Callie's Gift Read online

  Callie pulled herself awake. The sun streamed into the window that she was pretty sure faced east, which made it morning. Travis Weaver sat near her bed, a magazine in his hand. Callie peered at him for a minute, trying to ascertain that she was indeed awake. She finally managed to speak. "Chester. How're you, cowpoke."

  "Hey beautiful, I'd say I'm doing better than you right now." She smiled and tried to force her tongue to cooperate.

  "I don't know, I'm high as shit, I'm doing really good."

  "Glad you're back, we were all pretty worried about you."

  "You were worried, I know," His face drifted in and out a little. "You kind of have a thing for me, I know. You kind of love me, I know."

  "Yeah, that's it, none of us want to lose you, Callie." Callie leaned forward a little, frowning when her head throbbed, but she suddenly felt very earnest.

  "I'm sorry, sorry, but I just can't do that."

  "It's okay, Callie, maybe someday. You just need to get well right now, okay?"

  "I'm sorry, Chester, you're so sweet, really Know why, why I can't fall for you?" She wanted to say it, and in her drug addled state almost told him the truth. Instead she joked, thinking that it was the funniest thing she had ever said. "Because I'm not a fucking Cowgirl." She laughed hard enough to snort a little, which hurt her nose badly. Travis laughed along, doing his best to follow her train of thought as she suddenly switched to a Calculus question that she said she had been dreaming about. They talked for another fifteen minutes, and he became increasingly more concerned. When she drifted back into sleep he left the room and went to the cafeteria to find her parents.

  "The doctors said she might be confused for a while." Her father said. "Thanks for stopping to see her, she speaks highly of you."

  "If you need me to, I can help sit with her, if that would help."

  "Jenny went home last night, but she's coming back this morning, I guess." Callie's mom told him. "I don't know how that girl's going to graduate with all the school she's missed. Callie's probably going to be here for a couple more days, but come see her whenever you like Travis. She needs people like you and Jenny, you two seem able to pull her out of her shell. The Cooper woman, Abby, she was here yesterday after you left, she really seems to like Callie. What a giant mess that all is, I feel so sorry for Greg's folks."

  "Callie is great, Mrs. Fisher, we all love her. I have to get to school." Jenny passed Travis at the door, and dropped into a chair near the window. Callie's father left to open the hardware and the two women settled in to keep an eye on the sleeping girl. That first day was hard. Callie was confused and kept forgetting conversations, repeatedly asking the same questions over and over. But as the day wore on, her senses came back to her. When Jenny reminded her that Travis and Abby had both visited her, she grew silent. She insisted on seeing the doctor, and he stopped at the end of his day, just after five. She made Jenny and her mother leave them alone.

  "Doc, I can't remember shit, and I don't know if it's from the concussion or the dope you have me on. And it's making me paranoid, I keep feeling like something worse is going to happen, like someone is trying to warn me of something."

  "That's a little concerning, Callie. Vicodin can cause anxiety and mood swings. If it's affecting you that way, maybe we better go with something milder. It could also make you really drowsy, which would affect your memory."

  "I can put up with some pain, Doc. I don't like feeling like I'm a mental patient. People have been coming to see me, and I don't even remember it. I don't like that shit either. I really want to go home. My Mom and Dad and Jenny won't let me wander out into traffic or anything crazy like that. At least give me something that doesn't screw me up so bad."

  "Alright, Callie. You are going to be a little forgetful, that's part of having a concussion, but it could be exacerbated by the Vicodin. I'll give you a milder pain medicine, one that I know won't cause hallucinations. I'll stop in tomorrow afternoon and if you're doing alright, you can go home then."

