Hadrian's Wall

by Felicia Jensen

  After a quiet afternoon, studying and sketching with Walter, the BP was a great change of environment. From the quiet to the “buzz & fuzz.” Definitely, this one violates my “personal code of conduct”: I never hung out at an “in crowd” kind of place, which this was. I’d rather be lying in my bed, watching a good movie. However, BP didn’t look like the bar that we saw in on television, nor the pubs in the English movies.

  Earlier, I asked Walter about the BP, but he wasn’t very helpful. He knew almost nothing about places in the town. When I invited him to accompany us, he replied, “Unfortunately, I cannot...” and automatically glanced at his wristwatch as always he does, controlling his time. I began to suspect that the supervision of my studies was his only external distraction. In the end, I concluded that my hypothesis was right: the Pine Tree High School was a detention center.

  Walter was so cute! He deserved a little more excitement in his life and that’s why I decided to help him with his drawings—but not as a teacher. After all, who was I to teach anything to anybody? I just gave him some tips and it was not difficult because he has great talent and a surprisingly firm hand.

  Walter was very excited about our conversation about comics, but I don’t know how the idea of setting up a magazine at his school was spawned. He told me he had a twin brother who also liked to draw. It was the first time he’d spoken about his family. He believed that the magazine would motivate his troubled brother to be interested in his studies. I realized that the brother situation was worrying him a lot.

  “If I can get permission from the school, will you help us?”

  Wait...

  “I cannot do it,” I said emphatically.

  But seeing his animation quickly fade, compassion led me to revise my decision. “If you get permission, and if your weird colleagues want my help, and if your brother has any interest in my drawings, then we’ll talk!”

  He gave a me crooked smile. I saw his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.

  “My weird people want this...” he said slowly as was his manner. The weird guys I know enjoy manga. I think if we offer the idea of a drawing workshop, it might even encourage my classmates to improve their performance. Director Bourke will only give us permission to do other activities if they reach seventy-five percent yield.”

  In my mind, I translated this enigmatic information in the following way: prison only granted “visiting day” to the prisoners approved to participate in the program for good behavior. That’s funny! I understood the evaluation process of this school less and less.

  “Take my manga drawings and if they think I’m up to the task, I’ll do a workshop with you...but on one condition—the group has to be small, okay?”

  “No problem. Our classes are usually small...very small. Forming a drawing group won’t add more than four or five people.”

  I couldn’t imagine myself leading a drawing workshop for weird boys and girls that probably had as much power as Adrian and Stephen. Was there something they couldn’t do? I bet that Walter didn’t need my help, so why was he asking for it? Maybe it was one of Adrian’s ploys to keep me busy? This hadn’t occurred to me because Walter behaves like a simple, gentle human.

  Except that he isn’t human.

  Just as Keyra McPherson isn’t human either.

  Worse than committing myself to give drawing lessons to a group of abnormal people was being watched by unseen eyes. Having Stephen and Delilah watching my back wasn’t enough for Adrian, so he found another “person" close to me to watch my every step. This became obvious when I happened to run into Mrs. McPherson that afternoon.

  “Watch out, Melissa,” she said unexpectedly. “Some places are not appropriate for a walk. Don’t forget that curiosity killed the cat.”

  She knew! I bet that she was the one we heard in the underground gallery. I almost asked her, but at the last second I changed my mind. Though it was cowardly, I thought it best too play dumb.

  Now here I am at the BP, sitting between Delilah and Abby, thinking about the day’s events. With a jolt, I realized that Abby was talking to me, so I forced myself to pay attention. She said something about the band that was performing.

  It was my understanding that this was some kind of impromptu jam session. Abby was explaining that the band performing was result of a lightning reunion—The Stereotype Band. Preston found some freshmen who also attend UWall’s music school. They came up with an idea for earning extra money by utilizing their talent to help pay for school and maintain their expensive standard of living away from Mom and Dad. After a few trial appearances around the county, they were offered a gig at the new bar in town—the BP.

