Fade

And Captain knows it.

It’s why she puts up with their shit—now and then.

Captain reiterates the assignment and encourages the two seniors to keep plugging away. “If we are dealing with a sexual predator, we need to nail the bastard before he hurts another Fieldridge student.”

“Yes, sir,” Janie says.

Cabel folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head, defeated.

Finally says, “Yes, sir.”

Captain nods and rises from her chair. Instinctively Cabel and Janie rise too. The meeting is over. But before they leave the office, Captain says, “Janie? I need to speak with you alone. Cabe, you may go.” Cabe doesn’t hesitate. He’s gone, without so much as a glance at Janie.

Janie can’t help puzzling over why Cabel’s acting like he is.

Captain walks to a file cabinet and pulls out several thick files.

Janie stands in silence. Watching.

Wondering.

Captain still scares her some.

Because Janie’s pretty new at this.

Finally, Captain returns to the desk with the stack of files and loose papers. Puts them in a box. Sits down. Looks at Janie.

“New topic. This is classified,” Captain says. “You get what that means?”

Janie nods.

“Not even Cabe, right? You understand?”

Janie nods somberly. “Yes, sir,” she adds.

Captain studies Janie for a moment, and then shoves the stack of files and papers toward Janie. “The reports. Twenty-two years worth of reports and notes. Written by Martha Stubin.” Janie’s eyes grow wide. Fill with tears, despite her attempt to hold them back.

“You knew her, didn’t you,” Captain says, almost accusingly. “Why didn’t you mention it? You had to know I’d do a full background check on you.”

Janie doesn’t know the answer Captain wants to hear. She only knows her own reasons. She hesitates, but then speaks. “Miss Stubin is…

was…the only person who understood this—this stupid dream curse, and I didn’t even know it until after she died,” she says. She looks down at her lap. “I’m so bummed that I didn’t have a chance to talk to her about it. And now all I have of her is an occasional cameo when she decides to show up in someone’s dream, to show me how to do things.” Janie swallows the lump in her throat. “She hasn’t been around lately.”

Captain Komisky is rarely at a loss for words. But she’s showing signs of it now.

Finally she says, “Martha never mentioned you. She was searching.

Hard. For her replacement. There were others like her, years ago, but they are gone now too. She must have only discovered you recently.” Janie nods. “I fell into one of her dreams at the nursing home. She talked to me in her dream, but I didn’t understand that it was different with her—that she was testing me, teaching me. Not until after she died.”

Then Captain says, “I think the only reason she lived as long as she did was because she was determined to find the next catcher. You.” There is a moment of warmth in the room.

And then it is back to business.

Captain clears her throat loudly and says, “Well. I expect there’s some interesting stuff in here. Some of it might be tough. Take a month or so to read through it.

And if you find anything you don’t understand or are worried about, you’ll come talk to me. Is that clear?”

Janie looks at her. She has no idea what to expect from the files. But she does know what Captain expects to hear. “Sir, yes, sir,” she says.

With a confidence she doesn’t feel.

Captain straightens the papers on her desk, indicating that the meeting is over. Janie stands up abruptly and takes the stack of files. “Thank you, sir,” Janie says, and heads out the door.

She doesn’t see Captain Fran Komisky watching her go, thoughtfully tapping her chin with a pen, after Janie closes the door behind her.

Janie drives home, happy to see the few rays of sunshine forcing their way through the gray clouds on this cold January afternoon. But she’s feeling an ominous presence emanating from the pile of materials Captain gave her, and an unsettled feeling about Cabel’s strange reaction to the assignment. She stops at her house, makes quick eye contact with her mother, and dumps the literature on her bed.

She’ll deal with it later.

But now, she’s dying to spend her last vacation day with Cabel.

Before they have to go back to the real world of school.

And pretend they’re not in love.

4:11 p.m.

Janie sprints through the yards, taking a different path to Cabel’s this time. She can’t be seen by anyone connected to her high school. But the good thing is that almost nobody who matters at Fieldridge High lives anywhere near the poor side of town.

Still, Janie doesn’t leave her car at Cabel’s. Just in case Shay Wilder drives by.

Because Shay’s still hot for Cabe.

And Shay has no clue that Cabel busted her dad for drugs.

It’s sort of funny.

But not really.

Janie comes in through the back door now, to be safe. She has a key.

In case Cabel goes to bed before she can get there. But lately, since she quit her job at Heather Nursing Home, she has more time than ever to spend with Cabel.

They have an unusual relationship.

And when things are good, it’s magic.

She closes the door behind her, taking off her shoes. Wonders where he is. Tiptoes around, in case he’s grabbing a nap, but he’s nowhere on the tiny main floor. Opens the door to the basement and sees the light is flicked on. She pads down the stairs, and pauses on the bottom step, watching him. Admiring him.