Chapter 4: Benedict Photoni

“That's sick,” I tell him.

Piece looks at me. He genuinely looks confused. He raises his eyebrow perplexed.

“What's so sick about your mother being alive?”

“I'm saying that it's sick that you would lie about something like that,” I tell him.

As much as I'm attracted to him, this is something that I don't play about. My voice is raised up a little bit. I don't want him around anymore. I don't know what kind of games Piece likes to play. I'm not here for the games though. I'm not going to deal with them.

He seems like he likes to play mind games. He likes to talk in circles. He enjoys keeping me guessing.

He leans up on the bed, “I'm not lying.”

I almost believe him. A part of me looks at him and wants to believe him.

“I saw my mother die. I watch the machines steady out. I saw her die in that hospital...”

“From what?” he asks.

“Some strange...disease. Doctors weren't able to say what it was. Some rare disease.”

“So you aren't sure how she died but you're sure that she died,” he says at that moment, “Interesting...”

I can't deal with it anymore. I'm beyond disrespected.

“Look, it's getting late.”

“Are you kicking me out?”

I go to the door. I can't believe I'm doing this. Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he wasn't the person that I thought he was. That amazing feeling is still there. It's still in my gut just looking at him but I can't let him disrespect the memory of my mother to my face. A crush is just that. It's just a crush.

I open the door at that moment.

I watch as Piece gets up.

It's Aunt Gloria that walks through the door though.

“Jamison!” she says surprised, “I didn't know you had company. I came to tell you dinner was ready. My. And who is this...”

Aunt Gloria's eyes light up. Piece smiles at her from the bed. I can tell she's excited that I have someone over. Aunt Gloria never saw me with anyone but Cedric and maybe a few guys I worked with.

“He was just leaving,” I tell Aunt Gloria.

“Really? Before dinner?” Aunt Gloria asks, “I cooked spaghetti...”

“I love spaghetti,” Piece says.

I shoot him a look. His stare is the same deceptive stare that intrigues the fuck out of me. I'm just staring at him and I know he's already convinced Aunt Gloria before she opens her mouth and says it.

“It's settled then. You're staying for dinner.”


=========================================================================

The dining room table is awkward. Piece is sitting next to me. I can't help but stare at him. He has smooth looking lips. Even though I'm pissed about his stupid comments about my mother I am still attracted to him. The more I look at him the less pissed I get. A part of me just wants to reach across the table. I want to hold him in my arms. I want figure him out.

He is such a mystery.

My aunt is in the kitchen and he is smiling.

“You stare a lot,” he says, “You know that...”

“Sorry...” I say.

“You don't have to apologize. I like it,” he says.

I choke a little bit. I don't know how to react to that and it catches me off guard.

I'm clearing my throat, “Eh-erm...”

“Here. Have some water...”

The jug of water slides across the table towards me. I know Piece has moved it with his mind. It makes me choke a little bit more.

“Do you mind not doing that? Not here...” I tell him, “I don't want my Aunt to know about any of this...”

He doesn't agree. He doesn't have the chance to. Right at that moment my Aunt comes back with the food. She places it down.

In a matter of seconds Piece is in the plate.

I can see my Aunt's eyes get wide a little bit.

“Piece. We actually pray in this house before we eat,” I say.

I am a little bit amused by my Aunt's reaction. I'm a little bit more amused by the fact that Piece seems completely surprised by this. He drops his fork on the table and looks at me as though really trying to figure it out.

“Pray to who?” he asks.

“Um. God...”

He seems so interested all of a sudden. His eyes light up, “That's amazing. I've never prayed before a meal. I've heard about people doing it. I've never done it though. Go ahead. Carry on.”

“Sheltered aren't you?” Aunt Gloria says.

“Somethin' like that,” Piece replies, “My family believed in science. My father was a scientist. But I've always thought that there was something else out there. Something bigger.”

“Maybe I can you can come with Jamison to church with us one day.”

“Really?” Piece asks, “I'd love that...”

Aunt Gloria smiles. He's winning her over. I can't help but smile too. I don't think Piece is nearly as naive as he wants us to believe he is. He's playing it. I can tell. But still I'm so interested in him. I'm so amused by him.

