Barcode: Legend of Apollo (33 page)

To have lost their son, these parents have strange reactions. Eve doesn’t attempt to hide her smile. “It’s okay Spencer. The more you watch people die, the easier it gets.”

On the other hand, Blake’s face seems to crawl with words as though something had possessed his body. My eyes zoom in and I can see tiny letters dragging through his face like nanobots. Blake seems different, brighter.

A green light flashes in his dark eyes before he says, “Who will protect you from Helios now, Spencer? Are you ready for the coming days? Constantly looking over your shoulders? It’s time you grow up and become a man. Now, it is your responsibility to protect your people.”

When Blake finishes, he breathes sluggishly as though releasing the burst of words has freed him. The tiny black letters I see running across his face erase and the brightness in his eyes vanish.

Eve loses her pleasant demeanor and shouts, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Blake still looks confused.

I hear rocks shift near Kode as he suddenly stands from beneath the rubble. Dennis has finally managed to break into the far end of the field, but all eyes follow the tall boy that divorces death.

The brute still hasn’t noticed what’s behind him. Kode regains his footing and his body stops reacting off instinct. He’s finally in control and hunting his prey. His light jog turns into a blazing run.

The crowd gasps and many people turn their backs on the moment that writes a new chapter in history.

A daughter’s desperate scream—“Daddy!”—begins the new chapter.

Kode doesn’t strike from behind, but swings around to see Arnold smiling at the boy he wished were his own son. A bone-shattering crash echoes throughout the arena. Dennis was only close enough to watch his brother fall.

As soon as Kode raises the gates, I rush to my godfather. I hold true to my word and make sure that no one lets Professor Gonzales near Arnold. I cover him and Michelle with my body until the couch of Libitina arrives.

Thirty Four

Immediately after her father was carried to the morgue, Dennis drove us back home and left Michelle in my care. As I carried her through the building, she cried into my shoulders with her arms and legs wrapped tightly around my body. I held her in the shower for half an hour before she was willing to stand. After stripping our armor, I set the shower to touch-free wash. She willingly walked to my room and dressed in the pajamas Hayley dropped off before we arrived. I held her all night, hoping she’d activate her barcodes or smile.

Even though she doesn’t ask me for a thing, I skip classes the next morning to take care of her. Hannah wanted to join us, but her dormitory restrictions kept her away.

The heart-broken girl hasn’t said a word in thirty-two hours. She lets me hold her as she shivers and cries. When I cook, she’ll eat a few bites. She doesn’t acknowledge my presence as a human. For her, I’m an extra set of arms, or feet when she’s too weak to walk.

After hours of silence, I broke into my old habit of talking to myself when I’m bored. I told her every story I knew about my mom, including what I learned from the most recent event with Hayley and Dennis. Before I knew it, tears were falling into my dinner. I wiped my face quickly, and laughed at myself.

“Boo. Everything I know about my mom comes from people that are afraid of Dennis. The little I heard through the door was interesting, but it only makes me want to know more. I need to hear something from someone who hates him. Maybe Blake and Eve met her.”

I scrape the remainder of my plate as Michelle takes her fifth bite. Though she hasn’t noticed me much, she’s polite enough to try a bit of everything I place in front of her. She did take two bites of macaroni and cheese, but cringed after sampling the elephant meat. At least I know more about her tastes.

After she places her fork on the table, I take the dishes back into my kitchen. I can feel Michelle’s eyes follow me.

“Daddy talked about Beth all the time. He and Dennis fought over who could marry her. Your dad obviously won.” I want to ask more questions, but I know she’s not in the mood. I try to place my plate back in the sink, but my hands hold on tightly until it breaks in my hand. Blood gushes on the floor, and Michelle moves quickly to wrap it in a towel.

She stares into my eyes as she applies too much pressure on my hand. “Daddy said he was in love with her, and after he lost he couldn’t find a reason to live. He and my mom were matched together just to have me. I think I was a disappointment on two ends—a demigod
and
a girl. But I still managed to kill my mom coming out of the womb.”

