OCDaniel (23 page)

“Kill him?” he asked, bewildered. “I didn't kill anyone.”

I decided to jump in. I raised the letter. “Then what is this?”

“The note she wrote me,” he said, still looking baffled. “Asking me to help escort him from the house to the hotel. And to write the letter that said he was going away. He was in no condition to do it.”

Sara slid down to the floor. I wanted to help her, but none of it made any sense.

“But the gun . . .”

John turned to me. “It's a gun. Lots of people have them. I just didn't want Sara to find it and think I was a criminal or something. I have a checkered past, I'll admit. But I've changed. I wanted her to like me.” He turned back to Sara. “I hoped one day she would think of me like a dad.”

Sara started to cry. “A dad?” she managed. “How could you ever think that—”

John looked heartbroken. “Sara, I didn't kill him. Your dad was ill. He was severely depressed, and when he found out about your mom and me, it was too much. He was drinking and taking prescription pills, and he was in a bad place. We asked him to leave the house for a bit. To stay in a hotel. I shouldn't have been involved, but your mom couldn't do it. She had loved him. It had just been bad for a long time. It doesn't excuse me, I know. But he went to the hotel. And two days later they found him. Overdose. He killed himself.”

Sara started to sob. Now I went to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders and let her cry. Her whole body was shaking.

“Then where were you going just now?” I asked.

John wiped his eyes gruffly. “To the cemetery. I wanted to put some fresh flowers there so it looked nice if Michelle decided to tell her. I wanted her to know that we hadn't forgotten him.”

“And the watch?”

He smiled faintly. “I took it. I have a friend who refinishes jewelry. I wanted to have it polished and fixed for her. I thought it would be a good gift. I don't know. I messed up, Sara. I'm sorry.”

“What about the assault charge?” I asked. “What about the guy who was here to collect five thousand dollars?”

John looked at me, frowning. “You guys were here for that, too?”

“Yeah,” I murmured.

“An old buddy,” he said gruffly. “I won't lie, I made some bad choices earlier in my life. I hung out with some bad people, and I'm finally getting it organized now. I told your mom,” he said, looking at Sara. “I wanted to change. I was trying. I even thought maybe I could have a family of my own. That's why I was willing to go along with everything. I thought maybe I could be like a dad for you eventually.”

He suddenly didn't look like the man I'd thought he was. He had tattoos and a grizzled face, but his dark eyes were soft, and tears still leaked down his cheeks. His big calloused hands fidgeted in front of him.

And I knew it was true. All of it. He had really been trying to protect her.

Sara looked up through tear-dampened bangs. “Why didn't she want to tell me?”

He hesitated. But I guess he was tired of lying.

“Because he had the same thing you do, sweetie. He was depressed. Same meds even. I guess she didn't want you to think you were destined for the same fate. You aren't. You're a strong girl. Smart. She was going to tell you eventually. But she was afraid it would make you worse. That you'd never recover.”

The tears streamed down her face again.

John didn't even move. He just let her sit there, crying.

  •  •  •  

We went to the cemetery later. Sara stood there for a long time staring at the headstone. There were flowers laid out beneath it, though they were withering just a little.

“I wanted to put fresh ones there,” John said quietly. He didn't say anything else.

It was a nice place, I guess. I went to a cemetery once when my grandma died, and it was rainy that day and gray and everyone was crying. Today it was bright, and even in November the grass was still green and neatly cut. I saw a few other families walking around, holding hands and remembering.

It wasn't a bad place, but I don't think Sara cared. She just needed to say good-bye. I was glad she was getting the chance.

I stood a little ways back until she turned to me and took my hand. She looked at John.

“I'm glad you got him a headstone,” she said quietly. “I could read here, maybe.”

He nodded. “Your mom did all that. She told me the funeral was quiet. She was here with just her mom and your dad's parents. Not me.”

“He probably appreciated that,” she said, looking at the headstone. “I'm sorry I thought you were a murderer.”

“You had every right to wonder what had happened,” he said, then paused. “Should we get in touch with your mom?”

Sara sighed. “Yeah. Will you wait with me, Dan?”

“Sure.”

We stood there in silence while John went to call her mother. Sara looked lost.

“He hid his depression from me,” she said softly. “It's why he understood me, I guess. I was just like him.”

I glanced at her. “Just because you have the same disorder doesn't mean you're the same.”

She kept her eyes on the tombstone. “I'm not a Star Child, Daniel.”

She took off her bracelet, the little star charms dangling as she held it out and dropped it onto her father's grave. I didn't know what to say, so I just let the silence hang for a moment.

“I never really believed I was. I just read it once, and I liked it. It made me feel special.”

“You are special,” I said.

She shook her head, and her eyes were welling with tears again. “They had to protect me from the truth because they thought I couldn't handle it. I thought I was so smart. But I had it all wrong.” She turned to me. “I'm alone. I always have been. I didn't talk to people because I thought being alone was safer. I was just Psycho Sara and I didn't talk and no one could tell me I wasn't special after all.” Tears were streaming down her face now. “It was the only way.”

“You were alone,” I agreed. “But you're not anymore. I know your mom lied, but she was trying to protect you. And John . . . he seems like a decent guy.”

She didn't say anything, so I reached out and squeezed her fingers.

“And I'm here too. You're weird and moody and maybe a little crazy, but you're also the most interesting person I've ever met. Trust me, you are special. And from now on, maybe you should stop trying so hard to be alone.”

She smiled, and then squeezed my fingers back.

We walked out of the cemetery together, and she didn't cry anymore.

  •  •  •  

When her mom came home, I left. There was a big explosion of crying from her mom and grandma, and Sara just let them hug her, but I could see the anger in her eyes. I quietly slipped out, and John drove me home.

