In the Forest of Light and Dark (23 page)

     “What-the-hell are you talking about?” I asked her while I sucked in air from my crouched down position on my knees. But there was a part of me that understood what she was talking about. I did feel like I did do it. Then, at that moment I thought of being out on my balcony last week when that terrible storm had hit. The one that had broken all the windows on the back side of my house. But I quickly let the thought drift away saying, “Weather changes rapidly all the time on mountains.”  Katelyn just stared back at me and then replied, “I don’t think the mountain had anything to do with this, Cera. Your emotions did, though.”
     I then watched as Katelyn wrung her hair through her hands taking out the excess water before griping at me again, “Ugh, I’m soaking wet now because of you—thanks to your little tantrum.” She had looked completely soured and miserable, so I couldn’t help myself but begin to laugh at her, at the sight of her so uptight with her eye shadow running down her cheeks. She looked so abject, like a puppy who had just figured out that he was about to get neutered.
     The clouds had shut off the tap just as quickly as they had opened them, and the sunshine began pouring through fleeting haze causing a rainbow to appear over the forest canopy.
     Katelyn and I then went to work on wringing out the excess water from our clothes before basking in the much welcomed sun’s warmth. That was when I got to feeling a little silly or even a bit embarrassed over my outburst. But seeing Katelyn drenched like that, her normally super-cool demeanor humbled, had made it all worth it. That is, of course, given the fact that I had anything to do with the sudden shower in the first place like she believed I did, but who knows what’s what.
     A little further down we had crossed via the narrow footbridge that spans the river in an arc. We had chosen to use the bridge over the downed oak because the recent downpour had raised the water level of the river up to a point where we just didn’t think it would be safe—if at all possible—to cross any longer.
     After making it home. We snuck into the backyard and had entered through the kitchen. Once inside we saw that my Step Daddy Cade was at the kitchen table nursing a beer while reading a Swap Sheet. He took one look at the two of us and said, “Y’all ain’t got no school today or somethin’ or, did y’all take swim class with your clothes on?”
     “No, we had school today.” I said trying to slip past him without making any eye contact. “We just got caught out in the storm on our way home is all.”
     “Storm, eh… I didn’t see no storm. Now you girls take yourselves upstairs and get dried off. Your mama is gonna be madder than a wet hen if she comes home and sees you’ve been drippin’ all over the carpets.”
     Katelyn and I did as my step daddy had asked and went upstairs to my room. While I headed straight to my bathroom to get changed into something dry I told Katelyn to pick out something from my closet for her to wear, and I would throw her clothes in the dryer in the meantime.
     As I was busy getting changed, Katelyn said to me, “So, that Savannah, she’s kind of a weird one, isn’t she?” and I replied back to her through the cracked bathroom door. “Kinda weird like dressing Goth and tellin’ people that you’re a witch weird, or…”
     “Alright, alright… I get it.” Katelyn protested having suddenly realized how she sounded, and then she tried changing the subject by saying, “Hurry up in there. We’ve got to check in on our kitten.”
     When I had stepped out of the bathroom Katelyn was already dressed in some of my clothes and the sight of her caught me off guard because she was wearing one of my white cotton T-shirts and a pair of blue jeans. “Whoa, look at you.” I said completely astonished. “Lookin’ good with a little color,” I teased.
     “Shut up,” she whined at me as I could tell she was a little embarrassed and trying to nip-in-the-bud any more comments out of me. “You didn’t have anything in my style, so I had to settle for the country-bumpkin look.”
     “Well, I like it. Now all you’ll have to do is work it a little and you’ll have Jim Bob and Billy Joe all horned up into a frenzy and workin’ themselves like a dog with two peters.”
     “That’s gross.” is all Katelyn said in response and then we headed back downstairs.
     I hit the button on the wall that engaged the motor that brought up the large garage door which then allowed a generous amount of daylight to come flooding into the garage. And in doing so I could hear Casper begin to meow softly from inside his box.
