Callis Rose

by Mark Tufo

  “Mindy, I’m sorry.”

  “Shut up and find me another shop. I’m not leaving this city until we have something. And this time, I’ll do all the talking. In fact…you’re going to stay in the car. Unless there’s some other big revelation you need to tell me about?”

  Talea shook her head emphatically.

  “Good, find me a store.”

  ‘The Store’ ending up being in a mall on the outskirts of Denver. It was little more than a hole in the wall. Mindy did not hold out much hope, but their choices were limited.

  “You stay here,” Mindy said to a non-moving Talea as she exited the car.

  Talea had had enough supernatural events for the day. She was fine staying in the car and texting Laura.

  Where are u? Laura texted.

  The wicked witch of the east is trying to find a way 2 destroy the wicked witch of the west, Talea replied.

  Any luck?

  No.

  The principal is looking for you 2

  Great, gonna get grounded for this. Witch coming gotta go, Talea texted quickly before changing the app on her phone.

  “Who are you texting?” Mindy asked as she got in.

  “Playing Angry Birds,” Talea replied, showing Mindy the screen.

  “I got something.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a curse.”

  “They sell curses at stores? Are you sure?”

  “Okay so it’s actually an anti-love potion, supposed to make the person who drinks it fall out of love.”

  “How are you going to give that to Callis? She sees you coming and she’ll make you kick your own ass.” Talea nearly burst out laughing.

  “You are a little thick, aren’t you?” Mindy said, squashing out Talea’s moment of mirth. “I’m going to give it to Kevin…duh.”

  “Oh.”

  Mindy weathered the storm her parents gave her when she came home that day. The school had called to tell them about her detention and her going AWOL at school. A few more infractions like that and she could be expelled.

  “Do you know what happens to kids that get expelled?” Mrs. Denton was asking her daughter. She was trying to remain calm, but her daughter’s devil-may-care attitude was pushing her towards the edge…and quickly.

  “I’m not going to get expelled, Mother.” Mindy said as she rolled her eyes.

  “I’m not sure what this change in you is all about, Mindy. And get off the whole ‘Callis thing’ will you? Just let it go. Your brother is enamored with the girl, and from what little time I had to spend with her, she seems like a good person.”

  “Well that shows you how bad a judge of character you are,” Mindy shot back.

  “Funny…because I love you.” Mrs. Denton said. She wished she could have unsaid those words, but they rolled off her tongue, and they had the desired affect when they were spoken.

  Mindy’s eyes immediately teared up and she headed for her room.

  “Shit,” Mrs. Denton said softly.

  It was Friday before Mindy had an opportunity to give Kevin her store bought concoction. The feud between mother and daughter had cooled to a simmer; not more than a handful of words had been exchanged between the two the entire week no matter how hard Mr. Denton tried to lighten the mood. Kevin, for the most part, seemed blissfully ignorant of the whole affair. He knew that Mindy had backed off of Callis since her escapade in the cafeteria earlier in the week and that was all he cared about.

  It was Friday morning. Mrs. Denton was preparing for work and Mindy walked in to get her usual power bar for breakfast.

  “Mindy, I’m late for work. You’re brother doesn’t feel too good, he’s got a sore throat. I made him some tea. Can you take it to him?” Mrs. Denton waited for the retribution and the ‘Why doesn’t he get it himself’ or ‘Why do I have to bring it?’

  For a moment, she watched as those very thoughts crossed her daughter’s mind and prepared to be involved in a litany of nastiness. And then, without warning, Mindy acquiesced. Taking the cup of steaming tea from her mother’s hand. That should have been warning enough, but what mother expects the worst from their daughter? At least consciously.

  “Thank you,” her mother said. She yelled up the stairs, “Kevin I’ll see you at the game tonight. Hope you’re feeling better. Mindy’s coming up with some tea, make sure you drink it all. Bye, honey!”

  “Bye, mom,” Kevin croaked down.

