Chance Of Success
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The first time I went to a real gym, it was like stepping into the world of the future. It wasn’t so much the equipment or the atmosphere; that part was more similar to my life on Earth than anything else: bright colors, upbeat music, and people working hard in a friendly environment with a clear mission—and everyone seemed focused and driven.
But as far as technology goes? Everything from their shoes to their shirts was completely unlike anything I’d seen before. They all had these strange metal clasps attached around their wrists for holding gloves up to prevent calluses, while other trainers used them for carrying things instead.
And then there were these special belts that looked almost like suspenders but without straps, designed to hold a set of weights that they kept swinging back and forth between each set of exercises. The whole thing seemed so advanced, yet somehow familiar at the same time…
It didn’t take long until I noticed what everyone’s eyes were looking toward. A tall young woman in her late teens stood just out of reach behind one of the benches lining one wall near the door.
She was standing still as an ancient statue except for her hands, which she swung through a complicated series of movements, occasionally throwing one up high to catch in midair or striking a pose against her chest when not moving. It was hypnotic to watch, like some kind of dance you couldn’t quite understand even if you studied it forever.
I knew instantly who she must be, although no one else seemed to notice. When you’re a kid from a tiny town in Montana, you’ve got very little contact with anyone outside your own area. But I remembered being told by Mom about this girl called Serena, who was the head instructor at a local martial arts studio run by the local police force.
She was supposed to be the best fighter around here, and now I could see why. Not only did I have zero experience with fighting, but the way she moved made it obvious that she’d spent years and years practicing in every imaginable situation.
“She is incredible,” I said when someone asked me about it later. “You can’t tell how fast she moves until she does something, but then you realize that the second you move toward her she already has her hands raised.”
“That would explain how the cops caught us,” said Chase. He was leaning against the wall right next to where I was standing, staring off into space.
As I watched, the young woman finished a series of punches and strikes and threw her arms wide open, shaking them wildly. Her voice carried over the room.
“…I’ll make sure we don’t waste another minute!”
A couple of men grunted as she passed them on either side of the corridor, and they turned and gave her a nod. The rest of the crowd followed, including all the trainers from the group I was training with.
There were a few moments of silence as they walked past each bench, each trainer glancing up at her with an impressed look as her body twisted and stretched with each new movement.
As soon as she came close enough, she ran her fingers down the length of one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling and wrapped it around her shoulders, drawing the end across her mouth, and tying it securely in place before giving me a smile and turning away. She started walking back toward the locker room, and suddenly the entire gym exploded in applause.
“Well?” I asked Chase when we were back at our lockers. “What do you think?”
He laughed. “You are such a sucker for a good cheerleader.” Then he grinned mischievously. “Wait till it comes out that you have no idea what she looks like.”
We both stared at him blankly until his smile faded. “Oh.”
After I got home again, I realized I hadn’t been to see Mom since the night of the attack, so I called her up. We spoke in whispers so I wouldn’t get caught. She was still pretty shaken up after what happened with Chance. She sounded relieved as she told me how well he was doing now. It wasn’t like any of it was ever in doubt, but it helped reassure her a lot.
Then we talked about Dad, and I explained how my trip had gone. “You know how much I love this school,” she said when she heard all about what I’d done. “But if you keep getting in trouble like this… I mean, I wish you wouldn’t. You’re a smart boy. This isn’t your future, you should really stay on the farm with us.”
“I can’t do that.” My heart ached for how much this all reminded me of the conversation we’d had two months ago. But the truth was, if I stayed with Dad’s parents, there would be no hope for me to get away from all of this. “I’m going to need some serious cash to get off-planet.”
“If that’s what you want, then that’s what you need,” she said gently. “And someday, maybe you’ll come to visit me again.”
“Yeah. I will.” I took a deep breath. “Mom, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what exactly is Dad paying you for? For the work on the car and stuff?”
“Oh, that.” She sighed deeply. “It doesn’t sound so important now that you’re here safe and sound. But yes, it was just to keep you in line.”
When she went on to tell me what kind of money I’d be bringing in, it didn’t take me long to understand why she was willing to overlook the things that I was doing to help him. But even though my stomach dropped when I finally understood how badly he was hurting us financially, I also knew I couldn’t live with myself unless I found some way to fix it.
So, although we agreed that there would be consequences, I promised not to do anything more foolish. And then we said goodnight and hung up.
I put the phone down carefully and stared off into space, thinking about the day ahead of me. The first thing I needed to do was call the police and let them know what had happened at the park. Then I could go and face the music.
My mind was filled with the same questions as before—why would the cops have shown up while I was fighting with those guys? Would they arrest me again for beating them up, or just take me in as a witness?
If they wanted to press charges against Chance and me, would they try to charge me with assault and battery for hitting the guy who’d tried to kill me? And if they did, would it be worth it for them to do so?
The thought that they might be able to hurt me, physically, was almost as disturbing as knowing someone else might. But I also felt a little relieved. It meant that I had an excuse to be afraid if I chose to use it.
