A Curse Of Torment

by E A Owen

  “You live here?” Trevor said, shocked.

  “Yep!” I said proudly.

  “Wooooow.”

  I just smiled. “You want a tour?” I asked all giddy.

  “Can we, Dad?” Trevor asked with excitement.

  “Only if you think your parents would be okay with it.”

  “Yeah, I'm sure they will be. They really want me to make new friends out here.”

  I gave them the grand tour. Afterwards, my mom invited Trevor and Travis to stay for dinner. My dad grilled burgers and hot dogs while my mom made pasta salad and potato salad in the kitchen. Everyone sat outside enjoying each other’s company on our spacious patio. The dads were all drinking beer and the moms wine, while we teenagers had freshly squeezed lemonade.

  After we finished up with dinner, Nicole and I decided to finally slip on some bathing suits and go for a nice swim. Trevor, of course, joined us. The water felt refreshing after the day we had in the heat. We splashed around until the sun went down and the moon danced across the water. The soft glow of the moon made the water sparkle like tiny diamonds. A motion censored spotlight from the boathouse turned on at dusk. It was starting to get dark and my father was hollering at us from the patio to come in.

  “I guess we better get out guys,” I said as I swam to the shore.

  “My dad's probably going to want to take off as soon as we go inside,” Trevor replied.

  “Maybe you can hang out again with us tomorrow,” Nicole, the last one out of the water, said.

  “I will have to see if my dad will drive me, but that would be fun.” Trevor turned and looked at me with a slightly longer stare. I grinned and looked away shyly. There was something about Trevor that draws me to him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I think I might grow to really like him.

  ***

  The next three weeks flew by. Before I knew it Nicole's parents were back from their vacation to Hawaii and they were all heading back home to Olive Hill, Kentucky. I realized that summer vacation was ending in just a few weeks and before I knew it I would be the new kid in school—again. I was not looking forward to that at all. New school, new faces, new teachers—just a bunch of strangers and new places I would have to get used to. I used to be a social butterfly, but the more I moved the less fun meeting new people had become. You would think being forced into these situations would make me a pro at making new friends, but it was doing the complete opposite. Making new friends can be exhausting, especially when you know it’s just for a short period of time.

  The last three weeks Trevor had spent three days a week with Nicole and me. I think Nicole felt a little like a third wheel when we all hung out together, but she was happy that I had met a nice guy out here in Virginia. Trevor and I hadn’t made it official yet, but things were definitely going in that direction. We were both just too shy to make the next move. But I see the way he looks at me and I think he knows I like him as more than just a friend too. We just haven't had a chance to hang out alone yet, and I'm quite nervous about it. Nicole is a lot better at this kind of thing, you know, the boy thing. She's a natural. I clam up and am a loss for words when I really like someone. She helped fill in those awkward silences and make things less weird. So, now with her being gone, I didn’t know how things were going to go with Trevor. I hope I don't make a fool of myself.

  Mom and Dad really seem to like him too. I think my dad and Trevor's dad are really hitting it off too. Mr. Williams always hangs out and has a couple beers with my dad when he comes to pick up Trevor. I still haven't met Trevor's mom, and in fact he is pretty quiet about his mom. All I know so far is that she is away, and he is not sure when she will be back. He gets upset whenever she is brought up, and so I don't push the issue. When he is ready, he will tell me. We only met three weeks ago and have hung out like nine or ten times.

  Our first time alone together will be this weekend. I am actually going to his house for the first time. He has been coming here every time we hang out, probably because Nicole was staying with me and we live on the lake and have more to do here. I'm excited go to his place. I haven’t left my house or the lake since we moved here except once to check out the mall with my mom and Nicole. I picked up a few new outfits for the new school year and we grabbed some lunch at a nice restaurant in the city. As much as I loved my new house and living on a lake, I needed some new scenery. I haven't been to Butterfield or any other towns or cities in Virginia, and so, I thought, going to Trevor’s would be a nice change.

