Side Effect ● Open Novella Contest Entry 2019

3 • Dark Web

The fact my school makes the students go back to school on the 2nd of January makes me want to scream. I was still tired from Levi and mine's adventures. And it was clear no students had fully recovered. Everyone was asleep first hour. Completely out. The bell rang for second hour and we all trudged through our mental fogs to our next class. Then everyone fell right back asleep.

Even the teachers gave up. During third hour, Mr. Tyler waved a hand at his History class and said, "We're watching a Disney movie."

And we did. Mr. Tyler installed a bell over his door so when it opened it would alert him. He used this to wake himself up if the principal walked in.

I was almost asleep myself 30 minutes in when the bell above the door jingled. Everyone shot up straight and Mr. Tyler jerked awake.

The vice-principal came in. He walked to Mr. Tyler's desk and looked at the lines on his face from the pile of papers and pens.

"And what's The Hunchback of Notre Dame got to do with your class?" the vice principal whispered to the teacher.

Mr. Tyler swallowed and said, "Well, obviously we're... figuring out what is... historically correct in the movie."

"You teach U.S history."

"Yes..."

The vice principal nodded the pulled out the second chair and Mr. Tyler kept at his desk. "Then I guess I see no problem," he said, propping his feet up on the desk. "I would like to learn. About this movie. And naps."

Mr. Tyler's relief was almost comical. "Great! Love to have you."

And that was about how the rest of the day went. Sleeping and doing absolutely nothing. And I wasn't complaining.

Levi was going to pick me up today. My car needed an oil change so my dad took it with him to work today. Levi was my ride.

My friend Keira caught me before I walked out the doors. "Is your brother taking you home?" she asked.

"Yeah. Do you want to see him?"

Keira squealed quietly. "Thanks! It'll be just a second then I'll drive off into the winter snow, and then Levi will notice me and we will live happily ever after."

I shook my head, amused. "I wonder what goes through your head sometimes."

"And I wonder why there isn't a boy running through your own head," Keira said. She gripped my arm. "You and Bryson would be adorable together!"

"Ha, no."

"Ask him to Sweethearts."

I pushed open the door that would spit out into the cold air. My boots crunched on the fresh snow. "No thanks. Dances aren't my thing."

Keira sighed so dramatically I thought she was going to add in a faint. "You need a boyfriend. Or even just a boy friend. You know?"

"My brothers a boy. And my friend," I said. And speak of the devil. He was parked in the old white pickup he saved up for in high school. Keira grinned then tossed her hair. "Levi? Is that you?!" She dashed off to the pickup. I rolled my eyes and followed.

Levi rolled down the passenger window and leaned towards it. "Hey, Keira," he said. "Is Jo with you?"

I waved from behind my friend.

"Ah, there you are," he said. "Mom asked us to grab some stuff at the store. Better go. You need a ride, Keira?"

Keira laughed, twirling her hair. "Thanks for asking but I'm good. It was nice seeing you!" She turned and ran to her car. "Bye, Jen!"

I waved and as I did so, she slipped on the ice and fell on her rear. Her face flushed redder than her lipstick and pushed herself to her feet. Keeping her head down, she dashed away, more cautiously this time, to her car.

As I climbed into the truck, Levi asked, "Something up with your friend?"

"She has a crush on you," I said, pulling my seat belt across my chest. Levi raised an eyebrow. "That's weird," he said. "Aren't I a little old for her?"

"You're more attainable than her other crush."

"Who's that?"

"Hugh Jackman."

"So I have him as competition?" Levi said. He put the truck in gear. "I don't stand a chance."

***

The steel target a ways in front of me clinked and sparked, the orange fire barely visible in the afternoon light.

"Your turn," I said. I stepped to the side and Levi took my spot. He extended his arms and aimed. The matte black of the gun was stark against the bright, cold sky. He fired, the target clanging.

"I can't feel my fingers," he said, lowering the handgun. I could hear his voice through the microphone ear protectors. "Let's head in."

"No, just a few minutes more," I begged. Before he could argue, I turned the volume off on my headset so I couldn't hear him and raised my arms. I fired three times, but I missed the last target, the bullet embedding itself in the straw bales stack wall.

I turned the volume back on. "Come on," I said. "I still need to practice. I'm not even close to as being as good as you and Dad.

"Tomorrow, I promise," Levi said. He pinched the side of the gun and caught the magazine before it fell into the snow. He pulled back the slide and a single bullet was ejected. He scooped it out of the hard snow and put it in his pocket.

I sighed and knew I had lost the battle. I followed Levi in his motion of putting the guns away. We walked through the field back to our house, jumping over tracks carved into the ground by the pivot.

"I can't believe you're going to art school," I said. Levi sighed. "It's a real major, I swear."

"I wasn't saying it wasn't." The wind began to pick up and blew loose hair from my ponytail into my face. I blew out the strands.

"I just didn't think you'd go all the way to New York. All of my friends' siblings and cousins just go to the colleges nearby. The farthest ones are in Utah."

"I want to travel a bit before I get married," Levi said. I stopped walking and stared at him. Levi kept walking then turned to look at me. "What?"

"You're getting married? To who?"

"Oh my goodness, Jo," Levi said with exasperation. "I don't know yet. But eventually, I'll get married and stay with my family instead of exploring the world. I just want to cure the travel bug before it festers for too long."

He kept walking and I followed behind. I could tell he wasn't mad at me. But he was mad at something.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah. I just..." He fell silent until we got to our backyard.

"I don't really know. I'm not ready to 'adult', you know what I mean?"

I giggled at his choice of words. "Exactly. Every time I remember I graduate next year I get worried. You seem to have everything figured out."

We stepped onto the deck and Levi grabbed the sliding door's handle. "I'm great at pretending."

***

Terces11's fingers flew across the keyboard. He hit send then waited. In no time, a reply was sent.

"Your last batch was bad."

Terces11 pursed his lips and thought of what to say then typed out,

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The buyer replied,

"My brother's sick from it. Something went wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. Everything that happens is supposed to happen."

Terces11 blocked the user and shut out of the chat. He closed the laptop and looked about the dark room. Little packets littered the floor, bowls, torches, and powder reigned galore. Everything that happens is supposed to happen.