Phantom

by Laura DeLuca

  He headed out to his bike, leaving Rebecca slightly breathless and completely flustered in his wake. Trust me, he had said. And strangely enough, though she had plenty of reasons not to, she did trust him. She remained nervous about their date. What kind of places did Gothic Wiccans take their would-be girlfriends? She kept having visions of a candle-lit dinner in a cemetery. But she knew that was silly. She had read Justyn’s book. While it had left her with just as many questions as it did answers, she knew she had nothing to worry about. If he were going to take her someplace witchy, it would probably be a drum circle in the woods. Such a gathering might actually be fun, as long as everyone in attendance kept their clothes on.

  Rebecca was still daydreaming when Tom came out from behind the auditorium doors. Carmen and Debbie were right behind him and were quick to run interference. They knew Tom had been avoiding her, and they weren’t happy about it. They both shot him dirty looks as he walked towards them with his shoulders slouched, his hands shoved in his pockets, and a pathetically guilty look on his face.

  Good. He should feel guilty, Rebecca thought. Even though he was coming to talk to her, she wasn’t about to forgive him. He was only willing to be seen with her now that the hallway was empty.

  “Hey, Bec,” he said. “How ya doing?”

  “Not bad, considering I’m the laughing stock of the whole school,” Rebecca told him. “So, what gives me the honor of your presence today, Tom?”

  He flinched at the cold tone of her voice, but he knew very well that he deserved it, and probably a lot more. “I’ve kind of been a jerk, haven’t I?”

  Rebecca only snorted.

  “Jerk doesn’t begin to describe you,” Carmen said with a frown.

  Debbie continued to glare at him. Since she was significantly bigger than him, it was threat enough. Tom cleared his throat nervously. He knew he was outnumbered three to one.

  “Yeah, well, I think I found a way to make it up to you.”

  “Not likely,” Carmen muttered.

  Rebecca was inclined to agree with her best friend—especially when Tom pulled out a copy of the school newspaper and handed it to her. She came very close to tearing it into pieces and tossing it back in his face. The last thing she wanted was to see that horrible article again. But when she tried to shred it, Tom reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s next week’s edition. I got you an advance copy,” he explained. “Wendy isn’t the only one who has pull with the nerds. Remember, Jay is my best friend.”

  That got a small smile out of her, but her friends still narrowed their eyes suspiciously. Rebecca took a deep breath, and pulled open the newspaper. It was a different edition. Emblazoned across the front page was a very unflattering photo of Wendy. Above the photo was the simple headline:

  “Wendy Wright’s Lies Revealed, by Tom Rittenhouse”

  Rebecca went on to read the surprisingly well-written article that outlined out all the events that had taken place between Rebecca and Wendy. It began with Wendy’s jealous reaction to the play casting and ended with her nasty article. It cast Wendy in a very bad, though extremely accurate, light. Tom was putting his head on the chopping block, and he knew it. He was taking the risk and doing it all for Rebecca.

  “Tom I . . . I don’t know what to say . . . .”

  “Say thank you!” Debbie told her. She was reading every word over Rebecca’s shoulder.

  “Or say rest in peace,” Carmen added. “Because when Wendy sees this, your ass is toast.”

  Tom heaved a heavy sigh. “She already knows. I asked her nicely more than once to admit what she did and have the article rescinded. But she wouldn’t back down. So this is the price she has to pay. Someone needs to teach her that she can’t treat people this way and pay no consequences.”

  “And how is she going to make you pay?” Debbie asked.

  It was a good question. Where Wendy was concerned there were always consequences, and this time they wouldn’t be good for Tom.

  “Don’t worry about me. I can handle Wendy.”

  Rebecca was truly touched, and felt a lump rise in her throat. “I can’t believe you did this for me. You’re a good friend.”

  Tom seemed disappointed. “Just a friend? Does that mean I’m too late to win you back from Lord Justyn?”

  Debbie grunted. “She isn’t a prize, you know.”

  Tom nodded. “I know that. And I’m going to be fair. Go on your date tomorrow night. But remember, I’ll be thinking about you the whole time.”

  “Dude, that is so sweet. It brings a tear to my eye. Seriously.” Jay had arrived on the scene. He pretended to wipe away phony tears with all his classic charm. “How’s it hanging, Becca? Amazon? And you, sexy Latina lady, how’s about you and me catch a movie or something tomorrow night?”

  Jay brushed up against Carmen in an attempt at being provocative. But she sidestepped him just in time. Jay only stopped himself from falling by slamming face-first into the nearest locker.

  Carmen smiled sweetly. “I would rather stick bamboo splinters up my finger nails than go anywhere with you, Jay.”

  Jay was unfazed by the rebuff. “Whatever. Your loss, babe,” he told her once he had regained his footing. “I got a date tomorrow night already anyway.” He turned to Tom and put his hands together in an exaggerated begging motion. “Dude, can I please borrow your truck tomorrow night? I can’t pick up this classy chick on my bike.”