Michelle pushes my hair away from my face. My eyes burn and my vision blurs.

“He says she was kind, and had a wild sense of humor. Once, she heard our dads fighting over her in the locker room. So she stole all the towels and clothes from the gym. They had to walk through campus holding their willies until they conveniently found some girls’ skirts and blouses. Then she took pictures and shared them on MeeToo.”

We laugh, but not for long. My hand goes numb from her pressure, so we make our way to the bathroom. I sit on the floor and she flops on the edge of the tub. Michelle bandages my hand and tells me everything she’s heard about my mom.

I silently sit next to her before finally admitting, “So my mom was a jerk.”

“Seems to run in the family.”

“I’m not that bad.” Michelle frowns. “I’ve gotten better.” After rolling her eyes, she tightens the bandages. “Okay. It runs in the family.”

Nodding her head, she says, “Unlike you, she was supposedly more personable, but I didn’t hear any stories that made me really like her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Michelle shakes her head. “I just didn’t like how daddy would go on and on about her. I think Beth chose Dennis because daddy was really shallow. He was more into her looks. She treated him like crap from what I could tell. I’ve seen pictures and Beth was gorgeous. All the guys wanted her and she knew that. Daddy ended up being an errand boy for her. I didn’t want to break his heart and tell him that the
favors
she asked for helped keep him out of the way.”

“Nice.” Michelle punches me in the arm before moving her hair behind her ear.

“Anyway, she wasn’t very powerful, but she was the smartest student to attend the arena. Though she never really wanted to be a gladiator, she stuck around because she didn’t have much family. Your mom formed tight relationships with nearly every professor at the school, except Professor Jules. She hated him.”

“I guess we have more in common than I thought.”

“Seriously Spencer? Who doesn’t hate Jules?”

“Malik!”

“Shut up.” Michelle bites her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t be shocked if his son did hate him. You’re not too fond of Dennis.”

“Again, I’m getting better.”

“Will you ever call him dad?”

“Maybe if he starts acting like one, but he’ll have to make up for nineteen years.” She watches me without saying a word. “I’ll give him a chance if he lets people tell me more about Beth.”

“He doesn’t stop them.”

“How do you know?”

“No one talks about her because they loved her. Like I said, she was close to nearly everyone and her death was so sudden. With all the surgeons your dad had lined up, there was no way you could kill her.” Michelle nervously looks away.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Say it.

No fair. Don’t use your barcodes to creep in my thoughts. 

If you don’t say it, I’ll find out anyway.

“Ugh. No one thinks you killed her. Supposedly, her body was disposed without Dennis ever seeing it. But others knew about the wild scars that looked as though someone tried to pull you out or kill you.”

Michelle’s eyes scrutinize me. She’s waiting for my anger, but finds none. After a few seconds, her expression evolves into confusion. She can’t understand why I’d be so calm.

Opening my thoughts up, I shine my codes brightly to show her the fight after the conversation between Hayley and Dennis. I watch as tears form in her eyes before I show her my relationship with Talib and the conversation we held in prison. Though it hurts to think about the events, feeling Michelle tiptoe through my data is enchanting.

Once she’s done, she launches towards me and laces her arms tightly around my neck.

Why didn’t you tell me before?

It hurt too much. That’s something I wasn’t willing to admit at the time.

I’m sorry. 

Meesh.

Yeah?

I allow her to read what’s on my heart,
I love you.

The connection between our data is overwhelming. Not only can I sense her flesh against mine, but I also feel her heart stop. Michelle nearly bursts into tears when her lions glow.
I love you too.

She leans back and wipes the tears from my cheeks while saying, “I’m pretty sure that’s all I know about her. When I think about it, Daddy may have wanted me to tell you this from the beginning. He knew Dennis was too hurt to talk about Beth, and went out of his way to tell me stories whenever I came from your place. But I was a shy kid and didn’t talk to anyone.”

“Thank you.”

Michelle etches a goofy smile across her face.

Once I stand up, she reaches her hands out adorably.

“What?”

