by Autumn Reed
Walking in the shade of the redwoods, the sun gently warmed us, but the air was cool and clear. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful campus. As we walked, Chase pointed out various buildings, from exercise facilities to student centers and dorms. Absorbed in the tour, I was startled when we were suddenly engulfed by students that swarmed into the courtyard outside.
Chase shook his head. “Class must have just let out. Stay close.”
Surrounded by so many people was unlike anything I had ever experienced; I was immersed in their colors, their smells, their voices. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, I felt like a fish swimming upstream against the current. I was thankful to have Chase at my side as we moved through the crowd. His arm briefly brushed against mine, and my skin tingled in response.
Amazed, I spoke, mostly to myself. “So. Many. People.”
Despite the chatter of other students, Chase must have heard my remark. He laughed gently and looked toward me before a look of concern clouded his face.
Once we had cleared the path of the other students, he gently touched my back. “You okay?”
Slightly out of breath but grinning, I responded. “Yeah, just not used to seeing many, well any, people, really.”
He nodded knowingly, one side of his mouth lifting. “We have a decent number of students on campus, around 17,000.” I felt my eyes widen. That’s more people than the combined population of Coleville and Minden, plus some.
Past the crush of students, it didn’t take me long to relax again and enjoy the scenery. Despite feeling overwhelmed at first, being around other people was a rush. I felt energized by the movement and the sheer newness of the experience.
After a quick tour of the library and a stop by the outdoor pool, it was almost time to meet Theo for lunch. For the second or third time since I had been on campus, a girl smiled at Chase. But when she looked at me, I felt like she was sizing me up. I didn’t stop to dwell on it; thanks to all the walking and the excitement, my stomach was growling.
As we neared the café, Chase dug his hands in his pockets. “I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself. I hope now that you’re here we’ll get to hang out under more normal circumstances.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Yeah, normal circumstances.” I paused and spoke again with a more serious tone. “I would like that. Maybe I can beat you again at Monopoly.” I smirked.
Before Chase could respond, Theo showed up. Theo was full of energy despite a full morning of classes. He led us upstairs before stopping to open a glass door with the name “Terra Fresca” etched on it. Theo said it was one of his favorites on campus because it was a little nicer than the dining halls and offered table service.
Regardless of the food, I could see the allure of the café. The inside was cozy with upholstered chairs, small round tables, bookshelves, and even a fireplace. Large windows overlooked the forest and sunshine poured through the trees. Groups of students clustered around tables eating and conversing.
We sat at a round table and quickly ordered before Theo started talking again. “So, Haley. Have your major picked out yet?”
I snorted, the idea of me going to college seemed preposterous. And yet, I thought, here I am.
Theo pouted. “Come on, at least humor me and tell me what you would pick.”
Without hesitating, I replied. “Astronomy.”
Theo smiled. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Your turn. What’s your major?”
Chase laughed as if I had made a joke. Theo glared at him before turning to me. “Mr. Studious thinks it’s funny that I’ve changed my major once or twice because I couldn’t narrow down my many interests.”
Chase nodded. “‘Many’ might even be an understatement. In the past few years, you’ve started rock climbing, tango dancing, and cycling. You originally enrolled as an anthropology major, quickly switched to philosophy, then considered linguistics before finally settling on the history of art and visual culture, whatever that means.”
I laughed as Theo elbowed Chase. “Okay, thank you. I think we get the point.” He straightened, lifting his chin proudly. “I prefer to see myself as a modern-day Renaissance man.”
I sipped my water and set it on the table. “So what exactly is the history of art and . . . whatever Chase said?”
“It’s basically traditional art history on steroids. Since images can play a role in perceptions or a reflection of a belief or value, they give us clues as to what is important not only to the society they were created for but also the creator. In other words, we study images from the past and present—whether a painting, video game, or even a tattoo—and consider the social impact.”
