Chapter 7
The truth can not only set you free… but also embarrass the shit out of you
Leaving Mendon Hall, Marty and I headed to the boardwalk shops to pick up a couple slushies’ and sit on the beach for lunch. I got the standard coke flavored slushy, but Marty got one that had five different flavors in it. It may be ok at first I thought, but when he got to the bottom and all the flavors mixed together it might not taste so good.
Once we found a spot on the beach to sit, Marty asked, “Did you open your group packet yet boss?”
“Not yet, have you?”
“Yeah, I opened mine while I was in parachute class.”
Man that’s a bad class to not be paying attention in I thought.
“I’ve got my packet right here… let’s have a look.”
“Don’t bother. I know who’s in your group!” Marty looked pretty excited so I was guessing we made the same group and by his “boss” comment I’ll bet I was the damn group leader. It was probably no coincidence we were roommates, probably all the students were rooming with a group member.
“Well then, spill it.” I said stirring up my slushy to put flavor back into the clear icy part.
“We’re in a group together and you’re the group leader, but that’s not the best part… Stacy and Meea are in our group!”
“Really,” is all I could manage to get out. My head was suddenly flooded with a hundred thoughts all at once. Was this a good thing to be a group leader and responsible for the girl I want to get to know? Were there going to be overnight projects we could work on as a group? Would it make her mad that I was picked as the group leader and not her?
Marty was looking at me and could tell that I was a bit shell-shocked. He was still beaming, his eyebrows rose as he asked, “What do you think they can do that’s special?”
I got the impression from the look on Marty’s face he had some wild sexual acrobatic thing he was picturing.
“Good question… but it really doesn’t matter, does it. We wouldn’t want to spend the next four years with anyone else. Hell, I hope I can just focus when Meea’s around. I don’t want us flunking out because I can’t take my eyes off of her.”
“I don’t mind what my grades are as long as Stacy is on my team. Let’s set up our group meeting right away so we can see them again.”
“We were supposed to set up the meeting right away anyhow. Where do you want to meet them?” I asked enthusiastically, eager to see Meea again… and soon.
“Let them pick, just see if you can get it set for after my last class.” Marty said as a big slurping noise came from the bottom of his cup. Marty drank his slurpy so fast I bet the flavors never had a chance to mix together at the bottom, man that would have given me brain freeze bad if I had done that.
I set the meeting up for 6:00pm in the girl’s room, which was just two doors down from ours in room 212. I needed some time to look through the packet and also pick up pizza for all of us. I wanted our first meeting to seem more fun and friendly and not like a forced assignment.
I was excited to have a chance to talk to Meea again so soon. It would be more intimate with just the four of us in the girl’s room, not surrounded by a room full of students with x-ray eyes and superman hearing.
I got back to my room just after 5:00 and opened up my packet already knowing the basics. Inside was a letter addressed directly to me.
Dear, Mr. McClain,
Congratulations, you have been selected as the group leader for your team. You have been given incredible assets to direct as you see fit. The members of your team are each very special in their own way. Not all of their gifts may be evident at first, as some members may choose to keep certain gifts private, as you have done. This is not a game and there will be no grades, no winners and no losers. Each group is expected to accomplish the tasks and goals given to them throughout their tenure. The other groups in your class are not your rivals. The tasks, goals and objectives need to be your point of focus. There are no alternatives or options, all members in your group must successfully complete all classes to move on. You will be held responsible for each member’s success, or failure.
Your first assignment is to ensure the PBHU basketball team wins their first three pre-season games. Be aware, altering the outcome of any regular season game is strictly prohibited, in fairness to the league.
Six of the last ten Presidents of the United States were graduates and group leaders of this SA program. There have been twenty-seven congressmen, thirteen senators, and four supreme justices all who are highly recognized Alumni of the SA program. We know you will uphold the highest standards that have been set before you. Once again, congratulations on your appointment.
Your group members include:
Wilson McClain – group leader – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Marty Lambert – Phoenix, Arizona
Stacy Winters – Newark, New Jersey
Meea Suntree – Lone Star, Texas
Still mulling the assignment over in my head but not wanting to be late for our first meeting with the girls I shouted out, “Marty. I’m going to run out and pick up the pizza, when I get back will you be ready to go?”
