by Seven Steps
“Yoda,” Cole said. “The Empire Strikes Back.” He clapped his hands. “All right. I’m inspired. Let’s do this. First Battle of the Bands. Then, the world!”
We all cheered, ready to start on a new adventure, knowing that whatever happened, I’d be behind my friends. One hundred and ten percent.
44
Ollie and I had missed our mural session because of the performance, so we decided to squeeze an additional lessons in. Instead of meeting at ten, we met at six o’clock. The two of us drove to the warehouse and squeezed into a booth, ready to perfect what I considered my floundering technique.
“You’re getting my eyes wrong,” he said from behind me.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not getting your eyes wrong.”
“Sure you are. I can feel you drawing me with zombie eyes.”
“I’m not drawing you with zombie eyes. See?” I held up my sketchpad in the low light, and he squinted to see it.
“Zombie eyes.”
I scowled. “And how does one not draw the great Oliver Santiago with zombie eyes?”
“It’s the same as I’ve been telling you. You pick out a quality and go with that.”
“What quality? I barely know you.”
“Fine. Let’s remedy that.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Twenty questions?”
I breathed out. “Fine. I’ll go first.”
“Why do you get to go first? It was my idea.”
“Because I’m a lady, and ladies go first.”
“Whatever, Princess. Ask away.”
“Okay.” I tapped my pencil to my lip and thought for a minute. I wanted to ask a question that was deep, but not intrusive. Insightful, but not nosy. But what could I ask? I considered and discarded several questions before deciding on one.
“Hm… What’s your favorite memory?”
He thought for a minute.
“That’s a tough one. I’d say, my dad singing to me when I was a kid.”
“What’d he sing?”
“It was a lullaby in Iyari.”
“Can you sing it to me?”
“I can’t sing.”
“Can you try?”
“Not a chance.”
“You suck, you know that?”
“Yes. My turn. What do you love the most in life?”
I cleared my throat and tried to think of an answer.
“My cat, Raja. He’s the only one who listen to me without judging me.”
“Your cat? Really?”
“Do you have a cat?”
“No. I’m not an animal person.”
“So, you’re soulless. Duly noted.”
“No, I’m not soulless. I just don’t have time to care for one. If I did have an animal, it wouldn’t be cat, though.”
“What would it be? And don’t say a rat.”
“Why not? Rats are cute.”
I balled up a piece of paper and threw it at him.
“Rats are terrifying!”
“Really? Then you shouldn’t be in a rat den like this.”
“You mean there are actual rats in here?” I lifted up my butt, fully expecting one to just appear.
“It’s an abandoned building. Of course there are rats here. I wouldn’t worry about them, though. They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them.”
“Great. We’re equally terrified then.”
“Have you ever held a rat in your hand?”
“No.”
“You should try it. They’re gentle and loving. Not like cats who are world renowned for their bad attitude.”
“Have you ever had a cat?”
“No.”
“Well, then don’t judge a creature by its reputation.”
The corner of his eyes flared with intensity. “I won’t, if you won’t.”
My breath hitched.
His eyes returned to his paper. “Your turn, Princess.”
“Okay. If you could wake up tomorrow with an extra ability or superpower, what would it be?”
“Easy. Time travel.”
“Why? Something you want to change?”
“Maybe.”
“Like what?”
“That’s a different question entirely.”
“So ask your question, and I’ll ask mine.”
He put down his sketchpad. “You know, Princess, I think it’s time we get out of here. Do something fun, you know?”
“Why do you always change the subject when we talk?”
“I don’t. I just choose what I want to talk about.”
“What about what I want to talk about?”
“You can talk about whatever you want. Doesn’t mean I have to participate.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Princess.”
“Fine. One last question each. Then we can go and do whatever you want.”
“Fine. I’ll go first. What do you see in that Andrew guy?”
The question gave me pause. “I thought we weren’t talking about Andrew anymore?”
His eyes hardened. “You’re not the only one who can ask hard questions.”
I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts. “He’s kind. Sweet. Well-mannered. Chivalrous—”
“And that’s what you want? Someone like that?”
“Why do you care?”
“You’re right. Question time is over.” He turned to walk out of the room, but I grabbed his arm.
“No. I had one question left. Why do you want to time travel? What do you want to change?”
He let out a deep breath. “Everything.”
I let go of his arm. He was hiding something from me. To my surprise, I realized I cared what it was.
I followed Ollie out of the room and into the larger area.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
“Where are we going?”
“I need to tag a wall. Or someone’s face. One or the other.”
“No one is even here yet. And do you really think we should be tagging so soon after we almost got caught?”
“We didn’t get caught.”
“But we almost did.”
“But we didn’t.” He yanked on his coat and started toward the door. “This train’s leaving, Princess. If you’re hopping onboard, now’s the time.”
