Even thistles bloom, p.20
Even Thistles Bloom, page 20
“Shut up.” Adam’s cold calm revealed he knew he was in charge.
“Let her go, Adam.” Todd inched closer, brainstorming how to wrest the knife from his brother without hurting Claire.
“She baited you, and you fell for it like another dumb fish.” Adam stepped closer, and Claire sucked in a breath. “She’ll drop you the moment someone better comes along.”
“So what?” Todd’s mind spun as Adam turned in surprise. “That’s my risk to take.” His whole life, he’d let Adam be the brains. Adam made the rules for all their games. Adam planned all their pranks. Adam set up all their double dates, and Adam decided how they’d live after high school. He was done being the loyal little brother, done letting Adam dictate his life just because he’d saved it once. Todd would make his own decisions, even if they hurt.
“You can’t choose some chick over your twin.” The veins in Adam’s neck popped out as he spoke.
Todd shook his head. He’d chosen the greenhouse over the Ides of March, and now he chose courage over loyalty, Claire over Adam.
“Yes, I can.”
Adam snarled and pulled the knife back a scant half inch. The small twitch was Todd’s only clue to the pending strike, but he reacted fast enough to knock his brother’s arm up. His blow sent the knife careening across the room.
Claire wasted no time reengaging in battle with her captor, but Todd couldn’t help her. Adam fought like a rabid dog, kicking and flailing at Todd’s attempts to pin him. Todd tried not to injure his brother, but Adam offered him no such mercies.
Unable to force Adam to the ground, Todd outmuscled him. He shoved his brother so hard he backpedaled halfway across the room before falling on his butt. Todd raced toward him, but Adam raised his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay. You win.” He shifted into a crouch. “You win.”
Todd relaxed his stance, but Adam lurched to his feet, knife again in his hand. A line of fiery pain tore open Todd’s triceps as Adam dragged the blade through his arm. Todd screamed, but Adam pulled the knife another inch before yanking it out.
“That was for your own good.” Adam pushed Todd aside and stalked to where Claire was losing ground against her opponent. “This is her fault.”
Claire’s eyes widened, and she tripped over the leg of the guy Todd had defeated.
“No!” Todd dove, ramming Adam’s knees and giving Claire a chance to skitter out of her attacker’s reach. Adam twisted onto his back, but when Todd tried to pin him, he slashed at his arm with the knife. A crash sounded, but Todd sensed only the second line of pain that crisscrossed the first.
Adam pushed him over. Todd rolled away, but his brother was too quick. Adam straddled him and gripped his injured arm, digging his fingernails into the wound. Todd cried out and tried to knock his hand away, but Adam held the knife over him.
“Traitor,” Adam sneered, but something large crashed into his head, pushing him off Todd. He fell face down and didn’t move.
“G-guess it’s a g-g-good thing old c-c-c-c-computers are sssss- so heavy.” Claire gestured to the boxy old monitor she’d hurled at Adam’s head. Another lay crushed beside her opponent. Claire exuded a tough-girl air, but Todd guessed her halting speech had more to do with her shaking than her stutter.
“Guess it’s a good thing Maite taught you self-defense,” Todd said as he struggled to his feet. He pulled Claire into his arms and held her tight. She was trembling so much he felt her heart fluttering against his chest. His own was hammering like a miner on a sugar high.
They held each other in silence while their bodies calmed down from fight mode. Todd’s limbs felt heavy, and he had a sudden desire for a nap. A nap and something to numb the pain in his arm.
“Will you go to prom with me?”
Claire leaned back and met his eye. “You’re asking me now?”
“If I don’t end up in jail.”
“They usually don’t send the good guys to jail.”
Todd hugged her tight, choking on a sudden emotion. “Is that a yes?”
Claire leaned back again, but the dim light shrouded her eyes. She reached behind his head and pulled him into a kiss.
“That’s a yes.” She patted his chest. “Now let’s get you ssstitched up before you bleed to death.” One guy groaned. “Or one of them wakes up.”
Claire intertwined her fingers with his as she tugged him down the hall, and Todd knew he’d made the right choice.