Marty was out on the balcony lifting steel balls for practice. He had arranged them all by weight on the balcony and would then lift one up at a time and move it out over the beach as far as he could until it fell out of his field of grasp. Thankfully, Marty had roped off an area down below on the beach so no one would walk under any of the falling cannon balls. This was good since they were crashing below making miniature craters in the sand.
“Yeah I’ll be ready. Make sure you don’t take a short cut across my ropes down there, hate to lose the group leader on the first day and all.”
I got a large pizza with pepperoni on one half and pretty much everything on the other half, since I didn’t know what the girls would like. When I got back Marty had all his toys put away and I could tell he had already hit the showers because his hair was still wet. Marty had curly brown hair that reached the middle of his shoulder blades when wet, it was amazing how much shorter it looked dry. “Grab some soda out of the fridge, Marty, and let’s go, it’s almost six o’clock.”
Meea greeted us at the door and invited us to come in. Our rooms seemed to be set up very similarly, just with a different style décor. Stacy waved to us to imply she was just about done with what ever she was working on at the desk computer.
Meea was wearing a white V neck top that showed off the darkness of her skin, not that I needed any help noticing every detail about her.
Marty set the soda down on the table, leaving a big open spot in the middle for the pizza box. I sat the pizza down as Meea grabbed some plates and napkins from the kitchen and placed them in front of the three chairs and one set in an open spot. Stacy came rolling up to the table in the spot that was left open for her.
“Hi, Marty. Hi, Boy.” Stacy smiled at us and giggled.
“Hi Stacy. It’s good to see you again. Allow me please… would you prefer plain pepperoni or the works?” Marty said reaching for her plate.
“Just pepperoni, thanks.” Stacy replied not taking her gaze off Marty.
Marty helped load up a plate for Stacy so she wouldn’t have to stretch across the table. Meea watched Marty noticeably doting on Stacy. With a bit of a question in her eyes, she glanced over to me to see if I noticed Marty’s behavior.
“So did everyone read what was in their packets?” I asked, steering the conversation to business to get it out of the way.
“We’re girls, Wilson. We read our packet to see who was in our group one second after it was in our hands.” Stacy said, while the girls both smiled and nodded like that was a given fact. “We were very glad to see that you guys are on our team.” Stacy touched Marty’s hand as she said “you guys” implying she meant him directly.
“Yeah.” Meea added enthusiastically smiling and looking directly at me, like I was a prize she ha
d just won. “Your ability is very interesting, Wilson. Can you also leap over small buildings in a single bound, Wilson?” The girls giggled but also sort of kept an eye on me just in case the answer was yes.
Shaking my head a little embarrassed I abruptly change the subject back toward the girl. “You girls know about Marty and I from class today but we don’t know anything about you yet. How about telling us what skills and or abilities you have… so we can start to look at projects and tasks from a group perspective.
“Sure, I’ll go first,” Stacy, said. “I am a tenth generation pure born caecilian. Do you now what that means?”
“Sorry, no not really.” I replied, disgusted I didn’t have a clue.
“Caecilian’s have always been known for their ability to read emotions, attitude, and most of all detect when someone is lying. I sort of have this ability in spades. I know if you lie, what you really think and how you really feel about things.”
“That’s cool Stacy, give us a quick demonstration?”
Stacy just smiled at me and looked deep into my eyes to make sure she had my undivided attention.
“Do you want me to describe what you’re feeling towards Meea?” Stacy asked, eyebrows rising like she knew exactly what I felt when I was around Meea. Maybe it was a good guess or just the fact that every guy within sight of Meea would be incredibly attracted to her.
I answered quickly being a little concerned with the direction Stacy was headed. “Maybe you should start with something simple, more impersonal.” Not my love life or lack there of, I thought to myself.
Meea gave Stacy a questioning look like she wanted to know what she was picking up.
Stacy smirked and said, “Thought so,” under her breath. I was pretty sure I was the only one that heard her.
“OK, Marty, how about you?” Stacy asked looking up to catch Marty’s gaze.
