Swans Crossing: The Return
©1997 by Stephanie Blydenburgh
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Chapter Thirty-Three
People started whispering as Saja handed the phone back to Sydney, who placed it on the table.
"Saja, what's going on?" Sandy asked cautiously. Saja was silent for several moments.
"That was Edward, Sophia’s boyfriend. Sophia had gone out on the slopes by herself, and she never came back," he explained in a monotonous voice.
"Saja! You've got to call your parents!" Callie interjected.
Saja looked panic stricken at her suggestion. "I can't do that! They'll kill us!"
"But your sister's missing! You have to do something," she said.
Sandy spoke up quietly, "Callie's right, Saja. Her friends aren't going to do anything because they're so worried about getting in trouble. You have to be stronger than that."
He had a faraway look on his face as he sunk onto Sydney's sofa, completely dejected. "I know."
Danathan pulled Sydney aside as some of the guests slowly launched back into party mode.
"So, how are you enjoying the party?" he asked smoothly, leaning up against the wall.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, aside from the fact that a girl I know has disappeared, my house is completely trashed, and my mother is off with some strange man for the weekend, I'm perfectly fine!"
"Whoa, whoa, back up," Danathan interrupted. "What's this about your mother?"
Sydney's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to slip. "Nothing. I didn't meant to say anything."
"Well, you did. So tell me. I promise I won't say anything to anyone," he swore.
"My mother is off spending the holidays with some guy. Except she didn't even tell me." She turned away from him. "We tell each other everything."
"Did you tell her you were having this party?" he questioned her pointedly.
"No," she admitted.
"Or did you tell her that you're dating that guy she doesn't like?" he asked.
Sydney looked up at him suspiciously. "How do you know so much about me?"
Danathan shrugged and gave her a half-smile. "Anyway," he said, avoiding her question, "you don't need to worry so much about your mother. She's a big girl; she can take care of herself. If I got freaked every time my dad went away for the weekend with a woman..." He rose his eyebrows suggestively.
"You mean your father is spending the weekend with a woman right now?" Sydney asked.
"Yeah," Danathan responded casually. "He mentioned something about the capitol. Why do you want to know?"
She blinked a few times and looked back at him. "No reason."
Mila's jaw dropped. "What was that?" she asked Owen, not trusting her own ears.
Owen walked a few paces ahead of her. He hadn't wanted to repeat himself, but what he had to say was so important. At this point it didn't matter anymore to him what she felt about him. He just knew that he had to tell her how he felt. The crush he had on her was weighing down on his shoulders, and it was time for the weight to be lifted. If he didn't do it soon, she might get involved again.
"Look, Mila. I really, really like you. Whenever you walk into a room I lose all logic. But you brighten my everyday. That's why I wanted you in the band so much," Owen declared, feeling more confident. But his confidence was quickly dashed when he saw the look on Mila's face.
"Oh Owen," she moaned.
"What?"
She exhaled loudly. Owen was a good friend, but she didn't feel anything more for him. And although she had always sensed he may have had a fondness for her, to hear him declare it in front of all their friends freaked her out. "You can't really mean this," she said.
"Yes I do. I'm in love with you," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper.
Tears fell from Mila's blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Owen. I wish I could give you the response you want to hear, but I know I can't. We're too good of friends for us ever to be anything more."
"But the best relationships start out as friendships," he said in his defense. Awkwardly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue. Mila wiped her cheeks and smiled gratefully. "Mila, you make me feel really special. Every time I see you I get this tingling feeling, and I can't help but smile. You make it worth getting up and going to school, and when I write songs, you're the one that inspires me. You just make me feel whole."
Mila was crying even harder. "That's the sweetest thing I think anyone has ever said to me, but...." her voice trailed off.
"But," he prompted.
"But you don't do those things for me," she concluded. Owen's face fell. "Owen, I'm so sorry. I just think it would be best if we were just friends. I care about you, but more like a brother than a boyfriend. I think what we have is better than that."
He rolled his eyes. "Better. Right."
She turned away from him. "So I guess this means we can't be friends anymore."
"I didn't mean that!" Owen said quickly. "I only told you how I felt because I thought it was important for you to know. I didn't want to go through life thinking 'what if?' But I would rather have kept my feelings hidden forever than lose your friendship."
Mila smiled through her tears. "I'm glad to hear that."
There was a long, awkward silence. "Well, I guess I better, uh, go help Sydney," she said, shuffling her feet.
Owen didn't meet her eyes. "Yeah, um, I'll go see if Saja's all right."
The two turned and walked away from one another, both knowing that things would never quite be the same between them again.
Saja shuffled his feet when he, Sandy, Jimmy, and Callie left Sydney's house and stood outside in the brisk winter air. "This isn't how I thought I'd be spending my first few hours of the year," Saja muttered to himself. He walked a few steps ahead of the group and Sandy followed him.
"You know you have to go home and tell your parents. Your sister could be in real danger right now!" Sandy told him in a slightly scolding tone. Saja didn't seem to be making any moves to rescue Sophia.
"I'm just so mad at her right now! She gets me all involved in this stupid lie to my parents, and now she's probably off skiing on some hidden trail and scaring everyone half to death! When is she going to stop thinking of herself? I'm going to get in so much trouble!" he exclaimed, running his hands through his hair and then rubbing them together to keep warm.
"Saja, you're the one right now who's only thinking of himself. How could you be worried about getting in trouble when your sister could have really hurt herself?" Sandy was growing angry. As much as she cared about Saja, he wasn't being his usual wise self.
He was silent for a minute, turning her words over in his head. "You know, you're right, Sandy. I really have to think of Sophia right now, even if I'm going to put a curse on her the moment she gets home."
Sandy gave him a small smile.
"I guess I better get going then. Wish me luck."
She squeezed his hand. "Good luck."
A few yards away, Jimmy paced the snow-covered ground in front of Callie.
"Sophia's always causing trouble," Jimmy said to no one in particular as he passed by Callie.
"Maybe," Callie agreed. "But I know you're still worried."
He stopped his pacing and crossed his arms in front of him. "No, I'm not," he replied unconvincingly.
"Jimmy, it's okay," she assured him. "She could really be in trouble."
"Yeah, I know." He was silent for a few moments. "I mean, after everything that's happened with her, I'm still sort of worried."
Callie wordlessly took his hand.
A few moments later Sandy went back into Sydney’s house, and Saja approached his friends.
"Are you ready to go?" Callie asked him.
Saja nodded. "I guess it's time for my justice to be served."
Sandy picked up shards of broken glass and sighed. "I hope Saja's okay."
Sydney groaned. "I know you do. You've said it about fifty times!"
"Well, I-"
"Don't talk," Sydney commanded. "Just clean."
"Sydney, your mother isn't going to be home tonight. What's the big deal?" Sandy wondered.
Sydney picked up a pile of dirty plates. "Ralph is. Look at this place!" She heard someone clear their throat behind her, and she dropped her fistful of paper plates. "Ralph!" she gasped.
"Yes, Miss Sydney. I see you and Miss Sandy have made quite the mess here."
Sydney leapt to her feet. "I can explain..."
"Oh, I am sure that you can," Ralph replied, "and maybe you should start by explaining why you threw a rather large party when your mother told you that you could only have a small gathering."
Sydney's eyes slowly widened. "You're not going to tell her... are you?"
"Well, I-"
"She won't like that you left me here so you could hang out with Mr. Han, you know," Sydney pointed out coyly.
Ralph gave Sydney a cross look. "Shall we call it even then?"
Sydney smiled. "Thanks Ralph."
