Sapience (20 page)

“These are the closest things I have to work clothes.” She said.

They really didn’t look like work clothes at all but I wasn’t going to be the one to tell her that. “I think those will do just fine.”

“So, what do we do with all of this?” She gestured to the bricks.

Once upon a time I could have told her the true and best way to take on this task, unfortunately these days I could only guess. “I say we start in the middle and work our way out.”

I figured we would need a water saw when we reached the outer ring, the bricks wouldn’t match up very well against the outer ring. In the middle they would work just fine, not to mention starting in the middle would be the best way to center where they met.

“Ok then, let’s get to work.”

We both scooped up a hand full of bricks and carried them to the center of the circle. I watched Brianna as she kneeled down next to me and concentrated on matching the patterns. She had placed four down and had them locked in place before she glanced over. I shifted my eyes to the bricks hoping she hadn’t saw me watching her.

“What do you think, something like that?” She asked.

“Yup, if we follow this pattern all the way out, I think we should be good.” I said.

We had another three in place before we realized they were out of level and we had to tamp them to get it right. Even so we had to pull a couple and spread more dirt so they would sit higher.

We came to find out, brick lying is slow work and after several hours we hadn’t done nearly as much as I would have thought. Lillie had brought us out some sweet tea and Jack had propped up a radio. The only station that came in played nothing but instrumental music, it was still better than nothing. The sun was setting when we finally stepped back to admire our small accomplishment. We still had a long way to go.

“Nice work,” I said rubbing a dirty hand in her hair.

She turned and cupped my face, I could feel dirt smearing across my cheeks, “awe thanks fake boyfriend!”

“Here fake girlfriend,” I said pouring what was left of the sweet tea in the dirt and scooping out the mud, “this will help you keep the mosquitoes away.”

She caught my hand as I tried to smear the mud in her face. She worked a pressure point in my wrist to force me to drop it. I used my other handful to successfully smear her other cheek.

“William!” She yelled and tripped up my legs. I was soon falling face first into the mud puddle I had created.

She had her hand on the back of my head, smearing my face in the mud as I shifted my hips and put all of my weight into her side. We rolled back and forth in the dirt fighting for the upper hand. We were covered head to toe in dirt and mud and busted out laughing.

“I give I give!” She cried through sobs of laughter.

“That’s a good look for you.” I said through my own chortling. Her hair was sticking up all over the place and her face was three different colors of dirt.

One by one the stars had popped up across the sky. It was amazing really how many there were. Back at the government buildings there was too much light pollution, there were no stars there at all. Here there was nothing to stop the stars from cascading across the sky.
 Out here in the quiet and fresh air I was surrounded by nothing but beauty. Between the forest, Brianna, and the stars, I couldn’t think of a better place on earth.

When we got back inside Adrian and Lillie were placing shiny black tiles on one of the walls in the kitchen, Spencer was in the living room playing video games. I looked around but didn’t see Josh or Rachel, they were probably up stairs keeping to themselves.

I pulled out my homework and propped up next to Brianna on the couch. I was trying to read my government book but soon found my eyes kept wandering to the TV screen.

Brianna had a book of her own she was reading. Lillie had been collecting books for a library upstairs. Right now the room was a random slush of books piled across the floor. Nobody had started construction on shelving yet. Brianna must have gone in there and taken one of the books. I glanced at the cover and wondered how many copies of “Of mice and men” were left in the world? With the way the government treated history, not many.

I tried to do my homework for another half hour before excusing myself to my room. Under the glow of a lamp with the TV only a low rumble through the wall, I could finally get some reading done and actually wrote out a few pages of the book report. My goal was to get the thing over with as quick as possible so I kept on reading and writing as the clock ticked on and my eyes grew heavy. It was after one in the morning when I finally put the work away and clicked off the lamp.

Chapter 13

            
 
The next couple of days were a little rocky, Blake and his friends were growing restless. I was shoved on three different occasions, twice there was one of Spencer’s friends there to shove the person back, the third time I was out numbered five to one. So far that had been the extent of the damage, there were a few times that it almost came to blows but no one had crossed that line… yet. It seemed inevitable, something was coming. Things couldn’t keep escalating forever, at some point they had to blow. A vast number of the people seemed to be taking up Blake’s side and pestering me whenever they could, they were like piranhas with the scent of blood. I’m pretty sure they didn’t even know what they were getting worked up about, hell I didn’t even know. You could say it was over Brianna but it wasn’t, Blake probably felt threatened by me. People like that are insecure, they need to know that they are in charge, his insecurities were leading him to come down on me.

Back at home the brick patio was growing day by day and it was beginning to look like it might be finished by Friday. Part of me wished that it would go on forever, it felt good working with Brianna to make everything match up.

Friday morning we were met by a pack of football players when we pulled into the school parking lot. Blake looked to be in the lead, flanked by two douches of equal strength and size. I idly wondered if they knew how bad it would be for them to try and fight us.

“I’m not going to hold back on these guys.” Brianna said. “I don’t care if it draws attention.”

“I’m sure everyone would overlook a little girl throttling three giant football players.” Spencer laughed.

I didn’t want her anywhere near those guys “I will take care of them.” I said.

Spencer was still laughing when he put a hand on my shoulder. “I have a better idea, let me handle this.”

We opened the doors and stepped out into the musty morning air, the three of us squaring off with the big football players.

“I’m getting sick of playing games.” Blake said.

Brianna crossed her arms “Then leave us alone.”

