Cul de sac, p.18
Cul-De-Sac, page 18
Instead, he nodded.
“Um, not to be a jerk, but how old are you?”
She tilted her head a bit.
“About two hundred and something? I don’t really count anymore. Once I was linked to the stone, I stopped aging. Oh, by the way...”
He didn’t glare at her but did frown.
“You are not going to tell me that I’m going to be stuck being five-six for the rest of my life, are you? That is not going to make me happy. I’m supposed to grow at least another half foot.” Really, he was probably five-seven or even eight already. He wasn’t certain on that.
She grinned at him.
“I’m kidding! I’m seventeen. Being linked to a reality anchor doesn’t give you powers. Just pain and responsibilities. I don’t really need any animals to sacrifice. Not right now, at least. If it comes up, I get with you, to make an order?”
He nodded.
“That’s right. Also, you come over to my house, for dinner, at least once a week, from now on. And no, you don’t have to blow me. We’re going to be friends, though, so get ready for that.”
He stood up, feeling like an idiot. After all, he’d never had a blowjob and here was a girl willing to trade that kind of thing for magical help. Of course, all he could do was mow lawns and pressure wash things, so that probably wasn’t in the cards. On the good side, he was getting paid, at least.
“Yeah? Okay. Dinner. We can do that.” She seemed nearly shy, for some reason.
Probably due to fucking him over, with regular jolts of pain for the rest of his life. That or his saying that she didn’t have to blow him. That was just a throwaway line. A thing that had never been real, so saying it was only meant to be funny.
Waving a bit, he left, calling out at the door.
“Sunday, for that dinner. At six. That’s tomorrow, so don’t forget.”
Then he left and tried to think about nothing except work and how to manage pain. He had some things to learn, if he could.
Chapter twelve
Jake was a bit concerned, since no one came back home that night. He made hamburgers, the buns needing to be toasted, since they were just starting to go stale. There was also no call, since he didn’t have a phone. It also wasn’t his business, so he didn’t go to the Guard Shack and ask if they’d heard anything. For one thing, he wasn’t certain that they were in the same system at all.
They worked together, but not all the time.
Meaning he didn’t sleep that well, and the next day just started to study, since he wasn’t supposed to mow any lawns until after noon. Interestingly, when he did go outside, at about one, he found that more people were out and about, doing things. Caring for their own lawns or on occasion just sitting in chairs, enjoying the afternoon.
Drinking things from cans, glasses and bottles. Some of them seemed seasonal at least. Soda or lemonade. Both looked good but weren’t things he’d had in a while. There were a few patches of grass that needed to be trimmed and he got the tractor and trailer around, driving slowly, as he went through the entire place. Making small corrections and pressure washing a driveway in blue, since it had obvious dried blood stains on it, right in the middle. If that was meant as a sign or warning, he was going to be in trouble, but no one ran out to scream at him over doing it.
In fact, a lot of people, even ones he didn’t know, waved. At least after he did it first. True, some of them seemed suspicious of him, but only one, a man of indeterminate years, with oddly blue skin, just stood and stared, not responding to his overtures at all. That was different, but he let it go, hoping that being polite in his own style wasn’t being taken as rude by the man.
At four he went back to the garage, cleaned everything, including the backhoe, and made sure to check in with the front desk on his way out. That held Faraday still, so he got another smile.
“Taking off for the rest of the week?”
He got it, even if it was corny, so nodded.
“Dinner, with the grandparents and Sophie Lewis, if she shows up. Or if they do. They didn’t come back last night. The old people. Sophie was here this morning.” He added that, in case it was important.
Faraday held up her right hand, then picked up the land line, and started tapping numbers in. After a while she stopped.
“Hello. Captain Faraday Grim, we need a pulse check on Colonel Hines and General Hines. For Jacob Hines. That’s right...”
She listened, and finally looked up.
“Life signs confirmed. They probably won’t be in touch for the next forty-eight hours. Meaning it’s nothing too serious, or they wouldn’t have told us all of that.” She smiled, which was pretty when she did it.
“Got it. I won’t make them dinner, then. Thanks. Tell the person on the line that, too?”
Faraday did, hanging up shortly after that, having spent half a minute listening to something. Then she winked.
“I can’t say what they’re up to, but it shouldn’t be a real problem for them. So, you have a girl coming over for dinner, to an empty house? That sounds like a trap for her, doesn’t it?”
It really did. Especially given the last thing they’d talked about before he’d left earlier.
“It really does. Now, the question is, do I let her come over, thinking that I expect her to put out, for linking me to the reality anchor, or do I get you to call her and let her off the hook?” He knew what the adult thing would be to do.
Interestingly, Faraday just winked at him.
“She mentioned that to me, yesterday. The anchor link? I don’t want to cock block you, but you’re actually a little young. She’s seventeen, so legal. You, my fine young friend, are not. If you were, I’d be asking you out, so would totally sabotage her chances with you.” She honestly seemed torn, suddenly.
As if she were debating losing him as a friend, by warning Sophie off, or being an adult about the whole thing.
“Jim kind of suggested I get in good with her. As a friend? Not that she doesn’t seem like a good person, past that.” She kind of did.
