“What a jerk,” Eve exploded the minute he was out of shouting distance.
“Yeah,” Sai agreed. “I would give anything to find one of these people who had an ounce of class.”
I shook my head motioning that I agreed with her statements. Sam stood speechless with his hands in his pocket.
“Let’s try some of these rides,” I said trying to shift the focus from what just happened.
Everyone seemed to perk up at the sound of my words, even Sam.
“With all these rides, if we want to try them all we had better get started,” Beth pointed out.
“Yeah, let’s start with this one,” Eve replied pulling me in the direction of a huge ride that was positioned in front of us.
Her fingers were soft. Her pull was just enough to let me know she was serious. I smiled reluctantly trying to maintain an aloof image.
“Sure, let’s do it,” Pete replied. “You up for it, Sai?”
Sai shrugged her shoulders indifferently as they followed us.
“Okay, but after you’ve moved at the speed of light it’s going to be hard to find a rollercoaster fast enough to scare me,” she replied jokingly.
“I’m sure they’ve made the proper modifications,” Sam replied standing with his hands on his hips staring up. “Let’s do it.”
We followed a line trail to front of the ride. A droid stood at the entrance greeting passengers as we approached.
“Is this where the line starts?” Eve asked turning to the android.
“Yes, Ms. Timila,” the android replied with a smile similar to the one Delta 412 showed a couple of hours earlier.
He looked vastly different then Delta 412. While Delta 412 was the spitting image of a human being, this android was covered with latex like skin with sockets that were covered in a weird, hard looking silver liquid.
“Okay,” she replied uneasy.
The android moved to the side and allowed us to enter. The entire ride looked like a wormhole. It was housed inside a huge structure with souvenir shops on each side.
“Why is it so empty?” I replied turning to the android. “I expected more of a crowd.”
The android turned with an expressionless robotic demeanor.
“Yes, well, this reality was created specifically for the trials,” he replied. “It’s only during the trials and only the chosen trial legions are admitted.”
I nodded approaching the structure. We waited in line as a couple of legions hopped on. I hoped we wouldn’t be recognized as we made our way to the entrance to the ride and luckily we weren’t, either that or no one cared.
“So how are we going to do this?” I asked turning toward everyone.
Eve showed a bashful smile.
“Well, it’s a tube capsule but it only holds two at a time,” Sai replied assessing the situation.
She looked at Eve and their eye contact was a dead giveaway. They were obviously speaking with each other and my guess was it was through BAU. I stood impatiently as a smile cracked on their faces.
“Tim,” I heard ringing in my mind like a thought in my own brain.
It was Pete. I struggled to respond and keep a straight face.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I replied.
“You have got to help me out,” he exclaimed.
I nonchalantly looked over. He was bent over pretending to tie his shoes. I drop to my knees following his lead.
“You mean with Sai,” I replied.
“Yeah, put us in the same capsule,” he demanded.
“How…why would it be any different from you setting it up?” I groaned.
“It not as obvious,” he replied.
“Well, after about five years of using the none obvious approach, I think it may be time to try a different one,” I poked.
“C’mon, Tim, help me out,” he begged.
“I’ll do it,” Sam chimed in.
I looked up as he stood staring around in a horrible attempt to be transparent.
“Sam, how can you hear us?” I replied.
“You guys never restricted your conversation and if it wasn’t for me, every person in this room would be hearing it,” Sam replied.
“Thanks,” I replied relieved.
“Thanks for what?”
I didn’t even want to look up. I had spoken not using BAU and now Eve and Sai’s attention was fixed squarely on me. I stood up with a cheesy smile and pointed at my shoe.
“I got a stain on my shoes,” he replied. “I was just saying it like, sarcastically.”
Sai looked at me unconvinced.
“There’s no stain on your shoes, Tim. What do we look like idiots?” she replied. “You were using BAU.”
“What?” I replied trying to sound offended.
They both glared at me in an attempt to force me to come clean.
“Okay…but so were you guys,” I fired back.
They made the same offended face as I did and I replied mimicking their earlier glares invoking laughter as they relented.
“Well, I guess we both need to come clean,” she replied.
They both looked at each other like they were gaining a consensus on what to disclose and what not to.
“We were just trying to figure out how we would ride,” Sai replied her face blushing from embarrassment.
I acknowledged her confession with a playfully sarcastic a nod.
“Yeah, us too,” I replied. “What did you guys decide on?”
They stood with a hesitant demeanor.
“What did you guys decide?” they pressed staring at us suggestively.
I looked back at Pete than Sam hoping they would help me out but neither was willing to talk.
“Well…um, well…you see…”
“Well, we figured Tim would go with Eve, Pete would go with Sai, and I would go with Beth,” Sam replied jumping into save me. “That’s if you don’t mind, Beth.”
