Simmering to a conclusion

Chapter 8

Breanne suddenly startled awake when she realized she’d been sleeping, hugging someone. Initially panicked she leapt as far as the car’s passenger seat area would let her move away. Her leap caused her rear to hit the dash and her hands clung, one to the dash the other to the door so as not to fall back next to the person sharing her seat. The seat was reclined against the rear seat bench. Thankfully she realized it was Sophia and she tried to hide her panic.

“Hey, there, are you back with me?” Sophia asked them quietly as soon as she’d seen the initial panicked wild animal look in their eyes resolved into calm acknowledgment of where, and with whom, they were with. Trying to not make any sudden moves she pulled her right leg up so she could stretch it over the center console and over to the driver’s side of the car. As soon as they worked out what she was doing she saw the relief shining in their cried out eyes.

“I think we should get you home, you need to speak with your parents about this…

“What time is it?”

“It’s nearly eight…

“You promised if I told you… You said you would interrupt my sister’s sleepover at nine-thirty.”

“We need to talk to your parents…

“Then the Center or Syndicate gets us. They use children with powers. We disappear. The Syndicate will uses drugs and other children’s powers to make us their slaves. We can hide because I will become my brother when I become a boy tonight. My brother Douglas became a girl last night. He is now Bree, and if I show to you that currently I am a girl, then after the change at nine-forty-seven that I am then a boy, you will help, and keep my secret. My power says so.”

“Your power allows you to change your gender, when you like?” Sophia asked suddenly concerned, and angry.

“No, all the children go through that change once when their power first awakens. It is outside our control. The disturbance of an awoken power, or if we lose control of our powers by being too emotional, are what alerts the precogs of the Center or Syndicate to know it will happen. Bree’s power somehow prevents them being aware of us. We can swap lives so there is no paper record for the Syndicate or Center to follow. With no trail to follow they will be unable to find us. But, this only happens if you do as you promised. If we tell my parents, if anyone else looks into this then either the Center or the Syndicate will always show up. It is just a case of which one gets here first to steal us, and hurt us. We always end up being kidnapped by one or the other.

Sophia was left thinking one should be careful when asking how something can be. For she now knew of a way she could be used, when knowing full well she was being used. What’s worse she knew unless she could see she was being scammed, she would let them use her. If they were truthful about the Center and the Syndicate then she will help them cover this up. She will, willingly be used.

“Back up a moment, your power told you it will be awoken at nine-forty-seven tonight. You don’t have your power yet, but you talk of using it already.”

“I got brief moments of my power working prior to tonight's full awakening happening. The full awakening occurred for my brother now sister last night, and I've seen that mine will happen this evening. I’ve had three of the brief moment occurrences. The first one enabled me to save Dan from getting the speeding ticket. The one he talked about at lunch today. The second was the most involved, and occurred while at lunch. It showed me some nasty things which were what made me sick, and from it I knew I must accept whatever your mum had offered while I was distracted, too busy looking at some horrible possible futures that could occur…

“When you said yes to my mum you didn’t know what you were agreeing to?” Sophia interrupted.

“Correct it was a huge surprise when you started gushing about never having a date when going to a dance before, and how happy I had made you and all the things we would do…

“You didn’t want to go to the dance with me, when I thought you had asked me to it?” Sophia part asked, part exclaimed.

“Sophia, all I knew was it was critical I accept your mum’s offer. I had no idea what it was. I was rather busy seeing hundreds of different versions of the future two weeks, and most of them were really bad. As I selected different options I noticed that all the best ones were lost if I didn’t say yes to your mum right then. So for that reason I came back in and said yes. So yes I became aware of a lot of surprises, one was going to the dance with you.”

“So you don’t want to go with me, and only are because your power said you must…

“Sophia, I have got to know you, and I am not unhappy about going to the dance with you. I can’t lie and say it wasn’t a complete surprise as it most definitely was. Having got to know the real you, how on the inside you are the most wonderful beautiful girl…

“But on the outside I’m ugly…

“No, Sophia you are not ugly. Your mum is so beautiful she could work as a model and you father has to be the most handsome hunk I’ve ever seen. Definitely drool worthy. I see a blend of the two of them in you, and that actually excites me. More than that though, on the inside, you are the softest, kindest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

Sophia still upset chimed in. “However, I heavily favor my father’s handsome visage on the outside. I’m not blind when I look in a mirror.” Sophia said while taking a few more notes on the true gender of the person before them. “So what else did your power tell you, should be done to manipulate our futures at lunch time, and when was the third time your powers activated?”

“In addition to agree to your mum’s proposal, I also somehow had to talk to you privately and we must finish our meals, which until you made it happen, I had thought those things to be impossible. I had also thought they were separate things to do too, but you effortlessly combined both. Lastly I had to ask you to go to a sleepover when you drove me to play a game of tennis later in the evening. I was positive that one would be impossible until Bree told me she was having a sleepover just before you picked me up, and I realized if we interrupt their sleepover during the critical time, Bree can use her power on me while I change so the Center don't find out. Then you’ve been invited to a sleepover by me even if it is for just fifteen minutes, and it wasn't as I thought incorrectly, my sleepover. So impossible weird request, I suddenly found to be perfectly doable. There were a few other things I needed to do to get my sister, and Leah to become girlfriends. Obviously that was so they had a sleepover we could crash. Oh, and the third time my power was briefly active was on the drive home from the Lodge, and it involved me having to moo at my sister, among other things to help them become a couple.

