Charity Moon

by Deanna Kinney

  “Charity, what a lovely name. I’m Wesley Windsor. It’s very nice to meet you. Levi and I go back a long way. We’ve been friends since we were eight.”

  “That’s funny, because I don’t sense sincere friendship between any of you.”

  He laughed. “You’re very observant. Maybe you’re right. We’ve recently had a falling out, wouldn’t you say, Levi?” He threw his arm around Levi’s shoulder, taunting him. Levi seemed to be getting angry, though I couldn’t understand why.

  “Well, maybe you can tell me why Levi and his friends transferred to W. W. High, since he doesn’t seem to be willing to tell me the truth.”

  “Well, aren’t you the nosey one?”

  “No, I just don’t like secrets.” After I said it I realized how hypocritical the statement was considering I had secrets of my own.

  “Well we’ve got secrets, and you better hope you don’t find out what they are.”

  “Oooh, I’m shaking in my boots.”

  “You’ll be doing more than that in your boots.”

  “Wesley, that’s enough!” Levi demanded.

  “I’m just having a little fun with your girlfriend here.”

  “I’m not his girlfriend.”

  “You mean you haven’t claimed this one yet, Levi?” He came closer to me, and it almost looked as if he sniffed at me. “So you haven’t. I’m surprised. Someone as beautiful as this shouldn’t be left alone—that’s good news for me. Unlike you, I don’t mind breaking the rules.”

  I had no idea what they were talking about, and I could’ve imagined it, but I thought I heard Levi growl, and it looked as if the two were about to fight. If I didn’t know better I might’ve said that Levi was acting possessive. Good thing I knew better.

  “Excuse me boys, but can you tone down the testosterone please? It’s not very attractive.”

  “I’ll be glad to, if you’ll go out with me,” Wesley remarked, turning his gaze to me.

  “Charity,” Levi snapped, “why don’t you and Ashley go find your other friends and let Wesley and I talk,” he spoke to me, but his eyes never left Wesley.

  “With pleasure. This conversation is boring me anyway. Come on, Ashley. It’s been fun boys. Thanks for entertaining us with your irresistible charm.”

  “I look forward to seeing you soon, Charity,” Wesley called back to me.

  “I’m counting the minutes.”

  “Boy, that was tense,” Ashley commented once we were out of ear range. “I hope they won’t fight.”

  “Oh, I think a fight is inevitable with those guys. I just hope they wait until we get out of here.”

  “I think that Wesley guy has his eye on you. He’s cute, you could definitely do worse.”

  “I guess he’s cute, but I got bad vibes from him. It felt like there was some secret meaning in everything he said. It was a little creepy.”

  “I know what you mean, and Levi was acting so protective of you. Maybe he’s jealous.”

  “Levi—jealous? Hmm.”

  Ashley and I were so caught up in our chatter that we didn’t see the danger in time. No sooner had we escaped hostilities from one group of guys than we found ourselves in the middle of another, possibly more hostile one. Only this one was between the rival football players.

  At first they were just arguing, so we tried to make our way around them, but then, without warning, punches started flying and Ashley and I were separated. In the frenzy, I was knocked to the ground. I knew at any moment I could be trampled. I screamed, putting my arms up to protect my face, as one boy tripped over me. Out of nowhere, two arms appeared under mine, dragging me from the scene.

  “Levi!” I gasped as he set me up right beside the bleachers and out of harms way. He gave me a quick once-over and then, without saying a word to me, ran back to join the fight.

  I watched in awe as Levi and his friends tried, without success, to break up the massive fight, which had by that time, doubled in size. Although, they soon found themselves throwing punches as well.

  If there were any skeptics left as to which school Levi was loyal to they were soon to be silenced as Levi took some blows for the team—our team.

  I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes from the scene before me even as Ashley grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the parking lot, where we discovered our friends waiting for us.

  “Did you guys see that fight?” Toby asked with excitement.

  “Yeah. Charity and I were right in the middle of it, and she would’ve been trampled if it hadn’t been for Levi pulling her out of the way. He just appeared out of nowhere. It was amazing!”

  “Wow! Once again Levi ‘Lava-Hottie’ saved you. I think it’s now safe to say he’s desperately in love with you.” Stacy remarked, taking me by the hand.

  I laughed at the absurdity of her comment. “You are totally mistaken. Levi loathes me. And believe me the feeling is mutual. He’s just the kind of guy who would rescue someone in trouble. These days it just happens to be me. That’s all.”

  “Okay. Whatever. Did you get hurt?”

  “No. I’m fine, but let’s get out of here.”

  I opened my car door and was about to climb in the driver’s seat when Wesley called out to me. I froze in shock as he approached, his expression kind.

  “Charity, thanks for waiting. I wanted to apologize for the tension back there. Levi and I don’t get along very well, and I was reacting to that. I’m sorry. I really would like to take you out. What do you say?” He smiled innocently.

