by E. A. Weston
Walking down the street depresses me—all the crap around the streets and in people’s gardens. I cross the street at the end of the block, only because I am sure that house on the corner sells drugs, and I so do not want to be in the vicinity if the cops show up. Opening the door to the store alerts Athena to my presence. Her head lifts and she smiles at me.
“Just picking up some stuff,” I tell her then grab all my tools and stones. This week I will work from my bedroom. Packing my bag, I leave without turning, but again a shiver races up my back. Gritting my teeth, I walk down to the bakery, buying some cakes and muffins for Mr. Brenner.
Fifteen minutes later, I am sitting on his porch, muffin in hand.
“So tell me how are things going for you?” He has a kind smile and on some level, I trust him completely. I have known him all my life; he and my dad were really close friends, their disappearance had an effect on him too.
“It’s good, same as always.” My smile fades a little as my eyes wander over to my house. He smiles at me and pats my knee.
“Thanks for the cakes; you always treat me well.”
My smile broadens when I look at him. He is an older man, if I were to guess, I’d say about mid-fifties. He lives alone now—his wife died when I was about twelve and he never remarried.
“Okay, I guess I’ll go inside now.” Rubbing my hands on my thighs, I make my way over to my house. Every time I come here, I feel nervous, like an intruder to a museum of great history. Slipping my key in the lock, I turn it, opening the door to the holy grail of my life. Walking through the house brings back all my memories—pain, and heartache. Going through my ritual of opening all the windows and cleaning the rooms, I finally settle in my room and get to work making this necklace for that young girl. After a few hours, I close all of the windows. My skin itches from head to toe when I reach for the window in the front room. Looking out, I see a sleek, blacked-out sports car sitting across the street. Nice car, wonder who owns it? Closing the window, I scratch myself all over, even using the corner of the wall to get my back.
Taking one last look around my parent’s bedroom, I close the door on their memory and my hurt. It’s always just as hard to leave as it is to enter; my whole life is in this house, standing still in preservation to a time gone by. Locking up, I hop over the rail onto Mr. Brenner’s porch and knock on his door. I let him know I am leaving and will see him in a few weeks. Walking down the street, my whole body starts to itch again. Jesus, I bet Athena changed the detergent and never said anything.
A black car pulls up beside me. The passenger window opens revealing a dark haired guy. Must be lost. I stop to wait for the question.
“Hi.”
His voice sings to me, giving me goosebumps up and down my arms. Bending down, I peek into the window, still maintaining my distance from the sidewalk. My breath catches when I see the barman from last night.
“Hi. Are you lost?” My suspicions are rising.
“No. I wanted to see you.” He smiles at me as he leans over to the window.
Okay, so I can either stay here and engage in conversation with a stalker, or I can turn and run the long way back to Athena’s. Without too much thought, my heels spin and I am off, running like a lunatic back the way I came. Glancing over my shoulder, I see the car trying to do a three-point turn on this small street. Crap, I am so unfit. My lungs hurt as I hurdle myself over a small wall that blocks off the end of this street, making it a no-access path to the main road of Faircrest.
Once over the wall, I look back again. The car is stopped behind the wall, but the driver is still inside. I don’t give a flying monkey—I am out. Barging into Athena’s house, I slam the door, nearly breaking the glass window pane. Jake runs out of the kitchen, staring at me. “What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing,” I pant, leaning over with one hand on the wall, trying to catch my breath. Jake laughs at me, telling me I need to hit the treadmill to open my lungs.
“Jake, that dude from the club was at my house,” I pant again then right myself.
“What dude? What the fuck is going on, Reagan?” Jake pulls open the door, stepping outside, looking up and down the street. “I don’t see anyone,” he says, closing the door behind him.
“Yeah, I lost him.” Pulling off my coat, I hang it over the stairs. “I’m starving. Any food going?” Making my way into the kitchen, I find some leftover chicken. Jake walks in behind me, crossing his arms.
“Reagan, that is not cool. We need to tell his boss or something.” I’m instantly flooded with panic.
