Something Worth Saving

by Sandi Ward

  Eventually I am startled awake by the whoosh of the front door. I look up to see Victoria and Aidan entering the house and taking off their shoes on the front mat. They stop short at the entrance to the living room.

  This is their couch, their spot. The kissing spot.

  “Are you kidding me?” Aidan whispers, sounding both annoyed and surprised.

  Victoria smacks his arm. “Hi, Ronaldo,” she calls out. “Did Charlie offer you a drink?”

  “Oh, yes,” Ronaldo answers. “Thanks. I have some iced tea. I’m all set.”

  Aidan scratches his chin and nods at Ronaldo. “Hey, buddy. I’m Aidan. I’ve seen you around. You’re new, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “You moved here from Mexico, or something?”

  Ronaldo glances at Charlie, and they both crack a smile. “Noooo. No. I’m from Uruguay. My dad got transferred here for work.”

  “Oh.” Aidan frowns. He looks like he has no idea where Uruguay might be.

  Honestly, I have no idea either. It must be somewhere across the river.

  When Victoria and Aidan have left the room to get their own snacks from the kitchen, Charlie breaks out into a big smile. I can tell he is trying not to burst out laughing. He probably finds Aidan’s reaction funny. Aidan thought he would have the couch all to himself forever? He thought wrong. Charlie turns to bury his face in the couch cushion until he can control himself.

  “Sorry,” Charlie finally says. He clears his throat and sits up straighter.

  “Charlie.” Ronaldo sits up and leans over the bowl of chips to put his hand gently on Charlie’s elbow. “Are you going to the dance at school next week?”

  Charlie stares down at his arm, where Ronaldo is touching him. I see the shock in his eyes, the sheer terror. He doesn’t move. I don’t think he even breathes.

  “What?”

  Why is Charlie so nervous?

  And it is only then that my nose twitches, and I realize I detect pheromones coming off of Charlie in waves. That never happens when Karen is here. It is almost as if maybe he wants—

  I look up at Charlie. He has frozen at Ronaldo’s touch, his cheeks reddening.

  Oh! I realize that I have missed something all along.

  And—how strange that it never occurred to me before! This just gets curiouser and curiouser. But, of course. I see now that Charlie is interested in Ronaldo as a potential mate. It explains why Charlie has not showed any interest in Karen, other than as a friend.

  Finally, Charlie takes a quick glance back up at Ronaldo. “I guess so. I went to the dance in the fall, and it was okay. So I mean, maybe.” He shrugs, and tries to smile. But he’s overwhelmed, and looks pained. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

  Ronaldo quickly pulls his hand back. “I was just wondering. It might be fun.” He quickly turns his face back toward the TV and settles again into the corner of the couch.

  Charlie looks like he’s going to pass out. His face has gone pale. He’s too nervous to even respond.

  C’mon, Charlie, I plead to him. You can do a little better than that. Come on! I get up and nudge my wet nose into his ear. But he doesn’t react. He’s as stiff as a board.

  However, he does keep checking. Glancing over at Ronaldo sitting on our couch. As if he might be dreaming it.

  Victoria and Aidan come down the hallway with their hands full of sodas and small bags of chips. They stop before turning to go up the stairs. “Charlie would love to go to the dance, Ronaldo,” Victoria says in a singsong voice. She grins at the boys. “Aidan is driving. You should come. We could pick you up. But I have to warn you: My brother’s a terrible dancer.”

  She hops up the stairs on light feet. Charlie watches his sister. His mouth hangs open, but no words come out.

  Aidan shakes his head before following her. “I can’t believe you stole my couch, man.” He raises an eyebrow and gives Charlie a look.

  Charlie finally smiles.

  Well! This is surprising, but at the same time, the humans continually impress me. It is a beautiful thing about humans, how advanced and complex they are. It seems I learn something new about them all the time.

  * * *

  It isn’t long before the front door swings open one more time. Kevin enters and drops his backpack on the floor. He reaches down to unlace his sneakers.

  When he lifts his head and sees Charlie and Ronaldo on the couch, he freezes. Charlie and Kevin stare at each other for a long moment. Charlie is the first to look away.

