Windswept Page 8

  I nodded. “Fine.”

  They left me in a city I had no desire to be in with a lot of hours to kill before tonight.

  So I decided to see if my one other friend wanted to grab brunch somewhere.

  I drifted outside of his house on Long Island and picked my way through the bushes until I got a view of the back of the house. From across the pool and the plush lounge chairs, I spotted Gavin sitting at the breakfast table with his sister and mother, a plate of untouched food in front of him as they talked about something he clearly didn’t care about.

  I moved to the left a bit, so I had a better angle on him without his family seeing, and then I waved my arms. His eyes shifted, spotting me, and he tried to hold back from smiling. Gavin excused himself from the table, and being the good boy that he was, he took some dirty dishes to the sink before stepping out the back door.

  He met me on the other side of the bushes. “I’m thinking the only time you come see me is when you’re hungry.”

  “That’s not—” I couldn’t even be bothered to lie. “Okay, maybe, but it’s our thing.”

  The first time we met was in a grocery store in Philadelphia. His family was in town that week visiting relatives, so it was totally random seeing him in a store in the middle of the night. He stole for the rush of it, and I needed to eat, and we both saw each other for what we were—a slider and a drifter who didn’t care about the feud that was supposed to keep us apart.

  We hung out in the store until the employees started to show up in the morning, eating Swiss Rolls and Cheetos, talking about everything from school to families to what we liked to do in our free time.

  From then on, I always showed up to visit him at random times and places, and he always made an excuse to go somewhere with me.

  I had needed a friend more than anything back then, and Jake was always more like a brother. Gavin and I were just good together and I liked his company.

  The one thing we never talked about was our abilities. We knew what the other could do, but by not talking about it, the trust between us grew. It was an unspoken rule not to mention them, because our differences were supposed to keep us enemies.

  So now, standing across from Gavin in his backyard, he couldn’t say no.

  He smiled and asked, “Where do you want to go?”

  “Are you buying?”

  “I can, but my wallet is upstairs.”

  I thought of the perfect place, which didn’t require his wallet. I stashed my bag under the hedge and then took off my jacket. Without even warning him, I grabbed Gavin’s hand and drifted us into a room with dozens of busy tables with families and kids running around. There was a huge buffet table with mounds of food and Gavin took in the situation.

  “Where—”

  That’s when a loud, low-pitched horn echoed in from outside. It was unmistakably a boat horn, and Gavin put the pieces together.

  “You brought us to a cruise ship?”

  I shrugged. “The food is free.”

  Gavin gave me a look that said, Can’t argue with that, and went to grab himself a plate. After we were full, we went up top and walked around the deck. The sun was hot and warm on my back, and we leaned against a railing, watching the water below.

  “Remember that time we went to Denver to go snowboarding?” Gavin asked.

  “Yeah, the day you almost ran into that tree?”

  He smiled. “We don’t talk about that.” Then his smile slowly left and he said, “My dad mentioned going to that resort this winter, and I almost slipped up and told him how good it was.” He was quiet for a moment and then glanced at me. “He thinks I’ve never been to Colorado before, and I almost spilled one of my biggest secrets.”

  What he didn’t say was, I was the secret. In this world, we weren’t supposed to be friends. Friendly, maybe, on a good day. But friends? Never.

  Gavin said, “I just wish we didn’t have to hide.”

  I almost replied with, What’s stopped you? But I knew what it was. His family. I had nothing to lose by being his friend, but he could lose everything. His dad might even disown him, and he might’ve been kicked out of his house—anything could happen. Gavin once said there was a wall between him and his family, something he didn’t think would ever come down.

  The only family member he ever spoke fondly of was his grandmother who still lived in Pakistan. He saw her every year for Christmas, and he always came back in a better mood. Even though I’d never met her, I liked her because she made him happy.

  I thought about the meeting happening right now, with Jake and the other drifters, and wondered if anything could ever happen that would push Gavin and me apart.

  I hoped not.

  I took Gavin back to his house an hour later in case his family started wondering where he was. Before he walked through the door, he turned and waved, telling me in one gesture that he still wanted to be my friend. No matter what.

  Back at my apartment, I stashed my bags and pulled my fingers through my hair in an attempt to make it look good.

  I couldn’t wait any longer to see Sam.

  I don’t know if I can do this.

  I’d never felt so nervous about anything before. I was more nervous now than I’d been that morning when I exposed my ability to her. My hands were almost to the point of shaking. I had to get it over with.

  I took a deep, nervous breath and drifted to the sidewalk outside her house. The street was almost dark that fall evening, and the only light came from the street lamps overhead. I looked up at Sam’s house, took a deep breath, then went up to her door.

  I paused on the top step for a moment, then knocked. It was quiet inside, and every second she didn’t open the door, my hope sank. It felt like an eternity.

  Still nothing.

  I backed down to the bottom step with my stomach aching, feeling defeated. She didn’t want to see me again. I felt a strange panic rise within me, which never happened. I kept staring at the door, though, wishing she would still open it.

  That’s when I heard the lock turn.

