Chrysalis (Dangerous Secrets)

by Francis, Rose

  “I have contacts remember? For dance class.”

  “Oh yes—great! The more time to shop, the better.”

  Hours later, they returned to their dorm room loaded with shopping bags and after going through their purchases, got dressed for the party. Soon, they were admiring themselves in their mirror.

  Maria looked Sydney up and down, making a noise that sounded like she was enjoying a juicy steak, just short of lip-smacking.

  “Girl, I didn’t know you had it in you. Looks like I’ll have to be your personal bodyguard tonight,” she said, this time in an affected Chicano accent.

  Sydney smiled a little at the compliment.

  “I look okay then?”

  She tugged at her top and smoothed a hand over her hair.

  “Understatement? More than okay to say the least. I bet you fifty bucks the Dhalton boy won’t be able to stop himself from approaching you tonight.”

  “Oh, crap—Maria you’re right. He might be there!”

  Maria rolled her eyes.

  “It’s a Dhalton party Sydney, of course he’ll be there. Don’t act like you didn’t know that. So what?”

  “So...I don’t know! I don’t know if I’m ready for this!”

  “Stop worrying. Let’s have some fun. Say cheese!”

  Maria snapped several shots of Sydney.

  “Would you stop that! You sure this isn’t too revealing?”

  Sydney looked down again at her tight black pants and the turquoise, studded, sleeveless top Maria had picked out for her.

  “Girl it’s the usual. Trust me,” Maria said. “Heck, look at me.”

  Sydney examined Maria’s short, black, pleated skirt and the sleeveless red top barely keeping her boobs in.

  “Let’s go babe!” Maria said, smacking Sydney on the behind.

  They grabbed their purses and after a few steps, Sydney found herself stumbling in her new black, strappy, high-heeled shoes.

  “I think I need to practice a bit in these,” she said.

  “They’re three measly inches,” Maria replied, rolling her eyes.

  As Maria drove them to the Dhalton Party House, Sydney found herself wondering if this was a good idea after all. She couldn’t believe what she was doing to see Nicholas—so he could see her. That she had stooped so low, using a time-honored method of grabbing attention.

  She hoped it worked.

  Once they pulled up to the house, parked, and headed for the door, Sydney started getting worried.

  “What do people do at these things?” she asked, a little wary of the music bursting through the walls.

  “Dance, drink, be loud,” Maria replied.

  “Whoopee.” Sydney shook her head. “I guess this is why I’ve avoided them for years. This’ll be a waste of time, I just know it.”

  “Oh come on Syd, think positive. There’s no waste of time unless you have absolutely nothing to show for it, right?”

  They entered the house, greeted by loud music and loud people. The smell of beer and cigarette smoke immediately disgusted Sydney.

  “This was a bad idea,” she said.

  She started pulling away but Maria held on to her firmly.

  “No backing out now girlie.”

  “Hey Maria!”

  They both turned toward the voice. A tall, stocky guy with close-cropped blond hair raised his drink in their direction.

  “Scott! Nice to see you!” Maria waved at him, grinning.

  “You too! Who’s your friend?” he asked, his bloodshot, blue eyes sizing Sydney up.

  “You remember Sydney?”

  Scott’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  “No way!”

  Maria nodded her head, dimples twinkling, and kept walking.

  Soon it became a pattern: people calling out hellos to Maria, then expressing shock at seeing Sydney.

  “You’re a hit,” Maria said, giggling.

  “You know a lot of people,” Sydney replied, surprised at this whole other life Maria seemed to have that she had been clueless about.

  As Maria continued to work the room, winking and smiling at people as they made their way through, Sydney found herself drawn to a radiant redhead who seemed to be the center of the room. Sydney looked around and saw that she wasn’t the only one entranced by the girl. People flocked around her, while others threw glances of admiration or envy in her direction. Her face not only glowed with beauty, but with a genuine openness, touched by the right amount of confidence and humility.

  Sydney looked off to the side, feeling a wave of envy herself, thinking about her own social inadequacy.

  She ended up forgetting all about the popular redhead once Nicholas filtered into view.

  He was dancing with a girl who clearly wanted to eat him alive but he was successfully maintaining distance between them. He held a beer in one hand, and the girl held a wine glass in one of hers.

  Suddenly, the girl surprised him by turning around and bending over, moving her butt against him. Caught off guard, his drink spilled onto her flimsy outfit.

  Sydney smiled in amusement.

  The girl excused herself but Nicholas was already looking around for another partner.

  “He’s free now—go get him girl!” Maria said, startling Sydney since she had forgotten all about her.

  Just then, Nicholas looked over in their direction and it was as if someone had pressed pause. He looked stricken, as if he wouldn’t have been able to peel his eyes away had someone spun him in the opposite direction.

  Sydney felt her cheeks warming, wondering if she was being too presumptuous by thinking she was the cause of his mesmerization.

  She recognized his initial expression—no one could mistake the open admiration, but then his face then took on a strange expression, one she found difficult to read.

