No. 8: Adjusting

No. 8: Adjusting

Kaleigh's week had gone normal enough. She hadn't seen Brandon since that one time in the cafeteria. Truth be told, she was a bit disappointed, and slightly sad. Finally, she decided to ask Terra about him.
"Hey Terra, where's Brandon?"
"Oh! He's at school."
"He doesn't go to school here?" Kaleigh asked, sitting down next to her friend.
"Nah."
"Why not?"
She saw Terra hesitate a moment before answering.
"He says everyone here are a bunch of stuck up snobs." She answered with a roll of her eyes and a shrug of her small shoulders.
"Oh..." Kale said quietly. Not saying anything more on the subject.


Something had been bugging her for a long time now. The one major thing that she had been questioning since she had woken up from the a coma. And she finally decided to gather the courage and ask the Professor about it.
Kaleigh knocked on the Professor's door quietly.
"Come in." A voice called from behind it.
She pushed the heavy door open with her shoulder and stepped into the room.
"Oh hello Kaleigh." The Professor was sitting behind a pile of files that he had been signing. But he stopped when she walked in.
"How are you?" He asked.
Kaleigh nodded, moving farther into the room.
"I'm...adjusting. It's all still a little...strange to me."
Wallace nodded and interlaced his fingers.
"Yes I can only imagine the kind of culture shock you and your brothers are going through."
Kale nodded in agreement.
"But I imagine that's not why you are here." He went on, hinting for her to ask what she had come here to ask.
"No sir....do...do you think we could go on a walk? It's such a nice day outside right now, not to chilly or anything..." Really she was just stalling, but was glad he agreed.
"Of course." He rose from his chair and retrieved his cane. He walked up to her and motioned for her to lead the way out.

She couldn't stand the silence. It was driving her insane. The Professor led her back to the flower garden, they were walking very slow, and she was getting nervous.
"Did I do something wrong?" She spoke up finally. "Am I in trouble?"
The Professor just smiled.
"No. You looked like you needed to talk though."
"Oh..." Relief washed through her as she let out a small sigh.
They paused at a small white bench, which Wallace sat down on.
"So, what is on your mind?"
Kaleigh sighed and sat down next to him.
"Sir, is....is God real? I know, I thought he was back...there. But if he wasn't then why would you make him up? It doesn't make sense."
The Professor smiled sadly.
"Yes he is real Kaleigh. He is very much real. And that should have proven it's self to you. Why indeed would I make him up if he wasn't real? It would have pain to make up an entire religion."
The relief this time was so overwhelming that tears slid down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I should have anticipated that question. I didn't mean to let you live on in fear that he wasn't real."
"It's alright, I should have come to you sooner."
"In the future, if there is ever something that you need to ask, or talk about do not hesitate to come to me. Alright?"
Kale nodded and smiled at him.
"Thanks Professor."
He nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"Come, I have something I want to give you."
He rose once again from the bench and headed back inside.
They found his office empty, and she assumed the boys had left to go play ball in the front field.
"Here."
Wallace handed her a package wrapped in brown paper, tied with twine.
"Open it when you get home."
"Thank you." She with a meaningful smile. His green eyes danced back at her from under his spectacles.
"You are quiet welcome. I don't mean to run you out, but I have matters to attend to."
Kaleigh nodded and backed up to the door.
"Thanks again!" She cried over her shoulder as she ran out the door.
Professor Wallace chuckled lightly as she left a blur of color behind her.
Yes, they were going to be just fine.

.:+++:.