After we pray he's eating as fast as he can. Aunt Gloria and I just watch him after a while. It's like watching an alien come to a new planet. He's eating spaghetti like it's the best thing he's ever had.

“I have some more...” Aunt Gloria tells him.

“It's amazing,” Piece says, “I haven't had it. Not since my mother died.”

“That's tragic,” Aunt Gloria states.

“Not as tragic as when my father died. He was murdered. That was tragic,” Piece responds.

I swallow my spit a little bit. Piece is saying it like it's regular dinner talk but I can tell Aunt Gloria isn't used to it. My face turns red.

I try to change the subject, “Aunt Gloria is an amazing cook. I love her food.”

“Is it just the two of you here?” Piece asks.

“For a while, yes.”

“How is she your aunt?” Piece asks.

“What?”

“She's your aunt. How is she your aunt? Through marriage or blood.”

Piece is direct.

“Marriage,” Aunt Gloria responds, “My husband was his father's brother. Jamison follows right after those Reid boys. They were all so handsome.”

“Where are they now?” Piece asks.

“Direct aren't you?” Aunt Gloria asks.

Piece is direct. He's doing that thing where he makes people feel uncomfortable. Aunt Gloria never liked to talk about my father abandoning me. She never liked to talk much about Uncle Charles either.

So I answer for Piece, “My father abandoned me when I was very young.”

“Why?” Piece asked.

“He was a confused man,” Aunt Gloria stated.

“Why confused? What did he do for a living?”

Aunt Gloria shrugs, “I don't know. Jamison's father was always very secretive. Both him and my Charles had their secretive ways. I guess that was the Reid way of thinking.”

Piece looks at my Aunt and smiles. My aunt is so innocent. I think he's digging for information to see how much my aunt knows. She doesn't know anything though. At least that much I'm sure of. If my father was a mad scientist or whatever she had no idea bout it.

“Where is your Charles now?” Piece asks.

“Charles? He died...”

“From what?” Piece asks.

I don't get it. Why the hell does he care? I can tell Aunt Gloria is a little uncomfortable by it. It takes a lot to make Aunt Gloria uncomfortable too. She was one of the most open minded people I knew in my life.

“Piece maybe we should just stick to dinner talk,” I say.

“It's ok,” Aunt Gloria explained, “Charles died of a strange disease. The doctors couldn't put their hands on it.”

I never knew that. I assumed Uncle Charles died of cancer or something. I never asked Aunt Gloria. I just took her word for it.

“Interesting,” Piece states, “Jamison, didn't your mother die of an unknown disease too. With all these diseases around mysteriously killing people you would think the doctors would figure out what they were huh? Run a test. Science is the only confirmation that we exist. That's what my father always said. If they didn't know what was killing them---how could they be so sure they were dead? You know?”

Aunt Gloria and I exchange looks. She looks freaked out. She's probably wondering why I brought this weird ass boy in the house that says strange things about dead people.

Things get SO awkward at that point.

Then all of a sudden the door bell rings.

Piece looks at the door, “Oh shoot. They found me already. Thought I had more time.”

I don't know what Piece is talking about but he seems a little upset. I walk to the door leaving him there. I open the door. I see Kenicky and Mal Tiffany standing there. They are both in suits. They both look relatively annoyed that they are standing at my door right now.

Neither of them give me any pleasantries. They don't even smile.

It's Kenicky who speaks, “We came for the Pest.”

“The pest?”

I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see Piece standing there.

“They are talking about me,” Piece states, “Isn't it endearing how they call me a pest? Real welcoming isn't it.”

“Hurry up,” Kenicky says.

“Wait...” Piece replies.

The two of them stare BULLETS at each other. It's Kenicky who gives in first though. She turns and starts down the hallway.

“We'll be at the elevator,” she tells Piece, “Waiting...”

Mal Tiffany lags behind looking at me, poking her head in the house and glaring at my Aunt Gloria. My heart is beating fast with her looking the way that she looks. Piece is mysterious. Mal Tiffany and Kenicky though give me a different vibe. There is something very malicious about them.

“I have to go,” he states, “My evil stepmother sent her guard dogs to get me back.”

I grab Piece all of a sudden. I don't know what it is but there is this strong need for me to protect him. There is something about Mal Tiffany and Kenicky that I don't trust. Something about them that is unsettling.

