by K J Bell
Dinner was nearly ready when I heard the door.
“Something smells wonderful,” I heard sweet Maggie call out before I saw her enter the kitchen. Maggie was really beautiful. Her auburn hair was swept up in a messy bun, framing her flawless skin. Her cheeks were pink from being outside in the early fall chill.
Oh, you’ve got it bad, girl.
Maybe it was my zeal after spending the day with Brent, but she looked radiant standing before me.
Placing two plates on the table, a colossal smile stretched my face. She noticed and smiled back at me adoringly.
Right Cassidy, if someone was designed for each of us, then why was Maggie still alone?
She asked how my day went and I filled her in, leaving out any part about Brent. She listened to me rattle on all through dinner. Finally acknowledged my selfish behavior, I asked about her day. She told me it was rather uneventful, and that she had taken a long walk along the river, picking some wild flowers to make a wreath for the fall.
My thoughts drifted while Maggie spoke, fixating on Brent, her voice a low hum in the background. She continued, while I mentally played out every interaction with Brent today searching for some understanding as to why I was feeling the need to drive to his house and be near him. Replaying the entire afternoon in slow motion, I convinced myself that Layken may have been right about him. Maybe he did like me, and I liked him, unequivocally.
No…No you don’t. You can’t get close to someone, Claire. Think about it. Could you really say goodbye to him?
Maggie’s was waving her hand in front of my face, attempting to bring me back to reality. “Earth to Claire,” she chimed, snapping her fingers now, her wrinkles creasing around her eyes.
I shook my head, feeling the flush in my cheeks. “Oh, sorry, Mags. What did you say?”
Maggie raised a disapproving brow. “Are you alright, dear? You seem distracted.”
I lied. “Sorry, I’m fine. I think I’m just a little tired, first day stress and all.”
“Well, okay,” she said, smiling her disbelief. “But if you need to talk, you know I’m always here.”
Picking up my plate, I stood up from the table and kissed her on the forehead. “Yes, I know. Thanks. I love you.”
One of the great things about Maggie was that she never pushed. She gently reminded me she was around, but never attempted to drag things out of me. Given the thoughts I was having just then, I was extremely grateful for that.
Cleaning up after dinner, I washed the dishes and put the left-overs in the fridge. When I finished, I headed upstairs to get ready for bed, hoping sleep would not elude me as my mind was racing about Brent. Our banter about the book I was reading had me reeling. He spoke so passionately about it. I wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind his analysis. Was he was trying to tell me something?
You are out of control. It’s just a book. Go to bed!
Undressing, I looked in the mirror noticing a bruise on my chest much darker than I expected from where Logan pushed me; not surprising with my fair complexion. Moving closer to the mirror, I got a better look at the markings on my skin and I thought I saw the faint impression of a handprint. I was all the more thankful Brent was there. Thinking about him defending my honor caused my skin to boil and my cheeks to blush, which was getting rather annoying. Prior to today, my father was the only boy to have me blushing, usually after he embarrassed me.
Spending a long time in the shower, the hot water beat down on me, soothing and relaxing away my stress. I got out and brushed my hair and teeth. Pulling on some grey sweatpants and an old t-shirt that belonged to my dad, it still smelled like him. I shook my head to keep myself from thinking too long about him so I wouldn’t cry.
Crawling under the covers, I sank into the pillow and began reading my book. It was one of my all-time favorite classic love stories. Thinking back to Brent’s comment about it being sad, I wondered what he really meant about forgoing what was designed as important. I shrugged, thinking Layken was right. Brent did seem so much older than he was. Brent continued to distract my reading while I compared myself with Lucy and her conflicted feelings for George. From the moment I laid eyes on him, he made me feel things – things I’ve never felt – things that I wasn’t sure I should feel.
You’re in big trouble, girl.
I laid there with a giant grin stretched across my face, reading the same paragraph again and again, attempting to retain what it said.
