Magic monsters and me, p.30
Magic, Monsters, and Me, page 30
“I know you have your rules,” Austin said. “But my mate here would drive better with my support. Moral support, yeah?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Think about it, he’ll be calm and less stressed out, yeah?”
“I mean…” The woman paused, looking down at her clipboard.
“I’m his boyfriend,” Austin said, while my face burned. I wanted to die as he outed us to the woman.
“Oh,” the woman said. “Ah, that is so sweet,” she said. “I wish my boyfriend was as supportive as you are.”
“Wouldn’t life be better—” He paused to look at her nametag. “—Naomi, if we all had support during crucial times, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Naomi said. “Okay, you get in the back, but do not talk. Okay, I have to test Mr. Delomary’s skill, Mr—”
“Kang,” Austin said. “Austin Kang Jr.”
“Great name,” Naomi said, waving Austin to the back and sitting in the passenger seat.
I was extremely nervous as we drove around the tree-shaded streets around the DMV office. Austin patted me on the back when I stopped at a red light correctly, made a proper left turn with signal, and yielded to seniors heading back to the senior apartment complex near the DMV office.
When the test was over and I pulled into the DMV parking lot, Naomi looked at me and said, “I would recommend that your talkative significant other”—she turned to look at Austin—“try to be less handsy while you’re driving, so you don’t make a mistake.”
“I love cuddles, Naomi,” Austin said.
“Yes, Mr. Kang, but I don’t think using signals correctly or checking the rearview mirror requires a warm embrace from you every time,” Naomi said.
“I’m sorry, Naomi,” Austin said. “Don’t fail Eli due to my need to share my love and affection.”
Naomi laughed. “You are something else, Mr. Kang,” she said. She faced me. “You passed, Mr. Delomary.” She smiled. “Congrats!”
“I can’t believe it!” I said as we exited the car, and I jumped up and down thrilled to have my license, finally. Austin pulled me close and kissed me all over my face. Right there in front of the DMV. He didn’t care. I did, of course.
*
WINTER IN LA was always unpredictable. A few days ago, the City of Angels was gloomy, cold, and rainy. Today, the Santa Ana winds were blowing and temperatures soared into the low nineties. Austin and I were wearing shorts and flip-flops at his house after breakfast.
“What are you boys up to today?” Cecilia said, sipping coffee while Austin Sr. loaded the dishwasher.
“Nice day for a swim, yeah?” Austin Sr. said.
“Or a hike,” Cecilia added.
“I hear there are some Malloupus in the Glen,” Austin Sr. said. “You could kill them—”
He paused as his eyes met mine. My stomach dropped. I wasn’t Magical anymore.
“We’ll go for a celebratory drive, yeah?” Austin said, shooting his dad an evil look. “And maybe if we encounter any monsters, I can wipe the dirt with them while you are dazzled by my skill, Eli.”
I laughed in spite of myself. Austin could turn any situation back to him and make it endearing.
“Okay, Kangy,” I said. “Can I drive?”
Austin Sr. choked. Cecilia muttered something in Cantonese, swatting him with her hand.
“Of course, you can, Eli,” Austin said, glancing at his dad. “Right, Pop?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Austin’s Coaugelo magic will protect the boys,” Cecilia said.
“Exactly right, Mum!” Austin said, lifting his arms over his head and roaring, “I’m a powerful protector!”
“Kangy, you are too much sometimes,” I said.
“You love it, mate,” Austin said, coming over to kiss me on the tip of my nose.
“Where should we go?”
“Out to Joshua Tree, my favorite place in the desert,” Austin said, waving me toward the garage. Once we were in the car with our seat belts on, Austin handed me the keys.
“I didn’t know that you’ve been to Joshua Tree.”
“Yeah, with Mum and Dad and Barn a few times. It’s amazing out there. I feel the presence of God or whoever is out there, mate, among the Joshua trees and rocks. And, you should know that Joshua trees are agave plants, not trees.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, mate,” Austin said. “I’m like a walking, breathing, living Google.”
“Whatever you say, Kangy.”
