A Future and a Hope Read online

  He took a deep breath and replayed the events of the last five minutes. He needed to figure out what had gone wrong. How in the world did she find out? Certainly Mr. Pruitt wouldn’t have said anything to Ellie about their arrangement. Who did, then?

  The only other person who knew anything was B.J. But he’d been very careful when telling Ellie about the job opening. No matter. He’d find the source of the leak. Somehow.

  Why was she so angry about what he did? It didn’t make sense. Hadn’t he given the idea a whole lot of thought? Sought his dad’s advice about it? Even prayed about it? He’d been so sure his actions would in some way help Ellie understand God’s love for her.

  “Dear Lord,” he began, looking up at the ceiling, “where did I go wrong?”

  What came to mind was something his youth pastor had written on the white board during a group discussion several months ago, “We should ask and seek the answers to five questions when determining God’s will for a particular situation. One. What is God’s Word telling me? Two. What is the Holy Spirit telling me? Three. What are godly counselors telling me? Four. What are the circumstances telling me? Five. What is my heart telling me? If we’re surrendered to God, and the answers all line up, then we can be confident that we’re doing the right thing.”

  He’d done that. And the answers had all pointed him in the same direction. A sense of reassurance and a peace washed over his troubled heart. As he sat alone in the stall, he prayed silently, Lord, if I’ve done the right thing—and I honestly believe that I have—then it’s up to You to work this all out. For Your glory.

  He left the stall, and stood at the sink. Splashing water on his face, he recalled the words of an old song his mother used to sing around the house when he was a little boy:

  “I believe the answer’s on the way, I believe the Lord has heard me pray;

  ‘Cast not away your confidence,’ saith the Lord our God.

  Now by faith in Him alone I stand, Firmly held by His almighty hand;

  Fully trusting in His promise, Praise the Lord!”

  Caleb emerged from the restroom and entered the deserted hallway. He went to his locker to get his books. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but please help me trust You, Lord,” he whispered quietly. “Don’t let me lose my confidence in You!”

  Then he walked into world history class, and into the middle of the Crimean War.

  When the bell rang, Caleb made a beeline to B.J.’s locker. On the way he passed Chris Miller in the hallway. Around school, Chris had the unsavory reputation for being short-tempered, crude, and full of himself. He’d also been the first one to attempt flirting with Ellie at the beginning of the year.

  “You really got roasted good, dude!” Chris shot him an evil grin. “Welcome to the burn unit!”

  Apparently he’d witnessed Ellie’s take-down of him an hour ago. Or heard about it second hand. Incidents like this usually spread across Baxter High’s student population faster than a prairie fire in a Kansas windstorm. Caleb caught up with B.J. at his locker. His friend had a strange look on his face.

  “Dude, what happened before school? I heard you and Ellie really got into it!”

  Caleb groaned. He’d have to deal with this all day, and he dreaded the thought of having to explain it. “She found out, B.J. Somehow she found out about what I did!”

  B.J. looked at him wide-eyed. “No way! That’s bad news, man. But how?” He tilted his head to one side. “You don’t think I told her, do you?”

  The accusing words died on Caleb’s lips. No need to accuse his best friend and hurt their long-time relationship. “No, I don’t think you told her. But somebody did!”

  “Mr. Pruitt?” B.J. wondered. “He’s the only other person who knew about it, right?”

  Caleb recalled his last paycheck with the very generous gift attached. “No, he wouldn’t do that. I’m sure of it.”

  B.J. closed his locker and looked at his friend. “What are you going to do about it?”

  Caleb wasn’t sure what he was going to do about it. He couldn’t very well talk to his former boss. That might come across as questioning his integrity. “I guess I’ve got only two options. Leave her alone like she wants, or get her to tell me how she found out. Somehow.”

  B.J. grimaced. “I vote for numero uno, pal! After the way she dissed you in public like that, you think the other one’s a good idea?”

