Time Lifts the Light

D.B. was nervous.

It was a strange sight to see, this boy of such strong and stable composure being reduced to a fidgeting mess. His brown-blonde hair was sticking to the light layer of perspiration on his forehead and, though it was a hot day, none of the rest of us had beads of sweat pooling in the dip above our upper lips.

"So - uh - Mikey," D.B. said conversationally. "I guess you're going to drop off Kim first, then Indy, then me. That's the fastest route, isn't it?"
"Nope."
"Um, yeah it is. It's the fastest way to - "
"No. Kim lives the closest to the school, then you, then Indy."
D.B. started fumbling with the hem of his button-down shirt. "Yeah, but if we're already at Kim's house, we should just - "
"You're not making any sense, D.B.," Mikey said as he plowed to a halt before a stop sign.

"You know what I want to do?" Kim asked from the front seat. "I want to go to D.B.'s house."
"No," D.B. replied, a little too quickly. "I - I mean, no. My dad is - uh - working and stuff, so we... we shouldn't - "
"Yeah!" Mikey shouted enthusiastically. "Mrs. Hawkins even invited us for dinner tonight, D.B."
"You come to my house a lot, you guys," D.B. said, attempting casualty. "You've been over for dinner before."
"Yeah, but not recently," Kim said. "And your mother wanted us to come."
"I'm sure she said that before she knew how much work my dad had to do today. So, let's just leave him - "
"How's your sister?"
"Julia's fine," D.B. said stonily. "Come on, Mike. Just take Kim home, okay?"
"Too late, I've already turned off Orion Street. We're half-way to your house."
"Well," D.B. said through his clenched teeth. "How about turning around?"
"Does Julia still have a crush on me?" Mikey asked good-naturedly.
"What is that answer that will make you turn around?"

D.B.'s fists were clenched in his slacks. He licked his lips and swallowed thickly, trying to mask his frantic breathing. It was like watching a cat with a tin can attached to it's tail slowly work itself up into a frenzy. I leaned back and drew tiny circles on my knee with my thumb.

"D.B.," I said quietly.

He started ("Christ, Indy!") and turned to look at me.

"You're nervous," I told him. "Why?"

My direct approach stunned Mikey and Kim into silence. The car was filled with a tense, dramatic pause. D.B.'s eyes drifted to my knee, where he seemed mesmerized by the motion of my fingers.

"I just don't want anyone over at my house tonight, okay?" he replied, blinking and drawing his gaze away from my knee. In fact, he pointedly ignored both my knee and my eyes.

"Why not?" Mikey asked gently from the front seat.
"Because."
"Don't be an idiot," Kim scoffed.
"It's just... Some people in this car haven't seen where other people in this car live." He was avoiding my eyes with such painful obviousness. "And maybe some people in this car don't want other people in this car to see where they live."
"D.B. - "
"And also because some people in this car have very embarrassing families who know a lot of secrets about some people in this car. And maybe some people in this car aren't ready for other people in this car to know all the gory details about the special abilities that some people in this car have."
"Daniel -"
"Because some people in this car might get scared when they find out what happened - for example - to my eyebrow. Or my back. Or my shoulder." D.B. swallowed with a lot of difficulty and then abandoned all anonymity. "And then you might not want to go time traveling at all. Which is a shame because I'd like to take you. You know, some day."

He was staring straight forward, a hardened expression on his face. He was not looking at any of us, just concentrating on keeping his breathing even and not letting on how angry and upset he was.

Mikey pulled up to a small stone house with a familiar red car (looking as beaten and crumpled as D.B. was just now) sitting in the front driveway. He was silent, turning off the car almost guiltily. Kim, for once, had nothing to say.

"Well," D.B. sighed. "You've been warned. Come in for dinner if you want but - " He shot me a quick glance. "Just don't - um - be surprised when you..." He trailed off and rubbed his forehead agitatedly. Then, with a decisive stroke, he unclipped his seat belt and got out of the car.

Mikey gave me a sympathetic look before following after D.B., catching his shoulder and saying a few quiet word in his ear as they walked toward the front door. Kim took her time, gathering up her purse before unbuckling her own seat belt. She turned to me.

"Don't feel bad."
"I know I shouldn't, but - "
"He should know that you wouldn't ditch him over a few scars. They were all accidents, anyway. None of them were his fault."
"Do you think he'll mind if we go in for dinner?"
"Mikey's doing it. And he's got the keys so... Do we really have a choice?"

I shot a withering look at the two boys, who were waiting for us on the front step.

"We could just wait in here until Mikey gets back?" I suggested.
"I don't know," Kim teased. "We'll get pretty hungry."
"There's always cannibalism."
"No offense, but I don't think you'd taste very good."
"Right, too skinny."
"Enough stalling, Indy."
"Sorry."

We got out of Mikey's car and walked toward D.B's house - which was small and quaint with a touch of ivy sneaking up the large tree in the front lawn. D.B. gave me a weak smile and, after being nudged in the side by Mikey, apologized.

"Sorry if I freaked you out," he said, giving a forced chuckle. "I was being stupid. Forgive me?"
"For what?" I asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He smiled as we stepped through the door. The entrance was painted a cheerful yellow, with a large picture of a very young and excited-looking D.B. holding a small, raven-haired baby girl in a frilly blue dress adorning the wall.

"Thank you," he mumbled into my ear as we made our way through the hall.