A Whole New Me

by Keya Jay

  Chapter 5:1 Month later

  Azalea woke up panting and sweating after the dream, there was an additional scene added that hasn't been there before. She was scooting away from the vampire as it pounced on her and stuck its teeth in the depths of her neck, she let out a squeal but the dream didn't end there, everything started to blacken, the atmosphere was rotting around her and her eyes turned a deathly coal-ish color. The field of flowers she was laying in turned into ash; she was beyond frightened until someone approached from the shadows. She could sense him like never before he stepped toward her and her blood boiled in response.

  Llorel closed the gap between them and then the dream ended, she let out a sigh realizing that it was only a dream and that it meant nothing. She walked over toward her closet and pulled out a yellow blouse and white fitted jeans. She put the new cloths on top of her dresser and stepped into the shower. The scent of lavender surrounded her as she shampooed her hair and the scent of Vanilla as she applied her body lotion and temporary soothed her nerves.

  She got dressed and slipped on some gold flats before applying make-up and doing her hair. She never goes overboard with the make-up; she only agreed to wear it because Dez bought it for her. She put on her norm amount of eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow before applying some gloss to her lips. She let her hair fall around her face before slipping a headband on to keep her hair out of her eyes.

  Azalea went downstairs to wait patiently for Dez to come pick her up. It was Saturday and they had scheduled an unexpected visit to Rose's and Dave's house. Azalea knew that they would be surprised to see her after all of these years but Mrs. Lady Tyrant insisted that she go with Dez back to the house.

  Azalea heard the engine of Dez's Sedan roar up the drive. She checked her appearance in the mirror and just knew that Dez would be happy. Azalea stepped out onto the porch and froze immediately. He was leaning casually against the car but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking toward her garden and it took every ounce of her willpower not to call him out on it. Dez made her way out of the car toward Azalea and Azalea gave her a ‘What the hell?’ look and Dez was quick to explain.

  Llorel's car had broken down on my way here and I noticed that he was getting mighty frustrated so I took it upon myself to call a tow truck and he asked me for a ride." she said shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal. "He's hot!" she said breathing out the words and putting the emphasis on the word hot. "How could I resist?" she said giving Azalea a wink.

  "Fine" Azalea said reluctantly. "But no flirting I don't think I will be able to hold my breakfast down and I would hate to have to wear my breakfast the very first time I see Rose and Dave again."

  "Yea and I would hate to be the cause of ruining that outfit, you look hot Z."

  "Thanks" she said walking to the car. Azalea could feel his eyes on her as she appeared only inches away from him.

  "Sorry about the awkward turn of events I hope my company won't be any trouble" he said.

  "Oh trust me it will" Azalea said to herself but he nodded as if he heard her.

  "Are yall going to speak or just stand there in awkward silence?" Azalea looked up at Llorel and held a look of confusion on her face.

  "You look nice" he said.

  "That's more like it" Dez encouraged as she walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  "Thank you" Azalea said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. "But looks are quite deceiving" she whispered.

  "Oh I'm quite aware of that" he whispered back.

  "Alright yall can talk in the car" Dez said pushing them into the back seat of her Sedan Azalea would have rather sat in the passenger seat near her but she was already closing the door and Azalea didn't want to cause any problems or raise any suspicions.

  Over the past month Azalea and Llorel grew farther and farther apart. He became the most popular guy at school overnight. He grew into a heartless monster his personality differs from when they had first met, now he's personality-less. Azalea can't figure out why everyone is treating him with both respect and fear.

  It was rumored that Llorel is in a relationship with Stacie-Ann the meanest wench at school; figures, but Azalea can't imagine Llorel falling in love or showing any type of emotion for that matter, it's like he's a whole new person. Azalea hated him then and she despised him now and nothing would change that.

  "So why did Mrs. Lady Tyrant insist I go with you?" Azalea asked trying to avoid the eyes that were constantly watching her.

  "Because she knew that despite Rose’s ambitions for piece she would never speak to you first no matter how much trouble she was causing by doing so."

  "So Mrs. Lady Tyrant expects me to break the silence? Fat chance of that happening, she really should have thought better of this."

  "Oh trust me she is very well aware that you would have nothing nice to say but it would cut through the silence none the less." Azalea sighed deeply.

  "I wouldn't even know what to say to her, I mean what do you say to a woman who's lied to you all your life? I know something's wrong and it obviously involves me but I don't think keeping me in the dark is solving any problems." Azalea bit out in frustration.

  "Well why don't you tell her that then?" Dez asked and of course she was right but Azalea knew…

  "She would only lie to me" she responded.

  "What do you know for sure that she's lying to you about?"

  "That's just it Dez!" she cried out. "I feel like everybody knows me better than I know myself, and the people who had claimed to know me the best are the same people who want nothing to do with me" she said trying not to look at Dez as she knew there was a death stare she was throwing her threw the rear view mirror.

