Discern (29 page)

Imagining all the horrible things that might have happened to him, I ripped open my purse and began searching for my phone.

“Sorry I’m late,” Andrew’s voice boomed, stopping my fingers from dialing his number. Seeing his beautiful golden face, relief instantly washed over me.

He searched the room and smiled gently as our eyes met. I smiled back. I could feel my cheeks blushing. Class was going to be very long tonight with all the built up anticipation of being close to him later.

“We won’t be staying late this evening, probably not much past seven thirty.”

He glanced at me one last time before passing out our weekly quiz. Normally, he counted out each row of students passing that exact number to the head of the row, but tonight he walked by every student and handed theirs out individually. I was a little perplexed by his decision to do things differently, until he gently set my quiz before me. There was a note attached.

I’ve missed you all day and hopefully you’ve been paying attention to all my stories, since this quiz IS about me. I can’t wait to kiss your lips once more. I blushed again, quickly removing the note and sliding it into my pocket. I planned on cherishing those words forever. I picked up my pencil and began reading the questions. I had been paying attention, so the answers came easily. Holding up my paper and smiling, he retrieved my quiz and winked before returning to the front of the class.

After everyone handed in their paper, he began his lecture—I couldn’t concentrate. I glanced up at the clock several times, counting down the minutes until seven-thirty. I was relieved when class was finally dismissed.

“Good luck with your dad tonight,” Ryan said, standing by my desk.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“Call me if you need to talk afterward,” he offered.

“All right.”

He stood there for a second, waiting to walk me out. “I have to talk to the teacher. I didn’t end things amicably the other night, and I want to apologize.” Lies, lies and more lies.

“I’ll wait outside,” he smiled and began walking.

“No, don’t, because my father’s picking me up.” I lied again.

“Okay,” he said with a hint of frustration.

I gently placed my head on the desk. I hated who I was becoming…a complete liar.

“You okay?” Andrew asked.

I slowly looked up. “I hate lying,” I sulked.

“I know,” he sighed heavily. “Your soul isn’t accustomed to this kind of behavior. I fear I’m damaging you,” he said stiffly.

“Really?” I gasped.

“No. I‘m only joking,” he said “You can tell Ryan that you and I are together, if that makes you feel better,” he offered.

“No way,” I said, shaking my head. “That would make things worse.”

“Why?” he asked sharply.

“Not because I don’t want anyone knowing, but because it would just cause unnecessary issues.”

“If you’re worried that I’d hurt him, I wouldn’t,” he assured.

“Why not?”

“I’d only hurt him if he tried to hurt you, not if he threatened or even threw a punch at me,” he explained. “I realize I could easily squash him in seconds, so his actions wouldn’t bother me.”

He was definitely right about the squashing part, and I was relieved that he would never lay a hand on Ryan. His power and confidence were definitely very appealing as my mind began to wander.

“Haley,” he called out, interrupting my drooling.

“Yes,” I said, shaking my head to clear those immoral thoughts.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, just relieved that you wouldn’t hurt Ryan,” I smiled nervously.

“I wouldn’t hurt anyone that you cared about.”

“Good.”

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, extending his hand.

“Sure,” I smiled, slightly torn about our alone time.

There were a few questions that lingered from last night’s confessions, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answers. However, knowing the truth was necessary, no matter how much it might sting.

“Do you have a list of questions for me?” he grinned.

“Why do you ask?” I asked, petrified that he really could read my mind.

He leaned his head down toward me. “After all of my revelations, I’m positive you have several more.”

“I do have a few,” I admitted.

“Good, I’m prepared to answer them all.”

We reached our cars. I slid inside and began following behind Andrew. My phone rang as I was beginning to disable the GPS as he had instructed last evening.

“Hello,” I answered quickly.

“Is everything all right?” My father’s voice was puzzled.

“Yes, Dad.”

“I came into your room and saw you sleeping, but I didn’t want to disturb you. You didn’t come into work today,” he noted.

“I wasn’t feeling up to it. Are you free tomorrow for a few hours?” I asked, trying to defer any further questioning of my feelings.

“Yes, anything for you, sweetie.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Lunch tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

 
“Okay, I’ll see you then,” I said, trying to end the conversation quickly.

“Are you coming home tonight?”

“Yes, later, but I’m meeting some friends. Class let out early, and I think hanging out with a few old friends will help,” I explained. I truly wasn’t lying. Andrew had said we had once known each other in a past life, so technically we were ‘old friends.’

“Okay, sweetie, have fun and be safe. I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow.” His voice seemed saddened, but relieved with my newfound ability to be back amongst society.

“See you then, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I continued searching through my settings to disable the GPS. The ringing of my phone startled me slightly as I was just about to toss it inside of my purse.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Are we parking your car at your house?” Andrew asked.

“We can’t, my father’s home.”

He quickly took a right turn into a gas station and parked on the side of the building. I followed, parking right beside him. He swiftly appeared at my window.

“What did you tell your father?” he asked, casually scouting out the place.

“I told him I was going out with old friends from high school.”

“So you aren’t ready to tell him about me yet, right?”

