GIVING
It was almost noon before the line from the door thinned. I didn’t know if all of them were in the Academy—there were so many. Kota later told me that they were work mates or friends, who had heard of this special event, and decided to take part.
I’d just carried another box to the counter and was wiping the thin film of sweat from my forehead when I felt a gentle touch on my elbow.
I turned, surprised to see Dr. Green. He’d loosened his yellow tie, but was now putting it back into place. “Looks like the crowds have gone. Ready for a break?”
I smiled, hesitating. I hadn’t spoken to him since his incident with the school. I felt horrible about it, and I wanted to say something, but wasn’t going to when there were other people around. Things wouldn’t be right between us until I could apologize for being part of the reason behind him being accused.
He didn’t seem to notice my hesitation. He side-stepped to stand next to me, put his arm around my shoulders and then walked with me toward the front door.
I cringed, wanting to be comfortable, but aware that people would look at us and know what had happened. Even if I hadn’t been the cause, which I wasn’t sure of yet, I strongly suspected, simply because no one had said anything to me. I’d kissed Dr. Green. Someone who didn’t know us, know the real us, might have tattled and caused the trouble. Rather, he’d gotten into trouble, and for whatever reason, I hadn’t even been asked what had happened. I’d been grateful that hadn’t been, but at the same time, wished I could have defended him.
I got the feeling that Mr. Blackbourne might have prevented anyone from speaking to me about it.
Right now, with his arm around me, I wished we could be alone. It was a shame that he’d started out as my teacher, even a fake one. He shouldn’t even be a teacher at his age, only nineteen? He should be starting college, still a student himself.
But that’s not how it appeared from the outside. If someone at school had spotted us kissing, all they saw was a teacher and a student. Just like if someone knew I slept in the same bed as the other boys, they would see what they wanted to see, and not the circumstances behind it or the truth.
I was considering this thought when Dr. Green paused in the hallway as we headed to the front door.
I looked up to see Mr. Blackbourne holding the door open. The buttons of his gray jacket were in place, and he looked just as handsome and as perfect as earlier. The rush hadn’t fazed him. “Is it time?” he asked Dr. Green quietly.
“There’s not much left. We might have underestimated the turnout a bit,” Dr. Green said, picking up the pace again, removing his arm from my shoulders. “I thought she could go with us ahead of the others.”
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Mr. Blackbourne’s steel eyes took in the clothes I wore. The millimeter smile appeared, a relaxed one that gave me some insight into his feeling. He was excited, happy. It was a side of him that was mostly unfamiliar to me, and yet it drew me to him. “Has no one told you?”
“No one has told me anything about what would happen today,” I said with a small smile in return. “I’m starting to suspect it’s on purpose.”
“Well then,” Dr. Green said, nudging me toward the door and then walking around me to get ahead. “Let’s not tell her, Owen. It’ll be a great surprise.”
Mr. Blackbourne inclined his head slowly. “In this case, you might be right.”
Had they just agreed on something? I sighed to myself, resigned that this mystery was going to continue for a while. They seemed to delight in surprising me.
I followed Dr. Green out and toward Mr. Blackbourne’s BMW, parked in the back of the lot. Once we were close, Dr. Green moved ahead, opening the front passenger door and holding it open for me.
I suspected I would be overruled if I suggested he should take the front seat, so I kept quiet. Just before I got in, Dr. Green brushed his fingertips against my forearm. I paused, looking at him. He smiled, returning my gaze.
We shared a moment. I silently asked him if there was something wrong. Or was he just being sweet?
His gaze was steady, and then he broke the connection and waved his fingers, encouraging me to get in. I wondered if he was just excited to get me to see this surprise. I sat down, and he closed the door.
Mr. Blackbourne was already behind the wheel. I buckled up as Dr. Green got in behind me and Mr. Blackbourne started up the car.
When he backed up, something shifted in the trunk of his car. I looked back, beyond Dr. Green, as if I could see what was in there.
Mr. Blackbourne used the rearview mirror to look at Dr. Green. “Are you sure it’s secure back there?”
“It’s just settling,” Dr. Green said. “It won’t hurt anything if it shifts.”
Mr. Blackbourne opened his mouth, possibly for a retort, but he changed his mind and drove forward.
Dr. Green clapped his hands together, and rubbed them. “I think that was quite the success. And she was visible through the whole thing. What a great idea.”
“Who?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
Dr. Green’s bright eyes danced. His smile grew bigger. He nudged my shoulder. “You, of course.”
“You’re due to be introduced to the Academy, soon,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “However, at this point, we’ve taken the initiative. You involved yourself in the proceedings today. You’ve shown you’re capable to take direction and jump into the fray of helping others without much prodding. You kept a good attitude throughout the whole thing and worked tirelessly. Those are several fine qualities the Academy looks for in a recruit.”
Had this been a test? My breath caught in my throat, my hands clutching the material of my skirt. I went over every move I’d made back in the diner. Had they all known who I was? That I didn’t belong? “I...I didn’t know,” I said quietly.
“Kind of the point,” Dr. Green said with a lopsided smile. He reached forward, his hand molding to my shoulder and massaging gently through the jacket. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You did beautifully.”