  “Bye, Mindy,” Mrs. Denton said tenderly to her daughter, wondering when the girl would forgive her.

  Mindy said nothing as she headed up the stairs, staring intently at the steam. Mrs. Denton headed out the door.

  Mindy quickly fished the baggie of herbs out of her pocket. It looked like dried rabbit crap and she thought it smelled worse. The clerk had told her that one tablespoon’s worth should do the trick, Mindy dumped the entire contents into the cup. The nuggets dissolved quickly, but the smell was unmistakable.

  “He’s never going to drink this,” Mindy said nervously.

  “You say something, sis?” Kevin asked from the top of the stairs.

  She recovered quickly. “Mom says you need to drink all of this.”

  “What is it with mom and her medicinal teas?”

  Mindy shrugged and handed him the cup.

  He took it. A question forming on his brow. “Are we better now, sis?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know you’re no fan of Callis. But I do care for her a lot and I just wanted to say thank you that you’ve let it drop.”

  Mindy had a momentary pang of regret and was almost at the point of not letting him drink the tea when he took a large swallow quickly followed by another.

  “Oh my God! This tastes like moose piss.”

  “How would you know what moose piss tastes like?” Mindy asked smiling.

  “It’s good to see you smile, Mindy, I missed it.”

  “Good luck at the game tonight,” she told him.

  “You alright?” Callis asked Kevin when he got to her house.

  “Nerves I think.” A mild storm had been brewing in his stomach and it was now registering on the Fujita tornado scale. “Playing last year’s state champs, we haven’t beat them in three years.”

  “Well that’ll change tonight with you as quarterback,” Callis told him with pride.

  He smiled at her and drove like demons were chasing the car. He had a date with destiny and she was a porcelain goddess.

  First period was more than halfway over before he felt remotely human enough to leave the safe confines of the restroom. “I’m not that nervous,” he told his reflection, his stomach gurgled back in response. “Wonderful.”

  “I gave it to him today,” Mindy told Talea and Laura conspiratorially.

  “He does look a little green,” Laura said, looking over Mindy’s shoulder to where Kevin was picking at a taco salad.

  “Is it working?” Talea asked.

  “The only thing it seems to be doing is keeping him from eating,” Mindy replied.

  “Poor thing…he looks miserable,” Laura said.

  “I almost feel bad. All he had to do was not go out with Callis.”

  Kevin made sure not to eat. He had tempted fate merely by looking at lunch.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t play tonight,” Callis said while stroking his perspiring forehead.

  “I’ll be alright,” he told her through gritted teeth.

  Callis couldn’t help but wonder if Mindy and her cohorts were up to something; they were spending an enormous amount of time trying to pretend to not look over.

  “’Sides I’m the best chance of us winning tonight.”

  “I love the game, Kevin. But that’s all it is. If you’re sick you shouldn’t play.”

  “It’s a sore throat (and now a wicked stomach ache), Callis, you know how much crap I’ll catch from the team if I don’t play? Plus I want to, I’ve been hearing about how awesome Mullen is and how we don’t have a chance. I’m going to show them. I wis
h you could be there tonight.” The football game was away and Callis had no means to get there.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” she told him.

  “How?”

  “Your mom and dad said they’d pick me up.” She beamed, she was going to surprise him, but he looked like he could use a little pick me up.

  “That’s awesome, Callis, I’ll be looking for you.”

  “Just pay attention to the game, I’ll be watching you.” They kissed quickly and departed after the lunch period.

  “I don’t think it’s working, Mindy,” Talea told her.

  “It better. I paid twenty bucks for it.”

  “Can I cheer tonight, Mindy?” Laura asked hopefully.

  “Let me see your face.” Mindy squished Laura’s lower jaw in her hand moving her head from side to side to examine the healing. “Put more base on and stay in the back.”

  “Thank you,” Laura said emphatically.

  “Whatever.”

  The Rebels were leading 17-12 in a hotly contested match. The fourth quarter was more than half over and the Kevin-led team was driving, trying to put a nail in the Mullen coffin.

