Return To Lan Darr (3 page)

Chapter
3

Pointing, Snickering, Betrayal

Six months pass. Allan’s world rebounds in so many unexpected ways. He’s a new person, excited to greet the day, and often wakes before his alarm clock fires off.

Every Saturday, Allan dragged Rubic up to the mountain and they’d go hiking.

The All-Terrain wheelchair was perfect for every occasion. It could roll over debris and rocks, and push through sand. It was Allan’s baby, his connection to independence and adventure. He hadn’t gotten stuck on a single trail on the mountain. Only once did he have to find a way around a fallen tree, but that was his only trouble. He didn’t find any Hubbu flowers, but hadn’t given up. Not by a long shot.

Allan invited Laura, his best friend, to hike with him and Rubic. It made the trips even better. The three continued hiking the mountainside, Laura and Rubic oblivious to Allan’s real intentions. Allan never shared his experience on Lan Darr with Laura or told her about the Hubbu’s ability. He didn’t want to freak her out, and honestly, was still in shock that such a pretty girl would want to spend time with him anyway.

A few weeks after the car accident that paralyzed Allan and killed his parents, Laura had stopped by and dropped off a box of chocolates. Allan didn’t eat them, and they sat on his desk, collecting dust. She tried again a month later, this time bringing a medley of hard and sour candy to the door.

Rubic made Allan answer her visit. “She’s trying to be nice,” Rubic said.

Allan, who wasn’t speaking at the time, answered the door and tried to smile.

“Hi, Allan. How are you?” Laura said. She wore an ankle-length skirt with black and pink stripes and a white tank top with spaghetti straps. Her blonde hair was in a tail. She smiled and handed a wrapped box of candy to Allan.

Allan typed on his iPad and showed her the message, ‘thanks’

She fidgeted with her fingernails. “I miss you at swim practice. You and I were the fastest in the whole school. Our times were so close. I really wanted to beat you.”

Allan typed, ‘don’t remind me’

“Sorry.” She took a step back. “I want you to feel better, the whole swim team does. Coach says you could still swim with us. They have state competitions for… people in wheelchairs.”

‘no thanks,’ Allan responded.

“I’ll see you later.” Laura turned and jogged down the walkway to her mother’s yellow MINI Cooper.

Allan remembers slamming the door. But she was so sincere. It was as if she not only had pity for Allan but respect as well. She knew how fast he was in the water, how good he could have been, and admired it.

It wasn’t until Allan returned to Earth from his adventure that he opened the candy and ate it. He’d think about her often as he savored the sweets. They were a great reprieve in a time when the news reporters camped outside his house waiting for him to come out. Allan had munched on the Caramel Bites during the police interview. The Sour Heads kept him going when Rubic removed the telephone because every five minutes someone would call, wanting an interview or exclusive.

Alice was never found, the story got old, and Allan ran out of sweets. Eventually, Allan worked his way back into the world by attending a swim meet. Everyone was glad to see him, especially Laura. She shared her new freestyle time with him, which was still slower than Allan’s best time, but she was gaining on him.

The next day, she’d brought over another box of chocolates. Allan invited her inside to sample the chocolates with him.

Ever since then, he and Laura have been hanging out. She isn’t like other girls. She’s the lead in most of the school plays, still the fastest girl swimmer, and the top of her class. She has a five-year plan and a ten-year plan and practically expects to be President of the United States one day.

Allan shares most things with her, except his experience on Lan Darr. He desperately wanted to tell with her what really happened, but chickened out every time.

Finally, two days ago, he opened his mouth and didn’t stop talking until she knew it all. Initially, she listened in silence. Allan worried she would think he was crazy. When his story was done, the sound of crickets filled the room. However, her warm smile came back, and she became eager to talk about the adventure.

When Allan didn’t see or hear from her yesterday, worry climbed around his heart and stayed there. He wondered what she really thought of him. He texted her, but knew her mother limited her texting and she wouldn’t get it until after school. If Laura thought he was crazy, he’d implode. Maybe he should have kept it all between him, his diary, and his therapist.

