by Shelly Crane
Thirty
I ran upstairs and pulled out my school track duffel bag. I didn’t own a suitcase because we never went anywhere. I stuffed as many dresses and skirts I could in it then a couple pairs of jeans and shirts then the essentials and I was done. By this time it was almost time for Caleb to be here and it amazed me how I still got butterflies thinking about him. I wondered if it’d ever go away. I hoped not.
I pulled and dragged my bag down the hall and stairs because it was too heavy and bulky, shouldering my purse at the same time, and heard laughter behind me. I looked down the stairs to see Caleb, Peter, dad and Bish all chuckling, watching me struggle. I placed my hands on my hips and gave my best glare but it didn’t stop the laughter. If anything it made it worse.
“I’ll get that,” Caleb said, swiftly scaling the steps and lifting the bag easily, smirking at me.
I thought with my new man arms I would be able to lift a duffel bag.
Caleb laughed in my mind.
You’re stronger than you were but you’re still not Wonder Woman.
Ha, ha.
“Ready?” he asked still smirking.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go then.”
We all piled in the cars and they went straight to the police station. I gave my brief statement as Peter explained that we we’re needing to catch a flight. They were perplexed as to how Caleb had found me but Peter can be very persuasive and smooth talking. We were out of there in ten minutes.
As I sat in the back with Caleb, I rubbed my wrist, mourning the loss of my bracelet, the only real thing I had to remember the only people who were there for me this year. Caleb reached over and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. When I looked up at him, he smiled sadly, feeling my pain. I just shrugged. What else could I do?
We had about forty minutes until our flight left by the time we made it to the airport drop-off, cutting it close. Peter spoke to me in my mind, advising me about the explosion of voices and information I’d get when we got to the airport.
Ok, Maggie, he started but didn’t look at me, just faced forward so Bish wouldn’t see him staring at me. Now, whenever you’re in a crowd just focus on yourself or Caleb. When you focus, you won’t let anything in but what you want to. It’s only when your mind is open or caught off guard that you’re overwhelmed. It’ll take a little practice but you’ll get the hang of it in no time. You’ll be ready for it before it happens. So, when we get there, just focus on someone before you step out of the car and you’ll be fine, ok?
I couldn’t nod or anything, because he wouldn’t see so I just took it that he knew I’d heard him.
We pulled up and I knew the person who was going to grab me first would be dad, so I focused on only reading him. When he opened the door, I winced waiting for the overload of voices but heard nothing but dad’s wary inner monologue as he hugged me to him. He looked at me closely and tested his theory.
Can you hear me?
I nodded slightly.
I want you to be careful. Be watching, don’t let your guard down and I want you to know that I’m...proud of you. You’re a beautiful woman now with a sweet heart, trying to keep your old man from worrying about you, but I’ll always be your dad and I’ll always worry. Comes with the territory, but, I like Caleb and his family is...something else. I like them too. You did good, kiddo. Now, listen. I know what you have to do but I want you two to sleep on the couch, ok? I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to share a bedroom, though I understand the need to sleep with him. Got it? I nodded again. I love you more than life and I want you to have a good time but not too good. Why don’t you think about college while you’re there…and be careful...and don’t do anything crazy…and call me everyday.
I had to suppress a laugh and nodded again and squeezed him.
“I love you, dad.”
“Love you too, baby girl.”
Then I hugged Peter, turning my focus to him, and he gave me a similar internal pep talk but with less gush. I thanked him for the advice and told him it was working well and he smiled. Then it was Bish’s turn.
“Be careful and don’t worry. They’ll find these guys,” he said and hugged me tightly. “Text me, ok?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t do anything stupid and give me a reason to have to kill your boyfriend.” I rolled my eyes and looked drolly at him. “Love ya, kid.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
Bish just smiled and cocked his head at Caleb in contest. Caleb laughed, nodded good naturedly and took his luggage and my bag as we made our way through the revolving doors of the airport entrance way. I looked back over my shoulder and saw them still watching us go. I waved and followed Caleb to the ticket counter. He handled everything for us.
We went to sit at our gate after going through security and he asked me if I was ok.
“Yeah. I just hope Bish goes back to New York and doesn’t cause trouble. I mean, I love him and miss him but he’s being way overprotective brother right now.”
“I can handle Bish if you’re worried about me.”
“Well, it’s not just you, though he seriously needs to stop that, I just don’t want him digging around finding something he shouldn’t. Your family has already taken a huge risk by telling my dad.”
“Was he like this with Chad?” he asked and put his arm along the back of my seat, not worrying about his family in the least.
I guess that should’ve given me comfort that he wasn’t worried about it.
“Um. Not really. He jokingly bashed him in the beginning, ya know, ‘I’ll kick your butt if you hurt my sis’, but he was never hostile like he is now. Maybe it’s because I’m older. It can’t be because of you, you’re so... charming.”
“Charming,” he mused and chuckled. “Ok. From a brother’s point of view we have this. You’re dating a guy you never told him about, you mysteriously are kidnapped and returned and then take off to a picnic with that guy’s family like nothing happened. Then, you jump on a plane, alone, with before mentioned guy while your dad acts like this is totally normal right after a semi-breakdown. If you were my sister and everyone was acting this way, I’d think everyone was nuts and go berserk on someone. Personally, I think he’s taking it pretty well.”