  Caleb didn’t think it was a good idea. Not a good idea at all. But he had to find out!

  The week progressed slowly. Way too slowly for Caleb. Thankfully, by Wednesday the scuttlebutt around school had begun to die down a bit. Chris Miller, however, continued to sneer at him every time they passed in the hallway, and had even recruited Kenny Wilson and Adam Spencer to join his snarky team.

  Caleb was beginning to understand why many kids dread the thought of going to school. His friends did their best to be supportive. They attempted to maintain the usual lighthearted banter, but although he participated in the conversations, he knew they were tiptoeing around the subject. That evening, he didn’t much feel like going to youth group, but his parents urged him to go anyway. During snack and game time that night, Kelli pulled him aside from the rest of the group.

  “I talked to Ellie in Biology this afternoon,” she informed him.

  “Oh yeah? How’d that go?”

  Kelli hesitated. “Well, not so good. I was just trying to be friendly to her and engage her in conversation, but she made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested.”

  “I guess she wasn’t kidding when she told me she just wanted people to leave her alone.”

  “So, are you going to leave her alone?” Kelli gave him a teasing glance.

  Caleb grinned broadly. “What do you think?”

  “Not a chance!” Kelli laughed. “I know you too well, Caleb Sawyer. Then neither will I.”

  Thursday and Friday dragged by. When the bell rang ending the misery that was the school week, relief flooded through him. This had been one of the most difficult weeks that he could remember. What was it that Ellie had said right before fleeing the scene in tears?

  “I really wanted you to be different!”

  Those words stung more painfully than her plea to be left alone. Now, it seemed as though the Great Wall existed between them, along with a mile-wide moat filled with all sorts of vicious, hungry creatures. He’d permanently blown it with her this time. Ruined any future chance to show her how much God loved her. And ruined Kelli’s and B.J.’s and everybody else’s chances to do the same.

  Caleb spent the weekend wrestling with his thoughts and feelings. Finally, unable to keep them to himself any longer, he confided in his mother on Saturday evening. While he often solicited advice from both parents, when it came to deep personal feelings, it was easier to talk to his mom about things of that nature. She listened patiently as he shared the mixed emotions he was experiencing as a result of his last encounter with Ellie.

  “Caleb, my only advice is for you to trust the Lord, and if possible, seek some type of closure with her.”

  “That’s not gonna be easy, Mom,” he groaned. “I’m not sure I even want to tackle that task.”

  “I don’t expect it will be easy, but you don’t want the tension between you to remain and fester, do you?”

  “No, I suppose not.” He sighed heavily. His mother was right, of course. He must attempt to tie up the emotionally raw loose ends that still existed between him and Ellie in a mutually satisfactory way. “But how do I go about doing that?”

  His mother smiled at him. “When the time comes, God will show you the way.” Before praying with Caleb, she gave him Romans 12:18 to claim as his motivation.

  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

  He pondered that verse when he went to bed, and committed to giving it his best shot. Amazing how much lighter he felt, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  As Caleb drove to school Monday morning, he wonde
red how he was going to communicate his desire for proper closure. Ellie had left little doubt that she was just fine with leaving things the way they were. But he had to at least try.

  “If possible, so far as it depends on you,” he told himself.

  Since emotions were still running high for both of them, and to avoid the risk of another humiliating confrontation, he decided to stick a note on her locker door. That way she could either respond to it or tear it up, whichever she wished. But at least he would have made the effort. During study hall, he drafted the note on a sheet of college rule notebook paper. After several edits and rewrites, he felt confident that he had stated his intentions as clearly as possible:

  Ellie, you said you wanted me to leave you alone, and I will respect your wishes. But I don’t want to go through the rest of the year feeling like I have to avoid you all the time, either.

  I’d at least like to clear the air so there are no hard feelings on either side. I’m not asking for a second chance at a friendship.

