Fusion Page 4

  Now, she lay on my bed waiting for a rub. I covered my hand with my blanket hoping that it was sufficient to prevent direct contact with her fur. I rubbed her tummy gently in circular motions. She stretched her hind legs, enjoying the attention. I relaxed back into the headboard, happy that the blanket provided protection against more flashbacks. Not that I wasn’t tempted to revisit the images from before. I was, but I needed to be able to look at them. I needed time to figure out what they were, and the last episode had been so intense, too rushed. I wondered what would happen if I touched her quickly, just a little with my finger. There was only one way to find out.

  Just as I was about to gently poke Gertrude with my finger, Kellan called.

  “Hey!”

  “Hi, Kell. What’s happening? Why did Constance need you to stay?”

  “Your grandmother, Amadea, called a meeting. She was passing on orders from your dad.”

  That sounded weird. “Orders?” My dad was so not someone who’d ever given orders, but I guessed he had to as the Wanderer sovereign.

  “Yes, with him being the new sovereign and being called back to work, he needs to know that his family is safe. So, he assigned Wanderer protection to each of you.”

  “Oh? What does that mean?”

  “David’s staying and is going to hang out with you. I’ve promised to help him, so I’ll be spending a lot more time with you, too.”

  I laughed. That wasn’t even possible! We already spent every moment we could together. “You’re my new Wanderer guardian?”

  “Nope. Not an active Wanderer, remember?”

  I heard the frustration in his tone.

  “David’s still your guardian, but I am going to help him. He’s moving in with Harry and will cover you at night. I’ll watch you during the day.”

  “Is that really necessary? I mean… I love hanging out with you and all, but it’s a bit creepy having someone watch me all the time.”

  “Don’t know. It’s what your dad wants. Anyway, just think of it as spending more time together, that’s all. Your mom, David, and Harry will be home soon, and I’ll pick you up for breakfast.”

  “Mom? She’s still at work.”

  “No, she was called to the meeting as well and is on her way home.”

  “What was she doing there?” I couldn’t imagine Mom being into attending a Wanderer meeting even though she was slowly accepting them into our lives.

  “Well, she is the queen—”

  I snickered.

  “Yeah, it’s funny, right?”

  “No kidding.”

  “Gertrude still there?”

  “Yes, but tell me more about the meeting. Did Gramadea say where Dad is, when he’s coming home?”

  “No, not really. He’s in London and maybe leaves for Switzerland tomorrow. That’s all I know. Now, are you going to tell me what happened between you and Gertrude earlier?”

  “I wasn’t being vague on purpose. I’m not sure exactly what happened.” I described the fast-moving images to Kellan and then waited for him to react.

  He took his time, and I started to wonder if he’d nodded off. It was late…

  “Hmm. I guess touching her too long isn’t a good idea. Want me to stay on the phone while you try a brief contact with her fur? Let’s FaceTime, so I can see what happens.”

  “All right.” I switched to FaceTime, pointing the camera so that both Gertrude and I were in view. “Can you see us, Kell?”

  “Yep, go ahead.”

  “Right, ready, Gertie?”

  She rolled over and put her head down between her paws.

  I closed my eyes and tapped her head once, gently, with my finger. Nothing.

  “Well?” Kellan asked.

  “Nada. I am going to try again for a bit longer.”

  “Go for it.”

  I put my finger back on her head, deciding to keep it there until something happened. Within a few seconds, the wave of images started, sending me into a panic. I withdrew my hand and rubbed my fingers, trying to regain control of my thoughts.

  “Shrimp?”

  “They just come so fast, Kell. I can’t make out what’s happening at all. It’s like a bunch of photographs all falling at the same time right in front of me. I can’t focus.

  “What’s this all about anyway? Why is this dog even here? David said she was visiting, but this somehow seems aimed at me… like he knew this was going to happen.” I pursed my lips at Kellan.