I just looked at him. He was so funny and cute.
“Ok. So. You don’t think we should worry about it. If he finds out, he finds out?”
“Yep, it’s gonna be pretty hard to hide this kinda thing from him for the rest of our lives. It’s probably best if he finds out sooner than later.”
“But I thought it was so secret.”
“It is,” he looked over and down at me, “but your happiness is more important than a secret. I learned that when we told your dad. You were so happy to be able to tell him, to not have to lie anymore.”
“Yeah, but I understand your side too. I don’t think Bish would run to USA Today or anything but, he may not be so accepting.”
“We’ll deal with that later. Right now-” He pulled me to him to kiss my temple “-you’re safety is more important than anything else.”
I nodded and laid my head to his shoulder.
“And yours. And our families. Everything will work out.”
“Right.” I ran my finger over his wrist, over his tattoo. “So, how come we don’t have to release each other anymore?”
“I’m not sure. That part doesn’t last forever so maybe it was just our time to know that we’d always come back to each other.”
I smiled up at him.
“That was a very good answer,” I whispered.
He smirked at me and kissed the end of my nose.
“I’ll get us some drinks. You’re thirsty,” he announced.
“A diet-”
“Diet cream soda if they have it,” he laughed and tapped my forehead. “I know, remember?”
“Kinda takes the fun out of it,” I grumbled and he laughed as he walked across the way to the food court.
He k
ept looking back to me, watching me as he stood in line. I heard people all around me as I looked at an older man, a grandpa I assumed, as he played tic-tac-toe on a cocktail napkin with a little girl. He saw me watching and smiled, shrugging.
“A three hour layover with a four year old. What are ya gonna do?” he said and shrugged again.
I laughed and nodded. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and gasped as I jerked up from my chair to spin expecting Sikes or worse, Marcus. It was Chad. Of all the luck.
“Whoa, Mags. Chill,” he said in surrender. Then his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Wow. You look...” He licked his lips. “Great. Wow.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked tersely.
“I’m leaving today, for Florida. I thought you were kidnapped or something.” He crossed his arms. “I’ve been going out of my mind. What are you doing here?”
I glanced over and saw that Caleb was watching us with a frown but stayed in line.
You ok?
Yeah. He just scared me. I’m fine. Hurry back, please.
He grinned.
I can’t refuse a request like that.
“Maggie?” Chad said and waved in front of me. “I said, what are you doing here?”
“I’m leaving too.”
“What happened? Everyone thought you’d been kidnapped?”
“I was,” I answered and his eyes went wide. “I’m fine now. It was a...it’s over now.”
“Where are you going?”
“California, for a while.”
“Huh. You going to see your mom, after what happened?”
“No, just going away for a while. Caleb’s uncle has a vacation house there.”
“Caleb.” His adjusted the backpack on his shoulder roughly and sighed. “I should’ve known. Does your dad know your leaving? I wouldn’t think he’d be ok with you taking off with some guy.”
“He drove us here, actually,” I said casually. “Yes, he’s fine with Caleb.”
“When are you coming back?”
“You’re leaving, why does it matter?”
“I’m coming back in a couple weeks to finish packing and all.” He stepped closer to me, like it would keep our conversation more private. “I figured we could get together when I come back. Talk.”
“About what? Chad-”
“Just hear me out, ok? I know I messed up at your house the other night. I was being stupid but I’m in new territory with you. It’s important to me that we try to work it out. I miss you, so much, Maggie.” He reached out for my hand and I pulled it back to rub my neck before he could reach it.
His mind was clean and airy, not mucked up with deceit or meanness. His thoughts said he was being truthful. He wasn’t just jealous, he really did miss me. In fact, the only reason he broke up with me last summer was because his father pressured him to. He told him it would be easier on me that way and he’d never be able to focus or make it in college if he dragged me along. Chad was torn between making his parents happy and me. He thought we’d just be friends and I’d wait for him until he was settled into college and then he’d come and make things right with me. He thought that would make everyone happy. He had no idea I’d take the breakup so hard and stop talking to him all together and regretted it immediately. He wanted to take it back but couldn’t tell me what he’d done and why. He was ashamed and now was scared for me. I was making a mistake with this guy because I was angry. He missed me, he still loved me and wanted me. I was his biggest regret and he was miserable.
I felt like I’d been kicked in the gut.
“Maggie,” he rubbed his face. “I don’t know what to do, here. I love you and I don’t want to see you hurt. I wish I could just get you to see how sorry I am and how much I want to make it up to you.”
“Chad. I’m sorry that things happened the way they did. I’m sure you got pressure, about college and all. You had no idea what was going on in my life. I should have told you about my mom. We weren’t as close as we should have been, like real couples are. I’d always known you. You were always there and I was comfortable. I didn’t want to take it any further with you but for some reason, I thought we’d always be together. I’m sorry, but it’s too late. It’s not just about Caleb, I was just never who I am now, with you. I’m who I was always supposed to be.” I shrugged and heard them call his gate number over the loud speaker. “You’re gonna be so great in Florida. I know your dad is proud of you.”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “He is. I don’t think it was worth it.”
