by Cheree Alsop
“Come with me, my Maddy,” I said, climbing off the four-wheeler and offering her my hand.
“Your Maddy,” she said with a smile. “I like that.”
I led her beneath the twisted limbs of the branches that reached out over the pond and helped her sit gently on our little grassy knoll dappled in starlight and swaying leaf shadows.
I sat down beside her and could only stare at the beauty of the girl next to me. She reached up a hand and touched my face. “You look so tired.”
I shook my head. “Just tired of being away from you. Monday is going to kill me.”
“Me too,” she said softly.
I settled back on the grass and she laid her head on my shoulder. One hand with gentle fingers splayed across my stomach. My skin heated beneath her touch.
“I was so worried,” she said quietly after a few minutes.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” I weaved a strand of her long dark hair between my fingers. “You’ve been through enough without having to worry about me.”
A smile showed in her voice when she replied, “I’ll always worry about you.”
I gave a small chuckle. “At least you’re thinking of me.”
She turned so her chin rested on my chest and her eyes stared into mine. “I always think about you, Kelson Brady.”
“Really?” I said, my eyebrows raised. “What do you think about?”
A small blush stole across her cheeks, but she kept her gaze locked on mine. “How much I miss being held in your arms. How safe I feel when I’m with you.” She lowered her eyelashes. “How I love kissing you.”
Heat flared through me. I pulled her closer and brushed her lips with mine. She sighed against my mouth, closing the space between us. I tasted her kiss, memorizing the way her skin felt against mine, the way her fingers toyed with the hair at the back of my neck, and the way her breath rose and fell with mine.
We kissed under the light of the stars, silent witnesses to two souls intertwined with one love. I held her close and promised to myself that I would never let her go, not really. No matter how far away she was, I would always remember the softness of her cheek under my fingers, the ruby shine of her lips, the golden and green of her penetrating eyes. She undid everything inside of me and laid me bare and helpless as I had never been before, and I loved her for it. She was my one and only, my world.
A SMILE SPREAD ACROSS her face when she saw me on the bus. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said.
“I’m not going to miss any chance to see you,” I replied.
She smiled again and I knew we were both thinking about our visit to the pond.
“I’ll visit you even if I have to borrow Uncle Rick’s truck,” I promised.
“I’ll call you every night,” she said, blinking back tears.
I held her close. “Don’t cry,” I whispered in her hair. “Don’t cry. It’ll all be all right. This will pass and we’ll be together again, I promise.”
She nodded and leaned her head against my shoulder. It was the last time I would enjoy the bus ride from the Ashby house to Sparrow High.
I was disappointed that Ms. Narrow, the round, cheerful school secretary, had Madelyn’s transcripts and information ready at the office. I had anticipated going with her to each class to collect her work. Instead, it was over too soon.
Masey pulled up in front of the school before the first bell rang. It caused a little commotion with the school buses, but they negotiated around her as if eccentric ladies in red Cadillacs often clogged the bus lane.
Madelyn leaned against me, as reluctant to leave as I was to let her go. Aunt Masey gave two honks of her horn and waved cheerfully, unaware of the hearts that would break as soon as Madelyn stepped into her car.
“Promise me this isn’t forever,” I whispered into her long brown hair. She had worn it down, a fact that wasn’t lost on me.
“It’s not,” she said, her voice trembling. “Forever is for us to live together.” Her arms tightened around me. “Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself while I’m gone.”
“I’m not promising anything,” I said with a smile, reminded of a similar conversation we’d had before I jumped my motorcycle through the window of the livestock building at the fair.
She looked up at me with an answering smile. “Then at least promise to think of me before you do anything rash.”
“I will.”
It was too tempting to kiss her. We were on school grounds where public displays of affection were highly discouraged, but I couldn’t help myself. I leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips, determined to give her some reason to return.
When we parted, her special smile touched her eyes, making them glow in green and gold. “I’ll be back, Kelson,” she promised.
“I’ll be waiting, Maddy.”
I watched with a heavy heart as she climbed into the car and her aunt slowly drove away. I figured at that pace, they would travel the four-hour distance in about two days.
MS. NARROW TOOK PITY on me and gave me an excuse slip to take to my first class. I sat in the back row and listened to Mrs. Carol talk about Shakespeare; for the first time, I truly commiserated with Romeo. I had never been able to understand why he was willing to face death for the girl he loved; to me, the thought had seemed absurd, but now I understood. Now, the thought of being away from Madelyn truly tore me in two.
Mrs. Carol quoted, “‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.’”
I buried my head in my arms and let the rest of class flow by me in a numb wave.
I fell asleep during second-period music history, only to be awakened by the dull tone of the speaker. “Mrs. Franklin?”
“Yes,” she asked, a bit annoyed to be interrupted.
“Please send Kelson Brady to the office.”
“Gladly,” she said. Her tone told me my sleeping hadn’t gone unnoticed.