  On days Trevor and I aren't hanging out he will shoot me a text a couple times a day to see how my day is going and what I'm up to. We would probably hang out more except he works four days a week at Taco Bell in Butterfield. I love all kinds of Mexican food, but I haven't been to a Taco Bell in over a year; and once he mentioned he worked there, I've been craving it ever since. So I convinced Mom and Dad to take me up there for lunch today.

  I slept in late today and need to jump in the shower because I'm sure we will be taking off here in the next hour. As I walked across my soft rug that tickles my feet every time my bare feet touch it, I wonder what the rug is made of for the millionth time. It is the softest rug I've ever felt, and even though I've had it for years, I have never figured out what it is made of. It’s just a shade darker than the walls I painted my room, and the rest of my bedroom floor is covered in mahogany floors that just scream class and elegance, shiny and always sparkling clean.

  Since my parents hired a maid to keep the house spotless, everything is especially clean. She sweeps and mops all the floors and dusts and polishes all the wood work. She puts fresh linens on our beds every day, washes and folds our laundry, and cleans all our dishes. Bathrooms are always clean and smell nice with fresh clean towels. Maria does an amazing, job but my parents probably pay her good money to keep the house looking the way it does. She lives in our guest house. She minds her business and is very friendly, but she is quiet and keeps to herself. Mom said she is a widow, says her husband passed away years ago and she is lonely. The bank took her house, cars, and everything she owns because she couldn't afford them. She stayed at home and cooked and cleaned while her husband worked and never had a job a day in her life outside of the home.

  Her four children are all grown and have kids of their own. They come and visit her from time to time, but the guest house is big enough to house her and all her children and grandchildren comfortably. My parents have invited her to eat dinner with us a few times, but she always says she doesn't want to seem rude but she would rather eat alone. But I think she refuses the invitation because she doesn't want to intrude on our family time; she seems very old fashion like that. I feel very sad for Maria. She always has a smile on her face every time I see her, but there is definite sadness behind her eyes.

  I was downstairs and ready by noon. I walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice. My parents were sitting at the island across from each other, holding hands and talking, two lovebirds who just can't get enough of each other. You can tell how madly in love they are just by the way they look at each other.

  “You all ready to go?” my dad said as he glanced over at me pouring a glass of juice.

  “Yep, I've been ready for hours,” I said with a smirk.

  “Oh yeah, I'm sure you have,” my dad said sarcastically. My mom just chuckled. “Let's go then,” my dad said as he stood up and held out his hand to my mom. Then they walked hand in hand to the front door while I gulped my OJ, then walked over to the sink and rinsed out my glass.

  The ride to Taco Bell seemed much longer than twenty minutes, probably because all I had was a glass of orange juice since 6:00 last night. I could feel my stomach rumbling, and it wasn't very happy with me. Trevor was working today. I had a text from him when I woke up at 10:30.

  We had to park at the far end of the lot and walk for what seemed like a mile. The line inside was long and cars wrapped around the drive-through. Trevor said it was busy here, but I never thought it would be th
is busy.

  There were about nine people in front of us in line, and almost every table was full. I tried standing on my tippy toes to see if I could see Trevor working, but there were just too many people in the way.

  “Do you know what you want, Julia? You'll have to grab us a seat or we may not have anywhere to sit,” my dad said as he looked around impatiently.

  “Just order me a combo #5 with soft tacos and a side of guacamole,” I said loud enough to speak over the crowd. “I'll grab us some sauce packets, napkins and straws.” I walked over to the station next to the fountain machine and caught a glimpse of Trevor. I waved but I don't think he saw me. I grabbed the only table open, which was right next to the window. It took Mom and Dad a while to order. They finally walked over and sat down. Mom handed me a cup. There were only a couple people left in line now and a few tables were opening up. I saw Trevor, and he looked up at that moment with a big grin on his face and waved. I waved back. I filled my cup with Dr. Pepper and walked back over to the table my mom and dad were sitting at. They still hadn't called our name yet.

