Another silence, only this one is infinitely more painful and then Wilder unloads on me in a full out rant. “You gotta be kidding me! Do you really believe that propaganda? It’s total garbage! Agrisin, doesn’t give a crap about starving children!”
I hear Mrs. Armstrong say Wilder’s name in a tone that implies a definite warning. I am assuming it is because of his language, or maybe his volume. But he just keeps going as if he didn’t hear her.
“The only thing Agrisin, cares about is a global agricultural monopoly. They don’t care about the environment and they sure don’t care about starving children!”
I stare at Wilder open mouthed and stupefied. I look around the table and see Jackson with his forehead in his hand and his parents looking chagrined. “Wow… those are some very strong political opinions and big words for a kid. What are you…like ten?” Wilder rolls his eyes, and looks at me, as if to say, you’re an even bigger dummy than I thought.
“I’m eleven.”
“Sorry” I mutter then glance at his family, with a silent plea for help. Mr. Armstrong gives me, then Wilder a thoughtful look. “Well, Haven, before Wilder’s outburst how would you say, you felt about Agrisin, and the pending legislation involving the super seeds?”
I blink twice, still in shock then, look back and forth between Wilder and Mr. Armstrong
“I…didn’t really have any strong feelings about it. I mean, I have seen the Agrisin commercials, and I have seen clips of angry protesters on the news feed. But honestly, it seems like there is always some new technology, and always protests over it. I don’t really see the point in getting all worked up about it.”
“And how do you feel about it now?”
I think about his question seriously for a moment.
“Truthfully, I find it hard to believe that Agrisin is that evil, or that government would be in cahoots with them if they were. While Wilder is certainly…passionate about his beliefs nothing he said was logical or fact based. I think if Agrisin, can prove the safety of its super seeds to the government then they should have a chance to try and feed the world.”
Mr. Armstrong gives me a nod then looks at Wilder. “That Wilder is a very valuable lesson for you. Going off on a mad rant did not win Haven over to your way of thinking. In fact, it pushed her closer to the other side. If you had calmly and rationally stated why you oppose the super seeds, you might at least have given her something to think about. And if, instead of being condescending and rude, you had been even slightly charming, you might have won her over completely.”
Wilder gives a snort of derision. “It’s Jackson’s job to charm her not mine.”
I look to Jackson and his head is tilted to the ceiling like he is in prayer, and hey maybe he is.
He brings his head down and looks at me with those dark chocolate eyes. “Sorry, my brother is in fact, the most opinionated and obnoxious kid on the planet.”
“It’s okay, and don’t worry you’re under no obligation to charm me.”
He grins at me, and when his parents get involved in their own conversation he leans in and speaks low. “Finish up so we can go for a walk in the back garden before the rain starts back up.”
I look down and see that his plate is nearly empty. I clean my plate as quickly as possible. Then, Jackson asks his parents if we can go for a walk before dessert. “That’s fine” Mrs. Armstrong’s warm voice floats across the table. “But don’t be too long, its Chocolate bread pudding tonight and you know how hard it is to keep your dad from eating it all. Mr. Armstrong turns to Wilder and waggles his eyebrows like a cartoon villain. Wilder smiles and nods back, as if to say the great dessert heist is set and he is ready. As we leave the dining room, I hear Mrs. Armstrong chastising them about how they will not take more than their fair share.
“Wow, so, the chocolate bread pudding must be pretty good.”
Jackson looks taken aback. “You can’t be serious! You’ve never had it at the café?”
I shrug “Bread pudding has never been one of my favorites.”
He looks at me with a cross between sympathy and complete astonishment. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and gives it a little squeeze. “Okay, so, when you try it tonight, I don’t want you to be too hard on yourself. I mean, you have missed out on the best dessert on the planet for as long as the café has been open. But I guess you couldn’t have known that, and from here on out I predict you will be a complete devotee.”
I laugh aloud at his utter ridiculousness. “So, what is so great about this bread pudding?”
“In house chocolate croissants, white chocolate chips and Amaretto sauce…do I need to say more.
“Not unless you want me to get a cavity.”
We both laugh and I can’t get over how different he is at home than he is at school. He is super popular, and he is always surrounded by friends, but he has always seemed a little stand offish or guarded. Right now, in this moment, he seems so comfortable, like an open book. Which is great, because I really want to know whatever it is that his parents wouldn’t tell me at the dinner table.
“Okay, since we don’t have long before its time to go eat the world’s best dessert…spill it. Why does Mr. Daxter have such a problem with my parents? His eyes round and he gives me slightly startled look. I can see him deciding what he should tell me and then his face becomes resolute.
“I’m gonna tell you because I think you have a right to know. I don’t really understand why your parents haven’t told you any of it. Besides, I know eventually you are gonna be one of us. My mom doesn’t see it yet, but she says you have a good energy about you.”
I try to hold my expression together, even though my brain is screaming what the heck. Be one of them? What doesn’t his mom see? I bite my tongue not to interrupt with all my new questions because what I really need to know is about my parents. But holy flux what is all that nonsense about? He must think I know what he’s talking about because he said it like it was just a rational part of conversation. A panicked thought enters my brain. What if they are all part of one of those religious suicide cults!
