Master of the Lights

Chapter Five Part Two

Dekka

  "Why can you do that?  How?"  The Guy wonders out loud.

  I roll my eyes.  "If I knew why I can do it and how I can do it, then don't you think I would be a little less shocked?"  He shrugs.

  My phone buzzes from my pocket.  I pull it out to look at the screen.

 Text from Asa Parker:  Where are you?  You OK?

 I slide the lock so it will automatically pull up my messaging app.

  "Who is Asa?  Your boyfriend?"  The Guy asks, watching me.

  "That's disgusting, no.  Asa is my brother,"  I say.  Technically though, that is a lie.  Asa was never actually adopted.  He's kind of like a stray dog; my dad found him after a drill and brought him home.  Mom made phone calls for months, put up "found child" posters, alerted the local news station, she did everything she could to find his parents.  But we never did.  So we gave him a bath, a name, and kept 'em.  Had I been a bit older, I'd probably voted on naming him "Fluffy" because of his curly brown hair.

  I reply to Asa:  I'm fine, by the car.  Where are you?  I look up realizing I am actually on the complete opposite side of the parking lot as our car.  I stand up brushing dirt off of my jeans.  The Guy looks at me, then stands up as well.

  "I'm Bowen by the way.  Just thought you might want to know the name of the person that gave you that,"  He says pointing at my bloody nose.

  "Thanks,"  I reply sarcastically.  "I was dying to know.  Dekka."  He reaches out to shake hands, receiving an "Are you kidding me?" look in return.

  I look down, my phone buzzing to alert me to another text from Asa.

  Stage.  Be there in a min.

  ON the stage?

  No in front of it.

  I look up at Bowen.  "Well, this has been fabulous.  But I was supposed to be home a few minutes ago.  We should totally grab some lunch together sometime though."

  "Seriously?"  Bowen's eyes get big.

  "No you idiot.  Haven't you ever heard of sarcasm?"  I say, turning away to walk towards the car.

  "Hey, what took so long?"  I ask Asa when he walks up beside me ten minutes after I got to the car.

 He looks behind him at the hundreds of people he just waded through to get to me and points.  "That."  Asa sighs.  "Amity stayed back with Grayson and Griffin while I went to look for you.  I looked up and you were gone,"  He says as I climb into the driver seat.  He slides into the seat beside mine, turning on the overhead light and shoving Amity's purse to the backseat.  Now that we are in the light he can see the dark blood dripping from my nose, to my chin, then onto my tee shirt.  I haven't bothered to wipe any of it away because there will be more soon and head wounds bleed a lot.  I've just been spitting whatever got into my mouth out.  "What happened to you?!" Asa interrogates.

  "Oh, that little thing?"  I say touching my swelling nose and wincing at the pain.  "Same old, same old; finding trouble, getting punched.  Clashing.  I'm telling you, I am not meant to be social in any way."

  Asa digs around in the glove department, handing me napkins as he finds them.  I stick them in a cup holder with out using them.  Asa looks at me incredulously, but doesn't say anything.  He sighs, and looks forward.

  "There's the rest of our hooligans."  I follow his line of sight to see Grayson walking beside Griffin, who has Amity riding on his back.  He carefully sets her down, then scoots into the way back, all of them singing along to the one of the last few songs of the night.  One by one they stop singing  when they see my battered face.

  "Dekka, are you okay?"  Amity asks, concern filling her face.  She leans forward to get a better look at me.

  "Yep.  I am ay-oh-kay."  I smile at her reassuringly, thought I must look like death.  I'm exhausted.  Just trying to keep myself upright in the roaring mass of bodies all night has been work, and I will not admit how many times I fell.  All I want to do right now is curl up on the couch with Iggy and fall asleep to a Disney movie.

  "I mean sure, I am currently leaking the very thing that keeps me alive.  But that's alright,"  I counter.  "Because I can do this,"  I click the overhead light off and hold up my hand so everyone can see the weak flame emerge from my fingertips the second I snap them.  The warm glow it provides is just barely enough to highlight Asa's sharp cheekbones and blue eyes.  Kinda scary.

  It's like everyone is in a trance; staring at my new found "ability".  I let the flame slip away into nothing.

  Asa turns the light on, and tells me to do it again.  So I do.  And then once more.

  "How are you doing that?  Are you holding a lighter or something?"  Grayson marvels.

  I hold my hands up in the universal "I don't know" sign.  "No lighter,"  I say.  "It just kind of happened.  I was about to kick Bowen's butt, then all of the sudden: whoosh!  This girl was on fire!"  I shrug and throw the SUV into gear.

  Asa displays a puzzled expression.  "Who is Bowen?"  He slowly asks.

  I pull up behind Bowen's car where he is talking to another man.  I roll down the window and wave him over.  "Bowen!  I was serious about lunch ya know,"  I say.  "There's a sandwich shop on Main Street.  Barkley's.  Lovely little place.  Ever been?"

  "Are you actually asking me to lunch this time, Dekka? "  He says skeptically.

  "Read my literally bloody lips.  Nope."  I look at Asa.  "This is Bowen," I say.  "Satisfied?"  He shakes his head no.  "Too bad.  Goodnight, Bowen."  I drive away before anyone says anything else.  My head is throbbing as I glance at the time.

  "Hey Grayson, your mom isn't real big on discipline, right?"  I ask.  It will probably be midnight before we get back.  Maybe I can use my bloody nose as an excuse.  But hey, I didn't do any drugs.  That's a definite plus.

  "No,"  Grayson replies.  I barely let out a minute sigh before he swoops in with: "Dad is though."

  Griffin joins in.  "I think they have a good cop bad cop thing going on."

  Asa doesn't bother trying to hide his sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  Neither does Grayson.  Basically, we're toast.  Burned toast.