"The Rohani Situation" "Yes you did, Ana!" shrieked Rai Zanders defensively, half-glaring at the blonde and half-staring at the road. "You tried to screw with her mind! And people like that don't like to be screwed by anybody else, except their lovers." "Oh, whatever." She frowned and made little adjustments on the wheel and pedals. Unlike Rai, she was totally focused on driving, because unlike Rai, she didn't quite have her license just yet. There wasn't a school in the area that offered Driver's Ed, so Zanders had to take up her position as tutor again and teach Ana the rules of the road. Ana Lu, just sixteen and merely permitted to drive, not licensed, took the offer with twice her normal enthusiasm, since her parents were still a little skeptical about her being behind a wheel—plus, her teacher was Rai. "Oh, I introduced you to Sally, didn't I?" she asked out of the blue. Rai nodded. "Yes, and most of your other friends." "Did you like any of them?" "I guess. Turn here." "Left or right?" "Right. Signal!" Ana had forgotten, and jerked the small car like a novice. Rai hissed and counted among her blessings her stickler's view on seatbelts. It was an old habit of hers anyway, and ever since three near-escapes, she swore by the safety belt. Ana was more crude and casual with it, but Rai's word caused her to at least wear it when she drove. Rai also wished for a vomit bag. Ana could barely drive a go-kart, much less something with a real engine. "Let's see you parallel park," she grumbled, wishing for the vehicle to stop at least for a little while. Ana leaned forward a bit and scanned the side of the road. "There's no spots." "Then let's use our imagination. See that empty side of the road, in front of that house? Pretend there are two cars and parallel park." Ana nodded her head and silently wedged herself into the invisible space. If anything, her imagination was powerful, and she could playact in short time. Her standard parking was okay, but so far she was not very good at anything else. She clumsily managed to point the car inside, then backed up, barely scratching the wheels against the curb, then drove forward with some hesitation. Rai winced, but she had to admit that for her first time, Ana hadn't done bad. She would need lots more practice, several hours behind the wheel—and that meant lots of time spent together. Great. Rai looked forward to it like she awaited being sunburned. "Turn here," she pointed, to the left. Ana made a harsh jerk at the wheel, sending Rai's stomach churning—and suddenly the brakes were jammed on as if a wall had been put before them. The sudden stop sent both girls jerking and coughing, the belts giving their solar plexuses a tight squeeze. Rai growled in anger and pain, and demanded very nastily what in the world was going through Ana's mind, besides air. "We almost ran over that cat!" she screamed. Rai made a face, preferring she not use the term "we". She rubbed her stomach wearily and tried to regain her breath, squinting like she had just woken up. "Well, I can forgive you for the sudden jerk if it was a cat, but next time, try showing a little more restraint. You're supposed to pump the break, not slam against it. And you could swerve." "Rai," whined Ana, oblivious to the older girl's rough instructions, "it's a black cat!" "So?" "It's crossing right in front of us, right in front of this car! And it's looking right at me! Rai, that cat scares the Hell outta me! It's got like this really weird, demonic face! And those eyes are all yellow and black—it's staring right at me!" "Probably wondering why a crazy girl with braided pigtails is screaming at it," groused Zanders carelessly. "You deserve being scared, after nearly slicing us both in half and smashing that poor thing. Has it left?" "Yeah, it ran off. Brr!" Ana shivered from fright or jitters, and nearly forgot her foot was still on the brake. She took a breath (thankfully there was no traffic behind her), adjusted the stick shift, and craned her head back. She was going in reverse. "What are you doing?" asked Rai mildly. "Turning around." She got back to the original street and turned right instead. Rai's eyebrows curled in frustration. "Ana, why?" "You know how I am," explained the young girl, sounding relatively serious. Rai frowned, disappointed, and crossed her arms. Ana. What could she say? She didn't need to ask why she turned around and went the opposite direction, because she already knew. Ana had a thing for black cats crossing her path, and as silly as it sounded (to Rai), she would not tempt fate. Rai knew it was pointless preaching to Ana about her superstitious nature, because she had tried before and never got anywhere. She just surrendered herself to silence for awhile. "Incredulous." "It's the way I am," she repeated. Rai kept herself closed and mute, until a few driveways passed them. "Park here, please. We'll switch." "Can't I drive myself home?" "It's a long way from here," said Zanders, who had glanced at a street sign earlier. She knew