The second session of the Black Mountain Arts Consortium began with excitement and new confidence. Five students had enrolled for the year and the others had requested a spot for next summer’s session. Brian had geared the program toward a two year MFA. The students new to college, currently Lauren Clay, Crescent Rheingold, Hailey—and Trevor—could earn a four year degree by taking two years of “core courses” at UNC.
Royce has agreed to stay through next summer, possibly longer. Angelina had offered him two contracts, one for building the geodesic dome that would house classes during the winter. And another to oversee construction of a vast classroom building.
[Click here to read the first episode, or here to read the previous one.]
Now that Professor Kaya was living with Angelina, they and Brian started the day reviewing the dynamics between a permanent curriculum and artistic license. The women liked it when Trevor joined these meetings, even if he proved a distraction.
Kaya and Angelina no longer implied that Trevor was some kind of angel. They said so out right. He had always made them feel happy and free, but lately a different intensity radiated from him, as if sparks flew from his fingertips.
At one meeting without Trevor, Kaya admitted she felt half-hypnotized in his presence. Angelina denied that Trevor troubled her exactly. But the increasing frequency of freak accidents bedeviling him worried her: electrical circuits snapped when he passed; heavy branches tore loose from trees; birds attacked him; his nose bled copious amounts for no reason.
Brian said that although these incidents were weird, Jacob had seen much stranger patterns working on folks.
Angelina was still selling Jacob’s incredible ganja at more than double the price she started. Police Chief Everett Clay stopped by supposedly to warn her but wasted no time in walking along the trails with her. The two of them holding hands. It was on one such walk he told Angelina he loved and hated Trevor. “You know, baby? I can’t stand the fool. And I sure as heck don’t trust him with Lauren. But the tricky kid always puts me in such a good mood, I fall off track and before long, I hear myself agreeing with him. Not a negative vibe inside him. So baby, would you please just promise me you’ll watch out for my little girl?”
Angelina didn’t make promises in general. Her high-school sweetheart should know that.
But he shouldn’t worry about Lauren. She was smart and if anything Trevor would encourage her to grow smarter. The one person whose spirits Trevor did not uplift was Brian. His love for his brother was too heavy. If Trevor suffered, Brian suffered more. Brian’s feelings and fate weren’t as important. It had always been that way.
He took some satisfaction in his own success—he had just earned a PhD—but much more pleasure followed from Trevor’s achievements. Such as: Trevor’s certainty on stage, playing guitar and singing, which Leon adjusted through a computer; though the effect didn’t change Trevor’s possession. By nature, Trevor outshone the spotlight. He rose up before the dance crowd, larger than life.
But Brian worried the day was bound to come when Trevor’s charm wore thin. And nothing Brian said or did would help.
Brian loved both Trevor and Hailey to terrible excess, if not in the same way. He hated being separated from Hailey. Any time he wasn’t touching her skin, listening to her voice, gazing into her astonishing eyes; any time he wasn’t lost inside her beauty, plumbing her endless contentment, he ached. He desired her and marveled at her and would do anything to please her. Anything to stay beside her. When he walked through the front door and saw her empty sandals imprinted with her toes and heels, a scandalous tenderness welled in his eyes. Making love to her, he gasped in awe as all existence became apparent.
Eventually, of course, both Trevor and Hailey would leave him. He knew that. One way or another, their time would end.
(Click here to read the next episode)
