Edgewood Series: Books 1 - 3 (40 page)

“Did you remember deodorant?” Russ’s mother asked, reading off a handwritten list. Her own, I guessed.

“Yes.”

“Toothbrush and toothpaste?”

“Yes and yes.”

“Extra underwear?”

“Yes.” Russ put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ve got it all, Mom. Everything I need. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But my baby is going on a trip without me,” she said, laughing and reaching up to ruffle his hair. “How can I not worry?’

He ducked out of the way. “Please, Mom, stop.” They both laughed.

It was a nice scene but it filled me with such longing, I couldn’t stand seeing it anymore. Wanting to be gone, I wished to see what Mallory was doing and in an instant I was at her house, pulled into the bathroom where she was applying eye liner around her big dark eyes. Her bathroom had a revolving stand with different make-up brushes and tubes of lip gloss and multiple kinds of mascara. Enough make-up for a crew of super models. A zippered case, partially full, sat on the counter in front of her. She leaned over the sink and inspected her work, then touched up one corner of her eye before smiling approvingly. From downstairs I heard her mother call out, “Mallory, they’ll be here in fifteen minutes!”

Mallory opened the door and yelled back, “Be down in a second.” She tucked the eyeliner and a tube of mascara into the case and zipped it shut. In fifteen minutes, the van would be there and they’d be on their way to the airport. I hoped I’d be able to astral project to Peru. I’d never tried leaving the country before.

As Mallory headed down the stairs, I traveled to Jameson’s house, just to see the last piece of the puzzle. Unlike Mallory and Russ, he was in his front entryway ready to leave, along with his three younger brothers; all of them peering out the door, watching for the van. Four skinny blond boys looking through the screen door at the circular drive.

Jameson wore sandals, baggy shorts with lots of pockets, and a button down shirt. It was a different look for him, a little more dressed up than his usual jeans and t-shirt, but it also made him look younger in a way, like he was ready for school picture day. Jameson’s hand rested on the handle of a suitcase parked at his side. As he watched the driveway, his youngest brother said, “Jameson, why do you have to go?” I recognized the kid from the last time I’d astral projected to Jameson’s house. He was one of the two boys who had been chasing around in circles in the living room, infuriating their mother. I hadn’t gotten a clear image of his face then, but I could see it now and he looked really sad.

“I told you, Joey,” Jameson said. “It’s a competition for smart people in Miami. I was picked out of thousands of students to attend.” He reached over and gave his brother a hug. “Don’t worry, I’m not going away forever. I’ll be back.”

“I don’t want you to go,” Joey said, burying his face against Jameson.

“I know you don’t.” Jameson wrapped his arms more tightly around his little brother. “But I really have no choice. They wanted the smartest students.” He patted his head. “And someday you’ll get chosen and you’ll get to go. Because we’re the smart ones, right?”

“I don’t care.” Joey’s voice was muffled. “I want you to stay.”

“Dude, you’re messing up the shirt.” Jameson tried joking him out of it, but it wasn’t working. He pulled apart from his brother and then leaned over to look him in the eye. “Hey Joey, it’ll be okay. I’ll only be gone a little more than a week, and then guess what? I’m going to bring you a gift.”

At the mention of a gift, the other brothers perked up. “Me too?” said the one slightly larger than Joey.

“You too.”

“What about me?” The one who looked to be about twelve wasn’t going to be left out.

Jameson addressed the group. “I’m getting gifts for everybody. Just be good. Stay out of mom’s way. Keep the noise down when she’s sleeping and pick up your stuff and you’ll be fine.”

“Can I call you?” Joey asked. “Whenever I want?”

“I told you,” he said, patting his brother’s head, “no cell phones allowed. It would distract me from the competition and I won’t do as well.”

Through the screen door, I noticed a van pull up. Jameson saw it too. “There’s my ride,” he said to his brothers. “I’ve got to go.” He gave each of them a hug, ending with Joey. “If Mom doesn’t wake up in time for dinner, go ahead and heat up a frozen pizza.”

The boys followed him out onto the porch, and watched as Jameson loaded his suitcase into the back of the vehicle and then climbed inside, joining Mr. Specter, Kevin Adams, and Mrs. Whitehouse. From here, I knew they’d go to Mallory’s and finally to pick up Russ before heading for the airport.

