Chapter 29 Civilization Road
Chapter twenty-nine
Civilization Road
“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.” - Albert Einstein
Fin was a no-show, and Hailey waited a whole fifteen minutes past their rendezvous time before she pounded on his door.
“Enter,” he called, sounding dispirited, and Hailey poked her head in.
“You alright?” she asked when she saw him sitting hunched apathetically over his guitar.
Without looking up, he strummed a familiar tune, singing coldly.
“His disguise is the black of night, and in your heart, he’s darkness…”
He plucked a single, hard note and with his head still bowed, set his guitar aside.
“That’s not how it goes,” Hailey said softly, though his voice was beautiful and honest, and she wished he’d sing some more.
“For me it is.” He showed his face, and Hailey gasped.
“What happened?” He had two black eyes and crooked nose.
“Rough night. I was hoping it would heal a little more before our drive. Maybe by the time we get to town, you won’t be ashamed to be seen with me.”
Hailey rolled her eyes, smiling earnestly as Fin grabbed his wallet and keys.
“And here I thought you were standing me up,”
Fin offered his elbow. “Never, my dear, you’re the only thing in this world that matters to me,” he said under his breath. But Hailey definitely heard it. She froze.
“You alright?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Are you alright?”
Fin let out a curt laugh. “Right as rain, dear,” he answered in his best grumpy Pix voice.
“I think you have a head injury,” she surmised. “Do you want me to drive?” she asked coyly, and Fin’s bruised face fell.
“Uh—no.” He led her outside to a brand new, bright red, four-door pickup truck with big tires and decals boasting “off-road” and “4-wheel drive.”
“What happened to your car?” Hailey asked, frowning her disappointment.
“Convertible-go-fast car in Pennsylvania,” he said. “Sturdy-go-in-snow pickup truck in Alaska.”
Civilization Road led out of Bear Towne University and away from The Middle of Nowhere like a stem on the four-leaf-clover-shaped campus, and even traveling at warp-Fin speeds, it took more than three hours to actually reach civilization.
“Where should we start?” Fin asked as they came into Anchorage.
Hailey shushed him so she could concentrate on three small airplanes circling the pattern around an airfield, which she could only see out of Fin’s side window. She leaned into his lap and craned her neck.
He shifted slightly, letting out a low groan.
“Cool, huh?” He spoke down to her as she stretched across his legs.
“They’re so tiny. They look like toys, don’t they? Oh, I bet it’s a breathtaking ride!”
“Alright, sit up,” he said, expelling a lungful of air as he nudged her with his knee. “Let’s get some lunch.”
As Fin pulled in to a fried chicken joint, Hailey grabbed her stomach, which was trained to growl at any mention of food.
“…and if you can hear me over that monster in your gut, I’ll take you flying in the school’s Super Cub this winter,” he offered.
Hailey gave him a blank stare.
“You can fly?”
“There’s a lot I can do,” he said in his oh-so-confident way, and Hailey looked away. She could feel her cheeks burning as she all but fell out of the truck.
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” he chided.
“I wasn’t even thinking about sex with you,” she blurted before she could stop herself and in a voice so loud another couple turned to stare.
Paralyzed by shame, Hailey wrapped her arms around her head.
Footsteps crunched against the gravel next to her.
“Yes you were,” said Fin.
“No, I really—I wasn’t—I never even…”
When she uncovered her head, a few tears of embarrassment sneaked out of her eyes.
Fin wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Oh how she missed his hugs!
Even with a twinge of guilt pricking her heart, she didn’t want him to let go, and she closed her eyes as she breathed in his cologne.
Then he kissed her on the head with a loud, “mwah!” and the moment was gone.
“Let’s get some grub,” he laughed, walking with his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in tight. “You’re the biggest spaz…” he teased, and Hailey wiped her face.
“You stink,” she chuckled with a sob. Jeez, not twenty-four hours had passed since her last break down, and there she was crying again. “Someone sent me a Nasty Gram yesterday,” she told him.
Fin threw his head back and let out a groan. “Cobon.”
“What?”
“He swung by last night…said he was out delivering a personal note.”
“Is that what happened to your face? I thought Cobon couldn’t come to Bear Towne—I…I thought Asher could keep him out—I thought…” Her heart pounded as her sense of security evaporated.
Fin pulled her into another hug, pressing her head into his chest, instantly quelling her panic. Just like with Asher, it was complete comfort…only Fin didn’t want her dead.
“Don’t worry about it, okay?” he said softly. “Asher can stop anyone from hurting you before it happens—”
Fat chance.
“—and Cobon won’t come near you.”
Hailey stepped back. “What do you mean? Why?”