It was a long drive from the Valley out to the low desert north of Palm Springs. Depeche Mode’s Violator droned in the background as Austin explained to me about economic theory, the Opium War, and the Last Battle between the Coven and the Alliance. He lectured me about how terrible fast food was for our bodies since it was filled with sodium, fat, and preservatives. He touched upon the idea of self-driving cars. “My phone can’t spell bitch,” he complained looking out at the expanse of desert on both sides of the car, stretching to the horizon. “No, it changes it to birch. I mean, if AI can’t figure out a vulgar word, how’s it going to drive in the rain? No, we’re all going to die, mate!”
“Kangy, you are too funny,” I said, peering out at the desert stretching in front of us.
“You love it, mate,” Austin said.
“Of course, I do.”
A few hours later, we were perched on a rock overlooking the entire valley below, filled with beautiful, ancient Joshua trees.
“How are you so brave?” I asked, then sipped from the canteen we brought.
He looked at me. “You think I’m brave, mate?” he asked.
I nodded. “The bravest,” I said.
He laughed. “I’m either brave or stupid. Don’t know which, mate.”
“Come on, Austin, you honestly do whatever you want. You never second-guess yourself.”
He fell into thought, and he said, “You know what the difference between us is, love?” When he called me love rather than mate, he was being serious. “I always knew I my parents loved and cherished me growing up.”
That stung. I mean…what?
He looked at me. “Eli, love,” he said, “you need lots of affection and love. I can tell.”
I felt like I needed to scream. The word “love” sorta made me want to lose my shit. But I bottled the anger inside. I changed the subject. “My dad is taking me to Disneyland.”
Austin tossed a pebble down. “Oh, really?”
“He said only us guys. He thinks you’re one of mom’s security guards assigned to me.”
He laughed slyly. “Well, he’s not that wrong,” he said, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him. “I do protect you.”
I spotted some hikers heading toward us right as he leaned in to kiss me.
I pushed him back. “Not here,” I hissed. He looked over at the people and waved. They waved back. He pulled me by the back of my neck and locked lips with me. I wanted to die. I mean, I expected those strangers to fly up and pummel us. Or shout obscenities at us. Groomers! Recruiters!
When I opened my eyes, they were gone.
“You worry too much, love. And,” he said as we walked back to his car, “I will be at Disneyland. No one stops Kangy.”
*
THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, I was at Austin’s house waiting for Dad to pick me up. We agreed it was better for him to come get me at Austin’s rather than at mine. Mom was still unsure about my spending time with him, but she relented in the end.
I stood in the mirror trying to tie a bowtie. Dad had this idea we should dress up for Disneyland and pretend to be cast members and walk around and give people the wrong directions to things. He thought it would be so much fun to confuse people. Dad had a strange sense of humor.
“I can’t tie this!”
Austin came over and helped me from behind. In two seconds, the bowtie was done. “Voila, mate,” he said. Austin did anything he wanted, even tying bowties perfectly. Austin and I waited for Dad on the front porch. A layer of white clouds tinged black hung heavy over the Valley. The temperature was warm, and I felt myself sweating under my dress shirt.
“I’ll follow you and your dad in my car,” Austin said, standing next to me with his arm linked through mine. “I’ll pretend to be a manager and threaten to kick you blokes out for impersonating cast members, yeah?”
“Dad will know it’s you, Kangy,” I said.
“Your dad looks like the type of white guy who can’t tell Asians apart,” Austin replied. “He’ll think I’m someone else.”
Austin and I waited for more than an hour. Around ten AM, Cecilia came outside.
“I don’t think your dad is coming,” she said. “We have congee and Chinese donuts. Why don’t you boys come in and have breakfast?”
“I love congee!” Austin shouted.
“I’m sorry, Elijah,” Cecilia said as we headed inside. After breakfast, we went outside to cool off in the pool.
Austin Sr. sat by the pool drinking coffee and reading the Cantonese language newspaper. Austin was doing cannonballs into the pool. I floated along pretending like nothing had happened. That Dad hadn’t flaked on me like he usually did.
Barn showed up a while later, with a pretty girl with dark skin and green eyes. “Oi, lads,” he shouted, “this is Katie.”