  There was little doubt that the new drugs weren't as effective at controlling the pain. Callie didn't sleep much that night, but decided it was worth it. She vaguely remembered talking with Travis. She wasn't sure if she had told him about being gay. The fact that she couldn't remember seeing Abby at all really worried her. She needed to know what had happened to the note. It was obvious that Davis found it. Had Abby read it? Had the police seen it and just hadn't let that information slip? Surely, if Abby had read it, she had to know Callie wrote it. But if that were the case, why would she come to see her? Wouldn't she hate her? Her husband was in jail, and a boy was dead, anyone in their right mind would hate her for that. And what if Jenny found out, and her parents, could they forgive her? She had to find out what Abby and the police knew, but carefully. To do that, she would have to be alert, not so drugged up that she couldn't remember a conversation five minutes after it happened. She had checked her cellphone, and Abby had not called her at any time after the incident with Davis. She spent most of the night worrying about what Abby knew, and why the eyes were with her constantly now, not a vague collection, but several individual sets.

  By noon the next day, Callie was feeling clear headed and the pain was tolerable. She was able to sit up without feeling dizzy and could walk under own power, although Jenny protested loudly when she did so. Her mother stayed, reading a book, while the girls watched television, making fun of the daytime reality shows. Jenny had grown quiet and Callie realized suddenly that she was crying.

  "Jen, what's up, why are you crying. Greg?" She nodded, putting her face in her hands and shaking slightly. After a few moments, she picked her head up and wiped her eyes. "It's alright Callie, I know he's in a better place. He's looking down from heaven, right now." She smiled at Callie, who had said nothing. "I know you don't believe that Callie, but I do."

  "It doesn't matter what I believe Jen, what do I know? I'm just really glad that you believe it. If it makes you feel better and helps you through this, then believing it must be a good thing."

  "I have to run down to the cafeteria, I'll grab us all some doughnuts, okay?" Jenny hurried from the room. Callie and her mother both knew she would be in the bathroom, crying for a while. That was Jenny. Callie's mother looked at her, smiling slightly.

  "What?" Callie asked. "Don't think I suddenly buy all that crap. Jenny needs to believe that stuff because it makes her feel better. If thinking Greg is floating around up there with Jesus makes her happy, then good, I'm not going to tell her I think it's idiotic." Her mother looked down at her book, smiling again. "What now? Why are you smiling?"

  "I just think it's interesting. You normally don't have a lot of good things to say when people start talking about their faith, but you kind of encouraged Jenny. I'd consider that growth."

  "Well, like I said, don't think I'm going to start praying or any of that crap. I just want Jenny to be okay. If religion is what she needs right now, I'm all for it."

  "She's had a bad time, that's for sure. But you're in a lot of pain, and you're still worried about her instead of yourself. I'd call that growth, or maybe love."

  "Jesus Mom, we're friends, that’s all." Her mother continued to read, smiling again.

  "Okay, yeah, maybe I'm a little bit in love with her." Callie admitted. "Happy?"

  "Growth Callie, like I said." Callie glared at her, but there was no real anger.

  "You know, Dad told me you were the smart one."

  "Yeah? He told me you have a good heart."

  Callie went home that evening, worried and deep in thought. She sent Jenny home, depending on her parents for the help she needed. The sense that she was being watched faded and she decided it had been the Vicodin. But looking at Jenny struggling with her grief was too much for her. She didn't need to fall asleep to see Greg, pulling at Jenny's arm, trying to take her away. She only needed to close her eyes for a moment, to imagine that, or wonder if the next knock on the door would be the Sheriff and his deputies, there to take her away
. But feeling guilty was one thing, getting caught was another.

  Unless Davis talked about the note, Abby was the only person that would have any idea that it existed, and the only person that could incriminate her. And Abby couldn't talk, even if she knew. Not without telling the world that she had been sleeping with a high school student. Abby was in love with her, she had said as much, and Callie knew she could use that. But she needed to talk to her, find out what she knew, and continue the affair. She was craving Abby's touch anyway. Davis Cooper had ruined his own life, killing Greg. Callie didn't plan to let him ruin Abby's life, or hers. She knew she needed to have a conversation with the woman as soon as possible, but she was house bound with her mother watching over her, and she still wasn't sure if she dared to call her teacher.

