Levi-Part 2

In the car on the way there, Elaine asked for Cori’s home phone number, and called her dad to explain what had happened. Cori listened to their conversation to take her mind off the pain, while Nate watched her anxiously.
“Hello, Mr. Reece? I’m Ms. Colbrook. I’m sorry, I know you don’t know me, but I am your new next door neighbor. No-I’m on the left.”
Silence for a moment.
“Yes. Well, the reason I’m calling is that your daughter-Cori-introduced herself to us today, and-”
Cori heard her fathers deep voice on the other end.
“Yes, she came back after the first time, I’m not sure why-”
More of her dad.
“Yes. Uh-huh. Okay. Well, the reason I called is because Cori had a little accident-she tripped and broke her wrist. I think she landed on it. We’re on our way to the hospital right now-”
She broke off again, and Cori heard her dads’ voice ask something in loud, bass tones.
“Well, I’m sorry we didn’t come to you first, but Cori is in a lot of pain and I just thought it would be easier for her if you met us there. Is that okay?”
Apparently Cori’s dad was in agreement, because soon after that Elaine flipped her cell phone closed.
“Well, now that that’s settled. How are you feeling, Cori honey?”
Cori shook her head. She felt like she was going to throw up, the pain was so bad. It wasn’t getting any better as time went on, it just kept HURTING. She inadvertently moved it once, and looked down in shock at the searing pain.
She saw the blood, and the torn skin, the freakish angle of her hand, and the white bone peeking through the skin.
“Oh my GOD!” Cori yelped, squeezing her eyes shut. It hurt even more, now that she’d seen the extent of the damage. “I just tripped! How does that even happen! Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Hurry, Mom” Nate said anxiously, gripping Cori’s free hand. “It’ll be okay, Cori. We’re like thirty seconds away from the hospital, and then you can get some pain medicine. You won’t even feel it.”
Cori nodded. “Keep talking to me, Nate. It distracts me.”
“Are you saying I’m a distracting person?”
“Yup.”
“Well then. Hey mom, got any topics for conversation?”
“We’re here!” Elaine yelled triumphantly, sliding in to the hospital parking lot. She quickly parked, and Nate got out and lifted Cori in his arms.
“Would you rather walk?” He asked.
“No…as long as I’m not too heavy? Because I can walk if I am.” Cori looked at him anxiously.
Nate rolled his eyes. “Cori, you weigh next to nothing. Trust me, I’m fine.”
They rushed into the hospital. Cori’s town was a small one, and the hospital didn’t get many injuries, so they were accepted in immediately. Also, Cori had been there many times before anyway. Numerous concussions, cuts, and twisted ankles had resulted in all the hospital staff knowing her very well. The nurse at the front desk greeted her like an old friend. However, they still had to wait for Cori’s dad to get there to fill out the paperwork. The only thing they could do was give Cori some temporary pain pills while they waited. Cori sat and tried to remember what had happened at Nate’s house, but all she came up with was one instant of remembrance-a picture of Nate’s horrified face and a flash of fear. Now what in the world could that mean?
About five minutes later, Cori’s dad, Robert, burst through the doors.
“Cori!” He exclaimed. “Are you okay, kid?”
“I’m fine, Dad,” Cori blushed as her dad swooped in, placing his huge hands gently on her shoulders and inspecting her carefully.
“Dad! Come on, stop. I‘m fine. Can you just sign the papers so we can fix it?” Robert nodded, his eyes tightening anxiously, and quickly wrote in the needed information. Then Cori’s doctor hurriedly injected her with some anesthetic before he started to set the bone. Cori felt herself grow very confused and sleepy. And her arm felt funny. She rolled her head around and saw Nate standing beside the hospital bed, his crisp green eyes anxious.
“Nate,” She slurred. “My arm feels funny.”
“I know, Cori. They’re setting the bone. You broke your wrist, remember?”
