Bored Room

“I move to blahdy blah…”

“Second!”

Always a race and the most interesting part of the night

to be the first to second whatever is moved;

isn’t that sad and almost pathetic

for the highlight of the meeting

to be a race,

—like Mario Kart minus the dreadful dangers

of Rainbow Road and Wario’s Gold Mine,

or the thrilling rush of pressing the buzzer first

in Jeopardy-like games—when

really we are here to serve a higher purpose

as representatives

for one thing or another, although some don’t seem to care,

letting our hard work and endless nights go

unnoticed. Hard work that oftentimes is

boring and sees more members drifting

or wandering off to the forests of social media, email,

and note passing. If only our high

school teachers could see us now; how strange

it must seem for note passing to be acceptable,

encouraged even,

so the meeting may resume uninterrupted

by murmurs and whispers of

making plans, listing complaints, and playing

Who Has More Classwork They Could Be Doing Right Now.

And yet, through the boredom and minds

drifting away on fluffy white clouds,

everyone perks an ear for those three little words,

regardless what follows after,

and the chance to glow with pride, winning the race

that is barely enough

to keep their interest.

Eternal: Chapter Twelve, Part 2

Within weeks of the march, Caroline had officially called for a complete removal of the government, as I had known she would. She explained, no matter what agreement they came to in negotiations, it wouldn’t be long before things reverted to the way they had been.

Initially, people weren’t sure what to make of it. They weren’t ready for something so radical, not when that would mean removing the entire governmental body in work and replacing it. In response, she explained Leirba’s Council—they left it in my name so not everything was changing—was already drafting possible temporary solutions. It was a huge country, they weren’t ignoring that fact, but this was also a huge problem. No matter what they did, it would take time.

When she presented her proposal for the new temporary government, a council instead of a single figure head, and larger councils below and at every level, people relaxed. This was her guarantee that not everyone in the most important positions would be regular or elemental, which even satisfied some of those still unsure about elementals and hell.

A few short years later, the existing government was dissolved. Every official had either been petitioned from office or forcibly removed when only a few remained. An online ballot was released and the first members of the Change Committee—the council that would lead the country in this exchange of power—were elected and met. Caroline and a regular were the co-presiding chairs, the other twenty members divided between elemental and non. Together, they decided to rid the government of political parties other than elemental and regular, so no one group had too much more control than the other. Other such decisions regarding the new government were made in those first meetings, and, slowly, were being made in each state by their elected Change Councils—the state-level equivalent of the Committee.

Last I had heard, things were running smoothly with the temporary government—though it didn’t seem so temporary as it had been in place for six years. There was, of course, plenty of chaos, but things were quieting as each Council grew stronger and reviewed their new respective constitutions for any amendments that needed to be made. Things were looking better. In another year there would be elections again for most of the Committee and Council seats, though many felt that almost everyone holding a seat would win it back so they could finish what they had started.

Caroline, in addition to her revolution work, had also come to some resolution with her parents. They remained adamantly against the movement and all related things, but she finally had the backing and the proof she wasn’t insane, unhealthy, or freakish. Though they wouldn’t back down, she argued she was still their daughter, regardless of how they thought she should be, and she was going to live her own way, with or without their approval. When they failed to provide a compelling argument for her to continue visiting, both Caroline and Ian were freed from their mandatory meetings with them. This saddened her slightly, but she was quickly consumed in other business. I had a feeling, given a few more years, they might come around to accepting societal norms had changed and could figure out they really did love her—elemental, angry, wild, and all.

Ian was painting, as he had told me he would be. His murals and collages, portraits and scenes were gorgeous and many were available for viewing online or in various magazines. He also had current shows in a New York Gallery of his Movement works, and another in England of his Pre-Movement works. There was rarely a critic with a negative comment, though even those existed.

The one piece I had explained to Caroline, the one he said I was in, he named after me: Abriel. I read an interview in which he was asked why it was called Abriel, who was Abriel. His answer: “She is the bravest person I know, and without her, none of us would be where we are today.” Though this thoroughly confused people, especially the interviewer, I felt touched. The world would know my real name, even if they couldn’t match it with a face.

By far, though, his Movement works were his best known. They depicted everything from our early meetings to our commercials, Caroline’s local speeches to small group work, his picket signs to Nick’s death. It was the single greatest depiction of modern history in the world. I wasn’t the only one to think so, and I was biased.

