But to change everything about his life was a different story. He wanted better for Cassie than he had, and he felt like every day was a fight to keep her on the right path. He hated the upper classers who spit on him, who turned their noses up at him and here was one sitting in front of him, waiting for his answer.
Finally, he stood.
“Fine. Let’s go tell the police what we know.”
“You sure?” Dave asked, shakily. “I mean, I’m sure I could…”
“I’ve never been less sure of anything in my entire life,” Chuck replied. “Except that I love Cassie and I want what’s best for her.”
“Yeah,” Dave agreed. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Chuck gave him a hard look.
“This don’t mean shit, upper classer. I ain’t forgetting the way your kind treats mine.”
“Well that,” Dave replied. “Is a whole other problem we’ve got to tackle on our own, isn’t it?”
Chuck paused, looking at this man who stood opposite him. This was the kind who turned their nose up when he had begged for change as a kid. But in Dave’s eyes, he saw Cassie, doing begging on her own. He didn’t know if this one was different, didn’t know if it was going to amount to anything. But he certainly would try.
Dave drove them to the police station, and mostly, they drove in silence, except for the crack that Chuck made.
“Usually, on my way here, I’m in the back seat with a screen in between me and the driver.”
Dave gave him an uneasy smile.
“If it makes you feel more at home, you can climb back there.”
Chuck snorted.
“Yeah, just don’t be surprised if the minute I walk in there, they slap cuffs on me. I’m not exactly top of their list for world’s most upstanding citizens.”
Dave shrugged, turning a corner exactly at the speed limit.
“When I was six, I stole a candy bar from the store.”
Chuck grinned at him.
“Really? Why? I’m sure your mom could have afforded to buy you a hundred of them.”
“I wanted to be cool, like you guys,” Dave replied. “Always slipping things into your pocket and no one noticed. You could have whatever you wanted.”
Chuck laughed at loud at that.
“And you don’t think we didn’t watch you, thinking you had everything?”
“Yeah, everything. Divorced parents battling over alimony and shuffled between houses every two weeks. Your parents are at least still married, right?”
“Yeah,” Chuck shifted. “They are.”
The reaction when Chuck walked into the police station was exactly as he predicted, until he told them why he was there. And even then, he still expected handcuffs to be slapped on him at any moment, sure that his name popped up a dozen red flags in the system.
But the more he talked, the more they relaxed. The Feds had been after Samuel Jones for awhile, and the information Chuck gave them, having run on the inside for years, combined with what Jimmy the Snitch knew, was valuable.
“And the girl, Cassiopeia? She’ll testify to these bribes?”
“As long as you can promise she’ll be safe,” Chuck replied. “Look around, man, they ran to the middle of nowhere , when they had the glamour of NYC. They were pretty damn scared.”
“We can offer her and her family security,” the police officer said. “And you, of course.”
Chuck grinned the wicked grin that they had come to know.
“Man, I don’t need you. I’ve taken care of myself my whole life.”
“Sometimes,” the officer said, slowly. “It’s nice to have someone else take care of you awhile.”
It was something that Chuck had never considered before.
There were official statement forms to fill out, and several police officers that wanted to talk to them, both on the phone and in person. It was dawn before they let them go, and this time, it was with a happy wave and there were no handcuffs involved.
“That was surreal,” Chuck said, as they got back into the car. Dave choked at the time.
“Man, my parents are going to kill me.”
“Must be nice,” Chuck said, and Dave shrugged.
“Yeah, being grounded for a decade. At least it’s worth it.”
“Yeah,” Chuck closed his eyes as the roar of the engine started. It had been a long night but before he could sleep, he had to make sure Cassie got to school alright. Missing even a day of class could make a huge difference.
He thought about his own Dave in school, about all the days he had missed. Maybe it was too late to go back to traditional school, but there were always night classes.
“Yo, man, how do you be a cop?” he asked Dave. The other boy raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, I think you need a high school diploma and then you take the police entrance exams. They have an academy and all.””
“Yeah?” Chuck considered this. “Think they’d take a GED?”
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?” Dave gave him an encouraging smile.
“Yeah,” Chuck said. “Pretty much.”
The conversation gave him new hope as they headed back to the Criter house. Maybe everything wouldn’t be the way he planned, and the end wouldn’t come with a gunshot in the dark for him.
It was morning at the Criter house, as if it were just another day. Cassie was still sitting on the couch, under a blanket, although she looked like she had moved. Her hair was piled on top of her head and she had some makeup on. But what Chuck was most interested in was the fact that there was a plate of eggs and pancakes half eaten in front of her, and she was continuing to go at it with interest.
“Chuck!” she practically tripped over the table to throw herself into his arms. He grinned, trying not to get bowled over. Small or not, she had impressive force. “Dave! You’re back! Where did you go? Richard wouldn’t tell me where you went.”
“We went to take care of some problems,” Chuck said, as she let go of him and wrapped her arms around Dave, who kissed her. “Legally.”
She gasped, with a grin.
“You know that word?”
“Apparently,” he replied, as Shawn and Peter came into the room.
