Two Tribes, page 6
part #1 of Young Atlanteans Series
Well not in his world. Xavier’s brain raced. She was away from him, god knows where, with only a human to protect her. He seethed again that his father could have done this to them.
‘Whatsup?’ Latitia said, clearly enjoying herself. ‘’fraid Dwayne’ll get his grubby paws on her?’
‘Latitia!’ Richie said, with a look of apology directed at Xavier.
Latitia just grinned, leaning back in her chair, satisfied that nothing more needed to be said.
‘She’ll be fine. He’ll look after her.’ Richie said, looking him directly in the eye in all seriousness.
Xavier acknowledged him with a small nod, but he wasn’t happy at all.
Richie finished eating and pushed his tray aside. ‘You know it would help us if we kind of knew what we were dealing with?’
Xavier studied the boy for a long moment. He was sincere enough, and probably a good kid. But he couldn’t handle the truth – not yet anyway. ‘Like what?’ he said lightly, looking around him, knowing his avoidance would piss the boy off.
‘Well, for starters, you’re obviously not from round here?’ Richie said.
Xavier narrowed his eyes. ‘We’re not.’
‘Where you from?’
Richie was trying to be as upbeat as he could to put him at ease, but Xavier was not comfortable with where the conversation would inevitably go. ‘Ireland.’
‘Aaand? … You gotta give us a bit more than that.’
Xavier didn’t answer. Just gave him a blank look.
‘Look … you’re living with us. You’ve obviously got a few bob – if the presents from your dad are anything to go by, and what was last night all about?’
There it was … Xavier sighed deeply. It was bloody typical that this shit was left down to him to deal with. Just as he was about to fall into the practised spiel about JJ’s migraines, Richie cut across him.
‘Before you say a load of bollocks, let’s cut the crap, OK? We all saw JJ did something to that bloke – don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. But don’t you think it would be fairer and safer to let us in on it a bit?’
Xavier laughed and wearily shook his head. He actually liked this kid – and he didn’t take to people that easily. ‘Whatever you think it is, you’re wrong, OK.’ He sighed, worn-out now. ‘You have no idea what you’re dealing with.’ He flashed a warning look at Latitia. ‘You have nothing to fear as long as you don’t piss us off.’
‘Who, JJ you mean?’ Richie said, looking suddenly alarmed.
‘Any of us.’ Xavier directed his look straight at Latitia, hoping to scare her when she joined the dots.
Latitia narrowed her eyes. ‘Dwayne,’ she said, more to herself.
Xavier raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘She’s cleverer than she looks.’
With impeccable timing, Dwayne and Alexia walked back into the dinner hall. Xavier checked his watch just as the bell rang. They’d been out for the whole of lunch. Where the hell have you been? He projected, standing up and grabbing her by the wrist.
OW! Out to lunch, she glared back at him.
They glared at each other, inches apart.
You went off on your own to the middle of god knows where? Have you taken leave of your senses?
It’s OK, Xav, I was with Dwayne. She raised her arm, showing she still held onto Dwayne’s hand.
He laughed spitefully, out loud, at the ludicrousness of the situation.
Then, remembering they weren’t alone, he and Alexia turned their heads to the other three watching them closely.
‘You all saw that, right?’ Richie said to his brother and sister.
Latitia and Dwayne both nodded.
Xavier sagged. Shit! In his anger he had just had a telepathic conversation so obvious that the three Johnsons, who were already majorly suspicious, had clearly seen and worked it out.
The second bell sounded, saving him. He tutted loudly and yanked her away from them by the wrist he still held. Nice one, Alexia!
What did I do? She whined.
Xavier took a quick glance over his shoulder to see the three gobsmacked Johnsons standing shoulder to shoulder, watching them go. They needed to get out of there.
‘Oops!’
Not paying any attention to where he was going, he slammed straight into a girl. Not just any girl, but the one that had stuck in his memory from yesterday.