Owen flicked on the light in his studio and sat down at the keyboard. He pressed a few of the keys, the notes not making any kind of harmony. It matched his mood though--off key and disjointed. He spun around in the chair and looked at a picture of him, Sandy, and Mila, taken right before the big concert in the fall. Things were so simple then. He had his unrequited secret infatuation with Mila, and if that didn't work out he could always fall back on Sandy, who had had a crush on him. But now things were so complicated. Sandy had a quasi-relationship with Saja, and Mila knew his feelings, and they were still unrequited.
How was he going to face her? Owen groaned, imagining running into Mila in the halls, at lunch, when they were practicing. She would think everything he did and said was to make her like him. And she would give him a strained smile, showing her obvious disinterest and slight annoyance with him. Slowly they would stop hanging out, and Sandy would get caught up with Saja, and next thing he would know, the band would break up and he'd have no friends left.
Owen stood up and shut off the lights. His life was officially over.
Once they arrived at the DeCastro house, Saja put his key in the door and let himself and his friends inside. Jimmy and Callie hung back while Saja called into the living room.
"Mom? Dad?"
Mr. and Mrs. DeCastro appeared in the foyer. "Saja," they said sternly.
He winced.
They began speaking in Japanese, raising their voices with each syllable. Saja tried to get a word in, but his parents cut him off and continued yelling at him.
"Where have I seen this before?" Callie muttered under her breath, thinking of the way that Sophia had insulted her in another language at the club dance last summer.
Jimmy grunted in reply.
A few moments later Saja returned in the front hallway. "Edward called my parents. They're organizing a search party right now. They know everything. They know about her spending the weekend with her boyfriend, they know there was no college visit, and they know I lied to them."
"I guess we better go," Callie said, glancing at her watch. "It is after all one in the morning."
Saja put his hand on his friends' shoulders. "Wait. Do you guys want to drive up to Vermont with me and my parents?"
Jimmy rose his eyebrows at Callie, thinking about the offer. "I guess we could... do you want to?"
She nodded. "I think it'd be nice for us to help them out with the search party. Do you think your parents are going to mind?"
Saja shrugged. "Maybe somehow, this will make it up to them. Come on, let's get going. I've got to find her!"
Mila knocked on Sydney's door, looking at her watch. It was already two in the morning, but she had walked through the cold all the way to her house from Sydney's and was so restless that she had to turn around and walk back. She was so freaked out about what Owen had told her that she needed to talk to someone. She had seen Grant at the party... an encounter that brought a smile to her face. However, Owen's declaration of his feelings for her had clouded that memory. She had always suspected that maybe he had a slight thing for her. After all, every time she was around Owen seemed to forget his own name. But they had been such good friends that Mila didn't think it mattered. Now there was this roadblock between them. No matter what they did, he would always feel rejected by her.
She knocked again. Sydney pulled open the door, a scowl on her face.
"What do you want?" she snapped, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She was still dressed in her party clothes, and she looked like she had just crashed after everyone had left. Sandy appeared behind her.
"Oh, Sandy, I didn't know you were here," Mila said with surprise.
"I couldn't sleep," Sandy explained. "You know, after everything with Saja."
Mila nodded. "I understand."
"That's nice," Sydney said in an irritated tone. "Now is there anything else you need?"
"I just want to talk," Mila replied, wrapping her coat tightly around her.
"Well, come on in," Sydney said, stepping away so Mila could go inside. "I guess the more the merrier."
Mila walked inside the Rutledge house and Sandy, Sydney, and she sat down on the sofa in the living room. "So, what's your problem?" Sydney asked. "I've already heard all of Sandy's traumas; now let me hear yours."
Mila was silent for a minute. "It's just that tonight, at midnight, Owen told me how he felt. He said he's been in love with me since first he met me. I just don't know what to do!"
Sydney covered her mouth and tried not to laugh. "Do you feel the same way about him?"
"No. I mean, Owen is a wonderful guy. But I don't feel anything more than friendly towards him. I really wish he hadn't told me. I think this is going to really hurt our friendship."
The color drained out of Sandy's face. "Oh, no," she whispered.
Sydney and Mila's attention was diverted to her. "'Oh no', what?" Mila asked.
Sandy stood up; she didn't want to see the look on Mila's face. She thought back to her conversation with Owen the afternoon before the party:
Sandy sighed, and flopped down at the seat behind Owen’s keyboard. "You haven't been listening at all! We need to practice to play a set for the party tonight."
His reply was a blank stare.
She rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with you today?"
Owen got up and crossed the room. "I can't really say," he answered vaguely.
She walked next to him. "Come on Owen, you can tell me. We're friends."
He was silent for several moments, contemplating whether or not to tell Sandy. "You know that I've sort of... liked Mila for awhile?"
She smiled at him coyly. "Hadn't noticed."
"I think I'm going to tell her tonight," Owen suddenly concluded. "I'm tired of waiting around while she goes through boyfriend after boyfriend. I'm going to tell her the first minute of 1993."
Sandy rose her eyebrows. If Owen had declared this during the summer, she would have been heartbroken. But so much had changed since the summer, and she had Saja, and could accept that Owen had feelings, strong feelings, for Mila. "I think that's a good idea," she told him finally. "I mean, it feels good to stand up and get what you want," she said wisely. She had learned standing up for herself was the best feeling in the world.
"So you think it's a good idea?"
She nodded. "Definitely."
Owen twirled his drumsticks between his fingers and bounded towards the door. "Then I'm going to go get ready for the party!"
"I uh...." Sandy’s voice trailed off. "I kinda told Owen he should tell you."
The unfamiliar sights whizzed by the window of the DeCastro's sedan window. Callie shifted uncomfortably in the backseat, and glanced over at Jimmy. She stifled a giggle. He had fallen fast asleep, and his head was bobbing back and forth. Callie had to quickly look over at Saja for fear that if she looked at Jimmy any longer she would burst out laughing--and the somber atmosphere in the car was not conducive to laughter.
Saja was staring out the window, cracking his knuckles. Callie had never seen him so quiet. He usually had a theory and spiritual theology on every situation he found himself in. But this time the ninja warrior was mute.
In the front seat Mr. and Mrs. DeCastro were silent. All that could be heard in the car was the tired gliding over the freeway at seventy miles an hour, speeding towards Vermont. They had been driving for over an hour, and Callie kept wondering when they were going to reach even signs of Vermont. She had never been in this area... and it was honestly making her a little nervous. She hadn't driven along the New England coast in the back of a car since...
"Here's the lodge Edward told me they were at," Mrs. DeCastro said hollowly. She pulled the car into the driveway of a snow-covered building. Callie hadn't even seen it come over the horizon. She must not have been paying very close attention.
"Jimmy," she called, poking him in the side.
He snorted, and then woke up. "We're here?" he asked groggily.
The five filed out of the car and trudged up to the lodge, Saja ahead of his parents and friends. "Please let her be okay," he pleaded softly. "Please."
Danathan loosened his tie and tossed it onto the night stand. His drive to the outskirts of Swans Crossing had taken a long time; the roads between his small apartment and Sydney Rutledge's sprawling mansion were slippery. Nonetheless he had managed to maneuver his run down Honda (which he had hidden a few blocks away from the Rutledge's) all the way home in around an hour.
"Nice to see you finally made it."
He looked up, and gave a coy smile to the female sitting at the dining room table, wearing a white shirt and jeans.
"The roads were bad," he stated simply.
"So how promising does it look?" she asked, crossing the room to greet him.
He turned slightly away. "It looks good. This is really the perfect town for our plan."
The girl tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Yes. There's something about this little ‘burb. I somehow knew this was the perfect place for me to end up. It was like I was drawn to it somehow."
Danathan groaned, noticing that familiar, faraway look in her eyes. "Anyway," he said, quickly changing the subject, "I think we'll have what we need in no time."
She smiled. "The perfect way to start 1993."
Sophia drew in a shaky breath. She'd been out in the cold for what felt like centuries, and her shivers had turned into violent shakes.
