Calvin found himself growing increasingly dissatisfied and depressed, thinking it must be the upcoming graduation that had him in such a funk. The never-ending party atmosphere at home was wearing thin, and he started spending more time holed up in his room, playing computer games and drawing more than he had since his mother’s accident.
After another wild party on Friday, he spent most of Saturday in bed, nursing a hangover. He finally left the house that night, going out by himself to get some food. His heart leapt into his throat when he spotted Cali’s lonely figure walking along the dusky street, going in the opposite direction of her house.
He pulled up on his bike. “Where you headed?”
She looked down at her worn out shoes. “For a walk.”
“Alone? At night?”
She looked at him like he was the stupidest person she’d ever seen. “Why do you care?”
He rolled his eyes at her, but he was ticking off the reasons in his head. Because I can’t stop wondering about you. Because I never felt this way before. Because I think that maybe …
“Do you want to go for a ride somewhere?” he asked her.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.” He thought about what she’d said. “To get away from this place.”
She looked at the dark woods beyond the cemetery and back at him. She knew he wouldn’t harm her, but she didn’t want to trust him. He was annoyingly persistent, but she had to admit to herself that she wanted to go with him. He was back to his glowing golden color, only now it was ringed with a shade of hopeful pink.
No, he wasn’t scary … and a bike ride somewhere new was a whole lot more appealing than the prospect of another cold evening spent alone in the trees. He could see her struggle with something, and for a second he thought she was going to burst into tears. She took a deep breath and climbed on the back of his bike, tucking her bag between their bodies.
They rode off into the night, leaving the neighborhood far behind. After a while, she rested her cheek against his back, and he shivered a little at the contact. He had imagined the way her touch felt all week, and her hands were on him now, making him feel strangely protective. He drove like he was carrying precious cargo.
He climbed to the top of the highest hill in town, pulling up at a spot with a view of the entire city, laid out like a sparkling carpet of lights. She’d never seen anything like it, and she climbed off the bike to drink in the view, completely entranced.
“Wow,” she whispered reverently, “Look at how many people there are with electricity.”
He chuckled by her side. “Who doesn’t have electricity?”
“I didn’t … until I came to live here,” she said, back to being defensive.
“Really?” He looked at her incredulously.
She turned away, walking off a few yards for a different vantage point.
He followed her, standing by her side to watch her face in the dim light. “What’s that?” she pointed.
“The fairgrounds,” he said, “and the race track.”
“No,” she pointed, “That round thing.”
“That’s a Ferris wheel.”
“You mean … you mean it’s one of those carnival rides? Seriously? Are there people on it?”
“Yeah, the fair’s going on this weekend.”
She was fascinated, musing, “There are people on that right now. Do you think they’re scared?”
“I don’t know,” he said, trying to remember the last time he was on one. “Probably not.”
She took a deep breath, looking all around. “It looks like the stars at night. It’s prettier from far away than it is up close.”
“Wait till you see the city,” he said softly, imagining her surprise.
“What city?”
“San Francisco.”
She turned to him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “Have you ever been to the art museum there?”
“Which one?”
“There’s more than one? Really?”
“Really.”
She sighed, thinking that those places were so far out of reach. “My parents went to museums. Someday, I’d like to go see them too.”
He watched her closely. “I could take you sometime … If you want.”
She looked over at him in shock, and he could see that she didn’t even think it was a possibility. Her reactions to everything he said were so strange, he didn’t quite know what to make of her. Half the time he thought that she was joking around.
She looked thinner to him, her skin translucent. Her delicate beauty seemed to be growing even more fragile by the day. He finally made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.