House of Goths

by Maria Bernard

  Dorian had said his goodbyes before leaving for the weekend to visit his sister for Thanksgiving, leaving Becky alone with only Crispin for company. If Kelley didn’t return soon, it would mean for a very long weekend indeed.

  At least, she could keep herself busy with her paintings. Unfortunately, she realized that she’d forgotten her paint box in her locker at the university. Oh, what to do?

  “Hi,” Becky said later that evening, standing in the doorway of the front room, disturbing Crispin from his latest horror flick.

  “Hey, you.” Raising an eyebrow, he sat up in the armchair. “Looks like it’s just the two us.”

  “Have you heard from Kelley?” she said, looking unsure of herself.

  At her question, Crispin’s familiar scowl reappeared. Kelley… always Kelley! Could she not, at least, pretend to tolerate him?

  “No, why? What does it matter?” he spat dismissively. “He’ll return when he’s good and ready. Now, sit if you like or leave me be.”

  “Um… actually, I forgot my paint box in my locker,” she started to say.

  “So?” he scoffed.

  “Well, I was hoping to ask Kelley to drive me there to get it,” she explained.

  “Uh huh… Well, I suppose you’re out of luck then, aren’t you?” He snickered. Of course, it hadn’t occurred to her to ask him to take her. Was his VW Beetle not up to her standards?

  Wonderful, Becky thought to herself. What else had she been expecting from Crispin, sympathy? Discouraged, she turned and walked away. It was their stupid rule anyway. Not hers! Who were they to tell her when or where she could go? So what if it was dark? She was a grown woman, she thought as she defiantly put on her coat. She needed her paints, and she was damn well going to get them. It wasn’t her fault that Crispin was being an ass or that Kelley had taken off, leaving her with no other option.

  Approaching the front door, satchel in hand, Becky was about to let herself out, when an unexpected shout from behind, startled her.

  “Hey! Just where do you think you’re going?” Crispin barked, stepping up quick, insinuating himself between Becky and the front door.

  “To get my paints,” she said with a determined frown.

  Crispin couldn’t help but laugh at her defiant stance. As if he’d simply let her run off into the night! Did she not realize how dangerous it was for young women around campus? Why, just the other day there was a news report about a series of sexual assaults in the area. Was she that naive?

  “You’re not going anywhere, young miss. Now off with your coat,” he said in his most authoritative voice.

  “I don’t have to listen to you. Now get out of my way!” she demanded, unsuccessfully trying to deke around him.

  “Absolutely not!” He blocked her at every turn.

  “Crispin!” she shouted in frustration, trying her hardest to shove the impenetrable man out of the way.

  “Becky!” he mocked, effortlessly putting her in a headlock.

  “Stop this!” she protested weakly, frowning at how easily he dominated her.

  “Not until you agree to give up and stay put little girl,” he snarled, barely able to contain his laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation. If anyone were to see them now, he’d never live it down, but he would wrestle all night with her if it meant keeping her from wandering out into the night. The harder she fought, the more he smiled at her pathetic attempts to wiggle free. She obviously didn’t know who she was dealing with!

  “This isn’t fair,” she whined miserably.

  “Neither is you running off and getting raped but there you have it,” he countered, suddenly very serious. “Make your choice, dormouse.”

  “I… I just want my things from my locker,” she said with a hitch in her voice, feeling thoroughly intimidated, not to mention humiliated. “I have a right to go get them.”

  Realizing he might have gone too far, Crispin reluctantly released her from under his arm while not quite letting go of her shoulders. “Well, that’s too bad. Since Kell’s not here and I’m not exactly inclined to accompany you at this moment.”

  Having witnessed the entire ridiculous tussle from the kitchen, Kell suddenly appeared behind them. “Now, what’s all this about?”

  “Kelley…” she said, relieved, lighting up at his return.

  “Oh… good. You’re back,” Crispin said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Deal with this, would you?” He spun the slightly dishevelled girl around and gently but firmly, shoved her in Kell’s direction before disappearing into the front room.

  “Bully!” she shouted after him.

  “Imp!” he shouted back.

  “Did you see that?” she asked indignantly smoothing her hands over her mussed up hair and clothes. “He was manhandling me. Rather roughly, I might add.”

  Kell fought to contain his smile. At first, he’d been ready to jump in and rip Crispin’s throat out for laying his hands on her, but after overhearing the reason for his housemate’s reaction, he really couldn’t find fault with his actions.

  “Oh, come on, Becky.” Taking her hand, he led her out the back door. “He was merely restraining you. I would have done the same.”

  “I don’t believe you!” she protested. “How can you say that?”

  He led her quietly to his big black Charger and opened the passenger side door for her. “Go on, get in.”

  With a serious frown, Becky did what he asked and got in his car. She sat waiting as he took his time circling over to the driver’s side. The car was still warm and smelled richly of a combination of leather, and Kelley. It was strangely intoxicating.

  “Where to, love?” he asked patiently as he got in and started the engine.