  My stomach, he thought as he got into the huddle. I gotta throw a touchdown so I can use the bathroom. “Okay…deep six, kill joy, spread formation…on three.”

  “Denton, the coach sent in a power ‘I’ run. What are you doing?” Franks, his tailback, asked.

  “Audible.”

  “What the hell is he doing in the shotgun position?” Coach Asbury was asking his assistant.

  The ball was hiked before the assistant coach could comment or call a time out. Mullen had an eight man front and had blitzed them all believing that the Rebels were doing a running play to take some time off of the clock. The rush left only three defenders to cover the receivers. Kevin saw the rush coming, stepped back one more stride so that he could step into his throw, and heaved the football as far as his arm would allow.

  George Princeton, his wide receiver poured on as much speed as he could when he saw the ball come out of the backfield. It was easily a fifty yard toss and he didn’t think he was going to be able to make it in time.

  Fans on both sides stood as the play was happening; half hoping for a completion, the other half hoping for a dropped ball. George was running as fast as he could, he had passed up the Mullen safety and had a good two steps on him but still the ball was sailing.

  Kevin had no sooner thrown the ball when a vicious stomach cramp bent him over violently, instead of sidestepping to avoid a collision with the Mullen lineman, he was struck helmet to helmet. Something snapped as loud as a dry branch under a heavy truck. Kevin fell to the side, his head bent at an unnatural angle, a strange bulge coming out from the side of his neck.

  “Holy shit,” the lineman said as he stood, adjusting his helmet. He was a little woozy from the hit, but not enough so that he didn’t realize something was terribly wrong with the Rebel quarterback.

  Callis had not seen the spectacular catch and subsequent run into the end zone. Her attention had been on Kevin as he was violently driven into the ground. One side of the bleachers were cheering enthusiastically, the other half were groaning and looking for any semblance of a yellow penalty flag in hopes that the whole play would be revoked. Callis was still watching as the Mullen defender got up and off the prone form of her boyfriend. The defender was frantically waving towards the sidelines. It was a few moments more before anyone caught notice. The crowd began to still and quiet down when they realized what was going on.

  “Wow, did you see that?” Mr. Denton asked Callis. He had turned to look at her and then followed her line of sight to Kevin who had not yet moved.

  “Is he alright?” Mrs. Denton asked. Nobody answered because no one had an answer to give.

  Trainers from both sides were rushing on to the field.

  “This looks bad,” Mr. Denton said as he began to leave the stands and head onto the field.

  Mrs. Denton’s hands were in front of her face. Players on both teams were on one knee in the center of the field, more than a few got into a prayer circle.

  “Oh God,” Callis sobbed.

  To her it felt that she hadn’t breathed in minutes. Everything was a haze as the ambulance rolled in with its lights pulsating red and blue. Mrs. Denton grabbed Callis’ arm and they headed to the field.

  Mindy was watching, a niggling feeling that she had some part to play in her brother’s injury was almost leading towards something akin to guilt. She quickly recoiled from that and spoke when her mother and Callis strode past.

  “Why is she going out there?” Mindy asked her mother.

  Tears of worry had already begun to form in Mrs. Denton’s eyes. She was so overcome with emotion she could hardly speak. “I can’t do this right now, Mindy.” Callis led her away.

  Kevin was rolled carefully on to his side, one of the trainers holding his neck in place as they did so. A neck brace had already been fitted around his neck. A backboard was placed underneath him as they carefully rolled him back into place and then strapped him to the entire rig.

  “One, two, three,” the EMT said as they lifted him onto a stretcher.

  “Callis,” Kevin whispered.

  “Yes?” she answered. Her face twisted in angst.

  “Did he catch the damn ball?” Kevin asked.

  She let out a small laugh. “Yes…and he scored a touchdown.”

  “Awesome,” he said as they placed him into the back of the emergency vehicle.

  The crowd stood and clapped as the ambulance drove off the field.