  Kevin stands up straight. “Charlie. Why are you sitting there watching TV? What about your homework?” He glances down the hall toward the kitchen. “And please don’t tell me you forgot to take out Gretel. Where is she? You knew I was going to be late getting home—have you walked Gretel yet?” Kevin makes his voice louder than it needs to be. He puts his hands on his hips and grinds his teeth.

  “No,” Charlie mutters, eyes searching the floor. “I haven’t taken her out. I was just—”

  “THEN WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE? You’re so irresponsible. Don’t you care about your own dog?” Kevin’s hands clench into fists.

  “C’mon,” Charlie says to Ronaldo, his voice breaking, “let’s walk Gretel.”

  Ronaldo’s eyebrow arches up. “Right now?” He gestures toward the TV. I suppose their show is not over.

  “Yeah.” Charlie stands and reaches out a hand to pull Ronaldo to his feet.

  Ronaldo looks over at Kevin, puzzled. But Kevin doesn’t move or introduce himself. He just shakes his head, as if sickened at Charlie’s behavior.

  The two boys walk down the hall to the kitchen, not talking. I hear the rattling of Gretel’s leash clicking onto her harness. Then the back door creaks open and slams shut.

  I feel my eyes widen as I glare accusingly at Kevin. Just when we finally have a truce with the clever fox, now it is Kevin who sends Charlie fleeing from his own home?

  I imagine Kevin as a black bear. Quiet until provoked. But then: fierce and unforgiving, roaring out orders.

  No. No, no, no, no, no.

  I don’t even know what I’m doing until I’m in action, leaping toward Kevin, my claws drawn. He is wearing shorts in this warm weather, and I draw blood as I slash his leg.

  “HEY,” he howls, reaching a hand forward to swat me.

  He catches only my fur as I run for my life, nails scraping on the wood floor. I manage to sprint to the study and hide under the couch. I hear Kevin’s heavy footsteps as he tromps around looking for me, but I’m squeezed up against the wall behind the sagging couch springs, where I am not reachable.

  I stay there for hours. Angry. Seething. I am sick and tired of Charlie being mistreated. I’m glad I scratched Kevin. I’ve had enough! I refuse to apologize.

  Chapter 26

  Obviously Completely

  I’m hiding out in my favorite spot, under the large, overgrown holly bush by the garage. The leaves are sharp and perhaps this is not the kind of spot most creatures would find welcoming. But the leaves are also thick and hard and still. They do not quiver in the breeze. So once I am hidden, I am confident I will remain out of sight.

  A bird calls from a hiding spot in the tall grass. He’s shouting out a warning to his friends. It’s the time of night when predators emerge, knowing they will not have to expend too much energy chasing their prey, thanks to the cool air.

  Just as the sun is hitting the horizon of the river, I am surprised to see Mark’s black truck pull into the driveway. He usually comes earlier in the day. The truck tires crunching the gravel sound a little like when Charlie makes popcorn in the microwave.

  Pop, snap, click.

  One of the garage doors starts to glide up, so I guess Mom is expecting him. A light clicks on, emitting a golden glow from the garage. It casts a warm light, in contrast to the cold pink and gray sky as the sun sets over the marsh.

  Mark gets out of his truck and comes up the driveway. He walks into the garage just as Mom comes out from the kitchen, shutting the
door behind her. She hurries to him, and falls immediately into his arms.

  Grabbing his hair with two hands, she pulls him down to her eager, waiting mouth. He can’t help smiling when she kisses him. He put his hands on her waist to hold her steady. Mark is as focused as Mom is frantic.

  Ah! I think she loves him, for whatever that’s worth. Although I have not heard her admit it, I think it must be true. For all that Mom fought Mark’s demands to tell the children about their relationship, and stated that she still loves Dad, she has a big heart. And I imagine that a love for Mark has grown there, making room for itself in a warm pocket, where it thrives.

  As I have seen, once the head and heart have gone, it is easy for the body to follow. Mom presses against him as if she hasn’t seen him in ages.

  “Mark.” Mom sighs.

  Pausing, Mark looks sad, almost mournful. But he is also so, so happy to be with Mom. “Sweetheart.” He gently runs a hand over her hair. “The kids are home?” he asks, with an anxious glance at the garage door.