I picked up my book and wrinkled notebook, then walked from class to the sound of whispers and giggles. Foreboding rose in my chest as I entered the office and met the cheerful grin of Ms. Narrow.
“Good morning again, Mr. Brady,” she said, adjusting her hot-pink cat-eye glasses.
“Morning,” I replied noncommittally. My side ached and I was worried about what the principal wanted, but the secretary’s smile was infectious. “It’s a beautiful day,” I said.
Her smile widened. “It sure is! Summer will be here before long!”
The thought cheered me. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” she said, then her smile faltered. “Not that I don’t like being here. I love Sparrow High. It’s just—”
I took pity on her and gave her another smile. “It’s just nice to have a change once in a while.”
A relieved answering smile touched her eyes. “Exactly.” She waved a set of hot-pink nails toward the principal’s office. “Principal Dawson is waiting for you.”
“Thanks.” I tried and failed to sound thrilled by the prospect.
“Don’t worry,” she reassured me. “For a nice boy like you, it can’t be something horrible.”
I wasn’t so sure, but walked obediently back toward his office anyway.
The principal had traded his red politician tie for a blue one of equal expense. His black suit looked as if it was being worn for the first time, and the toes of his black shoes that showed beneath the desk were polished so they shone. He was leaning back in his chair studying a book of trees. When he looked up and noticed me, he sat up and set the book on the corner of the desk, then ran his thumb and forefinger along his impressive mustache before he motioned for me to take a seat.
“I’ve been expecting you,” he said.
I didn’t know what to reply. The summons to his office made it obvious he was expecting me. I wondered if he just liked the ominous sound of the words. I took a seat on the edge of one of the uncomfortable hard-backed chairs.
&
nbsp; He linked his fingers together and sat forward with just the appropriate angle of intimidating yet authoritative friendliness. “You’ve been absent a few days.”
“I had the flu,” I said evenly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. He picked up a file on the opposite corner of the desk from his tree book and opened it. “You’ve missed quite a few days of school since you moved here, Mr. Brady.”
I kept my face carefully expressionless. “I have a weak immune system.”
He continued to study my file. “Unfortunately, your grades have also suffered from the absences. You’ve missed several tests in key classes, and failed to turn in a few important assignments.” He gave a dramatic sigh as if he cared and looked up at me. “You’re going to have to take summer school in order to graduate this year.”
His words made my heart sink into my stomach.
The principal’s eyes tightened and he sat forward. “Unless you have a good reason for the absences.”
I watched him carefully, unsure what he was getting at.
When I didn’t say anything, a small smile pulled the corners of his lips but didn’t reach his eyes. “I was asked by the FBI to help identify the Black Rider. They seem to think he’s a student at this school, so I pulled the list of students who were absent during the pep rally last week.” He watched me like a cat with a mouse. “You were on that list.”
I gave him an incredulous smile despite the knot that had tightened to a brick in my stomach. “You think I might be the Black Rider?” I forced a laugh. “The one and only time I was on a motorcycle, I wrecked it into Magnum’s truck.”
His brow creased slightly. “You mean Magnum, the leader of the Bullets?”
I was about to ask him if he knew of any other Magnum, but kept silent with the thought that sarcasm might not be the best choice at the moment.
When I nodded, he let out a breath. “That really doesn’t prove anything. Why were you absent the day of the shooting?”
“I had the flu,” I repeated in a carefully expressionless tone.
Silence fell between us. He watched me as though waiting for any movement that would give away the lie. I held perfectly still. I wasn’t a good liar, but I had to be. For a second, I debated telling him the truth. If being the Black Rider kept me from summer school, it might be worth it.
I opened my mouth, then I remembered it was the FBI who was asking him to find out my identity. Sheriff Bowley said they would take the Black Rider in for firing a gun in school despite the fact that I was doing it to defend my fellow students. I couldn’t let them know who I was. Things were finally going somewhat all right; I couldn’t screw up now.
“The flu?” Principal Dawson pressed.
I nodded without saying anything.
His lips pressed together, and then he picked up his phone. “I’m going to have to verify that.”
He flipped the file open to the last page and dialed a phone number. My hands clenched into fists as I waited nervously.
“Hello, Mrs. Ashby?”
Principal Dawson waited, then said in a warm voice that would have made a badger smile, “This is Principal Dawson. It is a pleasure talking to you today. Do you mind if I take a moment of your time?”
I wished I could hear Aunt Lauren’s reply on the other end. Instead, I had to be content with one side of the conversation, the side I really didn’t want to hear.
“No, no, everything is fine,” Principal Dawson continued. “I’m just having a chat with your nephew. I had a quick question for you.” He paused and his eyes met mine. “Could you tell me the reason Kelson was absent last Tuesday?”
I held my breath as I met his gaze squarely.
“Uh-huh,” he said with doubt in his voice. He paused, then said, “Are you sure about that?”
