Omnigirl Chapter Seventeen

Summary: As the new leader of The Five, Lila works to bring things back into balance.

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I walked around the front entrance of the palace for the first time. For the first time there was peace in the streets. There was no one shouting or protesting. There was only the constant hum of morning traffic.

Three large water fountains flowed outside surrounded by green shrubbery and flowers. Hibiscus plants grew on the blue glass veranda and on the marble steps that sloped down to the white sidewalk. I sat on the step that I had fainted on about three days before. I ran my fingers over the blue swirls in the marble. I heard a familiar humming sound. I looked up.

There on the sidewalk was the motorcyclist. He sat there finely polished on top of his motorcycle. His helmet was as blue as the domed sky, and it reflected images of the huge trees that stood above him. His super white gloves gripped the handles. He kicked down the kickstand and dismounted. He started up the steps. I stood.

He stopped one step away from me. His lips were set and emotionless. Everything felt so unnatural. We stood there, one step apart from each other. Time seemed to have slowed to a stop. The fountains burbled. The light sound of traffic could be heard in the distance. The air was fresh. We stood frozen on the marble stairs.

Then I said in a voice that almost didn’t feel like mine, “Thank you.”

His lips did not crack into a smile. He didn’t even give a “you’re welcome.” Instead he moved his hand over to the other side of his helmet and pulled it off.

Levi stood in front of me with a storm brewing in his blue eyes. They were bright, but they contained a quality that wasn’t there before. At first he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even blink. He didn’t try to escape by looking at the ground.

He looked straight into my eyes and said flatly, “I had to do it.”

It seems like I should have been surprised, but in a weird way, I expected it. I began to feel warm and uncomfortable. I am not as bold as he is. I turned my eyes away from him. I couldn’t look anymore.

“But Levi,” I said to the marble steps, “I thought you were against the whole thing from the beginning. You never seemed like you really cared about what happened.”

“I was against all of this,” I heard him say in that dead serious voice I had always associated with the guy under the motorcycle helmet. “That’s why I went to Omni those few weeks ago, to talk father out of it. I tried to convince him that he wasn’t doing enough to stop the crisis, and when he mentioned having the ASG come and help, I argued even more. However, now I realize he did the right thing.”

I looked back up in time to see him brush away a blond stray hair with his white glove.

“If you didn’t like the way things were going at the start, what made you decide to help?”

“Well, at first I wasn’t going to, and I figured it wouldn’t do any harm since from the outset I did make a deal with Head-counselor Rinehart.”

“You made a deal with her?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “She promised that the very day she took over I could rule over half of Avila. I agreed to the terms as long as she promised not to let any physical harm come to Father. She said she would uphold that, but part of me couldn’t trust her completely. Then the day came when you found that note. I knew then that she couldn’t be trustworthy. That was the day I decided to put on the helmet and do what I had to.”

Tired from trying to figure out how he could be so heartless, I asked him, “Levi, how could you conspire to get half of Avila from your Dad? Isn’t that kind of mean?”

“I guess…But although Father is a decent man, Avila is not in his blood like it is in mine. Anyways, I’m not exactly known around here for being thoughtful, and I hope you weren’t fooled into thinking that I was. I’m probably not quite the person you thought I would be.” He finished with a mischievous smile.

“That’s okay. Besides it makes more sense that you were the one driving the motorcycle and popping up in the most convenient places. Now let’s go,” I said, grabbing his arm. “There are some things we have to take care of.”

I walked briskly, pulling him through the palace.

“Where are we going?”

“To the garden.”

“To the garden? Why?”

I laughed a little, aware that for once, he’s the one wondering what’s going on.

“You’re going to be made the fifth member of the ASG.”

We stopped in front of the glass elevator.

“Lila, are you aware that if I’m added to the ASG, I would be the first guy to be in it for over half a century, let alone the first prince?”

I pushed the elevator button and the door opened.

“I guess you’ll be a pioneer in men’s equal rights,” I said as I stepped in.

“I don’t like your humor, Lila.”

“I don’t like yours either,” I replied as the elevator doors closed.

I went up to the second floor to get the others. All of them were anxious to see who was behind the motorcycle helmet. When we all returned to the first floor, Levi was still there waiting for us.

“So where is he?” asked Linzie as she exited the elevator.

“He’s right here,” I said, pointing to Levi.

“Lila, you said that I would be shocked—not appalled.”

“Let’s save all comments for later and get this done.”

We all rushed through the halls.

“Levi? Part of the ASG? This is not cool,” said Linzie, tossing her hair. He gave her a piercing look.

“Lila, I don’t even know what to say,” said Bridgett, walking up next to me.

“We’ll think of something.”

We exited through the huge patio doors into the garden. The butterflies were out with vengeance. I chose a nice shady spot to stand.

“Do you have the ring?” asked Lydia.

“Yeah, right here,” I said, pulling it out of my jacket pocket.

“You know we’re going to have to find something good to say about him,” Bridgett reminded me.

