Flesh and Feathers by Danielle Hylton, April Fifer Read Free Book Online

locking up, my mind wandered through the earlier conversations of the day. I thought about the earthquake and the little old ladies at the diner. The park occurrence was odd, but there was something more that was bothering me.
    Kale’s behavior was bizarre. He seemed like he was fighting a constant battle inside himself. He would only get so close to me before backing away. This had become a pattern for him, and the more I thought about it, the more it weighed heavy on my mind. I didn’t think he was seeing someone else, but I couldn’t sure. What was it that he was hiding? Something was holding him back, and I decided that I was going to get to the bottom of it, one way or another.
    The next day, I told Kale I was working the night shift, and that it would be late when I got off, and I would be too tired for any company. Surprisingly enough, he believed me. Talk about feeling bad; I hated lying to Kale, but I had to figure out what was going on. When my shift ended at four o’clock, I headed out the door and straight to my apartment.  
    I had never stalked anyone before, so I’m sure it was a little ridiculous that my attire consisted of black jeans, a black shirt, and a black baseball cap. That’s what I had seen in the movies so that was what I was going with. I did throw on a gray zip-up jacket, hoping that it would keep me from looking like I was about to rob a bank.
    I decided to sit across the street from the bar where Kale worked. There was a small coffee-stand at the corner on the opposite side of the street. I got a cup of coffee, and a newspaper, then took a seat at one of the umbrella tables outside.
    Peering over the paper, I watched people come in and out of the bar–but overall the traffic was pretty light. This was the most brilliant idea I had ever come up with! I was out here spying on my boyfriend when I would much rather have been with him, but there was still that little twinge of apprehension that kept me glued to my seat. This was more than worry now–it was a mission. I needed to figure out what was going on with Kale and his odd behavior. If I didn’t, I would never really be at peace.
    After two hours of watching old ladies walk their dogs up and down the sidewalk and children flying by on skateboards, I decided to give up for the day. As I stood up, a familiar shape emerged from the doorway of the bar. Ducking back behind my newspaper, I peeked around the corner of it to get a good look at him. Kale was wearing jeans and a white button-up shirt. He held what looked to be mail in his hands, and he shuffled through it reading each piece.
    Then he started to move. He tucked the papers under his arm and walked sure footed down the sidewalk. I scrambled to get up and follow him. This was much harder than I had expected. The streets weren’t busy, but the few people that were out cluttered my vision, and I found it tough to keep sight of him.    
    Instinctively, I pulled my baseball cap down tighter on my forehead as if it magically made me invisible.
    A small breeze kicked up, sending blossoms from nearby trees dancing through the air. They filled the city streets with a sweet smell that you could almost taste on the tip of your tongue. Each time the wind would die down; the blossoms would fall to the ground in slow motion, making it look as though it was snowing. It was so miraculous that I found myself distracted by it, and was unable to focus on keeping up with Kale’s pace.
    I centered my attention back on Kale, who was easily weaving in and out of strolling people on the other side of the street. Once we made it to the corner about five blocks away from the coffee-stand, Kale made a sudden turn down a tiny avenue and quickly disappeared.
    I stood on the other side of the street, trapped by cars swiftly passing. I rocked back and forth on my heels, waiting for a break in the busy traffic. My heart started to pound, knowing that if I didn’t move quickly, I would surely lose him for