The Clearing: Origins

Chapter 5

Victor drove home in a state of panic. "Pull it together!" he urged himself and tried to think about the episode with Kristy rationally. But he couldn't. There was nothing rational about what happened. "My first make-out session," he wailed, turning the corner. "And I blew it."

The devastated look on the genie's face had stayed with him as he hastened across the wooden floor to the exit. Tammy had disappeared to the restroom, leaving Ally as the only witness to his disgraceful departure. The pretty brunette's lips, covered in her signature poppy red lipstick, had curved into a smile as he approached, but he'd shot past the front desk and out the door without a word.

Victor considered everything he'd learned from one semester of sex education, a class he'd found highly embarrassing. "Kissing feels good because you release, uh, oxytocin and dopamine, which cause affection and euphoria... and a feel-good chemical, serotonin. Don't forget the serotonin! The feel-good chemicals lower a bloke's cortisol levels, and Bob's your uncle. You're in trouble!"

He turned down a side street, and the house came into view. With its hipped roof and cedar shingles, the Queen Anne-style home appeared quite scenic in the waning afternoon light, the setting sun casting a colorful array on the clouds. The wide porch held a collection of swings, chairs, and lawn tools, giving the place a lived-in look.

"I can't believe I had my hands up her shirt. N-n-not so bad, I didn't touch her knocker." He grimaced. "No, knockers! Plural. I've never touched one, but I'm sure she has two of them!"

Victor turned into the driveway and slammed on the brakes. He hopped out of the car and shot across the lawn to the porch. He pushed open the heavy door using his keys, shutting it with a bang. The distressed teen leaned against it breathing hard.

A smiling Lovedae poked her head out of the living room archway. "Victor? Good, you're right on...." A look of concern crossed her face as she stared at her son. She stepped into the foyer, eying his disheveled appearance with alarm. "Your shirt's on backward. And where are your shoes?" When he didn't answer, Lovedae tried again. "Victor, what happened?"

The words came tumbling out. "My willy had a growth spurt!"

"Your... it, oh dear!" Her mouth gaped open like a landed fish. "I... uh..." Out of her depth, Lovedae froze before reaching for him.

But he brushed by her, bare feet pounding up the stairs. When Victor reached the professor's study, he yanked the door open, slamming it shut before dropping into the desk chair, defeated. He doubted Kristy would ever speak to him again after his performance.

Victor knew he'd ruined any chance he might have had with the genie. She'd come back, and after all they'd been through with the magi, the experiences made them closer. He'd begun to hope that Kristy liked him as more than a friend. He'd told himself slow and steady wins the race.

"And I disqualified myself," he muttered. "Bloody idiot!"

Victor didn't know how long he sat brooding at the window's scenic view before he heard footsteps in the hall. He didn't recognize the tread but remembered the 'session' his mother had arranged for him. The door opened, but before he could muster the energy to ask the person to leave, a man spoke in deep, soothing tones.

"Craig called me from this very study the night you arrived on his doorstep. And to think, here is where we finally meet. Extraordinary."

Victor whipped around in the chair. Dr. Lyle Mason, he presumed, stood in the open doorway. His dark salt and pepper hair, long and layered, nearly touched his collar. The tall, easy-on-the-eyes bespectacled man looked nothing like a college instructor. Had Victor met him on the street, he would have never assumed he taught in the academic world.