the area well and could guess how long it would take the slow, clumsy, unpredictable Ana to reach her house. "Do you really want to go through all that? It's a gauntlet." "How else am I gonna learn?" "We'll see next time," she answered, poorly. Ana stuck her tongue out but obeyed her self-proclaimed girlfriend (Rai had never, ever addressed Ana as her girlfriend, and rarely even said she loved her, though she did seem to like the physical contact and the smiles Lu gave her). The women switched right there by the curb, Rai the driver of her own car and Ana in shotgun, and started off. In reverse. A nauseating CRUNCH jarred the women, and a bump very similar to Ana's reaction to the cat earlier sent them snapping like dolls. Rai cursed violently, mostly at herself for forgetting to use Drive instead of Reverse, partially at Ana, and a bit at the other car and the circumstances that were now pressing down on them. She quickly put the vehicle in Park and bolted out to examine her handiwork. A squeal of agony escaped her throat. "Shit!" she cursed. "Oh, man! Damn it! Damn it! I'm so stupid!" "Rai, Rai, calm down!" muttered Ana frantically, taking her "girlfriend" by the arm. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault, it was an accident! Look, look—the dent's not big!" "It's a fucking crater, Ana!" barked Rai angrily. "People tend to notice things like their cars having big gashes in them all of a sudden! Oh, man! Shit! What're we gonna do?" "We can, we can, we can... uh..." Ana scrambled for ideas; Rai combed through her long dyed-blue hair nervously, pacing to and fro. Something told her to remain and await judgment from the owner, while a small part wished she would up and drive away. The damage to her own vehicle was forgettable; it had received worse, and she was planning on buying a newer model anyway. No big deal. But the other car's owner might've had other plans—it might have been the new one! Rai murmured and whined, breaking out of her cool characteristic self, while Ana flitted around assessing the damage. "We're screwed," she moaned. Rai, in a fit of weakness, reached out and took Ana into one of her arms. She decided she would stay and see what fate now had in store for her. Ana hugged her and in spite of her earlier lamentation, assured Rai that everything was going to be okay. ......... When Ethan Petrov Nikholai got a look at his car, his reaction was understandable. He didn't say anything, he just stared. Hard and long. And he rubbed his chin. And he scratched his ear. He took several deep breaths. He groaned. Rai felt the volcanic rage would come out any minute. Ethan sighed. "If Avelina finds out what happened to our car, she's going to break up with me," he murmured. "There's not going to be any talks, any sessions, any council or reconciliation—she will break up with me." "Look," managed Ana, "it's not that bad. We can—" "This is seriously messed up," murmured Ethan, crossing his arms angrily. A saint would've done no less. He then turned to Rai, who was ashen with guilt. "And this was... an accident?" "Yes. Look, I'm sorry—this was all my fault. I forgot to set the stupid gauge-thingy to Drive—it was in Park, which I guess Ana here had it in last—and I thought we'd have more room. I was just teaching her to drive. Please, I can pay the damages—" "No offense, but this will cost you much more than you can afford," spoke Ethan gravely. Ana Lu gulped down nervousness. She didn't like how his words were traced with double meaning. He took a breath and steepled his fingers, trying to sound calm in the face of something so unbelievable. "Look, I'm sorry I sound harsh, but this is... this is the car my girlfriend and I share. She physically cannot drive on her own, so we have to share one. If she finds out how much this is wrecked... I cannot lose her. Nothing will make me forget how much I love her." "Mr. Nick—" began Ana, but Ethan cut her off angrily. "No, don't Mr. Nick me! Okay? Do you know how much I love Avelina? How I would do anything to please her? How I would go out of my way to make sure her dreams come true even in a small way? It sounds superfluous, but this car means so much to us both." "Look, I'm sure I can pay for the damages." "I'm sure you can't," said Ethan, again grave. "I know: I work on cars just like this. Engines, not fenders, but I can tell. Listen, if you are that sore about it, call a friend or a good mechanic—but they had better be reliable." "Don't worry," murmured Rai sorely, "I think I know just the person." Frowning, she reached into her leather jacket and picked out her cell phone. ......... "Listen, Hero, I don't know how we'll handle this Rohani situation. I mean, a broken fender, girlfriend coming home in 45 minutes, boyfriend pissed, I don't know any good mechanics... I don't know what to do." "All right. Say she comes over and sees it. What do you think she'll do?" "She'll freak, of course." "Darn right she'll freak! That's no answer, Zandie. I mean, being around Nicky there, you must know