ODDILY (12 page)

Then go and speak with father’s Avatar!

Maxim frowned. Having a virtual father to consult with wasn’t the same as his real one, and his sister didn’t seem to need either one for advice. Nexa was headstrong, acquiring more of Nero’s advanced DNA than he did, and he marveled at her strong constitution. He, however, showed more primitive emotions like their mom, except the feelings going through him at the moment were relatively unfamiliar, and he became uneasy.

Leave me alone, sis, I’ll be fine.

I can tell you’re troubled, so allow me to help you.

No thanks! I’d rather go to the Avatar.

Taking off towards the virtual reality chamber, Maxim thought of Nero—his ‘Time Traveling’ father. He had come from the future, his advanced evolution being where all mankind was eventually headed. While the extraordinary man visited this timeline to collect data for his research, he became enamored by a young woman. She was a delicate, pale, blue eyed blonde, and he fell in love with her.

In the future, where Nero’s from, blonde hair and blue eyes became obsolete due to inner breeding between different races. Over time, all eyes evolved into various shades of brown, and hair on the human body became nonexistent.

Nero referred to his beloved mate as a primitive female from the ancient world and impregnated her. As a result, he and his sister’s birth was not without hardship. Complications occurred during the delivery and their mother, despite all the advanced technology their father had to offer, couldn’t save her.

Because of their parent’s unlikely union, he and his twin sister came into this world already genetically advanced with the gift of a sixth sense making them outcasts to the world around them. Nero took on the responsibility to home school them with his own ideas of a school curriculum. His attention during this learning process kept them so busy they barely questioned the lack of motherly love.

Growing up, Nero kept his children isolated from the towns prying eyes, so they could spend their lives in relative peace. Their father feared for their safety, as well. If the world’s top scientists knew of their existence, they would undoubtedly be captured and reduced to mere lab rats in an attempt to discover their true nature.

Riddled with anger, Maxim trampled through the woods. He and his sister had just turned fourteen when Nero reluctantly declared he was leaving to check on some ‘Top Secret Project.’ He had left his stunned children to fend for themselves, promising to return as soon as possible. It had been five long years since that day and he still hadn’t returned. During his father’s absence, Maxim wanted to rebel—to throw caution to the wind. He had become a young man now, not the fourteen year old kid his father left behind.

Maxim abruptly changed course, bypassing the virtual chamber. “Damn you, father!” He shouted at the treetops. “I’m taking matters into my own hands!”

* * * * * *

Friday morning, Maxim sat in his car alongside the parking lot of Forest Ridge High where Oddily attended school. He wanted a glimpse of her just to appease his mind, and the keenness of his disappointment surprised him when she didn’t show. What nonsense to be so worked up over a girl he had been with for such a brief time? After the students had stopped milling about, he decided to check the road to see whether she was a straggler late for class. With no sign of Oddily, he headed for her house. The driveway was empty, so he went to the side of the quiet house and peered into her window. Oddily’s bedroom was vacant.

“
What’s going on here?” Maxim’s brilliant mind wouldn’t work for him. Then a sick sensation washed over him. He wondered if her delicate, fanciful mind continued to be unable to grasp reality from the game, and they sent her back to the orphanage.

After returning to the road, Maxim called himself a fool for letting his imagination run away with him. He drove home and fiercely plunged into replacing malfunctioning parts in the leg of Tinley. Tinley was the humanoid who retrieved the unconscious Oddily and carried her back to the Stafford Manor garage—one of his many workrooms.

It wasn’t until lunchtime drew near that Maxim could no longer stand the suspense of not knowing what happened to her.  He came back to the school campus and waited in the bushes near the window of the gymnasium where Oddily had gym class. He peered inside, and when she wasn’t in class he resigned himself to do the one thing he didn’t want to do, and that was to go ahead and inquire about her. He remembered the blue Mini Cooper that belonged to Oddily’s foster sister and grudgingly decided to wait by the girl’s car until school was over.