#

Allan did not sleep well. He wakes before the alarm and slides off the bed to his chair. The light bothers his dry eyes, and his mouth is so tacky he can’t open it. He needs to see Laura today, to ask her if all is well.

Allan rolls to the kitchen, finding Rubic whistling and cooking omelets and bacon. He’s gotten quite good at the whole cooking thing, which Allan is grateful for.

“Morning, bud.” Rubic takes one look at Allan. “You look like you fell out of a building, smashed through the sidewalk, landed on the subway track, and got electrocuted. Have some bad dreams?”

“Morning,” Allan mutters as he rolls himself to the breakfast table and puts his brakes on. He pours himself some orange juice from the carton left on the table and chugs it. “No dreams. I barely slept.”

“Sorry ’bout that. Anything you wanna talk about?” Rubic finger combs his thick beard then sips his coffee.

“I told Laura about Lan Darr two days ago and haven’t heard from her since.”

Rubic’s face hardens. “Oh no.” He sets down his mug. “How did she react initially?”

“I thought she believed me,” Allan said. “Now, I’m not so sure.” Allan knows that Rubic doesn’t believe him. How can he expect Laura to? On many occasions, Allan had tried to tell Rubic about Lan Darr and how he got captured by the ratty-bird and almost sold to Killian Crow. How the elephants hid him from Killian, and Mizzi dragged him to safety through the mushroom forest. Allan had described the mechanical legs Mizzi made that allowed Allan to walk again. No, to run again. He described the city of Dantia and its canal system and Asantia’s airship. But Rubic never really listened. Rubic would rush Allan through the conversation saying it was all a dream, a drug-induced fantasy, and it wasn’t healthy to obsess about it.

Rubic slides the omelet out of the pan and onto Allan’s plate, sprinkles a cheese blend on top, and piles the bacon next to it. He returns to the stove and starts to make his own. “You guys are best friends. She’ll come around. I think she like, likes you.”

Allan feels a heat in his cheeks and responds by cramming bacon in his mouth. The salty, fatty flavor absorbs all the thoughts in his head. In truth, he thought about asking her to be his girlfriend on many occasions.

“Did you hear me?” Rubic asks as he flips his own omelet closed and covers it with cheese.

“Huh? Sorry. When I’m eating bacon that’s pretty much all I can do.” Allan lies then takes another bite.

“Laura like, likes you.”

“Gross, Rube. She’s just a friend.” Allan stares at Rubic with a stone-solid glare. “Really, a friend.”

Rubic sits and eats. “All right, not another word about it.”

Allan crams a huge bite of omelet into his mouth. With his cheeks packed, Allan notices his uncle’s suit and tie. “Starting the new job today?”

Rubic adjusts the bright blue tie. “Yup, you like?”

Allan nods.

“I’m, like, responsible now. Got a 401K, whatever that means, and health care.”

“Nice. Good luck.” Allan folds the last bite of omelet in his mouth. “You can tell it’s a clip-on, by the way.”

“You can?” Rubic plays with the collar. “Oh, well, it’ll have to do.”

Allan cleans his plate and rolls away. “Taking a shower.”

“Mrs. Domley is going to drop off her car and drive you to school in the van. I’d take you kids, but my day starts a bit earlier than what we’re used to.” Rubic laughs. “See, I’ve totally made the conversion to responsible adult.”

“Uh-huh. I know the truth. My dad told me that you always missed the bus or made him late ’cause you couldn’t get outta bed. Sometimes, you didn’t even go,” Allan replies, halfway across the living room.

“Don’t be like me.” Rubic retorts. “I have emerged from my chrysalis.”

“Your tie is crooked.” Allan calls out over his shoulder and laughs.

Rubic inspects his tie. It was crooked. “Yeah, got it. Thanks.”

Allan transfers to the seat in the shower—a task he insists on doing himself. The bathtub is tailored for him: equipped with handrails, soap dispensers, and a wide enough tub that the washing chair mounted in the basin can swivel around one hundred eighty degrees.

Afterward, he exits, dries himself, and brushes his teeth. He stares into the foggy mirror, noticing the bags under his eyes. They were dark and made his face look sullen and sad. Maybe he was sad, sad that Laura probably didn’t believe him, sad that he didn’t have anyone to talk to about it except a paid therapist.

