Prophecy (Book 1)-Ch.1

Chapter 1: An Invitation for Brian

         Kasey MacKenna flashed five long fingers at her best friend. Five more minutes, only five more minutes until freedom! Brian Campbell—still mentally cursing his teacher for putting him in a non-clock-viewing position—was virtually vibrating in his seat with anticipation. Five minutes was all that stood between him and almost three months of much-needed vacation time. If only his teacher would stop droning on, she sounded like the teacher in Charlie Brown. BRRRING. At the sound of the bell, two-dozen kids jumped out of their seats as one, papers flying; the teacher sought refuge behind her desk. Kasey flashed a wide smile at Brian and grabbing his hand, she pulled him through the throng of students jamming the door. The flooded hallways were no better, but nothing could break their joined limbs until finally they emerged on the wide school steps, breathing in the polluted city air. Giggling for no reason at all other than sheer joy, they made their way down the street to their favorite Internet café.

         “Okay so I had an idea…” Kasey began once they were seated with their coffee and muffins. “You know how I visit my grandparents every summer in Ireland?”

         “Mmhumph.” Brian murmured around his bite of muffin. It was the only blotch on his otherwise spotless summers.

         “Well why don’t you come with me?” Brian nearly spit out his muffin in surprise.

         “Really?”

         “Yeah! This year I’m staying nearly the whole summer and my parents could tell I was kind of bummed so they suggested I bring you along!”

         “But don’t your parents usually keep you on a tight fun-free schedule on that trip?”

         “They aren’t coming this year.” A mischievous glint appeared in her blue-green eyes. “They have a conference in California or something.” Kasey sipped her coffee.

         “Then yeah! I’m totally in!” They finished their snack and headed home. All the way back to the apartment building, they talked about what they would do in Ireland.

         “Oh I just have to show you this gorgeous little town it’s about a ten minute walk from my grandparents’ cottage!” Kasey exclaimed as they climbed the iron stairs. Before Brian could reply, they had reached his floor. “Okay, so I’ll have my parents call your mom tonight and we’ll go from there.” Kasey spoke over her shoulder as she continued to the next floor up. “This is going to be a fantastic trip!” With a final tiny wave, she was gone.

         Brian took the key from around his neck and placed it in its hole, shaking his head good-naturedly at Kasey’s whimsical ways.

         “Mom, I’m home,” Brian yelled, setting his book bag on the floor and shrugging out of his coat. The low hum of a television could be heard in the other room.

         “Don’t you dare leave that bag lying there!” his mother yelled from the living room. “God knows I’ve tripped over it a thousand times.”

         “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he muttered, scooping up the offending bag and heading toward his room. Sitting on the edge of his bed, head in hands, Brian sighed deeply. With a last look at his few possessions, he rubbed a hand over his face and went back to the kitchen. Beer bottles littered the countertops: not a good sign. He checked the hidden drawer in one of the cabinets. Good, at least she hadn’t found the pill bottle yet.

         “Whatcha doin’?” Like a magician’s sleight of hand, Brian slipped the pills back into the drawer. He turned around to face his mother.

         “I was just about to start dinner. Anything specific you want to eat?” His features had molded into an innocent expression, although his mother continued to look at him suspiciously. Then with a grunt she dropped his gaze.

         “Whatever we got is fine. My check doesn’t come until tomorrow.” Brian looked his mother over quickly while her attention was fixed elsewhere. Her thin, graying hair was unwashed and hung limply from a hasty bun. More lines had been etched into her face and her jeans were holey and grubby. She had on a long-sleeved cotton top that had seen better days. She was picking at the cuffs with anxious fingers. “I need a cigarette,” she said. “You want one?” Brian shook his head but reached to the top of the refrigerator and took one down for her. “That’s my good boy. Gonna stay in school and work hard in this life so he can have better than the shit we got around here.” Instead of taking the proffered cigarette, she wrapped her thin arms around her son.

Brian couldn’t help molding her frail body into his, couldn’t help the yearning to comfort her. He hated that she smoked. He hated that she drank. He hated the scum that came through their little apartment, leering at him as they entered his mother’s bedroom. But he continued to love the little woman that had brought him into the world. No matter how many times she yelled at him, or told him he was a failure. He couldn’t leave her. With a gusty sigh he let go of her.

         “Stop doing that.” She complained, turning her back on him. “You sound like an old man.” And with that he had lost her, back into the drunken void where she spent most of her time. She snatched the cigarette from his hand and shuffled into her room. Brian cleared the bottles into the trash and picked up the phone.

         “Hey, it’s Brian. I asked my mom about the trip. She said it’s okay. Just write out the plans, and I’ll give it to her, that way you’re parents don’t have to call.” He listened for a moment, the phone cradled between his shoulder and head as he grabbed some packaged bologna from the fridge. “Yeah okay, I’ll talk to you later. All right, bye.” Setting both the bologna and the phone on the counter he reached for the bread and began making sandwiches.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

         The next day, Brian handed his mother a sheet of paper.

         “What’s this?” she asked, squinting at the font.

         “It’s the information for a school trip I’m taking this summer.”

         “How much is it going to cost me?”

         “Nothing.” His mother glared at him. “I mean we did fundraising during the school year so everyone could go free.” Brian knew his mother was too proud to accept charity.

