His face shifted quickly, then reset in his composed expression.
“Tyler, he hasn’t spoken to me, but over break, I learned a few things. I am working on controlling it, so I don’t just pass out when they come to me. I’m working on it, and it isn’t a for sure thing yet, but I think we might be able to help each other. Would you be willing to see if I could reach him? See if he wanted to say anything?” I shrugged and sat back slightly. “I mean, I can try, but no promises.”
His expression changed a multitude of times before he finally spoke. “You would do that for me?”
My shoulders shrugged, “Honestly, it helps me too. At least with your grandpa I know who I am talking to.”
“Ok, let’s give it a shot. When did you want to try this? I’m leaving for home at the end of the next week. I have a final on the last day, but then I’m out of here for a month!” He threw his hands up, “Ok, Three and a half weeks, but January 4th feels like a really long way off right now.”
“We can try now if you want.” I moved closer to the edge of the sofa. “No better time than the present.” I smiled.
“Sure, I guess. Like what do I do?”
I stood and moved to the sofa next to him. He turned slightly, and his knee brushed mine. Taking a deep breath, I focused my feet to relax, closing my eyes, and made the imaginary roots grow as I exhaled. Inhaling, I visualized them thickening, strengthening. Exhaling, I pushed them deeper into the ground with my mind.
I opened my eyes. Tyler’s expression was one of wonder.
“You ready?” I asked just above a whisper.
He nodded, and I reached for his hands. I couldn’t be sure if this would work. After all, we had held hands before, and no one appeared. But then again, as my hand tightened around his, the image of the man materialized, standing next to the sofa. His smiling face looked clearer than before. I smiled back and Tyler turned to look at nothing.
“Grampy?” He asked looking well beyond the image I could see clearly.
The man’s smile spread, and he nodded.
“Hey, are you guys meeting someone down here?” The custodian on the stairs broke the connection as Tyler dropped my hands. I snapped back to reality.
We were two college kids sitting on a sofa in the basement of a building that didn’t have any classes in it.
Yeah, this probably didn’t look good.
“We were just talking.” Tyler quickly grabbed his bag, “We just finished our Western Civ final.” He laughed nervously, “We were consoling each other on destroying our GPA first semester!” Tyler stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.
“I’ve got practice. Hey thanks Savanah.” His eyes pierced my soul. How did he do that?
He took the stairs two at a time, breezing past the man and disappearing from site.
“Can I hang for a minute?” I asked the custodian.
He shrugged and smiled, “Yeah, you can stay as long as you like. I was just checking if you guys were supposed to meet someone.” He turned back up the stairs. “We’ve got an event in here tonight, and I wasn’t sure if you guys were part of it.” He started up the stairs, “Sorry to bother you, stay as long as you like.”
I moved my feet, wiggling my toes. The numbness seriously annoyed me. Standing up, I noted I didn’t shake or tremble. I was getting better at this.
My phone buzzed. “You ok”
I smiled, scaredy cat. “Yeah, are you”
“Yeah, sorry. I just kinda bailed”
I shook my head. Really? I hadn’t noticed. “But are you ok”
“absolutely-thanks for doing this”
I was going to type, but then another message came in, “Wanna try again? If not no worries”
“Anytime.” I meant it. This was the best way I could think of to see what this whole thing really was about. Bottom line, I was curious myself. It also helped that it forced me to spend more time with Tyler, which I didn’t see as a bad thing.
“Tonight work”
“Yep”
“Ok, I’ll text when we are done with the team.”
Shoving my phone in my pocket, I smiled, and whispered to myself. “It’s a date.”
Leah was crossing campus as I came out of the auditorium building. “Hey there stranger!” She hollered across the quad. “Where have you been hiding?”
I walked towards her. “I just saw you in Western Civ like an hour ago.”
Leah lightly punched my arm, “Yeah, and you took off out of there so fast I didn’t get to chat with you.” She raised her brows and leaned in close, “Did I see you leave with Tyler?”
I rocked back on my heals, “Yeah, he was thinking he totally bombed one section.”
“And what were you doing in Jewett?” Leah really didn’t seem this annoying when we first met. I wondered where the switch had happened.
“Um, I had to go to the bathroom. Tyler was walking over to the weight room, so I popped in to use the toilet.” I sighed. “Any other questions?”
Leah’s face fell. “I miss you Savanah, you were my first friend when I got here, and we haven’t seen each other at all. Sorry, if I was being nosey.”
“No, it’s just it feels like that’s all you ever do when we see each other is give me the third degree. I know we don’t hang out much, it’s just with your outdoor friends and me starting to make some other friends, I just don’t have a ton of time.”
Leah smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I get it. Sorry, life has lifed us.”
“What?”
“Life has lifed