  Mom nods. Her little hand is curled into a fist and she pulls at the material of his shirt, up by his shoulder. “Your truck. Come on. We can come back in twenty minutes.”

  “Okay.” He takes her hand and they run to the truck. He helps her into the passenger seat before walking around to his side of the truck, jangling the keys in his hand. As soon as the engine roars to life, the truck starts backing urgently out of the driveway. And then it drives away.

  Well! Mom has obviously completely lost her mind.

  But it’s satisfying, being right most of the time. I think she is crazy about him.

  I turn when I hear different humans talking. The sound is coming from the back of the house. The voices get louder as they get closer.

  I hear a sharp laugh, and I see it is Kevin and one of his best friends, Phil. I am no longer angry at Kevin, but I have been avoiding him. I’m a little embarrassed about my outburst.

  Phil is a nice boy, like Kevin. He has very short hair and a wide smile. The boys have been friends for many years. They share a love of fast cars and loud TV shows, and sometimes they go camping. Once in a while they will have an expansive debate about big, important things that I don’t understand—the workings of the universe or something like that—and Victoria will just laugh at them if she hears them and tell them they’re “nuts.”

  I am surprised to see Kevin walk right up to Dad’s private cabinet. Kevin slips something small from the front pocket of his jeans, and I see it is a key.

  Interesting! I didn’t know Kevin had a key.

  Phil talks about something funny that happened in school while Kevin opens the cabinet. He pulls out a big heavy bottle. It is almost full of a clear liquid.

  “Whoa,” Phil says, his mouth hanging open. “That’s your dad’s?”

  “Yeah.” Kevin screws off the cap and sniffs at the bottle opening. His head jerks back.

  “I bet it’s harsh.”

  “You wanna try it?”

  Try it? Are the boys going to drink Dad’s special medicine?

  “Me?” Phil takes a step back and laughs. “No, man. You can, if you want.”

  “No thanks.” Kevin grins and closes the bottle back up. “It’s gross. There’s plenty of beer in here, but it’s not cold.”

  “That’s okay. Gimme one.”

  Both boys soon have a green bottle in their hands. Phil pulls a knife out of his back pocket, snaps it open, and applies pressure to flip off the caps, one bottle at a time.

  “Cheers.” Phil takes a long drink, and Kevin does too.

  Kevin sits his bottle down on the concrete floor, and reaches into the cabinet. He pulls out a gun.

  A gun?

  “That’s your dad’s too?”

  “Yeah. He has a few. For work. And whatever.”

  Phil tips his head and studies the gun. “It’s not loaded, is it?”

  Kevin’s eyes open wide. “Nah. It can’t be, right? I mean, it shouldn’t be. I doubt it. My dad’s totally into gun safety. I’d be really surprised if it were.”

  Kevin stands up very straight, stretches his arm out, and points at an imaginary target in the street.

  “Dude, put it down,” Phil says, with a hearty laugh. “What if someone drives by and sees you?”

  “Okay.” Kevin puts the gun back.

  “I mean, I realize I’m talking to the two-time winner of the Rifle Range Poker Run, but seriously. You could get in trouble if the cops drive by.”

  “Yeah,” says Kevin, smiling. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to. Two-time winner. And four-time laser tag champion.”

  “Oh! Here we go.” Phil rolls his eyes. “You have to keep rubbing that in, huh?”

  The boys stand in the garage and finish their drinks, talking about this and that. Kevin throws the empty bottles in the big bin where Dad puts his own bottles.

  “Where’d your mom go?” Phil asks before they go back in the house.

  Kevin shrugs. “She said she was running out and she’d be right back.” He sighs. “I guess she went out with her loser boyfriend.” He turns to stare mindlessly into the distance. “I hate him.”

  “Aw, he can’t be that bad, can he?”

  “Sure he could. He quit his job as a lawyer and had no backup plan. He’s not responsible, like my dad.” Kevin shakes his head. He shuts the cabinet and locks it. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”

  I watch them go. I’m not really surprised Kevin is hungry. He’s always hungry, my black bear. He is obsessed with food, much like Gretel.