"Edward!" she yelled hoarsely. Her boyfriend was nowhere to be found... and neither was Beth, the friend she had been skiing with when she decided to try the expert's trail. Next thing Sophia knew she was lost. She kept skiing... figuring she'd find her way back to the lodge. But her foot slipped and she took a tumble... twisting her right ankle.
She dug her pole into the snow in a futile attempt to lift herself up. She yelped in pain, and collapsed back into the snow.
"Edward!" she yelled again. She cursed him under her breath. Some boyfriend, Sophia thought to herself. He hasn't made any attempt to rescue me. The minute I get back to the lodge I'm going to have to have a talk with him... her thoughts drifted off. "If I return," she whispered as a cold gust of wind swept through the trees.
Sophia shivered again, and felt light-headed. "What a way to start the new year," she said bitterly as everything went black.
Sorry about the delay Swans Crossing fans... but I promise to get more chapters out once school calms down a little bit!
Chapter Thirty-Four
Saja walked nervously up the steps of the lodge. He saw a group of seniors from school, all friends of his sister's, gathering on the front porch.
"Hey! It's Sophia's family!" a short brunette girl exclaimed. The tall, blond guy on her arm whispered something to her, and the group of teenagers sauntered over.
"Have you heard anything?" Mr. DeCastro asked them.
They all chorused no, and Edward stepped out onto the porch, a cordless phone in hand.
Jimmy recognized the tall, dark-haired boy as the one who Sophia had dumped him for. He remembered the Swan club dance last summer when Edward had stood Sophia up, and she had turned to Jimmy for advice and support. He assumed they had patched things up. Although he felt no animosity towards Edward, he still slipped his arm around Callie... as if to make a point.
"I just got off the phone with the rescue team. There's no sign of her yet," Edward said monotonously. "But they're sending out a helicopter to check the area Beth saw her last."
Beth, a thin girl with curly black hair, sighed. "This is all my fault! I never should have left her alone up there!"
"No! It's all my fault. I'm the one who organized this stupid ski trip in the first place," Edward declared, burying his head in his hands.
Anger built up deep inside Saja. He pounded his fist into the wall next to the entrance. "No!! Don't you see? I'm the one who lied to my parents and went against every moral and belief I have! It's all my fault!" He turned on his heels and marched into the lodge, slamming the door behind him.
"I can't believe you encouraged him!" Mila exclaimed, raising her voice several octaves.
Sandy quickly jumped to the defensive. "Hey, I didn't know you'd hurt him. He had genuine feelings for you! I thought he shouldn't go another year without telling you!"
Sydney cleared her throat. "As much as I really want to hear this, I'm going to go get some hot chocolate. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."
Her friends took no notice of her, and she went into the kitchen. She never spent much time in her kitchen, as Ralph did almost all of the cooking, but she was able to locate some hot chocolate and she put some on the stove. As she was stirring it, she noticed something on the floor near the back door. When walked closer, she realized it was a piece of paper, and she curiously picked it up.
Her name was scrawled across the front in an unfamiliar handwriting. She tore it open, and read it quietly to herself.
"'Thank you for the lovely time. I'm sure to see you soon. Love'," she paused and her voice caught in her throat, "'Danathan'."
As the other people on the porch followed Saja into the lodge to go wait for news, Jimmy pulled Callie aside.
"Hey, Walker Woman, I've got an idea."
Callie smiled. "Did it come to you in your sleep?" she teased.
He shook his head at her. "I'm not really one for sitting around and waiting. Why don't you and I hit the slopes and look for her?"
"Clayton, it's two thirty in the morning!" she pointed out.
"So? Come on, we've braved the Walker Estate at night, have been held hostage, escaped a sinking sub, and lived on the lam in the middle of Brazil. I think we can handle a ski slope at two in the morning," he said, chuckling a little at recalling all the outrageous things he and Callie had been through the past year. "We haven't had an adventure in awhile."
"My dad is going to kill me, but what the heck?" Callie conceded, always ready for an adventure. "But, it's dark. Do we have a flashlight or something?"
Jimmy thought for a moment. "I think the DeCastro's have a flashlight in the trunk. But the trunk's locked."
A sly smile spread across Callie's face. "I can take care of that."
A few minutes later, she had pried the lock open with a pin. They grabbed the flashlight that was in the back, and started walking off into the night.
Sydney tucked the note into her pocket. The last thing she needed to think about right now was Danathan. She had Garrett, and things were finally going smoothly between them. She didn't want to mess that up for anything... especially a handsome, but potentially dangerous young man.
She poured her hot chocolate into a mug and went back into the living room. Things seemed to have quieted down. Mila was sitting on the couch, her head hanging off the end, and Sandy was sitting cross legged in front of her. "I just don't know how things will ever be the same, you know?"
"You really shouldn't worry," Sandy told Mila in response. "Owen's a pretty strong guy. He's not going to change your friendship just because you know how he feels."
Sydney sat down next to them and sipped her hot chocolate. "Yeah, Mila. I've known Owen a long time. He handles rejection very well."
Mila sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"
Sydney nodded. "How about Grant? How are things going with you two?"
Mila shrugged. "We had a good time tonight at your party. He asked me to dance a couple of times."
"Then that's definitely a sign that he likes you," Sydney told her.
"I don't know. He seems like he likes me one minute, and then the next he's sort of quiet around me. I just can't read any of his signals," Mila said discouragingly.
"Isn't Grant kind of old for you, Mila?" Sandy asked.
Both girls turned their attentions towards her. "He's not that old," Sydney pointed out.
"He's a freshman in college. You're a sophomore in high school. I just don't see how that could work out... even if he does like you," Sandy remarked.
"Oh, and now you're the expert on May/December romances?" Sydney snapped.
Sandy jumped to her feet. "Just because your mother isn't home and you threw an out of control party that's going to get you in trouble or whatever else is bothering you doesn't mean you have to take it out on me." Sandy grabbed her purse. "I think I'm going to get some sleep at home."
Sydney watched her leave, not even a bit surprised. These outbursts were becoming typical of Sandy. "So Mila," she asked, "want some hot chocolate?"
The beam from Callie's flashlight led the way as she and Jimmy trekked through the snow. It was bitterly cold outside, and she was beginning to lose feeling in her face.
"Sophia!" Jimmy called out loudly. "Sophia!"
"I don't think she's going to be able to hear you, Jimmy," Callie pointed out. They continued walking, climbing over snow banks in a unsuccessful attempt to find a ski trail. They had lost all signs of other skiers. No one had skied in this area for awhile... there were no tracks. Callie shone the light on a nearby tree, and saw a bright orange rope tied around it.
"Haven't we seen that tree before?" she asked slowly.
Jimmy stopped and studied it for a moment. "I, uh...."
"Yes?" she prompted, knowing what his answer was going to be.
"I think we're lost."
After cooling down, Saja went over to the table where his parents were sitting, drinking cup after cup of coffee and asking every five minutes if there was any news. "Mom? Dad?"
His parents looked up, and gave him a strained half-smile.
"Look, there's something I want to tell you," he began.
"Saja, I really don't think this is the best time," Mrs. DeCastro said.
"No, I really need to tell you this," he insisted. "See, I really wanted to tell you what Sophia was doing this week. It's so hard because even though she and I fight all the time, I care about my sister. And on one hand, if I had told on her I would have gotten her grounded, but would have avoided her being missing. I was faced with quite a dilemma... and I made the wrong decision. It is a wise man that can learn and admit his mistakes. So I want you to know that I offer you a thousand apologies."
"Thank you son," Mr. DeCastro replied cordially. "It means a lot that you know what you did wrong. But when we find your sister we're still going to have to ground you two."
Callie stomped her foot angrily in the snow. "I can't believe we're lost! How could this have happened?"
"Well," Jimmy said, scratching his head, "it is dark, and everything out here looks the same."