I wasn’t so sure. I had simply been doing what others told me to do. It couldn’t have been that impressive, but I worked as quickly as I could and got the hang of it. “Is that what this next part is?” I asked.
“No,” Mr. Blackbourne said before Dr. Green could respond. “This is what our family does on Thanksgiving.”
“Oh,” I said quietly, the touch of a happy smile spreading across my face. Our family.
I relaxed in the seat as Dr. Green talked with Mr. Blackbourne about the weather and the surprising lack of traffic for the holiday. I dazed out for a good portion of the drive. After being around so many other people, I was grateful for the moment of quiet.
Part of me suspected we would be going to Dr. Green’s place. Maybe we’d gather at Victor’s house, where there was more room. Would his parents be there?
When Mr. Blackbourne’s car shook and bounced a little going over a railroad crossing, I finally sat up, surprised to find us in a desolate part of town on a narrow, pothole-riddled road. Trees lined either side and there was no hint as to our location or what lay ahead.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“North Charleston,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“The southern bit,” Dr. Green added. “Away from the highway. A quieter area.”
My first thought was we were heading toward Gabriel’s house, which was a small trailer. The route wasn’t familiar to me, though. My second guess was that this was the way to Mr. Blackbourne’s house. His was the only house I wasn’t familiar with, and it seemed likely he would pick a location more isolated and away from people, especially if he was doing secret work for the Academy.
My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing his private residence, but I looked out the window so they wouldn’t notice my sudden nerves.
I watched, waiting for something notable to appear, but it was a few miles of more trees along the road before there was an end to the forest. Ahead of us were several roads, each one leading to a tidy, yet poor-appearing neighborhood, with small, older homes.
At least, I thought the areas were poor. Mr. Blackbourne pulled onto a long road leading into a cul-de-sac, with at least twenty homes along the street. The homes had old wooden porches, small yards, and cracked sidewalks. The homes were mostly single story, with wood siding, in styles I’d seen in other run-down areas around North Charleston.
The differences, however, grew more apparent the longer I studied the neighborhood. The paint seemed new on each house, each one a clean blue, green or yellow, with one pink one toward the end. The yards were all patchworks of gardens, each with a winter crop starting to bud, lettuce leaves sprouting, and a small section where potato plants grew out of stacks of crates. Two yards were filled with toys, and the grass was well worn, showing the dirt and sand underneath.
Yet despite the signs that they were lived-in, the yards were empty of people, the houses were quiet and still.
But then I noticed at the end of the street, in the circle there was a small group of people. They were standing beside a collection of folded tables and chairs that were stacked on a hand-pulled trolley. A man and woman were talking and pointing to the street, as if to decide where to put the tables.
Mr. Blackbourne pulled into the driveway of one of the blue homes, just behind a car under a carport.
“Oh good,” Dr. Green said. “They haven’t gotten too far along.”
My tongue brushed up against the back of my teeth. I was ready with a load of questions. I swallowed them, and told myself I’d just observe. They said this wasn’t some Academy thing, that it was a family event. For some reason, I pictured it would be just us somehow.
Perhaps this is was one of their managed neighborhoods.
Did they manage this one themselves?
Dr. Green opened my door. The air was warm, with a cool, gentle breeze and very wispy clouds overhead. Dr. Green waited me for me to step away from the car and then closed the door behind me.
Mr. Blackbourne had started walking down the driveway. He stopped after a few steps and turned, looking back at me. Casually, he reached back and motioned for me to hurry along, his hand out for mine.
The few steps I took to reach him seemed a moment frozen in time, taking an eon to get to him. I glanced back once at Dr. Green. I anticipated jealousy and uncomfortable silences, much like what had been between Kota and Nathan earlier. The expectation of a quiet battle prickled my skin, dampening my excitement.
But it didn’t happen. When I got close enough to Mr. Blackbourne, I placed my hand in his. His cool, smooth hand encircled mine and he held on, palm to palm, patiently allowing me to set the pace as we walked.
With my hand in his and watching the people milling around, I stumbled a little, not noticing an uneven piece of sidewalk. I inadvertently tugged on his hand as my other hand went out, grabbing Dr. Green’s elbow for support.
Mr. Blackbourne paused to allow me to steady myself. Dr. Green bent his elbow, capturing my hand and covering it with his own.
My cheeks heated and my gaze fell to the ground. It was odd to be approaching strangers in this way, with my hand holding onto Mr. Blackbourne’s and Dr. Green escorting me with his arm. Would the people of this neighborhood think it strange? But I held firm, wanting to please them both.
“Do those shoes fit properly?” Mr. Blackbourne asked as we walked. “Will you be okay in them for the evening?”
“She’s spent all day walking in them already,” Dr. Green said. “I’d be more worried about blisters around her toes.”
“I’m fine,” I said in a small voice. We were getting closer to the group of people around the tables. They’d started to break up a little and a couple of them were looking toward us. None of them seemed surprised to see us, or at least they didn’t seem suspicious as we approached.
Mr. Blackbourne leaned toward me and whispered, “No need to be anxious.” He rubbed a thumb across the side of my palm, and I realized I was grasping very tightly to him in my nervousness. “We’re all friends here.”