  SAM

  NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

  TODAY WAS THE SLOWEST DAY OF MY LIFE. I DIDN’T know what to do with myself. I ended up going to the park with Levi around noon and then took the long way home, needing more fresh air.

  But then I was back in the house in the afternoon with nothing else to do. I thought about starting another puzzle, and then I thought about watching a movie. Neither seemed quite right—I had too much buzzing energy to sit still.

  It didn’t help that a headache had burrowed deep and didn’t intend on leaving anytime soon. All day long, random images bombarded my mind until I thought about something else really hard. A quiet beach somewhere, a busy street in London, and of course, my thoughts always went back to the cliffs next to the ocean. The only thing that took my mind off of my headache and weird images was Reid.

  Even thinking about him made me smile. How can I not see him again? There were reasons, of course. He was a stranger, for one, and I knew near nothing about him or anything about his past. But nothing felt wrong about him. Everything felt right.

  He made me feel seen. He made me feel wanted.

  Oh yeah, and he had a superpower.

  I wasn’t sure when Reid would come back, so I made sure to have decent clothes on. I probably changed outfits at least three times, which was unlike me, and I even brushed my hair.

  The knock came in the evening, after dark. I was upstairs when I heard it and didn’t even hesitate. I hurried down the steps, worried that I was taking too long and he would be gone by the time I reached the door.

  Instead, I was greeted by his smile, and my heart pounded so hard that I could only manage to smile back.

  “For a minute, I thought you weren’t going to come,” he said.

  “Thought it would be more suspenseful this way,” I joked. Then after a pause, I said, “I’m sorry, I was upstairs.”

  “Don’t be. You’re here.” Then he asked, “Would yo
u like to go somewhere with me?”

  “Like—a date?” My voice was so high-pitched it was embarrassing.

  Luckily, Reid didn’t seem to notice.

  “If you want to call it that. Or we could just call it hanging out?” he suggested.

  He nodded for me to join him on the sidewalk. A thrill of unexpectedness ran through my veins, and the night didn’t seem so cold anymore. I was nervous about going with him and where he would take me, but I wanted nothing more.

  I joined him outside after slipping on my shoes, and after that, I didn’t know what to do. Being alone on a quiet street, with a boy I barely knew, was oddly exhilarating.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  He looked around the street, his eyes glinting under the streetlights. The night was cold, and our breath could be seen white in the air. Reid looked back at me and my stomach stirred. It was a foreign feeling. I wanted more of it.

  “Take my hand.” His words were strong and so confident. He gave me a crooked smile to wipe away any insecurities I might’ve had.

  Reid’s hand was warm around mine, and every nerve ending was on fire.

  “Don’t let go, all right?” I nodded and was almost afraid for what was about to happen. “And you might want to close your eyes for the first time, just to be safe.”

  I stepped closer to him and closed my eyes, holding his hand like it was my lifeline.

  We took a single step forward and then it felt like we were free-falling. My stomach turned and there was nothing but air under my feet. Wisps of hair brushed across my forehead and then I was on solid ground again. It was over. Not even a second had passed.

  “Sam.”

  “What?”

  “You can open your eyes now,” he whispered.

  I still didn’t, afraid of what I might see. Even though I kept my eyes closed, I knew we weren’t in the city anymore. The car sounds were replaced with just the wind and the sway of blowing grass.

  I cracked my eyes open and all I saw was green grass and bright sunlight. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, and then all I could do was stare. The grass, the large tree a little to the left, and then the field that stretched around us. The air was so warm and the sky was so blue.

  “How do you feel? Are you nauseated at all? Dizzy? Panicked?”

  I took my stomach into consideration. It had felt queasy all day, but right now, it felt like I’d never been sick.

  “I’m fine . . . more than fine.” I glanced at him. “Where are we?”

  He didn’t let go of my hand, but instead walked forward and tugged me along. I followed behind toward the lone tree in the sea of grass. Its branches spread far across the ground, shading the ground they covered.

  Reid let go of my hand and smiled. “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

  I nodded, still trying to get my bearings. “We aren’t?”

  I’m not sure how I was so calm on the outside, because on the inside, I was swearing up a storm. It wasn’t just my imagination or some prank; he was serious. It was real. He was telling the truth. How, how, how?

  “Is this real?” I voiced, not even meaning to say it aloud.

  Reid nodded and said, “Come on, I want to show you something.”

  SAM

  TANGOIO, NEW ZEALAND

  REID STARTED OFF AND I FOLLOWED HIM through the field. Soon I picked up the sound of waves. We came to the top of a small hill, and as far as I could see was blue water and clear skies.

  “Are you going to tell me where we are yet?”

  “New Zealand.”

  “Seriously?” I asked, turning to him.

  He nodded, smiling. “Yeah, why not?”

  “I mean . . . if I was going to choose New Zealand, I would at least go to the places where they made The Lord of the Rings, like any other normal human, obviously.”

  “Yeah, the mountains are nice, sure,” Reid admitted, because of course he’d already seen them. “But I like this place, too. It’s . . . peaceful.”