Cori nodded. “Yeah…I remember…I tripped. It hurt. And then you held my hand…then it didn’t hurt so much anymore. Hey,” she said, noticing Nate’s blush, “your face is kinda red, Nate…”
Elaine and Rob stifled laughs as Nate’s face turned an even brighter red. Even the nurses were hiding smiles behind their hands, and the doctor chuckled as he stitched Cori’s skin up.
“I think next time we’ll use a different anesthetic on her,” One of the nurses remarked wryly. “This one seems to make her a little loopy.”
“Yes, it’s strange,” The doctor observed, “she didn’t react like this last time.”
“Maybe it’s just you, Nate.” Elaine grinned slyly at him.
“Mom,” He muttered, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling, face still flushed tomato red.
Just then a soft snore sounded from the bed, and everyone looked down to see Cori, fast asleep.
Soon the doctor was finished, and a brand-new, white cast was placed around Cori’s broken wrist. She was still asleep, the anesthetic having a stronger effect then intended, and Nate carried her out to her dad’s car. He laid her gently in the back seat, took off his jacket, and covered her with it before softly closing the car door and getting into his car.
Cori’s dad, Robert, glanced back at his daughter, sleeping peacefully, and sighed in relief, glad she was okay. Rob always felt a little wary about the things that happened to Cori, because of her clumsiness. She’d never broken a bone before now, though. Oh, well. Rob shrugged and started his car, pulling out of the familiar hospital parking lot and heading for home.

When Cori woke up, it was pitch black, and she panicked for a moment, not knowing where she was. Then she realized that she was in her own bed, at home, the moon shining in through her window. Cori felt a pang when she remembered that Gary wasn’t with her. She missed his quiet breathing and occasional mumbling in his sleep. She missed when she could wake up from a nightmare and Gary would always be there with a hug and a joke to chase her fears away.
Cori sighed and then yawned loudly, cracking her jaw and snuggling deeper into the warmth of her bed. Her nose came in contact with a very soft and good smelling fabric, and Cori sniffed experimentally. It smelled like…Nate! She sat up and felt around for whatever it was, and pulled it out from under herself. It was Nate’s jacket! What is this doing here? she wondered, pressing it to her face and inhaling deeply. Gosh, but he smells good, Cori thought. Slowly she pulled the jacket on, frowning when the left sleeve caught on her heavy cast, and wrapped it tight around herself, pulling the hood up so that his smell clouded her senses. Then she curled in a ball underneath the over-sized jacket and fell fast asleep.
Cori dreamt of Nate that night, a bunch of garbled images from the entire day. His face, his smile, his laugh, him carrying her, holding her hand, waking up in his room, his scent…and right at the end, a vision where Nate was holding her tightly, but not in a good way. Cori felt fear stab her before everything slowly faded into blackness…
In the morning Cori’s stomach woke her, and she wondered downstairs, rubbing her head and following the smell of the cinnamon rolls her dad was no doubt baking. The last image from her dream about Nate had stayed with her, and she wondered what in the world it meant. Cori massaged her temples, trying, trying to remember just what had happened at Nate’s house before she broke her wrist. No…she couldn’t remember. There was nothing but that same memory, Nate’s face and fear. Cori shook her head. No use worrying incessantly about it.
Looking down at herself, Cori realized A) Her dad had changed her into an oversized t-shirt last night (embarrassing!) and B) She was still wearing Nate’s black jacket.
“Hi, Dad,” Cori yawned, plopping down on a chair in the kitchen. “Making cinnamon rolls?”
“Yep. You want some?” Robert smiled at her, immediately noticing Nate’s jacket. Cori tried not to laugh at the sight of her big, muscled up dad in a bright pink apron, with yellow oven mitts on his beefy hands.
“Yes, please. Two. And do you have any Tylenol? My arm hurts.” Cori glared at her cast. “Having a broken wrist sucks.”
Rob chuckled and shook two white pills out of an orange container. He handed Cori the pills and a glass of water. “Here you go, kid. Maybe you should be more careful when you walk, and you wouldn’t have this problem.”
