Shortcuts

A paranormal superhero story with a supernatural twist

Conversations with an angel

Comments have been blocked for this story but kudos and private messages are always welcome. Even highly critical private messages are welcome. I don't mind criticism when it's private.

Shortcuts
by Terry Volkirch

Chapter 6

Most of the leaves on the maple trees that lined the streets still retained a healthy, green color, and the mild, early autumn weather carried no threat of any mysterious mist. Erin walked closely next to Lester after school, well within hand-holding distance, though no contact was made between the pair. Nothing much was said as they continued walking together, well on their way to Lester's home. Plans were still on for homework, dinner and aikido classes.

For the first time since she started school, first time ever actually, Erin wore jeans and a sweatshirt, both in a hunter green, with a purple jacket. The jeans and sweatshirt would be more sensible for cooler weather, especially at night when the temperature dropped even more. They also complemented her features nicely, something that Lester couldn't help notice.

He initially fantasized about holding hands with her but his thoughts turned back to the strange conversation in Government class that morning. It actually made a strange kind of sense that Erin and Mister Guile were connected in some way. His instinct had been screaming it at him ever since they both showed up on the same day in the same class. They both showed an unusual interest in him and they verbally sparred with each other like a brother and sister, and those thoughts led him down a very interesting path. With his special control ability, he concentrated on the link between Mister Guile and the Dark Librarian who showed Lester the Akashic records. Only some otherworldly being could do what Mister Guile, aka the Dark Librarian, did, and if Erin was anything like the Dark Librarian, she would likely be an otherworldly being herself. It all made sense. Everything fell into place. She looked like a beauty queen yet didn't know how to be a girl, not initially anyway. She also knew so much about his life and showed so much interest in him yet she refused to date him or any other boy. That and all of the strange things that slipped out of her mouth could only add up to one conclusion.

He suddenly stopped, leaving Erin to continue walking several steps ahead of him before she realized something was wrong.

"Lester?" she said after stopping and turning around. "Are you okay? You look like you swallowed a tater tot."

He gave her a sickly smile and forced a chuckle. "Funny. You're a funny… one, Erin. Could I just rest here a moment, please?" He didn't wait for her to answer. He slumped down and sat on the curb with his head in his hands.

She cocked her head. "Um, sure." She walked back and gave him a close look. When she made sure he wasn't having any serious health problems, she relaxed and looked around the neighborhood while she waited.

"Erin?" he asked while keeping an eye on an ant that darted between his feet.

"Yes?"

"Are you for real? I mean, really for real?"

She sighed. "Lester, right now, I'm as real as you or anyone else in this world. Can we please just keep walking?"

He slowly got up and stretched, feeling strangely energized and just a little angry. "But are you human?" he asked, looking deep into her beautiful green eyes.

An awkward silence fell between them until a single tear rolled down Erin's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Lester. I won't lie to you but I can't tell you everything. Can you please just let it go?"

"You can't be human," he insisted.

"Lester, for the time being, I'm human. Right now, I'm human. Okay? Now will you please drop the subject?" She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes, emphasizing her humanity.

The boy softened a little. His anger dissipated, diluted and washed away by the girl's tears. "Come on," he said. "It's getting late. We still have a long way to go."

She gave him a tentative smile and they started walking again, side-by-side.

Lester gave his friend some serious thought as they walked. Would it matter if she wasn't human? He didn't think so. He found himself attracted to her as much by her curious and wholesome personality as by her appearance, and he trusted that she didn't lie when she said that she liked him.

More of her words came back to him. He remembered that she once said something about being stuck as she was for a year. He hoped they could remain friends after that year was over, and a part of him still continued to desire something more than friendship.

* * *

Lester's mother, Susan, worked part-time selling cosmetics at a department store so she was already home, and she abruptly opened the front door before Lester could reach the door knob. It startled him a little.

"Mom! Don't do that!"

"Sorry, dear. I couldn't wait to meet your friend." She looked at Erin with an eager smile. "Your description didn't do her justice."

Erin blushed and looked down.

"Mother. Please. Can we come inside for the introductions?"

"Oh! Yes, of course. Please. Come in. Come in."

Lester and Erin shed their light jackets in the entry way, hanging them on a quaint coat hanger stand before moving on to the living room. The boy and girl sat next to each other on a soft, beige couch with Lester's mother sitting in a matching chair across from them.

