Orion (25 page)

I was hurt.  He revealed a side of me that was only for me.  I didn
’t even realize he’d ever made the connection so long ago.

Maze mumbled, “Here goes the rut fest.  Fellas, antlers ready.”

“Fine.  Stupid junkbox.”  I ignored Maze and bolted up and headed over to the clunky old thing.  Yes, I said junkbox just hoping to piss him off.

Calum followed me.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes!” I snapped.

“Obviously NOT!” his hands flew up
then pointedly jostling me by the shoulders.

I tensed standing in front of the musical “
advice” box, searching for a song I already knew I wanted.  Calum wouldn’t give up.

He waited.

And waited.

I found the one I wanted, punched it, and turned right into Calum bumping shoes and more of our bodies than expected.  Current shot out everywhere across the length of me.  He caught my arm as I shuddered.  More current, twice as strong.  That calmed me believe or not.

“He knows more about me than I’d like to believe.  I didn’t know he was aware of my music “therapy” as I call it.  It helps me get through things.  He used it to get at me, not give me comfort.”

His eyes narrowed at Lee giving him a new message.  “It
’s okay.”

“You b
et.  I just sent a message back.” I smiled my famous bogus smile usually only meant for my enemies.  “Loud and clear.”

If he was paying that close
attention to me back then, then he knew who I usually reserved this song for in life.

All fired up

Now I believe there comes a time

When everything just falls in line

We live an
’ learn from our mistakes

All fired up, fired up, fired up

The deepest cuts are healed by faith

Now I believe there comes a time

When everything just falls in line…

I stared daggers into Lee as I walked back.  Calum insisted on holding my hand, so the extreme effect I wanted was coming out calmer than I wanted as we slid back in yet Lee knew what I sent his way and I intended to make sure.

“
There comes a time when everything just falls in line
,” I sang low with the lyrics.

I knew not
what lay before me in life but I knew for a fact that Calum was important somehow.  I was reminded now by the thunderous after effects of his lightening touch and wondered if he were the one meant for something bigger than both of us could fathom.  And did it include me?  As time moved on, I felt closer to him than anyone I’d have been able to talk to or get to know.  I knew he is always going to be a great friend. 

I sighed and leaned in closer to him.  He looked at me as though I have something on my face. 

Calum was quick for dang sure. He caught the message.  “I fell in line with you the day you showed up.  Before that, I was offline.”  He grinned a message I absolutely loved and melted with every time, but couldn't return.  I felt some of the same in the sense that he would forever be important in my life.

We stared at each other.  I wondered why men move their lips slowly?  I watched Maze when she talked.  Her lips moved faster. 

“Eh, um!”

I shifted reluctantly to Maze silently grunting at the attempt to turn my attention away from my guessing games, “What?” I
’d said it a little more gruffly than meant to.

“
Well, I’m just reminding you of the O word, dear.”

“He was
too
,” I said in my best child’s voice.  And besides, I was just wondering why men talk slower than us, not ogling.

“Factual, but nonetheless, uncomfortable for others.”

I didn’t bother checking in on Lee’s reaction.  I was starting to not care since they misread all my intentions.

When we were safe back in our own dorms that night, Maze cornered me outside the bathroom. 

“So what’s up with you and Lee?”

I forced her to follow me back to my room.  I certainly didn
’t want anyone to think I had a thing for Lee.

Safely inside, I used the thirty seconds I
’d had to come up with a really great story and decided a “half truth” might sound better and more easily maintained.

“Lee and I knew each other before I came here.”

Her eyebrows rose higher than possible with a sincere look of “you better tell me more".

“We were tutored together for about two years before he came to school here.”

“And?”

“And, nothing.  We were fourteen.  We were young and dumb and “flirted” as you say and then he left.  Came here!”

“So why does he get so puffy around you?”

“What do you mean?”

“He says crazy stuff, glares at the two of you, and changes his mood just like that.  I don’t remember him ever acting that way until a few weeks ago.”

“Well, then maybe you can help me out with that.” I had an idea.

“What clever girl, are you insinuating?  I “flirt” with him and torture myself?”

“Nooo!  I mean, he
’s just thinking back to a schoolgirl crush.  He’s just mad about it.  I think he has a lot on his mind lately and needs something to take his mind of things.”             

“Say no more.  Mama Maze will take care of everything.”

ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ

The next week flew by.  The only new development had nothing to do with me or Calum.

Tuesday night sneak out proved interesting and became the talk of the school.  Calum and I were old news. 

The two of us showed up late for the bonfire snatchi
ng a private moment before joining the rest.  My stomach in a fluttering mess like always near the woods, I held on to Calum for dear life.  One day I would stop long enough to figure out what causes this fuzzy happy feeling.  It’s not a bad feeling really, but sends all kinds of mixed signals into my body and brain that I don’t know quite how to deal with.  It made me feel odd being near Calum.  And I was noticing something different about myself.  I could snatch a feeling of fear and anger as always.  But I’d felt something else.  I’d ignored it really with too much else to stress over.  I think I felt other’s nervousness.  Or anxiousness.  Maybe even happiness too.  I wasn't sure what to think yet.

  We rounded the tree line that hid the party when both o
f us stopped abruptly.  Both of us innocently watched for longer than we should, but shock can do that.

