Broadcasting Love

Ridley Jack

I glanced sourly at my best friend. You’d think, at least, she’d be a little bit sympathetic. But no, that would be asking too much. But who could blame her? She had such a tiny little head…

“Hey! I heard that!” she exclaimed. At my puzzled look she explained, “You were broadcasting.”

“Aw, damnit, was I?”

“Yes, you were,” a new voice interjected.

I glanced at the newcomer with distaste. Him. Sure, what wasn’t to like about him? He was tall, had gorgeous, always messy, or “sexy” black hair, shining, shimmering green eyes, a runner’s build (all lean finesse, no bulky muscles), and a breathtaking smile. The problem? His personality. Or, more truthfully, his lack of one. I sighed.

“I do to have a personality!” he said indignantly.

“Uh huh. And what, precisely, is it? Dried cheese?”

I was a bit peeved that I was broadcasting again, but I could never seem to get the hang of my shields. Maybe that was why I was failing most of my classes…

“Yo, Thumbalina,” my obnoxious enemy shouted.

“I will not deign myself to respond to that ridiculous insult,” I answered as snidely as I could. “Besides, where did you ever hear of that name?” I couldn’t help asking.

“Umm…. I dunno. I think I heard some other students in the corridor calling each other that,” he lied through his teeth. I don’t know how I knew he was lying, but I could tell.

“Uh huh, sure.”

For some reason that I couldn’t begin to fathom, he blushed. I was about to ask why when the bell for class rang and the three of us realized that we weren’t anywhere near our class.

“Oh no! We’re late!” my best friend in the whole world moaned, looking for all like today was her Doom’s Day.

“It’s not the end of the world, you know,” I told her gently.

“Not for you, maybe. Teachers love you for some reason, even though you’re always late and never do anything. Me, on the other hand, lovely student that I am, they hate me!” she practically wailed.

“Dahling, you never do your work, either,” I reminded her smugly, thinking of her most recent marks.

“Shh! You’ll start broadcasting again, and I don’t want people to know what I’m getting!” she whispered furiously, sneaking glances at the young man walking silently beside me. I smirked. Right. She didn’t care if the world knew; she just didn’t want him knowing.

“Ahh, Misses Tayen and Alona, along with Mr Virkirnoff? Well, that is certainly a surprise,” their bitchy, moody, always PMS-ing teacher spoke condescendingly.

“Sorry, Madame, won’t happen again,” I muttered, nudging the other two, who spoke hasty apologies.

“Yes! We’re sooo sorry! We totally lost track of time!” my blonde friend added. I hid a smile. I couldn’t really see why our teachers didn’t adore her as I did. She was just too funny.

“Sit down,” the teacher barked.

“Miss Alona, I want to see you after class. Mr Virkirnoff, you too,” she said before starting the lesson, and the class “ooh-ed” before Madame barked at them to be quite or she’d assign notes.

Class went by fairly quickly, considering it was only first block, and I hadn’t had my daily tea intake yet.

I was just about to leave when Madame called my name. I had totally forgotten about that! I wonder what she wanted?

“You’ll find out soon enough, miss,” she told me, and I gulped. I was broadcasting again.

“Yes you were. And, as your Magical Shields teacher, I have taken it upon myself to assign you a tutor, being as you feel you can’t learn anything from me,” she peered down her long nose at me, and I blushed faintly. Then the rest of what she said sank in.

“A… tutor, Madame? Virkirnoff?” I stuttered.

“I always knew you were smart when it mattered,” she soothed. “Yes, Mr Virkirnoff will be your tutor, to try to teach you shields,” she stressed the word ‘try.’

“Wait, what?” Virkirnoff seemed to have just clued in. “Me? Tutor her? Alona? We don’t even get along, let alone trust each other! How am I supposed to get her to let me into her mind, to show her what to do?” he sounded slightly panicked, and I couldn’t really blame him.

Yes, I broadcasted easily enough, but I had a hard time letting someone else into my mind, my one private place left to me.

“You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll find a way. Now go along, I'm sure you have other classes,” she cooed.

I gaped at her. She wanted… Virkirnoff? Me…? Wha…?

“C’mon, Alona, let’s get you some caffeine,” I thought I heard Virkirnoff mutter, nudging me around with his arm.

“I don’t like caffeine,” I muttered back.

“Does it matter?” he demanded. “I just wanna get outta here.”

“Amen to that.”

When I finally saw my best friend again, it was lunch hour.

“Satinka!” I called to her, “You’ll never guess what that stupid old hag has me doing!”

“What, now, Ridley?” she asked, sounding extremely tired.

I just loved her name. Her first name meant “magical dancer” and her last name meant “new moon.”

“Ridley. Stay on topic.”

