Boswell, LaVenia

by THE DAWNING (The Dawning Trilogy)

  The e-mail warned all dudes and dudettes to keep their hands off Scott’s personal property. She was now officially his woman and offenders would be horse whipped, really, it added.

  “Ohhh, no, I don’t believe . . . oh, for the love of gravy,” Jenny groaned in pure, aching misery.

  It made sense, Thomas and Jason’s heads together looking at Jason’s phone and cursing. Surely, they had been watching this! Had to be. Why hadn’t Jason showed her? Warned her? Just you wait until she saw him again. And Scott. She was imagining a big pair of snipping shears in her hand and him tied to a hitching post, that is if she ever got brave enough to get within a thousand feet of him again.

  The mall incident had sadly taught her one terrible lesson, she thought as her heart beat way too fast. She’d tossed out all her more revealing clothes, with those awful jeans. The tube tops were history now too, along with the bikini she would never wear. She’d kept the belly ring though, still thought it was cute.

  All Jenny could think was what a terrible, terrible situation she had gotten herself into now!

  Jennifer, with a groan, shared with Salina, “Oh, Salina, will this year never end?”

  Oh goodness, what if her parents ever saw the video? Especially her dad! He would have a conniption! Then a coronary! She moaned long and loud as she laid her head down on the table. “For pity’s sake!” she mumbled as she began to pray to any deity who might be listening to create a hole in the floor for her to fall through. This was simply the pits! Could things get worse?

  Jason walked in.

  “Oh great,” she mumbled aloud, “just keep it coming, just keep it right on coming!”

  Seeing Jennifer looked like she might not be breathing again Jason leaned over her head and whispered, “Jen, hon, what’s wrong?”

  “Go away, Jas, just go away,” she slurred back at him. She was pretty sure she would black out soon and discover this was another nightmare. She could only hope.

  Salina looked scared which caused Jason to stare directly into her eyes and demand in a firm, low voice, “What is wrong with her?”

  Nervously and unwittingly Salina looked down at her phone that had the video showing.

  “Ohhhh, that!” Jason spat out with venom in his voice.

  Kneeling down beside Jennifer he smoothed some long hair away from her eyes and whispered, “Breathe, Jen, remember to breathe.”

  “You just don’t know, Jas. My whole life is over. Just bury me fast and comfort my family,” Jennifer murmured weakly. Surely unconsciousness should overtake her any moment now. It had to, she couldn’t bear breathing any more, any how.

  “What? Jen, don’t you want to see retribution?” he asked almost with a gleeful smile.

  Puzzled by this remark and the tone he used she looked at his mouth. She sat up and stared at him, right in his beautiful brown eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “There’s going to be a show down at the OK corral,” he answered as he forced her and Salina to scoot over on the bench seat so he could sit down beside Jennifer.

  Horror slowly filled her face as she stared a long time at Jason’s suddenly stern expression. Several people in class had heard him and were looking their way. Whispers abounded.

  “No!” Jennifer said aloud, “No, no, no!”

  Well, doesn’t that just burn it! she decided with anger and fear. Her only, true, dear male friend was gonna ruin his life and future to avenge her? No way!

  “You can’t do that Jason! Please, please tell me you won’t get in a fight with that, that animal,” she pleaded, trying to get him to look directly at her.

  “Okay,” he answered much too quickly without looking her in the eyes.

  “I mean it, Jas! Don’t you dare get involved in this. It’s all my fault and I’ll have to handle it. I couldn’t stand knowing I caused more harm than I already have.” Her eyes pleaded with him.

  He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled at her like she was a little girl and he was a parent. “Jen, you still don’t understand. The moment he refused to listen to your telling him to stop – well, that made it my business.”

  Shame filled her face as she acknowledged that he had watched and listened, rather carefully - to the video. Her whole life would now be affected by what had happened in that mall, since everyone knows about it. It was destroying her happiness for the last months of her senior year, and maybe it would follow her throughout the rest of her whole life.

  She heaved a deep sigh of despair. Now, her dear, precious Jason had decided to be her Champion. He was gonna sully his clean hands to avenge her. Oh, life was being unfair, especially to sweet, kind Jas. Her hand caressed the side of his face. “I don’t deserve you as a friend. You, Jason Zonelli, are not going to retaliate anything for me. You hear?”

  “Relax, it’s already been done,” he responded with a knowing smile.

  Jennifer didn’t think she could stand another moment without him explaining that one, but the teacher interrupted her thought, while loudly calling the class to order with his eyes staring directly at their table and particularly at her.

  “Shhhh,” Jason whispered at her. He looked so smug.

  As soon as class was over and before Jason could dart away Jenny grabbed his shirt sleeve and tugged. “Hey, don’t even think of moving until you explain yourself.”

  “Come on,” he suggested as he helped her gather the back pack, “we’ll talk as we walk.”

  Salina had to go in another direction but she made Jenny promise to tell her what Jason meant as soon as possible.

  Out in the hallway, as they hurried to their lockers Jason leaned closer to her ear and asked, “Do you like him? Or, do you care about him?”

  “Are you crazy?” she returned with heat in her voice.

