100. Sæglópur (Do You Understand?)

The next day I get past glaring Georgia and towering Lance to talk to Kelsey.

I take her hands in mine.

“Listen to me—Kelsey, please. Look at me.”

Her wide eyes are already starting to tear up.

Yes you hurt her but not because you wanted to or because you messed up but because this place made it happen.

“I want you to come with me.”

She shakes her head, looking confused. Lance is nearby and says something, and I look at him. And I don’t know. I’m not an intimidating sort of guy, but I think I might have the tendency if moved enough to look absolutely bonkers—like I do now. Enough to make the guy just look at me with a bit of reluctance.

“Please, just—please.”

I tug her and don’t feel resistance.

I keep tugging and lead her down the hallway.

I see Mr. Meiners staring at us from the doorway of his room.

I see Miss Harking pass us by with her dull glance.

I see Brick outside smoking and nodding.

I lead Kelsey down to my bike, and then I hop on.

“Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

I start up the motorcycle, and I guess it works. There was no grand plan. No wanting to look all studly and manly on my bike.

I’m just wanting to escape.

I feel her arms wrap around my chest.

“Hang on,” I shout out.

Then I drive. And I keep driving. And I lead us far away from this place just because it feels right and because I want to dream and want to hope that there is a place outside of this one that can belong to us.

I feel her rigid arms around me, but ten minutes in, Kelsey seems to relax.

Or maybe relent.

She gives in as she clutches me tighter.

Then she really holds on to me, not in a way someone riding passenger on a bike might but the way someone needing to hold another might.

“Don’t give up on me, Kelsey.”

We could be anywhere. It doesn’t really matter.

A high school gym or library or bathroom or hallway. A park or a parking lot or a national park.

It doesn’t matter.

The girl in front of me matters. The girl shaking her head and not saying anything.

“Go to prom with me.”

“What?”

“I messed up when I didn’t ask you last year. When I didn’t walk you home after our dance. I told myself that wasn’t going to happen again, and look what’s happening.”

She shakes her head, wiping away more tears.

“I’m sorry, Kelsey.”

“What’s going on with you?”

My mouth starts to move, but I don’t say anything.

“See,” Kelsey says. “That’s what always happens.”

“I don’t want you dying,” I blurt out in a frustrated, awkward way.

“What—what are you talking about?”

“They took Jocelyn away and they managed to take Lily away and I don’t want them taking you away.”

“Who? What?”

We’re at a rest stop off the highway, and nobody is near the bench we’re sitting on.

“Staunch and Pastor Marsh. These men are part of an evil cult, one that’s run by my great-grandfather. They want me—and they’re willing to kill anybody—anybody—in order to get me.”

“But why?”

“Because they think I’m special and I have some crazy powers and I don’t know …”

Kelsey stares at me.

“I know—ludicrous, right? I could keep going, but it would just keep getting more and more crazy. And I don’t want you to give me goofy looks.”

“I’m not giving you any kind of look.”

“Go to prom with me,” I say as I take her hands.

“I’m already—”

“Lance? Really? Kelsey—really?”

She looks down, almost ashamed.

“Do you really like him? I mean—if I thought you really wanted to go with him, then I wouldn’t be here. But I get this feeling that deep down inside you really kinda want me to—”

She interrupts me with a kiss. I put both my hands on her slender, soft face and kiss her back.

After a few moments, Kelsey pushes me away.

“How does stupid prom have anything to do with what’s going on with you?” she asks. “Is that why I’m in danger?”

“They don’t want me to be with you.”

“Why? I don’t get it.”

“Because they don’t like your faith and your influence. They think that—they think that somehow you’re going to …”

“What?”

“This all sounds so ridiculous.”

“What?” Kelsey asks. “Prom?”

“This whole discussion of—listen—I just want you to know that I think that I kinda love you, if that even makes sense.”

Kelsey acts like she was just sideswiped by a train.

“I know it makes no sense to hear that, but I do. I mean, I think I do.” I can tell I’m babbling, but I keep on. “And if I have to tell you that and take you to prom to prove it, then fine, but then you have to promise me—you have to understand that you have to stay away from me.”

She looks up at me in a relieved, happy way.

“Do you understand?” I ask her.

“No.” But then she kisses me in a way that says she maybe doesn’t care.

And I kiss her back in that same sort of way.

Maybe all the evil-people-out-there stuff doesn’t make sense, but this right here does make sense. And it feels like this can overcome anything and can destroy anyone trying to break it.

This love feels right even if everything else around us feels wrong.

“So am I going to have to beat up Lance or something to get you to be my prom date?” I ask her.

“No,” Kelsey says. “All you had to do was ask. That’s all you’ve ever had to do.”