Chapter 4

         The following day, we headed down to a street where we knew there was a pay phone. I went first and the others gave me some privacy. I inserted the coins and dialed Jessica's number. The phone rang and was answered by a voice which I assumed was her father. I asked for Jessica and she answered a few seconds later.

         "Jessica, it's Aden," I said.

         "Aden! Thank you for calling, I was afraid it wouldn't be for months," she said.

         "Can I pick you up? We need to talk."

         "Sure, do you need my address?"

         "Yes," I said.

         She gave me her address and we said goodbye.

         Demetrio took the phone next and I walked to my car to pick up Jessica. At her house I found her sitting in a hammock and was pleased to see her reading Treasure Island. When she saw me, she jumped out of the hammock and came towards me with her arms outstretched. I didn't know what she was going to do to me and backed away. As soon as I did, she dropped her arms and looked hurt. I had no idea what she wanted or how I had hurt her. I hadn't realize that I had backed into the street. When I heard a car's horn honking at me, I jumped straight up and let the car pass under me as Jessica shouted my name.

         Once the car had passed I let gravity take over and bring me back to the ground. I walked back to the sidewalk where Jessica stood with a horrified look on her face.

         "What's wrong?" I asked.

         "How did you do that?" Jessica asked.

         "I can't tell you here or now, but I hope we're good enough friends not to insist on the answers to your questions right away. Can we go now?"

         Jessica nodded and I opened and closed the door for her, and walked over to my side of the car. I started up and drove back towards my house.

         "Where are we going? I don't recognize any of this, and I grew up here. I know the town pretty well."

         "We're going to the house my brothers and I share."

         We were silent for the rest of the way. At the house, my brothers and their friends were already in the living room. Since I was going to tell Jessica about our secret, I wanted some privacy. We went into my bed-sitting room. I motioned to the chair across the room, but Jessica plopped onto my bed which was closer to the door. She jumped off just as fast.

         "Jeez," she said. "Do you have a fire going underneath your bed? It's like your bed has nothing but heating pads on it."

         "Sorry, that's why I pointed to the chair."

         Jessica sat down on the chair I pointed to, and I pulled up another next to it.

         "Are you going to tell me your secret, or are you just going to remain as Mr. Mysterious?" Jessica asked.

         "That is what we went to the Elders for," I said, "but before I can tell you I need you to promise you will not tell anyone. For if you do, you will be crushed by the hands of the five elements."

         "I promise," Jessica said after a moment's pause.

         "Will you also promise not to interrupt or ask questions until I'm done?"

         "Okay, I promise," she said.

         "You know that my skin is abnormally warm, but that is only part of it. There are five elements in this universe and they are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. They come in a cycle in that order. The heat has to do with the fire. My brothers and I are one of each of the five. I am fire, Demetrio is earth, Timur is metal, Irvin is water, and Hearst is wood. You have not seen us in our true form, and if you did, you would think we were a part of nature. But if I changed into my true form right here and now, you would literally burn up.

         "Ever since I joined the human world, I have had to be careful not to set everything on fire. I told you on our day at the beach that water puts me out. It literally puts me out if I'm in too long. I would still float, yes, but I'd be unconscious unless someone dragged me out and put me near or in a fire.

         "It's not easy to explain, but that's who we are. We have tried to understand the human race and we have partly succeeded; although I do not know some of the terms you speak of. I know the language, and most of the ways in which one acts. We are forbidden to tell anyone unless the Elders grant us permission, for the Elders are the law for our kind.

         "There are five Elders, each for one element who can bend it to his will. I can also bend fire to my will, but not nearly so well as they. We need these powers to fight the enemy. You can only see three dimensions, and know about four because the forth is time and you cannot see time. But in our world, there are twenty-six dimensions. We have thirteen years of school and each semester we learn of the inhabitants of one of the dimensions.

         "We currently live in Dimension A, where there is a balance between order and chaos. It is not like Dimension F, which is heaven according to your religion, but it is pleasant. In Dimension Z however, that is where the evil things lie. About one-hundred years ago, someone accidentally opened a portal between Dimensions A and Z. There was good news and bad news to this. The good news was that only one villain got through before the portal was sealed. The bad news was that he was immortal. The other bad news was he used mortal men as puppets. He cursed them, and they became his army. We call these Heinous Knights. They have grown more and more powerful and started killing off our kind.

         "However, some of our kind resisted. We created an army of about five-thousand and marched against the Heinous Knights. At first, the battle was going very well for us. We released about two-hundred from the spells and they fought with us. Just when we thought we were about to overcome the army of the Heinous Knights, legions upon legions more of them joined the fight and we were overwhelmed. The mortal men were put back under the spell, and we were slaughtered. That was how my parents died. Vadrak is the leader's name, and if I ever learn enough, I am going to avenge my parents and send Vadrak back to Dimension Z and let the mortal men be free once more. That is the end of the tale."

