....I swore I could hear crickets…
She just stared at me, as if waiting for more, like my ending wasn’t actually the end and I was about to finally announce the big surprising news.
“Zales?”
“Wait, is that it?” She clearly was expecting more, and I didn’t live up to the hype.
“Uh, yeah. Don’t you think that’s weird?” I started questioning everything I had been feeling and that maybe my reservations about this strange guy were uncalled for. Maybe I was making something out of nothing after all.
“Maybe I had to be there. It doesn’t really sound that strange. Maybe Mr. Dale was just trying to remember his name.”
“Oh….maybe.” The realization from her words hit me like a ton of bricks. Granted, a lot of "maybes" hung in the air, but it sounded so simple. Even though it didn’t seem like that at the time, it had to have been the manifestation of my fears causing my brain to play tricks on me. She had to be right. But then…how did you explain my sculpture? Something wasn’t sitting right with me, but I decided to ignore it.
“Will you look at them?” she exclaimed suddenly.
“Who?” I looked around the room, truly confused.
“Sabrina and Mycah. Over there.” She pointed to where they were in the corner of the cafeteria. “They make a cute couple.”
I didn’t respond, or couldn’t respond, as I sat stunned staring at the scene playing out before my eyes. Sabrina, looking perfectly gorgeous as ever, fawned over Mycah as he stood leaning against the far back wall. The horrible and completely unforgivable part was the pang of jealousy I suddenly felt.
“Will you quit starin’ at the bloke? Jeez, Zales,” Desmond said as he and Liam were passing our table. Were they friends now?
“Hey, pull your head in, Des. I mean, can’t a gal look?” Zaylie countered her twin brother with a mischievous grin. Desmond stopped and turned around then, like he had a comeback for her. Looking to me, she continued, “I don’t know what he sees in her really. She was horrid to me just the other day. I was in the dunny washing my hands, and she walks up next to me while applying her lippy and has the nerve to say to me, "I love your shirt. Where’d you get it? Goodwill?" She then rolled her eyes and left!”
I didn’t know how to reply, unable to decipher her words quickly enough, but thankfully I was saved by Desmond who interjected with, “Will you quit your earbashing! You’re giving me a headache.” Then he finished walking away, shaking his head.
“Did you get it at Goodwill?” Liam asked, clicking his tongue and shaking his head like it was a sin as he walked backward following Desmond. He let out a laugh as he turned around to face the right way.
Zaylie stuck her tongue out at his back and giggled at me. I really wasn’t sure if I understood everything that they had been saying, but I couldn’t keep myself from giggling along with her.
“Anyway, have you read any of that series I lent you?” Zaylie changed the subject, looking very excited.
“I have, and you’re right. I love it so far. I'm on the second book already. They’re so hard to put down!” I answered honestly. I’d been squeezing in some reading time before going to bed each night.
“I know! They’re great. I can’t wait for you to get to the end of the second one. You are definitely going to be texting me, so be prepared for a shock!” she exclaimed seriously. Oh boy.
“Oh, no worries there. You know I will.” I smiled at her passion.
“Hey, you’re going to the Homecoming Dance next month, right? We could go stag together.” Her eyes sparkled as she took a drink of her water.
“Sure, but I’m pretty confident you’ll have no problem finding a date. A guy will be asking you soon enough.” I knew I was right; Zaylie was gorgeous.
“But I don’t want to go with just any guy. Unless the right one asks me, I’m going stag.” She looked down at her half-eaten food.
“Oh my word. Who? Who’s the guy?” It was obvious she already had someone in mind she hoped would ask her. Her eyes shot up to mine, and for just a second I thought she was going to deny it.
“Seth. He’s sooo cute!” she admitted, her already sparkly brown eyes now shining like glitter. I only laughed and shook my head.
The next day, I started feeling paranoid. Mycah’s sporadic attendance at school gave my blood pressure a serious workout. Would he be there, or wouldn't he? It was now the magic question of each and every day. This morning was another no show. Go figure. I sat down for lunch, trying to ignore the groaning in my empty stomach. We had no food in the house, so I wasn’t able to make anything and I had no money. Great. I really hoped no one noticed I was only drinking water. I looked down, afraid someone would see my embarrassment written all over my face.
“Is that all you’re havin’, mate? Just water?” Desmond noticed.
“Oh, yeah, I’m not hungry. Just thirsty,” I said with a half-smile, trying to sound convincing. I’d feel even worse if I made them feel bad about eating without me.
Zaylie chimed in, “Are you sure? I feel funny eating in front of you if you won’t be eating too.”
“No! Please, don’t worry about it. Eat—I’m fine, really!” I knew it; they were too nice. I tried to make my smile bigger in an effort to assure them. It really wasn’t that big of deal anyway. It wasn’t new for me to go without food sometimes. Except normally, there weren’t people around to witness it.
Just then, an unopened container of fresh salad slid right in front of me. I looked up, clearly shocked, right into Mycah’s bright blue eyes. For goodness sake, what was he trying to do to me?
“What are you doing here?” the words mirroring my thought slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. But he didn’t respond. He just stood there staring at me.