“Are you safe?” I ask him.

“Aw...are you going to protect me?” Piece asks.

I don't know how to respond to that.

“I just want to know that you're safe,” I whisper to him.

Piece does something I don't expect at that moment. He leans into me. He kisses me on the lips. His lips are so...soft. The delicate kiss sends me over the fucking edge. He literally takes my breath away. It's just a peck but at that moment the world seems to stop. At that moment everything I wanted was right here in front of me.

He was more than just a boy.

He was more than just a crush.

He was my future. And I knew it. I KNEW it in my heart.

“They are just dogs. They are properly muzzled,” he explains before taking a few steps back into the house, “Thank you Aunt Gloria. Your homecooked meal is the best thing I've had in years.”

Aunt Gloria just waves.

She's been properly freaked out for the night. I'm sure.

I watch Piece wave at me. He walks away. I lean out of the door and watch him all the way until he gets to the elevator where the two malicious looking tall women are waiting for him. He is cool and collected. If he is in danger or if he does have something to fear, he doesn't show it. His hands are in his pockets. He had a strut to him. He's confident. Safe.

Before he gets to the elevator he looks back at me one last time. He stops my heart...one last time.

I close the door when he leaves the elevator.

I'm leaning up against the door. I'm pressed up against it. I'm touching my lips. I'm clutching my arms but really I want to clutch Piece. I want him in my arms.

My Aunt Gloria is standing there staring at me without me even knowing, “Out of all the boys out there you bring home the weirdest one you can find?”

“Aunt Gloria. Relax. He's not my boyfriend or nothin'.”

“Not yet. I see how you look at him,” Aunt Gloria states, “Your uncle looked at me the same way. You Reids get something in your minds and you don't let go.”

“I'm fine Aunt Gloria.”

She puts her arm on my shoulder, “I hope so...because I know trouble when I see it, Jamison. That boy. That boy there...he's trouble...”


=========================================================================

A week passes and then two weeks. I don't text Tonnet. I'm scared to. The war she is talking about is something that I don't want anything to do with. The thing I do want something to do with however is Piece.

I find myself sitting around the lobby a lot hoping that I'd run into him. I don't run into him though. There are a lot of people going in and out of the Corporation. I look at the building a little history about this place.

“Have you seen your lover boy yet?” Cedric asks me.

It's the end of the day. Two weeks have passed since Piece left my house. At first I was worried that maybe the two women did something to him. I don't know why, but then I start doubting it. They called him the pest. They must have not taken him serious. They must have just looked at him as some trickster who was always up to something. I hoped that was the case at least. I hoped no one looked at him as a threat.

“Lover boy?” Rodney asks Cedric, “The rich boy that he's been crushing on.”

Rodney, Cedric and Isaac are with me at the local gym after work. I needed to relieve some stress. My heart is thirsting for Piece. At this point I would be satisfied just seeing him. I can't get him out of my head. At times I feel like I may be fucking losing it.

“Cedric you told them what I told you?” I ask.

I shared with Cedric who Piece was. I didn't tell him about what the Corporation did or anything about the Receivers. I just told him that Piece was the stepson of Victoria Cass. I told him that his father was the one who started the company with another man...supposedly what was my father.

I wanted to see how much I can trust Cedric to keep his mouth shut. Clearly I can't trust him too much.

“I can't help myself.”

At that moment Rodney turns, “I heard rumors about that boy. About all those people with gray hairs. The people in the building that work for them. I don't know what their working on but it's real hush hush. And they are terrified of the gray haired folk walking around. There' s a bunch walking around. Like 5 I think.”

“Seven...plus Piece,” I respond.

“I don't mean to alarm you guys. But these gray haired people you are talking about. Is that that them out there?” Isaac states.

We turn at that moment. Outside of the window we see a bunch of people standing there. They are just standing there.

They all have gray hair.

“Holy shit...” Cedric states.

It's not the gray-haired people from the corporation. It's not Victoria Cass, Piece and those people. These are the others.

Piece called them the Sewer Lineage.