I stayed long enough to see the van pull away, the brothers waving wildly and calling out, “Good-bye, Jamie! Good-bye.” Little Joey ran after the van, stopping when he reached the end of the driveway and watching forlornly as it went down the road. Poor kid looked devastated. It made me wonder exactly what went on in that house.

When the boys went back inside, I should have gone home, but I wasn’t ready to just yet. I felt like Joey—I wanted to chase after the van, beg them to come back. Call the trip off. Instead, I came up with a single thought:
Take me to Russ
.

And just like that, I was back at Russ’s house, this time in the front hall where, like Jameson, Russ now waited with a suitcase and carry-on bag at his side. This front hall was not nearly as nice as Jameson’s. Instead of marble floors, there was scuffed hardwood with a braided rug in front of the door. It had a homey feel. When I arrived, Russ was in the middle of a conversation with a young woman who looked a lot like him. I assumed it was his sister, Carly, who I knew to be much older than us—in her early thirties. Even though she dressed like a teenager—shorts, a tank top, and flip flops—the dark circles under her eyes gave away her age. “I can’t talk you out of this?” she said, twisting her hands.

“Since they’re picking me up in five minutes, I think not,” Russ said. “I told you, I’m going to be fine. You don’t need to worry about me, Carly.” Aha, I was right, it was his sister.

Carly sighed heavily. “I don’t know what you think this is going to accomplish.” Russ started to speak and she held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t say anything.” She looked around to see if anyone was in earshot and then leaned in toward him, speaking so softly that only Russ and I could hear. “David is dead. I know old man Specter thinks you’re going to find him in leg chains in some Peruvian prison, but I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen. As much as I’d like to believe he’s still out there, I know he died in that car accident.”

“But you can’t know that for sure,” Russ said, protesting. “What if by some fluke he’s still alive? And then what if we do find him? What if the love of your life is out there and I can bring him home?” He put his hands on her shoulders; suddenly he looked physically bigger to me, more rugged, like he’d grown from a teenager into a man’s body overnight. I knew Carly thought he was being idealistic, but I was proud to know him.

“This whole trip is too risky. The Praetorian Guard is a joke.” Even whispering, Carly spat out the words with contempt. “They don’t know what they’re doing, Russ. Going against The Associates is stupid. You know there’s a good chance you won’t come back, don’t you? All of you could die in some third world country and we’ll never even know what happened to you.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Why would you risk your life for nothing?”

“But what if it’s not nothing?” Russ said. “What if he’s out there, just waiting to be found? How will we ever know unless I go?”

“Because I’m not willing to sacrifice you for this…” She threw up her hands. “…pointless expedition. Why does it have to be you? Let someone else do it.”

“If everyone thought that way, nothing would ever get done.”

“David Hofstetter is gone, Russ.” Carly tapped her heart with her fingertips. “I would know if he’s still alive. I’d feel it. We had a connection like I’ve never had before and never will again. It’s a rare thing when someone inhabits your every waking thought. It’s like you stop being one selfish person and start seeing the world through two people’s eyes. Or when you’re having an awesome day or a terrible day or something funny happens, and even while you’re experiencing it you think that you can’t wait to tell them about it. I can’t really explain it any better than that. Someday maybe you’ll be lucky enough to know what I’m talking about.”

Russ shifted uncomfortably and cast his eyes downward. Something she’d said had struck a chord. He cleared his throat in an awkward way and I realized he was trying not to smile. Carly picked up on it at the same moment.

“Wait a minute,” she said, and now her voice was at regular volume. “Just wait one minute. You’re thinking you already have that kind of connection, aren’t you?”

Russ didn’t answer, but his face gave it away. The corners of his mouth turned upward. A smile. The kind of smile that can’t be helped.

Carly whooped. “Unbelievable! How is it that this happened and I didn’t know?”

“It’s not really the kind of thing I’d tell you about.” Russ stuck his hands in his pocket and made a pretense of looking out the screen door.

“It’s that Mallory girl, isn’t it?” Carly asked. The very thing I myself had wondered.

Russ’s mother chose that moment to come barging in, a dark article of clothing draped over her arm. “Here it is, Russ, fresh from the dryer.” She held it out and I could see it was a navy blue hooded sweatshirt. “I still don’t know why you’re taking all these heavy clothes to Miami. Do you have any idea how hot it gets there?”