Beth’s face blushed as red as an apple as she shrugged indecisively. Pete stared at the ground trying his best to fight back the urge to smile.
“I don’t mind,” she replied timidly. “I mean, if you don’t.”
Sam smiled walking over and standing next to her.
“No, it’ll be fun,” he replied.
A feeling of embarrassment rose in me as Eve’s face soured at the sound of Sam’s words.
“Well, don’t look too excited,” I said trying to ease the feeling of embarassment.
“No, it’s not that,” she replied walking over to me. “I just figured since Sam and Sai know each other and Pete and Beth know each other, it would be better if they paired off like that.”
Pete’s giddy demeanor quickly changed. He looked as if someone had hit him the stomach with a fast ball.
“Um…”
“Tim, I’m trying to play cupid with my sister and Pete,” Eve shot through BAU.
I concentrated trying not to be obvious as I fought to keep a straight face and reply.
“Okay,” I replied nodding.
Eve winced at my display. I cringed.
“Tim, why are you nodding?” Sai interrupted.
Eve stared at me in a warning manner.
“Nothing, I was just thinking about something,” I replied peripherally staring at Eve.
Eve turned to Sai with a wink causing her demeanor to change.
“Oh, okay,” she replied.
Pete and Sam looked at each other confused.
“But yeah, I figure that would be okay, I mean, if you guys don’t mind,” I replied turning to them.
Sam looked at me in a perplexed manner. Pete looked like he wanted to tear me apart.
“What are you doing?” he replied through BAU.
“Will people stop trying to speak with me through this BAU crap, I obviously suck at it,” I fired. “Regardless, Eve thinks Beth likes you so she wants to play cupid.”
“What are you talking about?” he replied. “Beth doesn’t like me.”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “But we can’t keep talking like this. It’s going to be too obvious.”
“No, it won’t. What do you think I’m an idiot?” he replied. “I’ve stopped time.”
I looked around and realized for the first time we were the only two people moving at normal speed, everything else was stagnant or moving in slow motion.
“Oh, okay,” I replied moving my hands back and forth in front of Sai's and Eve’s faces to see if they were really unresponsive. After I saw the coast was clear I continued. “Anyways, I said yes because I figured you couldn’t look like a bigger jerk. What was I supposed to say you were going to do? Shoot down Sai’s best friend’s sister in front of everyone. Besides, you have to admit the two of you do have a lot in common.”
There was a pause in his reply as if he was contemplating what he was going to say. He scratched his hand in a frustrated manner before looking up at me.
“Look, I just don’t like Beth like that. I mean we definitely have a lot in common and she’s nice a girl but you know how long I’ve been after Sai,” he replied.
I felt sorry for him. I couldn’t imagine being stuck in a spot like that but a part of me saw Sai like a sister and as bad as it sounds I didn’t think Pete was a good fit for her.
“Think about it, every time you are alone with Sai, nothing happens,” I replied trying to play armchair psychologist. “Why not try making her jealous? Beth’s a pretty girl. I mean, if anyone could make Sai jealous, it would be Beth; she’s pretty, smart, and you and her have more in common than you and Sai could ever hope to have, so just play this like a strategy.”
He paused again and with a sigh he relented.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he replied. “She sees me as a friend right now so maybe subconsciously she couldn’t observe me from a romantic prospective but maybe if I presented myself from that prospective…it’s possible. Okay, I’ll do it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. There was a weird calm that came over me that I couldn’t understand at the time. But, now, when I think back on it, it had something to do with the connection between me and Sai and, whether I wanted to admit it or not, the kiss between us had changed my feelings toward her. I was more protective. I wanted the best for her and even though Pete was great, I didn’t feel he would treat her how she should be treated but I figured it was better he didn’t know that at the time.
“Oh, no, that’ll be fine,” Pete replied with a well-timed smile in Beth’s direction. “Is it that okay with you, Beth?”
She smiled with a nod.
“Well, we’ve spent a month together, why not another ten or fifteen minutes,” she replied jokingly. “You can teach me some of the techniques you learned.”
Pete chuckled as he made his way over to her.
“Great,” Eve gushed. “So, Tim and I will go together and Sai and Sam will be paired together. I mean, just for the ride.”
“Of course,” I replied. “I mean, that goes without saying.”
Everyone motioned that they agreed standing next to their assigned partner.
“You just couldn’t stay away could you Sai, my love,” Sam joked making kissing noises in her direction.
Sai rolled her eyes extending her arms to impede his progress.
“Sam, if you annoy me on this ride I won’t hesitate to throw you off of it,” she joked sarcastically.
“Next up,” said another android as the door to the capsule opened.
“Okay, let’s go,” I muttered.
