Fluorescence: The Complete Tetralogy (16 page)

I looked down and wrinkled the hem of my shirt in my hands. “I don’t know if she can really see it through my…”

“Then…” He shrugged. “Take it off.”

“How dare you!” Mom freaked.

Brian shot her an “I know what I’m doing” look but she thinned her lips and glared back at him.

“It’s okay, Mom. You’ll understand.” I rolled my eyes and avoided looking at her again.

I took a deep breath. In my nose. Out of my mouth. Just like I’d learned from yoga in middle school. Then I reached down and peeled my shirt up and over my head, careful to avoid my earrings this time. The air had just kicked on. It was cold. I shivered and rubbed my arms.

Mom cocked an eyebrow. I could tell she was biting her tongue and trying hard not to go on a full-out rampage.

Brian reached out and grasped my bare shoulder, his fingers abnormally hot. I took another deep breath.

The temperature rose within me and my pulse
throbbed. It started on me first with the green emitting from the skin on top of my shoulder and then it showed on Brian, igniting his fingers with bright azure. It spread up his arm to just above his elbow. The colors resonated, glowing and fading in unison.

“Jesus!”
Mom gasped and stumbled backwards, her
knees locking when she hit the couch. Horrified, she fell onto the seat and shook her head violently. “No. This isn’t possible.”

“It’s okay, Mom.”

Brian released me, still gleaming a bright, electric blue.

“But… my baby!” Mom buried her face in her hands.

My shoulder cooled and the color died down.

“Mom, please. It’s okay. Don’t be upset.”

Brian knelt at her feet and put his right hand onto her knee. “This is why we need to be together. Alice and I.”

My mom peeked over her hands at Brian and sucked in a sobbing breath. I grabbed a tissue from the table beside the couch and patted her damp cheeks.

“Mom? I need you.
We
need you now more than ever.”

“I know,” she mumbled into her hands. “I know.” She gasped short, strained breaths, fighting back more tears. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”

“I know it’s weird, but you have to listen to us.”

“Those bastards!” Mom moaned.

“What?” Brian perked up. “Who?”

My heart skipped a beat.

“They lied to me. Those damn things lied to me.”

“Mom?” I sat beside her and put a hand on her quaking shoulder. “Mom, you’re scaring me. What are you talking about?”

She looked up, tears glistening on her cheeks,
eyes staring blankly across the room. “They lied. The Saviors lied!”

Chapter 23

“
Y
ou know about them?” Brian asked, looking at my mom but glancing at me every few seconds with frightened eyes.

She nodded, choking on a congested breath. “Yes.” She sniffed hard and reached for a tissue from the box on the coffee table. “I was one of the chosen ones. Like you two. But mine was… umm…” she stammered, overwhelmed.

“It’s okay, Mom. Take it easy.” I massaged her shoulder.

“On my leg,” she continued. “I was able to hide it from your father back when we were dating, but it was always going off at the most inopportune times.”

“I know the feeling,” I said with a little chuckle. “This stuff knows how to embarrass you.”

Brian leaned closer. “What happened to yours? Do you still have it?”

I braced myself against the deafening honk of
her blowing her nose.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “They took it away. Or at least, they said they would. They told me I wasn’t good enough anymore. That I’d
tainted
it or something. I wasn’t supposed to have a baby with your father. So they told me they were going to take the stuff out of me. But…”

She doubled over, sobbing into her hands.

Brian’s forehead wrinkled. Sadness loomed in his eyes. I felt horrible. All this time we had kept it a secret. Brian had been right to want to tell her. Too right.

“They lied to me,” she murmured, her words muffled by her damp fingers. “They said they would take it out of me but they only gave it to you instead. They used me. Those bastards used me!”

“They never told us any of this, Mom.”

“Just like them,” Brian grumbled. “They seem
like they’re only telling us exactly what we have to know, and only when we need to know it. I’m starting to wonder if the little bit of truth they claim about that disease is even true?”

“The one killing them?” My mom asked, patting her cheeks with a third tissue. “Are they still fighting that?”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “It’s the story they gave us.”