I tried to relax my grip on him and Dr. Green. It was tempting to let go and try to appear casual, however, their support strengthened my own courage. The breeze blew gently across my face, allowing my cheeks to cool. I tightened my lips, forcing a friendly smile, but allowing the men to speak.
A thin black woman stepped forward ahead of the others. A yellow bandana on her head held back her relaxed curls. One lock had been left in front, dark strands to dancing around her face in the breeze or as she moved. She wore tidy tan slacks and a yellow blouse. She smirked directly at Mr. Blackbourne, a hand on her hip. “About time you all got here,” she teased, her voice was soft and feminine, but confident. “The men want to put all of the tables in a giant square. I told them they’re wasting valuable space by cutting off half the table.”
A man in a dark jogging outfit and sneakers stepped forward. His skin was dark and his features were perhaps Mexican or Puerto Rican. He had a handsome face, with a goatee and neatly-combed, slicked black hair. He rolled his eyes at the woman. “I just thought it’d be better if we sat together, instead of split up between different tables.”
“The kids can sit at their own tables. Give us parents a break,” the woman said. “It’s goddamn Thanksgiving, isn’t it?”
“You mean Thankstaking,” said another man in the group. He had very native features, with long dark hair tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
Another woman standing next to him—also native—tugged at his elbow. “You say that every year,” she said, her cheeks pink in her embarrassment. “You can’t keep talking about it.”
“I don’t blame them,” he said. I suspected they were married and when I glanced at their hands, I saw matching wedding bands. “They weren’t here hundreds of years ago. It’s just awkward to be part of a neighborhood Thanksgiving when for us, it really was taking our land.”
The woman pinched his arm, and he winced. “Our land is over there at the end of the block. We paid for it, remember? We choose to be here—today is about community.” She smiled at us and shrugged. “Sorry. Some people just can’t let things go.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the black woman said, waving her hand as she rolled her eyes. “You give us grief every year, but you’re always the one who eats nearly a whole turkey for himself. I’d call that a Takesgiving.”
The others in the group laughed and Dr. Green joined in. I smiled, but held onto Dr. Green as Mr. Blackbourne broke away to address the group. “Let’s focus on setting up a buffet table, so when the food gets here, we’ve got a place to put it. Then we can figure out where you want the seating tables.”
Everyone murmured in agreement, so Mr. Blackbourne pointed out the best spot for the buffet tables. The others worked together to start dragging tables to where he suggested.
I stood by and hoped to stay out of the way. Dr. Green lingered behind with me, a small smile on his face. “They’re a fun group,” he said. “Nice people.”
I nodded, watching them. I gathered they were all neighbors, but counted only six people. I looked around us, at the various homes, and especially the clusters of toys. Where were the rest of them?
Suddenly, I heard shouts coming from one of the houses down the street. Then more from the opposite side, a few homes down.
“What’s going on?”
“The games,” Dr. Green said, turning slightly toward the houses, a small smile on his face. He looked at the homes with a knowing gaze.
“The games?” I asked. I pictured board games, but couldn’t imagine people getting so excited about Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit.
“Football,” he said. “There’s a rivalry. Fans of one team go to one house.” He pointed to one of the noisy homes and then to the other. “And the others go to another house. They’ll come out when the game is done.”
I felt silly for thinking Monopoly. I’d forgotten that other people liked to watch football games on Thanksgiving.
I considered what I might do when those games were finished. They’d all come out here. This was a planned Thanksgiving dinner. More people. My shoulders and stomach tightened. It was hard to relax with so many surprises; a lot to take in during a single day. I drew closer to Dr. Green.
He took up my hand without any hesitation, and then turned me toward Mr. Blackbourne’s car. He did a slow walk towards it, tugging me along. “Let’s unload. Mr. Blackbourne has enough hands to get the tables right. Too many cooks in the street can slow things down.”
I smiled at his strange phrase. He seemed to want to stay out of the way, too. Did he get jittery around people, too? Or was he doing this for me?
Halfway back to the car, his hand drew tighter around mine. The laughter in his green eyes softened to something much more soothing. “You look a little nervous,” he said.
I tilted my head and shrugged, pretending I was better than I really felt. “New people and a new place,” I said. “There’s been a few surprises today already. I’m sorry if I’m acting weird.”
“You’re acting like Sang Sorenson, which is exactly how you’re supposed to be.” He winked at me and squeezed my fingers between his. “I like you the way you are. An introvert. A bit shy. But once we’re by ourselves, you open up. I like that. You’re a little flower, pookie. You bloom when I’m around, which makes me want to be around you more.”
My cheeks heated. I wanted to appreciate his compliments, but the casual way he pointed out my shyness made me feel even more flawed. Was it normal to be so nervous? I used to think I’d be excited to be out among people, curious about what life was like beyond the boundary my stepmother used to set for me.
I slid my fingertips against the skin of his hand, fidgeting. “Everyone else seems so quick to open up to new people. I wish I could be like that.”
“You don’t seem afraid to speak your mind to us when it really matters,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself. It’s okay to be a shy person. It’s not wrong to be that.” He paused right before we got to the trunk of the car and turned to me. “I hope you’ll tell me whatever you’re thinking.”
