Flight of Life (Essence Series #1) (13 page)

“
We could drop it in a
lake,” Breccan said.

“
No,” Calloway said
quickly. “The body will be discovered eventually.”

Easton ran her fingers through her hair
and stared across the room. Breccan continued to eat his chips like
the conversation was ordinary and uneventful. Calloway thought of a
few ideas but none of them were feasible.

“
We can bury it,” Breccan
said.

“
No,” Easton said. “It
will be found eventually.”

“
I have an idea,” Calloway
said. “There’s a fireplace at the Headquarters.”

Breccan stared at Calloway. “What’s
your point?”

“
We could burn them,”
Calloway answered. “There will be no evidence of their bodies.
Besides, the fireplace is large enough to fit a body—it
works.”

Easton made a disgusted face. “Isn’t
that going to stink?” she asked. “Burning flesh is a nauseating
smell.”

“
It will be temporary,”
Calloway said. “Unless someone has a better idea.”

Easton and Breccan looked at each other
for a moment then turned back to Calloway. “No,” Easton said.
“That’s the most convenient and permanent solution to our problem.
It would take time to bury the bodies, and we would have to drive
to the lake every time we had a corpse. Plus, we would risk being
caught by the authorities—that would be bad.”

“
So we’re agreed?”
Calloway asked.

“
Yes,” Breccan answered.
“So, who’s going to do it?” They both looked at Calloway and
silently appointed him as the corpse burner.

Calloway sighed. “Fine,” he said. “But
we’ll take turns after this. Or we’ll do it together.”

“
I’m not touching it,”
Easton repeated.

Calloway looked at her. “That’s
fine.”

Easton looked back at the Kirin Book
and started to translate the next word while Calloway opened his
sack lunch and scarfed down the meal his aunt packed for him. The
bell was going to ring any moment and he wanted to eat his lunch
before he returned to class. Calloway finished just as the bell
rang and he threw his garbage away before he went to
class.

When Calloway sat in the back of his
history class he immediately started to think about the corpse
sitting in the Grandiose Historian Library. He wondered what was
behind the hood of the cloak. The thought made his heart palpitate.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. Calloway didn’t want to burn
the body because that would require him to touch it, but his
friends refused to come near it—he understood their
unease.

Calloway and Breccan walked to their
photography class with stiff shoulders, preparing to be teased
mercilessly for the entire period. Calloway considered asking Mrs.
Ezquibel to move his seat to the other side of the classroom but he
didn’t want to give Hawk that satisfaction—that he was getting
under his skin.

“
Are you ready?” Breccan
asked as they reached the classroom.

Calloway sighed. “I’m never ready for
this.”

They advanced into the classroom and
took their seats. Calloway waited for the insults and vicious
comments to begin but they never came. When he finally let himself
relax, a pencil was thrown at the back of his head. The wood of the
utensil collided with his skull and he clenched his teeth in
frustration.

“
So, have you found a
date, Poverty Boy#2?” he asked with a laugh. “I would suggest
asking Beatrice but she’s already taken—by me.”

Calloway glanced at Beatrice across the
room. She was talking to the girl sitting beside her in a quiet
voice. He felt the anger ignite in his body as he listened to Hawk
brag about his plans for the dance.

“
My father is renting us a
limo,” Hawk said. “I can actually afford to take a girl out—and not
to McDonald’s.”

Hawk was a vicious jerk but Beatrice
still agreed to go out with him. Calloway didn’t understand her
decision and the choice astounded him. He defended her and now he
was harassed every single day at school because of it. It was all a
waste. Calloway felt his mind snap at the revelation. He wasn’t
sure why he had feelings for her to begin with—she wasn’t worth
it.

Calloway dashed from the classroom as
soon as the bell rang, and he walked to Mr. Avey’s classroom. As
soon as he walked in the door he felt better, knowing this was the
only time he felt safe; that he wouldn’t have to worry about the
Hara-Kirs, Hawk harassing him, or the fact that his aunt and uncle
were struggling to get by—it was a safe haven.

He sat in his desk and opened the SAT
preparation guide that Mr. Avey had given him. Most of the
information was basic and an overview. Calloway already knew
everything. But he opened his notebook and went through the
practice exam, completing the problems with ease. He closed the
book and leaned back in his chair when he was finished.

“
Let’s see how you did,”
Mr. Avey said as he grabbed the book from the desk. He flipped
through the pages and checked Calloway’s answers. Mr. Avey nodded
as he graded the exam while Calloway remained in his seat, waiting
for his teacher to finish.

Mr. Avey closed the book.
“You missed one,” he said as he looked at Calloway. “And I think
it’s because you accidently bubbled in the wrong answer.” He sighed
as he returned the book to the desk. “You aren’t smart,
Calloway—you are
gifted
. You will do well on this exam—exceptional—and secure your
admission into your preferred university. Where did you want to
go?”

Calloway shrugged. “Fresno
University.”

Mr. Avey stared at him for a moment. He
leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “With
scores like these you can go anywhere, Calloway. Don’t settle for
less than the best.”

Calloway nodded. Even if he was
accepted into a prestigious college he could never attend. He
didn’t have the funds for his tuition and couldn’t leave his
friends behind, and not because he would miss them, but because he
had other important responsibilities. Calloway stared at the
whiteboard in front of the classroom and noticed the pictures and
drawings on the board. “We’ll see.”

Mr. Avey didn’t press him further. He
opened his laptop and placed it on Calloway’s desk. “Let’s work on
your personal statement,” he said. “You’re going to submit it with
your application.”

“
I don’t know what to
say,” Calloway said as he looked at the screen. He felt
uncomfortable using such an expensive piece of equipment. He
remembered the last time he was responsible for something
valuable—it cost his family two thousand dollars. “I can’t think of
any reason why they should choose me.”