  “My locker, please,” she answered rather sharply, still upset at him for taking Crispin’s side, and for leaving her that morning. She’d been worried about him, afraid that he had run off and done something desperate. He’d seemed so bereft when he’d taken off.

  “Where’d you go?” she demanded haughtily as he reversed out of the driveway.

  “Go?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes. You left me this morning, all in a huff. I was worried about you,” she said, staring him down as he drove.

  Recalling her standing out in the driveway, the headlights of his car shining through her flimsy pyjamas, leaving little to the imagination, Kelley smiled covertly, and took a deep calming breath. He said nothing for a moment or two. Long enough for her to lose her patience with the brooding Goth.

  “Well? Aren’t you going to say something?” she snapped angrily.

  Again he ignored her, only to smile incredulously out of the side of his mouth while giving his head a shake. Who was this girl? Who did she think he was to her?

  Obviously, he wasn’t in the mood to explain himself, Becky realized, frustratedly facing forward and folding her hands on her lap. After a few moments, she became aware of the fact that she had no right to demand anything of him. He was a grown man after all, and she was of no consequence to him. They were merely housemates. Ashamed of herself, she sat quietly for the duration of the ride.

  “You can wait here,” she informed him as he pulled into the parking lot. She then methodically got out of his car and started walking towards the building.

  Ignoring her ridiculous suggestion, Kell got out and followed her. Upon hearing his unhurried footsteps behind her, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.

  “Fine… do what you like.”

  Halfway across the dimly lit parking lot, she noticed a group of men walking towards her. She then realized how dark and desolate the usually busy building appeared at night. Instinctively slowing her steps to allow Kelley to close the distance between them, she was suddenly very glad that he hadn’t listened to her and stayed in the car.

  “Not so brave now, are you?” Kelley said, stepping up next to her.

  The three men passed them without incident, making her realize that there was probably nothing to have w
orried about. Obviously, Kelley and Crispin had overreacted to the whole situation. She would have been perfectly fine, she thought defiantly. Lots of people took evening classes. The place wasn’t exactly abandoned. Not everyone was out to get her, contrary to what her overprotective housemates would lead her to believe.

  “Kelley, really. I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” she said, passing him as he opened the door for her. “I would have been just fine coming on my own.”

  “Perhaps…” he said, unbothered, walking behind her, the sound of his boot clad footsteps, echoing throughout the empty hallway. “But I’d rather not risk it.”

  “Risk what?” she said, finally reaching her locker. “What’s it to you, what happens to me anyway? You weren’t exactly concerned about me when you took off this morning.”

  Before she realized what was happening, he had her pinned, face up against the lockers with the full force of his body behind her. His large hands on her shoulders, like vice grips, locking her in place.

  “You do try me, love,” he hissed, breathing heavily down her neck.

  “Kelley?” she cried tremulously. What was this all about? He’d always been so gentle with her. Maybe she’d pushed him too far. After all how much did she really know about him?

  “You forget yourself, sweetheart,” he said with his nose buried in her hair. “We have rules, don’t we?” She nodded nervously, suddenly thinking that her earlier tussle with Crispin was nothing compared to the helplessness she felt under Kelley’s spell.

  “Rules put in place for your safety,” he reminded her. “If you don’t like the rules, you can always move out.” Again she nodded silently. “Understand?”

  “Yes… please,” she begged.

  “Please what?” he asked, leaning into to her, nuzzling her behind the ear.

  For a moment, she didn’t really know how to respond. For a moment, he didn’t know how she would either, so lost he was in her warm scent.

  She had thought that she wanted him to let her go, but then slowly, very slowly, she realized, feeling strangely wonderful, that she never wanted him to let her go.

  “Kelley…” she murmured, relaxing into him, liking the way he felt, his body so hard against hers. Their bodies were so different. He was hard where she was soft, tall where she was small, strong where she was weak.

  Then as if nothing had transpired, he released her and backed away. “Go on then, get your things so we can go home. I’m tired.”

  It was true. He was dead tired from driving around aimlessly all day. That must be the reason he’d just fucked up and let his guard down. His father was right, even in the end. He only cared about himself. He was too self-absorbed and irresponsible to care for anyone else. Obviously, since it was his selfishness that killed his entire family.

  The last thing he wanted was to get involved in a relationship. Especially with a sweet innocent girl like Becky. What could he offer her but a life of misery and pain? She would eventually leave him. Having her, to then lose her… no. The inevitable letdown would kill him.

  He had tried to convince himself that he was only attracted to her in the sexual sense. That, he could deal with. Clearly, though, he’d been a fool to think that he was impenetrable.

  Somehow, the little urchin had managed to imprint herself in his dormant heart. A heart that had held nothing but desolation and self-loathing for so long.

  Feeling quite confused and oddly vulnerable, Becky quickly did as he asked without argument. She quietly retrieved her paint box and closed her locker. Silently, they returned to his car. He opened her door for her first, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

  She was trembling when he got in the driver’s seat. He didn’t want to know if it was because of him, what he’d done, or simply because she was cold. Turning the heat up, he then peeled out of the parking lot and drove home.

