Tale of Life (Essence Series #2)

by Todd, E. L.

  “No,” he said. “She’ll assume that they were following me, which they probably were. Let’s just forget about it. They were killed so there is nothing to tell anyway.”

  Easton sighed. “Okay,” she said. “But I wonder why they are all men. Why wouldn’t women be a part of their calling?”

  Calloway shrugged. “Since we don’t know enough about them, I can’t say. But if I had to guess, I would assume that they only send men into combat because they tend to be stronger than women.”

  “Possibly,” she said.

  “So, when I say the exact same thing, I get yelled at?” Breccan snapped from his seat on the other side of Weston. His eyes were wide with anger and he clenched his fists at his sides. “Do you have a thing for Calloway or something?”

  She glared at him. “You said men were superior to women—nothing like what Calloway said. And no, I don’t have feelings for Calloway!” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him. Her lips were tight, forming a thin line. “I thought that was obvious.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting,” Breccan spat.

  Easton rolled her eyes. “You are unbelievable.”

  “So are you!” he hissed.

  The boy sitting next to Calloway glared at him, silently commanding him and his friends to remain quiet. Calloway turned to Breccan. “Have this conversation later,” he whispered.

  “There is nothing to discuss,” Easton said. “I’m done!”

  “That makes two of us,” Breccan snapped.

  Calloway rolled his eyes, knowing every effort he made was a lost cause.

  The principal returned to the microphone and Calloway was relieved that they would begin dispersing the diplomas, ending the long ceremony. His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him how hungry he was. This was a rare occasion where his aunt and uncle would take them out to eat, something that only happened for birthdays or special occasions.

  The principal gripped the sides of the wooden podium and leaned into the microphone on the stand. “Every student sitting on his field should be proud of their academic achievement this far in their careers. I, along with the rest of staff, know how hard these students have worked to reach this special day. But there is one student here that showed exemplary work through her studies and assignments, and who achieved the highest grade point average of the class. We welcome Easton Rivers to the stage.

  Everyone in the audience clapped loudly at the announcement of the valedictorian, including the graduating students sitting in the rows of chairs. Even Beatrice was clapping, despite her previous hatred for her rival. The only person who showed indifference was Hawk, who was sitting quietly in his seat with his hands in his lap.

  Calloway and Breccan looked at each other, both shocked by the announcement of the name. Yes, they knew Easton was smart, but they had no idea that she was the smartest student in the class. She never mentioned it.

  Easton rose from her chair and fixed her dress, smiling at her two friends. “Wish me luck,” she whispered.

  Calloway smiled. “You won’t need any.” When she turned around, he saw that the back of her hat was decorated. I IS SMART. Calloway laughed in spite of himself.

  She walked down the row and moved through the middle aisle, ascending the steps at the end of the row. Her shoulders were back and her posture was perfect, making her seem taller than she really was. The stands of brown hair swayed in the slight breeze and the sun highlighted the natural color of her hair. Calloway heard Weston screaming from the stands.

  “That’s my little sister!”

  The sound of her voice made Calloway smile.

  Easton shook hands with the principal, who had a fake smile plastered on his face, and then she approached the podium with a straight back and perfect smile. There were a lot of common features between Easton and her sister, but Calloway had never been attracted to his friend in the same way, not how he was with Weston. The color of their hair was identical and their skin complexions were the same. The lines of their lips had the same curves but Easton didn’t have the beloved freckle in the corner of her mouth. Easton was much shorter than Weston, reaching only to Calloway’s shoulder. He loved Weston’s height. She was easy to hold. Calloway glanced at his cousin and saw him stare at Easton so intently that it seemed like he was afraid to blink, concerned that he would miss even a second of her speech.

  The sound of applause continued, and Easton patiently waited for the sounds of the crowd to die down before she spoke. Calloway clapped loudly, trying to keep the sound of applause going as long as possible. He pressed his lips together and whistled loudly. Breccan yelled Easton’s name a few times after he recovered from the shock of the moment, that Easton was their valedictorian.