“No, Jake. Jesus, no, he just said hello and I ran. It was probably me being weird.”
His eyes squint at me, deciding if he is going to believe me. In the end, he shrugs then sits back down to finish his dinner. My heart slows down as the adrenaline recedes. My mind, however, is running in all different directions. What if I was just being a weirdo? Maybe the guy was lost or in the neighborhood looking for somewhere to rent. Jesus, I must have looked like a freaking lunatic. Grabbing my cell, I call Alex.
“Yo, bi-atch,” she answers.
“Hi, do you want to hang out?” We usually get to the point when we are on the phone. Neither of us can afford to stay chatting for hours.
“Yeah, get over here,” she barks down the line at me. Shrugging back into my coat, I leave the house, walking the two blocks to hers.
“Damn, you got here fast. Got a bee up your ass?” Alex grins from the porch as I arrive.
“No, a rocket,” I answer, climbing the steps and hugging her. We sit out here in the cold. We never sit inside. Alex is kind of like me that way. We both prefer to be outside, even if it’s freezing, “So what did you get up to today?”
Her eyes find mine and she smiles a sly smile at me. “Not much, Ryder stayed last night.”
Holding up my hand, I laugh. “Got it.” Alex laughs at my reaction.
“You know, someday you are going to have to have sex, Reagan.” She kicks my ankle when she says it to get my attention. Little does Alex know, I am not a virgin. But I am not experienced, either.
“You just worry about you and I will take care of me.” I smile back at her.
The screen door opens with a squeak and Alex’s brother walks out, letting the door close with a slap. He just nods in our direction then takes off. He is twenty-five and has two jobs. Last I heard, he was saving to move a warmer climate.
“I went home today,” I tell Alex. She perks up, looking at me with her rarely seen, worried look. “I’m good, quit stressing.”
“Yeah, you look fine, but wait—oh, yeah, you’re here. So what gives?”
I can never pull the wool over her eyes. I tell her about my run-in with the barman from the club. Her eyes widen to match the grin she is sporting.
“Reagan, holy shit! Are you messing with me? You better not be, I mean, that dude is fine as fu…”
She stops just as her mom peeks out to us, offering drinks. “No, mom.” Alex waves her hand to make her mom leave, then turns back to me. “We have to internet stalk him.” Jumping up, she runs inside then comes back with her tricked out laptop.
“Alex, stop, I don’t want to internet stalk him,” I complain, but deep down maybe I do. Maybe I want to know what Mr. Black Eyes is all about.
“We could just go to the club and talk to Big D,” Alex supplies while her fingers type away.
“Big D?” I question, sinking lower into my chair and propping my feet up on the rail. Alex fills me in on Big D, the doorman at the club. She tells me he is in the know on everyone around town. I don’t know whether to be concerned or laugh at a grown man acting as the town gossip. After an exhaustive search, Alex comes up empty.
“No luck. He is not online anywhere.”
We decide to leave the stalking to the professionals and just hang out, watching the moon and stars.
“Ry and I are getting matching ink next week.”
“Really? Wow, didn’t know it was that serious.” I laugh at her, but she j
ust keeps her eyes trained on the sky. “Alex? Is it serious?” I ask, leaning forward to get a better look at her.
“I think so, Reagan. I think so.” On that note, I stand up, pulling her with me.
“This calls for a celebration!” We walk to the ice cream store, piling up on all you can mix, then take to the streets of Faircrest. “You know, most people would hit the bar, not the ice cream store.” I smile at her.
“Yeah, good job. We are not most people, so I say they can stick it,” she says and we both laugh. Alex is all kinds of contradiction, but her heart is in the right place. We walk through town, the lights of the stores glowing like little balls of fire as they reflect onto the street. My head starts to itch again. Digging my nails in, I scratch like I have fleas.
“You okay?” Alex looks at me while shoveling ice cream into her mouth.
“No, I am freaking itchy all over again. I swear that costume gave me fleas.”