"Mom," Lester began. "This is Erin. Erin, this is my mother."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. McHenry," Erin said with a tentative smile.

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Erin. Lester's told me a lot about you, all of it good."

"Thanks," the girl said, trying not to blush. "Lester is very kind. But before we continue, may I please have a glass of water? It's a very long walk to your house from school."

Lester's mother looked mildly shocked. "I wondered why it took you two so long to get here. Why didn't you take the bus?!"

"Ug," he said, rolling his eyes. "I didn't even think of that. We've gotten too used to walking home."

"It's really my fault, Mrs. McHenry. It takes me a long time to shower and get ready after our Physical Education class. The bus leaves before I can finish."

"Well, that's okay. Now just a minute and I'll be right back with water for both of you," the woman said, getting up to go to the kitchen.

Lester watched as Erin looked all around the room, taking in the proudly displayed family photos on the walls and in a glass cabinet in the far corner of the room. He sighed as she cutely wrinkled up her nose in distaste at one large photo of his father in military uniform, but other than that display, she seemed very interested, even though she didn't comment or ask any questions. Neither of them talked for the short time it took Lester's mother to bring two tall glasses of chilled water.

"Here you go," the woman said, handing a glass first to Erin and then her son.

"Thank you," Erin said and quickly took several large gulps. She didn't like being thirsty.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom." Lester followed his friend's lead.

Susan smiled and told them that they could use the dining room table to study together while she made dinner. The lighting was better in the dining room, she explained.

"Can I help you with anything?" Erin asked her. "We don't have a lot of homework."

"No. That's okay. I already have everything mostly done. All I have to do is cut up the meat and throw it and the veggies in a wok and stir it. I thought we'd have a nice stir fry tonight if that's okay." She didn't mention how little time it would take to cook. She wouldn't have to start it for a long time, leaving her plenty of time to chaperone her son from a discreet distance.

"It sounds interesting," the girl said, smiling brightly.

Lester stared at her, amazed at how human she seemed. How normal. His mother noticed his behavior and had to say something about it.

"Lester! Stop staring. It's not polite. Why don't you give Erin a little tour of the house and get started with your homework? The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish."

"Yes, Mother." The boy got up and, after taking their half full glasses of water to the dining room table, he led his schoolmate around the house for a five minute tour.

During the quick tour, Lester retrieved his laptop from his bedroom and the two of them ended up back at the dining room table, sitting very close together. He pulled up the required reading material from their Advanced Literature class and they both began reading four selected sonnets written by William Shakespeare. They'd start with the sonnets and later move on to cover three of the famous bard's plays: A Midsummer Night's Dream, King John and Romeo and Juliet. Their teacher, Miss Mills, liked to expose her students to the sonnets as well as one of each of the three categories of plays to give them a well-rounded education.

Erin finished reading the sonnets and gushed, "I love them all but I think number eighteen is my favorite. It's brilliant." She quoted, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate," then sighed.

"Yeah, it's one of the most famous sonnets. But I like forty three best. I like the contrast of light and dark. The imagery somehow speaks to me."

The girl stared at him and just said, "Interesting."

He felt uncomfortable being stared at, but it took him several awkward seconds to break the spell. "Hey," he finally said. "Do you wanna start on A Midsummer Night's Dream? I've heard a little about that play. It sounds really good. I could use some comedy after all the drama at school lately."

"No, I want to contemplate the sonnets for now, please. They're very moving."

"Okay. Go ahead then. I'll check on dinner." He got up and went to the kitchen, leaving Erin alone for the moment.

"So?" he quietly asked his mother. "What do you think of her?"

"She's a lovely girl."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"You really like her, don't you."

"Yeah. But we're just friends." He wanted to add something about it being for the best considering that she wasn't actually human but he wisely remained silent on that matter.

"Maybe someday it'll develop into something more," his mother happily told him.

"I already asked her out and got shot down."

Susan frowned. "Oh. That's too bad. But you still never know."

"I know. Erin told me she doesn't date."

"Really? Well, it took ages for me to agree to go out with your father. He asked me out several times before I said yes. I have to admit, his determination bothered me a little at first, but he grew on me. I eventually found it flattering and decided to give him a chance. I'm glad I did." She smiled, trying to give her son some encouragement.

He sighed.

"Aw. Don't worry, Lester. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. Just try to be patient and give it a chance to develop."