  Reid sat down in the grass and I joined him, still taking in the view.

  “When did you learn you could do it?” I asked. “Or could you always?”

  “No, I was eight when I drifted for the first time. It’s different for everyone, though. Some don’t figure out they can until they’re older.”

  Listening to him talk about himself, and other people like him, made me feel like he was part of some alien species. I found myself wanting to know everything about him, but I was afraid he would disappear before I found out everything.

  “You said I was the first person that you’ve ever shown your drifting to. Is that true?”

  “Yeah, my friends have always known, but you’re the first person I’ve ever told. Like the first ‘outsider.’”

  “What about your parents? Do they know?”

  Reid’s dark eyes glanced away from mine and I instantly knew I shouldn’t have asked. “They did, yeah.” He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, like it was hard using the past tense when talking about them.

  I wished I hadn’t asked and wondered if I should apologize. But saying I was sorry didn’t seem like enough.

  Instead, I asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “No, it’s just me.”

  I nodded, letting it go.

  “What about you?” he asked after a little while.

  “I have an older brother. He’s away at college, though.”

  “I’ve always kinda wished I’d had an older brother, or any sibling really.” He shrugged again. “I guess Jake is the closest thing I’ve come to one.”

  “How long have you known him?”

  “I think it’s been about five years now, but it seems longer. I don’t see him that often. Just when he comes into town to see if I’m staying out of trouble.” He smiled to himself. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something more, then decided against it.

  I didn’t press him. I was already grateful he was talking at all. It seemed like he was usually just as quiet as I was, so I understood not wanting to talk about certain things at certain times.

  “What about those guys at the club last night? You said they were—”

  “Different?” he finished for me, smiling crookedly. His dimple appeared again. “That one is a little harder to explain, but I’ll try. They are different like us, but they’re called sliders. Instead of drifting, they have the ability to manipulate time around themselves.”

  I knew my eyes must have widened, because he smiled at my reaction.

  “So what does that mean?” I asked, still bewildered by the possibility.

  “To the naked eye, it would look like they were moving really fast. You know Quicksilver from X-Men? It’s like that. But even they have boundaries. They can only do it for a certain amount of time, and it’s usually just short bursts of it.”

  “Why can’t they do it for longer?”

  “Both of our abilities are similar in their opposites. Both have limits. It’s the curse that comes with the power.”

  “So if the sliders can’t manipulate time forever, what can’t you do?”

  He seemed to wince slightly. “It’s more of a question of what we don’t do. Drifting is a part of who we are, same as them. Except slowing time drains away their energy. If they keep doing it long enough, they’ll die. But for us, it’s the opposite.” He looked toward the ground again, and when he looked up, he said, “If we don’t drift, we die.”

  The silence in the air was thick. Reid’s eyes were staring hard into mine, showing nothing but the truth. They were frighteningly real to look into.

  “How long can you go without drifting?”

  “A day without any side effects. After that, it gets worse. The first couple of days I’d feel like I had the flu—aches, nausea, chills, restlessness, fatigue. Then after that, the hallucinations would come. I’d start seeing other places, like my body and mind were trying to force me to drift in order to save itself. It’s like losing a v
ital organ. The longer you wait, the worse it gets.”

  A small shiver ran down my spine at his description of it. I wondered what it would be like to have to drift the rest of my life. I smiled because I didn’t think it would be so bad, but why would anyone stop in the first place? That’s what puzzled me.

  After a moment, I gained enough courage to ask, “Why would that ever happen?”

  “Like anyone else, we have our enemies.”

  The way he said it wiped the smile from my face. “Has it ever happened to you?”

  Reid shook his head. “No, but there are stories. Years back, there were a few drifters who thought they were above any law and kinda went off the rails. A few other drifters took matters into their own hands and stopped them. Let’s just say, it wasn’t a good ending for them.”

  “Oh.” I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do.

  We sat in silence for another few minutes before Reid winced and asked, “You want to go back?”

  “Back home, or back to New York?”

  He grinned and stood up, pulling me with him. “You tell me. You can still run away screaming if you’d like.”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll pass, thanks. I’m sticking around until you take me to where Harry Potter was filmed since you so very disappointingly brought me to New Zealand and didn’t even have the common decency to take me to Mordor.”

  “I’ll never live that down, will I?”

  “Only if you never take me.”

  Reid smiled like he was trying not to. “So, where do you want to go?”

  “Let’s go back to New York. This whole daytime when it’s supposed to be nighttime thing is weird. But take me somewhere besides home. Take me somewhere you love in the city.”

  Reid nodded, happy to oblige, and held out his hand. “This time keep your eyes open, if you want.”

  I could only nod from the anticipation coiling in my stomach. I took his hand and stood closer to him, breathing in the air and his scent, which seemed to be the same.

  When we stepped forward, the air rippled around us, like smoke running over glass, thin and wispy. Day turned to night in an instant as the world changed. It felt as if I was free-falling again, and yet we weren’t. We stood on ground that wasn’t there, until the world became clear once more and we were somewhere else entirely.