by Amy Hale
His eyes become wide. “You named him after that song!”
I gasp in surprise that he gets the joke. I knew I liked this kid. “Yes!”
He laughs and pulls out his cell phone as I start the car. As we pull out of the parking lot, he swipes at the screen and in seconds we are on the road to his house, his phone blaring the song “Baby Got Back”.
Caleb pushes open his front door, still quietly singing about big butts. I’m laughing and slightly mortified that an eight-year-old listens to that song, but I’m also assuming his dad bought the song for him, so I’m not gonna worry about it too much. Caleb probably doesn’t understand all the words yet anyway, thank goodness.
He hollers down the hall as he drops his backpack on the floor in the foyer. “Rebecca! I’m home! I brought a friend!” Then he trots toward the kitchen.
I follow behind and hear him mention wanting a snack. Once we reach the doorway I see the backside of a petite young woman; her straight blonde hair is falling down her back like a bright, luxurious waterfall. She turns and smiles at Caleb, and I notice she has one of those perfect faces and a killer body - the kind prominent on the covers of beauty magazines. The kind you glare at while standing in line to buy Cheetos and Nutella, knowing no matter how much advice is featured inside, you’ll never look like her, Nutella be damned. She notices me then and seems surprised, but she covers it up quickly.
“Well, who is this, Caleb? Is this your friend?” Her accent is thick, and I mentally label her as a southern belle. Her voice is light and lyrical, and I start to imagine birds flying through the windows to land on her shoulders while chipmunks help her sweep the floor. Nice, Whitney, nothing catty or petty about your thoughts at all here. I push back my startlingly jealous speculation.
I give her my best smile - the one I reserve for parents I’m trying to appease. “Hello, I’m Whitney Dawson. I’m Caleb’s teacher.”
Caleb has already found the peanut butter and celery snack Rebecca had waiting for him.
While chewing on his first bite, he tries to talk, although it comes out a bit garbled. “She’s also my friend, so when we aren’t at school, we call her Whitney.”
She smiles at him and then directs her attention back to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Whitney. Would you care for a snack? Or maybe a drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine for now.”
“Well, just let me know if I can get you anything. It’s always nice to have visitors.” She ruffles Caleb’s hair in an affectionate gesture. “What are you two gonna do this evening?”
Caleb swallows a drink of milk and then looks up at her. “I’ve been teaching her how to play Knight Fighters. We’re gonna play that until Dad gets home.”
She gives me a sidelong glance. “Oh? Sounds fun.” She says nothing else, and I get a distinct feeling that she’s holding something back.
Caleb gulps down last of his celery, then takes my hand to lead me down the hallway. “See ya later, Rebecca!” he tosses over his shoulder as an afterthought. I don’t look back and keep quiet until he has the game set up and hands me a controller. I decide I’m sitting on a chair or the bed today since my back is still protesting from my time on the floor the evening before. Note to self: start yoga soon.
“Are we fighting more trolls today? Or do I get to fly the dragon yet?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, the dragon doesn’t show up until we beat the wizard.”
“A wizard, huh? That sounds difficult. Is he after the trolls?”
“No, he’s closer to the end. After the trolls, we fight skeletons.”
“Skeletons. An army of bones? No skin or anything?”
“Nope. Just bones.” Then he starts to giggle. “They don’t even have big butts!” He hasn’t sat down yet, so he starts shaking his booty in a funny little dance.
I can’t help but laugh. ”Well, they don’t know what they are missing then. You need a butt to dance like that.”
He laughs some more, and since I’m still standing, I mimic his movements. Now he’s howling with laughter. I know I look like a complete moron, but it’s worth it for this reaction. He swiftly plugs his phone into a speaker on his desk and hits play. Music starts flowing from the small box, and it’s a song I don’t recognize, but has a great beat. Caleb starts bouncing and dancing around the room, so I increase the awfulness of my own dancing.
We jump and bounce and laugh until we are breathless, the he plops down on the bed, and I sit in the chair. He sighs loudly. “That was silly.”