“Sorry I broke into your house,” I said. “Three times.”

He snorted. “That's fine. Bet you were pretty worried when I came in with the gun.”

“Yeah.”

He looked out at the dark sky. It was almost seven. “Relationships are tough, man.”

“Seems that way.”

“It's good that you're there for her. She needs someone. Take care of her.”

I glanced at him. “We're not going out, you know.”

He smiled. “Yeah. That's what they all say.”

I frowned as we pulled into my driveway. I think my mom was watching from the window. She was probably freaked out and my phone had been off all day. Now there was a guy with tattoos dropping me off. I figured I'd better get in there before she hurried out.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Can I ask you something?”

I paused. “Sure.”

“Do you think it was right? To cover it up? I mean, Michelle asked me. Did I do the right thing?”

I thought about that. “I don't know. It's tough to know what the right thing is.”

He nodded and gestured to the house, where my mom was already opening the door. “No doubt. I hope it was. I was trying, you know. To be someone they could count on. I guess I messed it up.”

I shrugged and slid out of the truck. “Either way, it's not too late to fix it.”

I closed the door and hurried inside, and my mom gave John an inquisitive look and quickly closed the door behind me. After successfully avoiding most of her questions and escaping to my room, I decided to sit down at my laptop. It was time to finish the book.

The apartment was quiet. The curtains were drawn tightly, and the room lay in heavy darkness. Behind them Daniel heard long fingernails tracing their way down the door. Checking, searching for an opening. Sara and Dan looked at each other, and then checked to make sure the door was locked.

“They'll find a way in soon,” she said. “Let's go.”

The living room was normal enough; quiet and empty. A half-drunk glass of water sat on the coffee table, collecting dust and slowly evaporating away.

“The bedroom,” she said firmly.

Daniel followed her into the room. A small cot was tucked against the wall, and taking up the entire other half of the room was a massive set of screens and sensors and servers. It was the most impressive setup he had ever seen. Massive data lines ran into the walls, and on one of them was painted a symbol: a lone star. This was the center of the spiderweb. The station that connected to the rest. And according to Sara, it was the hidden gateway to another dimension.

One that Daniel could finally fix. He could bring them all back. He could save the world.

The switch was on the side of the computer—as clear as day. As Sara had said, it was down. Turned off.

When Charles Oliver had vanished, there had been no one here to reset it. Until now.

Sara turned to him and smiled. “You do the honors, Dan.”

He nodded and started across the room. His footsteps creaked on the old floorboards.

As he approached the switch, he thought about the journey to get here. The creatures, the empty roads, the time he had spent with Sara. The feelings he had for her. The entire, difficult journey to fix his mistake. To find his destiny. To become the person he was meant to be.

The star grew bigger as he approached. It represented his extraordinary path.

It represented him and Sara. Star Kids. Heroes.

And all he had to do to fix it was flick the switch one more time.

I sat back for a second, my hands pausing on the keyboard. It was as if I had been writing and not even knowing what I saying. My hands were just moving. But now my brain had finally caught up to the story, and I felt like I was walking toward the star and the switch. And just then I realized how the story needed to end.

Daniel stopped. He looked at the switch, waiting for him.

“What's wrong?” Sara asked urgently.

The scratching at the door was getting louder. The creatures were closing in.

“I don't know.”

She scowled. “Flick the switch! Everything will go back to normal. You can be a regular kid again.”

He stood there for a moment longer. “No.”

She hurried up beside him. “What?”

He shook his head. “I won't flick it. I like it here.”

She looked confused. “We've come a long way for this. Have you looked outside lately? Humanity is gone. The world is empty. There are monsters attacking us right now. We're going to die.”

He turned to her and smiled. “It's us against the world. We're not alone anymore.”

Sara frowned. “What would we do?”

“Anything,” Daniel replied. “We don't need anyone else. We can take on the monsters.”

He reached out and took Sara's hand.

“What do you think? Us against the world.”

“Dan?”

I turned to the bedroom door. It was Emma.

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to read for a bit?” She was holding her book under her arm.

I looked at her for a moment. I guess my ending wasn't the right solution. Sure, it was kind of cool to think of facing an empty world with Sara. But I didn't really want that. I didn't want to be alone. I would miss Emma and my parents and even Steve. I would miss Max and Tuesday video games and everything else.

I smiled. “Sure.”

I turned back to the computer as she went and lay down on the carpet.

Sara squeezed Daniel's hand and smiled, the croquet mallet still slung over her shoulder. “It can still be me and you,” she said. “We'll take on the world. But first we have to bring it back.”

Daniel thought about that, and then nodded. “Together?”

“Together,” she agreed.

They walked to the switch on the computer, put their fingers on the switch, and turned it on. Instantly a pale, bone-thin man appeared in the chair. He looked at them and nodded.

“How long were we gone?” he asked quietly.

“A few days,” Sara said.

“Felt like I blinked,” he murmured. “Fascinating. Do me a favor . . . don't flick that switch again.”

Daniel smiled grimly. “I won't.”

They walked down the hallway, watching as people started leaving their apartments, looking completely normal. They walked outside into the brilliant daylight, and the streets were already bustling. The moon was gone.

Daniel looked around the chaotic city streets.

He took Sara's hand again, and for the first time in years—since long before he'd ever flicked the switch—he didn't feel alone.

I smiled and saved it. Not great. Not really. It didn't have the right character development, and the story needed work, and I wasn't sure I liked the title. But I liked the ending. For me it meant everything.

I lay down on the carpet next to Emma.

“I see a fairy,” she said. “Elleor. A fern-child from Laron who fell for a human prince.”

I smiled. “I see a prince. Logan. He has dark hair and blue eyes. He just saw himself for the first time.”