Kara's Cross

“Kara,” Maddie whispers across the aisle. We’re in Reading, but Mrs. Summers just walked out the door and is talking to a teacher in the hallway.

“What’s up, Maddie?” I lean toward her, whispering, “Did you forget to do your homework?”

“No,” she pauses before answering, “I’m just wondering if you are mad at me or something.”

“Why do you think I’m mad at you?”

“You’ve been too busy to hang out very much lately and Logan’s always with us at lunch now. It feels like the two of us aren’t ever able to talk anymore. It just feels like you don’t want to be around me anymore.”

“No, Maddie,” I reassure, “we’re good. I promise. I’ve just been spending some time with Logan.”

A hurt look comes over Maddie’s face. “Oh. So, do you like each other? Are you going out?”

“No,” I shake my head and lean closer, “he’s been teaching me better ways to use my power and how to keep the pain from overwhelming me.”

Maddie looks relieved, but whether it’s because I’m not mad at her, because I’m learning how to keep from getting hurt, or because we’re not going out, I have no idea.

“Do you want to hang out after school today, Kara?”

“I’m sorry, Maddie, I already told Logan he could come over to my house. How about Wednesday?”

Mrs. Summers walks in the room, causing the room to go silent. Maddie and I sit up in our chairs, but Maddie gives me an enthusiastic nod before facing the front of the room.

We are supposed to have been reading for the last twenty minutes of class, but I can’t concentrate. Hanging out with Logan this last week and a half has been amazing. For the first time in my life, I am starting to feel like my power is not a curse designed to make me a freak. Logan uses his power all the time in any way he wants. I don’t really agree with everything he does, but he has shown me quite a few things I think are fine.

The bell rings and everyone gathers their materials and they head out the door. I wait for Maddie in the hallway.

“What do you think we’ll do in Math today,” Maddie asks as we begin walking.

“Probably more problems on histograms,” rolling my eyes as I answer, “talk about boring.”

“It’s not so bad,” Maddie argues, “she hasn’t given us homework all week. Come to think of it, we haven’t had homework for almost two weeks. Isn’t that weird?”

“Just doing my part to help my fellow students, Maddie. You can thank me later.”

“You told Mrs. Pickford not to give us homework?” Maddie’s jaw drops. “I can’t believe it.”

“Yep,” I nod, “all she does is give us the investigation for the day. It’s ridiculous. I’m sure everyone gets it before class is even over. It’s just a waste of time to repeat the same questions again in the Check Your Understanding problems.”

“It has been nice not having so much homework.”

“That’s not all,” I do my best game show announcer impression, “Do you remember the pop quiz in science?”

“We haven’t had any pop quizzes in science.”

“Exactly,” I acknowledge, “Mr. Carroll just “decided” to cancel it last Friday. Plus, did you notice we’ve been on the same racquetball team all week?”

“That did seem really coincidental,” Maddie admits, “you’ve done all of those things?”

I nod.

“I’ve been getting two cookies at lunch all week,” I remark proudly, “you want in on some of that dessert action? We can skip class, too. I’ll just tell the teacher we were really there and she’ll never know.”

“I don’t know, Kara, it all seems a little wrong, doesn’t it?”

“Jeez, Maddie, you’re over thinking it. These things don’t hurt anyone. It doesn’t even hurt as much for me to use my power anymore. I’m just making life a little nicer for all of us. I have guidelines anyway.”

“Guidelines,” Maddie cocks her head, “didn’t you say Logan had guidelines he used? Is this what you’ve been doing for the last two weeks? Learning how to make people do what you want from Logan?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Maddie, I’m not hurting anyone.”

“Kara,” Maddie stops us at the door to our Math class, “doesn’t the fact you have to give yourself guidelines mean you are probably doing something you shouldn’t be?”

Maddie turns and begins walking into the classroom.

I can’t believe this. I try to be nice and include her and this is how she reacts?

“Sounds like you’re just jealous,” I call after her, “you’re so selfish.”

She stops and turns around in front of me, an angry look on her face.

“Kara,” she begins, filling the word with anger, but nothing follows.

The anger in her face softens and her eyes moisten. She looks down slightly and turns toward her desk.

“Kara,” it comes out almost too soft for me to hear, “I don’t think I want to be around you for a while. At least not until you come to your senses.”

I’m shocked. I thought she was my friend. I look around at the handful of students already in class and they are just staring at us in silence.

“Guess there’s been some trouble in freaksville,” Arabella’s voice mocks as she walks by me and finds her seat, “it’s so sad to see the less fortunate in life going through such hardship.”

Arabella walks up the aisle toward her desk, but stops beside Maddie and signals her to lean. Arabella leans in and whispers something into Maddie’s ear, then stands back up and continues to her desk, laughing to herself.

Maddie looks up at me, eyes still moist with tears, angrier than before. She is looking at me with hatred in her eyes. I walk over to my desk and sit down. I need to tell her sorry; I just hope it’s not too late.

“Maddie,” I turn to face her, giving her my best smile.