The front door slams as Rubic heads out to start his new job.

A black beetle skitters across the countertop. Allan’s heart jumps, and pounds. He pushes away from the counter. The beetle stops and checks out the edge of the porcelain, its antenna dancing, testing, feeling the air.

Allan closes his eyes. “Stupid beetle.” He doesn’t think he should still be nervous around beetles. Jibbawk had reentered its flesh-and-blood body before it was exiled to Plethiomia. The biting, snapping, creepy beetles are no more.

Allan gets dressed. He struggles with his pants, but eventually succeeds.

Allan rolls out the front door and locks it. His ride isn’t here yet.

The sun is warm, and he closes his eyes, letting it bathe his face. It won’t last long. The summer is coming to an end, and the experts predict a cold winter. Winter is hard for Allan. The cold makes him feel stiff and achy.

He looks at the old oak tree. “I’m not waiting for you, Asantia. I’m coming back. I’m gonna bring Laura with me. That’s the only way for her to really believe me.”

A little yellow MINI Cooper turns onto Allan’s Street and parks at the curb. Mrs. Domley steps out. She is an exact replica of Laura, only much older. They both have blond hair, bright blue eyes, and lean figures.

“Morning, Allan,” Mrs. Domley says. She has on her running outfit. “Tell your uncle that I don’t mind driving you to school in your van. I don’t have anywhere to be until ten.”

“Okay, thank you.” Allan hands the van keys to Mrs. Domley.

“Hi,” Laura says. She pulls herself out of the car seat like she is weighed down with a bag of bricks. Normally she’d bounce out. Today she has on a pair of dark gray slacks and a pink button-up shirt that is slightly crooked.
There is something wrong with her today. This is bad.

“Hi, Laura. How are you?” He watches her closely.

“I’m good. They’re picking the lead for
Macbeth
today, and I’ve got student council. So it’s gonna be busy. Not a lot of time for… anything.” Laura takes the handles of Allan’s chair, pushes him to the side of the van, and presses a button on the door handle. The door slides open, and a platform emerges and lowers. She helps Allan onto the platform without saying a word.

“You’re gonna get the part. You’re the best actor in the whole school,” Allan says, having a hard time taking his eyes off her. He looks at Mrs. Domley to make sure she didn’t see him staring at Laura. She didn’t.

Mrs. Domley hops in and fires up the van’s loud engine. “How long until you get your permit, young man?” she said with a smile. “You’ll be driving yourself to school soon.”

“I’m fifteen and a half, so in six months I can get my permit.” Allan looks at Laura, knowing he only has a few months until she starts driving.

“That’ll go by quicker than you think.” Mrs. Domley backs the van out of the driveway and speeds away.

The van is larger and customized to carry around his wheelchair, and when he starts driving, he’ll be able to drive it with his hands.

Laura sits next to Allan in the back of the van as Mrs. Domley drives to Mac’s house.

The van stops, and Mac hops in the back seat. Mac is another friend that is on the swim team.

“No one is going to sit up here with me?” Mrs. Domley jokes. “Fine, but I’ll be lonely.”

Allan fist bumps Mac. He’s shorter than most, with light-brown skin and very short black hair. “Hey, bro. You ready for Manis’s math test?”

“No, but I never will be,” Allan replies. “She’s like a brutal nun, but without the ruler. I hate her class.”

“Even without the ruler, she’s not legally allowed to hit you. It’s called corporal punishment,” Laura says. “If we were living in the eighteen hundreds, you’d be beaten daily.” She jokes, but doesn’t look at Allan directly.

“I’d have to run away to Peru or something. I’m just not good at math.”

The van pulls away from the curb. Mrs. Domley turns on the news radio as Allan, Mac, and Laura discuss
Macbeth
and the next swim meet.

Allan eyes Mrs. Domley as she drives. She keeps looking at him in the rearview. Why? Allan notices Laura is looking around nervously. She’s bothered. Allan stares at her beautiful eyes. He imagines them made of diamonds, blue only because they’ve captured a piece of the morning sky.