"This was such a stupid idea! Now not only are we not going to find Sophia but we're going to have to call in a search party for ourselves too!" Callie snapped. She was tired, and this setback was making her irritated.
"Oh, so it's my fault for coming up with such a stupid idea?" Jimmy asked defensively.
She nodded. "Yeah! I mean, who are we? Why should we be the ones to go find her?"
"Well, they haven't found her yet. And we're her friends," he explained.
"Hardly," Callie muttered.
"What was that?"
"I just mean she and I aren't exactly the best of friends," she said.
Jimmy rose his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, so since you don't like her you want to just leave her out here to freeze to death?"
Callie reached up and massaged her temples. "Can we stop this fighting? I just want to hurry up and find her so I can go home and go to bed!"
He stooped down and picked up something lying in the snow. "Well, would you look at this?" he held up a blue ski hat. "We were so busy arguing we missed this clue."
"Do you think it's Sophia's?" Callie asked.
"It might be." Jimmy took her hand. "Come on, let's go!"
Saja and his parents ran outside when they heard the wailing sirens of an ambulance. Callie and Jimmy stood outside, and the paramedics were lifting his sister into the vehicle.
"Is she okay?" Mrs. DeCastro asked worriedly.
"Yes Ma'am. She'll be all right. The only bone broken is in her ankle, and although she was unconscious for a little while there she's doing well now. We're going to take her to the hospital for observation, and to make sure there was no frostbite. But your daughter's very lucky. These kids really had the right idea going to look for her," the doctor explained.
The DeCastro's heaved a sigh of relief. Mrs. DeCastro said she wanted to ride in the ambulance with Sophia, and Saja jumped at the chance as well. Mr. DeCastro volunteered to drive Jimmy and Callie back to Swans Crossing, as their father's were probably worried by now... it was nearing three AM.
Saja stepped into the ambulance and looked at his friends. "Thanks for all your help!" he called to them.
Both smiled, happy to have helped. It turned out that Sophia was only a few yards away from where they had found her hat. Callie had gone back to get help and Jimmy made an effort to carry her to safety. Then the paramedics moved in, and found that Sophia was going to be all right. "No problem Saja!" Jimmy called back to his friend.
Saja turned to his sister and mother and grinned. "Happy New Year."
Upon arriving for the first day back at school after winter break, Sydney saw Nancy dragging her feet through the hall. "Hey Nancy!" she called to her friend.
Nancy came over to Sydney and gave her a pathetic smile. "Hi Sydney."
"Well, you sure look like death warmed over. What's going on?" Sydney commented as they started walking to class.
"It's Kevin," Nancy answered quickly, glad to have someone to listen to her. "He didn't make it to your New Year's party because he said he was sick, but he didn't call for the rest of the break!"
"Nancy. That was two days. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything," Sydney said, trying to sound encouraging.
"Maybe you're right. But I don't know how I'm going to skate! I feel so depressed, there's no way I'm going to be able to concentrate on the competition next week," she moaned. "I'm going to go to class."
"Later," Sydney muttered, her mind still stuck on what Nancy had just said. Even though she knew it was a horrible thought she couldn't help but contemplate it. If Nancy was so upset about Kevin not calling that she wasn't sure she was going to able to skate... what would happen if she and Kevin broke up?
In the library Neil pounded the keys on the keyboard. He was spending his lunch hour there, trying to come up with an equation. He and J.T. were supposed to go work at the University with Carolyn that afternoon, and even though their task was to work on writing up the equations for UB2B to be published in a scientific journal, he and Carolyn wanted to try and come up with a new project. His only idea dealt with electricity, which was the subject matter of his latest physics class. However, he wasn't sure what kind of theory he could come up with that hadn't been done, so he was working day and night to create something.
Things weren't quite going the way Neil had anticipated, and he pushed the keys in frustration... wanting desperately to hit upon a new discovery. Accidentally he hit a series of keys which opened a window. It was an e-mail to one of the teachers, who all had addresses on the school's network.
Although it wasn't in his nature to invade the privacy of another, the letter was right on the screen as plain as day. No one was near the computer, so he took a peek.
Dear employee:
In reviewing Swans Crossing High's expense report I have learned that the school has gone over budget on many of the new additions to the building as well as the lavish upkeep, the many teachers employed, and the expensive activities. There will need to be some dramatic cuts in Swans Crossing High's budget, which will be discussed at the next school board meeting. Please do not inform any of the students of this event; we do not want an uprise like the cut of '88. Thank you very much.
-- Superintendent Wallson
Neil's eyes widened at the information up on the screen. He knew that if any of the wealthy SCH students learned of this they would be extremely upset. He shut the e-mail quickly, not sure what to do about what he had seen.
Sydney sat down in the board room during her lunch hour. Because she was one of the sophomore student representatives, she had to make an effort to attend a few meetings with the student council, much to her dismay. She would much rather be at lunch with her friends and Garrett, whom she hadn't seen much of in the past few days.
The council called the meeting to order, and while the members debated whether or not to buy a new sofa for their meeting room, Sydney's thoughts wandered. So much was on her mind that she didn't know how to balance it all. Her mother was supposed to arrive home that evening from her "business" trip, and she wasn't sure how to act. She also had the upcoming skating competition, and her idea that could maybe help her chances of winning. And on top of all that there was that cryptic note left by Danathan... that he was sure to see her again soon. Even though he was an interesting person, and good looking, there was something about him that Sydney was unsure of. She couldn't quite place what it was, but she knew that there was something unusual about him.
"So what do you think, Sydney?" Amber Rider, the class treasurer, asked.
"Uh," Sydney faltered. "What do I think about what?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not much happens in the winter months, and I just moved to open the floor to some suggestions on activities we could hold in the near future."
Sydney thought about it for a moment. "Hmmm. Maybe we could organize some sort of charity benefit."
Some council members murmured in agreement. Sydney continued with the idea that was quickly forming in her head. "Yeah, we could pick some charities and hold all kinds of fundraisers during the week. There could be contests, a dance, a food drive..."
"Maybe we could hold a concert," someone suggested.
"Yeah, and a talent show!"
Dawn Carlsen, the student body president, stood up. "Well, since this was Sydney's idea--and a terrific idea it was--I think she should be the chairperson. All in favor?"
"Ay!" everyone chorused.
"All opposed?" No one replied. "Then it's settled. Sydney, you are in charge of making Swans Crossing High's first every charity drive happen!"
Sydney gave the council a strained smile. "Great."
Saja tapped his pencil on the side of his desk, making a soft rhythm... anything to keep him awake. He was sort of glad to be in school... life at home wasn't exactly very exciting. He and Sophia were grounded for lying, and his only solace was being at school. However, Mrs. Winters’ class wasn't very exciting either. He, Jimmy, and Callie, who shared the sociology class, were sitting together in the corner, only half-listening to what Mrs. Winters was saying.
"Anyhow, as there are only a few minutes left of class, I would like to tell you about a project that you're going to have due in a couple of weeks," she announced, gathering some papers on her desk. A few students groaned.
She passed out descriptions of the project to the class, and Callie glanced down at her sheet. "Family Tree Project" it said in big bold letters at the top.
Oh no! she thought to herself in panic. Her stomach dropped, and she quickly glanced around to make sure no one saw her reaction. I can't do this project! For her whole life she had avoided speaking of her family history, and now, all of the dark secrets of the Walker’s were going to be put on colored poster board and presented in front of the class. This was Callie's worst nightmare.
The bell rang, and the class jumped from their seats. Callie, however, still sat in her desk.
"Aren't you coming?" Jimmy asked.
Callie snapped back to reality, and looked up at him. "Um, actually, I have to talk to Mrs. Winters about this. Go on without me."
He agreed, and he and Saja stepped out into the hall. She gingerly stood up, and crossed the room to speak with her teacher.
