Miles To Go

Chapter Ten

One week later:

"Beets again," Calvin groaned as he plopped down in his seat at the end of the table. He looked across the table at Grace, who was sitting next to her father, Leoric. She was Oriental, like her father, with short, dark, shiny hair and bangs cut straight across her forehead.

"If you hold your nose, you can't taste them as much," she said.

Calvin sighed. He didn't know why she was always being nice to him. Sure, their families sat together during meals. But she stuck up for him on the playground so that, much to his dismay, Jaymz had started calling her Calvin's little girlfriend. She's just a baby, Calvin thought. He looked over at the table where Jaymz sat with his friends, Ralloe, Patrick, Weeble, and Bartholomew Jenkins III. He called him Bart once, and he received a solid punch in the gut. At first Calvin thought it was personal, but later found out he does that to everyone. No one could tell him why, just that he hates being called Bart.

He noted that Jaymz had no tray. He had stuck Calvin with a sharpened pencil that morning several times, finally leaving Lizzy no choice but to punish him with no lunch. Jaymz's behavior often left him with no lunch, but in Calvin's opinion, it really didn't do any good. Jaymz was thin and wiry, used to living off the street and going without. Plus, his friends always gave him some of their lunches, as Calvin witnessed taking place right now.

"Hello everyone," Yeltsin said as he passed by with his tray, his sister Roxanne behind him.

"Howdy doodle dude!" Gerald greeted from next to Calvin.

Yeltsin gave Gerald a smile, but kept his pace, he and his sister heading towards a table for themselves. Calvin frowned at Yeltsin's limp and the way Roxanne held her back straight as she walked. They'd both been severely injured in the events that had taken place only five days before. Calvin still could hardly believe that Karla, Yeltsin's other sister, was now dead. He hadn't known her for very long, but her loving and bubbly spirit had made him like her right away.

Leo was watching them too. "I hope it's the right thing...doing the Festival of Love this Sunday..." His lips quirked down as he looked back at his tray. "It just seems like it's maybe too soon."

May shrugged and looked torn. "I know what you mean, but it was Yeltsin's idea."

"A party will get everyone's mind off the pain," Gerald said with confidence. "Things have been downright depressing around here lately. People need something to look forward to."

Calvin agreed silently as he ate his food. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he knew enough. Sorsha, Yeltsin's ex-girlfriend, had been responsible for Karla's death and the subsequent uprising and gun fight between humans and Loompas. Then she had kidnapped Roxanne and fled to the mountains, with Wonka and the others following. Thankfully, all of them had made it back alive and victorious, but the loss overcame the spirit of jubilation...

Calvin looked around the cafeteria and found his gaze drawn again towards Jaymz and his friends. They were leaned in towards each other grinning mischievously and talking quietly.

What are they up to? He wondered as he strained to catch their words.

"Just think of what's in there man!!" Ralloe was saying.

"So when are we doing it?" Weeble asked Jaymz anxiously.

"This evening. So be prepared," Jaymz smirked.

Calvin's brow knit. What were they talking about? He was barely able to hear them talking about gathering supplies like shovels and hand tools. What the heck are they going to do? Go garden-crashing? He scowled to himself. Knowing Jaymz, it was nothing so good-intended.