The Circle

by Kat Mayor

  “Sure, Mom,” Lilly said. She walked away before her mom could see the guilt written all over her face.

  ***

  Charlie was stuck riding to graduation with his parents and Evelyn. The two elders followed them in their black Blazer for extra security. At this point he could really do nothing. He wouldn’t be able to get away from Evelyn to get any more messages to Lilly. It was up to Lilly, Beth, and Ian now.

  ***

  One good thing was that Lilly had been playing in the band at high school graduations since she was a freshman and knew both the layout of the pavilion and the graduation protocol pretty well. After receiving their diplomas, the graduates would file off the stage and down a rather dark hall. They would reenter the pavilion from a side door to return to their seats. It would give them approximately two minutes when they would be out of Evelyn’s view. Lilly arrived at the pavilion early and went over to where the band was warming up. She gave a few last-minute instructions to Beth and Ian and then went to join the rest of the graduates.

  ***

  Evelyn was determined to keep Charlie and Lilly apart so she made sure Charlie was one of the last students to line up. By the time she left his side, the only seats left were at the very back. So Evelyn, Charlie’s parents, and the two elders were seated as far away from the stage as you could possibly get.

  ***

  Watching paint dry or organizing a sock drawer is always more interesting than sitting through a graduation, even if it’s your own. For Lilly there was an added layer of anxiety on top of the monumental boredom. She was fidgety. Her necklace was buried deep under her graduation robe, and her long hair was pinned up under her graduation cap. She had to settle for wringing her hands. Finally, the band began to play “Pomp and Circumstance,” and the students headed toward the floor of the pavilion.

  Charlie drummed his fingers on his lap. It seemed like an eternity before the introduction and requisite speeches by the principal, class president, and valedictorian were completed. At long last, the principal began announcing the names of the graduates. “Allison Marie Abbott,” Mrs. Martin called out. The second row rose to line up behind the first row. Lilly was on the sixth row. Midway through the Fs, Charlie saw Beth stand up and head for the back hall. Good girl, Charlie thought to himself.

  “Jack William Foster,” the principal continued. Lilly’s row rose and lined up. Her stomach was doing flip-flops. She stole a glance at Charlie. He smiled at her, and that gave her all the reassurance she needed.

  “Liliana Elsa Garcia,” the principal called out. Michelle jumped to her feet and started clapping. Evelyn leaned in closer as if that might help her see better. With her already poor vision, and sitting so far back, she doubted she would be able to make out an elephant walking across the stage.

  Beth was already waiting for Lilly in the bathroom in the back hall. Lilly took off her graduation gown and Beth put it on. Then Lilly helped Beth pin her much shorter locks under the graduation cap. From a distance it would match Lilly’s updo. Beth gave Lilly a hug.

  “Good luck and congratulations,” Beth said, handing her an envelope. She ran and caught up with the seniors in Lilly’s row with plenty of time to spare. Lilly unpinned her long hair, slipped off the skirt she had worn under the gown, and put on a pair of jeans and sneakers from the bag she had hidden in the bathroom before the graduation started. There was nothing left to do but wait. Lilly leaned against the bathroom wall and said a little prayer.

  Charlie watched as Lilly’s row filed back in. There was Beth in Lilly’s place, dressed in her cap and gown.

  “Carrie Sue Garrett,” the principal called out. Charlie glanced nervously over at the band. Ian was still sitting there looking bored. What was he waiting for? They hadn’t come this far for Ian to blow it now.

  Charlie’s row stood up. He stared intensely in Ian’s direction as if he could somehow get his attention by glaring at him.

  “Brandon Ethan Gore,” Mrs. Martin said. Ian looked up suddenly. He quickly stood up and ran to the back hall. “Charles Silas Gray.”

  Evelyn sat at the edge of her seat, straining to see Charlie. He walked across the stage and into the dark hallway. Lilly and Ian were waiting for him inside the boy’s restroom.

  “Cutting it a bit close, weren’t you?” Charlie said as he took off his cap and gown.

  “It was all part of the plan,” Ian said. “I wanted to keep you on your toes.”