more than I do: a lot, a little, what?" "You have to appreciate the situation here, Hero: this guy's a nice, polite, considerate man, who loves his girlfriend and tows her around because of her dichromatism. She believes she'll never drive, so this car is like the closest she can come to her dream of independence. And I don't know if telling her it's inoperable or in bad shape will help their relationship, so I need you to tell us that we don't have anything to worry about, chill out, and you'll find someone who can help, and help fast." "You've got nothing to worry about, Zandie. Just chill out for awhile, and I'll send over the Wrench, who'll be coming to help, and help fast." A pause. "You're sending the Wrench?" "That make you feel better, handsome?" "Hell yeah, Love! That's all you had to say! I owe ya." "I'll take you up on that." Click. Rai smiled, broadly and genuinely. The Wrench! Of all people! How in the world did Hero Love have so many connections? Did she know Usha, Mira, a few teachers? It didn't matter. Merely hearing mention of the Wrench meant that the Rohani situation was over, its problems solved, quick as that. ............ Ten minutes later... Avelina Rohani was coming over to her boyfriend Ethan's house at exactly 6:00 pm that day, driven by her mother. It was currently 5:25, more or less, which wouldn't leave much room for error or fancy shows, but if the Wrench lived up to half the rumors, their service would be worth it and done well. Ana Lu spotted the small Ford coming down the road first, and waved it into Ethan's driveway. Out stepped Carlisle Renchina, alias the Wrench, toolbox and all. Rai, Ana, and Ethan tried not to stare at her too hard as they greeted her. They didn't know the Wrench was a woman. "You're... Rai Zanders, am I right?" she pointed. Zanders nodded. "Which would make you Ana Lu, and you Ethan Nikholai. I came here under the advice of Miss Love, instructed to assist your problem and insure its completion to your satisfaction. I am also aware that we have a little over half an hour to spare, which—if you three do what I tell you when I tell it to you, should be plenty of time. Now, Ethan—your girlfriend..." "Uh, Avelina." "Your girlfriend Avelina Marcella, Miss Rohani, will be driven here by her mother, and I was told she would not appreciate a ruined car, nor the addition of three extra women, am I correct?" "Uh, 100." "Very well, then we need to hurry. First, Ana, Rai, which one of you's the driver?" "Uh, I am," answered Rai. "I need you to drive your car exactly three blocks down until you get to Concourse Avenue, where you'll find a red and yellow house. Park down there and get back here as quick as you can. That way, if Mrs. Rohani decides to drop her daughter off early, we can just look like people walking around and not dabbling in some disagreeable activity. Miss Lu, did you hear me?" "Um, a please would be nice." "What's that?" "Uh, I said a please would be nice." Wrench made a face and jammed her hands in her pockets. "Look, I'm not here to be polite, I'm here to help you with your problem. If I'm curt, it's because I think fast and I act fast—that's what gets me the big dollars. If you don't appreciate my help, I can leave and good luck to you." "She," blurted Rai very quickly, "would appreciate your help very much, and so would I!" She glared at poor Ana, who froze and grinned sheepishly. "I'm just not used to people giving me orders. I promise I'll behave." "Thank you. And if you're still sore about it, pretty please with cherries and nuts, park the frigging car." Once Ana and Rai were away, Ethan was left alone with Wrench, who knelt down before the big gash in his car. She stared at it with great intensity, rubbing her chin and on occasion, the crumpled metal itself. She then turned to Ethan. "Ethan, you smoke?" "Uh, no ma'am." "Call me Carly. No Wrench, no ma'am, no miss—Carly. I'm barely older than you anyway. Could you take my car down to the store or gas station and pick some cigars up? I do my best work when I'm smoking." "Uh, yeah, if you need it. Cigars?" "Yeah, cheap if you can. Hurry." Ethan frowned, but since he really had no choice, he went over to the Ford, found the keys missing, and looked at Carly—just in time to jerk his hands out and catch them as they were thrown. "Oh, by the way," she said, tipping her cap: "If I find that vehicle even halfway as bad as yours when you come back, I'll send you to an undertaker. Got it?" Ethan nodded grimly, and was off in mere seconds. Carly grinned. Five minutes later... Ana, Ethan, and Rai all arrived a few minutes apart from each other, the girls slightly worn from their walk and the gentleman flushed from having bought tobacco for the first time in his life. Carly welcomed them with a smile and a wave, and thanked them for their troubles. She lit the cigar with a match (Ethan bought three) and set to work. "You think we can get this car in the garage?" asked Carly, kneeling down to caress the wounded fender. "I work best in a garage, as you