Chapter 25
Nick
Isat at my desk, staring at the die-cast metal cars Henry and I found at the antique store long enough that my computer screen switched to the screen saver.
It didn’t matter, I’d already made my numbers for the morning and half the afternoon.
When I concentrated on work, all the sounds of the office faded into the background.
Now that I’d stopped to take a break, every sound seemed amplified.
I even heard Ms. Alma dressing down a rude analyst who thought his college degree allowed him to give her work.
Listening to her put the jerk in his place would’ve made me smile, except she sat on the far side of the elevator banks.
In a different department. Beyond the noise from my department.
It was as if my hearing honed in on her voice and filtered out everything else.
That had never happened before. It shouldn’t be possible.
I picked up one car, and saw each detail with a clarity I hadn’t noticed when we examined it in the shop. It was still in good condition, but I saw damage I could’ve used to get a better price.
The voices of other colleagues replaced Alma’s voice. Some were on work calls, one was arguing with her boyfriend, another was talking to their credit card company, and one guy was just told he had cancer. I didn’t recognize his voice, but I knew he wasn’t in my immediate area.
Closing my eyes, I rubbed my temples attempting to shut out all the voices. The more I tried to stop the noise, the more I focused on them. It was like saying don’t think of a purple elephant and it became the only thing you pictured in your mind.
I logged back into my computer, hoping to get lost in work again. Laughter from across the room jolted me out of the case I’d just opened. I heard new voices, but one specific conversation pushed itself ahead of the others.
“Are you sure?” a male voiced asked.
“Yes,” another male said. “I saw the due diligence request, but it's still a secret.”
I focused on my cars again. The two Henry bought me were the best of the five we found. The cars didn’t qualify as genuine antiques, but they were vintage toys. They weren’t valuable, but that didn’t matter. Henry planned the afternoon to help me find new cars. That made them priceless to me.
I reached for my coffee cup to see if I had any left, and I felt a tingle in my arm and fingers. The paper cup backed up a couple of inches as my hand approached. I quickly snatched it, but then my monitor flickered.
A chorus of “what the fuck?” and “you’ve got to be kidding me,” type comments swelled the cubicles around me. Seeing my computer reboot, it was clear the power fluctuation affected more than just my system.
Putting my coffee down gingerly, I stared at my hand. I didn’t find any sign of whatever caused the prickling sensation.
“What the hell is happening to me?”
“Nick? Are you alright?”
It was a good thing I’d put my coffee down, because I jumped in my chair. Brenda stood in the opening to my cubicle. I expected her to laugh or be smug she’d startled me, but she examined me like I was growing tentacles or something.
“Jeez, you scared me,” I said.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.” She sounded sincere, which might be the most bizarre thing. “Is everything okay?”
I considered telling her about the strange occurrences, but she’d never believe me. Worse, she’d tease me about it for weeks. I pointed to my computer. “The power winked out for a second and I lost what I was working on.”
“Yeah, I heard others complaining.
Since others were griping about lost work, it was an easy lie to sell. “I'm just frustrated, because I was almost finished with that case and need to start over.”
Brenda must not have believed me because she silently stared at me. Finally, a few seconds later, she blinked. “Good thing your numbers are so good this week. Not everyone’s so lucky.”
If that was supposed to console me, she needed to work on her pep talks. “Thanks for the pick me up speech.”
“Hey, when you lie to Auntie B, you don’t get sympathy.”
My system finished its reboot and my screen flared to life. “I guess I can get back to work.”
“Are you sure everything’s OK?” she asked. “Normally, you play back.”
My initial reaction was to tell her I wasn’t her plaything, but just thinking that told me something was off. “Honestly, you won’t believe me.”
“Iknew it,” she said in a loud whisper. “Spill, kiddo. What’s got you uptight? Henry freezing you out? Being too clingy? Has a…?” She wiggled her pinky.
“Jeez, Brenda!” My voice was a bit too loud.
“Sorry, but it worked.” She shrugged. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
After her inappropriate comment, I almost didn’t answer, but if she didn’t believe me, I’d tell her I was messing with her for the pinky action. “So you know how my numbers are way up the last week?”
“Yes, and thanks to you I’m also going to get a bigger production bonus this month.”
I’d file that interesting fact away to use another day.
“Now my hearing is going crazy. I heard Alma talking while she was at her desk, and I was right here. That’s impossible.
Then I heard something about a merger that I’m sure I’m not supposed to know about.
It’s like I have super hearing or something. ”
I waited for the expected rebuke, laugh, or eye roll—some days I got all three—but Brenda didn’t do any of those. Instead, she studied me with a concerned expression, and I worried she’d have me committed to the psych ward. “I’m not making it up, Brenda.
“I know you’re not,” she said. “I just don’t have an answer for you. Are you in pain? Is it f’ing with your mind? Can you turn it off?”
Focusing on her and her words, I didn’t hear the other voices. “No, no, and I think so. When I’m doing something else, like talking to you or working, I don’t hear them.”
“Maybe you should go home and get some rest,” she said gently. “You’ve already made your numbers for today and most of tomorrow, and you have plenty of leave.”
Normally, I wouldn’t consider leaving early if I wasn’t really sick, but this wasn’t normal. Brenda was right on both counts, and some quiet time to clear my head might be a good thing. “You sure it’s okay?”
“Absolutely, Nick.” She pointed to my computer. “Besides, you’re already signed out.”
It was a lame argument, but it didn’t stop me from grabbing my bag. “Good point. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I paused before I left my cubicle. “Thanks, Brenda. I appreciate you always watching out for me.”
