describing.”
“Well that’s how it was, Tag. That is until I entered my higher levels. I developed fast and no longer needed glasses. Then one day James asked me out.”
“Boy, I’ll bet that made your day.”
“You have no idea. The day seemed like it would never get to the time he was going to pick me up. All my dreams were coming true. And then he was there and we left to go out into a world that now seemed like paradise.”
“You had to be on top of the world,” Tag said, feeling somewhat jealous.
“I was. We met a group of his friends at a fast food place and just sat around and talked. I was having a great time. Then one of his buddies came over and talked about how he had gone through the worst experience in math class. James asked him what the problem was, and he said he just couldn’t figure out the answer to one of the questions.”
“Then what happened?”
“Well, James asked if he remembered the question and his friend had written it down on a piece of paper. He showed it to James and his friends and they shook their heads and said, ‘No way, man. No one can do this.’ I thought I’d impress them, so I took the paper and answered the question. It really wasn’t that hard.”
“Big mistake, Danielle,” Tag said.
“I know that now, but James dropped me faster than a bad habit. I was heartbroken. But I learned from that experience.”
“What did you learn?”
“I learned that although James was great to look at, his conversation was boring and he was shallow. I learned that boys don’t like their women smarter than they are. I learned that when they find out you are smarter, they leave skid marks trying to get away. And lastly, I learned that beauty, true beauty, comes from the light that emanates from a person’s inner fire. It’s that glow that makes a person beautiful to be around. To answer your question why you; I wanted to confirm to myself that you really are as smart as Leila said you were, and I wanted to see if the fire behind your eyes was real.” Suddenly, Danielle realized that looking for Superman was not the real reason she had asked Tag out. It was a good reason, but not the real one. At some level, she was drawn to him.
“So shut up and have a good time,” she said to Tag, “or you want I should tag ya one?”
Tag laughed and said, “No, that won’t be necessary, I’ll behave.” And Tag suddenly realized that for the first time since second level, Leila had not been in his thoughts. “Danielle is special,” he thought. As they continued to walk toward her floater, she placed her hand in his and felt that little shock again.
Neither said anything all the way home. When she dropped him off she said, “Tag, you’re it. You have to ask next time.” The she left.
Danielle thought, “Girl, you’re a chocolate mess. How did he get you to open up like that? He’ll probably just mark this up to a bad experience.” Then her com beeped. “Hello,” she said.
“How about tomorrow at seven?” she heard Tag ask.
“I look forward to it,” she said.
“Like you did with James,” he said with a twinkle in his voice.
“Don’t press your luck, Tag master, I can catch you and pop you a good one.”
He laughed and said, “See you tomorrow, and good night.”
She thought about what she was going to tell Inspector Connor, and decided that she really didn’t know anything more now than before she went out. She determined that she would tell him that it would take more time than she thought and that he just doesn’t open up easily. She smiled at that.
Chapter 16
T ag and Danielle had been going out for four weeks and each of them had come to better know each other, and out of their time together their respect for each other had grown. So had their feelings of affection. Even an outsider could see that they were falling for each other. Even though Danielle was older, she was surprised by the maturity of Tag’s views. On their last date Tag had kissed her goodnight, and that little shock she had been feeling each time they touched could be felt throughout her entire body. It started her heart beating faster, and she lost herself in his arms. Tag saw the psychic field go multicolored when he kissed her, and he felt the small current that passed between them. He wanted to be with this girl every waking moment. Danielle had even convinced herself that Tag was not Superman. The problem was that no progress was being made in finding just who was Superman. She knew it was a waste of time to continue in her undercover role. She had talked to Inspector Connor and he agreed that there was nothing else they could do and that this would be her last week at Tag’s school. Tonight she was going to have to tell him who she really was. She wouldn’t blame him if he ended their relationship, but in her heart she hoped he wouldn’t.
That night found them in the central entertainment district again, sitting in one of the game rooms, drinking sweet drinks, eating snacks, and enjoying each other’s company. The room was full of young students laughing and enjoying the various games that tested their skills. Suddenly they heard, “Hey you two love birds, why don’t you come over here and let me show you how weak you are?”
There was Eric standing beside a game called pool. With him was Leila. “Why don’t you step up here and let us show you how it’s done?”
“Eric!” Tag said. “I didn’t know you were going to be here tonight. Hi, Leila, you know Danielle. What are you doing with this bum, Leila? I understand they don’t let him out very often.”
“He asked, I laughed, and I said yes. So far it’s been fun. How are you doing, Danielle?” Leila asked.
“Great, Leila,” Danielle replied. “What is this game you’re talking about?” Danielle noticed that Leila had on a one-piece, jade colored jump suit that showed just how beautiful she was, and Eric stayed close to her. She had a moment of jealousy because of Tag’s former fixation on her, but she need not have worried. She was wearing a red, form-fitting top with a matching short skirt that that had every male in the game room staring at her, and Tag only had eyes for her.
Eric said, “This is a game called pool. It was recently discovered in some digs by archaeological students at the ancient site of Chicago. The thing that made the discovery so great was that a book describing the games you can play was under the table and preserved. Come on, I’ll teach you how to play.”
So they watched while Eric explained how you break, then use the white ball to knock the others into the pockets. “You keep shooting until you miss,” he said. “I’ll go first.” Eric then set the balls in a triangle and then used a stick to hit the white ball into them. The balls scattered across the table and one went in a pocket. “Rapture,” said Eric. “Leila and I are ahead of you two one to zip.” He missed his next shot and said, “Okay, who’s next?”
“Go ahead, Danielle,” Tag said.
Danielle took the stick and started to pick up the white ball when Eric said, “No! You have to hit it where it stops. The only time you can move it is when you knock the white ball into a pocket.”
“Okay,” Danielle said. The she tried to hit a ball in, but there just wasn’t a good shot for her. She missed and said, “This is not easy.”
“Leila’s turn,” Eric said. Leila managed to hit a ball in that was right next to a pocket, and then she missed her next attempt.
“Two to zip, you guys are going down. Step up and give it a shot, Tag.”
Tag stepped up to the table, and he immediately saw the relationship between all the balls and the lines he needed to follow to knock them in. He lined up his first shot and the ball went in a side pocket. The white ball spun back and stopped in front of a ball at the corner pocket. Tag then hit that ball into the pocket, and the white ball traveled down the table and stopped with another ball lined up.
Danielle watched Tag clear the table of the remaining balls. That was amazing to her, but she also noticed he was shooting with both his right and left hands. He didn’t miss with either. She could not stop the thought of two knives thrown into a target the size of a dime with the left and right hands. “Tag, are you left-handed or right- handed?” she asked.
Eric answered for him: “I don’t think he knows, Danielle. He’s always been able to use both hands equally,
