Tatum's War

Tatum diligently went to Mr. Chance’s house every day after school. Even when his agreed upon time for his punishment was over, he continued to go. The days passed into weeks, then into months. His counseling sessions with Mrs. Macklemoore ended pretty much as soon as they had started. Mrs. Macklemoore had been impressed with his explanations and with his genuine ability to understand what he had done. Jackson on the other hand was still seeing her, but he avoided Tatum whenever possible. Tatum for his part, still said hello to Jackson in the hallways, and tried to be friendly when he could. Jackson usually ignored him unless he wasn’t with his thugs, then he would return Tatum’s greeting. Tatum took this as a good sign and he didn’t have any more trouble for the remainder of his senior year.

Tatum worked on the meticulous flower beds getting them ready for summer, while Gabriella rolled around on the grass with Shadow. Mr. Chance watched from the front porch hurling insults at Shadow whenever she appeared to be having fun, which only appeared to increase Shadow’s enjoyment, like Shadow understood her fun taunted him instead. Tatum wiped sweat from his brow. When Alexa had suggested taking Gabriella with him, he about fell out of the porch swing. He hadn’t been keen on the idea of Gabriella coming with him, knowing the Terror’s reputation, but in all honesty, he’d never heard of anyone actually being attacked by her. Still, Shadow’s status of being the Terror was still in the back of his mind, but over the months, his belief about the dog had changed dramatically. But he had to admit that the idea had panned out. Shadow’s reputation for being a fierce, mean dog was slowly eroding away. And on certain days, Tatum would swear that Shadow even appeared to be having fun with Gabriella and her friends. Mr. Chance certainly appeared to like the activity in his yard. He even set up a lemonade stand with Gabriella one weekend. He was a natural at enticing people to the stand, almost like he had done this sort of thing for a long time, and they made a ton of money which promptly went into Gabriella’s college fund. Anytime Tatum asked Mr. Chance about what he did, he would deftly deflect the question with one of his own or entice him with a game of GO.

Later that evening, while Gabriella sat on the floor brushing Shadow, and Alexa wrote in her notebook, Tatum appeared to be close to winning his first game of GO. He had several moves to go, but he had lured Mr. Chance into a position that would capture a large portion of his stones.

“Think you are going to win.” Mr. Chance sighed.

“You can’t distract me. I’ve been in this position far too many times before. I’ve seen you turn around a losing position with your last stone. I’ll just continue with the thought that I’m losing.” Tatum answered him.

Mr. Chance laughed. “I see you’ve learned something over the last few months.” He placed a stone in a position that invited Tatum to take a huge amount of stones. In the beginning, he would have taken them without thought, now though, he scanned the board looking for the obscure set up that he must have played earlier in the game. Just as he was about to take the bait, he found the play. On the other side of the board, a stone sat in an unassuming position, but would allow Mr. Chance to complete a liberty that Tatum had assumed dead a while ago. Tatum decided to place his next stone in a suicide and hoped Mr. Chance would have to pass or play in one of the open areas that would waste a stone.

“Very nice, Tatum. You do have a good eye for strategies. I’d say you have mastered very complicated strategies faster than anyone I’ve trained before.”

Tatum looked up confused. “You’ve trained people in this game?”

Mr. Chance smiled. “I meant played. I must be getting old.”

Shadow snorted in agreement.

“Shut up, you mutt.” Mr. Chance admonished Shadow.

“Don’t talk to her that way. She is awesome!” Gabriella rebuked him. “You’re lucky to have her.”

Mr. Chance snorted. “If you knew the mischief that mutt has caused me, you wouldn’t say that.”

Gabriella stopped brushing Shadow and turned an angry eye at him. “You be nice! Apologize right now!”

Shadow’s blue eyes looked expectantly at him.

“I’m not apologizing.” Mr. Chance mumbled turning back to the board.

“Yes…you…will!” Gabriella told him, pointing the brush at him. “Right now!”

Mr. Chance looked back at Gabriella. She held onto Mr. Chance’s eyes with all the conviction of someone who knew she was going to get her way. After several long heartbeats; the stare down come to a close with Mr. Chance blinking his eyes followed by a very long drawn out sigh.

“Sorry, Shadow.” Mr. Chance grudgingly mumbled.

“Thank you.” Gabriella smiled, then returned to brushing Shadow.

“You remind me of another strong headed girl.” Mr. Chance grumbled. “And she’s going to destroy the universe.”

Shadow woofed.

“Who’s that?” Alexa asked startling everyone with her question.