A cranking sound ushered in the first capsule. I stepped to the side and, in a cheesy attempt to be a gentleman, allowed Eve to board the capsule first. She acknowledged my playful jester with a curtsy and went in. I smiled and tipped an imaginary hat to the rest of the gang.
“Get in the thing,” Sai said giving me a playful shove.
“Hey, I’m going,” I replied with a playful smile. “See you guys on the otherside.”
She returned my smile as I stepped in. The door closed behind me and morphed into a flat surface. I had no idea how we were going to get out but considering my company, I didn’t think I would have minded if we ever did. The inside of the capsule looked like a space ship. I walked up and down the aisle of it and saw Eve sitting in the captain’s chair. She looked back with a smile motioning for me to sit in the open seat next to her. I jogged over and sat down as she leaned forward and pressed a couple of numbers on the computer. I couldn’t tell if she was playfully mashing buttons or if she knew what she was doing.
“Woohoo! Let’s get the show on the road,” she let out as we shot forward.
I cringed covering my ears as her sonic power made the whole capsule tremor.
“Eve, you might want to check the volume,” I said pulling my fingers out of my ear.
“Oops, sorry,” she said covering her mouth.
“Still haven’t got use to it yet, huh,” I questioned staring out the window.
“No, not yet but I’m getting better at it,” she replied.
We soared through a wormhole dodging light bodies as if something was pulling us toward it. The force was so strong that I couldn’t move if I wanted to. I was planted against the back of my seat.
“Are you doing this?” I asked fighting to sit up as the capsule picked up speed.
She looked as frightened as I did.
“No, I was just joking, I wasn’t really pushing down on any of them. It’s doing this on its own,” she replied.
We continued to dart at a blinding speed then, as suddenly as it all started, everything stopped. We didn’t feel a jolt or anything to accompany the sudden change in momentum, it was just still.
I fought to sit up than looked out the window.
“Where are we?” she asked following my lead.
There were rows of capsules in front and on both sides of us. I tried to use my enhanced vision but for some reason it wasn’t working.
“I can’t use my anointed vision,” I replied confused.
“Really,” Eve replied. “Let me see if our elemental power is still working."
“Wait, wait,” I interrupted diligently. “Let’s take it easy. This thing isn't that big."
She nodded bashfully then continued. I covered bracing myself. She let out a slight whistle that woudn't have knocked over a standing pin.
“Yeah, elemental control isn’t working either,” she replied jumbled.
I rose from my seat and ran my fingers along the ships exterior.
“I think this is Anointed Metal,” I replied. “Jade told me about this stuff; it has the ability to stymie our abilities. He said it was the metal they used to imprison the watchers. Outside of our metaphysical abilities we can't use our powers. But why do they have it on a ride at an amusement park?”
Eve followed me running her fingers on the roof.
“Your right,” she replied. “I remember now. You can tell from the pearl ripple in the metal. Good eye. I’m surprised you were paying attention, but still, good eye.”
I turned to her with a playfully offended expression.
“See, just when you think you got me pegged, bam, I change things up on you,” I replied sarcastically.
She chuckled as a beeping sound emanated from behind us.
“It’s coming from the dashboard,” she replied jogging back to our seats.
I followed. The sound grew louder as we approached. A light blinked along with the sound which gave me pause. They both emanated from a weird looking button with angelic writing on it. It looked like a time bomb or something. We both stared at each other unsure about what to do next.
“Are we supposed to push it?” I asked hesitantly.
“Well, it’s not like it can kill us,” she replied sarcastically.
I pressed down on the button cautiously getting distance. I shielded Eve as a hologram pop up.
“Tim, Eve,” said a voice emanating from a speaker just above the button.
I looked at Eve as we approached. She nudged me urging me to answer. I protested shaking my head urging her to answer. She rolled her eyes as she relented.
“Who is it?” she replied looking at me with reservations.
I gave her a thumbs up as we waited for a reply.
“It’s me…Sai,” she replied putting us at ease.
“What?” Eve replied. “Where are you?”
“I’m in my capsule,” she replied. “I was calling to let you guys in on some bad news.”
I looked at Eve and shook my head.
“What else is new?” I replied with a sigh.
“Sai, what is it?” Eve questioned.
“This…celebration isn’t exactly carefree,” she replied with a pause. “It’s like a mini-competition.”
I slapped my forehead in an aggreviation. After a month of training and nearly getting killed to get a chance at getting in the place, was it too much to expect to just have a fun afternoon.
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*To all my fans, I will now be uploading every Sunday. Please leave comments and let me know what you think of the character progression, the story progression, i always go through and do a clean grammar check so I don't need those comments. I don't get paid to do this, I am a graduate student and I work, so, the comments really energize me and inspire me to write so please make sure you leave comments for each chapter just so I know I'm doing a relatively good job.
Thanks,
Navagator29