Handing her my tub, I quickly take off my jacket and run my back up and down the side of the traffic light pole. Alex starts laughing at me while the people on the street look at me funny.
“Stop laughing and help!” Rolling her eyes, she steps towards me and helps me out. “Jesus Christ,” I moan, then put my coat back on. Rounding the corner we are met with two guys, one of them makes my blood rush through my body, causing my skin to ignite again.
“Hi.” He smiles at me, stopping me in my tracks. Alex gapes at him then at me.
“Hey, I’m Alex and you are?”
Her question is meant to pull information from him. I know what she is doing, and I have to say I love her.
“Killian. This is James.” He points to the other guy who I recognize as the guy that served me in the club. Alex nods at them while I stand there like a mute with my body blazing from the inside out.
“Hey, you’re the girl from the club.” James points at me and smiles. His smile looks genuine.
“Hi, yeah, Reagan.” Holding his hand out, I shake it then drop it quickly. Alex makes small talk with them, and all the while I watch Killian. His face looks so smooth. It is way more beautiful up close in person. His eyes capture my attention; they are black, or, at least, they look black, but nobody has black eyes. They must be dark brown or something. Alex elbows me in the ribs, making me grunt and shoot daggers at her with my glare.
“Killian and James here asked if we want to grab a bite to eat.” Her eyes bore into me as she tilts her head a little.
“Oh, okay, yeah. Sure, why not.”
In my flustered state, I agree. Killian’s face brightens when he smiles at me. Oh, dear God in heaven. We walk across the street to the diner, considering there is not much else to do around this small town. Killian holds open the door for us. Passing him, he winks at me. Alex and I sit at a table in the middle of the diner. Both guys sit across from us. I don’t bother with the menu—both Alex and I always share. We order and I watch this Killian guy carefully. My mom always told me to be wary of the good-looking guys.
“So what do you ladies do?” James smiles at us. I like this James dude; he makes me feel comfortable.
“We go to college together,” Alex tells him. She looks over at me, then smiles while poking me in the leg with her straw.
“Oh, yeah? What do you study?” Then there it is, that melodic voice melting my very bones. Killian watches me expectantly. Once again, Alex pokes me. Turning, I snap the straw from her hand and get a grip on myself.
“We study art. Why?” My voice is in a not-so-friendly tone. I don’t know if I like this guy. Yes, he is beautiful and sinfully dreamy, but I need to keep my wits about me. I catch his jaw muscle flicker, but then he smiles at me, leaning his elbows onto the table so he is now a little closer to me.
“I was just asking. I apologize if I offended you.”
He smiles at me again, baring those pearly whites. Our food arrives and I listen to the conversation more than take part. I also allow Alex to eat most of our chili-cheese fries, which under normal circumstances would never happen. I listen as Alex blabs her life story, then she starts in on mine, telling them I work down the street at Athena’s.
“Okay, Alex, I am sure they don’t care where I work,” I say interrupting her, glaring at her again. After we eat, I shrug on my jacket, getting ready to take off.
“I have class in the morning so I am off home. It was nice to meet you, Killian, and you too, James.” Standing, I pull Alex by the arm and smile at them.
“Would you like a lift home? I have my car around back?” Killian stands, holding his hand out for me to take. Looking at it, I frown.
“No, thanks, we can walk. It’s not far.” Pushing Alex out of the diner, I drag her down the road.
“Stop, Reagan!” She moans, pulling free of me. “Jeez, what is wrong with you? He’s friggin hot!” She fans her face even though it’s probably minus a million degrees outside.
“Yeah, he is, but did you hear his voice? It was weird.”
“What do you mean weird? He sounded like every other guy I know.” Alex looks at me.
“It has that weird twang and he sounds like a medieval knight or something. I’m surprised he didn’t bid us farewell.” We both laugh for a few minutes. Alex shakes her head.
“I think you need a doctor. He sounded fine to me—more than fine, actually. You’re lucky, Reagan, because if weren’t with Ryder, I would be all over his ass.”
“You are so dirty, Alex.” I grin, wrapping my arm around her neck.