“Let’s just huddle around and maybe we can think of something.”

We all got into a football huddle, leaving Levi alone. After a few minutes we got everything together, and we reassembled ourselves into a line.

“Are you going to start now?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

“One second. Let me change. I can’t be in a ceremony wearing this thing.”

“C’mon, Levi. We don’t have time for—”

He pulled down the zipper on his driving suit, revealing a vanilla colored three-piece suit with a matching tie. Then he took out a brush and quickly put his hair in order. He never stops amazing me.

“Okay. Let’s begin.”

I stepped out of line.

“Levi Wiltshire,” I said in an official voice. “All four of us have noticed something special about you.” I stepped back in line.

“There is your courage,” said Linzie, stepping out of line and stepping back.

“Your ability to get important information without getting caught,” said Bridgett’s soft voice.

“And the way you keep your cool even when things reach a boiling point,” added Lydia.

Then I stepped out with the little, sky blue box.

“That is why we have decided that you are the only person deserving of what we are about to give you now.” I opened the jewelry case with the ring. Its gold band gleamed, framing the perfect light blue stone in the middle.

“This ring shows that you are now part of our group, but you must do one thing before I give it to you. Raise your hand and repeat after me. I, Levi Wiltshire…”

“I, Levi Wiltshire…” he repeated.

“Promise to uphold the rules of Avila…”

“Promise to uphold the rules…”

“And use my loyalty and courage…”

“And use my loyalty…”

“To help others.”

“To help others.”

I pulled the ring out of the box. “I don’t know if you want to wear it around your finger, but I don’t know any other place to put it—”

“Don’t worry about it.” He pulled a necklace from around his neck and threaded the ring on it. “There, it should be safe here.”

I smiled and turned to the others. “Levi Wiltshire is now part of the group!”

They all cheered like they really meant it.

“And from this day forward may we never be called The Four again, because we are now The Five!”

They whooped and yelled. I gave Levi a high five. He was in. Then Dr. Sterling’s voice came booming across the yard.

“Girls, go ahead and pack your things. There’s only ten minutes before we leave for the substation!”

Everyone ran back to the palace.

I packed the last of my stuff into the suitcase. I sat on it and held my laptop in my arms. I looked around my room. The fountain splashed, unaware that I was about to leave. The waterbed sat there regally with its blue silk covers. I left the digital camera at the computer docking station. I found it hard to believe that I was actually going to be leaving Avila in a few minutes. It’s natural to be excited about going home, but for some reason, I felt as if I was leaving a piece of my heart here.

“Are you ever coming back?”

I spun around on my suitcase. It was Levi.

“Oh, it’s just you,” I said, standing up. “Why do you always seem like you’re in a million places at once?”

“Don’t know. I’ve always been this way. Lila, are you ever coming back to Avila again?”

“I might. Besides, I am the leader of the Avila Service Group. I guess I’m going to have to come back sometime.”

“Well Lila, I will make sure this room will be ready for you every time you come back.”

“Thanks.”

“Everyone downstairs!” called Dr. Sterling. “Time to go!”

I picked up all my bags and headed out the door.

“I guess I’ll see you later, Lila.”

“Yeah, later.”

I walked out into the hallway and joined the others.

Soon I found myself repeating the exact same journey we had to get here, but in rewind. We returned to the submarine and went through the dark cave again. As we ascended to the surface, I saw Avila below through the submarine’s tiny window, slowly hiding behind the underwater shadows. To me, Avila is no longer just a cool looking underwater city only to be admired, but also a city of memories.

Soon we were back on the island and riding towards the airstrip. I wasn’t as scared of airplanes as I was before, but I was nervous and dreaded this part of the trip. The ride back to the States really wasn’t that bad, despite the turbulence.

We landed at the airport that evening. Before stepping off the plane, Dr. Sterling gave me an envelope. He said that he was instructed to tell me not to open it until I got home. I slipped the note into my pocket and headed down the stairs of the plane. I was going to call my mom to come and pick me up, but the others insisted that I take the limo ride home with them.

Dr. Sterling decided to stay with the jet, so we left in the sky blue limo without him. It was weird hearing a car engine again. I downed the window and stuck my head out. There I saw the things that I used to take for granted. The sun shone brightly in the sky. No artificial lights can replace it. The clouds covered the sky, most of them dark, but they still left some space for the sun to shine. The wind hit my face and blew my hair. It felt good.

After a while, I felt a raindrop hit my cheek. I pulled my head back inside and upped the window. I might miss Avila, but there is nothing like home.

We all conversed in the car, talking about the fun stuff we did, but we avoided saying much about Cheryl. The others said that they were amazed at how well Dr. Sterling’s son and I got along, even though we ended up fighting half the time. Linzie even went as far to say that he liked me—and that’s not an “I’m your friend” kind of like. I felt my face grow hot.

I hoped she was just kidding.

The limo came to the corner of the street that I live on. I told the driver to stop so I could get out.