“I try!” Cori complained. “I just have issues with walking, and I have to accept it. Gosh, why can’t I be sporty like Gary? We’re twins, for heavens sake! Shouldn’t that count for something?”
“Oh yeah! That reminds me, kid, I got some good news for you. Gary’s basketball camp is ending a week early because of construction on the court, so he’ll be home this Friday! Isn’t that great?”
“Yes!” Cori’s whole face lit up. “Gary’s coming home! Gosh, but I’ve missed him. What time is it? Has his practice started yet?” Cori dashed into the living room and looked at the clock. “Nope! It’s only 7:30! I’m gonna call him.” She grabbed the phone off the counter and ran up to her room, bouncing on her bed and dialing as fast as she could. She had Gary’s cell memorized.(Cori was still jealous that Gary got a cell phone just because her dad wanted to have an easy way to reach him.) Cori waited impatiently while it rang, until someone picked up and Gary’s familiar voice sounded on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Gary!”
“Hey, sis! What’s up?”
“I just heard from Dad that you’re coming home early! Is it true?”
“Yep! Which is good, ‘cause I really miss you, Anna.”
Cori smiled. Gary was the only one that didn’t call her Cori. He said that it was a guy name and he just wasn’t going to use it. So he used the end of her name (Corianna) instead of the beginning.
“I miss you too, Gary. Oh, hey, guess what?”
“Which body part did you injure this time?”
“ How did you know that’s what I was gonna say?”
“Your tone of voice. Plus, when you say “guess what” that’s usually what it’s about. Now, what?”
“I broke my wrist,” Cori sighed.
“Wow, an actual bone! How did that happen? Are you okay?”
“Haha, very funny. I’m fine, thanks. I tripped.”
“…You tripped…and broke your wrist?”
“Yes…” Cori was aware of how ridiculous that sounded.
“What in the world did you trip on?”
Cori fidgeted. “A person.”
“What!” Gary laughed. “You did? That is awesome, Anna! Who was it?”
Cori pouted. “it is not awesome. It hurt. And it was our new next door neighbor, a guy our age called Nate. I was hanging at his place and I guess I didn’t feel well or something, because I passed out at his house. Then I woke up and I was on his bed and he was on the floor and I didn’t know it and I got up and tried to walk out and I just…tripped over him. Then his mom took me to the hospital. He had to carry me! It was so embarrassing.”
Gary was silent on the other end, and Cori felt him shift into protective older brother mode, even though he was only a few minutes older than her.
“Who is this Nate kid? Why were you in his room? You let him CARRY you?”
Cori sighed. “Oh, come on Gary. Calm yourself. His name is Nate Myron. And his mom was there. Somebody had to get me into the stupid hospital, and I couldn’t walk. Do you know, breaking a bone and having it rip completely through your skin kinda hurts.”
“Oh, gosh,” Gary sounded shocked. “Did it really? I’m sorry, Anna. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Now, anyways. Don’t worry, Gary.”
“Okay…” He sounded doubtful. “But I’m gonna have to check out this Nate guy when I get back.”
Cori groaned and rolled her eyes. “You are so overprotective. Don’t you think I can take care of myself?”
“Obviously not,” Gary muttered. Just then a whistle sounded in the background. “Oh, sorry Anna, I got to go. Call you later?”
“Yeah,” Cori sighed. “Love ya, Gary.”
“Love you too, Anna. See ya.”
Cori stared morosely at the phone. Talking to Gary always made her miss him all the more.
“Cori!” Her dad’s voice boomed from the kitchen, making her jump. “The rolls are ready!”
“Okay, Dad!” Cori felt her stomach grumble, and she quickly stood up and walked into the kitchen. Within minutes of sitting down she had the cinnamon rolls devoured, and she hopped up again.
“I’m going next door to thank Nate for yesterday, kay Dad? I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, kid. Don’t be late for lunch. And don’t break anything else!”
