The Familiar (14 page)

I see my skin starting to turn pink, so I soap myself thoroughly, wash and condition my hair till everything in the bathroom smells like vanilla. I get out and dry myself while the foggy steam subsides. When I open the bathroom door, Louise is already asleep wearing her usual facemask. I throw on some leggings and an oversized t-shirt, and then run a comb through my long wet hair, managing to undo most of the tangles.

I tiptoe out of the room, laptop in tow, and head to the mini-lounge down the hallway. Surprisingly, nobody else seems to be around, so I stretch out on the white wicker sofa, and lean back on the soft yellow cushions before opening up my laptop. My heart skips a beat when I see that Andy’s online. I click the “call” icon immediately, and in a couple of seconds his face appears on the screen. He is outdoors again, which doesn’t surprise me since Andy loves anything outdoorsy. As he adjusts his laptop with a crooked grin on his face, I notice that even though he looks pretty much like he always does, something about his face looks different, rougher, although it could just be that he hasn’t shaved for a few days.

“I was wondering when you were going call me,” he says smiling straight into the camera.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. It’s been kind of crazy here. So much to do and learn,” I reply, trying to be as vague as possible. He leans back on the tree, and his hair falls out from behind his ear onto his jaw as he studies my image on his screen.

“Well, you know I expect you to draw my portrait for me when you get back, right? You’ve owed me one for the longest time,” he teases. I blush, thinking of all the portraits I’ve secretly done over the years but have been too embarrassed to show him.

“Yeah, I will,” I say, as I run my fingers through my still damp hair. “So, what have you been up to? Have you seen my mom at all?”

He yawns, and as he raises his hand to cover his mouth, I notice his arms look more muscle-y than normal.

“Things have been kind of lame without you around,” he says, his eyes twinkling as he speaks.

“I haven’t actually seen your mom much… I suspect she’s holed herself up in her studio again.” I must have frowned, because Andy immediately adds, “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’s just in one of her frenzied painting moods. We both know how she gets sometimes.”

“You’re probably right,” I say half-heartedly. I hear a girl’s voice calling Andy off-screen, and I flinch. He looks up, startled by the interruption.

“Andy! Come on!” the female voice says. He seems flustered and fumbles with his laptop.

“Sorry, I have to go… I’ll check online later and see if you’re still on,” he says hastily. Then he disconnects even before I have a chance to say goodbye.

My heart sinks, and for the first time, I feel jealous at the thought of Andy with another girl. I don’t know if I’m panicking, but this sudden rush of emotion is making me feel sick to my stomach. I close my laptop, and sit quietly, too stunned to do anything else.

20

The next morning that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach is lingering. I’m not really sure if it’s because I went to sleep without eating dinner, or if the Andy situation still has me tied up in knots.

Louise sits up in bed, and pulls her facemask up on top of her head. She frowns when she sees the pained look on my face.

“Hazel, you look awful.”

I check my reflection in the mirror. Besides my hair being a complete mess, I have dark circles under my eyes, and my face looks pale and puffy.

“Ugh… You’re right.”

“Do you think you’ve come down with something? Because when I couldn’t wake you up for dinner last night, I was kind of worried,” she says.

I plop myself back on the bed. “No. I think it’s something else…”

“Like what?” Louise asks looking more concerned now.

I lay across my bed silently, debating whether I should open up to Louise about the emotions I’m having. The panic sets in, and I feel like I might explode unless I tell someone.

“It’s Andy.”

Louise’s face perks up. “Please tell me you’re finally admitting you have feelings for him!” she exclaims dramatically.

I grab a pillow and throw it at her violently.

“Okay… Maybe,” I concede, my shoulders slumping dejectedly. Louise jumps up off the bed in excitement.

“I knew it!” she shouts out, pointing her finger at me while dancing and chanting around the room, “I knew it… I knew it… I knew it!”

I roll my eyes and cover my ears. “If I thought you were going to torture me like this, I wouldn’t have told you.”

Louise sits back down on her bed with a straight face. “I’m so sorry, you’re right. I shouldn’t be joking at a time like this… So, fill me in… What happened?”

I roll over to face Louise. “Well… I was chatting with him last night. Everything seemed pretty normal, except I noticed there was something kind of different about him. I don’t know how to explain it. But anyway, while we were talking, I heard some girl call out his name. And after that he got all flustered and just said goodbye and pretty much hung up on me.”

I must have looked upset because Louise sidles next to me, putting her arm around me consolingly. “Oh, hon, I’m sorry. I don’t really know why he’d do that you, but try not to jump to conclusions, okay? There’s probably an explanation. He’s your best friend, right? I don’t think he’d try to hurt you on purpose, Hazel.”

“I know. It’s just that this is all so unexpected. I have no idea why I feel this way all of the sudden,” I say pathetically. I feel the tears well up and I sigh, frustrated that Andy has this power over me.

Louise rubs her hand on my back.

“There’s a reason why they call it being lovesick, Hazel. It just comes out of nowhere, and makes you feel like complete crap.”