“Oops, sorry. Ok, that stupid had has assigned me a tutor! A tutor! And you’ll never believe who it is!”

“Daniel?”

“Ok, maybe you can believe. But still! I hafta let him into my head! Daniel Virkirnoff!”

“Did I hear my name?” the arrogant voice sounded over my shoulder.

“No, we were talking about pigs, thanks. Speaking of pigs, isn’t that your mother over there?” I asked sweetly.

He scowled, marring his perfect features. “No, it’s your sister.”

I peered over his shoulder. “Hey, y’know, I think you’re right. Wow, brilliant observation, Sherlock!”

“But… you don’t have a sister… do you?” he asked, puzzled.

“Wow, you never cease to amaze me,” I said dryly.

“Ha ha. Ok, since we hafta get this over with, and both our marks are riding on the line, how about we meet today after school lets out?” he asked, not even waiting for my answer. “Ok, great! See you later, then!”

I groaned and placed my head in my hands, carefully avoiding hitting my glasses.

“Why me?” I moaned.

“For the same reason that creeps are attracted to me,” Satinka said blithely just before one of those so-called “creeps” descended upon her.

School finally let out for the day, and I rushed up to my room to deposit my books and dress in casual clothes. There was no way I was gonna prance around for any longer than I had to in that stupid uniform.

“Aww, you dressed up for me,” Virkirnoff leered when I entered the student common room, where we agreed to meet.

“Bite me. I hate that uniform,” I informed him. Always made me feel fat. I never liked my legs, and in that skirt they just looked huge, like giant mammoths coming to eat me, and—

My inner monologue was cut short when Virkirnoff held up his hands hastily and practically shouted “Broadcasting!”

I blushed. I hated it when I did that with private thoughts like that.

“Ok, d’you wanna stay here, or go to one of the study rooms? We should prolly go to a room,” Virkirnoff suggested.

“Fine, whatever.” Actually, I was kind of relieved that he’d suggested it. I was uncomfortable about the thought that he was going to invade my mind to teach me shields, but I was even more uncomfortable about doing it in a public place. At least in a study room, there would be less chance of interruption.

“Well, let’s go, then!”

“Fine,” I grumbled.

“I knew you loved me,” he said cockily.

“Who said anything about loving? I just don’t want to be seen with you,” I retorted.

“That cuts me deep.”

Two hours later, I felt battered and we were both frustrated and exhausted.

“If you would just let me in, we could get this over with!” Virkirnoff shouted for the hundredth time.

“If it was that easy, don’t you think I’d have done it, if only so I didn’t have to spend another second with you?!” I yelled back.

“You’re so good at shielding your mind, why can’t you do the same for your thoughts?” he demanded, and I sighed. I’d gotten this particular argument so many times over the years.

“Well, then, do something about it!” he demanded.

“Stop reading my thoughts!” I ordered him.

“Stop broadcasting!”

“I'm trying!”

“Obviously not hard enough!”

“Well we all can’t be perfect like you!”

We glared at each other for a full minute before he cocked an eyebrow at me.

“You think I’m perfect?” he asked, grinning.

“The most annoyingly deranged thing ever,” I countered, smiling softly.

I hated to say it, but I actually enjoyed our little arguments, but I would never admit it to anyone.

“Aww, you enjoy spending time with me,” he leered.

I shuddered playfully, and grimaced. “As if.”

We only stopped when the bell for dinner was rung, and we made our way ploddingly to the dinning hall. I felt battered and torn up inside and positively miserable. Virkirnoff didn’t look much better.

“Have fun?” Satinka asked pleasantly. I grunted in reply.

“I hurt. I feel absolutely miserable, and it’s all his fault!” I waved vaguely in the direction of Virkirnoff.

“Uh huh, I'm sure it is,” she agreed.

“Bite me,” I told her, but smiled to take the sting out of my words.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, with occasional comments from Satinka, who had spent the evening reading a new book. I usually just grunted or nodded my head in reply, but Virkirnoff was actually aware enough to ask questions. Don’t get me wrong. I love Satinka to death, but I was just so tired!

“I'm gonna go up to bed, k, guys?” I told them and headed towards my dorm.

“See ya in a bit!” Satinka and me shared the dorm room, which was just fine by us. There were only a few habits that got on each other’s nerves.

Since neither of them showed any sign that they heard that thought, I surmised that I must be too tired to broadcast, even.

I stumbled through my nightly preparation for bed and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

“Alona, get up,” a familiar masculine voice interrupted my sleep.

I gurgled and tried to mumble a “no,” but I don’t think it worked.

“It didn’t, hon,” Virkirnoff said sweetly.

“Don’t call me hon,” I slurred.