  “Okay, that one’s answered. Now, tell me the truth, are you afraid of him?” he inquired, this time searching her face for her expression.

  Jennifer stopped walking, cast her eyes down to the walkway and simply nodded her head yes. In fact, not only did she detest him, and was more than afraid of him, she felt pretty sure he was truly deranged and very, very dangerous. Actually, she was now terrified of him since he was making threats to her on her cell, because she refused to talk to him. He even went so far as to tell her he was watching every move she made, of all the ridiculous things, and if she talked with any guy, he’d kill him and teach her a lesson too.

  Taking out her phone she punched in the message center to play the last message Scotty left her before she handed the phone to Jason for him to listen.

  “You’re coming with me after school,” Jason stated after he snapped the cover closed on her phone and took her by the arm.

  “Where?” she inquired.

  “To get a restraining order,” he answered and quickly added, “and don’t you dare tell me no.” His face was filled with more anger than she had ever known possible for him.

  Doubt filled her face. Hoping to diffuse his fury she had to ask, “You don’t think he really means it, though, do you?”

  Jason’s eyes were squinting as he stopped dead still and looked up, at the ceiling apparently. After what seemed a long time she considered searching the ceiling too, wondering what was so intriguing up there for so long, but she knew, he was calming himself. She’d seen him do that too many times over the years, but only with her. It always occurred in the past when they had disagreements or he was determined to make her see his side of things or she’d said something that he simply couldn’t understand.

  After taking a deep breath he looked back at Jennifer and managed a weak smile. “Jen, the thing is he thinks he means it and that’s dangerous enough.” Holding her eyes with his own he said, “He’s on the razors edge of becoming a rapist, if he isn’t already, and Heaven knows what else, do you what to find out what else?”

  “Of course not, Jason!” she practically hissed at him. How dare he ask such a thing. Of course she was taking this seriously. She bit her bottom lip and stated, �
�It’s just that I don’t want to mess him up legally, that’s all. Doesn’t that sort of thing ruin a person’s record or something?”

  Jason actually rolled his eyes and snorted. Guess being around her was rubbing off she realized with a tiny giggle.

  He heard her and asked as he maneuvered them to her locker, “What’s so funny? This isn’t funny, Jen.”

  “It is when it gets you to act human,” she said with genuine mirth bubbling near the surface.

  He’d opened her locker, they’d known each other’s combinations for years and years, took her bag, tossed some books and grabbed one other. He was breathing fast when he suddenly turned and placed a hand on each side of her locker, pinning her in the middle. His face looked strange, angry and maybe hurt, she swiftly decided with confusion.

  “Human? You think I don’t act human?” he inquired as his face drew closer to hers.

  He came even closer, where they tasted each other’s breath - his smelled like the orange he ate almost every day at lunch or breakfast.

  “Just because I don’t want you mauled, raped, beaten or hurt?” His eyes questioned her. Coming a half step closer where their shirts were lightly touching, he asked with obvious upsetness, “Or is it you don’t think I act human because I haven’t kissed you the way I might want to, or touched you the way I might ache to do? I don’t act human because I respect you so much and want your happiness above all else? I have to have boundaries in place Jen, for both our sakes, there must be boundaries. But I never thought you felt me less of a man because of it!”

  It devastated her to realize she’d really hurt him. “No, no, Jas.” She felt she had to soothe his obviously injured feelings. “Not any of those things, though I’m glad you shared them.” Her eyelashes bat swiftly as she admitted, “It’s because I saw you acting like me, rolling your eyes and honestly, truly snorting.” Her serious face began to glow with a smile.

  Removing his hands from the locker he stepped back and said, “Oh.” Grabbing her bag and placing a hand on her back he steered her down the hall and out to the packed parking lot, keeping her slightly ahead so she couldn’t see his face.

  Jason had driven his car to school and now insisted she ride with him. “First thing, we’ll go downtown and get the restraining order,” he informed her in a tone that brooked no argument as they drew nearer his vehicle.

  He opened her car door and stowed their books in his back seat.

  “Jas, what did you mean when you said, it was already done?” she asked after she’d secured her seat belt and was watching him as he handled the wheel.

  He grinned widely now before he actually laughed as he maneuvered out to the highway. Jennifer was filled with anticipation waiting to hear what he’d done that made him laugh so happily.

  “Your brother,” he began.

  Jennifer’s heart sank. Her brother really did know about the video! That thought made her feel nauseated.

  Jason was continuing to explain. “He had an officer friend of his make a visit to Scott this afternoon. He informed him that the video he’d sent out was proof positive of sexual assault, and sexual battery. He warned him the state attorney’s office was thinking of filing charges, regardless of what you may say or want to do.”

  Looking over at her he drew serious and added, “He was told if anything happened to you, if you were harassed, stalked or anything of significance the charges would be filed. Since it was an internet issue that brought in the FBI as well and he wasn’t sure how they were planning on handling it.”

  He glanced over to see how Jennifer was reacting. Her eyes were big but she looked pleased so he continued. “Scott told the officer not to worry he was moving, going to the Panhandle. Said there were more rodeos there and he had already made plans to move on and finish the circuit.”

