Not romantic." I smiled.
"So, you think I should just, go for it?" I asked. Cassie nodded. "Alright. Thanks!" I cried, quickly morphing back to osprey and flying home. I demorphed and crawled back into bed just as my dad knocked on the door.
"Marco, I'm going to Dunkin' Donuts. You want anything?" he asked.
"No thanks," I called, burying my face into the pillow. I hate getting up early, and was planing on making up for the lost time that morning.
"Alright. Oh, and Jake's mom just called. He's going to be spending the next week with us," my dad said.
"What?! "I shouted, sitting straight up in my bed. My dad opened my door.
"His mom and dad are going away for a while. Something about a second honeymoon. She asked if Jake could stay here."
"But, what about Tom?" I asked. Tom, Jake's brother, was a known controller.
"He's going on a camping trip with The Sharing. If you have a problem with Jake staying over, his mom said he could just go with Tom," my dad offered.
"No! No, that's ok. It'll be cool, having Jake over for a week," I said, forcing a smile. My dad smiled back, and left my room.
Jake was going to be staying here for a week? I was thinking I'd have a long time to plan my 'mode of attack' with the whole Jake thing. But apparently not. He's going to be sleeping in my room, three feet away, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with me, playing video games, going to the mall, walking on the beach, holding han- wait a minute. No. I couldn't do this. How would I ever work up the nerve to tell him how I felt? With any luck, he'll decide to take the initiative. But what if he didn't.?
I got back into my bed, and put my pillow over my head. I'd think about this later.
Darkness all around. Being ripped apart, limb by limb. Evil pinchers, attacking me, biting me, killing me, eating me. No room. No air. Demorph! Demorph! Can't demorph! No room! Just do it! Demorph. Dirt walls closing in around me. Buried alive. No room to move. No room to breath. Four bodies around me, growing just like me. Suffocating just like me. The ground moves. Shakes. Splits. Air! I can feel it, soft, cool, flowing painfully into my deprived lungs. Alive! We're alive! Standing next to me, still shaking, is the leader. Tall and built. I turn to him, and we embrace. We could have died, he sobs, but I hold him and make it better. After he has calmed, I take his face in my hands. His eyes slowly close, as do mine, as our faces draw nearer and nearer. I almost have to stand on tiptoe to reach. I can feel his warm, sweet breath, centimeters from my face. The tears that were flowing from his eyes are soaking my hands. Our lips will be touching in mere seconds. Half a second away, I can just feel the brush of the soft lips on mine, silently agreeing, both mouths open before even true contact. Soon to be lost in him. Finally, it's coming.
"Ahhhh!" I cried, falling out of bed into a heap of blankets and sweat onto the floor. "No, no. No." I muttered, clutching my chest. Remembering the horrible ant morph, and the awful claustrophobic feeling. Almost as soon as I began thinking about the dream, it was gone. But I couldn't forget one part. Jake was there. And something happened, between us. Our faces were close, very close. I shut my eyes, trying not to think about it. It hurt.
TBC