"Mrs. Winters?" she said.
The woman looked up, and peered at Callie from behind her glasses. "Yes?"
Callie shifted her weight from one foot to another. She didn't really know her teacher very well, and she wasn't the person who she really wanted to confide in. "I, uh, I want to know if there is any chance I can be excused from doing this project."
Mrs. Winters chuckled. "Callie, this is a required part of the course."
"Yes, I know," Callie replied, her voice sounding strangled. "It's just that I really, really feel uncomfortable doing this."
"Then you need to get over your shyness. There's nothing to be nervous about. It's a simple project about your family."
"Fine," Callie muttered, gathering her stuff and leaving the classroom hastily before she got upset. Her mind was racing as she walked down the hall... trying to think of a way out of having to do this project. As she rounded a corner she saw Jimmy waiting for her by her locker.
"What are you doing? You're going to be late to class, you know," she told him in an effort to sound normal.
"I just wanted to see what's going on," Jimmy replied. "You seemed kind of upset in class."
"Well, maybe I was," she said testily.
"Do you... want to talk about it?" Jimmy asked cautiously.
"It's just that I really don't want to do this project," she stated.
He grinned. "Is that all? Well, neither do I. But you've got it much easier than I do." She gave him a blank stare. "I mean, you're an only child. You don't have a million brothers to write about."
Callie's face flushed. "Why does everyone assume I'm an only child?!" she yelled.
Jimmy looked very taken aback. His mind wandered back to the time over the summer when he and Callie had spent the afternoon looking at the clouds.
"Sometimes I wish I was an only child like you," Jimmy had remarked.
Callie bolted straight up in her chair and shot him a hard look. "How do you know I'm an only child?" she asked.
And now here she was... getting very defensive about the obvious... that she lived with her father, and it was just the two of them.
"What are you saying Callie?" Jimmy questioned her, staring at his girlfriend in confusion. "Are you saying you're not?"
Chapter Thirty-Five
Callie's mouth went dry and she quickly turned away from Jimmy. "Wha-what do you mean?" she faltered.
"Come on Callie; anytime the subject of siblings is brought up you freak out. So tell me... are you an only child or not?"
She rolled her eyes, quickly losing control. "I just hate it when people assume things."
Jimmy shook his head. "That's not it," he said, able to tell she was lying. "I've been to your house and it's pretty clear that the only people who live there are you and your dad. So what is it you're not telling me?" he approached her slowly. "Callie, I'm your boyfriend, I think I have the right to know."
Rage boiled within her. She kicked the locker near her, releasing some of the anger. "No you don't! This isn't anyone else's business but mine!" And with that, she took off.
Gathering her dark hair into a ponytail, Sydney got ready to go onto the ice. She was planning to get in some practice after school, as the competition was only a week away. Garrett sat on the bench, warming his hands on a cup of hot chocolate.
"You're going to do great Sydney!" he called. "Next week you're gonna sweep Nancy right off the ice!"
Sydney laughed and blew him a kiss. "Thanks for the pep talk, Booth!" She started out skating around the rink, and then moved to the center to try out some of her more complicated moves. She took a deep breath, pulled her arms close to her chest, and spun around in several dizzying circles. Garrett, thoroughly impressed, applauded.
Feeling more confident, Sydney decided to attempt her double axle, even though in the program she had coordinated for the competition the jump didn't come in until later. She spun around, and lifted her body and legs into the air. It was one of the most perfect starts she had ever had, and she was just about to land when she saw someone enter the park behind Garrett. It was Danathan.
Sydney landed on her right leg, her ankle buckled, and she tumbled to the ice. Garrett quickly jumped to his feet. "Sydney are you okay?!"
Brushing herself off, Sydney slowly got back on her skates. "I'm all right," she told him breathlessly.
His face was twisted with concern. "I'm going to go get your shoes," he said, heading in the direction of the warming house.
"Thanks," she replied, skating over to the bench. Danathan was waiting there for her. She looked him squarely in the eyes, and then glanced over her shoulder to see if Garrett was in sight. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Miss Sydney," he said with a grin. "Did you get my note?"
Sydney thought back to the cryptic letter he had left after her New Year's party. "Yes, I got it."
He grinned again. "Good. It looks like you need a little practice before your competition."
"How do you know about that?" she asked him, trying hard to stay calm. Something about Danathan seemed to creep her out... and he always knew things about her that she hadn't told him.
Danathan for once did not smile, but rather, looked at her seriously, his expression seeming kind of vulnerable. "I know a lot about you, Sydney."
"And why is that?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked again for signs of Garrett. Part of her desperately wanted her boyfriend to come rescue her, and half of her didn't him to see her with a handsome, older stranger.
"You intrigue me," he answered simply, giving her his charming smile. He saw Garrett coming out of the warming house, and knew he had to get out of sight. "Look, I better get going, but there's something I need to talk to you about." He handed her a card with his number on it. "Call me."
She shoved it into her pocket, but didn't respond. He turned around, and by the time Garrett handed her her shoes he was gone.
"Who was that?" Garrett asked, not recognizing Danathan from his backside.
Sydney felt the piece of paper in her pocket and sighed. "No one."
Glory watched J.T. sullenly stir his soda, which was quickly becoming flat. "Are you going to mope all day?"
He tapped his pencil on the side of his open calculus book and shook his head. "Nope. First, I'm going to do this homework... and then I'm going to mope all day."
She reached for his hand. "If I had known that trying to fix Neil and Carolyn up was going to cause this much trouble..."
"It's not your fault. I would have been happy if we had successfully fixed them up. But all he's done is replace me with her," J.T. remarked in a self-pitying tone.
"J.T," she said warningly. "Anyway, we haven't really done much to fix them up... yet."
He looked up at her. "What are you planning?" he asked, recognizing the slyness in her voice.
Glory was about to respond when Neil entered the soda shop. She smiled to herself... this couldn't have worked out any better! "Neil!" she called out to him.
Neil approached the table. "Hi guys. What's up?"
"Nothing much," Glory replied. "Sit. I actually wanted to talk to you for a minute."
Neil looked a little distracted. "I wanted to talk to you guys, too. I kept this in all day, and I can't take it anymore."
J.T. perked up. "What's going on Buckyball?"
"What would you say if I told you I knew that the administration was covering up something really big at school?" he asked with a devilish grin.
For the moment Glory forgot about her matchmaking plan. "I'd ask you to tell us more."
"Well, you guys have got to promise you won't say anything to anyone."
They nodded. "We won't."
"Okay. I was working on a new equation in the library for my new project with Carolyn," Neil explained. J.T. rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I accidentally hit the wrong button, and I got into one of the teacher's e-mail accounts."
"What did it say?" Glory asked.
"That the school is very much in debt, and there are going to have to be some budgetary cuts."
"Big scoop, Neil," J.T. said disappointedly, rolling his eyes again.
"But don't you see, Buckyball? They're trying to keep it a secret so none of us will cause an uproar like in 1988. Superintendent Wallson said so himself in the memo."
"What happened in 1988?" Glory asked.
"They had to cut a lot of money out of SCH's budget, and when the students found out that their music, sports, and other things were being cut they walked out, held protests..."
"Did anything to stand up for what they believe in that the school board would find disruptive," J.T. chimed in, finally understanding.
"Exactly. So they think now they can just keep it under wraps and no one will disrupt the learning process," Neil concluded.
"Well that doesn't seem fair!" Glory exclaimed. "Don't we have a right to know?"
"Yeah, you should take that information to the school board... or the school paper or something!" J.T. suggested.
Neil shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Anyway, don't say anything. I'll decide what I'm going to do later. Right now I've got to work on the new project."
J.T. rolled his eyes once more and glanced at Glory... who raised her eyebrows sympathetically.