“Yeah sure!”
“Ok then, why don’t you tell me how you feel about having a cripple on your team? Do you think I will slow you down? Remember I can tell if you’re lying.”
“That’s an easy one. I think it’s great we’re on the same team. I wouldn’t have wanted you to be on any other team.”
Stacy looked at Meea. I could see her eyes had misted up a little.
“He really means it…. and… he likes me.” I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions off her face as she brushed at her eyes and nodded to Meea. Stacy turned to Marty and reached out and took his hand. “So we don’t waste any time, I’d like to be direct. I like you too, Marty. And yes in the same way. Almost everyone I meet always notices my chair first and they rarely, if ever, notice me. You haven’t really noticed I’m in a wheelchair you’ve been so focused on me. I can’t tell you how flattered I am, Marty.”
“You’re beautiful, Stacy, I can’t keep my eyes off you.” Marty said, lingeringly kissing her hand and wrist.
I once again tried to refocus the group. “Stacy, I’m very glad you and Marty are smitten with each other, that’s great, really great. But can you give me a bit more of a practical demonstration… and be nice.”
Stacy blushed and looked at Marty. “Then I won’t tell everyone what you’re thinking now Marty.” Marty looked down at Stacy, his mouth dropped open and we all laughed.
Stacy refocused turning back toward me. “Wilson, what year is your car?”
“1984.”
“Lie. What color is your car?”
“Brownish.”
“Not a lie… but you have more to say about it. What is your mother’s name?”
“Connie.”
“Lie. What kind of porn magazine is under your bed?”
“I don’t have any magazines under my bed.” I retorted indignantly.
“Just checking.” Stacy said as we all laughed again.
“Let me explain this a little to you, Wilson. When I asked what year your car was, that was an easy question. So the part of your brain you access to answer it is different than the part of your brain you access to solve a reasoning question. Your eyes moved to look up even though you did not hesitate with your answer I knew you were lying because of your eye movement. When I asked you earlier if I could state what you thought about Meea, you became very nervous that she wouldn’t find you as attractive as you find her. I know this because you got just a tint of extra color to your face in a situation where you were not mad. You also turned your head slightly to the side, and that’s a tell. By turning your head to the side you subconsciously braced yourself for disappointment. Now to be fair let me tell you that Meea is also very attracted to you.”
Meea spun in her chair toward Stacy, shocked that with just a few simple words she’d put everyone’s cards on the table so abruptly.
The words now flowed quickly and easily from Stacy’s mouth. “Do you want to know how I know that…it’s because she hasn’t stopped talking about you since we got out of biology.” Stacy laughed and we all laughed along with her, all but Meea that is. “I told you Wilson I don’t like to waste time and I don’t need any special insight to know we are all going to make one hell of a team.”
I was thrilled if I had made any kind of impression on Meea at all. Maybe it was the story of the gas station that made an impression and not me though… maybe I was just in the story that made an impression on Meea and that’s how my name kept coming up. Either way, it was time to hear what Meea’s other gifts were, besides the ability to keep my head spinning like a top.
“Meea, will you show or explain what you do?”
Meea turned to look at me. Her cheeks were so dark and tanned. I would’ve thought she was incapable of blushing. But her cheeks burned the same reddish color of my car I loved so much. She looked down and thought for a moment. When she looked back up she said, “It would be easier to show you if we got someone outside our group to help.” We all walked out into the hallway to see if anyone was milling around that would be willing to help us out. Since the hallways were empty, Marty knocked on a few doors to see if there were any students in their rooms that could help. Three doors down Marty found a guy we hadn’t met, but he seemed willing to give us a hand. We went out into the
“This is Skip. He said he would be glad to help us out.” Marty introduced.
“Hi Skip, I’m Meea.” Skip looked a little too pleased that Meea would be involved in what ever he’d just volunteered for.
“Hi, what do you need me to do for you, Meea?” I wished Marty would have gone to the next room to find a female helper. Skip was just a bit too eager for my liking.
“Skip, I am going to put you in a trance, but we won’t make you squeal like a pig or anything. I’m just going to demonstrate one of my abilities for my teammates.”
