“With the flying and whatever it was you had on him?”
“Ah.” Landon nodded, and then fished around inside a leather satchel wrapped around his arm. He pulled out a piece of strappy black cloth with bits of metal on it, shaped like the wing of one of those old-timey airplanes Leila had seen in history books and in black-and-white footage on television, when people rushed ill-fated contraptions madly off cliffs in hopes they would fly. “I’m the one who found Milford all those years ago. Parents’ backyard. I kept him in a shoebox until my father caught me and made me bring him up here.” Landon looked up, his eyes set on the eagle and the enclosure, and then spun around, leaning his back against it.
“It’s been, what, seven years, Milford?” He looked at the owl, cocking his head, and the owl in turn did the same, as if questioning him in return. “And I don’t know, he never really seemed happy in any of those cages. Missing a wing, hopping everywhere. So I take him out now and again, and keep trying with these things.” He shook the cloth wing out before handing it to her. “I hope it’ll work one day.”
“No luck?” Leila asked, looking over the cloth.
“Not really.” He shrugged. “Sometimes he gets up into the air for a few seconds, other times, comes crashing right back down. I mean really, there’s only so much I can do, armed only with Google and my math and engineering classes at CCP.”
“You’re at the county college?” Leila asked, handing him back the wing. Leila and Sarika had been to the Community College of Philadelphia a handful of times, for skills workshops and other outreach programs that wrangled up foster kids and kids in group homes. A handful of the professors hung around at Adam’s Café, often roping kids into the events.
“Yeah,” Landon said, looking down at the wing, suddenly sad. “It works for now, at least until my parents catch on.”
“Catch on?” Leila asked. “What, they don’t want you in college?”
“Hm?” Landon shook his head. “Yeah, no, it’s just . . . You know, we should really keep exploring the grounds, I think you’ll like it here,” Landon said, bottling himself back up.
“Yeah, okay,” Leila nodded as he started to walk away. “Oh! Wait!”
Landon turned around.
“Why?” Leila asked.
“Why what?” He cocked his head to the side, and Milford did the same.
“The flying?” Leila asked with a shrug, pointing at the owl. “Doing it again and again, making him the wings and all. Why do it?”
Landon looked over at the owl, and scratched under its head. Milford lifted his chin up, eyes shut, lost in being petted.
“It’s not about that. It’s about giving him the chance to try.”
The wind rustled.
Go.
The voice circled back, as the cool breeze brushed at Leila’s face and neck.
He bears the colors of the caretakers. He will understand.
Leila closed her eyes and shook her head a little, trying to ignore the pounding in her temples and the voices that were coming in way too clearly.
“Hey, are you okay?” Landon asked.
She opened her eyes, and the voices faded.
“Yeah, yeah, no, I’m fine,” Leila said, feeling flushed. “I’m, um, I’m going to go find Sarika.”
“Okay, well, if you need anything, I’ll be here,” Landon nodded, walking back over. “Here’s my number, text me if you’re not feeling too great, and I can call a ranger to come drive you out.”
And with that, Landon turned and walked towards the rest of the students, leaving Leila with her heart feeling strangely full.
THREAD: OMG THANKS YOU GUYS
FORUM: GENERAL
OMG THANKS YOU GUYS
Posted by WithouttheY
AUGUST 19th, 2017 | 1:02PM
I mean, seriously, what do I even say right now?
I’m still not feeling great, but the outpouring of support is no doubt speeding up the recovery process. I think I read something about that. Because you know, science or whatever.
Debating what to do with the extra funds, but I’ll likely make some donations to the youth centers in my area. The Attic, maybe? I dunno. Something good. You’re all wonderful.
RE: OMG THANKS YOU GUYS
Posted by Toothless
AUGUST 19th, 2017 | 2:09PM
Awesome, glad you’re feeling better. Let’s make those plans soon.
RE: OMG THANKS YOU GUYS
Posted by WithouttheY
AUGUST 19th, 2017 | 3:02PM
Yes please ;-)
RE: OMG THANKS YOU GUYS
Posted by A Dash of Paprika
AUGUST 19th, 2017 | 3:22PM
. . . THE HELL IS THIS?
X
“So,” Sarika said, dropping her backpack and leaning into the lockers. “We need to talk, Miss Flirting-
with-the-enemy-on-our-message-board.”
“Okay, that’s nothing, I’ve never even met him and we’ve swapped like a handful of messages. And he’s not that bad. Maybe I’ll grab coffee with him and report back—”
“If he hasn’t slain you because he turns out to be a crazy Internet person! Have you even been paying attention during our Lifetime movie marathons?” Sarika said, looking at Leila with wide, doubtful eyes. “Just saying. At least bring him into Adam’s for coffee, so I can protect you from afar. Maybe I’ll perch on the espresso machine. With a crossbow.”
“You watch too many of the wrong Lifetime movies,” Leila laughed as she swung open her locker. “Those definitely . . . oh.”
She stopped mid-sentence, staring inside her locker.
“What is it?” Sarika asked, peering inside her locker. “Oh shit.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s . . . that’s a ballsy move,” Sarika said.
“I’ll say.”
Inside her locker sat a dozen flowers, multiple colors and kinds, bound together in soft, white paper. A card was stuck to the front of the bouquet.
I’m sorry. – Shawn.
“I mean, what do you even say to something like that?” Leila asked. “’Kay? Thanks? Good luck with all your future endeavors? Have a nice life with your awful girlfriend?”
“Hell if I know,” Sarika said, shrugging. “How did he even get into your locker?”
“Dr. Rich, maybe?” Leila wondered. “He seems like the sad-romantic sort.”
Leila reached in and plucked the bouquet out. The smell of the fresh flowers was overwhelming and intense. With her hand around the thick, green stems, still wet from wherever they were before, she breathed in, and then fought the urge to gasp as she felt the flowers rustle about. It was as if they were trying to stretch in the tied-up bouquet, their leaves bending, and the petals blooming out ever so slightly.
It felt like the little tree in her yard all over again. Growing too fast, stretching out as if they wanted to touch her when she got close.
She moved to put the flowers back in the locker when they abruptly shot out of her hand with a loud slap against the paper. They hit the hard floor of the school hallway, and the voices in Leila’s head came screaming back, loud and shrill, like they’d been the day the willow was cracked in half. She pressed her hands against her head and leaned against the locker, gritting her teeth and muttering to herself.
“Hallway. Locker. School.”
“Hey!” a familiar voice shouted.
“Leave her alone!” Sarika yelled, her voice booming in the hall.
“What’s wrong with her?” another said. “Hey, what’s the matter with you?”
“I said, leave her alone!” Sarika roared.
Leila shook her head gently and turned to spot Jessica, Rebekah, and Gwen standing right there in the hall. Jessica was laughing with Rebekah, practically falling over. Gwen, the girl with the brown hair and freckles, stood away from the other two, her mouth turned down into a frown, shaking her head.
“Come on, guys,” Gwen muttered, bending down to pick up some of the flowers.
“Get out of here!” Sarika shouted. She went to push past Leila, who grabbed her and held on to her. Sarika was a ball of fury. “Are you okay?” she whispered.