Cori rolled her eyes as she headed back upstairs, standing in front of her mirror while she brushed through each copper curl on her head. Every one sprang right back into a springy ringlet after she was finished, until they all shone and there was no frizz. Then she pulled on her favorite jean shorts and her red Coca-Cola t-shirt, hesitated before putting on Nate’s jacket(which was big on her), and took off to his house.
She reached his fence and peeked over, wondering if Nate was outside, when his voice piped up from behind her. Cori jumped a foot in the air and whirled around, her heart beating a hundred miles an hour.
“I knew you’d come to see me.” Nate smiled, apple-green eyes crinkling at the corners. “How does your wrist feel?”
“It’s fine.” Cori flushed. “And…I just wanted to say…thanks for yesterday. It…eh…helped to have you there, I guess.” She looked down at her feet, leaning against the fence.
Nate chuckled. “Is it really that hard to admit how much you like me?”
Cori glared at him. “It wouldn’t be if you weren’t so annoying. Do you have to be so self-assured? Don’t you have any insecurities?”
Nate shrugged, humor still in his eyes. Then his face softened, and he strolled over to stand beside her. He leaned down and whispered right in her ear.
“I like you, too.” Then he gave her a swift kiss on the cheek and pulled back, grinning at the stunned expression on her face, the red in her cheeks. Then Cori recovered herself and blinked, glaring up at him.
“You’re still annoying,” She muttered.
“But you like me,” He said, unperturbed.
“Ugh,” Cori groaned, sliding to the ground. “But I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?” Nate plopped down close beside her.
“Because I don’t even know you.”
“So? Isn’t that a good thing? I mean, when you like someone before you know them, that means you have chemistry. And chemistry is always good.” Nate nudged her shoulder, still grinning. Cori just sighed. Maybe she would trust him, if only she knew what had happened yesterday when she passed out.
Nate caught that thought, and he felt another jab of regret. Why, oh why had he been so stupid? If only he hadn’t been watching Cori, if only she hadn’t sounded so good, if only he’d closed the curtains sooner, if only, if only…He shook himself mentally.
He was getting better at this magic thing. He’d been reading minds as much as he could, to practice. The mailman, his mom, the bank teller, some joggers, and an old guy shuffling down the sidewalk. His thoughts sure had been confusing. Going senile. Nate had also perfected the art of getting objects to zoom into his hand without moving. The mind was a powerful thing.
“I see you’re wearing my jacket,” Nate observed.
“Yeah.” Cori shrugged. “It smells good.”
“That’s because I smell good.”
“Either way.”
Cori knew he smelt good. She could smell him from where she was, pressed right up against him. He was so much taller than her, her cheek was just barely above his shoulder, brushing up against it, and she felt the urge to lay her head right on his shoulder. But she didn’t.
Of course, Nate had no repercussions about holding back from what he wanted to do. So without a second thought, he reached out and took Cori’s hand from her knee, twining his fingers with hers. Cori felt her heart thud at the simple touch, at the warmth of his hand around hers. She should have pulled away, but she didn’t want to. Instead, she tightened her hand around his, and they sat in companionable silence for a little while, but Nate couldn’t keep quiet for long.
“So now do you want to know the nickname I thought up yesterday?”
“Oh, yeah,” Cori said, recalling. Yesterday seemed like such a long time ago.
“Levi.”
“Levi?” Cori wrinkled her nose. How many guy names did she need? “Why?”
“Because that’s what color your eyes are. A light, faded, but pretty, blue. Do you know they’re almost white around the pupil, with a ring of dark blue on the outside of your irises?”
Instead of feeling weirded out that he’d been looking at her so closely, Cori felt strangely flattered. And the more she thought it over, the more she realized how much she liked the name.
“All right,” Cori decided. “I guess I like it. You can use it if you want.”
“Great!” Nate exclaimed. “Hi, Levi.”
“Hi, Nate.” Cori rolled her eyes. They fell into silence again. Nate rubbed his thumb comfortingly along the back of her hand. The sun was warm, the breeze cool. Cori was feeling a little drowsy. Nate’s smell permeated the air around her. Slowly, ever so slowly, Cori let her head inch down, until she was resting right against Nate’s warm shoulder, wrapped in his jacket, holding his hand. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and before she knew it she was gone, dead to the world.
