Sam’s dad starts to get out all the ingredients to make extra-cheesy lasagna and I preheat the oven. Sam lingers in the doorway, watching our progress with vigilant eyes. After a while when I start cooking the meat, Sam steps in and starts grating the cheese. Mr. Reethe mixes his ‘special sauce’ and after an hour or two we have a steaming pan of lasagna ready to consume.
Mr. Reethe quickly signs to Sam.
“Would you like to eat with us?” Sam repeats his father’s words.
“Of course, thank you Mr. Reethe.” I turn to him so that he can read my lips. Mr. Reethe leads us to the dining room and sets the pan of lasagna on a hot pad. Sam leaves to get some plates and forks and then comes back from a second trip with glasses and a big jug of milk.
“Thanks,” I say as I take a glass and start pouring everybody milk. Sam sets the table and then pulls out a chair for his father. Mr. Reethe smiles at him and sits down. “Pray.”
Sam pulls out a chair for me on his father’s right hand which I take gratefully after standing so long making the food. Finally, Sam seats himself to the left of his dad and Mr. Reethe offers his hands to Sam and me. We join hands and Mr. Reethe says a quick prayer.
“You have a very lovely home, Mr. Reethe,” I say loudly when he looks at me.
“Thank you, Eneelie.”
We finish our food without much further conversation and when everybody has finished I rise from the table and take all the dirty plates to the kitchen sink. “Sam, help me dry.”
Sam appears in the kitchen as soon as I called his name.
“Ah! Stop that,” I whisper. “Does your dad know about you teleporting all over the place?”
“Sure he does,” Sam replies and picks up a dishtowel, drying off plates and glasses. “He’s the one that gave me the Blank gene.”
“Your dad has powers!”
“He did. Twenty years ago, my father got into a car crash and lost all of his powers, and his ability to hear.”
“So he wasn’t born this way?”
“No. The thing that bothers him most is that he can’t listen to music anymore. He still plays his piano, sometimes though. Likes to feel the vibrations.”
“I didn’t know you had a piano!” I say excitedly. I’ve been practicing for years. I haven’t played in a while because my piano was too big to come with Annie and me too Boston from Juneau….
Annie!
“Annie!” I gasp hurriedly, dropping a plate in the sink. “I forgot all about her! What time is it?”
Sam glances at a clock above our heads. “Almost one in the morning.”
“Shit… oh, shit!” I exclaim, and throw the last dish into the drying rack. I pull the gloves off and lay the washing rag on the faucet. “Shit, shit, shit!”
“What’s the problem?”
“I live with my sister, she’ll be so worried… I have to get home.”
“Calm down, I can take you back to your house.”
“Right…thanks.”
Way to totally freak out.
“Grab on.” Sam says and I comply, resting my hand on his muscled forearm.
I relive the same nauseous feeling from before, and I remember to squeeze my eyes shut to keep the hair out of my eyes. I crush Sam’s arm closer to me and fight the instinctual urge to scream. Wouldn’t want Sam to think I’m some kind of wuss, would we. Before long, me feet touch solid ground.
“Ah.” I breathe relief. Ground. A home away from home.
“It takes some getting used to.” Sam agrees and makes no move to brush my hand away. I notice and remove my hand myself. I unglue my lids from my eyes and stare at my surroundings. Sam teleported in front of my house. Sam Reethe just teleported me from Connecticut to my house.
“This is surreal.”
“It’s like breathing for me, now, Eneile. Second nature.”
“Will it ever be like that for me?” I ask tentatively. What if my powers suck? I’ll never be as good as Sam with his powers.
“I couldn’t tell you. All of us do. But, knowing you,” He throws a quick dazzling, heart-stopping smile. “You’ll have to think so hard every time you try to use your power, your brain will explode!” Sam throws his arms into the air. “Boom!”
See, he wants you to explode.
You’ve been quiet lately. I tell my conscious.
I was sleeping. My conscious closes his sleepy eyes and with one last hurrah, mumbles. “Idiot.”
“Ha-ha!” I laugh out loud. I gasp and glance at Sam swiftly. He thought I was laughing at his joke, so he laughs with me. I swear if my head didn’t shut up I was going to…
“I think your sister is mad.” Sam whispers, turning away from me toward the house.
“Huh?” I twist to find Annie peeking under the curtains of the living room. “Ann!” I shout, and wave her away. She glares at me but releases the curtains. She’ll just move to another window, no doubt. Ever since we were kids, Annie’s been a snoop.
“Goodnight.” Sam says suddenly, shifting from foot to foot.
“Er, night.” I mumble, ducking my head and walking across the driveway. I tilt my head back to say something –anything- but Sam has already disappeared.
“Who’s that?!” Annie exclaims just as I walk in through the door.
“Who?” I say, trying to be coy.
“That sex god that was just on our sidewalk?” Annie raises her eyebrows at me. “It’s one in the morning. What have you been doing?”
“He’s from school, and we were hanging out.” I shrug. “Time just escaped from me, I guess…”
Sure.
Sure.
“Well I don’t want it happening again. I was worried. I called you at least ten times and it went straight to voicemail.”
“Sorry,” I whisper, taking my phone out of my back pack and flipping it open. I check the battery. “It’s dead.”
“Just go to bed.”
“Whatever you say, Annie.” I walk away and enter my room. Without flicking on the light, I slip under the covers, fully clothed. I toss my back pack to the side and close my eyes. Today was eventful, to say the least. I’m hoping Sam’s as willing to talk to me tomorrow as he was today.
Oh, I'm sure you two will have plenty to talk about.
Why did it feel like this voice wasn't coming from my head...?
End of Chapter Six.
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