Eternal Youth

by Julia Crane

Callie watched out the car window as Jonathan navigated the empty street and came to a stop beside her mother’s BMW where it was parked at the meter on the side of the road. She nervously pulled at the edge of her sweater dress. The night had been perfect; she didn’t want it to end. What if he doesn’t want to see me again?

  Turning the key in the ignition, Jonathan turned off the car. They sat for a moment—double-parked in front of the movie theater—as the engine ticked.

  “Well,” Jonathan murmured. He touched Callie’s knee until she caught his eye.

  “Well,” she answered shyly.

  “I’ll walk you to your door.”

  “You really don’t have to, it’s just right there,” Callie answered, motioning out her window.

  “Don’t be silly.” He winked.

  For the fourth time that night, Jonathan stepped from the car and rushed around to open her door. Callie’s heart pounded at the easy smile on his face as he pulled her from the car and slid a strong arm around her waist.

  He guided her the three feet to her car door and swept his free arm out to the vehicle. “Mademoiselle—your car.”

  Callie giggled, slightly drunk on his presence. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  They turned to face one another, and Callie shivered in the chill night air. Jonathan noticed and pulled her closer.

  A blush crept up her cheeks. “I had a good time.”

  “Me too.” He brushed her hair back with one hand, his other pressed gently to her lower back.

  Callie’s breath caught in her throat as he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers.

  It was sweet—warm, gentle, and with an undercurrent of passion that sent a thrill through Callie. She felt inexperienced and terrified; she had no idea where to put her hands. He deepened the kiss, his mouth urging Callie’s to open.

  She broke the kiss, her heart hammering, and gasped, “Thanks for walking me to the car.”

  He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. Sliding both hands around her waist, he pulled her into a hug. “I want to see you again.”

  “Okay.” Her voice sounded squeaky. He’s going to know I have no idea what I’m doing, Callie groaned inwardly.

  “I’ll call you.” With one last peck on the lips, he left.

  When Callie walked through the front door, her mother glanced up over her black, cat-eye glasses. She was sitting in an armchair in the living room with her knees curled up, holding a hardback book.

  “So? Have a good time?”

  The tall lamp beside the chair illuminated only her mother, leaving the rest of the room in darkness. It made her hair shine like a halo, and her golden skin glow.

  Callie dropped the car keys on the coffee table and crossed her arms. “Were you waiting up for me?”

  “Of course.” Emma covered a smile with one hand. “Isn’t that what moms are supposed to do?”

  Callie rolled her eyes, but she was secretly pleased. “Whatever. I’m going to bed.”

  “But, how did it go?” her mother asked. “Tell me everything!”

  “Can I tell you in the morning? I’m really tired.”

  Her mother’s face fell. “Oh. Okay.”

  Heaving a sigh, Callie fell onto the couch and told her mother about her evening. For all the times Callie had wished for a different mom, there were always a few instances where she wouldn’t change her mom for the world.

  Her mom’s excitement over the date was one of them.

  January 1st, 2011

  Um, somewhere?

  I have no idea where we are.

  I can’t act like this doesn’t happen all the time. It does. Mom says, “take this plane” and we do. We could end up on Mars and—if not for the tell-tale red dirt and lack of oxygen—I wouldn’t know where the f*** we were.

  So, right now, I’m staring at a cliff that is higher than anything I’ve ever seen in my life. So many rocks have detached and fallen from its face that the ground looks like a stone graveyard. And Mom’s telling me we’re going to climb it.

  I wonder if matricide is a crime in this country?

  Callie woke up to a feather tickling her nose.

  She cracked open an eye and was nearly blinded by the sun coming through her bedroom curtains, but not before she saw her Gran’s favorite cat toy and Avery’s evil smile.

  “Why?” Callie groaned, tugging the covers over her head as Avery cackled.

  “Because you’re so easy.”

  Callie felt her best friend’s weight disappear from the bed a split second before the cover was jerked off of her.

  “Get up.”

  “Ohmigod, what is wrong with you?” Callie demanded, finally opening her eyes. The digital clock on her nightstand said it was just past eight in the morning. “It’s so early!”

