flashback

f o u r t e e n 2

I didn’t answer him.

“Exactly. Have fun at the slab.” He said, turning abruptly, his chest puffed. I walked back by myself, and when I got there Fletcher told me he went out and wouldn’t say a word to anyone.

Teddy came exactly when he said he would. And this time, he brought a bike for me. He wasn’t wearing a cap this time, and his hair was brushed back wavy and shiny, oh! And he was wearing a camo tee shirt and a dark green Hollister sweater with dark jeans and Nikes. He had his baseball glove on his left hand. Genevieve was teaching Sarai and Matthew about silent letters when we slipped out on our hot rides. I teetered along slowly and unstably for a while, but I gained speed and we sped to the slab. I was a bit surprised when we arrived. It was a mound, with a slab of concrete in the middle. There were bases and people warming up, with a lot of kids gathered around the bleachers and the hot dog or cotton candy stand. Theo locked our bikes into a rack and walked me over to the bleachers. He introduced me to a jumpy girl, dirty blonde-haired with brown eyes who he called Sico. I didn’t know her real name, but I sat next to her and we exchanged small talk for a while, until she jumped up and grabbed my hand and led me over to the hotdog stand. I bought a hotdog and soon, the game started.

When Vickie had said Teddy liked baseball, she had definitely made the understatement of the century. He LOVED it. He was so alive, so jubilant and happy out there playing, that even that one time he made a got a strike, he laughed and slapped the pitcher on the back just the same. Teddy’s team won, and after that, it was just a blur.

The breeze in the sunset was so cool and the cotton candy Sico and me shared so sweet, I felt half-drunk riding to the soda pop shop with Teddy after the game. Me and Sico had exchanged numbers, and while she was very restless and on edge, I liked her. She had a bawdy sense of humor and was very insightful. Like she noticed that every time this boy struck out, he came up on the bleachers and talked with his girlfriend. Sico was convinced he was striking out on purpose. So was I. She also noticed that Teddy got his freckles for a reason—he never bothered to wear sunscreen. We were staring at him and joking when he suddenly jerked his head over up to the stands right at me and winked. I could have just fainted, and not because of the heat.

Teddy and I got ice cream and talked and laughed about the highlights of the game. Soon it began to get a bit chilly, and my Hanes tee shirt became a channel for all the cool air. Goosebumps rose on my arms and back, and I began to shiver. Teddy noticed, and he gave me his dark green Hollister sweater that was cozy and smelt like him. I smiled to myself. He was not getting this sweater back.

We rode back to the slab together to sit around, and we sat up on the bleachers together, my feet swinging over the edge, eating our ice-cream and listening to Sico chatter about her crush, a tall, brawny, dark-haired boy with large glasses and a cute button nose who stood shyly on the sidelines glancing occasionally up at her. Teddy looked at me knowingly, and after a few moments of doubt, Sico patted her hair, reapplied her lip-gloss and marched over to him. Within minutes they were laughing and having a good time. Now me and Teddy were alone, watching out on the field as boys put away their bats and girls hustled out to flirt with the boys on the winning team. Suddenly, I felt a warm hand slip into mine. Looking down, I saw that it was Teddy’s. I held back and rested my head on his shoulder. I could feel him smile above me.

I looked at him then, and the hazel specks in his eyes were excited. My heart started beating faster, faster, when he leaned in toward me. I closed my eyes. His lips were soft; they tasted of vanilla and mint. I pulled away, feeling my ears burn, but Teddy laughed and squeezed my hand. And then I remembered Ceon. His eyes, the way his face seemed to have aged. I swallowed the lump in my throat and I put my head back on Teddy’s chest.

In about another hour, we were back at the library. Teddy locked our bikes, opened the door for me, and we stepped in. “How was it?” Fletcher asked, flipping through a book. I laughed and gave him the packet of cotton candy I had bought for him. I gave Matt and Sarai theirs, too. “It was great,” I said to Fletcher. Ceon was talking with Gen, and I tossed him his cotton candy. He set it on the table without another word. Teddy frowned.

S&M walked up to me and said together, “Do you like Theo, Danny?” I laughed a little and so did Gen. Teddy smiled, his teeth bright. Ceon’s face darkened but he remained silent. Luckily, a loud advertisement popped up on Genevieve’s portable TV so I didn’t have to answer their crude question. A light-skinned, dark-haired man with straight hair slicked back with gel appeared on the small screen. It looked like a news broadcast.

“A couple of young siblings destroyed the pride of the mayor, the train he so wonderfully named Clementon around 6 ‘o’ clock yesterday afternoon.” The man said. A picture of Ceon and I appeared on the screen, me with my hair looking frazzled and Ceon clutching his workbag. Teddy, Genevieve, Fletcher and Sarai looked at me. Matt looked at Ceon, who kept his eyes pealed on the screen. “The 14-year old passengers were instructed not to use any electronics but disobeyed the warning and used a cell phone, type A8FT543, which interfered with the train’s engine and lighting system. The elderly conductor, Sir Daniels, told Sheathing News that the two took off and said that they would not pay for the damage.” Teddy gasped, and Gen stared shocked at Ceon, who continued to stare at the screen with a hard jaw. My heart began to beat like a hammer on nail.

“And get this,” said the news reporter, clearly enjoying our suffering. “As luck would have it, the male can be identified as the little Ceon, who escaped from the Sheathing Orphanage about 5 years ago.” A picture was shown of Ceon when he was eleven, missing teeth and all, compared to the previous picture. “This Friday will be the day that police would have stopped searching for Ceon and his siblings. However, the authorities were contacted and are now searching diligently for Ceon, his sister, and three other siblings—a male, and a pair of twins, a male and female, and will continue their prolonged search for the remainder of the year. If you see any of the following, please contact the authorities. A reward will be given. More on this story in the next half hour.” Genevieve snapped the television off, fingers shaking. She stood up and backed away from us.

Teddy stared at me, frowning. Then he turned to Ceon. “I knew I reco’nized you from somewh’re. I grew up with you! You ain’t only a liar, but you a thief! You’re the fool who stole Mr. Johansson’s credit card! And you,” he said, turning to me yet again. “You… you lied to me.” Since when do I lie so much? I thought to myself. But then it dawned on me.

“Wait—you’re an orphan?” I asked Teddy.

            He just glared at me. “That all that matters to you, ain’t it.”