Significance

by Shelly Crane

  “Ok, Maggie. Listen. I really like Caleb. He’s hot. But are you sure he’s not just some college boy trying to get some booty before he goes back to school?”

  “No. He’s not.”

  “But how do you know? Boys can be very charming, Mags. Very believable.”

  “Caleb isn’t like that. I know its only been a few days, but you- you just don’t understand. Trust me, that won’t happen.”

  “So he hasn’t tried to play shifty fingers with you yet? Or, ‘oops my hand slipped onto your boob’ or ‘I have no idea why my hand is there, it just had a mind of its own but since it’s there, let’s have a go’?”

  “No,” I said bemused.

  “Really? Hmmm. Every college guy I’ve ever met was like that.”

  “I told you, Caleb is different.”

  “He’s never copped a feel,” she said incredulously. “Even a little.”

  “No!” I laughed. “Jeez, can we talk about something else?”

  “Has he tried to take you to a party yet?”

  “No.”

  “Hmm. Well, he will. And that’s where he’ll make his move.”

  “Ok, Beck. I’ll be on my guard. Now, tell me what’s going on with you.”

  “Oh, nothing but the normal.”

  The doorbell rang and she ran to answer it. She came back with two boxes.

  “Beck? Who else are you feeding?”

  “No one. But I’ve got lots of questions and I want to keep you plastered with cheese to keep you talking.”

  I laughed as I followed her to the living room. She turned on her IPod and then sat with me on the couch.

  “Where are your parents?” I asked.

  “Oh, they’re at this charity thing for the school. They’ve decided to sponsor a student. You know, school supplies, new clothes, football dues.”

  “That’s nice of them.”

  “Yeah, whatever. So.” She bit into a huge piece and the cheese stringed from her mouth but she kept talking. “What are you gonna do when lover boy goes back to school?”

  “Well. I’m going too.”

  “What? I thought you weren’t going to college? I thought you couldn’t get in?”

  “I couldn’t, but Caleb’s family has ties to the school, Tennessee. So...I’m going.”

  “Oh, he definitely wants in your pants,” she said with surety.

  “Beck. He may want in my pants, in fact I’m sure all boys want into the girls pants that they’re dating, but that’s not why he’s doing this.”

  I felt a little burst of laughter in my mind. It was warm and made me giddy. At first I was confused, and I felt him. Felt him like he was standing right next to me. Caleb was here in my mind and he was enjoying the conversation. I tried to send him a thought to see if it’d work.

  Are you enjoying this?

  Immensely. But don’t worry. I’m only checking in, not listening to everything.

  I hid a laugh and tried to forget he was here so I’d be normal with Beck.

  “Then why? You barely know him. It’s creepy.”

  “I thought you would love this for some reason. It’s so spontaneous and romantic.”

  “Yeah, for me! Not you! You’re so responsible and a little naïve and sweet and...and responsible! You don’t do things like this. It’s scaring me a little.”

  “It’s fine. Hey? Why don’t we all go out? And then you can grill him yourself. Double date?”

  “Ok. Best idea so far. When?” she spouted all motherly.

  “What about tomorrow night? I get off at 7:00 so we can meet at 8:00? I’ll ask Caleb if he’s ok with that.”

  “But what about the farewell party at the school? That’s tomorrow night at 8:00. Aren’t you going?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it. I’d forgotten actually,” I grumbled. I had forgotten all about it. “We’ll see. So I guess we can all go out the next night then.”

  “I’ll spy who I wrangle up to be my date.”

  “What about Ralph? He was really into you. You guys went out a few times.”

  “Yeah, I know...but his name is Ralph,” she whined.

  “Oh come on. You are not that shallow.”

  “I could be! Ok, fine. I’ll text Ralph. He is pretty cute. Maybe I’ll see what his middle name is. I bet he’d let me call him that instead.”

  I rolled my eyes at her and then her IPod changed songs to ‘Relator’ by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson. She squealed as this was our song. Well it was her song and I played along. She pulled me up and bounced and danced with me as she sang loudly. I laughed, missing her terribly.

