Chapter 5: 3. When We Met
Brandon made his way out of the cemetery after spending a much needed visit to his mother. The visit seemed to have lasted longer than he had expected, it was now night fall and Brandon was in major need of some rest. He walked around the small town, looking for an alleyway or some other hidden spot to sleep for the night. He let out a heavy yawn as his eye lids grew heavier. He eventually found a small, hidden alleyway and headed inside of it. He looked around for a spot to sleep for the night along with make sure he wasn't in somebody else's resting place. To his luck, nobody was there. He sighed in relief as he also found a place to hide out for the night. He pulled his bag off of his shoulders and searched around for something to sleep on. He pulled out a hoodie and sat it down on the ground next to his bag. He carefully laid down, using his bag as a pillow as he curled up into a little ball to keep himself warm. He let out another yawn before closing his eyes for the night.
After a much need night long rest, Brandon woke up and started to put his hoodie away. He stretched a little, being a little sore due to lack of support while he slept. He looked around to see if anybody was in the alleyway. He spotted an older man who seemed to be asleep. He quietly made his way out of the alleyway, not wanting to wake him up. Once out of the alleyway Brandon started to look around for a place to eat. He checked his pocket to see if he had any money. He eventually pulled out a 5 dollar bill and sighed in relief. He walked around searched for the cheapest looking restaurant. He eventually found a decent looking cafe, heading right for it. He was greeted by the strong scent of freshly brewed coffee and teas. It was definitely rush hour as he observed the very long line. He kept himself occupied by peeking at the menu. He calculated in his head what would be the best option in terms of price. He eventually came to a conclusion that the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich would fit his budget the best. They even had free cups of water, perfect! Soon he was next in line and quickly placed his order, one sandwich and cup of water which left him with $2.00 left to spend later. He was pleased at how quickly he revived his food and quietly walked off to find a place to sit. He didn't speak to anybody else as he started to eat his breakfast. He didn't want anybody to catch onto what he was doing. He looked out the window and observed the morning rush. There was heavy traffic, loads of people walking and even a few bicycles. Brandon always thought the morning rush was a bit silly. All of these people were in such a hurry just to get to work and possibly spend most their time there complaining about it. He continued to eat as he watched the morning rush. He finally finished and went to get rid of his trash before heading back out. The morning traffic was finally starting to thin out, but it was still a little overwhelming. He decided to follow in the direction of the traffic, not wanting to bother with fighting back against the crowd. It's not like he had a destination in mind anyways. He didn't know where he wanted to go, or what he wanted to do or who he could even talk to. He never planned this far in his escape plan. His objective was simply getting out of that terrible place. Now that he completed that objective, he felt a little lost. He had no where to live, nobody to talk to, no job or enough money to care for himself. He observed the buildings around him, letting whatever caught his eye be where he went this morning. The crowd continued to thin out, allowing him to see more and more. It was a beautiful city with tall blue skyscrapers, tiny boutiques, plenty of restaurants and of course a few snobby looking people and their fancy cars and suits. He admired it for a little, losing focus on where he was going. This caused him to run right into some traffic cone, "woah!" He yelps as he trampled it. He picked it back up, looking to see why it was there. He noticed people setting up weird looking canopies and even a few food trucks. He raised a brow, never seeing something like this before.
"Excuse me." Somebody shouted behind him, holding a fairly heavy box in her arms. Brandon jumped as he heard her sudden command.
"Sorry!" He stepped to the side, looking at her. "Oh, do you need some help?" He quickly offered her.
The girl looked him over, eventually handing him the box. "Yeah, thank you. My father's booth is just over there." She pointed before leading him there. Brandon carefully carried the box over to where she had wished.
"What even is this? What's up with all these canopies... and people?" He questioned curiously. "Don't they have work?"
The girl smiled, "one of the city's favorite festivals. It's to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall." She explained. "The festival opens up at 12:00 and carries on until 10:00. People will have plenty of time to visit."
"So, a labor day festival?" He questioned, "but Labor day isn't until a whole other week. And isn't in on a Monday?"
"Oh we know. People usually travel during that week to see their family, so we usually take this weekend. Starting Friday and ending Sunday." She explained to him. Brandon nodded as he listened to what she said as he sat the box on their table.
Brandon looked at her, "makes sense. So, what is your father doing for the festival?" He looked around at the start of their little setup.
"He and a few other co-works run a small booth for the police academy." She explained, "my father is an officer, as you probably figured out. Crime is a little wild here, but it doesn't seem like he'll be retiring any time soon." She opened up the box. "They hand out boring papers and all that. I help and hand out what the people really want. Thermal cups," She pulled out a grey colored, thermal cup that came with a little straw. "Cup koozies," She pulled out a blue colored cup koozie with a police badge printed on the front. " candy, and police badge stickers for the kids." She pulled out a big bag of assorted fruit candies and one roll of the stickers. "I also get paid $5 and hour by my dad." She shrugged, "I'm trying to save up money for college, I'll take any money I can get my hands on."
