Tale of Life (Essence Series #2) (22 page)

They presented their collage assignments in photography class, but Calloway never displayed his, losing the points on the project. When the class bell rang, all the students placed their completed assignments into a pile and dashed from the room, welcoming the arrival of the summer holiday. Calloway rose from his chair and approached Beatrice’s desk.

“This is for you,” he said. He placed his collage on her desk, which depicted her face in various images; some where she was laughing and others when she was staring at a flower, admiring the beauty that was so similar to her own. “This is what I see.”

She grabbed the paper and stared at it for a moment. There were tears glistening in her eyes and Calloway felt horrible for making her upset—that wasn’t his intent. “Aren’t you going to turn it in?” she whispered.

“No.” He smiled. “I made that for you.”

Beatrice stared at the pictures. “I don’t know what to say…”

“Don’t say anything,” he said. Calloway knew this was the last time he would ever see her. They had no mutual friends and they weren’t going to the same college so this was it—their last moment together. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodbye, Beatrice.”

She started to cry harder when Calloway stepped away. “Goodbye.”

Calloway left the classroom without looking back, joining Breccan who was waiting for him outside. The weight of his grief was starting to take its toll on his body. Now all of his classes were finished, ending the last day of high school. He was officially a college student. The idea of never seeing Beatrice again almost made him turn around and ask for another chance, but he knew he was just being emotional—Beatrice wasn’t the right one for him. As much as he would like to make it work, he couldn’t do that knowing he was in love with someone else.

The campus looked different as he progressed down the path to the classroom building. He noted the details of the trees and the exact color of the grass, inhaling the scent through his nose. He stared at his reflection in the windows as he walked by. His entire high school career had been spent in misery but now he was sad that it was over—it didn’t make any sense.

When he walked to the classroom building, he turned to Breccan. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

Calloway entered the hallway and moved slower than he normally would, taking in the moment with silent clarity. The hall always seemed so big but now it felt smaller than it ever had, like Calloway couldn’t fit inside anymore.

When he entered Mr. Avey’s classroom he didn’t take a seat in the desk, but stood at the front of the room, admiring the last notices on the whiteboard and the empty rows of vacant chairs. He read some of his favorite novels in this classroom and stared at Beatrice’s golden hair with awe—those were good memories.

Mr. Avey rose from his desk and approached Calloway. “I suspected that you would stop by.”

Calloway nodded, too emotional to speak. He pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to him.

His teacher took the letter and opened it, reading through the lines. “There are no words to describe how thankful I am for everything you have done for me because I feel that it is impossible to express this level of gratitude.
You are the father away from home, the educator that extends beyond the classroom, and the mentor that never fades from the mind. I’ll never forget what you did for me, and not just in the academic scene, but in my personal life as well, and I want you to know that I’ll never forget about you.” Mr. Avey moved his eyes to last line of the page. “And the most important thing you taught me, advice given from the first poet—and to thine own self be true.”

Mr. Avey folded the letter and held it in his hands for a moment. The note wasn’t wordy but Calloway knew it said everything that needed to be said. It was the only way that Calloway could express his gratitude to the teacher that changed his life for the better. Without him, he wouldn’t be going to college at all—stuck working at Togo’s. Calloway didn’t even realize he was gifted until Mr. Avey told him so. For the longest time he thought he was an idiot who would never live up to anything.

“Thank you, Calloway,” he said. “But I just led you in the right direction. You are the one that walked the path alone. Teaching such an inspirational person such as you has been an honor for me. I am excited to see what your future holds.”

Calloway nodded. He realized he wouldn’t see his teacher anymore and this was the last moment he had with his greatest mentor. The knowledge filled him with despair. “I’ll miss you, Mr. Avey.”

“Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You are still going to see me every day—much to your misfortune.”

Calloway didn’t understand his meaning. He was certain he passed all of his classes—at least he hoped so. The idea of repeating senior year was too humiliating to even think about. “What do you mean?”

“I’m teaching at Fresno University in the fall,” he said. “And if English is your major, then you’ll be seeing a lot more of me.” His eyes twinkled in an amused way. He patted Calloway on the shoulder. “Don’t look too excited now.”

Calloway shook his head. “I had no idea,” he said. “That’s great. I didn’t know you taught at the college level.”

Mr. Avey shrugged. “An instructor can teach at any level,” he said. “I even taught elementary school for a few years.”

“I can’t picture it.” Calloway laughed.

“Yes, it wasn’t a good fit.” Mr. Avey smiled. “There were buggers everywhere.”

Calloway laughed uproariously and the pain that clenched his heart melted away. He was going to miss Mr. Avey the most and he was thankful that he wasn’t losing him after all. It was ironic that his teacher decided to be an instructor at the university he was attending. “I’m starting to think that you are following me.” He smiled.

Mr. Avey shrugged but didn’t reply to his comment. “Have a good summer, Calloway. I expect nothing but the best from you in the fall, so enjoy your vacation while you can.”

Calloway nodded.
“Of course, professor.”

“And if you think I’ll grade your work favorably because of our relationship, you are in for a surprise—I will grade your work on a higher scale.”

“Well, that isn’t fair.”

“Deal with it.” Mr. Avey smiled. He grabbed Calloway and hugged him tightly. “You’re a good kid.”

“And you’re a good teacher.”

“We’ll see about that.” He smiled.

Calloway grinned at him then turned away. “Have a good summer, Mr. Avey.”

“Goodbye, Calloway.”

Graduation

When Calloway handed his aunt and uncle the check, they were more than ecstatic—they were crazed.

