by C. A. Harms
“He’s actually gone for a game.”
“What about your tracking device? Won’t he know you’ve left and send out his crew?” I couldn’t help but snicker, thinking how he assigned Clayton and Corbin to babysit me.
“If you need to go anywhere you call them,” I did my best Eli impression. “I mean anything, and Clayton has been told that he better be available to you.”
“Does he not realize Clayton and Corbin are the two most accident prone guys in the house?” Morgan gathered her bag and keys.
“I want to go, really,” I told her as I walked behind her toward the door. “I’ve heard so much about the infamous Toby the Turtle and I know I’m missing out by not meeting him.”
“I’m not on the approved list though,” she teased. “You need to tell Red that I am slightly offended by that, too.”
I knew she was teasing but I grabbed my phone from my bag and dialed his number anyway.
“Everything okay?”
“Well, hello to you too, and yes, everything is good,” I said, rolling my eyes as Morgan held her hands as if to say see, told you so.
“I was just calling to tell you that Morgan is severely disappointed in your choice of security for me.”
“Is that right?” I could almost sense the humor in his eyes. “Why would that be?”
Before I could say anything more Morgan reached out and took the phone from my hands.
“Oh really,” she said after a pause, “I’m not sure Xavier would like it if I did that with you, but if things don’t work out there, I’ll let you know.”
I could only imagine what it was he’d said to her.
“Yes, darlin’ it’s Morgan.” She laughed after he’d replied. I felt so lost with this conversation not being able to hear him talk too. “So back to the reason I’m irritated. You left the two most irresponsible goofballs in the house with your girl’s safety in their hands. Are you insane? Too many hits to the head on the field.”
Again she laughed.
“Exactly, so I’ll be taking over for now. She’s gonna go with me to my parents’ place and hang out with Toby.” Another pause. “Of course I will let him know his man Red says hi.”
“Okay, giving you back to Blake now, and I promise to keep your hidden lust for me quiet from Xavier. No need to start some kind of war.”
By the time I had the phone back and pressed to my ear I heard his deep chuckle and instantly missed him like crazy. “When you coming back?”
“Tomorrow night,” he said. “It’ll be late, which is why I want you sleeping in my bed when I get there. I’d come to you, but what I have in mind should not be done on a couch in view of Morgan and Marcus.”
Chills covered my arms as images of all the things he might be talking of filled my mind.
“I’ll be there.”
“Good, because if you were gonna say no, I would’ve been stopping off there first and carrying you out kicking and screaming over my shoulder.” Someone yelled something and he covered the phone to yell back that he was coming. “Listen, I gotta go, babe, but you have fun with Toby. Be prepared to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a few times.”
“What is that, a cartoon?”
He grew silent and I pulled the phone from my ear to make sure we were still connected. When I saw we were I put it back in place and said “hello?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“No.”
“Have you been living under a rock, woman? You are about to be schooled.”
***
“How did I not know about these guys?” I asked as I stared at the television and saw the monster turtles kick some Shredder ass. “This is the coolest movie ever.”
I was so glued to the movie that I had not finished my pizza. By that time it had grown cold but I didn’t care; I had found a new love. There was now a debate as to which one of us—Toby or myself—loved the Turtles more.
“This is also the best room ever.” I looked around for what felt like the tenth time, slowly taking in everything around me. “I wish I lived in this room.” Toby smiled so big I could tell he loved this place too.
“Xavier and Marcus decorated it for Toby and we will slowly be adding a few things here and there.” Morgan leaned forward and grabbed her Pepsi. “He hardly ever leaves this room now.” She smiled as she nudged her brother’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Toby Turtle?”
It made me laugh when he started bobbing his head as he held out his hands, waving them around, signaling to his space. “Mine,” he said, loud and clear.
Once he got back on focus with his movie, Morgan placed her drink back down and looked over at me. “Have you heard anything from your mother or him?”
I shake my head.
“When are you supposed to be able to get your things?”
“Well, the car is gone, because unfortunately it was in Carl’s name. Everything inside my room may or may not still be there, but I get to go over there and collect what’s left this week.”
“It’s nice that Jay’s father knows the district attorney.”
I nodded. “To be honest, I’m scared,” I confessed, feeling my stomach tense. “Scared to face either of them, and also scared of what I’ll find, or not find, I guess. I could go there and find that they’ve gotten rid of everything. Then I’ll be forced to start over with only the clothes I have. I’m just thankful that Xavier and Clayton grabbed my purse and that Eli brought me my money. I can get the things I need to get by and my purse had the three things I have to remember my father.”
I looked at Morgan and she offered me a kind smile.
“So if I go and there’s nothing, then there’s nothing. At least I have the opportunity to start over, thanks to all of you.”
Since I’d been at Morgan’s and Marcus’, she and I had really developed a close friendship. It was nice to have friends.
