The Walt Way

ten o'clock: i see the light

ten o'clock: i see the light

I was shaking. "Coralie, wake up!"

Startled awake, I sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I think you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?"

I felt my pulse and it was beating faster than usual. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry I woke you."

"Don't worry about it. I thought you saw a bear or something." He laughed.

"Just you, Cub Scout."

The dynamic between Donovan and I had changed, and I hoped it was just me who noticed it. I told myself that if I ignored it, it would go away. Princesses simply did not fall for their sidekicks. This was all very foreign to me. Of course I had dreamed of a guy best friend to fall in love with, but Donovan was never an option because I thought he wasn't into girls. But after that dream, I wasn't too sure.

"Yeah, well, go back to sleep. The sun's not even out yet."

I yawned, situating myself within my sleeping bag. Normally I would've snuggled closer to Donovan, but circumstances were different. I couldn't do that without thinking of it as flirting. But in the jumble of the night, the words were out before I had a chance to stop them. "Donovan, can I tell you something?"

"Can it wait until morning?"

"Okay. Lights off."

"The light has been off."

***

I found myself closer to Donovan when I woke up, which startled the both of us. Me because I opened my eyes and saw his face about five inches from my face, and him because I shrieked five inches from his face. "Not the alarm I wanted this morning," Donovan grumbled. "Your breath stinks."

"Gee, thanks. Yours isn't much better."

"Let's get out of here. I'm remembering why I quit now. I miss society way too much to constantly 'be one' with nature."

I cleaned up our campfire mess while Donovan collapsed the tent. I couldn't help but appreciate his fluid movements and the insults he tossed carelessly my way, and I wondered if he felt what I was feeling too. It suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't Coralie anymore. Never had I lost my I-don't-care-about-rejection attitude when it came to boys, but here I was, confused and wanting to hit myself with a frying pan each time I said something out of character. If Donovan noticed I was acting differently, then he would know that something was up. It wasn't that I wanted to pretend they didn't exist, but I also didn't want to make it blatantly obvious. It bothered me how a single night's sleep could affect me like this.

"So what's the game plan today?" he asked. "Do you know who your next victim is?"

I glared at him. "My lovers are not victims. For your information this one happens to be an instigator."

Donovan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to help a convict escape from jail."

"No."

"What?"

"That's stupid and dangerous. You're going to put your life in danger."

"I doubt they'd try to kill me if I'm trying to help them."

"Fine, but you'll be seen as an accomplice, and that's not okay. Don't throw your life away for a stranger you'll never see again."

"Don't be such a buzzkill. Think of the thrill."

"Can we at least downscale it a bit? How about we help someone break out of detention?"

I was hoping he'd be a Debbie Downer and suggest something like that because I didn't even want to be in the general vicinity of a prison, much less break into one, but I also didn't want to shed my daring exterior in case he suspected something.

"I guess we can be boring."

He rolled his eyes. "You'll thank me later."

***

Neither of us knew where the detention room was. "Can we just ask where it is?" I said.

"Maybe?"

"We could say we have a delivery to make."

"What are we delivering?"

I held up a paper crown from Burger King. "Ultimately, this. But I'm going to need you to distract whoever is running detention so I can get Jax out."

"Does Jax know that you're coming for him?"

"No, but I bet it'll be a pleasant surprise."

"Can't we just pull the fire alarm and make a break for it?"

"No! That's not romantic at all. Besides, if you do that, then Jax won't know that I saved him."

I waited in the shadows outside the door while Donovan told Vice Principal Everhart that he was needed in the gymnasium. He scratched his balding head and said, "I wonder why they just didn't page me. I'll be there as soon as I get a replacement to monitor these students. Excuse me."

"I hope he doesn't know my name," Donovan said after Vice Principal Everhart left.

"Let's get Jax out before someone shows up." The tables were pushed together conference style, and it was much more hospitable than I had pictured. "Jax," I said, looking around the room. I motioned him with my finger when our eyes met.

He confusedly stood up and followed me out. "Where am I going?"

"You're free!"

"What?"

"You don't have to do detention anymore?"

"For real? Sweet." He smiled. "Thanks a lot."

I tucked an invisible strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, it was no problem."

"What's your name, kid?"

Kid. I was only a year or two younger than him, and I didn't think that made me a kid. If there was ever a mood killer, that was it. "Coralie," I grunted.

"I owe you one. If you ever see me or my girlfriend in the lunch line, feel free to cut with us."

"Gee, thanks."

I stalked away to find Donovan, who was lying on a bench just inside the entrance. "That was quick," he said.

"Girlfriend."

"You have terrible luck."

"Maybe it's because I don't have a lucky cricket. Where can I get one of those?"

"China?"

"I want pan pizza."

"Okay, but you can't hit anyone with the pan."

"Darn."

"Your hair looks longer."

"Thanks. I got those dollar store extensions."

"Gross."

I took the clip out and attached it to Donovan's head. "It suits you."