Kota lead the way down the narrow hall. From that moment on, it was a shuffle and I forgot to look at faces or watch for secret handshakes or whatever the Academy did.
Even in the back, there was a line and people shuffling along. To me, it looked like chaos, and I scooted close to Kota, staying at his back, peeking around his shoulder at the crowd.
We ended up in a moving line and I wasn’t even sure where we were headed until we got close to the kitchen and I started to smell the food. My cheek was pressed to Kota’s shoulder, and Nathan was standing right behind me. Without them, I probably would have fainted from nerves.
The line moved slowly, but steadily. Soon, we were standing just inside the doorway to the kitchen. There were two lines of people standing around the large silver table in the middle. Now, under the bright florescent lights, I was able to recognize the others: waiters, waitresses, dishwashers and others employees of the diner.
Behind the silver table was Uncle, along with a couple more of the diner chefs. He had on a plain blue button up shirt, although the buttons were open, revealing a T-shirt underneath. The kitchen was warm, so I imagined he was working up a sweat as he worked.
As people got closer to the silver table, they picked up one of the large cardboard boxes from a stack. They went down the line, stopping in front of each chef’s station.
Each box received a small, already cooked and wrapped turkey and ham at the bottom: the largest items. On top, containers of vegetables, breads and desserts were piled in, along with napkins, plastic cutlery and paper plates. Every container was made of disposable materials.
I was shuffled into the line, and given my own box to hold. Uncle was in charge of the turkeys. He kept the rhythm, moving us along and encouraging the others to keep up—an important job with all the food that needed to go out.
Kota went first and Uncle dropped a turkey container into his box. Uncle seemed to be so absorbed in what he was doing, that he didn’t say anything to Kota at all. He was just another face who passed by.
However, when I went next, holding my box open, Uncle looked up at me and offered me a frenzied smile. “Good morning, little bird,” he said. “About time you joined us today.”
My smile wobbled. I’d had no idea I was even going to be here until ten minutes ago.
But he winked at me, so maybe he was joking.
As I made my way down the line, receiving the rest of the items, I was unsure what I was supposed to do after I filled the box. Was I supposed to buy it? Would I have to carry it back to the house to put it in one of the cars?
Kota went through the line and paused to wait for me and Nathan. Grateful, I shuffled in behind him. We threaded our way back down the hall, except this time, Kota turned and pushed through the swinging door of the main dining room.
My heart beat rapidly. Though my arms were quickly getting tired, I held the box close to my body, the bottom starting to warm with the hot turkey and ham. I held it like a shield, as if they would only see the box, and not me behind it.
The large dining area had changed. The usual tables and booths had been moved to the far sides of the room. There was a line to the counter. Some people had gathered near the stage off to the side, near the jukebox that was playing holiday music, talking and watching the line.
North was at the counter. He wore a black button up shirt and dark jeans. He was talking with someone as he counted cash and put it into a cash box next to him.
Victor stood beside him, dashing in his black slacks and white shirt, but this time, he wore a red tie. His wavy hair was brushed back away from his face and his fire eyes were simmering, friendly. He was jotting down things in a notebook as North spoke to him—taking notes or keeping tallies.
Dr. Green was there, too, wearing tan slacks and a green button up shirt and a yellow tie. His hair was a little messy, the light curls to his sandy blond hair occasionally flying into his face as he moved. He took boxes from people coming up, placed them in sets of two or four or six, and handed them off to the people on the other side of the counter.
He was here! It was a relief to see him. I wanted to talk to him, but with the flurry of activity, I was so distracted.
Luke and Gabriel stood by in front of the counter, but I only saw them for a moment, before they both picked up boxes and joined other groups in carrying them out.
I scanned the crowd, seeking out other familiar faces. Silas walked in with a group of young kids, leading them to the spot in front of the stage where there were other kids playing with trucks and Legos.
Silas sat down with them and seemed to be playing with them. Was he babysitting while parents got what they needed?
Finally, I noticed Mr. Blackbourne standing by the main door. Last night seemed like almost a dream now. He was in a fresh suit, the usual gray and maroon tie. His hair was perfection. His eyes showed no signs that he was tired at all. He greeted people as they entered and directed them to the lines.
It was controlled chaos. They were all working together to get the job done. Should I have expected any less from people who belonged to the Academy?
I didn’t dare look at anyone’s face, worried they might know I wasn’t really a part of the group yet. Did they all know each other?
Kota put his box on the counter. I put mine next to his and stopped, watching. Most people handed off their boxes and then went back into the kitchen again, presumably to make up more.
But instead of going back, I lingered, slowly shifting to stand next to Victor.
Victor wrote something in his notebook and then quietly looked up, smiling when he saw me. “Good morning, Princess,” he said.
I’d seen him throughout the week, but like always, when I hadn’t seen one of them alone in a while, I missed him dearly. It was too loud and busy to tell him, so I settled for a smile and reached for his hand.
He seemed to understand and grasped mine, his thumb tracing the back of my hand. “I can’t take a break,” he said. “North will—”
“Hey,” North said gruffly. “Keep up, will you? Twenty-seven fifty.”