Mila lay upside-down on her bed and twisted the phone cord around her finger. She giggled. She and Grant had been on the phone for around half an hour already, and she couldn't believe how wonderfully it was going. He called to chat, apologizing for not being able to talk much at Sydney's party. She had been worried that he hadn't liked being around her, so she was so happy to hear from him. He then launched into a million different humorous stories about his awkwardness at parties growing up. This was a different side to Grant Booth. He was still charming and polite, but she was able to see his funny and more vulnerable side.
Her call waiting beeped, and she cut into his anecdote. "Grant? Can you hang on a second?"
"Sure," he agreed.
She pressed the button down. "Hello?" Mila answered.
"Uh, hi Mila. It's Owen," he said in a quiet voice.
"Hi Owen," Mila replied awkwardly. "What's going on?"
There was a long silence on his end of the line. "I uh, was wondering if you would like to come by the studio and practice for an hour or something."
She quickly glanced around her room. "Gee Owen, I would really like to, but," her eyes fell on her chemistry book, "but I have some chemistry homework to catch up on. Can we do it another time?"
"Sure," he agreed.
"Great," she said.
"So, uh, I'll talk to you at school tomorrow then?" he asked.
"Yeah. I really better go and do that homework," she lied.
"All right. Bye."
"Bye."
She switched onto the other line. "Hi Grant, I'm back."
"Hey! Who called?" he asked.
"Just a friend," Mila quickly replied. "Now, what were you saying?"
Sydney tossed her ice skates in the hall closet and started up the stairs to her room. She wanted to go to bed and not think of the odd meeting with Danathan in the park.
"Sydney?" Mayor Rutledge said, emerging from the living room.
"Mother!" she exclaimed with surprise. She embraced her. "How was your trip?"
Mayor Rutledge kept her daughter enveloped in her arms. "It was very trying, and I'm glad to be home. Did you have a nice party?"
She thought back to how the Rutledge mansion was in shambles only a few nights before. "Yeah, it was fun."
"Well, good. Now I want to hear all about your week over the delicious dinner Ralph has prepared," she told her, taking Sydney's arm and leading her towards the dining room.
"I want to hear about your week too," she quickly said, prying for details on Mayor Rutledge's mystery man.
"Oh, I'm sure you won't find anything interesting about my week," she replied nonchalantly, stepping a few paces ahead of her daughter.
"I don't know about that," Sydney muttered before following her mother.
"I told you this was gonna happen!" she exclaimed, tossing several plastic shards in Danathan's direction. Danathan had just walked in the door and already she was starting with him. He picked up the pieces of her ATM card and examined them.
"What happened?" he said angrily.
She scowled. "You think they wouldn't find out? I filled out three hundred dollars in empty deposits, put them in the machine and took the money. Then I tried to do it again and the machine ripped up the card."
"So get a new one." He rolled his eyes.
"I tried that," she snapped. "I went into the bank and they said for the rest of my life I have to do all my business with them in person. So there goes that idea."
He was silent as he loosened his tie and sat down.
"That deal better be going through soon, Danathan," she told him warningly.
He thought back to his brief meeting with Sydney in the park. He could tell he was getting under her skin, which was an important part of the plan. "Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."
Garrett walked into the Booth house and was surprised to see the whole family sitting in the living room. Since the Booth's recent financial woes they hadn't been spending much time together.
"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.
"I have some good news," his father announced. The rest of the family, who already knew what he was about to say, smiled widely.
"Okay..."
"Well, my stock portfolio got a boost today." He saw his son's eyes light up. "However, this doesn't mean we're in the clear yet," he added.
"What your father is trying to say is that we're on the road to recovering the money we lost in the election," Mrs. Booth interjected.
Garrett let out a whoop, and went around the room to hug all of his family members, even his brother.
Something occurred to Grant as the family was talking excitedly about having money once again. "I guess this means I can finish up the semester back at school."
His father nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what it means."
Grant's face fell. "Great."
Sydney was quickly growing bored of Nancy's conversation. She had been moping non-stop about Kevin.
"I just don't get it Sydney. Why hasn't he called?" she asked for the umpteenth time. "And don't say, ‘maybe he's been busy’, because that's exactly what Mila said."
"I wasn't going to say that," Sydney told her slowly, carefully thinking through her words. "Mila is far too naive. When a guy doesn't call... it's usually for a reason."
Nancy sniffed. "Is that what you really think?"
"I'm sorry," was all she could say. Nancy mumbled something about having to get off the telephone and quickly hung up.
As Sydney listened to the hum of the dial tone she felt sort of bad for dashing Nancy's hopes. Then she looked at her dresser and imagined the first place skating trophy sitting proudly there. She had to win. She was Sydney Rutledge.
Garrett grabbed his jacket and headed next door to tell Sydney the good news about his family's finances. As he approached the Rutledge's front door he heard some noises coming from the backyard. Carefully, he rounded the corner of the house to see what was back there. He heard more rustling, and then crunching in the snow.
His heart rate quickened. Someone was back there! As he entered the back of Sydney's house he saw a dark figure take off swiftly into the woods that surrounded No Man's Land.
"Hey! Get back here!" he yelled, but the figure was gone. Garrett regained his composure and went back to the door. He decided not to tell Sydney that someone may have been watching her; he didn't want to alarm anyone.
Callie kept her head lowered when Jimmy walked into the Tool n’ Die. She had been working on the same engine all afternoon, unable to concentrate on it or anything else.
"Hey Callie," he said quietly.
"Hello," she responded stiffly.
"So, uh, you're not going to kick anything else in, are you?" he asked jokingly.
She looked at him crossly. "Funny."
"You know, the locker really didn't deserve it," he teased.
"Jimmy," Callie warned.
He gave her a small smile. "I got you to talk, didn't I?"
"I guess," she admitted.
"Now can we please discuss what's going on with you?"
Callie said nothing in reply... unable to find the words.
"Look, I know it was a long time ago, but do you remember what I said to you the night we staked out the Walker Estate? About how you can talk to me?"
Callie's mind wandered back to that balmy summer night. Jimmy had just returned from the site where Saja had seen the bald man, and had found a single Band-Aid--their only clue. After Saja denied that it was his, they had discussed where it may have come from.
"A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Band-Aid is right up your alley," Jimmy teased Saja. Then he turned to Callie. "Did your grandfather ever wear Band-Aids?"
"I wouldn't know," Callie said quietly.
"You never knew him?"
"No, he stayed in the Walker Estate and I never came to Swans Crossing," she explained.
"Rumor was he burned down the house, went down with it, and no one ever found him. True?" he asked.
"Hey, you seem to know it all," Callie said wryly.
"Walker Woman," Jimmy began, sensing the sadness in her voice. "Someday when something comes up that makes you uncomfortable... share it, don't back off." He offered his hand out to her.
She placed her hand in his. "Thanks for understanding."
Callie gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I remember. But I think this makes me a little more than uncomfortable."
Jimmy put his arm around her affectionately. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'm here if you feel like it. Anything you say won't change a thing between us. I'll always support you."
"There's so much you don't know about me... and my family," she began slowly. She sighed. "There's so much no one knows. But..."
"But?" he prompted gently.
"I'm just so tired of keeping secrets." Callie started pacing, her heart beating quickly, her hands shaking. "Jimmy, I..."
"Yes?" he whispered, somehow sensing that what she was about to tell him was going to be monumental.
She took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm not an only child."
Chapter Thirty-Six
"You're what?" Jimmy asked, stunned at Callie's revelation.
"I'm not an only child. I mean, I'm the only one who lives with my father, but she's out there, somewhere," Callie said in a detached tone.
"A sister?" Jimmy guessed.
At this, Callie's eyes watered. "Yes. I have a sister."
Jimmy reached for her hand to comfort her, but she continued pacing.
