Fuensalida

Chapter 19

Chris stepped up onto his porch and listened at his door to the two women in his life screaming like banshees at one another. Through the door he could hear them almost clearly. “You have no right to tell me what I should be acting like!” The was Celeste’s voice on a near screeching level. She was not going to be pleasant to deal with in coming days.

“I’m worried about you. I’m still your mother!” Cassie, playing the part of worried mother. That concerned Chris a bit.

“Mothers don’t dress like that to visit teachers!” All right, now he was a little more curious to go inside.

“I’m trying to make the most of this life.” Cassie said quietly, Chris almost missed it.

He did not miss Celeste’s screeching retort. “What life? This isn’t a life!”

“You wanted this and you won’t even pretend to act normal!” Cassie yelled back, losing her temper quickly.

“I wanted a better school! To not shift from one place to another every day. No one ever said I had to socialize too! I don’t want to make friends with a bunch of troglodytes!”

Chris slowly turned the knob, knowing he would have to break this up before they would break up the cat fight.

“You know how to make friends,” Cassie told the girl. “You aren’t going through the worst situation you know. People have it worse than you do.”

“Who? Tell me who! They didn’t…”

He knew now was the time to end her tirade. He stepped into the room and looked over Cassie and Celeste. Celeste was wearing a casual shirt and a black skirt, but she looked far more modest than Cassie’s similar ensemble. He saw where the irksome attitude had arisen from. Celeste also looked near tears.

Celeste’s face turned upwards and her piercing gaze fell upon Chris. The tears dried instantly, a heat wave of anger that global warming could not have contended with. “Him. No, you, this is your fault. Mom and I just..” Celeste grinded her teeth then rushed towards the door, physically pushing Chris out of the way. He allowed it, too taken aback to even try to stop her.

“Stop her,” Cassie demanded. The thought crossed his mind; he let her go.

“Uh… what did I just walk in on?” He closed the door behind him, stepping into the house, never stopping to remove his jacket.

“I got a call from one of her teachers today,” Cassie announced.

Chris frowned. “Yeah?”

Cassie waved it off, looking frustrated that something like this had caused such a rift in such a short amount of time. “She’s fine, I mean, she’s doing great in school but apparently she’s hardly speaking to anyone, she brushes everyone off…”

“I see,” Chris sighed. “Well, a little of that is probably to be expected.”

“A little absolute non-socializing?” Cassie sounded exasperated. “She won’t even raise her hand in class. That’s not like her.”

“What did she say about it?”

Cassie huffed. “I’m pretty sure you saw most of that. She said it was no big deal. Her grades should be all that matters.”

Chris frowned again, glancing out the window. His eyes fell on Celeste, who really had nowhere to go and had stopped on the sidewalk and sat down, without a coat. “And you don’t think she’ll just snap out of it?”

“Do you?” Cassie asked calmly.

Chris shook his head, looking back to Cassie. “If she hasn’t yet, we shouldn’t count on it.”

“That’s my problem,” Cassie stated. “She’s not like that.”

“Any ideas?” Because God help him, he had none. Some moments he saw the adult in Celeste, this was one of those moments where she was reminding him she was a teenager. One that had little experience with anything but her books, her mother, and him. It was not a wide range.

“Well, talking to her just put her into a tizzy.”

Chris shrugged, not really surprised by a Celeste tantrum. “You had to know that was going to happen.”

“Yes,” Cassie agreed. Chris crossed his arms against his chest. “What?”

“I’m thinking,” Chris said flatly.

“You are?”

“Am I not allowed to do that?”

Cassie sighed. “You are, I’m just wondering why you are thinking so hard. She’s my daughter.” She was thrown by his shown of support.

Chris held out his hands in appeal. “Well, if you have the answers I can stop.”

“I don’t.”

Chris shook his head. “Neither do I.”

Cassie shifted from foot to foot, losing the cold steel and going back to warmth and understanding. It was eerie to see the change so quickly where at least Celeste had one constant mood: angry.

“I’m just frustrated,” Cassie pointed out. “She wanted this and now she’s… just not caring.”

“I understand,” he said, and he did.

