- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:

If everything goes according to plan, it's the last chapter for this week-end. But I wouldn't bet on it myself, quite frankly!

Chapter 7: History lesson

 The direct morning light on his eyelids finally forced Alejandro to wake up. The Minor looked around him, a little disoriented. His alarm clock said that it was 10.a.m., which surprised him. He was more of a morning person, and it was exceptional when he managed to oversleep past 8. Even more so when he had basically went to sleep before 9.p.m. He scratched his short hair and beard, a little perplexed. Getting out of his bed, he stretched and only then he noticed that he had slept in his clothes instead of his pajama. He hesitated to change them, because he was fairly certain that nobody would be rude enough too point it. Yet, on an impulsion, he got out of his clothes.

Once in the nude, the chill air of winter in the morning seized him. Usually, he really disliked the cold on his skin, he felt more vulnerable than the rest of his family like that… well more than usual. Plus, he always tried to hide the skin of his torso. But today, instead of jumping in another shirt, he went to his mirror. For a Minor, his body was trim and athletic. He hadn’t the impressive muscles that his twin boasted, or even the long and slender muscles that Lindsey was gaining now that she actually showed interest in physical exercises such as jogging or yoga, but still. His pecs were well drawn, and so were his calves and thighs, and his remaining arm looked quite strong.

Yet, beyond is quite obvious lack of left arm, his most striking feature were the labyrinthine scar tissues on his torso. Most people would have only seen the massive cuts, but he had spent so much time examining the scars that he eyes immediately saw the hundreds of small dots which made whole constellations on his skin. Each one was a place where the surgeons had grafted his skin back together after the Incident. He ribs had been broken during it, and some had even pierced the skin. The doctors had said that the fact that his lungs were intact was nothing short of a miracle. Alejandro could have taken pride in those scars; he had earned them when saving his twin.

Instead, he had been ashamed of them, hiding them and always refusing to show his torso to anyone. In fact, his mother had had to teach him how to wash alone and install his shower in the months which followed his release from the hospital because of this. He had always hated those marks; they had been the proof that he wasn’t different from the brutal MAJORS from the outside world. When his brother had been threatened, he had shot to kill. He could have aimed elsewhere; he could have only maimed Joseph, by shooting at his backbone.

He hadn’t done so. The blowback of the massive pistol had mercifully broken his bones and he had never seen what happened to his aggressor. And yet, sometime, when the nightmares gripped his mind he saw. He saw Joseph turn his head and face him, with this huge, bloody and oozy hole in his face where his eyes had been. The undead MAJOR then always smiled. Sometimes, Alejandro was lucky enough and he would wake up, panting and sweating but fine. In some rare occasions, he would hear what the dead giant wanted to say: “We’re so alike!

Yes, those scars, he had hated them. But today, he examined them simply out of curiosity. He had never noticed how the skin felt almost plastic where the scar tissues were the thicker, that when he leaned back a little and looked at them from a certain angle, they almost were like wings engraved in his flesh… It was truly incredible. He felt so strange. In his mind, his long lost memories had found their rightful place. Suddenly, his early childhood was full of laughs, jokes and games. He was not only able to look back at it and notice how naïve he had been by then as he always did, but also to understand that this came from his innocence and kindness, not some stupidity or failure from his parents to educate him correctly.

Obviously, without Joseph, he would have become a whole other man, probably slightly more in line with the common behavior of Minor, a kind of passivity toward the giants surrounding and outnumbering them. Being the only one of his kind in town, he may even had thrown away his bonding simply to do so, even if, from he had read online, peoples in small town tended to more conservative than in bigger cities when it came to bonding with a Minor… probably because their kind was so rare in those remote communities.

Alejandro felt less angry, less frail also. He had a hard time putting a word on how he felt. For the first time in years, the simple vision of the dust in the sunrays, the sight of his art on the wall of his room, even the silence of the house, all of these brought a smile on his face. It was so strange. Only in his newly restored memories had he ever experienced such feeling. Then, from the depth of his mind, it dawned on him. It was so obvious, and yet so incredible…

“I’m good”.

