A Penny's Worth (The Cephas Bourdon Series)

by A. M. Hooper

  Chase raised his eyebrows in question, challenging Cephas to agree. Cephas raised his brows in skepticism, though no fear shown on his chiseled face. It was soon agreed that the two basketball players would have to do a front flip over the fire. ‘It’s like doin’ a front flip up to the hoop,’ Chase had reasoned. Though I protested out of social necessity, I was secretly interested to see which of the two would be the victor. The benches were cleared away and the entire group made a large circle around the high bonfire. Chase determined that he would go first, just to make sure the flip was safe. That was Chase—always so chivalrous. Tonight, though, I found his chivalry annoying, perhaps because his chivalry was not that at all, but, rather, another way to show off his talent. I tried to hide my scowl of annoyance.

  Chase stepped up to the line and bent his knees. When the sign was given, he ran towards the fire and sprang upward. His heels flew over his head, forming his body into a tight ball. In an instant, a pair of worn basketball shoes landed solidly on the ground. The small crowd erupted into cheers, some patting the basketball star on the back, high fives greeting his expectant hands. A smug smile spread across his flush face. I wondered at the suddenly awkward feeling running through my veins. I often saw Chase relish in his glory—the cheerleaders congratulating him unceasingly, the loyal fans cheering his name in unison. He seldom acknowledged me, except when he found my face and pointed at me with a smile. I always felt proud in that moment, and I knew it would come. Without fail, Chase would make this simple gesture. I knew I ought to feel a sense of belonging, but I didn’t. I just didn’t. I felt nothing with Chase, except maybe annoyance at his controlling attitude. I wanted to feel something, even if only jealousy at the gawking cheerleaders. But I only felt longing for something I wasn‘t feeling. I didn’t even know what I wanted to feel. Just something.

  A pair of eyes sought mine, so I looked up and met, once more, the eyes of Cephas Bourdon. He seemed to stare straight into my soul. As unnerving as that was, I felt inclined to tell him everything I was thinking, even though he seemed to read my mind all on his own. He broke our gaze, then looked toward Chase as he marched to the line. All was silent as he prepared to jump. When he did jump, however, not only did he clear the fire, but he completed and landed a double front flip over the tallest flame. Cheers erupted from all who witnessed the amazing feat. The people around Cephas congratulated him as if he were Chase himself. Cephas stood from where he landed and looked toward where I sat on the bench. The left corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile again, and his eyes cast downward.

  “Oh, ya gotta show off, do ya?” Chase complained from the other side of the fire. “Well fine, then. Rematch. Only this time . . . we have to do a back flip.” I sighed in exasperation.

  The whistling song of the tree carried on the wind, traveling from miles to whisper in the ears of the young girl wandering through the darkening forest. The lavender skies were turning a deep mauve, some areas fading to a rich, navy blue. Two crickets chirped to one another—a conversation meant only for each other yet heard by all. An owl called through the silent night, begging for a noise to break the loud quiet that defined the night air. My Converse tennis shoes brushed fallen leaves as I made my way over a large tree root and under a low tree branch. I found myself atop a flat rock, perfect for sitting. From that position, I could view the goings-on at the campfire. The small group was cheering as Chase strutted around, gloating in his victory. I seated myself on the friendly rock and pulled my knees up to my chin.

  “You here alone?” a low voice asked from behind. My throat caught and I turned carefully around.

  “Oh, it’s just you,” I answered, relieved at first, then my heart began to beat faster. Cephas took a few casual steps toward me as he spoke, leaving his hands in his pockets.

  “So why aren’t you over there, enjoying the fun?” he asked, taking a couple more steps toward me.

  “Why aren’t you?” I replied defiantly.

  “I lost, remember? That’s why your boyfriend’s gloating.” He gestured toward the campfire. A slight smile crept across his fac. At no point did he seem put out by his loss, or argue that chase had cheated.

  “Yeah—just couldn’t manage to land the flip, eh?” I asked in sarcastic disbelief. The scene flashed through my mind. Chase had challenged him to a rematch, and Cephas had lost—on purpose. I was sure of it.