Nate looked down at the sleeping girl beside him. He’d seen that coming. There had been a slight haze in her mind to suggest sleepiness, and he’d known it wouldn’t take much for her to conk out. It hadn’t, and now she breathed evenly in and out, shiny copper curls stirring in the breeze and full lips slightly open, her hand limp in his, leaning heavily against him. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, closing his eyes too, letting the sun warm his face. He let his mind range to hers, wondering if she was dreaming. Unfamiliar images started to flash through his mind, pictures of her family and places, and even a few of him and his mom. Nate felt a thrill of pleasure. She was dreaming about him.
Suddenly Cori started to dream in earnest, everything playing out like a movie. Nate closed his eyes so he could “watch”.
His blood ran cold when he realized exactly what she was dreaming about.
He saw everything from her point of view, how she’d looked up once from her guitar and caught sight of him, standing at a window, eyes glowing eerily and chest shining green light.
Nate went rigid. He’d seen this before.
Nate experienced her emotions as Cori fought with shock and fear, running out of her house and to his, knocking on the door and speaking with Elaine, standing in his kitchen…He saw himself, sitting slumped at the kitchen table, Cori’s worry for him, felt her fear when he and Elaine advanced on her, the confusion, a true stab of terror when he grabbed her in his arms and Elaine forced her to unconsciousness.
Gasping quietly, Nate came back to the real world just as Cori’s eyes fluttered open, staring unfocusedly. Nate scrambled to collect himself and not give away what he had just seen, but inside he was reeling.
How could Cori still have the memory in her unconsciousness? He’d erased it completely, he knew he had! What was going on here? Why in the world did Cori still have the memory? Even though she obviously didn’t remember the event consciously, it was there, and he didn’t know what to do.
But Nate was forced to shove these thoughts to the back of his mind, because Cori was fully awake now and looking at him strangely.
“What?” He asked, attempting to sound like his normal self. “Am I that nice to look at?”
Cori just kept staring. “No…” She murmured, “I just had…a strange dream…you were in it…and your mom…I felt…scared. What did it mean? “ She seemed to be talking to herself. Then she blinked and shook her head, rubbing her temples.
“Gosh, my head hurts, Nate. It’s like someone was digging around in my brain…a cold ache…my skull feels raw…what’s wrong with me?”
Nate struggled to contain his shock. He and his mom had talked for a long time last night, her filling him in on as much as she could at one time. She’d told him that only people skilled in mind-reading and such felt the symptoms of someone reading their minds. Normal people felt no side affects. But when you’re attuned to the thoughts around you, like Nate and people like him, you recognized the signs of an invasion because you were plagued with blistering headaches, flashes of long ago memories, and a strange rawness inside your head. How…how could this be happening to Cori? She wasn’t magical at all! He or Elaine would have sensed that, surely…
“Nate? Hello? Anybody home? Yoo-hoo!”
Nate blinked and looked at Cori, at her pinched, pained looking face and confused eyes, and didn’t know what to do. For possibly the first time in his life, Nathaniel David Myron did not know what to say.

Cori stared at Nate. He had such a funny look on his face. He looked shocked and confused and a little bit wary, and Cori wondered what on earth was wrong with him. He seemed lost for words, which was exceedingly disconcerting.
“Nate?” Cori found herself using a very soft voice, the kind of voice you used when you were talking to a dying person. “Are you okay, Nate?”
Nate blinked his apple-green eyes and seemed to notice her for the first time since Cori had woken up.
“Levi?” His voice sounded strained. His fingers twitched reflexively on the grass. Cori smiled a bit at the use of her nickname.
“Yeah. What’s wrong, Nate? You look kinda weird.” Cori took his hand and squeezed it.
“Um. Nothing. I s’pose I just got a little sleepy too, that’s all. Kind of out of it. Are you okay? You said your head hurt.” He furrowed his brow at her, an uncharacteristically grim look on his face.
