Failing Test: Book One of The Shadow Series Read online

  Cliff pulled his glasses off his face and let them dangle on a black shoestring that he’d fashioned into a strap. He slapped his hand on the table and looked at Test with his left eye squinted.

  “That’s it? You’re either leavin’ out a bunch of stuff, or you are the most boring kid in the state of Nebraska!” he said loudly.

  Test smiled and laughed. “Well, I did kind of do some stuff I’m not proud of,” he replied.

  “You on drugs? Damn kids always doin’ them drugs!” said Cliff as he slapped his hands on the table.

  “No, sir, no that’s not it at all!” replied Test defensively.

  “Then what are you talkin’ about?” asked Cliff as he quickly stood up.

  Though Test was twice the old man’s size, he cowered in his seat, afraid of what the old man might say next. Now wide awake, Test answered with his hands held up defensively. “There are these two guys and this one girl that were harassing me and my girlfriend. I just wanted them to stop!” he replied.

  “Your girlfriend got a name?” asked Cliff.

  Test wrinkled his nose. “What does her name have to do with anything? Besides, I don’t know if she wants to be my girlfriend now or not,” he replied.

  Cliff stood idly and waited for his answer.

  “Okay, if you need to know, her name is Nicole,” replied Test, thinking now that maybe the old man was slightly touched.

  “Thank you,” said Cliff as he once again took a seat across from Test. “Okay, so what’d you do to these two guys and this girl that was botherin’ you?” he asked as he aggressively chewed on his cigar.

  Knowing what his reaction was going to be, Test was unable to look at the old man. Reluctantly he replied, “I . . . I smashed their truck.”

  Shaking his head in disappointment, Cliff looked at Test. “Always violence. Always them damned drugs and violence with kids these days. Ain’t you kids ever talked nothin’ out?”

  “I tried, Mr. Johnston,” he stopped himself mid-sentence, “I mean Cliff. Honest I did. I’ve never been mean to anyone in my life.”

  Cliff placed his glasses back on his nose, took the cigar from his mouth, and looked at Test with a great intensity. After several moments of silence, he stood and grabbed Test’s cold cup of coffee.

  “You know, son, I believe you. I think you’re a good boy. I can tell ’bout most, good or bad that is. You’ve got a shine to you,” said Cliff.

  “What do you mean?” asked Test.

  Cliff put his hand on Test’s shoulder and replied, “Some people, they just walk around like they walkin’ in the dark, and they’re fine with that. Day after day just livin’; some days good, some days bad, but either way they just keep walking without any desire or any goal. You, son, I see some fire in you.”

  Test smiled. If only he knew, he thought.

  “A fire huh?” he replied aloud.

  “That’s right, a fire; you’re not lettin’ nothin’ get in your way. You push through obstacles and sometimes fly past your original goal. Yes sir, you’ve got a fine shine, son; a fine shine. You just keep pushin’ like you know how, and this will pass as well,” said Cliff with a wink.

  “Thank you, sir,” replied Test, surprised at the realization that he was feeling much better.

  Cliff looked out the window and noticed a white cargo van pulling into the parking lot. He looked at his watch. It was three o’clock in the morning.

  “Ah, right on time. My favorite part of the mornin’,” said Cliff as he looked back down to Test with a smile. “Let me freshen up your coffee, son.”

  “That would be great,” replied Test.

  As Cliff walked to the coffee pots, the front door opened, and the bells rang. In walked a long-haired thirty-year-old man wearing a hat that reminded Test of something a golfer would wear. Test stared at the man’s long graying beard and small round glasses, wondering what planet this guy was from. And then the two of them made eye contact. The bearded man froze and stared awkwardly. Test quickly looked out the window, trying to hide the fact that he had been staring, and could see the man’s reflection. He remained frozen, and his eyes locked on Test. Uncomfortable and confused, Test struggled to keep his composure. He couldn’t recall ever seeing him before, but the man looked at him as if he knew who he was. Startled by Cliff’s sudden appearance, Test jumped.