He then leaned down over the table, blue eyes intently on mine, freezing me in my place, causing my brain to malfunction. Uhhh….
“Would you mind eating this for me, love? I’ve bought too much and would feel bad tossing it.” He said it so smoothly, so light-heartedly and clipped by his accent that I almost couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking. He continued when I didn’t say anything, mouth slightly agape, still stunned, “If you don’t want to eat it now, you can just take it home or something.”
“Thank you,” I managed to get out, perplexity exuding my entire being. He pushed off the table smiling, winked at me, and then walked away.
“That is so sweet!” Zaylie squealed, hands clasped together in front of her.
“Zales!” I was pretty sure there was only so much shock one person could take, and that gosh darn boy was quickly filling my limit.
“Yeah, gross!” Desmond complained after me. He stared at Zaylie who was still swooning and looked disgusted. “It would really suck if I lost my lunch right now over your girliness.”
“What?” she asked us both guiltily. I ignored her and began eating the salad. Why did he keep popping up randomly? Terror froze me in my place, fork left hanging in the air, as I imagined him being a crazy stalker.
“You okay?” Zaylie asked, looking concerned.
“I’m fine, yes, thanks for asking.” I shook off the anxiety, knowing I was once again being ridiculous. There was nothing to be afraid of.
“No, she’s obviously not fine, Zaylie! She is clearly as bothered by your hideous outburst as I am.” Desmond stood up and rolled his eyes. “Bloody girls. So mushy...it’s disgusting,” he said under his breath as he walked away.
“Ignore him. I always do.” Zaylie rolled her eyes and sighed before taking another bite of her sandwich.
“You’re right. The best thing to do is just ignore him,” I replied, omitting the part I was actually referring to Mycah and not Desmond. She was right either way...boys were best left ignored.
“Now let’s talk about dress ideas for the dance,” she suggested, growing excited. I forced a smile, not able to decide if this new subject was any better.
“Thank you so much again for my camera, Ry. I l
ove it so much!” I crooned as I snapped another picture of him. We were hanging out under the Weeping Willow after I was done with school, as usual.
“Will you please stop taking pictures of me?! I’m going to take it back and throw it in the pond if you don’t.” Rydan put his hand over the camera while rolling his eyes, but a smile played at the edge of his lips.
I stuck my tongue out at him and then smirked as I said, “Fine,” in a defeated but still happy tone.
As I started to take another picture of the swans sitting in the water, I was all of a sudden pulled to my feet.
“What are you doing?!” I asked, completely surprised.
“Come with me,” Rydan said with excitement thick in his voice, causing me to look up at him. He still grasped my arm as he dragged me toward the woods. He was much taller than me, but it was still easy to see that his silver eyes looked wild.
He took me into the trees. I immediately began taking pictures of all the beautiful birches—their white bark peeled off, exposing the black underneath.
“Great idea, Rydan! Why didn’t I think of this? It’s breathtaking in here.”
“Shhh,” he whispered.
Oookay. I gave him a puzzled look, but he wasn’t looking at me. I continued taking pictures of the trees. The leaves were a beautiful golden orange and yellow, but there were still some green ones mixed in. So gorgeous!
“Nari, look,” Rydan breathed. He sounded like he had been holding his breath that entire time, just then letting it out.
“Ohh myy word. Ryyyy!” There in front of us was a stunning white fox with amazing baby blue eyes.
“I...I can’t believe this. How…?” I whispered.
“I have no idea. It’s so weird. He shouldn’t be here.” I could tell Rydan was just as confused as I was.
“He is just absolutely….spectacular. So incredibly gorgeous! I have never in all my life seen an animal as beautiful as this before,” I said in shock.
I looked at Rydan. Why did he look pained?
“Hey, you okay?”
“I’m fine. Take a picture.” He quickly glanced at me out of the corner of his eye then back to the fox in front of us.
“Oh yeah!!” I slowly took a dozen pictures of this amazing creature. And he let me. He just stayed there. “Rydan, how is this possible? He’s just letting me take pictures of him. He doesn’t seem scared or anything! He’s just standing there looking around like he doesn’t even care we’re here. I wish he’d look at me so I can get a picture of his eyes.
“Oh my god! Yes!” The fox looked at me just after I said that. I took several more pictures just before he darted off. “Wow, that was so amazing. I’m so glad you thought to come in here.”
Rydan stared down at the ground smiling. It almost appeared like he was remembering something—he looked so serene. He glanced up then, looking after where the fox had gone. Then he seemed sad, like he missed something. I couldn’t help but watch him as he went through all these different emotions. It was like the fox was important to him.
“Hey...you okay? What’s wrong?” I finally asked. Curiosity always got the best of me.
“What? Oh. Yeah. That was just really cool,” he answered a little weakly. He started walking back to the Willow tree, but the wheels had already started turning in my head so I hardly noticed him leaving.
That whole experience gave me an idea—a super great idea—I finally knew what I would paint for Rydan’s gift!
