Karmas return, p.13
Karma's Return, page 13
“I should get home before dinner. Do you want a ride, Emma?” Ebony asked.
“That’d be great, but I biked here.”
“I should get home too,” Ty said shooting his last shot.
When we got to the parking lot, we got to Ty’s car first and stopped.
“Ebony, it was fun. Don’t be shy when you see me at school.” He gave her a fist bump and then he turned to me and lifted his arms for a hug.
I could feel Ebony stare at us as I stepped into his arms and hugged him back.
“So?” he asked while holding on to the hug a little longer than necessary. “Did I pass for the role as a coach?”
Stepping back, I angled my head. “With flying colors. You can definitely be my assistant.” I smiled and looked to Ebony. “Don’t you think Ty would make a good basketball coach for younger kids? I’ve asked him to help me coach my fourth-grade boys’ team.”
“You coach basketball?” Ebony sounded surprised.
“Yes, I started a few years ago. It’s a lot of fun.”
“I’ve wanted to do that, but I didn’t know how to go about it.”
“You could always help me if you want to try it out.”
“Hey, don’t give away my spot,” Ty protested and lightly pushed at my shoulder.
I grinned widely. “Wouldn’t dream of it, but there are twelve kids on my team, and they could use all the help they can get. Several of them have never played before and some of them can be a handful.” I touched his elbow. “Which is why I loved seeing your leadership skills when you got all authoritarian with that guy who pushed me to the ground.”
Ty straightened up. “I don’t know what his problem was.”
“Apparently I reminded him of his ex-girlfriend.”
Scrunching up his face, Ty asked, “He said that?”
“No, but his friend did.”
Ebony shook her head. “That dude was such a clown, but I wish I’d gotten your epic shot on video.” Turning to Ty, Ebony told him how I’d walked up to the guys asking for us to play with them and how they had rejected us. “You should have seen her challenge them to shoot for it and then swish the ball from the half court line.”
“It wasn’t half court.”
“Close to,” Ebony insisted.
I shook my head, silently telling Ty that it wasn’t true, but he just laughed.
“You’re a badass, Emma White. Own it!”
“Not really. I get nervous about all sorts of crazy things that shouldn’t matter.”
“Me too,” Ebony admitted and looked away for a second, before she pulled up her backpack. “I gotta run, but let’s do this again some time. It was fun.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.” I smiled at both of them before walking around the building to see Miracle sitting on top of Emma’s bike.
Miracle honey, what are you doing? I said with a grin because she looked funny with the way she had both hands on the handlebars, her head leaned back, and her eyes closed.
“I’m imagining what it feels like going downhill the way you did when you biked here earlier.”
You like bikes?
“Yes. And cars. And planes. Anything with speed. It reminds me of my last life back in Egypt when I won glory and honor in horse racing.”
But you’ve never tried what it feels like riding a bike or driving a car.
Getting off Emma’s bike, Miracle came to stand in front of me and tapped her temple. “Which is why I’m using my imagination. Now let’s talk about Emma.”
All right. Straightening up, I declared, I’m very happy with the progress I’m making in Emma’s life. She now has two new friends.
“Good. Do you think it would be safe to give her back the reins? It would be best if we can finish this before Dion finds out what we’ve done.”
With concern, I asked, You haven’t told him, have you?
“No. But he came asking for you and I’m horrible at lying. I think he sensed that something wasn’t right.”
I unlocked Emma’s bike and swung my leg over the saddle while telling her, I’m working as fast as I can, but I need to solidify the friendships and see if I can sort out the situation between Emma and the teammates who bully her. Bringing back Emma too soon could backfire.
“I know, but just sort everything out quickly, please.” Miracle gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I believe in you, Karma. You’ve got this.”
“Thank you, sister. It’s good to have your support.”
“Always.” With a smile she faded away and without the illuminous outline of her body, the parking lot by the Y now seemed gloomy and dark.
As I pedaled home, I learned that I enjoyed biking downhill much better than uphill and found it symbolic for life on the physical plane.
Putting all my weight into the pedals, I felt my thighs burn as I worked my way toward my house. It seemed obvious that what I needed to do, metaphorically, was get Emma to a mountaintop with a beautiful view. Then we would bring her back into her body and hopefully it would be an effortless downhill journey long enough for her to gather the strength to deal with any uphill stretches in her future.
CHAPTER 15
Friend Zoned
Karma
The first period on Monday morning was only an hour long, but it felt like three hours had passed when the bell finally rang. Math definitely wasn’t Emma’s passion, and I couldn’t blame her because the old teacher made the class feel like nap hour with his slow, monotone way of talking.
I yawned as I headed out the door and up the stairs to the third floor for my Psychology class. Students passed me on their way down the stairs, most looking at their phones. A boy came running from behind and pushed to get past me. I scrunched up my nose from the smell of unwashed body odor he left hanging in the staircase.
“Emma.” The sound of Ty’s voice made me turn around and see him jog to catch up to me.
My face lifted out of my sleepy state and into a smile. “Hey, Ty.” He brought with him a welcome scent of masculine cologne.
