Flight of Life (Essence Series #1) (38 page)

“
I appreciate it,
Calloway,” Beatrice said. “Thank you for helping me.”

It was Easton’s turn to be furious.
“How can you say that when stand by and watch Calloway take the
jokes, insults, and harassments without doing a single thing to
stop it? And then you go back to the jerk that Calloway protected
you from. You are a—”

“
That’s enough.” Calloway
silenced her. “I can handle this.” He turned back to Beatrice and
saw her cross her arms over her chest, clearly frightened by the
venomous words of his two friends. He hated to see her forlorn
expression and he wished Easton hadn’t yelled at her. “I apologize
on my behalf of my two friends. They are
just—protective.”

“
It’s okay,” she said
quietly. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry—about
everything.”

Calloway stared into her green eyes and
the sight reminded him of the summer grass outside his house. The
strands of blonde hair fell to her shoulders and across her jacket.
Calloway was much taller than her—by over a foot—and he felt
enormous compared to her petite size. “It’s okay,” he said. “I
forgive you.”

“
You do?” she
asked.

Calloway nodded. “Yes.”

“
You’ve got to be kidding
me,” Breccan said. “How stupid are you? The only reason why
Beatrice is speaking to you is because her friends are upstairs and
no one else from school is here—there are no witnesses!”

Easton stepped toward Calloway. “And
she’s only apologizing to you because you’re wearing a change of
clothes and don’t look like a poor kid,” Easton said. “If you were
wearing your normal attire she wouldn’t have even noticed you.
That’s all this girl cares about—social position, popularity, and
material positions—a loser.”

Calloway glared at them. “That’s
enough!” he said. “Stop talking to her like that. She came over to
apologize—not to be placed on trial. Now drop it.” He turned back
to Beatrice. “Once again, I apologize for their
rudeness.”

“
It’s okay,” she said.
“Well, I guess I’ll go now.” She turned on her heel and walked back
into the throng of the party. Calloway watched her go, wondering if
she meant a single word she said.

He turned to his two friends and glared
at them. “You didn’t have to attack her like that.”

Breccan was dumbfounded. “Are you
kidding me? That girl has stood by and watched you suffer all year,
and after one apology, she’s vindicated?” He looked at Easton then
back at Calloway. “It’s water under the bridge?”

“
She just wanted to
apologize,” Calloway said. “It’s not like I’m marrying
her.”

Easton shook her head. “When we return
to school she’s going act exactly the same—she’ll ignore you
completely while she makes out with Hawk during lunch
period—completely indifferent to you and your
existence.”

“
What was I supposed to
do?” Calloway asked. “Reject her apology?”

“
I would have,” Marquan
said. He had been silent during the exchange but now he found his
voice. “She just feels guilty and she’s trying to make herself feel
better. Convince herself that she really is a good person because
she apologized.”

“
You guys are right,”
Calloway said. “She probably will act the same but it doesn’t
matter.”

“
I’m tired of seeing you
get hurt,” Easton said. “You’re always giving people another chance
when they don’t deserve it. She’s just going to disappoint
you.”

“
This conversation is
over,” Calloway said. “I’m done listening to this.”

When he looked at the stairway he saw
Hawk and his friends descending into the basement, and he felt the
anger return. All he wanted was one day that was Hara-Kir and Hawk
free. He couldn’t catch a break. Hawk and his five buddies came
into the basement, and Calloway knew Hawk would want retribution
for the formal dance. Now that they weren’t in school, Calloway
wasn’t inclined to be so restrained. There were no repercussions of
being caught and no possibility that an infraction would be written
on his permanent record.

“
You’ve got to be kidding
me.” Easton sighed.

“
I wonder what Beatrice is
going to do,” Breccan said sarcastically.

“
Look who got new clothes
for Christmas!” Hawk shouted when he approached Calloway. “I didn’t
know the Salvation Army had such a good selection.”

The other kids turned and looked at
Hawk as he yelled at Calloway. They backed away to the corner,
expecting a fight, and they watched with apprehension. They formed
a large gap in the middle of the room, yielding the floor to Hawk
and Calloway.

