Part 22 (1/2)
She responded, kissing him back. He tightened his arms about her. She felt the softness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his hard chest, her thighs against his. She couldn't get close enough. They kissed and kissed, hungry for the other, enjoying the sweet salty taste of first love.
She wondered at the feel of his lips on hers, while growing dizzy and breathless, yet wanting to go deeper and deeper into him and this incredible union. His lips moved more insistently over hers. Her body went limp as she lost herself completely to his kiss. Time did not exist, only this one glorious moment stretching on and on into eternity.
”Yes, an amazing day,” Jordyn whispered, running his lips from her ear down her neck.
The guards in front of the pyramid entrance frowned at them.
”As it would be fun to stay, we must go. We are allowed this time because it is your birthday.” He pulled Kaila away from the pyramid a distance onto the sand. His eyes turned black. And the pyramids and sands blurred and grew wavy like the mirage.
When they returned to the stream in the Louisiana woods, the horses raised their heads with their sudden appearance.
Flushed with happiness, Jordyn and Kaila held each other, marveling at the sound of the bubbling stream, the songs of the birds, the golden shaft of sunlight filtering through the trees. Everything seemed heightened, exploding with majestic color and sound.
Finally, Jordyn whispered, ”I have one more present.”
”What could possibly top that?”
He reached into his overalls.
”Wait,” Kaila said. ”I'll tell you what I want.”
”What?”
”I want you to heal my grandfather today when we go back.”
Jordyn shook his head. ”No, I can't do that.”
”Why? Toby healed Mike-”
”The decision was we'd do it when you decide to be with us.”
”Well, I don't like that.” Kaila moved away from him.
”Don't be mad,” Jordyn said, moving near her. ”It's the way things are.”
”What do you mean, *things'?”
”Kaila,” Jordyn sighed. ”Do you trust me?”
She studied him, melting at the sight of his beautiful face, spiky sandy hair, absorbing his high energy.
Yes. No. She roiled in confusion. Her heart said yes, her mind said no.
”If you cared about me, you'd do this for me,” Kaila stammered.
”I do care,” Jordyn said. ”But I told you it was decided-”
”Who decided?”
”What I will tell you is there is a higher intelligence.”
Kaila thought of that shadowy reptilian thing she'd glimpsed with the red eyes. She frowned. There was so much she didn't understand. She felt like she was being torn in two; she desperately wanted to be with Jordyn, but she didn't want to turn away from her family and friends. Why was she being forced to choose sides?
”But I promise,” Jordyn continued. ”When you realize who you truly are, open up to it, see the possibilities.” He swallowed. ”You will see and know. Us together. Forever. Don't you want that?”
He leaned toward her, kissed her cheek. ”I know there will never be another you, anywhere in the universe.” He picked a blade of gra.s.s and twiddled it in his fingers. Then, ”But all this is spoiling your special day. Look.”
He flicked his hand, and a silver bodysuit unrolled. The material compacted to an inch and then expanded like no other material she'd known.
”When you are ready, wear this,” Jordyn said. ”And we will know that you are with us.”
Kaila accepted the gift.
”Now give me a gift,” he said, kissing her again.
An evening date at the football game should have been the cherry on top of a perfect dessert parfait of a day. But how can anyone predict catastrophe?
The Bush Crocodiles football team played the Covington Lions, their archrivals. Kaila sat next to Jordyn on the bleachers in the packed stadium.
Pia sat with Antonia; Melissa with Toby; and Viktor, Lucius, and Echidna sat in front of them, wearing sungla.s.ses even though it was night. Mrs. Bourg had encouraged them to attend the football game, as it could prove socially educational. Kaila spied Mrs. Bourg sitting several rows up.
Kaila didn't care. Nothing could spoil this wonderful day. Jordyn's shoulder touched hers. The stadium lights illuminated the field and their light reflected in his huge eyes. Nothing, ever, could separate them. They were one. She had never in her life felt so happy.
After the party, she'd washed and blow-dried her hair and after leaving the house, ditched the hat. Freed of head coverings, she came closer to who she truly was. She heard the buzzing of the crowd's minds, like a gargantuan hornet's nest, but more so, she could feel Jordyn. A wordless, deep, joyous feeling of union.
Kaila spied the preps Brandy and Tara in their cheerleader outfits on the field. The football jocks suited up in the locker room. Douglas Lafarge and Phyllis Joiner had ventured out and sat behind Kaila and Jordyn, finding a place with those in their advanced physics cla.s.s.
Kaila recalled how mean everyone had been to her calling her a poser; she had an inkling of how Phyllis felt being routinely taunted. She chatted with Phyllis, who actually cracked a smile below her bulging eyes. She had washed her hair-soft, dark blonde hair that didn't look half bad.
Phyllis shyly shared a poem written on loose leaf she'd composed about her cat Millificent. Kaila praised the poem, knowing how much Phyllis loved her cat.
Douglas wore a Star Trek t-s.h.i.+rt with Dr. Bones's picture that said, ”Are you out of your VULCAN MIND?” He read Phyllis's cat poem, sniffed, adjusted his thick gla.s.ses, and handed it back to Phyllis.
In Louisiana, football is obsession. Everyone in Bush, Louisiana had come to see Bush whoop Covington and everyone in Covington had come to see Covington whoop Bush. The energy in the stadium was palpable.
”What are they doing?” Echidna asked. She pointed a long finger at the cheerleaders, Brandy and Tara, dressed in red and white short skirts.
”Give me a B!” they shouted to the stadium.
”B!” answered the crowd.
”Give me a U!”
”U!” answered the crowd.
”Give me an S!”
”S!”
”Give me an H!”