  “Mornin’, Jacob,” said Cliff as he put Test’s fresh cup of coffee down on the table.

  “Good morning, Cliff,” replied Jacob, not taking his eyes off Test.

  Cliff looked strangely at Jacob and then down to Test.

  “Anything good in there this mornin’?” he asked.

  Stepping sideways towards the door, Jacob replied in a nervous and hurried voice, “I gotta go, Cliff. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Without waiting for a reply, he quickly turned and walked briskly out the front door.

  “He’s kind of a strange guy, huh, Cliff?” asked Test.

  “Nah, he’s all right. Somethin’s got him spooked. He ain’t normally like that,” replied Cliff.

  Test looked out the window, expecting to see the van flying out of the parking lot. Instead, the van remained sitting where it had been parked. Inside, he could see Jacob talking on the phone.

  Cliff walked over to the pile of papers that Jacob had inexplicably left on the floor. He bent down slowly, knees crackling, and picked them up.

  “Don’t know what’s got into him,” said Cliff, groaning as he lifted the papers to the counter. “I hope he . . .”

  Cliff froze as he examined the front page.

  “You make some good coffee, Cliff. Those big chains have nothing on you, my friend,” said Test, still sitting at the booth.

  Cliff turned and looked out the window to see Jacob still in his van on the phone. He then looked back to Test.

  “Son, I think you better go to the bathroom.”

  Test set down his coffee and gave the old man a strange look. “Um, that’s a little weird, Cliff,” he replied.

  Cliff responded seriously. “I’m not foolin’, Test. Don’t act any different when I say this. I think the police are on their way,” he said, not taking his eyes off Jacob. “You are front page news, son. I’m gonna help you, but I’m tellin’ you, go to the bathroom.”

  Shocked and panicking, Test looked at Cliff. Unable to resist the urge, he slowly looked out the window to Jacob.

  “Don’t,” spoke Cliff in a stern yet subdued voice. “Just stand up, smile, and head to the back.”

  Test did exactly as the old man had told him. He opened the door to the bathroom and walked in, not knowing what else to do. His first instinct was to run out the back door and fly away. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn’t. Then there was a knock on the door.

  “Yeah,” said Test in a deep and exaggerated voice.

  The door opened and in walked Cliff. “If you go out the back door, you’ll see my car right outside. It’s the maroon Monte Carlo.” He handed Test the keys. “I want you to pop the trunk, get in and close yourself in it. Make sure you leave the keys on the floorboard though before you close the trunk. You understand?” asked Cliff, looking over the top of his glasses.

  Test nodded and replied, “I don’t want to get you messed up in this, Cliff. Why are you helping me? You’ve only known me for about fifteen minutes.”

  Cliff gripped Test firmly by the shoulders. “Like I said, son, I can tell sometimes. I see the good shine in you. We can talk about things later. Right now you need to get into that trunk and wait for me, understood?”

  They left the bathroom and walked into the hallway. Cliff was the first out. As he looked to the front of the store, two police cars pulled in without their lights on.

  “They’re here, son. You’ve got to go, fast. Go!” yelled Cliff.

  Cliff stood in front of Test so that anyone looking down the hall couldn’t see behind him. Test ran hunched over out the back door and spotted Cliff’s car right away. He ran to the trunk, inserted the key, and opened it. After a qu
ick glance at his surroundings, he then ran around to the driver’s side, opened the door, and tossed the keys on the floor. As he shut the door, he could hear a helicopter in the distance. Spooked, he threw himself into the trunk and slammed it shut.

  Inside, Cliff walked back to the counter. He looked out the front and could see two officers talking to Jacob while he remained in his van. As soon as Cliff reached the counter, the two officers saw him and quickly entered the store.

  “Good morning, sir,” said the first officer.

  “Mornin’. There somethin’ I can do for you, officers?” replied Cliff.

  “Is there a young man in the building?” asked the officer.

  “Yes, sir,” replied Cliff, pointing down the hallway. “He just went to the bathroom.”