     “Close the door.” I then snipped gruffly at Katelyn who still stood at the garage’s side door that entered into the kitchen. I didn’t want any of the sounds that the little kitten was making to waft up into the kitchen where my Step Daddy Cade could hear him.
     Katelyn did as I had asked and then said in a low voice, “He’s going to find out about Casper sometime. It’s not like you’re going to keep owning a cat secret from him.”
     “I know, I know.” I grumbled to her frivolously as I bent down picking up the kitten from the box and I then began stroking his white fur while holding him tight to my chest. “I just don’t know what’s the best way to tell him yet is.”
     “Best way to tell him what? That y’all been skippin’ school, stealin’ my beers, and hiddin’ cats in the garage?” My Step Daddy Cade then said, his voice seeming to boom out from behind us as he popped into the garage through the side door. “Don’t act like I don’t know whatcha y’all been doin’.” He then added while lighting up a cigarette—cupping his hands to make sure that the flame wouldn’t blow out as he spoke.
     “I… I…” I stammered.
     “I… I thought I’d get away with it, right?” he said, exhaling a bluish gray smoke that rose quickly up to the roof of the garage. “Missy, don’t try to bullshit a bullshitter.”
     I became flabbergasted and didn’t know what to say. Normally my step daddy’s so absent-minded that he could throw himself on the ground and miss, but he had me dead-to-rights. I looked at Katelyn for help, and she spoke up right away by saying, “It’s my fault, sir. I had asked Cera to skip school with me today because I was upset about something and I didn’t want to go. And, it was also me who took the beers from the refrigerator. She didn’t know until after I did it.”
     My step daddy then looked over Katelyn while pursing his lips as though he was given thought to what she had just said. “Now, you’re an even worse
liar
than she is.” He responded. “Don’t you think I know my step daughter’s behavior well-enough by now? I’m well-aware of all the shit she pulls. I’m the one who wrote the book on most of the crap she does.”
     Now it was Katelyn’s turn being speechless and she glanced over at me for help, but I still hadn’t thought of anything to say yet, and thank goodness I hadn’t, because I didn’t have to. Because, right then, my step daddy turned back to me saying, “Well, given the fact that it’s nice to see Cera here having made a new friend. I guess I could let this shit slide just this once. It’s been a tough go so far for her and her mama since we got here. And I don’t think ditchin’ a day of school to have a couple of beers down by the river is such a big deal anyways. I used to do a helluva lot worse when I was your age. I mean, what the hell does anybody expect to learn from a goddamn Yankee School anyways, how to stick your head so far up your own ass that you don’t notice the smell anymore?”
     And with that,
along with a little smirk that curled up from the sides of my step daddy’s mouth I knew my mama wasn’t going to find out about my day off. But out of curiosity though, I couldn’t help myself but ask, “How did you find out about us not being at school today?”
     At that point I had figured that the school’s attendance office may have called my step daddy’s cell phone if my mama had given them his number in case of emergencies. But, he just looked at me screw-faced and said, “Well, for starters, you left a kitten meowin’ in the garage that wasn’t there before. That kinda tipped me off right away. Then, I
saw
the two of you when y’all should’ve been in school, down by the river as I drove over the bridge on Colmack Road. You two were down by the water’s edge practically diddlin’ each other.”
    
Crap,
I thought
. I need to cover my ass better next time.
    
“Now, who do we have here?” Step Daddy Cade then said changing the subject right before he came up to me and began scratching Casper atop his head.
     “This is Casper.” I told him. “I found him in the cemetery. I think his mama might have abandoned him.”
     “Well, tell ya what. When I go down to the Walmart tomorrow, I’ll see if I can pick him up somethin’ a bit more suited for a cat than that there cardboard box. But, if ya’ll are gonna keep him. He needs to stay upstairs with you. I don’t want him downstairs scratchin’ up all the nice furniture. And, he’ll be needin’ to get all his shots.”
     I couldn’t believe what the hell had just happened! Step Daddy Cade had let me slide on skipping school, stealing beers, and hiding a kitten, and
now
he was going to let me keep it. Had aliens kidnapped him? Who the hell was this new guy? But then, as we entered back into the kitchen I caught him giving Katelyn
elevator eyes
and looking her up and down as she walked past him. So, I knew my step daddy was still in there somewhere. His new soft guy persona apparently wasn’t a case of the invasion of the body snatchers after all.