However, he wasn’t just painting and making appearances; Caroline wouldn’t let him off that easily. Whenever she needed help or a second, outside opinion, he was on her speed dial. He didn’t mind it so much, though. If anything, he missed having her boss him around sometimes. Since they had gone their separate ways, he was suddenly making every decision, even about his exhibitions. Occasionally, when setting up a new exhibit, he called her so someone else could decide how it should look for once, especially since she had no eye for art and could therefore give a properly unbiased opinion. No matter what happened, they were stuck together. It was a good thing they didn’t mind.

Jake and Kora both returned to college, changing their majors to political science, the new version—Jake for a master’s and Kora for a bachelor’s though it meant an extra year of study for her. Both wanted to continue being a part of the change happening around them, and politics was the place to do so.

Kora was married on the two year anniversary of the march. We were invited—Drei received the invitation through Valetta. I went alone, but stayed to the back of the crowd, dropped off her present at the reception and left. She was stunning, the wedding was perfect, and Dan couldn’t have been a better match for her. The gift was the angels of love and hope, a note tucked into the box saying, “No matter what happens in life, love and hope will always lead you true.”

Jake was reunited with his mother. There were tears and apologies and promises made anew. When they went home together, his father apologized for his cruelty, and Jake finally found his answer. He wouldn’t forget, but he could forgive them. All of them.

With his new attitude and his family reunited, it wasn’t long before Jake was dating—and then engaged to—the girl about whom he used to tell me. And guess who? Natalie, the girl he thoroughly pissed off in his ethics class. They were cute together, and they reveled in the occasional heated debate.

Mikael and Xenia co-authored a memoir on their participation in those two years with me. It was a best seller and paid for them to go through college to become environmentalists. They were both working toward doctorate’s degrees.

Xenia eventually dyed her hair back to its original color and settled down. She could be herself, and that was all she had ever wanted. Her friends and her were all still single, no man (or woman) able to keep up with them. Someday that might change, especially as more and more people were becoming comfortable with admitting they were elementals or that they were okay with those who were.

Mikael’s parents showed up not long after he was interviewed the day of the march about his involvement in the movement. They told him they had made a mistake and wanted him back in their lives. No matter how much they apologized, though, Mikael remained silent. When they stopped fussing over him, trying to figure out if he was ever going to say something to them, he told them what they did was inexcusable, but he appreciated the apologies. Then he asked they never contact him again unless he did so first.

It couldn’t have been easy for him, but I think that’s what had been bothering him in those times he looked sad. He was trying to figure out what he would do if they came back. It couldn’t have been easy, but he had decided for himself what was right. I didn’t worry about him, though; Mikael had surrounded himself with a new family, both from our group and from his boarding school. He nurtured and cherished those relationships, but otherwise focused on his studies.

Occasionally, all of them gathered together in our old apartment, talking or plotting for old time’s sake. Caroline had kept up the rent and had given permission for the landlord to give weekday tours as an added bonus. I think they thought now that everything was going better, I might come back. While I couldn’t stop caring about them all, I couldn’t go to them. I was dead, technically, and I felt it was finally time I started acting like it.

Eternal: Chapter Five, Part 5

It felt as though much more time than an hour had passed, but I trusted the pristine grandfather clock in the corner of the dull room was in top condition. Sipping at my water, I spent most of the hour glancing around at the wood paneled walls, the well-kept crown molding along ceiling, the shaded windows, and the impeccably clean but uncomfortable furniture. However, I did spend the first couple minutes after she left inspecting myself, trying to attain a sense of how thin I really looked. All of my limbs seemed properly proportioned, but who knew? Perhaps that was all in my head.

My mind wondered if the woman would come back saying Mikael had died in the last hour. If she did, I wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t care what kind of punishment Drei gave me; I would probably kill her and not think twice about it.

Then I stopped, shocked at my suddenly violent thoughts. I couldn’t remember having wanted to purposefully hurt someone. I had practiced self-defense often enough, but I had never physically hurt someone just to hurt her or him. Mentally, I made a note to talk to Drei about that; I wanted to write it off as bad vibes and stress, but not even that made sense. I would hate for it to be something more and not have brought it up. Unfortunately, it was forgotten in the next moment.

The door opened and Mikael entered, the cheerily strange woman smiling behind him, visible until he shut the door again. He had grown so much, just like Kora. I had always been one of those kids who hated when adults gushed over how much I had changed, and now I understood why; I never would have guessed he was in high school still. Mikael carried himself much the same as Drei did: tall and proper, a thumb hooked loosely in his pants pocket, relaxed but charismatic. His thick black tresses still retained some of their youthful wildness, but were tamer in the way the curls framed his visage.