I wipe my eyes while Louise pulls me off the bed.

“Right now though, you’ve just got to snap out of it. I promise we can drown in your sorrows over the weekend, okay?”

I take a deep breath. “You’re right, you’re right. I know. Okay, I need to focus now. I can do this,” I say, trying to cheer myself up. We get dressed and head over to the dining hall for some breakfast. When we get there, Samir and Akiko are almost done eating, their empty dishes piled up on the trays in front of them.

“Hey guys. We were wondering when the two of you would get out of bed,” says Akiko with an eye roll.

Louise glares at her before leaving to get her food. I’m starving by now, so I fill my tray with scrambled eggs, veggie sausages, pancakes, a blueberry muffin, orange juice, and a large cup of coffee. I get back to the table and lay my feast out in front of me as Samir stares at me wide eyed.

“Geez, I thought
I
had a big appetite,” he says teasingly.

I shovel some scrambled eggs in my mouth, take a sip of my coffee, and with a full mouth say, “Well, a growing girl has to eat, right?”

Louise returns with her steak and eggs, and sits next to me. “Word is we’re going camping this weekend,” she says in between bites.

Samir’s face lights up. “Nice. I haven’t been camping in ages.”

Akiko scrunches her nose. “I sure hope it’s optional. I’m not really a fan… That whole roughing it in the wilderness thing is so not me.”

Samir shoves her. “Akiko, don’t be a such a buzz kill. It’ll be fun. Anyway, I doubt you’re going to want to stay behind by your lonesome self, right?”

“Okay, you have a point,” she admits.

“They’ll probably have S’mores, if that’s any consolation,” I say, devouring my muffin in four bites.

Louise smirks. “Yeah for sure, because camping without S’mores would be
sooo
utterly
wrong.”

After we finish eating, we join the rest of the class to make the trek up to The Nest. I’m totally stuffed, so I’m grateful that the short walk will allow me to digest a bit. When we arrive at the cabin, Alicia is already on the balcony waiting for us. Her glowing skin and regal forehead makes her look majestic, like an exotic Nubian queen.

“Good morning, everyone. Hope you’re all well rested, because I have something really exciting planned for today,” she says with a sly smile on her face. She looks over the edge of the balcony, and dives off so suddenly, that it takes a good second or two before any of us actually realize what she’s done. We scramble over and look down. My heart is beating hurriedly as I watch her swan dive at breakneck speed. About forty feet before she reaches the bottom, she hits something and flashes of blue light envelop her body. As the lights dissipate, she disappears completely. We watch for a few more seconds, and look at one another, puzzled by what just happened. Nervous chatter ensues, until we hear a crack and then a
whoosh
, as a portal appears in front of us. Alicia walks out completely unscathed with a smug grin on her face.

“Now, that was fun!” she says enthusiastically.

“We call that the Fear of Falling exercise. After a one-hour warm-up in the simulator, you’ll spend the rest of the class doing exactly what I just did.”

I look over, and my friends are all pale except for Samir, who seems excited and raring to go. Alicia chuckles. “I see that some of you are apprehensive, but trust me, after you do it a few times, you’ll get the hang of it. If you want to take a few moments before heading over to the simulators, please do. I’ll meet you back here after you’re done with the relaxation chamber.”

As soon as Alicia leaves, everyone breaks out in conversation. Akiko swallows hard, as if she just regurgitated some of her breakfast.

“I think someone might just have to push me off this cliff,” she says sarcastically. I sympathize with her, but don’t want to show my fear, not because I don’t want my friends to know I’m scared, but because I don’t want to make them any more afraid than they already are.

“After the first time, you won’t even think it’s a big deal anymore. Right, Hazel?” says Samir, eyeing me for support.

“Sure, it looks like bungee jumping… except… without the cord,” I say, hoping she buys my lame response.

Louise catches on, and chimes in, “I went bungee jumping once at the Texas State Fair, and it was a blast. I did it like five times on the same day.”

Akiko seems slightly more at ease. “Okay, well, I hope one of you will be there to save my butt if something goes wrong,” she says raising her eyebrow at all of us.

“Of course, little sister! Your butt’s welfare is always on top of my list of priorities,” replies Samir, trying hard not to crack up.

We head to the simulator room and find our respective machines. Once I’m all setup and plugged in, the simulation orb surrounds me, and I’m once again in the bucolic English countryside. The hour goes by quickly, as I maneuver my little bird through the skies, trees, and other unexpected obstacles. Though I had a few rough landings, I’m feeling more comfortable, and I’m starting to enjoy the freedom of gliding in the sky. When my hour is over, the orb disappears, and I hop off. My muscles still feel really sore and fatigued, but at least I’m strong enough now to walk myself to the relaxation chamber. After I climb into an empty pod, my body begins to restore itself, a soothing sensation radiates across me, allowing me to momentarily forget about what’s up ahead. When it opens up an hour later, I hop out and stretch, feeling like I’ve slept for days. I make my way to the balcony and find most of my classmates are already there. Alicia is perched precariously on the edge, as she waits for the rest to arrive.

