The Circle

by Kat Mayor

  Charlie knew better, and it infuriated him. He wanted to forcibly remove Dan’s head from his body, but he couldn’t do a thing. He went into the restroom to try to get some control. It didn’t help much. He ended up slamming his fist into the cinder block, making a long crack along the wall.

  Evelyn watched Charlie’s reaction to Dan. She recognized Sentrian jealousy when she saw it. This could get interesting, she thought.

  There was no way Charlie was riding home on the bus. It didn’t matter what Evelyn did to him. If he didn’t get out, get away, he knew his head would explode. He told the band chaperone his parents were picking him up and gave his trumpet to Ian to put back in the band hall. Then he started running. He was still wearing his tux from the performance, but he didn’t care. He ran the entire twenty miles back to the band hall. His car was the only one left in the parking lot when he arrived.

  ***

  When Charlie got home from school the following Monday, there was an urgent message from Sentria on his electronic note pad. It was from Tamar. That was strange. What was so urgent that it couldn’t wait for their link tonight? He opened the note pad and retrieved the message.

  “Silas, I have something I must tell you, and I’d rather not leave it on your note pad. Please contact me as soon as you are able.”

  Charlie assumed Evelyn had some new requirement for their telecourtship. That would be typical. He set up communications with Sentria, and a few moments later, Tamar appeared on the screen.

  “I got your message. What’s the matter, Tamar?”

  “I truly hope you will not be upset with me, but I have to let you know that I found my One, and I have to break off our engagement.”

  Charlie sighed in relief. “I’m glad for you, Tamar. I truly am.” And of course, he meant it.

  “Really?” she said, relieved. “You’re not angry?”

  “Tamar, I could never be angry with you. You’re a wonderful girl, and I wish you much happiness.”

  “Thanks, Silas. It is just as they say it is. We met at the library. I dropped a book, and he stooped down to pick it up. Our eyes locked, and we just knew. When you meet your One, there will be no doubt.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. So when is the wedding?”

  “Not until the summer season. Elias has signed up for the military academy, and that will be his first break. Don’t worry about Evelyn. I’ll send her word that our situation has changed.”

  “Oh. So you haven’t told her yet?”

  “No, I wanted to tell you first. My mother and I thought you should be the first to know.”

  “Tamar, I have a favor to ask,” Charlie said.

  “Certainly. What is it?”

  “Would you mind not telling Evelyn about your engagement until after we return to Sentria?”

  “I suppose I could. But why?”

  “You know how it is. If you tell Evelyn, I have to tell my parents. They’ve been pressuring me for a while now to get married, and I’d rather not go through the whole process of locating another prospective mate until I’m back on Sentria.”

  Tamar did know about that. Her parents had been pressuring her, too. That’s why she had been matched with Silas in the first place. “OK. But how are you going to keep it from her? Evelyn checks the logs, and she’ll know we’re not in communication with each other.”

  “I think I have a way around that,” Charlie said.

  ***

  The next day Charlie looked for an opportunity to speak to Lilly alone. He didn’t have much free time away from Evelyn, but even when he did, Lilly avoided him. The same for the next day and the day after that. It was discouraging. He even tried to pass her a note in English class, but she ripped it up and threw it away without even opening it. How could he let Lilly know he was no longer engaged if she wouldn’t even speak to him?

  He was opening his locker and thinking about it when he heard a familiar voice. It was Liliana’s. He could hear her from where she was standing on the other side of the campus.

  “Thank you for the invitation, but I already have plans for spring break.” Lilly loaded her horn into the trunk of her car.

  “Aw, c’mon. Come to the beach one day with me. It’ll be fun, I promise,” Dan told her.

  “Like I said, I already have plans.”

  Dan leaned his arm against the back of Lilly’s Jeep. “Well, then how about prom? My Dad’s gonna let me borrow his convertible.”

  Lilly shook her head. “I’m not going to prom.”

  “Look, baby. Forget about that loser, Charlie. I know what you need.” Dan moved closer into her personal space. He reached up and caressed her arm.