I knew he was asking me specifically about my thoughts of learning about his troubles at school. I looked toward the car again, avoiding his eyes, embarrassed to admit my feelings. “I was worried about you,” I said after taking a deep breath. “When the school counselor mentioned you were in trouble, I thought I’d be called in. I never was, though, and no one talked about it. It made me worry something was very wrong.”
He chuckled, but it was forced. “You concerned about me?”
I nodded, still not able to meet his eyes. “That and I’m partially to blame, of course.”
“You shouldn’t be blamed at all,” he said. “Neither one of us should. Well, maybe me a little.”
“We were both in it together,” I said, looking up at him now. The lightness in his smile had diminished. I wanted to hug him, but felt it was inappropriate now in public. Sadly, the incident had made me feel awkward around him and I didn’t want to get him into further trouble. “I’m the one that got suspension, plus my schedule got changed. I wondered if part of it was because somehow Ms. Wright knew I was involved. Only no one would tell me directly.”
He sliced his hand through the air. “Your suspension has nothing to do with us,” he said. “Sang, you don’t have to worry. Really. We’ve got a family meeting this weekend to discuss all this and our game plan. Mr. Blackbourne didn’t want us to ruin the holiday with talk of school and he’s right; I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
I could understand that, but the whole ordeal had me stressed. It was easy for them, I supposed. Outside of Dr. Green, no one else seemed to be in any real trouble. The boys had volunteered to join me in suspension, but none of their teachers had said a word about it and I wasn’t even sure Ms. Wright noticed. I wasn’t even sure how they got away with it.
Maybe they weren’t her concern. The boys were confident that we would stay in school for now, but I’d be in different classes. How would that work and how could they relax when there were so many things to figure out?
Dr. Green’s elbow nudged me in the arm, forcing me out of my deep thoughts. “I’m worried this new situation has upset you. Has it made things awkward with us?”
I stilled, wanting to say no, absolutely not awkward. It would have been a lie, though. “It makes it harder now,” I said. “We didn’t have to worry before. Maybe we were hiding it a little, but no one was looking at us. Now everyone is looking at us. I worry about who else will notice and if they’d say anything.”
“That’s something neither of us should have to feel,” he said. He dipped his head down, looking at his shoes. “I didn’t want for us to focus on being teacher and student at all. We’re both young, about the same age. I want to get to know you. Damn it, we’re only three years apart.” He let out a frustrated groan and then proceeded to the BMW. Using his own set of keys, he opened the trunk.
Inside, there was a crate filled with tablecloths, pumpkins, plastic cutlery, plates, cups and napkins. The sets of tableware were in a variety of shades of brown, orange and some deeper greens in honor of the holiday.
He sorted through the items, although slowly, like he was in deep thought. “Owen agrees with me, you know,” he said over his shoulder. “But he blames me for being careless. I should have known better, perhaps taken you to my house. Although since we were photographed, he’s warned me to keep my distance from you and to keep things friendly. Mostly to avoid any more trouble until we can figure out who is behind this.”
Had I heard that right? He’d swept by it so quickly, that I wasn’t sure. “Photographed?” I asked.
“When we kissed, it wasn’t just someone watching us. Someone took a photo, and sent it in to the main office, letting it circulate. I’m sure it was the same person who started the rumors that I was with a student.”
My mouth fell open. My first thought was that it had to be one of Mr. Hendricks’s goons that had caught up to us. My face blazed, thinking of all the people would could see the photo at school, and how embarrassing it must have been for Dr. Green. Had no one recognized me somehow? The other kids at school would have surely said something if they’d heard about it. “When? Who took it?”
Dr. Green picked up one of the pumpkins and then held it in his hands, looking it over. “I think it was Volto.”
I gasped, then the world seemed to still around us. I’d heard that name too much this week. Was this what he had tried to warn us he was about to do?
But it was Luke who admitted to putting up the masks. “Why do you suspect it’s Volto?”
“I shouldn’t be talking about this.” He smiled lightly again and looked at me. “It’s Thanksgiving.”
“I won’t feel comfortable until we do talk about it,” I said. I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling my heart racing. My gaze went to the street, as if Volto could be watching now, waiting for another opportunity to snap a photo.
“It’s done now,” he said. “Although luckily, the photos only really show me. It was only rumors that I was kissing a student. The photos don’t show you very clearly.”
“They don’t?”
“Owen thinks they’re blurred on purpose. He checked the photos, and they look altered. I could tell them it was a rumor and that it was someone else. But if Volto has these photos, he might send in the real ones or ones with more details. The fact that your face is blurred is the only reason I’m not getting into too much trouble. The faculty is pointing fingers at me, but they don’t have much in the way of proof.”
“Why would he only send in altered pictures?” I asked.
“I have a feeling it is more to protect you than to help me,” he said. “He’s trying to get our attention and it feels like a warning. To stay away from you. Get too close to you, and he’ll make sure I’m caught in a situation where it’s more than rumors.”
“He thinks he’s protecting me…” The unease was like standing at the edge of a cliff and not knowing how to balance myself. “I wish he’d know that with you all, I’m fine.”
“For whatever reason, he’s warning me to stay away.”