  “You certainly did that,” Lilly told him.

  “Won’t your parents notice I’m not you? I am a lot taller than you.” Ian said. Lilly smiled. On a good day, Ian was maybe five six.

  “I don’t think so. You’ll be sitting between two basketball players. Anyone would look short between those two,” Charlie said. He was also counting on Evelyn’s poor eyesight. She would notice if Charlie’s seat was empty, but she wouldn’t be able to see any details that would distinguish Ian from Charlie.

  “I hope Mr. Patterson won’t be mad at you and Beth for cutting out in the middle of the graduation performance,” Lilly said as she adjusted his cap. As part of the band, they were still needed to play “Pomp and Circumstance” one more time as the graduates filed out.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ian said. “He’s got the whole summer to get over it.”

  “We’ve got to hurry,” Charlie said. He gently pushed Ian out the door. “Now go.” Ian ran down the hall and sandwiched himself between Brandon Gore and Sam Grayson, both of whom were over six feet tall. He got there just in time to reenter the floor of the pavilion. When they sat down, Brandon and the girl next to him stared at this guy who was so obviously not Charlie.

  Ian waved and said, “How’s it going?” The girl giggled, and Brandon shook his head. Sam didn’t seem to notice that Ian was not the same person who walked across the stage with them a few minutes earlier.

  Evelyn sat back in her seat and relaxed once she saw Charlie reenter the pavilion. Now all she had to do was collect him after graduation. That would be his last opportunity to try to see the girl.

  ***

  Charlie grabbed Lilly’s hand, and they ran out of the dark corridor into the bright sunlight. They headed toward Lilly’s Jeep. Charlie figured with over half the alphabet to go and closing remarks they had at least a couple of hours before Evelyn realized anything was amiss.

  Lilly was opening the back hatch of the Jeep to put in her tote when a guy in a red Honda drove up and rolled down the window. It was Henry. Lilly’s heart began to pound. Her suspicions about Henry were right; he was a lackey for his wife.

  “What are you doing here?” Charlie asked calmly.

  “You’ll never make it in her car. The minute they realize you two are gone, they’ll be searching for her Jeep. Here,” he said. He threw Charlie a set of car keys. “It’s a rental. I made sure they can’t trace it to you or me.”

  “How did you know we were going to run? Does Evelyn suspect?” Charlie asked.

  “No. I mean, she always thinks you’re going to try something, but she doesn’t know your specific plans to run off together today,” Henry said.

  “Then how did you know?” Charlie asked.

  “Yesterday, after you said good-bye to Liliana, I expected you to be more subdued. You were, in fact, cheerful. After I dropped you off, I saw Liliana’s vehicle at the bank, and I followed her to the mall and then home. I watched her put your backpack and her bag in the back of her Jeep. I figured the graduation ceremony would be your best and last chance to get away. Now, you’d better get going. Take advantage of the head start you have.”

  “Thank you, Henry,” Charlie said, pulling on Lilly’s arm.

  “No, wait,” Lilly said. “Why are you helping us?”

  “Liliana,” Charlie complained.

  “No, it’s OK. In your shoes I’d be suspicious, too. Look, I don’t know if it’s right—your relationship with Charlie. But I do know what my father and Evelyn are doing is wrong.”

  Charlie picked up Lilly’s b
ag and his backpack and they got into the rental car. Henry watched as they drove out of the parking lot. “May God go with you,” he said. “You’re going to need Him.”

  ***

  Lilly looked out the window, watching Houston fly by as Charlie headed for I-10. It made her sad to see all the wonderful familiar sights in the rearview mirror. She should be attending a graduation party with her friends tonight. She should have a fun summer and get ready to start college in the fall. Instead she was on her way to a place she’d never been before to get married, with no idea when she might see Texas again. Lilly moved closer to the passenger-side window and farther away from Charlie.

  “Am I the enemy now?” he asked.

  Yes. No. Maybe. Lilly sighed and said, “I don’t know. I mean, no.”

  “If you’re having second thoughts…” He was giving her a way out if that’s what she wanted, but he hoped she wouldn’t take it.

