Trent Reedy - Stealing Air

Brian waited for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer.

“Blackbird, this is Ground Control. Did you copy that last transmission? Over.”

He pressed the handset to his face and let out a deep breath. “Ground Control, this is Blackbird . Roger. That’s a good copy. But I’m the guy who should apologize to you. For a lot of stuff. And… starting tomorrow, things are going to be different.” Max didn’t answer for a while. Then Brian remembered. He keyed the mic again. “Oh. Sorry. Um… Over.”

“Thanks, Brian. I really appreciate that. I’d say these radios work great. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Ground Control, out.”

Brian switched off his radio and went to the window to stare at the stars again. A lot had gone wrong since he started school here in Iowa. He was tired of it. Tomorrow, he would start to make some changes.

The next morning, Brian met Wendy skating to school. “Brian, I am so sorry about yesterday,” she said.

“Yesterday was great,” he said. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, but I mean about my brother—”

“Wendy, it’s fine. Really. Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not fine! I want—”

“Wendy, I’m asking you this as a favor. Please, don’t worry about it. Let’s just have fun skating! I dare you to keep up!” Brian kicked the pavement to speed up as they hit the Lincoln Street hill. Wendy sped after him. Their race to school ended with a tie and laughter.

The rest of the morning passed normally. Brian didn’t know if what he was about to do was right, and he certainly didn’t know if it would work or not. He’d have to go for it and hope for the best. Like Alex always did. Like Dad.

As everyone filed out for lunch, Brian approached Ms. Gilbert’s desk. She kept reading for a while as he stood there. Finally, she put a bookmark in and closed the cover. “Yes, Brian? What is it this time?” She thumped the book down on her desk a little hard.

Brian swallowed. “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your reading time at lunch. And also…” He thought he better continue before he lost his courage. “Thanks for answering all my questions and everything, but I don’t think I’ll be staying in here at the start of lunchtime anymore.” Ms. Gilbert was still quiet. It was beyond weird. “So, um… thank you again. I’m going to go to lunch now.”

“Brian?” she said just as he reached the door. “I’m glad you’ve worked this out. Enjoy your lunch. Welcome to Riverside.”

For the first time, Ms. Gilbert actually smiled.

Brian was last in the lunch line again. His mouth watered when the lunch lady put a hot crispito on his tray. Then he went toward the full, loud lunchroom. Alex sat at his table with all the cool guys and Frankie. There wasn’t enough room for him. Today, though, that was just what Brian had hoped for.

Max sat by himself two tables away from Alex and the others. He actually unfolded a paper napkin and put it in his lap like he was at some fancy restaurant. Brian made his way to his table and stood waiting while Max had his head bowed in prayer. When he looked up, Brian motioned toward the bench. “Can I sit here?”

He felt awkward, but not due to the people watching and whispering or the giggles from the Wolf Pack. It was awkward to ask to sit with Max because he had been such a jerk to him for so long, while Max had always been a great friend. Brian wanted to start to pay that friendship back.

Max looked surprised, but happy. “Sure. Have a seat. This is a welcome change. I usually eat alone.”

“Me too.” Brian sat down. “I’m done with that now.”

“Hey, Brian!” Frankie shouted. Brian ignored him and took a bite of his delicious crispito. The crunch of the tortilla and the warm meaty goodness in the center tasted like a reward for finally working up the guts to sit with Max in the cafeteria.

“Hey, Roberts. I’m talking to you, new boy.”

“Yep, Frankie. I’m new,” Brian called back. “Is that really the best you can do? Is that the only way you can insult me, by pointing out the fact that I’m new?”

“No… I mean yes. Whatever! Why are you sitting with Mad Max?” Frankie shouted even louder.

“I can sit where I want.” Brian tried the peas. They were disgustingly overcooked, merged together into a green paste on the tray. It tasted terrible, but he was happy, knowing Frankie was getting more and more angry as he ate.

“I’m talking to you! Don’t think you can ignore me!”

Frankie was so loud now that other kids in the lunchroom were telling him to keep it down. Finally, Mrs. Valentine walked over to his table. She was young and usually cool, unless someone made her angry. “Frankie, if you can’t be quiet you’ll be eating in the principal’s office for a week!”

Brian caught Max’s gaze. They both laughed.

Brian stood at his locker at the end of the day, pulling out Spitfire and his backpack. The crowd moved all around him, eager to get out of school. Too many times, he had hidden away from all this, stalling in the classroom, sneaking out the back way, or rushing as fast as he could to be the first one out. Today it felt good to be right in the middle of it all, a part of it.

Max approached. “Would you like to go to the Eagle’s Nest?”

Brian checked to make sure nobody could hear them. “I thought Blackbird needed more engine parts.”

“Yes, but we could research other possible ways to improve engine power.”

“I’m not sure I’d be much help with that, but—”

“We could also finish up our mythology assignment,” Max said. “Plus, I know of your fondness for cheese puffs. I could bring a bag.”

“I’d like to go to the Eagle’s Nest,” Brian said. “But I’m grounded. I have to go home.”

Max’s shoulders fell. “Oh. Well, that’s okay. I shouldn’t have—”

“But my parents never said I couldn’t have people over. Just come to my house.”

“Really?” Max’s face lit up.

“Sure, man.”

“Hey, guys,” Wendy appeared out of the crowd. Brian immediately checked the hall for Frankie. “Don’t worry,” she said. “He’s outside.”

“I wasn’t even thinking about him,” Brian said.

“Liar.” She smiled.

“Hello, Wendy,” said Max.

Wendy nodded kindly to Max, then turned to Brian. “Want to thrash tonight?”

Max raised an eyebrow and grinned at Brian before he quietly slipped away.

“I want to,” Brian said. After yesterday afternoon with Wendy, there was nothing he’d rather do. “But I’m grounded for coming home all muddy last night.”

Wendy looked disappointed. “I’m so sorry. I wish my dad would ground my brother. Frankie needs it.” Then she added so quietly that Brian could hardly hear her, “I wish Dad would just do something. Anything.”

He reached out and patted her arm. It was a stupid thing to do, maybe. The Wolf Pack would be going crazy about it if they were around. But he didn’t think about it when he did it, and now he didn’t care. “So anyway, I can’t skate with you tonight, but could I walk you part of the way home?”

“Sure,” she said.

He slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked out of the school by Wendy’s side, switching Spitfire to his left just in case she wanted to hold hands again. But before they were even six paces outside the school, he saw a group of guys standing out in the grass. They had formed a circle around Frankie and Max, and Frankie had just knocked Max’s books out of his hands.