"You're awful quiet today. Are you okay?"
Cliff jumped as a hand touched his bare arm. He looked up at brown eyes glazed over with silver.
"Sorry Terra. I'm...thinking."
Terra sighed and grabbed her lunch tray, and walked over to the trashcan. Her orange dress swayed out slightly as she walked. Cliff had to laugh when he saw that she was barefoot, a gold anklet glinted in the sunlight as she walked, creating rainbows on the floor.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
She asked, walking back over to him.
He groaned and didn't feel like talking about it.
Terra listened to his groan and grinned.
"Come walk with me." She offered her hand, there was silence for a minute, until she felt something warm in her hand. Her fingers clamped down gently on his and his responded.
"Where are we going?"
"Oh just around. I need some grass between my toes."
She could hear his deep laugh from beside her and grinned. It was always nice to make someone laugh.
"Usually people say, 'I need some fresh air' not 'I need grass between my toes'."
"Yes well I'm not a usual person. And I like it that way. Come on."
Cliff gently led her towards the doors of the cafeteria.
Outside the two walked lazily around the school grounds, Terra moved her arm to link it through Cliff's. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets and smiled at her.
"So what were you thinking about?" Terra asked.
He sighed and she could tell he didn't want to talk.
"Oh come on! I don't bite! And usually it takes a lot to get secrets out of me."
He sighed, knowing she'd broken through.
"I was thinking about a story I had written a long time ago."
"A story? Oh what's it about?"
"Love, betrayal, magic,...faith."
The way he sounded when he said faith clued her in.
"Ah, faith. Is there something else you need to talk about?"
"Uh..." He let out a sigh and his steps slowed 'til they stopped. They were out in the front field, the wind blowing her skirt around her legs.
Pulling her arm out of his, she plopped down on the ground and patted the ground next to her.
"Let it out. I'm really good at listening."
Cliff let out another sigh before joining her on the ground.
"It's complicated."
"Huh. That's what everyone says."
Cliff chuckled and looked up at the bright blue sky with it's white fluffy clouds. It might be autumn but today was one of those rare days that the sky actually showed it's colors.
"I'm just not sure who I am at the moment. I use to write all the time."
"Well what changed? Why don't you anymore? I think it would be a good hobby...if possible, you know, for me." She laughed.
Cliff nodded silently.
"A lot changed actually. I found out I wasn't really...who I thought I was."
"So...you don't want to write anymore because you think it's that other person's hobby, not yours?" She asked, reading in between the lines.
He was shocked at how well she had guessed. He wasn't even sure how to word what he felt, but how she did it, explained it perfectly.
"Yeah...that's exactly it."
"Hmm...well why don't you try writing again? To see if that really is the gift God gave you, and then decide whether you should throw it away or not?"
"And this is why people depend on God to send the right people into your life." Cliff muttered.
"Thanks Terra. You're awesome!" He gave her a side huge and rose from his spot next to her.
"Oh...I had a question...?" He said, turning back to her.
"Yeah?"
"How do you....how do you get around as if you can see?"
Terra grinned.
"I spent my whole first two weeks walking around every nook and cranny of the school, using my fingers to memorize all the walls and stuff."
"Whoa...and you remember it all?"
"Yep. Except for when they rearrange."
They both shared a laugh before he said bye a second time.
"Let me know when you start writing, so you can read it out loud to me."
Cliff laughed.
"Yeah I'll do that!"

Venn watched the two of them through the window. He couldn't believe this, and he also couldn't believe the feeling he got when he saw them together.
He shook his head and groaned.
"Get a grip Vencint." He growled at himself, hiking his backpack into a more comfortable spot on his back, he walked away. Sure he had been having piano lessons with her every Tuesday, but that didn't make her his. Cliff had just as much of a right than he did.
"Whoa! Dude!"
Venn looked up, shocked to find someone else standing in front of him.
"Sorry."
A girl with a small stature stood in front of him. She had long blond hair that swept over her small shoulder. She wore a uniform skirt, with a white button up t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows.
"Don't worry about it." She said with a smile. His green eyes sparkled as she shifted her purse on her shoulder.
"I'm the new girl, Crystal." She held out her hand with it's perfect manicure, and a single gold bracelet.
"I'm Venn. Nice to meet you. So when did you get here?"
"Oh, uh just today actually. I'm kind of lost, do you think you could show me where Mr. Alexander's class room is? I'm kind of lost. Well that's a lie, I'm hopelessly lost."
Venn laughed.
"Yeah, come on, I'll show you around."
"Awesome! Thanks so much, you're a life saver!"

.:+++:.

Kaleigh smiled as she watched her two brothers walk around the school with two really pretty girls.
"Well that was fast. We haven't even been here a week." She mumbled. At lunch, The triplets sat with Terra like usual, and Crystal joined them, she had latched onto Venn pretty tight and obviously had no intention of letting off the hook.

Finally, when Kaleigh decided to go get some fresh air, and had had enough of Crystal's high pitched giggles, she dumped her backpack at the guest house and made for the city, bundled up in a trench coat with her new favorite pink scarf.