  “I’m not,” Lilly said. “It’s just very hard to leave everything and everyone behind.”

  “And you wouldn’t have to, if it wasn’t for my stupid planet,” Charlie said, trying to get Lilly to smile.

  It had the desired effect. “You’re darned right,” Lilly said. Charlie pulled her over close to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

  ***

  As soon as Charlie drove passed Katy and into Brookshire, Lilly picked her purse up and pulled out a disc Charlie had made her. It was a mix of songs by the Cure, Depeche Mode, and New Order. The card Beth had given her fell out.

  “What’s that?” Charlie asked.

  “It’s a card from Beth,” Lilly said. She opened the envelope and the card. “Congratulations on Your Wedding” was written in flowing black script on the front. This was the only wedding present she and Charlie would receive. Inside were two twenty-dollar bills. Forty dollars was a lot of money for a sophomore without a job. Lilly wished she could give Beth a great big hug.

  “Wow,” Charlie said, “Forty bucks. Let’s add it to our stash. What does the card say?”

  “Wishing you all the happiness on Earth. Love, Beth.”

  “How fitting. But I suppose all the happiness on Sentria doesn’t mean much.”

  “Considering what they want to do to us, definitely not,” Lilly said.

  Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” began to play. Lilly settled back against Charlie’s shoulder for the long ride ahead.

  ***

  They passed through one small Texas town after another. Charlie wanted to put as much distance between Evelyn and them as possible. Finally, when it was starting to get dark, Charlie pulled over at a small diner to eat.

  The waitress took their order and brought Charlie a cup of coffee and Lilly a Diet Coke. When their burgers arrived, Charlie dug in, but Lilly just picked at her food.

  “Not hungry?” Charlie asked.

  Lilly shook her head no. She started worrying her necklace.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she replied as she rolled the circle charm between her fingers.

  “I don’t buy it. Look, I’m trying not to take it personally, but I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t be so miserable on the eve of our wedding.”

  “Very funny. If I’m miserable, it’s because I’m thinking of my mom. By now she’s read the note. She’s probably worried sick.” Lilly pushed her plate away.

  Charlie looked into her eyes. “As soon as we are married, and I think we are safe from Evelyn and the elders, you can call your mom. I promise. You can even let her yell at me if you want.”

  Lilly smiled. “OK, I will.”

  “Seriously, you’re not nervous about getting married, are you?”

  “Not the wedding so much as the marriage,” she said truthfully. She loved Charlie with all her heart, but she was practical. She knew love wouldn’t pay the bills. “Charlie, how are we going to survive? Neither one of us has a job.” Lilly thought that after a month or two, Michelle might have calmed down enough to allow them to come back to her house. Maybe they could work out an arrangement to live with her and pay rent. But that was a long way off. They needed income now.

  Charlie laughed. “You’re worried about that? Liliana, I was able to get about twelve hundred dollars, and with what you have, we can make it last for a while if we’re careful. Besides, I’m not planning on being unemployed for long. If I have to work three jobs, I will. You don’t honestly believe I would have asked you to marry me if I didn’t know I could provide for you?”

  “Twelve hundred dollars?” Lilly was shocked. Charlie had mentioned that his parents always had money lying around, but she never expected it would be so much.

  “It’s a Sentrian thing,” Charlie said. “We like to have cash around in case of an emergency.”

  “Well, you know, I can work, too.”

  “Absolutely not. You’re going to college in the fall just as you planned. Maybe you don’t understand, because it’s not the way things are done here on Earth, but Sentrians get married younger than eighteen all the time. It’s normal for us to be out on our own at an early age.”

  “How? What will you do to earn a living?” She needed specifics.

  “I already have a couple of degrees, remember? With my skills I should be able to find a decent job. We can rent an apartment, and you can go to school full time. You’re not going to have to sacrifice college to marry me.”