"I know," he said, giving her a faint smile. He wasn't sure if he wanted to date Erin. Conflict waged a fierce battle inside of him. If Erin wasn't human like he strongly suspected, any long-term relationship would most likely be doomed to failure, and yet he couldn't help being attracted to her.

"You poor dear," his mother added. "You can't choose who you love. But you're doing the right thing, spending more time with her outside of school. Get to know each other and see what happens."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Any time." She flashed him a brief smile and started puttering about in the kitchen.

Lester took the hint and went back to discuss the finer points of Shakespeare's sonnets with Erin.

* * *

Lester's father arrived just in time for dinner, and he was in a very good mood, even after a sluggish commute and working long hours as a warehouse manager. Meeting a potential daughter-in-law tended to do that to a proud father.

Susan timed the meal with his arrival, of course, having been in sporadic contact with her husband during his commute. The McHenry family sat down at their modest, square dining room table with Erin as their guest. Each of the four sat at one side. Lester faced Erin and his parents faced each other.

The family's guest had helped a little in the end. She and Lester had added the place settings. Then they'd all sat down, and waited.

Erin sat quietly, comparing Lester to his father. The boy had a strong family resemblance to his father, both of them having short brown hair and similar facial features. She wondered if Lester would fill out as much as the slightly taller, well-built man and sighed.

'Where did that come from?' she thought. She didn't understand the sudden attraction she felt towards Lester's father.

After an awkward half a minute or so, Susan finally spoke up. "Please, Erin. Dish up your plate first. You're our guest."

"Oh," the girl said, blushing. "Right. Thanks." She helped herself to a small amount and waited for the rest of the family to get theirs. When they all had something on their plate, she nibbled a pea pod and the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward. She liked it.

Lester watched her for short time and spoke without thinking. "You've never had stir fry before, have you, Erin?"

She shook her head no as she finished the pea pod. "It's very good."

Susan smiled. "Thanks, Erin. It's pretty easy to make and it's healthy. I can show you how to make it sometime if you like."

Erin got a vacant look in her eye as she accessed her own mysterious source of data. "No. That's okay. I know how to make it. But thanks anyway."

Susan frowned, not sure what to make of that.

Lester quickly spoke up. "Erin has something like a photographic memory. She probably saw a stir fry prepared somewhere and just had to think about it. Right, Erin?"

The girl nodded. "Something like that."

Susan shrugged and took a mouthful so she could think about it while she chewed. That left the conversation open for Lester's father, Matthew.

"So, Erin," the man said. "Why don't you tell us a little about your family?"

The girl's eyes widened and she choked a little on her food.

"Are you okay?" Matthew said.

She quickly shook her head no and abruptly got up and left the table.

Lester caught up with her in the entry way as she was putting on her jacket.

"I don't think this was a good idea," she said. "I should go."

"No!" the boy said, raising his voice a little at first. "Please. Stay. I can just explain that you don't have any real family and you got upset. That's the truth. Right?"

She paused and slowly nodded. "I guess so." She had her jacket on but she hadn't zipped it up so Lester continued.

"We can talk about something else. School. Our aikido class. Something. Please?"

"I don't know, Lester." Her hand fingered the zipper.

"You told me that you looked forward to seeing what high school was like. What about outside of school? I have nice parents. Please give them a chance."

"I suppose we could try it again." She started taking off her jacket and Lester breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he told her. "I would've missed you in the aikido class." He assumed she wouldn't make it without his mother taking her.

"Oh. I would've met you there anyway. I'm not missing the class."

Lester sputtered a little. "But it's more than ten miles away. How would you get there?"

Erin got that vacant look on her face again and he quickly interrupted.

"Hey. You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know. Let's just go finish eating. Okay?"

She smiled and nodded, then followed him back to the dining room. She sat down, gave a quick apology and immediately started nibbling another pea pod. She loved pea pods.

Lester explained about her not having family and his father apologized profusely. Another several awkward minutes passed before he tried again. "How do you like school, Erin?" he tried.

She paused and swallowed the last pea that she'd been rolling around on her tongue. "I like it a lot so far, except for one of the boys."

"She means Big Jim," Lester quickly added. "I told you about that already."

"Right," Matthew said, nodding and frowning before turning back to Erin. "What's your favorite class?"