What right did Volto have to be concerned for me? He was just misguided, but this upset me more than the other problems he’d caused. This could threaten Dr. Green’s reputation and career if anyone really wanted to press the issue.
Knowing how parents and schools operated, even a whisper of a teacher getting too close to a student meant trouble. I remembered in my old school where a very handsome substitute teacher was often photographed by female students in secret. It went on for a while until a parent found the photos on a student’s phone, one where he seemed to be smiling at the camera. The student talked about him as if she was dating him. It was clearly a teenage fantasy, but it was a little too much for the parent who’d complained to the school principal. The teacher had never returned to the school.
“Are you going to have to leave the school?” I asked.
“I’m considering it on my own,” he said. “I’m not one to give up, but all it would take is one overprotective parent to hear a rumor like that, and then we’d have a media parade. A million people making judgments on rumors and speculation will bring way more attention to us than we really want.”
I sighed. It didn’t look like there was a way around it. He could suggest it was a rumor, and continue on, but then he and I would absolutely have to stay away from each other, playing into what Volto seemed to want. Or he could quit, and then be giving up what they’d come to Ashley Waters to accomplish.
The other thing that bothered me was Volto’s knack for photography. This wasn’t the first time he’d used it against us. He made sure we knew that he could always take a photo, and show the world what we thought we did in private.
My thoughts fell to Luke again. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help think about his collection of photographs. Could he be using it as a way to separate me from the others, so they’d keep their distance? Would he use such tactics because he didn’t like the plan North and Mr. Blackbourne had been working on?
I couldn’t imagine it, but some of the evidence might be pointing to him.
I needed to talk to North and press him for some help. Maybe he would have some insight into what Luke might do, and if he could be behind any of this and if so, how far he might go. Mr. Blackbourne had promised to talk to Luke, but I still wanted to help. I had no real proof to my concerns, only circumstantial evidence.
Dr. Green nudged me again and his smile was back. I pushed away my thoughts for now. “The important thing you should know is, this is all temporary. If I stay, you and I just have to be more careful for a while.” He paused and then his smile grew wider. “Actually, I might as well just quit. Then I could kiss you whenever I wanted.”
I shook my head, but I couldn’t erase my own smile.
He poked me gently on my nose. “It doesn’t do us any good to speculate, when we’ll be having a meeting this weekend all about it. Don’t worry.” He picked up another pumpkin and then a stack of tablecloths. “Our job right now is to put on smiling faces and...”
A horn bleeped up the road, interrupting him. Dr. Green held his pumpkins as we turned to see a moped heading down the road our way.
Gabriel was on the bike without a helmet. A streak of blond hair was all I could see behind him, telling me Luke was hanging onto the back, no doubt without a helmet, either.
Mr. Blackbourne would give them both a lecture…
Gabriel waved shortly at us right before he turned into one of the driveways along the street and parked behind a car. Luke hopped off the bike almost before Gabriel stopped fully, and without even a look at us, ran directly to the left side of the street, across from where Gabriel had parked. He raced up toward a particular door.
Gabriel parked his bike and used the kickstand, but once he was done, he was up, off the bike in a flash and jogging straight for the door of the home he’d parked at.
Luke had crossed the yard and reached his door first, opened it, leaned in and then ran off of the porch, the screen door to the house slamming behind him. “Gabriel!” He sprinted across the street toward Gabriel.
Gabriel stopped on the porch before he could reach the door, turned right around, spotted Luke coming and then jumped off of that porch, and raced for the door Luke had just left. When they crossed paths in the street, it was then I noticed their clothes, Gabriel in a purple jacket with an orange shirt underneath, and Luke wore a loose white shirt and a red and white bandana on his forehead.
Luke got to the house Gabriel had started to get to first, opened the door and disappeared inside. Gabriel reached the opposite house across the street, and he went in. There was a hollering in each home and a lot of loud laughing before the doors finally closed behind them.
Dr. Green laughed, holding his pumpkins closer so as to not drop them. I turned to him, very puzzled as to what they were doing.
He shook his head and chuckled as he spoke. “People are watching football,” he said. “Remember? They’re joining the ranks.”
“The ranks?” I asked.
“They don’t usually watch football. They’re not very much into sports. They enjoy the rivalry though.”
I shook my head, looking at the homes they’d disappeared into. It was odd to have been thinking such dark thoughts about Luke, and then to see him now, enjoying the Thanksgiving events with everyone else. That didn’t seem like a Volto who was so worried about me being with someone else.
Still, the circumstances…
Dr. Green urged me to collect some of the smaller pumpkins. The others were setting up tables in rows spaced evenly apart, guided by Mr. Blackbourne.
Dr. Green and I placed tablecloths on each unfolded table, and a pumpkin in the center of each one to ensure the tablecloth stayed put in the breeze until it was time to set food down on them.
The two buffet tables were placed away from the others, and Dr. Green directed me to begin loading it with the supplies that were still in the back of the BMW.
“I’m glad we’re doing it buffet style this time,” he said. “North figured out a way to handle cleanup much faster this year, so no one is stuck with too much work after eating.”
It was interesting to hear the ‘this year’ part. So they did Thanksgiving in this neighborhood every year?