Finally giving up on reading, I got out of bed and went to the window to open it for some fresh air. Maggie was at the end of the driveway speaking to someone. She shifted and I felt my heart in my throat. She was talking to Brent. What is he doing here? I turned away from the window so he didn’t see me. A million thoughts ran through my brain. Was he here to see me, if so, what would I say to him?
When I returned to the window, I felt incredibly foolish. It wasn’t Brent but rather an older man with glasses. He was tall, towering over Maggie. He must be a neighbor, though I had met all of them and he didn’t look familiar. He appeared to be explaining something to Maggie and she responded in a scolding manner. The man didn’t seem fazed, gesturing to the house as though he was discussing its occupant. Immediately, I thought it must be Brent’s Dad. He was obviously here to make sure that Maggie’s odd niece steered clear of his son.
My chagrin grew. What was wrong with people in this town? My family was a little eccentric but totally harmless. In fact, they were very kind people that would never harm a fly. Yet, most everyone in this town acted as though we were some kind of infectious disease with no cure. People really were gullible, believing our house was haunted. All the ghost stories floating around about my family were just plain silly to me. But most of the people in this town actually believed them.
Anger continued its invasion on my thoughts. I headed down stairs, set on defending Maggie. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Maggie was entering the front door. She looked up at me surprised.
With a warm smile she said, “Oh, hi honey. I thought you’d gone up to bed.”
“Who were you talking to?” I responded, holding back anger until she answered.
“That was Mr. Marshall, honey.” Registering the confusion on my face, she continued, “His son is Logan.”
Great! Even worse than Brent’s dad.
Agitation was stronger than my filter causing me to ask a little too harshly, “What did he want?”
“He said that Logan was upset after school about an altercation he had with you and some of your friends,” she stated, closing the door and locking it.
“It was only one friend,” I muttered, putting my head down, ashamed, as the tone of my voice conveyed typical teenage attitude. “And his son started it.”
Oh yeah, that was less typical, Claire.
Should I explain further? I didn’t want to upset Maggie.
After she spoke, I understood there was no need to continue my defense. “He said he could assure you that Logan was not going to bother you again. He just wanted to make sure that your friends would not bother Logan either. I explained to him that they wouldn’t. Simple as that, dear.”
“No, of course not, Aunt Maggie,” I assured her.
She continued smiling like she never doubted I had anything to do with Logan’s poor manners and I loved her even more for it. “Good, then it’s settled. You really should get some sleep, Claire.”
Climbing up the stairs to my room, I was irritated. Logan was obviously not truthful with his Dad. It seemed he was afraid of Brent’s reaction however, and that pleased me. Clutching the bruise on my chest, I was grateful Brent was there to protect me. I would never tell him that, but it felt good to admit, if only to myself.
Climbing back into bed, I forgot about Logan and made another attempt at reading. I ignored the urge to analyze the words and examine Brent’s perception about Lucy’s design. It wasn’t long before I was deep asleep.
My body was heavy, and it felt like the bed was suckin
g me in. I fought against it but I was being weighed down and I awoke startled, choking, and unable to catch my breath. Feeling fingers curled around my neck, I clawed at something, skin, but the attacker didn’t move. Summoning what little strength I had, I twisted and turned trying to free myself. It was hopeless. I attempted to scream but swallowed my voice. Pulling my knees up, I dug my feet into the bed and thrust my body upwards. My effort was worthless as my body remained pinned. Forcing my eyes open, I narrowed them when I saw Logan. He was laughing and his eyes were filled with familiar hate.
“You little freak,” he spat angrily, drops of his saliva landed on my cheek.
Unable to fight him any longer, my body went limp. Crying, I pleaded with him to stop but he only squeezed harder. I fought to get small breaths through my constricted airways, but it wasn’t enough. Starting to sob uncontrollably, I was teetering on unconsciousness and I finally gave up.
“What’s the matter, freak, no one to save you this time?” he snickered, pressing harder and I knew that he was going to kill me.