“
You shouldn’t be a
comedian,” Calloway said calmly. He felt the anger course through
his body but he kept his temper under control. Revealing his
annoyance would only make Hawk continue. He tried to act as
indifferent as possible. “People aren’t going to pay to hear the
same jokes.”

“
They will if they’re
still funny.” Hawk smiled. His friends stood on either side of him
and glared at Calloway. Their arms were crossed over their chests
and they looked menacing as they stood behind Hawk. Calloway was
annoyed with the expression on Hawk’s face. The smile stretched
wider when he realized he had Calloway cornered—it was six to
one.

“
So, this is the guy?”
Marquan asked.

Calloway nodded without looking at
him.

Hawk stepped toward him until they were
a foot apart. “Now it’s my turn to throw you on the floor and watch
everyone point and laugh at you.” He raised his hand to push
Calloway but Marquan stepped in front of him with a glare on his
face. His diamond earrings reflected in the light and the chain
that hung around his neck sparkled as he moved. Breccan came and
stood beside Calloway while Weston’s friend Scott joined the
alliance. Michael appeared through the crowd and stood in the
group. Calloway was blocked by so many people he couldn’t even see
Hawk anymore. His heart hammered in his chest when he saw the
people stand in front of him, shielding him from his biggest
adversary.

Marquan was still in the forefront. “I
dare you to touch me,” he said as he leaned forward. He stared at
Hawk and waited for him to make the first move. The size of his
arms was almost as big as Calloway’s head, and his height was over
six-feet—he was intimidating to everyone. Hawk shifted his weight
but held Marquan’s gaze. “That’s a smart choice.” He
smiled.

Weston came down the stairs and saw the
confrontation in the center of the room. She pushed the people
aside until she reached Hawk. Her eyes widened in hatred. “I don’t
invite punks to my party,” she said. “Now get out.”

Hawk glared at her. “I just came by to
pick up my girlfriend.”

“
Then pick up your trash
and get out of my house,” she snapped. Everyone in the basement
laughed at her words. Some of the people pointed at Hawk and
whispered to their neighbors, clearly talking about him.

When Calloway walked to the front of
the gathering he could tell that Hawk was furious. His blue eyes
widened at the sound of the crowd and his arm’s twitched in anger.
“I can’t believe Calloway needs his girlfriend to fight his battles
for him,” he sneered.

“
And I can’t believe your
own girlfriend won’t defend you.” Weston pushed him hard and he
staggered backwards. His friends laughed at him for being pushed by
a girl. “Stay away from Calloway or I’ll make you pay.”

Hawk walked up to her and pressed his
face against hers. “Or what?” he said. “What are you going to do
about it?” Calloway could see the ferocity coursing through his
limbs and it matched his own. If he touched Weston Calloway would
kill him—he would. Weston met his gaze with equal intensity. She
didn’t look afraid as she stared at him with a stoic demeanor,
silently challenging him to touch her.

Suddenly, Hawk shoved Weston backwards
and she staggered back until she fell to the ground. Calloway
sprinted to Hawk before he even made the decision to attack him.
The idea of him touching Weston sent him to the brink and he
punched Hawk in the face as hard as he could. He continued to hit
him as hard and as fast as his arms would move. The blood
spluttered out of Hawk’s nose and covered his hands but it didn’t
stop him. Calloway wanted Hawk to pay for what he’d done to
Weston—no one touched her like that. He could hear everyone
cheering him on as he felt the blood on his knuckles. Finally, he
felt someone pull him off Hawk and he stopped his
pursuit.

“
Stop, Calloway,” Weston
said. His words sheathed his anger immediately and he obeyed her
command without hesitation. The blood dripped from his hands onto
the floor but he didn’t mind the sensation—the blood wasn’t his.
Hawk’s face was covered in the red liquid and he glared at
Calloway. “There is no fighting in my house.”

“
I’m sorry.” Calloway
caught his breath. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“
I’m fine,” she said. “I
told you I can take care of myself.”

“
That doesn’t mean you
should have been pushed,” he snapped. “It’s
unacceptable.”