  When they arrived, he turned into the driveway and parked the car. Becky hesitated, wondering if he would say something to her. It suddenly felt awkward between them and she didn’t like that. Next to Dorian, Kelley had been her only true friend thus far. She didn’t want to lose his friendship.

  Then, of course, she couldn’t deny her quickly accelerating attraction to him. Especially now, after what happened back at her locker. Just the thought of what he’d done, how he’d felt, pressed up against her, his breath in her ear, made her heart skip a beat. The realization that this dark brooding Goth, sitting beside her had stirred up such undeniable feelings of lust and desire, caused her to shudder.

  “I’m sorry… for what I did back there,” he finally said, unable to stand the tension between them.

  “Don’t be,” she said, attempting to touch his shoulder.

  Immediately, he jerked away from her, inadvertently hurting her feelings.

  “Kelley…”

  “Stop calling me that! Damn you and your naivety,” he snapped, leaning forward, grasping the steering wheel with a vengeance. This had to stop! He was not her pet. He was not her hero or whoever else she dreamt him to be. “My name is Kell.” He growled it out, pronouncing it to sound like Kill, for that is how he liked to be referred. Everyone seemed to understand that except for her.

  Startled and hurt, she gasped and grappled frantically for the door handle. She had to get away. Far away from him. He was obviously not who she’d believed him to be.

  “Let me out!” she shouted, realizing that the door was locked from his side.

  Without another word, he unlocked her door, and she shot out the car, racing for the house. Kell hated himself for being so hurtful, but it had to be done. This had to stop. Whatever it was, that had started to take root between them, had to be ripped out of the ground and stomped on before it could get any worse.

  Out of her wits, Becky ran blindly into the house so fast that she crashed right into Crispin. The loathsome Goth had been making himself a sandwich in the kitchen.

  “Hey, what the fuck?” he said, catching her before she bounced off him, and cracked her skull on the wall. “Becky, you all right?”

  “What do you care?” she blurted, pushing away from him and making a break for the stairs.

  Standing there dumbfounded, Crispin raised an eyebrow as Kell entered the back door, carrying Becky’s paint box, looking equally miserable.

  “Don’t ask,” Kell said, setting the box down on the table. “And don’t you dare say it.”

  Sensing the seriousness in his housemate’s mood, the words I told you so… that were literally dangling from the tip of his tongue were effectively swallowed. Yet Crispin couldn’t restrain his cat-like smile.

  “Fuck off,” Kell said, stalking away.

  Chapter 9

  Usually, Saturday mornings around the house were Becky’s favourite times of the week. Today, though, things weren’t quite so pleasant for her. Instead of hopping out of bed and happily making her way into the kitchen to sip coffee and sift through flyers with her housemates, Becky waited until she was sure they had vacated the house before emerging from her bedroom.

  In fact, she spent the entire long weekend, hiding out in her room, reading her books, concentrating on her studies rather than be anywhere near her inhospitable housemates.

  No turkey dinner for her, she thought with a despondent sigh as she stared up at the ceiling. The saddest part was, hoping to make herself feel better, she had called her grandmother, only to be informed that the dear old lady’s health had taken a nasty turn. The nurse on call also warned Becky to prepare herself for the worst.

  Suddenly realizing that Granny might not make it, Becky was on the verge of an emotional meltdown. If Granny died, not only would she miss her terribly, Becky also realized that she would be all alone in the world.

  ***

  “What exactly did you do to upset Becky?” Crispin asked from his horizontal position on the couch.

  “Only what had to be done,” Kell said with a sigh of resignation.

  “Not that I care, but perhaps you shouldn’t have
led her on in the first place,” Crispin said with a disapproving scowl.

  “Why do you care?” Kell growled back.

  “Like I said, I don’t care. You see, at least, I’ve never pretended to like the girl. You, on the other hand, led her to believe that she meant something to you. Only to stomp on her little heart. Cruel bastard…”

  “Shut the fuck up, Crisp. What’s done is done. She’ll get over it. If not, she can leave. Isn’t that what you really want?”

  “Well, not anymore,” Crispin said, sitting up indignantly. “The cheeky little dormouse has grown on me.”

  “Oh, I get it. You were only pretending not to like her,” Kell challenged.

  “I don’t like her,” Crispin said, his voice climbing an entire octave. “I just don’t need to be rid of her quite so much.”

  ***

  Halfway through the following week, Becky still hadn’t received any good news regarding Gran’s health. In fact, the attending nurse had informed Becky that she should plan to visit her grandmother very soon just in case.

  That could only mean one thing. Granny was dying and there was nothing Becky could do about it. She was getting desperate. She hadn’t spoken about her situation to anyone. She’d been tempted to approach Dorian, but she just didn’t think she could. The last thing she wanted was to be bothersome.

  Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she spoke to her professors and warned them that she would be leaving for a few days. Given the circumstances, they were all quite accommodating. At least, she wouldn’t have to worry about missing classes.

  Thursday afternoon, she purchased her train tickets with every intention of leaving for Toronto on the weekend.