  A few minutes later Trevor came walking over with our tray of food. “Hey, Julia, Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks!”

  “Hi, Trevor,” we all said in unison. I just giggled.

  “Wow you were right when you said you were busy here,” I said, then took a gulp of my soda.

  “Yeah, but it just gets like this during peak hours. It will slow down in a little bit. My manager said I can take a break since you guys are here, and so I'm going to whip up something quick to eat if you don't mind if I join you.”

  “Not at all, Trevor. Glad you can come eat with us,” my mom said while she was unwrapping her taco.

  He dashed behind the counter. I had already scarfed down the two tacos before Trevor came back with his food—I was hungry. I quickly grabbed a napkin when I saw Trevor heading to our table and wiped my mouth, hoping he hadn't just seen me inhale my food. I probably looked like a garbage disposal. Trevor sat down next to me, and I felt my heart flutter and I clammed up, a million thoughts rushing into my mind but nothing making it to my lips. I got so nervous around him that I just stared with a blank face. I know Trevor must have thought I'm weird or that I don't like him, but that's far from the truth.

  “Hey, Julia,” he said with a smirk, “how's the food?” I raised my fingers to my lips to hide the bite I just took. “Good… I was starving!” I giggled.

  “So am I,” Trevor said. “You want to know the hardest part about working here?”

  “What's that?” my dad replied.

  “Being surrounded by food when you're hungry and watching everyone else eat.” Trevor laughed.

  “I can imagine,” my mom responded as she cleared her throat. We visited with Trevor for another twenty minutes but had to let him get back to work.

  On the ride back home, all I could think about was Trevor: his beautiful, green eyes, tan skin, and amazing smile with the most perfectly straight white teeth. That sparkle in his eye was so mesmerizing. I couldn’t wait to spend time with him alone on the weekend. I was not sure how awkward or nervous I would be, but I was looking forward to it.

  While I was gazing out the car window, I noticed how dark the sky was becoming. It looked like we were driving right into a storm. I could see lightning flashing in the distance and the wind was starting to pick up, and then the downpour started. It was hard to see anything in front of us, even with the wipers on full speed. My dad had to slow way down and pull over on the side of the road.

  “I guess we'll sit here and let this storm pass through. There's no way I'm driving in this mess. I can't see a thing!” my dad said, obviously frustrated.

  I stared as the rain pounded on the windows, causing a blanket of distorted images. I usually love the sound of rain because it always seems to relax my busy mind, but this rain was disturbing. The next thing I knew my body was thrashed around violently, the seatbelt cutting into my skin, and my face smashed into the back of the passenger’s seat. All I could hear was horrific screams and glass shattering all around me as I got swallowed into a black empty hole.

  VIII

  The Tragedy

  I was glad that Julia and her parents came to visit me. It was a stressful day at work, but the second I saw Julia standing in line, all my anxiety disappeared. She has that effect on me. She is shy but in a cute kind of way, and I like that about her. There are plenty of snotty girls in high school who think they are better than everyone else.

  I doubted Julia realized how naturally beautiful she really is. She doesn't wear any makeup, and girls her age tend to go overboard with makeup and look so fake. I caught myself daydreaming about Julia a lot. She did this thing with her hair, and I also doubted she knew she was doing it, but she twirled it around her finger a lot. It must be a nervous quirk. Now that Nicole was back home, I could spend some alone time with Julia and hoped that something more happened with our friendship. I really liked her, and I thought she might like me too; but it was hard to say because she was so quiet at times. It was hard to read her. All I knew was she was constantly on my mind. I would text her more, but I was afraid I might annoy her.