A shiver coursed through his body, born of pleasure instead of the chill air of his room. Alejandro was happy to be alone, because he was fairly certain that he would have laughed at everything and nothing, danced, or even sang for whatever reason if someone had been here with him to share his bliss. Shaking his head with a big smile still painted on it, he walked toward his toilets. His morning woods had to go, that was the most important thing right now. Once he had gotten rid of all the champagne he had drunk the previous evening, he went for his shower with a spring in him that had never been there before. For the first time ever, he felt whole. Then his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t ate since yesterday’s lunch by letting out a mighty growl.

Alejandro laughed loudly. I hope that mom’s remembered to put the cereals and the milk where I can reach them. Since its Sunday, I really don’t want to have to try and get all those lazy asses up and running… Alejandro’s family usually slept until noon on Sunday, something which was rather vexing when they forgot to let him accessible food in the morning. Alejandro’s body shivered with delight when the hot water poured on his body. Then, without warning, the incredible body of Shannon imposed itself on his mind.

Usually, it would have made him quite angry to feel his dick grow hard so easily. But he felt so incredible this morning that he couldn’t care less. It only meant he would shower a little longer than usual…

------------------------------------------

Shannon was moving her legs nervously, her knees smacking each other loudly every second or so. She was waiting for Alejandro to wake up since more than two hours and she was becoming really worried. The Ferrand’s had assured her that if she came at 7.45 a.m. she would be alone with their oldest kid really quickly. Instead, she had had a little over two hours to get cold feet on the whole plan, and many reasons to do so.

“What was I thinking yesterday!” she chastised herself. “How being alone with him actually will help me getting in his good graces? I’ll look like some perv! Seriously, he probably already thinks I’m one with she shit I pulled yesterday! What is wrong with me?”

She breathed in and out slowly to calm herself. She was perving out on him, she knew it and her night had been proof enough of it. All the dreams she could remember had revolved around her and Alejandro making out like crazy. Waking up with those kind of thoughts had helped her rush to Auntie’s to savor her alone time with her oldest son. But it was the first time that someone, even a Minor, had such impact on her mind. She almost found thinking difficult, with all those memories of the way he walked, how his body had felt under her fingers… It had been awesome at first, now, it only made her incredibly self-conscious. She jumped a little when she heard water cascading in the pipes. Finally! Alejandro’s awake!

She got out of the couch and rushed in the kitchen. Everything was where she had left it this morning. The bowl was on its tray, with the cereals near it, the fresh milk in its bottle and some kind of pastry Mister Ferrand had called “gâche”, apparently home-made and truly delicious, sliced in large shares. She hesitated a little but chose to put only one of the shares on the tray and to not put too many cereals in the bowl and keep the milk in its minuscule bottle. This one was Minor sized, and she marveled a little at how small it was. Even her pinky was longer than it, by a wide margin. She didn’t want to pour it too soon and waste the cereals however, since Alaric had told her that his brother liked them crispy. Who knew when his shower would end?

She reached for a photo near the kitchen worktop. The whole Ferrand family was here. Dominating the picture were the parents, in assorted pull-overs, behind them the tree in the backyard covered in snow. At the front was Alaric, smiling widely, obviously excited. In Ofelia’s arms, a young kid, probably not even two years old, Lindsey. And on Jules’ shoulders was Alejandro. A huge grin barred his face, with at least three tooth missing, in his two minuscule hands, he had a snowball and was apparently willing to make use of it.

He looked so happy, exactly like in her memories. If he truly didn’t remember her or his other MAJOR friends, it was really terrible, and it probably explained his cold behavior toward her. Her mom had said that such things could happen after a traumatic event and that they simply had to wait. Confronted with the realization that he had missing memories, he would probably try to get them back soon enough, had said Alexis. Still, Shannon hoped that he would do so soon enough. She wanted to see some pure joy on his face. She sighed.

“Good morning!”

Shannon jumped at least ten feet in the air, and when she touched ground, even she could feel the earth shake a little under her weight. She turned on her heels quickly enough to see Alejandro struggling to keep his balance and she put back the photo at its place as quickly as she could. She didn’t dare move, fearing that she would make the Minor lost even his semblance and balance, something she really didn’t want. He had enough reasons to be angry at her already!

“Good morning” she managed to answer, a tone too high, even to her ears. “How are you doing?’

“I’m fine, thank you. Are you alone here?”

She noticed that the Minor seemed somewhat different. Not so much in the way he stood, but something in his face, in his eyes. He looked… calmer, happier, than yesterday. Hopefully, it meant he was ready to talk a little. It should have made her plan easier, but instead it made her even more self-conscious. She was trying to trick him, to use his weaknesses against him for her benefit. Usually, she had no problems doing it, but Alejandro wasn’t a business rival. He was a childhood friend and, she had to admit it, a minor she was crushing on. Extremely hard.