  I couldn’t deny that the guys were good...for those who like noise and they played so well together it gave the impression that they’d been playing together since high school.

  Abby kept talking and I nodded, pretending I was listening. My mind was on other things, tumultuous thoughts swirling around in my head. There was only one fixed subject in the mental chaos and it wasn’t the gossip...it was Adrian.

  All thoughts converged on him. What madness! I felt that he was thinking of me at that very moment. It was as if he already knew what stage of understanding I was in right now.

  I shared Delilah’s secret, so now I recognized what was right in front of my face since the first moment when I woke up in Caledonia Hospital. I wondered if I should catch the first bus to Alaska, Canada, or maybe the North Pole. I could try to get a job as one of Santa Claus’s helpers.

  It was as if Adrian knew my feelings too...and waited for my decision. Stay or leave. After the nightmare about my mother and Dailey’s Crossing, I was sure that I simply could never let him go. But will I be able to handle whatever comes next?

  “You’re so distracted,” Delilah commented. “Don’t you like it here?”

  I looked around, disinterested. There were two small rooms for games, separated by glass walls (billiards, button soccer, and video games coexisting in noisy harmony), but the barriers didn’t prevent the machine noise and the shouts of the players from filtering into the bar area.

  Across the room was the bar where two buff-looking bartenders were serving drinks and food orders delivered to them through the small window between the bar and the kitchen. The sizzling sounds of food frying and the clanging of dishes commingled with the noise of the games and music, creating an atmosphere of sheer bedlam.

  In the center of a small makeshift stage, Dwayne was performing his keyboard, another band member was frantically strumming an electric guitar, and behind him, the drummer was literally beating his cymbals and drums. The group seemed compressed on the tiny stage.

  In front of them was the dance floor where people were pressed together like glossy and slippery sausages in a can of fat. It was impossible to tell who was who under the pulsating lights. Well, impossible for me anyway!

  Along the wall, people were sitting on double-wide couches, while others were sitting in the area of chairs and small fixed tables. At least, our table wasn’t too close to the bar or to the walkway, which provided some relief to my poor ears. The music coming from the stage had evolved into something edgy...electrifying. People were talking loudly to make themselves understood, but nobody was complaining...in fact, quite the contrary.

  On balance, I guess the pros outweighed the cons. The place was interesting, somewhat dark, but cozy. Hmmm, maybe the darkness was cozy...and I was so sleepy! To my horror, nodded off for a brief moment and then noticed that Delilah was still waiting for my response.

  “Oh sure! I like it here. Seriously!” I said, concealing a yawn. “I was just thinking about some things.” I picked up my Coke and sucked on the straw, giving her a scathing look.

  Of course, she understood what those “things” were.

  “No use dwelling on it. Life is short,” she whispered in my ear.

  As usual, Abby was drooling over Dwayne. Suddenly, she turned to us and said something like “The challenge will begin next.” Delil
ah told me that people will ask them to play certain songs and if Dwayne knew the song, he would play it on his keyboard, but if he didn’t know it, the customers could have a mug of beer on the house.

  “So far, he’s known every song requested,” said Abby, beaming with pride.

  Delilah and I exchanged a significant look. It’s obvious that Abby could drag a truck for Dwayne. Before our evening began, I was worried about Abby’s reaction to my involuntary intrusion on her friendship with Delilah...what was going on inside Abby’s head. I was afraid that she’d behave like Mrs. Jones’s psychopathic daughters. By force of circumstances, I still felt like an outsider.

  The arrival of Violet and Janice dispersed my thoughts. I focused entirely on them, assuming they would join us, but they just ignored us. Violet gave us a quick look while walking around tables, but when she reached the dance floor, she pulled Janice onto the sofa nearest the stage. She only had eyes for Dwayne. Dwayne’s reaction was immediate. I didn’t expect him to give her one of those glances filled with promises, crowned by a sexy wink, but that’s exactly what he did. Abby had followed Dwayne’s gaze and witnessed the exchange of glances between Dwayne and Violet. Her smile quickly faded. I felt sorry for her. As a member of the female gender, what he did made me really angry. Men... BAH!