Her eyes softened at his words and she
patted him on the shoulder. Weston grabbed a towel and wiped off
his dirty knuckles. Calloway watched her attend to him and he felt
his heart race when her hand touched his. “Are you okay?” she asked
quietly.

“
I’ve never felt better.”
He smiled. “That was a long time coming.”

“
Then maybe it’s a good
thing he pushed me.” She smiled.

“
No. I never want someone
to hurt you—any girl. It definitely wasn’t worth it.”

Hawk’s friends helped him to his feet.
Hawk wiped his bloody nose on his jacket and turned toward the
stairs. “Come on, Beatrice!” The sound of his command seemed like
he was speaking to a disobedient dog. He marched to the ladder with
his friends surrounding him.

Beatrice stood by the stairs and stared
at him for a moment, unsure what she should do, and then looked at
Calloway.

“
And a drumroll,” Breccan
whispered.

“
Come on!” Hawk yelled
again. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up the stairs.
Calloway watched her go in misery, wishing she would stand up for
herself and stop repeating the same mistakes. His friends were
right—nothing changed.

Weston rolled up the dirty towel and
tossed it into the garbage. “You’re as good as new,” she said. “Now
I have to return to my party. Stay out of trouble.” She walked away
from Calloway

The crowd started to mingle again and
move on from the fight that just ensued. Weston disappeared into
the throng and started talking to her friends again. Marquan looked
at his watch. “It’s almost midnight,” he said. “I have to find
someone to kiss.”

“
Don’t get any ideas.”
Calloway smiled.

Marquan smiled. “Damn.” He turned to a
girl standing behind him. She was attractive with light brown hair
and, she wore a gray jacket that highlighted her eyes. It didn’t
seem like she knew Marquan. “You wanna kiss at
midnight?”

She thought for a moment. “Sure.” She
shrugged. “Why not?”

Calloway raised an eyebrow. “It’s that
easy?”

“
For me.” Marquan laughed.
“Not everyone is gifted like I am. Look at this face.” He turned to
the girl and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Everyone started counting down and
couples were partnering up for the big kiss. He watched in misery
as everyone started to find their significant others in the crowd.
He felt immensely alone. Calloway assumed Breccan and Easton would
kiss when the countdown ended but it didn’t seem that way. They
weren’t speaking or even looking at each other. Easton had her arms
crossed over her chest, and Breccan was staring at his shoe with
his hands in his pocket. Calloway looked at the crowd and saw
Weston talking to man that was standing very close to her. He was
tall like Calloway but much larger, and Calloway recognized him
from the training room at the White Wing. He and Weston did a
demonstration together while Easton stole the decoder from the
library. Calloway didn’t want to find someone to kiss—there was
only one person he wanted.

The countdown ended and everyone kissed
their neighbors. Calloway watched Weston kiss the man lightly on
the lips, and when she tried to pull away, the guy grabbed her face
and kissed her a moment longer. Weston was smiling at him when they
pulled apart. The image made Calloway want to gag.

“
I’m ready to go,”
Calloway said. “Let’s leave.”

“
Me too,” Breccan and
Easton both said simultaneously.

They climbed up the steps and left the
house without a backward glance. Calloway didn’t say goodbye to
anyone at the party and he had no interest in speaking to anyone.
The three of them didn’t converse on the way home—suffering
silently in their own minds.

Nighttime
Musings

The shadows on his bedroom wall were
drifting across the room as the glow from the headlights of passing
cars chased them away. They formed different shapes that reminded
him of creeping spiders that scurried across his bedroom. He turned
on his side and tried to close his eyes but he was too restless to
sleep—too anxious. The sound of Breccan’s snores was loud and
Calloway couldn’t concentrate on anything else besides the noise of
his windpipe. He was tired of thinking about his miserable life,
but he was too depressed to fall asleep. The melancholy pressed
against his heart and made him want to break down in a flood of
tears. This was too hard for him—he didn’t want to do it anymore.
Why couldn’t he just be normal? How different would his life be if
he wasn’t poor and his father never left him that note? Would he be
happy? He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before he finally
rose and dressed himself.