Chapter 9- Impending Doom
Ford had spent a good part of the afternoon in Levi’s garage making out with the star athlete. Each kiss felt smoother and softer and it quickly progressed to shirtless kissing and before Ford knew it he felt Levi’s hand in his pants. It felt rushed but needed. Levi was eager, he had been holding back and Ford felt it. Levi wanted this for a long time and his hand shook as he unzipped Ford’s Jeans and pulled them down. Levi looked at the naked torso and then up at Ford.
“Can I?” Levi asked wanting.
Suddenly Ford’s stomach dropped and he felt nervous. His first kiss, his first touch, and now his first…he didn’t want to think about everything moving this fast. It was too fast all to become a hidden secret the next day. He had too many secret to keep hidden already and he didn’t want to add another burden to his back. Especially one he wasn’t sure he wanted.
“I have to go.” Ford pulled up his pants and then walked to the side door of the garage.
“Wait, fuck, why?” Levi pulled up his jeans and started after Ford. He grabbed Ford’s hand. “Come on, are you not having fun?”
“I just have to go.” Ford yanked his hand free and left the garage. He walked across the lawn not looking back but almost positive Levi was staring at him. He got into his car and drove off. Maybe his mom was home now and he could pretend he didn’t see the damage he caused in the kitchen.
***
His mother was furious about the house but even angrier with her son coming home with bruises. She shrugged, thinking it normal for her son to be a delinquent, something Nancy was assured her husband didn’t see. She didn’t comment about it during the day but as Ford went to bed and his parents mused about it behind the closed door of their bedroom. Ford, only in his boxers, sat outside their door listening to them speak.
“He’s getting in fights Roger,” Nancy stated. “You didn’t see it because you were unconscious but I can’t do this anymore.”
“Nan, it will be okay. Let’s deal with one thing at a time.”
“What Roger? You want to deal with the house? Some things can’t be fixed as easily.”
Ford gulped and closed his eyes. When did his mother start to hate him so much? He wouldn’t sleep easy tonight; he had to be on guard if that Sage were to return. Tip-toeing back into his bedroom, he sat in his bed. Sure, he had to stay on guard but he couldn’t take his mind of Levi. Ford wasn’t sure why he did that. He was in panic mode; he was tired of waiting for something that would never happen.
Audrey saw him changing, Ford felt himself changing, his mother saw him changing. Everything felt different.
***
“You okay?” Hudson asked Ford the following day in their ceramics class. Since there were not enough spinning wheels each group’s final was divided up amongst the weeks. Ford had nabbed one of the best times to take it, late enough for him to practice but before the actual finals week. So, he could skip this class when it happened.
The ceramics teacher, Ms. Royce, a former hippy gave the test takers some space to work and went to fill up the kiln which was set off in a back room of the class.
“Just tired.” Ford struggled with his clay. He couldn’t align it right so when he tried to raise the pot it kept ripping off. The clay dented and curved kept falling in on itself, moving to the side, and breaking. He added as much water as he could but the pot didn’t seem to want to get on the right path.
“You look it,” Hudson commented and lifted his pot. “Perfect,” he said and pressed his finger into the clay giving his pot a lip.
“Shoot,” Ford said as the clay fell apart in his hand. He took his foot off the pedal and looked at the failed pot and his clay caked hands.
“Come on try to fix it. You have time.” Hudson said easing up on his wheel.
“It’s ruined,” Ford took all the clay and dropped it into a bucket of water. He shook his head and stood up angrily walking over to the sink. “There is no point,” Ford muttered.
Class ended and Ford waited after to speak with Ms. Royce, the old woman with a hip problem at her desk surrounded by pictures of her dogs. She gave her famous half-smile as Ford approached her.
Ford stood silent in front of her and she looked up at him with her smile. “I was wondering if I could push my day to the final. I know there is space so.”
“Do you think it will help?” Ms. Royce tapped her pen on her notebook.
“I mean,” Ford began and looked back at the spinning wheels. He sighed and shook his head.
Ms. Royce put her pen down and leaned back in her seat her eyes widening, “You seemed pretty adamant to get defeated today Ford.”
“The clay just kept breaking,” Ford answered.
“Clay doesn’t break, it just molds into something new.” Ms. Royce reached over to some play dough she kept on her desk. She molded it in her hands as she spoke. “Art reflects life Ford, it’s not necessarily pretty, or easy for that matter, but that doesn’t make it not art.” She twisted it into a small heart and handed it to Ford. “In my day and age it wasn’t a battle. Peace and love, dude. But yes, you can change the day.”
“Thanks Ms. Royce,” Ford looked at the heart in his hand and he had an idea as he left the classroom.
***
Ford sat in the bleachers of the football field after school, about half a year ago he fought Lori here. He lucked out with her; she killed herself sending one of her ice spikes through her own body.
