Tales of Olsen

11

When I awoke the next day, I was acutely aware of the fact that a very handsome, very mysterious man was asleep on our couch. He had agreed to help us but only on the condition that we would have to do it between our study sessions and only in my apartment. As a compromise, he had agreed to be our helper if he could take his room with him. Jordan and I had watched fascinated as he magically folded his room into a neat box and carried it away. Jordan had offered him her room but he refused and had taken up residence in the living room.

“Well, this should be interesting,” I whispered

“It will be,” a newer more familiar voice said

“Why are you in my head!” I demanded,

“Oh, you, you didn’t know you could do that?” he asked nervously

I let out a grunt and threw myself back into the bed.

“I’ll just leave you alone,” the voice continued

Instead of staying down, I jumped off the bed and marched into the living room.

“How are you doing that?” I demanded, “can others read my thoughts?”

“I wasn’t reading your thought,” he said, “I was merely responding to something you said aloud in your mind.”

I stood wondering if he might have lost his mind.

“I can’t explain it. I just know that the things you want private are private and the things you wouldn’t mind sharing aren’t private.”

“All of the things are private!” I insisted

He smiled a bit and I realized just how young he looked without the heavy black cloak. He almost seemed normal.

“Sit,” he said

“I have to be ready for class,” I said

“This will only take a moment.” He insisted

I wanted to protest but instead, I sat down next to him. I felt my heartbeat pick up just as it had done the day before and I tried my hardest to calm myself.

“Put your hand in mine,” he said

I hesitated for a moment but then I acquiesced. The instant my hand touched his I could feel everything he felt. It reminded me of the morning after finding the medallion when my mother had hugged me. It was overwhelming, but he still held my hand. I could feel his power, his strength, his fear, and uncertainty but there was something much more powerful. It felt like love, overwhelming and unending love. I snatched my hand away.

“What?” he asked

“I, I could feel what you felt,” I whispered

“Oh,” he said with concern, “I didn’t realize your powers were still so raw.”

“I can’t do this,” I said,

“I’m sorry,” he replied, “I was only trying to show you how the bond works. You can call on me whenever you want, shut me out whenever you want. Just know that I’ll be by your side for as long as you need me to guide you through this.”

His eyes were sincere, and I couldn’t help the rush of heat I felt in my stomach.

“Alexander,” I said, “why do you love me so much?”

He looked shocked but then he shook his head.

“I should have known you would see through me.” He said, “don’t worry, I’ve loved you all my life, but I know that you and all the yous I have known in the past are very different people.”

“What does that even mean?” I asked wondering what the other mes had been like.

“It doesn’t matter.” He said reaching up and brushing his hand against my cheek, “our mission is more important than any feelings I have towards you.”

“You still haven’t told me anything about it,” I said

“I can’t right now,” he replied

“Why not?” I asked confused,

“Well, you have class in less than an hour,” he replied pointing to the clock on the other side of the room.

Looking up at the clock I realized that he was right.

“See, this is exactly why I didn’t want any part in this,” I said 

“I will not be blamed for making you late,” he said in a low even tone that didn’t mask his amusement very well, “you will get there in time if you hurry.”

I ignored him and rushed to my room to change. I could hear Jordan’s voice in the living room as she chatted with Alexander and it annoyed me that she had managed to get ready on time as if our lives hadn’t changed drastically over the last few hours. Five minutes later with sweats and a t-shirt on, I walked into the living room with my backpack.

“Great outfit,” he teased.

Ignoring him I went directly towards the door.

“Ladies,” he said, “it is very important that no-one knows that you know who I am and even more important that they don’t know that I’m here.”

I nodded and opened the door. The journey to our lecture room didn’t take very long and we made it just in time for the class to begin. The other students in the room didn’t seem to notice our obvious fatigue and surprisingly we made it through the class without much effort to focus. When the class was over a few persons asked us to meet with them for a study group, but we declined. I was eager to get back to the apartment to be with Alexander. Besides the answers I needed from him, I also wanted to be around him. I had never once felt the way he made me feel and it was both exciting and terrifying.

“Eloise,” Jordan said dragging me out of me inner-thoughts

I could tell by the look on her face and the way she raised her brows that something was wrong and that we needed to leave. As I stood I realized just what she was so worried about. At the front of the room, Keith stood looking up at us.

“Wave,” I commanded her

I didn’t need him to think we were suspicious of him

“He’s calling us down to the front,” she said nervously,

“Then let’s go,” I replied

She looked at me as if I was crazy, but I ignored her.

“You’re the one who insists we do this,” I said under my breath as we walked to the front of the room.

The lecture hall was almost empty now except for a few students hanging around to talk.

“Ladies,” Keith said

“You’re here,” Jordan said with false surprise

“I thought I would swing by to check on you girls.” He said

It was strange, but I didn’t say anything.

“How thoughtful,” Jordan replied

“Eloise,” he said, “this may be a bit inappropriate, but I was thinking we should get dinner sometime this week to talk about those reading materials you were interested in.”

“Ah, I don’t think I’ll have time for that,” I replied, “I have so much studying to do.”

The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t pleased, and he was doing his best to conceal his disapproval.

“I can assist with that.” He said

“We have a study group.” Jordan blurted out

Keith looked at her as if he would destroy her right there on the spot and Jordan shrunk back.

“Truth be told,” Keith said reaching over to rest his hand on my shoulder. He hadn’t touched me before and I shifted so his hand wouldn’t rest on me, “I like you. It’s a bit improper for lectures to see their students but you’re different. We would be great together.”

If I didn’t know him better, I would have been convinced by the look on his face but there was something sinister in his eyes that I could not ignore. It pierced me and made me uncomfortable.

“I’ll think about it,” I replied flashing him a nervous smile.

I knew I couldn’t completely rebuff him or he would become suspicious and so I was doing my best to string him along while keeping him at arm’s length.

“Don’t think too long,” he said

Without another word, he moved away from us and I could see the way he flexed his hand as if he hurt from the thought of touching me.

“What was that about?” Jordan asked turning to look at me.

“I can’t have him thinking that I’m unto him,” I replied, “I have to act as if I know nothing,”

Jordan nodded and we both walked out of the lecture hall. There weren’t many people standing in the hallway, but I felt as if there was a presence nearby.

“It’s the old man,” Jordan whispered as we walked down the empty hallways, “I think he might be spying on us.”

I couldn’t understand why but the thought of being followed made me even more uncomfortable. Had he been to our room and was he aware that Alexander was there?

“Do you think he knows?” I asked

“If he did, we’d know,” I replied

Together we walked out of the building and into the open where clouds had begun forming on the horizon. Unlike other times where we would rush to the library, we rushed to the car to head home. There was much to learn, and it seemed we were running out of time.