FIFTY-SIX: Friends she didn’t have

FIFTY-SIX: Friends she didn’t have

Siobhan was her friend.

Siobhan.

She didn’t know what had unsettled her more: the visit to the HaleSpa or the dream about Siobhan and  . . . .

“What’s name,” she said.  She’d never liked saying his name, even as a child. Most people just pretended he didn’t exist. Arous knew better.

She used Tennant-12 to send a V-dot to Siobhan.

The girls made their way for the Rabbithole.  The whole walk from where they were kicked out of the hovaxi for being loud, until they reached the boardwalk, was filled with cat calls from passing motorists, horse riders and kids their age on hoveh-boards. Siobhan dragged her down the sidewalk to the wooden stairway that led down onto the boardwalk.  This would take them back to the Rabbithole, the coffee shop where they had first met to talk for the first time.  Siobhan held Arous’ hand tighter and tighter and the girls began to walk faster and faster until they were both running and laughing and dying at the front door.  They stopped there gasping for breath, laughing almost to the point of tears, holding on to each other to stand up.

“Ladies.” A couple of guys addressed them leaving, one of them, Simon.

“You -?” said Siobhan. She almost turned white at seeing Simon. “This seems to be a regular haunt for you.”

“Yes,” said Simon looking at her and putting his finger to his lips.

Simon grabbed Arous’ attention before she could ask Siobhan if she was all right.

“Arous, right?” asked Simon.

“Yes,” said Arous.

“Yes, well, Arous, this is my cousin, Jude.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jude said, kissing her hand.

“Same, uh -”

Simon moved to open the door.

“Ladies, we were just leaving, however on second thought,” Simon cast a quick glance at Jude. “Would you mind if we joined you?”

“Thank you,” said Siobhan. She flashed into a cold, charming lady.

“Yes. Thank you,” Arous regaining her footing.

Arous followed Siobhan through the coffee shop and to the table at which they had sat that first night: the night she met Siobhan, the night she met Simon.  Jude pulled out a chair for Siobhan and then for Arous seating himself between them.  A few awkward moments of silence passed..  Jude looked at Arous not afraid to meet and hold her gaze. 

He had those grey eyes. Comforting eye.  The eye from her dream. Eyes she could get lost in.

Arous lowered her eyes.  Jude cleared his throat.  Siobhan played with her hair and lips in her mirror. 

“Fancy seeing you here,” Simon said to Siobhan.

Siobhan didn’t respond.

“Siobhan and I work together,” said Simon.

“Really?” said Arous.

“Yes, we both work for the same man, so to speak.  I am member of the Spartan Guard and work closely for the Ephor.”

“Like I told you earlier, Arous, I am a candidate for his next Idelle, his next image,” said Siobhan eyeing Simon.

“Not much to tell, really,” said Simon, “since it’s just a 1 in a million chance to get selected. And you would be the youngest Ephor Idelle to date. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes,” said Siobhan. “Like you said, not much to tell.”

Siobhan smiled and the conversation went on about what it was like to be an Idelle, what it was like to be a member of the Spartan Guard.  Arous watched as Siobhan sat and smiled, talking to and laughing at the two boys.  She seemed so at ease with something that Arous could think of as nothing but terrible.  Talking with strangers.  She had never been good at it at home.  Small talk wasn’t her forte, especially with the opposite sex.  When she wanted information, like about her mother, that was another story.  Otherwise, she was just awkward.

Jude picked on Arous first.  “You seem awfully quiet.”

“Oh.  I have nothing to say really,” said Arous.

“Oh, I see.  Our conversation is beneath her, Simon.”

“Nothing to say to us, I see,” said Simon.

“No.  I didn’t mean it like that.  I just have never been very good at small talk -” said Arous.

“Our talk is small, now is it?” said Simon.

“That explains –,” said Jude.

“No, I mean –,” she said, reaching out to grab Jude’s hand.

“It’s ok, they won’t go far. I’m sure we’re no more than an assignment,” said Siobhan.

“That’s a cold way to put it,” said Jude.

Siobhan opened her mouth for a quick comeback when a voice interrupted them causing Arous to jump.

“I’m sorry folks.  It’s time to go.”

The group got up to leave.  Arous was puzzled to see a momentary look of relief wash over Siobhan’s face.

 “What about tomorrow?” said Simon.

“I’m busy,” said Siobhan.

“No doubt,” said Simon. “How about you, Arous?”

“Oh, no,” Siobhan began to object.

“Why not?” asked Arous. Siobhan’s behavior had puzzled her.  And, maybe, hanging out with Simon meant hanging out with Jude.

She looked at Arous as if to say, You should be careful who your friends are.

“Jude is the stable manager for the City stables.  I’d love to take you riding,” said Simon.

“We both have horses there,” said Jude.

“I’d love to go riding,” said Arous.

“It’s a date then,” said Simon.

“A horsey-ride with Prince Charming,” sneered Siobhan. “How very city-like of you.”

Jude took Arous by the hand and looked her in the eyes. For a moment he didn’t say anything.

“Don’t listen to her,” he said. “She’s just jealous because we’re paying special attention to you.”

“Aw,” said Arous at it reminded her of a special sing-song she used to hear and she laughed. “Special attention, special attraction for two special girly-girls!”

FIFTY-FIVE: the Beautiful Fountain

            “Oh.” Arous was not having a good run of it and she felt sweat pop out on the back of her neck. She couldn’t think of anything clever to say so they just stared at each other.  If she couldn’t control her breathing her skin-dance would break down and she’d be there in all her mercury iridescent glory.

            The woman smiled.

            “That’s a beautiful fountain in the courtyard,” said Arous. “That balcony just above must be the Abbot’s office. Nice view.”