“Lila, are you sure you want to get out here?” asked Bridgett.

“Yeah. I feel like walking.”

“Well, you better hurry,” said Linzie. “It looks like it’s going to rain.”

I stepped out of the car.

“I hope you guys have a nice summer and,” I added in a whisper, “I won’t tell anyone about what happened.”

They all smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Lila! Have a nice summer.”

Lydia pulled the limo door shut. The car slowly pulled off. I watched it go down the street to the stop sign and then make a right turn out of my sight.

I walked, hearing the dull clap of my shoes on the gray and rugged sidewalk. The sky was now covered with dark heavy clouds, and the sun was nowhere in sight. The wind began to pick up, bringing sprinkles with it. I walked faster. My house was only a few yards away. The sprinkles began to multiply, making dark blotches on the sidewalk. Then they began to grow from sprinkles into drops. I began to jog with my bag on my shoulder and a suitcase in my hands. I got under the front porch of my house just as the rain began to pour. The raindrops dashed themselves against the pavement. The wind blew my hair. The air felt damp, but it tasted sweet.

I sighed heavily and pushed the doorbell. I saw my mom peek out the window, and a few seconds later she was at the door, hugging me.

“Lila, you’re back! How was your trip?”

“It was okay.”

I walked inside, closing the door behind me. My father sat on the couch in the living room.

“Dad!”

“Hey, Lila.”

I gave him a hug.

“Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah. Dad, what are you doing here? Don’t you usually be working at this time?”

“I landed a new cleaning client that pays well, so now I can take a day off here and there,” he said happily.

“A day off? But Dad, how—”

“Don’t worry, Lila. I still have plenty of work, and we’ll be okay.”

“Dad, that’s great,” I said, relieved.

“Well, I’m going upstairs to put up my stuff.”

I lugged my bags up the stairs and turned the knob on my room door—something I haven’t done in awhile.

My room was just like I left it: bed neatly made, a few socks on the floor, and my guitar in the corner, but now it felt smaller. I missed all that space I had in my room in Avila.

I opened my bag and took out my laptop. I browsed through the pictures I took at the banquet. Everything that happened seemed so unreal. It didn’t seem like I actually spent over a week in a palace or traveling on a motorcycle and in electric cars. It’s hard to believe that Dr. Sterling is an emperor, and I spent half of my time arguing with his son, the prince. No one has to worry about me telling anyone else about Avila, because if I told anyone, they wouldn’t believe me. That was quite an oceanography project.

Then I remembered the envelope Dr. Sterling gave me on the plane. I took it out of my jacket pocket and opened it. Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper. I unfolded it to read. It was written in a familiar scribble. It simply said:

Thanks for everything. It’s going to be deadly dull without you. Keep in touch.

Levi Milton Preston Wiltshire

At the end he left his e-mail address, which is about as long as his name.

I had to face it. I’m going to miss Avila. When I first arrived there, I had nothing, but when I left I had ties, memories—friends. Then I reminded myself, I have memories here too. I also have friends, and I have one very good friend in mind. I closed my laptop and set it on the floor. I jogged down the stairs and ran through the living room. I opened the front door. It was still raining outside.

“Lila, what are you doing?” my dad asked from the couch.

“I’m going to Jamie’s.”

I stepped out onto the porch and closed the front door behind me. The fresh rain air filled my lungs and the sound of raindrops filled my ears. I walked out into the rain, without a raincoat.

The End

Author’s note:

Finally, the end.

Thank you so much for being here.

As much as I loved reading this chapter, I have to admit that I couldn’t help feeling the sting of guilt. I know this is a bit insane, but after reading this chapter, I know for sure that somehow Levi was left hanging in my subconscious after making that vow to The Five in the garden of the palace of Avila and asking Lila to come back someday. Left in The Garden, quietly waiting, holding and supporting…with the ring still strung on his necklace, resting next to his heart and wishing to be in a million places all at once.

I can’t help feeling guilty for forgetting, because when I originally wrote The Garden, I didn’t remember him at all, and I didn’t recognize him until I returned to this story. So…awkward 💀

Cough, cough…so…um. Levi, this is crazy weird but, I’m so sorry for leaving you hanging like that. (I just apologized to a sort of fictional character, oh, my GOD. And I say sort of fictional because I’m not sure if what is apparently a working part of my psyche counts as being fictional. I guess so…maybe? 😭)

So now that I’ve reached the end of this story, what are my future plans?

Well, I plan to give it another editing pass as I format it to be published as an ebook and in print. The current “cover art” of this story is mainly a temporary placeholder. Right now I’m in the process of working on cover art that is more substantial and has more impact.

The goal is for there to be two versions of this book. The first is basically a reader’s version, so you can just read through the story without my distracting author’s notes getting in the way. Then I also want to have a second version that I’m calling my “Author’s Notes” version, which is a version that includes not only my notes from this blog but also some extra writing and material related to Omnigirl that I won’t be sharing here.

So that’s the plan. We’ll see how far this will go.

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