  We shook our fingers as we sang like we were scolding someone. Then lined our backs up and danced some more.

  Then her parents walked in.

  Nineteen

  “Maggie. Rebecca,” her father stated after Beck ran to turn down the music. He was clearly amused and trying to hide it. “I’m glad to see you two hanging out again.”

  “Hey, Mister T,” I said as I went to hug him. They were the sweetest people. And their name was Thompson so I called them Mr. and Mrs. T. He loved it because of the joke. They always let me crash here, especially right after my mom left and even though Beck was spoiled rotten, they were still really good to her and everyone else. “Long time, no see.”

  “Yeah.” He hugged me tightly and then released me to snag a piece of pizza. “They feed us like birds at those things. So, Maggie, what’ve you been up to? Haven’t seen you around much lately. We thought Rebecca had chased you off for good.”

  “Yeah,” Mrs. T chimed as she too lifted a piece of pizza from the box. “We missed you.”

  “No, she couldn’t chase me off. I haven’t been doing much, working mostly.”

  “And going out with a totally hot new guy,” Beck blurted.

  There was no point in trying to stop her. Her parents were as bad as she was.

  “Really?” he asked in a fake girly accent. “Do tell.”

  Mrs. T and I laughed but Beck did not.

  “Daddy, eww.” But she was over it quickly and threw her arm over my shoulder. “So, yes. Our little Maggie bagged herself a college boy.”

  “Really?” His brow furrowed in concern. As cool as they wanted to seem, they were still parents. “Now, Maggie. I’d be careful with this boy. Once guys leave high school, everything changes. I remember college, when I met the wife and I wasn’t exactly noble-”

  “Honey, no. Not appropriate,” Mrs. T insisted.

  “I’m careful. Don’t worry,” I assured them. “He’s really nice and has already met my dad.”

  “And how is your father?” he asked sincerely.

  “Much better.”

  “Ok, good. Well, we’ll let you girls get back to it.” He went to Beck to kiss her forehead and then they made his way out but stopped at the door. “Make sure you come back, Maggie. We miss you around here, definitely not loud enough.”

  I smiled.

  “Ok.”

  “Ok, so.” Beck went right back to scheming. “Stay with me tonight. You can wear something of mine.”

  “Can’t, have to work tomorrow.”

  “You don’t go in until later. Stay.”

  “I can’t.”

  I thought hard for an excuse but Caleb saved me.

  Tell her your dad is really strict lately, which isn’t a lie. I can also feel your fever, that you don’t feel too good. You ok?

  Yeah. Just tired. I’ll take some Tylenol for the fever. I’m ok.

  “Dad’s kinda gotten over his funk. He’s really been on my case lately.”

  “Really? Well, that’s good, I guess. Ok, well it’s ok. I’ll see you tomorrow night anyway right?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Come,” she commanded.

  I stayed for a couple more hours. We watched a ‘wanna-be’ scary movie in her mini-theater in her basement, about a girl who is stalked because she answered a phone call or something. It was strange but Beck was appropriately girly and screamed and gas
ped at all the right moments. I just wanted to laugh but Beck loved these girly scary-but-not-scary movies. It was no Poltergeist.

  After that it had started to get dark so Beck took me home. I told her I was excited about the next night, which was a lie. I was so not excited but I knew that she would love Caleb once she got to know him and wouldn’t think he was just some hot guy trying to steal my virtue and then skip back to college.

  I’m home.

  I sent him the message as I opened my front door. Dad was just then taking off his boots by the hall closet.

  See you soon.

  “Hey, dad. How was work?”

  “Good. Great actually. I got promoted.”

  “What? Awesome! What happened?”

  I came to stand by him and tried to ignore the boot odor.

  “Well, I saved a load of wood today from being destroyed by the new guy. He was an inch away from messing up the whole load and possibly cutting his arm off and I stopped him, right in front of the boss. So, I got promoted to general overseer because he said I had an eye for these things.” I smiled at him as he beamed. I hadn’t seen him so happy in a very long time. “So, I’m salary now and even get off an hour early every day.”