  The officer looked to the stack of papers lying on the counter. He reached out, picked up a copy, and placed it on the counter in front of Cliff.

  “Is that the boy in the restroom, sir?” as he pointed to Test’s picture.

  “Yes, sir. I believe it is,” replied Cliff, sounding surprised. “He just went back there.”

  The officers drew their weapons and looked at Cliff suspiciously. After a brief pause, they quickly turned and walked towards the restroom, the second officer in the lead. Upon arriving at the door, they beat on it heavily three times.

  “Test Davis!” yelled the officer. “Come out with your arms up and fists clenched!”

  Cliff leaned over the counter to see down the hallway. He then looked to the paper. The headline over Test’s picture read, “Search Is on for Dangerous Teen.” He read the first paragraph.

  Police are now searching for Test Davis, age 17, for suspected damage to property. It is reported that Mr. Davis has supernatural powers that enable him to move objects without touching them as well as possessing the ability to fly.

  Cliff stopped reading, his thoughts harshly interrupted.

  “Test Davis, this is the last time I will ask. Come out with your arms up and fists clenched!” yelled the officer again, this time with more force.

  Receiving no answer, the officer reached for the handle and turned it slowly. As he pushed the door open, he realized that the light wasn’t on. With his free hand, he flipped the switch. No one was inside. The officers backed out in a panic into the hallway. They proceeded down the hallway to the only room left in the store, which housed an office and cleaning supplies. After a quick and thorough search, the officers came back to the front and holstered their weapons. Staring at Cliff intimidatingly, the first officer pulled his radio off his belt.

  “All units, the suspect is not at this location. Repeat, suspect is still at large.”

  The second officer walked over to Cliff. “Where did he go, sir?”

  “Now how should I know, officer? I thought he went back there to the bathroom. Must be he just walked right out the back door,” replied Cliff condescendingly and arrogantly.

  The officer, clearly irritated, looked at Cliff as if to study him.

  “Sir, I’m going to need you to give me your name and a phone number where you can be reached with questions that I’m sure will arise.”

  Over the next half hour, Cliff stood his ground firmly and answered a number of questions from the officers. In the meantime, his shift replacement, a middle aged blonde woman named Stephanie, walked into the shop. Cliff watched her walk in, and with a smile and a wink, wished her good morning. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the officers exited the store. Cliff stood tall, arched his back, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Before the last bit of wind had left his lungs, Stephanie, excited, ran over to him.

  “Was that Test kid really here?” she asked.

  Cliff pulled his glasses off his face and turned to her with his eyes closed, and in a very soft and tired voice, he answered, “Yeah, he was here.”

  “Did he do anything?” she asked.

  Placing his glasses back on his nose, he looked to her with a grin. “Nah, he seemed like a good kid,” he replied and then paused. “Hey Steph, I know that you’re not officially on for another half hour, but are you okay with just taking over? All this excitement is a little much for this old man. I need some sleep.”

  “Yeah, sure, Cliff, no problem,” replied Stephanie, full of enthusiasm. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

  “No, no. I wouldn’t think so. Hey, thank you much for helpin’ an old man out. I’ll see you later,” replied Cliff as he came from behind the counter.

  He walked to the back room and, after collecting his things, walked out the back door. As he reached his car, he looked up to see an unmarked car sitting across the street with a man in plain clothes sitting behind the wheel. Cliff entered his car and found his keys exactly where he had told Test to put them. He picked them up, inserted the key into the ignition, and after a brief pause turned the key, bringing the Monte Carlo to life.

  Meanwhile, in the trunk, Test was becoming claustrophobic. The sound and vibration of the engine left him both excited and nervous. Though he had known Cliff for only a fraction of time, something inside told him to trust the old man and be still. He had never known anyone that he was able to trust to this degree.

  Cliff put the car into gear and pulled slowly out into the street. He looked around, checking each of his mirrors, and finally caught a glimpse of what he thought could be an unmarked police car in one of them. Surprisingly to him, it remained parked as he pulled away.