Brandon nodded, looking at everything, "cool." He smiled, "does he have any success?" He questioned as he watched her open up the bag of candy. She offered him a few pieces after she saw him eye balling the bag. Brandon took them, opening up one of the cherry flavor suckers and plopping it into his mouth.
"I think..? I never really ask him. But from what he told my mom, and the crowd I've tended to before, I think it does pretty well." She shrugged before starting to set up the table. "Would you mind helping me again?"
"Sure." He moved to take his book bag off and set it down on a chair before going to help her. She pulled out a simple, blue colored table cloth. Brandon moved the box away so she could lay it over the table. He sat the box back down once the cloth was ready and helped her get everything out.
The young girl started to organize everything on the table. The papers and brochures on the right side of the table, and all the 'fun stuff' on the left of the table. "Oh, I'm Marissa by the way. Marissa Applin." She smiled, holding out her hand to him to shake.
Brandon gently shook her hand, "Brandon Aless." He replied. "It's nice to meet you. Marissa"
"The same goes to you." She finished organizing the table and took the box from him. She sat it down underneath the table. "There's three more boxes in my father's car. Could you help me with those as well?" She questioned calmly.
"Of course, would my bag be okay staying here?" Brandon looked at her.
Marissa nodded, "of course. My dad will be over here soon, he's helping my mother set up her booth." She explained before leading him down the street and over to where her father was currently parked.
"What is her booth?" Brandon followed her. He felt a little tingle as Marissa moved to take his hand, he raised a brow. Hands don't do that right? He quickly moved his hand away as he noticed his body starting to heat up.
"Baked goods. Her friend owns a little bakery down the street from here. My mom always helps with the booth." Marissa pulled out a set of keys. She also felt a tingle on her hand, but was a little late to address it as their hands parted. "Umm..." She thought for a moment, giving him a questing glance.
"You felt it too?" Brandon knew what she wanted to stay right away, "I felt a tingle too. I didn't hurt you did I?" He panicked a little.
Marissa shook her head, "no... It's just..." She continued to look at her hand. Brandon looked at his own hand. The two slowly drew their hands closer, feeling the tingling sensation once again. Brandon noticed his body starting to heat up once more, slowly starting spark. Marissa gasps as her body grew cold, small snow flakes started to come off of her body. Brandon's eyes widen. Marissa's did as well, "f-fire! You have fire powers!" Marissa exclaimed, "you're one of us..." Her eyes widen, "no way!"
"What?! You have fire powers too?!" Brandon quickly drew his hand away. "I thought I was the only one. He exclaimed.
Marissa shook her head. "Ice and water." She replied, "I got them from my mother. You're like us, but different. Fire and magma is what my mother told me people like you would have. What your father had."
"Magma?!" Brandon shouts, "Wait, she knows my father? How? I don't even know my own father..."
Marissa nodded her head, "there's more people just like us. But with different element powers. My brothers both have ice and water powers like me and my mother. There's also people who have wind and light, earth and nature then you with Magma and Fire." She explained. "My mother knows more of this than me. She was apart of the original experiment." She slowly stepped away from him.
"What experiment?" Brandon's eyes widen. "There's Wind? There's Earth?" He questioned, a little confused.
Marissa nodded, "That's why I said you should go see my mom, she could tell you everything she told me. You should come over for dinner tonight. She could explain this way better than I could." Marissa looked at him. Brandon took a deep breath, nodding quietly. She quickly lead him off over to her mother's bakery booth. "Hey mom" Marissa called out to her once her mother came into view, "Mom!" She repeated until her mother looked at her.
"Marissa, you're supposed to be with your father. People will be coming soon." Marissa was scolded. Her mother continued to set up her own booth. She finally noticed Brandon sitting there like a bum and raised a brow. "Oh honey, your standards in men really went down hill..."
"Mom!" Marissa shouted in announcement, "he's not my boyfriend, he smells like butt. He's more of a friend, if I feel like calling him that." She rolled her eyes, "he was helping me with the booth. We went to get more boxes when we discovered something..." She led off, a little nervous to expose Brandon's secret to her mother.
"and that is?" Her mother raised a curious brow, crossing her arms as she studied her daughter and the random boy next to her, "you're pregnant, that's it." She glared.
Marissa glared at her mother, "no it's not!" She yelled, clenching her fist. "He's like us mom. He's like what you described to me years ago. A hot head who speaks for the dragons and flames!" She quoted her mother in a harsh whisper. "Mother, this is Brandon Aless. Brandon, this is my mother Sapphire Applin." Marissa introduced the two.
