by Cheree Alsop
She laughed quietly. “Cassidy just got asked to the Senior Ball. Now she’s trying to convince Rick to let her go.”
“. . . And he’s a true gentleman. He opens doors for me, carries my books, and he helps his parents on their farm,” Cassidy said. “I know you’d approve of him.”
Uncle Rick caught sight of me. “Kelson, what do you know about this Jeremy guy?”
“Now you’re in for it,” Aunt Lauren whispered with a teasing smile.
I fought back a sigh and stepped into the battle zone. “Well, he’s at the top of my chemistry class—”
“He’s a senior?” Uncle Rick demanded, cutting me off.
I shook my head. “No, he’s just smart. He’s a sophomore, but skipped ahead a few classes.” Cassidy looked at me with pleading eyes. It was obvious how much this meant to her. “He really is a good guy. Zoey has good taste.”
Everyone stared at me. My heart sank when I realized what I had said. My heart ached. I rubbed my eyes and let out a loud breath. “Cassidy has good taste. If there’s any guy at Sparrow High she should go with, it’s him.”
Uncle Rick shook his head. “I just don’t feel good about it. She’s too young to be going to a dance with a boy.”
“It’s the Senior Ball,” Cassidy pointed out. “It’ll be chaperoned.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be seniors who go to the Senior Ball?” Uncle Rick asked, searching for a way out.
Cassidy shook her head. “No, they just sponsor it. Anyone can go as long as you have a date,” she answered, emphasizing the last few words for Uncle Rick’s benefit.
“You’re too young—”
“Dad, I’m almost sixteen. Sandy’s parents let her date last year.”
“A decision I don’t understand,” Uncle Rick replied.
Tears showed in Cassidy’s eyes and she blinked quickly. “Dad, Jeremy asked me out. This is the boy I’ve had a crush on for the entire school year. If I have to say no, I know he won’t ask me out again.”
Uncle Rick hesitated. He didn’t want to let his little girl go with a stranger, but he couldn’t stop her. I owed her one.
“If it helps, I’ll keep an eye on her, Uncle Rick,” I said before I could second-guess my decision.
“You’re going to the ball?” he asked doubtfully.
I nodded. “I’ll be there, and I can make sure Jeremy treats her like the princess she is.”
His carefully constructed arguments were faltering under Cassidy’s pleading anyway. I was offering him a way out without leaving her to the wolves.
He sighed. “Fine—you can go. But I want to meet this Jeremy boy when he comes to pick you up.”
“Oh, thank you, Daddy, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Cassidy exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
He removed her arms with an embarrassed shake of his head. “You just make sure you take care of yourself,” he said.
“Oh, I will. Don’t worry,” she reassured him.
She ran across the kitchen and hugged me next. “Thank you so much, Kel. You’re the best!”
“Anytime,” I replied.
I caught Aunt Lauren’s smile and shrugged. She nodded and mouthed “Thank you.”
“I’ve got something I need to do,” I said. “Will you excuse me?”
I patted Jake on my way out the door. He wagged his tail and followed me to the four-wheeler. I drove to Madelyn’s house and parked on the corner. This time, I marched straight up the steps and knocked on the door.
Madelyn answered it. Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Kelson, what—”
I kissed her and felt her lips smile against mine. “You don’t have to worry about your uncle anymore,” I whispered. “He left town quite unexpectedly and will never be back.”
She stared at me.
“Who’s at the door?” a gruff voice demanded.
“Uh, well,” Madelyn began.
“I’ve got this,” I reassured her. I stepped past her into the house.
A short hallway opened into a large living room. A man in a white T-shirt and dress pants sat on a couch watching a television set. A woman in a high-tech-looking wheelchair sat next to the couch. Both looked at me in surprise.
“Who’s this?” Mr. West demanded.
“Dad, this is Kelson. He’s the one staying at the Ashbys’—”
“What are you doing here?” he asked, cutting her off.
