Chapter 15 - "I am not in love

Chapter 15 - "I am not in love!"

On Wednesday morning, the clouds opened and a torrent of rain fell. Instead of biking to school, Michael charged up at a power socket in his room before grabbing a bus to school. While on the bus, Michael took the time to discuss the previous night's activities in detail with his big brother. After several minutes of reiterating how little both knew about psionic powers and May's involvement with the fight, they both lapsed into silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Michael found his thoughts straying to a certain young lady. Tracy seemed to dominate his thoughts more and more. He thought about how Tracy's eyes sparkled when she smiled, and how the sound of her laughter always seemed to lift his spirits. These thoughts led him to thinking about how she had hung onto his arm all this week, and the feeling of her body as she pressed herself against him whenever she hugged him. Never popular with the girls, she was the first girl he had ever received a hug from, other than his mom and Serena of course. The crush he had on Serena, and the infatuation over May, both seemed to pale when compared to the feeling of rightness whenever he was in Tracy's presence.

As he got off the bus, he saw a flash of blonde hair off to the right and at first thought that his musings had affected his eyesight. Then, he recognized the face under the blonde hair and his heart skipped a beat. He waved to her to catch her attention. Tracy gave him a huge smile as soon as she saw him

"Michael! Hi, how's it going?" asked Tracy as soon as she caught up with him. She raised her umbrella and Michael ducked under gratefully.

"Not bad," replied Michael. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, except that May won't be in today," said Tracy with a slight frown.

"Oh?" asked Michael nonchalantly.

Tracy missed the tone in Michael's voice and said, "She said she woke up with a sore throat and decided to take today off."

"Oh, ok, well I hope she feels better soon," said Michael in his most neutral tone.

Tracy grinned at him and said, "Relax, Romeo! I'm sure she'll be fine by Saturday in time for your big date!"

Michael tried to protest but Tracy just waved him off and grabbed onto his arm. They chatted amiably all the way to English. Once class started, Michael had a hard time concentrating on the lecture. He kept thinking about May's absence and wondered if it had to do with last night's activities.

What do you think, Big Bro? You think she's all right?

Big brother didn't answer right away, but when he did, there was an odd tone to his voice.

<>

What's wrong? You sound a little down today. Can't be the lack of sunshine. I charged up before I left home.

<<It is not the weather, young one. In truth, I find myself missing the presence of May Li.>>

Missing? You hardly know her.

<>

Well, I gotta agree with you there. There's just something about May, isn't there?

<<Perhaps more than just something.>>

More? What do you mean? Hah! I know! You're in love!

<>

You are! Not that I blame you of course!

<<You forget, young one, Shiza-harans are genderless. We do not believe in love or any of the silliness related to gender.>>

Love is not silly!

<<True, but some of the things that humans do for it are silly.>>

True, but you still sound like someone who's in love. You miss her presence and you find her to be a 'truly intriguing companion.'

<<That does not prove anything, young one. And what of yourself?>>

What about me?

<<What is this with the whole 'sparkle in her eyes' business?>>

What? How'd you...stay out of my mind!

<<A task that is almost impossible, young one. While we are on the subject of love, what of the young lady sitting to your right?>>

Tracy? I hardly know her.

<<But you cannot stop thinking about her. Even your dreams are filled with images of her.>>

Hey, stay out of my dreams you peeping tom! I am not in love!

<>

Deal!

Michael sighed in relief. Tracy mistook his sigh for impatience and gave him an encouraging smile. Michael smiled back just as another thought occurred to him.

Hey, Big Bro, not that I'm trying to reopen the subject or anything, but I've got a question about last night for you.

<>

How did you know where May lived? I mean, I have her number, thanks to Tracy, but I don't remember you checking the white pages or anything like that.

<>

So, like, you read her mind?

<<More like a memory, young one. Similar to how I read the active thoughts of your adopted sibling, Serena last week.>>

Cool. And this time, you did it all on your own too. You didn't have to follow the path of my senses or anything.

<<True. Perhaps it was the physical contact that allowed me to scan her memories.>>

Could you teach me to do that?

<>

Cool!

The bell rang and there was a mad rush for the door. It seemed that Michael was not the only student today who had trouble concentrating on the class. Tracy managed to latch onto Michael's arm again and they made their way to Math. Michael couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it almost seemed as if Tracy was a little tense today. On Monday and Tuesday, when she had grabbed his arm, or had hugged him, it had seemed natural. Today, Tracy seemed a little strained - almost as if she were holding back. However, before Michael could even think to ask Tracy about it, they arrived in Math class. Mr. Cameron was a fair teacher but he brooked no extensive conversations in his class.