Cassie moved to the couch and feel onto it limply. She still did not look entirely relaxed. “If I threaten to take this away from her it won’t get better.”

Chris wanted to make sure he truly understood what her threat was. “Take what away?”

“Vermont,” Cassie said quietly. “Force her to go somewhere else.”

“That definitely wouldn’t help.”

Neither did that glowing commentary. “No, I know, it was the only thing that came to mind and even I know it’s not the way to go.”

Chris nodded slowly. “How was the teacher about it?”

Cassie shrugged. “I guess it disturbs me more because even the teacher has sort of realized maybe there is a disconnect, even though he’s only know her a month.”

“Maybe he was just being cautious.” At Cassie’s blank look he continued. “Either way, it’s obvious there is a problem.”

“Right,” Cassie agreed. “Even if he may not really know what is going on, we know there is something wrong.”

Chris paced a bit. “Though we need to figure out how to handle it.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Cassie said slowly, “but it doesn’t help me think of something.”

Cassie looked up at him sadly, looking for all of the answers. He did not have them. “Did the teacher have anything to say about it?”

Cassie shook her head. “He just thought she looked anxious to leave.”

For a moment Chris’s vanity kicked in. “Because she did.” Cassie nodded. “Did he say that he’d keep us informed?”

“Yes, he promised to call to let us know soon if he has seen any improvement. And if he doesn’t… he will still keep us informed.”

“That’s something.”

Something she was angry she herself had not seen happening. She was too preoccupied to notice her daughter’s mood swing had come in and settled upon her entire personality. The moody pissy attitude had now become her very persona. “I need to make dinner,” Cassie said, swinging herself back off of the couch. “I just need something else to do right now.”

“I’ll go make sure she didn’t wander too far,” he said congenially.

“Thank you.”

Because he could not stand the sadness in her eyes he smacked her ass before moving towards the door. “You’re welcome.”

Cassie jumped, but she was clearly grinning in pleasure. Chris grinned at her and gave her an eyebrow waggle that she knew well before he stepped onto his porch again and looked at the shivering figure of the young girl who was the cause of so much turmoil. He had given up more than he ever planned to keep her around, he wished sometimes she could see that and stop thinking of herself.

He walked up behind her. She never looked up. “Did you at least bring a coat with you?” Without a word he slid his off of his shoulders and leaned down to wrap it around her. He continued to stand, but he left his hands on her shoulders. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he said calmly, cautiously.

“Are you out here to yell at me too?” she asked, and he hated the sadness in her voice.

“No, it doesn’t appear that yelling is going to resolve anything,” he said softly. She only nodded her dark head. “Ready to talk about it?”

“Nope.”

“Not even after I gave you my jacket? For shame!”

Celeste smirked, but never looked up at him. “Nice try.”

He shrugged, though she never saw the gesture. “I thought so.”

“Not going to work, though.”

“It was worth a shot.”

Celeste’s smile was a little twisted. “Sure, so is an evening with you two as ‘parents’.”

Chris knew exactly how to take that. Well, he could have taken it one of two ways, and did. She either meant a shot of alcohol, or a shot in the head. Either way, he was going to ignore that comment. “I could try tickling you.”

“Why are you out here, Chris?”

He had to admit some disappointment. “I’m checking on you.“ He was trying to be playful and instead she was shooting him down. Yes, he knew now he had to take the shot joke as a bullet. “Couldn’t you tell?”

“Why?” she asked with a sigh.

“It does sound like you’ve got some issues at school,” he pointed out, looking down her. “I shouldn’t be concerned?”

“Nope.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope.”

Of course she was not. Why would she be concerned with her own life suddenly? Because she always was. “Then what is going on?”

“Nothing,” she sighed, and he was pretty sure she grinded her teeth again. “I just don’t feel like making friends with them, is that really a problem?”

“It sounds like it’s more than just that.”

“Like what?”

“Not wanting to participate in class?”

“So?” She was back on the defensive. He watched her shoulders stiffen, lifting the dread of this conversation higher. She thought she was carrying the world on those capable shoulders of hers when she was only carrying the burden of her own anger.

“That would be a different issue than not wanting friends,” Chris said mildly. Now was not the time to lose his temper with her.

