The New World: The Awakening. Leahann Cavanaugh

amazed to see so many toys in one place that wasn’t a store.

      “Yeah. They can be yours too if you want,” he said softly. I looked at him as if he was up to something.

      “No, really, I don’t have anyone to play with, and most games are for two players,” he explained. “With them being yours too, you can come over and play with them anytime you want.”

      “That sounds nice. What’s the catch?” I said, not believing the deal that was just made.

      “Catch?” Jason repeated. “Oh, you mean what do you have to give me?” he asked.

      I just continued to give him that look.

      “Nothing at all. Just your time. Oh, and you have to be my best friend like how our moms were,” he added.

      “What about your other friends? The ones you were playing with earlier?” I asked.

      “They really don’t like me. They only pick me for their team because I’m good at sports. Any other time they make fun of me because I’m smart and I wear glasses and because I’d rather read a book than shoot hoops,” he ranted.

      “Ooo, you know how to read?” I asked with excitement.

      “Yeah, you don’t?” he questioned me.

      “Yes. A little. I’m only four,” I snapped back.

      “It’s okay. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said calmly.

      “Can you read this to me?” I asked as I grabbed the biggest book I could find and sat down in the middle of the floor.

      Jason came and sat down beside me. I started rambling about other books my grandma had read with me. To be three years older than I was, he was very patient with me.

      “Lyric, Lyric,” he called to me. “Do you know who I am?” he asked me, looking very serious.

      “Of course I do,” I said. “Your name is Jason, my name is Lyric. We just met, remember?” I giggled out loud.

      “I guess you don’t,” he mumbled to himself.

      “Can you read this to me please?” I asked politely, hoping he would just open the book.

      “Big plans, I say.” He started to read the title. Then he opened the book to the first page. When I used to see letters, I would get excited even though I couldn’t read all of them. I knew they meant something.

      “How about we read together?” Jason suggested.

      “I can’t read,” I said, angry because he knew this already and he made me say it again.

      “Here, give me your hand.” He reached out, grabbed my hand, and put it over his heart. Then he grabbed my other hand and put it over his temple on his head. He told me to relax.

      “Is it going to hurt?” I asked, worried.

      “Not at all, my queen,” he replied. He put each of his hands on my temples.

      Then he stopped. “Did it work?” I asked, looking at the book, still not being able to read.

      “Now that we’re best friends, you have to promise and swear that you will never tell any of our secrets. Not to anyone, not even your grandma. This is our first, okay?”

      “Okay,” I said, just wanting to read. He slowly placed his hands back on my head and looked me dead in my eyes, and I felt the feeling that I feel when my grandma holds me when I’m afraid. He closed his eyes and they started to glow like someone turned a flashlight on under his eyelids. I started to get scared, but I didn’t want to move my hands. I wanted to read. This feeling came over me, and it was Jason telling me not to be afraid, that it was almost over. So I wasn’t. First, his hands started to glow, then mine did. Then this warm sensation came over me, and he just smiled at me and asked, “Are you ready to read now?” I looked skeptical of his magic trick. I thought to myself, I’m a little kid, but I’m not stupid. I picked up the book, still looking at him, not sure if I should even try to read.

      As soon as I looked at the first sentence, I could read, “I have big plans I say!”

      “Well, what does it say?” Jason asked, curious to see if his magic trick worked.

      “Big plans I say,” I repeated out loud after I said it in my head five times. He gave me a huge smile and a big hug and kissed me on the forehead.

      “Okay, creeper fella, it’s time for me to go. Grandma!” I yelled, hoping she would find me and I wouldn’t have to walk through the dimly lit house alone.

      “I’m sorry if I startled you,” Jason apologized.

      “You didn’t startle me. I’m just not prepared to be in that type of situation,” I said, curious to why I was using big words. I asked Jason, “How do I know them?”

      “Just call it a gift. You can come over anytime you want to,” he reminded me. “Oh, and don’t forget our secrets—”

      “Is our secrets,” I finished his sentence and walked out the room. Ever since then, I’ve been my grandma’s gifted child.

      Over the next few weeks we became inseparable; everywhere he went I went. When it was time for me to start school the following fall, my grandma had me tested out of kindergarten and into third grade. I ended up in Mr. Biziono’s class, Mr. B for short. He was funny and little just like me. The only thing weird about Mr. B. was that one of his front teeth was gray, like that one tooth had been smoking too many cigarettes. I was nervous to be placed in a class with seven- and eight-year-olds, but as Mr. B was introducing me to the class, I saw a smile that just lit up my soul. Jason was sitting in the fourth row third seat back. This feeling came over me telling me to just breathe. So I did.

      “Everyone, this is Lyric Daniels. She’s joining our class this year, Mr. B said to the class.

      “Why?” a girl named Destiny said.

      “Because Lyric has a special brain that allows her to understand third-grade work,” he tried to explain.

      “Yeah, special retarded,” another girl named Julie said.

      “Yeah, special retarded,” a boy named Eric repeated. He sat in front of Jason. Jason, upset when Julie said it the first time, reached in front of him and smacked the back of Eric’s head while Mr. B was getting my workbooks together.

      “Hey,” Eric whined.

      “Do something,” Jason jumped.

      We didn’t say too much to each other during class. We really didn’t have to. I felt what he was thinking, and he felt what I was thinking. After lunch we got fifteen minutes of free time. I stood at the top of the steps, scared to venture off with the big kids. I turned my head as if I was expecting someone to be there. Then suddenly Jason came up from behind and grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s walk.”

      The rest of recess that was exactly what we did—held hands and walked around the blacktop, sharing thoughts, feelings, and ideas without saying a word. Every day for the rest of the year that was how it was. No one ever tried to make fun of me again. The next few years are kind of a blur. Seems like all five years were wrapped into one big memory. I remember meeting Jason, spending all my time with him, then one summer he never came back.

      I was ten, and by this time Jason had shared basically everything he knew about his world and outer space that he was allowed to tell me. He was a great magician, always making things float and disappear then reappear, making flowers bloom—and everything he shared with me I kept a secret. After all these years I never asked Jason what happened to his mom, how come he didn’t talk about her like I talked about my mom. That’s when he started to look sad and said, “I killed her.”

      “That’s not funny,” I said, seeing that my mother died having me. I quickly realized that he was not joking. Then he told me the story as if it was from his own memory. A tear slowly fell to his cheek and mine.