“Are there others? What about Sam?” Mom straightened up. She had stopped crying.

“Yes, but not Sam,” Brian answered. “That older girl we
were with the night we got in trouble—one of Sam’s
neighbors.
She’s one of us, too. She has it on her face. It’s pink, though.”

“So, that’s why you guys were out so late? Huh?” She heaved a sigh. “I’m so sorry, you two. I had no idea this was still going on. I had no idea they were going to give it to my baby.” Her eyes shimmered with new tears. “I wish you would have told me sooner. You must have been terrified.”

“It’s okay. Brian’s been helping me deal with it. The Saviors told us we were meant to be together and I really believe he’s different from other guys in school. Maybe it wasn’t right to sneak off to spy on him, but I was worried because I care about him. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along, but couldn’t.”

Brian reached over my mom’s lap to caress my hand.

“I’m doing the best I can for her,” he said, looking my mom in the eye. “I meant what I said to you that day I walked here uninvited. I care about her and I’d never do anything to hurt her. I swear.”

“I know, sweetie.” Mom patted the seat next to her. Brian came up from his knees and sat beside her. She forked her fingers through his hair, ruffling it and smiling at him. “You’re a
really
nice boy. I wanted to believe that the first day I saw you and the first time I saw you look at my little girl. But, that’s just it, she’s not a little girl anymore.” She heaved a sigh. “She’s growing up and she’s going to want someone else to love her.” She stretched out an arm behind him and hugged him to her side.

“Aw, Mom.” I couldn’t stop a huge smile from lighting up my face.
Heat flushed through my cheeks. It was
seriously the best thing I could have ever heard from her right then.

She reached her other arm around me and pulled me in. “I know it’s hard when you’re young, and sometimes you don’t make the right decisions. Sometimes you rush into things. Sometimes the people you think you love, don’t really love you.”

I frowned, knowing she referred to Dad. I loved my dad so much, even if he didn’t love me. I wanted to believe he did. That he would come back someday with open arms and tell me how much he needed his daughter in his life.

Nearly three years had passed since the last remnants of the marriage had dissolved and I hadn’t seen him since. I wanted to involve him in my life. I really did. I wanted him to meet Brian. I wanted him to warn me about
boys
and tell me I was stupid to be in love so young, but I was naive to think that could happen.

“We can get through this without Dad. Brian’s been a big help in school for me.”

“And Alice has made me work a lot harder, too,” Brian added.

Mom let us both go and pressed a tissue to her eyes.

“So, can we see each other again, now?” Brian asked.

“Brian!?” I shook my head at him.

“No. No. He’s right to ask, Alice.” My mom stood and gathered the pile of wet tissues from her seat. She inhaled deeply and looked down at us. “You’re perfectly in the right to ask, Brian. Now I know the truth and I’m sorry I had to punish you for what happened that night, but I didn’t know what was really going on at the time.”

I held my breath.

“Yes. You two can keep seeing each other. In fact, if your mother doesn’t mind, Brian, I’d love to have you over for dinner once in a while.” Mom tilted her head and smiled at him with her eyes.

“Sure. That’d be great,” he replied, excited. “I’m pretty busy with the new job and all, but I’ll definitely find the time.”

“I am going to have to add a little bit of motherly advice, though. When you go out together, I want you both home before curfew. I don’t want any more late night police visits. Do you understand?”

“And I don’t want to spend any more nights at the police department either.” Brian shook his head. “Seriously. Not gonna happen again.”

“Good. Then we’re done for now. You’ve probably
stressed yourselves out enough just trying to tell me all of this. We can talk about it more later on.” She headed toward the kitchen and looked over her shoulder at us. “In the meantime, if the Saviors say anything else, you have to keep me in the loop. I’m part of this, too, even if they’re going to pretend I’m not.”

“Of course,” we replied in tandem.

Mom disappeared into the kitchen and I sighed in relief, the knots in my stomach finally uncoiling.

“Oh my God. I thought she was going to throw you out.”

“Me, too.”
Brian flinched. “But your mom’s cool. She
took it really well. Surprisingly. Probably because she doesn’t know about what we almost…”

“Shh.” I shook my head.

