A Witch to Live

by Glenn Bullion

  “I didn't mean-”

  The bell rang.

  Kevin sat in his seat and didn't look at her.

  Rachel waited impatiently for Mister Hawkins to let them work in their groups, so she could talk to Kevin.

  Of course, he never did.

  When class ended Kevin was the first one to leave. She called after him, but he ignored her and kept walking.

  “This is gonna be a terrible day,” she whispered.

  The end of the day couldn't come fast enough. Her last class was gym. She always moved slowly in the locker room on purpose. She kept her head low and waited for all the pretty seniors to get dressed, hating to change in front of them.

  She peeled off her gym uniform when she was sure she was alone. She had a few minutes before the locker room was flooded once again with giggles and talks of boyfriends.

  Before she slipped her jeans on, she caught a look at herself in the mirror glued to the end of a locker.

  There were days she could look at herself, and not hate what she saw.

  She wasn't tan, but her skin was smooth and creamy. Her breasts wouldn't knock anyone over, but if she pulled her loose fitting shirt tight, she thought she could impress some of the guys. She was a short girl. She didn't have long legs, but she had curves in the right places.

  Pulling her hair back, she studied her face. When her hair wasn't in her face, she wasn't ugly.

  “Is that Rachel Evans? Posing in front of a mirror?”

  She didn't hear the first few lacrosse players enter the locker room. Her cheeks turned red as she finished getting dressed. They made fun of her for a few more minutes before moving on to how hot John Crowe was.

  She left the gym and headed for the computer lab. Tyler and Kent were already there, and Rachel couldn't help but laugh at them.

  They were playing baseball. Kent balled up a piece of paper and tossed it at Tyler. Tyler smacked it with a long cardboard tube. The paper narrowly missed her head.

  “Our school paper really sucks,” she said.

  Tyler smiled. “Hey, Rachel. You want in on this?”

  “Nah, thanks. I'd rather talk about some articles for the website.”

  He pointed at various computers.

  “Article on next month's Homecoming. Done. Flash movie put together introducing the new math teacher. Done. Kent's artwork. Ugly, but done.”

  She noticed a familiar face through the window walking next to the track, heading for the senior parking lot.

  She was already backing out the door.

  “So, you don't need me?”

  “Nope, we got this. I'm three-for-three already with a home run.”

  *****

  Kevin shifted his backpack to his other shoulder as he left the gym. He couldn't wait to get home and cook a simple dinner before getting back to his papers. He managed to write his own, plus three more the previous night. Five left to do. Just a little more sleep to sacrifice, and he'd be five hundred dollars richer. That was a little more than a month's worth of groceries.

  He smiled to himself as he stopped to let the track team by. With a touch, he could turn ordinary water into something that would heal any injury. He wondered how much money that would be worth.

  He watched the girls' soccer team stretch and warm up as he strolled through the senior parking lot. A voice called his name.

  “Kevin!”

  Rachel jogged toward him, her backpack bouncing up and down. He tried not to smile.

  He was still angry at her.

  Other students made fun of him most of his life, for one reason or another. At first, it was because he and Kristin were adopted. Then his fashion sense, or lack thereof, drew laughs. Kevin didn't care that people laughed at his jacket. But he thought Rachel was different. She was cute, but he didn't think she'd be embarrassed by him sitting next to her.

  He walked to her to close the distance. She smile sheepishly, then her face took on a look of horror.

  “Watch out!”

  The soccer ball smacked him in the back of the head. It only stung for a second, but did knock him down to one knee. There was laughter and giggling behind him.

  He felt Rachel's hand on his shoulder.

  “Oh my God! I'm so sorry,” someone called. “I really didn't see you there.”

  He looked up to see Tessa Hayes, the school's best soccer player, number two on the school's popularity chart, right behind Melissa Johnson. She actually looked sorry, but her teammates didn't.

  He picked up the soccer ball and angrily tossed it at her.

  “No wonder our soccer team sucks,” he told her.