  “Well, I-I don’t know.”

  “Oh, come on. Give me a chance to show you the real me. I promise to behave. I’m really a nice guy once you get to know me.”

  I thought about Levi and the way he responded to Wesley’s advances, and before I realized what I was doing I answered, “Um, well I guess that’ll be okay.”

  “Great. I’ll call you.”

  “Okay, goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  “Did I just agree to go out with weirdo?” I asked once I was inside the car.

  “He’s cute. Where did you meet him?” Delaney asked.

  “We met him tonight. He’s friends with Levi, or enemies, we couldn’t quite figure that part out.”

  “But you didn’t give him your number.”

  “Oh well, I guess the date’s off then.”

  “Yeah, and you sound so broken-hearted about it too.”

  “Well, there’s something about him I don’t trust, so I guess it’s for the best. To be honest, I don’t even know why I said yes.”

  “Yes you do,” Ashley smirked.

  “You know what? Who’s up for some Happy’s?”

  “Me!” they all said.

  The next day I was shocked when Wesley called me and asked me out for that evening, so I reluctantly said yes. What else was I gonna say?

  He showed up at my door looking quite handsome, in a dangerous sort of way. I hadn’t remembered thinking he was handsome the night before, cute maybe, but not handsome. He gave me a smirk, and the hairs on my neck instantly stood on end. For some reason I was starting to feel like I had made yet another bad decision, something I found myself doing more frequently since meeting Levi.

  He took me to a nice restaurant and then to a movie, a love story of all things. It seemed to me that he was trying a little too hard for a first date, like it was forced or something.

  On our way home he quizzed me about Levi. “I’m just curious, but have you and Levi dated before?”

  “Um, no. We just have some classes together. He protected me from a fight once—correction—twice, but that’s all. Most of the time we hate each other.”

  “Oh, I think the last thing he does is hate you.”

  “Why do you say that? Did he say something to you?”

  “No, he didn’t have to.”

  I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that statement. “Well, we’re just friends, if you can even call us that.”

  “That’s good to know.”

>   When we got to my house he walked me to the door. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to meet your parents?”

  “Well, my stepfather and I don’t get along very well. Truth is, he’s sort of a jerk, and I don’t want him to be rude to you.”

  “I can take care of him for you,” he teased, or was he teasing? It was hard to tell.

  “Um, thanks, but no thanks. My mom’s kind of fond of him.”

  “I enjoyed our evening. Maybe we can do this again sometime. You’re a very beautiful woman, Charity,” he said while wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger. I found the gesture slightly unnerving.

  “Um, thank you, Wesley. Well—goodnight.” I turned to go inside when he took my hand, turned me toward him, and kissed me. It was a gentle kiss, but I saw a brief flicker of something in his eyes causing my hair to stand on end once again.

  “Goodnight,” he whispered as he released me. Then he turned and headed back to his car; a shiny, new, red Corvette.

  Monday morning arrived and the school was all a buzz about the fight. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. I don’t know why everyone was so surprised. There’s a fight almost every year, and every year extra precautions are taken to avoid one, but on some scale or another there seems to be one regardless. Rivalries are funny that way. So much for hoping it was dying down.

  When lunchtime arrived, I told my friends about my date with Wesley, down to the very last detail. For some reason they were surprised it went so well.

  “Do you like him?” Delaney asked.

  “Well, I’m not sure. I guess he was nice enough.”

  “If he asks you out again, will you go?”

  “Hmm, maybe.”

  Out of nowhere, Levi appeared beside me, looking slightly agitated. “Charity, can I talk to you a minute?”

  “Um, sure.” I got up and followed him out of the cafeteria. He led me around the building to the spot where we talked before.

  “What’s up, Levi?” I turned to face him, and it was then that I noticed his perfect face was just that—perfect. But hadn’t I witnessed him receiving blows in the fight, as well as giving them? And yet his face was perfectly smooth and untouched.

  “Are the rumors true?” he snapped. “Did you go out with Wesley this weekend?” His voice was accusatory.

  I was a little surprised by his intensity. And then I noticed his shirt was unbuttoned slightly and found myself distracted by the thin patch of hair on his golden upper chest.

  “Charity! Did you go out with Wesley?” he repeated.

  The intensity of his voice broke me from my train of thought, dang it. “Yes I did. What’s the problem? And how did you know about that?”

  “I have my ways of hearing things. You can’t go out with him again.” He looked frustrated, which confused me.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but did you just tell me what to do? I must’ve heard you wrong. Why do you care anyway?”

  “I—I don’t. It’s just that he’s not a good person. I’ve known Wesley for ten years. He’s only using you to get to me.”

  “Are you suggesting that I’m not good enough for him to like me for me?”