  "What's that supposed to mean Z? I feel like I know you better than anyone and I've never left you."

  "You left me to go through this BS for a year all by myself, not once calling to see if I was alright" Azalea said automatically feeling bad for turning this all on her, but it was out there and she wasn't about to take it back.

  "I didn't know you felt that way Z" she said throwing her an "I'm so sorry look" through the mirror.

  "Look this isn't your fault I just... I don't know, but I don't think I can go through with this, stop the car!" Dez was confused by Azalea’s request but obeyed without speaking a word, knowing that she had her reasons. "I don't feel like I owe any of them anything, I was the one lied to and hurt so they can't blame me for being mad. The only way I'll talk is if A) I get an apology, a true heartfelt apology or B) I get the truth, the whole truth." Azalea stepped out of the car for some fresh air. Even outside she could still feel Llorel's presence. She sighed, kicking rocks around. She wanted to talk to someone but there was no one she could talk to... well maybe one person but what could she say? Seeing as though she doesn’t even understand what's going on she just knew that it was something bad and brief flashes of her dream wasn't making anything better. Azalea suddenly felt calm as images of some older woman happily playing with her grandchild, laughing and having fun, Azalea watched that little girl grow up in her mind and as long as she had her grandmother nothing else mattered she was oblivious to the world around her ‘cause her grandmother became her world. Tears slowly fell down her face, Azalea didn't know the little girl or her grandmother but the little girls’ happiness made her feel happy for the girl and a little sad for herself. Suddenly Azalea felt arms around her and a head over her shoulders.

  "Llorel told me that you would need to be comforted." Dez said as she squeezed Azalea a little tighter. Azalea still didn’t feel like facing the devil tonight so she asked Dez to drop her off at Lea’s.

  “How do you do my Queen” Jaiden said the moment Azalea entered the house.

  “My Queen? Really?” She said walking into the living room to take a seat in the couch.

  “Azaleas are the Queen of the garden…You’re upset” he said before even finishing his statement. It wasn’t a question so Azalea didn’t bother with a response. “You’re looking for
Lea aren’t you?”

  “Is she not here?”

  “Sorry” he said taking a seat next to her. Azalea leaned back against the couch in a slouched position. “Relax she went to the movies with Dorian, they’ll be back at 5” he said resting his hand on her leg. A thick copper taste filled her mouth as she bit down on the inside of her cheek; she had to grind her teeth to keep her from screaming out in pain. “Why did that make you mad? And don’t say that it didn’t ‘because you always do that with your mouth when you’re frustrated or angry.” Azalea looked over at Jaiden, he’s been her rock throughout the month, and it didn’t surprise her that he knew her so well.

  “I just thought she’d be here, I mean the last time I needed her she wasn’t here.”

  “She’ll be here at 5” he said matching her low tone.

  “I know but I’ve never really had to rely on anyone before, so why now?” she said looking in the direction of the door.

  “Hey” he said grabbing her chin in between his pointer finger and thumb. “I don’t see how anyone can go on through life without just a little help, we’re human it happens.”

  “Yea…but I haven’t needed it before—”

  “Because you never let yourself want it, but I can tell already that you needed it” he said looking straight into her eyes. “Look” he said in a low tone. “I know how hard it is to go through life without having no one to rely on, you know, someone who can help you carry the burden on your shoulders…” he paused and continued to look into her eyes, Azalea waited patiently not realizing how much she wanted him to finish his sentence. “Do you trust me?” The sudden change in conversation caught her off guard.

  “Umm wh—”

  “Do you trust me?” he repeated cutting her off.

  “Yes, I trust you.”

  “Then trust me enough to let me help you carry some of the stress you carry around all of the time.”

  “Ummm Jaiden—”

  “Trust me Green, what’s on your mind? You gotta let someone in there” he said tapping her head with the hand he wasn’t using to force her to look into his eyes. Azalea trusted Jaiden, she really did but she couldn’t bring others into her situation it wouldn’t be fair to them, they’ll never understand all that she goes through to keep the real her a secret. Lucky for her Lea walked in at that moment. Azalea hopped off the couch realizing how close Jaiden was to her.

  “Oh hey Azalea, I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Yea you never do” Azalea said straightening her shirt to keep her hands busy. “Look I got to go” she said making her exit toward the door.

  “Oh come on, don’t leave because I got here, yall can continue to…do whatever it is that yall were doing. I’ll just go upstairs and leave you two to it” She said turning toward the stairs.

  “Yea, ok” Azalea said walking toward the door.

  “Wait, Green wait” Jaiden said hopping off the couch and making his way over toward her.

  “Look Jaiden thank you for all you’ve done but I’ll be fine promise” she said turning her head slightly so that she could see some of him.

  “Don’t make promises toward situations that you have no control over, it’s not fair to the person you’re making the promise to” he said before turning toward the stairs the way his sister had went, taking them two at a time probably trying to get away from her.