She sighed. “When do you get rid of them?”
“The doctor said, depending on how I’m healing, I could try moving around without them on Monday, but he warned me not to overdo it.”
“How does your ankle feel?”
“Still tender,” I said not wanting to reveal my heart felt a hundred times worse in comparison.
“I can’t wait until you can walk again. It’s hard to cheer you up when you can’t go anywhere.”
“Tell me about it,” I said with a sigh.
“Hey, I know what we can do.”
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
“Oh no. What?”
“How about going to the Boardwalk?” she said while raising her right eyebrow. “We could get you a wheel chair so you don’t have to wait in line.”
I imagined how stupid I would look and rolled my eyes.
“No,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
Everyone knew the only reason locals hung out at the Boardwalk was to show off their current infatuations, which I didn’t have. And even if all the rides happened to be free, I did not want to be subjected to unbridled displays of affection.
“There’s always the beach,” she suggested.
“How am I going to use crutches on the sand?” I said, completely annoyed my injury prevented me from enjoying everything.
Her sudden embarrassment made me realize my harsh tone hurt her feelings.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that. I know you’re just trying to help.”
“It was a stupid suggestion.”
“No, you know I love the beach. I’m just…” I searched to pinpoint my actual problem. “…being stupid.”
Sam laughed.
“No, you’re not. It’s Nicholas’ fault. He’s the one being stupid.”
“You’re right. I’ll stop being so difficult,” I said with a smile.
We joined Cameron, Dena and Morgan at our regular table.
“Do you want anything?” Sam asked me as I sat down as lithely as I could.
“Just a Luna bar, if they have one. Thanks.”
“I’ll come with you,” Dena said as she got up and followed Sam to the cafeteria line.
Prompted by Morgan’s longing, I decided to take advantage of my window of opportunity.
“Hey, Morgan,” I said.
His eyes flickered quickly to mine after realizing I’d caught him checking out Dena as she left the table. He looked away, his cheeks turning red.
“Oh, hey, Julia,” he said while drinking his soda to hide his embarrassment.
“I was wondering…Who are you taking to homecoming?” I asked with a smile.
He took one short breath, appearing calm, his anxiety known only to me.
“No one. Why?”
His eyes darted back and forth between me and Cameron.
“I think you should ask Dena to go with you,” I said softly.
I watched as panic spread across his face.
“Dena?” his voice cracked.
“Yeah.”
“I think she wants to go with someone else,” he said sheepishly, glancing over at her as she stood with Sam at the cash register.
“I think she wants to go with you.”
His eyes came back to mine. I sensed his disbelief.
“Me?”
“Yeah and you better ask her soon, before someone else does and she has to say yes because she doesn’t want to go alone.”
Cameron cleared his throat rather loudly. We looked up just in time to see Sam and Dena’s return to the table.
“What are you guys talking about?” Dena asked.
Morgan stiffened.
“Just football stuff. Hey, where’s Katie?” I asked.
Dena’s powder blue eyes studied my expression as I feigned innocence. She paused for a moment then glanced at the tables around us.
“Off trying to get Tyler alone I think,” she finally said.
“She’s persistent,” I muttered followed by a chuckle.
“Yeah, it seems sorta hopeless,” Sam said.
Hopeless.
That’s what I was. Why was I torturing myself hoping Nicholas would show up?
The bell rang and I got a pit in my stomach; time to endure another torture session in Algebra. My only saving grace would be going out with Sam later. I almost hoped Nicholas would show up and find I wasn’t at home. I could imagine his face when he found out I was out having a glorious time without him.
It would serve him right for standing me up. I do have a life after all.
“Are you coming?” Sam asked.
I snapped out of my fog and realized she was talking to me. As we headed over to our classroom, Cameron nudged me.
“You’re pretty sly, you know that?” he said.
“What?”
He nodded his head and I looked over in the direction he motioned. Morgan was sheepishly talking to Dena. I smiled.
At least someone was following their heart.
During Algebra, I decided dinner and a movie would cater to my crippled condition the best. Sam thought so too. Actually, she didn’t seem to care what we did, as long as it cheered me up.
“Can we go right after school?” I whispered in class.
She nodded.
That would be my solution for avoiding home completely. The sooner my distraction started the better. I sent Luke a text under my desk letting him know my plans. His confirmation reply came a second later. I suddenly felt excited.
. . .
6 – FOREWARNING
We took off down the freeway, the wind in our hair, tunes blaring, without a care in the world. I finally felt liberated, keeping thoughts about Nicholas in the far recesses of my mind. He would stay locked away so I could enjoy our fun-filled girls-only evening. I totally needed it.
“Where do you want to go for dinner?” Sam asked while we waited at another long red light.
“I was hoping you’d want pizza,” I said, even though we ate at Pleasure Pizza all the time.
“Ooh, that sounds good.”
They had the greatest pizza ever, amazing homemade dough cooked to perfection in a stone oven. My mouth watered as I imagined my favorite, the Greek combo with feta, olives, tomatoes and artichokes.
“And then, I thought it would be fun to watch the sunset at The Point.”
“Good idea.”
