Charlie darted for the door.
Just as he exited, Katie's little brother Michael was standing in the hallway, propped against the wall in his flannel shirt, wranglers, and worn boots. He wore his hair in a mullet that he was very proud of. Charlie froze, not daring to look at the boy. He never quite knew what to expect from him.
Michael's buddy Jason, standing beside him, dressed about the same, nudged him. "Hey, Mikey," Jason drawled, "ain't that yer sister's banker boyfriend?"
Charlie's face burned. He turned to walk away, but could still hear Michael chuckle and reply in his own drawl, "Nah, he ain't even got the balls ta talk ta her."
Charlie winced, wishing Michael had just kicked him down there in front of everyone else instead. He knew that Michael was right. He really didn't have... them. He had been missing them for a long time. Or maybe Phil had been right, and they just had never dropped.
But the doctor said...
Charlie shuddered, trying to forget his physical last summer so he could start cross country. Having to show his... parts... to a stranger, even a doctor... having to have them checked...
But, yes, the doctor did assure him everything was as it should have been.
Michael snickered as he watched Charlie freeze up. He loved it when he did that. It was more fun than making Sally, his family's goat, faint.
Someone tapped his shoulder. Charlie whirled to see Mallory holding his backpack.
She looked at him timidly. "You... forgot your backpack."
Charlie took the backpack, and before he knew what he had done, he gave Mallory a huge hug. Then froze, embarrassed, let go, and headed to the lunchroom.
Mallory stood there a moment, stunned.
Michael looked as shocked as Mallory.
Charlie saw her again in the lunchroom. She was tall and proud again. Same vibrant dress. Same San Juaquim in her raven hair. Johnny was standing in front of her, pleading. Charlie had been stunned. He'd never seen carefree Johnny so... desperate. She said something sharp in her paisa accent that Charlie didn't catch. Johnny reeled back like he'd been slapped. Katie appeared next to Johnny, fire in her eyes. The two young women stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. And Katie dropped her gaze.
Charlie had been struck. He'd never seen Katie intimidated like that.
Ever.
And just from a stare.
Charlie swallowed. That was the day he had decided to strike.
No one hurt Johnny, and especially not Katie, like that.
No one.
If only he knew.
Mitch brushed past him, returning Charlie to the present.
Charlie trudged to the doorway to the staircase to the first floor, taking the steps two at a time, trying to feel if they were brushing against his legs. He wanted to stop. To feel if they were still there. Probably not. Could they just... pull back up, like a snail in its shell? No, that didn't make sense. Maybe they were just defective.
No, they still work. We still stain the sheets.
Charlie winced.
Ok, so they still make... you know. But they aren't producing courage.
I don't think it works like that...
He opened the door and headed through the crowd to the line to the grand staircase. As he followed the line up, he thought of all the people of Silver Creek who had worn out those same stairs, but who had since moved on to the real world. He could do it too. Hopefully.
The warning bell rang. Crap. No time to slip into a restroom for a quick check. He had to get to class.