The waiter finally arrived with our food. We were all so hungry that we dug in and the conversation lapsed momentarily. When I finally slowed down, I saw yet another student in a “Banana Slugs - No Known Predators” T-shirt walk by.
Many students wore graphic tees, but I kept seeing this one in particular, and it stuck out to me. Looking at Theo and Chase, I bit my lip before speaking. “Speaking of images, what’s up with those T-shirts?” I inclined my head toward a passing student wearing one. “Don’t they know that raccoons eat banana slugs?”
Chase and Theo glanced at each other, scarcely suppressing surprise and amusement. They both started to speak before Chase nodded to Theo to take over. “First, don’t hate on banana slugs; they are our revered and feared mascot.” I couldn’t resist laughing before Theo shot me a playful stink eye.
He paused to pick up some food on his fork and then pointed it at me. “Second, why do you know so much about banana slugs?”
I shrugged. “Growing up, my dad and I went for walks in the forest. We had a deal, a game, really. Whenever I encountered something new, he told me the name only. I could ask any questions I wanted, but he would only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ After returning home, I’d usually research the plant, animal, bug, whatever.”
Even Theo was silent for a moment, his eyebrow raised. Was my admission that strange? The waiter returned to refill our drinks, and I was thankful for the distraction.
At the unexpected memory of my dad, I felt a pang of guilt. Although I was happy to be here, I hated that it came at such a high cost. I would trade all of my new experiences just to know that my dad was okay. Hit with a sudden wave of sadness, I picked at my food while Chase and Theo talked.
When I heard Chase mention Jackson, my ears perked up. “Speaking of Jackson, have you guys heard when I am going to start work? He spoke to me about the job when I met him a few days ago, but I haven’t heard anything since.”
Chase shook his head. “No, but he’s been kind of busy. He did mention that we should all come to his uncle’s house this weekend to hang out. You could talk to him about it then, or I can call him now, if you want.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll talk to him this weekend.” Relieved that I’d have a chance to find out more in a few days, my mind wandered to the many other questions I had about what the guys did and where they worked. There was one that immediately came to mind, and it was out of my mouth before I even realized it. “Jackson kept referring to the ‘team’; how many of you are there?”
Between bites, Chase answered, “Six.” Six? Holding my hand under the table, I counted. Chase, Ethan, Knox, Theo, Jackson. Realizing that was only five, I wondered what the sixth member of their team was like.
Theo said, “I forgot you haven’t met Liam yet! He’s going to love you!”
Interested to learn more, but deciding to move on, I asked, “So, what can you tell me about my new employer? I realized after talking to Jackson that I don’t even know the name of the company.” I kept my voice even, hoping they wouldn’t realize the depth of my curiosity.
Chase and Theo exchanged a subtle look, and I caught a twinge of hesitation on Chase’s face.
Theo responded, “Well, that one is easy. The name of the company is Zenith. We work at the San Jose branch, but there are also branches in a few o
ther states. The office is located in a skyscraper downtown.”
“Zenith, huh? I like the celestial name.” When they both looked slightly confused, I continued, “You know, a zenith, the highest point in the sky?”
Chase nodded, “Oh yeah, I guess I’m so used to hearing the name that I forget its meaning.” He paused. “You weren’t kidding about choosing astronomy as your major, huh? You seem to really like the subject.”
I nodded. “That would be putting it mildly, but yes.” I refused to say more, not wanting to admit the extent of my obsession.
Theo clapped his hands together. “This is awesome! Do you know how popular stars and celestial bodies are right now? I am already picturing clothes and jewelry that we can buy for you!”
I smiled and shook my head. We just went on a mini shopping spree and he was already buying me shoes and thinking about what to purchase next.
When the waiter arrived to retrieve our plates, Theo spoke. “I’ve got lunch; you guys go ahead. I know you have some stuff to work on, Chase.”
I reached to pull out my wallet, but Theo immediately objected. “Haley, what do you think you’re doing? Put that away before I throw it in the trash.” I rolled my eyes at his extreme reaction.