  “I know you are all expecting an exemplary speech from me, especially since I’ve been honored with the title of valedictorian, and while I’m honored with the appointment, I didn’t prepare a speech for this evening.” Easton kept her eyes glued to the sea of people in the crowd. She locked her gaze with Calloway’s, or so he thought, but it was possible that she was looking at Breccan instead. It was difficult to tell from this distance. She pulled a strand of hair from her face and continued forward. Calloway thought her speech was gutsy. No one ever admitted that they failed to prepare for a major event, but then again, Easton wasn’t like other people, which he didn’t mind. Calloway loved her exactly the way she was. “The whole purpose of any speech is to reflect the moment that you are experiencing, sharing that feeling with those around you, but in truth, I didn’t know how I was going to feel tonight, so any essay that I composed wouldn’t do this moment justice. So this is what I have to say:” Easton took a deep breath then her smile returned to her face. Calloway nodded along to her words, already entranced by her speech. A smile stretched across his lips while he listened to his best friend address the entire student body. He had never been more proud of his friend. Everyone in the bleachers sat completely still while they listened to her. There were no conversations or hushed whispers circulating around the field. Easton had the attention of everyone. “While I feel incredibly accomplished and gifted, I know this success wouldn’t be possible without the educators at this school, particularly Mr. Avey, who I hadn’t had the honor of having him as my teacher. But I know that he is an exceptional instructor that cares a great deal about his students. Without teachers such as he, there would be no students sitting on the football field before you. Secondly, I would like to say that I was wrong about high school. All I wanted was for it to be over—to move on with my life—but now I find myself soaking in every moment of this evening, sad that I’ll never be a student at this high school again. I’ve always been different, and because of my uniqueness, I was bullied and teased relentlessly, choosing to lose myself in my studies. So, I also owe my success to all the students here who hated me because I was different. So, I thank you as well.” Calloway laughed at her message. What a better way to ridicule those who were rude to her than to do it while she was standing above everyone else, being honored for being such an amazing student. “But the part that I will miss the most is finding my closest friends—those that I will keep in my life for the rest of my days. While I wish we had met sooner, I am grateful for the time we’ve had together as well as our adventures. You are my family.” She paused for a moment and smiled at Breccan and Calloway. They both nodded to her, moved by her affectionate words. “Now I’m expected to enter the real world and make a contribution to the economy, making a difference in our society. With the education that I received, I am more than certain I’m prepared for this journey. And the last thing I want to say is this: Just because every student here isn’t the valedictorian doesn’t mean they are not noticeably intelligent and capable. Everyone here is successful tonight and I have no doubt that we were will continue to succeed in the future. So, thank you to everyone who made this experience possible, our loved ones, our friends, and our teachers.” Easton raised both hands and jumped into the air. “Now let’s ha
ve some fun!”

  The audience clapped loudly and their catcalls came from different parts of the bleachers. Easton shook hands with the faculty members onstage, which included Mr. Avey, and then returned to her seat in the back row. When she approached Calloway, he stood up and hugged her tightly.

  “Good job,” he said. “You did a good job winging it.”

  Breccan grabbed her and hugged her, holding her for a moment longer than necessary, and then pulled away. “That was awesome.”

  “You think so?” She smiled.

  “You know I wouldn’t lie to you,” Breccan said. “If it sucked, I wouldn’t let you hear the end of it.”

  “Well, you have a point there,” she whispered. She returned to her seat in between the two boys and faced the platform. They were reading off the names of the diplomas and the students were walking across the stage with the certificates in hand, smiling proudly as they returned to their seats.

  After an hour, the last row was called, and they moved to the stage across the grass. The principal read down the names and hesitated before he read Calloway’s name.

  Calloway Martins,” he announced.

  When Calloway reached the principal and shook his hand, his aunt screamed hysterically from the stands, and then he heard Weston’s beautiful voice call out his name. The sound of her words sent chills down his spine. Even though she was angry with him, never wanted to speak to him again, it was evident that she still cared for him, even if it was only a fraction of what it had been before. Calloway advanced across the stage and returned to his seat.

  His cousin’s name was called next and Aunt Grace could be heard screaming from the audience.

  “My boy!” she yelled.

  Breccan’s face turned a shade darker when he heard his mom shout from the stands.

  When Easton reached the stage, there was a loud applause from everyone in the stands, and Weston’s voice could he heard over the sound.

  “Easton!” she shouted.

  After Easton embraced the principal with a handshake, she returned to the row and sat beside her two friends. The principal ended the ceremony with a closing speech, and as soon as he was finished, everyone threw their hats into the air, screaming with joy.

  “I’m so glad that’s over!” Easton yelled.

  “Me, too,” Calloway said. “I’m starving.”

  Breccan stared at him. “Finally! I’m not the only one!”

  Easton and Calloway both laughed at Breccan’s words, amused by the serious expression on his face.

  “Let’s go find our parents,” Calloway said as he moved across the football field. He knew where Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott were because he heard them screaming a moment before. They were fairly close to Weston, but not so close that he could hear her speak. They moved through the throng of students until they reached the stands.

  “Congratulations!” Aunt Grace yelled when she saw them. “I’m so proud of both of you!” She hugged both of them tightly, even though her small arms could barely span across their waists, and then pulled away with tears in her eyes. “I love you, boys.”

  “I love you too, Mom,” Breccan said.

  His words made Aunt Grace cry harder.

  Uncle Scott reached them a moment later and hugged them both tightly. “It’s a very proud day,” he said. “Now my two sons are adults.” He grabbed Breccan and hugged him again while Aunt Grace wiped her wet eyes with a tissue. Watching Breccan interact with his emotional parents suddenly made Calloway feel empty and alone, wishing his own parents were there to celebrate this day. Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott gave him all the love he would ever need but they weren’t his parents—they would never be.

  Calloway looked through the crowd and spotted Weston, who was talking to her sister excitedly with a beautiful smile stretched across her face. She was wearing a thin pink dress that blew in the evening wind. Her hair stretched down in beautiful curls and Calloway had the urge to touch a strand. Even though his heart was full of melancholy and Weston had no interest in speaking to him, just looking at her was enough to quiet the pain he felt. She was more than beautiful—she was perfect.

