Breathless

by Heather C. Hudak

  “Come on, Addie. You know I can’t accept such a lavish gift. It drives me crazy when you do that. I’ll just wear my black dress.”

  Addie knew better than to argue. We’d been best friends since second grade, and she had made one too many missteps in this area to test her luck again. Her last attempt ended with me mailing the Betsy Johnson mini dress she’d bought as a gift for my birthday to her cousin in Toledo when Addie refused to take it back. I knew Cecilia would appreciate the frock that was hot off the runway. When she called Addie to thank her for the gift—which I had, of course, suggested it was in a brief note—Addie threw a tantrum. We didn’t talk for a week. That was the longest we had gone since she moved to Evergreen a decade earlier. She didn’t want to go for round two, I was sure.

  “You can’t blame a girl for trying, can you? Never mind, don’t answer,” she said looking a little glum. “But seriously, you can’t wear that dress again. You wore it to the last three parties. It’s so last year.”

  We were polar opposites. Addie was all about appearances, and I wasn’t sure I cared either way. Sure, what girl didn’t want to look nice sometimes, but I knew there was more to life. Before my dad died, I felt differently. But now, I had my priorities straight.

  “What if he’s there,” Addie asked, breaking my train of thought. “Did you see everyone staring at him? Even Rob looked jealous.”

  I could only assume Addie was referring to the mysterious stranger from our first period class. I was beginning to think I had imagined the entire thing, so I was glad to be reminded that she had seen him too. For a minute, I wondered how he would even know about the party, but then I thought twice. What if he did? There was definitely something about him, and it took a lot to stir up the green-eyed monster in Rob’s eyes. Rob Masterson was the most-sought-after boy in our year. He was quarterback of the varsity football team and captain of just about every other sport’s team, too. He wore the right clothes, had sandy blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and a body that would make Mr. Universe jealous. He got above average grades and was perfect in just about every way. Or, so most girls thought. Addie had been seeing him on and off for a few years, so she knew otherwise. Rob definitely had his faults. Jealousy was just one of them. Still, no other girl had ever caught Rob’s eye or piqued his attention. Yet another reason why Addie found it so difficult to mesh with the popular crowd. Currently, Addie and Rob were taking a break, but she was eager to rouse his interest and rekindle the flame.

  “Why would I care,” I asked Addie.

  The look on her face made it clear that she was in shock.

  “Why would you care? Who wouldn’t? There is going to be serious competition for that boy. But, he didn’t take his eyes off of you the entire class. He didn’t even pick up a pen to take notes. It was very strange, intense,” she said. “I was planning to make my move, but I don’t think there’s much point. Judging by his fixation with the back of your head in first period, I would just be wasting my energy. Besides, it’s about time I give Rob another chance.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I told her, and I believed it. “With all the beautiful people in this freakishly attractive town, why would anyone like him even give me a second glance?”

  Addie just shrugged, gave me a knowing look, and skipped off to her next class. I wouldn’t see her again until lunch.

  Chapter 3 - Jealousy

  The rest of the day dragged on. I hadn’t seen him again, but the buzz about his presence could be heard everywhere. Weak descriptions filled the room around me. From what I recalled, they didn’t do him justice. But, my memory was fuzzy.

  In Biology, I could hear Rob Masterson complaining to Max Bigwell that the new guy had rained on his parade. No one had noticed Rob’s new hair cut thanks to the fact that they couldn’t take their eyes off of “Mr. Cool,” as Rob had called him. I chuckled, and both Max and Rob shot me a dirty look. I just shrugged. Britney and Lainie wouldn’t stop gushing about his brooding stare and black leather jacket. I smiled wryly when they began swooning over his tight behind. He’d disappeared so quickly both times I’d seen him that I didn’t have the privilege of watching him walk away. But I was sure that it was a privilege.

  “Did you see him,” Stella finally asked me. “It’s a shame if you didn’t. He was only here for a half day today, but I hear he’s going to start full time.”

  “Yeah. I saw him,” I said, trying to sound casual. “He was okay, I guess.”

  I knew it was a completely ridiculous understatement, and I would almost have been disappointed if Chloe hadn’t taken the opportunity to ream me out for it. By now, she had joined our small gathering and looked like she was ready to explode.

  “No way, Lia. I can’t believe you said that,” Chloe started in on me slowly, her temper rising with each word. “He was to die for. I mean, he didn’t even come close to any of the guys around here.”

  That, I couldn’t deny. He wasn’t anything like the other boys, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Though I only saw him for a few fleeting moments, I could see that he was beyond beautiful. Even Rob didn’t compare. Truly, they couldn’t be compared—they were so very different, but I couldn’t say for sure why. There was something more, but it all seemed a bit hazy.

  We kept chatting this way until Miss Krazinski started handing out our assignment. And even then, giggles escaped before we were organized into groups for our lab. Just as we were about to begin, I felt a cool breeze blow through the room. Before I could grab my sweater, I saw him standing in the corner. My heart paused, and I couldn’t take my eyes away.