“I participate when he asks me a question. I always have the right answer.”

Chris knew she was trying to insinuate she was paying attention. He also knew that was not necessarily the case. Celeste knew the answers without paying attention, she had read through the book already, if not twice. She studied until she fell asleep with the book still open. He often watched her sit on the couch in the living room with her books, the television going in the background, to the news. Her head would bob up when the news mentioned something of interest, then move back to the books. She was serious about her school work and still she could not bring herself to be serious enough in class itself. It felt wrong.

“What do you do the rest of the time?” he asked her, sliding his hand to the back of her neck and letting his thumb rub gently over it.

“I’m obviously keeping up.”

He felt his anger rising. No, this could not be the same girl who poured over every book until she was exhausted. “Is that all you want to do with school? Keep up?”

She waved it off with a flick of her wrist. “I’m way ahead of everyone else.”

Chris curled his lip in what could have been a snarl. “That’s not really what I meant.”

He felt Celeste shrug under his finger. “What am I supposed to do with school? I’m going to be stuck in this Hell for the rest of my life. Are you really suddenly giving me even more of a choice with my life? Can I go away to college? Or am I going to be stalked? Am I ever going to sleep normally again?” She pushed his hand violently away and stood. He saw it, the near breakdown in her eyes. He heard the waver in her voice. “”I don’t want to talk about this with you.”

“No, it doesn’t sound like you do.” She had done a great job of making him feel guilty. In a lot of ways he wanted her to walk away right now, he could not bare looking at her. “What?” he asked her when she only stared up at him. “I’m not going to force you to talk to me.”

“Good,” she snapped. She turned on her heel and began moving towards the house.

With a sigh he moved to follow her. He could not help himself. Without warning she whirled around on him and held out her hand. “Yes?” he asked with a smile.

“Give me money,” she demanded.

“Why?” he asked, looking down at her open hand.

“So I can go out,” she answered simply.

“How much?” He was already reaching for his wallet. Right now he did not think he would deny her anything she asked for.

“As much as you have in your wallet,” she grinned.

“Nice try.” He began sliding his wallet back into his pocket.

Celeste put on a pout, it was absolutely fake and he knew it and still he hated watching it. “I’m serious. I want the money.”

“And?”

“What and?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders, his jacket slipping back just enough to show more of her.

“And what does that really have to do with me?”

Celeste’s lip curled in the definition of her own snarl. “It’s my inheritance in your pocket, you might as well give it to me now.”

He felt like a cartoon character in that moment, if he had been several arrows would have shot into him to try to strike him down. “Definitely not the way to go about actually getting money.”

“Just give me the money,” she snapped. “I’ll go pretend to be a normal girl and I’m not forced to watch you and my mother over dinner.”

Chris opened his wallet again and this time her hand was nearly a blur, snatching his wallet out of his hand and pulling the cash from it, then handing him his wallet back. He tried very hard not to show his surprise, sometimes he forgot that she had taken her self-defense and martial arts lessons very seriously. “All right, enjoy.”

“I will,” she snapped and walked away with his money.

~*~

A week later Cassie was pacing the floor, watching the clock, pacing the floor, watching the clock. She wondered if she had worried a strip along the rug and actually lifted a sharp stiletto to double-check. Nothing, not even a sign that she had been doing this for the last hour. At four o’clock on the dot she picked up the house phone and dialed the number she had already memorized. She cursed herself for doing so, but this was for her daughter.

“Hello,” answered the smooth voice of the teacher she had met a week before. She hated herself for feeling her heart skip for a moment.

“Hi, Mr. Gibbs?”

She did not hear the smile in his voice. “Yes, I was planning on calling you later.”

Cassie grinned. “So I see you already know who this is.”

“We do live in the cell phone age,” he said with a chuckle.

“Yes, that we do,” she agreed, “I just didn’t expect you to already have my number saved.”

“It was going to save me a few minutes later,” he said a bit blandly. He was trying to keep his voice from sounding happy to hear from this woman, and to him he felt he was failing miserably.

“Oh, anything to save time,” she teased, sounding like a school girl yearning for attention.

