Mind Control

MIND CONTROL

A short story by Alvin Atwater

She looked at me with an odd smile. I frowned. What exactly was my so-called friend, Gemini, up to this time? I hurried outside of the gym.

"Hey, Matt," someone called from afar. I waved, even though I couldn't see this person from such a distance –assuming he was afar. Well, I can't help the curse of bad eyesight and voice recognition. This is why I can't tell anyone that I'm afraid of the dark. If only I owned a pair of glasses, but my uncle's cheap.

I recognized the person as Brandon, a fellow Mystery Club member, seconds later.

"Oh, hey Brandon," I said.

"Why are you outside of the gym?"

I simply shrugged, shaking my head slightly to increase the effect of its message.

"Gemini again?" he asked.

"Of course," I snarled. "Who else embarrasses the hell out of me on a daily basis?"

"Are you still mad about that day?" I glared at Brandon. He had some nerve to even mention a hint of the most embarrassing day of my life. "I guess you are." He snickered. "You should just let it go –it's not like it was a bad thing. I mean, Gemini's cute anyway, so that didn't do too much damage to your reputation."

I continued to glare at him. "It's still embarrassing. Would you like for her to sneak into the Archaeology Club, steal a mind controlling jewel, and have you announce a marriage proposal in front of everyone?" We're sixteen but embarrassment is embarrassment.

Brandon laughed again. "Come on, this whole thing will blow over in no time. I mean you promised to marry her when you were like five, right? You were just kids playing house –and..." He grinned.

"And Gemini still remembers it," I said with a sigh. "I'm the freaking laughing stock of the school!"

"You're overthinking it man," Brandon said. "Everyone loves you two."

"Shut up and let's go back," I said shaking my head. He probably was right but I still hated the embarrassment.

As Brandon and I walked back into the gym we could see Gemini smirking, caressing a sky-blue gem that was the size of a lemon. How could teachers not catch onto that? I mean sure, Gemini is the top student in the school, but that doesn't mean she should be allowed to keep a gem as dangerous as that.

I sat on a bench that was on the far side of the gym. "She's probably going to try and take control of me again," I told Brandon.

He shook his head. "You're being paranoid."

Just then, the gem shimmered. He looked at me. "Okay, so maybe you're not, but what can we do about it? Every teacher in the school, including the principal, loves Gemini. And they love to see her tease you."

I glanced at Gemini. She was staring at me.

"Awe, the lovers are passionately gazing at each other," my classmate, Chelsea blabbed as she approached us carrying a volleyball in her hand.

"Please don't start," I said, "I'm really not in the mood." Chelsea laughed. I wanted to shave off her blonde hair and make her run around campus bald. Even that wouldn't be enough to satisfy the vengeance that burned within me.