by Emily Bourne
“What?”
“They weren’t good people, Jazz.”
Jazz rubs her heart, staring into his eyes to his soul, waiting for him to elaborate.
Adrian rubs his forehead. “They were criminals. They made me tag along to help them steal things in tight places.”
Jazz’s chin drops. “They forced you to steal?”
“I was a kid. I didn’t know it was wrong.” He pauses, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Until the heat started increasing.”
“Was it the police that shot them?”
He nods. “They were tracking them down after we did too many burglaries in a row.”
Jazz’s eyes sting with tears. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No, they just took me away.” He looks at her with apprehension. “What happened to your mother?”
Her sharp breath lodges in her throat. Her voice quivers as she replies, “She died giving birth to me.”
Sadness blankets Adrian’s face as his shoulders collapse.
“I’m the reason she’s dead.”
“Jazz, no,” Adrian whispers, brushing her jaw. “It’s not your fault.”
A tear rolls down her face. The mix of their individual pain proving too much for her to bear. “My father would be better off if I was the one who didn’t make it.”
Adrian leans in and scoops her into his embrace. Jazz stays limp, letting him hold her up. She nestles her head against his chest. The warmth of his body and his strong heartbeat steadying her calm.
His hand brushes back her thick, black hair, and he whispers, “No one would be better off without you.”
Jazz’s heart both swells and tears. Heartbroken, yet so touched. She pulls out of Adrian’s arms and brings herself to standing.
She backs to a wall and leans against it. “I just need to stand for a minute, if that’s ok.”
Adrian turns in his chair to face her. “Sure, that’s ok.”
“Can we have a change of pace?” Jazz asks, rubbing her confused heart.
“Change of pace?”
“I was thinking, this place is falling apart,” Jazz says, running her fingers over the exposed brick. “It will take a lot of money to complete the repairs. Perhaps moving to a new site would be cheaper in the long run.”
“Whoah, how do you think we could afford that?”
“Not for you to buy or rent. A donation.” Jazz’s tears dry up as she charges her business brain. “A site donated by a corporation.”
Adrian shakes his head, folding his arms. “Nah-uh. We can’t be under a corporation’s thumb. No way.”
“They wouldn’t run it. They’d donate the site and then the transaction would be over.”
Adrian unravels his arms, interest relaxing his expression. “You think that could happen?”
“I have plenty of connections in the Business District. I’m sure I could pull something off.”
“Wow.”
Jazz moves towards the table and slides the papers she brought with her toward Adrian. “I made a plan, if you want to look over it.”
Adrian slides the papers back. “Oh, it’s ok. I’m sure you’ve got it sorted.”
Jazz plants her fingers on the papers so they on his side of the table. “No, don’t take my word for it. You should read it over. I’ve got a pen for you to add notes. Everything is ultimately up to you.”
Adrian scoots his chair back, avoiding her eyes. “I can’t read that.”
“What do you mean? You don’t want to? You can keep it and get back to me later, if you prefer.”
“No. I mean, I can’t read it.” His jaw flexes and he meets her eyes. “I can’t read.”
The air smacks out of Jazz. Her hands press on her chest. “How is that possible?”
Adrian clasps his hands, dropping his gaze as he shrugs. “I never went to school.”
Jazz steps away from the table, her knees knocking and hands trembling. All her emotions from moments earlier resurface and her eyes fog with tears. An ugly moan gurgles out of her.
“Whoah, Jazz,” Adrian says, jumping off his seat with urgency to get to her side. He places a hand on her back and the other squeezes her hand. “Sit down.”
Adrian edges her backward, and she sits slowly on the creaky bed.
“It’s not fair,” she croaks through a laboured breath. “I got everything. I never thought of myself as lucky, but you’ve had it so much worse than me.”
“Hey, don’t be like that.” Adrian brushes back her hair and her eyes fall closed with the perfect pressure of his touch.
“Education is so powerful,” she whispers with a lump in her throat. “I’m getting ready to start my second university degree and have more study plans after that. It gives me so much pain you haven’t had that right.”
Adrian pulls her close and rubs her bare arm. “Well, I can read a few words. Eddy’s taught me a bit. But it’s hard to learn. It gives me a headache, so I stopped trying.”
“You should try again,” she says, placing a hand on his thigh.
“Maybe I will. I dunno, it just didn’t seem important.”
“It’s important. It gives you more choice and freedom. Will you try?”
His breathy laugh tickles the skin below her ear. “I can try.”
Jazz clutches his hand, and the warmth makes her smile. She looks up and is mesmerised by the candlelight dancing in his big brown eyes. His thumb draws a small circle on the edge of her hand, and she watches the corners of his lips tug upwards. Her heart leaps to her throat as a powerful urge pulls her body closer to his. She gulps, closes her eyes and pouts her lips.
A loud knock at the door springs her eyes open and the pair break apart.
Safer
“Adrian,” a frantic voice says as the door bursts open. Max runs into the room, chest heaving. “It’s DJ. You gotta come quick.”
Adrian drops Jazz’s hand and launches off the bed. He turns to her and says, “Stay here and catch your breath.”
She stands. “I’m ok, I’ll come with you.”
Max hurries out the door. “Adrian, come on! Quick!”
The panic in Max’s voice sends Adrian to chase after him without another thought on Jazz. He runs after Max and lands in the dining room where DJ’s voice bounces off the walls.
Tension fills the room. The small amount of people in the room are scattered and stand in rigid positions. Adrian’s eyes dart around the room and find DJ by the food, yelling and slicing a knife through the air in dangerous angles.