Washington DC was the perfect place to be the subject of her creativity.
She kept her camera in her hands and hardly ever looked out of the viewfinder. Everything sparked inspiration in her. The antique looking lamp posts, the old fashion style of downtown, the old blue mailboxes, and of course the people. So many different people, going so many different places. They hardly noticed her standing in middle of the sidewalk just watching them walk by like she was hypnotized by the buzz around her.
Her viewfinder finally stopped on a couple walking by. She took a picture from a low angle, focusing on their intertwined hands.
Kaleigh jumped up and continued walking on before they saw her. Not really wanting to answer questions, or get on the couple's bad side.
But in the process of trying to get away, she rammed into someone head on.
"Oh! Oh my goodness I am so sorry! I didn't see you...." She had moved away from the person and met a pair of dark, dark eyes. Eyes she recognized but still couldn't figure out where from.
"You...again." She said with a slight smile. "We keep meeting like this. It's kind of embarrassing." She admitted.
The boy laughed and nodded.
"Yeah it is. So I wont go making a habit out of it."
"Right. So I never caught your name."
"I never gave it."
Kaleigh cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Oh, so you can get a girls name maybe a phone number, but she's not allowed to get yours huh? Is that how it works here?"
He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands deeper into his jean pockets.
"Well not all the time, but usually that's how it works, here. No idea how things work where you're from but..." He muttered under his breath. Kale was confused, and it showed. Was this guy assuming she was from out of state or something? Or did he actually know...?
You're paranoid Kaleigh. Get over yourself. She grumbled to herself.
“Right, so...what does a girl have to do to get your name?” Kale asked, rocking back and forth slightly out of nerves.
He sighed and looked up at the sky thoughtfully.
“I don’t know, no girl has ever asked me that question, because usually no girl ever wants to get to know me. But then, you’re not like other girls are you?”
He had leaned in into her ear to whisper to her. When his warm breath crossed her neck a shiver ran down her spine.
He knew.
He knew, and there was no doubt about it. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart pumped faster in her chest. Fear shot through her core. What did this guy want? Why was he here again? And how did he know? The triplets hadn’t told anyone! No one knew except for those scientists down stairs that kept checking on them constantly, and the Professor.
Him being so close also wasn’t helping her. His body seemed cold, his eyes seemed cold, everything about him seemed cold. Yet somehow through some weird and abstract way, he was intriguing. Something about him caught her interest. She had no clue what, but it wouldn‘t let her go. Making her want to know more about him. Yet the other side of her said ’no way! he’s a bad idea! steer clear!’