“For you, Meea, I would bark like a dog.” Meea offered him a half smiled trying to stay friendly, but apparently unenthused by the flirtation attempts spewed out by Skip.
“All I need you to do is look me in the eyes please.”
“My pleasure, Meea.” In what seemed like just a few seconds Meea turned to me and asked what I wanted him to do.
Stop flirting with you was the very first thing that came to mind. “You mean he is under now?”
“He sure is.”
“What are the limitations? Is there anything he wouldn’t do?”
“Absolutely not. There are no limitations to what he’ll do. This is no sideshow hypnotic act. He’ll do anything I say.”
“You better remember that, Wilson, if you two ever start dating.” Marty laughed.
Stacy took a friendly swing, punching Marty in the ribs while fighting back her own laughter. “Sorry Meea, I haven’t trained him yet.” Stacy said not holding her laughter back now.
“Just have him walk to the end of the hall and back.” The weird part was Meea just stared into his eyes for another second and didn’t say anything out loud. Skip took off and trotted to the end of the hall and back.
“I had him jog since Stacy doesn??
?t like to waste time.” Stacy gave Meea a dirty look. Apparently Meea hadn’t completely forgiven Stacy yet for revealing all of our feelings at the dinner table. “Anything else you want him to do? We could have him wax your car.” We all chuckled at that comment. Apparently Marty’s told the girls my obsession for waxing.
“Can you make him return to his room and not remember helping us?”
“Yes, I’ll give him a trigger so he’ll pop out of the trance once he gets into his room.” This time she spoke directly to him, softly. “Skip, go into your room and flick the light switch three times, once you do this you won’t remember coming into the hallway or meeting us, you will feel comfortable and relaxed. Go now.”
Skip took off for his room and closed the door behind him.
“So is that it?” Marty asked.
“That’s it for Skip, but that’s not all I can do.” Meea smiled mysteriously.
Marty looking intrigued guarded his ribs and said. “So, stealing Skip’s memory and Wilson’s heart isn’t your only trick, what else you got girl?”
“Let’s go back to our room and I’ll show you.” Meea said motioning to her door.
“Wait, hold on a minute. Marty, check on Skip please.” I said nodding down the hall to his room. Marty walked over and knocked on Skip’s door. The door opened right away.
“Hi,” Skip said, with no recognition of Marty on his face.
“Hello, I’m Marty” Marty held out his hand and Skip reached out and shook it.
“I’m Skip. You’re in the SA program right?”
“Yeah, I was just checking to see if the cablevision was working in your room.”
“Yes it works great, do you want to come in?”
“No, thank you, I was just checking.” Marty walked back to the girl’s room, they had already gone inside as I watched Marty and Skip from the doorway.
“Well?” I asked.
“He didn’t know me from Adam. The guy was totally clueless he had met me or been in the hall with the girls. Meea’s good!” Marty said admiringly nodding his head up and down. “Let’s go see what else she got.” When we walked through the door the girls were out on the balcony.
Marty grabbed another piece of pizza as we walked through the kitchen. The girl’s room had sliding glass doors whereas our room had the bay window. I was wondering if this was in case of fire for Stacy, it made the room accessible from either the front or the back.
The girls were laughing together and seemed to be getting along good again. Marty walked right past me and kneeled down beside Stacy to be on her level. He put his arm around her like they had been dating for years. They already looked so comfortable together, it was amazing. I walked over to stand beside Meea.
“That was a good job on Skip, Meea. Hard to believe, but he didn’t remember meeting Marty at all.”
“Glad you liked it. All I need is about five seconds of looking them directly in the eye. It’s never failed to work, as long as I get those five seconds. Ready for round two, Wilson?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait.”
“Alright… see the half dozen sea birds floating on the ocean breeze right there over the beach.” We all nodded. The birds weren’t really flying anywhere, they were just using the steady ocean breeze to maintain their position over the beach as they looked for their next meal.