“
I can think of many,” Mr.
Avey said.

Calloway looked at Mr. Avey then
dropped his gaze.

“
Let it come naturally,”
Mr. Avey said. “Just tell them about yourself—your life and your
experiences—and how that will take you to the next step—higher
education.”

Calloway nodded. “I guess I can do
that,” he said apprehensively. “Will you look at it when I’m
finished?”

Mr. Avey clapped him on the shoulder.
“Of course, Calloway.” He returned to his desk and graded student
papers while Calloway gathered his thoughts.

Calloway stared at the screen for a
long time before he composed his first sentence. After his initial
words were written, the rest of his essay came naturally and he
typed his thoughts until the entire page was filled. Calloway
didn’t know if his personal statement was noteworthy but he gave it
his best effort. “I think I’m finished.”

Mr. Avey nodded. “Take a break and read
it again next time,” he said. “It will give you a fresh perspective
on your work.” Calloway nodded as he saved the draft to the
computer. He closed the screen and sat back in his chair. “But I’m
certain it’s great, Calloway—I expect nothing less from
you.”

Calloway felt his cheeks redden from
his teacher’s praise. No one had ever told him he was smart. In
fact, he always heard the opposite from his instructors—that he was
lazy and irresponsible. Mr. Avey was the first one to notice the
root of the problem—he was distracted. He stood up and shouldered
his backpack. “Thanks,” he said.

Mr. Avey nodded. “I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

Calloway left the classroom and walked
to the library where his friends were waiting for him. Calloway
stared at the carpet as he moved through the building, thinking
about his study hall sessions with his favorite teacher. He felt
uplifted and happy. Mr. Avey believed in Calloway in a way that no
one ever had. He had never been told that he was gifted—no one ever
noticed—and that support was enough to make all the difference in
the world.

Three Against
One

Breccan was completing school
applications on the computer when Calloway walked into the library
and approached him. Breccan closed the screen when he realized his
cousin was standing behind him but he was too late. Calloway
already saw the Fresno University application—it was the same
college Weston attended.

Breccan rose from his seat and looked
at Calloway. “How long do you have to serve detention?” he asked.
“You have it every day.”

Calloway knew his cousin didn’t want to
discuss his activity on the computer by the sudden changed in
subject. Calloway shrugged. “I think for the rest of the
year.”

“
How is that possible?”
Breccan asked. “I didn’t do my essay and I wasn’t given a
detention.”

“
It’s study hall, really,”
Calloway explained. “Mr. Avey is helping me prepare for the SAT’s
and my personal statement for college admissions.”

Breccan was quiet for a moment. He
adjusted his backpack even though it was already on correctly and
he didn’t look at his cousin. “Cool.” He walked away from Calloway
and reached the table Easton was sitting at.

Calloway followed behind him and sat
across from Easton. “Are you ready to go?” Calloway
asked.

“
Yes,” she said. “But I
don’t want to—I have no desire to touch that thing.”

“
So you aren’t afraid to
kill a living Hara-Kir but it’s just ludicrous to touch a dead
one?” Breccan asked incredulously.

Easton shook her head. “It just bothers
me, okay?”

Breccan rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he
said. “I’ll help Calloway.”

The library door opened and Hawk and
his friend Tommy walked into the room. Hawk returned a book to the
counter then glanced at Calloway and his friends across the
library. He nodded to Tommy then walked toward their
table.

Calloway turned to Easton. “Put that
book away,” he whispered. He stood in front of the table and
blocked her view from Hawk’s sight. Easton shoved the Kirin Book
into her backpack and hid it from Hawk and his friend, knowing they
would steal it or demolish it.

“
Are you guys searching
for lost change in the library?” Hawk spat. “Maybe if you combine
all your money one of you can attend formal.”

“
At least we can come up
with new material,” Easton said. “Your limited intelligence only
allows you to say the same joke repeatedly. Big deal—Calloway’s
poor—but he has possessions that money can’t buy—true friends is
one of them.”

Calloway nodded at Easton, thanking her
for standing up for him. Other than Breccan, she was the first one
to defend him against this bully.

“
Shut up,
freak
,” Hawk said. “Now
you have friends just as weird as you—nothing to brag about.” Hawk
stepped toward Easton and leaned over the table toward her,
intimidating her with his close proximity while he glared at her.
Easton leaned away from him, clearly frightened of his next
movement. Hawk moved closer to Easton. “Why don’t you just drop out
so we don’t have to stare at your ugly face anymore?”

The action made Calloway angry. He
refused to let him harass Easton like he did to Beatrice. Calloway
grabbed his neck and pushed him back savagely. “Leave her alone,
Hawk,” he yelled. His muscles flexed with the adrenaline coursing
through his body. Hawk had angered him repeatedly for the past
week, and Calloway was always able control his rage, but
threatening Easton sent him over the edge. “If I ever see you speak
to her again—”

“
You’ll what?” Hawk said
as he shoved him. “What are you going to do?” He pushed him again.
His friend Tommy started to laugh as he watched his friend shove
Calloway across the library. Calloway wondered where the librarian
was—if only he had her as a witness.

“
Stop this now!” Easton
said. “Calloway—
stop
! He isn’t worth it.”

Hawk pushed him again and Calloway
stumbled backwards. Calloway felt his control snap as he fell to
the ground. He was tired of letting Hawk tease him mercilessly
every day. Calloway didn’t care if he got in trouble—he wanted to
make Hawk suffer. He rose to his feet and charged Hawk, shoving him
to the ground. He raised his fist to punch him when a loud yell
steadied his hand.

“
Knock it off!” Mr. Avey
yelled.