by Azzurra Nox
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You were sleeping during class when I got here and yet you still manage to solve these problems without much effort.”
“Osmosis baby, don’t underestimate its power.”
She laughed. “You’re funny.”
He watched her eyes scan his notebook. They traced every word and drawing along the borders.
“You like Dario Argento?”
“How did you guess?”
“You have Suspiria written down the side. I love him. He’s brilliant.”
Suddenly he sat up straighter, he had never met a girl that was into horror films, let alone Dario Argento. He liked her. It was a quick decision but he couldn’t help feeling compelled by her. There was something about her that was alluring. The way she wore that exaggerated black bow in her hair. Or how she bit her lip in thought when trying to solve a problem. He never thought he’d be wishing for Algebra to last longer than the ninety minute slot they had available.
“What’s your favorite Argento movie?”
“Deep Red, hands down. How about you?”
“That’s a good choice. I’ll have to go with Tenebrae. You must admit the ax chopping off that girl’s hand while she’s sitting by the window is awesome.”
“True, although it left me a little paranoid about sitting next to windows on rainy nights.”
“Don’t worry I’ll protect you.”
“Oh yeah? With what army?”
“I can be resourceful.”
“I’m sure, Romeo.”
He laughed. She was fun. He almost wanted to ask her out on a date but stopped himself because he didn’t want to seem too forward. And you already have a girlfriend, his conscious reminded him.
The bell rang. Sister Agnes reminded the students what pages were assigned for homework. He watched Lena write down the numbers with a pink pen that lit up every time she wrote. How eccentric.
She stood up.
“Wait…”
“Yes?”
“How will you be able to do your homework without a book?”
“Oh…right!”
“We can work on it together during study hall?”
“You’d do that?” she sounded surprised.
“Sure, why not? Besides, I can get you caught up with what you’ve missed. You can’t say no to free tutoring.”
“Nothing beats free.”
All the students were getting ready to head over to the chapel for morning mass. He stood up, and noticed how much he towered over her. She wasn’t short, on the contrary. But he rarely felt short being past six feet. She was taller than his girlfriend. Much prettier too. Stop, just stop! He hated this onslaught of contradictory thoughts.
“Want me to walk you to the chapel?”
“You always this nice?” She looked at him with suspicion, as though she could see right though him. He never was this kind to someone, especially a girl.
He chuckled trying to hide his discomfort. “Let’s just say, only with the pretty ones.”
“Gotcha, smooth talker.”
They made their way out of the class, maneuvering a path in the crowded corridors. He had completely forgotten that prior to this day, he’d always gone to his girlfriend’s locker so they could walk across the courtyard together, hand in hand. Well, she would grab his hand and he’d barely hold on. It always made him feel like he was holding a little girl’s hand before a crosswalk. It held no meaning. There was no rush. That day he forgot to pass by her locker, and instead walked across the courtyard with Lena completely lost in conversation. He almost felt the urge to hold her hand, but he tried to ignore it. Maybe this is what poets like Bryon spent years writing about, because they had a special muse that was as charming and beautiful as her. This was the first time he ever felt this sudden rush. All his senses were alert and his feet felt light like he was walking ten feet above the ground. Maybe he’d get over this strange giddy feeling the following day, but for right now he didn’t want it to fade. It was too intoxicating like taking a hit of a bong that left him breathless and dazed. Just like nails it dug deep beneath his skin and settled there. For the first time, he felt alive.
Chapter Three
It was lunch time and Lena had made through the first half of the day without further problems. Jon’s unexpected friendliness was welcoming and she felt like she had already found a friend in him. Not to mention that he was quite a catch. His jet-black bedhead gave his features an indie musician quality to them. She was drawn to his laissez-faire attitude, appearing bored with academics despite having a sharp mind and an astute memory. She could still feel the weight of his blue eyes on her. They had seemed to caress her every limb.
Once she entered the lunchroom, her eyes immediately scanned the room in search for Amelia. The room was arranged in round tables with a food court/cafeteria at the end of the room. Before she had the chance to notice her, she heard someone call her name.
“Lena! Over here!” Amelia eagerly waved her arm. She was seated on the far left of the room with Jon. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him there, hurrying over.
“Hey, I was looking for you! I didn’t realize how crowded it’d be here.” She sat down across from Jon.
“How’s it been? Looks like you survived so far,” a giggle escaped her mouth. “Have you met my boyfriend?”
The word felt like a pang in her chest. Boyfriend. Shot through her heart with an acid bullet sizzling her insides.
“Uh..yeah, we have a class together.”
“Algebra,” he said.
“I know. I just meant, I didn’t know if you two had a chance to formally meet, I work in the office, I know everyone’s schedules.” Amelia watched them with an amused grin, biting into a chip.
Lena had lost her appetite, but she opened the black tin Hello Kitty box that carried her sandwich and berries. She ignored her sandwich and started to munch on the various berries in a small circular container. Maybe it was only her impression but she felt a tense silence pass over her and Jon. Amelia didn’t seem to notice a single thing as she continued to happily eat her chips. They ate in silence for awhile. Although Jon didn’t really eat, he only stirred his fork in the mashed potatoes and glanced nervously at his watch. The tension was thick as fog. Then Amelia broke the silence.