“Margie said you were here to see me about something personal,” he started, crossing to sit in the chair adjacent to mine. “I must admit, while you look familiar, I don’t remember who you are.”

“Mikael;” I couldn’t help smiling at his questioning eyes as he struggled to place me. At least he didn’t judge me as a danger as Kora had. “You’ve grown up so much…even your voice has stopped cracking.”

Blushing, embarrassed, he waved off the comment, saying, “Margie said you told her you were Miss Jones. But I’m afraid, when my voice was still cracking, I didn’t know anyone’s last name.”

“Oh, you’re thinking too hard. Think…feathers and games.”

“Abriel?” he gasped before I could stop him. Reaching across the distance, he embraced me. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“Well, here I am.”

“But why? And why couldn’t you just tell Margie your name in the first place?” he asked.

“We’ll get to that soon enough,” I assured him, waving the questions away for the time being. “How are you doing? And how in the world did you end up at a boarding school?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders, saying, “My parents got used to not having a kid around. They stuck around for about three months after I went back and then…they disappeared. So I found Mitchell while he was following a young earth elemental and told him about it. He told Valetta and she’s been paying for me to go here,” he said, which made sense why Mitchell had reported back so quickly; he didn’t even have to look for Mikael.

“It seems so sketchy here, though,” I said, unable to hide my concern. Valetta had chosen this place, and usually I trusted her judgment, but so far my reception had led me to wonder about how safe an environment this was.

“That’s just because Margie’s wary of everyone,” Mikael said. “Most of the boys here are earth or water elementals, so any visitors she doesn’t recognize she hassles a little. It’s mostly for our protection.”

Eternal: Chapter Five, Part 4

The woman scuttled down the narrow hallway and up a few flights of stairs. Our progress was slow, giving me plenty of time to glance over the various pictures hanging on the walls. This was a fairly old school, from the years on some of the class photographs and the style of dress in the presidential portraits. One of the older class photos I saw was from the early 1900’s.

Eventually we walked into an office like space that reminded me more of a private study with its soft lighting and worn leather furniture. For a moment, I remembered my dad’s study, the times we had spent locked away from the world in there, reading and talking. It surfaced warm memories before my last memory of him tainted them with guilt.

After flipping through a file she had pulled, the woman informed me Mikael was finishing up with baseball practice and would then be heading to supper. “I hope you will be comfortable waiting for about an hour or so. We pride ourselves on keeping student schedules as uninterrupted as possible,” she said, the vinegar in her honeyed voice beginning to seep through. “Is there anything I can bring you, Miss Jones? Supper? Tea? Biscuits? Cake? A muffin?”

“Water will be fine, thank you,” I assured her, trying not to take offense to the mass amount of food she was trying to offer me. Did she think there was something wrong with me? Everyone kept saying I looked different, but I hadn’t looked in a mirror lately—I hadn’t felt compelled to.

“You’re certain that’s all?” she pressed annoyingly. “Nothing to eat at all?”

“I’m certain, thank you” I said kindly, struggling to keep my face neutrally kind and appreciative.

Leaning closer to me, she whispered, “You’re not…anorexic, are you?” Her dark eyes were wide and questioning, something in them revealing how desperately she wanted me to assent.

“No. My eating habits are completely normal, thank you.” Was I that thin?

Straightening herself, she smiled as she had when she first greeted me. “Delighted to hear it. We do try to keep…unnatural influences from the boys.”

If only she knew how ironic that statement was. “Of course.”

“This way, then,” she announced, leaving the office for a small sitting room down the hall. She stalled a moment after bringing me a bottle of water, as if waiting for me to tell her something that would give her enough reason to excuse me. It made me wary about what kind of place this was that she had to assure me everything was in the interest of the boys. I hoped Mikael was as well as I had perceived him to be outside.

Eternal: Chapter Five, Part 3

Mikael was at the end of his sophomore year by regular standards, but at his year-round school, he still had another month or so of class before he entered into the summer session. I had been surprised when Mitchell first gave me the information on where to find Mikael. I had expected him to be attending a public school, maybe a private academy. Instead, I was traveling to meet him at an all-boys boarding school.