  “Dad. That’s so great.”

  “Thanks, kiddo. Did you eat?”

  “Yeah, Beck filled me with cheese pizza. You want me to fix you something?”

  “No, I’ll make a sandwich. I’m pretty beat so I’m gonna eat and go to bed I think. You ok?”

  “Yeah, I’m gonna go to bed too.”

  “Alright.” He stood and stretched his back, then yawned. “Well, goodnight.”

  “Night, dad.”

  I went straight to the shower. I didn’t bring any clothes with me, thought I’d have enough time to change before Caleb got there. So I wrapped the towel around me and went to my room…and found Caleb sitting on my bed. I felt his instant desire and longing engulf me so I grabbed some clothes, wordlessly from my dresser, and went into the closet to get dressed quickly.

  While at Kyle’s I’d learned a few things. Like Caleb being so completely in tune with me and feeling everything I felt. He was hurting right along with me with the offense marks removal and I never wanted to cause him pain again. Even if it was the uncomfortable kind from seeing me almost naked and his body responding, making him need me in ways that we weren’t ready for yet. Well, I wasn’t.

  When I came out he was still sitting there. I didn’t want to make things harder for him, seeing as how everything was so much more intense for him than me, which still didn’t seem possible but there it was. Right there in my head how conflicted he was and how much he wanted me how much his body told him to have me.

  I sat on the bed next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. I laced our fingers, letting our touch cure my aches.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey,” he answered. “You’re getting really good at reading me.”

  “Well, your mind was wide open.”

  “Yeah. If you had come over here with that towel on...” I laughed and snuggled closer. “You’re still warm, Maggie.” He placed a hand on my forehead, then my cheek. “Where’s the medicine cabinet?”

  “In my bathroom.” I yawned. “My dad’s room is downstairs so he shouldn’t be up here.”

  He nodded and peeked out the door before disappearing and reappearing a minute later.

  “Here, take these.” He handed me a couple pills with a glass of water. I took them and laid down on top of the covers. Wow, I hadn’t realized how bad I felt until right then. “Need anything else?”

  “Just you,” I said groggily and beckoned him to me. He laid down beside me to face me and played with my fingers on the pillow. I put my hand on his cheek, letting my fingers smooth over his dimple. “So, there’s this thing at the school tomorrow, a party for the graduated seniors. I hadn’t planned on going but Beck begged me so...but...”

  “But?”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “So don’t go.”

  “But I promised.”

  “So, go,” he said grinning.

  “Will you come with me?”

  “Of course I’m coming with you,” he said and scoffed.

  “We don’t have to go,” I reasoned.

  “Yeah, sure we do.” His smile was wry as he rubbed his chin. “You, uh, gonna be ok with introducing me to your friends?”

  “Hmm.” That was debatable. “We’ll find out.”

  “Ashamed of me already?” he joked.

  “No, of course not. I just don’t want to try to explain...how I just met you a few days ago and can’t stop looking at you with googly eyes.”

  He chuckled softly.

  “Googly eyes,” he echoed and nodded. “Ok. Sure, we can go if you feel better.” He cleared his throat. “You working tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, the tyrant is gonna sit in the back booth, ok?”

  “For eight hours?” I asked incredulously.

  “It doesn’t matter.” He sighed and sucked his lip in and out. “You’re in my mind right now. Can’t you see how it literally hurts me to even think about you in danger? Just letting you go to Beck’s was hard but your work is...” He shook his head. “When we went to the Watson compound we found out who the echoling was and what they had planned. Marcus and his uncle plan to kidnap you and take you somewhere locked up where it would take me a very long time to find you. We’d both be in agony in just a day or two. They want to take you from me so neither of us will ascend. You see why I’m freaking? They know where you live. They know where you work. They knew I was going to be with my father that night. It’s too risky and I’m sorry if you feel like I’m going overboard but I have to keep you safe. If you feel like you have to give notice before you quit, then that’s fine but I gotta be there with you. I’m sorry.”