If I were still with them next year, perhaps it would mean I would join them again. It changed my perspective of this a little to know I wasn’t just going to be here for the day and disappear. I peeked at faces of the others around when they didn’t seem to be paying attention. They seemed nice, but what did they think about me joining in?
After the tables were set and the chairs were unfolded and placed around the tables, I looked up to see Victor’s BMW rolling down the street. It was a relief to see it. Not that Dr. Green or Mr. Blackbourne weren’t great company, but they were often busy talking to the neighbors, and if I had nothing left to do, or had a question, I had to approach the group.
Victor parked his car behind a carport in a different driveway. Just as Kota, Nathan and Victor were getting out of the car, North arrived with Silas in a black truck. Had I seen this one before? North had so many black vehicles, that they all looked alike to me.
North drove the truck all the way to the end of the cul-de-sac, stopping short of the tables at the end. Then he pulled around, so the rear of the truck was facing the tables.
He hopped out, wearing the same black ensemble as he’d been in at the diner, except half of the buttons down the shirt were undone, revealing the black tank shirt underneath. It was a striking look, showing of his chest and the muscles in his shoulders. It was also nicer than his usual black T-shirt and jeans.
Silas was wearing tan slacks and a dark blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up beyond his elbows. Despite his more formal attire, Silas couldn’t hide his bulky, muscular body. His dark hair was combed neatly and the blue in his shirt complemented his olive complexion.
I wanted to say hello, but North had the truck door open and directed the attention of Mr. Blackbourne quickly. “I’m running late. The game will be over soon. There’s only thirty minutes left.”
“There will be plenty of time-outs and commercial breaks before then,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Like they’d orchestrated it, they suddenly fell into line, carrying boxes and containers out of the truck. It became a process of unloading the small turkeys, hams and side dishes, and arranging them into two rows down the buffet tables. The far end was loaded with pumpkin pies and a couple of chocolate cakes that Nathan said Luke had added to the collection. “Borrowed from Uncle’s freezer,” he said with a wink.
I helped where I could, but even then, it became impossible to follow after a while. They moved so fast, that I was left to watch, dazzled by the cheerful and cooperative way they worked together.
In the end, it was a spread to feed a small army.
Eventually, Victor pulled away from the others as they were sorting dishes, and I moved around to join him. The red tie he wore was flipped over and I watched as he smoothed his hand down to fix it. His fire eyes lifted and met with mine as I approached; and a spark started, low at first but lit up to a gentle crackle when I reached him.
He waited until I was close until he spoke. “I don’t think I’ve had a chance to tell you I like the gray skirt with the pink blouse. I like those colors together.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
A small smile formed on his lips. “You don’t have to thank me for a compliment.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I changed the subject. “It’s been a really busy day so far,” I said.
“It isn’t the end for us yet,” he said. He nodded toward the tables. “This is our noon shift.”
My eyes widened. “Oh? What happens after?”
His eyes blazed with amusement. He reached out to rub the center of my back gently, smoothing the material of the jacket. “It gets easier,” he said. “It’s just more to do. Some of us have to go back for our own family things.”
So they did do something with their own families. “I had assumed that would be all we’d be doing today,” I said. “I had expected to have dinner with Nathan, unless he went to Kota’s. I was trying to figure out where I was going to go.”
“You can go wherever you’d like,” he said quickly, and then his smile faltered. “Well, I’d invite you to my house...except my parents will be there.”
I kept the smile, sympathizing with him. He didn’t have to say so, but I already knew his parents, Jasmine and George would be at his family Thanksgiving. George was someone I hoped to avoid as I’d found him to be very crude. Jasmine, I was unsure of; she’d seemed curious about me before, though sad her son wouldn’t allow her to talk to me. I trusted there was a reason Victor avoided having me around when they were home.
“In a few years, I won’t have to go, either,” he said with a smile. “Once I turn eighteen, I hope to be conveniently busy with life.” The palm of his hand smoothed down over my back again. “It’ll all be different.”
I got what he was hinting at, and yet, I still couldn’t picture our future. I didn’t think any of us knew for sure what it might look like. Truthfully, I had a hard enough time picturing next week.
Finally the food was ready.
“Let’s eat,” the woman with the yellow bandana said. “Why do we have to wait on those watching the game?”
“We wait because we should,” someone else said. “It’s Thanksgiving.”
“Not fair,” the woman said. “I’m pretty sure I saw Hugh stealing a bite already.”
They all laughed, but no one sat down, remaining patient as they chatted and waited for the others.
A few minutes later, person after person spilled out of the two homes, each of them wearing team colors and all of them headed toward the tables. Younger kids with some older adults and teenagers came out of a third house up the street and headed our way.
My insides trembled, and I backed up out of reflex, wanting to get out of the way. As more people emerged from the houses, I felt even smaller. So many people lived on this block?
Victor pressed his hand to my back, but stepped beside me, smiling. “It’s okay,” he said. “I know it looks like a stampede.”
I was grateful for his presence and leaned into him, using his body for support. He stayed with me, watching as peopled passed us.
“I get nervous, too,” he said quietly. He leaned in closer, whispering to me. “Just stay near me, sweetheart.” He kissed my ear, and then began greeting people as they passed.
