Caleb
The girl was talking on her phone to a guy named Maurice. She had run away. It didn’t make any sense to me, but I didn’t ask about it. My head was too dizzy, my body tired from crying over Amber.
I looked at the girl for what seemed to be the first time.
She had dark black hair a few inches down her shoulder. Not as long as Amber’s.
Her tiny frame held an air of confidence I had never seen before. Not even on Amber.
Her pale white skin looked like she never got out of the house. I wonder if this is why she had run away.
But what I couldn’t grasp my mind on was why she was wearing a miniskirt at the end of November.
But I wasn’t going to ask that either.
A black car pulled up to us with the flags of the king on the windows. That is one dedicated political family. But if her house was in the neighborhood, why did we need to drive to it?
I got in the car, and saw a thin-faced man with a trim suit, and gray eyes the color of steel and CD's.
“Your mother will be most displeased”,was the first thing he said to her. When he saw me get in the car, he immediately asked, in a voice that would chill my father to his bones, “Who is this boy? Is this why you have been running away? To spend time in the company of children like him?”
“No, Maurice. And this boy needs my assistance. It is my duty after all to take care of commoners like him.”
“Your mother will be most displeased”, Maurice said again, and pressed a button on his dashboard. It lifted a partition up between him and us.
Well.
The girl turned to me. She had hazel eyes, which really were nothing like Amber’s blue eyes, but I just didn’t know why.
Well,of course, the different color. But there was something else.
I wanted to look out the window, but the flags didn’t let me see past.
The king in our small country was really just the most powerful leader of the Committee.
His vote counted double,and most of the country followed him.
I heard he had two daughters that never got out of the castle, and they were deeply influenced by imperial life. The only people who had seen them were the people of the castle, and they wouldn't be revealed until the eldest daughter's Debutante Ball.
Must suck for them.
I wondered what she meant by commoner. Was she a daughter of a Committeeman? That explains the driver and the king’s flags. The Committeemen just liked to suck up to the king so much.
“You are the daughter of a Committeeman.” I said, looking at her.
She stared at me for a moment, as if not believing I was that bright. I just shrugged at her.
She nodded.
“That kinda explains why you look so proper.”
She didn't say anything. Well then.
I went to turn and stare at the king’s emblem again but she spoke to me.
“We’re halfway to the castle.”
Wow I’ve never been to the castle. The king and the Committeemen and their families lived in there. I grew excited all of a sudden, but then remembered why I was going to castle in the first place.
Amber.
I slumped back in my seat. She was everything to me.
The reason I woke up was to see Amber. Talk to Amber,be with Amber.
I got good grades not only to please my family but to please her, because she said if this relationship were going anywhere I would need a solid education and a steady job.
She had lied. She knew the relationship wasn’t going to go anywhere, because she had been secretly meeting with motorcycle boy behind my back.
When did Amber have time to see him anyway? I drove her to school. I dropped her back home. I drove her to her horseback riding lessons. To her swimming lessons. I picked her up.
Horseback riding lessons.
HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS.
That was it! That was where Amber had met her new-- my mind choked at the b-f-word. I couldn't say it yet. No, I couldn’t. I was Amber’s boyfriend. ME.
Or I was.
I had seen the motorcycle before at the stables.
I had never seen the guy, but at least now I could place in another piece of the puzzle.
I could not believe it. I was so stupid! I had been driving Amber to see this guy! It was my fault she had run away to him!
I buried my face in my hands. Was I not attentive enough? Was I a bad boyfriend? Maybe she ran to this other guy because he treated her better. This must have been it. I had been horrible to her! My poor Amber had been mistreated and I was the only one to blame for our breakup! What she had done was smart. It was her only way to escape the monster that is me.
I cried again.
I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was the girl.
She let me in her arms again.
I was a stupid, stupid fool. I had pushed Amber away from me. I didn’t spend enough time with her. I was deceitful! Horrible! I was a horrible human being!
I cried this all out to the girl. I told her everything I had been thinking these past few minutes.
She shushed me, running her hands down my back in a comforting way. Soon, instead of big fat tears, I just began to sniffle. My throat was so dry.
This girl calmed me in a way that even my mother couldn’t do.
I didn’t even know her name.
I asked for it, and she said, “Jade.”
A really pretty name for a really pretty girl.
It sounded familiar.
The car stood at a halt. We were here.
I opened the door,looking down, and I saw poufy skirts at my feet.
I looked up into the face of the queen.
