Untouchable (ON HOLD)

Untouchable Ch. 6

Alex was surprised but extremely relived Jason's downstairs neighbours slept in; nobody noticed the boy descending through their floorboards. Alex was surprised at how effortless the "phasing" felt, like something he was used to and had done dozens of times before.

Alex jogged to his mom's house from Jason's apartment. It was a couple blocks, but it took a lot less longer to get home from Jason's than it would have if Alex was on the street. As he jogged, Alex wondered why he had dismissed his incident with the police as so insignificant, when Jason asked so many questions and thought of so many theories. Jason’s so smart, Alex thought. And he’s going to school and actually doing something with his life. He stopped and realized that Jason wasn’t the only one who could go to school; Alex could do it, too. Alex sped up as he excitedly thought of actually going back to school. He could major in dance and take real dance classes instead of following those idiots on the streets; his mother would be proud of him for a change. Alex stopped as he realized that besides the desire, he didn’t have what it really took to get into a college-money. He continued walking and hoped that his mom could maybe help him out in the financial department; surely she had money saved up somewhere.

 Alex was near to his house and thought about what his mother, a devout Catholic, would have to say about what Alex could do. She believed that if anything happened which she could not explain, it was an act of God that need not be questioned or explored further. But would she view Alex's "talent" as more of a blessing or a curse, Alex wondered as he finally reached his doorstep. He turned the key his mother gave him into the lock and as he walked inside he walked straight into someone much too burly to be his mother.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alex groaned as he recognized the raspy, deep voice. It was his mom's ex-boyfriend Robert. Robert had lived with Alex and his mom for a few years when Alex was a kid, until he was arrested. Alex didn't remember why Robert was arrested, but he remembered one crucial fact- he hated Robert. 

"I could ask you the same question," Alex replied, not even attempting to hide the hostility dripping from his voice. 

"Boys, calm down," Alex's mother came rushing into the front hallway. "Alex, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about Robert's parole. He will be staying with us for a while." His mom must have seen the glare Alex was shooting Robert, since she continued quickly. "And Robert, Alex has come back and will be staying here as well."

Robert snickered. "Isn't the boy too old to be staying with his mother?" 

"I'm only 19, and aren't you a little too old to be mooching off of people?" Alex left Robert blubbering and headed into the kitchen, his mom trailing him. As much as Alex disliked Robert, he was almost glad he provided a nice distraction from the lecture Alex would have received for being late.

"How could you invite him here again?" Alex sat at the kitchen table as he tried to speak quietly so Robert wouldn’t hear, but his anger made his voice sound louder.

“Alex, whatever Robert has done, it is in the past. Even the law has forgiven him, so we should, too.” Alex shook his head because he knew his mom could never fully understand what a terrible person Robert was. His mom looked at his face and frowned, and began to flip through some envelopes that must have come in the mail.

“Mail came for you.” Alex took the brown envelope his mom handed him and began to open it, wondering who it could be, since he applied to no colleges and no one he knew mailed him letters. There was no return address; however there was a name and address on the letter inside, Zander’s Agency for Persons with Special Abilities. Alex squinted and tried to decipher what the letter could mean. It was an invitation to participate in a study being conducted by this Agency. There was a brief moment of panic because Alex thought this Agency could somehow know about his ability, but Alex noticed the words ‘random study’ on the bottom of the form. Random, Alex thought and sighed, relived. A random study means anyone could show up and the study would be in no way related to what he could do. Standing up to trash the letter, Alex noticed another note at the bottom of the letter, ‘expenses will be fully compensated and possible financial promotion will be given to participants.’ Alex’s heart leapt; he could register and pay for school, without taking a cent from his mother! He opened his mouth to speak at the same time his mother did.

He saw the look of excitement on his mom’s face and asked her to continue.

“Mijo, I have to tell you something,” His mom said. “Robert and I are… getting married.”

“What?” Alex shouted and stood up. “How could you do that?” He dropped the letter and began pacing, running his hands through his hair.

Robert heard the noise and bounded into the room. “Don’t you dare talk to my wife that way you little piece of...” Robert ended his sentence with some Spanish curse words as he waved a sweaty finger at Alex.

“No fighting, no fighting!” Garcia turned to face her son. “I though you would be happy for me,” Her eyes filled with tears. “He is a changed man, Alex. He has his parole now, and he says he will get a job and everything, to do all he can to support this family.”

 Furious, Alex yelled, “And what makes you think he does or ever has, given a damn about this family? You know how he treats you, you know how pathetic he is, and you take him back every damn time!” Alex pounded his fist against the wall, or at least he meant to. Alex turned to see that his clenched fist had gone through the kitchen wall. He quickly pulled it back towards him but it was too late, the damage had been done.

His mother’s eyes went extremely wide and she frantically crossed herself as she pulled out and clutched the rosary she kept in her back pocket. Robert was equally as horrified, but (as he swore in Spanish under his breath) slowly edged closer to Alex.

“Boy,” He whispered in Spanish, “What are you?”

Alex looked to his mother and his fears were confirmed, she didn’t and probably wouldn’t ever understand, and he wouldn’t even have a chance to explain, especially not tonight and with Robert in the room. He sighed and picked up the letter he eyed on the floor. Alex walked to the front door and picked up a backpack that was resting on it; the bag was full of his things, which he hadn’t unpacked since he came back from living with those guys on the streets. He turned to face Robert and his mom, who had followed him to the door, but with the horrified expressions still frozen on their faces.

“What am I?” Alex asked again as he faced the two of them, asking the question more to himself than to anyone else. “I’ll tell you what I am. I’m gone.” And with that, Alex turned and phased himself through the doorway.

He walked with his head down on the slush covered streets and looked at the letter once more. What day was this study on again?

“Saturday,” He muttered, and continued to walk, into the early light of dawn.