  “No, don’t twist my words. Wesley and I have had an intense rivalry since childhood. He always has to out-do me at everything. Winning is everything to him. He thinks I like you, and that’s the main reason he wants to go out with you.”

  “And why would he think that? Doesn’t he know you actually hate me?”

  “Is that what you think? You think I hate you?”

  “Of course. Don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t hate you, not at all. It’s you who hates me.”

  I let out a deep sigh, feeling exhausted by the whole thing. “No, Levi, I don’t hate you. You just have this way of irritating me to death, that’s all.”

  He flashed me his brilliant smile, and I had to fight the urge to touch his dimples. “That’s good to know. Now, will you stay away from Wesley? If he asks you out again you have to say no.”

  “I can’t promise that, Levi. He was nice to me. He likes me, and he didn’t put his paws all over me like most of my dates have.”

  “But he will! That’s what he wants! Don’t you see?”

  “No! What I see is a guy who, for some odd reason, seems jealous because his friend is outdoing him and is saying things to make his friend look bad! For all I know, you’re the one who always tries to out-do him! And nobody touches me without my permission!” I yelled at him.

  “That’s not what I hear!” he yelled back with such venom that I actually flinched.

  Was he talking about Frank, I wondered? My mouth fell open and tears flooded my eyes. Feeling humiliated, I turned and abruptly fled the scene.

  “Charity! I’m—” I heard him call to me, but I was already around the building.

  Too upset to go to my last class, I found myself in my car—headed for home.

  When I arrived home I went upstairs, fell across my bed, and cried. How could Levi have known about Frank? Surely that’s not what he meant, I told myself.

  About an hour later I was outside on my roof, journaling when I looked up and observed the storm clouds rolling in. Right before a storm is my favorite time—when everything’s growing dark and the wind picks up. Call me creepy. I was snapped out of the moment when I heard the front door slam shut. I crawled back in and shut the window, listening intently. When I didn’t hear my mom call to me I assumed it was Frank. I ran to my door, shut it, and reached for my chair. It wasn’t there! I panicked as I looked all around; my chair was gone! My heart pounded heavy in my chest as my door flew open. Frank barged in. He’d been drinking. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He once said he could never resist me when he’d been drinking, saying I reminded him of his first wife, Val. They married very young, and she supposedly did terrible things to him. He’s tortured by the very thought of her to this day, but I’m the one who suffers.

  I was horrified at the wild look in his eyes, his stance predatorial. “I’ll make you pay, Val!”

  “No, Frank!” I screamed. “I’m not Val! No!”

  He ran at me, knocking me back against my desk. The impact forced me to the floor, covering my head in defense. For a second all was quiet. I looked up in time to see him sailing through the air, smacking hard against the opposite wall and hitting the floor with a loud thud, taking my small bookshelf with him. He lay motionless, covered in books. I was thunderstruck at what I saw next—there, across the room, stood Levi, fists clenched, anger pulsing through him. He rushed to me, scooping me in his arms effortlessly and carrying me to my bed. I gave no thought to my actions as I clung to him like a lifeline, allowing myself to absorb his strength—his scent. After a few moments my heart rate began to slow, and I gazed up at him. “Thank you, Levi. How did you know I was in trouble?”

  “I didn’t. I came by to apologize for being such a jerk. When I approached the front door I heard you scream. Are you all right?”

  “I-I’m fine. How did you do that to Frank? I mean how did you throw him across the room like that?”

  “I-I don’t know. I’m just strong when I want to be.” He shrugged.

  I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, not sure what to make of his explanation.

  “That’s all I can tell you. You’ll have to trust me. You can trust me, Charity,” he said, gently tracing his fingertips down my cheek.

  The gesture surprised me, and my thoughts turned to pudding. “Um, okay. I guess I can do that.” Breathe, Charity, breathe.

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “No, thank you.” Before I could stop myself, I too reached up and touched his face, something I’ve been longing to do for some time.

  I was frozen by the intensity of his gaze, his deep, piercing eyes seemingly seeing into my inner being, reading my thoughts. Slowly he bent his head forward, and when his lips came down on mine, the sensation was nothing less than electrifying. I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him closer. The kiss deepened,
and I felt my heart hammering in my throat. Our breathing escalated, but then I heard a voice inside my head saying ‘you can’t trust him, he’ll mistreat you, or worse, he’ll leave you’, suddenly and abruptly, I turned my head, breaking the kiss.

  He released me as though he’d hurt me. “I’m sorry, Charity.”

  “No, don’t apologize. It’s not you. It’s just kind of hard to kiss you with Frank unconscious on my floor.”

  “Yeah, well I can see how that might crush the mood. Let me get him out of here for you.” He went over to him, picked him up over his shoulder, and carried him downstairs. He didn’t even seem to struggle with the weight. He brought my chair with him on his way back up.