can empathize, and I don't like the sun beating down on me." Ethan put it in neutral and the girls pushed it in, then the orders really came flying. Ethan quickly listed off things in his house he believed could help fix the car in a hurry, and Ana and Rai were instructed on where they could find them. One by one, pieces came into Carly's capable hands, and the older woman set to work immediately. "Put that there," she would say, or "Hold that place here", and "Let's see you do this", and sometimes "I need you to get me this". Ethan proved to be her best help, followed by the go-getter Ana. Rai was reduced to gopher and chef: she provided a light meal for Carly, after getting permission from Ethan. Ten more minutes grinded on, but it seemed like mere seconds. Even the short time didn't seem to affect Carly's handiwork, for soon the wound appeared to be healed, the damage fixed, the ugly dent restored and appearing better than before. Ethan whistled. "I can't believe this is the same car!" he said. Carly gave a half-smile and rubbed her hands on a rag. "Well, let's not go opening champagne bottles yet. The car's fixed, but we need to clean up. I'll let the three of you handle it—it's time you started earning your pay. I'll wrap things up here and square it all up with Nick and Love." "Who is Love?" asked Ethan. Carly tipped her hat. "A girl I know. I owed her a favor, so this is my way of repaying her. Now you owe her a favor." She was not looking at anybody in particular when she said this, but Rai knew the burden was laying on her. It didn't take them long to clean up their mess, and soon the car was ready and everything was wrapped up. Carly instructed Ethan to bring it back to her garage whenever he could so she could give it a full repair, but for now whatever magic she had wielded seemed to suffice. The older woman bade them a brief farewell, good luck, and stay-out-of-trouble, you-crazy kids, before departing. Ethan, Rai, and Ana were silent as her Ford disappeared. He looked at his watch. "Avi's late," he sighed. "Well, girls, I really want to thank you for what you've done. Really. This is more than I deserve. I'm sorry I got so mad at you earlier on." "Nothing to be sorry about," shrugged Rai. "Hey, whenever you need anybody to do you a favor, just call us. We go to Stanton as well." Ethan smiled warmly and promised he would. He also asked for both of them to try and get to know his girlfriend better, since apparently she was still awkward around the social scene and would not reach out on her own. He offered to drive them back to their car, but they declined. They had caused him enough trouble, and besides, the weather was too good to drive so short a distance. They walked. ............ "I dunno," mumbled Rai, her hands in her pockets as she walked. "I kinda thought she'd be a man." "Yeah. She was about as man as you are, Rai." "Ha, ha." Rai shoved her, but gently. She was used to her masculine appearance. "But hey, was she cool or what?" Ana grinned. "Frickin' frosty. She didn't even blow her top when I was being so bratty." Rai smiled, which was returned tenfold by Ana, who clung to her arm and giggled in spite of all that had happened to them that day. Rai soon lost herself in her thoughts, Ana to the neighborhood around them. "Rai, look!" Rai Lanceten Zanders was already in another world. Thoughts were crammed into her head like olives in a jar. Ana. Stanton. Love. Lust. Warmth. Avelina. Ethan. Hero. The car. Fate. Fortune. Wrench. Love. Ana. Frustration. Sapphism. Identity. Ana. Love. Irritation. Her damned smile. The secret project. Sigh. Ana's voice broke her stoic concentration, and she looked up. It was a white cat. "Oh. Not black this time," she noted emptily. Ana frowned. "Yeah. But isn't it strange? A black cat crossed our path, but even when we went the other direction, we still got back luck. Whaddya think'll happen to us now?" "Probably nothing," murmured Zanders. She walked over to the cat, who tamely sat on the grass watching the tall woman stride towards it. Rai had a pet cat at home and knew how to treat them; Ana did not like cats or any other animal. She knelt down and scooped the furry creature in her arms, and was rewarded with a happy purr. Ana would've squealed over how adorable it was, if she were the type to find cats likeable. But at least Rai looked cute. "Hey, Ana." She beckoned. Ana growled and made a stubborn face, but Rai was persistent. "You gotta see this," she said. "It's really weird. I think I've had a change of heart concerning your superstition. This is enough to make me a believer." Of course, this was not meant to stoke Lu's curiosity, but it did. She edged towards the cat, like she were a mouse and not a woman, and peered at it. It had a circular green tag tied to its collar, which meant it belonged to somebody. On that tag was written one word, followed by initials—probably the owner's. Ana's sky-blue eyes widened as she read the tag. "FATE—A.M.R."
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