Sophia stared at this wildly amusing wonderful person. She wanted to be part of the madness that would obviously be spawned from her seeing the route to the best future. Life would be great if she had someone say ‘we need to cluck like a chicken and we will get concert tickets’ or some other nonsense. “What name do you want me to use for you?”

“Call me Mark.”

“I don’t think you are Mark, though.” Sophia carefully stated.

“Not yet, true, and I’ll still look more like a girl than a boy even though my genitals will change, but tonight I become a boy, a girly boy true, but a boy, so I need a boy’s name.”

“You don’t have to. My friend dresses as the girl she is, and has a girl’s name though the body she was born with was male and she was incorrectly named Jonathon when she was born. I think you shouldn’t shut off yourself to the side of you that is a girl, and that is going to be one of my requirements.”

“Requirements?” the person worriedly queried.

Sophia took a breath, was she really going to allow herself to be manipulated? It seemed she was. “First requirement is that you truthfully answer me. For the second, I need more information. Let’s start with how these children get selected. What is different about them that as teenagers they will swap genders, and get super powers?”

“Remember that I see possible futures, images, spoken words and noises along with the key points in the present that are like switches to toggle between them.” Seeing Sophia was about to interrupt, Breanne indicating to give her the time to answer her question. “Thus it is primarily discussions from the versions of the future where we went to the Center, and where we as new 'candidates' were given an explanation about what had happened to us, and why. So my answer is from future seen information from Center agents explaining what happened in the past, to cause these children to be the ones this happened to. So it might not be true, there are things I know the Center lies about. This seems truthful.”

“That is perfectly acceptable. Then answer as truthfully as you can or indicate like you did here that the source is questionable.”

“Apparently some experiment in the United States had a leak of a chemical that got into the water intake of a company that bottles drinking water. The Center or an organization that created, was affiliated or linked to the Center later was in charge of monitoring the people that drank the contaminated water. When after a certain amount of time they saw no side effects they stopped their careful monitoring and thus lost track of a large number of the people that drank the water.” Breanne looked at Sophia to ensure she was following her so far. “There might be shipments of the contaminated water that they lost track of too.”

“So you and Bree both drank the contaminated water…

“No our mum did while she was pregnant with us. That was something they hadn’t thought of, and that is the common denominator. All mothers’ died around childbirth like ours did. So the Center covered up for the company that killed our mum and everyone else’s. They also kidnap the children. They say it is to protect them from the Syndicate.” Breanne drew in a haggard breath.

“For all I know there is an organization that has two departments, the Syndicate as one, and the Center as the other.” Breanne put to words her must scary worry. “Then they control one group completely using kids with powers that like to be nasty to others, and using drugs and any other illegal means. This allows them to relax control on the other group slightly, but they tell them that their sexual orientation will flip one-hundred-and-eighty and have a program which to me seems if not brain washing at least controlling and manipulating. In all cases the children are stolen from their homes, their families and their lives. They are told to not complain or the bogeyman, ‘The Syndicate’ will get them. It just seems too pat, too much like an easy way to control the kids.”

“Why do they flip the children’s sexual orientation?” Sophia asked.

“The Center must be invisible, not noticed by anyone. If their groups of children had more gay and lesbian relationships that heterosexual they would stand out. Normally in a group of school kids most are in a heterosexual relationship, by flipping what they were prior to the gender change they keep the percentages similar as would be seen in a large sample of not gender flipped children. Thus not stick out and be noticed. The Center is training these powered children like soldiers or spies, currently to get the children that awaken with powers before the Syndicate gets them. However, I can see how easy this could be abused and lead to wars. At a minimum between the Syndicate and the Center. But what if they become a countries secret weapon.”

Sophia reached across the car to gently stroke their shoulder. “I will help you. We will interrupt your sister’s sleepover and you are probably going to hate my conditions but though I will benefit from them, they are for you too. You likely won’t believe me.”

“I don’t care, the only thing I want is for you to be at tonight’s sleepover. That only us four at the sleepover know and all promise to not tell anyone else. I will not mind your conditions.”

Sophia laughed and said. “You should be careful and not offer that to just anyone. Any way, first you need a name.”

“I have chosen Mark.” Breanne said.

“Your name must be gender neutral.”

“What, why?”

“I thought you said that you didn’t care and would be fine with anything I said.” Sophia pointed out.

“I want to use a name or at least have it nod to a name that my mum chose.” Breanne hoped, unknowing that her breathing was becoming erratic with her agitation.

Sophia calmly diffused the building anxiety by inquiring. “Of course, but then I need you to tell me the full name you were given at birth, the one Douglas was given, and your birth parents full names.”