I crossed to the middle of the living room. My heart thundered in my ears. I felt more anxious than I did jumping off the roof on the motorcycle, which was saying a lot. I took a calming breath and made eye contact with them both. “Mr. and Mrs. West, I have come to ask permission to take Madelyn to the Senior Ball next weekend.”
The room fell completely silent; even the television seemed to be against me. Whatever program they had been watching either had no sound at the moment or Mr. West had muted it. I didn’t dare glance back to see which was the case.
“I don’t think that’s—” Mr. West began.
“Of course,” Mrs. West said.
Mr. West looked at her. “But dear, we need Madelyn here in case—”
She made a little noise and a smile crossed her face. “She deserves to go.”
Even though Mr. West looked like he wanted to argue, I could tell nobody contradicted his wife. With her sweet voice and caring smile, I could understand why.
He let out a loud breath and nodded. “All right, you may take her.”
Madelyn gave my hand a little squeeze. She looked like she was in complete shock.
The phone rang, and Mr. West left the room to answer it. His footsteps sounded loud down the hall.
“Where are you from, Kelson?” Mrs. West asked.
“California, ma’am,” I answered.
She looked at Madelyn with her eyebrows raised. “Ma’am? You found a polite one,” she said.
Madelyn gave a small laugh. “I did.”
Her mother winced and Madelyn hurried to her side. “Where does it hurt, Mom?” she asked quietly.
My heart was gripped in warmth at the way she knelt by her mother’s wheelchair and spoke to her. I turned away to give them their privacy.
Mr. West came back in with a baffled expression. “Mitch is heading home.”
“He is?” Mrs. West replied, looking surprised. “He just got here.”
Mr. West shrugged. “He says he has some things he forgot to do, and he’s not sure when he’ll be back.”
I met Madelyn’s gaze. Her hazel eyes filled up with tears and she blinked quickly, refusing to let them fall. “Thank you,” she whispered. I nodded, then glanced up to see Mrs. West watching us. She had a small but kind smile on her face, as if she guessed something was going on but didn’t want to interfere.
“Thank you for your time,” I said to Madelyn’s parents. “I’ll let you have your evening back.”
“Night, more like it,” Mr. West grumbled quietly. Mrs. West shot him a look and he sighed. “Thank you for coming over. It was good to meet you.”
“The pleasure was mine,” I replied. I wondered where on earth those words came from, but it was too late to take them back and risk sounding like even more of a pretentious idiot.
“Have a good night, Kelson,” Mrs. West said.
Madelyn walked me to the door. When I opened it, she caught my hand in hers and looked at my bruised knuckles. “Kel, what did you, I—I mean,” she swallowed, then whispered, “Thank you.”
I wanted to tell her that no one should go through what she had and that her uncle deserved far worse than I gave him, but I remembered her parents in the next room. I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed the back of it. A blush ran across her cheeks at my forwardness; I cursed myself inwardly for proving yet again that I was an idiot. I tried to keep some dignity. “Nobody will ever hurt you as long as I’m around,” I whispered. “You deserve to be treated like a princess.” Nope, it was official; I had lost my dignity completely.
Madelyn smiled as if she guessed my thoughts. “You’ve made this night something I will always remember.”
I laughed. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
A small laugh escaped her. “Definitely.”
“Madelyn, your mother’s tired,” Mr. West called from the next room.
“I’ll let you go,” I said.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the lips. Her kiss was soft and gentle, a tender expression of gratitude for an evening of fear turned into one of relief and surprise. I kissed her back and warmth ran through my body at the touch of her hand on my cheek.
She stepped away, looking stunned at her own boldness.
“Good night, Maddy,” I whispered.
She smiled her warm, heart-melting smile. “Good night, Kelson Brady.”
When I reached the Ashby house, I couldn’t remember how I got there. Jake padded beside me up to the door, his tongue out as he panted from the run he so obviously enjoyed. I petted his head.
“Good night, boy. Thanks for the company.” I chuckled at myself. The dog didn’t know what I was saying, but after all the time we spent together, it felt funny not talking to him before I shut him outside for the night. I closed the door and reminded myself that I didn’t like dogs.
ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, I reached the table just as everyone was sitting down to breakfast. “I’m just saying that the Black Rider could do some good for this town,” Jaren stated when I sat next to him.
Uncle Rick shook his head. “We don’t need some hooligan causing trouble for Sparrow. Things are under control.”
Jaren snorted in unusual defiance. “Sparrow’s okay if you don’t mind being told what to do and how to act.”
A slight frown appeared on Aunt Lauren’s face. “Jaren, this isn’t like you. What happened?”
Jaren blew out an angry breath and stared at his plate of French toast and hash browns.
“He’s mad ‘cause Derek Fisher hit him yesterday,” Cole said with a gleeful grin.
“Cole,” Jaren snapped.
“Jaren!” Aunt Lauren said. “Why didn’t the school call me?”
Jaren lowered his gaze. “I didn’t tell the teacher. It was my fault. I stood in front of Derek in the lunch line.”
The familiarity of the story sent a note of warning ringing in the back of my mind. “Fisher, as in, Magnum’s brother?”
He nodded without looking at me.
“You didn’t hit him back?” I asked.
“Kelson!” Aunt Lauren exclaimed.
Uncle Rick studied me. “Do you think that would have helped?” he asked in a level tone.
I looked down at my plate. “Sorry. I just don’t like bullies.” Cassidy laughed, then choked on a bite of her breakfast. I ignored her. “I’ve just seen it at the high school, too. The Bullets can beat up any student they want to. I’m just bothered to see Magnum’s brother following in his footsteps.”
Everyone fell silent for a moment, then Uncle Rick said, “I agree with Kelson. Standing up for yourself is the only way to keep from being walked over your entire life.”
“Rick!” Aunt Lauren exclaimed. “I don’t want my boys fighting.”
“I don’t want them to be seen as cowards, either,” Uncle Rick replied calmly.
“How is fighting back any different from what the Black Rider does?” Jaren asked. When nobody answered, he continued, “That’s my point. Maybe if one person stands up to the Bullets, everyone else will start to as well.”
A horn honked. “The bus is here,” Aunt Lauren said. She ruffled Jaren’s hair. “It’s a good thought. We can hope something good will come from all of this.”
Jaren smoothed his hair on the way out to the bus. I would have given anything to hear the conversation that undoubtedly took place in the Ashby household after we left. I was anxious to hear how Uncle Rick really felt about the Black Rider. Maybe I would summon the guts to ask him when I got home.
Madelyn sat next to me on the bus. “Did you check the bulletin this morning?” she asked.
“The Internet’s a fad, remember?” I replied, quoting Uncle Rick.
She laughed. “Oh, that’s right. You’re still living in the Stone Age. Good thing I keep up on the news for you.”
“That’s Farm Age,” I said with a grin. “Why, what’s up?”
“Apparently the Black Rider raced Magnum Monday.”
It was hard to believe that was only two days ago. “Yeah, I saw at least a dozen videos of it at school yesterday.”
“You should read Martin’s speculations as to how the Black Rider could potentially make this town a better place to live,” she said.
“If Magnum doesn’t destroy it first,” I muttered under my breath.
“What?” she asked. When I didn’t answer, she shook her head. “Anyway, I’ll bet Magnum’s read it.”
I looked at her. “What does that mean?”
She gave me a straight stare. “I mean Martin might be in trouble for writing such a persuasive essay against Magnum’s influence in Sparrow.”
“Does he flat-out say that?”
She shook her head. “Not in so many words, but it’s implied.”
“You want me to help Martin out?” I asked carefully.
She took my hand in hers, but kept her face averted. “Martin also wrote how the Black Rider beat up a known rapist and chased him out of town.”
“How did he know—” I shut my mouth when I realized what I had just admitted to.
She gave me a sideways look. “Martin’s dad owns the bar and spoke to the Black Rider that night.”