“Sure thing, sweetie,” he returned.

“You… suck,” I breathed as I feel back asleep. Or, at least, tried to.

“I wanna try something, k, hon?” Virkirnoff asked quietly and waited for my reply, which I murmured a yes to.

I felt a gentle mind brush against my own and I tensed up, “feeling” the touch. It was a green sort of touch, smelling like pine needles, and rolled across my mind like wind through a forest grove. I sighed, and allowed the gentle mind a bit farther into my own, snuggling down into my covers.

I felt something push down on my matrice, like somebody else was settling down on it.

“Gerroff,” I moaned. It was only Saturday, and way too early to be up, judging by the brightness of the sun streaming though my closed window. Yes, it was that bright.

A flicker of amusement came from the gentle green mind into my own, but the foreign emotion didn’t seem intrusive.

:Alona? Ridley? Wake up a bit, hon,: a soft voice from the mind requested.

:No,: I thought back. :Sleepy.:

The mind laughed and I grudgingly smiled back, subsequently waking a bit more, as per request.

:You suck, Daniel,: I told him, sensing the familiarity of the mind.

:How’d you know it was me?: he asked, startled.

:I’d know your mind anywhere,: I admitted in my groggy state. Though, had I been aware of what I was saying, I would deny it to the end of the world.

:That’s… interesting…: he paused, as though waiting for something. I mentally shrugged, and tried to go back to sleep.

:Nu-uh, hon. Now that I'm in your mind, we’re gonna get this shield done before you kick me out.:

As if his thought had popped a balloon, I realized that he was in my mind. My sanctuary. My one private place. Only it wasn’t so private anymore. I tried to shove his mind out, but he had a grip on me somehow and I was finding it more than impossible to do.

:Oh, no, hon! I didn’t come this far just to let you kick me out! And your mind will still be private when I leave. As a matter of fact, it will be more private when I leave. You’re very good at hiding most of your thoughts. It’s just the really emotional ones that you have trouble with,: he told her.

:Get out!: I practically pleaded, and hated myself for it.

:Let me show you how to shield, first, you insufferable git!:

:Oh, I'm the insufferable git, you pompous rag?:

:Yes! Because I know how to shield! I know how to do this!:

And, with that thought, he thrust his mind deeper into hers, using her surprise to construct a tight shield about her mind, and then collapsed it again.

:There, now you do it. I've shown you how.:

Timidly, I tried what he had just done.

:It worked!: I exclaimed.

:Of course it did!: he sounded indignant.

:…Thank you.: I said quietly. :Now get out!:

Chuckling, he retreated, and I was startled to find that I missed the coolness of his mind against my own.

“How did you get in here?” I demanded after pushing him violently off my bed.

He landed on the ground with an ungraceful bump and a grimace.

“Satinka let me in,” he informed her.

“Oh, is that so?” I questioned, not noticing the evil glint that entered my eyes.

“Alona, what are you planning on doing?” he asked almost frantically.

“Nothing, nothing!” Yet, I added silently.

Luckily for Satinka, I didn’t see her until supper that night, and by the time I had remembered to be mad at her, I had already been talking to her for quite a while. I sighed. And I had such plans, too.

“So, why did you let Virkirnoff into our room this morning?” I asked pleasantly.

Satinka eyed me nervously. “Well, you needed to get those shields up, and I know you’re at your most vulnerable when you’re just waking up, so I thought that… well, you know,” she said in a rush, only slowing for the last two words.

“Uh huh. So you just figured that you’d use my one weakness against me?” I winked at her rogue-ishly to show her that I had forgiven her, and indeed, wanted to thank her.

“So how’re the shields holding up?” a very annoying, increasingly familiar voice inquired.

“Well, if you can’t hear what I'm thinking about you right now, then fairly well, I’d think,” I grinned cheekily.

He looked at me oddly for a moment before turning away to thank Satinka (the traitor) for letting him in their room earlier today.

“No prob. Anything’s better than hearing random thoughts sprout from what she calls her mind,” Satinka teased and I swatted at her.

“Now, now, children,” Virkirnoff admonished. I didn’t say anything, simply pushed him off his tilted chair, creating a loud bang as he hit the floor and the chair landed on top of him.

“Oops, did I do that?” I asked innocently and chuckled when he growled at me.

“Oh my God, Satinka, he’s speaking your language!” I cheered gleefully before hopping off to get more food.

“She likes you, you know,” I thought I heard Satinka tell him before I was swept off admits a mad mob converging about the buffet and every thought save food was gone from my mind.

“Ridley?” Satinka asked later that night.

“Hmm?” I muttered.

“Do you still hate Daniel?” she asked, sitting up on her bed. I turned so that I lay facing her on mine.