After Math, Tracy asked Michael to save her a seat in the cafeteria and headed off to the washroom. The cafeteria filled quickly, but Michael managed to find a seat close to the entrance, so that Tracy would not have a hard time finding him. However, Tracy didn't show up right away. In fact, lunch was over halfway done when she finally sat down beside him. He looked over at her but she had her face buried in her hands. Over the din of the cafeteria, he could hear soft sobbing escaping from Tracy.

"Tracy? Tracy, what's wrong?" asked Michael as he sidled up next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

Tracy leaned in against him and eventually her crying subsided. She retrieved a Kleenex from her bag and cleaned herself up. "I'm sorry, Michael. I just got off the phone with May. She won't be in for the next couple of days."

"Is she alright?"

Tracy closed her eyes and sighed. “Physically, yeah she's fine. Her cousin Jared died Monday night."

Even though Michael was expecting this, hearing Tracy say it was like hearing it for the first time. "That's terrible! How?"

Tracy shook her head. "She wouldn't go into details, but she and her parents are taking a friend to see a doctor."

"Doctor? Why don't they just call an ambulance?"

In response, Tracy shook her head again. "She wouldn't give me details. She's not usually secretive, but she said that the less I knew, the safer I'd be. How does she expect me to just sit here and wait for her after she says something like that!"

"She's with her parents. I'm sure she'll be alright," said Michael consolingly.

"I know that," said Tracy. "It's just that I think she may get involved in something dangerous and - " Tracy looked up at him and stopped talking.

"And what?" prompted Michael.

"Never mind." said Tracy hastily. "She said that she should be back by the weekend but she's not sure if she can make the date with you."

"Oh, that's ok," said Michael. He wanted to find out more but was sure Tracy would clamp up about May's secrets. It seemed that whatever was going on, Tracy knew about it, but was under direction to not tell anyone else. "Hey, if she can't make it, then maybe you and I should go out!" He had tried to make his last comment as a half joke, but even to him, it seemed as if it came out serious.

Tracy apparently thought so too. Her face showed a series of conflicted feelings and it seemed as if she was about to accept when she declined. "No, that's thoughtful of you Michael, but this is supposed to be May's first big date. I can't take that away from her."

"But -"

Tracy shushed him with a finger to his lips. "No buts. You are going out with my best friend and that's final. Whether it's this weekend or next."

They lapsed into silence and Tracy pulled out her lunch from her bag. She chewed silently on her sandwich while Michael brooded. After she was done, they parted company and headed off to their separate classes.

Maybe it was the weather, but the mood in Physics was very somber. Jeff was away today and Michael didn't feel like talking to anyone else. There seemed to be something missing, but he wouldn't admit to himself that the certain something had blonde hair and blue eyes. Somehow he made it through the class and even though the next class was Gym, there was a small spring in his step as he headed over.

Gym turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the day. The rain had stopped by this time so Mr. Clark had the class do various non-contact physical activities outside. Again, Mr. Clark showed his prejudice by allowing the members of the football team and cheerleading squad to run idle laps around the track while everyone else had to perform various calisthenics on the wet grass. Everyone else, except for Michael. He made Michael jog around the track and when Michael's natural aversion to the football jocks made him hang back, Mr. Clark sidled up next to him and jogged beside him. Mr. Clark then spent the entire period trying to convince Michael to join the football team. He pulled out all the stops and used every argument in the book.

"You know, Michael, there are a lot of different scholarship programs available to athletes. With your natural ability, there's now reason why you can't win one."

Michael stared pointedly ahead and said, "Sorry, I'm not interested in sports."

"Not interested? With your raw talent?"

Michael sped up his pace a bit but Mr. Clark matched his pace. "Maybe it's not talent but pure luck."

Mr. Clark snorted in derision. "Not what I saw yesterday! Haven't you ever wanted the prestige that comes with being a school athlete?"

"Nope. The way the jocks strut around school actually makes me sick."

Unfazed, Mr. Clark tried another tactic. "The jocks have plenty of reason to strut. For example, they almost never suffer from low participation marks."

Michael snorted and increased his pace again. Mr. Clark matched pace, but this time, his breathing was a bit more labored. "Everyone knows that it's almost impossible to fail this class. I don't care what kind of marks I get."

Mr. Clark's breathing started to come out in huffs. "How. About. Fringe. Benefits?"

Michael slowed down a bit and Mr. Clark's breathing eased up. "Fringe benefits?"

Grateful for the eased pace, Mr. Clark nodded in the direction where the girls from the cheerleading squad were jogging as a group. "Off the record of course, but I hear that the guys on the team enjoy benefits not normally available anywhere else."

Michael felt sick to his stomach at these words. Tracy happened to be a cheerleader. He looked over at the jogging teacher next to him and had to suppress the urge to pound the smiling face in.

Mr. Clark misunderstood the look on Michael's face and smiled knowingly. "I think the jocks call it 'Value Added Service.'"

"Bullshit!'