  Maria grinned at her.

  “I told you he likes you. Look at his face!”

  “I think he was trying to figure out who the hell I am,” Sydney replied.

  “No, Sydney. Straight hair or curly, glasses or not, hot outfit or baggy shit, you’re the same Sydney.”

  “To you Maria, you know me. Didn’t you see how everyone else reacted? It was like Bruce Wayne and Batman—no one recognized me. No one.”

  “I think that’s because they hardly see you. And they certainly wouldn’t expect to see you in a place like this. And looking so hot!”

  She feigned licking her finger and touching Sydney, making a sizzling sound as she pretended to get burned.

  “Anyway seeing as how this guy stalks you, he should pretty much know you no matter how you look.”

  “He doesn’t stalk me.”

  “Yeah well, he sees you and watches you more than anyone else—I’ve seen it girl. He’s probably the only one besides me who would recognize you in anything.”

  Sydney looked again in his direction but he was no longer there.

  She turned around to look for him then saw him sitting on a lower step of the nearby staircase, his head leaning against his hand, staring at nothing as people walked up and down past him.

  She felt pulled toward him, as if he had a fishing line in him reeling her in.

  She turned to tell Maria she was going over to him, but Maria had disappeared.

  Sydney headed over to the staircase.

  She stood there for a while before she managed a “hi” which finally brought him out of his thoughts. He looked startled once again.

  “Hi,” he replied, looking up at her, his eyes lingering for a few seconds before he looked down again.

  “Headache?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  She tried again, marveling at her sudden boldness.

  “Well, one second you’re having a blast, the next, you look like someone stole all the beer.”

  Her joke fell flat.

  She felt her cheeks warming in shame.

  “Is it that you miss that girl you were dancing with?” she asked, hoping to sweep her mistake into ob
livion.

  His face finally contorted into something that resembled disgust and he shook his head.

  “Then what’s the matter? If you don’t mind my asking,” she added, not wanting to seem more forward than she had already been.

  He sighed heavily, as if the world was on his shoulders.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Just beautiful.”

  Her heart felt like it stopped for a moment, and she felt a smile climb her face then disappear as Nicholas abruptly got up from the stairs and walked away.

  In her confusion, Sydney watched his retreating back, then sat on the stairs where he had just gotten up from, wondering what went wrong as she attempted to decode him.

  She saw him a few minutes later but he looked completely different: he was laughing and dancing with the girl from before, this time, no longer keeping his distance. The girl smacked him on the butt and he returned the favor. She thought she saw his eyes flicker in her direction but it was so quick, she figured she had made it up.

  Sydney watched them writhe against each other for a few more moments, ignoring the poison rising in her at the sight. When the girl reached in for a kiss, Sydney finally turned away.

  Maria popped up a few moments later, bringing her back to the party although not away from what she was feeling.

  “Hey Sydney,” she said. “Having fun yet?”

  Maria was smiling and dancing on the spot. Then she stopped dancing and looked around, as if for someone. Her eyebrows furrowed.

  “Not really,” Sydney said, getting up. “You can stay. I’ll try this again some other night.”

  Sydney started heading for the door.

  After a moment, Maria followed her, hooking her arm in hers once she caught up to her.

  “Sydney, we came together, we leave together. Especially since we both took my car.”

  Sydney managed a smile.

  Then she thought she felt Nicholas’ eyes on her as they left but refused to turn around and look.

  As soon as they got outside and headed for the car, Maria asked her what happened.

  “Let’s just get home,” Sydney replied, surprised to find herself fighting back tears.

  They began climbing into the car, but the sound of running footsteps made Sydney halt her movements. They both turned and saw Nicholas coming toward them.

  “Hey!”

  His face looked desperate.

  Sydney let out a breath, then climbed back out of the car, wary.

  “Yes?” she asked, plastering on what she hoped was an indifferent expression.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  Sydney hesitated.

  She doubted he could hurt her feelings any more than he had. Besides, her curiosity was stronger than her self-preservation instinct.

  “Okay,” she said, closing the door and walking over to him.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about in there,” he said as she reached him.

  Sydney shrugged.

  “It’s okay, it’s not like I know you or anything.”

  “Nicholas Dhalton.”

  He extended his hand.

  “Sydney Johnson,” she replied as she shook his hand, refusing to let him know she already knew his name.

  Another strange expression made its way onto his face but disappeared almost as soon as it came, making Sydney wonder if it was a result of the night lighting.

  “Now you know me,” he said. “Look, I didn’t mean to be rude—I just didn’t know what to say.”

  “It’s fine...”

  “No it’s not!” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  Sydney’s confusion deepened. She didn’t have to fake her expression this time.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “All I’m saying is that you’re too nice a girl to get hurt by jerks like me. You shouldn’t come to things like this.” He extended his arm in the direction of the party house. “I know these people. I know these parties. Some guys are just waiting for the right opportunity to take advantage of a girl like you.”

  Sydney widened her eyes in what she hoped looked like childlike innocence.