  I know that’s not what you want. I’m just asking you for a chance to end things on a positive note, so we can at least be civil to each other and move on with our senior year. If you agree to this, meet me at Edwards Drive-In tomorrow after school at 4:00. That should give you time to think it over. If you’re not there, I’ll take it you’re not interested, and I promise not to contact you again. ~Caleb

  He folded the note into a small square and wrote her name on the outside. As soon as the bell rang, he dashed to her locker, hoping to get there before she did, and wedged the note into one of the vent slots in the door so only a corner was visible. Then he hurried back to his own locker to wait. Soon Ellie came down the hall toward him. He pretended to be rummaging through his mess as she passed behind him.

  He peered out of the corner of his eye. She stopped at her locker, and dialed the combination. As she pulled open the door, she caught sight of the note peeking from the vent. She pulled it out and started to unfold it.

  And that’s all Caleb stayed around for.

  Slamming his locker door, he quickly darted off in the other direction before Ellie had a chance to read his note. Caleb intentionally avoided any contact with her for the rest of that day and the next. He waited until she had come and gone at her locker before going to his. He stayed out of her way in the cafeteria, hanging out with his friends at their usual table instead.

  As Tuesday wore on, a knot formed in his stomach every time he thought about going to Edwards after school. She probably had torn up his note after reading it anyway—maybe even after seeing who it was from—and he was ninety-nine point nine percent certain she wouldn’t be at the diner. As faint as it was, he still held on to that hope.

  On the way home from school that afternoon, Caleb told B.J. of his intention to meet Ellie at Edwards in an hour.

  “Seeking closure’s not a bad idea,” his friend agreed. “I’m all for that. But realistically, what are the chances of her showing up?”

  “Realistically?” Caleb gave B.J. a look of resignation. “Slim to none.”

  “Hey, I admire you for making the effort, though,” B.J. said as the car pulled into his driveway. “And I really do hope she shows up. I’d sure like to know how she found out that you got her the job!”

  Caleb took his time driving to Edwards, which was a mile from the high school in the opposite direction. It was usually pretty empty this time of day, especially during the week. Plenty of time for a quick, private conversation before people started showing up for supper around five-thirty.

  He pulled into a parking space off to one side, and entered the diner through the stainless steel and glass double doors with the words Edwards etched on each one. The little silver bell above the door jingled its usual friendly greeting. He glanced around the red and white decorated room, and saw that there were only three customers in the place.

  Good, he thought. Fewer distractions.

  He selected a booth near the back of the diner that offered the most privacy and sat down facing the front door. The waitress brought a menu and a glass of water to his table.

  “Welcome to Edwards,” she announced cheerfully. “Do you know what you’d like or do you need a few minutes to look over the menu?”

  “Actually, I’m waiting for someone. I’ll order when they get here.”

  “Sure. Take your time. I’ll check back later.” She smiled and then turned and walked back to the kitchen.

  Caleb checked the time on his cell phone. It was three forty-nine. He repressed the feeling that this was going to be a complete waste of time. Even if she didn’t show, he’d given it his best shot.

  No regrets. At least he’d get a good meal out of the visit.

  The little bell above the door jingled, jerking him out of his thoughts. He glanced up at the front door, heart pounding in his chest. False alarm. One of the customers was leaving the diner.

  He drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Please, Lord, let her show up,” he prayed, “so I can end this thing in a way that honors You.”

  He sat there until his phone showed eight after four. The bell jingled again, but it turned out to be one of the cooks arriving for the evening shift. By four fifteen, he was ready to tell the waitress he’d changed his mind about ordering. He just wanted to get out of there and go home. He’d done all he could.

  With a sigh, he slid out of the booth and zipped up his letter jacket with the big “B” on the back. He turned to walk up to the counter. His feet froze to the floor.

  Ellie walked toward him. To say that he was surprised would have been the understatement of the year.

  She approached the booth hesitantly. “Sorry I’m late,” she said in a subdued voice. “It took longer to walk here than I thought.”