Mr. Clark's smile slipped from his face. "What was that?"

"I said, bullshit!" Michael spat the words out.

"Young man" said Mr. Clark sternly, "you may sometimes get away with language like once you're on the team, but not now."

"Then give me detention!" retorted Michael. "I'll go have a nice chat with Mrs. Hoover. You know how I'm on her good side now."

Mr. Clark frowned. All traces of his previously good will were gone. "Look, I'm just trying to do you a favor here."

"Take your favor and shove it!" Michael increased his pace once more.

Angry now, Mr. Clark matched pace once more. "Listen up, youngster!"

Michael snapped his head back and glared at his teacher. "No, you listen! I've told you already that I have no interest in joining the team. What you're doing now is worse than harassment! I'm going to ask you once, and once only. Leave me alone!"

"You can't talk to me like that!" yelled Mr. Clark.

"I think I just did. See ya!" With that, Michael turned his jog into a sprint. With long track-eating strides, he pulled away from Mr. Clark. He increased his speed until he was almost flying over the track. The group of cheerleaders barely had time to get out of his way. He felt bad for brushing by Tracy like that, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. The words from Mr. Clark were boiling in his stomach like acid. All he could think about were the fringe benefits that Mr. Clark alluded to. Tracy's not like that! I know she's not! I know she's had a few boyfriends, but that's fine. She's a free spirit - not some kind of...of servicer!

Before he knew it, he had passed all the jocks who were barely jogging. As he ran, he kept his eyes looking down at the track a few paces in front of him. The next time he looked up, he saw Mr. Clark with an astonished look on his face. He brushed by Mr. Clark without a word and kept running. He didn't know how long he ran, or how many times around the track he went, but he didn't care either. He didn't even hear Mr. Clark blowing his whistle to signal the end of the period.

In all likelihood, he probably would have kept running if a voice hadn't shouted in his mind. <<STOP!>>

Michael glanced up and piled on the brakes. He hit Tracy with just enough force to pick her up off her feet. His arms came around automatically and he held her close.

Tracy pretended not to see his disturbed expression and laughingly teased him by saying, "Hey, big boy! I know you're glad to see me, but this is too much. People will talk!"

Michael buried his face in Tracy's hair and inhaled her scent. It was a combination of shampoo, perfume and sweat. He couldn't imagine a sweeter scent. He slowed down to a walk and let her down.

Tracy wrapped her arm around his waist and gently guided him towards the school. She didn't know what was bothering Michael, but she could tell that he needed some time. Without a word, she nudged him in the direction of the boys change room and went into the girls change room to change into her outfit for practice. She resolved to drop by his house after practice to see if she could help.

Michael ended up running all the way home. He had never liked taking showers in school and today was even worse. The last thing he wanted to see were more smirking and knowing expressions on the faces of the jocks.

As soon as he got in, he ran upstairs to his bedroom and jumped into his small shower stall. He turned the heat way up and stood under the spray. Like a cleansing rain, the hot shower washed away his grim mood.

<<Are you alright now, young one?>>

What? Oh, yeah I guess so. I don't know what got into me!

<<Perhaps it was what your teacher said? About the fringe benefits?>>

Michael turned off the shower with a sigh. He dried himself off and pulled on some comfortable house clothes. Yeah, I guess I just can't see Tracy as a fringe benefit to those jerks.

<>

It's so out of character for her. I mean, I know she's dated, but...

<<She does not seem the type to fool around with just any boy.>>

I said that she's a free spirit, and I meant it. Every time I see her, she always seems so happy.

<<She is not the type to allow peer pressure force her into anything she did not want to do.>>

Yeah, she's got her own mind, and does things her way.

<<She is strong willed.>>

She's so beautiful.

<<She is intriguing.>>

She raises my spirits.

<<She makes me feel alive.>>

I think I love her.

<<I...I...I think...I...>>

Wait, whom are you talking about?

<<Who are you talking about?>>

I...

Just then, the doorbell rang. Feeling relieved and curious at the same time, Michael headed downstairs. When he opened the door, Tracy Adams stormed inside. Feeling a sense of déja vu, Michael closed the door and followed her into the living room.

"This looks familiar." he quipped.

Tracy spun around and he could see that her eyes were red rimmed. Without another word, he pulled her close and hugged her tight. She tensed up for a second, and then with a big sigh, relaxed in his arms.

"Sorry for barging in like that." she said sheepishly.

"That's ok. I'm glad to see you."

Tracy let go and sat down on the couch. "Thanks. You're so sweet."

Michael sat down on the couch and asked, "What's wrong? You look upset."

Tracy sniffed and said, "Do I? I guess I must look terrible, don't I?"

"Actually, you look as beautiful as ever." The words were out before Michael could think twice.

Tracy smiled and kissed him on his cheek. "Thanks again. I planned to come here after practice to see if I could help you feel better, and here you are, cheering me up!"

