The Bad Boy's Secret (8 page)

“Peter, if you don’t put that down right now, you’re going to find yourself with coal in your stocking,” Richard knew exactly what was in the box, and he knew that his brother was at risk of breaking it if he kept shaking it.

The Christmas tree was ablaze with dollar store lights, and there were fat ducks in the oven, thanks to Cassie going overboard. It was Christmas eve, and everyone had agreed it was the best Time to get together. Those who had families celebrating Christmas would be with them tomorrow, and those who didn’t were welcome at the Criter house anytime. Tonight would be the official Christmas celebration of the gang.

And it was grand. There was enough food to feed an army, and maybe feed 6 hungry boys and a hardworking athlete. A year ago, it would seem strange that Cassie’s red hair and expensive clothes would fit in with the roughed up gang of boys. It would be even stranger that Dave’s Mercedes would be in the driver. But these days, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

It wasn’t that they had won the war and all upper and lower classers got together all the Time. But they had triumphed in battle and there were less rumbles on the streets, less spitting and name calling. Even Gordon and his gang had played pickup basketball with them once, and shook hands at the end. 

“We’re here,” Cassie called out, as Dave pushed opened the door with his arm, and the cold wind blew in. It was icy out, but the Criter house had a crackling fire.  Both of them were laden down with presents, and Steve and Shawn came to their rescue, half throwing the gifts under the tree.

“I knew better than to get things that were breakable,” she said to Richard, with a smirk. He rolled his eyes at her. Even on Christmas Eve, he had worked in the morning. He was looking forward to tomorrow, what felt like his one day off all year.

“How are you, Dave?” he asked, shaking her boyfriend’s hand and ignoring the smartass skater. Dave yawned.

“Tired. Who knew Ice skating started so early?”

“I did!” Chuck cried, from his place on the couch, spread out over papers and books. He wasn’t making fast progress but he was making progress on his GED, hoping to enter the police academy once he had received it. Samuel Jones had been caught six weeks after the tips he gave them, and was locked away for life. It turned out the mob boss had been rigging ice skating championships for years,  his niece and nephew that competition that had taken Cassie and Scott down.  With the peace of mind that the criminal was behind bars, Cassie had woken up one morning, picked up her skates, and gone skating at the Y. Since then, she was training to re-enter the competition circuit. She was only doing solo skates, and it was clear that she never skate partners again. Although those who saw her said that her jumps were as if someone was lifting her, invisible arms controlling her movements.

She felt Scott’s presence the strongest on the ice, his arms around her waist, his voice in her ear, his hair brushing against her face. She missed him more than anything. But she had to move on, and she knew that. These days, Dave’s arms dulled the pain, although they could never replace him. And he never got on the ice with her. That was her one rule, and he was happy to abide by it.

“And I’m so glad that someone else is taking her,” Chuck continued, with a grin.

“I can take myself, you know,” Cassie replied. “I did get my learners permit.”

“Ah, but that’s no better fun than 5am at an ice rink,” Chuck teased as she came to sit beside him.

“What are you working on?”

“Fractions. This is boring as shit.”

“Yes,” she replied. “But necessary.”

“Why? So I can divide up how many criminals I’m going to capture between me and my partner?” he grinned at her and she shrugged.

“Sure. Practical use,” she replied.

“I think everyone’s here, please can we open presents?” Peter asked, looking around. Forever the child, he was practically sniffing at the presents like a dog. Richard laughed.

“Fine. But don’t go throwing the wrapping paper everywhere again.”

“Do you think I’m five?” Peter asked, and then did just that.

There was a marked difference between the price in the presents from Dave and Cassie, and the presents from the gang. But what was no different was the thought behind it. The three hundred dollar video game for Steve was just as valuable to him as the dollar store sunglasses holder for his car, as Steve was famous for constantly losing and breaking his dollar store sunglasses. It was common to get into Steve’s car and crunch through several broken pairs.