“It was. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.” He nodded his head over my shoulder. “Caleb.”
“Chad,” Caleb said not unkindly and handed me my drink. “Small world.”
“Yeah. Well I’m off. See ya around, Maggie.”
He was yelling in his mind. He so didn’t want to leave and it hurt me to see him like that. He just wanted one more shot. So bad.
“Bye.”
He started to turn but stopped.
“Call me...or something. Let me know how you’re doing. That you’re alright. Ok?”
“Sure.” I smiled and relented. I went to hug him briefly. He squeezed me so tight, I could feel his breath in my hair and his hands pressed against my back. I noticed Caleb had blocked his thoughts from me. I couldn’t even feel his emotions. I thought that couldn’t be good. Chad held on for a long time before I finally said something to end it. “Have a good flight, ok?”
“Yeah,” Chad pulled back and glanced between Caleb and I. “You too. See ya.”
“Bye.”
Once he was gone I turned and expected to see an upset face on Caleb but he surprised me. He looked amused.
“You’re so sweet.” He kissed my cheek and then sat down. “How’s your drink? They didn’t have cream soda so I got you-”
“Wait.” I sat next to him and looked at him, perplexed. “You’re not mad?”
“No. Why would I be?”
Well, I just hugged my ex-boyfriend right in front of you for one.
“You forget.” He put his drink down on the floor and turned back to my guilty face, and placed his hand on my knee. “I can see straight into your mind. You can’t hide anything from me anymore. Neither can I, unless we’re trying to. I saw that you were upset by how he still feels about you. That you hate how it all happened but you don’t regret it. You didn’t have lingering feelings for him, you just felt sorry for him and didn’t want to hurt him. There’s nothing wrong with that. Now,” he screwed his lips up, “I admit, it’s not fun to watch my girl with her arms around another guy, but I saw in your mind, this was goodbye with him. You never got the goodbye, the ‘closure’ I told you that you needed. Well, now you do.”
“You’re pretty amazing,” I said softly.
“Hey, that’s my line,” he said grinning.
“I’m serious. Any other guy would be upset.”
“Any other guy,” he leaned close, “wouldn’t be in their girlfriend’s head.” He kissed me. “I have an advantage other guys don’t. Plus, the whole soul mate thing,” he said flippantly and waved his hand like it didn’t matter.
“Yeah, just that.” I grinned at him. “So, you never told me what your ability was.”
“Well,” he dragged out and looked at me a bit oddly.
I felt his amusement drain away, replaced with humiliation and unease that threaded through me and I felt like an idiot for not getting it sooner. He had been hiding it from me. He hadn’t received his ability yet, which was unheard of.
“Ah, Caleb.” I put my hand on his knee. “I’m sorry. I was so involved in my own drama I didn’t even care about yours. What does it mean? Maybe you just haven’t figured out what it is yet?”
“We always can sense our ability,” he explained. “Like you knew you could reach out to people to go into their minds even when they weren’t thinking something specific. You just know and I just...don’t.”
“What does it mean?” I asked again softly.
; “It’s one more thing dad’s looking into. No one else knows but him. It’s never happened before. He’s freaking out a little bit.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he crooned and put his hand on mine on his knee. “I’m not happy about it, but I’m happier that you have an awesome ability. Maybe you’ve got enough power for us both. I can practically read minds myself since I can read everything that comes through yours. Like with Chad just now, I saw everything you saw in his mind, through you. I saw it all just like it was my own thoughts. I felt them, through you.”
I nodded but didn’t like it. He was the Ace, I was some imposter. He’d waited his whole life for this, to ascend and get his ability and now I took it and he got nothing. I felt wretched.
“Don’t.” He pulled me under his arm. “I’m fine. Really. I mean...I’m not fine but I’ll worry about that later. One thing at a time, remember? Oh, and here’s your new cell.” He pulled a black square object with a touch screen out of his pocket. “It’s the same number as before, I just added you to my plan and I went ahead and programmed the numbers I knew you needed to be in there. You can do the rest later.”
“This is the new IPhone. I had a cheap Motorola.”
“I know but, you can check your email and use the internet on this too while we’re gone, keep in touch with your father better. See.” He showed me how to go to the web and smirked in smugness as I looked on in awe.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I protested softly. “I don’t want you spending so much money-.”
“Flight #197 to San Diego Airport, first class only is now boarding at gate #3B,” the loud speaker announced.
“That’s us,” Caleb said and jumped up.
“She said first class, Caleb.”
“Yep.”
“We’re riding first class?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah. It’s a long flight. We’re gonna sleep most of the way, I wanted you to be comfortable.”
I stood and looked at the men in business suits with their rolling luggage heading to the too peppy attendant who checked their tickets and wished them a happy flight and wondered if I was ever going to get used to the idea that Caleb had loose pockets when it came to spending. He was the kind of guy that didn’t worry about money at all and I always had been responsible and cautious with mine. He was going to try to spoil me, I could see it now.
