Camp Driftwood

Chapter 2 - Sin

Chapter 2 – Sin

When the cake was all finished, and most of the group had already packed up and left, Henry approached again. Gemma and Andrew were packing up the last of their gear, so Kaylee took her leave from them to share a few words with the older man.

"Seventeen," Henry mused, "You're growing up fast kid."

"Yep," Kaylee replied, "Soon I'll have as many grey hairs as you."

Henry ran a hand absently through his mid length salt-and-pepper hair, smiling. "I've been old for a long time Kaylee, you have a bit of catching up to do yet."

"I'll get there."

They both shared wide smiled, looking over the studio with a shared fondness. Kaylee had grown fond of this place over the two years she had been one of Henry's pupils. All of her tuition fees had been waved, courtesy of his kindness. She had found something of a home here, and friends that she would have otherwise never know. No matter what her mother might think, this was worth it.

"I have something for you," Henry said after a long while, reaching into his pocket and producing a small item of faded metal, bound to a silver chain.

He passed it over to Kaylee, and it was only now that she recognised it. It was Henry's own necklace; two snakes intertwined, but not touching.

"Henry, I couldn't..." While it was true that she had admired the pendant for a long time, it felt wrong to take something that he had held for as long as she had known him.

"It's a gift. Take it. I've been carrying this for more years than you'd believe, waiting to pass it on to the right person, someone that would look after it."

She held the pendant in the palm of her hand, testing its weight as she ran her thumb over the intricate design. It was heavier than she had imagined, and the metal was cool to the touch.

"Thank you Henry," she said quietly, not quite sure what else she could say. This gift was beyond anything she had expected, even after all he had done for her over the years.

"Happy birthday Kaylee," he nodded.

"Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?"

"No. Not yet."

"Does it have anything to do with me?"

"Yes," Henry nodded, "But not in the way you'd think."

"Then I have a right to know."

"No."

"Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No, it's because you too young to have to deal with it," he answered cryptically, "There are many things you're not ready for, things I could never expect you to understand, but you're close. If you're patient with me for a little while longer, I promise I'll tell you everything."

Kaylee frowned a little, slipping Henry's pendant over her neck. The chain was heavier than the one her cross was attached to, adding a comforting weight as the cool metal rested on her chest.

"Thank you Henry."

"Don't mention it kid. You'd better head home, I have to close up shop. Same time next week?"

She smiled and nodded. "Same time next week."

Gemma and Andrew, who were now waiting by the studio's door, were talking quietly between themselves when Kaylee finally broke away from her conversation with Henry. Gemma took Kaylee's training gloves, stuffing them into her bag of gear while she tossed Kaylee her dummy bag. The clarinet inside weighed down the bag as she held it by her side, following her friends towards the main doorway back to the alley.