  “Look,” Chloe whispered, nodding in his direction. “He’s here. How do I look?”

  “Why does it matter? You have Elliot,” Stella exclaimed. “He seems to think you look just fine.”

  I laughed along with Britney and Lainie. They, too, had delicious boyfriends that most girls would be thrilled to even get a glance from. That didn’t mean they couldn’t comment on the new guy, they just had to decide if a shot at him was worth giving up what they had.

  “I’m going to talk to him,” Stella said confidently. Before we knew it, she was gone. As she scurried across the room, she looked back once with a teasing smile. We were in awe. Stella was beautiful and single. I was sure he would bite. Few guys could resist her long blond hair and big blue eyes. Until now, no one at Evergreen High had been good enough for her. We were in shock when we realized someone had finally struck her fancy.

  We were even more shocked when he didn’t even to turn talk to her. In fact, as she drew near, he turned and walked swiftly out of the room. Suddenly, the room got warm, and I had to take off my sweater to cool down. Stella looked awestruck. Never had a boy blown past her without so much as a mild stare. We tried not to laugh, but it was hard. I couldn’t wait to tell Addie.

  We took turns passing the scalpel around our little group, slicing pieces of the mushroom away and identifying its tiny parts. My mind was on other things when Lainie passed the knife my way, and my index finger took another gash in the exact same place as the night before. I winced at the pain, and as the blood started to flow, I heard a low gasp. I looked to see who made the shallow sound, but no one was nearby. Lainie was on the verge of crying, and Britney was screaming for the teacher. Panic ensued until I was able to convince the class that I was fine. Max ran to the nurse’s office and grabbed a large bandage. Once I was wrapped up tight, everyone relaxed and went back to work. Still, I couldn’t help but think something just wasn’t right. I felt fine, but there was something strange about this wound and the sound that I kept hearing in my head each time the blood began to flow.

  When the bell rang signaling lunch, I dashed out of the room. I couldn’t wait to see Addie, and I ran to the cafeteria without stopping at my locker to grab my bagged lunch. Over the next twenty minutes, I told her everything, but she didn’t seem surprised.

  “I’m telling you, he only has eyes for you,” she said smugly. A teasing grin crossed her lips, and I knew
she wasn’t going to let this go.

  Chapter 4 - A New Day

  The next four days passed in much the same fashion. The school was abuzz with theories and stories about him, but no one seemed to know the truth. Of course, he was there every day now. He hovered in the background, only lingering as long as he had to in each class. He was never seen at lunchtime, and he seemed invisible between classes. He was a true enigma. I’d never paid much attention to the boys at my school, but I had to admit that it was hard to keep him out of my head.

  On the upside, I was sleeping great. Though I couldn’t keep the chilly draft from breezing through my room at night, I managed to drift quickly into a sound state. I stayed there for hours, until the sun crept through the cracks in my blinds. Despite the voice in the back of my head telling me that I should dress to impress, I awoke from my dreamless slumber far too late to beautify. I bounded out the door each day just in time to ensure Addie and I would make it to school before the first bell rang. Still, the look of disgust on her face never eased as she realized I was wearing sweats, torn jeans, and wrinkled shirts.

  “Can’t you just try,” she finally asked on Friday morning. “Why do you have to be so difficult? It’s just not natural for a teenage girl to behave this way.”

  Before she could finish, she pulled a large box from the backseat and placed it in my lap.

  “Now, don’t say a word. It’s vintage, so it cost next to nothing, and it’s non-refundable. No one I know will like or want it, so you can’t get rid of it. Just promise me you’ll consider.”

  I began to open the package, when Addie lifted one hand to halt me. She shook her head once. I immediately understood her silent gesture. I put the box inside my schoolbag, and we drove the rest of the way without saying another word. I didn’t have to see inside the box to know what it was. Addie hated the idea of me not having something new to wear to the hottest party of the season. She would never say it, but she thought I was wasting my potential, and she wanted to help. Her heart was always in the right place, but she just didn’t understand what it was like to struggle. I was okay with wearing the same clothes time and again because it was all I could afford. Her life was just so different, and she wanted to share her wealth. I knew she meant well, never wanting to hurt me, but she didn’t realize that it made me feel pitied, like a charity case. She would cringe if she knew the truth, so I kept my mouth closed. I knew I would have to wear whatever was inside that box to keep from hurting her feelings.

  The day passed quickly. I didn’t see him once, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Supposedly, we had three classes together on Fridays, but I rarely saw him leave or enter a room. It’s not that I wasn’t looking, it was more that he had a way of moving around a room with such ease and grace that you might miss him if you blinked. He also preferred to lurk in the shadows at the back of the room. It would be difficult to catch a glimpse without making it painfully obvious that I was looking for him. That didn’t always keep me from trying.

