Ascension (The Ascension Series) (5 page)

To

0-8 MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER J. AHERN

For Wounds Received In Action

In The Republic of Iraq

“You see that?” John’s father asked him.

“I see it,” John said. “It’s a great reminder of the man you once were.”

“That means I’m a respected man,” his father scoffed.

“It means yo
u WERE a respected man,” John said.

“Get out of my sight,” his father coughed.

“I’m glad you asked. Later this week I’m going to spend a few days at a friend’s place so I don’t have to be in this rathole with you.”

“I provide for you and this is how you treat me?” his father coughed angrily.

“Provide for me?” John said, “Take a look at yourself. What kind of father are you? I’m the one being generous to you. And I just don’t feel…”

“I told you to get out of my sight!” his father yelled from his recliner.
He grew a beer bottle at John and missed.

John walked out of the front door and shut it behind him. He angrily rushed down the steps and headed
toward the street. By the time he made it to the bus stop, he had cooled down and noticed Andrew Lockman. Lockman was dressed the same as always; polo shirt, khaki pants, rosary around his neck, and his long hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“Hello, John,” Andrew said. “How are things?”

“Eh, not bad,” John said lowly. “You?”

“Likewise. Even when things aren’t going my way, I just remember they could be worse,” Andrew said.
“Take for instance me. My mom is a single mother raising four kids. And this is the neighborhood we live in. But we do our best.”

“Yeah, I guess it helps to stay positive
or whatever,” John said.

“Oh, it makes all the difference in the world,
John,” Andrew told him. “The line between being okay and not being okay is a tightrope.”

The school
bus pulled up to the bus stop as John and Andrew boarded the bus along with a few other students. They sat next to one another and continued speaking.

“Andrew,” John said. “I noticed you always wear the rosary. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it.”

“Never leave home without it,” Andrew said as he held the rosary in his hand. “There are a lot of things about me that have changed and there are a lot of things about me that will continue to change. But if there’s one constant in my life it’s this. And faith in my family.”

“What about faith in everyone else?” John asked.

“I don’t know, John. The world is difficult. I just keep my family close. And I honestly just don’t have the energy to care for everyone. Some people want to save the whole world. Me? I just want to save my family. Because the way I see it, if everyone looked after their family then the whole would be alright.”

“Trust me when I tell you that there are a lot of people who don’t give two craps about their family,” John told
him. “One tragedy occurs and they just don’t care about anyone that remains in the aftermath.”

“John, the pathway to peace is paved with hardship,” Andrew said as he bowed his head.

“I’m not sure I agree with everything you said. Being a Marxist and all,” John laughed, “But I respect you. Everybody respects you. You’re just that type of person, y’know?”

“Well, there are a few people that like to ruffle my feathers, but mostly, I think you’re right,” Andrew smiled.

“Oh yeah,” John asked, “Have you heard about Clark’s party?”

“Yeah,” Andrew said, “He told me about it. No location yet.”

“He just found a spot,” John told him.
“It’s gonna be outside. Across the tracks.”

“It’s pretty empty out there,” Andrew said.

“That’s why it’s the perfect spot. It’s gonna be rockin’ by the time we get there.”

“Then I’m there
,” Andrew said.

John peered
out the window for the remainder of the bus ride.

Later, before the first class bell rang, Clark was walking around campus inviting kids to what he called the “first, biggest, and best party of the year.”
Helping her boyfriend out, Sarah was telling other students as well. She was certainly persuading more boys than Clark.

“Party on the other side of the tracks. Saturday night,” was all it took for Sarah to say and every guy could be placed
on the nonexistent attendance list. She told her cheerleading friends who all agreed to show up. By the time Charles entered the building and began hyping the party, Clark knew he’d have a hit.

“Yo, listen up,” Charles told a crowd. “This
party is gonna be the tightest, coolest, craziest shit you’ve ever been to. There’s gonna be lots of liquor, everybody’s gonna get wasted but don’t let Principal Hayes here that part. Saturday night on the other side of the tracks. Spread the word, yo.”

Clark was asking Charles how many people he thought would show up when Daniel LaRent approached them and offered to help get alcohol.

“Big Dan, it sounds like a plan, my man,” Charles answered. “Cool with you, Clark?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Clark agreed.

When Charles sent out mass text messages and posted information online, Clark was suddenly being approached by huge amounts of kids from every grade. They were all interested and Clark told them to simply show up on Saturday night “and preferably bring drinks.” He wasn’t sure that Charles and Big Dan would be able to bring enough drinks for the huge amount of students that said they’d be attending.

After their first class, Clark was again inundated with kids who wanted to attend the first party of the year.

“Over the tracks! Saturday night! Can’t miss it!” is all Clark said before he finally made it to his second class.

“And in two hours you’ve
become the coolest kid at this high school,” Donny the Geek told him in computer class.

“This is nothing,” Clark
said. “Wait till I’m quarterback.”

“Whoa,
You’re gonna do that?” Donny asked.

“Probably
not,” Clark admitted, “But I can dream, right?”

Clark noticed the computer teacher, Mr. Kelsey, was slouching in his chair and flipping through a box of old papers.

“He really doesn’t give a flip about what we do,” Donny said. “This is like Franklin Pierce High happy hour.”

Donny quit speaking when he looked up past Clark and noticed Chloe Li on the other side of the room. She was standing up from her computer and assisting another student. Cl
ark didn’t need to turn around to know what fixated Donny.

“Chloe?” Clark asked.