He pulled the door open, then walked out of it, leaving me behind.
He could be so infuriating sometimes. But I had no other options. It was either follow Ollie or be stuck in this warehouse alone, with no notion of when anyone would show up.
Frustrated beyond belief, I grabbed my coat and raced out of the room and down the decrepit stairs. The building smelled like ice and mold. Dark spots dripped from the ceiling down to the floor, and wind howled through cracked windows.
I definitely didn’t want to be here alone.
To my surprise and aggravation, I found Ollie leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, mouth cracked into a grin.
“Scared I’d left you?” he asked.
I would have shoved him, if I wasn’t panting like an old racehorse.
“You’re a jerk.”
“You really think I’d leave you here all by yourself?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Come on, Princess. You should have more faith in me than that.”
“If you gave me any basis for faith, maybe I would have.”
“Did Andrew give you a basis for faith in him? Is that why you’re so dead set on him?”
“I’m not dead set on Andrew.”
“Really? Could have fooled me.”
“Wow, you’re doing a great job of letting it all go.”
“I just don’t understand why a girl like you is with a guy like that.”
“Ollie!”
He put up his hands. “Fine. Fine. You’re right. We’ll stop talking about Andrew. I promise.”
“Good. Thank you.”
He sta
rted walking away, then stopped and turned.
Then, to my surprise, he started walking toward me.
No, not walking. Stalking.
I retreated away from him until my back hit the wall behind me. But he kept coming. He didn’t stop until we were chest to chest. He laid his forehead on mine and put his hands on both sides of my head, trapping me.
I stopped breathing. Stopped thinking.
Ollie’s scent was all around me. His big body took up all the space in the room. With our foreheads touching, his soft lips were in my direct line of sight. I loved to look at those lips.
Somehow, my hands wrapped around his back.
My gut clinched.
My chest burned for air.
My arms wrapped tighter around him.
He whispered something, but my head was so foggy with wanting him closer that I couldn’t hear it. I wanted Ollie closer to me. I wanted him to kiss me.
The thought bloomed within me, turning into a flower of desperate yearning.
I needed him to kiss me. To give me back all the air he’d stolen from my lungs.
My arms drifted up his back and settled on the soft skin of his neck.
My gaze moved from his lips to his eyes. My defenses dropped, revealing the most vulnerable part of myself. Revealing my deepest desires.
I knew he’d see it.
He seemed to see everything about me.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing my earlobe and making me shiver.
“Do you wish Andrew were here right now?”
The words were like cold water dumped on my head.
Partially because I didn’t want Andrew to be here at all. And partially because Ollie knew that very fact. He was teasing me. Trying to force me to admit to things I wasn’t ready to admit to yet.
I wasn’t ready to tell Ollie I wasn’t with Andrew because, if I did, there’d be nothing left to put between us. And I needed to have something between us. The other option scared the crap out of me.
Tucking away the desire I’d so blatantly waved in front of him, I slid beneath his arms and out of his reach. The cold air returned, allowing me to breathe again. Giving me some space away from Ollie.
I needed some space away from Ollie.
I needed to remind myself of the many reasons to stay away from him.
He wasn’t who my parents would want for me.
He had a bad reputation at school.
He was a criminal.
Being with him would only lead to heartache.
I repeated these to myself like a mantra. I had to keep them in focus. If I didn’t, then I might do the unthinkable and I couldn’t let that happen.
When I’d inhaled enough breath to function, I started walking toward the van. I didn’t stop until I was inside, and even then, I climbed all the way in the back to what was usually Able’s seat and strapped myself in.
I had to keep my distance from Ollie now. No more being alone together. That only led to my emotions coming out to play. And Ollie wasn’t the type of playmate I needed in my life.
After a while, he silently climbed into the car and sped away from the hideout.
I didn’t know where he was going and was too proud to ask.
So, I scrolled through my phone and pretended not to care until the van pulled up in front of my apartment building.
Was he planning on tagging the building or was he dropping me home?
He parked in a spot and climbed out. A few seconds later, the side door slid open.
He stood waiting for me, eyes forward, stance wide, one hand on the handle while the other was behind his back.
He looked more like a valet than the leader of an infamous street gang.
“I thought we were going to tag or punch something,” I said, refusing his hand while I stepped out of the van.
“We are.”
My heart stuttered. “We’re tagging my building? In daylight?”
He slid the van door shut behind me. “Something like that.”
I looked left, then right, watching the faces of the people around me to see if they were watching. Then, I followed Ollie into the lobby.
What was his plan? If Mr. Seba saw me doing—
“Why hello there, Sir Oliver.”
My mouth dropped open. Ollie knew Mr. Seba?
“Hi, Sebs. How’s the family?”
“Doing well. The wife’s still waiting for you to come back by so she can beat you in chess again.”