  After school, Addie dropped me off at the bakery on the corner of Upper Bear Creek Road. It was a mom and pop shop that needed an extra hand on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Their son was a junior at Red Rocks Community College, and he refused to miss out on Friday night events to work at the shop. Late nights out meant that spending early mornings in bed were out of the question. I had taken over his role about a year ago. We didn’t get a lot of business any more thanks to the new Starbucks that had taken over much of our clientele a few weeks ago. It would be a quiet night.

  I pushed through the swinging door to the staff room and tossed my bag on the shelf. I slipped an apron around my waste and started back through to the front. Something made me stop dead. First, I felt a peculiar chill. I wished I’d worn a long sleeved shirt, but all I had was a flimsy tee. I shrugged it off and peered through the circular window on the door from the backroom to the cafe. I could barely see through the condensation, but I could hear. A soft voice with a British lilt chimed through the door in perfect clarity. Though he spoke low, I could hear every word as he ordered a latte with extra foam. His head was angled slightly downward, but between the water spots on the little window, I could see him shoot a look up from beneath his brow. He caught my gaze for just a moment. It felt like an eternity, and try as I might, I couldn’t look away until he put his focus back on the task at hand. He paid, and left without his drink. Instantly, my body warmed, and I sucked in air fast. It was then that I realized I hadn’t exhaled in what seemed like minutes. He had, quite literally, taken my breath away.

  The rest of the night was pretty normal. I sat behind the counter reading Of Mice and Men while waiting for the odd customer to come in. All told, I served about eight people on my three-hour shift. I wasn’t sure how much longer the bakery could keep up with the lack of business before it would be forced to shut its doors. I felt bad for the Olsen family that their shop would likely close soon, but the thought of their pending doom wasn’t enough to keep my mind from wandering. I kept thinking about him. Despite the fact that my eyes had lingered over every line, every pore, every perfect inch of his skin time and time again, his face was never clear in my thoughts. I had heard others describe him with ease, but for some reason, the picture was fuzzy in my head. I tried to remember exactly how he looked and what he wore, but there was no point. When Addie arrived, I was less eager than she had hoped to get ready for the party.

  We were already late. Most guests would be arriving around 7 p.m., and I was just getting off work then.

  “Hurry,” Addie yelled as I ran to the door of her waiting car. She was a good friend. She knew I would never have enough money to get my own car, and so she took it upon herself to always drive me to and from work. She never missed, even when she had mono last February. Before she got her license, she always sent a driver, Ian. I could rely on her for anything, but sometimes, it was a bit much. Normally, I liked to go to a good party. I enjoyed dancing with friends and acting like a kid. At home, I had a lot of responsibility. My mom was always working, and when she wasn’t, she did a ton of volunteer work. For a while, I helped too, but in recent years, I had outgrown the need to be by her side at all hours. When my dad died, we were a team. Two peas in a pod. And I knew she counted on me to keep her sane. At some point, I knew I had to move on. I wasn’t helping her by acting as a crutch, so I got a job and started doing normal kid stuff. I knew it was better for both of us, but it was a bit of a strain on our relationship. She would never say, but I think she was a bit resentful of Addie because we spent the better part of our waking hours together.

  Tonight when we arrived at my house, my mom was sitting in the living room watching Grey’s Anatomy re-runs and crocheting a baby blanket for one of the girls at the teen pregnancy clinic where she gave freely of her time on Saturday mornings.

  “Hi girls,” she said with a forced cheer as we walked through the door. “Off someplace fun tonight?”

  “No time, mom. We’re super late,” I hollered as we ran up the stairs to my room. Addie stayed back to tell my mom our plans, while I quickly plugged in my curling iron and tore the package containing what I could only assume was a fantastic dress from my schoolbag.

  “Addie. Get up here now,” I shouted down the hall as I pulled the most amazing emerald green cocktail dress from its tissue-paper wrapping. “You are in such big trouble, young lady.”

  “Oh, oh,” I heard her say before the sound of her feet thudded up the stairs. She was pleading when she burst through the door to my room. “I swear, Lia. It was nothing. I saw it in the window of the second-hand shop downtown, and I knew it was perfect. I paid next to nothing despite the label. You have to believe me. You have to wear it.”

  The dress brought new meaning to the words belle of the ball. I knew that’s what I would be in this splendid frock. As angry as I was, I couldn’t stop the urge to feel the silky fabric as it slinked along my body. I quickly stepped into the opening and pulled it up into place. I stole a glance in t
he mirror and was thoroughly impressed with my reflection.

  “Since you don’t seem too upset,” Addie said, pulling another box from her oversize bag, “I got you these, too.”

  I should have known she would have thought of everything. I would never have shoes to match a dress like this, but that didn’t matter now. I opened the box to find a pair of gold kitten heels staring me in the face. I grimaced to show my disapproval, but slipped the perfect shoes onto my feet and sat silently on the chair in front of the mirror. Addie knew the gesture meant that I was giving up. I wasn’t going to put up a fight as she continued to work her magic on my hair and face. I was surprised she hadn’t called in a professional to meet us at my house. It wouldn’t be the first time.