Redemption Song

by Melodie Murray

  Cam reached over and playfully poked her in the ribs, attempting to yank her thoughts back to his question, but two words were the only thing floating around in her mind and they were echoing like a scream in a cavern. Ethan Carter.

  “You better think fast or we’ll be in the air before you decide,” Cam said.

  Alaina sighed and took one last glance at the road to her past stretching out behind her. Finally she spoke.

  “Fine. Just drive.”

  It was late afternoon by the time the massive airliner touched down at LaGuardia Airport. Alaina wasn’t sure she’d ever seen so many people at one time in her entire life. Everyone was so busy and so focused on whatever they were doing or wherever they were going. No one even noticed her and Cam as they fought their way to the exit with their bags in tow.

  Thirty minutes later, they finally found a cabbie who felt sorry enough for them to offer them a ride to Manhattan.

  “Okay, you got me here,” Alaina said to Cam who sat next to her in the backseat as the cab traveled at a pace she would have thought impossible for the amount of traffic around. “How exactly do you expect to pay for this little adventure, anyway? This cab ride alone is going to cost a fortune.”

  Cam flashed a deviant grin and pulled a little plastic card from his pocket, flipping it confidently between his fingers. “Mom sent the credit card. She was so excited to hear that I was interested in college, she was up for just about anything.”

  Alaina glanced out her window and tried to catch her breath. They were traveling across the Brooklyn Bridge—the same one she’d seen a hundred times in the movies—and the view was nothing like anything she’d ever witnessed. “Even if it meant you moving a thousand miles away?”

  “Well, that part was my idea,” Cam retorted. “But it’s cool. You’re going to love this campus. I checked it out online and it’s located right on the edge of Manhattan. Just a few blocks from the Hudson River, but still only a bus or cab ride away from Central Park. Just imagine, Alaina, living here in the city. No one around to tell us what to do or when to do it. We would run our own lives and still receive an education to be proud of. What could be cooler than that?”

  Alaina knew what it was like to not have anyone to answer to. She’d been living that life for a couple of years now, and frankly, "cool" would not be the first descriptive word to come to her mind. “Well, don’t get ahead of yourself, big guy. This is your little adventure remember? I’m just along for moral support and to fulfill my favor debts.”

  Cam laughed. “I already told you I wasn’t pulling the favor card. And don’t reject the idea so soon, Alaina. This could be your adventure, too. You might love this campus, you know. If not the city itself, the campus might be the one thing New York offers for you to love.”

  Alaina kept her focus on the concrete jungle that stretched out before her. She would never tell Cam, but New York City had already provided her with something to love, and if the way that had turned out was any indication of how things would go at this college, the hopes of her wanting to stick around were slim to none.

  It was evening by the time the cab came to rest on the chaotic street in front of a beautiful set of mahogany double doors with elegant artwork etched into the ivory columns and door facing. Morningside Inn was on a sign mounted to the side of the towering building. Alaina lifted her gaze as Cam unloaded their bags and paid the cabbie for the ride. She counted about six or so stories judging by the windows. The sounds of the city were just as she imagined them to be. Cars honking their horns, sirens sounding in the distance, music echoing from a place she wasn’t sure of. People consumed the sidewalks all around her. Some strolled leisurely, taking their time to enjoy the beautiful night and magnificent city weather. Others raced past at a pace near jogging, chattering away on their cell phones, some as if their worlds were falling down around them. Alaina saw people of every nationality, every race, every color, every age, and every gender. New York City truly was the melting pot, but she couldn’t help but find it all serenely beautiful in its own messy little way.

  A bellhop kindly met them at the door, offering to rid them of their bags, in which Cam eagerly handed over. He offered Alaina an excited grin and walked her to the front desk. A young, probably college age, brunette girl awaited them with her hands clasped in front of the keyboard on the desk.

  “Welcome to Morningside Inn,” she smiled. “How can we help you this evening?”

  “We need a room, please,” Cam said.

  “One night, sir?”