  Her face turned red as she caught the ball and ran back to her teammates.

  “Are you okay?” Rachel asked. “They were probably aiming for me.”

  “Why would they want to hit you with a soccer ball?”

  She laughed. “Listen, about this morning. I don't know what you think I meant, but it's all wrong.”

  He took a breath.

  “I'm pretty good at not letting people get to me. But this morning, when you acted embarrassed that I was talking to you, that hurt a little.”

  She was quiet for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing.

  “Do you even pay attention to what goes on in school?” she asked. “I was worried about you. Talking to me probably isn't a good thing for you.”

  “Why? Do you have drug dealers after you?”

  A smile touched her face. “No.”

  “Mafia?”

  “No.”

  “You have one of those controlling jealous boyfriend types?”

  “I'm single, Kevin.”

  “Okay, well, unless you've got some reason why we shouldn't be, we're friends.”

  She lowered her head shyly. “I'd like that.”

  “So don't freak out when I talk to you in school.”

  “Got it.” She gestured to her Mustang. “Need a ride home?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Chapter 6

  Kevin finally found himself unwinding in Rachel's Mustang. He wasn't sure if it was school being over, or Rachel's company.

  They talked as she toured the streets. He laughed at some of the looks other students gave them driving home. Some looked puzzled at the sight of both of them together. Others admired her car.

  He did feel proud of himself, making friends with such a pretty girl.

  Would she want to hang out with him tonight?

  He dismissed the thought quickly. He needed to get a lot of work done. After Hawkins' project on Friday they'd have more time.

  He had a feeling he was in for an earful from Kristin when she found out about his newest friend.

  Rachel talked about the few hobbies she loved, mostly her school's paper and website. She was telling him about the time she discovered the huge exam cheating ring when she was a freshman. Kevin looked at her as she stopped mid-sentence.

  “You okay?”

  She was fixated on the corner of an intersection up ahead. There weren't any traffic lights, just a four way stop sign.

  “What's that by the curb?”

  He frowned. “That's terrible. Someone hit a cat.”

  He almost looked away when they both noticed movement at the same time.

  The cat was still alive.

  “Oh my God,” Rachel said. “I'm pulling over.”

  Kevin tried to calm down, keeping a firm grip on the backpack between his feet on the floor.

  Rachel parked near the curb and turned on her hazard lights. She nearly got her door knocked off by a passing car as she stepped into the street. Kevin was right behind her.

  He gasped when he saw the pure black cat. He couldn't have been any more than a few weeks old, still a kitten. He lay only a foot away from a sewer drain. His body was completely still, but his eyes locked onto Kevin. They were wide and green, asking for help. The only thing that moved was his tail, flipping back and forth.

  He let out a pathetic high pitched meow, the sound only
a kitten could make.

  Kevin could see blood in his mouth.

  Rachel started crying and buried her head in Kevin's shoulder, only for a moment. She knelt down and almost petted the purring cat, but decided against it.

  “He's really hurt. What do we do?”

  Kevin had the answer, inside his backpack hanging from his hand. He always carried water with him.

  But Rachel stood so close they were bumping shoulders.

  “We probably shouldn't move him,” he said, not knowing if that was true or not. Drivers cursed at them for slowing traffic. “You might want to move your car.”

  She hesitated, then climbed back behind the wheel. Kevin kept a hand on the zipper on his backpack. When she pulled forward and rounded the corner he quickly went to work.

  He blocked Rachel's view with his body, in case she turned her head. Dropping to one knee, he pulled out a bottle of water. He went through the normal motions, unscrewing the cap and turning it over with his thumb covering the top. The water glowed blue, seemingly bright enough to see from space.

  “Shit,” he said, covering the bottle with his backpack.

  When the glow vanished, he dipped his finger in the bottle and pressed it to the cat's mouth.

  “Come on, Oscar,” he said. “Drink up.”

  Oscar lapped the single drop of water from his finger, but refused to lick any more.