  “There’s an art fair in La Mesa. I want to go.” Avery was wearing a baggy pair of overalls with an electric green T-shirt underneath; it should have looked ridiculous, but it didn’t.

  Callie narrowed her eyes. “You look like some weird art kid.”

  “You look like a bear in hibernation. Get up.”

  “And why didn’t you call me yesterday to tell me?” Callie pushed to her elbows and rolled to a sitting position. She clapped a hand over her eyes.

  “Glaring only works if I can actually see your face,” Avery quipped. She fell onto the bed beside Callie, adding an extra bounce just to be snarky. “I did call. You were on your date. I talked to Braden.”

  “I swear to you, if I verify that your voice did really just go dreamy when you said my cousin’s name, I will kill you.” Callie dropped her hand and blinked. I’ve really gotta remember to shut the curtains before bed.

  “Kiss it, Cal. He’s hot.”

  Callie groaned and threw herself onto her pillow, burying her face in the soft cotton. “Go away.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. Look, it’s already after eight. I want to get there by nine.”

  Callie turned her face on the pillow until she could see her best friend. Avery was lounging against the footboard of the bed, the cat toy dangling over Callie’s foot. “I need a shower.”

  “Better go now.” The feather dangled closer.

  “Touch my foot with that feather and the world is going to be short an Avery.”

  The fair was just the kind of thing Avery lived for, but to Callie, it was just like any other street market she might have visited in Morocco or Guatemala. Only, instead of charming artisan crafts and beaming women in colorful dresses, it was fancy, over-priced “art” sold by trendy folks in berets who used words like “fabulous.”

  The street had been shut down for the fair, and fiery-colored stands lined it. They were manned by every form of man or woman possible, from the old to the young and anything in between. The crowd was sizable, and the day was shaping up to be a hot one. Callie was glad she’d chosen to wear a pair of cut-off shorts with her purple fitted tee.

  “Why are we here again?” Callie grumbled.

  Avery tucked an arm through Callie’s. “Come on, Cal. You’re home, you’re on the down low, and you’re with me. We’re just going to browse the art and spend some time together.”

  Callie squeezed her best friend’s arm and grinned wryly. “Yeah, I know. You’re right. I just wish I could be home all the time.”

  “You want a hot dog?” Avery—mind like a video-game addled seven-year-old boy— turned excited eyes to Callie.

  “Random much?”

  “Sorry, I’m starved. Come on.” She gripped Callie’s arm and dragged her across the sidewalk.

  They each ordered a hot dog and a bottle of soda from the vendor. Callie, like always, insisted on paying, and Avery argued for five full minutes. Callie knew her best friend’s family struggled to stay afloat, and Callie’s mom had more money than she could ever need.

  Thus, Callie always won the arguments.

  They took their goods to a nearby stone bench to eat. After a moment of stuffing her face, Avery wiped her mouth with a napkin a
nd said, “So. Why don’t you stay, then?”

  Callie swallowed her food and chased it with a drink before responding. “Yeah, right. With Gran?”

  “Sure. Or with me. You know my mom loves you, and we have an extra bedroom.” Avery took a bite of her hot dog and shrugged. “It’s not like you haven’t stayed over before, like, a million times.”

  “I really don’t think your mom would want an extra kid. Plus, there’s no way my mom would let me, anyway.” Callie stared at her hot dog and thought about how hurt her mom would be. “Honestly, as much as I would love to stay here and have a normal life, I couldn’t leave my mom on her own.”

  “Just a thought. I miss having my best friend around.” Avery toasted Callie with her bottle of diet soda and a grin before taking a drink.

  “I just wish I had a normal mother.” Callie gazed at the ever-growing crowd that was passing their bench. “It doesn’t seem fair that I’m taking care of her and not the other way around.”

  “I know you think you’re missing out on a lot, Callie, but honestly high school is pretty lame.” Avery poked Callie in the arm with her bottle. “Sometimes I’m jealous of you. You get to go on all these crazy adventures, and I’m stuck behind a desk doing boring homework or going to the same hangouts every day and seeing the same people every weekend. You’re like…an enigma to the kids at school.”

