One Touch

27: Colour Blind

It had been days since I’d seen the Cages. Atlanta and Caspian hadn’t come to school and their cars weren’t parked on their driveway. I shouldn’t be prying into their personal lives, but I missed Atlanta and her cheery face. I didn’t want to, but I missed Caspian whenever my gaze drifted to his empty desk in class. Ryu and Zavian, along with Amber and Emerald were also absent. It was puzzling. Castlebrooke Secondary had gotten much quieter without their superior presence.

Dance class was worse without Caspian. I was temporarily paired up with Ronald.

His chocolate eyes drooped and he wore an unsmiling face. His coffee hair was neat as usual, parted in the middle and waving over his forehead. Huh, so this was the infamous football player. He resembled a ballroom price, the perfect gentleman from a fairy tale. Atlanta was the princess, the lady.

“Missing Atlanta?” I asked him. Ronald’s sluggish movements said it all, and he managed a weak smile. “I’m sure she’s missing you, too.” I patted his shoulder. “Good luck.”

“I feel like I’m out of her league,” he said, and my smile fell. With a sigh, he stared at our feet as they moved slowly across the floor. “Sure, I like her, but so does every other guy in our grade.”

“Oh, but the thing is, she likes you over the other guys,” I told him. His nose reddened. How cute. “Tell you what. As soon as she comes back, take her out on a date.” Caspian was going to hate me for this and I knew I wasn’t the ideal matchmaker, but I had the urge to encourage them.

“Her brother hates me,” Ronald mumbled.

I didn’t know what else to tell Ronald, and when dance ended, we parted our ways. Haiti and Luna ignored me through it all, and for several days. I didn’t mind, but it bugged me since they’d been my friends for so long. I shouldn’t care anymore, but since Atlanta was gone, I felt too alone. Why did it have to come to this?

Drops of rain pelted the parking lot when I stepped outside, some students were with their umbrellas and some sprinted to their cars. There were near to no storms in the city I lived in, yet now, I could hear soft thunder echo within the clouds. As I drove home, I grew fond of this weather. The pattern of plummeting raindrops, the smell of wet pavement, and the rumbling sky mimicked nature’s melody.

I carried my drenched self into the house, wringing out whatever I could before continuing up the stairs. That must’ve been the first rainstorm in my neighbourhood in a very long time. I welcomed it with open arms, despite how cold I was.

Mom was stuck in traffic so she was unable to come home on time. It was Dad and I alone in the house again. The rain had died down to a small drizzle by sunset. I couldn’t see the setting sun with the mounds of clouds hiding it.

I grabbed my novel and snuggled into my covers, finding it the perfect time to read my way through the day. However, the sound of car wheels through a gush of water distracted me. Loud voices followed after and I looked out the window. The Cages were back, and I saw them step out one by one.

Joy filled me, seeing my best friend and boyfriend return. My mind stumbled for a second, entitling Caspian as my boyfriend. It sounded fallacious, as if there was something incorrect in using the word. He was the last to stand on his driveway, and he looked towards my window once Atlanta and Odelia had gone inside.

I lifted the window, exposing my bedroom to the drizzles outside. Caspian didn’t react when I waved, but he didn’t break his gaze. He wore the hoodie to his navy sweater, and it shadowed his eyes. Did he even see me?

I shut the window and closed my book, taking a coat from my closet and scurrying downstairs. Caspian was still on his driveway when the rain slowed and ran down the gutters.

“Hey, where’d you guys go?” I asked, walking towards him. I zipped up my coat and stopped in front of him. He was motionless. “What? You’re ignoring me again?” It couldn’t be, since his eyes followed me to him. They were lifeless and empty, like all the energy had been sucked out of them. But he didn’t show signs of dreariness, or fatigue. I shook him, and his eyes narrowed to slits.

I snatched my hand back like I committed a crime by touching him. “Why are you acting like you don’t know me?” I said quietly, with a mix of confusion, doubt, and worry. “Where’s Atlanta? I want to see her.”

Before I passed him, he grabbed my elbow and started walking. I didn’t know where I was being taken, but the pace of his steps was robotic and quick. Our houses became smaller the farther we went. At one point, Caspian let go of me and continued walking on his own.

“Caspian!” I called, catching up to him. “Wait, what happened?” I tugged on his sleeve but he didn’t stop. “What happened to you?” A fenced, elementary school playground came to view, lit with streetlights at every corner. I ran up and halted in front of him.

Caspian looked at me, and all I wanted to say vanished. I hated being tongue-tied, especially with this freaky boy in front of me. I removed the hood from his head, revealing locks of dull, black hair. I was horrified. What—

“I can’t be with you now,” Caspian growled suddenly, taking me by the shoulders and pushing me back. “Go home. We’ll talk tomorrow. Now’s not the time.”