  By Friday she was feeling pretty good. In the morning, she saw the doctor and had the splints removed from inside her nose and the bandaging from her face and head. She still looked like a train wreck, but her nose was straight. And she was thinking clearly again, sure of what she said to people. Her nose hurt like hell when she touched it, but she was able to breath normally. The doctor confirmed that she was okay to drive and go back to school the following Monday. She knew from Jenny that Abby had been allowed to return to work, but she didn't want to wait until then to talk to her. Her mother dropped her off at home and then left to do some shopping. Callie settled into the big couch in the living room and turned the television on. She decided to text Abby. "Hey Mrs. Cooper, I'm home from the hospital, if there's homework, you can send it with Jenny.' The teacher texted back immediately.

  'No need to bother Jenny, I can drop it off on my way.' Callie responded quickly, then sent Jenny a text asking her not to come over, as she would be napping. She did doze a little and awoke when the teacher knocked on the front door. Abby came in, looking around cautiously to be sure they were alone.

  "My Mom's not home Abby. Christ, I missed you. Come over here." Abby strode quickly across the room and pulled Callie into a hug. "Easy, whatever you do, don't touch my fucking nose. I know, I look like hell." Abby winced, looking at Callie's blackened eyes.

  "You look a hell of a lot better than when I came to see you in the hospital."

  "I don't even remember that. Did I talk to you?"

  "Not in rational sentences. You were out of it. Why'd you pass out at the funeral like that?"

  "I spent four days babysitting Jen and got about two hours of sleep the whole time. I guess that was it. And all the stress and worrying about you and Davis and that whole shit show. How are you holding up? What are you going to do now? What are they going to do to Davis?"

  "I can't do anything, right away anyway. I can't divorce Davis right now. A lot of people still think I had something going on with Greg, bailing on Davis would make it look worse. I'm hanging on to my job by a thread. The police haven't connected me with Greg, because obviously, there's nothing to connect. But half the school board wants to get rid of me anyway. The union is fighting them, but we'll see. I don't know what's going to happen with Davis, it's up to the lawyers. But his Army career is over."

  "So, what in the hell happened? Why did he take a tire iron after Greg?" Callie watched Abby's face carefully, looking for any reaction, there wasn't the slightest flinch.

  "Who knows. You saw how he is, and he'll barely talk to me. He just said he had his reasons. He told the cops he was out for a walk and just started bullshitting with Greg outside the garage. Greg started bad mouthing the Army, and one thing led to another."

  "Maybe that's all there was to it. He didn't strike me as being real stable the other night. And everybody knows what a dick head Greg could be."

  "They're not allowing bail, he's considered a risk to society. I guess I don't blame them and I sure as hell don't want him hanging around the house."

  "I'm sorry. But I'd be worried if he was back at your house too. Abby, I miss you, so much." Callie legs protruded from beyond the blanket and Abby reached out, stroking her knee, then sliding her hand up to the inside of her leg. She sighed, leaning back as the teacher's hand moved to her inner thigh. "Abby, God, I love you." She knew it was what the woman wanted to hear, what she had to say. Keeping Abby off balance and needy could work to her advantage. Abby leaned forward and pressed their lips together for a long while.

  "I love you too Callie. I'd better go, before your mom comes back. I'll be at home. Whenever you feel up to it, come over. I need you, Callie."

  "It'll be a few days, I have to heal up. But yeah Abby, I need you too." From what she'd been able to tell, Callie was pretty sure that Davis hadn't shown his wife the letter. Hopefully he had destroyed it. Even if Abby had the letter, she could never be one hundred percent certain who sent it, and Callie wasn't ever going to admit it. She didn't think Abby would accuse the girl she loved of something like that. Not when she had professed her love back, and shared her bed.