    I couldn’t really blame him for looking though. My clothes that Katelyn had on were a size too small for her, causing the blue jeans and white cotton T-shirt to cling snugly to her, accentuating her curves around her backside and perky breast. I did however give my step daddy a smack on the arm as I walked past him on my way back into the kitchen while also adding a look of disapproval and mumbling in a low tone, “Knock it off.” through my clenched teeth. But he just rolled his eyes at me as if to say,
“What?”

Gym Class Hero
 

The next day it was back to the grind for me at Mt. Harrison High. The day had started out gray and cloudy, lending a somewhat gloomy ambiance to the forest. It had made me feel depressed as I made my slow walk to school. Like the weather was somehow an omen of some sort of something bad to come. And, if it wasn’t for the half-dozen or so strays that helped to lift my spirits as they accompanied me to school, I'd probably would have considered ditching for a second day in a row, damned the consequences.
     Homeroom had gone by fairly quickly as I spent the time once again staring out the window at the squirrels, watching them dig holes in the schoolyard burying nuts for later. But then the bell hit and it was off to physics for me.
     Mr. McLaren had made his grand entrance into the room sauntering to-and-fro while looking gayer than a three dollar bill. I could tell by his demeanor that he was going to be in rare form today, like he had just gotten done taking a bump or two in one of the bathroom stalls.
     “Welcome class, happy Friday to you all.” He said while doing a frilly little gesture with his hands as if he was teaching drama class and not physics. “Miss. Singer, it’s nice to see you on time today, even though you had decided not to grace us with your presence yesterday.”
     Already in a bad mood, and now further irritated by Mr. McLaren’s smug peppiness, I said in my deepest Southern drawl, “Yeah, well… That was because I spent the whole day in my daisy dukes while leaning over the fender of our turnip truck watchin’ my step daddy install a new HEMI.” And, as soon as I had said it, I thought,
Why the hell did I just say that
? I guess at the time I just wanted to fuck with Mr. McLaren. A pre-emptive strike, for whatever derogatory comment he was going to say to me today. Or maybe I just needed someone to take my foul mood out on. Either way, screw him.
     I did manage to catch a few kids in the class laughing under their breath, but they quickly worked to hide their emotions, not wanting to show that they had thought what I had said was funny. Not wanting to like me in any way. But they still couldn’t help it though. Because I knew they probably thought of Mr. McLaren as being as much of a flamer as I did.
   Mr. McLaren ended up giving me a hard-faced look, and I sunk a little in my seat while hoping he wouldn’t say anything back to me. That he would just go on with today’s lesson. To my surprise though, a little good luck came my way for once, and he did just that, and I made it through the rest of physics class as if we had an unspoken truce.
     My good luck also continued on through the rest of my classes that led up to lunch. All having gone better than expected. But of course, I still got the typical sneers and dirty looks from a lot of my classmates, and they kept up with their whispers about me as I walked passed them in the halls. I did try my best though to listen in on them as I passed. Focusing on their lips and facial expressions so I could better make out just what it was they were saying about me and hoping that I could recapture that feeling I had the other day. The one I had when I felt like I could read other people’s thoughts, but I failed to do so.
     Fifth period was lunch for me, and I took my seat marooned at my table and hoping that Katelyn would show up before the bitches and the meatheads did, but that’s when my good luck had ended. Because at that very moment was when the assholes came cavorting into the room acting like they owned the place, and
as usual,
I turned my chair towards the windows so I didn’t have to face them. Figuring that I would just stare at the scenery, or pretend to read one of my books until Katelyn arrived.