  “I guess I’m just better at front flips than back flips,” he replied, the left corner of his mouth twitching upward. Cephas took another step toward me. I could hear him breathing now. He didn’t look away as before, but stared straight into my green eyes. I found myself staring straight back. His face was much closer to mine than it had been, and I felt his overwhelming presence like the glowing fire—encompassed with warmth, but not in the suffocating kind of way. My questioning eyes narrowed as I stood from my perch on the rock. I was now face to face with Cephas. I could feel my own breathing increase with his close proximity. His face was ever so close to mine now, and I looked instinctively at his mouth . . . and I instantly regretted looking. There it was again: that overpowering feeling that made my breath catch and my heart stop. My imagination had run too far, creating the fantasy that I had met such an extraordinary man as to win me over, body and soul. I was about to scowl at my romantic ideas when Cephas’ head lifted slightly upward toward my mouth. I felt his breath on my face before he turned abruptly and moved to sit on my rock.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing towards the large rock.

  “Ah, it’s fine,” I stammered as I plopped down on my familiar seat. I inhaled deeply and exhaled dramatically, angry at my whimsical behavior. Cephas sat down and pulled his right leg up, resting one arm carelessly on his knee.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, looking directly at me. His voice was warm and sent tingles up my skin. I rubbed my arms to make the bumps go away.

  “Hmmm?” I responded, drawing my attention back to the present. “Oh, nothing.” I sounded exasperated, even to myself.

  “Should I leave?” He stood a little ways.

  “Oh, no. No, you’re fine,” I assured him. “Stay as long as you please. I’m not very good company, though,” I warned. My gaze drifted towards the group around the fire. Chase was still gallivanting around the fire, prancing to the high school fight song sung by his loyal fans. See—the go weak at the knees feeling was gone—as long as I focused on my vain boyfriend.

  “Do you come here often?” Cephas encouraged. I looked over at Cephas and a smile crept across my face.

  “Well, it’s very nice back here.”

  “Yes—rocks are usually my choice of seating.” Cephas looked interestedly at me. “You really don’t want to be out there, huh?” He pointed to the group of people in disbelief. “I mean, you’re dating the basketball star, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I replied, somewhat annoyed. Great—another person who thinks he knows me.

  “Okay, my mistake.” Cephas put his hands up in surrender. “Did on of your parents go to Princeton?”

  I sat confused for a moment, then remembered my tattered sweatshirt. “Oh, haha. Yeah, my mom.” I chuckled. “She graduated with a master’s degree in journalism.”

  “Journalism, huh?” he encouraged again at my lack of embellishment. My eyes narrowed as I looked over in skepticism. Why did he want me to keep talking? No guy could really be that interested.

  “Why do you want to know about my mom?” I asked, forcing him to show real interest in the conversation if he was, in fact, interested.

  “Hey, you seem a little stressed. The least I can do is distract you.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. I felt light and airy again at his insinuation. In an attempt to gather my wits, I thought a moment before responding.

  “Do you really want me to expound? It could bore you tremendously.”

  “Oh, I love to be bored; it’s my favorite pastime,” he smirked. “It’s got to be better than that bonfire over there, anyway.” He looked in a jovial mo
od now, his smile reaching up into his aqua colored eyes. I narrowed my brows and smiled, unsure of how to proceed.

  “So what did your mom do?” he asked.

  “She was a reporter—wait—” I eyed him suspiciously. “You said ‘did’.”

  “So,” he replied, seemingly quite confused.

  “Well, you said what ‘did’ your mom do, not what ‘does’ your mom do.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “My mom is dead.” The words sounded very rigid, and it surprised me, which surprise apparently crossed my face, because Cephas looked at the ground.

  “I—I’m sorry, Em—I didn’t know—just a slip up of words.” I looked across the woods, trying to see into the dark entrance to the trees. Why did I have to bring up something like that to somebody I didn’t even know? My mom had died a long time ago—two years should have been plenty of time to get over something like that. It was an accident anyway. I glanced at Cephas out of the corner of my eye. He was looking over at the bonfire. Great. I was already boring him. I wondered how long I had been thinking in silence.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll stop boring you now.” I stood to leave.

