Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Four

Milo sat alone at the bar, staring up at the video screen. It was the day before the inaugural Alexandra Gray Day, and ever since being on the news, his fame had risen slightly. He didn’t necessarily mind being stopped in public, he was just sick of answering the same questions about Alex.

The situation after she came out of her coma was weird. She had become distant, both literally and figuratively. Alex had been off the grid, but kept in contact on occasion, providing updates of her travels. The pictures and messages became less frequent until eventually, all contact had ceased. Milo wanted to give her the space she needed, but thoughts of her consumed his every waking moment. Even in his dreams he could not escape her. Whenever he tried to push those thoughts aside, something external would invariably pull them back.

“Order the original Dream Machine now — the only dream recorder developed by Alexandra Gray. Upload your dreamcast and become a star like Dangerous Donna, The Sandman, or Zane!”

Milo watched the commercial and recalled the dream recorder he had helped Alex build. It was nice to see her taking his advice and patenting one of her inventions. She had licensed the technology to a major conglomerate and had revolutionized the entertainment industry. In the process, it made her incredibly wealthy. Now, instead of watching movies, which were expensive to make, ordinary people could record their dreams and upload them to the cloud for others to download and experience. The more interesting and entertaining the dreams, the more people tuned in. It was a completely new industry that had given rise to many overnight celebrities.

Milo took a drink and scanned the faces at the bar. At nineteen years old, he had one more year left before completing his mandatory fundamental education. He still hadn’t decided what he was going to do with his life, but he at least planned on putting off his advanced education until a later date. Much like Alex, he too was receiving job offers, but what he really wanted to do was be with the one he loved.

He replayed the moment he kissed Alex over and over in his head, and had analyzed it a thousand ways. Feeling sorry for himself, he finished his fourth drink and ordered another. In front of him was a digital menu. He selected a gin and tonic from the highball list and then held his hand up to the scanner until he heard a beep, signifying his payment had been processed. The bar counter was made of glass and underneath it was a machine that poured and served drinks. Milo watched as the mechanical system took a glass, filled it with ice, and then poured in the mixture of ingredients. When his drink was ready, it elevated up through the counter and was placed in front of him. He picked up the glass and took a sip.

“Hey, you’re that guy from the news, aren’t you?” a man asked.

Milo acknowledged the comment and gave the man a polite nod and insincere smile.

“Why are you not with that pretty little thing, Alexandra Gray? I tell ya, if I knew her, I would—”

“Hey, pal, why don’t you show her some respect,” Milo said.

“What, is she your girlfriend?”

Milo didn’t respond. The man kept talking as if he was trying to goad Milo into a fight.

“Oh no wait, I remember, you’re the friend. It’s the other guy who’s with her. She friend-zoned you, bro… ouch, that’s gotta hurt.”

“Why don’t you mind your own business,” Milo shot back.

“I’m sorry, I seem to have struck a nerve. I get it, tough to let that one get away, huh?” The man kept talking. “Probably still a little heartbroken, seeing as she ran off with another man. Rumour has it she’s dating that other guy… what was his name again?” There was a pause. “Aris, am I right?”

“What’s your problem, man?” Milo said. He quickly finished his drink and stumbled off his bar stool.

“Oh, don’t hurt yourself. Be careful now,” the man and his friends laughed.

Milo pushed through the group of guys who were harassing him and headed down a long hallway. His head was spinning as he bounced off the walls on the way to the men’s room. His fame had afforded him so few benefits in life. People mostly just messed with him like he was an animal at a zoo… back when zoos existed. Milo finished his business then washed his hands. He kept his head down to avoid making eye contact with people.

“Hey, you’re Milo, right?” another man asked.

“Hey, how’re you doing?” Milo replied.

“This is so crazy, I literally just watched you on the news today. Can I get a picture?”

“Sure, no problem,” Milo said, obliging with the request.

“Thanks! You’re the man, Milo.”

Milo left the washroom feeling just the right amount of drunk. He started to loosen up a bit and clear his mind. Just then, he met the man from earlier in the hallway. The man gave Milo a stiff shoulder and told him to watch where he was going. Milo didn’t respond or retaliate in any way, he just kept walking. Feeling his night would only get worse, he decided to leave the bar.

While waiting outside, a voice spoke from behind. “Hey, man, you forgot something.” When Milo turned around, the antagonizing man from the bar sucker punched him right in the face. Milo stumbled back and tripped over a curb. He was at the end of his rope with the man so he stood up and fought back in self-defence. He used his kung fu and landed a spinning wheel kick. All it took was one kick for the man to launch backward and land on top of a parked vehicle.

“Are we done here?” Milo asked, still in a battle stance.

The man rolled off the vehicle and onto the ground. He was clutching his midsection and no longer appeared to be a threat; however, the fight was far from over. Several of the man’s friends rushed in, attacking Milo from different angles. The first man threw a wild punch, but Milo saw it coming and was able to duck under it. Milo countered swiftly with a vicious right hook to the body. The man’s lungs deflated, sending him to the concrete, clasping his stomach and gasping for breath. A second man grabbed a hold of Milo’s jacket, tying up his arms, while a third man tackled him to the ground. Milo tried to defend himself as best he could, but was outnumbered. The men began to punch and kick Milo, but he covered up well to protect himself from any serious damage. Then he heard a thud… then another. The pummeling had stopped and Milo reluctantly looked up. He saw three bodies lying on the ground, knocked unconscious. The next thing he saw was an extended hand, reaching out to help him up. When he saw who it was, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“Well, this is humiliating,” he said, grabbing the hand and standing back to his feet.

“Sorry I’m late,” Mara said. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”

“No, of course not,” Milo replied sarcastically, “your timing is impeccable… as usual.”

“We make a pretty good team, huh?”

“Sure… but promise me you’ll never mention this to anyone.”