“Claire, Claire, wake up!” I heard Maggie’s voice shouting through my fear and felt her hands on both sides of my arms. “You were dreaming, dear. Are you all right?”
Groggily, I woke and grabbed her, hugging her tight. I was coughing and gulping in air. “I’m okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Releasing me, she ran a hand down the side of my hair lovingly, the way my parents used to do. She lay with me until I drifted off to sleep again.
When I awoke, Maggie was gone. It was 5:30am and my alarm would not go off for another half hour but I was not able to go back to sleep. Deciding to get out of bed, I went over and curled up in the window seat. It was foggy outside which was how I felt. My mind wandered to Brent. Without success, I tried to pin point what it was about him that kept drawing me in. My feelings were more than a first crush. I was certain about that. Could I really be falling for him after one day?
Falling for him? You’re in love with him.
Remembering my awful nightmare, I curled my fingers around my neck trying to forget how it felt with Logan’s fingers pressing into my Adams apple, spitting hatred at me. Logan didn’t actually attack me but the pain in my neck felt real and I cringed at the thought of seeing him today, having to look in those cold black eyes, so full of hate. How could he hate me so much when we’ve never even met? I felt a twinge of sadness for Logan remembering that Layken said Logan was always angry. He must be very unhappy to get so much pleasure from others’ pain.
Resting against the window, gazing into the woods, I dozed off. When I finally woke, I was late for school. I rushed to the closet, throwing on the first thing I found to wear – jeans and a blue t-shirt. Original, Claire. I quickly ran a comb through my hair and hastily bushed my teeth.
When I went downstairs I called for Maggie. She didn’t answer and I guessed that she was still sleeping. I scoured the kitchen for something to eat, deciding to go with a Pop Tart again, given anything else took time that I didn’t have. I found a note from Maggie on the counter.
Claire,
I had a few things to do this morning and I will be home late. Have a good day.
Love, Mags.
Thankfully, the drive to school was uneventful. No more hallucinations about running over strange men. I arrived to chemistry just before the bell. The haste of my morning was a perfect distraction from my thoughts.
The morning went by quickly and I had yet to see Logan. Sadly, I had yet to see Brent either.
Eating lunch with Layken, she introduced me to some of her friends. Riley was a friendly red-haired girl with a round face and dimples. She was warm and funny, reminding me in a way of Maggie. I liked her immediately.
“So, how do you like it here so far?” Riley asked me, twirling a lock of fiery hair in her fingers.
I pursed my lips before answering.
“Oh, um, it’s great,” I shrugged, smiling embarrassed by my thoughts.
Great because of one beautiful blue-eyed creature in my next class.
“You moved here from San Diego, right?” she asked, still twirling her hair.
“Yes, at the beginning of summer,” I answered.
“Then how is this place great? I would love to live in San Diego. What the heck made you come back here?”
“The weather,” I replied, my tone laced with sarcasm.
“Huh?” she asked, drawing in her eyebrows.
My dry humor was obviously lost on her but at least Layken chuckled.
“Whatever,” Riley sang, rolling her eyes, biting into a chip and crunching loudly.
Layken’s other friend Brooke was beautiful, with long straight black hair and large brown eyes. Her olive skin glowed without any teenage flaws. She could easily have been a model. She was not as friendly as the others, regarding me warily, using one word responses to address the group. It seemed she was annoyed with my presence, but I wasn’t positive.
Stop being so insecure, Claire. She could have had a bad morning.
Reese was the lone boy of the group. His hair was close in color to my own, resting just below his ears, framing his strong jaw. He was handsome with grey eyes and long lashes. He seemed nervous, refraining from most of the conversation. Looking around the room constantly and tapping his foot, he was beginning to annoy me.
Layken assured me he was much more talkative when Brody was around.
“He’s late, as usual,” she said.
Maybe that is why Reese keeps looking around; he’s hoping his buddy will show up so he doesn’t have to be bored to death with girl talk. The world does not revolve around you, Claire.