  I was pretty nervous about this weekend. Julia had never been to my house before. We were always at hers since she lived right on the lake and there was a lot more to do at her house. I racked my brain every night as I lay down for bed, thinking what we should do. I didn’t want to bore her. I wanted to do something fun and exciting. I thought maybe we could go to the arcade and play games, but that’s more of a guy thing and I was not sure if she would enjoy that. Then I was thinking of taking her to the aquarium, or maybe to this new zip line that just opened up about half hour from here, or maybe the fair. Or maybe just something simple, like dinner and a movie. But I didn’t want it to seem clichéd or too much like a date. I wanted her to feel comfortable, like we were just having fun hanging out as friends. For all I knew, she only wanted to be friends, but something told me deep down inside that she wanted more; but I also knew I could be wrong.

  All this over-thinking was making my head spin. Maybe this is what having a crush feels like. I'd never really been interested in any girls before. Maybe because I'd been taking care of my mom all these years and had all these extra responsibilities most kids my age don't have to worry about. I didn’t have time to think about girls. Besides I would have been too embarrassed to take them home. They'd take one look at my mom and run for the hills.

  But now that she was away getting the help she needed for her alcoholism, I didn’t have to worry as much anymore. She had been in treatment for six weeks now. The doctor kept my dad up-to-date on her progress. Most inpatient rehab centers recommend no visitors for the first three to six weeks depending on their progress and severity of the disease. In fact, I never knew drinking too much was considered a disease. My mom's doctor, Dr. Harrington, said it would be best for her to not have any visitors for the full six weeks because she was having a difficult time coping with the severe withdrawals.

  Since I had plans to hang out with Julia on Saturday, my dad was thinking of us going to visit Mom on Sunday and making a day of it because she was four hours away at one of the best treatment centers in the country. He said I could pick the restaurant we stop at for dinner on our way home Sunday night. A nice hole-in-the-wall burger or steak place sounded pretty good, or maybe we would pass a Golden Corral on our way home.

  A couple loud claps of thunder startled me, snapping me back into reality. My mind seemed to wander quite a bit at work. I didn’t have much longer before my shift was over for the day. The light flickered and the rain was pounding hard now, ricocheting off the road. I could hear the sound of sirens off in the distance. Quite a few of them actually. They were getting louder as they approached, emergency vehicles zipping past us on the main street. Drivers got out of the way as the emergency vehicles blew through the stop lights. They are in a big hurry to get somewhere. Must be a bad accident. I hoped Julia and her parents made it back home sa
fely.

  I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket, then hesitated. They literally just left not long ago, maybe twenty minutes or so. I don't want to seem desperate by texting her too soon, and so I thought maybe I'd wait a while. I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I glanced up at the clock, 1:25. My shift would end in 35 minutes. A sudden dreadful feeling hit me like a massive tidal wave. I felt sick to my stomach and a horrible sharp pain ripped through my head like I had been hit with a hammer. Something wasn't right!

  Weird things like this have happened to me in the past. I'm not sure what is causing it, but I feel like I just got hit by a train, my skin feels like it's on fire, and my head feels like it is going to explode. The room started spinning, faster and faster and I felt like I'm going to pass out. I needed to sit down. Then, just as quickly as it came on, it all just vanished into thin air. I had been to the doctor after an incident like this occurring before, but my test results came back normal. The doctor claimed I'm perfectly healthy. But something that feels so unquestionably intense and extreme certainly can’t be healthy or normal. Then the whole set of symptoms just vanishing into the unknown dynamics of my subconscious without a single physical side effect or explanation is just plain weird, if you ask me.

  I finished the rest of my shift and clocked out. The rain was just a light drizzle now, but the parking lot was covered in puddles. The air smelled of fresh rain and a double rainbow had formed in the sky, rays of sunlight escaping through the clouds, leaving a shimmering glow in the reflection of the puddles. I have always loved how it smells after a thunderstorm, refreshing and delightful, as if the world had been washed clean.

  My dad was waiting in the parking lot. I slipped into the car with drenched shoes, as my dad turned the car engine over. “How was work?” my dad asked.

  “Busy, but Julia and her parents stopped in for lunch today.” I pulled out my phone and texted Julia: Thanks for visiting me at work today, it was a nice surprise :) Hope you made it home safely after that storm that passed through town earlier. Can't wait to see you this weekend.