         “Whatever. Why are you giving me this?” Her attention was waning.

         “I’ll be gone nearly the whole summer. I wanted you to have the numbers and stuff in case you need me.”

         “So what? You’ll be in, what is it? Ireland? Like you’re going to be running home in time to help me. Whatever kid, have fun.” She folded up the paper and shoved it into her back pocket, heading back into her room and shutting the door. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door of the apartment.

         “Hey stranger, I’m here to kidnap you.” It was Kasey. Brian reached for his coat, but she stopped him. “Oh no, you won’t need that, we’re going back to my place.”

         “You know, I don’t think you’re supposed to tell the guy you’re kidnapping where you’re going, or where you live for that matter.”

         “Logic was always intended to be my downfall!” With a heartbreaking smile and a laugh like bells, she pulled him out of the apartment. It was kind of funny that an apartment like Kasey’s would ever exist in a building that contained one like Brian’s. The furniture was new and the walls were beautiful colors like wine red and navy blue. Hardwood floors gleamed under the soft glow of stainless steel lamps that hung from the ceiling. The entire apartment was filled with what could only be described as the contents of a Crate and Barrel catalogue.

When they had first met at the overcrowded and dingy public school they both attended, Brian had asked why Kasey didn’t go to a private school like all the other rich kids. After realizing he hadn’t been mocking her, Kasey had replied simply that she didn’t want to be surrounded by stuck-up kids in designer outfits that could have paid the bills for an entire neighborhood of bums. Brian had quickly understood that Kasey was like a bird whose wings had been clipped. She sang a beautiful tune but her heart would always belong outside of what New York could offer her. The pair of friends made their way through the apartment to Kasey’s bedroom.

         “Okay, I have kidnapped you so that you can help me pack! Then when I find that there are a million things I need but don’t have, we get to go shopping!” Kasey began rummaging through her closet.

         “Uh, Kase, are you okay? You’re usually not this girly. And you definitely never enlist my help with clothes.” His best friend was starting to freak him out.

         “Of course not silly! You’re here for this.” She gestured to the very top part of her walk-in closet where sat a suitcase of monstrous proportions. “I need you to get that down for me, and as for the shopping, well you need new clothes so consider us even.” Brian knew it was useless, and potentially dangerous, to argue so he contented himself by throwing her an exasperated look and heading into the closet.

         When the suitcase had been wrestled down and packed with clothes, shoes, accessories, electronics, and half of Kasey’s room, they headed out. By the end of the day, Kasey had equipped Brian with everything he could ever want in a lifetime, let alone one summer in Ireland. He shuddered to think of the cost.

         “Oh Brian, don’t be like that. You have done so much for me through the years, this hardly dents the surface of what I owe you!”

         “I don’t think hanging out with you while your parents are gone compares to all this!” He argued, carrying his weight in shopping bags up the iron stairs.

         “I don’t want to fight about this. You don’t realize the half of what you’ve done for me." A brief pause followed her words; it felt to Brian as if they contained the same power as a fortune teller's riddle. Then Kasey suddenly announced, "We’re here!” An enormous bag from the Ambassador Luggage Store blocked Brian’s view. By the time all the bags had been moved to Kasey’s room, Brian was gasping for breath.

         “You’re insane, you know that?” He flopped onto her bed, staring at the painted ceiling. She had gotten it into her head to paint clouds across the ceiling one day and he had helped. Stars painted with glow in the dark acrylic had been hidden among the fluffy folds so that at night, the ceiling seemed to come alive.

         “At least I don’t suffer from my insanity. Actually I’m enjoying every minute of it!”  She jumped on to the bed next to Brian, staring as he did at the clouds above. Look long enough and they almost seemed to move. “Hey,” she said, jumping up once more. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do.” She pulled Brian to his feet once more, him protesting with a groan. She fumbled around the room, searching for what, Brian couldn’t have said. “Aha!” She yelled triumphantly. She held up a few tubes of paint and a small brush.

         “Kase…” Brian began.

         “Shush, I’m working here.” She clambered back onto the bed and stared intently at the ceiling. After a moment she looked back down at her friend, light in her teal colored eyes. “Could you hand me that plate over there?” She gestured toward a Styrofoam plate caked in dried paint. Brian held it up patiently, knowing that if he rushed her he’d never get an answer.

         Twenty minutes later, after what seemed like a battle, the pair lay on the bed once more, gazing at Kasey’s creation. She had crafted an angel, hidden among the clouds but yet still visible. The angel wasn’t very big; it was only for the eyes of the people who knew to look. The face was both heartbreakingly beautiful yet almost unbearably sad, like it had witnessed more than something so heavenly should be subjected to.

         “What inspired you?” Brian asked, awed as always by her artistic talents.

         “You did actually.” Her normally don’t-care attitude had been replaced by something alarmingly close to shyness. They sat there for a while in companionable silence until Brian had to leave.

         “Thanks for letting me keep my stuff here, I don’t think my mom would like you buying me all this.” Assuring Brian that all was well, Kasey said goodbye and closed the door. She waited for a moment, making sure Brian was gone before grabbing her cell phone and heading back to her room.

         “Hey Grams, it’s Kasey… No I’m fine… Yeah, he’s coming…What? You didn’t tell me…I’m not going to let her just kidnap….”