  Alaina’s ears perked up instantly. She hadn’t even thought to ask Cam how long they were staying.

  “Yep,” Cam replied.

  “Okay,” the girl said, clicking away at the computer mouse. “I assume you want a single room . . .”

  Alaina interrupted with an amused sort of snort. “Uh, you assume wrong. I would like my own room, please.”

  Cam turned to her. “Alaina, just because I have the credit card doesn’t mean I have an unlimited budget. These rooms are like two-hundred bucks each after tax.”

  Alaina paused for a moment, contemplating what he was saying. In other words, she was going to have to share a bedroom with Cam or fork over two-hundred dollars of her own nonexistent money. That wasn’t even a possibility. Well, there was at least one thing she could do. Alaina turned to the desk girl and flashed a kind, but firm, smile. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant single room . . . two beds.”

  The girl held back an amused giggle. “Yes, ma’am, no problem.” She clicked away a few more times at the mouse, swiped Cam’s borrowed credit card, and finally handed Cam an envelope with a couple of key cards in it. “Room 1622, sir. If you need anything, please push the concierge button on your room phone and he’ll take care of everything. Thank you for choosing Morningside and I wish you a pleasant stay.”

  Cam and Alaina thanked her and headed through the expansive lobby toward the elevator on the far wall.

  “I’m beginning to think you don’t trust me,” Cam said as he pushed the elevator button. He glanced down at Alaina with an accusatory grin.

  “It’s not necessarily that I don’t trust you,” she answered thoughtfully, “it’s more like your entire kind in general.”

  Cam laughed. “My kind?”

  Alaina shrugged. “You’re a boy. What can I say?”

  The elevator reached the sixth floor with a ding and Alaina followed Cam into a long, maroon-carpeted hallway. Taupe textured wallpaper covered each wall above a line of mahogany chair rail. What seemed like a quarter-mile walk after they made all the twists and turns, Alaina came to a halt behind Cam as he stuck the key card into the lock. The green light clicked to life and the door opened easily.

  Alaina entered the room to feel a cool breeze wafting from the air conditioner vent in the doorway. Two perfectly made beds with huge fluffy pillows rested in the room as promised and a large double paned window stretched out along the far wall. The bell boy from earlier stood in the corner of the room with their bags and an expectant smile. Cam thanked him and offered the customary gratuity while Alaina bolted straight for the window.

  She reached up and found the little plastic sticks in the middle and pulled them in opposite directions. The tan insulated curtains separated noisily and Alaina caught her breath at the view that awaited behind them. In every direction, buildings towered to the very edge of heaven itself. Some were glass. Some metal. Some seemed to be made of stone. Cars that resembled little ants raced in perfectly gridded patterns and dots of people meandered down the sidewalks.

  “Incredible, isn’t it?”

  Cam had come up behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back. Normally, this would have irritated Alaina, but this was Cam. She’d turned to him so many times in the past few weeks; his touch was nothing but a familiar comfort now. She looked up at him and offered the smile she knew he expected.

  But on the inside she wondered where, in the massive concrete jungle outside of her window
, was Ethan Carter . . . and could it be possible that he thinking about her, too?

  Chapter 31

  Alaina

  It was around eight o’clock the next morning when Alaina and Cam reached the outskirts of City University. Alaina was wide awake and ready to go, having grown quite accustomed to early mornings. In fact, compared to the work schedule she’d held for so long, eight o’clock constituted sleeping in. Cam, on the other hand, had insisted on a stop-off at the Starbucks two blocks down from the hotel.

  As they walked up the winding sidewalk that curled through the elaborate campus, Alaina couldn’t figure out which direction to focus her gaze. Everything was so beautiful. The buildings that housed the classrooms looked absolutely nothing like a public school, which was basically a cinder block rectangle. No matter where she looked on this school campus, there wasn’t a cinder block in sight. The buildings were massive structures constructed of rock and designed to resemble tiny castles. There was not a bare space of land at the bases of the buildings that was not perfectly mowed or landscaped. The campus was like a little grassy refuge hidden inside the concrete maze that surrounded it. The mixture of architecture and landscaping was as much classic as it was futuristic, blending together in a perfect balance of visual appeal.