“No, not because I care what he thinks,” I paused. “But he’s friends with Mr. Mitchell, and I’m afraid it might cause trouble.”

“That would definitely be a problem,” he agreed.

“We can park my car elsewhere,” I offered.

“No, we need to make it look like you’re at home. It’ll cause less suspicion.”

“Okay.”

“What did one of these old friends look like?”

“Why?” I asked confused.

“I can’t mimic them exactly, but I can get close if you give me a few details.”

“Oh,” I murmured, now understanding he was preparing to change his appearance. “Well, it could be Ryan,” I said cautiously.

“No, it can’t be him.” His voice was sharp.

“I don’t really know what you’re asking.”

“Did you have an acquaintance in high school, someone not really well known by your father?”

“I guess,” I said, thinking back a few years.

After a few minutes, a person came to mind. “There’s someone that I hung out with a few times, but this person wasn’t from around here, so he wouldn’t know them. And they moved back to their hometown the last part of my senior year,” I explained without giving away that it was a girl.

“Great. What was their name and what did they look like.”

I inhaled deeply. “Her name was Angela, and she was my same height and weight and had long, dark brown hair with green eyes, I think. She was from
Alabama
and had a slight southern accent,” I recalled.

“Okay, I’ll come get you in about thirty minutes. I’ll be in a different vehicle.”

“Are you going to turn in to a woman?” I asked almost horrified.

“Yes, remember I can change my appearance,” he chuckled lightly.

“I remember,” I said uneasily.

“Everything will be all right. I’ll change back as soon as we get in to the car safely.”

“Fine,” I said, trying to imagine him as a woman. “Her name was Angela Catrell!” I shouted as he opened his door.

“Got it.” He smiled and slid effortlessly into his car. I sat in my car and watched him drive away. I had to get home and change my story with my father, before Andrew, or should I say Angela, arrived. I took a deep breath and put the car in reverse.

I shoved my key in the front door knob, anticipating my father’s questioning. The television was deafening as I entered the house. “Dad!” I shouted.

There was no response. I decided against parking my car in the garage, just in case anyone was spying on us, so they would assume I was at home.

I took a quick shower, only leaving fifteen minutes to get ready before Angela showed up. It was a façade that probably wasn’t necessary since my father was not home. I retrieved my cosmetic bag and applied my makeup as fast as I could. After pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweater, I lightly misted myself with perfume.

I swung open my bedroom door. “Oh my…you nearly gave me a heart attack, Dad!” I screamed, trembling slightly.

“Sorry, sweetie, I didn’t think you were coming home until later,” he said, holding my shoulders, trying to calm me down.

My breathing still hadn’t returned to normal when I began another round of lying for the evening. “Angela’s coming to pick me up.”

“Oh, is this one of your old high school friends?”

“Yes. Well, she was an acquaintance then, but times have changed and so have I, so we’re pretty cool with one another,” I smiled nervously.

“Where are you going tonight?”

“Probably going to see a chick flick at the movies and grab some dinner.”

“I’m proud of you.”

I placed my hand atop his, patting it lightly. “I told you I’d be fine. I just needed a little time.”

“We’re still on for lunch tomorrow, right?”

“Of course,” I smiled, heading downstairs.

My father followed close behind. “What time?”

“Noon?” I asked, making sure the time was good for him.

“Sounds good.”

“Still going out tonight?” I asked, wondering when he was leaving.

“Yes, I have something at nine.”

Even though we had discussed his friendship, he still didn’t address it openly, which irked me. “Tell Evelyn I said ‘hi’,” I said, rolling my eyes.

He shook his head, but before he was forced to confirm or deny his plans for the night, he was saved by the bell. “I’ll get it,” he said, rushing to the front door.

15

Enigma

The thought of seeing Andrew as a woman was unnerving. My father swung open the front door. I tried to close my eyes, but I couldn’t. It was the same reaction I would’ve had at a horror flick. I knew the scene was coming and, although I did not want to see it, I could not force myself to look away.

“Hello, you must be Angela?” my father asked, as he stepped aside.

“Oh, thank god!” I gasped.

“What’s the matter?” my father turned and asked, startled ever so slightly.

“Nothing,” I smiled, walking to the door.

They spoke briefly. “Well you two ladies have a wonderful night,” my father smiled.

“We will,” I smiled back.

“See you tomorrow at lunch,” my father said, lightly patting me on the back as I exited out the door.

Sliding into the passenger side of a maroon sedan, I slammed the door shut.

“What was that back there?” Andrew asked.

“It wasn’t what I expected,” I responded.

“I told you I’d change back in to myself when we got into the car and I’ll honor that.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Do you like me better as a female?” he asked shocked.

I burst in to laughter. “No.”

“What are you laughing about?” he asked lost.

I quickly composed myself, trying not to upset him. “I couldn’t see anything but you.”

“Huh?” he asked bewildered.

“I saw you—the same person I see every day.”

“But your father saw me as Angela.”

“I’m sure every other human can see you as a woman, but I couldn’t. I thought you had decided to tell my father about us, but then he called you Angela, and I realized that I couldn’t see your change.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m a little confused.”

He veered into the empty parking lot of a local grocery store. “Look at me,” he instructed hastily.