“The principal gave this to you?” Uncle Scott asked incredulously.

“Yes.” Calloway nodded. “He said that he sends his apologies as well.”

“How did this happen?” Aunt Grace asked. “His son broke that camera months ago. Why is this coming up now?”

“Well, Beatrice came forward and told the truth—that Hawk broke it with a malicious intent,” Callow answered.

“The same girl that finally told the truth about the prom?”
Aunt Grace asked.

“The very one.”
Calloway nodded.

Uncle Scott stared at the check in his hands. “Well, I wish this entire thing hadn’t happened but I’m pleased that our funds were returned.”

Aunt Grace nodded. “Now we can buy Breccan and Calloway new outfits for graduation.”

“I can get my own,” Calloway said quickly. “I’ve been saving my money from Togo’s.”

“That’s nonsense,” Aunt Grace said. “It’s our graduation gift to you.”

Calloway shifted his weight, uncomfortable by their generosity. “You’ve already done enough,” he said quietly.

“And there is plenty more,” Uncle Scott said.

Aunt Grace took them to the mall and they picked out their outfits for the evening. Calloway found a pair of black slacks and a blue collared shirt to wear under his gown. The heat would make him slightly warm in the evening humidity, but knew it was worth the discomfort. Breccan bought the same pair of dress pants and chose a gray collared shirt.

When they returned to the house, they showered and prepared themselves for the ceremony. Calloway asked his aunt to comb his hair the way he liked, making it look presentable, and asked her to place the tie around his neck, which he still wasn’t sure how to do. It was the same one he wore to formal and prom, when he had Weston as his date. The memory of her still clenched his heart painfully.

Easton rang the doorbell and both boys sprinted down the staircase, knowing that Aunt Grace would be ready with the camera as soon as they entered the parlor. When they reached the bottom floor, Calloway was blinded by the camera light that dilated his pupils, and it made feel disoriented.

“And there will be plenty more after the ceremony.” Aunt Grace smiled. “There is no point in trying to shy away from it.”

Breccan sighed and opened the door. Easton was wearing a dark green dress with gold earrings hanging from her earlobes. She looked poised and sophisticated, and Calloway swallowed the lump in his throat when he thought of Weston, her older sister.

“You look great,” Calloway said.

Easton looked at their new outfits. “You guys aren’t too shabby either.”

“Let’s go,” Breccan said. “We are already running late as it is.”

The three of them piled into Easton vintage car and drove to the high school, which was redecorated for the graduation commencement with balloons and ribbons tied around every pole. The bleachers were already filled with family members and loved ones.

“I can’t believe this day is finally here,” Easton said.

“I know,” Calloway said. “I was so anxious for its arrival, and now that it’s finally here, I realize how much I’ll miss it.”

“I’m glad these four years of social torture are over.” Breccan laughed. “I don’t even care about the ceremony. If my mother hadn’t forced me to attend, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

They sat in the parking lot for several minutes. Easton didn’t move from the driver’s seat and she took a deep breath, seeming extremely nervous. The golden bracelet around her arm flickered in the light as she played with her hands, unable to stay still. Her legs were also shaking under her dress and Calloway caught the distressed look on her face.

“It will be over in an hour,” Calloway assured her.

Easton nodded but didn’t respond.

The ceremony didn’t make him feel nervous—he was worried about afterwards. Easton’s family was going to be in the stands, alongside Calloway’s aunt and uncle, and the impending interaction made him feel anxious. Calloway’s thoughts turned to his usual muse, Weston, and he voiced his concern. “Is she here?” he asked.

Easton nodded. “Yes,” she said. “So are my mother and her boyfriend.”

“Okay.” Calloway sighed. “After the ceremony, I’ll just meet up with Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott, staying away from you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Easton said sadly. “That’s unnecessary. My sister wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable on your night of achievement.”

“You were there,” Calloway said. “She never wants to speak to me again—
ever
. The last thing I want is to make her angrier, especially today.”

Easton sighed. “Okay.”

They left the car and grabbed their graduation gowns in the trunk then donned themselves in the robes. Easton was the only one who received a colored cord, showing her academic excellence and honorary achievement. Calloway and Breccan only had sashes that displayed the name of the high school.

After they fixed themselves up, they left the parking lot and walked to the congregation of students waiting outside the gym, forming a line before they marched onto the field and received their diplomas. Calloway tried to jog but he realized Easton couldn’t keep up in her tall heels, so he slowed his pace to let her walk astride him. When they reached the line, Easton’s face fell.

“I forgot my cap!”

“Well, go get it!” Breccan snapped.
“Hurry!”

“We’ll come with you,” Calloway said as he turned back to the car. “Let’s go.”

Breccan was stagnant for a moment but then he followed them back to the car. “You are the smartest dumb person I know!” he snapped. “You can decipher an ancient text but you can’t remember your cap?”

“You aren’t helping!” she yelled, walking quickly to the parking lot. Her heels clapped against the concrete and the sound echoed as they moved through the buildings. Easton opened the trunk when she reached the car and pulled the hat out.

“Help me get it on,” she said.

Breccan grabbed the cap and placed it over her head, tilting it to reveal her face. He pulled back the strands of hair away from her cheeks, making it curve around her cheekbones. Calloway thought the action was odd. They had never hugged before, and even when they went to the dances together they didn’t touch each other, so the unexpected proximity made Calloway suspicious. He wondered if his cousin had feelings for Easton but assumed he would have said something by now, or made a move toward Easton. But it didn’t seem like anything had happened between them. But since they argued so often, Calloway wondered if it was best that they weren’t together—they would probably fight more often.