“Yes, it was very silly. But silly is fun sometimes.”
He sits up. “I like silly.” He pauses. “Dad likes silly too.”
The subject of what Aidan likes makes me a bit nervous and more than a little curious. My inner idiot wants to ask what else his father likes, but I shove her in a closet and bar the door. “Well, Dads are supposed to be silly, I think. It’s part of their job description.”
He nods, but I see a hint of sadness begin to creep onto his face. It makes me angry that someone has placed doubt in his head about Aidan. And while I can’t say I know the man well, outside of our intimate knowledge of each other, I have a hard time believing he could possibly be any of the things Kara had said.
It’s about that time we hear his voice from somewhere down the hall. Caleb moves to turn off the game, but I stop him.
“Hey, why don’t you play for a bit while I talk to your dad for a moment. When I get back you can show me what those butt-less skeletons look like.”
He giggles and starts the game. I give him a thumbs up and then quietly leave the room. I only make it a few steps down the hall when I hear Rebecca and Aidan talking in the kitchen.
“Aidan, I’m really concerned about him. You know I love him like he was my own.”
“I know, but I think this move was the right choice for all of us. He’ll adjust eventually.”
She huffs out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know. I’m worried that Mathison will cause us a lot of heartache. It was bad enough when you were on speaking terms, but now? I just don’t think it’s smart.”
I hear Aidan shush her. “Not so loud. Besides, Mathison’s not a complete idiot, Rebecca. He knows he’s best off avoiding me or anyone I care about. Not after what he did.”
“I think you underestimate him, darlin’.”
Darling? Did I just hear her call Aidan darling? I recognize the jealous twinge that hits me, and I decide I don’t want to hear more, so I begin to walk farther down the hall, purposely making noise as I go. Once I reach the kitchen they have switched subjects and Aidan gives me a warm smile.
“Thanks for bringing Caleb home, Whitney.” He gestures to Rebecca. “I assume he made introductions?”
“Yes, Aidan. He’s been a perfect host.”
He beams with pride. “That’s my little man.” He moves to the fridge and grabs small bottle of lemonade. Holding a second one out, he offers it to me. “Want one?”
Without thinking, I accept the bottle, then catch Rebecca watching us closely. I realize she is probably wondering about the nature of our relationship, and I decide I need to clear that up the first time the opportunity presents itself.
Aidan takes a drink. “So, what did you want to talk about. Any new developments since last night?”
Rebecca’s head snaps to look at Aidan. “Last night? What happened last night?”
He shakes his head at her. “We’re working through helping Caleb adjust. Whitney came over last night to help me with a concern I had.”
She looks at me again, and I can almost feel her boring imaginary daggers into my skull. Now I really need to be sure she understands we are just friends. Despite our history, which I pray to God she doesn’t know about, there was only the moment in the fun house. It was a lapse of judgment. She has nothing to worry about. Besides, comparing her to me is like comparing a Michelangelo to a Picasso, except my ears are actually in the right place. There’s no contest—she wins hands down.
I clear
my throat. “Well, I did witness a little scene on the playground today.” I’m unsure of how much more I should say. I overheard them mention Mathison, which I assume is Kara’s dad. I still don’t believe there is a speck of truth in her accusations, but I also think it might be best to keep this info close to my chest until I understand it better.
Aidan frowns. “What happened? Is he okay?”
I glance back down the hall to assure he’s not listening in. “Yes, he’s fine. There are a small group of kids that gave him a hard time, but I’ve spoken with them and don’t think it’ll happen again. I’ll keep an eye on it. In any case, I think this kind of incident has kept him from reaching out to make friends.” I fight back tears. “I wish I’d caught on that this was happening sooner, Aidan. I feel horrible that it may have been going on since the beginning of the year.”
Rebecca snarls. “Little twits! Children are horrible little creatures.” She quickly amends, “Except Caleb, of course. He’s a doll.”
I have to bite my tongue. Aidan speaks up before I get the chance to see if my tongue will stay between my teeth.