“Hi, all,” Katie said shyly.
“Katie is brilliant,” Barn said winking at her. She grinned. Wow, they like each other!
A few moments later, water splashed as Barn and Austin played chicken while shouting to each other in Cantonese. Katie floated toward me on a blowup unicorn.
“You’re the kid who came out to the whole school,” she said. I grunted.
“No, I’m sorry. I thought it was so romantic and cool when your boyfriend came out too. Wow. I cried.”
I looked at Austin. He shot me the peace sign. He was one in a million.
Later, Austin Sr. fired up the grill and barbecued chicken with Cecilia supervising him. They drank wine, smiling at each other and hugging and cuddling. God, I wanted what they had: to be their age, settled, and comfortable in life and in their own skin.
After growing tired of playing chicken, Austin and Barn exited the pool. Barn and Katie moved to the lounge chairs under the pergola where Barn read poetry to Katie, her eyes closed. “That’s serious,” Austin whispered to me as we dried off by the side of the pool. “That bloke is reading her poetry!”
I laughed. “He hates poetry. He only reads military history books or fantasy.”
“Clearly he’s fallen hard for her.”
“Yeah,” I said, squinting up at the sun overhead.
Austin looked at me. “You haven’t said anything about earlier,” he said. “About your dad not showing up.”
“Nothing to say.” Other than my dad was a piece of shit. “How come you don’t read me poetry?” I said, changing the subject, hoping to distract him from probing my broken heart. Mom was right about Dad. Why couldn’t I accept what she told me? Mom and me, we just couldn’t seem to see eye-to-eye.
Soon, Austin was reading me poetry in Cantonese while I floated in the pool, eyes hidden behind my sunglasses. Cantonese sounded so wonderful, especially from Austin.
Much later, after dinner, Katie showed off her magic skills. She turned the moon into a giant smiling face emoji that kept grinning and winking at us for about ten minutes. Then the moon turned into Miss Pac-Man and began circling overhead, gobbling up the Big and Little Dipper and even Cassiopeia. We all laughed a lot. Cecilia brought out custard tarts and coffee for us to eat and drink as the moon continued feasting on the constellations.
After a while, the magic faded and the moon floated high above.
“I’m lucky to have you, Kangy.”
“Me too, Eli,” Kangy said leaning in to kiss me.
“Get a room!” Barn called to us, before leaning over to kiss Katie.
“Sod off, Barny!” Austin laughed.
Barn pulled away from Katie. “Shut it, Lostin’!”
Austin and Barn pulled out their PlasmXs and spent the next half hour showing off their fighting skills, flying overhead almost killing each other until Cecilia hollered at them in Cantonese.
“Kill monsters,” she said in English, “not each other! Now, how about we go inside and watch something romantic.”
“Yeah!” Katie and I said in unison. Barn, Austin, and Austin Sr. groaned.
“Wu Xia movies!”
“I thought you were a lover, not a fighter, hon,” Cecilia said, walking over to the sliding glass door leading inside. “Or am I wrong?”
“No, Mum,” Austin said, following Barn and Katie inside. “But you know I love Wu Xia movies.”
“I know, I know,” Cecilia said, then followed me inside the house and closed the door behind her.
*
A WEEK LATER, Dad called to apologize. Something about being called back to Caracas. He said he’d be back in April and was planning a party and wanted me to come. “Bring a girlfriend. I know a heartbreaker like you has a dozen.”
“I have—” I almost told him about Austin. I stopped myself.
“A lot, huh, El?” Dad laughed. “That’s my son, the heartbreaker.”
“Sure, Dad,” I said and hung up.
Mom sat on the sofa nearby. She shot me this look that I interpreted as her saying she was done talking about Dad.
I walked over to Austin’s house. Cecilia came outside, looking worried. “He has the flu with a terrible fever,” she said. “He’s been calling for you, Elijah, all night.”
My stomach fell. I looked up the stairs toward Austin’s room. “Is he okay?”
“”Yes, I think he’ll be okay, but he has to rest, and I don’t want you to get sick.”