“Speaking of which.” He looked down. “I’m… sorry for assuming something I shouldn’t have.” He raised his head and looked me in the eye. “You have the right to say no. I just…”

“It’s okay, Brian.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. I should have told you earlier. I was afraid you’d be angry.”

“No. I wouldn’t have been. I just overreacted because I didn’t know what you wanted and thought…” He sighed.

“Forget it. If you’re not upset, I’m not upset. Alright?”

“Yeah.” He nodded and smiled a little. “Okay.”

We stood there for a moment, not saying anything, our eyes meeting briefly again and then glancing away.

“Geeze.” I grumbled. “I can’t believe they took my mom, too, and didn’t even bother to tell us. Did they not think it was important? I mean, really? How stupid did they think we were?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m glad I don’t have to creep around like a stalker anymore.”

“And I can text you from
my
phone.”

“Speaking of stalking… what you wore to bed last night was…” He bit his lip and raised his eyebrows at me.

“
Ugh!” I pretend-punched him in the arm, a little
harder than I’d meant to.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding.” He laughed and rubbed his shoulder. “Ow. Geeze.”

I knew that…

Chapter 24

T
he doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Mom yelled from the kitchen. Delivery people usually came in the afternoon.

I went back to derping on my computer. Sam messaged me the link to another internet meme video. I clicked it and laughed out loud. Stupid dance crazes.

The front door shut.

My phone chirped.

BRIAN: You have 20 minutes to get ready, or I’m leaving without you

“
What?” I was still in my frumpy
day clothes.
Not
dressed to impress.

ME: That is so unfair

BRIAN: So is having to wait on your GF to get ready

ME: :(

BRIAN: Wear something “nice”.

BRIAN: Don’t come downstairs until you are ready ;)

ME: @_@ KK…
.. I may need more than 20

BRIAN: . . . ?

ME: NM I can do it

BRIAN: You’re such a grl . . . :P

ME: Aren’t U glad?

He didn’t respond to the last one. I felt triumphant.

I dug through my closet for something
nice
and not wrinkled. It was cloudy and in the low 80’s outside, so I reached for one of my skirts. A deep blue velvet one with the hemline just above the knee. I found a pretty coordinating lacy tank top. Deep violet purple with little rhinestones along the sweetheart neckline. Filigree up the sides and a ruffle on the hemline. It was pretty. He would like it.

BRIAN: Oh, and jeans ;) Sorry

I rolled my eyes. A little late.

I changed out of the skirt and into a pair of dark blue jeans. Popped on a pair of black flats and then ran into the bathroom to comb my hair. I twisted it up into a ponytail and flipped it in front of my shoulder. Some quick, light make-up. Lip gloss.

Why couldn’t I move any faster?

I took a deep breath and looked myself over in the mirror. Everything looked okay.

I ran downstairs, assuming I’d find him in the living room.

“Mom? Where’s Brian?”

“He’s outside. In the driveway.”

The driveway?
It was over 80 degrees out. Ick.

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Mom came out of her room. “You two be careful, alright?”

“Yeah, sure.” I shrugged, cocking an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Well…” She bit her lip. “Never mind.” Then she forced a smile and gave me a quick hug. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

I opened the front door, strolled down the walkway and then froze in the driveway.

I gasped and my eyes widened. “Oh my God!” I squealed excitedly, hopping up and down like a cheerleader.

Brian was dressed in light jeans and a black leather jacket, standing beside a sleek, electric blue motorcycle.

“You finally got one?” I clapped.

“Yeah.”

“
Was it… expensive?” I felt bad asking, but I was curious.

“Depends on what you consider expensive. For me, yes.” He polished the gas tank with his sleeve. “But that’s why I’ve been working so much. It’s used, though, so I’ve got it partially paid off already. Not the latest or greatest, but it’s nice and it will work for what we need it for.”

“We?”

“Yeah.
We
. I’d have bought something much smaller
, and
cheaper,
if I hadn’t been so worried about taking my girlfriend with me everywhere.”