July (The Year of The Change Book 1) (2 page)

Good-bye

Calvin's strong arms had me pinned to the ground in my front yard. “Sylvia, you can’t leave.” His lips sought for a kiss.

I struggled for enough breath to yell. This wasn’t quite how I’d pictured our parting. I avoided looking in his wild blue eyes for fear I would stop fighting. Apathy would bring a halt to any chance I had to become extremely special as the family legend promised.

He was eighteen, popular and the boy next door that I’d had a mega crush on for six years. Calvin Thompson was the epitome of gorgeous. I’m not quite sure how I’d gone from totally hating him to worshipping the ground he walked on.

What was I doing struggling?
Oh yeah, special … extremely special?

***

Before The Change started over the Christmas holiday, I was devastated he would leave for college in Florida that July. No longer would Calvin reside next door for me to daydream over. No more heart palpitating glimpses as he came and went. No more incentive for me to walk down the halls of our high school. No reason to get up in the morning. The whole ordeal had been
The Great Trauma
of my life until I found out we were moving to Alaska. Now, Calvin and I were going to opposite ends of the earth and I couldn’t have been more miserable.

My biggest fantasy involved next summer when he came home from college and I was a senior – who just happened to be making plans to attend
his
college. We would meet on the sidewalk in front of our houses, just like any other summer day. The birds would sing, the day would be hot enough for shorts and a tank top, but not humid. This time he would finally see me for the woman I’d grown into, not the gangly little girl with scabby knees who moved in next door when he was twelve. Our eyes would meet and ZAP! He would be so totally in love with me that all the other girls in his life, mostly gorgeous cheerleaders, would mean nothing to him. He would see only me. Ah, what a wonderful fantasy.

That had been before the start of The Change.

At first, everything seemed normal with Calvin, even though everything else in my life wasn’t. He ignored me and I followed him all over our high school drooling in his wake.

One month after my sixteenth birthday the world tilted.

Over the crowded hall I spotted Calvin’s blonde spiky ’do. I straightened my blouse, quickly smoothed back a few escaping hairs and tucked them behind my ear. Hopefully, I didn’t look too goofy just in case he happened to glance in my direction. Maggie, my second best friend, laughed at me as she, too, straightened her perky brown hair. We checked each other’s teeth and made sure nothing was on our faces. I turned back in time to see Calvin emerge from the nameless masses and a spotlight exploded over him.

Okay, not really, but it seemed like it to me.

My breath caught as his beautiful blue eyes lifted and he scanned the crowd. Would he actually glance in my direction?

He not only glanced, but turned his whole head before his body jerked around, too. Then he stopped right in front of me.

OMGosh!

“Hi, Sylvia. Do you have science now?”

OMGosh!

My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t speak. If it hadn't been for the putrid smell emanating from the last period's lab experiment I might’ve thought I was dreaming. Maggie nudged me in the back.

“Yeah,” I croaked, anything but suave.

“Cool.” He nodded.

I tried again. “Yeah.” Still couldn’t find anything to follow my pathetic attempt at conversation.

He looked around. “I’d better get to class.”

“Yeah.” Was that all I could come up with? I’m such a dork.

After the awkward moment I thought for sure Calvin would avoid me. Instead, he made a point to smile when he saw me in the halls, and waved from his house. Every little tidbit of attention was like manna from heaven. That’s all there was.

Until today.

***

Today started out innocently enough. The sun beat mercilessly overhead as the moving van pulled from the curb. Tim and I were loading the last of our suitcases into the cargo carrier on top of our minivan. The surface could have broiled meat, like my hand, for instance.

My strawberry blonde stepbrother Tim, now eleven, had become very useful when he wasn't bugging the heck out of me. Tam, his twin sister, was inside helping their mother, Sue, in our generic suburban house,
the house that no longer belonged to us
. Tam was packing the food basket and drink cooler. My stomach hoped Sue remembered peppered jerky, my favorite. Dad, under the hood, checked all the car fluids, again. Even hot and tired, he was determined we’d get as far as Wichita, Kansas today. Knowing him, he would do it, or we would die trying.

I’d watched Calvin’s split level house hoping I would get to see him before we left. I even cleaned the sweat and fingerprints off my glasses twice to make sure I could see him clearly if he showed himself.

Earlier, he’d come out and stood on his stoop and watched us, but went back in. I was grateful. I’d at least gotten a long glance. He came out a few minutes later and walked down the steps, then immediately turned around and went back in his house like he’d forgotten something.

Two glances.

I was so lucky.

With the last suitcase in the carrier, I felt like a fish swimming upstream in the boiling humidity. I wrestled with the latch and it bit me. A cuss word slipped out as I hopped around holding my throbbing finger. Dad huffed from under the hood before he emerged to give me a scathing look that made me wilt all the more.

“Sylvia, not in front of Tim.” He stepped around and latched the car top carrier without any effort. Of course it closed easily for him.

He returned under the hood after giving me a warning glare. Sucking my finger I looked to Calvin’s domicile and the beautiful flower gardens that I would miss. His mom, Mrs. Thompson, came out of their house with her arm through Calvin’s, and they walked over to us. It looked as though she were pulling him along. It was nice of her to make Calvin say good-bye. I’d always liked his mom.

Sue came out, finger combing her short, strawberry blonde hair with the miniature Mom, Tam, following close behind. Sue put on one of her sparkling fake smiles and greeted Mrs. Thompson. “Hi, Teresa.”

How can she look so crisp and cool in her red capris outfit? No wrinkles or sweat stains, unbelievable.

“Looks like you’re all packed. Are you sure you have to go all the way to Alaska?” Mrs. Thompson’s sweet face appeared genuinely sad as she looked at Dad.

Dad wiped his hands with a rag. “Yeah, it’s a little too late to change our minds now.”