  Alaina glanced down at the outer screen of her phone. The digital clock read 8:02. “Uh, Cam, aren’t you supposed to be there at eight?”

  “Yep.”

  “It’s past eight.”

  He seemed unconcerned, but Alaina noticed his pace quicken a tad. Her phone read 8:10 when they finally—panting and starting to perspire—reached the flag pole in front of Shepard Hall. A small group of about ten were gathered in front of a concrete structure made to hold an American flag. A boy that didn’t appear to be much older than Cam climbed up on top of the concrete structure and held his hands up to get everyone’s attention.

  “If I could have your attention please!” The boy was tall and muscular with spiked dirty blonde hair and a killer tan. He wore a faded pair of jeans with a pair of Sanuks. His t-shirt was a deep red with three Greek letters over the left breastbone that Alaina recognized from her brief time in Calculus before she was forced to drop out. The sigma and beta she knew, but the letter in the middle she couldn’t quite decipher.

  “We are about to begin our tour,” the boy continued. “My name is Josh and on behalf of the Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity (oh it’s lambda) welcome to City College, and thank you for taking the time to consider our university for your higher education.”

  Alaina could tell that the boy’s intro was entirely rehearsed and wondered how many of these tours he’d given before he’d become so expertly skilled at reciting it. He seemed smooth . . . too smooth to be real. And then, the boy did something Alaina would never have expected.

  Remaining on his concrete perch, Josh called out, “Before we get started, I need to know if Cameron Crawford is here.”

  Alaina glanced up at Cam with surprise.

  Cam grabbed hold of Alaina’s hand and led her toward the front of the group of campus tourists. “It’s just Cam, actually,” he said, holding his free hand out for the boy to shake. “Sorry, I was running a little behind.”

  Josh smiled a full mouth of teeth. “Cam, we’ve been expecting you! Nice accent, man. On behalf of Sigma Lambda Beta, I would like to offer you a special welcome and a VIP position in the front of the line.”

  Alaina nudged Cam in the ribs. “What’s going on?” she muttered.

  Cam thanked the frat boy and as they departed. Following closely behind Josh, Cam leaned down near Alaina’s ear. “I told you I was invited to tour the campus.”

  “You were invited by a fraternity? Is that normal policy? I thought those were kind of closed off groups, like you had to get voted in or something?”

  Cam gave a wink. “Not when you’re a legacy.”

  “Legacy, as in . . . already a member?” Alaina said. “How is that possible?”

  “My dad. He went to school here. Grew up in New York, in fact. He met my mom at some kind of Greek-life National Conference, or something like that. His job eventually took them to Fairhope a few years before I was born.”

  “I’m starting to think there’s a lot about you I don’t know,” Alaina said thoughtfully.

  Cam grinned, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and gave her a tight squeeze as they continued to follow behind Josh.

  “Yeah, it’s kind of sexy in a mysterious sort of way, don’t you think?” His grin turned mischievous and he fluttered his eyebrows.

  Alaina snorted. “Whatever you say, wannabe frat boy. I was thinking it’s more alarming in an I’m-alone-in-New York City-with-a-boy-I-hardly-know sort of way.”

  Cam laughed and turned his attention back toward Josh’s riveting tour guide speech. Josh was waving with excitement from one direction to another, giving random historical facts about each building. Up ahead, a building dedicated strictly to the study of Engineering. Another geared to Nursing and Physical Therapy. One for Science and another for Mathematics. Others for the study of the Arts and History.