  “Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” said Cliff out loud to himself.

  He pulled up to the corner, now on the front side of the store, and pulled out on to the main street. After he was a few blocks away from the store, he looked around once more. Unable to see anything suspicious, he yelled, “Hang on there, son. We’ll be home in a few minutes.”

  Test heard Cliff’s voice but couldn’t understand the words. Within a matter of minutes, but what seemed to Test like forever, the car came to a stop, and the engine went silent. He heard Cliff’s door open and close, and then the wonderful sound of keys at the trunk. As the trunk opened, the first thing that Test noticed was that there was now a faint amount of light in the sky. The night had been a lifetime long, and morning had now graciously arrived. Above him stood Cliff looking down upon him with a tired grin.

  “How are you feelin’, young man?” asked Cliff.

  “I’m okay. A little stiff and tired, but I’m okay,” Test replied.

  “Apparently you ain’t the most boring kid in the state of Nebraska,” said Cliff with a raised eyebrow and crooked smile.

  Test’s heart sank. It had begun. Is this what his life was now relegated to? Hiding in car trunks from the police? Before he was able to think to the point of grave depression, Cliff reached in, took Test’s arm, and spoke to him in a groaning and labored voice. “Let’s get you out of there, son. I have a spare bed inside. You and me can get some rest, and then we’ll figure what we need to do. A man can’t do nothin’ on a lack of sleep.”

  Chapter 13

  The Morning After

  Nicole struggled to get out of bed. It had been next to impossible for her to fall asleep last night. She spent hours with the police answering questions about Test, and while the endless thoughts flashing through her mind had been exhausting, not knowing where he was or if he was okay had left her restless and worried. Ultimately, she came to the conclusion that she did in fact love him. No matter how she tried to talk herself out of it, no matter how many the negatives and how few the positives, her feelings for him remained. She fought through the urge to lie in bed, and forced herself to throw her covers off and sit up on the edge of her bed. With a wave of dizziness, she flopped back down on her side, the previous night’s dehydration and lack of sleep hitting her like a wall. Though she hadn’t drank much the night before, she felt the last drop of the wine coolers that she had consumed. Slowly, she rolled from her side and grabbed a pony-tail holder off her nightstand. She pulled her hair back and noticed her newly blackened hair with surprise. As
she played with the ends, rubbing them gently between her fingers, she recalled walking down the stairway like a princess, eager to impress her prince.

  “It’s amazing how fast seemingly large things can become trivial,” she whispered with clarity beyond her years.

  As quickly as they had returned to her, the pleasant thoughts of the previous night gave way to the reality of its ending. Because she was eighteen, the police hadn’t deemed it necessary to call her parents. She knew, however, that they would find out, if they hadn’t already. She also knew that she needed to be ready for a million questions. Finally, she stood and walked to her bedroom door. As she opened it, her mother was standing on the other side, her hand in the air ready to knock on the door.

  “Good morning, Mom,” said Nicole, startled and surprised.

  In an excessively sweet tone, her mother replied, “Oh, look at your hair.” She paused with a labored smile on her lips. “How are you this morning?”

  Confused, Nicole gave her mother a strange look and replied with an equal amount of exaggeration. “I’m okay. How are you?” She knew that something big was coming. “Why?” Nicole asked timidly.

  “I got a call from Justin’s mom this morning,” replied Kathy bluntly.

  Nicole’s heart sank. She had never been a good liar, but she knew what the next question was going to be and had absolutely no idea how she was going to answer it.

  “What can you tell me about Test Davis?”

  Nicole looked at her mother and then quickly looked away.

  “Please answer me, Nicole,” Kathy said with an increasingly stern tone.

  Turning to her mother, Nicole replied, “He is a wonderful guy, Mom.”

  “I think I need a little more than that Nicole. I read in the paper today that the police are looking for him. Is it all true?” asked Kathy with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

  “I don’t know, Mom, I haven’t read the paper,” she replied sarcastically.