            “I’m the Abbot and it’s not my view,” she was not smiling again.

            “I’m sorry, you were dressed like the other Ministers, I didn’t-”

            “I like to blend in,” said the Abbot, then continuing about the fountain, “It was donated by the family of Ricci once he was elected to Ephor Canadí.  The family requested that it be left on all the time to bring serenity to the HaleSpa’s residents even while they sleep.”

            “The other nurse mentioned there was another person who,” Arous began.

            “Who upset Jason?” the Abbot finished her sentence as if she tired had of playing with a mouse. “She’s a Lunese. She excites many of the residents.”

            “She’s still here then?” asked Arous, remaining calm.

            “What do you mean still here?”

            “Oh, I’d just heard-”

            “Oh, they all hear but there’ll be a new Idelle to take her place. Besides, it doesn’t have anything to do with you now, does it?” The Abbot was smiling again.

            “I just thought it was odd, that’s all,” said Arous.

            “Lunese are odd,” said the Abbot. “And, that one attracted more attention than most.  They say she’s one of the last ones left.”

            Mother, Arous thought, then said, “Oh, I’m sure she’s the last one.”

            “Are you?” said the Abbot with that stupid smile spreading across her face.

            “She was a celebrity? I bet she gets a lot of visitors.”

            The nurse laughed and it made Arous jump. She couldn’t break down now, she was too close.

            “That one?” said the Abbot still laughing a little. “Doesn’t that warmer climate you were at have DE-Walls?” She kept laughing but Arous didn’t respond.  “She was accused of treason. She’s on lock down. No one goes in, no one comes out. No one but her Spartan Guard and Ephor Ricci.”

            “Ephor Ricci?”

            “Evidently a friend of hers.  If you ask me, the fountain was for her.”

            Arous felt herself coming apart; she couldn’t do the Dance any longer.

            “It looks like he’s going to be out for awhile. I should make an appointment for another time,” said Arous.

            “He’ll be lucid in a few minutes. Why don’t you wait?” said the Abbot.

            “There’s somewhere I have to be,” Arous had already stood and started walking away with only a nod to the nurse for good-bye.

            “I suppose adoption ties aren’t so close after all,” the Abbot called after her.

            Arous had broken into a cold sweat before she had even made it out of the front door of the HaleSpa.

            The pastel dressed receptionists watched her walk out while they whispered. Arous shook off their suspicion and smiled, giving them a little wave.  She kept breathing and hoped that she was as good at Skin-Dancing as she had always thought.

            “Oh, she’s full Amalgamese. You can tell, it’s in those tawny eyes,” she heard one of them say.

            “I don’t know,” another answered. “There is something about her that is iridescent like the Lady.”

            Arous had found her. She had confirmed that her mother was at the HaleSpa and still alive.  Now all she needed was a plan and a little help from friends she didn’t have.

FIFTY-FOUR: I don’t believe in Skin-Dancers

“I just wanted to say, I’m sorry,” said Arous. She got up to leave but she had gotten close enough for his strapped hand to grab hers.

            “Luna!” he said again.

            “Please,” she said, but she couldn’t pull away from his icy grip.

            “Luna, luna. Luna!”

            “I don’t know what you want me to do?” she tried whispering, hoping to calm him.

            “You killed him! You killed him.”

            He began to bounce up and down, writhing against his restraints.

            “I told them I told them I told them there was a lunatic girl witch girl making googly eyes at the cats and singing I told them and opened all the cages I told them. LUNA!”

            A hand touched Arous’ shoulder. It was the Novice.

            “I’m afraid you’re going to have to back up a minute while we give him this injection,” said what Arous thought was a Minister who was also brandishing an injection. She looked all business dressed in navy pinstripe pants and a navy v-neck shirt.

            “What are you doing?” asked Arous.

            “He’ll calm down as soon as we give him this. Just step back,” the Minister said.

            “She was THTHTH-EEEE-RRRR-E,” said Jason.

            “Now just calm down this’ll only take a minute,” said Hopeful. She was trying to get behind him to hold him down. “Sometimes when family members come in they get all excited.  With him though, there’s another resident -”

            “I need you to hold him down, not talk,” said the Minister as she jabbed the shot into his upper arm.

            Jason relaxed.

            “Sorry,” said the Novice when they were done.  “I’ll stay here with Miss Simmons and monitor Jason’s heart-rate.”

            “I think it’s time for your break,” said the Minister. The Novice in pastel walked-away.

            The Minister pointed to a chair at a table. Arous sat down and the Minister took a seat across from her.

            “He’s your brother? You don’t look very much alike.”

            “I’m adopted,” said Arous, with her best attempt at indifferent confidence.

            “That explains why you’re full Amalgamese and he’s, well, not.”

            The way she said Amalgamese made Arous shiver. The woman in navy continued.

            “But it doesn’t explain why there is no mention of you in his records. His parents have come once and they insist that he’s an only child.”

            “Well, yes, I might be what you call the silver sheep of the family.” Arous chuckled all by herself.

            “You mean, black, don’t you?” She lifted one eyebrow but didn’t smile.

            “Oh, it’s a southern Amalgamese joke,” said Arous. “A throwback to the Lunese slave days. Very inappropriate. Sorry.”

            “I’m sure he had an outbreak seeing you, since he hasn’t seen you in awhile and you show up like this.” She continued, “You know, at his very short trial, your brother alleged that there was a shape-shifter that ordered the dogs to attack Mike. He said he saw her let out all the cats.”

            “I don’t believe in Skin-Dancers,” said Arous.

            “I didn’t say anything about Skin-Dancers, Miss Simmons.”