  “Yeah. As you know, Gertrude spent last year with you and seems responsible for the change in you. I guess she came back to help you remember what happened last year.”

  I nodded. That did make sense. I wished her doggy brain would slow down. Those flashes could be images of my life in the past year, but what if there was more to it? “Did you guys consider the possibility that I would revert back to that Arizona? Is that what you want?” Fury rose within me at the very thought. Was I not good enough? Did they all like the other Arizona better? That must be it. I turned off FaceTime before Kellan could open his mouth. Screw him. And everyone else.

  “Shoo! Off you go! Vanish!” I waved my arms at Gertrude, trying to get her off my bed. I didn’t care about everyone else. I was me; take it or leave it.

  My phone rang—Kellan. I ignored it, powering it off and throwing it under my bed. Hearing a car arrive, I jumped off the bed and stomped down the stairs to have it out with Mom. She wasn’t alone. David, Harry, and the boy I had met in London were there. Perfect. I was furious enough to let them all have it. I put my hands on my hips and glared at them.

  “Arizona, I thought you’d be asleep by—” Mom started.

  “What the heck is going on with this darned dog?” I fumed, pointing at Gertrude, who had followed me down the stairs and now stood beside me.

  “I don’t really understand either, Arizona,” Mom said. “Inez talked to me about it just moments before you were reunited with Gertrude. I wasn’t the least bit happy about this reunion. What if you had reverted back?”

  “Exactly. What then? Why did you let her?”

  “Inez pointed out that by leaving, Gertrude had taken that aspect of you with her, and if a reversion reoccurred, it would be solved by Gertrude leaving again. She said that she hoped a short visit might help you fill in the blanks from last year. I wasn’t buying into her confidence that this would be a positive thing, but Gertrude was sprung on you before I could assess the situation. I am sorry, Arizona. Anyhow, there’s been no significant consequence to meeting her, has there? I mean, in addition to the vague flashes you described. Have they happened again?”

  “No,” I lied. “I just think this is all really insane. It’s like you all want the other Arizona back.” I stepped away, clenching my fists.

  Mom came over and put her arm around me. “I can assure you that’s not the case. David—” She turned to him. “It’s not that I am not pleased to see her, I am, but why did you bring Gertrude back now?”

  “She promised Arizona, remember?” he said quietly.

  “Huh?” I asked.

  “Before Gertrude left, she promised to come and visit you soon.”

  “And did you for a second think about how it would affect me now?” Maybe he was fed up with my feelings for him. Apparently, the other Arizona had pushed him away, right into some other girl’s arms.

  He looked sad. “I can’t believe that you’d think that any of us meant you harm. Gertrude won’t hurt you. What happened before was outside her control, a product of her unnatural passage through the Portal. That’s not the case now. She wandered over naturally and is totally aware of the circumstances. She’s not going to turn you into anyone else.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “We are both Wanderers and can communicate with each other,” he said simply.

  “She told you?” I asked incredulously.

  “In a manner.”

  “What does that mean?” I mocked.

  “Just trust me, Arizona. You’re not going to
become anyone else. However, Gertrude can share her memories with you and help you remember the last year. The flashes that you saw before are probably just that: images as she recalls them.”

  I felt somewhat reassured.

  “Arizona, excuse me for a moment. This is Bruno,” Mom interrupted.

  “Hi there. Nice to see you again,” Bruno said, obviously a bit taken aback at being thrown into the middle of our family drama.

  “How’s your dad?” I asked. He’d had his own share of family issues with his father who’d slumped into a deep depression after his daughter died. In fact, that was the whole reason Dad had to take over as head potato. Otherwise, Bruno’s father would have been the new Wanderer sovereign.

  “How do you two know each other?” Frustration laced Mom’s tone. “And what’s all this about your father, Bruno?”

  “We met in London,” I said. “Bruno, update Mom, please. I’m not done yelling at David.”

  She seemed about to protest, but Bruno nodded, gently leading her into the family room.