Gabriel and Luke trailed behind at the end of the group. Gabriel had removed his sweater, wearing only the orange T-shirt. He wiped at his forehead, brushing back the locks of blond and mixing it with the russet. “Whew,” he said. “Fuck a duck. It was roasting in that room. Two televisions and everyone crowded in that space.”
“Yours was hot? I think the heater is broken where I was.” Luke said. His fists were clenched at his sides and then he crossed his arms over his lean chest, shivering. “I was hoping it would be warmer out here.” He opened his arms up and went toward Victor, hugging him around the waste. “Vic…I’m so cold.”
“Luke!” Victor cried out, pulling away from me for a moment to grab Luke’s elbows and try to push him away. “Stop it.”
“Freezing,” Luke said, his lips in a pout, but his eyes betrayed his amusement. He held on tighter, nuzzled at his shoulder. “Fix that house.”
“If you’re talking about Marge’s house, she doesn’t like wasting electricity when you could be wearing a sweater,” Victor said, still pushing Luke away, and stepped around me, putting me in the middle.
Luke released Victor and then went for me, arms wide, and pulled me into him, holding close. He turned me so he could look back at the house he’d come from. “Oh, wait, is that Marge’s? Or is it Frank’s?”
This started a debate among them, as they pointed and worked out who lived in which house. I got lost after the first few, and didn’t know who was Marge or Frank or anyone else. Luke eventually let go, the teasing done. I stood beside them watching while the others were forming two lines around the buffet table.
It was a little chilly, but the sun overhead gave off a gentle warmth. The jacket I wore seemed to be enough for now.
Amid it all, the smell of food was getting to me. I stared at the turkey, potatoes and other sides, and absently started to rub my stomach. It’d been a long day, and breakfast felt like eons ago.
As if reading my mind, Luke grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the lines of people. “Are you hungry yet? I’ve been giving out pumpkin pies all day and I haven’t had anything more than a slice or two.”
“You didn’t steal a pie out of a box, did you?” Victor asked, he and Gabriel following Luke and I.
“Of course not,” he said. “I took from one of the extras in the back.”
“You mean the ones meant for the diner tomorrow when it opens again?” Victor asked with a small smile. “Uncle will notice.”
“And he’ll know it was me,” Luke said. We got into line, and he released me to rub hands together. “Don’t guilt trip me now; I’ve been looking forward to this all week. It’s the one day North doesn’t yell at me about eating too much.”
Once we were in line, it moved really quickly. I was handed a plate, and all I had to do was hold it. Victor stood to my left, Luke to my right, and they took equal turns putting food on my plate. Luke loaded it with extra piles of mashed potatoes meant for him after his plate got too full to hold any more halfway down the line.
“We’ll have to come back for desserts,” Luke said, carefully supporting the bottom of his plate so it wouldn’t collapse under the weight of his food. I couldn’t believe how high he’d piled the turkey, ham, gravy, biscuits and marshmallow-topped sweet potato.
“You can come back for seconds, too, don’t forget,” Victor said with a chuckle. “There’s no need to try to get it all in one go.”
“This is just firsts,” Luke said. “Seconds is coming. I’m not forgetting.”
I couldn’t imagine his stomach holding what was on his plate, let alone any more. Where would it go?
I was thinking at first we would all be sitting together, but the boys spread out among the different tables. I hesitated, unsure who to follow. I tried to follow Luke since I carried his extra food, but he and Gabriel weaved into a spot with two seats open and nothing beside them.
As I hesitated, scanning the tables for a spot, Victor urged me to the opposite side of the table, where there were three empty chairs. I’d be sitting across from Luke, which made sense. Still, I would be sitting beside someone I didn’t know.
I was hesitant, but was at least grateful that Victor would be next to me. He moved ahead of me, put his plate down, and then reached for mine. As his slim fingers covered my hands, he brushed at them gently and held onto his light smile, the spark in his eyes a gentle simmer. He took the plate and placed it down before pulling out the chair for me.
“My, my, what a gentleman you turned out to be,” said a voice behind me. I looked over my shoulder, finding the woman with the yellow bandana in her hair. She placed her plate down and pulled out the empty chair beside mine, sitting heavily into it. She shoved the escaped lock of hair back behind her ear and unfolded a napkin, placing it in her lap. “Victor, you’ve grown up a few inches since last year. Last time I saw you, you were such a cute thing.”
Victor’s eyes flared with amusement, and his cheeks reddened. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
She laughed. “You get to a point in your life, right around thirty, I think, and then you seem to stop growing up, or growing old. You just get through life.” She started spearing her spoon at her food, mixing some gravy into her mashed potatoes. She looked at me. “And who is this girl? No one’s told me her name yet.”
“This is Sang,” Victor said, waving a hand in my direction. “Sang, this is Mackenzie.”
The woman held out a hand. “Call me Mac,” she said.
I held out a timid hand shortly, and instead of shaking, she simply held it in a strong grip, releasing quickly.
I was going over if I should say hello, or what to say, but she tuned into her plate, and then to the people on her other side, still smiling.