Aunt Lauren’s voice rose to the point where I could hear her shouting. The principal held the phone away from his ear and gave me a wide-eyed look, then quickly said, “I apologize, Mrs. Ashby. I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I doubted your integrity, or Kelson’s. Of course I feel horrible about him having the flu. I’m glad that he’s feeling better and I’m going to ask him to return to class now. Thank you for your time. Good-bye.”
He hung up the phone quickly and stared at it for a moment, then looked up at me. “She confirmed you had the flu,” he said in a voice that tweaked only slightly at the end.
“Is that all she said?” I asked innocently.
He cleared his throat and tugged at his tie uncomfortably, messing up the careful knot. “She wasn’t, uh, happy when I asked her if she was sure about that.”
I fought back a smile. “Well, she’s pregnant.”
“Ah,” he said in relief, as if that explained everything. “Well, please let her know when you get home that I didn’t mean any offense.”
“I will. Am I okay to go?”
He nodded, but when I rose, a strange look crossed his face. For a moment, he didn’t look like a sure candidate for principal of the year; instead, he appeared lost, and oddly, a bit scared.
“Kelson, I’m sorry for all this.” He waved an arm to indicate the desk and chair. “I didn’t mean for the way it came across.”
I stood still, entirely unsure what to say.
He rubbed his forehead, then ran a hand down his mustache in an unconscious motion. “I’ve never been as terrified as I was the day that gang attacked the school.” He looked up at me, his expression stark and bare. “They were going to shoot the students and teachers. I tried to protect them, but there were so many guns.”
I crossed behind the desk where I was sure no student had walked before and set a hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right, Principal Dawson. I heard you did a wonderful job.”
He shook his head. “I could have done more.”
I thought of the way he placed himself between the teachers and students as they hurried out the door. There was fear on his face, but also intensity. He wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt if he could help it.
I lowered my voice, hoping he could hear the truth in my words. “No one was hurt, so you did a good job. You protected the teachers and students. They look to you for guidance and you were a good leader. That’s the most anyone could do in a situation like that.”
He nodded, his eyes on his desk. He picked up my file. “I was hoping to thank the Black Rider for what he did.”
I let out a quiet breath. “Maybe you’ll find him someday.”
He kept his eyes on the manila folder. “The students are holding a candlelight ceremony tonight to honor the Black Rider and to remember those who weren’t lucky enough to have a Black Rider at their school during other shootings.”
That was news to me. I felt stunned that the students would do such a thing. I didn’t know how to reply.
The intercom buzzed, shattering the stillness that had settled around us.
Principal Dawson blinked, then pushed the button. “Yes, Ms. Narrow?”
“Mrs. Jethro from the PTA is on line two. She wants to speak to you about the 2k fundraiser.”
The principal covered the receiver with one hand. “That’ll be all, Mr. Brady. Have a great day.”
“Same to you,” I said, surprised but grateful to have our conversation ended so abruptly.
When I stepped from the room, my shoulders sagged in relief. I made my way past Mrs. Narrow, who waved at me and wished me a fabulous morning. I walked into the nearest bathroom and let my books fall to the floor. I leaned against the wall and let out a sigh.
That was too close. Thank goodness Aunt Lauren told him I had the flu even though we hadn’t even talked about it. I made a mental note to give her a hug when I got home. Between Martin, the FBI, and now Principal Dawson, there were quite a few people on my tail. The sheriff’s advice to lie low hit home a lot heavier. If I wasn’t careful, any wrong move would blow my cover sky high.
I COULDN’T STAND THE thought of riding the bus home without Madelyn at my side. I wandered to the footb
all field instead and watched Magnum throw the ball. He looked truly in his element as he hit a wide receiver square on the numbers. The player ran to the end zone and spiked the ball, then proceeded to do a ridiculous celebration dance that involved arm waving and hip thrusting.
The coach proceeded to rant about focusing energy on something more important than dancing after every single catch. Magnum noticed me and jogged to the fence that separated the bleachers from the field. His coach’s rant turned into something about use of time and threatening the player with laps until the sun set. Apparently Magnum had listened to the tirade before.
He pulled off his helmet and leaned against the fence. “Miss the bus?”
I shook my head. “Tired of the noise.”
He chuckled. “Thought listening to Coach Farston would be nice for a change?”
I grinned. “His language is more colorful.”
Magnum laughed. “It definitely is. I’ll give you a ride home after practice.”
“Thanks.”
He gave me a searching look. “You goin’ to the candlelight ceremony tonight?”
I rubbed my forehead. “I’m not sure. I just found out about it today from Principal Dawson.”
His eyebrows rose. “Why were you talking to the principal?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“I think you should go,” he said.
I shook my head. “I didn’t do it for the glory.”
His brow furrowed. “But it’s the second time you’ve done something that saved a ton of lives. Let them thank you.”
I didn’t feel comfortable about, especially with the FBI breathing down my neck, but I could tell it meant a lot to him. “You’re a Black Rider too.”
“Was,” he corrected with a smile. “And you were the one who made the difference that day. I really think you should go.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He nodded in acceptance, even though it wasn’t really an answer.
“Heads up!” someone yelled.