I spot Louise and Samir and join them. “So, you guys ready for this?” I ask nervously. Samir glances nonchalantly at the jumping point.

“I guess I shouldn’t be asking you this question, huh?” I say to him with a smirk.

He shrugs glibly. “Sorry, I can’t help it if I have the advantage.”

Louise peers nervously over the edge, looking at the over two hundred foot drop.

“Well, if I had known about this, I would have had a smaller breakfast.”

I think about my own huge breakfast. “Yeah. This sure looks like a puke-worthy exercise…”

Akiko finally emerges all smiles with her hands in the air. “Woohoo! I finally aced the simulator!” Samir gives her a high-five just as Alicia claps her hands.

“Okay, now that everyone is here, we’ll commence with the Fear of Falling exercise. I’d like to give some pointers before we start. First, I would recommend diving off rather than jumping, since this will make your descent smoother. Second, if you all keep your eyes open, it won’t be as frightening, I promise. Lastly, when you hit the safety net, try to keep your body relaxed to prevent a strong impact. The more relaxed you are, the softer your impact will be. If you do it right, you’ll feel like you’re diving into a pool of water, through a tunnel, and into a bright white room where a portal door will appear. That door will open and lead you back here.” She scans our faces, making sure we all understand. “Unless anyone has any questions, I’d like to get started.”

Samir stands and strides confidently towards Alicia. “I’d like to go first, if that’s okay.” Alicia nods, leading him to the jumping point, the only spot without a railing. Samir glances at us, and for a moment, he hesitates and seems distracted. But then he snaps out of it, and smiles while giving us a thumbs-up signal, before diving off the ledge. It happens so fast, that even I’m shocked at Samir’s bravado. We peek over the edge, and see him falling rapidly, and after a few seconds, he hits the safety net and disappears. We turn to the spot where the portal door is supposed to appear, and hold our breaths in anticipation. It seems to take forever, but the portal finally appears, and Samir emerges with a huge smile plastered on his face.

“Well done, Samir! That’s how it’s done, folks!” says Alicia. “Now, who’s next?” I stand to make room for Samir, and before I realize what I’m doing, it’s too late to sit back down. “Hazel! Come on down!”

I guess it’s time to get it over with, so I approach the jumping point, trying hard not to panic. My heart is beating a million times a minute, but I make an effort to look confident, for Akiko’s sake. I clench my fists, and I feel the sweat dripping down my forehead as I stand on the edge and peek down. Alicia gives me a reassuring smile, and pats me on the back. “Go for it, Hazel!” she whispers in my ear.

I cringe nervously, take a deep breath, and leap off the ledge, imagining that I’m just diving off a boulder into Safe Harbor Bay. I have the sudden sensation of falling, and feel like I’ve left my throat and heart behind me. I open my eyes, and see the bottom of the cliff get closer and closer, as tears fall out of my eyes and fly out with the force of the wind. I’m dangerously close to hitting the bottom, when the safety net cushions my fall. It doesn’t really feel like I’m hitting a body of water. Instead, I get the sensation of diving into a giant pool of marshmallows. I float in the marshmallow-like-nothingness until I enter a bright white room with no floor, walls, or ceiling. I stand amidst the white light, waiting for the door to appear. A few seconds go by, and I notice a small circular hole where the white light is starting to turn into a purplish grey. The hole gets larger and larger, until it’s about the size of a regular door. Except it’s not really a regular door, but more like a swirling vortex. I walk towards the portal, take one step into it, and immediately feel a magnetic force pull me in. As I tumble through, I hear a white noise, almost like the sound of a television when it’s between stations. I see a bright flash in front of my eyes, and suddenly, I’m standing back on the balcony looking at my classmates’ cheering faces. I breathe deeply, when I realize I’ve made it in one piece.

Fortunately, we all manage to survive, even Akiko, who almost had to be pushed off, as she stood in place, frozen with fear. It wasn’t the most graceful performance, but she finally closed her eyes, and jumped off the cliff feet first, emerging from the portal a few minutes later in one piece.

During lunch, the mood was triumphant, knowing that we had all accomplished such a terrifying feat. We celebrated with an obscene amount of food and hot fudge sundaes for dessert.

“God, I’m stuffed!” I announce, slumping back in my seat.

Louise moans, holding her stomach. “Ugh, me too. Maybe we should have stopped after the first round of sundaes.”

Akiko giggles and takes the last bite of her ice cream.

“So Hazel, have you chosen between Alicia and Jared yet?”

“Oh… yeah, I almost forgot about that… Well obviously, I haven’t given it a huge amount of thought, but I guess my gut is telling me that I should pick Jared.” Louise gives me an intrigued look, and even before she chimes in, I cut her off, “I know what you’re thinking, Louise, but let’s not go there, okay? I know he’s good looking and all, but there’s just something about him that I trust… I just have to follow my gut on this one…”

Louise puts her arm around me, playfully winking. “I’m sure you’ll make the right choice, Hazel.”