“Can we talk?”
When I nodded, he led me to a corner on the third floor. His eyebrows were close together as if he was searching for words. “I thought about that friendship thing between us.”
“Yes?” I studied his face. With his strong jawline and nice eyes, he had the potential to grow up and become one of those timeless handsome men.
His gaze was locked with mine and way too serious compared to the fun we had yesterday. “It’s just that I’m confused. You said that you’re not homosexual, but I felt like you were trying to set me up with Ebony yesterday and when I got home it kept bothering me how you’ve clearly put me in the friend zone without giving me a chance. It’s kinda cold.” He paused with his eyes trailing to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “What if I want to be more than just your friend?” Ty leaned his head down, his nose brushing against mine before I took a step back.
He was going to kiss me, and I couldn’t allow that. It was possible that Emma wanted to kiss Ty, but if so, I would leave their first kiss to her.
It was easy to read confusion and hurt from my rejection on Ty’s face. “I’m sorry, but I thought... Emma, come on, why did you tell me you had a crush on me if you don’t want me to act on it? I told you I think you’re cute.”
Feeling Emma’s desire for this boy, I answered, “Look, Ty. I’m really tempted, but there’s more to a relationship than attraction. I’m not interested in being your friend with benefits. That would never be enough for me.”
Ty took my hands. “You don’t understand. I’ve already told Maddie we’re done. I really like you, Emma.”
I turned his hand around and felt the palm. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not convinced we want the same thing either. Don’t risk what has the potential to become an amazing friendship between us just because you’re curious and want a taste. Take some time to think about it, Ty. There’s no shortage of girls you can hook up with if that’s what you want.”
“It’s not like that. You’re different.”
I stayed silent and watched Ty’s head sink low until he muttered.
“You say it’s not a no, but it sounds like it.” His jaw tightened and his eyes fell to my shoulder.
“I didn’t lie when I said that I have a crush on you, I’m just not interested in a short fling and from what you’ve told me, you don’t seem to be looking for anything serious. Maybe over time, when we’re older and if I’m still single, our friendship can grow into something more.”
“If you’re still single? Does that mean you are actively looking for a boyfriend?”
I let my hand fall to my side and looked down the hallway, which was now empty. “If the right guy comes along, I wouldn’t mind.”
Ty looked frustrated with his forehead creased and his lips nothing more than a flat line. “I want to be that guy.”
I recognized jealousy when I saw it and suppressed a smile. “I’d rather have you as my friend than have you break my heart. Ty, honestly, you and I have been honest with each other and when it comes to expectations for a relationship, we’re not in alignment.” My voice was calm and carried no judgment.
“Yes, we are.”
“Are you sure?” I took another step back, hoping that he would drop the subject until Emma was back in her body and could decide for herself.
“Why are you moving away from me when I’m telling you that I want to date you, for real?”
I looked up and down the hallways, before meeting his gaze. “I’m flattered, but I need to see that you’re serious, and right now we need to get to class.”
“Can I at least have a hug?” He stepped close.
Opening my arms, I embraced him, and reached up on my toes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Emma’s body reacted with one more of those tingling swarms of butterflies, while Ty responded by pressing his lip to my cheek and holding on a little longer.
“We really should get to class,” I repeated, slightly out of breath from Emma’s excitement.
“Yeah, we should,” he agreed but stayed behind as I hurried down the hallway.
With a hand on the doorknob, I looked back a last time and found him standing in the same place. I had been a young man enough times in past lives to understand how there were parts of his physiology that had probably been affected by our long hug. For a long second, we smiled at each other before I entered class.
When lunch rolled around, as I stood in the cafeteria line waiting to pay for food, I felt a light tap on my arm.
“Hey, Emma.”
The young man from the school band whom I’d been talking to at the game stood behind me with his drumsticks sticking out from the front pocket of his hoodie.
“Oh, hey, Chris. How are you?”
“I’m good.” He waited while I gave the cafeteria lady my school ID for her to scan.
After Chris did the same, we walked to an empty table, silently agreeing to eat lunch together.
“I heard that you stood up to Mr. Klein and totally roasted him the other day in class. Someone talked about it at band practice and called it epic.” Chris set down his tray and took a seat, while shaking his head slightly. “I wish I’d seen it. He’s such an ass to us students.”
“Mr. Klein is just a sad soul with a lot of learning to do. It’s a shame, though, when people like him end up in positions of power. His need for others to see and respect him is so large that he can easily become a tormenter to students who are already struggling.”
“I wish you would open your mouth more often,” Chris said and lifted the top bun of his burger. “Seriously, from what I heard, the way you spoke to him like you were scolding a young boy was world class.”
I returned his smile before biting into my sandwich.
“Do you even know how mad Mr. Klein got after you left? Apparently, everyone was whispering about what happened and he shouted at the class to pay attention. It was fucking brave of you to take one for the team and tell him exactly what we’re all thinking.”
“Thanks. What would you have said if you’d been the one speaking?” I asked when I’d finished chewing and took a sip of water from my bottle.
