CHAPTER NINE #2
‘I’m in such awe of your bravery,’ Mrs Meadows went on, ‘and happy to see your surfing career won’t be derailed. What do you think you’ll do with the prize money should you win?’
Cas pressed his brows together. This was more like the Cas I recognized – the adorable boy who scrunched his face whenever he was deep in thought. It didn’t ease the knot in my chest, though. The moment he became a Pain Giver, something between us would shift.
‘The money belongs to those lifting us up,’ he answered.
‘The city council is commissioning a mural to recognize Pain Carriers and other neighborhood figures in South Alta. As talented as the artist is – and I hear she’s the best – we can give them more than an art installation and a few stipends to show our appreciation. ’
I leaned forward, stunned. That wasn’t what I expected. What are you up to, Castor Cas?
A flash of blue at his chin made his jaw tighten. His smile didn’t falter and he showed as much strength as he could. He wasn’t hiding his disease. He could afford the SPF, but here he was, letting everyone see it. See him.
I sank back into the couch. ‘He’s in a lot of pain.’
‘Temporarily,’ muttered Estelle. She looked for my co-sign, and when I didn’t give it, she glared.
‘Not everyone is built like you,’ I said. ‘You make pain-carrying look chic.’
‘That’s not the point.’
‘Then what is?’
She closed her eyes. ‘Nova …’
‘And when are you scheduled to give your pain away?’ Mrs Meadows asked Cas. ‘I assume soon, so you can focus on the Alta Bay Surf Cup.’
He shrugged.
‘Wait.’ Estelle gawked. ‘Did he just shrug? He’s not even taking this ser–’
‘If I’m honest, Yvonne, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to,’ replied Cas.
My mouth fell open. Estelle’s did too. Why? Why not? What was happening?
‘Currently, there isn’t a Pain Carrier match for me. I don’t know when one will come along. But I’m coping so far. I’ve seen natural carriers do amazing things. I personally know one who has already helped me. I’m doing OK. I think I can surf and carry this with me.’
I covered my face, trying to hide how much his response affected me.
It shook me. Cas had every resource in the world.
He should’ve been able to snap his fingers and find an instant Carrier match.
Instead, he was stuck with his pain. Just like Skye was stuck with hers.
He was hurting when he didn’t have to. I couldn’t form words if I tried.
Mrs Meadows nodded. ‘It sounds like we need more Carrier sign-ups out east so you won’t have to suffer much longer. I’m assuming you didn’t test high for pain tolerance.’
‘I didn’t need to,’ Cas said. ‘I feel every brush of air against my skin. Pain tolerance or not, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
But I’m a Fox and a high-performance athlete.
I’ll manage, just like so many others. In the meantime, I have some surf winnings left over from the Outer Banks Pro two weeks ago.
I might not have a Pain Carrier match, but there are others who could be pain-free now and are held back by the monthly financial commitment. I’d like to –’
Something stirred off-camera. Cas steeled his face as Mrs Meadows cleared her throat. ‘I’m sorry, Castor. We have a few other questions I know our viewers want answers to.’
I wanted answers to what he was about to say. ‘Was he about to pay for someone else who needed to become a Pain Giver?’
‘I think so.’ Estelle said, staring at the screen with something like awe.
Cas pushed his curls from his face. Was his mother – or someone from Dominion’s PR – stopping him from being generous? Too generous, they probably thought. I liked it, though. He never stopped surprising me.
‘I guess he isn’t a completely spoiled douche,’ Estelle muttered.
I paused, partly surprised by her change in attitude, and realized this was my window to come clean about who to sue for lost best-friend hours. ‘Well, speaking of –’
The landline rang, and I nearly jumped off the couch. No one ever called the phone – I didn’t even know it was still connected – but Daddy insisted on keeping it for when technology failed. As a kid, he’d seen an old movie about AI wiping out humanity and had been scarred for life.
The voicemail picked up in his room, but with his door open, it was loud as day.
Estelle’s eyes bored into me as the debt collector detailed every late fee and past-due payment: electric, gas, water, mortgage, property insurance, phone, and two of Skye’s hospital bills.
It should be illegal for debt collectors to lay out someone’s business like that over voicemail.
The final tally was soul-crushing. Leo and I both worked underpaying jobs – it was never going to be enough.
You can only chip away at the minimum payments for so long.
Estelle’s gaze softened. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
I stumbled through my words. ‘Leo and I would’ve had enough next week if my shifts hadn’t been cut. Then his crew was let go from the Solis Sky Tower project –’
‘You know that wouldn’t have been enough – Wait. Leo lost his job?’
I slapped a hand to my forehead. I’d forgotten to mention it.
‘I have some savings from my Carrier payments,’ she offered. ‘I can give you –’
I shook my head. ‘You know my rule.’
‘Don’t mix money with besties.’ She sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. ‘You’re so stubborn.’
‘Thank you,’ I whispered. ‘It’s my best quality.’
Estelle wasn’t wrong earlier. The bike crash had messed up more than I or Cas could’ve predicted. He stood now, his family joining him, looking like a holiday greeting card on my family’s old flatscreen. The Foxes had everything – except for a match for Cas. He’ll be strong enough.
There was one way out of debt. The segment faded into an advertisement for the Freedom System.
The ache in my ribs was almost nonexistent, only a week after the accident.
The doctor had said it’d take a month for me to bounce back, but I’d done it in a quarter of the time.
My family couldn’t handle another final notice.
What if I didn’t have the sickle cell trait?
What if I could be a candidate? What if there was someone else like Cas – or Skye – with no one to take their pain away?
I could sign up for the Freedom System. It’d take one call. Then I wouldn’t need help from Estelle, Cas, or anyone else ever again. It could work. It has to work. I grabbed my solisPhone, knowing he couldn’t respond for a while, and that was OK. It was what I needed.
Nova
That was brave of you to share with the world
Nova
We have a lot to talk about, but I need to be offline for a few days to handle family things. Talk soon.