I shook my head. “I’ll get his homework and come by after school. I don’t mind. I won’t get sick,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Auntie,” I said. In Austin’s house I called his parents Auntie and Uncle as a sign of respect.
“Okay, thank you, Elijah. You are a good boy.”
School was a blur. Without Austin, I was vulnerable and alone. I mean, I couldn’t believe how much I had grown to depend on him, having him with me, and dealing with the drama of school. Spending time with him, feeling connected to him in a way I didn’t with my friends and family.
Without Austin, the bullies seemed to be out in force for me. I guess they didn’t see me hanging around six-foot-three Austin and assumed I was weak without him. As I passed them, I heard them muttering the F word. In the locker room, the guys dressed with lightning speed and cleared out. Great, I was like the plague.
Orville Conry glared at me. “You lost your powers,” he sneered. “You’re nothing anymore.” How did he know about my powers? Sometimes I wondered if he was secretly in a coven.
In Aca-Deca, Mrs. Biederman was in a bad mood, yelling that we needed to study more or we would lose. I didn’t understand half the subjects. Austin did. Without Austin I was sort of lost. Puxhàredo. What if something happened to him?
I cut through the mall on the way home. I passed by the Surf ’n’ Skate shop. I looked in the windows at the Independent and Santa Cruz T-shirts and tank tops. I loved wearing clothes made for surfers and skaters. I was tired of wearing baggy, black clothes and looking either emo, like some Plebe toadie, or like I was going to a board meeting. I was only a teenager for few more years before I would be an adult. A real adult, with real responsibilities.
I searched the racks for some shirts, tank tops, and some short-sleeved button-down shirts, then paid for them and skated up the hill to Austin’s house. He was awake when I arrived, propped up in bed with lots of pillows. Ocho was sitting in his lap. He was pale and withdrawn, but his face lit up when I walked in. “Oi, what’s new, mate?” he whispered and coughed. I sat near him. I didn’t know what to do. “Eli…love…”
I looked at him, teary-eyed. “Are you going to die, Kangy?” I asked, distraught.
Austin laughed and coughed again. I was scared. Why did he have to get sick? I didn’t want to be a widow at sixteen and have to wear black the rest of my life like old-school French-American widows. He laughed again. “I’m sixteen, mate! Strong as a lion, rawr!” he said, followed by a five-minute coughing fit.
I stared at the floor. How did I tell him how much I missed him? I didn’t, of course. I was still terrible when I was alone in my head. Guess I hadn’t grown up. Still falling back into old patterns without him.
After coughing and whining about being sick, Austin noticed my bag. “What did you get me?” he asked, smirking.
I had bought him two white T-shirts. I pulled them out to show him. They both had lions on the back and were crisp white.
“I love them, mate,” he said, smiling weakly at me. “I love Leos so much.”
“My Leo.” I wanted to cry. Fricking A, pull it together, Delomary. I showed him the ones I bought for me.
“I love them. Can you try on the tank tops? Ol’ Kangy could use a wee hard-on to feel better,” he said. I hesitated. I hated having him see me without my shirt on. “Come on, love,” he said. I put on the tank top, turning slowly for him. “You look lovely,” he said in between coughs. “Wear that everyday…” He closed his eyes, holding my hand.
When I heard him snoring softly, I snuck out of his room. I went home and put on one of the tank tops. I looked at myself in the mirror. Maybe I didn’t look so awful. I mean, maybe I was decent, I guessed. Austin had that effect on me. Inspired confidence.
A week later, when Austin was better, he picked me up in the morning to drive to school. Usually we liked to walk together, but he was still fatigued from his illness. I hopped in, wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops. He stared at me. “Oi, what the hell happened to my beloved, Eli?” His voice was still hoarse from coughing. He sounded sexy.
“I’m wearing this tank top for you, Kangy.”
“Kangy has wood,” he whispered, his face red. “Yeah?”
He laughed loudly and squeezed my knee. I was self-conscious when we first walked in to school, but somehow, back in Austin’s towering aura, I felt safe again. Orville and his gang of bullies retreated to the shadows. Thank God. Still, I was unsure of myself.