“Yeah, everyone went visiting the town or something but… well, I had to stay here to deal with some professional matters, so everyone agreed that I could… you, know… take care of you?”

Real smooth Shannon, just perfect. I’m sure he hasn’t noticed how desperate you sound to spend time with him or how strange it is that everyone left like that. What will you do when he’ll tell you to fuck off? Fall on your knees and beg him to spend the day with you while ensuring him that you’re not actually in heat?

“I see” answered Alejandro, clearly not committing himself. But just as she turned again to prepare his meal, he spoke again.

“Look, Shannon… I’m sorry for yesterday, okay? I was really rude and… well, anyway, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t sweat it”. Her hands were shaking. “I was the one who was extremely rude when you allowed me to put you on the table. I… I groped you and treated you like a property and not a person, so you were right to give me the cold shoulder after that”

She didn’t dare turn her head to look at him right now. Better work on his food, it helped her keep her mind clear. It allowed her to make chit chat with him without losing it. It was one of the best way to quickly gauge someone, and with an interlocutor as exotic as this Minor, it was probably best to play it safe and keep her cards close to her chest. Still, Alejandro’s breakfast was basically already done, so she had to find something to talk about real soon, even something stupid.

“So, you want me to bring your breakfast to your room?”

You stupid cow! she raged internally. All of the things to ask, you went for it?

“I prefer to take it in the living-room, thank you… I can eat and admire the garden this way’, politely said the Minor.

“Of course, silly me! You can go take your favorite place, I’m bringing the tray to you” said Shannon with a forced giggle.

“Got it.”

Just like that, he left the kitchen and the MAJOR was able to breathe more easily. She was walking on eggs with him around. Everything had seemed so simple with two or three full cups of champagne! Alejandro would have discovered her preparing his meal adoringly, perhaps even singing some cute song to herself. He would have noticed her black yoga pants and clingy grey t-shirt and would have stammered, intimidated by her stunning casual look which complemented her curves so well. She would have been calm, composed, and she would have guided him through the day. Instead, she was a nervous wreck and the minor was the one fresh as a daisy. He had a little spring in his walk which made his small ass even more attractive today… Get a grip girl! You’ll drool in his food if you keep thinking like that!

With a sigh, she joined him in the living room. She saw him, already sitting in the massive sofa which was probably usually used by his family with him on their laps or something. It was almost comical, really. He was so small compared to the furniture that he looked like a toddler, his legs didn’t even reach the edge of the sofa. It was really incredible that he even had managed to climb into it on his own. Carefully, she deposited the tray next to him and retreated to the nearby armchair. Her palms were moist, and she nervously jerked her feet right and left.

“So…” she took a lock of her hair in her left hand. “Any idea about what you want to do today, Alejandro?”

It was as good as any opening line for a discussion. If the Minor remained aloof, she would know for sure that she had already lost all hopes to get him. Or he would actually consider her question, and their strange dance could continue. She watched him closely through her bangs. Her heart leaped when she realized he was actually considering what she had said. He was pouring his milk in his cereals, making them float a little, but his brow was furrowed, so she knew he was thinking about it.

“Well, considering the hour… I was thinking that about some talk about local history, if it interests you, since I know so much about it. Then… probably lunch and afterwards… honestly, I usually spend the rest of the day in my room until diner so… I’m afraid I’ve pretty boring things in mind right now... Hopefully, someone will come back soon and you’ll be able to have more interesting activities.”

“Don’t worries, local history sound great! Honestly, my family and I left Old Creek when I was so young that it’s basically an unknown town to me. If you’ve historical anecdotes, I’ll be glad to hear them” said the behemoth, a little too eagerly.

She wasn’t lying, it was a great opportunity to spend time with him without being to clingy, and if he was as knowledgeable as he said he was, maybe she would end learning some great stuff. Backwater places often had incredible stories. Plus, she could perhaps manage to stir the discussion toward how the town was dealing with new technologies and how best to adapt her business to this kind of places. And by doing so, she may have to show him some graphs, which would require her to get closer to him. A win-win situation!

“Any idea what you want to hear about?” asked the Minor while munching his cereals.

