Battlefield: Control (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-One - Orlando

"I promise!" Tait repeated.

"Okay, because if you don't make it..." Orlando said. "This is a big deal. I'm wearing a button-down and a tie. And it's red, the shirt I mean."

"You broke out a color? You must be trying to impress him."

"More like trying to make my sister's life easier. She went to a lot of trouble to cook this dinner. She's been in there all day. Chicken Kiev, twice-baked potatoes, I mean, it's pretty fancy."

"As soon as Peyton is back with the car. I have my cute purple dress on and everything. I'm all set." She sounded rushed. She was breathing faster and louder than normal.

What is she doing? Lying again? Or is she really ready to come over? "Okay, try not to be too much later," he said at last. After good-byes were said, he hung up.

He stepped back into the living room to do more awkward socializing. Lyssa snuggled on the couch with her boyfriend. Orlando could sense her nervousness. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, making him think if he did or said anything wrong she would most likely kill him. He was trying—hard—to behave. It made him uncharacteristically quiet, which was almost worse.

"Jon is a Lunar Falls alumni," Lyssa said, to break the ice.

"Only my senior year. I transferred when my family moved in from out-of-state," Jon said.

Orlando tried to think of something to say that wasn't 'cool' or potentially offensive. "It's a good school," he said. "Small but it has character."

"I think it's been good for you," Lyssa added. "Grades are up in some of your trouble subjects and you're going out to do things more. It's great. Is uh...your girlfriend on her way?"

"So she says." He shrugged and that was enough to make Lyssa stop inquiring further.

Jon crossed his legs. "What are your trouble classes if you don't mind my asking?"

"Calculus and Biology. Lyssa got it into her head that placing me in advanced classes for both was a good idea." Orlando shot his sister a playful glare.

She chuckled. "You weren't being challenged enough at Morningtide. Besides, you're getting Bs in both. That's really good."

"That's slightly above average."

While he didn't always show it, Orlando knew he was capable of getting all As. In fact, he used to get them all of the time and was on the fast track for Valedictorian back at Morningtide.

He knew how to calculate how much work he needed to do in order to get by without failing. The year his best friend died, he let his previously perfect GPA slip, but no one said a word about it because he'd done just enough to not flunk out.

"Which is good," Lyssa insisted.

"Of course you think so." He realized how harsh that probably sounded. His sister was not as studious as he. She was excited over a C. "She's a good motivator, I mean," he added, hoping that would make her forget his comment. He needed to be pleasant even if it killed him.

Jon smiled over at her. "She is. If you ever need help, let me know. That's right up my alley."

"He's a marine biologist," his sister added, and gazed into the man's eyes like he could do no wrong. Orlando wanted to leave the room then for fear of them spontaneously starting to make out. He didn't need to see that.

Jon rubbed his sister's arm slowly, they exchanged a smile, and then he returned his attention to Orlando. "Unfortunately, work is hard to come by," Jon said.

"Yes, since we're in the Midwest, I would think it hard to find work as a marine biologist," Orlando said.

Once again, he mentally kicked himself for saying something that could be taken the wrong way. It simply seemed logical to him. If the guy wanted to work with creatures that lived in the water, going to a place where there was an ocean or a large sea made sense.

Jon laughed, and shook his head. "Jobs don't pop open much out on the coastline. Right now I'm working on making myself some connections at the state zoo. I volunteer there about once a month—if I'm lucky twice—to help care for the animals and train them. I especially have a love for stingrays. They're amazing, smart, playful, and social. Sea turtles are awesome too. I love them all. There's also plenty I can do with the local wildlife in the lakes and rivers. I have a season pass to the big aquarium too, another place I'm hoping to get an in with. We should go some time."

"We should?" Orlando asked, a bit startled. How old does this guy think I am? Five?

"Well, you can come with. Yeah. I have friends who work there. It could make a nice double date, or just something to do to get out of the house," Jon said. "I had been thinking more about me and Lyssa, but I meant it when I said I wanted to spend more time with you too."

Orlando only nodded, feeling a lot like the guy was trying to be his stepfather or something. "Maybe a double date."

He tapped his hands on his knees and watched the minutes tick by on the clock. Twenty minutes passed, and Tait still hadn't come knocking on the door.

When that twenty minutes became an hour, Orlando stood up.

"You guys can start eating. I don't want the food to burn," he said quietly.

"But what about you? Your girlfriend?"

"I don't think she's going to be making it. Just a hunch," he said. "I'll catch the leftovers. I don't want to be a third wheel."

He didn't wait for either of them to answer. All he wanted was to be alone. I can't believe she's standing me up tonight. But why am I surprised? It wouldn't be the first time. And he didn't want to think about the lame excuses she would come up with either. If anything, he was tempted to go over to her house and see what she was really up to.

It wouldn't be hard for him to figure out where she actually was. There were spies outside her house now, and bugs planted inside. She was watched constantly—all because of him. Oddly, he didn't feel too guilty about it.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed Tait's number, half hoping she'd answer, and half wanting to go to voicemail. He got the latter.

"Just wanted to let you know not to bother coming over. Dinner couldn't wait. It's probably a bad idea. How about next time you tell me what really works for you, and maybe you will actually show up?" He hung up after that, not even bothering to give her a proper good-bye.

I don't know why I expected otherwise. He changed clothes into something he could move in, and then went to The Apartment to properly vent out his frustrations.