After all, at the time, he’d been willing to die to protect the reality anchor, based only on the idea that it seemed important. Whining about some occasional pain seemed to be a bit much and blaming her for it, the guardian, for doing her job wasn’t a great idea.
There was a bit of a wide-eyed expression, and then a nod.
“Then... Follow orders, of course. Just, remember, if you get her pregnant, I will make you get married. I own a shotgun and everything.”
“Oh, I see how you are. If she gets pregnant, I’m on the hook for eighteen years, but if I get pregnant, it’s just off to a secret holding facility, isn’t it?”
He meant it as a mild joke, but Faraday snorted through her nose and started laughing so loud that three people who were in the back came out. As if he were being crippling in his application of humor, she repeated it, gasping. Then the others laughed, but only like normal people.
One of the men was Henry. He sobered first.
“That’s good. Now, you got someone pregnant?” He stared at Faraday, as if looking there. Either for guilt or answers.
Jake did his own snorting.
“Nope. No one got me pregnant, either. Not yet. I just have a dinner to go cook. Now...” He wanted to say something witty, but the only thing that came to mind was a request for them all to fuck off and a middle finger being stuck up to show his disdain.
Instead, he waved and left, wearing his sling bag with him. Rather, the bag he had checked out from there, which wasn’t his at all. Part of him wanted to be insulted, but he got the real idea behind what everyone had said. That he needed to be responsible. Also, that he should stay inside the laws, if he could manage it. On paper, or even in his head, he could agree with that, of course.
Unfortunately, his hormones weren’t planning to listen to him. Meaning that he hurried and cleaned up, the last minute of his shower being nothing but cold water. Then, after changing, he started to make dinner. It was Salisbury steak, potatoes, bread and salad.
He didn’t even consider the fact that Sophie might be a vegetarian until a light knock came at the door.
That’s what he was thinking as he opened it, to find the girl standing there, holding a bottle of something that looked like wine.
She waggled it in the air.
“Sparkling red grape. It’s not bad. Red goes with heavier meats?” She sniffed and nodded. “That smells good. I was worried that you might be a vegan or something. That would be awkward, trying to stuff all the veggies into the trash when you aren’t looking.”
The words had him smiling and meaning it.
“I was just thinking the same thing. I’d made Salisbury steak, and hadn’t asked if that was all right? I can make... Six different main courses? Anyway, just a warning, my grandparents aren’t in tonight. Faraday nearly called the game, on account of rain, given that. Instead, she’s letting us do this, but I had to promise not to be too alluring for you.” He pretended to give her a sexy look, which she smiled at.
Then came in.
“I was warned, actually. Also, that you might have orders to seduce me, anyway? That would be awkward. I mean, do I do it, so you don’t think I know about it, or do I put you off, and try to just be friends, because I actually do know?”
Sighing, walking in, he waved for her to follow, then spoke with his back to her. She had the same hat on as the first time he’d seen her but took that and her heavy coat off. Those were settled in the front hallway, on the hooks near the door, without asking. Under that she had a nice vest on, with a frilly white shirt on under it and black slacks. This time she had on regular seeming tennis shoes, instead of boots, though.
“It’s got to be some version of that second one. Just, you know, I’m the cool friend, who you hug a lot and accidently flash, because you’re so comfortable around me? Really, if we’re going to be alone for half of these, we should invite Clara as well.”
The food was on the table, and it was set, so they both picked a spot, and settled. Then served themselves, since it was supposed to be cozy, without being romantic. A thing, he had to admit, that he was nailing, so far that day.
After they had food, Sophie nodded.
“The succubus from across the street? Have you two been hooking up?”
“Nope. She warned me that it would be a huge mistake, in fact. At school, the plan will be for her to claim that she barely knows me. The lawnmower kid who just moved onto her street? I, on the other hand need to find the bad kids and introduce them, so she can do whatever it is that her people do.”
Instead of acting impressed that he knew someone else there, she just ate for a bit.
“This isn’t half bad. You made it?”
“Shocking, I know. I’m learning how to cook, so I can take up part of the slack here. Also, you know, feed myself.” Using a fork, he gestured at his plate. “I need to get groceries delivered. I can pick things up at the front gate, so it’s just a matter of knowing when it’s going to happen. Not that I have money. A bit should be coming, from the work I’ve been doing.”
The words got her to nod at him.
“Neat. Still, if you order from here, the government will pay for it. For everyone. Most people have jobs, too, but it’s one of the perks of living in Terrace Springs. Pickup and direct delivery are the problems. How would that work, if you got food at the gate?”
The meat really was good. A tiny bit salty, but not bad. He speared a piece, with some cooked onion on the top.
“I can use one of the vehicles here for that. Even the tractor and the empty trailer. Packages should work too. As long as I can be here when they come, to sign for them.”
“Neat. I can get you to pick things up for me, if I schedule ahead? We don’t really have a theft problem here, grabs for the reality anchor aside. There are constant guard patrols and people mainly keep to themselves. They’ll eat your face if they can, certainly, but that doesn’t mean they’re all bad neighbors or anything. The new guy isn’t a total tool even, or so I heard?”