Lee and Maze were playing tonsil hockey for all to see.  Derrick came up behind Calum punching an arm and eyed the spectacle. 

“Hee, ahh!  Look at that!” he said rather loudly.

The two broke apart, acknowledging our presence. She
’d taken care of it, all right.  Lee didn’t look at me AT ALL.

“Well, seems you two have hit it off.”  Calum announced his observation obviously elated at the attention drawn away from me.
             

Maze smiled, puffy lipped. 

It happened again a few more times in the week at the library and after classes.  I was happy for them.  Right? 

They just seemed, like, teenagers.  But that was what I was too.  Do the electric tingles, odd birthdays, absent moms, and birth marks have an impact on how Calum and I seem like we are so much more mature?  I don
’t know.

Bad news came all too fast on Friday night at the second bonfire of the week.  The weather had been unusually warm for a winter season and February was vast approaching. 

What I thought was a private moment with Calum, was quickly turned into an all out Armageddon. 

Maze
’s intention was to sneak up behind me and knock me away from Calum, but she’d caught our topic of conversation and I stepped right into her squealing hands.

“What?  You two have the same birthday.  How cool is that?  You two are so meant to be.”

Smiled at the last part, frowned at the first.  And no we're not.

“When is it?” Maze insisted.

Calum and I looked at each other for answers.  What else could we do?

“February 29
th
,” Calum answered.

Maze
’s mouth opened and closed and opened again.  “Leap day?”

I answered, “Yes
!” 
Who can stop truth from happening?  My stomach hit me first.  Then something else.  Something I hadn’t felt before.  Dang fluttering stomach whatevers.  I could barely stand it was so strong.  I looked around the trees for the same or a different animals to be standing nearby.  Nothing.  Whatever this was, it was getting stronger.  I noticed that I no longer felt just fear like with the rabbit, but a mixture of something scared, angry, excited, and even happy were coming from somewhere or something.  Maybe this powers growing business was really real.  Sometimes it can be a moment of perfect bliss where everything comes together like perfection and then…

“Wow, oh wow!  You have to have a party.  This is a first.”

“But we…please don't.” I prodded.  I made my voice as smooth and compelling as I could with the obvious tinge of tension lingering in the middle.

“
NO!  I won’t take no.  I’ll do everything.”  Maze turned to Calum, “Do you think your dad will oppose decorations in the great hall if I promise to clean everything?”

Calum watched my expression and I almost thought he was going t
o save me by nixing it all but instead he rotated back to Maze and traitorously said, “I think it’s a great idea.  I’ll tell my dad to let you have the staff for help.  They’ll get decorations too.”

She ran off jumping and telling everyone she crossed as she went to go find Liz.

My mouth in a grave frown, he put both hands on my squared shoulders and bent down to my ear, “We will probably need the distraction to get away or at least hide whatever is going down on that day.  It has to be that day.  It just makes sense.  If we can save our friends from anything, we will.”

Calum was so right and a clever, fast thinker.  “That was really quick thinking and impressive.  I
’m still not happy about the big party thing, but if it includes you, me, and doom and gloom, bring it on!”

He smiled showing the never-ending dimples.  “We are in hope that the “
doom and gloom” will dissipate with the—” his hand in the air, “wait a minute.”

“What?”

Calum shooed me and paced a second.  He looked deep in a “this is the way the world ends” thought.

“We have to
rescue your brother,” he popped off.

“What?”  I fought back the huge intake of air I
’d just swallowed that was causing instant pain in my chest.

“We have to rescue him before the day.  If he
’s what they are holding over your father, it stands to reason that they will hold him there until they have you…gone.  And kill him too.  You heard him at the warehouse. He thought you'd already have been there.  Wrong or right, we can't chance him getting caught in the middle.”  He had trouble saying the last words.  “We rescue Szar, hide him till the D day from everyone, survive the night of our birthday, and take out the bad guys.”

“Simple as that, Robin Hood?”  I couldn
’t help but refer to one of my favorite Benatar songs despite the embarrassment from the other night.  I fought back the control I’d mastered from years of self-denial, making my voice even and smooth.  “I am revealing more secrets out of the bag.  Another piece of advice.”

Calum
’s eyebrow arched.  His lip edged up.  I followed them both.  He, no doubt, smiled.  “Do tell!”

I couldn
’t help but show off a little, so I sang it to him, in his ear after I made sure to pull him a little farther away from anyone.

I wonder if you knew

They would turn your bad deeds into good

Paint you as a modern day

Robin Hood!

I
’m almost sure his body shivered when I nicked his ear at the last word.  It was a mistake, but he seemed to like it. 

Pulling my face back up to his he said, “So you think I
’m Robin Hood.  Do you want me to wear tights?”

I blushed pulling far
enough back to pop him arm. “I just think that before I came along, your bad deeds were in vain.  Now, they are for the greater good.  At least that’s what I’ve always told myself.”

Calum marveled at the logic, “Perhaps your right.  But I would only continue my bad deeds if the Lady Marion,” he pointed and rested a finger on my cheek, “were to say she will stand by and do the act with me.”

I couldn’t help where my thoughts took me at that precise moment though I would never follow through with them, but it was made clear to him either way.  I looked at his finger still resting a tip on my cheek.