  “No, don’t.” Cephas stood abruptly and grabbed my wrist. We both looked down at our clasped hands.

  “I’m not bored.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” I asked, nearly in a whisper. My chest heaved up and down at the feel of his skin against mine. I was suddenly very aware of the closeness of our bodies. Why did my body tremble when he was so near? I didn’t even know this guy!

  “Right now, you have my undivided attention. I’m sorry I upset you,” he whispered. His voice sounded sincere. I could feel quick breath on my face. He took a step closer to me, but I instinctively stepped backward. Some branches and leaves crunched beneath a pair of fast—approaching feet and I tore my hand away, but not before I saw Cephas’ eyes cloud with something akin to disappointment. No—I must have misread his expression. I looked nervously toward the branch I had ducked under earlier. Chase appeared in the opening in the trees.

  “What’s going on here?” Chase asked accusingly. I walked quickly over to my boyfriend, whose anger level seemed to rise instantly.

  “Nothing, Chase. Cephas was just wandering around and got here right before you.” I looked up into Chase’s face and dared him to question me. He nodded easily and looked toward Cephas.

  “Come on, man. Sorry I freaked. No biggy. I think they’re about to roast marshmallows over there.” Chase beckoned to Cephas, pulling me along by the hand. I followed obediently and Cephas walked cautiously behind us. His heavy breathing was still audible, though it was beginning to slow. We emerged from the trees and Cephas instantly diverged over toward the group by the fire.

  “You don’t ever wander off into the forest by yourself, ya hear?” Chase chastised me, his hand roughly gripping my face. He released me and turned towards the fire, a scowl morphing automatically into a smile as a team mate threw him a football. He jogged towards his friends and I rolled my eyes as I looked around for Marian.

  “Hey, girl! Where you been?” Marian’s buoyant face appeared a few feet away. “C’mon. Let’s go make some s’mores.

  Chapter 3

  Music blared out the open window from the upstairs room. An upbeat tune sounded through the entire house. Standing in front of a full length mirror in my room, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I danced, or rather, twirled, across the room to my dresser where I grabbed a pair of shorts and a fitted shirt. Hurrying for the honking horn downstairs, I slipped the clothes over my swim suit and grabbed a pair of sandals. I raced down the front steps and waved to my dad.

  “I forgot to turn off my music, Daddy!” I shouted from the door, as if he couldn’t hear it blaring after me. A smile spread across my face to greet Chase while I pulled myself up into the large pickup.

  “Hey, baby,” he smiled back.

  “These step bars are really helpful,” I commented happily. Even at my height of five foot eight, I had a hard time lifting myself up into the high truck. The black paint gleamed in the sun as we spun out of the driveway and moved quickly on the freshly paved road. We pulled onto the highway. Flathead Lake was only a two minute drive from my house.

  “So are you excited for the game next week?” I asked, pulling down the mirror to check my makeup.

  “Yeah, it should be a good one. The Bulldog’s Center is no match for me,” Chase replied. His right hand rested on the top of the steering wheel, the other hanging out the window. He beat his hand on the outside of the truck to the music that blared from the radio.

  “What about the guard, though? Isn't he pretty good?” I asked, flipping the visor back into place.

  “Yeah, but now we've got Cephas. He'll take down anyone.” A smile crossed his face, glorying in the fact that he had picked Cephas. Cephas must be really good. Maybe he came to play for the team because his home team was no good, and he wanted to make it big in basketball. Regardless, he didn't seem preoccupied with typical high school activities. He obviously attended them, though. I wondered briefly if he would be at the lake.