“Haven, are you okay? You have a strange look on your face.”
Clearly, I did not achieve reigning in my expression, as I had hoped.
“Yes, I’m fine, just very curious about my parents and Mr. Daxter.”
He nods but looks a little unconvinced as he continues. “Well, it all started years ago when the government was trying to pass the religious acts into law. Mr. Daxter was an up in coming politician, well on his way to becoming a regional counselor. Obviously, he was a big proponent of getting the laws passed. So, he was given a government position to drum up support and persuade people that the laws were necessary. Several states were proving very difficult to convince.”
“Wait, wait, wait, sorry to interrupt, but did you just say Mr. Daxter was a politician and not a teacher?”
“Yes, Mr. Daxter became a teacher after his political career took a nosedive. Anyway, Louisiana, having maintained a relatively strong religious base was proving one of the hardest nuts to crack. Many of the wealthier churches banded together and, along with their prominent members, fought to stop the religious laws from being passed. It just so happens that your dad was the head of the central Louisiana churches’ legal advisory board. He created a lot of legal problems for Mr. Daxter and the government. He won some small concessions here and there within the religious acts. But, in the end the government was just too powerful for the people to overcome. After decades of the Constitution being diluted, there just wasn’t enough legal ground to save freedom of religion. That being said, your dad and the churches did manage raise awareness and cause discord that spread beyond just Louisiana. They showed a lot of people, exactly what the government is; a business willing to manipulate and control people for its own gain. They also made Mr. Daxter, look completely incompetent. After it was all said and done, the new laws were passed, but the supreme council, deemed Mr. Daxter, ineffective and suggested he find
other employment within the government network. So, that’s how Mr. Daxter ended up as our chemistry teacher. I personally think he choose to stay in Elizabeth just so he could be your teacher and torture you.
I laugh “You’re joking, right?”
He turns his palms up and shrugs “Only partly, he definitely doesn’t like you.”
“But why hate just me? I’m sure your parents were involved in the movement to stop the laws.”
“If it is of any comfort; he definitely doesn’t like me either. He’s just not as blatant about it. And, yes, my parents were involved, but their role was mostly financial. They were not figure heads like yours. Not to mention, I try to keep a low profile at school. I definitely don’t admit to praying in the middle of class.”
I let out a sigh that borders a growl. “It was one of my more stupid moments. But I don’t get it, how do you know all this stuff?”
“What I don’t get, is how come you don’t know it! I mean, I know we were younger at the time. But it was happening all around you.”
I thought back to when it would have all been taking place. A flash of a battered little face enters into my mind. “Fin” his name comes out with the quiet exhalation of the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Jackson raises his eyebrows but doesn’t question me. That’s why I didn’t notice the entire nations, drama because my own tiny little world had collapsed when I lost Fin. Even after I found Kirra, I still missed him, and the hurt was still there. I stayed away like he asked and even, knowing what I now know, I can’t say what I would have done. If I had told his secret, would it have made his life any better or would the state have just sent him away, maybe to someplace even worse. I remember being so confused about Fin when I was a little girl, like I only had this tiny piece of a very big puzzle. That’s exactly how I feel right now, and not just about what happened with Fin today. This day is throwing me; Jackson, Fin, my parents having secrets, and even Jackson’s overly intense little brother Wilder. I am feeling completely at odds with reality. Suddenly Jackson’s lips are on mine and I can’t grasp a coherent thought to save my life. His hands are on my shoulders and his lips are gentle against mine, and then they are gone. His hands are still on my shoulders as I look up to find him smiling down at me. And then the dumbest thing I’ve ever said flies out of my mouth on a shaky exhalation. “What did you do that for?”
His smile broadens. “Well… you looked so sad and lost… I thought it might clear your head.
It did not clear my head! In fact, I think it made it worse. Now, on top of total confusion my lips are buzzing, my heart is pounding out of my chest and I feel certain that I am starting to sweat. All in all, it has to be one of the best moments of my life, so I grin back at him.
“For the sake of complete, honesty, you look really pretty tonight, and I’ve wanted to kiss you since you walked in the front door.”
I can feel my cheeks burn with a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. I’m sure he can see it even in the shadows of the softly lit garden path. I decide to redirect his attention to the topic at hand.
“I guess I was just living in my own little bubble when the religious acts were making their way through the government. I am not really interested in politics now, so I’m pretty sure I had zero interest as a twelve-year-old. But my parents had to have purposefully kept quiet in front of me. Why would they do that?”
“You were only twelve. I bet they were just trying to protect you from the ugly truth of what was happening in our country.”
“Yeah, but why haven’t they said anything since then? They know how much trouble I have had with Mr. Daxter. They could have at the very least warned me. “By the way, Haven, your chemistry teacher is psychotic, and he hates our entire family.”
Jackson blows out deep breath and shoves his hands in his pockets. “My guess is they didn’t want to tell you too much about the conflict until you were certain of your beliefs. They are probably afraid that if you know about all the negative consequences many believers face, it will push you in the other direction.”
“Wait a minute, how do you know what I do or don’t believe? I haven’t talked to you about it.”