“I’m going to go get some ice cream, you want some Lena?”
She shook her head no.
“How about you, babe?”
“No,” his voice was flat as he dropped the fork on the plate.
“Suit yourself,” she shrugged and went for the lunch stand in the far corner.
Lena waited for Amelia to be out of hearing distance before she spoke.
“You could’ve told me you have a girlfriend.”
“We’re not serious.”
“What’s that even mean?”
He leaned forward, in an attempt to be closer to her. “It means, that I’m not in love.”
“So not only are you a flirt you’re even a jerk?”
“Think what you want.”
She held his gaze. What nerve this guy had! Sweet talking her to only discover a mere couple of hours later that he was already taken. What a tease.
“I’m going to ask someone else to let me borrow their math book.”
“No!” he grabbed her hand. She must’ve seemed shocked by his behavior because he quickly let go of her. He looked around, afraid that someone had seen his reaction.
“I just mean, you don’t have to do that. I’ll let you borrow my book. If you don’t want to work with me, that’s fine.”
“I just…it’s ridiculous…but I was surprised when she said that. Especially since you didn’t mention her at all.”
“Like I said, it’s not serious. I wasn’t aware that I had to openly share that kind of information with someone I just met.”
“Right…” she chewed on a blackberry thoughtfully.
“Please…we can’t start our frien
dship with you being difficult.”
“Me? Difficult?” If his expression didn’t seem genuinely pained by the situation she would’ve been offended by his arrogant statement, instead she couldn’t help but ease into a soft laugh. “Okay, okay, you’re right. I was just silly to think that you’d be single.”
Lena noticed him in midst of wanting to say something when he clamped his mouth shut. She turned her head and understood why. The girl she had insulted earlier that morning was standing right behind her.
“Hello Jonny,” the girl said in a honeyed voice that sounded like she had spent hours practicing in front of a mirror trying to emulate a husky Jessica Rabbit tone.
“Don’t call me that, Dior,” his voice held a tinge of anger. Lena wasn’t sure why.
“And we meet again,” looking down at her.
“Looks like you scraped off a layer of makeup,” she said, noticing the girl had less foundation on than earlier that day.
Dior made a face, annoyed that she had spoken to her. She ignored her comment and reverted her attention back to Jon.
“I’m having a party this weekend, if you’re interested.” Fingers twirling a lock of hair and a gaze that was meant to seduce within five seconds. But Jon didn’t seem fazed by any of it. It was strange.
“I’m not interested. You know I hate parties.”
“But I thought you might have changed your mind.”
Amelia returned with a strawberry cone full of multicolored sprinkles. The room was rather warm so she had to lick the ice cream right away for fear that it would begin to melt or worse yet, dribble down to her white shirt.
“What’s up, Dior? Forced to eat down here in the dungeon with the rest of us prisoners ever since the Gazebo is being remodeled?”
“Shut it, plebeian. I was leaving,” she quickly walked past her without giving her another regard. Lena watched her walk away trying to contain her laughter as the girl attempted to mimic a catwalk stride when returning to her table. Seated with her were the three girls she had seen her with in the hallway that morning.
“What did she want?”
“Nothing, Milly, the usual.”
“Flirting with you again?”
“Who is she?” Lena interrupted the couple.
“She’s Dior Fontaine, daughter of Xavier Fontaine, a famous French music producer. But she’s mostly infamous at school for being a total snob.”
“Impressive,” popping another berry into her mouth. She wondered how many of her other classmates had such a wealthy backgrounds. After all, they were living in Los Angeles, the Mecca of show-business.
“Stay away from her, she’s fake and I’m not just talking about her boobs.”
Jon chuckled at the snide remark his girlfriend made. “Sadly, she’s not kidding about that.”
“Who are the other three girls?” she looked over at their table, watching them talk enthusiastically amongst each other with exaggerated expressions.
“They are the Three Bees. The blonde one with a bob is Bethany Thomas. She’s not bad when alone but in company of the other girls she’s a fierce competitor and perfectionist. She was gone first semester because she had an eating disorder, but told everyone she had vacationed in Florence. She returned a week ago. The other blonde is Blake Barnes, she’s the head cheerleader and the school’s biggest flirt. She’s had more boyfriends than Taylor Swift and has been in rehab more times than Lindsay Lohan. Tequila bum bums spiked with coke are her trademarks, and finally that leaves us with the mile-high legs Bailey Martinez. No one knows her real hair color, she changes it so often. This week it’s platinum, next week it can be black, the following possibly blue. It’s how she rolls. She thinks she’s important just because she keeps a fashion blog that has become an internet sensation. Michael Kors wanted her front row at his show, and Vivienne Westwood invited her to London for Fashion Week. The four of them are best known as The Honeys,” Amelia spoke, pointing each time she referred to a girl. She seemed so knowledgeable with the gossip, Lena wondered if she was envious. Perhaps a tiny bit jealous, because they were so coveted by their peers for their decadent but fabulous lives and ridiculously outrageous good looks.