“And then, a movie?”
“That sounds perfect,” she said in a purr.
I never grew tired of hanging out with Sam, even though we mostly did the same things together. She always acted as if my ideas were something completely new. I liked that about her.
“Hey, pull in here,” I said as I pointed to a little restaurant on the corner. “We need to get the movie times.”
The restaurant had a kiosk that held the News and Review paper right by the front door. Sam zipped in, parked and jumped out to snag a copy.
Sam sped down Main Street as I flipped to the movie section. I couldn’t handle a romantic movie or a tear-jerking drama and horror was completely out. Experiencing fear to the nth degree once in my life was plenty for me. I scanned the remaining short list of movies.
“Okay, we’ve got Ghost Flight, Arial’s Rampage, Ballad of Maria and –” I spotted a familiar title. “How about The Bucci Brothers Revenge?”
“Never heard of it, what’s it about?”
“It’s a comedy about two brothers who start a business venture designing a line of purses, trying to compete with Gucci. I saw a preview; it looked funny.”
I bit my lip. A comedy with two gay brothers couldn’t possibly have any romance I could relate too, if any.
“If that’s the one you want, I’m game,” she said, a chipper tone in her voice.
“Are you being agreeable just to make me happy?”
“Jules, the goal tonight is to do what you want. It’s your therapy, remember?”
I huffed. “Yes, but…”
“I promise, so far, everyt
hing’s been cool with me,” she said with a grin.
I let it go. Maybe if I stopped making suggestions, she’d come up with something she’d want to do. I didn’t want the evening to be all about me.
My attention was diverted when I noticed the temperature drop. The ocean view was just around the bend in the road. I could visualize the majestic crystalline water. It was like being reunited with a long lost friend. I took in a deep breath and filled my lungs with the crisp, salty air. Something about the beach always did that to me.
“Wanna go to the cliff?” Sam suggested.
She knew me too well. I nodded, smiling.
She accelerated and I sat back, eyes closed, feeling the warm sun on my face, trying to sing along to the songs blasting out of her speakers. Even though I sounded completely stupid and grasped at the words, I felt my heart heal a little.
Within minutes, we pulled up to the familiar dirt parking lot on top of the cliff overlooking the most pristine beach, our beach.
“You seem to be feeling better,” she said as she killed the engine.
“You know, I am actually. I think this is exactly what I needed.”
I gave her a big reassuring smile.
“Good.”
We relaxed in her car and watched the waves roll in, crashing one by one onto the barnacle laden rocks. Sam filled me in on the most recent gossip she just heard at school. Apparently Katie asked Tyler for help with her Chemistry. He agreed to meet her in the library after school, but when she got there, Mandy came instead. He forgot he had practice and figured since Mandy was acing Chemistry, she could help Katie. Katie was furious and became the fastest pupil Mandy ever tutored.
“Wow, I wonder how she remained civil,” I said with a chuckle.
“Well…” I sensed Sam’s compassion and felt guilty for being so mean. “I’ve been trying to tell her to move on, find someone else, like Erik or Logan McKay. They are both cute and single at the moment.”
I imagined her with another football player and sighed. She wouldn’t have any trouble nabbing either of them but I felt sorry for the poor guy. She’d only use him to try to make Tyler jealous and then dump him when it didn’t work. She was totally stuck on Tyler – like I was stuck on Nicholas.
I cringed at the realization that I had let thoughts of Nicholas seep from under the wall I put up. Worse yet, the memories that flashed through my mind were so real I could almost smell his earthy scent.
“Oh, yeah, she should do that,” I said, trying to sound perfectly normal as I stuffed the feelings back down.
I had to face it. Our relationship was over, plain and simple though it never really begun and I had no need to reminisce any longer. Maybe another guy would help me as well.
I re-centered myself and remembered back to when Sam and I found this place. It was shortly after Sam got her car. Ever since, I dreamt of exploring the beach below, but the sheer cliff edge made it impossible to traverse, even with a working ankle. I never saw a living soul down there, ever.
So, I imaged I was a bird, swooping and flying in the wind. With wings I could get to the beach no problem. I envied their easy life as I watched them soar, wishing I could be one for just one day, only worrying about where to find my next meal.
Suddenly, our stomachs started to make horrible music together.
“Was that you or me?” I asked.
“Me, but I think I heard yours too,” she said with a giggle. “You still want pizza?”
I nodded.
“Good. Me too.”
I knew we needed to eat soon, because if we didn’t, Sam would turn into the Incredible Hulk and that wouldn’t be a pretty sight.
The parking lot at Pleasure was full, but we luckily snagged an empty spot right in front. I hobbled to the patio and found us a table at once and Sam headed for the doors.
“Wait –” I said, as I turned and shoved a $20 into her hand. “— my treat.”
She tilted her head and gave me the mom look.
“Take it, or I’ll make a scene,” I whispered.
She opened her mouth as if to say something but my insistent glare stopped her. She knew I would do it too and I felt her resolve waiver.
“Okay; you win. Greek?” she asked.
“You know it,” I said with a smug smile.
