The New World: The Awakening. Leahann Cavanaugh

      “How much for the earrings?” I asked again as I turned around to see if Jay was still there. He was.

      “For you five dollars including tax,” she replied, grinning from ear to ear. That’s when Jason made himself very noticeable.

      “Why do you play your games, old woman?” he asked the woman in a language I never heard before yet I understood.

      “Jason, sire, on earth,” she said, surprised to see Jason in the flesh.

      “Where else would I be but with my queen?” he replied.

      “Your queen,” she looked confused, “here on earth. No way, you’re mistaken,” she tried to persuade him.

      “Silence!” He put one hand up, and her mouth was closed shut. I couldn’t believe this was Jason, the sweet, innocent boy who would protect me by any means necessary.

      “All I want to know is who gave you the money,” he asked.

      I was lost. I looked at her and asked, “What money?”

      He let her speak. She said nothing. “What money?” I asked again, but this time I asked him.

      “The money that paid your way for this trip,” he said.

      “Wait, I thought that was money from you. I saw you that day at my school,” I said as I pointed at Jason.

      “I was only there because of rumors circulating down here,” he explained. “I would never send for you to come here knowing how dangerous it is for you. Does Liz know you’re here?” he asked.

      “How do you know about Liz?” I returned the question. He didn’t respond.

      “Tell me!” I demanded.

      “Seems like I’m not the only one keeping secrets.” The old woman laughed.

      Jason put his hand up, and she started to choke on her own spit. I looked back at him. I didn’t have to say a word; he already knew how I felt. He could feel it.

      “Look, lady, I’m kinda pissed right now, so can you please tell us where you got the money, and we’ll be on our way,” I said as politely as I could.

      “I saved up,” she said jokingly.

      I could tell on Jay’s face he was fed up. He walked up to her and put his hand on her heart and said to her, “Your physical body will show the real age of your soul.” And as he reached up to touch her head, she screamed, “Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you, but I swear I didn’t know about the sting.”

      “What sting?” I asked.

      “This man came up to me, kinda looked like you, Jason. He said I could make some quick cash. All I had to do is put $400 in my account and write a check to a school in Ohio for that amount and I could have the rest.”

      I put my hand over her heart; she was telling the truth.

      “Did he tell you why?” Jason asked.

      “He just kept saying ‘I fucked up’ to himself,” the old lady replied.

      “Girl, I think I got me one.” Denise ran into the store with her camera phone open and ready for me to see her future temporary boo.

      “Oh, I see you got yo hands full here. Hi, sweetheart, I’m KitKat, Lyric’s best friend,” Denise introduced herself in a flirty yet protective way.

      “This is your new best friend?” Jason said disapprovingly. “This is who you replaced me with?”

      “What’s wrong with me?” Denise fired back on the defense.

      “I’m just saying I thought I was irreplaceable,” Jason said quietly as he walked out the store.

      “Damn, Denise, you just had to speak, huh,” I growled at Kit.

      “Damn, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to talk to the brotha,” she said, apologetic.

      I followed Jason out of the store, and Denise followed me. It looked as if his feelings were hurt.

      “Give us a minute,” I told Denise as I went to talk to Jason.

      “What’s wrong?” I asked as he paced back and forth. He put his hands over his head. “What are you doing?” I was scared of what he might do next. I couldn’t feel him. I couldn’t tell. Before I could ask him why he was upset, he turned around, grabbed my face, and kissed me ever so gently.

      “Damn, Lyric won,” Miles said as he admired the kiss that Jason had given me.

      “How she win? She didn’t even know about the bet.” Denise demanded a redo, so Miles gave her one. Then Jason kissed me again.

      “Ah, Lyric won again,” Miles said happily, rubbing it in Denise’s face.

      “Fuck!” Denise said, pissed she was out forty bucks and still didn’t get the type of play she wanted.

      “What was that for?” I asked him.

      “The first one or the second?” he replied.

      “The first.”

      “The first one was just because. The second one was because I’m in—” Jason said, but before he could finish, Mr. P ran in and interrupted, “Ms. Daniels.”

      “Fuck, dude, every time though,” I whined.

      As I was joking around with Denise, I was surprised to still see Jay there in front of my principal and friends. Now even if he did erase my memory again, I have backup memories on standby, I thought to myself.

      “Lyric, there’s been an accident,” Mr. P said, trying not to speak too loudly.

      “What do you mean there’s been an accident?” I questioned as panic filled my heart. Jason automatically told me to calm down. Everything built up inside me, and I started to get hot. For him to tell me there’d been an accident and the only relative I have on this earth was the only person who could have had the accident, how could I calm down? The light bulbs in the mall started to blow one by one. The closest ones to me went first, and fast. Everyone ducked. Jason grabbed my wrist with one hand and my hand with the other. The pressure instantly started to fade away.

      “Lyric, please come with me,” Mr. P signaled for me to come with him.

      “Who are you? You’re not one of my students,” Mr. P snapped at Jason like he was my protector.

      “I’m a very old friend of Lyric’s, “Jason said respectfully.

      Mr. P looked at me, not really sure if he should believe Jason or not, but I nodded to him to let him know that it was okay.

      The walk to the surface and two blocks to the buses was quiet. Mr. P really didn’t know how to break the news to me, so he just kept quiet. The whole walk I was quiet. Mr. P thought Jason was crazy because he kept talking to himself, but really he wasn’t. He was answering all my questions.

      “I don’t know what happened…I have a clue…I don’t want to jump to conclusions…Everything’s going to be fine. Please don’t worry, my angel,” Jason said to me quietly.

      “I’m so worried for my aunt,” I said. “You never told me how you knew about her. Hell, I didn’t even know about her.”

      The look on his face said it all, that she wasn’t my aunt. He didn’t have to say a word.

      “Angel, please don’t feel that way,” he pleaded. “I swear I only did it to protect you.”

      “Protect me? You being by my side, that was how you were supposed to protect me. ‘I promise I’ll take care of you, Lyric.’ Bullshit! Instead of really being there for me when they sent me to that fuckin’ hell where they poked me with needles and played mind games with me, I was all alone. I had no one. You didn’t even let me feel your presence. You lied to me. Sent me hundreds of