Her tray with dirty plates clattered to the floor. Alexia tutted and took the opportunity to skulk off through the crowd. Deciding to let her go, he bent down and helped the girl pick up the pieces.
Strands of her honey-blonde hair escaped her ponytail and fell into her face and, as they finished, she looked him straight in the eyes. They were big and blue, but something in them told him she was sad – no, more than that, dissatisfied. But she was also determined and strong. He’d always prided himself on reading auras well and hers made him jolt with electricity at the strength of it. He’d never had such a powerful impression from a human before. They were always so weak and insipid.
Picking up the last broken piece, he made sure his finger gently brushed against hers. Yes. It confirmed in one second everything he’d just thought.
She snatched her hand away as if she’d got a static shock from him. Then she looked embarrassed. Her peachy-clear, pale face went a rose pink and looked beautiful against her blond hair. She wore no makeup at all, he noticed. She didn’t need it. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, his voice suddenly croaky.
They slowly stood and he put the piece of cutlery in his hand on her tray.
* * *
As soon as he spoke, Paige felt her cheeks go red again. He was the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen. Like model beautiful, times a hundred. Those green eyes that were so green they didn’t look real. Soft black curls of hair reaching his shoulder. Literally no one wore their hair like that – not around here anyway. Today he wore uniform; meant to make everyone the same. It had failed because, this close, she could see it was the right colour – navy blue like everyone else’s, but he actually wore the blazer. To a girl whose mum moonlighted as a seamstress, it was obvious from the cut, the material and the buttons that they were handmade. The boy looked like he had literally walked out of the pages of a magazine.
And when he spoke, his voice was raspy and so well spoken she almost swooned.
‘That’s OK,’ she heard herself saying, after way too long. Then felt idiotic when she flushed red again.
‘Here,’ he said, passing her what looked like a real square hanky.
A little confused at first, she realised to her horror – when he pointed at the front of her cream-coloured shirt – that she had what looked like ketchup all down the front of it.
She nearly died a thousand deaths; she was so embarrassed in front of this demigod, this vision of beauty. It didn’t matter that it was his fault that it had happened in the first place, all she could think about was that he should see her like this and she needed to get away from him as fast as she could.
Instead of taking his hanky, she side-stepped around him, slammed the tray down on a table instead of the finished pile and ran out of the room, barely containing her tears. His eyes followed her. She knew it because they were burning a hole in her back.
CHAPTER 7
JJ opened his eyes and, for the first time in days, the pain didn’t feel like an axe slicing through the side of his head.
He remained still for a few moments, just to make sure. He listened to the hiss of air brakes and the beep of a lorry reversing through his open window. Then the heavy metal clang of what he guessed were the dumpsters being emptied in the carpark below. He moved his fingers and then his toes. No numbness or pain, everything seemed in working order.
Now for the real test.
Bracing himself for the tidal wave of nausea, he lifted his head slowly from the pillow until he was looking at his toes and shifted his weight onto his elbows.
After the initial wave of dizziness, the world stilled and there was still no pain.
It had passed.
His curse: the debilitating pain that had plagued him whenever he lost his temper and used his telekinetic powers, was over.
Gaining confidence, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly sat up. He took a minute to let his head adjust to the change of angle.
Something rattled in the next room. Someone was home.
JJ stood slowly and lurched for a second, grabbing hold of the bedpost. His legs were jelly and he was as weak as paper. God knew how long he’d been out. It had been a long time since he’d lost his temper like that.
After a moment, he walked unsteadily to the door, opened it quietly and peered outside. He wasn’t sure who was home or whether he could handle talking to them.
Valarie walked out from the kitchen and pulled up sharp. ‘JJ! You’re awake.’
He smiled a little at making her jump. ‘Sorry … how long have I been out?’
‘Two days.’
Not bad. It could have been as long as a week.
‘I’ll make you a hot sweet tea,’ Valarie said, turning back towards the kitchen. ‘You must be dehydrated.’