  “That's not enough, little guy.”

  Kevin poured more water on his entire hand and held it close to Oscar.

  The cat licked all over.

  “Good, good.” He looked over his shoulder. Luck was on his side. Rachel still sat behind the wheel with her cell phone to her ear.

  Kevin smiled. This had a chance to work out perfectly. The kitten didn't have any weight to him at all. The smaller the body, the less water he had to drink.

  A car door slammed behind him.

  He had to hurry. He poured more water on his hand. Oscar again bathed Kevin's fingers with his tongue.

  There were footsteps behind him. He shoved the bottle into his backpack and zipped it up.

  “I called my mom,” Rachel said. “She says we should take it to the vet. She called ahead, so they know we're coming.”

  Oscar actually tried to move. Kevin slowly stroked his fur. The kitten purred and rested his head on the sidewalk. Kevin took a deep breath.

  The problem of helping Oscar was solved.

  The problem of not arousing suspicion was just beginning.

  Keeping a hand on the cat, he looked up to face Rachel. Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes red. She brushed her hair out of her face. Red eyes, puffy cheeks, it didn't matter. She was still cute.

  “What if he has internal injuries? Should we move him?”

  She put a hand on his shoulder and knelt next to him. “Kevin, to be honest, I don't think he's gonna make it. I thought I saw him bleeding in his mouth. But we have to try moving him and take him to the vet.”

  Kevin hesitated. He slowly scooped the kitten in his arms. He held Oscar high, close to his chest. Oscar put his head on Kevin's shoulder and purred, rubbing his head against Kevin's cheek.

  He sighed, already knowing he'd be taking the cat home.

  “It's okay, Oscar,” he said. “We'll see if the vet can fix you up.”

  Rachel stopped to look at him. “Oscar? You named the cat?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Kevin...”

  “Be positive, Rachel.”

  She opened the door for him, and gave Oscar a scratch on the head before Kevin climbed inside.

  She wiped more tears from her eyes. “I'm trying.”

  Kevin could tell from looking at Oscar that he felt better. He was so afraid Oscar would start playing or climbing around. Then the illusion would be broken. Luckily, the kitten curled in his lap and went to sleep.

  “I hope he's gonna make it,” she said.

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  Oscar slept all the way to the vet's office, much to Kevin's relief. He carried Oscar into the waiting room, Rachel right behind him. A young woman dressed in scrubs immediately took him and carried him to the back. A few people waiting with their pets gave them both sad, understanding smiles.

  Rachel sat in a chair and broke down again.

  Kevin knelt and leaned toward her. She surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and crying into his chest.

  Kevin held her without saying a word.

  He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he couldn't. She was the one person he had to be careful around.

  But Kevin knew Oscar would be fine.

  He didn't know how he did what he did. He didn't know how he could touch water and heal with it. Kristin and he used to talk about it when they were younger. He couldn't explain it, any more than a random person could explain the science behind twitching a finger.

  “Can we stay to see how he is? I don't want the kitten to die,” Rachel said between sobs.

  He squeezed her tight against him, trying to hide a smile.

  An hour went by before a woman opened the door to one of the exam rooms, motioning for Kevin and Rachel.

  Another ten minutes passed before the vet walked in, holding Oscar in his hands.

  The adorable kitten cried when he saw his rescuers.

  “Oscar!” Rachel said.

  She petted him as the vet set him on the cold exam table. The kitten looked more confused than anything else. He rolled on his back and threw his paws in the air.

  The vet introduced himself as Doctor Shaw. Kevin nodded a greeting before petting the kitten himself.

  “He's perfectly fine.”

  Rachel wrinkled her brow. “What? Fine?”

  “He was hit by a car, Doctor,” Kevin chimed in.

  Shaw attached some x-rays up on the wall, showing Oscar in various positions.

  “No broken bones.” He felt around Oscar's chest, then stomach. “His lungs are strong. No discomfort. We took some blood, and we're waiting on the results from that. He's a little dirty, but I say you got yourself a fine kitten here.”