“Not really… you’re the expert” Shannon answered with a smile that she hoped wouldn’t look condescending. God, it’s so hard to not sound or act likes an ass with him

Had he been a MAJOR, she wouldn’t have had one care in the world about the way she talked or behaved in such a private discussion. At worst, her interlocutor and she would have ended trading blows, so nothing really serious. But around a Minor, she had learnt from friends with more experience that you needed to remain calm and respectful, since most of them were shocked by a MAJOR’s sometimes volatile behavior. And with Alejandro’s past and the way he had behaved the previous day, Shannon felt the need to be extra careful.

“The expert, eh?” said the Minor with a strange grin. Clearly, he had picked her unintended innuendo. Shit! “Hum, how about the hotel’s story? You’re resting at the Minor by the Sea, right?”

“Yeah. But does it truly have a past worth recounting? I always assumed it was named that way to attract oblivious tourists.”

“Oh, its story is quite interesting, in truth… But if you want to hear other anecdotes…”

“No, I’m fine with the hotel’s, if you want to begin there sweetie” interrupted the gigantic teenager, “you’re the one talking, I’m the listener!”

"Uhuh… Then, the story begins almost a century and a half ago. The settlers who founded Old Creek had left San Francisco, apparently they wanted to move away from the crowd, and they felt the city was too dangerous. In any case, they moved North until they reached this place and founded Old Creek. Things are they weren’t the first Europeans to settle there. Just where the hotel now stands was a small cabin. And inside, was a Minor named Helena, 30y.o. or close. She never told how she came here to the adults, but apparently, she was a friend of the natives.

When the settlers discovered this, they were elated, because their soon to be town would have a Minor! None of them had Minors with them, so they felt it was a good omen to discover one here. And Helena helped them. She told them where to fish, where to harvest, which parts of the forests to avoid… It lasted one year. Then, just as the last house had been finished, Helena gathered huge rocs, for a Minor, and placed them in her clothes and her bags. Then, she jumped in the sea and drowned. She was discovered the following morning.”

“What!?” screamed Shannon, absolutely horrified. “Why would she do that?”

“Because she was the only one of her kind here. She didn’t know how to read or write, but she had talked with a settler’s kid who knew and he made a transcript of her story. She had fled the Eastern Seaboard to avoid a forced marriage and had been afraid of MAJORS ever since. She had been quite sorrowful, alone on the shore, so she had been happy encountering the natives and then the settlers. But she knew that history would repeat itself. So… she chose her own end to it.”

 “What a tragic story…” said Shannon, with tears in her eyes. “But why did not she pick someone among the settlers to be her bond-mate?! She didn’t need to end her life, the poor thing! She could have… I don’t, know, talked to the settlers, right?”

Shannon was absolutely shocked by the raw brutality of this story. She had never cared much about the past, and she felt bad thinking that she had had such lecherous motives and dreams right where a poor Minor woman took her own life. She really wasn’t used to this kind of feelings, they were really negative and disruptive, but she couldn’t help herself. Alejandro ended his cereal and tore a part of the gâche to soak it in the remaining milk.

“I don’t think you could understand, Shannon. You live in a world made for you, with your kind always around you; proud, dominant… do you think that us Minor truly can make that kind of choices? I’m not sure myself. I’ve never encountered another of my kind, not offline anyway. I discuss with some, even have some webcam chat, but that’s all. I’m kind off the Minor by the sea myself, you know…”

“Don’t ever say that!” said Shannon, quite vehemently. She jumped from the armchair to kneel just before Alejandro and let the extremity of her fingers rest on his legs. “You aren’t condemned to a life alone! You’ve no reason to stay put in Old Creek if you don’t want to! You could go with Al’ to L.A., or with Lindsey at San Francisco, or…” she bit her tongue before saying more but it was too late.

“Or with you in New Orleans?” asked the Minor with more than a little bit of sarcasm.

“Well, yes”, said Shannon a little defensively. “I mean, I still live with my parents, but I plan to buy a private estate soon enough, something secure, so you wouldn’t be in danger. Plus, I could pay for some bodyguards if you wanted to go in town without me. I’m often quite busy, that’s true, so obviously you would have a lot of free time, except if you wanted to come work with me and…”

“Shannon…” interrupted Alejandro, putting his small, cold hand on her massive index, “before anything else, I think we need to have a little heart to heart”.

You must login (register) to review.