A blonde guy with striking model looks stopped by the four girls’ table, kissing Dior on the cheek.
“And that is Jake Fischer, St. Lucy’s football star. He’s a shoe-in for any Ivy League college football scholarship.”
Looking past Dior’s table, towards the exit, Lena saw two figures eating together. One was a girl who wore a veil of some sort that covered half of her face, whilst the guy had midnight blue hair styled in an intricate manner, with layered spikes towards the side. His eyes looked like that of a panda from the excessive black liner and shadow he wore. Black polish adorned his nails, and unlike the other male students, he didn’t wear a black suit jacket, but a trench coat.
“Who are they?”
“Sydney Stam and Connor Reynolds,” Amelia offered their names.
“Why does she wear a veil?”
“She’s got a birthmark on her face. She wears the veil to make it less visible. A lot of people think they’re dating.”
“Interesting,” she murmured, continuing to look around the room and noticed one girl sitting alone. Her black hair was matted against her scalp, dull and unwashed.
“Who’s that?”
“Hope Peters. She’s a loner. She’s kinda weird.”
“She’s not weird,” Jon chimed in, “She just probably doesn’t want to waste her time with the people around here. She’s incredibly intelligent.”
At that moment the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Amelia frantically attempted to lick her ice cream before having to return to class. Lena stood up, closing the tin box.
“I’ll see you later?” Jon said to her before she left.
“Yeah, sure. Later.”
Students rushed, throwing out the last things they didn’t have time to finish up. Lena walked away from them both, but she felt as though Jon was watching her every move, until she disappeared out of the room and was back into the traffic jam of corridor folly.
Chapter Four
The dreams always started the same way. He was in Coney Island. The sun was blazing down on him, and although he thought he saw Robert he couldn’t call out to him. He watched him disappear into the crowd. His eyes lost sight of him, as the bodies moved in front. All those white shorts and hands holding drinks, typical vacationers. He always tried to make his way through the crowd, but it was too dense. It felt like that blob in horror films, capable of sucking you whole and leave you missing. His brother was missing. He couldn’t find his other half. The little boy with his same exact features. Jon would always wake up with a start from these dreams. Forehead filled with beads of sweat and panting for breath.
Disorientated, he looked over at the clock that glowed the hour in red, 2:45a.m. Jon tried to calm himself. Smoothed his hair back away from his face; get his heartbeat back to normal. He hated this time of night. Loathed it with his whole being. Unable to fall back asleep and lingering with the fear of having another nightmare, he turned on his bedside lamp, and pulled out a pack of Marlboro, lighting up a cigarette. He sat up, took a long drag, and the memory began to unfold in his mind’s eye like a cinematic feature on a silver screen.
He and Robert were identical twins. Each had a set of piercing blue eyes that resembled crystals contrasted by jet black hair. The two boys eagerly chatted amongst each other, excited that they had the courage to ride the Cyclone roller coaster despite their parents’ warnings to remain near the boardwalk. What made this roller coaster so infamous and thrilling was its wooden structure. At any minute the whole infrastructure gave the faux illusion of collapsing.
“It was awesome!” Jon exclaimed as he mimicked the rise and fall of the roller coaster with his hand for his brother to see.
“You were screaming like a little girl the whole time!” Rob laughed.
“No, I wasn’t!”
“Uh h
uh!”
Jon jokingly shoved his brother in annoyance of his teasing. “You were screaming too!”
“Not as much as you!”
Jon felt his stomach growl. Despite coming down from a ride that had left many others sick to their stomachs, his breakfast of Froot Loops cereal felt hours away and he was now starving.
“I’m hungry. Let’s get some hot dogs.”
“You got some money? I spent my last eight dollars on the ride.”
“Yeah, I stole ten bucks from mom’s purse before we got out of the car.”
“I hope she doesn’t find out,” Rob was the worrier between the two, “Or we’ll be grounded.”
“Why you worried? I’d be the one in trouble. Anyway, I’m starving so let’s find a stand!” he said, tugging at Rob’s hand so that he’d follow him as the two maneuvered through the thick crowd of people.
“Don’t let go of each other’s hands,” their mother had warned them before letting them take a walk along the boardwalk alone. She had remained at the beach with their father, sunbathing. The two boys had held on to each other till their mother left their view and then quickly had let go. It wasn’t very boyish to hold hands. That was something girls did. Not them. They felt adventurous and brave, venturing the place on their own. As daring as anyone else at ten years old could possibly feel.
Coney Island was packed with locals and tourists alike. It was like a maze trying to make their way between the tanned bodies that reeked of sun block and tanning lotion. But as soon as Jon spotted a stand, the two ran in that direction. The sun was blazing hot, and Jon was grateful that he was wearing his NY Yankees baseball cap as he noticed beads of sweat forming on Rob’s forehead because he had left his cap in the car.
“Let’s get a soda too. I’m thirsty,” Rob said when Jon had managed to reach the front of the line to order two hot dogs.
“I don’t have enough money for the both of us, I’ll just have to get you one.”
“We can share. Get Dr. Pepper.”
Jon made a slight grimace at his brother’s choice, but said, “Okay.”