What was happening? Was this an alternate universe?
“I look forward to that,” Ollie said.
Mr. Seba tipped his hat to me. “Ms. Jasmine.”
I gave him a small wave. “Uh. Hi.”
Ollie was already at the elevator, holding the door open for me. I nearly jogged inside.
“How do you know Mr. Seba?” I demanded.
“Family friend.”
“I thought you didn’t have any family.”
“I never said that.”
“So, you’ve been to this building before.”
“Sure. Lots of times.”
How was that possible? I never saw him here before. And he never told me he’d been here before. In fact, the first night we were together after the initiation, he acted like he’d never even seen the building before.
Something was up.
“Why do you come here?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he said. He smiled and looked up at the ceiling, then back down at me.
I tried not to notice how nice his smile was, but it was hard.
I stared at him the whole ride up, trying to figure him out, while he looked anywhere else but at me.
When the elevator dinged, and the door opened, I followed him out on the top floor, then, we took a flight of stairs to the roof. White patches of snow dotted the roof, leftovers from last night’s flurries. We walked to the opposite end of the roof where the hothouse was.
The small building was shaped like a polygon. The base with brown, rough-hewn stone, while the walls and ceiling were glass panes, each separated by a thin white stripe. A few panes on the roof were darker. Probably solar if I had to guess.
Tall, leafy plants and colorful flowers crowded the inside of the hothouse. Already I could smell the different perfumes. Roses, lavender, and gardenia.
It smelled heavenly.
Ollie walked up to the door and pulled it open. He then stepped aside, allowing me to walk in before him.
“Knock knock. Anybody home?” he called from behind me.
I peered through the shoots of leaves and vines hanging from the ceiling. The sound of rain dripping and distant animals hooting and screeching made me feel like I was in a rainforest instead of a roof in New York.
“Yo! Able!”
One of the tall plants next to me rustled, making my heart leap in my chest. I imagined that a vicious tiger would leap out and devour me. Instead, Able stood up tall and smiled at me.
I put my hand on my chest and let out a breath.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He lifted a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. The rainforest sounds ended, leaving us in quiet. “The music really sets a mood.”
“Yeah, if you’re in the mood to be eaten by a boa constrictor,” I said.
Able laughed. “No snakes here. Just good old sweet potatoes, beans, peppers, and a few squash.”
Ollie grunted from behind me and pulled off his jacket.
“So what brings you by?” Able asked. He walked away and I followed him. The plants were arranged in neat rows. The taller plants were next to the walls, while the flowers and vegetables were laid out in grids in the middle of the room.
I pulled off my hat and scarf. It was hot in here. Sweat was already starting to pool beneath my armpits.
“We’re just out for a stroll, I guess,” Ollie said.
Able stopped next to an empty decorative pot.
“Have you ever planted anything before?” he asked me.
“Not unless you count me planting myself in front of the TV.”
He smiled. “I guess that’s where couch potatoes come from.”
It was such a corny joke that I laughed.
Ollie came to stand next to me, making the room seem even warmer.
“What have we got today?” he asked.
I watched him roll up his sleeves. His arms were defined. I wondered from what. He didn’t play any sports that I could tell.
“Sunflowers,” Able said. He pulled out a big red bucket and set it on the table between us.
“How do we plant sunflower?” I asked.
“Easy. Get some dirt. Put it in the pot, add the sprouts.”
“Much easier than painting a portrait,” Ollie said. He grabbed a big scooper from the table and bent down to a white bag filled with black dirt. Then, he proceeded to scoop out the dirt and plop it into the pot.
Seemed easy enough.
I stripped off my coat, folded it neatly, and placed it on the floor. Then, I found my own scooper and started to fill up my pot. The dirt smelled wet and rich. Like being in a park after a good rainfall. I took in a big lungful of it.
“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Able said.
I looked up at him and smiled. “I does.”
He crouched down and plunged his hand in the dirt, then brought it out again and played with a little between his fingers.
“This is one hundred percent Iyarian dirt.”
“That’s where you’re from, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “This stuff is like black gold, made from the finest cow manure on the planet.”
I gasped and dropped my scooper. “Manure?”
“Yeah. This stuff goes for like four hundred dollars a bag, so try not to drop any. It tastes pretty good too. Perfect for indigestion.”
I stared at Able, then down at the big bag of soft black dirt in front of me.
My heart sped up, and my hands shook. I’d been digging in cow manure?
Disgust bubbled in my gut and I fell back onto the hard floor.
“Eww. Gross!”
Able’s straight face melted into a laughing one. Ollie roared from next to him.
I didn’t know what they were laughing at, but I knew I needed this stuff off me pronto.
Able chucked. “I’m just fooling, Princess. It’s only dirt.”
“You should have seen your face,” Ollie said, still howling with laugher. “You looked like you were going to faint.”