     But they apparently had figured that I was in much more of a need of being fucked wit than of being left alone. Because, as I sat there minding my business, suddenly from out of their direction, a half-pint carton of chocolate milk came flying at me through the air. It had landed on my table just before me, exploding on impact. When it hit, it had appeared that a portion (maybe a third) of the container’s contents had been already drunk, helping what had remained left in the carton to splatter out all over me, my lunch, and my books. I tensely shrieked slamming my eyes shut tight when it had struck the table in a bovine lactate explosion. I had then felt the cold, thick liquid running down my forehead and cheeks. When I had opened my eyes, I saw it splattered all over my table, shirt, arms, and books.
     I was too stunned to speak after opening my eyes so I just looked over at the bitches table to see them all red faced and laughing. They weren’t the only ones either. As I glanced around the lunchroom I noticed other students were laughing at me too, at least half the room was.
     I then pulled out the napkins I had packed away in my brown bag with the rest of my lunch and began cleaning myself. As I wiped the milk from my face, my thoughts were about what I should do next. That is, should I just let it go, or should I march over to the bitches table and start throwing wallops? It would’ve been a suicide mission, no doubt about it. Six on one most likely, but I also knew that if I didn't send a message soon that I wasn’t going to tolerate being messed with, this was going to go on all year. Presently though, I really didn’t want to score any more trouble for myself, and I really didn't feel like taking an ass whipping in front of all the other students. So, in the end, I decided to pretend like nothing had happened.
    
Nothing happened!
That’s what I kept telling myself over-and-over as I worked to hold back my tears.
     “Have a little problem with your milk?” Katelyn suddenly asked me from out of nowhere as she now stood before me perplexed and staring down at me with her coal-black mascara covered eyes.
     It had been the second time this week she had managed to sneak up on me in the lunchroom, only this time I wasn’t hysterically laughing—my mood was a hundred eighty degrees from that.
     “It’s easier to open than it looks. All you have to do is push the little flaps to the side and pull the spout forward.” She continued as if I was too retarded to be able to open my own milk. I knew that she was just teasing, but it stung all the same.
     “I didn’t do this.” I said seething but letting her sarcasm slide as I continued to clean myself up. “It was
them.
” I said, nodding my head towards the bitches table. “I think it was Harlin, who threw it. I saw him drinking milk as he entered the cafeteria.”
     I'm sure by that point Katelyn had sensed the emotion in my voice, and as a result, she asked, “You want me to go kick his ass?” And, for a moment, I thought that she wasn’t even kidding. That she would have seriously gone over there and started a fight with him if I had said the word.
     “No. But, thank you for the offer though.” I told her sounding sullen. “I just want to get through this day without any more problems if you don't mind.”
     Katelyn then sat down next to me and began eating her lunch of carrots, eggplant, and cut up pieces of melon, and as we quietly ate together shouts of “Witch!” came our way more than a few times from somewhere across the lunchroom by some faceless coward.
     When the bell had rung we got up and made our way out of the room after most of the other students had already exited. Since it was most likely having been the last time we saw each other that day, Katelyn had asked me what I was doing later, after school. I had told her that I didn’t have anything going on, so she then asked if she could come over to hang out and maybe see Casper. I told her that would be fine, but to just call me after school before she came by.
     Ninth period (the last period of the day) I had gym class. It only came once a week, the other four days being filled up by study halls, so this was the first time that I had to report to it.
     By the time I showed up at the gymnasium with my change of clothes in hand, coming out of the locker room already were Keri, Laurie, and Hallie. All three of them I saw were in the class with me.
Oh,
how
wonderful,
I thought. How-the-Hell
was I expected to make it through an entire year of gym class going up against the three of them? There was no doubt in my mind that they were going to try to take runs at me every chance they got, and I found out straight away just how right my thinking was.
    Before the class had even started Keri had walked up to me with her fake, bleach-blonde hair now pulled back in a pony tail and she said, “Don’t even think you’re going to get away with what you did to Harlin’s locker?” Confused, and having no clue as to what the hell
she was talking about, I of course had asked her,
“What the Hell are you talkin’ ‘bout?”
     “Don’t try to play dumb with me, you little bitch. You
know
what I’m talking about.”