“…No, I don’t think I do. I don’t think I could hate anyone who showed me what he did,” I answered.

“What, the shields?” she asked, peering through the dim room at my face.

I blushed. “Yeah, the shields,” I agreed, not looking at her.

Truth was, Virkirnoff wasn’t as good as shields as he assumed he was. A thought or two had passed through his mind into my own, and needless to say, I was shocked enough that I allowed him to stay in my mind longer than warranted.

It seemed that our never attached to anyone man had formed a secret attachment, and that he fancied himself in love with her. What I didn’t get, though, was why he was thinking of it while he was in my mind, and why it caused a vague pain deep inside. And then a single name flickered through his mind. Ridley.

“Ridley?”

I wiggled, snuggling deeper into slumber.

“Ridley.” It wasn’t a question this time, more like a demand.

“Miss Alona, if you don’t wake up this instance, I will be forced to assign you two weeks of detention!” a harsh voice cracked across the snickering classroom and I snapped to attention.

“Yes, ma’am, yes!” I saluted, now completely awake.

“I tried to warn you,” Satinka whispered.

“That goes for you, too, Miss Tayen.”

Satinka gulped and looked up at the teacher innocently. “Of course! I would never dream of wasting your precious time!” she simpered.

I buried my face in my arms to hide the grin that I was sure was spreading across my face.

“Hey, Alona? Meet me after class. We haven’t finished your shields yet,” Virkirnoff spoke softly, poking me in the side.

I grunted. Wait, what? We were finished with the shields weeks ago! Why was he bothering me now?

“That’s it, Miss Alona! Two weeks detention!” the teacher snapped and I glared at Virkirnoff.

He smiled amiably back.

Hours later, finally released from the torture that teachers called ‘detention’, I managed to meet up with the evil Virkirnoff.

“What do you want? I thought we were finished with this. And you owe me, I hope you realize. You just cost me two weeks detention!” I pushed at him.

He caught my hands and held them.

“I think…” he started, “I think that, when I was putting up your shields, that you might have… well, you might have heard some things that you weren’t exactly meant to hear,” he admitted, looking at our hands.

I glanced down at them. They were nothing special, though they did seem to fit together awfully well. I snatched my hands from his, horrified at the thought.

“And what did you think I heard?” I demanded, wanting to get back on familiar ground.

“That I love you,” he whispered.

“Love? I don’t even know what that is!” I scoffed.

“You don’t know what this marvellous feeling is?” he asked, incredulous. “It’s when every time I see you, my heart bangs quite painfully in my chest, it’s when I see your smile and your eyes light up, my stomach flutters, it’s when I see you walking down the corridor, I want to follow you to the ends of the earth!” he claimed. “When I hear your laughter, I want to be the source, when I see you cry, I want to be the one to soothe you, when I see you hurt, I want to ease your suffering and kill the son of a bitch that caused your pain, however brief it might have been. I don’t think I can live without you!” he declared desperately.

“But… we’re so young!” I cried, trying to dispel the way his words spoke to me, the answering feelings in my heart and mind.

“All the more incentive to start living our lives the way we should! Alona, Ridley, hon, I’ll beg if I have to. I’d do anything, absolutely anything just to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t care that we’re still in school, and besides, we’re graduating soon!” he protested, stepping closer.

My heart fluttered. Could he really mean this? This arrogant, gentle, annoying man?

“You… love me?” I hazarded, trying to make some sense of it all.

“Lower your shields,” he begged.

Grudgingly, I did. I gasped again as a flood of emotions swept over my mind, inviting me to take joy in his joy, pain in his pain, love in his love.

“…Why have you never said anything?” I asked, as he slowed down the flow of emotions till it was a bare trickle, and then nothing.

“Because I didn’t think you felt the same way. But when I realized how little time we have left together, I wanted another excuse to stay with you,” he replied.

“Oh, if you had only told me, you stupid fool!” I managed, throwing my arms around his neck. “All you had to do was ask,” I whispered into his neck.

“What?” he asked, puzzled.

“I've loved you since, well, I don’t know when, but when you constructed my shields, I realized how deeply I care for you, how much I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, to never let you go.”

“Really, Ridley?”

“Yes, Daniel,” I agreed.

“Daniel? You called me Daniel? You called me that then, too, didn’t you?” he asked, referring to the point when we both realized how much we cared for each other, that fateful morning moment when he invaded my mind.

“You called me Daniel,” he repeated softly, and pressed his lips to mine. As first kisses went, it was passable.

“Passable?” he sputtered. “I’ll show you passable!”

And he did indeed. I hid a grin against his mouth. The poor boy was so malleable.

“I heard that,” he growled before kissing me again, wrapping his arms around me.