Cassie nearly cried when she opened her present from Chuck, a framed picture, nearly 5 years old. It was her and Scott on the ice, and Chuck sitting in the stands on the first row, yawning and drinking coffee. It captured the past perfectly, and she put her hand to her mouth, trying to stop her lip from trembling. Silently, she got up, wrapping her arms around him.

“Thanks,” she whispered, fighting the tears even then. He smiled, giving her a quick hug.

“It’s just so you don’t forget that I remember.”

“Yeah,” she replied, knowing that she had felt alone in her pain for awhile. “Thanks.”

In the end, everything given was perfect. There was wrapping paper everywhere, much to Richard’s dismay, and gift boxes and ribbon scattered about, but everyone was happy, and he made sure to threaten starvation if they didn’t help clean up after dinner.

Cassie was the first to the table when dinner was announced. She was still thin, but it was a different kind of thin this year. Racked with lean muscle, strong legs, and well defined arms, she once again looked like an athlete, who was ready to take on the world. She was still hesitant about food, cautious to only eat things that were considered ‘healthy’, but she ate none the less, and sometimes asked for seconds.

It was a family atmosphere, shouts and screams of laughter, arms flailing everywhere as they passed plates and salt, and picked foods off each other’s plates. Cassie laughed so hard she cried, and nearly knocked Dave’s plate off the table, which caused another fit of giggles. There were no longer glares across the table at Dave’s presence, or marked silences whenever he spoke. They had even been to his house a few Times, swimming in the huge indoor pool or bringing their retro video game system to play on his huge TV screen.

“Are you happy?” Chuck asked her, as dinner wrapped up. “I know this is a shit ass boring town, Sas, it’s nothing like New York, but do you think you could stay here?”

“Yes,” she answered, positively. “It’s different of course, but I like it. I’m happy here.”

He smiled, as he took another sip of his beer, equally content.

“Maybe though, you and I could visit the big city one day, again? Together?”

She gulped, pausing before she answered. Despite Jones behind bars, the fear was still there. Plus, there wasn’t a place in New York she hadn’t set foot without Scott. Every corner, every store, every landmark would remind her of him. Going back to New York might make the pain seem as fresh as the first day.

But Chuck was waiting patiently, and she knew he would wait forever, until she was ready.  He would always be there for her, to deal with her fears, and give her courage. For New York also reminded her of Chuck, of feeling safe as they walked through the streets in the pre-dawn air. The adventures he took her on, the movies he would sneak her into,  and the Times he would buy her umpteenth amounts of penny candies to spoil her dinner. New York wasn’t all bad, and it wasn’t all fear and sadness. With Chuck, it might be alright.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she replied, trying to remain calm. “We could go to get some frozen hot chocolate maybe.”

“I was thinking we could go to Time Square and party, but I forgot, you’re boring,” he replied and she shoved him so hard she did knock his plate over.

“Children,” Richard warned, starting to clear the table. “Don’t make me put you in Time out.”

“Try it and I’ll knock your jaw out,” Chuck replied although it was good-naturedly. Richard rolled his eyes.

“Bring it, kid,” he said, and Chuck just laughed.

“When you least expect it, then.”

“I always expect it,” Richard replied. “Now, get off your ass and help with the dishes.”

“Can’t do it yourself, Superman?” Chuck teased.

Once the dishes were clear, and the dessert was about to be brought out, Dave stood up.

“There’s umm, one more gift,” he said, and everyone looked at him, and then looked under the tree confused. It was empty, and Peter even leaned over to see if he missed something.

“No there isn’t,” he said, and Dave reached into his pocket.

“Sorry, it’s here. It’s uh, for Cassie,” he said, and then got down on one knee.

Cassie shrieked, bringing her hands to her mouth. Her heart felt like it physically skipped a beat, but this Time it was for a good reason. Dave pulled out a gift wrapped box and looked up at her.

“Cassiopeia Winters,” he said, slowly and she shrieked again. Chuck smacked her.

“He hasn’t said anything yet, nitwit.”