Chris had picked off lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles from his burger and now took a tentative bite. After looking thoughtful while chewing for a moment, he said, “Hmm, probably that I’m sick of how most teachers treat us like we’re small children. They use that annoying tone where they talk down to us like we are less than them. I mean, I’ve had a few good teachers that I felt really cared about me. But I feel like most teachers have too many students to invest in them all, and they just find us annoying.” Chris put down his burger and continued talking. With the way he gestured with his hands to underline his words, he reminded me of a French or Italian person. “And it’s so stupid you know, because we’re the future. Those power-hungry teachers may be talking to future doctors, firefighters, or lawyers who will one day go out there and save lives. And then people like Mr. Klein treat us like we are just a piece of garbage.”
I was listening to Chris’ rant, analyzing every word until I got distracted by the feeling of someone watching me. My eyes lifted and locked with those of Ty, who sat on the other side of the cafeteria. He had a flirtatious smile on his lips and a surge of excitement ran through me.
Picking up his phone, he typed something and looked back at me just as Emma’s phone vibrated in my pocket.
I smiled when I read his text.
Ty: When are we coaching the boys?
Me: Wednesday nights from 7 to 8. The boys will be so excited if you come.
He was quick to reply.
Ty: And what about you? Will you be excited if I come?
I gave him my answer when I lifted my head from the phone and looked in his direction. With a broad smile, I nodded and mouthed Very.
Ty gave me a thumbs up before he was distracted when someone spoke to him.
I returned my attention to Chris, who was finishing off his rant by swinging his hands through the air, and using a dramatic voice: “I wish I could tell them all, ‘Move aside, old people, we’re coming.’” It made me laugh that he said those words to an ancient soul.
“Hey, Emma!” Ebony came by and took a seat next to me. “What’s so funny?”
I gave her a side hug and let Chris update her on the subject at hand.
Ebony was quick to agree with Chris’s frustration. “You know what really annoys me? All the multiple-choice tests we get. They say they want to teach us critical thinking, but then they give us multiple-choice tests as if there’s only one right answer to everything. And the worst part is that it feels like a bunch of trick questions. Sometimes in psychology or English, I could literally argue that several of the answers are correct, but they never let you.”
Chris nodded in agreement. “I think they choose two answers that are correct, but one is just slightly more correct than the other. Which is so stupid, because it’s a complete set-up. Why would they try and sabotage us when they need us to get good grades for the school to be ranked well? You know, my cousin moved to Europe, and he says that the school system is totally different. They don’t focus as much on memorizing as they do on actually learning stuff.”
Ebony laughed. “Yeah, I heard that too. They’re actually encouraged to have an opinion. Can you imagine?”
The bell rang too soon, because I preferred strengthening Emma’s new friendships over going to classes. As we got up to leave Ebony touched my arm. “You’re coming to the team pasta feed tonight at AJ’s house, right?”
Julie had reminded me of it this morning, but I had entirely forgotten until that moment. “Yeah, I am, and you?”
“Sure. I was thinking we could go together. If you want, I can give you a ride,” Ebony offered as we went to throw out our trash.
“That would be awesome.”
“Okay, great!” She gave me a little hug before heading to her class.
I could tell Emma wasn’t excited about social time with her teammates, but I was. None of them scared me and this would give me a chance to figure out how to stop the girls from bullying Emma. If they didn’t, I would have to teach them lessons in empathy once I had my powers back.
CHAPTER 16
Pasta Feed
Karma
Ebony drove us to AJ’s house for the pasta feed, and on the way, I came to like her even more. She was easy to talk to and introduced me to some of her favorite songs.
I sensed that Ebony was grateful to have me at her side when we entered the house, because just like Emma, Ebony was an outsider who didn’t feel seen or welcomed by her teammates.
The girls were grouped up on the sofa looking at a phone and giggling.
“Hello,” I said, linking my arm with Ebony’s as we entered the living room.
Except for AJ, who greeted us with a short “hey,” there was no real greeting or even acknowledgment of our presence.
The last few girls on the team arrived shortly after us and we all went to the kitchen to grab a plate of the pasta that AJ’s mom had made.
“Alright,” AJ said, holding up a piece of paper as she took a seat at the long dining table. “Coach Thomsen gave me an activity checklist. First thing is to share something about yourself that we don’t know.” AJ read aloud from the list.
Ebony was quiet and I could tell she felt uncomfortable. The two spots next to her were taken so I sat down across from her and sent her a comforting smile.
“Who wants to start?” AJ asked.
I sat quietly, absorbing the energy in the room and observing the body language of the girls. I wished I could tell Emma that none of these girls were purposefully trying to be mean. They were just young and eager to fit in. Each of them shared the fear of not being good enough. I would have loved to give them all lessons in empathy, but if I were honest, it would be hard for any of them to save someone else from drowning when they were struggling to stay afloat themselves.
Everyone shared their personal talent or secret, but there was no discussion or real interest from the group. When it was Amy’s turn to share something, she giggled nervously and fiddled with her napkin.
