by Ivy Kovacs
I ran my fingers through my hair to brush back the locks that were falling over my forehead. – Was that the new girl? – Sophie's whining voice hurt my ear. That was probably the reason I stuffed her mouth with my tongue.
- That girl has a name. It's Grace. – I replied grabbing my bag and started walking away.
- Aren’t you gonna finish what you started? – She yelled after me. The field was empty but even if it wasn't, she wouldn't care.
- I'll pass. – Dick move but my mood changed. I heard a loud "Fuck you" from behind and raised my middle finger without looking back at the girl I just stood up.
James and Deb wanted to grab coffee but I wanted to go home. Well not my home, my home was in Spain. I wanted to go there more than anything to see my dad. He never called or texted. The only news I heard about him were from Facebook. He still went fishing sometimes.
I remember we used to go fishing every weekend. We'd camp next to Guadalquivir and I'd brag about the fish I caught to my mom. I was mad at him for forcing me to move here. He could've raised me instead of mom. My life would be less of a mess now.
Max wasn't home because he went to the café with James and Deb. Thank God, at least there was silence in this hell hole now. I grabbed my phone to text Grace but when I opened the door I dropped it on the floor in shock.
Sixteen Grace
My thoughts were all over the place. I completely misunderstood the situation. The gestures he made and the conversations we've had made me believe that he wanted something. Something more than what we had now. I was too quick to fall but I felt like we had chemistry. When I was with him I didn't think about mom.
I felt like a complete idiot when I saw him push that girl against the wall. In another world, I'd want to be that girl. I'd crave for the sweetness of Dylan's lips and the softness of his touch, all over my body. But it wasn’t that world.
I allowed myself to open up and I fell hard. It was a good thing though: now I knew not to open up to anyone.
Crap! I'd have to talk to him and ask him not to tell anyone about what happened to me.
My anxiety forced me to dial the number belonging to his name. It rang five times before I gave up. Maybe he was doing that with the blonde girl he was with. I'll just text him tomorrow morning and ask him in person.
Dylan didn't come to school for the rest of the week and neither did Max or Oliver. Something probably came up or they just wanted to play the wags. I canceled studying with Dom on Monday and we agreed to do it today. I was feeling better and I didn't want to cancel on him again.
I arrived early and ordered myself a coffee. I had my laptop and books in front of me, and started taking notes.
- Sorry I'm late. – Dom's charming voice greeted me when he sat down across me.
- I came earlier, don't worry. – I smiled at him and he smiled back.
- So where should we start? –
I showed him the notes I've taken from the book earlier and he searched for information online. I was the one typing the essay and he was looking for more things we could write.
Two hours and two coffees later we finished it. Working with Dom was so easy; he was determined and he took everything seriously.
- So what are your plans for the weekend? – I asked and took a bite of the nachos we ordered.
- Well I wanted to fly to New Orleans and meet Jules but she has an important exam on Monday so we pushed it back two weeks. - He dipped the nacho into the guacamole sauce and added: - What about yours? –
- Just the usual. Reading something, watching Netflix, and studying. Atlanta is boring. – I chuckled and he agreed.
- I know right? It must've been better to live in Florida. At least you could go to the beach every day. – He paused. - I think there's a school party tomorrow. Why don't you go? – He checked the time on his phone.
- A school party? Are you going? – I asked taking a sip of my water.
- Eh, I don't know. I might, now that I'm not going to Louisiana. We should go together. – His eyes shined from the fluorescents.
- Alright. When does it start? – I nodded without hesitation. It would be a good opportunity to get to know him more.
- I'll text you the details. – He smiled.
- We're closing in ten minutes. – A grumpy old lady came up to us and we apologized. After she left we both started laughing.
It was so refreshing to spend the afternoon with Dom. His personality matched mine a lot and we understood each other well. He offered me a ride home and I gratefully accepted it.
- What's up with you and Dylan? – I gulped hearing his name. I didn't think about him in almost a week and I was glad he didn't come to school.
- What? He's our classmate. – My voice sounded unsure.
- Technically, we only share a few classes together. – He knew I was trying to avoid the truth. – What happened? You exchanged some odd looks last week. –
- We are... friends. Or we were friends. It's complicated. – I looked at the red light that stopped us.
- Aha. – He didn't believe me.
- He acted like we were friends then stood me up. That's the short answer to your question. – I replied trying to assure him that I was telling the truth.
- He tends to be like that. He's always been a jerk. That's why he was transferred to this school. – Dom turned into our street.
- Wait you know him? I thought you are just acquaintances. – It was incomprehensible. I thought Dylan went to this school his whole life. Well, since he'd moved to the US.
- I do. His father works for mine. – Dom pulled up in our driveway but didn’t stop the car.
- You mean his father in Spain? – I unbuckled myself and he shook his head. Dom knew more about Dylan than I did. – Do you want to come inside? We could watch a movie and talk. – I was unsure because I didn't want him to think that I was using him to get information about Dylan.
- I should go home, my mom is waiting for me to watch after my little brother. – I mouthed an 'oh' and he added calmly: - But I can come over earlier tomorrow and we can leave together for the party. –
- Sounds good. – I smiled at him and he smiled back. After I thanked him for the ride, we said goodbye and he drove home.