  “Sure, I don’t have any plans anyway.”

  Tom shrugged and turned his sad eyes on Rebecca, making her feel just a little bit guilty. After all, he was practically signing away his reputation for her sake, and she was going out with another guy. But she didn’t get a chance to say anything because the last group of stragglers was walking out of the auditorium doors. And one of them was Wendy. She did not look happy. Not one little bit. She stomped over to Tom and her cheeks were red and blotchy with barely controlled fury. The still healing scars on her face made her look that much scarier.

  “Tom, if you go through with this, you’re finished. You realize that, right?”

  Tom huffed. “Whatever, Wendy. Your threats don’t scare me.”

  “Maybe they should scare you. Because if I have my way, your life will be over. You can count on that.” She turned to glare at each member of the small group in turn. “All of your lives will be over.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The sun and the clouds fought for dominance over the sky when the day of Rebecca’s date with Justyn finally arrived. Raindrops dripped sporadically. The sun would burst back onto the scene, drying up the rain almost before it had time to hit the ground. The air stayed damp, leaving Rebecca’s hair flat and lifeless. As she examined her reflection in the mirror, she wondered why the forces of nature were always working against her.

  Besides having a bad hair day, she also had no idea what she was supposed to wear for this date. Since Justyn wouldn’t even give her a tiny hint about where they were going, she wasn’t sure whether to go with a casual or a semi-casual look. The burlap sack he had mentioned was starting to seem like a good idea. That might teach him not to mess with a girl and her wardrobe. She finally decided on a brown skirt and a lightweight, slightly low-cut, tan blouse. If she could get her hair to come to life, she would be fine.

  Rebecca was already nervous, and she practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the sudden sputter and groan of an old clunker pulling up to her house. Strange and unfamiliar noises were coming from her driveway. Rebecca peeked out her window just in time to see Justyn put an ancient black Mustang in park. And once again she made a mad dash down the stairs in order to beat her father to the door. If her parents saw Justyn’s dark make-up and facial piercings, an interrogation would be the least of their problems. Her father would probably flat out forbid her from going out with him at all. And that wasn’t something she had any intention of putting up with.

  Rebecca yanked open the front door just as Justyn was stretching his arm ou
t to ring the doorbell. She immediately clicked the door shut behind her, taking a moment to notice he was dressed in his everyday black attire. It made her wonder if she was overdressed. But he was quick to quell her worries. He looked her over with an approving smile.

  “You look lovely, Becca.”

  “Thanks. So, I’m all ready. Let’s get going.”

  She tried to hasten him away before her parents decided to spy on them through the window curtains. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

  “Are you ashamed to let me meet your parents?”

  “Yes.” She admitted, and had to laugh when she saw his face fall. “Ashamed of them, not of you. Now, come on. I’ve been waiting all week to see what kind of surprise you’ve cooked up for me.”

  “It won’t be long now. Come along, my lady.” He bowed and reached out his hand to her. “Your chariot awaits.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes as she climbed into the passenger seat, and noted the torn leather seats and faded black vinyl. “Some chariot.” She teased, after he tried three times to coax the ignition to life. “I think we might have been better off on your bike.”

  “Don’t listen to her, baby. She needs to learn to have respect for her elders.” He patted the cracked dashboard and was rewarded for the pep talk when the car finally sputtered to life. “If I were you, Becca, I would send only positive thoughts out to this car. She is going to carry us all the way to Atlantic City.”

  “Atlantic City?” Rebecca swallowed hard. If her parents had any idea she was headed to the city, they would have a coronary. “What are we going to do there? We’re not old enough to gamble.”

  “There are much more interesting places than casinos in the city. Just wait. You’ll see. Hey, don’t look so scared.” He joked. “I promise to get you there safely.”

  “What if we break down on the expressway?” Rebecca fretted.

  Being stuck on a road outside of Atlantic City was a scary thought—almost as scary as the idea of being lost inside the city. Certain areas of the town were known for their less than friendly occupants and dangerous side streets.

  “You don’t have to worry about that.” Justyn promised. “I know my way around an engine.”

  Surprisingly, she felt reassured—at least a little bit. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

  “I don’t know how I finally managed to get you to come out on a date with me.”

  Rebecca found herself blushing again, but she certainly couldn’t explain it. She had no idea what strange magnetic pull kept leading her back towards Justyn. She tried not to think about it, and instead focus on the fall foliage that lined the road in breathtaking shades of red, orange and yellow.

  It was only a twenty-minute drive to Atlantic City from her house, but Rebecca was still a little uneasy as they began the treacherous journey. The traffic started to pick up as soon as Justyn got on the expressway, and Rebecca was glad she wasn’t the one driving. When his speedometer inched past sixty, she had to wonder if the vehicle would make it there in one piece at all. The entire car started to tremble from the exertion, and pieces of rust were falling down from the ceiling. Still, Justyn was true to his word, and soon the large, brightly lit casinos were looming overhead. But when he drove past all the huge parking lots and pulled down a shady looking back road, she had to wonder how long they were going to stay in one piece.