  Lilly wrenched her arm away. “I said no.” Charlie shoved his books into his locker and ran toward the sound of her voice.

  Lilly turned to leave, when Dan grabbed her arm. His tone changed. It went from inviting to demanding. “Hey, I wasn’t finished talking.” The anger in his eyes frightened her. He tried to pull Lilly close to him, but she pushed him away. Charlie tilted his head and listened for her voice to know which direction to go. He started running, but he still had to pass the football field to get to the band-hall parking lot.

  “Hey Charlie, where’s the fire?” Ian asked as he flew past. “Dude should have gone out for track.”

  Dan grabbed Lilly then. “Let me go. You’re hurting my arm.” Lilly dropped her purse so she could use both her hands to push him away. She yelled loudly, hoping someone would come, but all her classmates were too far away to see or hear her.

  “Shh,” Dan said as he clamped his hand over Lilly’s mouth. “C’mon, baby, relax.” Lilly squirmed and tried to get out of his grasp, but Dan was too strong. “Let’s go for a ride,” he said and pushed her toward his car.

  Charlie was at an all-out sprint coming into the parking lot. Then he saw Dan, holding Liliana by the arms as she struggled to get away. He zoned out, enraged. His vision was a red haze. All he could see was that lecherous vermin with his filthy hands all over his Liliana. In one swift move, he pulled Dan off of Liliana. He lifted Dan up by his neck and said, “You will never speak to her again, you will never look at her again, and you will never think about her again. If you ever touch her again, I will break every bone in your hand.” Then Charlie flung him into a row of parked cars. Dan’s head connected with the bumper of a nearby truck, making an unsettling thud. By then, some of the students noticed something was going on and walked over.

  “Dude, what happened?” someone asked.

  Charlie didn’t even register the comment. He put his hand on Liliana’s shoulder. “Are you OK?”

  She wasn’t. Not really. “I’m fine, thank you.” Her voice quavered, and her hands were shaking slightly. She smoothed down her mussed hair and stepped away from Charlie.

  Dan’s friends helped him up and walked with him over to his car. He looked back at Charlie with wide eyes. Now that the excitement was over, the crowd quickly dispersed.

  Lilly reached down to pick up her purse, but Charlie grabbed it first. He handed it to her, his hand lingering against hers a little too long.

  “Thank you,” Lilly said, turning to walk away.

  “Wait a minute. I’ve been trying to talk to you all week. I need to tell you something.”

  Lilly turned to face him. “I appreciate your help just now, but this doesn’t change anything.” She was tired. All she wanted was to go home and forget about what had happened.

  “Please just listen. I couldn’t stand the thought of his hands on you. I won’t let anyone hurt my girl.”

  “Your girl? Really? Because I thought your girl was in a galaxy far, far away. You forfeit any right you ever had to call me your girl. Like I said, thanks for your help. But don’t start with the jealousy act. It’s not cute or sweet; it’s annoying.” Lilly unlocked her car and got in.

  “Liliana, I will always be protective of you, and I will never stop loving you.”

  “Yeah, well, sounds like a personal problem to me.” She s
hut the car door and drove off.

  Evelyn, who had been standing at a distance, approached him. “I see she still holds you in utter contempt.”

  Charlie realized something then. “You were here the whole time, weren’t you? While I was racing to get to her, you were standing here, watching.” Evelyn said nothing. She just smiled.

  “I understand that your whole purpose in life is to make me suffer, but Liliana hasn’t wronged you. Would it have killed you to help her? Save her from that monster?”

  “Like I care what happens to that Earthan girl,” Evelyn said. “But Charlie, I thought you knew. By not helping her, I was making you suffer.”

  ***

  Later that night, Charlie was in his room, trying to think of a way to get through to Liliana. Even if he could get her alone, and he got her to listen to him, would she believe him? Charlie thought not. He needed proof.