  “Wanna switch places?” Callie said grumpily.

  “Wasn’t the life I was born into.” Avery shrugged and tossed back the last bite of her dog.

  As Callie saw the brief look of envy cross her best friend’s face, a thought struck her. Callie sat up straighter. “I just got a great idea. Why don’t you come on vacation with us? It will be completely safe. A normal vacation with my grandmother. We can sit on the beach, and sip fruity drinks with umbrellas all day. You won’t be trudging through the jungle, but it will get you out of San Diego.”

  Avery squealed. She reached across the space between them and gripped Callie’s arm with her fingernails. “Yes! That would be perfect.” She paused, her face falling. “But, I don’t know if I can convince my mom. You know we don’t have money for stuff like that.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Callie rolled her eyes. “My mother would never let you pay for anything. Please! You have to convince your mom. I would be miserable without you.”

  Avery narrowed her eyes. “Have you even cleared this with Emma?”

  “No-o,” Callie drew out the word mischievously, “but she’ll be fine with it. She lets Braden tag along with us. What’s one more person?” Callie tossed her wrapper at the trash can and missed by a long shot.

  Avery rolled her eyes. “Coordination is really not your thing.” She leaned all the way over, one foot in the air as she picked up the paper from the asphalt and threw it in the can. She turned back to Callie, her face thoughtful. “I forgot about Braden.”

  “I don’t like that tone of voice,” Callie warned.

  Avery smiled sweetly. “Imagine. Watching him walk around in swim trunks…”

  “Avery Lewis, don’t you dare go any further with that statement.”

  “Half-naked Braden tips the scales, Cal. I’ll convince my mom to let me go, one way or another.”

  “I’m regretting my great idea,” Callie retorted. “Keep your lust of Braden to yourself. It creeps me out.”

  “Oh, shut up. We’ll have a great time. And I’ll only talk about Braden a little.”

  Callie groaned.

  “Kidding!” Avery stood up and pulled Callie to her feet. “Let’s go look around. I saw a hot guy at a pottery stand on the way in.”

  As they merged back into the crowd with the sun beating down on them, Callie laughed. “Now I know why you wanted to come here. Hot guys that are into something you love. It’s brilliant, although I don’t think your boyfriend would approve.”

  “Speaking of boyfriends,” Avery said, dodging Callie’s condemnation with aplomb. “Do you think you’ll see Jonathan again?”

  “I hope so. He’s perfect.”

  Avery did a double-take of a nearby booth, and dragged Callie in that direction. “No one is perfect.”

  “I really think he is.” Callie sighed, an image of Jonathan in her mind. Dark hair, that pale, pale shade of blue in his eyes…

  Picking up a small statue of Artemis, Avery said, “Not perfect.”

  “But, he’s so cute…so thoughtful…and kind….did I mention cute?”

  They shared a laugh, and Avery put down the goddess carving so they could move on to the next stand. Conversation moved to other topics, and boyfriends never came back up.

  Callie’s mom was on her knees, pulling weeds out of Gran’s backyard garden when Callie parked the Beemer on the parking pad.

  Gran’s backyard was like a mini-paradise in the suburban neighborhood. The postage stamp yard was surrounded by a white picket fence, and the gate was rarely closed. A stepping stone path led from the driveway, through the gate, and to the back door, while another line of river rocks led to the garden. It was always in full sunshine, which could wreak havoc on a lot of the things Gran enjoyed growing, so she had erected a sun shield from tinted glass and four-by-fours on one corner. Her greens grew like weeds underneath it; Callie had never met someone with such an affinity for plants.

  Emma glanced up, shielding her eyes from the sun so she could see Callie. “Hey, babe.”

  “Hey. What are you doing in Gran’s garden?” Callie asked. She knew her grandmother was picky about anyone in her veggie patch.

  Her mom tugged another crabgrass-type plant from the damp dirt and didn’t bother to look up as she answered, “Gran’s back’s hurting her. She’s in bed with a heating pad.”

