PERCEPTION by Lee Strauss
PART ONE
ZOE
Chapter 1
I balanced on my surfboard, right
thigh burning and salt water stinging my eyes, while the best wave of the early
morning carried me like a goddess on a pedestal to shore. My older brother Liam
and I shared a friendly competition, and it gave me a certain, blissful
satisfaction to catch the same wave and to get to shore first.
“Beat ya!” I shouted over the noise
of the crashing surf.
Seagulls flocked and circled over us,
squawking loudly, adding to the cacophony.
The sun glistened off Liam’s damp
blond curls as he shook them out. His eyes sparkled as his lips tugged up into
a grin. “I let you win.”
“Did not!” I smacked him playfully on
the arm. “One more ride?”
Liam unzipped his wetsuit letting the
top half fall down past his waist. He was in fine form, and I understood why
all the girls raved about him. He was responsible for a long list of broken
hearts.
I fell into stride beside him, my
feet sinking into the cold, wet sand. “So soon?”
He nodded, the glint leaving his
eyes. My lips tightened into a frown “You’re taking off with Jackson again?”
Liam stared straight ahead. “Lab
stuff.”
“What are you working on?” I rushed
to keep up with my brother’s long, strong strides. He flicked his head, tossing
the hair out of his eyes but didn’t answer.
“Come on,” I knocked into him sideways.
“Tell me!”
“It’s just stuff.”
“Just stuff? Like what? Top CIA
stuff? I know you’re smart but I think the government has been doing a good job
without your help.”
I meant it as a joke, but Liam
huffed. “It’s just stuff, okay? So leave it.”
I stopped short shocked that he’d
snapped at me.
He turned around and exhaled, “Zoe,
I’m sorry.”
“Fine. If you can’t tell me, you
can’t tell me.”
We resumed our trek along the beach,
and I pushed back my frustration. Liam used to include me in everything. It was
always him and me against everyone else. Him and me against Alison and Paul,
aka our mom and dad. Him and me against the surf. We were a team. When did we
start keeping secrets from each other? Rather, when did he start keeping
secrets from me?
I re-adjusted my board under my arm.
Maybe I could get Jackson
to unzip his lips. Especially if I helped him. He could be easily persuaded if
I poured on the charm. I hated to go behind my brother’s back for information,
but something about all this--this, whatever it was that Liam was doing--made me
uneasy. I couldn’t pinpoint why, it just did.
We reached our home, a massive glass
box with two floors of windows facing the Pacific Ocean .
It was built after the San Andreas Fault
shifted and triggered the Big Quake that, along with the subsequent tsunami,
wiped out ten miles of shoreline.
A nearby white-stucco storage shed housed all our water toys.
We stopped there to hang up our wetsuits to dry.
“Thanks for surfing with me today.”
Liam said, smiling at me, back to his jovial self. “I know it was a sacrifice
for you to get up so early.”
I smiled in return. “No problem. It
was fun.” Surfing with Liam was one of my most favorite things to do.
“You’re back for dinner?” I asked.
Liam didn’t know it, but once he
left, I’d be spending the rest of the day preparing for his surprise birthday
party. He’d turned twenty-one yesterday and had celebrated at a bar with his
friends. I couldn’t go because I was underage, and it irked me that Jackson went and that he
and Liam had once again shared a significant moment without me. I took
consolation in the fact that Alison and Paul gave me free reign to plan this
party. My heart beat with excitement, and I couldn’t wait to see his face when
he got home and found the house full of his friends.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he answered.
I bit my cheek to keep my voice even.
“Good.We’ll see you, then.”
Our property tiered twice before connecting with the sandy
beach. Three glass doors slid open disappearing into the corner and creating a
wall-less view of the stone patio that encased an eternity pool. Its waters
slipped over the far edge into a waterfall that was collected again on the
second tier.
Liam strode into the house, through
the living room and down the hall to his bedroom at the back, his wet shorts
dripping on the glossy white tiles.
I tightened the towel around my waist
and climbed the open-slat staircase to my room.
As I passed the maid, Saundra
something, her brown face blanched. She stumbled slightly before grabbing the
rail and catching herself.
“Excuse me,” she said softly at my
astonished look.
The woman really didn’t look well,
and I was thankful for my enhanced immunization. I was glad I didn’t have to
worry about diseases brought in from the outside.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded weakly, and proceeded to
clean the rails. I’d requested extra staff to get the house ready for Liam’s
party.
A trill of anticipation reclaimed my
thoughts. I couldn’t wait for tonight.
The door beside my bathroom opened into a second room, a
walk-in closet big enough to house another bedroom set. Racks of clothes and
shoes lined the walls, a well-lit mirror station was located near the sky light
and a cushioned leather bench was placed in the middle for sitting. I stood in my closet and stared at the rows of sundresses,
blouses and shorts.
What to wear?
