~
When Caledonia left for school the next morning, he was right there, waiting outside her front door.
“Hey,” he said, his voice velvety smooth.
“Hey,” she replied.
He took her bag and her hand, leading her out to where his bike was parked. Then he put everything down and greeted her with a kiss. Everything seemed brighter in the fresh new morning, and Caledonia had a renewed sense that somehow, someway, things were going to be okay after all.
When they got to school Calvin walked her to class with his arm draped around her. He was staking a claim on her for all to see, and it did not go unnoticed by the girls that competed for his attention. He was by her side at lunch too, lounging on the grass and nudging his head onto her lap as she tried to read a book. He made it nearly impossible for her to focus.
A couple of girls followed her into the library when she went to return her books, talking in loud voices for her benefit.
“I don’t get it,” said one of them. “I mean, look at her.”
Caledonia turned around to see Hillary and Debbie. They were both scowling at her with open contempt, and neither one of them held any books.
“You know, you’re totally not his type,” Debbie snarled at her.
“He probably just feels sorry for you,” Hillary added. “He told me I was the hottest girl at school.”
Caledonia returned her books and tried to get past them to leave, but they stood blocking the doorway. She turned sideways to pass between them, surprised when she felt a sharp tug on her braid. She spun around to see them laughing, and her eyes flew open with a flash of indignation. They laughed even louder, unaware of how numerous and fierce her defenses were.
Lightning quick, she swung her leg around, scooping Hillary right off her platform heels, sending her crashing onto Debbie, toppling them both like dominos. She stood staring down at them, delivering a powerful blast of ice-cold fear.
The librarian glanced up to see two girls sprawled on the floor, looking up at Caledonia with completely horrified faces. “What happened over there?” she called out.
“They tripped,” answered the quiet girl who’d been haunting the library for the past few weeks. She flipped her braid over her shoulder, and walked out the door with a lighter bag and a heavier heart.
After school Calvin was waiting for her again, throwing his arms around her like they’d been apart for days instead of just hours. She was a little taken aback, unused to being showered with so much affection. He kissed her worried face, and she relaxed a little, letting his sweet happiness flow over her, tempering her own dark mood.
She looked up to see a trio of girls walking by with stares so filled with vibrating red and green hostility that Caledonia could feel the burning heat coming off of them. “Slut,” she heard one of them say under her breath. She turned her face away from Cal’s, uncomfortable again.
“They hate me because of you.”
“Ignore them. They’re just jealous,” he said, kissing her behind her ear.
“I know,” she replied. “But now they want to hurt me.”
“They won’t do anything. They’re just a bunch of stupid girls,” he added, concentrating on the way she fit so perfectly into his arms.
“Then why did you kiss them?” she asked, stopping him.
“Uh … I don’t know.”
She pulled back from him. “I suppose I’m just a stupid girl too.”
“No! It’s not the same thing!”
“It looks exactly the same,” she said sadly.
He struggled with his words, “It’s different … You’re different. You’re not like other girls.”
She frowned, looking down. “I’m aware of that.”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s me … I’m different. You make me feel different.”
Her eyes flashed angrily. “I told you, I’m not making you feel anything!” She tried to walk off but he grabbed her arm. She looked up to see the girls had been joined by Hillary and Debbie, watching them from across the courtyard with palpable hatred. All of their hurtful words came rushing back into her mind. “Let me go.”
He shook his head no. “Don’t let them get you all upset. They have nothing to do with us.”
She looked over at them, and back at him, hesitating.
“C’mon, let me take you home. Please?”
She drew a shaky breath and agreed, following him out to the parking lot.
“Do you wanna come over and hang out for awhile?” he asked hopefully.
She shook her head no, afraid to look him in the eye. “I better go to my aunt’s. I have some things I need to take care of.”
Truthfully, she was shaken. Seeing girls he’d been intimate with so recently made her feel even more insecure and frightened than ever. She was scared because it was too late; despite all of her caution, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d already surrendered her wounded heart to him.
Calvin drove the short distance home extra slowly, racking his brain for a reason to make her change her mind. She promised to see him first thing in the morning, reminding him it would be their last day at school. He watched her make her way into the condo with a heavy heart, feeling lonely the minute the door closed behind her.
~
Chapter Fifteen
DISCOVERED
The Athena Effect Page 31