All of her emotions collided and formed fear, something so strong that electricity sparked through her body, from her core out into her toes and the tips of her fingers.
“Ouch!” The boy yelped, jumping away from her, cradling his left arm against his chest. He looked at her in shock, in away that made her feel like some kind of freak show.
“Hey!”
Kaleigh turned towards the shout and let out a deep sigh of relief to see a familiar face.
Brandon shifted his backpack slightly, and looked her in the eye. His stormy blue eyes captivating her in a way the stranger’s could never even hope to do.
He wasn’t looking at the stranger, he was looking at her.
“Is this guy bothering you?” He asked, worry plain in his tone, but also it was accompanied with a fierce protective instinct. And she knew that if she said yes, he would make the stranger go away.
Thank you Lord. Thank you! She prayed, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
“Actually he was just leaving.” Kale stated, looking the stranger in the eye. For some reason she couldn’t help but compare Brandon’s eyes to his. Brandon’s eyes were warm, welcoming, and safe. The strangers were dark, unpredictable, and dangerous.
Annoyance flashed in his eyes for a moment before his head bowed.
“Yeah. I’ll see you around Kaleigh.”
Kale didn’t move as he walked by her, glared at Brandon, then left in the crowd.
There was a moment of silence as they made sure he was gone.
“So who was that?” Brandon asked, walking up to her. She shrugged.
“No clue, actually. And thanks, by the way. I’m glad you came when you did.”
“Yeah...I guess it’s nice to be someone’s knight in shinning armor.” He muttered. Kaleigh chuckled and shook her head.
“Well you look starving. I take it you haven’t eaten dinner.” He suddenly blurted out.
She looked up at him, wide eyed.
“Uh...no I haven’t. Is it that late already?” She asked.
He nodded.
“Yup. Now I hope you like McDonalds, because that’s all my paycheck can afford at the moment.” He stated, taking off down the street. Leaving Kaleigh no choice but to follow.
“Wait, so where do you work?” She asked, for lack of a conversation topic.
“Uh...a local art store down the street from my school.” He answered, slowing down a bit so she wasn’t panting.
“Oh, that’s neat. Speaking of which, why don’t you go to Terra’s school?” She wondered.
“Uh, because Terra happens to be the heiress to a long and well financed line of hotels. And I work double shifts down at the art shop.” He stated as he crossed the street.
“Oh...” She suddenly realized how stupid she sounded. Her school was a prep school. “right...it’s full of snobby rich kids.” Kaleigh muttered. Her heart suddenly broken. Oddly.
Brandon glanced back at her, the angle caused his hair to catch in the wind and blow around his face. He hadn’t gelled his hair that morning, making Kaleigh realize how long it actually was. But she didn’t mind it.
“Well...you, your brothers and Terra excluded.” He added. Not wanting to hurt her feelings. She caught on and smiled.
“It’s fine. I know what you mean. And I actually probably wouldn’t be able to afford that kind of school under normal circumstances.”
Brandon’s brow furled in confusion.
Kaleigh shook her head and waved away his worry.
“Forget I said that.” She said with a smile.
“Okay...” He held the door open for Kaleigh when they came to the McDonalds.
She glanced down at his hand holding open the door and smiled.
“So, what kind of ’art’ does your art shop sell?” She asked as she waltzed up to the line.
“All kinds. Seeing as the word ’art’ varies a lot. Why?” He looked at her with a cocky half grin. “You an artist?”
“Well, like you said, ’art’ varies. I’m a photographer.” She confessed, smiling at him while patting her bag.
“Oh really? Like the new digital stuff, where you can Photoshop what you don’t like or...?”
“No, I mean like, film, dark room. Got one try, that kind of photography.” She corrected. His eyebrows rose and he nodded slowly.
“That’s awesome. Not too many people do that anymore.”
“Yeah well, I like the challenge.”
The family in front of them walked away with their food and they stepped up to the counter.
“What can I get you?” The thirty year old lady asked with a cheerful smile.
Kaleigh looked to Brandon, just expecting fries or something. But he gestured for her to order what ever with his eyes.
“Uh...I’ll take...” She glanced at the menu for the first time ever in her life, even though she knew what was on it already. “a double cheeseburger and medium fries.” The lady nodded and punched in the buttons.
“And what would you like to drink?”
“Uh....” Kaleigh highly doubted they put cinnamon on their hot chocolate but she thought she might as well ask. The woman thought she was insane when she did, but she nodded.
“Um...Let me see what I can do about that.”
Kaleigh smiled her thanks and moved to the side so she could take someone elses order.
“Hot chocolate and cinnamon?” Brandon asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s one of my weird quirks. I have this sort of obsession with cinnamon.” She explained with a slightly nervous smile.
“Weird.”
“Yeah that’s what everyone says.”
Brandon laughed and picked up the tray when it was slid over to him across the counter.
Kaleigh let him lead the way to a high table at the window.
He sorted out the food and took her hand before bowing his head and saying grace.
Kaleigh flinched when another shock ran up her arm, but she did her best to ignore it.
“...Amen.”
“Amen.” She echoed quietly before pulling her hand away from his and popping a fry in her mouth.
“So, can I see some of your ‘art’?”
She looked up at him when he spoke, though couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw that he had just taken a bite from his burger and had ketchup in the corner of his mouth. Kale handed him a napkin and gestured to his mouth.
“Only if I can see some of yours.” She compromised.
Brandon gagged on his last bite and she still couldn’t help but laugh as she handed him his Coke.
“What do you mean?” He choked.
Kaleigh rolled her eyes and pointed to his fingers.
“Your fingers are stained. Probably from oil paints, and then there’s the dark mark on your thumb and pointing finger tell me you do a lot with pencils.”
His eyes were slits now, as he starred at her.
“Maybe I did an art project today.” He tossed at her. She chuckled and shook her head.
“No, the paint’s been dry for days.” Kaleigh stated, matter-of-factly.
His eyebrows rose to join his hairline.
“Okay how did you do that?” He asked after a moment of stunned silence while she blushed fiercely.
“That’s part of my job, as being a photographer I mean. I need to notice the small details, or take an ordinary thing and try to see it from a different angle, it’s just...what I do...” She muttered.
“That’s awesome.”
Whatever response she was expecting, it wasn’t that.
Kaleigh looked up at the boy across from her as he pigged out on his meal in shock.
“Really? You don’t think it’s creepy?”
He scoffed and sipped on his Coke.
“Nah, it’s just part of your talent that God gave you. Nothing creepy about that.”
Kale smiled at him before going back to her food.
He was fun to hang out with. She decided.