Chapter 30
Between Todd’s stitches, the barrage of phone calls, and the mountains of paperwork, an entire day passed before the police, Principal Evans, and the impacted families crowded into the main office. Initially, one woman insisted the “redheaded demon girl” gave “my precious boy” a “severe concussion and emotional trauma,” but Principal Evans silenced her by reading the “angel’s” enormous file. From then on, the anger flowed only one direction.
Todd sweated in his seat, but Claire squeezed his hand. “Relax. Aunt Monica is a p-paralegal. You won’t go to jail.”
Todd believed Claire’s aunt held some sway over the lawyers she worked for, but he didn’t share Claire’s confidence that the woman was on his side. Even the police officers kept their distance as she screamed in Principal Evans’s face.
“…and another thing. Why the hell do girls need to carry self-defense key chains to feel safe at school?” Beth and Minh’s parents nodded, but no one interrupted Monica as she paced around the cramped office. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t sic an entire firm of lawyers on you.”
Principal Evans received the tirade with the calm of a parent corralling an upset toddler and the professionalism of a diplomat negotiating a ceasefire.
“Ma’am, I assure you, we are cooperating with the authorities, and we will resolve this issue promptly. The evidence suggests a single student organized both the harassment toward Minh and the attack on your niece. There is no crime spree at Brooks High. This was one incident.”
“It was more than one incident,” Todd whispered. No one acknowledged him, but the thought echoed through his head. He looked to where Saafi sat with her father and experienced a disheartening déjà vu. Last year, this office hosted another meeting of angry parents, and he and Adam won the game of he-said she-said. Judging by Saafi’s dejected expression, she didn’t believe this meeting would bring any more justice than the last one.
“It was more than one incident.” Todd stood, and Claire’s aunt fell silent. The entire room stared at him. Todd couldn’t meet their expectant gazes. He focused on Principal Evans. “Last year, Adam and I said we were just talking to Saafi. We blamed Maite for the fight, but we lied.”
Todd had expected a murmur to roll through the crowd, but they stared at him in stony silence. Right. They already knew.
He cleared his throat. “Adam wanted to see Saafi’s hair, so we waited until she was alone, and Adam ripped off her scarf, but he didn’t stop there. He…he hit her, and…and I helped.” He turned to Saafi, and the words he’d restrained all year burst out. “I am so, so sorry.”
“Thank you for sharing, Todd.” Was that pride in the principal’s voice? Todd couldn’t tell, but he obeyed when the man gestured for him to return to his seat. “We’ll allow the authorities to evaluate both incidents. As for school policy, we’ll allow key chain alarms, but tasers, stun guns, knives, tactical pens, pepper spray, and alternative defensive sprays have never been, nor will they ever be, permitted on school grounds.” He gave Minh a scolding glare. She raised an unapologetic eyebrow.
“Furthermore,” Principal Evans continued, “the basement where this incident occurred was already slated for renovation. As soon as we have the funds, we’ll convert it into a shop class, but until then, we will seal it off from students.”
The discussion continued for three hours, but Todd leaned his head against the wall and let Claire’s handholding counteract the pain pulling at his stitches. He’d done his part. Now the police would decide his fate.
“Todd.” Claire nudged him as the parents filed out.
He lifted his head. “I was definitely not sleeping.”
Claire smiled. “You were really brave.”
“You were the one who flung computers like the Incredible Hulk.”
“No, I mmmmeant when you told the truth.”
Todd’s face heated. “Oh. That was just…I mean…”
“It meant a lot to me,” Saafi said. Todd hadn’t realized she’d overheard, but her eyes glistened. “I…I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear an apology.” Her voice rose to a squeak, and tears fell down her cheeks. She wiped them away with a forced chuckle. “So, are we still on for shopping? Falis has quite the game plan.”
“Yeah,” Todd said. He wanted to do more than apologize, but he couldn’t erase the past. He could only make the most of his second chance.
Todd squeezed Claire’s hand as he spoke to Saafi. “Could we, uh, add renting a suit to our list?”