“I don’t like you.” He said, ignoring her and talking straight to me.

“Listen to this cowboy!” Spencer said.

Blake took a step forward. I took a step to match, I wasn’t going to back down anymore. He fell back with his friends, bullies are cowards.

“If you don’t leave, you’re going to be sorry.”

“Leave?” I said, astonished. Did he actually think he could get me to, what? Leave, leave town? Did people actually do that?

“I have a better idea” Spencer said “we are having a little party tonight.”

What was he doing? “Spencer.” I said, urgently glancing over at him whilst still keeping one eye on the football players.

“Relax” He said. “So anyway, we are having a party and I just thought of a good way to settle this little debate of ours.”

“And?” Blake asked.

“And I think we should have a little competition, say my family verses you and your friends in a little football game? Loser leaves town.”

Blake smiled, it was a wicked grin, an evil grin “So you want to face us in a football game? If we win you leave town?”

“Wow you are a smart one… did I stutter?” Spencer asked.

“I don’t know man.” said one of Blake’s friends.

I watched him glancing back and forth nervously between the other two. Blake shoved him hard in the shoulder. He was puffing out his chest trying to look tough, he looked furious that one of his friends had broken his composure.

“Pull yourself together, how can we lose?”

“How about this, if we win only Blake has to leave town.” Spencer said. His eyes were locked on the nervous kid.

The three of us were far more relaxed than the football players. To the untrained eye we looked confident that no one would dare start a fight with us. To somebody with keen senses, they would have seen how Brianna’s feet were positioned against my tire, ready to throw her forward at any sign of trouble. They would have seen how I stood slightly behind Spencer and to his right. Nobody would be able to attack him without also giving me a free shot and nobody could get straight at me.

“You’re on!” Blake said at once “Just make sure preppy and skank over there are in the game. I wouldn’t mind dealing out some pain before I send you on your way.”

He looked so angry, how could someone be that mad all the time?

“See you tonight Blake!” Brianna said in the fakest, cheery voice I have ever heard from her. She grabbed both me and Spencer by our wrists and started to pull us toward the school. “I just want to punch that guy.” She said when we were out of ear shot from the others.

“I will be passing around directions later on today.” Spencer yelled back. “Don’t get scared and back out now.”

“Sounds like you’re going to get the chance Brianna.” I said. “I hope you know what you’ve gotten us into Spencer.”

“Don’t worry so much William.” He said. “Live a little.”

“Okay fine, but how are you going to explain this to Adrian? He already has plans for the house and I doubt he will want any of this attention on us.” I said.

He thought about it then laughed a little. “It’s the price he will pay if he wants us living there.”

He broke away from us before I could retort. We watched in astonishment as he ran up to a group of girls and wound up walking away with his arms around two of them. Brianna shook her head before turning away to head into the school.

“Have you ever played football before?” she asked.

I thought back, I couldn’t remember a single time that we had. You would think that our care takers would have had a football competition at least once. After all, it was a contact sport and they loved those. “I guess not.”

“Me either, do you think we can beat them?”

“Considering that none of us have ever played football before and they are a football team? I think we have a chance. You know, us being highly disciplined and all.”

Brianna laughed and looked at me thoughtfully. “Good. I think we should cheat.”

She was probably right, we were going to have to cheat if we wanted to win. I had seen a few football games on TV, which was about the extent of my knowledge. There would be no other way to win against a trained team.

“Hey, what’s up guys?” Neal came striding up from behind us, he looked worried. “I saw you in the parking lot, what did Blake say?”

I shrugged “Not much, he’s kind of an idiot.”

“Are you ready for the big party tonight?” Brianna asked.

Neal stiffened “There is a party tonight? Uh, yea sure, I guess.”

“What do you mean, you guess?” I asked “Get pumped up, it’s going to be a good time.”

He gave a weak smile and mumbled something about homework before randomly walking away.

I watched Brianna watch him, a look of astonishment on her face. She cracked a smile and then started to giggle. “He’s not very good at interacting with others, is he?” She asked.

“Nope” I said “He just needs a little more encouragement, that’s all.”

She looked embarrassed for laughing at him and began to blush. “I’m sure.”

As we made our way to class, Brianna seemed to have her head in the clouds. Every now and again she would throw out a suggestion of one of her friends to set Neal up with and then almost instantly change her mind before I could respond.

“What about Jessica? No, she would never go for it. Stacy maybe? Maybe not. Sam could be good… Sam could be bad.”

She looked shocked to realize that we were standing outside of her classroom. “Oh I’ll figure it out eventually.” She said. “Wait for me before you go to lunch ok?”

I nodded and she slipped into class.

First hour was abuzz about the party. It seemed like everyone was going, Spencer had spread the word to a large number of people and from there it had went around like wild fire. The only person who didn’t seem excited was Neal. He only gave me short yes and no answers to any question I asked and avoided conversation like a plague. He was back to being down on himself, my pep talk was wearing off. At least it sounded like he would show up at the party, from what I could pick up that is.

“I’ll be there ok?” He said when we were walking to lunch. “It should be fun right?

“You know it will be, Spencer is pretty much inviting every single person in the school.”

I really wish he had run it by Adrian first, as far as I knew he might pull out a gun and kick everyone off the property. Oh well, this was Spencer’s deal and not mine. If he wanted to square off with Adrian and throw a huge party when we were trying to hide, he could go right ahead. I wasn’t getting involved.