I settled on a lace blouse and cotton
shorts, then went to take a luxurious shower, rinsing the sea water out of my
long, blond hair. I leaned into the built-in seat that was designed
specifically for my body height and shape. Laser lights mapped my head and
twenty-eight silicon fingers reached out to massage my scalp while shampooing
and conditioning my hair. Most days I had to watch or I’d doze off, but today I
was excited. I commanded the water to turn off as soon as the rinse was done.
When I was dressed and my hair combed
out and tied back, I slipped my platinum Communication Ring onto my left
middle finger. I tapped it which produced a holographic image of my phone apps
on my palm. I touched the clock icon and holographic
digital numbers appeared in the air.
Ten already? Where did the time go?
That was the thing with summer holidays; every hour ran languidly into the
next.
I imagined the cook and her crew were
busy preparing for the party in the kitchen. I’d requested fresh sea food and
simulated roast, fresh fruit and vegetables, an assortment of fancy chocolates
and baked items plus a three-tiered, surfer-themed birthday cake.
I skipped down the stairs to check on
the progress, but in my hurry to the kitchen, I slammed into a body.
“Sorry,” a male voice said.
I stepped back agitated. I recognized
the dark-haired boy wearing the white tunic my mother made the male staff wear.
He was the maid’s son and I guessed he was part of the extra staff. He held a
wet mop in his hand, and I figured he’d been cleaning up Liam’s spotty water
trail.
He stepped politely out of the way,
but the expression on his face was stoic. Even though he was clearly from the
outside and the help, I still
expected some small sign that what he saw when he viewed me was pleasing. A twinkle
in the eye, a slight upturning of the lips. These were the responses I got from
all the boys. The straight ones, anyway.
He wasn't especially attractive but I didn't see people with
his appearance very often. He had eyes the color of imported coffee beans and
skin like caramel candy. His nose was wide and his jaw-line sharp. I was
suddenly intrigued by him and surprised myself by thinking he looked exotic.
“Excuse me, what was your name
again?” I asked.
“Noah.”
Right. I remembered now. I waited for
him to say something, but he stayed quiet.
Footsteps echoed from the hall above. My parents spoke
together, their muffled voices floating across the high ceilings.
“Do other maids send their sons to do their work?” Alison's
voice had a brassy tone that carried through the cavernous space.
I felt a flare of red creep up my neck when I realized Alison
was talking about Noah. My eyes darted to his, but he kept his averted.
“He does a good job,” Paul responded. “That's the main thing.
Besides you know they need the money.”
“So we're charity now?”
“What's wrong with a little charity? Besides, they're not just
anybody.”
“I don't care. I still don't trust him.”
I was mortified. My feet felt cemented to the floor and I
didn’t know what to say. Anything would come off as trite since nothing I could
say could undo what Noah had heard.
“Did you know the Pikes have a household robot now?” Alison,
again. “Apparently it’s very efficient, and at least Mary doesn’t have to worry
about things going missing.”
Noah’s jaw tightened and he turned his back to me. He attacked
Liam’s dried and dusty water spots aggressively and soon had disappeared around
the corner.
“Zoe?” Alison click-clacked down the wooden stairs. She wore a
pale yellow pant suit and high heels even though it was Saturday. She was
in-between careers now, having spent the last fifteen years in law. She barely
looked thirty years old and with lots of time ahead of her, she could do
anything. Probably several things.
“Mom! You have to keep your voice down. How many times do I
have to tell you your voice travels in this glass box?
“Oh.” She looked mildly shaken. “No matter. Is everything
coming together to your satisfaction?”
“I’m just checking in on things now.”
“Your father and I are meeting people for lunch. What time is
the party again?”
I blew a frustrated breath. She could at least pretend she
cared enough to remember details I’d told her a dozen times already.
“Seven.”
“Right. We’ll see you at seven.”
Things proceeded throughout the day as planned and I was
pleased with my ability to pull off an event like this on my own.
The decorators showed up at 1:00 as promised.
The band arrived to set up at 3:00.
I got dressed at 4:30, having bought a thigh-length mini-dress
that sparkled with tiny crystals just for the occasion.
My hair and makeup girl arrived at 5:00.
I tapped my ring and called Jackson at 5:30.
“Where are you?” I said to the three-inch holographic image of
him that popped up above my palm. “You said you’d help.”
“Sorry, Zo. Got tied up at home.”
“Are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”
It was odd. No one in Sol City ever got really sick, but it
wasn’t unheard of to get run down if you pushed yourself too hard. Jackson had
been working a lot lately.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. Uh, spent most of the day in
bed.”
I felt a little panicky. “You’re still coming, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”
Alison and Paul arrived at 6:30 along with all of mine and
Liam’s friends.
I hushed everyone at 6:55, giving instructions on when to shout
“Surprise!”
It was all a wasted effort.
Liam never showed.
FOEJFKGGHIFONEFJOWFWEFJ! WE ARE SO LINKED! I LOOOOOVE THE COVER TOO! (But not as much as I love you of course!)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great cover and it does sound really good.
ReplyDeleteooh great cover! awesome excerpt!!
ReplyDelete- juhina