Saafi grinned. “Yes, and I know a florist who makes excellent corsages.”
Chapter 31
Todd never imagined he’d set foot on the football field again, much less that he’d wear a cap and gown when he did. The spring sun heated the metal folding chairs, and they burned Todd’s legs when he sat with the other graduates. He twisted to wave at Claire, whose last name dictated she sit farther back. She grinned and waved back, making the ridiculous cap and gown look good, though not as pretty as the slinky green dress she’d worn to prom.
Prom had been magical. Actually, the dance had been stupid, but spending an entire evening with Claire had been magical. Todd had borrowed the greenhouse truck so he could drive Claire to the lake afterward. She’d laughed when he’d suggested stargazing, saying the cities created too much light pollution. He’d promised to let her show him real stargazing at her grandparents’ farm this summer, and she’d pretended to be impressed by the paltry stars visible over the lake.
They’d snuggled in the nest of blankets and pillows Todd had assembled in the truck bed, holding hands and just…existing together. Many guys would consider the date a failure since Claire kept her clothes on, but after two years of drama, Todd wanted something slower, especially if it lasted longer.
Todd blinked out of his reverie. His daydreaming nearly caused him to miss Saafi and Cumar’s valedictorian address. He clapped as they finished, thinking that for once someone else needed their hopeful words more than he did.
Many students received their diplomas before him, but he reviewed his mental to-do list for the greenhouse, and soon his row joined the line.
Todd crossed the stage, painfully aware that he was the only Easdon who did. Adam had been sentenced to the program Officer Johansen mentioned. He’d have the opportunity to take the GED at the end. Todd hoped he would.
“Congratulations, son.” Principal Evans shook his hand and handed him his diploma. For once, Todd didn’t flinch at being called “son.” He figured the principal had earned the right to call him whatever he wanted after helping him graduate on time.
Todd found Noah and Mrs. Thompson in the accessible portion of the bleachers. Noah enveloped him in an enormous hug, which Todd returned, not caring who saw. It was time to change his tough-guy image.
“We’re so proud of you,” Mrs. Thompson said after Noah released him. Her deteriorating stamina had forced her to switch from a walker to a wheelchair. Todd sat between her and Noah, thinking they made an odd family, but one he wouldn’t trade for anything.
Todd cheered as Saafi, Beth, Claire, and finally Maite took their turns across the stage. After the rest of the alphabet received their diplomas, the crowd dispersed.
“I’ll save you some of Claire’s cake,” Todd said as he wheeled Mrs. Thompson to the car. She’d insisted on attending the graduation ceremony, but she compromised on the afterparty.
Todd helped her transfer into the passenger seat. Since he lived in her house, he’d insisted on learning to care for her, in case Noah ever got sick himself. It seemed a fitting repayment for the years of free babysitting she’d given his mother.
When she sat safely inside, he folded her wheelchair and popped the trunk.
“Todd?” a man said.
Todd faced him and froze, half-folded wheelchair still in hand. “What do you want?”
His father fidgeted with the ceremony program. “To see you graduate. I’m proud of you, for what it’s worth.”
“Even thistles bloom eventually.” Todd manhandled the wheelchair into the trunk, careful not to crush the baskets that already lay inside. “I don’t need your approval. I don’t need you, period, so you can stop feeling guilty. Go enjoy the kids you wanted.”
“Todd.”
The pain in the word drew Todd’s full attention.
His father continued. “I know you’re eighteen now. Hell, you could file a restraining order against me, but I—” He took a deep breath. “I failed as a father, but I’d like to start over. Man to man. Adam too, whenever he’s ready.”
Todd shared his father’s stocky build and thick blond hair, but it was the emotional turmoil in his eyes that resonated as most familiar. He was begging for a second chance. Could Todd deny him after he himself had needed one?
Todd extended his hand. “I’m Todd Easdon.”
His father shook it. “Ryan Easdon.”
“You got kids, Ryan?”
He nodded. “Four. Two grew up without me. I’m trying to do better with the little ones.”