Chapter Thirty
Elijah
I stripped down to nothing but my boxers and climbed under the sheets, curling my body around hers. When she sighed I smiled, my mouth pressed against her hair. Was it crazy that I enjoyed the way it tickled my nose?
“I missed you,” I confessed and didn’t expect her to reply, but she did. “I missed you too.”
Leaning back, she turned in my arms and slid as close as possible to press her body to my own. At that moment I froze. “Babe.”
“Mmhm.”
I tried not to laugh, fuck, but it was impossible. “Did you fall asleep with the bedroom door unlocked?”
“I’m not sure, why?” she asked with her eyes still closed.
“Clayton drew on your face.”
Her eyes shot open and locked on my own. “Drew as in how?”
I leaned in just a little closer to get a better look and chuckled a little harder. “Permanent marker.”
“That son of a bitch,” my kitty growled. “I’m gonna kill him. Neuter his sorry ass and feed it to the crocodiles.”
I moved out of her way as she sprang from the bed and moved toward Clayton’s room. I’d never seen her this fired up before. Standing just outside Clayton’s door, she lifted her hand and started beating on it. Maybe I should have slowed her down, considering it was after two in the morning.
Nah, fuck it, this shit is funny.
When the door opened and a sleepy-eyed Clayton filled the space, I saw it coming before he did. She reached out and grasped his junk.
What the fuck?
I moved forward just as she twisted and loud girlish squeals ripped out of Clay.
“You drew on my face, you asshole,” Blake stated each word with force. “You better hope this shit comes off or I will castrate you. I will rip your pinky dick off and then everyone will be forced to call you Clara instead of Clayton.”
His eyes widened and I stood back as a mass of frat brothers formed to catch the show.
“You’ve just set forth a war, my friend,” Blake told him as she leaned in close. “You better sleep with one eye open becau
se when you least expect it, I swear to you, I am bringing your ass to your knees.”
She released her hold on him and he did just that, slinking to the floor and gripping his junk.
As she spun around on her feet and began walking toward me, I hissed and she narrowed her eyes at me. The reaction seemed fitting, considering he drew a pink nose and whiskers on her face.
“She is insane,” Clayton panted, trying his best to climb up from the floor.
“Yeah, and you just brought forth the beast in her. You’ve seemed to start something I’m not so sure you’ll win.”
“Talk to her,” he insisted and I laughed.
“Nah, I think this is gonna be too fun to stop.”
Walking back to my room, I found her in the bathroom with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a rag. I watched in the mirror blotting at the marks on her face as she worked to remove the ink.
“Should I be jealous that you just gripped one of my good friend’s jewels?” I crossed my arms over my chest when she gave me the glare of death. “You do know you just terrified the guy, right?”
“Good,” she said as she continued to work a spot on the left side of her nose. “He’s a menace.”
“I won’t argue.”
“I meant what I said, I will get him back.” I nodded, because by the determined look in her eyes, I knew she would. “It’s gonna make all these other pranks seem like nothing.”
“Are you challenging my pranks?” Now I was intrigued.
I waited while she continued to scrub and slowly the marker began to fade. I could still see it, but it was faint. When she was done she screwed the cap back on the bottle and placed it back in the medicine cabinet. Afterward she turned around to face me and took a step in my direction.
“I’ve been holding onto ideas for a few pranks myself.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes.” Again with that heavy dose of confidence. “And he just signed up to be my guinea pig.”
She stormed past me and I watched the sway of her ass as she passed. Damn, it was good to be home. For a variety of reasons, but seeing her was at the top of that list. Even if she was pissed and ready to kill someone.
“Babe,” I hollered out as I finally started to trail behind her. “Can we still cuddle?”
I understood I was poking the angry bear, but it was just so damn fun.
***
“Do you want me to go inside with you?” I reached out over the center console and took Blake’s hand in my own. “I know they aren’t here, but I also know that you won’t ask, so this is me offering.”
“I just want to get it over with.”
“Then let me help.”
When she nodded her approval I opened the car door and moved around to open hers, too. Jay’s father requested that an officer join us and he had already arrived, waiting by the front door of her old home.
As we joined him he offered us a reassuring nod. “They’ve left and will be back in thirty minutes.”
“Thank you,” Blake whispered as she stepped up onto the makeshift stair and pushed open the door. It was just as I remembered, dirty and unkempt. I swear the same dishes that littered the kitchen still sat in the same places.
“I used to hold my breath when I came home every day,” Blake said. “Practically rushed toward my room so I could open a window or light a candle. Do you know how much money I probably spent on air fresheners?” She faked a laugh but I could see through it.
“Come on.” I drew her forward toward the room at the end of the hall. Neither of us knew just what we might find on the opposite side of the door.
She paused just outside and I could visibly see her take in a deep breath before twisting the handle and pushing open the door.
I could instantly feel anger inside me ignite when I noticed that the bed and dresser that were once inside were gone. The pictures and small amount of decorations that were also there once before were missing.