  Rachel looked at Kevin, who put on his best confused look.

  “Doctor, he wasn't moving at all in a gutter,” she said.

  Kevin could see Shaw was trying to be patient, but he didn't know what else to say.

  “Go ahead and pet him.”

  Rachel scratched Oscar behind the ears. He purred loudly and rubbed against her hand. She stopped for a moment, only to have Oscar cry at her and throw his head into her palm. She laughed.

  Kevin waited for the moment to pass before asking what had been on his mind for the past hour.

  “What do I have to do to take Oscar home?”

  Almost like he understood what Kevin was saying, Oscar looked at Kevin and cried. He raised one paw, and then reared back, like he was planning on jumping into Kevin's arms. Kevin moved forward so the kitten would stay put.

  He noticed Rachel staring at him, and turned to look at her.

  “You would do that? You would take him home?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “I'd like to keep him one more night, just to keep an eye on him. He needs shots, and should be neutered. But if you want, come get him tomorrow.”

  Kevin frowned. He had some money saved up, but it would drain his savings to take on a new kitten. The examination, x-rays, blood test, shots, neutering. He wasn't sure he could afford it.

  “How much would all that cost?”

  Shaw smiled. “Ignore everything for today. You just get the shots and the neutering. We'll waive everything else.”

  “No problem,” Rachel said. “I'll pay for it.”

  Kevin smiled at her. He never wanted to hug someone so much in his life.

  Shaw shook both of their hands.

  “Okay, then. Just stop by tomorrow evening. Assuming there isn't anything bad with his blood tests, you can take him home.”

  Kevin gave Oscar one more hug and a kiss on the head. Oscar gave him a lo
ok of pure love.

  “I'll see you tomorrow, little guy.”

  They left the office. Kevin gave in to his urge as they approached her Mustang. He stopped Rachel by the shoulder and gave her a tight hug.

  “Thanks,” Kevin said.

  She pulled back and smiled.

  “Not many guys would have done that,” she said. “Some might have even put the cat out of his misery right there in the street.”

  “You're the one paying for everything.”

  She laughed. “Okay. He'll be half mine.”

  *****

  A day later, Kevin was standing outside his front door. He unlocked it and slowly cracked it open. Oscar was under his arm in a cardboard carrier. Rachel walked behind him, peeking over his shoulder.

  “Is this okay?” Rachel asked. “I mean, your sister isn't gonna freak out, is she? I never really met her.”

  “Nah, she won't freak out.” He smiled. “At least not with you here.”

  “That makes me feel better.”

  He scanned the apartment. Kristin had already folded his blanket and put it and his pillow next to the couch. The shower ran at the end of the hall.

  “Hey, Kristin!” he called. “I'm home.”

  “Okay. I started some Hamburger Helper on the stove. I'm in the shower.”

  “I would have never guessed. I've got company over.”

  Kristin laughed. “Good one, Kev.”

  “I'm serious.”

  “Really? Is it a girl?”

  He rolled his eyes and looked at Rachel. “Ignore her.”

  He set the cardboard carrier on the carpet and let Oscar loose, not quite sure what to expect. Maybe Oscar would run around a while, explore his new home.

  Instead, he climbed up on the couch, curled into a ball, and fell asleep.

  Rachel laughed.

  “My kind of cat,” Kevin said.

  “Was that a female laugh I heard out there?” Kristin said.

  Kevin and Rachel sat on opposite ends of the couch and watched television. Oscar climbed onto his lap and resumed his nap. Kevin slipped out of his jacket.

  He couldn't be completely sure, but thought Rachel stared at him when he wasn't looking.

  The shower stopped. A few minutes later Kristin stood in the dining room in sweatpants and a tight tee shirt with a towel wrapped around her head.

  “Kristin, this is our new cat, Oscar,” Kevin said. He gestured dramatically to Rachel. “And this is-”