Cori rubbed her temples. She’d been okay when she was focusing on something else, but now her head hurt worse than ever. It still felt raw and cold on the inside, and her temples were pounding like thunder.
“Yeah, I guess I’ll be alright.” Cori said unconvincingly, wincing when her head throbbed particularly badly. Nate rolled his eyes.
“Don’t lie to me, Levi.” Nate felt slightly worried. How long were the side effects supposed to last anyways? That was the last time he decided to peek in on her dreams…she looked like she was really in pain.
Struck by a sudden idea, Nate moved from his cross-legged position and sat back on his heels. Cori sat up straighter too, and folded her legs underneath her, facing him. She gave him a quizzical look when he cradled her face in his hands and started to massage her temples with his thumbs, starting at the corners of her blue eyes and sweeping upwards with firm, soothing strokes.
Cori closed her eyes in absolute contentment and relief. His cool, smooth hands felt wonderful on her warm face, and his slender, nimble fingers were rubbing all the tension in her head away. Cori sighed in pleasure as the ache slowly receded, and her entire body relaxed.
“Thanks, Nate.” Cori said, about to open her eyes, but Nate placed two fingertips against her eyelids.
“No. Don’t open your eyes yet,” Nate whispered. He was feeling kind of strange. Something about the way Cori sat, her posture open and inviting. She had a slight smile on her face, and her eyes were moving underneath her eyelids. Her beautiful ringlets were stirring gently in the breeze, shining like fire in the sun. Nate lifted a curl with two fingers and twirled it around them, marveling at it’s silky softness. He stretched it out and let go-it bounced right back up into a perfect spiral.
Nate scooted slightly closer so that their knees were touching, their faces inches away, and touched the fingertips of one hand to her warm cheek. A blush rose almost immediately, and he smiled, trailing his fingertips around the frame of her heart shaped face. With his other hand he grabbed hers and pulled her slightly closer. Cori swayed towards him, not knowing what she wanted exactly, only knowing that she wanted it. She could feel his warm breath spewing across her cheek, and his soft fingers were sliding across her jaw bone, drawing her nearer and nearer. Cori didn’t open her eyes. It made everything more exciting, more mysterious, more…amazing…to have them closed. She could only guess on what Nate would do next, on how close he was.
Cori inhaled sharply just then, because Nate’s soft fingertips had just barely grazed her bottom lip. A shiver ran through her body, and her eyes flew open.
Nate’s face was barely an two inches away, his crisp, apple-green eyes locked on hers. His hands had immediately moved to cradle her face again, and an intense smile quirked his full lips.
“ Can I kiss you?” He whispered.
Cori thought about it. She thought about how she’d only known him for two days, how she still had no idea what had happened at his house, how she really didn’t trust him at all…
“No.” She whispered back. Nate’s face fell tragically, his eyes filled with hurt, his hands fell from her face onto his lap.
Cori only smiled and got up on her knees. “But I can kiss you.”
And then her lips were on his, her hands were in his satin-soft black hair, her body was pressed as close to his as she could get, one knee between his legs. Nate gasped once before returning her kiss, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her even closer. He felt electricity sparking in his veins, and it wasn’t just his newfound power. The feel of her lips and her silky copper curls draping over his face had a crazy effect on him, and his heart was going a hundred miles an hour. Nate had been with quite a few girls in his time, and it sounded really stupid to say it, much less think it, but none of them had made him feel like this.
But as his mind drifted away, caught in a whirlwind of emotion, it all began to become to much. He couldn’t keep a hold on the energy roiling in his body, and bright green sparks started to play over his skin, skittering down his arms and sliding up his face, targeting the area where their lips were connected.
Cori was simply enjoying the moment, inhaling his scent and reveling in the softness of his hair, when a shock ran through her body that had nothing to do with the ardor pounding through her. It was like static electricity, except everywhere at once, and Cori gasped, more in surprise than anything else.