"Aless?" Her mother gasped, "Daniel actually had a son? That man could never keep his temper." She muttered. "His power really suited him." She snarled as she rolled her eyes.
"Never got to meet him myself." Brandon frowned a little.
"Oh really? It figures, you don't act like him. From what I've seen. Look, how about we discuss this later alright? Not in the open." Sapphire explained. "Marissa, have your father bring Brandon home with you guys?" She spoke before she went over to help her friend finish up the booth set up they had going on.
"Marissa nodded, "okay." She looked at Brandon, "we have a booth to run too." She smiled before she took his arm. "Let's go before my dad gets upset. He yells a lot..." She mumbled before leading Brandon back over to their booth.
Brandon followed her there, glaceing at all the booths they passed by on their way there. There were all sorts of things to do here. Food carts, shopping booths, small businesses advertisements, games and even a band setting up on a small stage. Brandon was too focused studying his surroundings to hear Marissa's father already barking out commands at them as guest slowly approached their booth. Marissa rolled her eyes, "dad, don't even start. Please. I was talking to mom."
Her father glared daggers at her, "Listen little miss, we're in need of new recruits right now. Right now our booth looks like a joke. Who would want to come to a booth that looks like a joke? Who even is that?" He pointed at Brandon. "You better not have a boyfriend young miss. I didn't approve."
"Dad stop!" Marissa grumbled in annoyance, "he's just a friend. He would like to help with the booth today if that's alright."
Her father looked Brandon over, "You're not a trouble maker are you boy?" He snarled in Brandon's face.
Brandon tensed up a little, "I uhh... I hope not." He bit his lip as he backed up.
The officer grabbed his arm, moving so he could continue to look Brandon over. "You seem them over there?" He pointed at the other officers working the booth. "Those are my co-workers. They have guns just like me. Some even have dogs. Pull anything on me or my daughter and we will pull them all out." He threatened. "I don't care how much you cry for your mommy." He shoved Brandon back, making him stumble into Marissa.
Brandon gasped, quickly stepping away from Marissa. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" He still felt a pair of eyes on him. He shook his head as he grabbed for his bag.
"Brandon, what's wrong?" Marissa followed him, "it's okay, he wont hurt you. He just does that for show."
"He has dogs!" Brandon shouted, "Those shepherds don't mess around! I should know, I was chased by one..."
Marissa sighed, taking his bag, "Brandon. He won't hurt you. The shepherd thing his true though... That can't be fixed. But you don't have to fear my father, it'll be fine. I promise." She sat his bag back down on the chair. "I promise, it'll be okay." She repeated, "please don't runaway.
Brandon looked at her, his heart beating in his chest. He took a much needed deep breath before looking over at the officers who were currently handing out papers to each person that walked by. Brandon sighed, "should we start?" He looked at Marissa.
"Yeah." Marissa nodded before heading over to their side of table. They both started to hand out all the 'fun stuff'. The day went by smoothly, and as the day went on more and more people came to the little festival. Brandon just kept handing things out at a quick pace, the sooner this was done the sooner Brandon could get away from all of these officers. He couldn't even look at them without feeling a panic attack brewing inside his chest. "Brandon, slow down." Marissa demanded, "take your time and talk to the people for once." She shook her head, "this is a community event, just remember that. Everybody knows each other, and everybody talks." She scolded him as she passed out a few more things.
"I know, I know..." He mumbled quietly as he passed out the last piece of candy. "we're out again."
Marissa pulled out a box from underneath the table, "last one. After this we finally get to go home!" She cheered in delight, "I'm starving."
Brandon nodded in agreement, "are you sure you guys want me over for dinner tonight? I don't want to ruin what plans you guys have tonight." He glaced over at her father.
"It's fine. I promise. My mother is just getting pizza. There will be plenty to go around." Marissa told him as she started to set up the remanding of the handouts that were in the box. "It'll be from the good pizza place too. You won't want to miss that." She grinned before starting to hand stuff out again.
"I have never had a good pizza in my life in honestly." Brandon thought for a moment. "All I had was the gross frozen kind." He further explained with a light chuckle.
Marissa smiled, "well, you're in for a treat tonight." The two continued to work on handing the rest of the stuff out. Once the table and all of the boxes were empty they aided the officers by putting stuff away. Marissa and Brandon were put in charge of folding up the table and the table cloth. Eventually their booth was pieced apart and packed up for storage.
"Ready to go?" Marissa's father walked over to his daughter, "your mom is getting pizza."
Marissa nodded, "yeah. I know. She was wondering actually if you were willing to take Brandon home with us for dinner. Since he helped us today." She begged of him.
Marissa's father let out a heavy sigh as he looked Brandon over. "I-I don't know honey. I don't really trust that boy.. It'll just give him $10 and he could get his own."
