A three-day suspension. That’s what I got for beating the shit out of Jessica Lyons, according to Principal Gibbs, who called me the following morning after he had discussed consequences of mine and Jessica’s behavior with the Lyons family. Was the fight worth it? Not really. Tabitha was pissed at me, because she could lose her job. Jessica was injured, which could result in a lawsuit, if her family wanted to be extra malicious. And I didn’t get to hang out with Liz or Dee until later in the day, after school. The only good part out of all of this: I was able to sleep in. Well, I slept until noon-ish, then my phone went crazy during lunch; Liz, Dee, and Ryan texted me.
Jessica looks like shit! Dee said.
Everyone’s talking about the fight. That was Liz.
Can u meet me? Ryan.
Hmm… Having almost forgotten the strange chat last night with Ryan, I replied, When?
Tonight. Train tracks.
I knew the roundabout location: it was above Blackstone River and next to the park.
What time?
Same as last time - 9:00
K
Had it only been one day since I spoke to Ryan? It seemed like so much time had passed since then. Disappearing to Glasslyn, coming face to face with Dom again, and then spending time at the Ministry left me staggered, like I was shitfaced, and all the events were one big blur. Maybe I was drunk, or maybe I never actually visited the Ministry. Maybe it was something my mind made up.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. No, that couldn’t be right. Dom’s muscles had been taut underneath my palms, a hint of spicy soap had floated up from his body, and his lips had lingered just above mine. That happened. That was as real as my existence.
Having slept on and off for most of the afternoon, I groggily sat up in bed, stretched my limbs in all directions, and stood, the frayed carpet cuddling my bare feet. Rummaging through my closet, I chose a clean pair of pants, a long-sleeved graphic tee, and electric-blue sneakers. I wasn’t about to go out of my way to look nice, especially not for Ryan Carter. And definitely not on a no-school day.
Driving to the park was uneventful, and if the rumble coming from my stomach was any indication, I was hungry. I stopped by a popular fast food chain and bought a bacon cheeseburger and fries. As I sat in the parking lot bordering the park, a rapid tap, tap, tap clattered to my right. I jumped, my fries spilling all over my lap. Ryan bent down, his head inches from the passenger window. With a quick twitch of my chin, I invited him inside.
“Smells wonderful,” he said.
“Cut the shit,” I responded, chewing a fry. “What’s with all the secrecy? Liz’s house, the library, you blowing up my phone—what the hell is going on?”
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck and peered out the window. “Okay, so…ummm…I overheard this conversation the other day between Jessica and her dad.”
I rolled my hand over and over, signaling for him to continue.
“Jessica mentioned something about you that didn’t make much sense to me.”
“Like what?” I took a sip of my soda…
“She said you have the ability to disappear.”
…and spewed it all over my steering wheel.
In an attempt to conceal my strange behavior, I laughed and wiped off leftover soda residue around my mouth with the back of my hand. “That’s it? You’ve been trying to track me down and have a top-secret discussion over that? Dude, you could’ve texted me, or not bothered to contact me at all. I disappear all the time. It’s just my thing. If I don’t feel like showing up to class, I don’t show up. Period. End of story.”
Ryan stared at me without saying a word, and my smile died. My heart pounded so hard, I heard it in my ears and felt it in my fingertips. I looked away. What else could I do? Not let him see the truth in my eyes, for starters. He had to believe that Jessica lied.
“You’re kinda freaking me out,” I said.
Ryan persisted, “Jessica told her dad that she knew you had the ability the moment she saw you disappear in study hall.”
Oh, no.
Throat swelling, I swallowed several times, hoping the dull ache would go away. Sipping soda didn’t help, either. But I managed to ask, “And why would she be telling him?”
“Apparently, he works for some company that helps with mental issues.”
Mental issues. Was that what they called my ability behind closed doors? They couldn’t be further from the truth with that one, although the inside joke wasn’t lost on me.
“So,” I began, snatching another fry and forcing myself to chew, “where did I disappear to? I sincerely hope it was a beach. It’s just too bad I don’t remember, since, you know, it never actually happened.”
Ryan tried to laugh, but failed miserably. “She didn’t say, or, at least, I didn’t hear that part.”
“And what ability will I have next? Flying?”
Cheeks reddening, Ryan said, “Look, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that I don’t know who to believe. I mean, Jessica’s dad was talking about some weird shit. Something about erasing people’s minds and being invisible to society. I’ve tried for the past few days to process what I heard, but it all sounded so fucking crazy, I don’t even know where to begin.”
Being invisible to society? That’s odd. I don’t remember Dom saying the Ministry was completely undetectable.
“Any other glorious news you care to add?”
Defeated, Ryan said, “No, I think that about sums it up.”
“Awesome. Well, I’m going to sit here and finish my fatty meal, but it was nice chatting with you.”
Ryan hesitated, then said, “I know we basically hate each other, because of the whole Liz-and-me thing, but the way Jessica’s dad said he’d ‘take care of it’”—he provided air quotes—“when he was talking about you really freaked me out, just so you know.” He opened the door and exited without another word.
The cold air left in his wake chilled my right cheek, and my bones. This was so, so bad. Like, catastrophically bad. My ability was no longer a secret, and more people knew about it than I’d care to acknowledge. If Jessica’s dad works for the Ministry, which I suspected from Ryan’s brief exchange, then he’d shit a brick knowing I was just there, especially if he learned Dom didn’t erase my mind.
Oh, yes. I was doomed. And the Ministry? They’d be my downfall.
11