  By the time Mark’s truck comes back, driving at a normal speed this time, the sky is dark. The frogs have started to croak out a song with no tune. Mark parks in the driveway once again, and this time he leaves the engine running and Mom doesn’t get out right away. I can see them talking. Mark is telling her a story and laughing, reaching out to touch her hair as he talks, and she leans her head back and smiles. She listens to him a good while before kissing him good-bye once, and then twice, and then there’s more nonsense that doesn’t need repeating.

  Oh, but believe me—I understand. This man held me before too, remember.

  Once he cradled me, I was in no hurry to leave. His arms are just right for holding someone in a way that I felt safe and secure. I don’t know how else to explain it.

  Okay, and there it is, a final good-bye kiss. Mom slides out of the truck and floats up the driveway. She waves again at Mark. He makes sure she is all the way inside the house before leaving again.

  I am happy for Mom. But there is something not right here that is bothering me.

  When and how did Kevin get a key to Dad’s cabinet? Dad never lets anyone near his cabinet. I’ve never seen Kevin open it before and drink Dad’s beer. And I have not seen Kevin take out Dad’s gun in the past. I didn’t know that Kevin even realized where it was.

  I remember what Victoria and Aidan said about guns. About humans using them to kill other people.

  No, I will say it again: Something is not right here. Something is not right at all.

  I go for a walk in the darkness to clear my head. I must warn Mom about Kevin’s behavior. I wonder if Gretel knows about this.

  I have been mostly focused on my sweet Charlie.

  And, slowly, I start to wonder if I’ve been worrying about the wrong boy all along.

  Chapter 27

  Purple Headband

  Days later, Aidan lies across Victoria’s bedspread, head on her pillow. She is playing the radio softly, and he sings along.

  Aidan. Singing! This is something I never expected to hear.

  Mom does not enforce the “Aidan cannot go upstairs” rule anymore. I think she has given up. And Aidan’s behavior has been acceptable.

  Not perfect, no. He still eats too much of the family food and drinks all of the soda. He curses, which Mom does not like. And there is too much kissing, even for Mom. But overall, he has been doing okay.

  I am lying on the floor near the window. I do
n’t like music very much. It hurts my sensitive ears. But this is a sad song and not too loud. Truth be told, Aidan has a decent singing voice.

  He sings something about love.

  Victoria stops what she is doing, rifling through the clothes in her closet. “Wow.” She turns toward Aidan, holding a black dress on a hanger in her hand, and rolls her eyes. “You’re so sentimental and deep. Who knew?”

  He ignores her and keeps singing. I turn to see Charlie appear in the doorway. He looks mystified.

  “Wow. You know the words to this song?”

  Aidan doesn’t move, but his eyes pan over to where Charlie stands. “Of course I know it. You don’t need to be so impressed. You’d better be careful. I’ll tell Ronaldo you were complimenting me, and he’ll get jealous.”

  At first, Charlie’s face flushes pink. “Shut up.” But then he can’t help but smile. He bites his lip to try and stop himself, but he can’t.

  “Ha ha,” Victoria says, pulling out a purple dress. “Charlie. You’re so busted. Everyone in school knows Ronaldo likes you.”

  “We’re not . . .” Charlie comes into the room and leans on a tall bookcase. “We’re not together. I mean, we are going to the dance together, but just as friends.” He looks over at Aidan again. “You know, your voice isn’t too bad.”

  Aidan suddenly rolls over to face Charlie, leaning on one elbow. “I know, right?” he asks, excited. “I mean, it’s not good. But it’s not terrible either.” His eyes shine and I can tell he is pleased.

  Aidan is starting to get comfortable here in our house.

  Victoria sighs. “What am I going to wear to the Winter Ball? I hate all of these old dresses.” She whirls on her brother. “What are you going to wear?”

  “Vicky,” Aidan interrupts, while playing with a stuffed dog that sits on her bed. “We’re not going to that school dance. I told you. It’s lame.”

  “No, we’re going.” She opens her closet door wider. “I have a handsome young man taking me.” Reaching in, she pulls out a sparkly gold skirt. “Maybe I can mix and match.”

  Charlie makes a gagging noise. Victoria quickly sticks the skirt back in her closet.