Victor grimaced, squeezed my hand once, and then let go, returning his focus to his notes.
I retreated and found Kota standing nearby, waiting for me.
I smiled at him and clasped my hands behind my back, feeling out of place, yet strangely…happy, even with the big crowd of people rushing around. I didn’t understand my feelings at all.
Kota curled his fingers at me, encouraging me to follow him. When I got close, he put an arm around my shoulders, drawing me back to the line that lead into the kitchen. “Stay near me,” he said quietly. “Don’t be nervous. It’s easier if you just keep going. Carry boxes to Dr. Green. If we get separated, and you need a break, just come find me.”
I was nervous, but found comfort in the simplicity of the task: collecting a box, getting it loaded, and giving it to Dr. Green. As long as I was moving forward, it felt like I was blending in, part of a team, of something much, much bigger.
GIVING
It was almost noon before the line from the door thinned. I didn’t know if all of them were in the Academy—there were so many. Kota later told me that they were work mates or friends, who had heard of this special event, and decided to take part.
I’d just carried another box to the counter and was wiping the thin film of sweat from my forehead when I felt a gentle touch on my elbow.
I turned, surprised to see Dr. Green. He’d loosened his yellow tie, but was now putting it back into place. “Looks like the crowds have gone. Ready for a break?”
I smiled, hesitating. I hadn’t spoken to him since his incident with the school. I felt horrible about it, and I wanted to say something, but wasn’t going to when there were other people around. Things wouldn’t be right between us until I could apologize for being part of the reason behind him being accused.
He didn’t seem to notice my hesitation. He side-stepped to stand next to me, put his arm around my shoulders and then walk
ed with me toward the front door.
I cringed, wanting to be comfortable, but aware that people would look at us and know what had happened. Even if I hadn’t been the cause, which I wasn’t sure of yet, I strongly suspected, simply because no one had said anything to me. I’d kissed Dr. Green. Someone who didn’t know us, know the real us, might have tattled and caused the trouble. Rather, he’d gotten into trouble, and for whatever reason, I hadn’t even been asked what had happened. I’d been grateful that hadn’t been, but at the same time, wished I could have defended him.
I got the feeling that Mr. Blackbourne might have prevented anyone from speaking to me about it.
Right now, with his arm around me, I wished we could be alone. It was a shame that he’d started out as my teacher, even a fake one. He shouldn’t even be a teacher at his age, only nineteen? He should be starting college, still a student himself.
But that’s not how it appeared from the outside. If someone at school had spotted us kissing, all they saw was a teacher and a student. Just like if someone knew I slept in the same bed as the other boys, they would see what they wanted to see, and not the circumstances behind it or the truth.
I was considering this thought when Dr. Green paused in the hallway as we headed to the front door.
I looked up to see Mr. Blackbourne holding the door open. The buttons of his gray jacket were in place, and he looked just as handsome and as perfect as earlier. The rush hadn’t fazed him. “Is it time?” he asked Dr. Green quietly.
“There’s not much left. We might have underestimated the turnout a bit,” Dr. Green said, picking up the pace again, removing his arm from my shoulders. “I thought she could go with us ahead of the others.”
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Mr. Blackbourne’s steel eyes took in the clothes I wore. The millimeter smile appeared, a relaxed one that gave me some insight into his feeling. He was excited, happy. It was a side of him that was mostly unfamiliar to me, and yet it drew me to him. “Has no one told you?”
“No one has told me anything about what would happen today,” I said with a small smile in return. “I’m starting to suspect it’s on purpose.”
“Well then,” Dr. Green said, nudging me toward the door and then walking around me to get ahead. “Let’s not tell her, Owen. It’ll be a great surprise.”
Mr. Blackbourne inclined his head slowly. “In this case, you might be right.”
Had they just agreed on something? I sighed to myself, resigned that this mystery was going to continue for a while. They seemed to delight in surprising me.
I followed Dr. Green out and toward Mr. Blackbourne’s BMW, parked in the back of the lot. Once we were close, Dr. Green moved ahead, opening the front passenger door and holding it open for me.
I suspected I would be overruled if I suggested he should take the front seat, so I kept quiet. Just before I got in, Dr. Green brushed his fingertips against my forearm. I paused, looking at him. He smiled, returning my gaze.
We shared a moment. I silently asked him if there was something wrong. Or was he just being sweet?
His gaze was steady, and then he broke the connection and waved his fingers, encouraging me to get in. I wondered if he was just excited to get me to see this surprise. I sat down, and he closed the door.
Mr. Blackbourne was already behind the wheel. I buckled up as Dr. Green got in behind me and Mr. Blackbourne started up the car.
When he backed up, something shifted in the trunk of his car. I looked back, beyond Dr. Green, as if I could see what was in there.
Mr. Blackbourne used the rearview mirror to look at Dr. Green. “Are you sure it’s secure back there?”
“It’s just settling,” Dr. Green said. “It won’t hurt anything if it shifts.”
Mr. Blackbourne opened his mouth, possibly for a retort, but he changed his mind and drove forward.
Dr. Green clapped his hands together, and rubbed them. “I think that was quite the success. And she was visible through the whole thing. What a great idea.”