“Yeah,” Donny mumbled.

“I’m gonna ask her if she wants to come to the party on Saturday. I’ll tell her you’ll be there,” Clark said.

“No! Don’t do that!” Donny reached his hands up to stop Clark but Clark had bounced out of his seat and headed directly for Chloe.

“Hey Chloe,” Clark said, “I’m hosting a party over the weekend. You may have heard…”

“Oh yeah,” Chloe smiled, “I have.”

“I know you’re usually pretty busy but would you care to free up a bit of time and stop by on Saturday night?
And Donny wants me to tell you that he’ll be there.”

Chloe loo
ked past Clark and saw Donny. His hands were placed up to his freckled face in embarrassment.

“Oh, he’s just acting silly,” Clark said.

“Well, sure,” Chloe said. “I’ll be able to make it.”

“Great,” Clark told her. “You’re gonna have a blast.”

Clark made his way back to his seat when Donny peered behind him to make sure that Chloe was no longer looking at him.

“What’d she
say?” Donny asked.

“She said she’s gonna be there,” Clark answered. “And I told her you’ll be there too.”

“Why’d you have to mention me!?”

“Calm down. Look, Donny, this weekend is gonna be your chance. Just start by asking her if she’s seeing anyone. She’ll know right away what you’re hinting at.”

“I don’t know if I can do that!” Donny began biting his nails.

“Sure you can. Heck, you can even have a few drinks first. It’ll take the edge off.”

“Are you kidding?” Donny asked as he clasped his hands up to his bright red hair. “I’m not gonna ask her out while I’m drunk! I’ll make a fool of myself.”

“Donny,” Clark corrected him, “In this state, you’ll make a fool of yourself if you ask her out while you’re
not
drunk.”

“Well that’s why I’m not gonna ask her out.”

“Not right now, you’re not. This weekend will be a different story.”

After an attempt at playing matchmaker during school hours, Clark was ready to have dinner with Sarah’s
parents. When the final bell rang, Clark quickly met up with Sarah and hopped aboard the bus that she regularly took. He called Charles and made arrangements to be picked up from Sarah’s apartment when the family dinner was over. Charles, always happy to take his car for a spin, told Clark he’d be there at the drop of a dime.

The school bus stopped at a street corner and Clark made his
exit as he followed Sarah hand-in-hand.

“Why don’t I ever come to your place more often?” Clark asked.

“My parents can be a little strict,” Sarah told him. “They like me focused on school work and athletic programs… not boys.”

“Yeah, well now that scares me.”

“Don’t be. They’ll like you. Well, is your GPA still 3.0?”

“I think so
,” Clark answered. “I did pretty well last year. Don’t know how much I can keep that up though.”

Still holding hands, they turned right at the street corner and straight ahead of them was a very we
ll kept apartment building across from a pristine park. Clark and Sarah headed for the apartments.

“This is really nice,” Clark said.

“I prefer your place,” Sarah told him.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I just like houses more than apartments. We lived in a house until my two older sisters moved out for college. Then we made the downgrade. That way my mom can put more money into her business as a fitness instructor.”

“Doesn’t she have a place?” Clark asked.

“Yeah,” Sarah answered. “She has a little place downtown but she does house visits too. Y’know, my mom actually served as the fitness instructor for Charles’s mom once.”

“What happened?” Clark asked.

“She told me Charles’s mom, Mrs. Walsh, was too demanding.”

“How can the client be too demanding
on the instructor?” Clark asked.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Sarah told him. “Mrs. Walsh goes through fitness instructors like red bottom shoes. If the regimen doesn’t keep her at the perfect size, you’re gone.”

“Wow,” Clark said. “Rich people problems.”

“Uh huh,” Sarah nodded.

They made their way into the entrance of the refined apartment complex but only after Sarah looked around the parking lot.

“I
didn’t see my parents’ cars outside,” Sarah said as they entered the complex. They made their way up to the third floor via the elevator and entered an extended white hallway. Sarah directed Clark down the hall and they stopped at the door labeled “3-14.” Sarah pulled out a small ring with a single key on it and used it to unlock the door. They went into the apartment and Clark discovered a beautiful pad of white furniture, glass tables, and frame-less paintings on every wall.

“Wow, this
is
really nice,” Clark told her.

“Thanks. Mom did all the decorating,” Sarah said before turning her attention down one of the halls in the apartme
nt. “MOM!” she yelled out. “DAD! Are you here?”

While still in the living room, they took a glimpse at the tv which was televising the local news.

“Negotiations continue in the potential reconstruction of the John A
. Roebling Suspension Bridge,” said the newscaster. “In other local headlines, violent crimes have reportedly spiked over the past month in the Cincinnati area of Hartwell.”

Sarah grabbed the remote and quickly turned the television off. She
told Clark her parents had yet to arrive so they were alone together.

“So we just wait on them?” Clark asked.

“Really?” Sarah asked him, “We’re alone in an apartment and you ask if we should just sit around and wait?”

“You’re right,”
Clark laughed while hitting his forehead, “I don’t know what I’m thinking.”

S
arah grabbed him by the hand. She hurried down the hall and into a room on the left. They entered Sarah’s bedroom. The walls were white but all of the accessories, bed covers, posters, and décor, was primarily pink.

“Lots of pink,” Clark said.

“My favorite song,” Sarah said. “But you know what? I’m starting to like silver. I think that’s my new favorite color. I’m gonna redecorate everything in my room silver. But forget about that.”