  Callie laughed. “How’d you manage to convince her to do that?” Gran would just go-go-go until she collapsed; it was one of the things that always worried them.

  Glancing up with a smirk, Emma said, “I spiked her tea pot.”

  Callie burst out laughing. “No way.”

  “Way. Did you guys have a good time?” Emma turned back to her battle with the weeds.

  “Yeah, it wasn’t too bad.”

  “Did you buy anything?”

  Callie shook her head. “There was nothing good. It was all too expensive for the quality.”

  Emma sat back on her heels and squinted up at Callie with a knowing smile. “You’d much rather go to a street market in India, huh?”

  “I hate to admit it, but…yeah.”

  Her mom reached out and slapped her on the leg with her trowel. “Told ya.”

  “Whatever. I’m going inside for something to drink. Avery should be right behind me. Will you send her in when she gets here?”

  “Sure, babe. Make some iced tea, would ya?”

  It was much cooler inside. Callie closed the kitchen door behind her and dropped her mom’s keys on the counter, making a beeline for the fridge.

  She had just pushed the “on” button for the coffeemaker when Avery came through the door, followed closely by Callie’s mom.

  “What are you doing?” Avery chirped, skipping over to stand by Callie.

  “Brewing some hot water to steep the tea.”

  “Let me know when it’s ready, baby, I’m going to take a quick shower. I’m covered in dirt.” Callie’s mom kissed her on the temple, one hand brushing back Callie’s dark hair.

  “Wait, Mom, Avery and I wanted to talk to you.” Callie draped another tea bag over the glass pitcher, and then turned to face her mom. She leaned against the counter, exchanging glances with Avery.

  “What’s wrong?” Her mom’s tone of voice hit a level that suggested worry.

  “No, nothing’s wrong,” Avery rushed to say.

  Callie spoke at the same time. “We were just wondering…could Avery come with us? To the Bahamas?”

  Emma let out a breath and pressed a dirty hand to the bare skin above her white tank top. “Oh, Jesus, you guys scared me. Yes, yes, of course. I think that’s a lovely idea. Hav
e you cleared it with your mom, Avery?”

  Avery shook her head. “Not yet, but I will. Tonight.”

  “She said no.” Avery’s voice wavered across the phone line. Callie could tell she’d been crying.

  The sun had set outside the window over her vanity, and all the dim, yellow globes that lit the neighborhood were on. Callie was sitting in front of her netbook with her legs crossed Indian-style in the chair as she checked her Facebook feed.

  “Then, I’ll ask if I can stay,” Callie answered. “I can talk Mom into it.”

  “I don’t know, Cal. Remember when you asked a couple years ago?”

  Vividly. It had been the summer Callie turned thirteen. They came back to San Diego to switch out clothes—traveling for more than three months on the same ten outfits could get gross. During the three-day weekend they were home, Avery had spent every day and night at Gran’s. When it was time to go again, Callie had thrown a fit to end all fits and begged her mother to let her stay.

  She’d later found her mom crying hysterically in the bathroom.

  “Yeah. I remember.”

  Avery sighed. “I know you want me to go, and I want you to stay, but seriously, Cal—I think your place is with your mom. She needs you.”

  Callie turned to stare out the window; the lights of the city were too bright to see the stars. She missed the stars. “I wish she didn’t need me so much. What about what I need?”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  Callie had seen the same sky all over the world—the same stars, the same blue or black color no matter where they went—and she knew her best friend was right. It was irrelevant how badly she wanted to stay; she would always go.

  March 31, 2011

  Somewhere outside Christchurch, New Zealand

  We’re staying at some farmer’s house in bumfrack country. There are sheep outside the window of the bedroom I’m supposed to sleep in. WTF? Why couldn’t we have stayed in the freaking Crowne Plaza?

  Braden left about an hour ago to head into the city for a “pint” he said. Just because we’re in a country where they talk like Brits doesn’t mean he needs to go all native, but whatev. I only wish Mom would let me have a “pint.” I need it after the flight from hell.