I guess I knew this day would come, I had just hoped to put it off a little longer. I knew it wouldn’t end well. This was the plan to begin with, right? But it wasn’t what I wanted deep down inside. I didn’t want to hurt her. I’m such an idiot to have led her on this long. I should’ve stopped calling her after the first dinner date.
I had been selfish. The truth is, she was the only woman who had made me laugh. She was always on my mind and I knew I was going to miss her terribly. Then again, this event would certainly move her on the scale. I would redeem myself in my mother's eyes. You are a D Glow. This is what you’re supposed to do. I said it over and over to myself as a sort of mantra to help me. We were walking in silence to the scale center. It had stopped raining, but the sky was still gray and filled with cumulus clouds. I was trying not to look upset, but it was painstakingly difficult to mask. Once she found out I was a D Glow, she would be crushed.
We walked to the nearest center. To Normals, it is an urgent care center with a doctor on call for emergencies. I held the door open for Skyla and stepped in behind her. The room was small with chairs lining both sides of the moss-green walls. Only one other person was in the waiting room—a Glow. She glanced up from her magazine and gave us a quick smile before putting her head back down to read.
“We are here for a checkup,” Skyla said with nervous enthusiasm. She walked up to the desk counter and handed the clerk her card.
I handed the clerk my card as well. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work since I had gone to the same scaling center all my life and they knew my real name. The card I gave the clerk read Julien Romero.
We were called individually to give blood. As we waited for the results, Skyla tried to make small talk about her work. I half-listened, not really having the energy to engage in conversation. After about fifteen minutes, the clerk handed us our paperwork, and we headed outside.
“So?” Skyla asked as we exited the Urgent Care building. “Where should we go to read them?”
“How about the park over there?” I pointed to a small park with a playground. No one was there, and if it started to rain, we could take cover under one of the many trees.
“Here's mine,” Skyla said, trying to sound upbeat as we reached the park. She handed me her sealed envelope. I took it from her and looked at her. It might be the last time I saw her this way: trusting, smiling. Her fuchsia shirt and pink jacket contrasted against the gray all around us. I felt a wave of guilt and remorse wash over me for what she was about to find out. I reached over and put my hand on her cheek and gave her a faint smile. Our eyes locked for a moment, and I leaned in to give her one last kiss. Skyla stepped back, surprised, but beamed happily. If she only knew what she was about to learn, she wouldn’t be smiling.
“Here's mine,” I said as I handed her my envelope. I opened hers. As expected, it read: Pure Light Glow. No movement, total score: +5.
She opened mine and winced.
“This can’t be right, Julien. Did something traumatic happen to you recently?”
She didn’t look up. She just continued to stare, dumbfounded, at my results.
“No, why?” I asked, trying to sound confused.
“Well…you’re almost in the middle of the scale. It can’t be possible,” she frowned.
“What?!” I exclaimed, grabbing the paper from her. There at the top it said: Light Glow, 4 point movement, total score: +1.
“Light Glow? Wait, I…I don’t understand,” I murmured.
“There's no way this is correct, Julien,” Skyla said, peering up at me, concerned. “This has got to be a false reading. We should go back.”
“Maybe it was my name?” I wondered out loud. I started pacing back and forth.
“What do you mean?” she asked nervously. “Come on, Julien, let's go back before it gets reported to the Council.”
“No, that can’t be it either. I mean, it's done by blood, not by name, right?” I wasn’t listening to her right now. I had to think about how this could have happened. I’ve never heard about a false reading for a scaling. Never. So why did it happen to me? And if it wasn’t false, how could a Pure D jump five points toward light in three months?
“You’re not making sense, Julien.”
I thought for a moment, and then it hit me. “Oh darkness, you’re good. You’ve known all along, haven’t you?” I pointed a finger at her chest.
“Known what?” She jerked her body away from me, mouth open in disbelief.
“You’re a light agent! You did this to me!” I yelled.
“What are you talking about?” Skyla shouted back. “Why would a light agent try to turn a Light Glow toward darkness? I don’t even think that's possible,” she added throwing her hands up hysterically.
I looked over at her and shook my head. It all made sense now.
“What do you guys have? Some special love potion you use on D Glows so we fall in love with you? And here, all this time, I was worried about hurting you!” I put my hands on my head. She’d been playing me the entire time? I couldn’t believe it.
“You love me?” she asked softly. “Why are you doing this then? I don’t understand what's happening.”
“Oh wow. You are really good at acting all sweet and innocent. Well, news for you, babe. D Glows can’t fall in love no matter how much potion you give us.”
I probably had fallen in love with her—or some version of love, at least. My face flushed with anger. How could I have been so stupid? I ran over to the swing set, grabbed a swing, and threw it. A totally pointless move since it really couldn’t go anywhere and it almost hit me, but I was so mad I felt I needed to take it out on something.
“What on earth are you doing?” Skyla yelled, running toward me. “For heaven's sake! I understand you’re upset about your reading, but you don’t have to act like a small child. Let's just get your reading done again.”
“Were you just trying to get close to me because of my mother?” I asked, patting my jacket to see if I had a cigarette stowed away. This was definitely the time to have one.
“Your mother?” she asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion. “Julien, please stop this. I don’t even know your mother!”
I found the hidden cigarette, took out my lighter from my other pocket, and lit it. I inhaled deeply and blew the smoke out in her face.
She coughed and shooed the smoke away, and her face turned white. “You smoke?” She wobbled a little like she was about to pass out but regained her balance by holding onto a nearby tree. My first instinct was to rush over to her, but I quickly brushed it off, remembering who she really was. I have to give her some credit—she's a great actress.
“Yes,” I snapped. “But of course you know that. Just like you know my name is Stephen, I’m a D Glow and my father is Pierre LeBete. Oh, and yes, Esmerelda LeBete is my mother.”
“The one who is being tested for…?” Her voice quivered.
“Already happened, and she passed,” I said proudly. I took another drag of my cigarette and stared her down. Her plan to turn me certainly went sideways. I had never felt more Pure D Glow than at that moment.
Suddenly, a black Mercedes pulled up alongside us. The front passenger window rolled down. It was my mom. A male Glow I had never seen before was driving her.
“Get in the car, now,” she demanded. I headed for the car.
“You too, young lady,” my mom stated.
“No!” Skyla screamed and started to run in the other direction.
My mom pointed a finger at Skyla and commanded: “Sleep.” Skyla fell to the ground, passed out cold.
“Don’t worry, she's just asleep.”
“I’m not worried,” I sniffed.
“Help me get her into the car. We need to go now,” she urged.
I stomped out my cigarette on the ground and ran over to where Skyla lay.
Too bad. She's so pretty.
I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the car. The driver got out and helped me her in the passenger seat next to me. I wasn’t sure what Mom was going to do with her, but she must have found out I had been tricked and was coming to get vengeance.
“You need to sleep now too, darling.” Mom pointed at me and said, “Sleep,” before I could protest.