  “Sis, I’m outta here. It’s late. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Have fun, David,” Harry said and disappeared, leaving David and me alone. Well, not completely alone. Gertrude stayed firmly by my side.

  “Poppet, like Harry said, it’s really late. How about you continue yelling at me tomorrow?”

  “I’m not going to yell anymore,” I said quietly. “I need you to help me figure out what to do with Gertrude, though.”

  “I can take her home if you want,” he offered. “She’s had her visit as promised.”

  “If she goes, there’s no chance of me remembering what happened last year, is there?”

  David shrugged. “I have no idea. You’ve already had flashes of memories, of feelings coming back to you, on your own, haven’t you? Maybe they will all come back eventually. I don’t know. Do you even want to remember?”

  “Of course I do. I don’t feel completely like myself. I need to figure out what’s going on, and I guess if Gertrude can help me speed it along, that’s all good. However, whatever she was trying to show me was too fast for me to pick up on. It made my head spin.”

  “I can try to help with that. Let’s give her a treat and some water first.”

  As we walked into the kitchen, I noticed Mom showing Bruno up the stairs. “Is he staying over?” I asked David.

  “Yes, he’s been assigned to your mom.”

  I had to laugh. “I’ll bet she’s loving that. So, she’s got Bruno. I’ve got you and Kellan. What about Ella and Harry?”

  “Oh, Kellan told you?”

  “Yes, we FaceTimed earlier.”

  “Bruno is working double duty, covering Harry as well, and Alexa is on her way for Ella.”

  “Good! She’ll love that. Harry will be home for a while?”

  “Yes. And I’ll be staying over as well. Anyhow, let’s see what we can do with Gertrude. She’s heading back tomorrow.”

  “Oh? I didn’t know. Where exactly is back?”

  “She is someone else’s guardian, so she needs to get back…”

  “Secretive much?”

  “Sorry, it’s not my information to share. Please don’t be so mad at me.” He moved closer and drew me in for a hug.

  His chest felt warm and comfortable against my cheek, and my feelings for him erupted again as I fought to stifle them.

  “It’s okay,” he soothed, kissing the top of my head gently. Then he stepped away from me, pulling me down to sit at the kitchen table. He picked up Gertrude and put her on a chair between us. “Gertrude,” he said, looking grave.

  Much as the giggles wanted to escape my mouth, I swallowed them, managing to keep a straight face.

  David threw me his look. Then he turned back to Gertrude, who watched him intently. “Take it slow,” he said to her. “Just one thought at a time.”

  She looked bored and put her face down on his leg.

  “Give it a go, Arizona. Put your hand on her back and see what happens.”

  I did as he asked, preparing myself for the usual overwhelming attack of random images. Nothing happened at first, but then it started. Not random pop-up images this time, but a slow-moving film in black and white. It was like those old silent movies except this was in color. I tried to discern what was going on, but it was like watching a very small screen at a great distance. This was no 3D home-cinema-type display. I squinted even though my eyes were closed. I wasn’t actually watching this with my eyes. I saw two people on the screen, moving around randomly… on ice. They were skating. It was David and me, skating and messing around. I had no recollection of this and had to assume it must have happened when I was the other Arizona. I kept watching as we skated to the side and stopped, taking off our helmets. Sheesh! My hair was brown! I grabbed the back of David’s head and brought his face close to mine, brushing my lips against his, and then practically assaulted him. I let go of Gertrude and opened my eyes, glaring at David.

  “Anything?” he asked.

  “You snogged me! Well, I guess it was more like me kissing you, but still… I thought you said that you had another girlfriend.”

  “Kissed you?” He looked genuinely puzzled. “Like a real kiss? Not a peck? What exactly did you see?”

  I described it to him, watching his expression grow more and more uncomfortable. “And I had brown hair! When did I dye my hair that color? I looked weird.”

  David didn’t respond but glared at Gertrude instead.

  “Well? Explain,” I prompted.