  I sighed, knowing what he was saying is true. Marcus had told me that himself.

  “I know. Marcus told me once in a dream that’s what he wanted to do.”

  “He did? You didn’t tell me that.”

  “I forgot. It was always so stressful after I woke up. I understand, ok. I’ll tell Big John something. That I’m in trouble or something, he won’t care about you being there. But what are you gonna do sitting back there all day?”

  “I have a couple papers due and a book list to read before school starts. I’ll have plenty to do and I’ve been dreading it because none of it has to do with geometry,” he said and smirked.

  “Ok, if you’re sure. Now I feel bad,” I groaned. “I don’t want you to sit there bored all day because of me.”

  “It’s ok. Really. The only way I’m gonna get all this work done anyway is if you’re busy. Otherwise, I’ll just be distracted,” he said gruffly, and leaned forward to kiss my chin.

  “Oh, we wouldn’t want that,” I said with mock sincerity.

  “No, definitely not.”

  I giggled as he kissed me and wrestled me under him. He tickled my sides and kissed under my chin at the same time. It was torture. But when I reached my hand under his shirt to tickle his ribs I learned that boys can be more ticklish than girls. He jerked so quickly and laughed trying to squirm away but I held on and he retaliated with gusto.

  I’d forgotten about dad.

  I heard his footsteps up the stairs and thought quick. Caleb looked at me with worry, his mind racing to whether he should bolt out the window or jump in the closet.

  “Beck! Shut up! I can’t believe you!” I yelled playfully, pretending to be on the phone.

  Miraculously, I heard his footsteps stop and recede. We both sighed and chuckled softly in relief into each others shoulders. I was glad because my eyelids were fighting with me anyway.

  We called a truce and Caleb reached down and pulled the blanket over us from the foot of the bed. He then rolled me over to put my back to him as he wrapped his arms around me. I sighed at the warmth and comfort, I nestled my back and bottom in closer. He pulled my hair
behind me and to the side, then he placed a kiss on the back of my neck.

  “Sleep, Maggie. Feel better tomorrow.”

  “K,” I muttered as I did what I was told.

  “Wake up.” Someone shook me. “You gotta get up, baby. You’re going to be late.”

  “What?”

  I opened up my eyes to see Caleb looking concerned.

  “It’s after 10:00. You better get up. Or maybe you should stay home. You feel better?”

  He touched my forehead.

  “After 10:00? Jeez. I thought I set my alarm,” I groaned.

  “You did. I’ve been trying to get you up for fifteen minutes. You feeling ok?”

  “Yeah. I do.” And I did. Sleeping with him was the best medicine. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I always sleep well with you,” he said sweetly, pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head.

  “You’re right. I gotta get up.” I pulled from his grasp and was rewarded with a groan from him that made me turn to hide my smile. “I can’t believe your parents condone you sneaking into some girl’s window.”

  “You’re not some girl,” he corrected.

  “I know,” I smiled. “It’s just strange.”

  “Well, my mom doesn’t condone it at all. She’s conflicted about the whole thing. She understands why we have to do it but doesn’t like it. She thinks it all very scandalous.”

  I laughed and sat beside him on the bed.

  “Well, she’s kinda right.”

  “You don’t like me sneaking into your window all romantic like?” he asked and leaned close, his nose almost touching mine.

  “I do like it. But it would be better if we didn’t have to sneak, ya know?”

  “Yeah, I know.” He leaned back a little and pushed my hair behind my ear. “But it’s necessary. You’re not upset about it are you? I would never do something like this if it wasn’t about your safety. I’m not one of those guys.”

  “I know that and I know it’s only temporary. We’ll figure it all out soon.”

  He nodded.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine Caleb. I’m not upset. I promise.” I leaned the few inches between us and rubbed his nose with mine. “It’s very sweet, the things you do for me.”