I followed her further inside and saw only two boxes sitting in the middle of the room, along with a large black garbage bag.
“Looks like they made it easy,” she said with her back to me. “I don’t know what I expected.”
“For your heartless mother to somehow find some empathy inside that cold fucking heart of hers.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said it but I couldn’t stop myself. I despised that woman.
She kneeled before the boxes and flipped open one of the lids, then the other. “The clothes that were in my dresser.” She pulled at the ties of the bag and peeked inside. “And closet.”
Everything she now owned remained in only those three containers. I felt like my heart literally cracked and I vowed that I would replace everything she had lost.
I moved around her and lifted both boxes. “Can you carry that bag?” She nodded as she lifted it and again looked around the room. “I guess everything held bad memories anyway.” With her final words she turned around and left the room.
I wanted to go on a rampage and destroy the things her mother and asshole stepfather owned. I wanted them to come home to find everything they possessed in shambles.
How could a parent be so cruel?
Chapter Thirty-One
Catherine
“Will you stop laughing?”
I tried to sneak past each room holding one end of the crate. Morgan, on the opposite side, continued to laugh so hard tears rolled down her cheeks.
“There’s gonna be chicken shit all over everything.”
I shrug. “Not my problem. I remember once before Clayton said the best part of the prank would be seeing Eli clean up the mess.”
“That was a room full of balloons, not chickens.”
“This is only two.”
I reached Clayton’s room and pulled out the bundle of keys I had snatched from Elijah’s dresser.
“Two really big ass chickens,” Morgan corrected, still laughing and looking around to ensure no one caught us.
When I found the key I placed it in the lock and twisted. Hurrying inside we set the crate down on the floor. “Let’s hurry so we can get out of here unseen.”
“I think we should hide in the closet and watch this unfold.” She hunched over holding her stomach and fits of laughter still racked her body. “Can you imagine him coming home to two chickens in his room?”
“Yes, I can, which is why I chose this prank. I told him I would pay him back, this is me doing that.”
“Don’t you understand how this prank thing works?” I began unfastening the crate as she stood behind me, rambling on. “It is a constant back and forth repay and pay it forward. They will never stop. It doesn’t even matter if you outdo the last person, you will still get it back eventually.”
I knew that, I understood the play of the game. “Clayton thinks I’m bluffing. He thinks I’m just some girl that got pissed and said a bunch of shit, but I’ve now moved on. So I gotta do this to prove a point. I know this doesn’t end it.”
“Wait,” Morgan said just as I started to lift the lid, which only made me jump in surprise.
Looking to my left, I found her backing up toward the door, her hand held out in front of her. “What?”
“You aren’t letting those things out while we’re in here, are you?”
“And how else would you suggest I do it?” I tried not to laugh but frankly the fear on her face over two chickens was hilarious. You’d think I had a crate full of rattlesnakes instead.
“I don’t know,” she said while looking where my hands rested on the lid. “It’s just that they’re going to start flocking around, and what if they attack?”
“Oh my god, you aren’t that person, are you?”
“What person?” She wrinkled her nose, looking between me and the chickens.
“Scared of animals.”
“No.” She waved me off, yet her eyes were still frantic looking. “Though I never had one growing up.”
I began to lift the lid and she backed up further, only m
aking it harder not to laugh. “Run,” I shouted and she did, but not before running smack into the door as she forgot we’d closed it behind us when we entered.
She mumbled “damn” before twisting the knob and bolting like her ass was on fire. I found myself wondering how she would react to a chicken being set loose in her room.
Oh the possibilities.
***
I sat on the lawn, just outside Perry Hall. Somehow I had managed to completely psych myself out over the exam I had today. It could have been related to my change in routine and lack of concentration.
We were to move this weekend and the only thing I had to fill my room was two laundry baskets full of clothes and myself. I was embarrassed, and allowing myself once again to feel like the world was crashing in around me.
Studying had been at the bottom of my list and now I was paying for it.
A large shadow cast over me and I looked up into a familiar face. “You cramming too?” The blond guy from my history class took the initiative and sat down across from me without waiting for an invite. “I’ve been panicking a bit myself.”
I still had not said a word, wondering where he was going with this. We’d been in the same class for months and next to our one conversation about my A and his well, hell I don’t even remember what grade he got, we’d never spoken.
“Connor,” he said, holding out his hand.
Without taking it I nodded. “Blake.” It still felt weird introducing myself by my first name, but Eli was right, I shouldn’t forget my father just because my mother forced me to. This was my new beginning and in this round I’d be Blake, my father’s daughter.
“So you’re with Red?”
“If you mean are we a couple then yes, we are.”
“You must be something special if you tied him down.” He leaned in closer. “I’ve never seen him with one girl longer than one night. Don’t take that the wrong way, I mean, I’m not saying he got around.”
Oh my god, what is wrong with this guy?
“Just saying that he must really like you.”