Shocked, Mr. Chance looked at her. “I thought she was dead.”

Gabriella coughed.

Mr. Chance looked up and upon seeing Gabriella’s stare, he scowled. “Sorry.”

“No worries, I am not important.” Alexa returned back to her notebook.

Tatum stared at her questioningly. “Of course you are important.”

“Yeah, Alexa. You are important to me.” Gabriella told her.

Alexa smiled. “Thank you, Gabriella, but there is nothing special about me. No one even knows I exist.”

Mr. Chance smiled. “You might have been right if you hadn’t stumbled upon your gift.”

Tatum would always remember the look of utter shock on Alexa’s face at Mr. Chance’s statement. He’d never seen Alexa at a loss for words, but as she sat there staring at him, her lips trying to form words and being unable to; her muteness surprised Tatum. Whatever Mr. Chance was talking about defiantly stumped her.

“Are you at a loss for words?” Tatum chided her.

“What is your gift?” Gabriella asked excitedly. “Can you turn into a werewolf? A vampire?”

“Something even better.” Mr. Chance teased while looking over the board.

“A dragon!” Gabriella squeaked. “Like the Initiare?!” Gabriella shook with excitement and the brush trembled in her hand.

Shadow nudged Gabriella’s hand, which brought her back. “I love dragons.” Gabriella sighed as she went back to bushing Shadow.

Mr. Chance’s amused expression wasn’t lost on Tatum, but he knew that Mr. Chance had already made his mind up on his next move, and suspected that he was using the distraction to make him forget what was playing out on the board. Like that would happen.

“Are you ready for graduation, Alexa, Tatum? Picked a college yet?” Mr. Chance asked, while continuing to look over the board.

Tatum noticed that Alexa was still in a state of shock and couldn’t answer. She fumbled with her notebook, almost like she wanted to withdraw into its pages. This almost made him lose focus. “No, I think I’d like to take some time off, before going to college.” Tatum continue watching Alexa’s odd behavior.

“Good idea. Travel maybe? Go places only others dream of.” He sighed. “You know, there is a school I’m acquainted with in Germany that can continue your interest in GO. I believe it is surrounded by a winery. A very good winery.”

Shadow snorted.

“What is it, Mr. Chance?” Gabriella pleaded. “Do I have it?”

“What dear?”

“Alexa’s gift!”

Alexa’s face became alarmed. She clearly didn’t want him to say anything, but her voice still deserted her.

He shook his head. “Sorry, Gabriella. Alexa’s gift is very rare. Very, very rare. I only know of one other person who had it. But…” Mr. Chance paused.

The tension grew in the room as he let the sentence linger in the air like smoke. When it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything, Tatum jumped in.

“Come on Alexa, you shouldn’t keep secrets.” Tatum admonished her. “And I’d like to do that. Go to a GO school.” Tatum laughed at his own joke, which no one else did.

Alexa’s face flushed. She dropped her head letting her black hair cover her face.

“Here.” Mr. Chance placed a stone. “I’ll talk to your Dad, then?”

“You aren’t leaving, are you Tatum?” Gabriella’s voice whined with disbelief.

“Don’t worry, Gabriella…” Mr. Chance started.

Tatum immediately tuned out the conversation, and the distress in Gabriella’s voice. His attention returned to the board and the move presented before him. As he studied the board, and while Mr. Chance alleviated Gabriella’s fears, realization began to dawn on him. He furled his eyebrows. Disbelief began to set in. He looked up at Mr. Chance, who wouldn’t return his eye contact but continued to assure Gabriella that she could talk to him often. Tatum looked back at the board, then back at Mr. Chance, and then again at the board.

You can’t be serious? He looked again at Mr. Chance.

Mr. Chance continued his conversation with Gabriella, but a smile played at the corner of his mouth. Tatum hesitated in making his move. Mr. Chance turned his gaze upon him. Tatum saw the answer in Mr. Chance’s eyes to the question that percolated up from Tatum’s subconscious to his consciousness. He placed his stone down.

“Nice game, Tatum. You won.” He congratulated him.

Tatum couldn’t comprehend the words at first. Time stood still, while realization tried to sink in. It wasn’t until Gabriella was grabbing onto his arm, screaming that he had won, did it finally break through the barrier that had begun to surround his ego from the continuing defeats at Mr. Chance’s hands. He looked at Alexa, but she still had her head down, apparently grappling with what Mr. Chance had said earlier.