“You’re stupid,” Erin said from the top of the bleachers. “For choosing this place to fight, you are strongest when you have things to fight with. You can’t beat me one on one.”
“I know, I think she knew that too.” Ford stood up thinking about how Lori chose to fight here. “But I’m not fighting you.”
“You need too.” Erin smirked creating a small dagger in her hand.
“No, I don’t,” Ford looked the girl who couldn’t have been much older than him in the eyes.
“Then you’ll die,” Erin held the knife tight.
“Then kill me,” Ford said bluntly. Erin shocked by this statement stopped advancing towards Ford. Ford took this chance to continue, “You’re like me.” He pulled out his driver’s license and threw it at the girl. “You’re what? 16, 17?”
“16,” She answered and kept her eyes on Ford.
“We’re the same age,” Ford smiled. “I just got this power a little while ago, I don’t know why and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it. So I have been protecting people.” Ford took out the little play dough heart Ms. Royce gave him. “I can’t believe all of us are evil, because…that’s just too simple.”
“I’m not evil,” Erin answered. “I protect people too.” She threw him back his license.
Ford continued speaking, “I’m a student that doesn’t know what I am doing with my life. My mom hates me, I completely screwed over this one guy, and I’m losing my friend to this stoner.” Ford started to sob and continued looking at the girl who stood higher than him on the bleachers. “For some reason we have the same power and we both want to help people…so why are we fighting?”
“But, she told me, she told me…” Erin said under her breath she made her dagger disappear.
“Listen, there are bad things out there, I fought them. But I can’t believe everyone is bad. I can’t believe you’re bad. “ Ford continued getting everything off his chest. “I don’t know anything about this Sage stuff. So, if you don’t want to fight we can see what we each know.” Ford wiped away the tears and let out a small chuckle trying to make the conversation lighter. “Or we can fight to the death, you have another skull to wrap around your neck, or whatever you do with skulls.”
Erin found the humor in his statement. She laughed too, “I’m from Los Angeles. Where are you from?”
“Here….well, born in Denver, but grew up here,” Ford answered.
“My mom hates me too.” Erin added walking towards her new ally. “She wanted me to be more girly. Clearly you have enough emotions for the both of us.” Erin scoffed and continued down the bleachers. “Let’s get some food.”
***
Sitting in a nearby Mexican restaurant Ford bit into a chip. It was stale but that was to be expected. Pushing the basket away from him Erin looked around the quaint little shack.
“She told me that the day would come when the Sages would be tested. Right now, none of our powers are at their max.” Erin tapped the table with her hand.
“But I’m still getting stronger.” Ford added on. He felt himself getting stronger these past few weeks. Especially since he fought the boogeyman. But he definitely didn’t consider being a superhero a full time job.
“You have a lot more training to do,” Erin pointed out ever so bluntly. She noticed the tinge of sadness in Ford’s face and added on, “you’ll get there.” It didn’t really help.
“Okay, so we will be tested.” Ford nodded, “But like we figured out, we don’t need to fight each other.”
“Not yet at least,” Erin added and leaned back into her seat looking around the restaurant, she thought of her favorite place back in Los Angeles. “But, when she sent me off to you, she told me you were evil. Why would she say that?”
“Who is she?” Ford asked again wondering who this mystery woman was.
“Lori, the Sage of Ice,” Erin answered.
“What?” Ford’s stomach dropped. He watched her die.
“My parents, they both died in a car accident,” Erin said frankly all the emotion gone from her voice. She had to block it out; it would overwhelm her if she didn’t. “Then, she was there like a cold breeze through the window. She told me to run away with her, she’d train me, teach me, take care of me, all I had to do was listen.”
The situation sounded all too familiar, Lori wanted to take Ford away, and she wanted to train him. She tried to kill his father. What if, with Erin, she succeeded in her plan? Ford looked across the table at the suddenly vulnerable girl. Reaching across and grasping her hand Ford looked in Erin’s eyes wanting to sympathize with her. Erin pulled back, her hand and emotions and then pursed her lips.
“Lori took me in when I had no one,” Erin finished and swallowed hard.
“Erin, I’m going to tell you something, and I need you to listen.” As Ford began to tell Erin the story of his encounter with Lori the realization dawned on the girl. It looked as if she had been betrayed.
“No,” Erin said in denial. “Lori wouldn’t do that.”
“But like you said it, she came at just the right time,” Ford emphasized. He looked the girl in her eyes. “Just the time you needed her.”
“She wouldn’t do that. You’re lying,” Erin slapped the tabled shaking the basket of chips and drawing some attention. She waited for people to stop looking and remained silent.
“Erin, I’m sorry,” Ford looked into Erin’s eyes.
“Let’s go ask her, she’s going to be here tonight.” Erin contested her eyes sincere and determined.
Ford suddenly felt a cold chills run through his body. The woman who almost killed his father was alive and she was coming back.