Russ rolled the sweatshirt up and tucked it into his carry-on bag. “Mr. Specter said they keep the air conditioning cranked at these things and we should bring lots of layers.”

“Well, he’d know best I’m sure. But make sure you wear the button-down shirts when you compete. You want to make a good impression,” Russ’s mom said, her face lit with excitement. “I’m so proud that you were chosen. What an opportunity! The house will seem empty though.” She looked around sadly.

“I can leave Frank here while he’s gone, if you want,” Carly said. “I’d be willing to do that if it would make things easier for you.” Frank was Carly’s son, Russ’s nephew. I thought he was about ten or so. Russ said that Carly never told them who Frank’s dad was and that maybe she didn’t even know herself. She had a wild past and still was unreliable. She’d never married, probably because she never got over David Hofstetter.

“Yeah, I know what a hardship that would be,” Russ said, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

“Oh, you!” Carly went to poke him in the stomach and he jumped out of the way, but she kept after him and he countered until they were moving like swordsmen fighting a duel. And then their mother was admonishing them to stop goofing around, she had some last minute instructions for Russ. And while all of this was going on, Carly’s son Frank (I knew him by sight—I spotted him with Russ one day when I was out with my mother) came down the stairs and got into the act.

“You can’t go, Russ,” Frank said, grabbing him around the waist and trying to pick him up. “I won’t let you.” Russ pretended to struggle, grinning the whole while.

It was the kind of family scene that never happened at my house, where everyone was so serious and proper and grim. Watching them goof around, I got the yearning I get sometimes, where I wish I could step out of my life and insert myself somewhere else. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m meant for better things and it’s all out there waiting for me. Somewhere else. But where that would be, I don’t know.

Russ’s mother’s voice rose above the sound of the fray, “Okay, that’s enough all of you.”

And then the van pulled into Russ’s driveway and the action stopped like a director had yelled “cut.” Russ hugged everyone and gathered up his bags. He messed up Frank’s hair. “Try not to get into any trouble, kid.”

“I’m going to beat your high scores while you’re gone,” Frank said, practically crowing.

“Ha! You wish.” Russ turned to his mom. “Say good-bye to Dad for me.”

“I will, hon. Have a good time and do your best. We’re proud of you no matter what happens,” she said.

Mr. Specter met Russ out on the driveway and they walked around to the back of the van to stow his luggage. The rest of Russ’s family followed him, Frank peering into the window of the van and waving at Mallory, who waved back.

“We’ll take good care of him, Mrs. Becker,” Mr. Specter said in a reassuring way.

She said, “Just don’t lose him.”

“I haven’t lost a student yet and I’m not going to start now,” Mr. Specter chuckled and Russ’s mom smiled at his lame attempt at humor. Parents were so easily swayed.

Behind them, Carly whispered last minute advice to Russ. She lifted a chain over her head and gave it to him. He looked down, surprised. “The key to the train station?” he asked.

“Take it,” she urged. “If some guy tries to tell you he’s David Hofstetter, ask if he knows what the key is for. David would know for sure. No one else would have a clue.” She gestured to the key. “There’s your proof.”

He lifted the chain over his head. “Thanks, Carly.”

I watched as Russ climbed into the van and greeted everyone inside. Mallory’s pony tail swung when she turned her head to speak to Russ as he took a seat in back. Jameson had nabbed the space right next to her, which was probably a disappointment for Russ, but sadly for me, luck was on his side. This was only the drive to the airport, the start of the trip. Just the beginning of all the time they’d have together.

I didn’t follow along with them in the van. I didn’t want to watch Jameson and Russ vying for attention from the lone girl in the group. It wasn’t really her fault she was so popular with the guys and it wasn’t even a deliberate action on their part. They were drawn to her the way sunflowers turn to face the light. I didn’t blame her or them either. I just didn’t want to see it.

Russ’s mom, sister, and nephew walked back into the house. Frank said, “I stuck a comic book and a note in the pocket of his suitcase when he wasn’t looking. Boy, is he gonna be surprised!”

“That was very nice of you,” Carly said, giving his back a pat. But Frank wasn’t sticking around to listen; he was already running inside and up the stairs to Russ’s room. Probably to work on beating his high scores.