4 I Won't Snitch On You
Nathan didn't end up catching the woman's name because he was too preoccupied with worrying about how to break this news to the Carlins. Amber dragged him away to play something else as soon as the police were done with them.
"I won't snitch on you," she said out of the blue a few minutes later, somehow able to tell what was on his mind. "I wouldn't do that. I know that no one else can know about your powers because they would think you're crazy. I know you aren't—I believe you! You aren't crazy; you're a superhero!"
He couldn't help but smile at that. "Don't exaggerate. But thanks, Amber. I don't want your parents to get worried about you spending time with me."
She snorted. "Please. They know all about your emergency preparedness thing. They think I'm safer with you than anyone else and they're right. I know you wouldn't ever let anything happen to me. How many times have you stopped me from getting hurt already?"
Nathan had lost track. Amber had always been an adventurous child prone to injury. Her parents trusted him because whenever they went out alone she came back without a single scratch on her, whereas when she went out alone with them she got hurt semi-frequently.
They thought it was because he was careful but it was really because he was able to see what happened and stop it in a timely manner. His power certainly had its uses but only if he heeded it in time and was appropriately prepared for anything.
"Fair point. Are you done playing games? We should probably go to lunch now," he said.
She was satisfied with her prize haul so they headed to a barbecue restaurant then went to an animal shelter to walk some dogs before heading back to her house. She loved animals but her dad was allergic so the only pet she was able to have was a baby ball python her parents got her last year after much begging.
Amber named it Mojo. She had originally wanted to call it William Snakespeare but her parents shot that down because they didn't want to have to explain to the vet that they had a snake with a pun for a name.
Mojo was a calm animal and loved draping itself around her neck or arms. Nathan had originally been wary of it but had gotten used to it because of how much his sister loved it. When they played games at her house the snake was never far away.
After lunch when they were playing Monopoly at her house the snake wound itself around her left arm since she wasn't using it on her turns. Her parents were out so they got in using Amber's housekey.
"Nate, have you stopped purse thieves before?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah. That's why I started carrying multiple cords on me. The first time it happened, I got the purse back but the thief got away because I had no way to hold him," he replied with a shrug. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Whose purse did you save again? I don't remember."
Now that Nathan thought about it…neither did he. There was a hole in his memory. He knew he had saved a woman's purse—men didn't carry purses—but couldn't remember a thing about her.
Why did this sensation feel so familiar? He had definitely been through this before. Déjà vu was nothing new to him but this wasn't the usual kind he experienced at all. He could always remember when he relived something. So why couldn't he recall this time?
"I don't either. Does it matter?"
"I guess not. But it's kind of weird that neither of us can remember, isn't it?" Amber replied as she rolled the dice to take her turn.
That was definitely weird. They both had better memories than this. Who was that woman and why couldn't either of them remember her? It bothered him like an itch he couldn't scratch.
Nathan thought he was the world expert on 'strange' but this was new. He shouldn't dwell on it too much though. He needed to be present while he hung out with his sister.
"Yeah. By the way, you landed on one of my properties. Pay up," he said.
Amber sighed and forked over the $22 in Monopoly money she owed for landing on Atlantic Avenue. Losing her money made her forget all about the strangeness from earlier and he did his best to do the same.
===
Nathan hated grocery shopping. He should really get into the habit of ordering all his groceries to be delivered to avoid trouble but he didn't want to waste money.
He lived alone in a studio apartment that cost him $1500 a month, which really wasn't bad considering how pricey the general Los Angeles area could be. He liked having his privacy since he wasn't so good with anything other than superficial relationships.
His complex consisted of studios, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms so it was relatively quiet. Not a lot of families lived here. There was a pool, a clubhouse, a fitness area, and a laundry room. It suited his needs perfectly since he didn't need much to survive.
His apartment was roomy enough to fit a queen-sized bed, a desk, and a "living room" consisting of a couch, rug, coffee table, and entertainment center. He also had a small round table with two chairs not far from the breakfast bar behind the kitchen sink.
Every so often he debated whether or not he should get a cat. Amber would love it but it also might distract him from writing and he certainly didn't need that. Maybe if he got an old one that only wanted to sleep it would be fine.
Nathan did get lonely here sometimes. Having his only friend be so much younger than him could be hard because they didn't get all of the same pop culture references. Goodness knows he struggled to keep up with her slang.
He didn't have much contact with the outside world period. Aside from the Carlins, the person he talked to most was his editor and that was usually done over the phone. They met up in person once or twice a month if even.
He really needed to get out more but the problem with that would be potentially having more visions and feeling compelled to jump in. He certainly didn't need any more of that.