  I spied Nik on the other side of the room. He was casually leaning on the bar, sipping his beer, but he wasn’t alone. David and a girl unknown to me were with him. She pointed to his foam mustache and Nik laughed. David picked up a napkin and wiped it off.

  I looked around but didn’t see Sally Benson. That’s strange, since those two were always together; however, given the current circumstances, her absence was a good thing. I stood up and walked straight toward them.

  “Hi, everybody!”

  “Hey, Mel!” the two guys greeted me in unison.

  The girl with David gave me a suspicious look and clung more tightly to his neck. I waved, but she just nodded. Well, I had no time to worry about her feelings of jealousy now. I got right down to business!

  “Nik, will you do me a favor?”

  He gave me a sideways glance and then straightened up and followed me to the corner of the counter. David stayed behind, making jokes, while his companion gave me a look of sheer relief. She probably concluded that I was interested in Nik and not in David.

  “I think Abby is feeling like a fifth wheel, nodding at the stage, trying to be as discreet as possible. The scene that unfolded there didn’t need any explanation. Violet had stood up from the couch and was dancing seductively around Dwayne. I mean if wriggling her body like a crazed boa constrictor could be classified as seductive. Dwayne smiled, clearly pleased by her performance.

  Nik said, “Oh...I get it.” He stared at me with a thick raised eyebrow. “You’ll owe me one for this, you know.”

  “Whatever!” I gave him a little smile.

  Narrowing his eyes, he placed his mug on the counter and pushed through the sea of people crowded around the bar and the tables. Feeling apprehensive and excited, I turned to the bartender and ordered another Coke. When I looked in that direction again, I saw that Nik had already approached Abby with his handsome Mediterranean smile. Evaluating him critically, he was a good-looking guy—olive skin and ultra-white teeth made him look like a movie heartthrob. I smiled to myself. His looks were impressive and Abby was not immune to his charm. I think she considered his arrival as a relief to escape the depression. She accepted the Nik’s hand and followed him meekly to the dance floor.

  Now it was my turn to sit back and watch from the bar. It wasn’t long before Dwayne saw Nik and Abby dancing animatedly. That was enough for him to lose interest in the fidgeting boa constrictor performance. Naturally, Violet noticed the sudden change and stopped squirming.

  Blonde and all steamy-looking in her red dress, Abby definitely stood out. Nik was the perfect partner because the contrast between them was something beautiful to behold.

  When he realized that Dwayne was watching them, Nik put his arms around Abby’s waist. Despite the fast music, the two moved in harmony.

  I stretched a bit to look over everyone’s heads to see Preston’s reaction. Even in the dim oscillating light, I could see the look of surprise on his face. There was no doubt—he was annoyed; however, he quickly recovered and put on a poker face.

  Point for Abby! I thought while I making my way back to our table. When I arrived, I realized that Delilah was frowning at Abby and Nik on the dance floor, but the object of her annoyance was not her friend. She seemed to be staring into space.

  “Do you want me to shout for help?” I asked wryly.

  “Huh?” She frowned, not understanding.

  “If I yell for help, Stephen will appear quickly. If you want, I’ll yell.”

  Delilah pressed her lips together.

  “You can be sure that he’s here somewhere.” I paused to drink my Coke before it lost all its fizz. “You know, he does not want to appear to be, but he is watching you!” I hummed brightly.

  She turned to face me, but her eyes were darting around.

  “He’s always around my perimeter, dear,” I explained patiently. So I’m sure he’s watching us right now. So enjoy yourself! Get a partner, get on the dance floor and show him what you’re made of.”

  “Excuse me?”

  How hard is that to understand? I rolled my eyes.

  “Make Stephen feel jealous. Don’t let him think that you’re only interested in him.”

  Suddenly, two guys approached our table. I was so surprised that I almost spilled my Coke. One of them was the guy who I’d made fun of in the hospital lobby. He waited patiently for me to look at him before he extended his hand, but then he suddenly withdrew his hand. Perhaps, he noticed that this wasn’t the place for formalities or perhaps he remembered me. He took a deep breath and to my relief, he simply introduced himself.