Maxim started to sprint across the campus when he spotted the school custodian walking away from the cafeteria with a mound of food on his tray. It appeared that something troubled the old man, so Maxim turned and caught up with him. The kindly janitor stopped, recognizing the tall sweatshirt clad kid who had helped Oddily out of the dumpster.

“
My name is Maxim. Do you remember me?” He asked with a tense smile.

“
Yep, I recognize the sweatshirt. I’m Jack. What can I do for yah?”

“
I’m searching for someone, and I need your help.”

“
Who are yah lookin’ for?”

“
Her name is Oddily. Do you remember the small girl with medium length, golden, red hair and a crooked smile?”

“
I know who yah mean.” His lined face became serious. “What do yah want with her?”

Unprepared for the old man’s questions, Maxim became uneasy while searching for a nonchalant answer. “She’s a friend of mind. Have you seen her around?”

“
Nope, sorry I can’t help yah.” When Jack started to walk away, Maxim begged, “Please, sir—I’m worried about her!”

Jack stopped and turned to stare into his pleading eyes. At that moment, Maxim didn’t care whether the old man got a decent look at him or not.

“
Well, I’ll be. Yah care about her, don’t yah?!” His eyes sparkled with renewed hope. “Nice to know there’s decent folk around here. Are yah from around this neck of the woods, boy?”

Maxim grimaced before he casually replied, “I live in a rural part of town.”  He hoped the custodian would be satisfied with his response, and fortunately, he was. If only the old man knew the truth about him—it would have sent shock waves through the town. The discovery would, in due course, have him and his sister poked and prodded for the purpose of scientific discovery; but, at the same time, unleashing family secrets.

The janitor hurried over to him and in a hushed voice whispered, “Yah say you’re a friend?”

“
Yes, you are correct. Do you have any idea where I can find her?”

Jack nodded his head in the direction of the custodian’s office.

“
She’s in there?” Maxim felt his heart race while he excused himself from the old man.

“
Wait a minute, there’s somethin’ yah gotta know before yah find her.”

Maxim stopped and listened.

“
Gol’ durn, this burns me up!  Bunch of hoodlums…” the old man trailed off in a grumble.

“
What are you talking about?” His eyes darkened.

“
Some spiteful kids scalped Oddily, that’s what I’m talkin’ bout!”

“
What do you mean, they scalped her?”  A sense of foreboding rose from the depth of Maxim’s soul.

“
They cut off her hair!”

“
She’s bald?!” his voiced roared, but the janitor hushed him.

“
Darn near it—poor thing. She’d been mind-in’ her own business when those…”

Not wanting to wait for Jack to finish, Maxim sprinted for the office.

“
Yah might as well take this tray of food with yah," Jack called after him. “She has a mighty appetite, that one. Don’t reckon I know how she packs it away with her pint sized innards.”

With no ears to hear, Maxim opened the door to where Oddily hid. He had no idea what to expect, but needed to find out. When he entered the office, Oddily was inside wearing a large floppy hat. He stood motionless, watching her busily straightening up the janitor’s equipment and she didn’t look up until he cleared his throat.

Oddily gasped, “Maxim!” In her excitement, she ran into his arms and gave him a hug; but then reality set in, and she became deeply embarrassed. For a brief moment, she had thought of him as her Prince from the virtual game coming back for her. How stupid and idiotic he must consider her to be! And, this poor guy who helped her out of the dumpster had to endure a hug from her.

“
I’m so sorry,” she backed away with her head lowered in shame. “I thought you were someone else.”

Maxim wanted to take her hat off right then and there, to find out what the janitor meant, but hesitated. “You may hug me any time.”