  “We’re going to a pawn shop?”

  That seemed to be the only type of store that lined the back road they were on. Justyn smiled secretly as he dropped a handful of quarters in the meter.

  “You really have no patience whatsoever, do you?”

  Rebecca shrugged. “Patience isn’t a virtue I’ve been overly endowed with.”

  “Well, you’re going to learn to have patience today. Because we still have to walk a few blocks to get our destination.”

  Rebecca had wanted to break away from the ordinary. Well, walking through the streets of Atlantic City certainly wasn’t ordinary for a goody-goody high school senior like her. And it was much more exciting than dinner and a movie—maybe a little too exciting. Maybe she would be better off with the all-American Tom instead of the risk-taking Gothic after all. Or maybe she was just no closer to choosing between them than she was when they made their ridiculous bargain.

  “Come on. The boardwalk is this way.”

  Justyn took hold of her hand. She immediately felt a surge of energy shoot up her arm, and she wondered if he felt the same thing. If he did, he gave no indication of it. It made her think that the electricity between them was only her imagination, and not a real life manifestation of chemistry.

  They crossed a few streets and came to the front of the large, multi-story casinos. Justyn led her through one of the packed parking lots and they soon found themselves facing the deep blue ocean. Even over the noise of the slot machines and drunken patrons, she could still hear the calming crash of the waves breaking against the shore. She found that it calmed her frazzled nerves. They both paused at exactly the same moment to admire the awesome beauty. Then it started to drizzle again.

  “You don’t mind getting a little wet, do you?” Justyn asked.

  “Hey, you’re the witch. Are you sure you aren’t going to melt?”

  He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I think I’ll take my chances. Hey, look!” He pointed up to the sky, and his face lit up like a little boy with a big present to open. “It’s a rainbow!”

  Rebecca saw it too. It stretched over the patchy clouds in luminescent blues, reds, and purples, reaching down into the water on one end, and into the vast unknown on the other. It was completely breathtaking, and it filled her with a sense of wonder. It also made her heart swell with emotions she didn’t quite understand.

  “It’s beautiful,” Rebecca whispered.

  “Rainbows are a sign of new beginnings,” Justyn told her. “It means something wonderful is starting, right here, right now.”

  “And what might that be?”

  She expected some kind of poetic, romantic response. But she should have known by now that Justyn never did what she was expecting. He shrugged his shoulders, suddenly feigning disinterest. He just loved to annoy her.

  “I don’t know. Maybe someone just hit the big jackpot in one of the casinos. Now, come on.” He pulled her across the boards. “We have reservations and we’re going to be late.”

  They walked only a few more blocks before Justyn led her down a ramp and back onto another small side street. This road was dotted with a few different ethnic storefronts, and Justyn was guiding her towards one of them. It was a Middle Eastern restaurant called the Kairo Cafe. The front of the building had a fantastic mural painted to look like exotic castle doors. Again Rebecca felt a little nervous as she walked through those majestic doors and into a cloud of strange smelling smoke.

  She coughed. “I thought smoking was outlawed in restaurants in New Jersey.”

  “Not at a smoking bar.”

  Justyn gestured to the line of colorful glass hookahs and the dark skinned men who sat with the braided tubes protruding from their mouths. Each blew a stream of smoke from their noses or mouths. Some even managed to blow circles with the smoke. Rebecca didn’t really see the appeal to the smoking. But the blown glass hookahs were elaborate and lovely, each a different color with carvings and engravings in silver and golden tones.

  “Don’t worry.” Justyn continued. “We’re going into the dining room, and there isn’t any smoking allowed in there.”

  Rebecca felt decidedly out of place as they were led to their table and handed their menus. But she couldn’t deny the ethnic charm of the small dining room. The candlelit chandeliers and a single flickering candle at each of the high tables cast the room in a delicate, romantic glow. Each one of those high tables, complete with matching bar stools, were filled with a wide array of people of every age, race, color, and creed. Apparently the Kairo Cafe was a hot spot in Atlantic City.

  The walls were covered in colorful tapestri
es with delicate stitch work, and large oil paintings of far off lands. In the corner of the room was a small stage, complete with a dancing pole. It was all very charming, but Rebecca noticed that they were by far the youngest couple in the crowd. And when she stared down at the strange and unfamiliar menu choices, she felt even more anxious.

  “Do you actually eat this stuff?”

  Justyn had the nerve to look offended. “Of course. The food here is excellent.”

  “Do you know what any of this means? Chicken Shawarma? Shish Tawook? Kafta Kabbob? Don’t they have any good veggie burgers here?”

  He smiled; apparently impressed that she remembered he was a vegetarian. “I’ll be getting the Veggie Tabsi Falafel. That’s a shish kabbob made with all vegetables. Do you like chicken?” Rebecca nodded. “Then try the Shish Tawook. That’s just chicken in a garlic sauce. It’s not too spicy but has a really good flavor.”