  “I’m Jonathan Gibbs. This is my friend and colleague, Troy Anderson.” The other guy gave me a friendly nod. “We were wondering how two girls as beautiful as you two are sitting alone. So I asked Troy, ‘What’s wrong with the guys in this town?’ We decided it would be unforgivable, if we didn’t ask, so, do you want to dance?”

  Delilah and I gave each other a conspiratorial glance. This was her chance.

  “Sorry, I can’t...” I started to say...and then I saw Jonathan’s disappointed look. Out of nowhere, I heard my guilt-filled explanation. “I recently suffered an accident and broke some ribs. The doctors advised me to avoid risky activities and for me, dancing is definitely a risky activity.”

  Jonathan’s face immediately lit up. “Thank goodness!” and then quickly added, “Please don’t think I’m happy that you had an accident. I was just relieved to know you weren’t trying to get rid of me.”

  Hmmm... He was straightforward.

  Troy asked Delilah to dance. She hesitated, but accepted. Before she stood up, she threw me a complicit look that said, ‘Well, let’s see what happens’ and then followed Troy to the dance floor.

  I smiled to myself and scanned the room, trying to locate Stephen. Turning my head, I saw than Jonathan was staring at me. His look was so intense that it made me avert my eyes from him to my almost empty glass. He said nothing, which compelled me to face him again. After a few seconds, were both looking into each other’s face. I was feeling embarrassed, while he seemed too at ease to suit me.

  “May I?” he said, pointing to Delilah’s empty chair.

  “Sure!” He had good manners. I have to admit, I was the rude person here. Better do something about that. As I watched him sitting there in front of me, I realized that he was cute. At least, my second impression was positive. When he’s older, I’m sure he’ll turn the heads of a lot of nurses.

  “This is a perfect opportunity for you to apologize,” he said abruptly.

  Hmm, I guess I’ll have to revise my second impression...

  “For what, exactly?” I asked, innocently widening my eyes.

 
“For laughing at me in the hospital, remember? I didn’t forget...”

  I stared at him for a moment, feeling a bit worried, but when I saw the twinkle in his eyes, I realized that he was joking with me, so I decided to join in the fun.

  “You’re right, it is a great opportunity! I’m sorry I laughed at you. It wasn’t polite, but I think I need to explain. Actually, I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing about everything that was happening to me! My life was...and still is...somewhat turned upside down. When I saw a sleepy, disheveled-looking guy,” I gestured toward him, “...fall flat on his face and then look around to see if anyone had caught you being clumsy, losing your ‘almost-a-doctor’ pose, I couldn’t help myself. I had to laugh. It was awesome!”

  He nodded, giving me a wry smile.

  “I deserved it—‘almost-a-doctor pose’ I mean.”

  “Doctors have ‘poses’ you know.” I raised my eyebrows. Did you ever see that movie with William Hurt?”

  “Oh, I know, I know...I’ve got it.” He shook his head. “But today, it’s not so.”

  “It’s not?”

  Suddenly I found myself enjoying his expressive face. Jonathan’s eyes were large and deep. His eyebrows formed an interesting frame—angular, broken forms, like two soft triangles. They were thick, but not exaggerated, complementing his straight nose. However, his square jaw suggested a determined personality. I remembered that his brown hair was full, but tonight it was combed differently, a more “well-behaved” cut, but still retained a hint of defiance.

  Yes, he’ll melt some hearts in the near future, if he isn’t already...

  “Do you know that we live in the same house?” he asked, crossing his legs.

  “Yes, I know.” I watched him put his arm on the back of the empty chair next to him. “I saw you in the cafeteria.”

  He shook his head. “I hardly ever go into the cafeteria. To be honest, I eat most of my meals in the hospital cafeteria. The rest of time I stay buried in my books. From library to hospital, from hospital to classroom. It’s brutal!