Mrs. Thompson smiled warmly at him. “Well, the neighborhood barbecues won’t be the same without you.” She touched his arm and he moved to stand next to Sue.

The neighborhood get -together would probably be more fun without Sue fussing the whole time. Then again, she only really complained at me. Heaven forbid I have fun.

“And we’re going to miss you, too.” Sue gushed as she took Dad’s arm and leaned against him.

I knew Sue wouldn't think twice about the woman, but she put on a good show. She even reached up to return Mrs. Thompson's hug, with a slight squeeze.

Dad, always affable, smiled. “I couldn’t pass up such a good job offer. This kind of a chance is rare.” He held Sue tighter. “We’re going to miss this house. When you put your hard labor into a place it becomes home.”

Yeah, my hard labor and they’re making me leave it.
I wanted to scream.

The adults talked. Calvin stared at our lush green lawn as his breathing accelerated.

Tam must‘ve bored because she grabbed Tim’s prized race car t-shirt and pulled him backward. “Tag.”

Sue frowned. The twins ignored her and were gone, dashing about the yard. It was amusing to watch Sue struggle not to yell at her kids in front of Mrs. Thompson. I was surprised she didn’t go after them. Instead she stayed glued to Dad’s side. Personally, I didn't see how the twins had any energy in this oppressive heat. Their identical shade of strawberry blonde bobbed and weaved about the yard like a heat mirage. I sweated more just watching them.

Calvin cleared his throat and mumbled. “Can I talk to you, Sylv?” He jerked his head away, motioning for me to follow him.

I wasn’t sure I could speak with all the separation anxiety boiling inside me. Nonetheless, I wasn’t going to pass up alone-time with him. “Sure.” I let him lead the way to the large flame bush on the corner of my house.

It was just far enough away we wouldn’t be heard, but close enough my dad could still keep tabs on me. The twins watched. I’d hear all about Calvin and me at the bush all the way to Alaska. I didn't care. Being alone with Calvin was worth the harassment.

At the base of the bush was a large granite rock I brought back from a camping trip with my, now ex-friend Maggie and her girls’ church group. It was the size of a basketball. Even though I was very proud of my rock, Sue wouldn’t let me bring it in the house. Dad, trying to make peace with his wife, relegated it to the bush then gave me his 'don't bring it up again' look. It had actually looked very good there all these years. It was something else I was leaving behind. Something else I would miss.

It's odd what one thinks about during stressful situations.

I straightened my dull blonde hair and hoped Calvin couldn’t see the sweat that trickled down my back and spread like an ink blot on my cotton blouse.

The humidity was stifling, but my adrenalin had me hyped with Calvin so close. It was a good thing I didn’t wear a tank top today or he would’ve seen the waterfall that developed. Before we reached the bush I took my glasses off so he could see the only good feature I had. My friends told me my pale blue eyes were beautiful and I should play them up. If I’d known how, I would have. Well, not this year. Maybe I’d learn how next year when my dad and The Change were done wrecking my life.

Elated that Calvin had graced me with this private audience, I overlooked his fidgeting since everything he did was worth whatever time it took to do it.

My mouth was dry as the desert, but my arm pits were into overdrive, sweating out the last of the two liter soda I drank with the three sandwiches, bag of chips, two apples and three snack cakes … oh, and the two liters of water I chugged to keep my stomach full. My stomach hadn't been fooled and was hungry again. My out of control appetite would have to wait. Calvin wanted to talk to
me
.

It was exciting that he wanted to spend time with me, and I could feel the tears work their way up from my throat. Afraid I might cry in front of him and ruin any chance – albeit slim I might have, I choked them back. The effort made breathing almost non-existent.

With his hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets, he stared at his high tops instead of me. They alternated between digging his toe into the ground, scuffing it across the grass and kicking my rock. I’d never seen him like this before. He’d always been so confident, so sure of himself. Some insensitive jerks might even say cocky. I found this side of him endearing. What am I saying? Every side of Calvin was endearing.

When he began jack-hammering my rock, I worried. He still hadn’t spoken. Time was running out. Plus, I hated to see my rock abused even if it was by Calvin.

My dad broke the silence and I jumped. “Sylv we’re going to make one more run through the house then we’re out of here.” I could hear the edge in his voice even though he kept smiling for Mrs. Thompson's benefit.

“Okay.” I waved as the adults went into our empty, generic house. The twins still played tag, however at a much slower pace. Hopefully they would wear themselves out and sleep in the car so I wouldn't have to put up with their incessant yammering.

Our time was limited and I didn’t want to waste it like this. Not that being with Calvin in any way was a waste of time. Because it wasn’t. He didn’t say anything so I found my voice and forced calm tones, hoping it wouldn’t squeak.

“Well, I guess this is good-bye, you off to Florida and me to Alaska.”

I hoped he would at least shake my hand. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of our fingers touching … our palms squeezed together … My knees went weak just thinking about it. Now
there
was a memory to bolster me while I was stuck in our vehicle for six days. Maybe even help me through the two years I would be stuck in the wilds of Alaska.

He grabbed me in a bear hug and buried his face in my neck. The chill ran back up my spine with added force. A heat wave rocketed through the rest of my body.
Breathe, Sylvia, breathe.
My eyes focused. I noticed a hickey on his neck. For some reason, that bothered me, but not enough to push him away. Inhaling his scent my eyes closed involuntarily. I could smell strawberries in his hair. Did we use the same shampoo?

Focus!

His body trembled.

At first, thinking was a no-go, my brain was on overload. This was way too good to be true. Someone was going to wake me from the best dream of my life.

Breathe, focus, think!

I leaned away from him to look at his handsome face. I hoped to figure out what he was thinking. As if I didn’t already know.