         Jessica looked at me and I understood the expression in her eyes; sorrow.

         "Oh, Aden, I am so sorry about your parents," she said quietly.

         "It's okay," I said.

         "Thank you, for telling me, I understand why you couldn't before. I'm sorry I nagged you."

         "That's okay," I repeated.

         I thought that Jessica had forgotten about my jump over the passing car because she didn't ask about it. My kind can do whatever we need to do to avoid getting injured in the mortal world. I stared at the wall across from me, but I wasn't sure what to say. Just then she leaned towards me and put her lips against my cheek. I was so startled I fell off my chair. I crawled backwards on my hands and feet to lean against the wall and stared at her with horror.

         "What?" she said, clearly dumbstruck by my reaction.

         "What did you do to me?" I cried.

         "I kissed you," she answered. "Hasn't anyone kissed you before, or you them?"

         "No," I said, trying to calm down.

         "I'm sorry I startled you, but humans do it all the time. I thought you were trying to understand us."

         "I was, but I never expected this."

         "Okay, calm down, I'm sorry. It was only a small peck."

         "I'm sorry I reacted so," I said. "Let's go downstairs."

         "Sure," she said. "I'd love to hear you play some songs."

         "Okay, I'll get the band."

         I left the room and met my brothers downstairs talking amongst each other with their girls. I suggested we play some music. We played several songs which they seemed enthusiastic about. I think the style we played is called Rock. We ended with a song we called: Opposites.

         We stopped at about five thirty and dropped the girls back at their houses. I think Jessica expected to hear more calls from me. I didn't exactly want to disappoint her, but I didn't really know what to say. I didn't think a long talk on the pay phone would do, so we'd have to talk face to face. I was also nervous because of the last visit. What would she say, and what should my reaction be?

         Several days after our first visit, my brothers and I agreed to give the girls another call. We used the pay phone and arranged to pick them up. When Jessica and I got back to the house, we sat in the living room. As soon as we sat down she spoke about meeting her parents.

         "My parents want to know who you are," said Jessica. "They were introduced to James and didn't like him at all, so they'll either like you or not. But no matter what they say, it will not have any effect on me unless their reaction is positive. You're handsome, you're smart. Anything to add that might make them like you more?"

         "Do they like people who can play musical instruments?" I asked.

         "Yes, that too, I know you've been hiding more talent still."

         "What about foreign languages?"

         "Yes, do you know any?"

         "Quite a few actually," I said.

         "Like what?" asked Jessica.

         "English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Greek," I ticked them off on my fingers.

         "Wow, really?"

         "Yeah, fluently if that means anything to you and your parents. My brothers and I have traveled the world of common languages. Oh, and I left out Russian."

         "You're incredible. Say something in another language," Jessica demanded.

         "D'accord. Est-ce que tu veux jouer 'Questions over Questions'?" I asked.

         "What does that mean?"

         "It means 'Okay, would you like to play Questions over Questions?' Anything else?"

         "Yeah, how do you say 'thank you' in Portuguese. My cousin speaks a bit of Portuguese, but I can never say anything back."

         "Obrigado."

         "Thanks. Sure we can play Questions over Questions. Can I start?"

         "Sure, go ahead," I said.

         "Will you come meet my parents like they requested?"

         "Yes, but not today. How long have your parents permitted you to stay?"

         "Until five o'clock. When will you meet them?"

         "Maybe next week. What should I expect? I've never been introduced to anyone's parents or relatives before, and I don't really know how I should present myself. Could you give me an idea?"

         "Sure, I've told them that you play instruments very well and I could tell their faces lit up; both my parents love music. You should play something for them. We have instruments in the house that you could play. Let's get off the topic of my parents and get back to Questions over Questions. Why do you have blankets when you're so warm to begin with?"

         "I need the insulation despite my heat. What do you do for hobbies?"

         "I play the piano as you know, I like to ride my longboard, maybe play a bit of softball. I don't exactly have one that stays. What about you?"

         "I only play music, that's about it. I can't exactly coordinate in this world nearly as well as I can in my own. What did you and James like to do together?"

         "We used to play badminton with a couple other friends. I was never very good, mostly he would save me when the birdie came in my direction. What is your world?"

         "One in which there is not one master of the elements, but five masters. 'Tis a sin to try and create one Master of the Elements. Let's change the subject. Actually it's getting late, should we head back?"

         "Not yet please. Can we just play something?"

         "Okay, pause on Questions over Questions."

         We stood up and she sat down at the piano and started playing Pachelbel's Cannon while I harmonized on the guitar. "Do your parents speak any foreign languages?" I asked.

         "My father speaks French pretty fluently and my mom sort of knows Spanish. My little brother is also studying Spanish in school."

         "Okay, just wondering."

         I drove Jessica back home. Before she got out she said, "Next time you call, come over to my house because my parents want to meet you."

         "Okay," I said, and she walked into her house.

         I drove home thinking about my encounter with Jessica's parents.