I stared at her. “Martin is well connected.” I cursed inwardly at the irony. How could one boy be related to Joe from the store and the bartender from the other night? Fate was either working against me or had a wicked sense of humor.
She nodded. “Handy for a high school reporter.” She studied the fake leather of the seat in front of us. “Martin’s dad stood in the doorway and heard what the Black Rider told the man.”
I rested my head against the seat in front of me and said quietly, “He apparently forgot to mention that Magnum showed up and helped the Black Rider finish the job before sending the rapist on his way.”
Madelyn stared at me. “Why would he do that?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure.”
She leaned against me and whispered, “Kelson, please promise me you’ll be careful.”
It would have been easy to promise, but after the race and the fights, I knew there was something else driving me. I couldn’t care less if I got hurt, and sometimes I found myself hoping it happened. I blew out a breath and shook my head. “I can’t promise that.”
She was silent for a few minutes. The sound of the bus tires on pavement and the laughing and talking of the students on board blended together in a buzz of pointless noise. Zoey would have been worried about me and would probably tell Mom how I felt, but in Sparrow there was no one who knew me well enough to do anything that would make a difference. Nobody except Madelyn.
“Kel, look,” she said quietly.
I glanced down at the arm she held out. Her sleeve was pulled up. I had never thought about how she always wore long-sleeved shirts even though it was the middle of summer. I stared at her skin. Small scars crisscrossed her wrist and up her arm. They were old and long-healed, but my heart still clenched at the sight of them. “You used to cut yourself?” I asked the obvious.
She pulled her sleeve back down. “I never went deep enough to reach the vein. I couldn’t do that to Mom. It’s just that sometimes when I felt trapped, it was the only way I could remind myself I was real and not just drifting along in some nightmare.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “It’s a desperate place where pain is your only indicator of reality.”
Her words hit home hard. I followed her gaze to my bruised knuckles. She took one of my hands in both of hers and held it. “If you can’t promise to be careful, at least think of me before you act. You’ve become the brighte
st light in my life. You’ve given me direction again. I love being there for my mother, and I’m so grateful for all that my parents are in my life, but I’ve been living in fear for as long as I can remember.”
She blinked quickly and gripped my hand tight. Then she realized what she was doing and ran her fingers softly over my knuckles. “I have issues that are going to take me a while to get over—I know that. But I can start now.” She took a deep breath, then smiled at me. “You gave me back my wings, Kelson. Don’t destroy yourself trying to hide from yours.”
I tried to ignore the pressure in my chest at her words. “I’m a bird now?” I asked quietly.
She nodded, and her smile made her eyes sparkle. “A black bird. Like a raven or a crow.”
I laughed. “And you?”
She thought about it for a minute.
I shook my head. “I get to decide.”
“Okay.” She smiled under my scrutiny. Though the bus was full of students, it felt like we were the only two people for miles.
A thought occurred to me and it was my turn to smile. “You’re a Towhee.”
Her eyebrows rose. “A what?”
I grinned. “A Towhee. It’s a little brown bird that lives in shrubs in California.”
“Okay,” she said, sounding confused. “How does that remind you of me?”
I closed my eyes and pictured my bedroom back in California. I took a steeling breath. “When they released me from the hospital, I went in my room and locked the door. I didn’t come out except to grab food, and then my mom avoided me.” I rubbed my eyes. “I felt so alone. I couldn’t stand to walk around the house and see the reminders of Zoey and how I had failed her.”
Madelyn rubbed my back gently. I thought of the fire that had burned through my shirt, marking my heart as thoroughly as it had my body. I saw my dark room, the blinds drawn and lights off. I even kept the light off in my fish tank in the corner. I couldn’t cope with the fact that I was alive and Zoey was dead. I wanted to hide in the darkness forever.
“I was lying on my bed after about a week of being alone when I heard a little tap-tap-tap at the window.” A small smile touched my lips at the memory. “I tried to ignore it, but it was persistent. I finally rose and opened the blinds. The sun was so bright after being in the dark that it was a few minutes until I could see, but when I could, there was a little brown bird looking back at me.”