“Uh,” was all she managed to say.

“This past year, you’ve made me pretty much the happiest man alive. I grew up here, but my parents made me travel the world with them. And in all that, I’ve never met someone as wonderful or as strong or as…awesome as you are.   You’re so strong and patient, and you’ve gotten through more than most people would in a life Time. And I know that we’re young, and we can wait years if you want…but there’s nothing that is going to change my mind.” He opened the box. With all the money that he had, one would perhaps expect a huge rock on a solid gold band.

But a huge diamond would get caught in her skating costume, and Cassie almost never wore gold, so it wouldn’t match. Instead, it was a silver band with a rock built into it, a pure but small diamond. It played on her love of simplicity, her love of singularity, and her love for him.

“So…if it’s ok by you…by all of you,” he looked around, and Cassie realized he was sort of asking for permission. These boys around her were as much her family and caretakers as her absentee parents. Dave’s eyes landed on Chuck, who shifted to Cassie.

“Does he make you happy?”

“Yes,” she responded, and Chuck shrugged.

“Well, then no buts about it,” he replied.

“Will you let me put a ring on your finger? Will you do me the honour of being my wife? Will you marry me?”

Cassie had never thought of how her engagement would happen. Her entire life had been about the ice rink. But in this moment, with Dave on his knees and this perfect ring in front of her, she knew that this was the way it was supposed to happen. And she knew what the answer was.

She held her left hand out, her thin fingers brushing against the ring box.

“Yes,” she replied, and Dave grinned a wide smile, taking the ring and slipping it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly, sliding past her knuckle and coming to rest at the end of her finger. She was engaged, to Dave. “Yes, Yes, Yes!”

Dave got up, and she threw herself on him, covering his neck with kisses.

“Oh my God, when, where, what, how?” she managed and he laughed.

“I’m sure we can figure all of that,” he said. “Whatever your heart desires.”

“I want it all!” she declared, laughing. “The big white dress and the huge church and I want…” she turned, to look at the boys still sitting calmly, watching with raised eyebrows. “I don’t want bridesmaids. I want brides knights. All of you, standing up behind me.”

Chuck met her eyes, and she let go of Dave, to take his hand.

“Is that ok? Will you…come?”

He looked behind her to Dave.

“I don’t know, Sas. You marrying an upper classer? How do you know we won’t bring the switchblades and rumble?”

“Uh…” she looked doubtful for a moment, and then Chuck broke into a grin.

“I’m joking kid. As long as I don’t have to wear a dress, I’m down. Hell, you wait a year or two and maybe you can have a police escort. Of the good kind.”

“Ooh, that would be fun,” she turned back to Dave. “Yeah?”

“Whatever you want, babe,” he replied, and she hugged him again.

“This is what I want,” she replied. “Just here, and just no.”

Cassie felt like a weight was lifted off her chest. No more secrets, no more battles. Her muscles were sore from skating that morning, her belly full, and she was surrounded by love, three things that she thought would never happen again.

When she and her family left New York in fear, with tears and a funeral, she wasn’t sure that she would ever be whole again.  She felt like the air was missing from her lungs, like her bones couldn’t hold the weight of her soul and like she would forever be cold and alone. She was sure that the middle of nowhere wouldn’t help, and that she could never be happy again.

And even the first few months, watching the wars between the upper and lower classes, and guarding her secrets carefully, she thought that she would never recover.

But secrets were meant to be told, to be whispered so the burden could be shared, and cured.

As she said goodbye to the boys that night, she didn’t worry about whether it would be the last time. It used to be a common fear, and she used to hate goodbyes. But this was a familiar goodbye, said in safety and in love, and she didn’t have any regrets turning in early so she could get a goodnight’s sleep. She was happy, she was warm, and she could breathe. Most of all, she could live again.  She used to think that Scott had it easy, dying peacefully when she had to live through this hell. But now that the skater’s secrets were shared, and now that she realized the value of life, she knew she was the lucky one.