Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“Do you think they’re worth being saved?” Kellan challenged me further.
Everyone in class listened raptly. Never had a battle between the Bradens, much less Kellan and myself, been publicized. A pin dropping could’ve been heard in the silence between our dialogue.
“Am I worth being saved?” I asked him, no one else. I didn’t care the class could hear.
Kellan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but he replied, monotone, “Any soul has a choice, Shay. What do you choose?”
I grinned faintly. “Do I choose hell now and heaven later? Or do I choose heaven now, for the pleasure, and get hell as my reward? What would any sane person choose?”
“But that’s the issue of this discussion. No one is going to choose hell first. Everyone wants the easiest, the quickest. Everyone wants to be gratified now. You know they’re going to choose heaven first.”
“And get hell as their reward?” I asked lightly, a little hoarsely.
“That sounds like my diet,” one girl exclaimed.
“Bethany!” Mr. Hawkins laughed, a little relieved from the intensity in the room. “What does your diet have to do with our discussion?”
“Nothing, really, but it’s the same,” she piped up brightly. “I can choose to eat Dunkin’ Donuts now—heaven—or choose to eat my one serving of cottage cheese—hell—to get heaven later. What do I want to choose? The donuts, of course. What should I really choose? The cottage cheese.”
“Is that what you want, Bethany?”
“Hell no. I want to lose ten pounds, but those donuts taste like heaven.”
“It’s called discipline!” one of the boys shouted out cheerfully. “I might want to get laid now, but I’m hoping heaven is all sorts of sex!”
Another boy laughed. “That’s got nothing to do with discipline, Kent. That’s called rejection.”
“Well, if you’d put out, Brian, I might go to hell right now.” Kent laughed good-naturedly.
The insults flew between the two. Before long, the class had separated into their own conversations. Mr. Hawkins was called over to a table for personal questions, and it was soon chaos in the room. That was, until Kellan suddenly spoke up, another first—to initiate a discussion—when he asked, “What if there wasn’t heaven or hell? What if it’s all to play with our minds?”
Silence descended the room. Everyone turned toward Kellan and then to Mr. Hawkins, who narrowed his eyes, pushed up his glasses, and folded his arms. His toned arms bunched underneath his shirt as he asked me, “What do you think, Shay? The two of you seem like you’ve put the most thought into this. Do you think there’s a heaven and hell?”
I closed my eyes a moment. I felt my siblings’ gazes. I felt their own intensity at what answer I’d give. And then, as my tattoo started burning again, I opened my eyes and stared right into my brother’s authoritative gaze. “I know there is.”
“Well.” I felt Mr. Hawkins’ excitement at an actual debate, especially one between two Bradens. “Can you explain more on your matter-of-fact statement, Shay?”
“Yeah,” Vespar scoffed. “Those are big words coming from a high school girl.”
Someone sucked in their breath. Someone else whispered, “Holy cow.” Never had a Braden called out another Braden.
I felt Kellan’s anger brimming beside me and knew it wasn’t directed toward me. I also saw how Vespar glanced at his older brother, but he didn’t backpedal.
Giuseppa grew still.
I leaned forward and spoke clearly, “We both know I’m more than a high school girl.”
Vespar snapped his mouth shut, but not before he snuck another look at Kellan. Then he turned back around in his chair. The small challenge was officially closed, and I was the victor.
I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to be.
All hell broke loose after class.
Well, not immediately after class, but as soon we left school. Kellan told me to go straight home, that he’d deal with Vespar. However, when I drove down our long winding gravel road, I saw that he hadn’t quite “dealt” with our brother. Vespar was smoking, waving agitatedly in the air, and pacing back and forth by the river. Giuseppa sat on the bank, her knees drawn against her chest, and her head tucked between her legs.
I hadn’t gone farther than two steps before Kellan’s car zoomed and braked beside mine. Dirt flew in my face, but I didn’t see it. Some of it nicked my leg, and blood was drawn, but I was intent on Vespar. Never had a Braden disrespected another in public. It wasn’t going to fly now. I took another step and found myself hauled back.
Kellan was there. “Let me handle him.”
“No.” I shoved off his hand. “He pissed on me. I told the truth, Kellan. He didn’t like it, for whatever reason, and he humiliated me! Me! Not you.”
“I’ll deal with it. He won’t listen to you. He’ll fight. He won’t fight me. Let me do this, Shay.”