"Help me feel better?"

"Yeah, you looked like you needed a friend today."

"So do you."

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Ladies first!"

Tracy laughed and said, "Ok, you win. I went out for practice today, and the first thing they told me is that I'm off the team. May too."

"What? Why?"

"I did the unthinkable yesterday. I assaulted a football player. Apparently I violated some unwritten code when I kicked Jim where the sun don't shine."

"But he grabbed your..." sputtered Michael.

"Boobs? You can call them boobs, you know." Tracy laughed as Michael's face turned red. "You're cute when you blush! The squad unfortunately doesn't see things the way you do. They kicked me off the team for actions unbecoming a cheerleader. Linna and Catherine, bless them, offered to quit the squad in protest but I told them to stay on. I'll need ears on the inside now that I'm out."

"But that's so unfair! I bet Mr. Clark had a hand in this!"

"Mr. Clark? No, I don't think it was him. I smell a rat named George," said Tracy. "Why do you think it was Mr. Clark? Is that what you guys talked about today that got you so upset?"

Michael hesitated and said, "Something like that."

"You're hedging, Michael. Come on, it's your turn now. What got into you today?" asked Tracy.

Michael took a deep breath and let it slowly. He looked Tracy straight in the eyes and said, "Look, before I tell you, just understand that I don't believe what he said, ok?"

When Tracy nodded her assent, Michael continued. "Mr. Clark was trying to get me to join the football team."

"I don't blame him. You were amazing yesterday!"

Michael shrugged and said, " I could have been just lucky. Either way, I just have no interest in sports. I've never liked the jocks. I can't stand the way they look down on everyone else and strut around school as if they own everything in sight."

Tracy patted his hand and ended up leaving her hand on top of his. "Oh, that's just posturing and teenage male insecurity. Most of the guys are actually very insecure and immature."

Michael just shrugged and said, "Either way, I still think its wrong. Anyway, Mr. Clark just went on and on, even after I told him that I didn't want to join. The he started talking about fringe benefits."

"Fringe benefits?" asked Tracy. She thought for a moment and said, "You think he meant the cheerleaders?"

Starting to feel angry again, Michael could only nod.

"And you thought fringe benefits meant - " Tracy made some gestures with her hands that bordered on obscene.

Again, Michael could only nod. Inwardly, he cringed as he waited for the explosion that was sure to come.

Instead, Tracy threw her head back and laughed long and hard. Bewildered, Michael could only look on in amazement. Tracy laughed so hard that she had to clutch her stomach. She tilted forward until she was leaning on Michael's chest. Her laughter trickled off into chuckles and she pushed herself off his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you...well actually I am." She brushed some laugh tears from her eyes and said, "Whew, I needed that!"

Still a little confused at Tracy's reaction, but heartened at the same time, Michael cautiously said, "Mr. Clark called it 'Value Added Service'."

This comment almost made Tracy start laughing again. Instead she controlled herself and said, "I can't believe they're still using that lame line! 'Value Added Service,' my ass!" At Michael's arched eyebrow, Tracy finally relented and explained, "It's just something the jocks use to make themselves look good. There is an unwritten agreement between the jocks and the cheerleaders that if there is a boy who is dateless for a social event and if a cheerleader is also dateless, then they would go together. This way, neither side would look bad."

"That's all?" asked an incredulous Michael.

"Of course. What else did you think it was? Never mind, don't answer that. The jocks tend to take the agreement a little too far and often pretend that it's more than it is. Besides, how else did you think that jerk Dan got a date with May to the Halloween dance last week?" Tracy looked at Michael's face with merriment. “Is that what got you so upset?"

Michael nodded and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make that connection, but it was just the sleazy way Mr. Clark said it. It just got me so mad!"

Tracy nodded sagely. "Mr. Clark doesn't know the full truth. He still thinks the cheerleaders exist to provide his boys with relief. He better smarten up or he's going to get fired."

Michael felt the tension drain away from his body. The whole thing seemed so silly now. He pictured in his mind again Mr. Clark's smirking expression as he alluded to the fringe benefits and all of a sudden it seemed comical. The idea that jocks had to rely on an agreement with the cheerleaders to ensure that they had dates to social events was hilarious. The jocks weren't all that different from everyone else after all! He started chuckling at the thought. His chuckling set of Tracy as well and before long, they were both howling with laughter.

Tears were streaming down Michael's face as he tried to say, "So," chuckle "the" snort "jocks can't" giggle "even get dates!"

Both Michael and Tracy were laughing so hard that they leaned in towards each for support. Their arms went around each other in a mutual hug. Before either of them really knew it, their faces came together and their lips touched. It just seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. Their eyes closed and the kiss seemed to go on and on. When the kiss finally ended, they looked at each other in wonderment. They were both a little short of breath and neither seemed to be able to break away.