  “She must be confused,” he whispered throwing Gertrude another sideways glance. “She’s probably mixed a bunch of memories into a mess of recollections.”

  Gertrude growled.

  “Wait a minute. Are you saying that you didn’t kiss me at the ice rink the way I described?”

  “Yep, that’s right. That didn’t happen.”

  “And my brown hair?”

  “You’ve been blond for as long as I can remember.”

  He seemed to be telling the truth. “Well, there isn’t much point carrying on with this if I’m not going to get an accurate picture, is there?”

  “Nope, none at all. I’ll drive Gertrude over to Mom’s house for the night. She’s got to leave tomorrow anyway. Harry and Bruno are in the house, so you should be okay.”

  “Yes, that’s fine.” I looked down at Gertrude. “Stop by anytime you want. I kinda like you.”

  She wagged her tail at me, and as I bent down to pat her again, she passed one last memory clip to me. I stood back up, completely shaken by it as David led Gertrude out.

  I walked back to my bedroom in a zombie state, sat down on the edge of my bed, and stared blankly out the window. The sky was turning a beautiful orange as the sun rose. Was it already morning? I had no idea how long I sat there, with the same clip running through my mind again and again, chilling me to the bone. There was no way Gertrude could have magically conjured up that scene from nothing, but how could I forget such a thing? Had it been my first time? It didn’t seem like it from how I’d acted in Gertrude’s memory. I seemed to know what I was doing. The image made me blush and sent strange feelings of desire through my body—for David. I shook my head. David had denied the kiss. Would he deny this as well? Could it all just be a figment of Gertrude’s imagination? I found that hard to believe.

  I had to ask Mom about the brown hair. David had denied that too, but Gertrude clearly remembered my hair as brown. Or was that just the way it looked through Gertrude’s eyes? Shouldn’t she be seeing in black and white? I guessed that Wanderer dogs must be different.

  “Arizona!” Ella launched herself into my bed. “Thank God it’s Sunday! I’ve got a playdate with Jonas. What are you doing today? Hockey?”

  I lay down beside her and gave her a hug. “Think I’m just going to laze today. Didn’t get much sleep. None to be precise.”

  “What about Gertrude? Where is she? Tallulah is downstairs having breakfast. We could take them for a walk together.”<
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  “Gertrude had to leave, but I am sure she’ll be back for another visit soon,” I added hastily as I watched Ella’s eyes well up.

  Her lips quivered, but she managed to hold it together.

  “Hey, let’s go down and get some breakfast.”

  She nodded as I pulled her up from the bed but then shook her head vehemently when I tried leading her out the door. I guess she wasn’t ready just yet. When I let go of her elbow, much to my surprise, she walked over to my closet. After digging through my stuff, she came back out with a pair of jeans and a Hollister t-shirt. She held them out for me, and I took them, having no intention of getting changed before breakfast. I was totally comfy in my pajamas. In fact, I planned to laze about in them all day. I flung the jeans and shirt on the bed and waved at Ella to follow me.

  But she didn’t move. “You have to change,” she said.

  “Why? I’m not going anywhere today. Not this morning anyway. Come on. The smell of that bacon is making me drool.”

  “Kellan is down there. So are David, Ali, and Maria. And Bruno. I almost forgot him, but he’s down there too.”

  I rolled my eyes. I had totally forgotten that David and Bruno had stayed over. I’d have been okay wearing my jammies in front of the rest of them, but not with Bruno. I nodded and changed into the clothes Ella had chosen. As I finished, I took the lip gloss she held out for me and laughed. “You’ve turned into the perfect wardrobe assistant!”

  Her frown made it obvious that this was not a laughing matter to her. “Well, you’ve sucked at it for a long time! And you were just about to go down in your sheep pajamas. I’ve been helping you almost every day,” she grumped.

  “Was it you who rearranged my closet? And my room?”

  “Yeah! Someone had to. You’ve been so messy.”