When Mr. Chance spoke again Tatum had finally come back to reality. “I think you might be ready.”

“How did I win?” Tatum still couldn’t believe it.

“Through skill and understanding.” Mr. Chance smiled. “It’s been a very long time since anyone could beat me. But, you did a fine job.”

“Thank you.” Tatum leaned back in his chair. He burned the board into his mind. Exhilaration flooded his body. I won. I won!

“It’s okay to enjoy your victory. You won’t hurt my feeling.” He laughed.

“I just can’t believe it. I thought I’d never win.” Tatum let a cynical smile appear.

“Never think that, Tatum.” Mr. Chance warned him. “Don’t ever think that. Lives might be at stake.”

Taken aback by Mr. Chance’s sudden change in tone, Tatum nodded. He’d never seen Mr. Chance get serious in the time he’d been coming here. Not once.

“Good. Now, why don’t you take Gabriella and Alexa for ice cream to celebrate your victory.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fifty. “Here.” He slid the money to Tatum.

“No, I can’t take your money.” Tatum pushed the money back.

“Nonsense. Go.” Mr. Chance blew at the money. It leaped into the air and appeared to pause in midair.

Tatum was about to refuse it again, when Gabriella snatched it out of the air. “I’ll take it.” She smiled.

“Ah, a women who understands.” Mr. Chance complemented her.

Gabriella beamed. She grabbed Tatum’s arm. “Come on.”

Tatum let himself be pulled from the chair. “Gabby.”

“Don’t refuse a gift. That’s impolite.” Gabriella told him leading him to the door.

“That’s right.” Mr. Chance agreed.

“Alexa.” Tatum called to her.

Like a zombie, Alexa slowly rose from the floor and walked sluggishly towards the door.

“Alexa.” Mr. Chance called to her.

Alexa stopped next to Tatum.

“Don’t worry about it. Do what’s right. Follow your heart.” He winked at her. “She’ll be coming for you soon, though. Right around the time Tatum leaves on his trip.”

Alexa’s eyes grew wide as Tatum pulled her out the door.

Outside, they stood on the porch. Tatum still had the exhilaration of wining in his veins as Gabriella pulled him down the steps and toward their house.

“Let’s get dad.” Gabriella tried to pull him faster, but his feet wouldn’t go.

Tatum nodded. When they got to the house, Alexa continued zombie walking towards her house.

“Alexa, aren’t you coming?” Tatum asked.

Alexa shook her head and continued on without saying a word.

“I wonder what’s gotten into her.” Tatum mused.

Gabriella ran up the steps yelling.

The trip for ice cream lasted for a couple of hours before they returned back to the house. Tatum’s dad was impressed that he had won, and beamed with pride. During the conversation, Tatum told his dad about the school in Germany.

Surprised, his dad nodded. “Why not. If they pay for it, why not take some time off. Be good to see the world.”

When they pulled back into the drive, Gabriella had fallen asleep in the back. Tatum’s Dad gently pulled sleeping beauty from the backseat, and quietly headed towards the house.

“I’m just going to return Mr. Chance’s change and then be right home.” Tatum whispered.

His Dad nodded. “Great job, Tatum.”

“Thanks dad.” Tatum beamed.

Tatum set off down the street.

The rest of the school year passed by rather quickly. Tatum finished up his school work, which didn’t leave a lot of time to get down and play GO with Mr. Chance. But when they did get a chance to play they split fifty percent of the time. Mr. Chance explained about the college to Mr. Harper; a school designed to help students that showed a natural inclination towards strategies, which could be used in the business fields or financial sectors. The more and more he showed pictures of the sweeping landscape where the college was, the more Tatum fell in love with it. It looked peaceful, and since the school was supported by the winery, he was quickly sold on it as was his dad. His application and scholarship approval notice arrived two days before graduation, along with his acceptance for the full tuition, which included books, boarding, and collage fees. He couldn’t have been happier. The only catch was that he had to leave right after graduation. Gabriella was the most distraught about it, but with the help of Mr. Chance, he was able to make sure she would be okay.

That left Alexa. Since their conversation at Mr. Chance’s house, she had been more withdrawn that normal. Which meant she was even quieter than before. When he pressed her on it, she would just mumble something, and then not answer any more of his questions. Even when she played or helped Gabriella with her homework, Alexa’s answers were often short and to the point. Either way, when graduation finally arrived and had gone, much to Tatum’s relief, and after all the graduation parties he dragged Alexa to over the week, she still continued to be distant. But at least there was one nice addition to his graduation story. At one of the parties, which must have been number ten by his reckoning, he finally ran into Jackson. While standing with Alexa by his side, Jackson had approached them by himself without his thugs. Jackson stopped next to the tree where Alexa and Tatum had retreated, so they could view their classmates getting drunk, but far enough away as not to be a part of it. Tatum had smiled, and didn’t comment on Jackson’s lack of companions, knowing that after the incident, Jackson appeared to have lost his zeal to be a bully and didn’t hang around them anymore.