Meea asked us to remain perfectly still, and not to make any sudden movements. She leaned over the rail and stared at the birds. After about fifteen seconds. The highest bird turned our way still maintaining his position. About fifteen more seconds passed and all the birds were now in position together facing our dorm room. All of a sudden, as if the green flag that comes out at the Daytona speedway dropped, the birds propelled themselves right up to our handrail where they all took rest. It was one of the oddest things I had ever seen. The birds sat very still on the ledge while Meea was petting the large main bird that had turned toward Meea first. Meea spoke very softly now just to me.
“I’ll get rid of all the crust Stacy and Marty didn’t eat.” Meea stopped petting the biggest bird and it took flight into the room. Around the corner it flew being followed by the rest of the birds in a line. The leader of the flock came right back out and through the open sliding glass door and straight over the beach with the other birds close behind. Each one of them had a large piece of pizza crust in there beaks.
Meea looked at me and smiled. She took my hand and led me back into the living room. Marty followed wheeling Stacy inside and closed the doors behind him. I could tell Meea was waiting for my response to that scene. She sat down on the couch not letting go of my hand, so I sat in turn beside her. We didn’t have that comfortable old couple look going on for us that Marty and Stacy had. I could tell we both wanted that same intimacy, it was just a little too soon for us. I could tell we wanted to be inseparable, and the attraction as incredible, but we were going to enjoy the journey to get there.
Meea just looked at me knowing I would have a few questions over the last display. “You are amazing Meea… Seems like birds and boys are attracted to you. Is it just things that start with the letter B or… would that work for a fence full of tomcats as well?”
“That would work on a den full of tigers.” Meea laughed.
“I better order more pizza then.”
Marty laughed and spit soda out his nose. “Ow that hurt!” He held his nose as he got up and ran to the kitchen for a rag to clean up the spill.
“How far away can you call an animal?” I asked wanting to know everything.
“It varies. I pretty much have to be able to sense them. Although this is not as reliable as the trance with humans. Its sort of hit or miss, I guess that’s one reason I’m here, to see if I can improve.”
Meea squeezed my hand slightly. “Wilson, Stacy told me you’re keeping something from us. Since we’re on the same team we don’t want there to be any secrets among us. I know Stacy has already said too much about a lot of things today!” Meea gave Stacy one last stern look, and Stacy just took it and smiled knowingly back at her. I could see the value of getting things out in the open quickly and agreed with Stacy that it was almost always for the best.
“I’m not trying to keep anything from you on purpose but my other… let’s say talent is much more of a sideshow act than anything else you’ve seen today. I have no problem letting you see it if it’s what you want, especially since it fits in at this college much better than it ever did in high school.”
The girls looked excited to see another ability. This had been quite an interesting day. I’d met girls that see with radar waves like bats, a roommate that can move objects without touching them, a girl that’s all but a mind reader, and hopefully a future girlfriend that not only puts people in trances but talks to animals like a real life Dr. Do-little.
“Let’s see it!” the girls chimed out together.
I threw Stacy’s voice over to the double doors leading outside. “Meea, Meea let me in quick!” At the front door I threw Meea’s voice “Stacy I can’t let you in I’m stuck out front!” Then for good measure I threw Clint Eastwood’s voice from the kitchen “Marty let those girls in … I’m feeling lucky …punk.”
Stacy was the first to speak… “Do I really sound like that?”
Marty and Meea laughed…. They replied in unison “YES.”
“I thought I sounded… sexier.” Stacy said with a frown.
“Oh, you sound plenty sexy” Marty said as he bent down and gave her a big hug.
“That was outstanding. I was looking directly at you when you did that and I never saw your mouth move. That was you doing that right? How many voices can you do?” Meea asked without letting me answer her first question.
“Yes, that was me and I can do any voice I hear. I’m limited to about fifteen or twenty feet when I throw the voice.”
Stacy looked deep in thought and said, “I think we’ll be able to use that, Wilson. Yep, I’m pretty sure that’ll co
me in handy.” We were all kind of staring at her with blank looks, which she interpreted in an instant. “Look guys…think about it. Meea puts someone in a trance and can move them around while Wilson can make them appear to say anything we want… get it?” We all started to think about it a second and saw Stacy’s point. Maybe this talent wouldn’t go completely to waste. Maybe it was good for more than just a few free meals.