  Chase turned up the volume knob, so I looked out the window. We passed by multiple cherry orchards, though they weren't yet in bloom. Hundreds of five foot trees lined the yards bordering the lake. April was so nice around here; the light breeze cooled the warmer days, and the hot sun warmed the cooler days. They hadn't yet raised the lake, so we would have to drive a little ways to get down to the water, but I didn't mind—now we would have a more private expedition away from tourists. Our speed decreased as Chase eased the truck onto a small dirt road. The dust flew into the window and I coughed to keep the dust out of my lungs. We stopped a few feet from the lake. I looked out my rolled down window and saw a small group of people gathering on the dock. The group waved toward the truck and shouted hellos. I looked for Cephas but couldn’t see him. Forcing my vision away from the dock, I tried to convince my eyes not to search for him. I had a boyfriend. I shouldn’t be looking, or hoping, no less, for another guy.

  “Hurry up, Hoop!” Brandon shouted from the dock. He was untying the canoe and shoving it into the water, following after Marian’s giggling allure. Chase jumped out of the truck and jogged over to the dock. I slid out of the truck, flinging my flip flops onto the ground beneath me. With the slam of the truck door, I adjusted my shorts, picked up my sandals, and began walking towards the dock. Still no Cephas. The group of young people began boarding the canoes with jovial laughter and conversation.

  “Hey, Chase!” I hollered toward the dock. The tall, muscular figure turned around. His unbuttoned shirt flapped in the breeze, revealing a very defined torso. Nothing. My heart didn’t jump and my breath didn’t catch. Maybe that was just something you felt when you first met someone. My knees hadn’t ever gone weak for Chase, though. Maybe I was just being irrational.

  “I’m gonna wait for whoever else might be coming. Just leave a canoe here, will ya?”

  “Good idea, Emma. Meet us up by the island!” Chase shouted over his shoulder with a wave of his hand. He jumped in the boat and the party began paddling away. Their loud voices slowly faded as the boats moved farther and farther out on the vast lake.

  The water sparkled in the sun and its light caught in my eyes. I blinked to clear the blinding aura as I watched a small, shining circle of light travel to the left each time my eyelids shut. A few large trees shielded the dock from the public. I walked to the shore and skimmed my bare feet through the water. A small waterfall flowed beside the private dock, hidden back in the lush green trees and shrubbery. Cold spring water flowed over moss covered rocks into the warm lake, forming a whirling warm pool with shots of cool refreshment. A large tree trunk framed one side of the small opening. I leaned carefully against the woody wall and put my hands into my pockets, looking out over the lake’s massive amounts of still water. Gentle waves crashed against the shoreline while water trickled over the rocks beside me. The still breeze that rustled my
hair broke at the sound of footsteps moving quickly, but lightly, along the gravel. I turned toward the noise and saw Cephas walking around the corner. He stopped in surprise.

  “I thought maybe I missed everybody,” he said, tripping over his words.

  “Nah, I waited for the latecomers. There’s always a few,” I smiled. I remained leaning against the tree in an attempt to shield my sudden agitation. Blood rushed through my stomach as his eyes travel along my body and down my bare legs. His eyes snapped up and captured my gaze. I tugged at the bottom of my shorts, suddenly aware of how short they were.

  “So are you waiting for anybody else?” Cephas mused, taking a seat on the dock, his legs dangling over the water. I noticed he was again wearing new basketball shoes . . . to go canoeing.

  “Well, I don’t really think anyone else is coming, but we could . . . er . . . I . . . could wait another fifteen minutes.” Cephas looked up at me with a mischievous smile.

  “Do you mind if I wait with you?” he joked. I laughed nervously in response. We sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the light on the crystal clear water.

  “So. Your mom went to Princeton—isn’t that where we left off?” Cephas asked. He always seemed to be smiling. I eyed him cautiously.

  “Yeah, I guess it is.” I responded.

  “So are you going to Princeton?” he asked curiously.

  “Well, you have to be really smart to get accepted, but . . .”

  “But . . .you are really smart . . .” the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile again.

  “Well . . .but . . .how would you know that?” I stammered. I had only known this guy a couple of days; how did he know so much about me already?

  “I can just tell,” he replied coolly. He was lying. And why was he wearing new basketball shoes? I tilted my head without thinking, pondering on the inconsistencies I often seemed to find in our conversations.

  “Ok,” he admitted. “I saw one of your test scores when I was checking into the office yesterday at school.” I think I looked shocked, because he laughed a little.