JJ followed her. ‘Where is everyone?’ He had no idea what time or day it was.
Valarie looked up at the plastic wall clock. It said 4 o’clock. ‘They should be home from school soon.’
She poured two cups of tea. ‘Come and sit down. You look a bit shaky on your feet. Then you can tell me all about it.’
JJ sighed and followed her into the living room. Memories were coming back to him thick and fast. Filling him with a progressive sinking feeling that he was not going to escape having to give some sort of explanation.
They both sat down in the living room, he on an armchair and she on the sofa.
‘We’ve got about fifteen minutes before the kids get back. I wanted to thank you privately for what you did.’
It wasn’t what he was expecting. He smiled wanly. ‘Didn’t really think much about it.’
‘Doesn’t matter. You were brave. It wasn’t your battle and you bought me some time. I can’t thank you enough.’
He put up a hand to stop her. ‘Please … it’s OK.’ Just then a wave of hopelessness washed over him. It wasn’t OK, although not in the way she thought.
‘What is it, JJ?’ she said softly. ‘Look, you don’t have to tell me, but it helps sometimes, you know.’
JJ took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. She was looking at him so kindly, but she had no idea. There wasn’t a whole lot she could do. Shit, there wasn’t anything anyone could do. Nevertheless, he could trust her. ‘How do you know my dads?’ he asked, looking up through his eyebrows.
A smile instantly transformed her face. ‘Oh yeah. I know both your dads from years ago.’ She leaned back into the sofa with a sigh. ‘A pair of real heartbreakers. I used to work in a small walk-in clinic for iffy diseases, in Soho.’ She was smiling, until he fell in. He should have seen it. She was a nurse. ‘The girls from the local establishments would come in and they all adored your dads – particularly Jay. He kinda looked out for them all. He lived close by and I got to know him very well,’ she tacked on, slightly embarrassed. ‘He donated quite a bit to the clinic.’
JJ wasn’t stupid. He knew where his dad’s hotel was, and what the bars were like around it.
‘Everyone knew them on the club circuit – they were real celebrities. But we always knew there was something very different about them … something …’
JJ remained still and looked her dead in the eye. ‘Something, what?’ he said flatly.
Valarie sighed deeply. ‘We were never sure exactly. But you kids have it,’ she said, nodding. ‘I knew straight away.’
He held her gaze for a long moment, then looked around him. ‘How come we’re here … now?’
‘Dante contacted me last year.’
JJ frowned. Last year was way before they got expelled.
Valarie read the confusion on his face. ‘Jay had the business there, but Dante … well, we had a bit of a thing back in the day.’
His eyes widened in shock. It was the last possible thing he expected her to say.
She held up her hands. ‘Nothing serious, I promise. And it didn’t go on for more than a few months. Before your mother. You couldn’t even count it as a relationship – just when he was in town. You know … that type of thing,’ she skated over, assuming he disapproved.
JJ shrugged it off. It was a surprise, yes, but he had no illusions about either of his fathers. They had a complicated relationship with his mother and it was none of his business. All three had been there as parents, and in the dangerous world he came from, that was what mattered. Knowing what he and Xavier had been like, he guessed his fathers weren’t much different when they were younger.
‘He kind of kept in touch ever since. Every couple of years, just to see how I was doing. That kind of thing.’
Dante acquired people like possessions; he never really let them go. He studied her face and felt quite sorry for her. She was backpedalling in the hope she hadn’t offended him. The truth was, he seriously doubted whether Dante had gone behind his mother’s back. It was one of the things he admired about them – their ability to be honest in most things.
Valarie seemed to read his mind. ‘There was only ever one woman on both your dads’ minds. I knew that.’
He guessed by the wry, regretful smile, she wasn’t the only person his dads had had flings with. It must have been hard for her or anyone else knowing his mother was with both men at different times. They would never understand what had happened. That it wasn’t his mother’s fault. It had cost her dearly with a lot of heartache and he wasn’t about to discuss it with a stranger.
