Transcontinental (52 page)

Leroy couldn’t have imagined a better outcome.

“Goodbye for now, my love.”

The words seemed to send a shiver through her. “See you soon.”

She stepped outside, then looked back when she noticed he hadn’t.

“You go ahead,” Ant said. “I forgot something.”

“Don’t be too long. You shouldn’t be late to your new job.”

“I have been teaching there long enough to know which students have a crush on me already. That said, I completely agree. I will not be long.”

“I’ll call you at lunch.” Her heels clicked as she walked to her car.

Ant smiled and waved as the car pulled out of the driveway, then turned around, closed the door, and sighed. “Okay, Leroy. Come out.”

There was silence throughout the house.

“I know you are here. You left your shoes by the door.”

Leroy cursed under his breath. Even with his experience, he was terrible at sneaking out. It was a wonder he’d ever escaped Ms. Stacey’s.

He stepped out from behind the wall wearing Ant’s rucksack.

“I… missed the bus. I was gonna walk.”

“That does not look like your backpack.”

He was also terrible at lying.
 

“It’s the first time I skipped school to do it, I promise.”

“To do what?” Ant’s face wrinkled with displeasure.
 

“Explore.” Leroy rubbed the back of his head. “I like school. I just like exploring more.” It was something he never thought he’d say after what he’d been through, but it was what he’d been through that ignited it. His journey had taught him that the world is a lot smaller than it seems. Distance and uncertainty weren’t the beasts he had thought them to be.

Ant’s gaze softened. “The wanderer’s spirit. It is a blessing and a curse.”

“I thought having a normal life would…
save
me, or something. But it brought out the person I always was. I was just afraid to be him.”

“A captain without the sea is just a man,” Ant said.

“So I’m not in trouble?”

“Well, I am not sure. Obviously I have to inform Rehema of this.”

“What if you didn’t?”

“Irrelevant. I have ruined relationships in the past for lesser offenses. I have no intention of letting anything happen to this one. I am happy where I am.” He gave Leroy a stern look. “And I suspect that I am not the only one.”

Leroy deflated. He knew Ant was right. How could he be stupid enough to risk everything he’d fought so hard for? Guilt swelled inside him.

“With that said, I fully support your exploration.”

“You… do?”

“As long as you do it on weekends, absolutely.”

Something inside Leroy snapped open at that moment. The last vestiges of his old embarrassed, frightened, sheltered self melted away. He’d been so afraid of Ant and Rehema discovering his new hobby that he’d begun to close himself off from them. Now, he had nothing to hide, and no reason to hide it. From now on, he vowed to keep it that way.

“Hell, I will even join you occasionally. If you do not mind, that is.”

“Just like old times.” It felt funny to say. “I can’t wait.” Then, Leroy lit up. “I forgot! You never got to see it! I finished my monica. I’ll get it.”

“Get your backpack, too. I will drive you to school.”

As Leroy grabbed his bag from his room in his new home, his cheeks ached from grinning. His new life had finally, fully begun.

– THE END –

Brad Cook is a freelancer, screenwriter, and novelist based in Tampa, Florida. He also served as co-founder and senior editor for critique publication
We Rate Stuff
. Though his degree is in Web Design, he has chosen to pursue his childhood dream of being an author.