Breanne allowed her breathing to settle back. “I was named Breanne Julie, and Bree was named Douglas Marcel. Our middle names are our parents’ Christian names. I don’t know their middle names.”

Sophia recalled one of her prior psychology assignments that had included working on names and their gender prevalence. “Well gender neutral names closest to your parents would be Marley and Jules, so what do you say to being named Marley Jules Parson so you can honor both?”

Breanne couldn’t understand why this simple thing made her smile. It must be because she was honoring her parents she decided.

“Next this is my senior year, and in addition to the spring formal, I have the débutante ball, our senior prom and the Lodge has the Christmas and New Years balls. So I would like you, Marley Jules, to be my date for all five events.”

“It would be my pleasure…

“There’s something more Marley.” Sophia interrupted her. “For one of the Lodge’s dances you will wear a lady’s ballroom dress, and you will be my female date.”

“No, Sophia, I will be a boy. Boys don’t wear dresses.”

“Marley I am not convinced you are a boy, and for the rest of my senior school year and the Christmas summer holidays, we will explore you being a boy and a girl. Up until I go away to college we will see if you are my best male friend, one of my great female friends, my boyfriend or my girlfriend. There is no requirement you must be rigidly one or a combination of them. The key thing is we will have fun, and you will be open to exploring both boy and girl items.”

“I will be a boy from tonight on.” Marley pointed out, sounding a little like a petulant child.

“Marley you have never explored the wonders of being a girl. You need to be able to live both to be able to decide what is best for you to live as.” Sophia calmed her stroking her shoulder, wishing she hadn’t shaved her head so she could stroke the shoulder length hair she’d had before.She'd need to look into wigs tomorrow after school.

“I’ve had fourteen years living as a girl, I don’t need to explore my feminine side.”

“Marley you have spent your preteen, and teenage years denying Breanne’s existence. You have not lived as a girl, and to become a healthy adult you must. So we will be having several sleepovers with your sister and Leah. How you think the fifteen minutes tonight counts as a sleepover.” Sophia just shook her head in exasperation.“If anything thinking that proves you know nothing about being a girl. Further, to quote your own power, it said you needed to invite me to a sleepover on the way to playing tennis this evening. So you are inviting me to one this Friday, if you don’t then the future you know as the best one is in jeopardy. We will do each other’s nail, hair and make-up. It is required by me. Just like having a date for my formal dances I would like to experience a high school girl’s sleepover while I am still in high school, and not just fifteen minutes of one I wasn't invited to.”

Marley’s expression was a study of contrast. Sophia was sure she saw the gleam of excitement at the idea. Then again she could be projecting onto Marley. Really Marley needed therapy but the paper trail would likely get the Center and the Syndicate involved in controlling the twins lives which was absolutely the worst thing that could happen.

No she would be there, a friend to talk to, and someone to lean on. She would keep Marley safe while making sure she experienced both girl and boy activities in a safe environment. She knew at times Marley would think they were being pushed. However, she would try to not project on to them. She wasn’t such an egotist to think she could be Marley’s therapist.

But, she could be her friend, and unfortunately she would likely be the best Marley could get while staying safe. She now knew why Marley’s best outcomes involved her believing she was using her. She just hoped she kept herself grounded; this person’s very fragile personality was what was at stake. She couldn’t afford to mess up. She needed to air on the side of Marley using her, to ensure she didn't become the user.

“Just the four of us at the sleepovers, though.” Marley said.

“Well there is one other that must be there.”

“No I can’t let anyone else know. It must be kept to just the four of us. I am sure of that.”

“Marley, do you remember me talking about my friend, the one that was thought a boy when they were born and incorrectly named Jonathon. They’ve never gone to a girl’s sleepover event. Their parents wouldn’t let them, because until the summer after their eighteenth birthday they can't get rid of their birth defect.Early this summer holiday she's getting SRS as their Christmas present, but they will have finished high school before then.”

“Sophia, I know, and if it wasn’t that I was positive that this secret must not be shared with anyone other than the four of us. I would so want to share this with your female friend. I am really sorry that I am denying her this chance, but it just won’t work.” Marley felt it was so cruel to think everything could work out then have just one thing be the item that denies her chance at a happy life. She knew though that at most it must be limited to the current four in the know. She knew if Sophia pushed she would let the fifth girl join them, and either the Center or Syndicate would be her future.

“Marley, you never asked me for my friend’s real name.” Sophia gently prodded. “Her true name is Sophia.”

“Like yours.” Marley said sadly knowing how Sophia would keep telling her things about her friend in order to get her to know her friend. Then it would be harder to refuse accepting them. However, Sophia was looking at her funny, like she expected her to figure something out. So the friend had the same name...

She looked at the smirking Sophia, before suddenly realizing what Sophia had told her. The beaming smile on Marley's face was a keeper, and complete with glistening eyes, it was a wonderful sight. Marley didn’t think she’d ever understood or experienced happy tears before.

And thus my fellow friends 'Out Centre' comes to a simmering Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed and feel the time spent was worthwhile
Thanks
Fallen Leaf