  “Daddy?” Sydney said. “Look Mr. Dhalton, I don’t know who you think you are or why you’re acting so concerned for my safety, but frankly, it weirds me out.” She sighed. “I just don’t get you! I thought you liked me but then...” She caught herself before finishing her thought.

  He looked her straight in the eye and she wanted to melt.

  “Well, you’re right—I do like you. That’s why I’m warning you to stay away from me and people like the ones in there.”

  “Then why even encourage these parties? Why throw them? How’s that showing you care about anybody?”

  Sydney’s attention was diverted by the sound of a door slamming shut. Maria had fully gotten out of the car and was leaning against it with her arms folded.

  Nicholas looked over at Maria then averted his eyes.

  “Your friend looks like she’s ready to go,” he said.

  Sydney waited a few moments, watching him.

  “Yeah, I should probably...” She thumbed back in the direction of Maria and the car but didn’t move; she wanted answers. She kept staring up at him.

  He stared back but his expression again became unreadable.

  He broke eye contact.

  “Goodbye Sydney,” he said, turning to walk away.

  “Bye Nicholas,” she responded softly.

  She turned and reentered the car.

  “Weirdo,” she said to Maria as she got in.

  Maria looked at her, then ahead, starting the car.

  They drove home in silence.

  ***

  When they reached their dorm room, Maria threw her keys down on their desk.

  “All right, talk,” she said.

  “Are you upset?”

  Sydney could see Maria was perturbed, but it looked like something else was on her mind.

  “Well, yeah! I saw you getting upset so it upset me all right? What did the bastard say?”

  “Something you wouldn’t expect.”

  Even in the somber moment, Maria snickered, her serious face dissolving in playfulness.

  Then in Darth Vader voice she said:

  “Sydney, I am your father.”

  Sydney laughed.

  “You’re actually not that far off.”

  Maria stopped laughing.

  “I only said that because of the way he watches you sometimes—like he’s your freakin’ guardian, or like he was hired to protect you or something.”

  “Like I said, that’s not too far off.”

  Maria’s expression was almost comical in its befuddlement.

  “He basically just warned me to stay away from parties, him, guys like him. Said he doesn’t want to see me get hurt.”

  “Okay, how...?”

  “I don’t know Maria. But he suggested that he was aware of some girls who had gotten taken advantage of in those situations.”

  Maria looked lost in solemn thought for a few moments.

  She finally said:

  “Do you think he knows about Sarah? About who did it?”

  It seemed a strange thing to ask all of a sudden.

  “Maria come on. He didn’t even go to our high school.”

  “Yeah but I’m sure the news reached even Deer Valley. I mean, they’re from our state—he must’ve known about it. It was a huge state story, had all the sexy news details: young, pretty blond found naked and all that.”

  Sydney thought about it for a second, then shook her head.

  “No way. That’s too farfetched.”

  “No, it’s not Sydney. Consider the kind of people he knows. Then consider the fact that the guy who did it was probably from our area. Chances are, he knows the guy. Don’t you think?”

  Sydney didn’t want to think about it.

  “But even if he knows him, do you think he knows he wa
s behind it?”

  Maria shrugged her shoulders while looking directly at Sydney, her shrugging saying one thing, her eyes saying another.

  “Maria I don’t even want to go there—who could keep something like that a secret?”

  Maria looked sideways.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Nicholas pushed away thoughts of Sydney as he reentered the party.

  Although he succeeded in not thinking about their most recent conversation, his mind drifted back to their encounter the previous day—and the dream he had last night.

  He had gone to sleep smiling, thinking about the library events: him, trying not to make it obvious he was examining her once he noticed there was something different about her, then realizing it was her hair—straightened.

  He had grinned to himself when he saw her get frustrated by her hair’s movements then pull it back into a ponytail—it seemed so typical of her. He had even started wondering why she didn’t wear her hair down more often—it was incredibly attractive. Then he realized that was probably why she didn’t do it; after all, she had worn it out once and gotten some stares—massive curly hair like that was hard to ignore. She had been good at hiding herself, but that was the day she ended up on his radar.

  He also remembered the sound of her voice as she spoke to him for the first time and what she had said. It wasn’t a profession of love by any means, but it made his heart sing nonetheless.

  It was a bittersweet moment since he was happy to have her approach him, and even happier that it seemed to be her innocent way of flirting but at the same time, it saddened him because he knew he had to stay away from her.

  The dream he had later that night reminded him why.

  In the morning, as the dream fragments started slowly drifting away from him, he grabbed at some of the pieces, trying to retain the detail:

  “...and Sydney Johnson,” a familiar voice had said, as if reading from a list.

  He didn’t see the face of the person who had said it, and was unable to place the voice immediately so he abandoned any attempt to recall the speaker, knowing it would come to him in time. For now, he had to hold on to the other pieces...

  Sydney’s muffled voice.

  He knew for sure it was her, although he could not see her face either. But he saw the familiar curly hair.