Read Online Transcendence by C. J. Omololu - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C. J. Omololu
Tags: Speculative Fiction
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to lock myself in the bathroom. Oh God. This line of thinking is not helping me calm down much.
“Cole, what the hell?” Kat says in a loud whisper from the other side of the door. “I go to all this trouble, and now you’re making me look stupid.”
I lean against the door. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just … surprised, is all.”
“So what now?” she asks. “After I brought him all the way over here, what do I tell him? That you have a weak bladder?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper back. I have no idea how to get out of this without looking like an idiot. “Just tell him I’ll be right out.”
“Well, hurry. Griffon really wants to see you, so you’d better not screw it up.”
I don’t answer, because we both know it’s too late for that. Walking back into the room, I’m relieved to see he’s still sitting there, talking to Kat.
As I get to the table, he looks up and smiles at me. “You okay?”
I grin back just a little. He must think freaking out is part of my normal everyday life. “Yes. Sorry. I just…” I let the sentence trail off, because there really is no good answer.
He gets up and pulls my chair back for me to sit down. I’ve never seen anybody my age do that before. “I should have called first. But Kat wanted to surprise you.” He sits back down in his chair. “I guess it worked.”
“So,” Kat says, glancing at me to make sure I’m not going to run off again. “Turns out that Griffon’s mom teaches at Cal.” She raises her eyebrows in my direction. “Isn’t that cool?”
I look at him straight on for the first time since he walked in. Griffon probably failed to mention that fact the day we met because he didn’t ever intend to see me again. Which only makes this whole setup even more embarrassing. “Yeah. That’s cool.”
“So, um, Kat says you go to Pacific,” Griffon says, in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation away from my lameness, an attempt I deeply appreciate. “I was there just a couple of weeks ago for a baseball game.” He smiles. “I go to Marina. We beat you guys nine to nothing.”
“Yeah, well, Pacific isn’t exactly known for its sports,” I say, unaware until this moment that our arts magnet school even had a baseball team. I wonder if we’ve crossed paths on campus. I’ve never been to any of the games, but maybe he passed me in the hallway or on the sidewalk while I was waiting for my bus. I went halfway around the world to meet someone who lives practically next door the whole time. Rayne is going to love this.
“Cole spends a lot of time in the music department.” Kat says it almost like she’s proud of that fact.
“Are you in the band?” he asks, and I can see visions of big fuzzy hats and bad polyester jackets passing through his mind.
“Not exactly,” I say. I study him for any sign of impatience, wondering why he picked now to tell me the truth. He’s probably only doing this as a favor to Owen.
“Cello,” Kat says. “Cole’s a world-class cellist. She even played with the symphony last year. The real one, not the kid one.” I stare at her, not sure who this person is. She looks like my sister, but she sure doesn’t sound like her. Kat is the first person to complain about the cello playing, and I’ve never heard her say anything positive about it in her life.
“Cello?” Griffon raises his eyebrows as if he’s adjusting a mental picture.
I’m suddenly flustered and turn my face away from him, feeling overly exposed. “Yes, cello. Something wrong with that?”
“No. It’s perfect,” he says.
Perfect for what?
I wonder.
“You should invite him to the concert,” Kat says. She turns to him. “She’s been working nonstop on her solo. It’s kind of a big deal.”
Griffon tilts his head toward me. “Do I get an invite?”
My face must be about five shades of red as I answer. “Sure, I guess. If you really want to come. It’s next weekend. At the Northern California Conservatory. Near
“Cole, what the hell?” Kat says in a loud whisper from the other side of the door. “I go to all this trouble, and now you’re making me look stupid.”
I lean against the door. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just … surprised, is all.”
“So what now?” she asks. “After I brought him all the way over here, what do I tell him? That you have a weak bladder?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper back. I have no idea how to get out of this without looking like an idiot. “Just tell him I’ll be right out.”
“Well, hurry. Griffon really wants to see you, so you’d better not screw it up.”
I don’t answer, because we both know it’s too late for that. Walking back into the room, I’m relieved to see he’s still sitting there, talking to Kat.
As I get to the table, he looks up and smiles at me. “You okay?”
I grin back just a little. He must think freaking out is part of my normal everyday life. “Yes. Sorry. I just…” I let the sentence trail off, because there really is no good answer.
He gets up and pulls my chair back for me to sit down. I’ve never seen anybody my age do that before. “I should have called first. But Kat wanted to surprise you.” He sits back down in his chair. “I guess it worked.”
“So,” Kat says, glancing at me to make sure I’m not going to run off again. “Turns out that Griffon’s mom teaches at Cal.” She raises her eyebrows in my direction. “Isn’t that cool?”
I look at him straight on for the first time since he walked in. Griffon probably failed to mention that fact the day we met because he didn’t ever intend to see me again. Which only makes this whole setup even more embarrassing. “Yeah. That’s cool.”
“So, um, Kat says you go to Pacific,” Griffon says, in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation away from my lameness, an attempt I deeply appreciate. “I was there just a couple of weeks ago for a baseball game.” He smiles. “I go to Marina. We beat you guys nine to nothing.”
“Yeah, well, Pacific isn’t exactly known for its sports,” I say, unaware until this moment that our arts magnet school even had a baseball team. I wonder if we’ve crossed paths on campus. I’ve never been to any of the games, but maybe he passed me in the hallway or on the sidewalk while I was waiting for my bus. I went halfway around the world to meet someone who lives practically next door the whole time. Rayne is going to love this.
“Cole spends a lot of time in the music department.” Kat says it almost like she’s proud of that fact.
“Are you in the band?” he asks, and I can see visions of big fuzzy hats and bad polyester jackets passing through his mind.
“Not exactly,” I say. I study him for any sign of impatience, wondering why he picked now to tell me the truth. He’s probably only doing this as a favor to Owen.
“Cello,” Kat says. “Cole’s a world-class cellist. She even played with the symphony last year. The real one, not the kid one.” I stare at her, not sure who this person is. She looks like my sister, but she sure doesn’t sound like her. Kat is the first person to complain about the cello playing, and I’ve never heard her say anything positive about it in her life.
“Cello?” Griffon raises his eyebrows as if he’s adjusting a mental picture.
I’m suddenly flustered and turn my face away from him, feeling overly exposed. “Yes, cello. Something wrong with that?”
“No. It’s perfect,” he says.
Perfect for what?
I wonder.
“You should invite him to the concert,” Kat says. She turns to him. “She’s been working nonstop on her solo. It’s kind of a big deal.”
Griffon tilts his head toward me. “Do I get an invite?”
My face must be about five shades of red as I answer. “Sure, I guess. If you really want to come. It’s next weekend. At the Northern California Conservatory. Near
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