“He’s afraid you’ll destroy him.”
“Why? Why does everyone think I destroyed Adalwolf—I didn’t,” she insisted with wide eyes, and Fin pursed his lip.
“Everyone thinks that, because Adalwolf went into your bedroom when you were a child… And then he exploded.”
Staring vacantly at the pavement, Hailey wondered how long it would take Cobon to figure out she was harmless.
Fin patted her bum and led her inside, where he ordered a bucket of chicken.
“Why did Cobon come see you?” she asked after he paid.
“Because he’s a perverted, psychotic maniac. Here.” He shoved a fried chicken leg into her hand. “Eat.”
Hailey nibbled her chicken leg, and with no further talk of exploding Envoys or her almost certain death at the hands of a perverted psychopath, they reached the bottom of the bucket and headed out.
“Where to first?” Fin asked, slapping her leg.
He started the truck, and Hailey ticked off her list.
“Clothes, shoes, boots, pillow, blankets, robe, towel, toiletries, winter coat, cell phone.”
“Mall,” he said, putting the truck in gear, “and you don’t need a cell phone.”
“Yes I do.”
“No you don’t.”
Hailey pointed south. “Mine is in a sticky swamp somewhere, and I lost it when you pushed me out of the Luftzeug—I need a cell phone.”
“I never pushed—you fell,” he said zipping into the parking lot, “and you don’t need a cell phone; there’s no signal at Bear Towne.
” Fin claimed a spot near the entrance and threw the truck in park.
“Don’t worry about your winter gear. I’ll take care of that while you get all your other stuff.
And Hailey—do not forget…” He paused, raising his eyebrows as he faced her, and Hailey’s mind raced.
What? What could be dangerous about the mall? Unmarked in-betweens? Cobon? What?
Fin sighed. “—a razor.” He smiled playfully, and she slugged his arm.
“Meet back here in an hour, okay?” he chuckled as they made their way inside.
Within forty-five minutes, Hailey had everything, including a razor, and she met Fin at the exit. He took her bags for her as they walked to the truck.
“You wanna do some skating while we’re here?” he asked, tossing her things onto the back seat.
Hailey shook her head. “I’ve never been on ice skates. I wouldn’t even know how to put one on.”
“Then I’ll show you,” he said using his professor’s voice, and he steered her back inside.
“I usually try to avoid embarrassing myself in public, Fin.”
“No you don’t,” he reminded her as he pushed her into the ice arena. “You wait right here while I get our skates…and don’t talk to strangers.”
Hailey waited obediently with her hands folded in her lap for Fin to return with two sets of skates. One was already installed on his feet, and he fitted the other onto her little feet in a way that made her feel like Cinderella.
“Let’s go.” Grabbing her hands, he pulled her toward the rink.
“No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no,” she pleaded, walking stiff-legged like the tin man, but Fin lifted her onto the ice anyway, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and holding her tight against him.
“Come on little penguin,” he sang as he skated across the rink with her. “Time to spread your wings and glide.”
“Penguins don’t spread wings and glide,” she said on wobbly legs. “They flop and slide.”
“Not if they’re from Pittsburgh,” he pointed out as he pivoted in front of her. “It’s time you learned.” He took her hands, pulling her along as he skated backwards.
“You know I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Her legs stiffened, her butt jutted out, and she almost lost it in a spastic cartoon-like pirouette. But Fin had good reflexes. He pivoted, turned, and caught her under her shoulders so gracefully it felt like a choreographed dance.
“Nice save,” she breathed as he steadied her on her skates again.
“You should see me play,” he offered. “Season opener’s in Anchorage,” he said. “I’ll even get you a backstage pass IF you can stay out of trouble until October.”
Hailey wobbled dangerously but recovered with only a slight nudge. “Deal,” she said confidently, holding onto his hands. “You know, I think I’m getting the hang of this,” she smiled, slipping her hands through his until he held only her fingertips.
Then she let go altogether.
“Hey, look!” she exclaimed proudly. “I’m doing it—whoa!”
She faltered slightly, which threw her off balance, which caused her arms to circle like a windmill, and when she instinctively turned her foot out like an Irish dancer, her ankle crumpled with a wet-sounding CRACK! Down she went—like a flyswatter.
“Ouch,” she mumbled into the ice, and Fin skidded to a halt next to her. As she rolled over and pushed herself up to sit, her ankle flopped to the side.
“Dammit,” Fin said angrily.
“I’m sorry,” Hailey gushed as he scooped her up. “I was doing great, and then I lost my balance, but I totally had it, but then my ankle quit, and…” She twitched her foot. “—ouch—I think I hurt something.”