All of a sudden, their actions dawned on Tracy and she pushed herself away with a sharp shove. She jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh my god, I'm sorry, Michael!"

"Huh? Why?" asked a perplexed Michael. He couldn't figure out why Tracy would be sorry.

Tracy was pacing back and forth on the carpet. Her face was flushed and she was wringing her hands. "I'm sorry. That was all my fault! I shouldn't have led you on like that! Oh my god, I'm such a cheap tease!" She buried her hands in her face and headed for the front door.

"Tracy, wait!" cried Michael. He jumped up and grabbed Tracy's arm. "You're not a cheap tease! Why are you so upset?"

Tracy whirled around and cried, "You're supposed to be dating May, my best friend. And here I am making out with her future boyfriend!"

"Tracy, that's crazy! May and I aren't an item and you know it. We haven't even gone out yet."

"But you're in love with her! And she needs you!" Tracy pulled her arm out of Michael's grasp. She slipped on her shoes and opened the front door. "I'm sorry, Michael. I really am. I realize now that I've been sending you all the wrong signals. I shouldn't have teased you at school. I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm sorry." She ran out the door.

"Wait!" Michael called out, but Tracy either didn't hear or didn't want to. As he watched her run away, part of him wanted to chase after her to tell her everything that he was feeling, but somehow, he just couldn't get his feet to move.

As Tracy ran, tears started to stream down her face. She soon left Michael's neighborhood behind, and as she did, thunder rumbled in the sky above her. The rain came down in a drizzle at first but quickly became a downpour. Belatedly, Tracy realized that she had left her umbrella as well as her school bag at Michael's house. Not wanting to see Michael again just yet, she continued on to her house. The cold rain plastered her clothes to her body and the water mixed with the tears on her face.

The rain finally ended on Thursday morning. Michael took the bus again because the roads were still too wet to ride on. As he got off the bus, he looked around in vain for Tracy but could not see her. She wasn't in class either. In Math class, he managed to ask Linna for Tracy's phone number. She told him that Tracy wasn't feeling good and was sick with a cold.

At lunch, he tried to call Tracy but got her answering machine. He left a brief message to wish her a quick recovery. The day just wasn't the same without her and he found himself missing her presence immensely. Even Big Bro was silent, and Michael suspected that he was just waiting for the weekend so that he could see May again. Of course, since he didn't want to spark another discussion in which he wasn't ready to participate in, he didn't bring it up.

Tracy didn't show up in school on Friday either, and in his depressed mood, Michael started to wonder if he would ever see her again. That night, he got a pleasant surprise. Serena's car was sitting in the driveway. As he opened the door, he could smell delicious scents coming from the kitchen. Serena poked her head in the hallway when she heard the door open.

"Hey, little brother! How's it going?"

Michael's mood brightened when he saw her. "Hey, big sis! I didn't know you would be here today." He joined her in the kitchen where she had various pots and pans being heated on the stove. "What's cookin', good lookin'?"

Serena busied herself on the stove and replied, "Pasta with my homemade spicy sauce. Just set the table, I'm almost done. I hope you don't mind an early dinner but I've got a class tonight."

Michael set the table with plates and utensils. It felt like it had been forever since he had company for dinner. His spirits were already starting to rise. As they sat down to eat, he asked, "So, what's the occasion?"

"I got a call from our errant parents today," replied Serena.

"Really? Are they coming home soon?"

"Actually, that was the bad news," said Serena with a frown. "They got a call from their boss and they're getting sent out again. Sorry, kiddo."

Michael tried his best to hide his disappointment. "Oh, that's ok. It happens a lot. So, what's the good news then?"

Serena paused for effect and then dropped the bomb. "I told them about you."

"What?!" exclaimed Michael. He almost choked on his food.

Serena laughed at his reaction. "Relax! Not about your other stuff. I told them that you and I had a little heart to heart and that you know all about our relationship."

Michael wiped himself off with a napkin. "Whew. Thanks. How did they take it?"

"They're excited, of course. They can't wait to come home so that we can be one big happy family."

"Yeah, me too," said Michael happily. The word 'family' made Michael remember something Big Bro had said to him. He looked closely at Serena and realized that he was already thinking of her affectionately as a big sister. He made up his mind to ask for her advice. "Um, Serena, can I ask you something?"

"Of course! What's on your mind?"

"Well, umm, I don't know how to put it exactly..." Michael struggled for words as he tried to put his problem into perspective.

Serena, seeing the expression on his face, took a shot in the dark. "Uh-oh, this sounds like girl troubles."

Startled, Michael asked, "How did you know?"

"Woman's intuition!" Serena smiled and said, "Let's see how far my intuition can take me. When I say girl troubles, I think it's actually 'girls' troubles, as in more than one girl, right?"