"Please." Marissa begged again. "He just needs some food, that's all. He won't be staying the night. Please let him come with us."
"Fine!" He snarled, giving Brandon a nasty glare, "pull anything and you're out. Let your parents know where you will be tonight." He threaten.
Brandon nodded, quietly. "Yes. Of course, I understand sir." He grabbed his bag and put it over his shoulders, "you won't even know that I am there." He further explained.
The officer looked him over again before leading the two over to his cop car. "I'll drop you kids off then drop the rest of the supplies off at the station. Be sure you help your mom when she gets home." He started up the car as the two got settled in the back. Marissa grinned as she looked at Brandon. Brandon rose a brow, "what?" He questioned as he noticed her cheeky glare.
Marissa opened her mouth to speak, but just shook her head and looked at the window.
Brandon stiffened up a little, "umm..." He mumbled.
"We're here kids. Get out." Marissa's father parked by the side of their house and stepped out to open the door for them. "come on now."
Brandon didn't move, looking at him as he paled, "I uhh..." Marissa simply pushed him out, following him out of the car. Brandon quickly grabbed for his bag before Marissa led him inside the house.
"Welcome to our house." She told him as she used her key to unlock the door. She led him inside before shitting the door behind them. "You can put your shoes there and your bag there." She pointed out as she slipped off her own shoes.
"Whoa." He looked around, it was a pretty big house. It's not like hes seen any real house suburban in his life however. He slipped off his shoes and sat his bag down next to them.
Marissa walked to the kitchen. "you never seen a house this big before?" She questioned as she got herself a glass of water.
Brandon shook his head as he followed her into the kitchen, "no, not really." He watched her quietly, man a glass of water sounded amazing to him. He barely had anything to drink all day.
"Help yourself to anything." She told him, "there's juice, water, milk. My mom will bring home some pop for the pizza if you want that. Cups are there." She pointed to the cabinet. "There's ice in the freezer." Brandon didn't wait for her to finish. He quickly made himself a large glass of water, taking it down in a few gulps. "God, are you okay?" Her eyes widen as she watched him.
Brandon sighed in relief as he nodded, "god I needed that badly." He went to refill his glass.
"We had bottled water at the booth, why did you ask?" Marissa sat down on one of the bar stools.
"I thought you had to pay for it..." He mumbled.
"It was only a quarter a bottle." She explained.
"Exactly." He took a sip of water before setting it down on the counter.
Marissa frowned, "when was the last time you ate?"
"This morning. Why?" He sat down next to her.
"Brandon! Why didn't you tell us? My father could have bought you something to eat." She looked at him. "It wouldn't have bothered us!"
"It's fine." He shrugged it off. "I don't need to eat three meals a day. I can run off of one. I do it all the time. The food they gave us was always terrible."
Marissa facepalmed, "it's not healthy for you. You need a certain about of calories a day Brandon. You're starving yourself! And who is they?"
"I don't feel anything yet, so it's fine. I just don't have money for it. I have snacks in my bag that I'm saving for when I really need to eat them." He explained, not yet answering the last question she asked.
Marissa let out a heavy sigh, studying the young man next to her. She quietly stood back up, going over to him. "Your so stubborn. You know it?" She grin appeared on her lips as she moved a hand to his cheek .
Brandon frozen up as he looked at her, "please don't hit me! I'm sorry!" He begged.
Marissa shushed him as she placed a finger on his lips and a hand on his cheek. "just something about you... Something about that stubbornness..." She muttered as she studied him. "You look like a mess, but there's just something about you..."
Marissa grinned, moving closer to him as she studied his lips. "You never kissed a girl have you? You don't act like you ever liked a girl. You don't seem like that type of boy."
"I kissed my mother..?" Brandon questioned, "does that count?"
"With meaning? With passion?" She moved to kiss him.
Brandon's eyes widen as he started to panic. 'Too soon! Too soon!!!' He thought in his mind.
"Marissa!" Her mother called out as she entered the house thorough the garage, "come help me please dear!" Marissa huffed as she pulled away, quickly going to give her mother a hand. Brandon sighed in relief, thank god for bad timing and pizza. Brandon finally got up and went to help the girls.
"Thank you dear." Sapphire handed him a few bags of chips, "just set them on the counter. That'll be fine." She explained as her and her daughter carried the rest in of the food. Brandon nodded and did as told. The older woman sat up the little buffet out on the counter, grabbing plates and cups. She made sure the teenagers got their food first before she got her own. "Go ahead kids. I know you're hungry." She smiled at the two. Brandon didn't hesitate, quickly getting his portion of the amazing smelling pizza. Marissa got her own before she led Brandon to the living room. The rest of the night was filled with pizza, chips, endless pop and plenty of movies. Brandon was excited to watch each movie and finally enjoy a real pizza, something he never though he would ever experience.
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