  Alaina tried to stay focused, but there was something gnawing at her concentration. Cam had been acting a little different ever since they’d arrived in New York. First, with the failed attempt to get a single room with a single bed for them to sleep in. Now, with the blatant flirtation and the constantly touching her . . . Alaina wondered if Cam was starting to get the wrong idea about their relationship. She’d allowed herself to get pretty close to Cam over the past few months when she needed his support. They hugged and he held her and occasionally gave her the supportive kiss on the forehead. But that’s always where things ended and she thought he was okay with that. They were just friends, after all. Weren’t they?

  The traditional campus tour lasted for a total of two hours. Cam and Alaina followed Josh like leashed puppy dogs as he walked every square inch of campus and ducked inside some of the most frequented buildings, making certain to "Oooh" and "Ahhh" at all of the appropriate times. But then, after all of the other tour guests had left, Josh—who had seemed to be talking directly to Cam the entire morning—took Cam by the arm and led him around to parts of the campus not included in the previous tour. Alaina followed behind as Josh talked up every single little attribute of CUNY as if there was no better campus on earth, and she laughed to herself as Cam ate up every single word. It was around lunch time when Josh finally came to a halt at their original starting point in front of the flagpole.

  “Hey, man, let’s go check out the frat house,” Josh said with a eager smile, slapping Cam on the shoulder as if they were old friends by now. “You can see where you’ll be staying if you choose to go to school here. I’ll introduce you to some of the guys. It’s not normal practice, but you can even bring your girlfriend along. We usually don’t let just anyone see the headquarters, but she seems pretty cool.”

  “Cam and I are just friends, actually.” Alaina was quick to jump in. She wanted to add to Josh that she didn’t appreciate the way he’d ran his eyes up and down her body when he’d said the words ‘pretty cool’, but chose to just keep her mouth shut out of respect for Cam. “Besides, Cam and I have a plane to catch this afternoon so . . .”

  “Alaina,” Cam interrupted hastily, “our plane doesn’t leave for several hours. We have plenty of time.”

  “Yeah, but . . .” Alaina went to interject, but Cam already had his wallet out and was pilfering through a stack of bills in the leather pocket. He pulled out a twenty and shoved it toward her.

  “Here, go get some lunch and I’ll meet back up with you in an hour or so. Check out the campus.” He came closer to her, blocking Josh from their conversation. “Remember, this is your adventure, too. Go check out the stuff you’re interested in. See if this could be something you’d consider for your future.”

  Alaina gave a frustrated sigh but didn’t protest. “Okay, fine, but seriously, Cam. I don’t want to miss that plane.”

  “You worry
too much!” Cam grinned and took off after Josh, leaving Alaina alone by the flagpole.

  Alaina turned in circles trying to remember which direction they’d gone earlier to get to the Student Center. After about half an hour and three wrong buildings, she finally figured it out. She entered the cafeteria, purchased a sub sandwich and a Coke, and found an unoccupied booth in be back corner. Little flat screen televisions were mounted in every corner of the vast dining hall, and played some kind of University music station. None of the music was any that Alaina had ever heard. She only listened to Christian music, but after giving it a little thought, she realized that she hadn’t really even listened to that lately.

  Truthfully, since Ben’s death, Alaina hadn’t done much of anything, period. She never watched TV. Never listened to the radio. She just lived in her own depressed little bubble. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized how much Ben would hate that. Suddenly, she felt as if she’d let him down a little. She looked back up to the television. On the screen was some blonde girl dressed in a strange pink and black poke-a-dotted outfit that could just as easily have been designed for a baby doll. Her eyes were lined in dark shadow and thick liner that curled up her temples in a spiral. She sang a pop song with a dark undertone, and at some point Alaina realized that she wasn’t even sure what the girl was singing about. Her mind wondered back to one of the first conversations she’d ever held with Ethan. She’d told him that he was so talented and it was a waste to use his talent to sing songs that had no real meaning. He could make a difference with his voice. She wondered if Ethan was ever on this channel, dressed up in strange costumes, singing songs that didn’t mean anything. She wondered where he was now. Surely his tour was over by now. She hadn’t bothered to check online. Somehow, it would just make his leaving a permanent finality.