The Athena Effect (26 page)

Before Caledonia had time to think it through, they were headed out on the road, pulling away from Calvin’s house with his bag strapped securely onto the back of the motorcycle. They drove past the high school and the now familiar suburban streets. All at once, Calvin started taking a series of strange turns, and Caledonia wondered if he was lost. He finally pulled into a busy gas station and turned to speak in her ear.

“Don’t look up, but we’re being followed,” he said calmly. “I’m going to need you to hold onto me really tight, okay?”

She nodded, and when he pulled back out he gunned the engine. She clung to him as they surged through the city streets, turning her head to see two big black cars weaving through traffic to keep up with them. She buried her face in Calvin’s back, putting all of her faith in him.

They made a sudden turn, cutting through a narrow alley that let out onto a dirt path meandering alongside a tall concrete wall. The road got bumpy, and Calvin turned into a little grove of trees that concealed a break in the wall just wide enough for a bike to slip through. The next thing Caledonia knew they were out on the freeway, with no sign of anyone following.

They traveled along at high speed for a while, finally taking an exit that led into a landscape of farms and orchards. Calvin pulled to a stop at a gas station attached to a little country store, taking off his helmet and turning to flash a cocky grin at her.

She couldn’t help but smile at how proud he was, “I suspect you’ve done that before.”

He dismounted, bending down to merge their smiles with a kiss, “Maybe once or twice, but back then I was only trying to get out of a speeding ticket.” He got up to fill the gas tank, going inside to pay and coming back out carrying a couple of bags. He handed her a sack, “I got you a few things.”

She looked inside to see a new toothbrush, comb and hairbrush, along with a souvenir T-shirt. She smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness, “Thanks.”
 

He straddled the bike, reaching back to squeeze her thigh, “Let’s go!”

They drove along the back roads for a few miles, meandering along in air scented with green leaves, dried grass and rich warm earth. Caledonia closed her eyes and breathed deeply, relaxed by the comforting scents of home. Calvin turned down an overgrown gravel road, pulling up to park in a little thicket of brush.

“Why are we stopping here?” she asked.

He just smiled, taking her by the hand, “C’mon.” He led her down a dirt path that wound through a jungle of trees and blackberry bushes, holding back some overgrown branches for her to pass. All at once the trail opened up onto a small pebbled beach with a view of a wide lazy river. It was a gorgeous sight.

“What’s this place?” Caledonia asked.

“It’s my favorite swimming hole.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, looking around at the secluded little beach. “But what are we doing here?”

“We’re going to have a picnic,” he replied, pulling a towel out of his bag and spreading it out on the beach, gesturing for her to have a seat. He pulled a couple of sandwiches out of the bag, handing her one, “I hope turkey’s okay.”

She nodded, suddenly ravenous. They ate facing the river, and he told her all about how he and his brother had found this swimming hole on one of their trips out to see their grandparents. He pointed out the tree they used to tie a rope on, describing how they swung out over the river, daring each other to see who could get the highest.

Caledonia imagined the two boys playing here, watching the sun’s reflection dancing on the shimmering water. The air was still, and an occasional fish jumped for the insects that swirled and dipped over the lazy river. The day was wearing on, and the hot breath of summer hung all around them.

“What’s it called?” she asked.

“The Russian River.”

She looked out at the water slowly rolling by, “It certainly isn’t rushing now.”

Calvin laughed, “No, Russian as in Roulette.”

She looked confused, “What?”

He smiled wryly, regarding her with warm eyes, “Like the country.”

There was no point in trying to explain trivia to her. Being with Caledonia was like being with a toddler, or a space alien. She constantly made him explain himself, challenging his beliefs about everything. She made him see the whole world fresh and new.

After they ate she fell silent, lost in thought. She was worried about where they would spend the night, and if Calvin would come to regret his decision to accompany her. She wondered if she’d be able to find her little cabin in the woods, and if Calvin could stand to live there for more than a day or two. She looked up with a frown, only to meet his happily shining eyes.

He seemed lighthearted, like he wasn’t taking anything too seriously. Caledonia thought that he looked awfully cheerful for someone running from evil kidnappers.

“Don’t worry,” he told her, “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“How can you say that?” she said. “We don’t even know where we’re going to sleep tonight.”

“Trust me. I have a plan,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. “Besides, nothing matters as long as we’re together.”

She looked into his confident dark eyes and wanted very much to believe him. Her world had been thrown into chaos so many times in the past few weeks that she barely knew which way was up.

A fly buzzed around them in the thick, hot air, and Caledonia twisted her hair into a bun, pushing a twig through the thick mass of curls to hold it away from her neck.

“Are you hot?” There was happiness in his voice, “Let’s go skinny-dipping.” He got up and stripped off his shirt with a challenge in his smile. He shucked his jeans and plunged headfirst into the water, coming up to let out a whoop and disappear back underwater. When he didn’t surface right away she grew alarmed, coming up to the river’s edge to anxiously search in the water for him.

His head finally broke the surface, “Come on in…” He grinned from ear to ear, “The water’s fine.”

Caledonia hesitated on the bank, the water deliciously cool around her ankles. Calvin watched her from the river as she wavered, pacing back and forth along the smooth pebbles, squinching up her face and looking cuter than he ever thought possible. He covered his eyes with his hands. “I won’t look!” he called out to her.

She glanced over her shoulder, wavering, “No peeking… Promise?”

“I Promise,” he called.

He could pinpoint the precise moment that she finally gave in to temptation, watching through his fingers as she hesitantly starting to lift her shirt over her head.

Some promises were impossible to keep.

~

It was late afternoon when they turned onto a familiar looking gravel driveway, pulling up in front of Calvin’s grandparent’s house.