Valarie seemed like a really nice woman, and he was grateful she didn’t push it any further. ‘Thanks for taking us in,’ he said eventually.
She smiled in relief that he wasn’t angry with her. ‘No problem, honey. I was glad to be able to give something back to your dads for everything they’ve done for me over the years.’
JJ stared at her again. He wanted to scan her brain to find out exactly what his dads had done for her, and how much she actually knew about his race, but decided against it. The process could be painful for the subject, and he couldn’t risk sparking off his migraine again. He opted for the old-fashioned way. ‘Did they ever … you know, explain anything to you?’ he said, leaning forward, glancing at her warily, elbows on his knees.
Valarie looked at him steadily. ‘They knew that wasn’t necessary. I saw things no one could explain,’ she continued, staring at him with meaning.
JJ studied her intently. He could see what Dante had seen in her. She was making this whole thing a lot easier for him. ‘What about the others? Dwayne, Richie and—?’ he said, letting his voice trail off.
‘Latitia?’ she finished for him. Then she shook her head. ‘No. But I’m gonna trust that you know they are my babies, and I want them to be safe … you understand?’
He nodded thoughtfully. He understood why his dads trusted this woman. ‘Of course.’ It was a bargain on a need-to-know basis, and he accepted that.
The front door rattled and opened with the crunch of keys. With the sudden barrage of noise and voices, their heart to heart was at an end.
* * *
The five teenagers blustered in chattering or texting on their phones, waking the little ones from their nap immediately. Soon the small flat was full of people with the volume switched up to maximum.
JJ smiled to himself. He kind of liked it. Even though he had many cousins, he’d been brought up in castles and Bond villain lairs the size football stadiums. This kind of felt real and homely.
It didn’t take long for them to realize his bed was empty and pile into the living room where he was still sitting. Richie and Dwayne marched straight in and loomed over him.
JJ didn’t move a muscle. Ready for trouble, he looked up at them and waited.
Richie nodded and put out his hand. ‘Dunno what crazy-assed shit you pulled, mate, but I’m glad you’re on our side.’
JJ held out his hand slowly and they shook. Then his eyes tracked to Dwayne. Richie nudged him, and he nodded once in agreement but didn’t say a word.
JJ nodded back. It was an unspoken truce and they weren’t giving him the third degree – for which he was grateful. Valarie’s voice rose over the younger ones’ din from the kitchen, and their attention was soon on something else.
JJ’s gaze found Xavier, who simply rolled his eyes and looked away. He understood. Xavier had powers too, but kept his firmly under wraps. It always looked like JJ was bragging or showing off, but that wasn’t how it was. Xavier was angry, but he was the only person who understood. Xavier had made it clear that he had no intention of clearing up another of his messes and hanging around there was making it a whole lot more likely. He got it. Xavier didn’t want him getting too comfortable.
His gaze fell on Latitia. She was standing just inside the room looking on, waiting to say something, quietly. Her expression said it all: Fear. Amazement. Pity. How JJ hated that.
Thinking she somehow had a right to put her two pence worth in, she walked over and stood right in front of him. ‘Got a minute?’
He laughed and frowned up at her. ‘Why?’
‘I’d like to talk to you in private.’
‘I’m busy,’ he said, blinking, shaking his head slowly and looking away. It was brutal shutting her down like that, but there was no way he could go there now. Xavier was right. She knew too much about him already. He felt exposed and he didn’t like it. It was better if she hated him than this soppy, compassion shit that was coming off her in waves.
‘So you’re … you know, OK?’ she stammered, shifting her weight uncomfortably.
JJ nodded moodily, without looking at her. She was confusing him and wouldn’t go. He was angry she was forcing him to hurt her because she refused to get the message.
‘Asshole,’ she said under her breath. Then she turned on her heel and stomped from the room.