     I really hadn’t any clue as to what she was talking about, at least
not at that time. But later I would come to find out that somebody had taken about three gallons worth of spoiled chocolate milk and had managed to inject all of it into Harlin’s locker through the slotted air vents at the top. It had worked its way down through his locker covering his leather school jacket and baseball cap, along with his books, papers, and all of his other belongings in thick, putrefied chunks of curd-and-whey. The stench was so bad it had caused the teachers giving lessons in the nearby class rooms to have to close their doors to the hall and open up all the windows allowing fresh air into the rooms. All of Harlin’s books and school supplies had to go straight into the dumpster, along with his leather jacket that he apparently loved more than anything else in this world. It had been a gift from his father. He had given it to him on his birthday the year before his parents had gotten a divorce. His father had then left Mt. Harrison soon after abandoning him to his neurotic mother.
     The mess in his locker had been so bad actually that the faculty had to even evacuate the two lockers to the left and right of Harlin’s. The stench having been so overwhelming that the school's custodian needed to bleach down those lockers too.
     “Okay, class, everyone up against the wall!” the gym teacher, Mrs. Perez, called out.
     When we all had lined up, our backs against the wall, she said, “Most of you know who I am, and for those of you who don’t… I’m Mrs. Perez, and I will be your physical education teacher for the year. Now, given that it’s the first class, and I don’t have a curriculum made up yet, so we’ll be doing the best sport of all today. The truest test of athleticism—dodge ball.” And, with that there was a bunch of moans, groans, and sighs that came from a few of the other girls who—like me—didn’t feel much like being pelted in the face with a big rubber ball. Especially, if the thrower was the butch bull-dyke wearing the crew cut that stood at the end of the line, which would’ve not had shocked me, if she had the ability to pee standing up.
     Mrs. Perez began pulling us out of line one-by-one, alternating each of us into teams on opposite ends of the gymnasium. Then, as it turned out, I ended up on one team while Keri, Laurie, and Hallie all ended up on the other.
  
Great, three on one,
I thought, but it wasn't like I wanted any of them on my team anyway. At least the bull dyke that I came to know as Mary-Ann was on mine though, so I figured there was at a least strong possibility that I was going to be able to keep my teeth in my mouth.
     As I watched Mary-Ann make her first throw with one of those red-rubber balls, it sailed scorchingly through the air so fast that it had made a whooshing sound. The missile ended up missing its intended target, though. Which would have been a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, glasses, and poxes on her face named Beth. It did, however, strike the wall behind Beth with a thunderous clang, causing a frightened whimper to be heard squeaking out of her.
     I watched as Keri then picked up a ball and look right at me. I wasn’t scared of her coming after me. Her string-bean ass didn’t look as if she could put much heat on it, and she couldn’t. She gave it her all, and I caught it with ease as it came at my face. She then gave me a look of disgust after she saw that I had caught the ball, and continued to stand there until Mrs. Perez finally yelled out, “You’re out, Keri. Now go sit your butt down over by the wall!” Where she then sulked off—all while continuing to screw-face me the entire time until she had gotten to where the other girls who’d been knocked out of the game sat.
     Mary-Ann then went on making mincemeat out of the girls on the other team, and I had to keep myself from laughing when she sent one ripping off Laurie Altman’s kneecap causing a pause in the game because she was in tears.
     As the period progressed, the bitches only kept trying to go after me, as if I was the only girl on my team, but I was too fast and swift for them. Years of hanging out with boys in the swamps of Southern Alabama along with playing sports down by the Gulf had given me an edge on them. I could almost feel their frustration of not being able to hit me building up inside them and radiating out as if it were an electric current in the air. And, it felt good too. It felt like their anger was feeding me somehow and it was making me grow stronger, faster, and more agile.
     As the time in the class drew low, the bitches tried hard-and-hard to hit me, becoming more-and-more angrier and red-faced as if not being able to do so would’ve been a colossal failure on their part. I could almost feel their malevolence for me. Not only because they thought of me as a hillbilly descendent of a witch that was responsible for everything that sucked in their lives, but also because they now thought that I was the one responsible for what had happened to Harlin’s locker.
     It wasn’t until there was only about five-minutes or so left in the period when,