En route, I tried to reason out why he would be at a boarding school away from his family after having been separated from them as long as he had already. It didn’t make sense to me. And even after trying to rationalize it for several hours, I still had nothing.

Once there, I didn’t go to request meeting with him immediately—as was customary—because I caught the sound of his voice out in the field where a group of students were playing baseball. He had never struck me as the baseball sort, but he always had loved games.

The day was beautiful out, warm and sunny, exactly as May should be. It wasn’t easy resisting the urge to feel the sun on my skin as I watched them play from afar. Not only would Drei scold me and very possibly never trust me to be out of his sight again, but it would postpone any interactions I had with Mikael and the others. There was the also the possibility Mikael wouldn’t speak to me if I gave in to my temptation.

Mikael scored a homerun and silently I cheered for him. Observing long enough to see Mikael play shortstop and shout encouragements to his team as they quickly tallied three strikes against their opponents, I headed toward the school, a cold and distant looking place. My best guess was that it had been a mansion converted to a school with additions made to accommodate students. Even the red brick, usually a welcoming, warm sight, couldn’t liven the drab and dark building. Whether it was hyperbolic or not, the sunlight around the school felt like it was being vacuumed away into oblivion.

The inside wasn’t much of an improvement, though it was surprisingly warm, not at all drafty as I had imagined. The walls were a dark mahogany and covered with portraits of graduated classes of boys and past presidents of the institution. They were all stoic and distant, but all of the boys in the pictures appeared as true gentlemen: polished, polite, intelligent, and possibly even ready to be a husband or future-CEO.

A kindly, plump woman scuttled towards me, smiling jovially, making her look twenty years younger than I guessed her to be. She wore a rich blue dress and white flats; her graying blonde hair was pulled into a French twist.

“How may I help you, ma’am?” she inquired in a light voice. It sounded almost as though the words just skipped off her tongue her voice was so light.

“I was interested in speaking with Mikael Summers, if I could,” I said, returning her bright smile.

“May I inquire as to what about?” Her eyebrows arched high over her widened eyes, her smile dampening slightly but still perfectly intact. She didn’t view me as a threat—thankfully—but she was on guard all the same.

“I’m an old friend of Mikael’s, used to babysit him a few years ago,” I said, figuring she was bound to ask that question anyway; “Something has come up recently and I wanted to talk with him about it.”

“What has come up? Something with his family?” she snooped, her face not changing from its inquisitive state.

“It’s a bit of a private matter,” I said, continuing to smile kindly at her. I had this urge to hit her with my umbrella if she continued being nosy. She didn’t need to know as much as she thought she did, and if I didn’t need her approval to speak with Mikael without finding myself in more trouble than I could stand at this moment, I might have given in to my violent desire. Her now plastic smile was especially irritating me.

“Very well, then, Miss…”

“Jones,” I supplied, keeping my voice light, controlling my growing agitation.

“Miss Jones. Follow me.” 

Elemental: Chapter Nine, Part 1

Chapter Nine: Free Falling

I woke up hearing Mikael moving around in the next room, forgetting for a moment I had fallen asleep in Nick’s arms, and he in mine. Nothing had happened; it had surprised me—to be quite honest—he was so respectful of my wishes, considering how Richie had been.

Nick sighed in his sleep, his heart beating against my cheek.

In that moment, I knew I had chosen correctly. There was nothing I would trade for that morning. His heart pulsed steadily, an arm draped protectively about me. I didn’t regret my decision and it felt like, for the first time, I had done something right.

***

Summer passed in a flurry of new love and hopes. The children indulged in swimming and forgot their games of colder weather. Most days, they were required to do lessons—Valetta’s idea to do “summer sprint sessions” as she put it. The reasoning being they were all talented learners, and deserved more freedom during the day. During the summer, they would give up three hours after lunch to study various subjects. Two hours after dinner were reserved for studying and homework. It really was ingenious the way they had set it up, and all busywork was practically eliminated. The only reason I could grasp why they studied in the summer was to ensure the children were inside during the worst of the heat; otherwise, that part didn’t quite make sense to me.

Nick and I weren’t required to attend since we were both high school free. We spent those hours exploring or sunbathing—more I was sunbathing and he was splashing around nearby before pulling me in with him. I had never known summer to be so full of happiness. There was not one moment I was distressed or felt as though I had betrayed Drei. It was shocking, considering how I had expected to feel.

As far as I could tell, Drei didn’t care. He wasn’t around much anyway, which I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. But I guessed he could listen once in a while.