  Jennifer was spreading a tissue in her lap, rolling it up and spreading it out again, over and over, fidgeting.

  “We need the restraining order to make him realize it is serious business and his threats will not be tolerated,” Jason explained with a voice of authority. “When was the last time he called you?” he suddenly asked with obvious angered anticipation.

  Jenny looked at her phone for a minute and answered, “Eleven-fifteen, this morning.”

  “Good, that officer’s visit is working. He was supposed to have seen him at half past noon.” Jason smiled broadly, his shoulders relaxing from their tense mode.

  Jenny heaved a sigh of relief about it too. Her mind was spinning, though about another matter entirely. Jason’s humanness had her attention, and exactly what he had shared in a moment of upsetness. Her emotions were whirling, yet some things were becoming less obscure but still puzzling.

  After they left the Police Station, having applied for the Restraint Order on Scott - Jason acted as though a load had been lifted off him.

  Jenny hated to ask but had to know, “How did Thomas know about the video?”

  Jason’s face fell. Taking a deep breath he told the truth. “He asked me on Sunday if I knew what you were so upset over. Seems he was worried over you trying to make him believe you’d cut your hair rather than telling him you were wearing a wig, that your dad told him not to mention it to you. He knew you weren’t acting right, at least that’s what he told me. On the e-mail I received I saw Thomas’ name and knew he’d be getting it too. I decided I could perhaps run interference for you before he left for Gainesville and saw it later.”

  “Oh. So, you knew he’d see the video and have a heart attack and perhaps come back here and he and Dad would put me in chains in my room until I’m seventy or eighty?”

  He laughed. “Well, yeah, I could only hope!”

  Jenny smiled at his joke and considered why Tom hadn’t jumped all over her about it. “Why didn’t he yell at me or let me know he’d seen it?”

  “I said I ran interference for you,” Jason reminded her with a happy smile. “I told him since it happened Friday night at the mall and the next day you began wearing a wig, and I was really thankful to discover it was only a hair piece, by the way. Anyway, that you were without a doubt traumatized by the incident, that was obvious.”

  He smiled gently at her and held her hand for a moment. Patting it he put his hand back on the wheel. “He said you’d been acting awful strange, talking about wanting and needing things you didn’t know what they were. Poor guy, he actually suggested perhaps I needed to ‘step up to the plate’ and do what needed doing.”

  Jenny’s face drained of all color. “He said what?!”

  “Jen, I guess Tom was just feeling desperate in trying to help his sis. He was really worried about you. Don’t think ill of him. That was a giant concession he was making. Though I told him as badly as I might like to grant his request, I couldn’t.”

  Those words made her sit up. Jason couldn’t or wouldn’t or didn’t want too, she wondered. Which was it? She really, really would like to know. Hum.

  Facing Your Fear . . .

  8 – JASON’S IDEAS

  “Are you hungry yet?” Jason asked, knowing Jenny had to be hungry. He’d called both their homes while she was filling out paperwork for the restraint request, and left messages that they were hanging out and would have supper together this evening. He knew his parents wouldn’t worry but Jenny’s would. He felt it was only right for parents to know where their kids were, even if they were adults. The fact they were still in school made the difference to him, he would always show his parents this courtesy while living in their home.

  “A little. What ya have in mind?” Jennifer asked, not really feeling hungry at all. All the nervousness of the afternoon had stolen her appetite, but she didn’t want Jason to do without, he’d been so helpful and she enjoyed their time together, for a change.

  “Seafood, pizza, steak, burgers, chicken or only veggies?” he inquired.

  “Hum, steak and salad sound nice,” she admitted aloud, thinking it did sound good now all of a sudden. She used to always suggest somewhere cheap becau
se Jason would not allow her to contribute. But today she was in the mood for truth and she was going to try and force his hand on allowing her to pick up the tab. She had a few dollars saved from her allowance and if she didn’t drive much and need to refill her gas tank too often, she thought she might could manage paying for their meals tonight. That made her smile.

  Jason headed for one of the local restaurants and whistled as he drove.

  “That’s beautiful,” Jennifer said with awe when he’d finished a second tune. “I didn’t know you could whistle.”

  “I’m a man of great depth,” he responded teasingly. “Got talents out the wa-zoo, girl, you’ve got to simply hang around and find out.”

  She noticed a teasing twinkle in his eyes that made her smile at his humor. He was usually so old acting, not one to tell too many jokes or laugh over much. While she had been known to have laughing fits till she snorted like a pig, spewed tea out her nose and sometimes even wet herself. Girl’s bladders, ya know.

  She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he drove. There was a peace about him that was disturbing to her own lack, an aura. Disturbing in that it was a mystery to her. How and where did someone acquire such peace and contentment? If his aura had a color, she realized it would have to be sky blue for calm. He never acted ruffled or upset. Jennifer suddenly stifled a giggle as she remembered his lack of peace around her today, when she’d called him basically non-human. That had really gotten him wired. In fact, he’d been purely stunning all day with the emotion he exhibited, for once.

  She was so deep in thought about him it startled her when she heard, “Did you get that novel mailed to Barbara yet?”