  “Oh,” Lilly said. She didn’t want to admit it to Charlie, but she was greatly relieved. Charlie convinced Lilly to eat a few bites of her burger. Then they got back in the car and drove for a few more hours. He was planning to arrive in Las Vegas late tomorrow evening. They would need to find a place to rest for the night and then get up early for the long drive ahead of them. Fort Stockton seemed like as good a place as any. They stopped at the Walmart there to pick up a few supplies. The weather was pleasant, so they decided to sleep outside and save their money for the hotel tomorrow. Lilly was happy about that. Her wedding would not be a formal affair, but she at least wanted to take a shower before she walked down the aisle.

  Charlie found an open field surrounded by trees and pulled the car in. He fully unzipped a sleeping bag he had bought at Walmart and spread it on the ground to give some cushion to the hard earth. Then he put a blanket over it. Charlie lay down on top of the blanket. She snuggled up next to him, using his shoulder as a pillow. It was a warm, clear night. The stars twinkled in the expansive Texas sky.

  Charlie pointed out a star. “We call it AV12. Its solar system only has three planets, but it does have twelve moons. And RS30 over there, the planets in that system are all covered with poison gases. I wrote a paper on it for an astronomy class.

  “Are you going to miss it?” Lilly asked.

  “Miss what?”

  “Sentria. After we get married, you’ll never be able to go home again.” She realized that while she was giving up a lot, Charlie was giving up more. She at least had the expectation of seeing her mom one day and going back to Texas. Charlie would never see his parents, friends, or home again.

  “Sentria is not my home anymore. My home is with you.” He hugged her tight against his chest. “Besides, it’s just a stupid planet anyway.”

  Charlie told her more stories about the different planets and stars until she fell asleep. The tension of the day gave way to drowsiness. Not even the noisy crickets could keep her awake.

  ***

  Lilly awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Yes, they were definitely out in the country. In the distance she heard a cow moo, low and long. It was still mostly dark, but a bit of pink light could be seen peeking over the horizon.

  She was still exhausted from the long drive and would have gone back to sleep, but she really needed to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately for this city girl, there wasn’t one in sight. She walked across the field to a secluded area with trees, hoping she wasn’t squatting in poison oak.

  In the short time she was gone, the sky had lightened up conside
rably. Charlie was awake now, sitting up on the blanket and rubbing his neck. “Oh, good, you’re back. I thought you got cold feet and ran off.”

  “Not cold feet, full bladder.” Lilly yawned and stretched.

  “C’mon, let’s pack up and go. I’d like to get an early start,” Charlie said. Lilly helped Charlie fold up the sleeping bag and blanket, and they headed out.

  Chapter 17

  On the Run

  Evelyn was livid. How had Charlie slipped through her fingers? She had no clue where he was. Out of desperation, she made the decision to activate the locator chip in Charlie’s neck. By her estimation, Charlie had a two-to-three-hour head start. The locator chip technology had never been used on Earth, but it was their only option. The Sentrians hadn’t used the chips to locate people in decades. Most Sentrians forgot they even had tracking chips. Charlie was one of them.

  One drawback of the device was that it had a limited range. Sentria was much smaller than Earth, necessitating a detection area of only about two hundred Earthan miles. They would have to be at least that close to Charlie before the device would register his movements.

  A search of the pavilion yielded two graduation gowns in the bathroom trash and a Jeep that belonged to the girl, Lilly. They didn’t even know what type of getaway car to look for. Evelyn hoped the girl’s parents could give them some useful information and made Louis call them.

  ***

  Michelle stopped by the store before returning home from the graduation. As she was putting away the groceries she noticed an envelope lying on the kitchen table with the word “Mom” written on it. She opened the letter and began reading.

  Dear Mom,

  Charlie and I have decided to get married. I know it’s sudden, but if we don’t get married now, Charlie will have to move away with his parents. Please don’t think I’m getting married just to keep Charlie here. I love him with all my heart, and we would have married eventually anyway. I’m sorry if I’m disappointing you. You know I love you very much, and it’s not my intention to hurt you. I remember you telling me that when you eloped with Dad, no one would have been able to stop you or talk you out of it. I feel the same way about my decision. Try not to worry. I’ll call you when I can.