Never Too Late : A Romantic Story (3 page)

#

Amy had considered not returning, but something had compelled her to return to Carrie's.

Maybe it had been the boredom she felt with everything else. Maybe she had actually bee
n
interested in the charitable works they had planned. Or maybe she just wanted to see Cal
e
again, or see his face when she showed up again.

She didn't know herself, but she arrived at the doors and had a much easier time getting u
p
those steps. The shouting at Cale had loosened something in her. She had actually given Bra
d
some attitude the other night. "Stop hitting on other girls when you're around me," she ha
d
said. Brad had looked taken aback, surprised she would even consider telling him what to do.

But something in her voice had told him something. She wouldn't be argued with. Not in this.
 

Of course, Amy knew he would still keep up with his slimy behavior behind her back, but ther
e
was little she could do about that. Or so she told herself.

This time, when she walked through the doors, she got a little less lost. She recognized som
e
of the landmarks she had picked out last time, but those only led her into corridors wher
e
she spent some time looking around, clueless.

It was Jacob who found her. "Hey, Amy, right?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, I got kind of lost again."

He chuckled and motioned for her to follow him. "Happened to me all the time when I firs
t
started volunteering. Come on."

They walked around the place for a while, before finding the room they had held the las
t
meeting. "Mind if I ask you something?" Jacob asked.

"Sure."

"Everything okay with you and Cale?" Amy froze and looked up at him. "Sorry," he said. "It'
s
just that he's my friend, and I thought you two knew each other, and ever since he left wit
h
you after the meeting the other day, he's been acting a little weird."

"No, it's not- We're fine." The words poured from her as if they meant anything and weren'
t
easy excuses to drop the subject. What was with everyone at the organization? Why di
d
everyone seem intent on prying into her information?

"Geez," Jacob said, rubbing the back of his head. "My bad. I didn't mean to pry. Just forget
I said anything." He sped up a little, and Amy followed, not quite content with his apolog
y
but willing to overlook it. She didn't want to think anymore about Cale or Brad or any o
f
these people. She found that all she wanted to do was disappear into the room with the marke
r
board, and sit and help in whatever context let her speak the less.

Cale was, of course, in the room when she entered. He stole a single look at her, and the
n
quickly looked away. Amy took the seat closest to the door, and Cale sat at the desk by wher
e
he stood, which was halfway across the room. Amy made it a point not to look at him, and whe
n
she failed in her self-discipline, saw Cale trying very hard to do the exact same thing.

The meeting took off without a hitch, and Amy found herself getting more and more wrapped u
p
in the conversations and planning. That didn't mean she could pry her mind away from Cale o
r
any of the other things she worried about. She just tried her best to shove it all aside an
d
pay attention.

Before too long, the meeting split up, with everyone having received their assignments. Amy'
s
was to call up local small businesses and see if she could drum up any donations, and if not
,
if the places would be willing to have any sort of canned food drive. Amy had been to
o
nervous to say no, but decided to give it her best shot anyway. The argument she had had wit
h
Brad and Cale seemed to have instilled something stronger within her. She resolved to do wha
t
she could. She made to leave and started to make a mental list.

"Amy." She frowned when she heard Cale's voice. "Wait up."

The others filed out around them, but Amy found herself standing just outside the door. Cal
e
hadn't moved from where he had sat, and eyed everyone a bit nervously. It was an awkwar
d
position, and Amy blushed because of it. If Cale had waited to call her attention when the
y
were both outside, that would've been one thing. That he had done it in the midst of everyon
e
was another thing entirely. "What?" She asked once everyone had left.

"I just wanted to say, sorry."

"You said that already."

"I know. But I was out of line. I just wanted to apologize and I wanted to see if you jus
t
wanted to be friends."

Amy knew enough to know that relationships between men and women were never just 'friends,
'
but she gave a non-committal nod. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just don't like it whe
n
people pry."

Cale shifted about on his feet nervously, trying his hardest to occupy himself with movemen
t
to take away from how he felt when standing still. "That's sort of my thing, too. But listen
,
I promise I'll do my best not to get into your business. Okay?"

She let loose a heavy sigh and crossed her arms. "Okay." It was too much effort to stay mad.

All her life, Amy had found the better approach was to let things go. She pretended that sh
e
followed that advice, but she was certainly one to hold a grudge and to stew over thing
s
others had long forgotten about. But with Cale, she didn't want to. If he wanted to b
e
friends, fine. They would be friends, so long as he didn't break their promise.

He walked up to her and held out his hand. "Friends."

Amy shook his hand. "Friends."

"Cool," Cale said.