“Yeah, but you love me.” She smiles over to me.
“You know I do. Now, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” Hugging her, I leave to walk home.
I am about a block away when I see a group of guys arguing with each other. There are about ten of them. They shout at each other from across the street, all of them throwing gang signs.
Shit. Looking around, I am too far down the block to turn back, and the noise of their shouting gets louder. I watch them advance on each other then an all out scrap starts, fists flying, grunts, groans. I duck down behind one of the pile-of-shit cars parked on the street and then a bang. All fighting stops then both groups run in opposite directions. Some of the guys pass me but two stop. They stand there looking at me; the taller one steps closer as I back up a bit.
“You didn’t see shit. Got it?” he says, lifting his shirt, showing me the butt of a handgun. Nodding, I swallow the lump in my throat. The second guy steps up to the light, looking at me.
“Reagan.” They both take off running, leaving me and some dude lying in the street. I know that guy; I went to school with him and now he is in a gang! Walking towards the guy in the street, I hear sirens wailing, so I quickly run down the block to Athena’s. I do not want to be anywhere near that street when the cops arrive.
Most of the night I lie awake, staring at the moon, thinking of my mom and dad, wondering where they are and if they are alive. If I still lived across town with them, then I wouldn’t have to witness gang shootings on my street.
I wish they would come home.
Chapter 8
The next day, classes are fun. Alex and I had a paint fight and now we are both covered from head to toe, much to our instructor’s annoyance. He told us we were acting like adolescents and advised us to act accordingly on Friday.
“I think I got paint in my mouth.” I laugh as we walk towards Starbucks so Alex can start her shift.
“Probably. I got some in my ear. It’s a good thing I keep a spare uniform in my locker at work,” Alex says, pushing open the door to Starbucks. “You want a coffee?” she asks.
“Yeah, thanks. I’ll wait over here.” I point at the end of the counter where I can stand away from everyone. The door opens and none other than Killian walks inside. Taking off his sunglasses, he looks up at the menu. Sunglasses? It’s not that sunny. He orders his drink then walks over to me.
“Hello, again.” There is a hint of amusement in his voice as his eyes look up and down my paint-splashed clothes.
&n
bsp; “Hi,” I answer, picking dry paint from my fingernails. Killian smiles at me—that lady-killer smile—and points at my cheek. Raising his hand, he reaches for me, but I move back, wiping my hand across my cheek. Killian takes a small step back away from me too. He looks a little hurt but smiles anyway.
“Hey, Reagan, how about a panini?” Alex shouts from behind the counter.
“Yeah, thanks,” I call back.
Killian’s name gets called. He takes his drink and smiles at me. I watch him pour milk and sugar into it then slip his sunglasses on before stepping over to the door. I can feel a pull in my chest and before I know it, I call out to him asking him to join me for a coffee. Crap! What the hell am I thinking? I watch as he leans on the door with his shoulder then turns back to me. Alex pops my panini and coffee on the counter in front of me.
“So are you taking off? Maybe we can hang out tonight?” she asks, but I just nod over to Killian and her eyes bug out. “Oh, my effing God!” Shaking her head, she walks away, grinning at me.
Making my way over to the table, Killian stands, pulling out my chair. “Thanks,” I say, putting my food on the table. Sitting first, he then takes his own seat. He looks scared, maybe just as much as me. “So you work at the club?” Great, what a way to start a conversation. Didn’t we all talk about this shit last night?
“Yeah, I started about six months ago,” he answers, watching me cut my sandwich in half. Standing, I duck behind the counter and grab an extra plate. Bringing it back to our table, I give him half my panini. Frowning, he looks at me as if I offered him poison.
“Oh, sorry, do you not want it?” I feel my cheeks heat a little. Reaching over to take it back, he holds up his hand.
“Thank you, that was nice of you.” Taking it, he bites into the sandwich. I follow suit and eat my own. We sit in silence while we chew. Feeling really awkward, I ask where he is from.
“Oh, just a small town up north,” he answers without giving me much information at all. “How about you? Are you from here?”