That being him, he was pleased to find that out. No one wanted to be known as the town jerk. At least he didn’t.
“So, you’re a guardian for a reality anchor. That must be a challenging and... Often frightening job.”
Wiping her mouth, using a white paper napkin with a fine quilted pattern to it, to make it seem fancy, the gray eyed girl actually just stopped doing anything, for a minute.
“It can be, sometimes. Most of the time, really, I’m just like anyone else. You know, who’s lived alone for the last four years, because all of her family is forced to live in different places around the globe? I wouldn’t have this job now, but it was me or my little sister. She’s fourteen. Now. When Aunt Maise died, it fell to me. No one saw it coming. She was murdered. That’s how we die, for the most part. We never pass from old age or disease. You’ll grow, though.” She waved a fork at him. “I don’t know if the aging thing will impact you, or not. No one has ever been tied directly to a stone like this before, who wasn’t a family member. You didn’t dissolve into nothingness, so that’s a good sign, as a starting point. Really, if it was going to reject you, you would have died when the first drop of blood hit it, over Tony. The sweet and gentle robot that I have under it? He’s just for show. It’s a bit plain looking, the stone just hanging there in the air, alone, otherwise.”
Jake didn’t ask for anything past that, not wanting to bring up bad memories. The girl went on, anyway.
“That one, Aunt Maise, was probably the Freemasons. One of their chapters. They’re mainly good guys, if you can believe that, but some of them are into the whole idea that reality being more fluid here will allow them to have powers. It, I mean, yeah? Sort of? It just isn’t worth the rest of the fallout. I mean, average people might be able to fly, if we go down to three anchors, but at the same time, the giant flying insects will eat them. Everyone thinks that it will mean they’re going to be a god in that case but it doesn’t. It just means that everything becomes a puddle of incomprehensible goo, right in front of us.”
He wiped his own mouth, not wanting to be gross.
“I get it. If I had powers... maybe my parents would still be alive? Only, I know that it wouldn’t work that way. The killer would have just had even more going on than he did. Um, a fire being. It looked like a man. He was solid, I think.” The thought made his foot ache, but only for a moment.
There was more eating and a quiet fell over them as it happened. Finally, when he was about to say something stupid, just to fill the dead air, Sophie went first.
“You’re going to school with Clara? So, you’re heading to Lawrence in the fall? Me, too. I’m a junior. I missed a lot, two years ago, during the incursion. When we were being hit every few hours by people coming to and leaving this reality? That was not a wonderful seventeen months for me. What you feel on your arm? For me it’s my whole body, each time.”
That sounded horrible. Instead of acting like it, or apologizing, he thought first and spoke gently.
“I’m a freshman there this year. I think that’s the school at least. The local one?”
“That’s it, then. It isn’t a big place, either. Three hundred students, in all, I think. About that. There are a few assholes though, who you can feed to Clara. If she’s willing to go team girl part of the time, I have a few candidates she can look into as well. We should get with Bix, too... I think that’s everyone from here who’s going there, this year. He’s cool. A sophomore this year? Totally gay, so you know, your new best friend. Especially if you casually flash him and accidently throw him a few handjobs?”
Given he’d said something similar to her, not long before, if without the extras on the end, he nodded.
“Well, we have to be there for our friends. Um, I haven’t seen him, I don’t think?”
Sobering a bit, instead of fighting a laugh, she nodded.
“Half-vampire, so he sleeps during the day, when he can get away with it. Honestly, he kind of has the best of both worlds. He doesn’t burn in the sun, and he gets all the powers. Mesmerism and super strength and speed. Not so much on the endurance, actually. He does have to drink blood, but his family is pretty good about not bringing that kind of thing here. It should be safe for you.” She looked away then. “Well, as far as sucking your blood goes. You get the rest. Still a guy, you know?”
He could see that, feeling it himself, even at the moment.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m protected by a shield of ugly.” Waving a hand in front of his face in a circle, he closed his fingers together.
“That’s not true. You have a great jawline and killer cheekbones. Grow another half foot taller and you’ll be a lady killer in no time. Maybe put some muscle on? You’re only fourteen, so you might even make that. If not, you can get with Mr. Prentis? He can set that up for you, I bet. Again, you might have to put out, but it could be worth it for you?”
This time she wasn’t laughing at all.
“That... He’s not evil, exactly. I mean, you won’t really be pushed to your knees if you want to grow a bit extra or anything like that. There has to be a balance but doing things like getting him animals and helping with his new altar will count. You might keep that in mind, when he comes to you after it’s done, and asks what you want. It’s part of magic. The scales have to balance, in the end. If they don’t, you pay for it. That’s why I don’t do that much blood magic, even if it’s easy for me. The effects are amazing, but the costs add up, quick.”
She waved at him then, and locked eyes.
“What I did to you, yesterday... That’s going to cost a lot. Worse, every time you suffer pain from it, the debt will grow. So, I need to constantly be giving you something, without benefitting from it, myself.”
Jake didn’t get the rule for that, or what that meant. Not really.