Michael's jaw dropped, but he just numbly nodded for Serena to continue.

Serena looked away for a moment, thought for a moment, and then said, "Let's see, one of the girls is Tracy, and the other is May."

"Have you been spying on me?" asked Michael incredulously.

Serena laughed. "No, no. They dropped by on Tuesday night after you took off."

"Oh."

"Tracy mentioned that you have a date with May tomorrow. Is that true?"

"Yeah."

"You don't seem too enthusiastic. She's a very pretty girl."

"She is. And I used to have a crush on her." Michael trailed off as he tried to sort through his feelings.

Showing off her intuition once more, Serena said, "But you think you may be going out with the wrong girl, right?"

Glumly, Michael nodded. "I was about to ask Tracy out, but May surprised me by asking me out. At first I thought she was just doing it to repay me or something, but she hasn't been back to school so I'm not sure. I'm not even sure if we are going out tomorrow or not."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Serena dug into her pocket and pulled a piece of paper. "You have a message. May called earlier today while I was cleaning the house. She wants you to meet her at First Markham Place in front of the Cineplex at 2:00pm. I guess this means your date is still on."

Michael took the note from Serena and looked at it, but it didn't provide any more details. "Serena, I don't know what to do. Tracy keeps pushing me at May. I know I had a crush on her at one point, but I don't think I feel that way anymore. When I talk to May, it feels great, like she's a great friend and all. But when I'm with Tracy...it’s different."

Serena looked at him knowingly and asked, "Does it seem as if the world brightens up when she enters the room?"

"Yes."

"Do you have butterflies whenever you see her?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel a tingle whenever you touch her?"

"Yes."

"Are you in love with her?"

This time, Michael hesitated. "I...I don't know."

"Come on, Michael. Be honest with me. And more importantly, be honest with yourself. Are you in love with her?" she asked again.

"I...think..." Michael closed his eyes for several seconds, and when he opened them back up, they had total conviction in them. "Yes. Yes I'm in love with her."

Serena clapped her hands together and said, "See? Look how easy it is as long as you're honest?"

Michael smiled and instantly felt better as he finally admitted the truth. "You know what? You're right. I do love her. She lifts my spirits when I feel down. I can't stop thinking about her. When she smiles at me, I feel like I've won the lottery!" His expression soured and he said, "But what about May? She asked me out, and she called to confirm the date. I don't want to hurt her feelings or anything."

Serena looked thoughtful and said, "Just be honest with her too. I'm sure she will understand."

Michael, however, looked doubtful. "I don't know, Serena."

"Just try, Michael. Nothing can be gained if you don't try."

"Ok. I'll try to have a heart to heart the May tomorrow. Thanks Serena!"

"Anytime, little bro. Anytime."

On Saturday morning, May woke up in her bed as if from a nightmare. One minute she was lying peacefully, and the next she was sitting upright with sweat pouring down her face. Her eyes came into focus and she recognized her own bedroom. She sighed in relief. It was all a dream, she thought. Her eyes panned around the room and came to rest on a large black chest. It was resting by her closet where she had dragged it upon entering her room last night. It was not a dream after all. The chest and its contents signified her membership into the group known as the Children of the Night.

The thought sent shivers down her spine. When she was growing up, she had listened to Brandon and Jared talk animatedly about the Children of the Night. It had been their wish to become members for as long as she could remember. For May, membership was never even considered. All she had ever wanted was a way to silence the storm of emotions that had constantly battered her from all sides. Now, she knew that, for her, membership was never a choice. It was a legacy.

May got out of bed and looked at the clock. It was almost noon. She had slept the entire morning away. She had just over 2 hours to before she had to meet Michael at the movie theatre. As she rushed through her morning routine, she reflected on the events of the past few days.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, her parents had shaken her awake after what seemed to be mere minutes of exhausted sleep. Brandon's condition was getting worse and he needed medical attention. For obvious reasons, they could not go to a hospital. Together, the Li's bundled up their wounded guest and drove north. The ride north was just a blur to May. She was so tired that she slept through most of it. By the time the car stopped, dawn was breaking and she was once more back in the school of Sifu Chang. Uncle Steve, Aunt Julie and her cousin Jade met them at the gate. All three looked sad. More people showed up and took Brandon away. May was led to a room with a bed where she promptly lay down and fell asleep.

When she next awoke, her mother was sitting by her bed. Stella had seemed to be holding back laughter, and when May made her way to the bathroom to freshen up, she found out why. The black shoe polish that she had put on the previous night had hardened, leaving her face feeling stiff. She tried in vain to scrub off the polish, but only managed to wet it enough to smear it all over her face. Stella had come in and handed May a bottle filled with a foul smelling substance. When she applied it to her face, it had stung a little, but it had removed most of the polish. A hot shower and more vigorous scrubbing had finished the job.