  Suddenly, Weston dropped her beautiful smile and so did her sister, and Calloway realized why a moment later. Easton’s mother was arguing with her boyfriend and their loud shouts could be heard in a wide radius. Calloway couldn’t make out all the words, but it sounded like they were fighting about a television—something completely irrelevant to Easton’s amazing accomplishment.

  Weston was trying to be strong for her sister, keeping a grin on her face and rubbing her sister’s shoulder, but Calloway knew her well enough to spot the pain in her eyes. It was obvious how embarrassed and angry she was.

  Breccan came next to him and looked over at Easton and Weston, who both looked miserable while their mother and her boyfriend argued right in front of everyone.

  Aunt Grace grabbed both of them on the shoulder. “Invite them to dinner with us,” she said. “They are always welcome.”

  Calloway didn’t know what to do. Weston made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with him, but perhaps she would accept the invitation due to the circumstances. The last thing he wanted was for Easton, his best friend, to spend this glorious night in pure sorrow. He remembered how happy she was to spend Christmas with his family and knew she would be ecstatic to spend graduation with them now. He turned to Breccan. “Can you go ask?”

  Breccan nodded. “I’ll be back.”

  He approached them and they conversed for a while. Weston crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head slightly, rejecting the proposal/ Calloway assumed that was the end of the discussion. But then a moment later Weston and Easton walked toward Calloway and his aunt and uncle. Easton’s mother was completely oblivious to the departure of her two daughters.

  When Weston reached their group, Calloway moved behind his aunt and uncle, wanting to stay away from her as much as possible, even though it was the last thing he wanted.

  “Thank you for inviting us,” Weston said quietly.

  “Thank you,” Easton said as she hugged Aunt Grace. “There is nowhere I would rather be.”

  “Of course, girls.” Aunt Grace smiled. “You are a part of this family, too. Now let’s get something to eat.”

  “Okay.” Weston smiled.

  They migrated through the crowds of people until they reached the parking lot. Calloway turned to Easton. “I’ll ride with my aunt and uncle,” he said. “I’ll meet you guys there.”

  Weston heard his words. “That’s unnecessary, Calloway,” she said quietly, not wanting to be overheard by Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott. “You are coming with us.”

  He looked at her, captivated by the beautiful blue eyes that stared into this, and felt his knees go weak as he stood so close to her. The connection he felt to her was paramount and spell-binding, so powerful that it could drain the oceans into outer space. His feelings were strong and uncontrollable. Calloway hated feeling this way since he would never have her—all of her—just a sliver. “I don’t mind,” he said, lowering his gaze to his shoes.

  “We can make an exception for tonight,” she said gently. “This is your graduation, Calloway. I want you to have a good night.”

  There was nothing that would make his night better than spending it with Weston. Calloway nodded. “Okay.”

  She smiled at him. “Let’s go,” she said as he approached the car. They climbed into the car and Easton started the engine.

  As soon as Calloway was sitting in the back seat with Weston he felt it; the tingling feeling he always had when he was around her, close enough to graze her fingers with his own. He focused his gaze outside the window and moved his body as close to the opposite door as possible, far away from Weston, not wanting to make her uncomfortable in any way.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t prepare a speech!” Weston laughed. “You are the laziest valedictorian there ever was. And don’t tell people that you didn’t prepare one!”

  �
�You didn’t like it?” Easton asked while she drove to the restaurant.

  “I didn’t say that,” Weston said. “It was pretty good for being made off the top of your head.”

  “Thank you.” Easton smiled.

  “That wasn’t really a compliment.” Weston laughed.

  “What did Mom say?” Easton asked.

  Weston dropped her smile. “Nothing,” she said sadly. “She wasn’t listening.”

  “They were fighting?”

  Weston nodded.

  Easton’s frown deepened and the sight broke Calloway’s heart. He couldn’t decide what was worse: having no parents or parents that didn’t care. Calloway leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder, silently comforting her in the only he knew how. There were no words to erase the pain she felt. All he could give was his love and support—he hoped it was enough.

  Easton smiled as she patted Calloway’s hand. “Thanks, Calloway.”

  Calloway nodded and leaned back in his seat. He felt Weston stare at him but he didn’t meet her look, knowing he would fall deep into the welcoming abyss of her eyes. He didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to spend the evening with Weston. All he wanted to do was hold her hand, caress her fingers with his own, and hold her in his arms. He wanted to confess every feeling he had for her but he knew it was unnecessary—she knew exactly how he felt for her. Calloway knew exactly what Shakespeare meant in every line of his plays about tragic love. He had to experience it on a daily basis. Weston wasn’t just someone that he cared for in a moment of time—she was the one.

  “Are you glad that it’s over?” Weston asked.

  Her voice shattered his thoughts. He turned to her and stared at her, not understanding what she was asking him. “Sorry?”

  “High school.” She smiled. “Are you glad that high school is over?”

  Calloway smiled. “Yes,” he said. “I’m elated that it’s finished.”

  “You’ll enjoy college,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s the academics that claim your frustration.”