Three dogs came running out to greet them, barking with excitement and wagging their tails.

“Rufus!” Caledonia cried, delighted to see her old friend looking so happy and healthy. The dog was equally glad to see her, groveling at her feet for attention.

Calvin knelt to pat the dog, looking up at the house, “You two wait here for a minute.”

He climbed up the stars to the porch and knocked, looking back to see Caledonia turning her attention to the whining beast rolling on the ground before her. She laughed, rubbing his belly until his legs kicked uncontrollably.

The door flew open, “Calvin!” his grandmother cried, enfolding him in a warm hug, “How nice to see you! What brings you here?”

He gestured towards Caledonia, “I’m heading up north, to take Cali back home.”

“On your motorcycle?” she asked, looking worried.

He shrugged, “She had to leave right away.”

Grandma Costa peeked around him to see the girl with the golden hair nearly getting tackled by the overjoyed pit bull. “And
you’re
the one who has to take her?”

He nodded yes, “I’d do anything for her.”

The old woman nodded slowly, “She’s the one… isn’t she?”

Calvin was surprised at her observation, responding truthfully, “Yeah… Yes she is.”

“Your grandfather should be home soon… Can you stay for supper?” she asked hopefully.

“I was hoping we could say the night, and get a fresh start in the morning.”

His grandmother beamed, “Of course you can! I’ll fix your favorite!”

“Sounds good,” he said, calling Caledonia up to join them. She smiled shyly, climbing the stairs to be greeted with an affectionate hug from Calvin’s grandmother.

“Is it okay with you if we stay here tonight?” Calvin asked her. She nodded, slightly overwhelmed by the peachy pink aura the old woman was cloaked in. Once again, Caledonia felt the calm peacefulness of her steady demeanor descend upon her.

Grandma Costa note of Caledonia’s disheveled state and her dirty clothes, “Come on in sweetie. Why don’t you get your bags and we’ll get you settled in.”

Caledonia looked down, embarrassed. “Uhm…”

“She had to leave kinda suddenly,” Calvin explained, “We’re gonna have to get her some new clothes and stuff.”

“Well… come along,” the old woman said, unflappable. “I think I have a few things that might just fit you.”

Caledonia followed her down the hallway and into a cozy little room. There was a lace curtained window with a cushioned reading nook built into it that looked like something from a fairytale. Framed pictures of beautiful wild horses were displayed on pale blue walls, and model horses pranced on top of a long bookshelf. A small bed was adorned with a hand-stitched quilt, pieced together from hundreds of tiny flowery prints.

“This was my daughter’s room,” Grandma Costa said wistfully, with a touch of vanilla scented sorrow. “I was saving her things in case I ever had a granddaughter.”

It was by far the prettiest room Caledonia had ever seen, and she looked around, trying to imagine what it would be like to actually live in a place like this.

“Oh! Look at all of the books!” Caledonia’s eyes lit up when they scanned the loaded bookcase that lined one wall of the perfect little room. She knelt down to scan the titles. There were several of her childhood favorites, along with a great many books about horses and dogs.

“Our Rebecca was quite a reader,” Grandma Costa said proudly. “Why, she spent most of the time with her nose buried in a book… I was always afraid she’d ruin her eyes…”

“Is it alright if I look at them?” Caledonia asked quietly, afraid to break the older woman’s nostalgic reverie.

“Of course,” she replied warmly, “It’s about time someone got some use out of them.”

The clicking sound of dog paws running down the hall was followed by a brindle blur that lunged for Caledonia, knocking her to the floor. Rufus whined and showered her face with doggie kisses while Calvin’s grandmother tried to shoo him out of the room.

Calvin arrived to fetch him, wrestling the overly-excited dog out of the room.

“Can you lock that beast in the barn for tonight?” Grandmother Costa called down the hall after him. “Put all of the dogs inside!”

She turned back to look at Caledonia’s attire with her lips pressed together, moving across the room purposefully to search through a wardrobe that sat opposite the little bed. She pulled out a floral printed dress and handed it to her. “Here…Why don’t you put this on and let me get your things washed for you?”

Caledonia looked at the dress in awe. There was eyelet lace all around the hem and collar, and dozens of shiny pearl buttons in a line all down the front; it was the sweetest, most feminine dress she’d ever seen. She looked down at her dirty and torn clothes, embarrassed again, “I don’t want to trouble you. I can wash them myself.”

The old woman made a clucking sound, “Don’t be silly. Leave them outside the door and I’ll take care of it.”

“Alright. Thank you very much,” Caledonia said politely.

Grandma Costa started to leave the room, pausing at the threshold, “It’s good to have a girl in the house for a change.”

She left the room and Caledonia slipped out of her clothes, unstrapping her knife and putting it under the pillow. She put on the dress, twisting and turning to see how she looked in the big oval mirror that was propped up on a stand in the corner of the room. She ran her hand through her unruly hair, trying to smooth it into submission.

After a while, Calvin ducked his head into the room. Caledonia smiled up at him from where she sat perched in the window seat with a book, “This is a really pretty room.” she pointed out, “And your mother had very good taste in books.”

Her hair was backlit by the last long rays of the sun streaming into the window, creating a soft golden glow all around her head and shoulders. Calvin sat down beside her, looking at her in awe.

“You look really pretty,” he said.

She smoothed the dress, explaining, “Your grandmother gave me this to wear while she washes my things.” Her face was serious, “She’s really being very nice to me.”

She made him smile, and he leaned in to look over her shoulder, “What are you reading?”

She held up the book, “Hatchet.”

“Have you read that before too?” he asked.

She smiled sheepishly, “Yes. It was one of my favorites when I was little.”