Freaks and Fortune
17
Three hours later, I was wrapping up my shift at the Kissing Booth and wishing that I'd never found out all that stuff about Cal. Somehow, knowing how sad he was made me sad. I was sad that he'd been mistreated and blamed and abandoned.
I started heading back to my cabin, loosening the straps on my tight dress as I went. My high-heeled shoes were in my hands because the humidity had made the ground soft. My heels had punctured dime-sized holes into the earth. Static electricity cracked through the heavy air. I began running, trying to beat the oncoming rain.
I pulled open the wooden door, which stuck slightly because of the humidity. I walked in on Savannah and Aqua, both looking at me hopefully.
"Oh," Aqua sighed. "It's you."
"Thanks."
"No, no!" Savannah protested. "We were just hoping that..."
"He's not back yet?" I asked. "Is he going to stay out by the road all night?"
Aqua scowled. "Yes. He does this every single time."
He got up and went to look out the window, craning his neck to catch a distant view of the road. Savannah got up off the bed and walked towards me.
"Did you go to see him?" she asked.
I nodded. "He... Sav, he's..."
"His father-"
"The fire-"
"Yeah," she agreed. "He's been messed around."
"I can't understand him... He's so... so... I can't even explain it!"
"He's got a dreamy brain, you know?"
"To say the least.."
Thunder crashed. Aqua let out a small gasp.
"Guys, it's raining!" he shouted, staring at the droplets pelting the window pane. "He's still out there and it's raining!"
Savannah and I groaned in frustration.
"He's so stubborn!" she shouted.
It was two in the morning when Cal finally stumbled into the cabin. A sliver of moonlight assaulted my eyes, making me jolt awake. I could see a hunched silhouette creeping through the doorway.
Cal's hair and clothes were soaked with the rain that was still screaming from the skies. He dropped his soggy suitcase by the entryway and immediately tripped over his own feet.
"You get his shoes, Sav," Aqua whispered. "I'll go tell Mr. Piccadilly that he's back."
I scrambled out of bed and got a good look at the fire-breather. He looked terrible. His skin was sallow, his eyes looked distant and hollow; you could see the blood-red veins clearly in their whites. He was wet and dripping, shivering from the freezing rain. His hair was plastered to his head, droplets hung from his eyelashes.
Savannah yanked off his shoes and tossed them in the corner. They made an unpleasant squelching sound when they were removed. She tugged off his socks and wrinkled her nose as she threw them in the general direction of the shoes.
Cal didn't move the entire time. His expression was numb and emotionless.
"Ivy," Savannah breathed. "Help me with his jacket."
Aqua snatched a wind-breaker from the bottom drawer of his dresser and flicked up the hood. He ran, head down against the wind, straight into the storm.
I purposely turned my head a little as Savannah and I were working the lifeless Cal out of his wet jacket. I sniffed his breath and found that he didn't smell of alcohol. He was completely sober... And completely heartbroken.
Cal's empty shell lifted it's hands so that Savannah and I could yank off his wet shirt. He stood and wriggled out of his rain-soaked jeans, then collapsed into his hammock, hiding his blank face under a blanket.
I shot a pitiful look towards Savannah, who kneeled by Cal's hammock. I crawled back into bed while she murmured to him, trying to get him to talk. She gave up after Aqua came back, having received no response from the mass of blankets.
"Piccadilly doesn't expect him back for at least two days," Aqua announced quietly, kicking off his rain boots. "He'll give him three if he wants."
"Is he going to be okay?" I whispered so quietly that only Aqua could hear.
"Yes," he answered, completely sure. "If I know him half as well as I think I do, then he'll be up on his feet in no time. He's strong."
Thunder clapped it's massive hands and then lightning answered. I suddenly became aware of how soothing the rain sounded against the windows and was able to drift into a comfortable sleep.
I started heading back to my cabin, loosening the straps on my tight dress as I went. My high-heeled shoes were in my hands because the humidity had made the ground soft. My heels had punctured dime-sized holes into the earth. Static electricity cracked through the heavy air. I began running, trying to beat the oncoming rain.
I pulled open the wooden door, which stuck slightly because of the humidity. I walked in on Savannah and Aqua, both looking at me hopefully.
"Oh," Aqua sighed. "It's you."
"Thanks."
"No, no!" Savannah protested. "We were just hoping that..."
"He's not back yet?" I asked. "Is he going to stay out by the road all night?"
Aqua scowled. "Yes. He does this every single time."
He got up and went to look out the window, craning his neck to catch a distant view of the road. Savannah got up off the bed and walked towards me.
"Did you go to see him?" she asked.
I nodded. "He... Sav, he's..."
"His father-"
"The fire-"
"Yeah," she agreed. "He's been messed around."
"I can't understand him... He's so... so... I can't even explain it!"
"He's got a dreamy brain, you know?"
"To say the least.."
Thunder crashed. Aqua let out a small gasp.
"Guys, it's raining!" he shouted, staring at the droplets pelting the window pane. "He's still out there and it's raining!"
Savannah and I groaned in frustration.
"He's so stubborn!" she shouted.
It was two in the morning when Cal finally stumbled into the cabin. A sliver of moonlight assaulted my eyes, making me jolt awake. I could see a hunched silhouette creeping through the doorway.
Cal's hair and clothes were soaked with the rain that was still screaming from the skies. He dropped his soggy suitcase by the entryway and immediately tripped over his own feet.
"You get his shoes, Sav," Aqua whispered. "I'll go tell Mr. Piccadilly that he's back."
I scrambled out of bed and got a good look at the fire-breather. He looked terrible. His skin was sallow, his eyes looked distant and hollow; you could see the blood-red veins clearly in their whites. He was wet and dripping, shivering from the freezing rain. His hair was plastered to his head, droplets hung from his eyelashes.
Savannah yanked off his shoes and tossed them in the corner. They made an unpleasant squelching sound when they were removed. She tugged off his socks and wrinkled her nose as she threw them in the general direction of the shoes.
Cal didn't move the entire time. His expression was numb and emotionless.
"Ivy," Savannah breathed. "Help me with his jacket."
Aqua snatched a wind-breaker from the bottom drawer of his dresser and flicked up the hood. He ran, head down against the wind, straight into the storm.
I purposely turned my head a little as Savannah and I were working the lifeless Cal out of his wet jacket. I sniffed his breath and found that he didn't smell of alcohol. He was completely sober... And completely heartbroken.
Cal's empty shell lifted it's hands so that Savannah and I could yank off his wet shirt. He stood and wriggled out of his rain-soaked jeans, then collapsed into his hammock, hiding his blank face under a blanket.
I shot a pitiful look towards Savannah, who kneeled by Cal's hammock. I crawled back into bed while she murmured to him, trying to get him to talk. She gave up after Aqua came back, having received no response from the mass of blankets.
"Piccadilly doesn't expect him back for at least two days," Aqua announced quietly, kicking off his rain boots. "He'll give him three if he wants."
"Is he going to be okay?" I whispered so quietly that only Aqua could hear.
"Yes," he answered, completely sure. "If I know him half as well as I think I do, then he'll be up on his feet in no time. He's strong."
Thunder clapped it's massive hands and then lightning answered. I suddenly became aware of how soothing the rain sounded against the windows and was able to drift into a comfortable sleep.
♠ ♠ ♠