So Amy's time at Carrie Cares really began. When she got home, she began to compile a list o
f
the small businesses, and even wrote up a small proposal to bring to her part time job at th
e
coffee shop the next day. Her manager, who she had always taken to be a hard-ass, was warm t
o
the idea, and let her set it up and organize it.

It felt validating, to a certain degree. Here she was, doing something and achievin
g
something. She had gone forward on her own volition and did something worthwhile, and th
e
next week, when people brought in small cans to donate to the poor and homeless, Amy felt th
e
sensation once more in earnest.

Not many of the small businesses were willing to donate, but nearly all of them were open t
o
the idea of a canned food drive. She built up something of a quick reputation around th
e
neighborhood. When she walked into the stores, the cashiers and clerks greeted her with a no
d
and smile. She no longer felt invisible.

If she had known it would be like this, she would've volunteered long ago.

But validation could only go so far. She still had her insecurities and phobias. Though th
e
argument with Brad had given her a bit of confidence, it wasn't enough to propel her from th
e
timid girl she had been for so very long to a rock star. She was still with Brad, and he stil
l
treated her poorly.

She viewed the relationship as under progress. Yes, she knew what Brad was doing, but sh
e
figured that since she knew what he was doing, she was in a better position to do somethin
g
about it. Even though she didn't. She kept going to his apartment, or letting him come ove
r
and do things to her. She hated it, but she ignored the hate and let it fester. On night
s
where it did, she would be reminded of the same feelings of hopelessness she had felt not to
o
long ago. 

Her
time with the people at Carrie Cares wasa bright point. Though she still acted nervou
s
around them, and the oddly dressed members were mostly jerks, she found that the others wer
e
warm and friendly. Especially Cale. True to his word, he didn't pry or try anythin
g
inappropriate. Rather, he did his best to gently bring her into the fold of the group. The
y
hung out with the others from time to time, going to bars or restaurants to talk shop, tel
l
funny stories, and generally relax. 

Not once did he make her feel uncomfortable. It was nice, and she enjoyed her time with th
e
group.

#

Amy knew, the moment she entered the room, that something was up. Specifically, tha
t
something was wrong. Jacob and Deb were whispering amongst themselves just inside the door.

Cale was nowhere in sight. Amy felt comfortable enough to walk up to the two, and interjecte
d
lightly into their conversation. "What's going on?"

Both of them frowned at her, but beckoned her closer so that they didn't have to speak up
.

"Cale got a phone call," Jacob said. "He's outside, bugging out."

"What about?"

Jacob shrugged. "Don't know.
” 

"Well, shouldn't someone check on him?"

"Cale's not the kind of person who appreciates it when you 'check on him,'" Deb said. She ha
d
known Cale the longest, but Amy could tell there wasn't anything romantic between them. Thei
r
relationship had forced her to rethink her whole 'a guy and a girl can't just be friends,
'
theory. "He prefers to work through this stuff alone."

"But we don't even know if he's working through anything." She convinced the other two t
o
follow her, and they left the room in search of Cale. She had a much better layout of th
e
former school in her mind. It had lost funding a long time ago, but rather than bein
g
repurposed or condemned, Carrie had made a claim to use the place as a sort of communit
y
headquarters centered around charity works. Amy had yet to meet Carrie, so much so that sh
e
had once joked to the others about her very existence. 

Regardless, Amy knew her way around a lot better now, and it didn't take long for them t
o
find Cale. He was on the phone in what must've once been a courtyard where kids ate lunch.

The three of them stayed out of sight, around a corner, and tried to hear what he was saying.

"No," Cale said into the phone. "He's dead. Overdose." 

Deb gasped and Jacob said, "Oh, shit."

"He was in rehab," Cale said shapely. "Last time I checked anyway. The idiot." It went o
n
for a bit longer, but he gave no indication as to who had died or whom he was talking to. I
n
the end, he hung up, sat down on a discarded chair, and put his head in his hands.

"We shouldn't be here for this," Deb said.
 

"I agree," Jacob said.

Amy frowned at them. "But we're his friends."

"And sometimes being a good friend means leaving them alone."

Amy found herself remembering what she had told Cale when he had pushed her too hard. Tha
t
little outburst had actually helped propel her life to a better trajectory than what it ha
d
been on. Would she go back on her own words and interfere with Cale? But how couldn't she? H
e
was obviously hurting. He needed someone. She turned back to him. He sat alone in th
e
courtyard, and though it didn't look like he was crying, he didn't look like he was gettin
g
ready to move any time soon. 

"I'm staying," she said.

Jacob and Deb didn't fight her on it, but they left her there, returning to the room wit
h
instructions to tell Cale that they would take care of everything, and that he could just g
o
home for today.