  He kicked himself for forgetting that she didn’t have a car. “That’s alright. I didn’t mind waiting.” He motioned toward the table. “Care to have a seat?”

  “Okay.” There was no emotion in her voice. Ellie slid into the booth and placed her backpack on the red faux leather bench next to her.

  He quickly removed his jacket, tossed it on the other bench, and sat down facing her.

  “I’m glad you came.” He managed a slight smile, but she failed to return it.

  “Look, Caleb, I’ll come right to the point. I’m only here because you asked for a chance to clear the air. I guess I at least owe you that much.”

  “Well, thanks anyway for giving me the opportunity,” he replied, grateful for her presence. “I don’t like having bad blood between me and anybody else. I’d like to get things resolved and move on.”

  “I’ll agree to that.” She sounded a bit like a lawyer hashing out a business contract. “So, what is it you want from me?”

  “Well, I’m uh . . . I’m really confused about a couple of things. First, why are you so angry about what I did? And second, who told you about it?”

  Ellie stiffened and raised her eyebrows incredulously. “Seriously? Why shouldn’t I be angry with you? You lied to your boss! You got someone fired! Just so I could have the job! You don’t see anything wrong with that?” She glared at him. “And then on top of that, you have the nerve to pretend like it was all just an answer to your prayers!”

  Caleb was gobsmacked. “Wait a minute. You’re telling me I lied to Mr. Pruitt and got somebody fired?” He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Come off your high horse, Caleb!” Exasperation tinged her words. “I know all about it, so you can quit pretending now. Are you going to sit there and deny that you framed another employee to get Mr. Pruitt to fire him? Just so I could have his job?”

  Caleb couldn’t believe his ears. “Where in the world did you hear that?”

  As she was about to answer, the waitress came back to the table with another menu and glass of water.

  He turned back to Ellie and repeated his question. “So where did you hear that?”

  “From one of the other employees who saw the whole thing.”
r />   He sat in stunned silence, his mind a tornado of thoughts. He desperately tried to grab a hold of anything that made sense, but so far, nothing did. He shook his head in bewilderment. “Who said that?”

  Ellie hesitated, as if she didn’t feel comfortable revealing her source. “Megan Harris. Saturday in the break room. She told me you planted some store items in an employee’s coat. Somebody named . . . Adam Zuckerberg, or Zuckerman, something like that. And then you told Mr. Pruitt that he was stealing from the store. Just to get him fired.”

  “Megan Harris told you that?”

  “That’s not all!” Ellie sounded like a prosecuting attorney about to reveal a piece of evidence in a criminal trial. “She told me the real reason why you left, too. When Mr. Pruitt learned what had really happened, he fired you! Then he tried to get Adam to come back, but he didn’t want to after what you did to him.”

  Caleb couldn’t believe the extremes Megan had gone to in order to get him in trouble. All he could manage was “I don’t believe it!”

  “I didn’t want to believe it at first, either.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “But then I remembered how much you wanted me to have a job, and how you said you’d quit the Pet Palace to go back to mowing lawns. Well, it all started to add up.”

  Caleb shook his head. “But Ellie! Nothing she told you is true! Not one word of it!”

  “Then why did she say Chris Miller would back her up?” she shot back.

  “Chris Miller?”

  “Yes, Megan said if I didn’t believe her to go ask him, and he’d confirm it. And when there are two witnesses who agree . . . ” Ellie’s voice trailed off. “At first she didn’t want to tell me how I really got this job, but then she thought I ought to know the truth. She didn’t want to see me get hurt any more. Actually, she was very nice about it.”

  Caleb ran his hands over his face in disbelief. Megan must have overheard his conversation in Mr. Pruitt’s office and used the information to turn Ellie against him.

  He took a long, slow breath. “I’m beginning to see the picture now. But I never dreamed she’d do anything this crazy!”