  He went to his desk and took out his PCD. He loaded the transmission from Tamar onto it and walked over to the upstairs bathroom. This was the only window not nailed shut, but it wasn’t an oversight. Louis never dreamed that Charlie might try to squeeze through it. For that matter, Charlie never dreamed he would either, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  As quietly as he could, he slid the window up. It squeaked and complained. Charlie listened to hear if the noise awakened his parents. Nothing. He reached over the window sash and gently laid the PCD on a flatter section of the roof so that it wouldn’t fall. He pulled himself up and through the tight opening. Once he was out, he picked up the PCD and quietly jumped into the soft grass in the backyard. He climbed the fence and ran through the woods to Lilly’s house.

  Charlie was relieved to see that Michelle’s car was not in the driveway. One less thing to worry about. He grabbed the spare key from where Lilly kept it and let himself in through the back door.

  “Liliana,” Charlie called out so she would know he wasn’t an intruder.

  Lilly sat straight up in bed. Him. He was here. She stomped down the stairs. “What do you think you’re doing? Get out,” she said.

  Charlie grabbed her hand and pulled her over toward the sofa. “Don’t talk. Just listen.” He showed her the video file of Tamar’s break-up message.

  After it played, Lilly asked, “So you two aren’t getting married?”

  “No, we’re not,” Charlie said with a grin.

  “But I thought it was all arranged, and she was your One. You told me that can’t be changed.”

  “In the first place, she was never my One. In the second place, it doesn’t matter what arrangements were made. She’s found her One, and Evelyn cannot interfere with God’s plan, even if she wanted to.” Charlie took hold of Lilly’s hands. “But that’s not the best part. Tamar has agreed not to tell Evelyn that she’s marrying Elias until we return to Sentria. So we can be together.”

  “No, Charlie, we can’t,” Lilly said, pulling away. She stood up and moved away from the couch. “If Tamar hadn’t broken things off, you wouldn’t even be here now. You’d still be planning your wedding.”

  “Liliana, that’s not fair. I wanted to be here all along, but you never let me. The only reason you’re listening to me now is because I brought you proof that Tamar ended things.”

  “You’re darned right I wouldn’t have listened. Charlie, you were engaged to another girl.”

  “Not really. I knew she wasn’t my One, so we technically couldn’t be engaged.”

  “Now you’re just arguing semantics.” She crossed her arms. “Be honest. We both know that if she hadn’t found someone else, you’d still be engaged.”

  Charlie approached her slowly and lowered his voice. “Things aren’t that simple. It’s not as if I had a choice.” She lowered her head, and he lifted her chin with his fingers and looked into her eyes. “I thought you’d be happy. Now there’s no impediment to our being together. Well, except for Evelyn…”

  “And the fact that you’re leaving for Sentria in a couple of months, and I’ll never see you again.”

  Charlie put his hands on her shoulders. “Look, I know you’re still upset with me and this whole situation. I don’t blame you. But I know you still love me. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Lilly lifted his hands off her shoulders and turned away from him. He put his hands right back and whispered in her ear. “If I could think of any way to stay here, I would.”

  She didn’t turn around. “This is not about good intentions. It’s about reality. Walking away from you in January was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t want to go through that again. Charlie, we have no future together.”

  She was right, of course, but it was still painful to hear. What had he been hoping for? That she would be thrilled to sneak around with him for a couple of more months and then say good-bye? He walked around until he was facing her. “Here.” He pulled out the circle necklace and handed it to her. “I want you to have this.”

  “No,” Lilly said. “That’s just a tragic reminder that we can’t be together.”

  “No, it’s not. This is proof that I will never love anyone else.” He folded her fingers around the necklace and walked out the door.

  ***

  Lilly tossed and turned. Finally, she got up and walked downstairs. Michelle, who had been sleeping in the recliner, woke up.

  “Sorry, Mom,” Lilly said. “I couldn’t sleep so I decided to make some coffee.”

  “Make enough for me, too.” Michelle stretched and joined Lilly in the kitchen. “So what’s got you so worried that you can’t sleep?”

