Fade

Janie blushes and looks at her hands. She doesn’t feel like much of a hero.

Inside the police station, Janie knocks on Captain’s door.

“Come!” Captain yells, as usual.

Janie grins and enters.

Stops short.

Cabel is there too.

His smile is formal and strained as Janie gathers her composure and sits down next to him.

Captain gets down to business immediately.

“Stacey O’Grady will be returning to Fieldridge High, after all. Her parents are now satisfied that all the perps have been arrested, and Stacey really wants to put everything behind her and come back to graduate with her classmates.”

Both Janie and Cabel nod. Janie’s glad to hear it.

“There are several lawsuits in the works from various angry parents—

and I don’t blame them. But I’m afraid we’re likely going to need you to testify, Janie. The hearings are set for June. You’ll meet beforehand with the DA to go over your testimony. It could be difficult. So be prepared for some horrible questions to be asked of you by the defense attorneys. And you’ll have to do it while Durbin, Wang, and Crater are sitting there, staring you down. You understand?” Janie presses her lips together to stop them from quivering. “Yes, sir.”

“Atta girl. We’ll do everything within the law to keep your dream-catching ability a secret. However, it’ll likely come out that you were at that party on assignment and working undercover for me. We’ll need your story and your drug-tester sheets as evidence. If the perps are too stupid to plead guilty once they see the pile of evidence we have, we’ll go to trial and your cover for Fieldridge assignments will probably be blown. But you need to tell the truth if asked, and we’ll deal with it.” Janie’s eyes widen. “So, um, if my cover is blown…will I…will you…”

Captain smiles. “You’ll still have a job. No worries. Martha had a few close calls too, but her secret was never revealed on the stand. Defense attorneys don’t know about dream catchers—They never think to ask the right questions. So, let’s not fret about that right now, okay? I want you to take a little time off to relax and rejuvenate until school’s out.” Captain swivels in her chair and continues seamlessly, “And, Cabe, I’ve got some minor assignments for you starting Monday after school.

Alone. Is that clear?” She looks at both of them.

“Yes, sir,” Janie and Cabel say in unison.

“Will you two be able to work together again in the future, or do I have to reconfigure my plans?” Captain asks bluntly.

Janie looks at Cabel. Cabel looks at his shoes.

“Yes, sir,” Janie says finally. Daring Cabel to answer.

“Of course,” Cabel says. He doesn’t look at Janie.

Captain nods and shuffles the papers on her desk. “Good. Janie, see if Cobb or Baker or Rabinowitz is out there to give you a lift home. I’ll talk with you soon.”

“Yes, sir.” Janie stands up, her face burning. Feeling like a baby in front of Cabe. She flees out the door, leaving Cabel and Captain standing there, and decides to walk home rather than beg for a ride.

She doesn’t get far before Cabel’s car whizzes past her, snow flying in his wake.

He slows.

Stops.

Backs up.

Janie glances longingly at the bushes, wishing for a place to hide.

Cabel lowers the passenger window and peers out at Janie. Smiles grimly. Bites his lip. “How about a ride, Hannagan?” Janie nods coolly and gets in. Knows they’re going to have to talk sometime if they’re going to keep working together. “I can walk from your house so it’s not too much trouble for you,” she says civilly.

They ride in silence the entire way.

Cabel pulls into his driveway.

They get out.

Stare at each other for a minute, until Janie looks away, emotions welling up. She’s angry. Still doesn’t understand why he broke up with her so suddenly. Feels like it was because the teachers touched her.

Wants to know the truth. But doesn’t want to get shot down again.

“Thanks for the ride,” she finally says.

When he doesn’t speak, doesn’t move, she turns slowly and starts walking home.

GLIMMERS

“Wait,” Cabel says.

Janie’s been waiting. Waiting for answers. Waiting for him to admit that he can’t touch her because she’d been violated by the creeps. Janie doesn’t want to wait anymore. She walks faster.

He hesitates, and then runs after her. Stops her in the middle of the road. “Come inside with me,” Cabel says. He looks tired. “Please. We need to talk.”

Janie’s eyes flash, but she follows him inside. Maybe at least she’ll get some answers.

Janie sits on the edge of the living-room chair, leaving her coat on. She takes a deep breath and decides to get it over with. “You have three minutes to tell me that it’s not because those bastards touched me.” Cabel reels. “What?”

Janie looks at her watch.

Cabel begins to pace.

“I can put up with the pacing,” Janie says after a minute goes by. “I can put up with you having some issues you need to work out. I can even put up with you saying you just don’t love me. I mean, I thought this weird dream curse would probably keep me from ever having a relationship, so I guess I’m lucky it lasted as long as it did. But when you suddenly decide you can’t touch me anymore immediately after a bunch of jerks try to rape me, well, I just need to know if you are really that horrible. And if you are, it’ll be a hell of a lot easier for me to walk out of here in”—she checks her watch—“one minute and twenty-four seconds.”