The Choice

Tuesday, December 2 2014

It’s been two months since everything happened. We are in the middle of the production of Romeo and Juliet, Carson’s absence at school always puts me just a little on edge.

“Hey there bunny.”

I smiled.

Damian’s use of my nickname makes me remember that Carson is ok and at home, most likely playing video games with Peridot. He is coming to school soon. Damian always knows when I worry.

“Hey you.” He kisses my cheek.

“What’s wrong, and don’t say nothing cause I know when you’re worried, your eyebrows furrow and you bite your lip a lot, which by the way is really attractive.”

I roll my eyes at Damian, who seems so nonchalant about everything. In the past six months I went through a couple of traumatizing events. Like one, the fact that aliens are real and a race called the Tharsions live among the humans; two, the fact that I am half alien-half human; three, I’m some kind of guardian that protects humans from God knows what and four, well, one of my closest friends died, came back to life and is living in the mansion that used to be invisible but became visible when the girl concealing it died. Yeah. Normal life right here. What is there not to worry about?

Oh and did I fail to mention that the friend that came back to life has a choice that will affect him forever. He will either be completely evil, or good. Great. He also was in love with me, and so is his older brother, Damian, who wants to be with me but I need to keep it on the down low because of the fact that Carson is mentally unstable. What every teenage girl wants to live.

On top of all that I have this new guy Toby telling me almost every day that he is my ‘opposite’ which in the alien world is supposed to be like a soul mate. Ha! No pressure.

“Obsidian?”

Oh ya, and my name is Obsidian.

“Huh? Oh sorry, I’m not worried and don’t be a butthead Damian, telling me I’m attractive won’t get me to date you, not until Carson is somewhat stable.”

Damian let out a louder than necessary sigh as he tugged one of my braids. “Alright, bunny we will hold off. But you’re still my girl, no wing flapping hick named “Tony” will ruin it for me right?”

I rolled my eyes Toby was the new guy who apparently was my opposite but I didn’t buy it though. Unlike him, I don’t feel any different around him, than I do around any other guy. Well that excludes Damian. To clarify, when I’m around Damian, my heart pounds, my cheeks blush and I almost die every time he says I’m his bunny.

“Obsidian? It’s your line.”

“Oh sorry Mr. Watters”

I said my line and then Damian said his. The part of the play that was distracting me so much was about to happen. The stage kiss. I have done it probably over a hundred times but every time I blush like an idiot. Mostly because Damian was the first boy I have ever kissed. He smiles every time which makes me blush harder. Damian is a type of boy that you would see on the posters at the mall, you know, the kind that always look brooding and mysterious. Inhumanly attractive. Tall, dark hair, green sparkling eyes. That is what I wake up to every morning, except his twin, and my best friend, is the one to wake me up. Willow, also tall, slick black hair going straight to her waist, with beautiful turquoise eyes. Her bubbly personality is in perfect juxtaposition to my calm library girl personality. I looked over at her and smiled and she immediately beamed back. That’s when the bell rings and it’s time to go home.

“I’m glad that Mr. Watters does the practices after school. I just don’t understand why he always rings the bell.”

“It’s so he can say the saved by the bell expression.” Willow said, as she ran over to me and Damian where I was picking up my backpack.

As we walked toward the exit we got a couple of stares, and whispers. This is been very common now because we have recently announced that Carson is coming back to school, everyone who doesn’t know who we are heard the story of him running away after a big fight with Damian. When in reality, he actually died, came back and needed to balance himself emotionally before he came back to such a public space as school. As Damian held the door open for me and Willow, something caught my eye. Cindy, a girl that is known in school for being easy and being far too into Carson was leaning against the wall. Staring at me.

“Umm? Can I help you?”

Damian stopped, and turned his head in the direction of Cindy, shook his head, held onto my arm and gently pulled me outside.

“Ignore her. You don’t want to start anything with that girl, trust me bunny.”

Lucky for Damian I did trust him, with my life. So I followed him and Willow to the car.

“Slut!” I heard her yell from behind me. I whipped around mindful of Damian’s grip on my arm.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“And what may I ask, provoked you to call her such a name?” Willow stepped in, now Damian sighed knowing this would take a while. He turned to face our disagreement, and stared Cindy down.

“Everyone knows that she is playing with both the Carter boys!”

I didn’t realize until now that Damian had a last name, Carter. Strange. I felt like I knew him so well, and I didn’t even know his last name. Damian responded, defending my honor.

“She isn’t playing with anything. Cindy, why don’t you go do everyone a favor and walk away, it’s the three of us against you, and we don’t want trouble. We just want to go home.” Surprisingly Damian was very calm. His tone must have surprised Cindy because she was speechless.

“I will have him, and you will never get him back. In the end you can only choose one of them. Trust me when I say I will take him from you.”

It felt like a genuine threat, but she turned and stomped off. Damian heaved another sigh, and really what could she really do? Damian is an extra-terrestrial and so is his sister both of them are gifted. Damian has accelerated speed and strength and Willow has the gift of compulsion. I’m supposed to have special powers too, but ever since the incident with Toby, Damian and Carson I just couldn’t link to them anymore.

“Alright, drama is over, let’s go home. I’m sure flappy boy is expecting us by now.” He opened the car door for me.

“Why does that girl hate you so much? She barely knows you” Willow asked.

I shook my head “I have no idea what I could have done to piss her off so much. Hey, your last name is Carter?”

Damian was already driving now, Willow and I were sitting in the back seat, the side of Damian’s mouth tilted up. Willow nodded, “Well not exactly, on our planet we don’t have last names. So on earth we don’t have them either. However to be a citizen we need one. So Carter seemed a nice fit.”