I sat down and delicately picked up my fork. Mac kept her conversation about the food in the plates of other people at the table. I kept one hand constantly in my lap, tucking my elbow into my body on her side so I wouldn’t accidentally bump into her. I leaned into Victor a lot. I wanted to relax, but I’d spent all morning with a rush of people—strangers—and had used up a lot of courage and energy to get through it. I wasn’t so sure I could get used to this type of Thanksgiving.
It was a little easier after I’d started to eat. Most everyone else around us focused on their plates, clearly hungry, too. With my mouth full, I wasn’t bothered for conversation.
Shortly after we’d started, Victor looked around and then frowned. “I forgot to grab something to drink,” he said. He wiped at his lips with his napkin and stood up. “Would you like some water?”
I did, but I panicked a little at the thought of him leaving. I nodded, though, knowing he was going anyway.
Once he was gone, I focused on my plate. Luckily Mac was in a heated debate with some of the men near her. There was an awkward feeling of being around friends who all knew each other but being new and not knowing anyone. My head dipped down, and I picked at a piece of turkey.
There was a nudge at my foot, and I slid it back, afraid I’d knocked into the woman next to me. I looked up in a shock to find Luke looking at me, his dark eyes intense and somewhat curious. Quietly we exchanged something of a conversation. He was asking me if I was okay. I nodded slowly, trying to tell him that I’d survive, but was a little uncomfortable.
He kept his foot on top of mine and then reached over, speared a piece of ham from my plate and brought it to his mouth with a grin.
That forced a small smile from me and I was grateful for the distraction.
He moved one hand up where I could see, and he started to sign. “Is the food not good?” he signed.
I cringed. I shook my head and then quickly signed back to him. “The food is great. It’s just a lot of new people. I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Save your energy. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”
“What will happen later?” I asked.
He smiled wickedly. It was his plotting smirk, the one he’d worn when he wanted to draw over North’s face. Had he planted a trick somewhere here?
My heart raced, but as much as I prodded him through signing to tell me what would happen, he refused to answer, instead busying his hands with his utensils and loading his mouth with food.
Victor returned with a soda for himself and placed a bottle of water in front of me. When I looked back at Luke, he was talking with Gabriel again.
Victor opened my bottle of water for me and then gazed at me, lifting a curious eyebrow. “Something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” I said. With everyone talking around us, I couldn’t really hear what Luke and Gabriel were saying. I assumed that meant neither of them could hear if I talked to Victor. “I think Luke is planning something.”
“He’s always planning something,” Victor said. “Ever since I met him.”
“In elementary school, right?”
“Yup,” he said. He opened his soda and poured it into a plastic cup before taking a sip. “Back when there were only five of us. And no Academy yet.”
I widened my eyes, looking around. Victor said it so openly. Did they all know about the Academy? I turned back to him, wanting to learn more. “What was it like before?”
“What was it like for you before you met us?” he asked. He reached over, covering my hand with his. “Strike that. I was trying to think of a comparison, but it’s not really the same.”
I understood. “So it was normal for you?”
“Just the usual early school life, only we didn’t exactly all have great parents. I think that’s how we became friends initially. We could just look at each other and know something wasn’t right.” He picked at some of his vegetables, scraped them loose from his fork, only to spear them again. “Even back then, we were trying to fix things, in our own way.”
“And Mr. Blackbourne recruited you all?”
He nodded. “He caught us trying to fix a problem. He’d been told we were just causing trouble, but really, we were helping out another student. When he realized what we were up to, he had us all out of school in the next week, and onto something better.” He lifted his head, the fire in his eyes starting to spark with life. “Having that support changes you. Someone believed we were able to do good things, and now we do.”
“What about Luke?” I asked, my voice softer, not wanting to risk him hearing the question. “Did he have a hard time with the change?”
Victor tilted his head an inch. “Luke? Well, maybe. That’s just his personality, though.”
I glanced at Luke and Gabriel again, but they were both in a friendly argument about something with people sitting beside them. They were all smiling, just loud.
I knew they wouldn’t hear, but I turned to Victor again and leaned in to whisper. “He does know about the plan, but I think he’s having a hard time of it. He seems to be into it, but keeps disappearing. I don’t know if you heard about the masks. I don’t know what they mean.”
“I heard something about that,” Victor said. He kept his head close. We were inches apart, whispering, but it might have looked like we were trying to listen to each other with all the loud talking. “Do you think he’s going to go for it?”
“I need to talk to him alone,” I said. “I didn’t get much of a chance.”
“I have the same issue with talking to you, it seems,” he said. “I hope the changes at school will fix that.”
I didn’t know how it would. I wanted to ask about it, but I needed to bring the conversation back. “Have you heard from Luke about the plan?”
“I haven’t heard from anyone except about school and Academy things,” he said. “You’re still good with it, right?”
I hesitated, but only for a moment. I recalled my conversation with Mr. Blackbourne. “We need to try,” I said. “I hope you’ll help me convince the others to at least try.”
His eyes brightened until the flames were like bonfires. He reached up, catching a bit of hair that framed my face and traced it down my cheek. “Princess, all you need to do is ask.”
I was grateful for him. Maybe Mr. Blackbourne was right. Maybe I just needed more courage.