  Mr. Denton hugged Mrs. Denton; he was crying. “He can’t move his legs.”

  Cold dread punched Mrs. Denton squarely in the gut.

  Mindy took that most inopportune of times to lead a cheer celebrating the Rebel’s touchdown.

  Callis went to the hospital with the Dentons. Mrs. Denton had to drive as Mr. Denton was having a hard time seeing through his curtain of tears.

  “He can’t move his legs,” he said for at least the fifth time as they headed to the hospital. And each time it renewed the dread that Mrs. Denton was feeling. She could almost believe it wasn’t happening that the surrealism of the event was just an overactive figment of imagination until her husband kept bringing the reality of it home.

  Kevin was already in the MRI tube when the Dentons arrived at the hospital. They filled out a small novel of paperwork before they were allowed back with him.

  Callis was prepared to wait in the waiting room.

  “Callis, he’s going to want to see you.” Mrs. Denton motioned for the girl to go through the door to the back of the hospital with her.

  They waited in the waiting area holding hands. Mr. Denton was holding nothing back; he had to break the circle many times so he could wipe his eyes. It was about a half hour when a long-faced doctor came out holding a folder that contained images taken from Kevin’s back.

  “Please follow me,” he told them. They rose as one.

  Callis wondered if his face was always that long or only now because of the news he was about to relate. Callis did not think that anything could contain something more evil then what that manila envelope under his arm did. If she could just destroy the evidence, then Kevin would be alright. Irrational, but that’s what she felt.

  The doctor walked around his desk and sat down. Mr. Denton sat heavily into one of the two chairs facing the doctor. He was still holding on to his wife’s hand and almost pulled her onto his lap. She sat down next to him.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have good news,” the doctor said as he reached in to pull out the slides. His voice was grave.

  Mr. Denton went from controlled crying to sobbing.

  “Go on,” Mrs. Denton said stoically.

  “Your son’s neck has been broken between the 3rd and 4th vertebrae.” This caused an involuntary and quite large sob from Mr. Denton. “Our goal right now is to reduce the swelling so that we can minimize the damage. The swollen tissues that usual
ly protect an area in this case are much more destructive in these types of injuries. We have injected ice water into the area, and once we get it down to an acceptable level we will need to perform exploratory surgery to ascertain the extent of the damage.”

  “What’s the prognosis?” Mrs. Denton asked, trying her best to hold it together while her husband was on the verge of needing a sedative.

  “It’s honestly too soon to tell, but this rarely ends well. Best case scenario is that your son keeps mobility in his arms.”

  “That’s the best case?” Mrs. Denton exhaled. “What’s the worst?”

  “He becomes a quadriplegic.”

  “Oh my God,” she said, pulling her husband’s head into her chest.

  “Can I see him?” Callis asked. Tears flowed unchecked down her face.

  “Are you family?” The doctor asked looking up.

  “She is as far as we’re concerned,” Mrs. Denton said as she touched Callis’ hand that was on her shoulder.

  Chapter 8

  “Hi, Callis.”

  Kevin was in a hospital bed still secured to the backboard. Callis had to lean over him so that she was in his line of sight. She bent further and brushed her lips against his.

  “Did we win?” he asked her trying to smile.

  “I have no idea,” she told him. “I stopped caring the moment I saw you on the ground.”

  “Doc says I broke my neck.”

  “I know.” She reached down and grabbed his hand giving it a squeeze. He squeezed it back.

  “I’m scared, Callis.”

  “I’m scared for you.”

  “How are my folks taking it?”

  “About how you would think.”

  “Did Mindy come?”

  Callis shook her head, a lone tear falling from her cheek and splashing down on his chest.

  A flash of pain passed over his face. “I used to look up to her, you know. She could do no wrong in my eyes, even when she was picking on me mercilessly.” He laughed briefly. “I guess she couldn’t do any wrong in her own eyes as well. Odds are I’ll never walk again…I’ll understand if you want to break up with me.” He searched her face for an answer.