“Your hair, it’s—” I started, but he shut me up by putting a rough hand onto my mouth. I took it off. “I want to know! If not, at least tell me why you look so dead. Do you have jetlag? Did you not eat well? How’s Atlanta? Is she the same—?”

“Eve, go home,” Caspian said, his mouth twisting into an acidic frown. I was stunned by his command. He was ruthless, like he was shoving me away or throwing me out like garbage.

“No,” I refused stubbornly. “I’m staying here until you tell me what’s going on. I’m not waiting for an answer and I’m not listening to you.” I’d had enough of this.

“Remember I told you," he hissed, "you have to obey me sometimes when I need you to. I want you to leave. Now. Go away. I don’t care if you’re worried and s**t, because it isn’t safe for you to be around me.”

“Why?” I scowled. “I’m not carrying a gun with me.” Caspian was on the verge of strangling me, but he remained still. “I don’t have a knife, or a Taser.” His brows furrowed, and I spread my arms. “You can body check if you’d like.”

I was talking with a flow but didn’t realize what I said until Caspian stepped towards me. I regretted the frisk-offer when his arms slid around my shoulders and bound me like a cocoon. God, he was burning hot. His whole body scorched mine as they flushed together. It made me feel small and uncomfortable.

“Caspian, hey…” I murmured, feeling his warm breath hit the side of my neck and ear. He smelled unfamiliar, like metal and black pepper. It stung my nose, overwhelming and feverish. “Why…?”

He walked me to the fence, and I felt its coils press against my back. His presence, his heat, everything consumed me as I wilted in his embrace. I held onto his shirt, my elbows hanging heavily. He took deep breaths of I didn’t know what, but it dizzied me.

“You asked for it,” he said. His gruff voice sent shivers all over my body and my eyes fell closed. I was…I was slipping into a state of numbness I couldn’t decipher. My knees weakened, making us lower to the ground. “You stupid, stubborn girl,” he mumbled, and let some fresh air between us.

I opened my eyes slightly, and saw strands of Caspian’s hair return to gold under the midnight glow and his eyes flare with animation. No, I had to be seeing things or this was a dream.

“Pinch me, please,” I said, unable to keep my eyes open. “Or punch me. I’m…I think I’m dreaming. I’m so…tired. What…?” Caspian did neither when he pulled me into a standing position.

“Time to go home,” he said, and I leaned into his chest. He sighed, ruffling my hair. “It could’ve been worse.”

Caspian and I returned onto the pathway to our houses. He let go of me the closer we came, and I rubbed my eyes. A car pulled up onto my driveway, the headlights blinding me.

“Don’t say a word about us,” Caspian told me. The words reached my brain but I couldn’t react with sleepiness dragging me down. Caspian’s pressed a kiss to my head before going to his porch.

I yawned, unable to think about anything but my comfy bed. Rick shut his car door, jolting me awake. Did he, by chance, see Caspian’s affectionate action? Did he see Caspian with me at all?

“What were you doing with Caspian?” He demanded, walking up to me. “Eve, I’m talking to you.”

“I was getting closer to him,” I said, and tried to think of a following excuse. “So I can get his samples easier. You know, his hair and whatnot.” I yawned again, wanting to go inside and cuddle into my covers.

Rick was quiet, contemplating whether to believe me or not. “Fine. But, Eve? You have to be careful. Getting close to him is the last thing you want to do.” What was he so worried about? “Getting close to any of them is a risk.”

“I know, I know,” I lied. “Trust me, I got this. I won’t fail you or dad. I promise.” And it was a promise I made when I was half asleep on the driveway. This was a dangerous situation.

“But if you’re getting ‘closer’ to him,” Rick said, frowning in thought, “it means…Are you going out with him or something?” I shook my head, trying to get rid of my sleep. “Whatever you do, do not fall in love with him. Even by accident.”

My heart jerked. “Are you crazy?” I said. “You have, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Of course,” Rick said, relaxing. “You don’t do love, right? You’re a practical, straight-forward person. So, I do have nothing to worry about.” My eyes solidified. “But remember, you have to finish that module.” Then, Rick left.

I wasn’t a zombie, for God's sake. If anything, he was the one who lived in a computerized world and could easily be that emotionless person. But everything had changed when the Cages came into our lives. I forgot why I was against love and relationships. I didn’t remember that feeling anymore. But I had to be cautious and couldn’t give in completely.

After all, I did have the Energy Gods module to complete. I had to keep my word and get those samples from Caspian, no matter how guilty I felt and how close I got to him.