“Kids are kids, Rebecca. Some aren’t as lucky as Caleb and endure home environments we may never understand. Sometimes they just need a little understanding to turn things around.” He said exactly what I was thinking, and I felt my protective wall crack in a place or two. “And don’t feel guilty, Whitney. With so many kids to keep an eye on, we are fortunate you noticed it this early.”
Rebecca batted her amazingly long lashes at him and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sure you’re right, darlin’.”
“Well,” I blurt out. “I believe I should get going. I just wanted to fill you in. I’ll go say goodnight to Caleb and be on my way.”
I turn and head down the hall without giving either of them a chance to respond. I feel that prickling awareness on my spine and know that Aidan has followed me to Caleb’s room.
As I enter, Caleb is in the full throes of battle, using his mace to scatter his pale, bony enemies everywhere.
He turns to look at me and hits pause. “See, Whitney? These are the guys I was telling you about. No butts anywhere.” We both laugh at our private joke and Aidan gives us an odd look.
He peers closer at the screen. “Why would skeletons need butts?”
Caleb stands up and starts to shake his behind. “To do this!”
Aidan laughs, and I watch father and son interact a moment before I say my goodbyes.
Aidan walks me to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner? I think Rebecca’s making Italian.”
I press my lips into a thin line. “I’m sure. But thank you.”
He frowns. “What is it? Why do you look like I just asked you to shoot a puppy?”
I force my mouth to relax. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired, and I still have papers to grade. I’ll talk to you soon.” I walk away from the house and fight the urge to look behind me and see if he’s gone back inside to Rebecca - his gorgeous, Italian cooking, eyelash batting, Georgia peach. I groan at the images that enter my brain. I don’t want to think of them together, but I can hardly help it. She obviously has feelings for him, and how could he not be attracted to her? They may not be exclusive, or official, but I refuse to get in the way of that relationship. It’s a very good thing indeed that we agreed on only being friends. Now if I could just get the overtly sexual thoughts about Aidan to leave my head—and my nether regions—I’ll be in good shape. Maybe I should stop for some wine on the way home. Maybe it’s time to finally consider that battery-operated-boyfriend as well.
Winter is rapidly approaching. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks helping my students prepare for the upcoming holiday season and searching for new ways to help them expel their nervous energy. At this age, the thought of Christmas break always amps them up a few notches. Attention spans start to wane, and I find myself working harder than ever to keep them engaged. With Halloween just a few days away, they seemed to be worked up earlier than usual. I start to wonder how many kids have already been dipping into the candy stash meant for the trick-or-treaters.
I’ve used the phone to keep Aidan updated on Caleb’s situation, doing my best not to spend too much time in his company. Caleb keeps inviting me back over for game sessions, but I honestly haven’t had much free time, not to mention I’m very uncomfortable around Rebecca. She seems friendly enough, but I keep picking up on an undertone of something hostile. I wonder if I’m imagining it, since she hasn’t said an unkind word to my face, but it’s so strong that I feel sure it’s there.
Our school is preparing for tomorrow night’s harvest party, and I’m in the gym helping other staff members hang crepe paper and cardboard pumpkins along the walls and seating areas. Our gym is a community resource, so it’s often used for a variety of town functions. I’m descending a small ladder when my foot slips on the second to last rung. I feel myself falling backward and my mind rapidly warns my body to brace for impact. This is gonna hurt my ass and my pride. Remarkably, I land in the arms of someone instead of the freshly polished hardwood floor. Before I look into the face of my hero, I already know who it is. The awareness is enveloping me like a cocoon. The feel of his muscular arms and solid chest are wonderfully familiar, even though my time spent there was brief.
I raise my face to his and look into his eyes. “Thank you, Aidan. That would have really hurt.”
His smile is bright and infectious. “I’m glad I happened to be close enough to help.”
He is still holding me, looking down at me with an expression that generates a feeling in me of being treasured. I feel safe. I acknowledge that I could stay right here forever and be totally happy. It’s an abrupt thought that scares the piss out of me.