At least the police weren’t waiting outside my house when I went downstairs. Maybe they’d taken their investigation elsewhere? Or maybe the cops in the city were simply less paranoid than ours in my hometown, but whatever the reason, it made my stomach feel like butterflies.
A couple of days later, after I’d spoken with the cops, I went to the mall again because there was one last thing I desperately needed.
***
“You sure you want to wear that again?” Chase asked when he saw me in the parking lot wearing the red leather jacket.
“Yeah.” I nodded firmly, holding the front of it closed with both hands so he wouldn’t notice that I was shivering. “Why?”
“Well… I don’t know,” he mumbled as he looked down at me. He was driving, and he turned the heat up a bit so we’d stop feeling like we were freezing to death, but nothing could change the fact that the air was thick with snow. “It’s cold out.”
I smiled up at him. “Come on, you’re always complaining about how cold it is in Michigan. I bet it gets warm in Florida.”
His eyes widened and he shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. That’s where you’re wrong.”
“So, what are you saying? There’s no such thing as global warming?”
He laughed. “I’ll explain it to you some time. You might not believe it, but trust me, it’s true.”
“What? No way! How do you even know about it?”
Chase shrugged and gave me a sideways smile. “There’s a lot of things that aren’t talked about openly on Earth. We’re still working through some pretty big changes. Like how everyone on this planet seems to think they’ve got all the answers when really, they should be listening more closely to each other.”
“That sounds boring as hell,” I joked, but he didn’t laugh. He was too busy concentrating on the road. “Okay, fine. Whatever. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Good. I’d hate to see you die of boredom over there.”
We were parked in front of the entrance, which happened to be near the movie theater. As soon as we left the vehicle, my feet sank into the powdery snow on the sidewalk.
The temperature wasn’t any warmer inside the mall, either. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, trying to ignore how miserable it made me look, and followed Chase to the bookstore.
Once inside, Chase headed straight toward the computer section. I watched him from behind as he searched through different online stores looking for the books he wanted. After a few moments, I realized that he was looking for something specific and decided to join him.
While I was reading the titles, I heard someone calling my name and turned to see Chance walking across the store with two shopping bags in his hand. His hair was wet from having washed it, and the ends were sticking straight up.
Chance stopped and stood directly in front of me, grinning brightly. “Hey, girl. Are you going to buy these books now or do I need to hold your coat for you while you browse?”
“Oh, uh…” My mouth felt dry. “I was just heading over here.”
I stepped away, putting a few more steps between us. I didn’t know why, but I felt uncomfortable around Chance when he was being nice to me. Something inside me just didn’t want to deal with it, so I pretended he was someone else.
But Chance wasn’t stupid; he must have noticed that something was off, too. He frowned, then walked over to stand next to Chase. “I’ve got everything she wants, so can we get her out of here now? She’s making me feel bad.”
Chase gave him a quick nod. “Yes, let’s go.”
As the guys began moving toward the exit, Chase reached over to grab my arm. I flinched back from him.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just worried about you.”
My voice sounded small and distant. “I know.”
Chase gave me a searching look. “Are you sure? ‘Cause, you looked like you weren’t too happy about seeing me.”
“You haven’t exactly been the easiest person to talk to lately, Chase. It’s hard for me to forget all the crap you put me through, even if you seem to think you’re being super nice now.”
Chase sighed. “I never meant to hurt you. And I really did try to make amends. But you’re right—it’s not easy to move past the shit people have done in our past lives. I understand.”
“And what? I’m supposed to forgive you just because you’re sorry? Sorry doesn’t count when it comes to me, Chase. People only say sorry when they realize they fucked up, not before.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should have been nicer to me instead of making fun of me every time I showed an ounce of kindness.”
My jaw tightened. “You’re right. I was mean as hell to you, and it’s something I regret every day. I wish you would tell me what happened, Chase. If you’re not going to say anything about it yourself, maybe it’s better that I don’t find out until we’re both ready to talk. Okay?”
“Yeah,” he whispered. “Maybe you’re right.”
I glanced down at my watch. The guys had already gotten ahead of us by several yards. “Come on. I need to use the bathroom before they leave without me.”
As we walked past the food court, I saw them sitting together, waiting patiently for us to finish our conversation. They seemed to be in deep discussion over the laptop and a stack of DVDs, so I ignored their presence for now.
When we finally emerged from the store, they were no longer there, so I assumed they’d gone back to the SUV, leaving me alone for the moment. I took one last look around the area to ensure that we hadn’t missed them. All clear.
Then I headed toward the restrooms. We’d been in the bookstore for less than ten minutes. Where could they possibly be?
I pushed open the door and stepped inside. There was a line at the sink, and it stretched all the way down the aisle. As I waited, I tried to figure out where Chase and Chance might have disappeared to.
I didn’t think they were still hanging around outside the mall, but after seeing that they’d come inside for a second, I couldn’t shake the thought that something must have distracted them, and then they forgot they needed me somewhere else.
The End