When she said nothing in response, Maxim took his finger and placed it under Oddily’s chin lifting her face up to his. The rim of her hat was so floppy all he viewed was the bottom part of her nose and mouth. He had no idea what compelled him to go ahead and remove her hat, but he did and became shocked at what he saw. Her hair had been chopped into several different lengths. In some places, no more than one inch long and in others, three or four inches at the most.

However, her hair wasn’t what shocked him. It was her heart shaped face with peaches and cream complexion, her unusual hazel eyes full of such depth and sorrow, her imperfect nose with a handful of freckles across its bridge and of course, those pouting lips he had already discovered. She wasn’t aesthetically beautiful, but rather appeared as a cute, misplaced pixie.

Tears filled Oddily’s large soulful eyes, and Maxim couldn’t help himself. He reached for her and drew her to him for another hug. His heart tightened in his chest when she returned his embrace, holding on to him as if she never wanted to let him go. It was both strange and pleasant to have her arms wrapped around him. Even her scent appealed to his senses. In that moment, he realized that somehow this unlikely girl had managed to tug at his heartstrings.

“
I want you to come with me,” he took hold of her arms and gently pried her away from him.

Oddily released him and looked up, surprised or suspicious—maybe both. “Please don’t make fun of me,” she whispered.

“
Make fun of you?” he uttered. “Never, unless having your hair professionally reshaped would be considered cruel.” Maxim placed Oddily’s hat back on her head, and the rim came down over her eyes.

Oddily pushed it up a bit to see again. “Why would you do that for me?” She was still unconvinced.

“
You’re in hiding, aren’t you?”

“
Of course, I am!” She made a silly face. “I would hate to have anyone see me like this.”

“
Then let me help you.”

“
I’m lost for words. What if Mr. Jack thinks I left, and I’m locked out of his office?”

“
Jack knows you’re with me.”

Oddily’s resistance was in no way acceptable to Maxim. He took her by the hand and guided her out the door. Oddily quickened her steps to keep up with his long strides, and glanced up at his tall frame in contrast to her own. She felt smaller than usual next to him. He spoke to her, but with his face turned away, she couldn‘t understand him. It didn’t matter though because she became too preoccupied with their entwined hands and the warm touch of his palm against hers. She noticed the sleeve of his sweatshirt pushed up to his elbow, and stared at the smoothness of his skin. He had no hair on his arm.

The campus was fairly empty when they reached his car, a luxurious black BMW convertible with plush tan interior. For a moment, Oddily recalled the car Maxim drove in the virtual reality world. He also had a BMW, except in a different style and color. This was another confirmation that she was no longer in the game. The engine purred to life like a contented cat, and they pulled out of the school parking lot.

* * * * * *

Staring out of the classroom window from her seat, Starla spotted the two of them leaving.  She had to blink twice to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Who was that remarkable eye-catching guy, and why did he hold Oddily’s hand? Was he her boyfriend? That was a ridiculous thought. So who was he?

Intrigued, she intended to find out. It would be harder to talk with Oddily now that she moved out of the house. But then again, Starla always got what she wanted, and inquiring about this ridiculously handsome guy would be no different.

Starla felt quite smug until…wait a minute. If Oddily still hung around the campus, why wasn’t she in class? And where had she been living these last six days?  Had she been staying with this handsome stranger, and had come back with him to retrieve her school records? Suppose she left Forest Ridge High forever, which would be okay with her, but what about the guy? The more Starla pondered over Oddily’s new friend, the more agitated she became.

18

Embarrassed, Oddily sat on a stack of books, so the stylist could cut her hair. She began by trimming off all the extra length until a pixie style cut took shape with cute wispy curls framing her face and neckline. Her hair resembled a boy’s cut and yet different. The hairdresser had managed to make Oddily appear girly and feminine.

After gazing at her reflection in the mirror, Oddily somewhat doubted her identity. Without her faded golden-red locks, her hair appeared a darker much richer shade of red and looked healthy. Her virgin curls appeared to be untouched by the sun causing her large eyes to be brighter and appear more emerald green than hazel.