A Glimpse of Grace

Chapter 11

Clang! The locker door slammed with unnecessary force as Caleb readjusted his hold on the stack of books in his hands. Leaning back against his locker door, he watched the crowds of students flow past him, his dark, brooding eyes darting here and there. His brown, wavy locks had grown long and ruffled, and his normally tanned face had become lighter during the winter months. The dark clothing he wore reflected his desire to remain unnoticed, and he avoided making eye contact with any of the other students. Nearly three months at the new school hadn't softened his reclusive attitude, but merely toughened it.

After glancing at his watch and discovering it was nearly time for class, he slipped into the flow of people, keeping his head lowered as he drifted down the hallway towards his classroom. But taunting voices followed him all the way there, the same group of boys that had ridiculed him his first day, the scoffing boy leading them.

"Hick, don't you know tomorrow's Valentine's Day? Where's your girlfriend, or don't you have one?" they mocked him. "Poor Hickey doesn't have a girlfriend, who's going to love Hickey now?"

Caleb tried to shut them out as he sped up down the hall, clamping his jaw tightly with building anger. He just managed to steal into the classroom before he lost control of his temper, and once their jeering voices faded he felt his anger cool faintly. Claiming his usual seat in the back row, he focused his line of vision on his desk, setting the literature book on top. Class soon started, and his teacher began the discussion of the book they were currently reading. Listening half-heartedly, bored, Caleb fiddled with the shoelaces of the snoozing student in front of him. His eye twitched slightly, his power weaving the laces of the student's shoes into a single slip knot as he slumped in his chair, completely oblivious.

He hardly had any chances to use his power anymore, with Sam in Franklin, and he couldn't use them much around the house since he didn't want his uncle to know about them. So whenever the opportunity arose, he quickly seized it with great pleasure. Although he enjoyed using his power, there were times when he didn't, specifically when it wasn't voluntary. His mind drifted back to the group of bullies that had taunted him earlier. Their leader, Austin, found pleasure in making Caleb angry, as it often got him in trouble with the teachers, and Caleb hated him for it.

As he made sure the knot of the shoelaces would slip out easily with a simple tug, the teacher continued to discuss the symbolism of several different scenes in the book, gazing at each student in turn, often asking questions about the content of the book. When her eyes rested on Caleb, with his eyes lowered and his hands in his hoody pockets, she directed her next question to him, "Caleb, why do you suppose it was so important to him?"

A little startled, Caleb frantically tried to remember what she had been discussing, but he had been thinking about how angry Austin made him rather than the book. Realizing that once again, Austin had gotten him into trouble with the teachers, he felt his anger heating up. He shook his head, signaling that he didn't know the answer to her question, hoping she would just move on, but she didn't. "Do you know what we were talking about?" she asked, a hint of frustration evident in her voice. When Caleb didn't answer, she sighed and turned to the class. "How am I supposed to help you understand what this author is trying to say if you won't listen? I would advise you all to start paying attention, because there will be a quiz on this book in a few days, and I won't be reviewing beforehand."

Caleb felt tense, annoyed at her for singling him out like that, so when the teacher returned her attention to him he was not pleased. "Is there anything you'd like to add to the discussion, Caleb?" she asked pointedly.

His anger surfaced for a moment with a snarky reply. "What, you don't think you've said enough for the rest of us?"

The teacher's eyes widened in surprise, and the whole class turned to stare at him. Many of them had faces as shocked as the teacher's, but a few of them smirked at his comment, and a couple more glared. Once the teacher recovered from her surprise, her eyes hardened and she replied coolly, "That was very disrespectful, and it's earned you detention after school. Now, does anyone else have a sarcastic remark to add?" After pausing for a moment, listening to the dead silence that ensued, she nodded her head. "Good. Now, Philip, why do you suppose revenge was so important?" She picked up her discussion where she had left off, turning to another student for the answer to her earlier question.