"It was a late night, near the holidays. I was around two years old, but I remember it as vividly as if it were yesterday," she began her story in a steady voice. "I was born in a small providence in Canada, where every night at this time you could see the Northern Lights. I had a mother. And a sister. We were driving in, of all things, a station wagon." She let out a bitter laugh. "My life was so normal then."
Jimmy stopped her from pacing and took her into his arms. Both were having a difficult time with the emotional subject matter.
"We were driving towards Swans Crossing to see my grandfather," Callie continued. "Obviously we never made it. The roads were slippery, and my dad was having a hard time controlling the car. My mother, Leda Walker, was upset. I... I don't know why. My sister and I were in the back seat. I was strapped in. Vanessa had unbuckled herself." Callie pulled out of Jimmy's embrace and looked up at him, her brown eyes gleaming. "That was her name. Vanessa Walker. She was three years older than me. Vanessa was being loud, distracting my father from driving and making my mother more upset. Dad yelled at Mom, told her to calm Vanessa down. She was upset," Callie repeated, "so she listened. From my car seat I watched her reach down and release her seat belt. It happened in slow motion. She turned around, trying to buckle Vanessa in. At that exact moment my dad hit black ice and the car went spinning, around and around. I'll never forget how it sounded," she whispered, hearing it once again in her head... the squeal of tires, the crunch of metal... it screamed in her head at an ear-shattering pitch as it often did in her nightmares.
"Callie?" Jimmy whispered, seeing the faraway and panicked look on her face. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, collected her thoughts, and continued. "After the accident my father pulled me from the car. He left me on the side of the road as he went back for Vanessa and Mom. It felt like an eternity standing out there in the dark. I was all alone... and it was so dark."
"Is that why you're afraid of it now?" Jimmy asked.
"I never thought of it that way," Callie admitted. "I guess it must be." She lifted herself up onto the counter and ran her fingers through her curly hair.
"So what happened to them?"
"My mom was killed instantly in the crash," Callie declared in a flat voice.
"I'm sorry," Jimmy said, trying to console her.
"There's nothing you can do. It's just reality," Callie replied... almost as if she was convincing herself of it.
"Was Vanessa... killed too?" he questioned her carefully, hesitating at the word "killed".
"Honestly, I don't know. Dad went back for her, and she wasn't there. The paramedics, the police, they never found a body."
"So at five years old she ran away from the accident site?" Jimmy asked incredulously.
"That's what my dad's convinced of. Why do you think we've moved around all this time?" she pointed out.
"You mean you've been looking for her for all these years?"
She nodded. "Dad's hired every private investigator he could. She'd be eighteen now," she added wistfully.
"Do you think she's still alive?"
She shrugged. "I don't know what to think anymore." Callie sighed and slid off the counter. "So there you have it. The pathetic story of my life."
Jimmy stared at her, feeling such admiration for her bravery, and so sorry for what she'd been through. "Oh Callie," was all he could say.
"I guess you're pretty repulsed at my dysfunctional family," she muttered.
"Callie, you're the bravest person I know. I just wish there was some way I could help you." He gave her a half-smile. "I'd give anything to reunite you and your sister."
"My dad's been searching for years. I doubt we'll ever find her," Callie remarked pessimistically.
"Walker Woman, I know you don't want to do this family history project in school--"
"That's an understatement. They'd take one look at my paper and send me to be a guest on Geraldo."
"Just hear me out. Maybe by researching your family's history you could solve this thirteen year-old mystery," Jimmy suggested.
"Clayton, you're a dreamer," she told him before throwing her arms around his neck. Then whispered in his ear, "Thanks for being that way."
"I am so psyched," Sydney said excitedly, motioning with her free hand. "It's been awhile since the concert and I need something to organize."
Garrett smiled at her. He understood her craving for power. She had been talking nonstop about her charity event while the two walked hand in hand to class.
"I guess I'm going to talk to J.T. and Neil about it," she continued.
"Why? What could those techno geeks have to say about your charity week?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
"Remember? J.T. and Neil held their own benefit last summer. They must know something about fund raising," Sydney explained.
Garrett shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right." The bell rang, and he gently dropped Sydney's hand. "Hey, Syd, do you have a pen?"
She laughed. Garrett was always so disorganized. She reached into her pocketbook, her fingers reaching for a pen. She grabbed one and handed it to Garrett. "Here you go."
A piece of paper she had also grabbed floated to the floor. Garrett knelt down and picked it up. In red ink there was a telephone number, and the name "Dan" was scrawled across it.
"What is this?" Garrett questioned her in an accusatory voice.
Sydney's eyes widened when she saw the number Danathan had given her. "It's uh-- a contact. A number of someone I'm supposed to call about the benefit," she lied quickly.
Garrett's angry look melted away. He seemed to buy it, and handed her the number back. "You're such a go-getter," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading off to class.
Sydney heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close."
"This stinks," Nancy commented during her study hall, slumping down further in her chair.
Sandy looked up from her math homework. "I know, but you'll be okay," she said reassuringly.
Nancy sat up straighter. "You're right. I can't let this get me down. I have to stop crying."
Sandy gave her a half-smile. "Well, good for you."
Nancy's face fell. "But don't I have a reason to cry?" she asked in a small voice.
Sandy resisted the urge to groan and nodded sympathetically. "Of course you do. So cry."
Nancy sniffed and reached into her blazer pocket for a tissue. "He's really not worth it."
"Of course not," Sandy muttered in reply, continuing her homework.
"I mean, he worked in a stable," Nancy began.
"Such a second class boy," Sandy remarked sarcastically.
"And his hair?" Nancy said snootily, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
Sandy pursed her lips in an imitation of Nancy. "How dare he wear his hair like that?"
Blotting her eyes, Nancy sniffed again. "You don't like his hair?"
Sandy was growing annoyed having to placate to her. She put her pencil down. "I think his hair’s great. I think he's great!" she nearly shouted.
"Then why hasn't he called?" Nancy whined.
Sandy stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"To get some peace and quiet!" she replied. "And Nancy? Call him!"
Jimmy smiled when he walked into the library. Callie was already there, tapping a pencil against a book, half-listening to something Saja was saying.
"Hey you guys," he called, sitting down and taking Callie's hand under the table. She smiled up at him gratefully. "How's it going?"
Saja sighed. "Still grounded," he said mournfully.
"It's not the end of the world," Jimmy pointed out. Saja shrugged.
"I'm going to go get some books on Eastern teachings and ninjas," Saja announced, standing up.
Callie giggled. "Why? We're supposed to be researching our family history. I doubt there are any ninjas in your family."
"Well, not my immediate family," Saja said seriously, bowing to his friends before disappearing into the stacks.
As soon as Saja was gone, Jimmy turned to Callie. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm all right," she replied unconvincingly.
"I know you're still thinking about last night," he said.
"It's hard not to. I mean, before it was my problem. Now it's out in the open and I have to deal with it," she explained in a quiet voice.
"Are you sorry you told me?" he asked.
Callie stared into this eyes for a few moments, feeling so lucky that he was being incredibly supportive. "No. I'm glad I told you."
"So am I. I..." his voice trailed off shyly. "I feel like I know you more than I ever have before. I feel really close to you."
Callie lowered her eyes. "I feel close to you too. And it's almost hard because," her voice broke.
"Yeah?"
"My whole life I've never been close to anyone before. Since my sister disappeared and my mother was killed it was just me and my dad, and you know he's not the easiest person to talk to." She laughed sadly. "I never really even had friends until I came to Swans Crossing. But now here I am," she continued, almost talking to herself instead of to him, "and I have this incredible guy who knows everything about me now, and still," she looked up at him, "you still care."
Jimmy cocked his head. "Of course I care, Callie. I love you."
"I love you, too. This is just so hard."