“Exactly,” he said. “You know the deal. Every minute saved is a minute that can be used for… something else.”

Something about the way he said it made her shiver. “Right,” she agreed. “And something else can be an enjoyable minute.” She tried to use a seductive tone, something she had not really tried in longer than she cared to remember.

“Or several minutes,” Logan amended. “Which is why it’s best to stockpile as many as possible.”

“Absolutely.” She carried out the word longer than necessary, giving it a little lilt of inflection.

Logan had to shake off the feeling. “So, what can I help you with this evening?”

Back to business. She was angry at herself for feeling a little sorry at the change to the subject she needed to be speaking to him about. “I was hoping, well wondering, if there had been any change in Celeste?”

Logan hated to give her disappointment. “Well, she’s still not being active in class,” he told her honestly.

Cassie’s heart plummeted. “I see.”

“Though, she’s been less fidgety,” he continued. He needed to give her something to work with.

“Oh?” He heard her tone lighten immediately. “Well that is good to hear.”

“Hopefully it’s a start. She’s seemed less likely to bolt suddenly.”

Cassie let out a little laugh. “Well she’s been avoiding home as much as possible, so maybe it’s a good sign.”

“She doesn’t seem the sort to be out getting into trouble, so that does sound positive,” Logan agreed.

“We can hope,” Cassie was afraid to admit she still had her doubts. What if Celeste was so irreparably damaged that she did what many abused teenagers did and turn to drugs and sex?

“Absolutely,” Logan smiled on the other end. “Of course you will want to figure out how she’s spending her evenings.”

“Yes, well, one step at a time unfortunately,” Cassie said lightly.

Logan chuckled on the other end. “I wasn’t suggesting that you hire a private investigator.”

“I know, I understand,” Cassie grinned. “I’ll just follow her myself. Crazy Moms do that, right?”

“Yes, I’ve…” Logan cleared his throat, “heard that they do.”

“Short of asking her I don’t know how else to get an answer,” Cassie admitted. “I doubt she would give me an honest answer if I did.”

“You’re probably correct there,” Logan said quietly. “Otherwise she’d have already told you.”

“That’s what I thought,” Cassie sighed. “Well Mr. Gibbs, I don’t wish to keep you.”

“It’s fine,” he said quickly. “I was just about to head home, and since calling you was on my list of things to do, it’s not like you’re really keeping me from anything.”

“No, but if I keep talking to you I’ll feel like I’m just trying to flirt with my daughter’s handsome teacher, we can’t have that.”

“True,” he agreed. “Don’t want you feeling uncomfortable.”

The sound Cassie made was close to a purr. “I don’t think it is my comfort I was concerned for.”

“My mistake,” Logan said, his voice going hoarse. It seemed to do that a lot when Cassandra Carlton was involved. “I apologize.”

“Why?” Cassie asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. “That’s a silly thing to apologize for.”

“So be it,” Logan said, all pretense and dignity. “I retract my apology, so there.”

“I’m impressed.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, remembered she could not see him. “How so?”

“I didn’t think you were capable of retracting an apology.”

“No? Why is that?”

Cassie twirled the phone cord in her hand, then dropped it, trying to remember herself. “You seem so proper, maybe I was wrong?”

“I’m a serious rebel,” he told her in that still dignified voice.

“I don’t believe it,” she insisted. “Prove it.”

“How so?” he asked her.

“You tell me,” she insisted. “How can you prove you are a rebel?”

“You’re the one who doubts me,” he pointed out.

She laughed. “Well you look so proper.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment,” he laughed.

“Well your dress is hardly a compliment to what is likely underneath,” she said, her voice low, smooth, “but your face is exceptional, even if proper.”

“Why… thank you.” He wondered if she could hear the blush through the phone. The woman was complimenting his body without ever having seen it.

“Sorry, I really should get going,” she said suddenly, feeling foolish for having kep him on the phone so long. “Thank you, Mr. Gibbs.”

“Of course.” Then after a heartbeat of hesitation he added, “Feel free to contact me any time.”

“Trust me, I will,” she said determinedly.

“I’ll keep in touch,” he promised, his voice soft.

“Goodbye, Mr. Gibbs.”

“Goodbye.”