“Peter, do you remember the last time an upper classer was in our doorstep?” Shawn asked, and Peter shook his head.
“Nope. Think this one is lost?”
“I’m sure we could help him find his way.”
“Boys!” Chuck held up his hands. “This one’s cool! It’s cool. Chill out.”
They looked at Chuck like he had grown a third head.
“You drunk, Chuck?”
“Not anymore,” he replied, and gave Dave a grin. “Things are going to change around here, I expect.”
“Cassie, you done with this?” Richard came in, picking up the plate she had nearly knocked over. She turned back to look at it, ‘yes’ forming on her lips. And then she smiled.
“No, I ain’t. Not yet.”
Chuck grinned at his best friend as he took off his coat.
“Oh yeah. Things are really going to change around here. And it’s all thanks to you, kid.”
Cassie looked between the two of them, confused. She had no idea what could have transpired over the night, but whatever it was, it was a good thing. And so she shrugged, sauntering back to the eggs and taking another bite.
“Sure, no problem,” she replied, as Dave sat beside her.
“Hey, where’s my food?” Chuck asked, loud as ever. “Didn’t I just spend all night working my butt off for everyone?”
“You know where the kitchen is,” Richard grunted. “I’m going to work. No one start World War 3 while I’m gone.”
The boys looked a little skeptical with the upper classer in their living room, but the fact that the older ones seemed at ea
se made them relax. Clearly, there was something they had missed, and they were eager to be filled in on the drama. But whatever had happened, no one doubted that it was because of the skater’s secrets that everything was changing.
Chapter 8
“Peter, if you don’t put that down right now, you’re going to find yourself with coal in your stocking,” Richard knew exactly what was in the box, and he knew that his brother was at risk of breaking it if he kept shaking it.
The Christmas tree was ablaze with dollar store lights, and there were fat ducks in the oven, thanks to Cassie going overboard. It was Christmas eve, and everyone had agreed it was the best Time to get together. Those who had families celebrating Christmas would be with them tomorrow, and those who didn’t were welcome at the Criter house anytime. Tonight would be the official Christmas celebration of the gang.
And it was grand. There was enough food to feed an army, and maybe feed 6 hungry boys and a hardworking athlete. A year ago, it would seem strange that Cassie’s red hair and expensive clothes would fit in with the roughed up gang of boys. It would be even stranger that Dave’s Mercedes would be in the driver. But these days, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
It wasn’t that they had won the war and all upper and lower classers got together all the Time. But they had triumphed in battle and there were less rumbles on the streets, less spitting and name calling. Even Gordon and his gang had played pickup basketball with them once, and shook hands at the end.
“We’re here,” Cassie called out, as Dave pushed opened the door with his arm, and the cold wind blew in. It was icy out, but the Criter house had a crackling fire. Both of them were laden down with presents, and Steve and Shawn came to their rescue, half throwing the gifts under the tree.
“I knew better than to get things that were breakable,” she said to Richard, with a smirk. He rolled his eyes at her. Even on Christmas Eve, he had worked in the morning. He was looking forward to tomorrow, what felt like his one day off all year.
“How are you, Dave?” he asked, shaking her boyfriend’s hand and ignoring the smartass skater. Dave yawned.
“Tired. Who knew Ice skating started so early?”
“I did!” Chuck cried, from his place on the couch, spread out over papers and books. He wasn’t making fast progress but he was making progress on his GED, hoping to enter the police academy once he had received it. Samuel Jones had been caught six weeks after the tips he gave them, and was locked away for life. It turned out the mob boss had been rigging ice skating championships for years, his niece and nephew that competition that had taken Cassie and Scott down. With the peace of mind that the criminal was behind bars, Cassie had woken up one morning, picked up her skates, and gone skating at the Y. Since then, she was training to re-enter the competition circuit. She was only doing solo skates, and it was clear that she never skate partners again. Although those who saw her said that her jumps were as if someone was lifting her, invisible arms controlling her movements.
She felt Scott’s presence the strongest on the ice, his arms around her waist, his voice in her ear, his hair brushing against her face. She missed him more than anything. But she had to move on, and she knew that. These days, Dave’s arms dulled the pain, although they could never replace him. And he never got on the ice with her. That was her one rule, and he was happy to abide by it.
“And I’m so glad that someone else is taking her,” Chuck continued, with a grin.
“I can take myself, you know,” Cassie replied. “I did get my learners permit.”
“Ah, but that’s no better fun than 5am at an ice rink,” Chuck teased as she came to sit beside him.
“What are you working on?”
“Fractions. This is boring as shit.”
“Yes,” she replied. “But necessary.”
“Why? So I can divide up how many criminals I’m going to capture between me and my partner?” he grinned at her and she shrugged.
“Sure. Practical use,” she replied.
“I think everyone’s here, please can we open presents?” Peter asked, looking around. Forever the child, he was practically sniffing at the presents like a dog. Richard laughed.
“Fine. But don’t go throwing the wrapping paper everywhere again.”
“Do you think I’m five?” Peter asked, and then did just that.