Eating lunch, socializing with other kids my age, I felt relaxed. It put me at ease and for the first time I felt like a normal teenager. This was how a girl my age was supposed to live, hanging out with friends, chatting about whatever came to mind, carefree and worriless. I kept moving my gaze across the brightly lit room hoping to catch a glimpse of Brent, but I didn’t see him.
My comfortable feeling was long gone the second I glanced up and spotted Logan at a table across from us. His eyes were fixed on me, creating tension. The feeling was thick, like the fog that covers the river in early morning. Logan was glaring at me, disgust seeping from every pore on his face.
Layken noted his lurking and my discomfort, whispering so that the table couldn’t hear what she said. “Don’t worry about him, he’s a jerk. He always gives the new person a hard time. It’s like his life’s goal or something. Just ignore him. He’ll get bored with you in a day or two,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I can’t believe I ever went out with him. He had a nice truck. I guess I thought he was cool. Boy, was I wrong,” she finished.
Laughing nervously, I decided to take her advice, turning my eyes back to our group and to the conversation at our table. There it was again, that calm feeling rushing through my body after Layken spoke, soothing away my anxiety. It must be genuine friendship that made me feel this way. I mentally scolded myself for having avoided it for so long.
Reese got up from the table abruptly, his expression angry, talking under his breath, seemingly to himself. He crossed in front of me and smiled. I’m not sure why but his smile made me blush and I smiled back shyly. Reese moved gracefully and I saw Brooke staring at him admiringly. She liked him. It was obvious, but he ignored her completely. I noted Reese’s rudeness as there was no way for him to miss the way Brooke was looking at him. He must have been the cause of her annoyance. My heart squeezed a little, watching Brooke frowning wanly and fiddling with a few grapes in front of her.
See, don’t be so paranoid. It wasn’t even about you.
Crossing to Logan’s table, Reese leaned down to speak with him. Logan peered over his shoulder at me with that familiar look of hate in his eyes. My body instantly tensed and I looked away. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but it couldn’t be me. I’ve only said three words to Reese and he had said even fewer to me – Reese Phillips – that’
s all I got out of him. Logan’s posture suddenly changed and he stared at his tray.
You’re being paranoid again. Get over yourself.
Reese glided back to the table, taking the empty seat next to me which earned me a harsh stare from Brooke. His lips were pressed tightly together. I considered asking him what his conversation with Logan had been about but decided against it. He ignored my questioning stare, starting up a conversation with Riley as though nothing weird happened.
Perhaps nothing weird did happen.
I decided he could have been asking Logan about homework and my paranoia was just getting the better of me. I resolved not to bring it up. Continuing to eat lunch, I peeked at Logan’s table several times, but he didn’t look over. I was relieved that Reese had disturbed his efforts to torture me.
Layken and I walked to art together while she told me that Brooke really liked Reese but he’s not into her which made hanging out with the two of them really hard. I was trying to listen, but my stomach was in a ball, and I felt flustered with anticipation knowing that in a few short steps I would get to see Brent.
Reaching the door, I peeked in and began scanning the room. I spotted Brent standing in front of a table in the back of the class. He was talking with a small group of girls who were giggling at every word he said. I felt the slightest bit of jealousy lingering in a dark place somewhere near the back of my mind. Stepping into the room, my eyes lit up and I smiled brightly, staring at him, urging him to look at me. He turned and our eyes locked. Something distant and cold replaced the welcoming gleam I usually felt when I looked at him. Taking a step toward him, I ignored the rejection I saw in his stare. Leveling me with a shunning glare, he turned his head and continued his conversation with his admirers until the bell rang.
Layken and I sat. I was aware she noticed my malaise, but didn’t ask about it, which I was thankful for. Heat filled my stomach and crawled up my neck as confusion whirled around in my head desperately searching for an answer to why he was totally avoiding me.