And Tonnet is there. She is sitting up on a car with others. They are staring into the pizzeria. The handsome mixed boy with the gray eyes is standing next to her. I remember his name. Bombard. That had to be it. These folk aren't some extremely uniform, extremely handsome bunch. They are random people. An older man with what looks like an old fashioned harmonica in his hand sits on the sidewalk. A boy who looks about 14 or 15 is also there. He stands off to the side and crosses his arms.

They are strange and disorderly.

“I'll be right back guys,” I say.

“You going out there...with those people?” Cedric asks.

“Relax. I'll be fine,” I tell him.

I know I'm not convincing Cedric but I don't need to. I don't care to actually. I leave the pizzeria and walk out to these strange people.

It's no coincidence that they are here. They are waiting for me.

“It took a while to find you,” Tonnet tells me.

She looks excited that she's found me. I wish I can share her excitement. I don't. I want nothing more to do with these people honestly.

“I've been around...” I explain.

They are looking at me. All of these strange people. The old man is eyeing me up and down. The young boy is doing the same. Bombard looks away. He doesn't seem like he likes me very much. I wonder if it has anything to do with Piece. Hell for that matter I'm not his biggest fan either. He's damn attractive and it makes me wonder if him and Piece ever had anything going on.

“Walk with us...” Tonnet said, “We never know whose watching in these streets...”

I hesitate a little bit. I look back at the pizzeria. I am not sure she's talking about Cedric but Cedric is watching. Him and my other coworkers are glued to the glass. I wave at Cedric telling him goodbye. I can see him shaking his head no. It's not brain science to know these people are strange. They give off a vibe. They give off the same vibe the guys at Adam and Adam Corporation give off.

We are walking down the street. The young boy stands close to me. He's a handsome looking guy. He'll grow up to be a good looking dude. All except the fact that he's missing a front tooth almost completely. He's too old to be missing one so I assumed it must have been knocked out somehow. He is Spanish and has curly hair on the top of his head. The old man seems to be leading the way and the others follow behind him with the young boy continuously looking up at me.

“Prall stop it,” Tonnet says all of a sudden.

I don't know who she's talking to at first but then I see her eyes target the little boy next to me. I am not sure what she's talking about but then I see my fucking wallet floating in the air! I snatch it immediately out of the air.

The little boy puts his hands up, “I wasn't going to take anything. Promise. I was just curious...”

I don't know how to respond to that. The little thief was moving my wallet out of my pocket without touching it. He was moving it without me knowing.

Tonnet sees my expression, “Sorry about that. That's Prall. He's our little Robin Hood. It comes in handy when we need it. Other times...not so much.”

Prall leans in and smiles at me, showing off his missing tooth.

“Whose that?” I ask about the older man leading us.

“Old man Keeper,” Tonnet says, “Don't expect much conversation from him. He's a sweetheart though. If he does talk to you...I suggest you listen. He has a lot of good advice.”

An old man, a young thief, a boy who hates me and a girl who looks like she just escaped the 70s. It was definitely a weird group of people.

“This way,” the old man says.

We are going down into the subways. I should have known. It makes sense why Piece calls these people the sewer lineage. It made me wonder why they were so afraid. Was Victoria Cass so terrifying to these people that they felt like they had to live underground? Victoria Cass has a corporation with 40 floors that scraped the sky of Chicago and these guys were hiding underground?

If that was the case and there was a war going on, it was becoming extremely clear who was winning.

“Where are we going?” I ask them.

“To see Antietam. It's long overdue,” Tonnet tells me, “She's been wanting to you.”

“That name. Piece said some crazy shit about that person.”

“You've been talking to Piece?” Bombard asks.

I am not aware that he was listening to our conversation. He is further ahead. He stops all of a sudden though and waits for me. His gray eyes almost seem to challenge me. I know for a fact that me and this boy are not going to get along.

“Yeah, he spent some time over my house,” I tell him, “Met my family. You know. All the good stuff...”

I can't help it.

I swear at that moment I feel the ground shake a little bit. I can't prove it though. Bombard turns and walks away relatively quickly. I can't help but to smile as he does.

“You don't have to mess with him,” Tonnet tells me, “That's not nice.”

“What? I'm telling the truth.”

“You had Piece over your house?” Tonnet asks, “You know you should be careful of him. That boy is trouble...”


“I'm hearing that a lot lately...”

