Page 30 of Lace

“The people who matter will. Give them a chance.”

Caleb closed his eyes a moment, trying to imagine what it might be like not to have to glance around every corner or wonder every time someone whispered as he passed. He knew it was a dream, but how much longer could he go on watching everything that mattered to him slipping further and further away? What he was doing obviously wasn’t working.

How much worse could it be to try something new?

Twelve

In the end, Caleb couldn’t refuse the challenge Angel had laid out to him. He concentrated on the fashion show, and on Mitchell. He knew it would take all the time they had between obtaining approval from the Council and the faculty advisor—who, mercifully, was gay enough to get what they were trying to do—and the date of the show to get everything ready.

Even though the Student Council and the Benevolent Council had little to do other than make sure the construction of the catwalk met with safety regulations and convince the cafeteria caterers to supply finger sandwiches and drinks, Caleb knew that Mitchell had bitten off a huge workload. The man’s designs were ambitious and he’d put himself under an almost impossible time constraint to have the looks put together in less than a month.

“They do a garment a day onProjectRunwayevery week, right?” Mitchell said one day when he and Caleb, Levi and a couple of other council members were sprawled on Mitchell’s living room floor, sorting through numerous bags of second-hand finds. His smile, though, was weak—far from his regularone-hundred-watt dazzle. Even his voice sounded thin and uncertain.

Just about everyone in the room glanced furtively at one another, then they all looked to Caleb. Levi’s glance bounced away quickly and went back to the computer screen where he was fiddling with program layouts.

Caleb ignored the stab of rejection and turned to Mitchell with a nod. “They do, and so will you, if you have to.” He pulled a sweater, deep red and sporting a high, thick turtleneck from one of the bags. “Here it is!” he crowed, triumphant as he held it up.

“You really think?” Mitchell eyed the chunky, woollen top dubiously. “I thought…in the store, but now I’m not so sure…”

“Be sure.” The previous year’s Council president, Marcus, stood and patted Mitchell on the shoulder. “We’re all in now. There is no going back. Guys?” He glanced around the room. “We should get going.”

“Unless any of you know how to sew?” Mitchell asked, his voice rising hopefully.

His question was met with a lot of good-natured grins but also shaking heads.

“Sorry,” Marcus said. “Not really in my skill set, but don’t worry. Caleb gave us a list of shops to go round to and see if we can’t get the owners and staff to come see what you can do. We’ll have posters to put up in their windows next week, too, soon as Levi’s done with them. Hopefully, some their customers will turn out. So that’s where we’re headed now. We’re off to blitz the city.”

“Thanks.” Mitchell got up to see them out, leaving Caleb, Levi and himself, when he came back, alone in the small apartment.

Levi snapped his laptop shut. “I can finish this at home. I’ve got papers to write and…stuff.” He busied himself packing up his things.

“You don’t have to run out just because they did,” Mitchell said, casting a furtive glance at Caleb.

“I know. But I do have my own shit to take care of, too. Don’t worry.” He patted his laptop case. “I’ll get this done on time.”

Caleb walked with Levi to the door. “You leaving because it’s just us?”

Levi turned in the doorway to look him in the eye. “Enjoy your sew-in.”

“Levi—”

“See you around.”

“Lev—”

“Look, you have this thing”—he waved his hand vaguely in Mitchell’s direction— “with him. Keep him working, whatever. It’s got nothing to do with us.” His gaze darted to Mitchell, bent over one of his shopping bags, and something dark flitted through his eyes. “He gets you; you get him. No freaks in the room.” His gaze came back to Caleb and there was none of the usual brightness in it. “No,they.You two are all on the same side and shit. I have to go.”

Caleb lifted a hand, thinking he’d somehow be able to hold Levi in place with just a touch.

Levi didn’t shrug him off, didn’t stop. Just walked out from under Caleb’s hand and didn’t look back.

“Hey.” Mitchell’s voice was soft, drifting over the empty space around Caleb and jostling him.

“Yeah.”

“Lots of work to do, I guess,” Mitchell said. “You don’t have to stay.”

Caleb closed the door and returned to pick up the red sweater. “Where else would I go?” He smiled, but Mitchell’s sympathetic look didn’t change, which told him the smile didn’t look any more genuine than it felt. “Lots of work to do.” He held up the sweater. “But first, we get to see one of MitchellIngersall’s full creations. I’ll show you. Don’t move.” He hurried to the doorway of Mitchell’s bedroom, then back for his own bag of clothes and once again to the bedroom before he turned back around. “Well—move,” he corrected. “Get the rest unpacked and sorted while I change.” And he closed himself inside the room.

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