I tried to wait patiently as Sam disappeared to order, perusing the movies again, reading each preview making sure I’d made a good choice.
When I couldn’t wait another second, Sam magically appeared and plopped the hugest piece of pizza on the planet in front of me. The smell alone launched me into the stratosphere.
“This is heaven,” I said with a mouthful.
Sam just nodded.
We felt no shame as we stuffed our faces in silence.
“I hope this movie is good,” I said while I sucked on my soda, patting my full tummy.
“It sounds funny.”
That was the whole idea. I needed an hour or so where I could escape and experience synonymous joy from the other movie goers around me.
The Point was right down the street from the pizza place and we parked with Sam’s windshield positioned at the horizon. It would be our personal IMAX Theater when the sunset fire show began.
“This is so ro-tic,” Sam said with a surly grin.
“Ro-tic?”
“Yup, romantic without the man.”
I chuckled and faked a smile as Nicholas came to mind.
Argh.
Frustrated with myself, I pushed his face away again and tried to find a distraction. The glassy surf was peppered with surfers and I zoned out staring at one of them getting ready to catch an incoming wave. I cheered in my head as he paddled and popped up, riding it in gracefully. He made it look effortless.
The sun started to touch the horizon behind him and instantly turned everything a vibrant orange. The waves danced and reflected the fiery hues creating a warm glow across the water. And slowly the sun fell behind the low lying clouds and golden purplish rays of light pierced like knives into the sky. We both watched in silence, the light getting dimmer and dimmer until in one tiny flash, everything turned to dusk. The beauty was breathtaking and sharing it with Sam’s awe and wonder made it even better.
“Wow,” I said, feeling like I should break out in applause.
“Pretty amazing.”
“No wonder the real estate around here is so expensive.”
“No kidding.”
We sat for another minute, before Sam started up her car.
“Ready, Madam?”
She gave me a mischievous look and revved her engine. I knew what she wanted to do. I smiled and I nodded my head to give her the signal. She romped on the gas, pushing me back into my seat and I squealed lifting my arms out of the convertible’s top as she jetted down the road.
We raced through town and parked on a side road nearby the theater. Sam had offered to drop me off at the front, but I didn’t want the extra attention. I could hobble down the street if it wasn’t far.
“Hey, I have an idea,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Before I could object, she ushered me towards a tiny house with “Fortune Teller” glowing in the window.
“No.” I dug my heels in.
“Why? How come? It’ll be fun. Don’t you wanna know if Nicholas is ever going to come back?”
Oh nice. Bring Nicholas into it, why don’t you.
“No, actually I don’t. Besides, they just lie anyway.”
I would know. They couldn’t deceive me. Not with my gift.
“I really want to, please?” she begged, flashing me puppy dog eyes.
It was against my better judgment to go, but since she really wanted to, I conceded. We walked to the porch and spotted a sign in the window that said “come in”. Sam, now conveniently afraid, looked to me for support, so I turned the rusty knob and opened the door. Bells rang out to alert the owner of our presence.
“If she really could see the future, she wouldn’t need t
hose,” I whispered.
Sam wrinkled up her nose and smirked.
The dimly lit room stunk of animal dander, patchouli oil and incense. Dusty plum colored scarves with gold fringes hung over the lampshades and tabletops. They matched the ugly gold and purple metallic paper on the walls. The only light in the room came from a few candles, which didn’t brighten the dismal appearance. I wondered if the décor scared off potential repeat customers.
A black cat, with icy blue eyes, hissed at me from its perch on top of an armoire in the corner.
“Shhh Enigma,” a voice said from the other room.
A plump old woman full of distrust and pessimism entered the room through a doorway framed by a thick curtain held back with a beaded sash. She picked up the cat and shooed it into another room.
“Come in, come in,” she said, while loosening the sash, letting the curtain fall.
Her high pitched voice sounded out of breath, like she was going to croak at any minute.
We looked at each other and stepped inside. The sound of the door slamming shut behind us felt final. I shivered, reminded of the children in Hansel and Gretel.
“What can I do for you girls?” she said, her red lipstick not quite exactly on her lips.
“We’d like our fortunes read,” Sam said sheepishly.
The old woman smiled revealing crooked teeth aged from time. “Fine dears, lovely, come…sit down… sit down.”
She motioned for us to sit in two chairs by a table adorned with more dark tapestries. Sam patiently waited as I hobbled over and leaned my crutches against the wall. I sat down, but kept a watchful eye as the woman waited for us to get comfortable. Her black taffeta dress swished as she moved to sit directly across from us.
“That’ll be $10 each,” she said.
“What a rip off,” I murmured.
Sam jabbed me in the ribs, before she plunked down the money. The old woman pocketed it and snatched Sam’s hand, flipping it over. She paused; I’m sure for effect, before giving her answer. She told us Sam would have two children, marry the man of her dreams and live a long and prosperous life but to avoid making big decisions if the date happened to be the 16th and a Tuesday.
Sam asked few specific questions about her family and Todd. The woman wanted to know their birth dates and then made up some niceties about how Todd could be the one because their birth signs were compatible.
Talisman 1 - The Emerald Talisman Page 6