Chapter Thirteen
~Naminé~
Since my thirteenth cycle, I have had the horrendous charge of delivering rations to the prisoners in the dark dungeon. Each day I cringed and cried as I passed out the food to the prisoners as they shared harsh looks, cruel gestures, and crude innuendos. I maneuvered quickly through the corridor of fifty-two cells housing at least three captives each and tried to block out my surroundings and think of anything else but the dark words they spoke. The only light that got me through this utter torture was the uplifting words of prisoner 5287. He treated me with kindness, courtesy, and words to uplift the weary.
“Don’t despair, child,” I heard softly as I came up to the door of his cell. My green eyes met with his light hazels that spoke of sadness and regret. He was slim and frail, but if he refused to despair in this dismal prison, then I must persist as well.
“Why are you crying, dear one?” he asked as he struggled to sit up on the dirt floor.
I reached up to touch my cheek, for I did not realize I had started to cry. I did not want to tell him I had failed.
“I…” I started to say as my voice shook terribly. I did not want to disappoint him.
I started again. “I tried…I got through for only a short time, but…I do not know if it worked. I haven’t been able to reach him again.”
He was silent for a while. I thought maybe he had fallen asleep whilst sitting up. “Then you must contact the second,” he whispered as he lay back down on the floor. He sounded old, tired, out of breath. “He…easier…to reach…” he wheezed out.
“You…must…continue….do not….give…up.” He said each word slowly like it was hard to speak.
As I sucked in a huge gasp of breath I didn’t realize I was holding and let the tears run down my face, I looked at his tired eyes with determination. “I will, I promise.”
Chapter Fourteen
~Nari~
I couldn’t wait to get started on Rydan’s painting, so as soon as I heard Ray close the front door, I shot out of bed and got dressed for the day. It was Saturday, so thankfully he’d be at work.
I went straight to the art room at school where I’d have unlimited amounts of colorful paint to choose from. I clipped on an easel the photo of the fox I had printed out using the SD card machine at the local drugstore. He looked just as beautiful as I saw him in real life. I hoped I’d be able to bring out all the colors of the trees, making it contrast just right with the stark white of the fox’s gorgeous fur. I squealed in excitement and got everything I needed ready. I pushed play on my iPod and then finally made my first brushstroke.
Noticing it was hours later, I stepped back and appraised my work. I was pleased with it so far, but I was pretty sure I had white and golden yellow paint all over me. I got lost in my own world trying to make each detail perfect that I didn’t notice anything else, including the gobs of paint I had on my hand just before brushing my bangs out of my eyes. I had yet to look in a mirror to find out what I must've looked like.
Feeling satisfied with what I had accomplished so far, I decided to head out and leave the rest for another time. As I walked home, the public park across the street caught my eye.
There were several families with their children out playing, and it gave me the urge to go sit and watch. I'd always admired big families, observing them interact with one another, hugging, laughing, and having fun. It must have been nice.
I walked up to the swings that were facing the rest of the park and leisurely sat, slowly swinging. A cool breeze stirred my hair and sent a chill through me, making me pull my jacket closed tighter.
I smiled as I watched a young boy and girl chase each other around the jungle gym. They seemed to be having a lot of fun; the girl was looking back and laughing as the little boy was about to catch up to her.
A shout to my right made me look over to see a little girl getting ready to come down the slide. “Mommy, watch me!” she squealed, and the mother laughed as the girl slid down and giggled. She immediately ran back up the steps and slid down again and again.
Watching the kids play and not have a care in the world made me so envious. I thought back to when my own mother brought me here for the first time. I had climbed to the top of the jungle gym, and just like any other little girl I would pretend I was a princess in my own castle. But I was also a skilled fighter and would fight the bad guys off. No one was going to get in and destroy my home.
I noticed the girl who was being chased by the boy had climbed up and out on top of the small peak
that was looking over the ground below. She started to lean over the side when her mother called out, “Lily, be careful!”
But it was too late.
My heart stopped as I watched her fall to the ground. She immediately started screaming and several people came running from the bench where they had sat.
I instantly stood up, afraid for the young child and how badly she might have been hurt.
I too walked over to the growing crowd to make sure she was okay. She still screamed but was now in the arms of her mother. I got tears in my eyes listening to her cries of pain. It hurt my heart to see what happened and to hear her parents try to console her. I stood there wishing I could have done something. If only I could've been there to catch her, to somehow prevent her from getting hurt.
I walked a little closer as the father announced he thought she broke her arm. I wanted to go to her and make her feel better. I wanted to heal her broken arm and make it like it never happened. I knew I couldn’t, but something inside me yearned for that girl. I felt helpless.
“We’re taking her to the hospital,” the mother said to the few people that had come to help, as they too had watched the scene. “Thank you for your help.”
I was still shaken up and ached for the girl, but I managed to walk back toward the swing and slowly sat down. I couldn’t stop the scene of her falling from playing over and over in my head. The poor thing.
That night, I dreamt of Lily. I still couldn’t save her, but in my dream she had looked at me and asked for help. But I didn’t know how. And just before I woke up, I saw Mycah standing at the top of the jungle gym wearing the most sinister grin I had ever seen.
The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 9