  Chapter 10

  Life returned to normal for Callie, or as normal as it could be. Davis Cooper was locked up, waiting for the lawyers to work out a plea deal. No one was disputing the fact that he did it, just his reasoning and competency. Abby Cooper had decided to wait until after the sentencing to decide about the divorce. Callie quietly slipped over to see her a couple of nights a week. Callie's face healed quickly, but the dreams came back with a vengeance. Most of the dreams were about Greg, which didn't surprise her. With Davis safely in jail she never had the dream about the soldiers again, and it convinced her that she was right all along about him killing innocents in the war. The fact that she was so sure that the scene in her dreams had played out in reality, worried her. Callie had always refused to believe in any kind of psychic phenomenon, for the same reasons she refused to believe in God. Things that were real were things that could be seen or touched. That didn't include omnipotent creators that old people made up to scare children and ease their own fears of death. And it didn't include dreaming about events that she couldn't possibly be aware of, and still wasn't. But something told her that what she saw in her dream was real, that somewhere a girl had been raped and died at the hands of Davis and his men. She hoped he would rot in jail forever.

  The end of April arrived. Callie started thinking about graduation, and what would come next. Despite all the drama of the last few weeks, possibly because of it, she realized leaving had become less important to her. But her application had been accepted and she was signed up for a dorm. The whole idea was beginning to overwhelm her and she shared that with her friend.

  "Jenny, what do you say we run to the Cities this weekend. I have to start checking it out or I'm going to be lost down there. We can stay overnight in a motel, my treat." The redhead looked at Callie, wide eyed.

  "Seriously? That would be so cool. The biggest town I've ever been to is Saint Cloud."

  "Jenny, how is that possible? The Cities are three hours away, we're twenty miles from the interstate and it takes you right downtown. I've been there a lot, my Mom and I just went to the Mall of America last summer, we should have taken you along."

  "That's okay, I'll just appreciate it that much more now. Are you okay to drive around down there, I've heard it's really scary?"

  "God Jenny, you're such a hick. It's not L.A. or New York. They have a couple more lanes than we do, but you just have to keep it between the lines." They left early Saturday morning and managed to hit the worst traffic of the day. There had been an accident somewhere closer to downtown and they sat for almost an hour. Once they cleared the west end they made good time. They checked into their motel, then walked to the University grounds. Jenny was overwhelmed by the city. She walked around staring up continually, fascinated by any building over three stories tall. Callie had to pull her around by the hand lest she walk into traffic. The day was hot, record setting for the first of May. They had a map that Callie had printed from the University's website, and used it to explore. "Jenny, come on. You're like a little kid at Disney, it's ridiculous."

  "Jesus Callie, you're g
oing to do such amazing things here, I can feel it. You should go into politics, you could be a senator, you could be the first woman president."

  "Not likely. I wouldn't sign up for that shit. I still like Art, but I don't think I can find a job unless I wanted to teach. Can you imagine me with a room full of kids? I have to start figuring that stuff out. I'll probably end up back home, running that stupid hardware store."

  "No, you won't Callie, you're meant for bigger things, I know it. I'll be the one working at the hardware, if your parents would even hire me. I think after high school I'm going to apply at Walmart. It's kind of a sucky job, but I guess they're paying better now."

  "You could go to school right there in town, Jenny. Two years is better than nothing, or do the Vo-tech thing."

  "Yeah, maybe." She gave Callie an odd look. "Depends on a lot of stuff, I guess." They spent the day, wandering from building to building. Callie didn't want to admit that she was scared by the size of the place. She had no idea where they were most of the time, and they lost their way more than once, wandering between buildings, trying to figure out which ones she might be going to classes in. There were people everywhere. People like neither of them had seen at home. People of every color, and presumably religion. Two women walked by with their heads covered by scarves even though it was nearly ninety degrees. They sat on a bench for a while, people watching. A group of black men walked by, speaking a language neither of them could identify. Callie looked at Jenny, raising an eyebrow.

  "Holy shit Dorothy, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Jenny giggled.