“Always,” she said and pulled me into a hug. “You’re like a second little brother to me.”
The way she interacted with Zeke, she wasn’t kidding. “You’re like my only sister to me.”
I left before things got awkward. Feelings weren’t our thing, and that mutual love fest was too close to the line.
Using my earphones, I kept out most of the noise on the Metro. The train wasn’t crowded, which helped, but I still caught snippets of people’s conversation.
“...told him I'm pregnant...”
“...the account numbers don't match...”
“...if she finds out I'm cheating...”
By the time I reached the Silver Spring station, my head was pounding. Our complex was usually peaceful, but today I could hear the gardener two buildings over talking on his phone, the mail carrier complaining about her kids, and two dogs barking in the neighborhood behind our building.
I took deep breaths as I climbed the stairs. Given the hour, I didn’t expect Trevor to be home, which would give me time to collect myself before trying to explain things to him.
Stopping by our door, I twisted my backpack around to get my keys.
“We need to tell him,” Trevor said. His voice came through as clear as if he was standing next to me.
“You know we can’t.” Henry's voice had the tinny quality of a phone speaker. “Uriel forbade it.”
I froze, my key hovering in the lock. Why was Trevor home? What did he want to tell me? And who was this Uriel that he could tell them what to do?
“I know what Uriel said.” Trevor sounded frustrated.
“But he’s not here, and Nick's powers are manifesting faster than even he expected.
Crazy good hearing is a classic sign of someone coming into their powers.
And he made the lights flicker again when he got upset. That's the third time in two weeks.”
Powers? Uriel? My hand trembled as I heard everything perfectly.
“I understand the risks,” Trevor answered something Henry must have said, but I missed because I was still processing the last bits. “But if we don't tell him, he could hurt himself or someone else. He has no idea what's happening.”
“And what happens if we tell him and he dies because of it?” Henry's voice was strained. “I can't lose him, Trevor.”
What the hell were they talking about that I might die?
“You think I’m not worried about the same thing?” Trevor said. “If things get worse, he might die if you don’t tell him the truth.”
“Which is why we need to keep him calm,” Henry replied softly. “Otherwise I’m in a lose/lose situation.”
"Nothing will happen to him," Trevor said firmly. "Not while we're watching him."
I pulled away from the door, my mind reeling. That was a very detailed conversation about a potentially fatal event they both knew about. Backing away, I trotted down the stairs and headed outside.
Henry had told me he was hiding something, but Trevor? How could he be in on the secret and not tell me? And why couldn’t they tell me I had powers, especially if they were so dangerous people’s lives were at risk?
I had so many questions rattling around my already frazzled head, I didn’t know which one to address first. Glancing back at the door, I started walking faster in case Trevor came outside. I didn’t stop until I was out of sight of the building. Sitting on a bench, I pulled out my phone.
“Nick?” Alex answered on the second ring. “Late lunch?”
His cheerful voice soothed me like a warm bath after a long run in freezing temperatures. I don’t know what I’d done to deserve a guardian angel like Alex, but I wouldn’t complain.
“Sorta.” I’d forgotten about lunch, but it didn’t seem to be on my radar. “Something's happening to me, Alex. I need to talk to you.”
“Are you alright?”
His concern cut to the heart of my problem. “I don't know, but I need to get away from my apartment to think. Trevor’s helping Henry hide something from me, so it’s best I talk somewhere else.”
Silence met my words, which was troubling. Nothing rattled Alex, but somehow I’d stolen his voice. “Alex?”
“Sorry, I'm here,” he finally said, his voice steady. “My car’s in the shop, so I was pulling up my Uber app to call you a ride.”
Typical Alex. Act first, speak after. “That’s okay, I’ll take Metro. It’ll be quicker.”
“Are you sure? I mean you said you weren’t okay.”
A strange sense of dread hit me. It wasn’t his words, or tone, but I got a vibe he was concerned. “I’m fine. Well mostly, fine. I’m probably overreacting and need you to talk me down.”
Another weird pause. “If you say so, but it’s no trouble sending an Uber.”
The answer felt off. Almost like he was doing it because it’s what I expected he’d say. I got up and started walking. “Metro’s good. I’m on my way there already.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “And since I know you didn’t eat lunch, I’ll order food. Hoagies or Pizza?”
Food didn’t sound appealing, but if I said that, Alex would worry. “Hoagies. There’s less grease and I’m planning to go running after we talk.”
“Of course you are,” he said with a laugh. “If I were forty years younger, I’d join you.”
He couldn’t see me roll my eyes, but I did it anyway. “You say that all the time, but you’re not too old to run. You just don’t want to.”
“Smart ass kid. Just get here safely.”
We hung up and I walked faster. I didn't think Trevor had heard me come home, but if he had, he might come looking for me.
The train arrived just as I reached the platform.
I found a seat at the back of the nearly empty car.
As the Metro pulled away from the station, I checked again for Trevor.
It was stupid, and I needed to calm down.
Trevor wasn’t my enemy, and he wouldn’t hunt me down like an assassin.
There was probably a perfectly rational explanation for what I'd overheard.
Or maybe something fundamental inside me had changed. Strange things had happened to me since I met Henry. Whatever they were hiding from me was probably connected to the crushed wine glass, flickering lights, superhuman hearing, and the moving coffee cup.
I leaned back, closed my eyes, and focused on my breathing like I did before my races. Alex would help me make sense of this. He always did. I might end up embarrassed as fuck, but I’d take that over feeling like the lead act in a carnival freak show.
Turning up the volume of my earbuds, I let my music keep out the other noises that threatened to drive me mad. I wondered if Alex could make sense of that too.