But for all her party ways I knew something had changed the moment Calyx came home after meeting her current boyfriend.Something about her had shifted.She was clearly smitten with the guy.She came home, and as she told it, ran upstairs, texted me, demanding that I call her right away.
Though I'd moved out the moment I turned eighteen, I still had a room at the family home.It was expected to make appearances for family dinners, and political events.On those occasions I would usually spend the night, not wanting to make the drive across town to my place in the city.I wasn't there the night Calyx met her new guy.But as she texted me about him, I knew she was in deep.
I took her to lunch the following day so we could talk.She was so excited she practically vibrated with tension, brought on by the thrill of new love.And all I could think was,Damn!You got it bad, Calyx.And she did.She was all in, and there was nothing anybody could tell her otherwise.
I'd asked her all kinds of questions, but she wouldn't tell me anything about him other than his name was Silas and she met him at a party.That wasn't like her at all.Usually she gushed, and we pored over every single detail.But when it came to Silas, she was tight-lipped and secretive about him, preferring instead to talk about her feelings.There was nothing about him on Calyx’s social media.It was as though he didn’t exist.
At first, I thought it was because he might be famous.Some celebrity bad boy that while well known, wasn't the type Mother would encourage.The tabloids would have a field day and Mother would lose it if Calyx started making headlines for anything that would harm Mother's political run.But one night, I happened to be at the house when Calyx got home.She'd hurried to her room and slammed the door.I heard her banging doors and drawers, and bumping around her closet.
I knocked on her door.“Calyx?You all right?”
“What?Marigold?Hey, didn't know you were here.”She opened her door and let me in.“Sorry, I thought you were Mom.”
“She's not home yet, the Governor's thing is running long.”I looked at my watch.It was almost ten.“You just got home.Where are you going this late now?”
“What?Nowhere.I'm just…” She glanced at her closet and grabbed a denim jacket from a hanger.“I promised Daphne I'd drop off my jacket for her.I totally forgot.”She spritzed her awful perfume into a cloud in front of her and then stepped through it.The smell of the perfume clashed horribly with everything else in the room.Was she trying to cover something?Ugh.
And that's when I first suspected something was up.Calyx was lying.
She hurried back to her closet and dug around the pile of shoes on the floor.
“Okay.Well, I'm heading out,” I said.I'd been summoned, hadn't been needed, and had stuck around to see Calyx.Now that she was going back out, there was no reason to be here any longer.
“Bye Marigold!”she called from the closet, not turning around.“See you soon!”
I left the house and got in my car and drove away, thinking.Then I backed into the neighbor's driveway, turned off my headlights, and waited.I didn't have to wait very long before my sister’s little white VW bug flew past.“What are you up to, Calyx?”I muttered as I pulled out of the driveway and followed her car.
She drove downtown.Daphne lived in our parents' neighborhood.Okay.Not totally unexpected, so where was she going?
Following a few cars behind, I grabbed my necklace and held it between my fingers and whispered my sister's name.Ten seconds later she texted me.
what's up?
how long until you get home?wanted to talk to you about something.
There was a pause before she replied.
let me ask daph
Another pause.
sorry- d needs help with homework
will be a while
bummer ok.tomorrow?
sounds great
Itossed my phone on the passenger seat.Well, that settled that.If she wouldn't even tell me, it was probably not a good thing.
I followed Calyx further into the city, careful to keep a few cars back.Between the regular traffic, the headlights, and my black car, I didn't think she'd seen me.
She'd driven down to The Factory, a restaurant that had been built into an old reclaimed industrial building.I pulled my car into the far end of the parking lot and waited.Calyx parked and hurried inside.The Factory was only a few blocks from my place.This wasn't where Calyx normally spent time.My worrying ratcheted up.A little while later, Calyx emerged with a guy who I presumed was Silas.They left the restaurant with a group of people.
He was tall and dark, with slicked-back hair and a scruff of beard shadowing his face.He draped himself over my sister, making it clear that she was his.He stepped under the beam of a lamp in the lot and I got a good look at his face.Now I knew why she was hiding him.Silas was way too old for her.He was mid-twenties.My mother would have a fit.
There were three other couples, all of them with hands intertwined and arms over shoulders, lots of leather.They piled into a pair of cars and pulled away.I slid down in my seat as they exited the parking lot.Driving right by me, I could see them clearly.Calyx sat in the passenger seat, her eyes on Silas.She was completely focused on him.I waited for them to pass me before I followed.