  “You might as well know. Charlie came over tonight. He wants to get back together.”

  Michelle tried to contain her excitement. “Is this a good thing?”

  “Probably not.”

  “So what’s the problem? Are you addicted to your own misery or something?”

  “No, Mom, be serious.” Lilly poured the coffee and sat down across from Michelle at the kitchen table. “After graduation, the Grays are moving far away, and Charlie is going with them. What’s the point of getting back together?”

  “I know I’ve told you before about how deep down I knew your father and I didn’t have a prayer of staying together. But when he asked me to run away with him, I did it anyway. No one could have talked me out of it. Now, you are not me, and Charlie is definitely not Lalo, but…”

  “But it doesn’t matter because…” Lilly started, but Michelle stopped her.

  “What I’m trying to say is, don’t give up. You two have way more of a chance than Lalo and I ever dreamed of. Graduation is a ways off. Things could change. Even if the Grays move, Charlie might stay here and go to college. Or, as much as I would hate it, you and Charlie might decide to go to college out of state. Nothing is set in stone.”

  Lilly wished that were true, but she knew things wouldn’t turn out that way. “So you don’t regret marrying Dad, even though it ended badly?”

  “If I hadn’t married Lalo, I wouldn’t have you, and that would have been the real tragedy. I think you should give Charlie a chance, at least. Worst case scenario, you spend two happy months together before he leaves, rather than moping around the house all the time.” Michelle got up from her chair and kissed the top of Lilly’s head. “Now, I’m going to bed, and I think you should too, mi hija.”

  ***

  Lilly thought about what her mother said. Maybe she was right. She could just enjoy the here and now, and let the future worry about itself. At lunch the next day her resolve weakened. She glanced around. Evelyn was nowhere to be seen, so she took a chance. She dropped a note on Charlie’s table instructing him to meet her in the hallway so they could talk.

  He did a moment later. And that’s when they picked up where they left off. Charlie asked her what was new, and she told him about a Twilight Zone episode she had recently seen.

  Chapter 12

  Spring Break

  Charlie set the timer for his link to Tamar and again slipped out of the bathroom w
indow. Lilly was waiting by the sliding glass door to let him in. He pulled her close and kissed her. Then, he led her by the hand to the couch, where they sat down.

  Lilly put her legs up on the couch and leaned against his chest. She tilted her head back to look up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

  “Are you sure it’s safe coming over here? Won’t your parents check up on you?”

  “Nah, they don’t come upstairs much, especially now that I’m ‘engaged.’ They want to give me my privacy in case I’m speaking to Tamar. They won’t check on me unless the house is on fire.”

  “Well, then, let’s hope you didn’t leave a burning candle around,” Lilly said.

  “Seriously, there is one place we need to be more careful, and that’s school. As much as I loved talking to you at school today, we can’t risk that again. We were fortunate no one saw us. If it gets back to Evelyn that we are on speaking terms…”

  “I know. I know. No contact at school. Charlie, I’ve been wondering about something. What did your parents say when Evelyn told them you were involved with me?”

  “I don’t think you want to know,” he said.

  “C’mon, Charlie. I can handle it.”

  “Well, they were shocked, of course, and disappointed. My father told me never to see you again, and then he nailed my bedroom window shut. He thinks I just need time with Tamar to get you out of my system. Unfortunately, my mom thinks I might be mentally ill.”

  “Mentally ill? For real? So even with their intense reaction, you don’t think they will check up on you?”

  “No, I don’t. My father has ordered me not to see you. He can’t imagine me disobeying him because I never have.”

  “Until now?” Lilly asked.

  “Until now.”

  “That bothers you, doesn’t it?”

  “Well, yes, it bothers me. I have always looked up to my father, and it hurts me to go against his wishes, even when I know he’s wrong.”

  Lilly sat straight up and faced Charlie. “OK, I have another question for you. If your people and my people are related, I mean we’re very distant relatives, right? Then why is it your people have such a low opinion of us?”