Bait and Switch Ch. 19

"Who—who was it?" she said, sniffling.

"Can we go somewhere private? I promise to tell you everything." She looked at me accusingly, and I remembered Julia asking me that same question not that long ago.

Silently she turned and started walking. I hurried to walk next to her, trying to match her fast pace. I remained quiet as we walked, not sure what to say quite yet, but trying to organize everything in my head. When I saw that we were heading to the parking lot, I began to worry that she intended to get in her car and drive off. When we got to her vehicle, however, she unlocked the door, and waited for me to get in the passenger seat. It wasn't going to get much more private than this, right now.

"So start talking," she told me, her voice stiff with emotion.

"Before that night in the freezer, I slept with Gina, from Professor Frankens's class," I began.

"That was before we were together in the freezer. It doesn't count," she told me stiffly.

"No, it doesn't, but it didn't stop that night," I replied. "You already know about your sister, at the party..." I told her everyone I had been with, holding nothing back, even telling her about my sister and mother. She sat in silence, through it all, until I mentioned Lela.

"Wait, you want me to believe you have been with an alien? Do you think I'm stupid?" Her eyes flashed angrily at me, but her tone was oddly soft, and sounded all the more dangerous for it.

"No, I think you are the smartest woman I know." I told her carefully, but meaning every word. Well, at least the smartest in my age group. "I can prove it," I told her, and her eyes lifted in disbelief. "She gave me an ability that I think of as switches. Anything I can conceive of as a switch, I can affect. I can also sense those switches. That's how I was always able tell you apart from your sister. I made a switch in you, but not one in her. That's why you could never trick me, after the party."

"You made a switch in me?" she asked, obviously not believing me. "And what does it do, make me fall stupidly in love with you?" The bitter quality to her tone felt like a knife digging into my chest, but at least she was listening.

"No. I think of it as a 'happy' switch. If I move it, you will feel happier," I told her, while looking shamefully at my hands.

"So why don't you move it now, and just make me happy? Come on. I'm tired of feeling angry, and hurt, and sad, and betrayed. If you really have this ability, make me happy," she demanded of me, but I wasn't going to cheat at this. Her emotion was genuine, and I didn't care to create fake feelings in her.

"I won't manipulate you like that. I have never used your switch, other than to sense whether I was dealing with you, or your sister. I can still prove it, though," I hurriedly told her, as I sensed her anger rising. I thought for only a split second, and her car started up. It was too easy for me to do it, as I'd been starting cars since practically the first day.

Shanna jumped when her car started, and she dug the keys out of her pocket. She looked from her steering wheel, to her keys, and back to me for a few seconds, before she could gather enough words to speak.

"That was a fluke. Some trick you're playing on me. Did you install one of those automatic starters when I wasn't paying attention?" I knew she was just trying to rationalize everything.

I shook my head, and just for theatrics, snapped my fingers and turned her car off. Her eyes grew wide, and I knew I had her complete attention now.

"Okay, so you have some strange power. I still say you should prove it by making me happy," she said, obviously still upset with me.

"I don't want to manipulate you," I tried to explain to her again, but she wouldn't have it. Sighing with resignation, I started to push against her 'happy' switch. It took some serious effort to move it. I think it was because she was primed against it. Once it started to move, however, I noticed an immediate change in her demeanor, and it became easier and easier to move. "See," I told her, once I had it all the way on, "You're happy now. Satisfied?"

"Oh my... I...I can't believe it. I AM happy. I was so angry a moment ago, but you really can do it!" she tittered.

Not feeling comfortable with myself, or what I'd done, I started to move the switch back off, but she stopped me, sensing what I was doing. "Don't you dare take this away! Okay, you wanted me to believe, I believe. Just don't take this away. You're better than an anti-depressant." She looked at me with a slight smile on her lips, but it slowly straightened out on its own. "You still cheated on me though..."

Feeling sick and disgusted, the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I didn't cheat, because we weren't officially together. I asked you numerous times, and you kept telling me 'no'."

She dropped her chin to her chest, as she contemplated that, and I felt her 'happy' switch slip a little more. "You're right. If you would have said that a few minutes ago, I probably would have blown up, but I can handle it now. You may think of it as manipulating me, and it probably is, but I want you to know that I appreciate you moving that...switch." She looked back up at me then, before asking, "I don't understand why this alien gave you this ability, though. Was it just to mess with the human race?"

I was glad she was sitting down, as I knew the next part might be the hardest to explain. "No, she did it to try to save all of us." I explained to her about the demons, how they had gained their technology, and then turned and used it against their teachers. "The demons will be here in a few days," I concluded.

"And you're supposed to be able to stop them with these switches of yours? How are you going to do that? Make them all happy? Start their cars?" She asked me, and despite the guilt I felt for using her switch, I was glad it had removed her anger.

"My sister, Summer, has the same gene I do, but her ability is different. She magnifies my ability, but in order to do so, we have to be touching." I told her, fearing her wrath would return.

"Touching? How much touching?" she asked hesitantly.

I took a deep breath before answering. "The more contact we have, the more powerful my ability."

She was silent for a long time, and I was afraid she was going to blow up. When she finally spoke, it was with a calm I didn't expect. "You mean sex."

"Not if I don't have to," I told her. "If I can do it without having to resort to that, then I won't go that far."

"You're not stupid, Nick," she berated me instantly. "I know in anime and on TV they always wait till the last second to use their full power, but that doesn't mean you have to. Besides, it's not like you haven't already slept with her." She surprised me by grabbing my hand and looking fiercely into my eyes. "If I have ever meant anything to you, then I only ask one thing."

"You do mean something to me," I promised her. "That's why I am telling you all of this. I also trust you. I have never told anyone all of this. Gina knows about my ability, but she doesn't know about Lela, or the demons. Summer only knows because of her ability. I wanted you to understand...no, NEEDed to you see what I am up against."

She shook her head at that. "No, I know you could make me forget if you had to, by using one of your switches, and don't tell me you wouldn't, because you don't want to manipulate me." I marveled at how smart this woman was, and how well she knew me. "I love you, Nick, and I don't want to lose you." She paused to take a breath to steady herself, before continuing. "I want to be there, when you fight against these demons."

I opened my mouth to protest that it would be too dangerous. That Lela's ship would be the first casualty if I failed, but she covered my mouth with her hand. "I will be there, or we are through." She moved my head up and down, forcing me to agree with it, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Now get out of my car. I have a lot to think about, and I want to make sure they are my own thoughts." I knew she didn't think I could actually control her thoughts, but understood her motives. Well, most of them at least.

Silently I stepped out, knowing that she needed her space. I had done all that I could. The rest was up to her. Before she pulled away, she rolled down the window and leaned over. "Oh, and Nick, all of the others stop, unless I'm there." She sped away before I could answer.

I didn't look forward to breaking it off with Gina, but knew that I could give up the rest with ease.

I turned my steps towards home, and started walking.

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Author's note: I know many of you are fond of Shanna, and won't like what happened in this chapter. All I will say is: Wait till Chapter 20.