“Don’t you talk to me, not now, or ever again,” Maddie’s words come out venomously, as tears stream down her face, “I am not a white trash, loser, freak and I am so sorry I’ve been holding you back all this time. Well, now you’re free from me forever!”

I’m speechless. What just happened? The room is silent except for Maddie’s quiet sobbing and laughter coming from the back of the room. I look around to see Arabella and her gang having a laughing fit. She must have lied to Maddie.

“Maddie,” Mrs. Pickford’s voice startles me, “are you okay?”

Maddie takes a couple of deep breaths and wipes her eyes.

“Yes, Mrs. Pickford. I’ll be okay, now, thanks.”

“If you’re sure,” Mrs. Pickford pauses, waiting for Maddie’s nod. “Okay. Class, get out your math books and turn to page 78. We’re going to continue with investigation 3 and describing the distribution of a histogram.”

**********

“I kept trying to talk to her all day today,” I explain to Logan, “but she just ignored me. I don’t even know where she was at lunchtime.”

“It sounds like whether Arabella did anything to her or not, she was not really happy with you, Kara.”

“I know. That’s what’s bothering me the most. It always seemed like we had the same thoughts and views,” I explain, “we both were outsiders and just wanted to find a way to fit in with everyone else. It was never fair to call me a freak. Now, I can actually make life a little one-sided and she has a problem with it. I was even willing to let her be a part of it all.”

“It’s not a world she understands,” Logan reasons, “and people are afraid of things they don’t understand. We have this power for a reason Kara. It’s a gift. It makes more sense to use this gift than to let it go to waste.”

“You’re right,” nodding my agreement, “I just wish she could have understood. I really like Maddie.”

“If you guys are really as close as you think, she’ll come around eventually.”

I hope so. I can’t imagine not having Maddie in my life anymore.

“Hey,” Logan claps his hands together, “let’s have an epic night tonight. We’ll go out and do every fun thing we can think of until we’re exhausted.”

“Two problems,” I warn, “my dad and my dad. First, he’s still getting to know you. He likes you, but there’s no way he’ll let you and I go anywhere together yet. Second, he wouldn’t let me go out and do whatever I wanted to even if you weren’t there.”

“Let me talk to him,” Logan asks, nodding with confidence, “I’ll persuade him to let us go and I’ll take care of everything. You just get to have the night of your life.”

I don’t really want Logan to use his power on my dad, but it sounds like a lot of fun. It’s not as if he needs to worry about me anyway, between Logan and myself, we can take care of anything that could possibly go wrong. Dad’ll never even have to know I was gone.

“Okay,” I agree, “I want you to tell him I have a headache and you are going home and I am going to bed for the night. Also, tell him my headache won’t get any better unless I am not disturbed all night. That should work, right?”

“Sounds better than what I would have come up with,” he smiles and gets up on his feet, “I’ll go talk to him while you get ready to go.”

Logan walks toward the living room and I go up to my room to change. I have no idea what we’re going to do, but I can’t wait to get started. I haven’t been this excited in a long time. I put on my favorite blouse and my green skirt. If only Maddie would have been more reasonable, she could have come, too. It would have been more fun, especially if she and Mason both came along. Well, I’m not the one who made things weird. It’s her own fault she’s not coming tonight.

I grab a jacket on the way out and follow Logan out of the door. Looking back, the guilt of lying to my Dad eats at me briefly, but he won’t ever know, so I decide to let it go. I walk ahead, eager to see what we’re going to do tonight. I’m at the end of the driveway before I realize we have no way of getting anywhere.

“There aren’t too many fun options within walking distance,” I warn, “what’s the plan?”

“I called a taxi after I talked to your dad,” he smiles, “it’s meeting us up at the corner.”

“Taxis are expensive, Logan, you’re not planning to take up his time for free are you?”

“Don’t worry,” he reassures, “I’ll make sure he gets enough to cover his gas. Relax, Kara, this is supposed to be fun. No one will be worse off because of us tonight, I promise, but if you don’t want to come, you can still go home and sleep off your headache.”

He’s right. I need to decide. I can’t second guess everything if I am going to do this tonight.

“Let’s go, then,” I challenge as I run ahead toward the corner, “last one to the corner pays for everything.”

I always pictured myself as a fast runner, but as soon as I challenge him, Logan starts to catch up. If I hadn’t surprised him with a head start, he would definitely have won. Even now, I’m not sure I’m going to stay ahead much longer. I reach the corner about a half of a second before Logan. That was close. I don’t know how much fun we could have had with two dollars and eighty cents. We could have circled the block with the taxi a couple of times, but that’s about it.

“I beat you,” I manage to get the words out between deep breaths, “the night’s on you.”

“I was going to pay anyway,” he smirks, “it was my idea. You just seemed like you wanted to earn it, so I let you. You are pretty fast, though, I’m impressed.”

I don’t feel fast anymore. He almost caught me right away and he’s not even breathing heavy.

“Thanks, I suppose,” I look up the street, “now where’s this taxi of yours.”