- Hi Gracie. How was your day? – Grandma asked as I walked into the kitchen.
- It was alright. One of my classmates and I went to a café and did the project work that's due next week. – I replied while filling my glass up with tap water.
- That's great. I bought some apples from the farmer's market if you want some. – She showed me the green apples inside a small basket.
- Nana? – She looked at me as I took an apple from the basket. For some odd reason, I liked green apples more than red ones. – Can my friend come over tomorrow afternoon? There's a school party and he invited me. We'll go from here. – I asked unsurely. I haven't been to a party in months.
- Of course! – She cheered. – I'll bake apple pie then. – She was always baking something even when I was a child. I nodded and thanked her for the kind gestures.
I was exhausted so I went to my room to have a hot bath. As soon as my body dived under the hot water my phone started blowing up with messages. I reached for it because it was on top of the clothing pile and I looked astonished by the notifications.
Seventeen
I need help. What? What happened to him? My stomach fluttered as I thought about the worst things possible. Ashton St. 12. Another message popped up on my unlocked screen.
I hesitated for a while. It was 11 pm on Friday night. I barely knew the city yet and I wasn’t going to wake grandma to drive me there. I typed in the address to my maps and saw that it was a 15-minute walk from here. I was too scared to walk alone in the dark.
I'll just ignore it... He's been MIA all week and I was still mad at him. He could solve his problems on his own.
I threw my phone back on the clothing pile and closed my eyes as I lay in the bathtub. My mind wondered about what cou
ld've happened to Dylan that he desperately needed my help over anyone else's.
I tried to take my mind off it but it seemed impossible so I grabbed a towel and dried myself quickly. I put my leggings on with a black top and a wind jacket. I left a note to grandma on the counter, that I took the car and that it was an SOS. I'll tell her everything tomorrow.
I grabbed my keys and put my glasses on because I couldn't drive without them. I started my grandma's old Toyota and drove off. My hair was wet because I didn't blow-dry it.
Following my phone's directions I drove to the address Dylan texted me. By car, it was only five minutes to get there. He didn't live here...he said he lives a few streets from me. What if he tricked me? I looked at the building I parked in front of and grabbed my phone. He texted me while I was driving. 3rd floor, 2nd apartment. The code is 2163.
I walked to the entrance and typed in the code on a touch screen panel. The building looked nice inside. The elevator had five buttons and I pushed the third one. Five floors with two apartments on each.
I walked around the hall to find the second apartment and when I did I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. – Come in! – A male voice yelled and I raised my eyebrows, opening the door confused.
The apartment smelled disgusting: the mix of sweat and dirty laundry attempted to be hidden by cologne. My nose scrunched as I looked around. There was a small kitchen opening up to the living room. There were three rooms at the end of the hallway and they were all closed. Pizza boxes and Chinese food leftovers were on the counter. Where was I?
- Grace! – Max walked out of one of the locked doors.
- Max? – I was even more confused. What was happening?
- Sorry about... – He began to say something but Dylan came out from the same room behind him.
- I will explain but now I need your help. Please. – His eyes were red from the lack of sleep. I could tell by the dark circles under his eyes. His hair was messier than usual and he only wore gray sweat shorts so the tattoos on his upper body were exposed. He looked beyond handsome.
I nodded and he led me into the room they came out of a minute ago. I couldn't see anything because Dylan's body was in the way but as he reached the bed he looked back at me, allowing me to see what he was hiding.
Oliver was lying on the bed: his face was pale and sweaty. I walked closer and looked at Dylan unintelligibly. – He was stabbed on Monday. We thought we were handling it, because he was getting better. But then he got worse... – Dylan's face showed an emotion I have never seen on him before. Fear.
- Why didn't you take him to the hospital? – I snapped at them instantly.
- We couldn't! I'll explain everything later, I promise but can you help now? You probably know how to deal with this... – Dylan was thinking about my accident. If it was just the two of us in the room I would've punched him in the face for being so arrogant. But after all, he didn't say the exact reason why I'd know how to deal with a stab wound.
I took a deep breath nodding and sat down beside Oliver. I looked into his eyes: they were weak and dark from pain. My eyes questioned if I could pull his shirt up, he understood and bowed once.
My hand was shaking as I pulled up his white shirt. He was only wearing boxers and there was a patch over his side that bled through. I gently pulled the patch off his skin, exposing a deep stab wound. Blood was still leaking from it and the wound itself was dark. The area of the wound was red and swollen.
- What caused it? – I asked wincing while I examined his side.
- A broken beer bottle. – Max replied from the back.
- Did you clean it properly? – I looked at the crappy stitching job they did.
- We tried to. – Dylan looked at his friend on the bed.
- I think there's a piece stuck in there. And it's definitely infected. – Oliver's eyes widened and he looked at his friends standing over him.
- Can you... can you do it? Do you have the stomach for it? – Dylan asked trying to make sure I was okay with this. I wasn't but I felt like I needed to help this guy I barely knew.