“Hey, Tatum. Alexa.” Jackson had said when he came up to them.

His friendliness surprised him, even Alexa appeared surprised.

“Hey, Jackson. How you doing?” Tatum asked. Alexa just nodded her head.

“Good. I…I…just wanted to say, sorry. I know you have had a tough time, since, well, you know, and I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry I wasn’t a better friend.” Jackson’s voice trailed off.

Tatum remembered standing there speechless for a moment. Jackson had fidgeted waiting for a reply, and when he thought Tatum wasn’t going to say anything, he dipped his head, halfheartedly raised his hand, and started to walk off.

“Thank you, Jackson.” Tatum finally said. “I appreciate that. And I also want to say sorry for not being a better friend too. I didn’t know you were so close to your grandmother.”

Jackson dipped his head. “Thank you. That was a really nice letter you wrote my parents too. I appreciate you taking the blame, even though we both know it was my own fault. It made me realize that we both took different paths when it came to our sadness. You are a good person.”

“Thanks, Jackson. You are too. I hear you are going into the Marines.”

Jackson nodded. “Yep. I need the discipline to change my life, Tatum. I hope to be a better person when I get out.”

“You’re a good person, Jackson. I only wish you the best, my friend.”

They finished with a handshake. Jackson mumbled an apology to Alexa for the mean things he had said through their years of schooling before leaving. Overall, it had been quite the eye opening experience that would be with him for the rest of his life.

Therefore, with the summer officially started, and with him leaving in a few days to Germany, Tatum found himself sitting with Alexa on the front porch swing. The night breeze blew warmly over them, and he felt content. He was going to miss his family, and Alexa, but his enthusiasm ran high.

Suddenly a flash of light down the block around Mr. Chance’s house lit up the night. Suspicious, he wondered if someone was creeping around there. Soon, other colored lights flashed. Tatum stood up.

“Alexa, did you see that?” He tried to see better through the trees, but couldn’t.

Alexa remained quiet.

“I’m going to go down there.” Tatum started to leave when Alexa unexpectedly grabbed his hand. It felt warm, but trembled. Surprised, he squeezed her hand.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Tatum. Have you ever thought about…us?” The last word came out as a whisper.

Confused, Tatum sat back down, but continued to watch for the lights; they had stopped.

“What do you mean? I always think about us.” He assured her. “We’re each other’s best friends. Plus you are always around.”

“Does that bother you? Do you ever get sick of me?”

Tatum frowned. He didn’t understand where these questions were coming from. “No. I like you, more than anyone else. As you’ve noticed, even with the excitement of the fight, my friend list hasn’t grown.”

Alexa laughed just a little. “Not that people haven’t tried, Tatum. People saw you as a hero after that ridiculous display. You don’t let yourself make friends.”

“I was protecting your honor and Molly’s. And I have the right amount of friends, Alexa. Where is this coming from?”

Alexa fell quiet again. She hadn’t released his hand. More flashes of light appeared down the block. Tatum rose again.

“Come on. Let’s go see.” Tatum started to pull her off the swing, but she let go of his hand and fell back into the swing.

“If I were abducted, would you look for me?” Her voice held a small amount of distress, almost like she didn’t want to know the answer in case it wasn’t what she expected.

He knelt down in front of her like a knight offering his loyalty. He lifted her chin and looked into her brown eyes. “I’d not only look for you, no matter how long it took, I’d get you back and then make whoever took you, pay.”

She smiled at his remark and then did a very un-Alexa thing. She leaned forward and put her arms around him and hugged him close. Surprised, since they had never hugged in all the time they’d known each other, Tatum slowly enveloped her in his arms and for the first time smelled the scent of lavender coming from her while he lifted her up.

“You smell nice.” He complimented her.

Alexa laughed in his chest and pushed him away. Sadness filled him that the hug was over.

“It’s about time you noticed.” She chided him.

“Well, in my defense, I am just a boy. Now, let’s go see.”