"That would have to be Advanced Literature. Lester and I were reading some of Shakespeare's sonnets earlier for that class. The sonnets are wonderful, and I'm looking forward to reading some of Shakespeare's plays. We're covering three of them in class, after we finish with the sonnets."

That was the most Lester had ever heard Erin say at one time and he wondered if she was trying to make up for leaving the table.

Light conversation continued and everything went well. They finished their meal and had some extra time to digest their meals and talk some more until it was time for the aikido class. Lester hurried to his bedroom to change into more casual, loose-fitting clothes for the class and then Susan drove the two of them with yet more conversation, most of it between Erin and his mother. He watched and listened, again marveling at how normal and natural the girl seemed.

He wasn't sure he'd ever actually loved her before that moment. She showered him with attention and he found her attractive but she rarely talked about herself except to give away odd bits of information. He never really knew her all that well so he didn't believe he could've truly fallen in love with her. It wasn't until after watching her interact with his family and finding out how much she loved the work of Shakespeare, pea pods and more that he found himself falling in love.

* * *

Susan dropped Lester and Erin off in front of the aikido dojo with plans to text her when they were ready to be picked up. Then she sped off to a nearby mall for a little shopping.

Lester led his friend through the large front door and entered a small, front room with sounds of exercise in the background. Voices and thuds echoed in a large room beyond. There was no one to greet them so Lester poked his head into the larger room until the teacher noticed and rushed over in his traditional outfit consisting of a white wraparound top tied by large, loose-fitting black pants.

The slender, graceful teacher seemed to glide across the padded floor as he moved, impressing both Lester and Erin before they even started the class.

After introductions, Mister Wilson explained that they'd be expected to wear a uniform called a gi for their next class. They looked at the other students to see loose-fitting white pants and a white wraparound top tied by belts of various colors. The color of the belt determined the student's skill level. The two new students agreed to pick up a gi and wear it for their next class on Thursday. They'd be starting with a white belt.

Mister Wilson, or Sensei when in class, led them to a near corner of the large room and first told them that the goal of their style of aikido was to keep an attacker off-balance and under control using throws, locks and nerve pressure points.

"We don't try to hurt or kill anyone in this dojo," he said.

He also mentioned that they included a healthy mix of theory and practice. Every class emphasized that all techniques and movement should flow naturally without force, and they always spent at least half of the class time practicing self-defense techniques.

The two new students eagerly agreed to join. Lester mentioned that he researched the dojo and it sounded perfect for both of them. That prompted their new sensei to lead them through a series of warm-up and breathing exercises, followed by a couple of stances and footwork exercises. He watched and corrected them for a short time and left them to practice while he attended to other students.

"What do you think, Erin?" Lester soon asked. "Like it so far?"

"Yes," she said while continuing to concentrate on her footwork. "And you're right. This does seem perfect. For both of us."

Lester stopped to watch her, sighing and then mentally chastising himself for poor breathing technique. He quickly resumed his own exercises and worked at them until Sensei returned to give another lesson.

"This is a simple wrist lock," he told Lester, demonstrating by holding the boy's right hand and twisting it around, palm up. Lester had to bend forward and down to relieve the pain and pressure on his wrist, just as intended. Sensei released him and demonstrated next on Erin. She yelped at first, until he gently directed her not to resist.

He had them practice on each other for a short time before calling over an advanced student to give a demonstration of techniques for applying wrist locks in a fight. After seeing Sensei in action, both of them were definitely hooked. They couldn't wait to get their uniforms and start some serious training.

The two new students spent the remaining class time working on stances, footwork and part of their first kata, a series of flowing movements and actions that help to train a student to defend against a variety of attacks, one after another. They only did the footwork and movement for the kata. The arms and rest of the techniques would be taught in their next class.

At the end of class, Sensei encouraged them to practice on their own at home to help reinforce what they've learned and told them goodbye. They both bowed, thanked him and went back into the front room where Lester texted his mother to come and pick him up.

"She's on her way, Erin," the boy said. "I guess you should leave now or she'll insist on taking you home."

"Right," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow at school." With that, she quickly left through the front door, leaving Lester alone with thoughts of aikido swirling around in his head.

He never felt so graceful as when he practiced the aikido footwork. It was a far cry from his months of extreme clumsiness that he experienced not so long ago. He went from cursed to blessed in a scary short period of time and it just kept triggering warning bells in his mind.

* * *

© 2015 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.