Willow smiled at me, I ran their names over in my head; Willow Carter, Damian Carter, Carson Carter it really did roll off the tongue nicely.

“I like it.”

Damian laughed “I’m glad you approve. One day you might have the same one.”

“You wish.”

We all laughed and Damian turned on the radio as we drove home from school. I liked this, between us, ever since I came back, Damian hasn’t been teasing at all, and actually he is much more affectionate. Maybe because he knows that even though Toby thinks he is my opposite, I haven’t acknowledged it yet. Damian has more of a chance since he loves me and I know it.

We arrived home after about half an hour. I stepped out of the car, my boot sank into the snow.

“Why don’t we shovel out here?” I asked shaking off the snow from inside my boot.

“Because I don’t feel like it, and it’s less inviting to intruders.”

I guess he was right. I just hated the snow. My birthday is in the winter and so is Christmas, but its cold. And wet. And cold. I really don’t like the cold. Especially since I almost had all my blood drained out of my body, I have been colder more frequently. As we trudged through the snow to the mansion I could see Toby sitting on the roof, waiting, just as Damian said he would. He flew down to us, that’s right, flew. In addition to being a guardian, I might soon; and I don’t know how soon; grow wings. Which is a great awesome thing, if you love being the center of attention which I don’t. Hopefully I don’t.

“Hey Toby.”

He smiled at me and picked me up making me laugh and he brought me to the house. Toby always knew how to make me laugh. In the last three months, Damian was my rock but Toby was joy.

“Hey angel”

I smiled at my second nickname. Damian didn’t like Toby, that was obvious but he never said anything when he would do things like this. Mostly because he loved the sound of my laugh and hated to see me sad. So if Toby could make me laugh by doing this, he would let it slide. He set me down on the porch which was clear of snow.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Thanks for not screaming.”

I laughed, he knew that was such a silly thing to say to me, I loved to fly, I guess that was the only thing I was really looking forward to if I ever got wings, the fact that they will be strong and powerful, and I would fly.

“Yeah yeah, get a room, actually don’t cause I will throw up.”

Damian put his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a peck. I glared at him.

“Damian! We talked about this already. Carson is—“

“Unstable?” finished Carson, coming out to greet us.

“Oh, uh hey Carson, how are you feeling?”

He sighed blowing air all over Damian, causing him to fidget and narrow his eyes. Carson smiled at me and continued, “Like a lab rat. Like I’m going to be poked and prodded with sharp tools anytime now. But other than that, I’m feeling good.”

I was glad. Even though Carson had the choice to be evil, I know he would never do it. He cares about us too much. About me too much. He always puts us first, no matter what is happening. He literally died for me about three months ago. But as much as I hate to admit it, he is changed.

“Alright let’s go inside, my nose is going to freeze and fall off.”

Damian wasn’t one for sappy moments, especially with Carson. For some reason he was just as harsh as he was before to him, maybe even more. I have no idea why.

“Obsidian!” shrieked Peridot.

The little girl’s body made contact with mine as soon as I entered the house. Peridot, my little cousin, is basically like my little sister. She was taking after Willow in personality I’m afraid, the hyperness is definitely not from my side, both my parents were docile.

“You took so long! Why did you take so long!?” she whined.

Peridot was the only one of the children living in the mansion who was forced to stay inside only because she wasn’t safe outside. It’s not like anyone would kidnap her again, Toby took care of that. Killing any elder that had tried to take us, swearing to stay by my side until he died. Damian refused to let “this bozo” come to school with us he was already sucking all the life out of him at home. Plus Carson and Peri needed a babysitter. But now that Carson was going to school tomorrow it would only be Peridot who would need the babysitter. All of the other kids in the mansion were educated by the older Tharsions. The kids weren’t allowed to go to school only because it was too dangerous. Exposure would be inevitable if they were to go to schools. The only reason Damian, Carson, and Willow went to school was because of me.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” I asked Carson as we ate dinner. Everyone looked to him for his answer

“Happy. I can’t wait to get out of this house, and tell people what happened with me and Damian that was so bad that made me run away.”

Damian stood up “Carson we went over this, if someone asks, you don’t tell them anything. You just say you can’t say anything. Got it?”

He nodded, his mouth full of chicken and potatoes. Anyone could tell that Carson was just joking, but I know Damian well enough that he wouldn’t put it past his brother not to go crazy.

After dinner I sleepily walked upstairs to my room, along with Willow.

“Good night Obsidian, get a great night’s sleep. See you in the morning.”

See you indeed. Willow was my usual alarm system. Willow giggled slightly as she turned to enter her room. As I was wondering what Willow was giggling about I turned straight into the cause of her random little laugh. Damian was leaning against my door frame.

“Hey you.” I said, as I tried to walk around him into my room. Damian has history with getting the better of my emotions right here in this very spot.

“Stop.” Said Damian.

I didn’t look at him “Stop what?”

He grabbed my chin and pulled it to his face. He kissed me. For about the hundred and twentieth time, but it still felt like the first time. He pulled away slowly.

“Stop, ignoring what you feel, stop ignoring your heart. Because it’s going to get mad, and I would hate to see those beautiful eyes be conflicted with hiding how you feel about me. Admit it.”

His eyes were intense and full of emotion I have been inside this trap before. But that was before I knew how he felt about me.

“All I know right now is that I’m tired and I need to go to bed and you should too. Good night Damian.”

I kissed his cheek and went into my room, closing the door behind me. It almost killed me every time I left him even if it was just for the night. People have a bad habit of disappearing around here. I don’t ever want to imagine what it would be like without him being there for me. Waiting. Patiently taking his time. Because in the end, I will always be his bunny.