“Who?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
Dr. Green’s bright eyes danced. His smile grew bigger. He nudged my shoulder. “You, of course.”
“You’re due to be introduced to the Academy, soon,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “However, at this point, we’ve taken the initiative. You involved yourself in the proceedings today. You’ve shown you’re capable to take direction and jump into the fray of helping others without much prodding. You kept a good attitude throughout the whole thing and worked tirelessly. Those are several fine qualities the Academy looks for in a recruit.”
Had this been a test? My breath caught in my throat, my hands clutching the material of my skirt. I went over every move I’d made back in the diner. Had they all known who I was? That I didn’t belong? “I...I didn’t know,” I said quietly.
“Kind of the point,” Dr. Green said with a lopsided smile. He reached forward, his hand molding to my shoulder and massaging gently through the jacket. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You did beautifully.”
I wasn’t so sure. I had simply been doing what others told me to do. It couldn’t have been that impressive, but I worked as quickly as I could and got the hang of it. “Is that what this next part is?” I asked.
“No,” Mr. Blackbourne said before Dr. Green could respond. “This is what our family does on Thanksgiving.”
“Oh,” I said quietly, the touch of a happy smile spreading across my face. Our family.
I relaxed in the seat as Dr. Green talked with Mr. Blackbourne about the weather and the surprising lack of traffic for the holiday. I dazed out for a good portion of the drive. After being around so many other people, I was grateful for the moment of quiet.
Part of me suspected we would be going to Dr. Green’s place. Maybe we’d gather at Victor’s house, where there was more room. Would his parents be there?
When Mr. Blackbourne’s car shook and bounced a little going over a railroad crossing, I finally sat up, surprised to find us in a desolate part of town on a narrow, pothole-riddled road. Trees lined either side and there was no hint as to our location or what lay ahead.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“North Charleston,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“The southern bit,” Dr. Green added. “Away from the highway. A quieter area.”
My first thought was we were heading toward Gabriel’s house, which was a small trailer. The route wasn’t familiar to me, though. My second guess was that this was the way to Mr. Blackbourne’s house. His was the only house I wasn’t familiar with, and it seemed likely he would pick a location more isolated and away from people, especially if he was doing secret work for the Academy.
My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing his private residence, but I looked out the window so they wouldn’t notice my sudden nerves.
I watched, waiting for something notable to appear, but it was a few miles of more trees along the road before there was an end to the forest. Ahead of us were several roads, each one leading to a tidy, yet poor-appearing neighborhood, with small, older homes.
At least, I thought the areas were poor. Mr. Blackbourne pulled onto a long road leading into a cul-de-sac, with at least twenty homes along the street. The homes had old wooden porches, small yards, and cracked sidewalks. The homes were mostly single story, with wood siding, in styles I’d seen in other run-down areas around North Charleston.
The differences, however, grew more apparent the longer I studied the neighborhood. The paint seemed new on each house, each one a clean blue, green or yellow, with one pink one toward the end. The yards were all patchworks of gardens, each with a winter crop starting to bud, lettuce leaves sprouting, and a small section where potato plants grew out of stacks of crates. Two yards were filled with toys, and the grass was well worn, showing the dirt and sand underneath.
Yet despite the signs that they were lived-in, the yards were empty of people, the houses were quiet and still.
But then
I noticed at the end of the street, in the circle there was a small group of people. They were standing beside a collection of folded tables and chairs that were stacked on a hand-pulled trolley. A man and woman were talking and pointing to the street, as if to decide where to put the tables.
Mr. Blackbourne pulled into the driveway of one of the blue homes, just behind a car under a carport.
“Oh good,” Dr. Green said. “They haven’t gotten too far along.”
My tongue brushed up against the back of my teeth. I was ready with a load of questions. I swallowed them, and told myself I’d just observe. They said this wasn’t some Academy thing, that it was a family event. For some reason, I pictured it would be just us somehow.
Perhaps this is was one of their managed neighborhoods.
Did they manage this one themselves?
Dr. Green opened my door. The air was warm, with a cool, gentle breeze and very wispy clouds overhead. Dr. Green waited me for me to step away from the car and then closed the door behind me.
Mr. Blackbourne had started walking down the driveway. He stopped after a few steps and turned, looking back at me. Casually, he reached back and motioned for me to hurry along, his hand out for mine.
The few steps I took to reach him seemed a moment frozen in time, taking an eon to get to him. I glanced back once at Dr. Green. I anticipated jealousy and uncomfortable silences, much like what had been between Kota and Nathan earlier. The expectation of a quiet battle prickled my skin, dampening my excitement.
But it didn’t happen. When I got close enough to Mr. Blackbourne, I placed my hand in his. His cool, smooth hand encircled mine and he held on, palm to palm, patiently allowing me to set the pace as we walked.
With my hand in his and watching the people milling around, I stumbled a little, not noticing an uneven piece of sidewalk. I inadvertently tugged on his hand as my other hand went out, grabbing Dr. Green’s elbow for support.
Mr. Blackbourne paused to allow me to steady myself. Dr. Green bent his elbow, capturing my hand and covering it with his own.