“Haven, I sit at worship with your parents…we pray for you every week.”
In one part of my brain, I know I should find this statement endearing that a group of people some of which I don’t even know spend time praying for me. Instead, the other part of my brain the much larger portion is enraged. I feel betrayed and humiliated to know that they were sitting around sympathizing with my parents. We pray that GOD would save poor Chris and Kelly’s heathen daughter from destruction. I am about to turn on Jackson and tell him what I think of them talking about me behind my back. Then we hear his mom calling us to come back to the house. I quickly stifle my anger, after all it isn’t really Jackson’s fault; it is my parents. We walk towards the house in silence as I think about how best to confront my parents about everything I have learned tonight. Before we make it to the house Jackson stops me with a light touch on my arm. “Hey…I hope I didn’t freak you out back there… with the kiss.”
My eyes widen with surprise as I begin sputter. “No, no… no it was nice. I mean…I liked it.”
He grabs my hand and steps in closer as he grins at me, and this time I know what’s coming. My heart starts pounding. I take a deep breath, inhale the sweet scent of the nearby jasmine, and think about the perfection of this moment. I am standing in a beautiful garden drenched in moonlight about to kiss Jackson Armstrong again! His lips are there, only a breath away from touching mine. And then Wilder careens into Jackson and immediately sprints in the other direction. “Mom said to tell you dad is eating all your dessert.”
Jacksons face is red with fury as he turns to scream at his brother. “Just wait you little punk, you have to sleep sometime!” He lets out a frustrated sigh and then turns back to me. “We better go, or my dad really will eat it all.”
As I get into my parents' car an hour later, my first thought is, wow that really was the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. My second thought, is, Woo freaking hoo!!! Jackson kissed me tonight, almost twice. I can’t wait to tell Kirra. My mom turns to look at me and smiles. “So how did it go?”
Still caught up in my Jackson memories I beam a smile back at her. “Great!” Then we reach the end of the driveway and the sky opens up in a down pour. Suddenly, I remember I am furious with them. I stare out the window at the driving rain in hopes of trying to calm my temper and figure out how best to approach them with what I now know. Naturally, it doesn’t work, and I can’t keep the accusatory tone out of my voice when I speak. “So why didn’t you guys tell me Mr. Daxter, hated y'all? It would have been a good thing to know from the start that my teacher was going to have a grudge against me.”
My parents sit in silence and for a second, I think they didn’t hear me because of all the noise from the rain. Then my parents turn and look at each other and I see my dad lift one shoulder in a slight shrug. My mom turns to look at me, her expression is slightly hesitant, like she isn’t sure just how much she should share with me.
“Honey, it’s not that we were trying to keep you in the dark. It’s just that the situation with Mr. Daxter, is somewhat complicated and with you being unsure of your beliefs we didn’t want his negative behavior to influence your decision. Also, in all honesty, Haven, you have to admit you have a bit of a temper, and a hard time controlling your mouth when you lose it. If you knew about our history with Mr. Daxter, you would have assumed he was out to get you with every comment or decision he made.”
“Of course, I would have, because he is in fact out to get me!”
I hear my dad sigh and know he is about to take his turn in trying to make me see their logic, only he doesn’t the chance, because a pair of oncoming headlights suddenly swerve and come flying into our lane. I see my dad grip the steering wheel, knowing there is no time to do anything. The other car hits us head on, I feel an intense jolt, then weightlessness, then pr
essure and finally pain.
Chapter Five
New Rules
I t was just seconds that our car was flying through the air. But it felt like time had stopped all around us, while we were still being catapulted through it. It wasn’t until the car hit the ground, that it seemed like time was able to catch up. Our car must have hit the pine trees that lined the side of the road. Maybe it flipped or I flipped. I can’t tell anything other than it is dark and from the position where I am pinned, I can see rain is hitting the shattered glass on the blacktop of the highway.
“Mom…dad” I try to call out to them, but only a slight moan that escapes my lips. I feel like there is a boulder on my chest and I can’t breathe. I feel a burning in right thigh like it’s on fire. I try to scream, but I can’t get enough breath to do anything more than whimper. I feel hot tears roll down my face and then I start shaking all over. I see a light, like from a flashlight only warmer. I think to myself someone is here to help; we are going to make it. I try to call out to my parents, but again I can’t form the words and some unintelligible noise escapes me instead. The light is moving closer, and I see bare feet walking on the broken glass. Whoever is carrying the flashlight has bare feet - it briefly strikes me as odd, but another wave of pain and fear grip me, and thoughts of bare feet on broken glass disappear as tears stream from my eyes. Suddenly there is a face near mine, the light behind it is bright and I squint to try and see the person who has come to help.
“All is well child. I am here to help you.”
I try to speak try to ask him if he sees my parents, but nothing comes out. He answers anyway as if what I want to ask is written on my face.
“Your parents are fine, do not worry yourself, they have been saved.”
My eyes widen even more as pain comes again, and again like he can read my thoughts straight through my eyes, he responds. I can see him kneeling now outside the broken window his face close to mine.
Half Dead World: Book One from the Apocalypse Tales Page 5