After she had freshened up, her mother had taken her to see Sifu Chang. In his living quarters, her father, uncle, aunt and cousin were already there. She sat down and smiled sadly at her cousin Jade, who smiled back. Her parent chatted quietly with her uncle and aunt until Sifu Chang came into the room. May hadn't seen Sifu Chang since the summer when she had left his school for what she thought was the last time. His old face seemed more careworn and tired than she remembered.

The discussion that followed would be forever seared into her memory. It had been one revelation after another. The first shock, and certainly not the last was the acknowledgement from Sifu Chang that not only did he know about the Children of the Night, but he was also the founder. Though not originally intended to be a recruiting source for the Children of the Night, his school had trained all of its members. The next shock was that Stella, May's own mother, was once a member. This revelation had shocked May so much that she needed several minutes before she could continue. She ended up in a heated discussion with her parents that was eventually stopped by Sifu Chang. In his soft but firm voice, he proceeded to tell May the origins of the Children of the Night. May had always thought the name to be a clever idea to play upon the fact that psions could not openly use their powers for fear of discovery. She was wrong. The Night in question was in fact the most important event in psion history, and virtually every psion child who attended Sifu Chang's school could technically be considered a Child of the Night. After May heard the entire story, from beginning to end, she volunteered to continue her mother's legacy and officially joined the group. What other choice did she have?

May finished her shower and, as she dressed, she thought about the contents of the chest. The equipment that she had received from Brandon and Jared were like toys compared to the equipment she received from Sifu Chang. The first time she had looked through the chest, she had wondered where Sifu Chang got the equipment in the first place. Then, she decided that she was better off not knowing.

May finished dressing and glanced at the clock again. It read 12:45. She would have to leave her house soon if she wanted to be on time for her date with Michael. Date. The idea seemed ludicrous. She liked Michael well enough but there just wasn't any chemistry. She had only asked Michael out so that she could spend enough time alone with him to determine if he was a wild psion or not. It had been an impulsive decision, but, after all that had happened this week, turned out to be the right one. As a formal member of the Children of the Night, it was her duty to find wild psions. Her father was a wild psion and that was how he met her mother. May didn't think it likely that she would end up marrying Michael though! Suddenly, an image of a shining winged being flashed through her mind. She realized that with everything that had happened in the last couple of days, she hadn't thought of Da Gueur at all. Now, as she pictured him, she wondered where he was now, and what he was doing. Most importantly, she wondered if he was thinking of her too.

At exactly 1:45, May arrived at First Markham place. She got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to the Cineplex theatre. In the distance, she saw a familiar figure standing outside the main doors. As she got closer, she called out a greeting.

"Hi, Michael! Did you wait long?"

Michael gave her a grin and replied, "Nah, just got here myself. How are you feeling? Is everything all right? Tracy mentioned that you had to go out of town for a couple of days."

"Yeah, everything is fine. We had to take a friend to a hospital."

"Um, Tracy also mentioned your cousin. I'm very sorry for your loss. You know, if you want, we can postpone this until another day."

May waved away the offer and said, "We're still notifying all our relatives about Jared. The funeral will probably next week sometime. We're here now, and who knows when we'll have another chance? So, what movie are we watching?"

Michael shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know. None of them look very appealing."

May glanced up at the movie feature board and grimaced. "I see what you mean."

"Umm, May," said Michael rather nervously, "would you mind if we sat down somewhere quiet and talked?"

"Talk?" asked May quizzically. "Sure, if that's what you want."

They ended up walking until they found a place in the mall next to the theatre. It was in the food court and while it wasn't exactly a quiet place, it was fairly anonymous. They ordered a couple of drinks from a nearby vendor and sat at the table across from each other. Michael fidgeted in his seat for a bit until May asked him was wrong.

"Umm, May. I...uh, before I begin, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you ask me out?"

This was unexpected! May thought quickly and replied, "Well, I guess I just wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"May, you know that's not necessary. I just did what I had to do. Anyone else would've done the same."

May sighed inwardly. She couldn't deal with this right now. She had almost decided to cancel the date because of all that had happened, but her newfound sense of duty had prevented that. She had been able to talk with Tracy only a couple of times over the last couple of days, and, in her last conversation, Tracy had tried unsuccessfully to hide her tears. Tracy had claimed that she caught a cold and denied the fact that she had been crying. May knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Tracy was in love with Michael. But how did Michael feel?

"How do you feel about Tracy?" asked May out of the blue.

Instead of looking surprised, Michael seemed a bit relieved. May thought that this was rather interesting.

"I'm in love with her," said Michael very straightforwardly. "I'm sorry, May. I don't know how else to say it. I know I had a crush on you before, but all that's changed now. I -"

May shushed him with a finger to his lips. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

Michael nodded.