Theo grinned mischievously. “Don’t think I wouldn’t; you need a new one.”
I hunched slightly. “Are you sure I can’t pay for my share?”
He glared at me. “Absolutely.” He paused, placing a credit card with a giant cartoony banana slug in the leather folio.
As we pushed in our chairs, Theo looked pointedly at Chase. “Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ve seen quite a few guys checking her out. Maybe I shouldn’t have let her out of the house in that dress.” He winked at me, and I felt heat rising from my chest to my face.
I was quiet on the drive back to the loft. What would Dad think if he could see me now? I thought about all of the things that had changed in the past week: a new city, different clothes, friends, and even a job. Would he see these things as proof that I could live a “normal” life? Was this even normal, surrounded by five (soon to be six) guys, always guarded by at least one of them?
Elegant Accents
I knew it was almost time to leave, and I could feel a thin layer of sweat forming on my forehead. Clothes were strewn across the bed, and I had just pulled on a shirt. I fumbled around in the closet, looking for my cork wedges, frustrated by what seemed like a futile search. I don’t even have that many clothes, where can they possibly be?
Knox’s voice called down the hall. “Almost ready, Haley?”
I squeaked, throwing a few more things in the large canvas tote bag and tugging my shirt down to cover my stomach. Knowing that we were going to Jackson’s uncle’s house to hang out with the other guys, I had debated my outfit several times, wondering if it was dressy enough, too dressy, too fill-in-the-blank. Now that it was time to leave, I wanted to hide in the closet.
Knox’s voice was closer now. “Everything okay in there?”
“Be right out.” I answered quickly, hoping that would be enough to keep him from coming in to check on me. Normally very tidy, I didn’t want him to see the room in this state, or worse yet, catch me between outfits. Finally spying the wedges, I slipped them on before throwing the remaining clothes in the closet and shutting the door.
After locking up the loft, Theo, Knox, and I headed out to the garage. I wondered what car it would it be this time. It seemed like every time I went somewhere lately, I was riding in a different one. I still hadn’t been on the black beast. Yet, I thought, reminding myself of Knox’s promise to take me for a ride.
Knox pointed toward a black truck, and I had a sudden flashback of this truck sitting in the woods outside the cabin in Markleeville. It seemed so long ago, and yet I knew it was just after my birthday. I shook my head. Whoa, has it really been almost two weeks since my birthday?
Despite my lack of a consistent schedule, I was easily settling into my new life, especially now that I was free of the crutches. I alternated between hanging out at the loft, running errands, and seeing more of Santa Cruz. Like Jackson had promised, at least one of the guys was always with me, which usually meant some variation of Theo, Knox, and Chase. So far, I had avoided facing Ethan again. Knowing he would likely be there tonight, as well as Liam—who I had yet to meet—made my pulse race.
“Shotgun,” Theo yelled, jogging to the truck ahead of me.
Knox growled, “No. Haley gets the front.”
I looked back and forth between them, wondering if I should get involved. “Oh, it’s fine. I don’t mind sitting in the backseat. Theo’s taller anyway.”
Theo playfully stuck out his tongue at Knox, “See.” He put our bags in the back before holding out his hand to help me climb in the tall truck. Its interior was spacious and immaculate, complete with black leather seats, dark tinted windows, and a high-tech dashboard with digital maps and a backup camera.
I mentally counted Knox and Theo’s cars, quickly tallying four: the Mustang, the black beast, Theo’s Outback, and the truck. Private security must pay well, I thought. Or maybe Theo and Knox came from a family with money? Somehow that didn’t quite seem to fit.
As I was pulling the seatbelt across my stomach, Theo stopped me. “Sit in the middle so I can see you.” I moved to the middle seat and caught Knox watching me in the rearview mirror. He rolled his eyes at Theo, and I laughed out loud.