“I think it’s safe to put me down now.”
He slowly lowers me to the floor in a way that allows our bodies to slide against one another, and he never takes his eyes off of mine. I feel a flush come to my cheeks and with dawning horror I remember that we are surrounded by people. My co-workers, friends, and a few volunteers are all watching us intently. I take a couple steps back, putting an adequate amount of space between us. A nervous chuckle escapes my lips, and I hold up my somewhat shaky hands to announce that I’m fine.
I turn to pick up the box of decorations, hoping everyone will go back to work and pretend that moment never happened. Aidan takes the box from my hands.
“What can I do to help?” Again, he flashes that confident grin that gives me butterflies and sends my heart racing. Does he know the effect he still has on me? Sometimes I wonder.
I point to the next empty spot on the wall, and he carries the box over, placing it on the floor. He then goes back for the ladder and positions it in the correct place. I begin to dig through the box searching for the correct color of streamers when I hear footsteps jog up behind me. I turn to see Andy.
“Hey, Whitney. I heard you fell. Are you okay?” He’s wearing his red school polo and black pants with a clipboard stuck under one arm. He places a hand on my lower back, and it makes me uncomfortable.
“I’m fine, Andy. I just slipped. Aidan caught me.”
Aidan’s eyes are glued to the spot where Andy is touching me. He looks away and gives Andy a tight smile. “I’m glad I could help.” Then he holds out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Aidan Walsh.”
Andy removes his hand from my back and gives Aidan’s a shake. For a terse moment it seems like they are sizing each other up. Since I have a gift for making an uncomfortable situation even more awkward, the image of a bell ringing and a referee stepping in enters my thoughts. I press my lips together to stop the impending absurd giggling that threatens to escape. It comes out as a weird cough and they both look at me.
Andy releases Aidan’s hand, and his smirk seems smug and superior. “I’m Andy White. Nice to meet you, Aidan. I’ve heard a lot about you from some mutual friends.”
Aidan’s eyes narrow slightly, and I get the feeling I’ve m
issed something important. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
Andy shrugs. “If you say so.” Then he turns to me. “Whitney, when we’re done here I thought we could grab a cup of coffee.”
I have no idea what is happening. Why is Aidan even here? Why is Andy suddenly being attentive? What secret past is following Aidan around and causing problems for him and Caleb? I dislike this carousel of confusion and want to get off.
“I’ll pass, Andy. I still have papers to grade.”
“C’mon, Whitney. You can do those over the weekend. We need to catch up.”
I give him a pointed look. “I prefer to grade them tonight so my weekend is open.” I realize too late I just admitted I had nothing going on this weekend, outside of the dance tomorrow night.
“Then let’s have lunch tomorrow. Just you and me, like old times.”
I’m a little slack-jawed at the balls on this guy. Why would I possibly want to relive old times with him? What in the hell is he up to?
Aidan jumps in. “Oh, sorry, Andy. Whitney has already agreed to go on a picnic with Caleb and me tomorrow.”
He’s smiling as he looks down at Andy, but the vibe he’s putting off is more like I’d-like-to-beat-your-ass. It takes me a second to understand that I need to either confirm or deny Aidan’s statement. While I’m annoyed that he’d be so arrogant in assuming I want him to give me an out, I have to admit that he did indeed give me an out. I needed an excuse, but that doesn’t mean Aidan won’t hear my thoughts on the subject when we are alone.
“Oh that’s right,” I say as if Aidan jogged my memory. “Well, thanks for the invite anyway, Andy. I need to get back to work.” I pick up the streamers and hand them to Aidan, turning my back on Andy. I climb the ladder carefully and extend my hand down to receive the streamers and tape. Once Andy is out of earshot, I let my thoughts control my mouth.
“I appreciate the intent, but I really don’t need you to make up lies for me.”
Aidan feigns a confused expression. “Lies? You mean you didn’t agree to go on a picnic with us tomorrow?”