"Here, give me your hand for a minute. Don't worry, I won't hurt you." May took Michael's right hand and sandwiched it between hers. She closed her eyes and opened the doors to her gift. Similar to how she had sniffed out the Demon empath several nights ago, May allowed the emotions to flow through her. This time, however, instead of a broad range search, she was focusing all her attention on Michael. She braced herself for the tidal wave of emotions that usually came from Michael. There was none. She opened her eyes and could see that he seemed to be a little tense. "Just relax, Michael. I just need to find out something, ok?"

The stiffness in Michael's shoulders relaxed and suddenly, like a tap being turned on, the emotions started to flow from Michael. In that instant, May understood what she had felt earlier that week. Michael was extraordinarily adept at repressing his emotions - for a non-empath. She wasn't sure why, or how he did it, but at the moment, it wasn't important. There was no dark pulse that usually meant psionic abilities. There was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but then it was gone.

May opened her eyes and said, "Ok, now I want you to think about Tracy." She closed her eyes again and this time, the wave of emotions almost pushed her back. The emotions were strong, but soft. They made her think of the sun shining through a hole in the clouds on an overcast day. They made her think of warm strong arms holding her gently and comforting her fears. They made her think of Da Gueur, her own personal guardian angel. May opened her eyes. Could it be? She looked closely at Michael's face but all she saw was him looking quizzically back at her. She'd better wrap this up before he started asking questions that she wasn't prepared to answer!

"I believe you, Michael," she said as she released his hands. "And you know what, you've made me very happy."

"I have?"

May smiled encouragingly at him. "I love Tracy. She's been my best friend for a long time. She's had many ups and downs in life but always strives to be happy despite any bad experiences. I'm glad that she's fallen in love with someone who loves her back just as much."

Michael looked shaken. "Love? Did you say love?"

May nodded and said, "Yup, she's in love with you. Didn't you know that?"

Michael swallowed and shook his head. "I had hoped...but I..."

"You love her, right?" When Michael nodded again, May continued, "Well then, trust me on this. She loves you too."

Suddenly, May stood up. "So, what are you doing here still?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you still here when you can be with the girl you love?"

Michael jumped to his feet. "You're right!"

Together, they ran out of the mall. They raced each other to the bus stop but there were no buses in sight. Instead, May managed to flag down a taxi that happened to be driving by. She gave the driver instructions and told him to "step on it."

The streets flew by and soon the taxi pulled up in front of Tracy's house. Michael tried to pay the taxi driver but May waved him off. "It's my contribution to true love!" she said.

Michael rang the doorbell and shifted impatiently from foot to foot until the door opened. Tracy stood there, sniffling with a box of Kleenex in one hand and a wadded up ball of Kleenex in her other hand. She didn't look amused.

"Michael? May? What are you doing here?" demanded Tracy in a nasally congested tone.

"Tracy, Michael has something he wants to say to you. You better listen carefully," said May.

"Tracy, I -" began Michael

Tracy cut him off with a wave of the hand holding the wadded Kleenex. "Michael, I thought we already talked about this. I'm sorry for leading you on, but there can't be anything between us!"

"But Tracy, I -" he tried to protest but was cut off again.

"I don't want to hear it! You're dating my best friend and that's final!"

May arched an eyebrow and said, "Don't I have anything to say about this?"

Tracy looked at her angrily and said, "No, you don't. May, he's a really sweet and gentle guy. You need someone like him."

"But I don't love him and he doesn't love me."

"You can't decide that after one date! After all the trouble I went through, you can't just give up on men like that!" exclaimed Tracy.

"I haven't given up on men!" retorted May. "In fact, I'm in love with someone else!" The words were out before May realized it, but it was too late to take them back.

There were several seconds of shocked silence and then Tracy said, "You're in love?"

May nodded.

"With a guy?"

Again May nodded.

Tracy whooped and threw her hands up in the air. The box of Kleenex flew in one direction and the wadded up ball flew in another. With a scream of joy she grabbed May and hugged her tight. "You're in love! That's great! Who is he? What's his name? What's he like?"

May laughed and eventually extricated herself from Tracy's bear hug. "Later, later! Right now, I think you owe someone your full attention!" She gestured to Michael who had been watching the entire display stoically.

May nodded at Michael and he cleared his throat nervously. His eyes met Tracy's and when he spoke, it was from the heart. "Tracy. I think you're the most wonderful person I've ever met. You make me happy just to be in the same room with you. Tracy, I love you."

He wanted to say more, but all of a sudden, there was a congested squeal of delight and his arms were filled with the girl he loved. Tracy rained sloppy wet kisses all over his face but he didn't mind one bit! When she finally calmed down enough to speak, her words almost made his heart burst.

"I love you too, Michael!" she said, and then she kissed him on his lips. Neither of them heard May quietly applauding beside them.