There was a marked difference between the price in the presents from Dave and Cassie, and the presents from the gang. But what was no different was the thought behind it. The three hundred dollar video game for Steve was just as valuable to him as the dollar store sunglasses holder for his car, as Steve was famous for constantly losing and breaking his dollar store sunglasses. It was common to get into Steve’s car and crunch through several broken pairs.
Cassie nearly cried when she opened her present from Chuck, a framed picture, nearly 5 years old. It was her and Scott on the ice, and Chuck sitting in the stands on the first row, yawning and drinking coffee. It captured the past perfectly, and she put her hand to her mouth, trying to stop her lip from trembling. Silently, she got up, wrapping her arms around him.
“Thanks,” she whispered, fighting the tears even then. He smiled, giving her a quick hug.
“It’s just so you don’t forget that I remember.”
“Yeah,” she replied, knowing that she had felt alone in her pain for awhile. “Thanks.”
In the end, everything given was perfect. There was wrapping paper everywhere, much to Richard’s dismay, and gift boxes and ribbon scattered about, but everyone was happy, and he made sure to threaten starvation if they didn’t help clean up after dinner.
Cassie was the first to the table when dinner was announced. She was still thin, but it was a different kind of thin this year. Racked with lean muscle, strong legs, and well defined arms, she once again looked like an athlete, who was ready to take on the world. She was still hesitant about food, cautious to only eat things that were considered ‘healthy’, but she ate none the less, and sometimes asked for seconds.
It was a family atmosphere, shouts and screams of laughter, arms flailing everywhere as they passed plates and salt, and picked foods off each other’s plates. Cassie laughed so hard she cried, and nearly knocked Dave’s plate off the table, which caused another fit of giggles. There were no longer glares across the table at Dave’s presence, or marked silences whenever he spoke. They had even been to his house a few Times, swimming in the huge indoor pool or bringing their retro video game system to play on his huge TV screen.
“Are you happy?” Chuck asked her, as dinner wrapped up. “I know this is a shit ass boring town, Sas, it’s nothing like New York, but do you think you could stay here?”
“Yes,” she answered, positively. “It’s different of course, but I like it. I’m happy here.”
He smiled, as he took another sip of his beer, equally content.
“Maybe though, you and I could visit the big city one day, again? Together?”
She gulped, pausing before she answered. Despite Jones behind bars, the fear was still there. Plus, there wasn’t a place in New York she hadn’t set foot without Scott. Every corner, every store, every landmark would remind her of him. Going back to New York might make the pain seem as fresh as the first day.
But Chuck was waiting patiently, and she knew he would wait forever, until she was ready. He would always be there for her, to deal with her fears, and give her courage. For New York also reminded her of Chuck, of feeling safe as they walked through the streets in the pre-dawn air. The adventures he took her on, the movies he would sneak her into, and the Times he would buy her umpteenth amounts of penny candies to spoil her dinner. New York wasn’t all bad, and it wasn’t all fear and sadness. With Chuck, it might be alright.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” she replied, trying to remain calm. “We could go to get some frozen hot chocolate maybe.”
“I was think
ing we could go to Time Square and party, but I forgot, you’re boring,” he replied and she shoved him so hard she did knock his plate over.
“Children,” Richard warned, starting to clear the table. “Don’t make me put you in Time out.”
“Try it and I’ll knock your jaw out,” Chuck replied although it was good-naturedly. Richard rolled his eyes.
“Bring it, kid,” he said, and Chuck just laughed.
“When you least expect it, then.”
“I always expect it,” Richard replied. “Now, get off your ass and help with the dishes.”
“Can’t do it yourself, Superman?” Chuck teased.
Once the dishes were clear, and the dessert was about to be brought out, Dave stood up.
“There’s umm, one more gift,” he said, and everyone looked at him, and then looked under the tree confused. It was empty, and Peter even leaned over to see if he missed something.
“No there isn’t,” he said, and Dave reached into his pocket.
“Sorry, it’s here. It’s uh, for Cassie,” he said, and then got down on one knee.
Cassie shrieked, bringing her hands to her mouth. Her heart felt like it physically skipped a beat, but this Time it was for a good reason. Dave pulled out a gift wrapped box and looked up at her.
“Cassiopeia Winters,” he said, slowly and she shrieked again. Chuck smacked her.
“He hasn’t said anything yet, nitwit.”
“Uh,” was all she managed to say.
“This past year, you’ve made me pretty much the happiest man alive. I grew up here, but my parents made me travel the world with them. And in all that, I’ve never met someone as wonderful or as strong or as…awesome as you are. You’re so strong and patient, and you’ve gotten through more than most people would in a life Time. And I know that we’re young, and we can wait years if you want…but there’s nothing that is going to change my mind.” He opened the box. With all the money that he had, one would perhaps expect a huge rock on a solid gold band.
But a huge diamond would get caught in her skating costume, and Cassie almost never wore gold, so it wouldn’t match. Instead, it was a silver band with a rock built into it, a pure but small diamond. It played on her love of simplicity, her love of singularity, and her love for him.
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