“I don’t like walking when I have a servant to act as my legs.” Playfully, she enunciates her words and sharply demands, “Now lift me peasant.”

I carry the brat from the bathroom to my bed. For the remainder of the night, we exchange stories on what we loved about Arnold. Topics range from his passion for food and jealousy of Hayley, to his vibrating bed massages where he simply shook our bed frames.

The night ends with Michelle falling asleep in my arms, and me promising to spend one more day just like this. We do. Twice.

Thirty Five

Dennis excused Michelle and I from the last two days of school. Nothing special happens on those days besides a few formalities. There’s a dinner for parents and award ceremony for top scorers.

Leo said that everyone cheered frantically for me when I was awarded highest honors. But then he rushed out of the room when I asked him about the server mix-up.

Hayley’s been a big help. She delivers a wide range of clothes to Michelle every day. I practically have a shrine in my closet dedicated to her outfits. The fact that a woman lives here has become more obvious with each passing hour. There are flowers on my counter, pictures on shelves, long strands of hair on the ground, and stuffed animals on my bed. Michelle tried bringing her cat, but after taking him to the morgue, he refused to leave Arnold’s side.

As the takeover began, I thought it would be unbearable. Strangely enough, I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve never lived with someone else. Since I was a child, I’ve had my own huge space to roam, alone. By the time I was seven, Hayley was given more responsibilities and cameras watched me most of the time.

I don’t want to give this up.

Dennis attempted to find family for Michelle, but no one lives in our region. Most are in the southern states of America. Dennis and Hayley got into a huge argument where she threatened to quit if he moved Michelle out of my room. He’s now at Hayley’s mercy, and isn’t allowed to come to my floor or speak with Michelle. I couldn’t believe my ears when the staff from Dennis’ office went out of their way to fill me in on the gossip.

Hayley’s keeping him away from me. Nice.

Though I enjoy being locked indoors with Michelle, Angie and I must assist the parents with any of their needs before their flights arrive. I try leaving without saying a word, but Michelle rushes from my bedroom and I’m forced to quickly shut the door.

“You’re half-naked. What are you doing?”

Michelle’s running towards me in laced underwear with a matching bra and knee-high green socks. Hayley’s bringing this type of stuff to her? Is she trying to kill me?

The tempered girl places her hand next to my face, trapping me against the wall. Though she seems upset, she speaks with an entrancing voice.

“Where the hell are you going?” Though Michelle’s slowly returned to normal, she still sounds weak, tearful.

“I have to help some parents.” I’m watching my hand stroke her hair. Michelle closes her eyes until my fingers fall on her shoulders. I’ve lost control of my damn hand. Bad hand. Bad. “Sorry I have to leave you.”

Michelle playfully growls at me and stares with seductively upset eyes, “You couldn’t say goodbye?”

“I didn’t mean—”

Before I can complete my statement, Michelle practically tackles me to the door. She probably hugged Arnold this tightly every day. I promise myself I’ll always make sure to hug her before I leave. Always.

I arrive at the school at six o’clock with my ribs still aching in pleasure from Michelle’s embrace. The skies are pitch black—stupid daylight savings time. Parents are loading themselves into helicopters or hanging out with their children.

As always, Angie’s waiting for me on the steps.

“Are some of these students helping out?”

Angie nods, “I told Hannah about how overwhelmed I thought we’d be on the last day and she got help from students in her dorms. Most of them have already cleared out for the holidays, but there’s twenty or thirty that are staying over the break to train.”

“Where’s Hannah?”

Angie pauses as she thinks, “I believe Eve asked her to have dinner when she heard that Hannah was your girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Without another word, I rush through the school to the visitor’s chambers. I could hear Angie yelling for me to come back, but I ignored her. I don’t trust Eve for a minute, and I won’t leave Hannah with her for longer than I must.

When I arrive at their apartment, I take several deep breaths before ringing the doorbell. Blake answers, towering over me. He seems as though he were trying to block me from entering the room.

Eve abuses her weight and bumps him out of the way saying, “Spencer. You’re here too? Come on in.”