- I need a scissor, towels, tweezers, and alcohol. – I said without looking at any of them. Dylan forced Max out to get everything I needed and he came back a few minutes later.
It gave me some time to gather my strength together. I asked Oliver to stay on his side. – You should probably bite on a belt or something. – I said looking at him.
- Here. Chug this. – Max handed a bottle of golden liquid to him and he chugged almost half of it. Dylan handed him a belt and he put it in his mouth biting on it. The lighting was alright. I cut the thread and pulled out his stitches.
- That was the easy part... – I said and grabbed the tweezers dipping them into vodka. My hands were already sanitized. I tried to think about the surgery games online and not the fact that I was playing it for real.
The tweezers slid inside the wound and Oliver screamed in pain. – I'm sorry... – I whispered wincing, before starting to search inside the wound. He kept screaming then the tweezers hit something. I hoped it was the glass and not his rib... I pinched it between the tweezers and gently pulled it out placing the bloody shard on a plate.
– You got it! – Max cheered from the back.
– This is gonna hurt like a bitch. – I said as I grabbed the vodka. I slightly pulled the wound apart pouring vodka inside it then put towel on top, pressing it on the wound. Oliver’s screaming was even louder. I was surprised the neighbors didn't knock yet.
After applying pressure for a few minutes, I let go of the wound and saw that it wasn't bleeding anymore. I dipped the needle and thread into the vodka and cleaned his skin again just to make sure. Four stitches later I placed a sterile bandage over his wound.
His shaky hands reached for mine and I let him hold them. – Rest. You need it. – My thumb stroked his hand and he closed his eyes. I pulled the blanket over him and walked out of the room.
Dylan and Max followed me quietly turning the lights off. – Where's the bathroom? – I asked looking at them.
- Second door on the left. – Dylan answered and I walked inside opening the tap. – Thank you, Grace. Seriously thank you so much. – He followed me and leaned against the door as I was washing my hands thoroughly.
- Are you going to explain? – I asked looking at him from the mirror.
- I am. Come with me. – He led me into the room across the bathroom.
- Whose room is this? – I raised my brows and sat down on the king-sized bed.
- Mine. – He sat down on the other end of it and I looked around in the room. The walls were white, his clothes were in a pile on his chair and his desk was a mess. – So... – He began.
- So? – I repeated, waiting for him to start explaining everything.
- Oliver wasn't able to pay his dealer on time. He came here and attacked him when we weren't home. This is Max's place but we all have keys to it. –Oliver's story seemed accurate. – We've dealt with things like this before but he wasn't getting better. He passed out when I texted you. You were the first people I thought about because... because... –
- Because of my accident. – I finished instead of him and he nodded looking down.
- I'm sorry I brought you into this mess. – He ran his fingers through his messy hair.
- And about Monday? – I asked without thinking. It just escaped my mouth and it was late to suck it back.
- I'm sorry about that too. Sophie came onto me and I let her. I thought we weren't... -
- Together? We aren't. And we'll never be because I'm not looking for a relationship, especially not with someone who plays with me. – The anger I felt on Monday was starting to come back.
- I never played with you! I played with a lot of girls but not you. – Was he really frustrated now? I should be the frustrated one!
- You made me feel comfortable around you and I told you something I didn't tell anyone. Not even my family! And you had the audacity to almost fuck a cheerleader in
front of me! – We weren’t together and he didn't cheat on me in any way. I was overreacting.
- I didn't ask you to tell me! – He raised his voice and my body shuddered. – I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. – I stood up from the bed but he grabbed my wrist forcing me to stay. – Please. I'm sorry. – His eyes were begging.
- I wanted to ask you not to tell anyone about what I've told you. – I said looking at his hand on my wrist and he released his tight grip.
- What? I would never tell anyone! – He raised his brows at me and I nodded thanking him.
- I'm gonna go home now. – I was exhausted but I still needed to drive home. It was already 2 in the morning.
- You can't drive home like this. You just did surgery on a jerk. Let me drive you home. – Dylan stood up grabbing his keys.
- You already drank, and I can drive home. Don't worry. - I assured him and started walking towards his locked door.
- Sleep here. – He held the door closed by pushing it with his hand. There were only a few inches between us. I could smell the whiskey in his hot breath. – You can sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the floor. – He looked into my eyes. – I'm not going to let you drive home, you know that right? –
He had a point there. I was really tired and even though death would mean peace for me I couldn't be selfish and leave my family alone. I took a deep breath and nodded. – Okay. –
- Okay? – He seemed surprised.
- I'll need something to sleep in though. – I said and he agreed, walking to his drawer.
– There's a clean shirt you could wear. – He searched through it and grabbed a folded black shirt handing it to me. – I'd give you pants but they're probably too big for you. –
- That's fine. Can you... Can you leave while I change? – I asked shyly and he nodded leaving the room. I took my top off and slid into his shirt. After my leggings were off I realized that the shirt was covering my thighs pretty well. Dylan knocked after a few minutes. – Come in. – I answered and he peeked inside before he walked in closing the door with his key.
- Privacy reasons only. It's in the locker if you'd want to go out though. – He said and grabbed his pillow and blanket.
