The Grand Pursuit of Someone Else's Mistakes

Chapter Four

English was over. Spanish was over.

I was walking down the hall, arm in arm with John Solomon, my one and only. He and I were sharing stories, laughing, catching the eyes of fellow classmates who stared as if we were billionaires.

He was a dream. I was in heaven.

His presence was addicting, so much so that I almost cried when we separated for seventh period. He kissed my hairline and promised to find me after school. I trudged into the classroom.

Almost every chair was filled, but I managed to get the window seat somehow. I leaned my head on one hand, staring at the solitary tree surrounded by flowers in the middle of the lawn. I could still feel his fingers in my hair, his fiery arm holding mine, his lips on my forehead. His deep, genuine laugh, his dark, soul searching eyes. His white smile and clean scent.

I almost didn’t register what I saw. I was staring at nothing in the direction of a beautiful tree, sunlight glinting off its leaves, orchids blooming at its feet –

I blinked.

A boy appeared out of thin. Air. He grabbed the trunk, and the entire tree snapped –

In his hands.

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He hadn’t meant to space travel. He was out of control. Who had seen it? Was anyone watching –

He saw a girl in the window, staring directly at him. Was she…crying?

No. No, she wasn’t.

He turned and ran.

He ran and ran, until he found the parking lot, and ran until he burst into the woods. And he ran –

Straight into his brother’s arms.

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“What happened?” Matthias attempted to avoid menace as he hugged a shaking Ash. He’d seen Cat’s shoulders tense. He’d seen the splattered tree trunk. He’d seen the black and white streak of his brother, like a comet across the grass.

“I didn’t mean to.” Ash was close to tears. “These guys, they beat me up, and I – I tasted blood in my mouth, and –“

“Bullies?”

“I didn’t hurt ‘em, Matthias!” His almost transparent eyes were flooded, his pale lips were cracked. “I blinked, and instead of snapping their necks – “ He looked through the undergrowth, in the direction he had just come.

Matthias drew him close after a moment. “You did the right thing.”

A while later, the sound of distant human chatter reached them, and they glanced over. School was out. People streamed through the exits, heading to their safe little houses and their wild parties and their normal lives.

Matthias sighed. “Let’s go get our stuff.”

Of course they ran into Cat.

“Hi, John.” Her tone was polite, but her face was pale. Matthias tried for an innocent smile.

“Hello, Cat.” He saw something change in her expression when he spoke, as her luminous green eyes searched his. Yea, he knew blue contacts didn’t work well with chocolate eyes. He prayed it wasn’t obvious. “Oh, um, this is my brother.” He put a hand on Ash’s shoulder and smiled again.

Cat looked uncertain. She took a deep breath, to herself. “Hi. I’m Cat Wolfe.” A smile dawned on her perfect face.

Matthias knew Ash was grinning. The boy stuck out a hand. “Judas Anderson. Albino- American. I’m fifteen.”

Matthias smirked. Ash loved telling people that. Because of course, he was really two years younger. At least it would be true eventually.

“Aah, I see.” She gave him a you’re-so-cute-I’m-not-worried-that-I’m-considering-you-to-be-a-supernatural-creature look. Then she glanced over their shoulder, and burst into a childish grin. “John!” She’d skirted them and dashed into his arms before they’d turned around. Ash’s face fell.

“Don’t even,” Matthias murmured, amused. Poor kid had it coming.

Ash cussed.

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“So I was sitting there by the window, doin’ nothin’, right?”

John and I were half laying on his couch in his very small apartment. My back to his chest, his fingers in my hair. I still puzzled over how he’d picked up on that. But oh well.

Literally he had a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Very cozy.

And he was hot. In both senses.

And suddenly I was dizzy. Fluttery. My mouth decided not to open while my body began to melt. And he was laughing at me! Laughing as he wound me in his arms –

“You’re so adorable,” he whispered low in my ear. I shuddered, only to hear him chuckle again. “Now tell me? You were sitting by a window, looking at a tree…”

I clenched my teeth, battling for control of my voice, until I decided I’d found it. I swallowed and relaxed. “Yea, and I wasn’t really paying attention, so I blinked and suddenly – This boy appeared right before my eyes, like, materialized in the air! One second the lawn was empty, the next he was snapping the tree trunk in half with his hands.”

John’s body heat pulsed in slow waves under me. I layed my head back, almost on his shoulder. “He whirled, looked straight at me with barely existant blue eyes, and shot off like a bullet. Nothing but a white and black blur.”

“So…he had black hair?”

“No, actually, hold on.” I sought the hand at my chin, and cradled it to my sternum. “So then the other John – you know him, right? – gets up and leaves. Just like that, misses the entire period. After school, right before I found you, I ran into them.”

“Hm.” His thumb smoothed my fingers.

“The kid is John’s brother. Judas. Up close, I could see that his eyes really are sightless looking. And his hair is pure white. He told me he’s fifteen.

John pondered this for a full minute. “Okay. You’re looking out the window at an empty lawn. A young teen appears out of nowhere. You watch him snap the tree in half.”

“With his hands,” I put it pointedly.

“Yes.” I heard him smile. “A classmate abruptly walks out of the room, no explanation. You happen to see them together in the hallway later. They tell you they’re brothers.” He fell silent.

I waited through his pause, resisting my habit of repeating myself just to fill silence, absently rubbing my ankle with his. As he thought, he kissed my hair. Then my shoulder. Then my neck…

I knew he wasn’t thinking anymore.