Todd shut the trunk, buying himself time to think through his next words. “Well, if you want to teach them the value of hard work, our greenhouse just purchased the plot next door. We can always use help watering the plants.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Todd swallowed, sweating more than the spring sunshine warranted. “I live in the house on the property. Drop by any time, though if you want coffee, I know a vegetarian restaurant owner who boasts about her dark roast.”
His father hesitated. “I’m more of a barbecue man myself. Perhaps I could invite you over sometime?”
“I’d like that.” Todd strode to the driver’s side, feeling like a reptile that had shed its eighteen-year-old angst-riddled skin. Now he was shiny and new, ready to conquer the next stage in life.
He dropped Mrs. Thompson and Noah off at the house before driving to the joint graduation party between Claire and her friends. He retrieved the two gift baskets from the trunk and carried them into the community center.
Maite’s grandmother fiddled with a bouquet on the banquet table. “There you are. I have your order.” She added a small bouquet to each gift basket. “You’ve planted some extras for me, I hope?”
“Of course.”
“Good, because despite all the vandalism, we received hundreds of orders for prom corsages, and now the parents want graduation flowers.”
Todd gestured to the grand bouquet before him. “They know quality when they see it.”
Ms. Rojas patted him on the shoulder and moved to embrace an elderly white couple Todd recognized from Claire’s family photos. Eventually, he’d introduce himself to his girlfriend’s grandparents, but he needed to offload his gift baskets first.
Cathryn sat in the corner, nose buried in a book. Figures.
“You always read at parties?”
Cathryn jumped. “I don’t attend many parties, and I need to be home by dinner, so…”
Todd held out the heavier gift basket. “This is for you, to thank you for tutoring me. I couldn’t have passed my classes without you.”
“I get a present?” Cathryn’s eyes lit up. She peered into the basket, withdrew a book, and inhaled through its pages.
Todd chuckled. “Most people would sniff the flowers.”
Cathryn blushed. “Right. Those are nice too.”
Todd cleared his throat. “Listen, this isn’t just a thank-you gift. It’s an apology. I’m sorry…” I’m sorry for not helping you deal with your deadbeat dad. “I’m sorry for bringing trouble to your house. If you need anything, let me know.” He hoped she caught the offer for help in the subtext, but she surprised him with a genuine smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t be living there much longer.”
“You’re moving?”
“Something like that.” She lifted her chin, and her demeanor shifted from bashful to determined. Todd wasn’t the only one leaving his childhood behind. Good for her.
Minh wheeled to join them. “Look who survived high school.”
“I had my doubts, but a couple of sophomore girls helped me in art.” Todd handed her the lighter gift basket. Art pens weighed less than books.
Minh grinned as she withdrew a chocolate bar. “Let me know if you want me to redraw that tattoo, permanently.”
“I’m not a huge fan of bunnies. Maybe a thistle?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Minh jerked her head at Cathryn. “Come on, let’s beat Maite and Saafi at ping-pong.”
Cathryn, reluctantly, slid her book into her new basket and headed toward the ping-pong table.
“Minh?” Todd called.
Minh whipped around. “Yeah?”
Todd gestured to Cathryn. “Take care of your friend.”
Minh leaned forward, expression menacing. “Always.” She pivoted and joined the ping-pong players. They’ll be all right.
His burdens unloaded, Todd joined Claire on the loveseat.
Beth eyed him from the opposite chair. “You spoiled my sister. How am I supposed to top that when her birthday comes around?”
Todd shrugged. “Falis and Saafi agreed not to charge me a shoppers’ fee if I left a customer testimonial. I’m sure they’d give you the same deal.”
Beth snorted. “I’ll just beat her butt in ping-pong. That should take her down a peg.” She stood. “I’ll leave you lovebirds to yourselves.”
Claire laughed, and Todd took her hand, enjoying the connection locked in their intertwined fingers. Without his twin, he’d felt untethered. Adam had always been his support, his anchor, but when he’d traveled down a road Todd couldn’t follow, Todd learned to stand on his own. He was ready to be someone else’s anchor now, if she’d let him.