“Maybe you should listen. Bombard fell hard for him. Hard in love. Just like you did. He's been playing with Bombard forever now. That's what Piece, the pest does. He plays with people. Maybe he's just some rich boy. He's not on our side. He's not on Victoria's side. No one knows what the Pest really wants. He's just...odd.”

“This coming from a girl who moves things with her brain.

Tonnet Tiffany laughs a little bit, “Exactly. So you know how strange you have to be to be strange to someone like me. What was Piece meeting with you about anyway? What does he want with you?”

“He was telling me about Antietam. He says she's my mother,” I say.

Tonnet stops.

“Oh...”

“Isn't that fucking crazy? My mother died.”

I can see Tonnet looking awkward. She doesn't know what to say right now. She just nods a little bit in this strange way.

“Hurry up,” the old man says.

I want to talk to Tonnet a little bit more but I don't. I just let her keep leading me. They take me deeper and deeper into the tunnels.

We end up at a door.

“Open it...” Tonnet says, “Antietam wants to see you alone in the hideout. We'll wait out here until she calls for us.

I reach over to open the door but Tonnet grabs my hand.

“What?”

“Don't open it with your hands. The door is much too heavy for that. Open it with your mind. Your mind is much stronger than your body.”

“I...can't...” I reply.

I see Bombard roll his eyes next to me, “This is what Antietam is so excited about?”

I am finding out that I really really don't like this dude. It's more than the fact that he and Piece may have had something going on. It's more than the fact that he clearly still feels something about Piece. It's more than the fact that he is attractive and a little obnoxious. I don't like this boy because he's thinks he's so fucking grand. A part of me wants to show him. A part of me wants to put this Bombard dude in his fucking place.

“Ignore him,” Tonnet Tiffany tells me, “Use your mind. Use your real strength.”

I look at the door.

“I can't...”

“Picture it open. Picture it turning.”

I focus hard on the door. I keep looking at it. Nothing is happening. The little boy next to me Prall is laughing. The old man keeper is playing his harmonica. Bombard is grunting and sighing as though annoyed that it's taking me so long.

Tonnet Tiffany is the only one who seems the least bit supportive.

And I'm trying. I'm trying hard.

I'm breaking out in a sweat.

Turn. Open.

5 minutes passed. Ten minutes pass.

Turn. Open.

30 minutes pass. Prall is asleep outside of the door. Old Man Keeper is playing another song on his Harmonica.

Turn. Open. Please. Open.

Bombard is crouched over. He's playing catch with Tonnet Tiffany. Even she has given up on me. They are passing a ball back and forward to one another without touching it.

I can't lose focus though...not even after everyone stops paying attention to me.

Turn.

Open.

I can almost feel myself reaching out to it. I can feel myself opening the door. Then I realize. I haven't moved. I haven't moved an inch. But somehow it feels like I have another hand. It feels like me focusing on that door is causing it to move. And it is! The door is moving. It's fucking opening. And the force is something that I'm not used to. It's thrilling!

By the time the door is open I'm sweating but it was worth it!

“I just fucking moved a door...with my fucking mind!” I say.

“Took you long enough,” Bombard says.

“Go in,” Tonnet says, “She's waiting...”

Why do I feel so nervous? Why is my heart skipping a beat? I look at that door and I don't think it's possible that I'll see what Piece described. He must have just been playing one of his games. I'm sure about it. Piece was lying to me.

I'm sure about it.

I'm so sure about it but I'm dripping in sweat.

So I walk into the room.

It's an older room. It's nothing comfortable looking at all. It looks more like a control room then a home. Are they living down here?

There are several computers sitting around. It has an old smell in it. The railings are a bit rusted. I can hear the old creaky ventilation system overhead. It's super annoying. The main room has stairs that lead up to a second floor. I don't see what's on that second floor but I hear footsteps.

Then I see her walking.

She walks into the room. She is a short woman. Her hair is strange and long. Her hair has natural curls that fall down her back. It's almost like a natural curly afro. It's full and thick. She has jeans and a leather jacket. She looks tough. Her walk is something that I've never seen before. The thick hair is something I've never seen before.

Then I get into the face.

And it IS something that I have seen before.

“I've been waiting for you,” my mother says, “Son...”

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