him as their boyfriend and vying with each other for his attention.
He never made any promises, unwilling to let some girl think that hooking up meant anything more than a good time. There would be no strings tying him down; no-one would ever control him again.
But Caledonia was completely different from any other girl he’d ever met. Every little thing she did was interesting; her every gesture fascinated him. She was one surprise after another, and the more he was around her, the more he wanted to be around her. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.
Calvin was amazed by what he’d learned already, but he sensed that she was holding something back, and it made him even more curious than ever. Her talk about leaving town bothered him, but he reminded himself that she was bound to disappear into thin air someday, like the ghost he first thought she was.
Like her parents had before her.
But she was here right now, and he lay as still as he possibly could, listening to her regular breathing. For some reason, he felt strangely peaceful.
~
Chapter Nine – CARNIVAL
~
Caledonia slept more soundly than she had in weeks, dreaming of woodlands that smelled of bay trees and damp earth. Birds chattered in the branches, the creek sang its watery song, and colorful salamanders crawled across mossy rocks. She meandered down the path that led her home, fully expecting to see Mama and Papa waiting there for her. She was finally at peace, content in the feeling that everything was going to be alright.
~
When she opened her eyes, the smell of the leaves and wood-smoke still lingered in her nostrils. She was confused, disoriented, and ultimately mortified when she realized where she was. She couldn’t believe that she had fallen asleep on his bed, like she was auditioning to join the ranks of the stupid girls that followed him around and hung on him at school.
Like she didn’t want to leave or something.
She looked over to see Calvin peacefully sleeping, and studied his face for a moment, trying to figure out what made him so attractive. Without his smiling eyes to distract her, she could focus on his beautiful bone structure, his careless hair, the sensuous curve of his lips. She suddenly understood what all the other girls were after. They wanted to possess him, and keep him all for themselves. They wanted him to feel the same way about them.
She panicked, afraid he’d wake up before she could get away. He must think I’m ridiculous, she thought, or even worse, feel sorry for her because of what happened to her parents. She slithered off the bed as smoothly as possible, tiptoeing down the hall to slip out the front door and hurry back to her aunt’s in the early morning light.
She walked in the door to find Phil up earlier than usual, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.
“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” he smirked.
Angie looked around the corner, surprised, “Cal… Were you out all night?”
She started up the stairs, “I fell asleep at a friend’s house.”
“A likely story,” Phil snorted, casting Angie a sarcastic look.
Caledonia kept moving, heading for the uncertain sanctuary of her room.
“Cal!” her aunt called after her harshly. She paused on the stairs without turning.
“Phil was right about you! If you go and get yourself in trouble, I won’t be held responsible. I have enough to deal with without taking on a pregnant teenager!”
Stunned, Cal rushed off to her room. Phil was telling Angie lies about her, and her aunt had chosen to believe him. Her eyes filled with tears as she considered her options. School would be over in less than two weeks, taking away her one safe place and only reliable meal. She had a little over a hundred dollars left, and as much as everything cost, she knew it wouldn’t last very long.
She thought about her parents, striking out on their own without a thing to their names. She knew how hard they worked
He never made any promises, unwilling to let some girl think that hooking up meant anything more than a good time. There would be no strings tying him down; no-one would ever control him again.
But Caledonia was completely different from any other girl he’d ever met. Every little thing she did was interesting; her every gesture fascinated him. She was one surprise after another, and the more he was around her, the more he wanted to be around her. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.
Calvin was amazed by what he’d learned already, but he sensed that she was holding something back, and it made him even more curious than ever. Her talk about leaving town bothered him, but he reminded himself that she was bound to disappear into thin air someday, like the ghost he first thought she was.
Like her parents had before her.
But she was here right now, and he lay as still as he possibly could, listening to her regular breathing. For some reason, he felt strangely peaceful.
~
Chapter Nine – CARNIVAL
~
Caledonia slept more soundly than she had in weeks, dreaming of woodlands that smelled of bay trees and damp earth. Birds chattered in the branches, the creek sang its watery song, and colorful salamanders crawled across mossy rocks. She meandered down the path that led her home, fully expecting to see Mama and Papa waiting there for her. She was finally at peace, content in the feeling that everything was going to be alright.
~
When she opened her eyes, the smell of the leaves and wood-smoke still lingered in her nostrils. She was confused, disoriented, and ultimately mortified when she realized where she was. She couldn’t believe that she had fallen asleep on his bed, like she was auditioning to join the ranks of the stupid girls that followed him around and hung on him at school.
Like she didn’t want to leave or something.
She looked over to see Calvin peacefully sleeping, and studied his face for a moment, trying to figure out what made him so attractive. Without his smiling eyes to distract her, she could focus on his beautiful bone structure, his careless hair, the sensuous curve of his lips. She suddenly understood what all the other girls were after. They wanted to possess him, and keep him all for themselves. They wanted him to feel the same way about them.
She panicked, afraid he’d wake up before she could get away. He must think I’m ridiculous, she thought, or even worse, feel sorry for her because of what happened to her parents. She slithered off the bed as smoothly as possible, tiptoeing down the hall to slip out the front door and hurry back to her aunt’s in the early morning light.
She walked in the door to find Phil up earlier than usual, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.
“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” he smirked.
Angie looked around the corner, surprised, “Cal… Were you out all night?”
She started up the stairs, “I fell asleep at a friend’s house.”
“A likely story,” Phil snorted, casting Angie a sarcastic look.
Caledonia kept moving, heading for the uncertain sanctuary of her room.
“Cal!” her aunt called after her harshly. She paused on the stairs without turning.
“Phil was right about you! If you go and get yourself in trouble, I won’t be held responsible. I have enough to deal with without taking on a pregnant teenager!”
Stunned, Cal rushed off to her room. Phil was telling Angie lies about her, and her aunt had chosen to believe him. Her eyes filled with tears as she considered her options. School would be over in less than two weeks, taking away her one safe place and only reliable meal. She had a little over a hundred dollars left, and as much as everything cost, she knew it wouldn’t last very long.
She thought about her parents, striking out on their own without a thing to their names. She knew how hard they worked
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