"Well I'm here," he told her supportively. He looked at her, studying her sad, somewhat insecure eyes. There was something he wanted to ask her, something he'd thought about all night after he had taken her home. "Callie?"
She looked back up at him. "Yes?"
"You're probably not going to think I'm so incredible after I say this, and I want you to know this is only a suggestion and--"
Callie put her hand on his arm. "Clayton, you're babbling."
Jimmy drew in a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing by breaching this subject with her, but he felt he had to. "Callie? What do you think about maybe getting some therapy?"
Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what he had asked. "You think I need to see a shrink?"
"So what do you think?" Sydney asked, having just told J.T. and Neil about her charity week plan.
"It's a really great idea, Sydney," J.T. answered slowly. "I mean, I think it'll be a great way to unite SCH. But honestly, you might have a hard time finding charity cases in a town like Swans Crossing."
Neil laughed. "Well, Buckeyball, you never know. After all, SCH appears to be a charity case itself."
Sydney narrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
J.T. looked at Neil, not sure why he was telling so many people at school his discovery, but let him continue nonetheless.
"See, I found out through a teacher's e-mail that SCH is having budget problems," he explained, chuckling to himself. "If you really wanted to help people you should make the school your charity."
Sydney twirled a strand of her dark brown hair around her finger, deep in thought. "Hmm." She took a couple of steps away from them. "Thanks you guys."
"But we didn't even really talk!" J.T. called in protest.
Sydney was already halfway down the hall. "We'll talk another time," she said dismissively. She trotted to the student council lounge, the wheels in her head spinning. What a terrific idea Neil had! She could imagine how pleased the administrators would be when sophomore Sydney Rutledge solved all their budgetary problems.
She opened the door to the room and was glad to discover that the only other person there was a junior representative, somewhat of a slacker, sound asleep on the couch. Sydney rolled her eyes, and grabbed a fistful of markers and some paper. She began brainstorming ideas. Charity: Swans Crossing High's own failing budget, Sydney wrote precisely in purple ink. Weekly Events: dance, carnival, talent show. As her mind wandered, searching for more ideas, her eyes landed on the telephone. Then she thought about the phone number in her purse. Even though Danathan's presence creeped her out, there was something about him that made her curious... made her want to find out why he appeared in the park and told her to call him.
Glancing at the dozing junior who was still fast asleep, she picked up the phone, pulled out the number, and dialed it impulsively. It rang once, twice. On the third ring Sydney was about to hang up when a woman picked up.
"Hello?" she answered, sounding obviously annoyed.
Sydney didn't quite know what to say. "Is, uh, is Danathan there?" she sputtered.
The woman on the other line didn't reply, but covered the phone with her hand and shouted, "Danny! Phone!"
Sydney rolled her eyes. This was obviously a bad idea.
"Hello?" he said, coming onto the line.
"Hi," Sydney greeted him, not sure how to explain the reason she had called.
Danathan immediately recognized her voice. "Well, if it isn't Sydney Rutledge! I am so glad you called."
"You are?" she asked, taken aback by his chipperness.
"Yes. I wanted to see if you needed help with your charity week," he said smoothly.
"How did you know about that?" Sydney demanded, a chill running down her spine.
"Sydney, did it ever occur to you I know these things because I want to know about you?" he questioned her. His voice had a trace of vulnerability that did not match his usually aloof demeanor. His question hung in the air for a few moments, until Sydney continued, in a more friendly tone.
"So what could you, the mysterious med student, know about fund raising?"
"Well, I happen to have taken several business and accounting classes," he stated proudly.
"Ambitious," Sydney remarked, and then thought for a moment. It was up to her to organize nearly every facet of the charity week, since it was her idea. Now, she could have a student council member, like the napping one right before her, be the treasurer, or she could ask Danathan, who at least appeared professional, and had some life experience. "You know Danathan, I think that's a great idea."
She could almost hear him smile on the other end of the line. "Great! You won't be sorry."
She said good-bye, and hung up. "I hope not."
Callie stood up, slapping her palms against the table. "You think I need a shrink?!" she repeated loudly, and when a few other students looked up, she lowered her voice. "How could you even suggest that?"
Jimmy stood up with her. "Because I care about you. Now that I've heard what you've gone through maybe you should talk to a professional about it."
Anger gleamed in her eyes. "I've lived my whole life thinking about the sister I had that might still be out there. You've known about it for all of two seconds and suddenly you can fix me?"
Jimmy's stomach turned when he realized that mistake he had just made. Things between him and Callie were often slightly fragile. Sometimes they felt they could tell each other everything, and others, it was if a wall was erected between them. It wasn't a physical wall, like with Sydney and Garrett, but the implications were the same. If she was offended by his suggestion, he would cut her off again, just when they had seemed to finally break down that wall for good.
He touched her arm in an effort to calm her down. She didn't resist, and he took this as a good sign. "Listen Callie. I only thought seeing a psychiatrist might help things a little bit... you know, make it easier for you to deal with everything that's going on in your life. But I know you're strong. You're a lot stronger than I am, and you shouldn't do anything you don't want to do," he told her with a smile. Her lips twitched into a half-smile in return. "I hope I haven't ruined it for us. Our talking, I mean."
She shook her head and slowly sat down. "You haven't. It's just hard to hear your boyfriend say you need professional help."
Jimmy buried his head in his hands. "God, I'm an idiot!"
"Only sometimes," Callie said with amusement. "Anyway, I've been thinking, and although I'm not going to see a shrink," she shot him a pointed look, "I'm going to talk to my dad. He hasn't brought up Vanessa in ages, and now that I'm older I want some answers." She looked past him. "I want to know why he’s convinced that she's alive. If he still thinks that..."
Jimmy watched her turn these questions over and over in her head, feeling infinitely sorry for her situation. And determined. He wanted answers too.
When Glory pushed open Swans’ double doors her spirits were immediately lifted. The jovial atmosphere at the soda shop always put her in a good mood... even if she had just come from a grueling cheerleading practice.
She took a seat at the counter, waiting to meet Carolyn for a soda, who had yet to arrive.
"Glory!" a voice called. She looked up, and smiled at her brother, who was happily waving an envelope over his head.
"Hi Garrett," she greeted him.
"Look," he said, handing the envelope to her. "My last paycheck!"
"You quit?" she asked, concern tracing into her voice. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
He laughed, pretending to kiss the check. "Dad's business is in good shape and I don't have to clean syrup dispensers anymore. It sounds like a good idea to me!" Garrett gave Glory a big hug and started towards the door. "And now I'm off to spend some cash!"
Glory laughed and rolled her eyes. As Garrett left the diner, Carolyn entered. She waved once she spotted Glory, and headed up to the counter.
"Hey Glory, what's up?" Carolyn asked with a grin.
"Not much, but I was kind of wondering if I could talk to you about something," Glory said slowly, tucking a strand of her strawberry blond hair behind her ear.
"Sure. Go ahead," Carolyn replied amiably.
"Well, what do you think of Neil?" Glory asked.
At first, Carolyn seemed taken aback at her question. Then when she saw Glory's eyebrows raised and a sly smile on her face, Carolyn knew what she meant. A blush crept across her face. "Neil's... a nice guy," she said vaguely.
Glory nodded. "Yeah. He and J.T. have been friends forever, and he is a great guy. He's just a little shy," she commented, then added, "around girls."
Carolyn lowered her eyes. "I've kinda noticed that."
A grin spread across Glory's face. "But, you are the only girl who he's never issued a quarantine on."
Carolyn was quiet for a minute. "Really?" she finally asked with an involuntary giggle.
"You really should double with me and J.T. sometime. Neil is perfect for you. He's serious, and smart..."
Carolyn's grin turned into a frown as her eyes glazed over--as if she wasn't really a part of the conversation anymore. "Yeah," she said in a faraway voice. "But honestly Glory, I don't think I'm good enough for Neil."