It was fun seeing the brothers like this. Although I had been spending time with each of them at the loft, we were rarely all three together. Knox was mostly absent, and according to Theo, work was crazier than usual for him. I wondered how much of that was related to the situation with my dad. Hopefully busy was a good thing in this instance.
The garage door closed, and a Willie Nelson song started playing through the stereo. Theo groaned and immediately grabbed Knox’s cell phone from the cup holder. “You are not going to make us suffer through Willie and Waylon this entire trip.” A few seconds later, another song started playing.
Knox snatched his phone from Theo and changed it back to Willie. “You know the rules. My truck, my music.”
Interrupting their bickering, I said, “Hold on a second.”
Before I could continue, Theo cut me off. “See, Haley doesn’t want to listen to that either. Now you have to change it.”
“No, that’s not it. I’m fine with Willie Nelson.” Theo groaned again. “I just wanted to ask how you’re playing music through Knox’s phone. It isn’t plugged in anywhere.”
Theo turned around and gave me a surprised look. He reached back and patted me on the cheek, “Oh, our sweet, sheltered little Haley doesn’t know about Bluetooth.”
Embarrassed, I realized that I should have figured it out. “I’ve heard of Bluetooth, but I’ve never used it. I didn’t know you could use it to play music as well as talk on the phone.”
Knox tucked his phone in his pocket before smacking Theo on the arm. “Stop making Haley feel bad.” He gave me a small smile through the rearview mirror. “The technology hasn’t been used for that purpose for long. It’s not even standard in most cars yet.” Knox merged onto highway seventeen northbound.
Theo’s face lit up as he turned to look at me. “Speaking of cars, Haley, I have a very important question for you.”
“Okay . . . ”
“What is your dream car? And make sure you think about it before you answer, because your taste in vehicles tells a lot about you. For instance, the fact that Knox spends most of his time on the back of the black beast or in this over-sized hunk of metal suggests that he’s overcompensating for . . . ” he paused dramatically, “something.”
Knox grunted. “At least I don’t drive a soccer mom car.”
I laughed, looking back and forth between the two of them; it was like watching a game of ping pong.
“Hey! It is the top-rated vehicle for cyclists, thank you very much! And don’t distract me. This is about Haley.” He turned back to me. “So
?”
I thought for a few moments and finally said, “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. The only thing I’ve ever driven was my dad’s truck, which was fine, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.”
“Well then, you can try out each of our vehicles and see what you like the best.” Theo’s smile widened, “I see you in something cute and sporty.”
Knox shook his head. “Forget cute, she needs something safe and reliable. Maybe a Honda.”
“Stop being such a stick-in-the-mud,” Theo said. “We’re talking about dream cars here, not grandma cars.”
Wanting to stop their argument before it really started, I interrupted. “It’s not like it matters. I can’t afford a bicycle, much less a car, dream or otherwise.” Theo started to protest, but I continued, “At least I know who to ask for advice when I’m eventually ready to look at cars.”
My statement seemed to appease Theo for now, and he changed the subject. “I’ve decided that I’m going to climb El Gigante. I know things are busy right now, but I want to fit in more training when I can so that I’m ready by Christmas break.” Theo’s voice sounded unsure, almost like he was hoping Knox would give his permission.
Knox stared straight ahead, silent. I was tempted to duck behind the seat to make myself invisible. Clearly this conversation was not going to be pleasant.
Theo, obviously annoyed by Knox’s reaction, or lack thereof, tauntingly said, “What? You don’t think I can do it?”
Knox gruffly replied, “What do you want me to say, Theo? I’ve already told you that I don’t want you to climb that stupid rock. It’s not safe, and there’s no reason for you to take that kind of risk, not only by climbing it but in going to Mexico.”
“Oh, so it’s fine for you to take a risk every time you get on your motorcycle or go kiteboarding? But I can’t do the same? You’re not my father, Knox. Stop treating me like a child!” What is kiteboarding? I tucked the question away for another time. There was no way I was going to speak right then; the air in the truck was already crackling with tension.