Alexa shook her head. “You go. Go and be a hero, Tatum. Be my hero.” Tatum’s face morphed into confusion again, which only made her laugh. “You are such a boy.” She shooed him down the steps.

He started walking down the street. “I won’t be long.” He waved reassuringly to her.

She waved back.

Tatum arrived at Mr. Chance’s house and knocked on the door. When no one answered, which was odd for Mr. Chance, he tried to look into the front room through the window but the drapes were closed tight. Frowning, several chimes rang quietly from the back yard. This confused him, because he knew there were no wind chimes in the back. Tatum stepped down from the porch with its ancient rocking chair sitting in the corner, and walked around to the back of the house. The familiar back yard was lost to the darkness of night, but something new caught Tatum’s eye.

In the far corner of the yard, seven orbed shaped lights appeared to be floating in the air. The hair on the back of Tatum’s neck rose as his pulse quickened and adrenaline pumped into his body. The sound of the waterfall filled the night air. Tatum knew that an artificial stream ran the length of the yard next to the neighbor’s fence. He had actually helped put the final touches on it. Tatum looked around for Shadow’s red eyes and when he couldn’t find them, he walked towards the orbs. Apprehension turned to curiosity as his mind tried to find the anchor points holding the lights up in the yard. Suddenly, the lights began to pulse. One by one, like strobe lights on a landing strip, the lights moved in a very specific sequence: White, green, red, blue, silver, black, and finally gold. The order kept repeating itself, like they were inviting him to walk beside them. Drawn to the sequence, he walked over to the white orb and without thinking placed his hand on it. The orb felt warm as it stopped pulsating, while the others continued. Perplexed, Tatum moved down the line placing his hand on each orb; green, red, blue, silver, black, and finally gold. When the gold orb stopped pulsing a new orb materialized out of the darkness. Like headlights coming out of the fog, a gray orb appeared like magic, and blinked at him. Mesmerized, Tatum’s feet began slowly moving towards it. Before his consciousness grasped the fact that his hand was reaching for it, then resting upon the gray orb, Tatum disappeared in a flash of gray light.

Two figures watched Tatum disappear from the shadows of the back porch.

“Recruiting for the other side?” The voice of a woman broke the night’s silence.

“I’m neutral, Mistress. I take no sides.” Mr. Chance nodded to the woman.

A slight chuckle escaped the woman’s lips. “No need to call me that. I’m still the same.”

This time a hearty laugh broke the night. “You are not the same.” He assured her. “But before you get mad, I’m trying to give them a chance. Nothing I didn’t do for you. If you remember.”

“One I’m eternally grateful for. Even if it didn’t quite turn out how you and the others thought it might.” Sarcasm filled her tone.

“That’s for sure.” He laughed again. “Are you going to go get her?”

The woman stepped from the porch. Moonlight highlighted the three gray stripes on her head. Two highlighted her bangs while a third ran down the centerline of her black hair. “Of course. Move, counter move. You know how the Game is played.”

Mr. Chance’s tone turned deadly serious. “How can you still think this is a game?”

“Because…that’s the way this whole thing started, isn’t it? A game?” Her demeanor turned poisonous. “If they had just left me alone, let me practice my craft, then we wouldn’t be where we are. Would we?” Her deep blue eyes held the moonlight with the intensity of halogen headlights.

Mr. Chance shifted uncomfortably.

Suddenly, her smile broke the tension. “I know you truly only wanted the best for me, Random. But the others wanted to use me. I won’t be used again.”

“You can end this. You’ve made your point. No one is strong enough to oppose you now. You have to know this?” Random said in earnest.

The woman’s smile grew in the moonlight. “I do, THEY don’t. Their foolishness will end with their deaths.” The woman’s eyes began to change color. One turned a deep angry red while the other turned a wintery blue/white.

“She won’t fight him,” Random told her. “She’s in love with him.”

The woman smiled. “Good. That makes it all easier.”

A gray swirling mist appeared out of the darkness. Beginning at her feet, the mist moved up lovingly around her body until only her head remained.

“When did you change, Piccolo?” Random asked.

“When the Line put me with HIM.” Before the mist totally enveloped her, a sweet treat flew from the mist towards Random. Two red eyes appeared next to Random as white teeth, illuminated by the moonlight, gingerly caught the treat. Then the woman was gone.

Random looked at the lingering tendrils of gray mist. His features were a mask of unreadable emotion, then his usual jovial smile appeared. He patted Shadow’s head. “Well, girl. Looks like we have some work to do.”

Shadow nodded, spat the treat out, and entered the house with Random.