Eddy stands a few metres by him, knees bent and hands out, steady and ready. Hector stands motionless in the kitchen doorway, eyes circular with fear.
Adrian edges towards DJ through the frozen onlookers. His stomach clenches as he notices red splashes on the vinyl floor. Blood. His mouth sours with the threat of his stomach contents surging upward. As he takes in more of the scene, he stops dead. Maria is on the ground, holding her shoulder as fresh blood oozes between her fingers.
“What did you do?” Adrian says to DJ, his blood running cold.
“Stay back!” DJ yells. “Don’t come near me!”
“Put the knife down,” Adrian says, edging closer to the kid.
DJ points the knife to his abdomen. “Don’t come any closer! I’m gonna kill myself.”
Gasps of shock fly around the room.
“Adrian,” Eddy hisses, pushing his arm back. “Get back.”
A hand cuffs around Adrian’s wrist, and it makes him jump.
“It’s me,” Jazz whispers behind him.
Adrian blows out a breath. He clasps her hand as another level of dread escalates the situation. “Get back,” he whispers. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’m not letting you get hurt,” she whispers back, holding him tight, her will shining strong in her eyes.
Adrian looks back at the scared and irrational boy with the knife. He unravels his hand from Jazz’s and takes another step forward.
“Get back!” DJ s
creams.
Adrian lifts his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Please. Please, DJ, put down the knife.”
“You!” DJ turns, thrashing the knife in the air. “Stop!”
Adrian looks over his shoulder to see Jazz is the one DJ is threatening. She drops by Maria, ignoring DJ’s panicked screams, and puts pressure on Maria’s wound.
Adrian heart rate skyrockets. From the corner of his eye he sees Eddy moving toward DJ. As DJ fixates on Jazz, without another moment’s thought, Adrian ambushes DJ. He tackles him to the ground and wrestles for the knife. Eddy slides to the ground, struggling to control DJ’s wayward arms and gain the knife.
Adrian feels a hot pain sting his arm. He grits through the pain and fights for the knife as Eddy takes hold of DJ, pinning him to the ground. Adrian slams his knee against DJ’s wrist and frees the knife.
Adrian sits back on the vinyl floor, puffing as he grips the knife. He looks to his other arm and watches blood drip from his fresh wound.
“Adrian,” Jazz cries out.
“I’m ok,” he says, wiping away the blood. It was a long cut, but not deep.
“We need to call the police,” Eddy says, struggling to keep hold of DJ.
“No,” Adrian says in a defeated tone.
“It’s not safe,” Eddy says, pushing DJ against the floor. “He’s not well.”
Adrian spins on the floor. “Max!”
Max dashes by his side.
“Can you please call the police?” Adrian asks.
Sadness and terror twists Max’s face as he nods.
“You were so brave,” Adrian says to him before he leaves the room for a phone. Adrian looks to the table and sees Gene and Ferg huddled beside each other. “You two ok?”
The two shiver as they nod.
Hector rushes to help Eddy, using his size to anchor DJ to the ground and tying his apron around his wrists. “Sorry, he got to the knife before I could stop him.”
“It’s not your fault,” Adrian and Eddy say at once.
With Eddy and Hector having control over DJ, Adrian moves to Jazz and Maria.
“She’ll need a doctor,” Jazz says, her knuckles almost white from her grip.
“Maria,” Adrian says, peeling back Jazz’s hands to take her place. “Are you ok?”
Maria groans in pain but nods.
“There’s probably a towel or something we could wrap around her arm,” Adrian says, and Jazz quickly gets up and races into the kitchen.
When Jazz returns, Adrian takes the clean dish towel from her and ties it around Maria’s wounded arm. A red hand print visible on the material.
“The police will send an ambulance,” Adrian says to Maria. “You’ll be fine.”
The police arrive and handcuff DJ. When one officer takes DJ out to their car, the other takes statements from those who witnessed the incident. Adrian is careful not to give any information to imply DJ is dangerous or aggressive, just that he’s a scared and misunderstood teenager.
A paramedic checks Adrian’s arm, and it only needs a bandage, which they wrap on site. They’re taking Maria to the hospital. The three gashes on her arm and shoulder are deep and in danger of infection.
“She should be out by the morning,” the paramedic says, and he and his partner help her out of the building.
Adrian thanks them and then joins Jazz in the kitchen. She is at the sink, scrubbing her hands under scalding water.
Adrian turns on the cold tap and asks her if she’s ok.
Jazz shakes her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Goosebumps line her arms and she shivers. Adrian wraps an arm around her, careful not to touch her with his blood-stained hand.
“Oh,” she gasps, turning to him. “Your arm.”
Adrian pulls away from her and dips his hands under the water. “I’m ok. It’s not that bad.”
Jazz wraps the soap and cloth and begins cleaning Adrian’s hand. Adrian smiles at her gentleness and care.
Jazz laughs nervously, placing the soap in his hand. “Sorry, I’m probably not helping.”
“Don’t be sorry. It was nice.”
“That was so scary,” she says under her breath. “I can’t believe he cut you.”
“I’ve had worse.” Adrian lifts his shirt and exposes a long, raised scar on the left side of his abdomen.
“Oh goodness,” Jazz gasps, planting a hand on his scar. “Who did that to you?”
He drops his shirt, and she removes her hand. “Someone in my group home who didn’t like me.”
Tears fill Jazz’s eyes. “It’s not fair that people have to live like this.”
“Don’t feel you’re better off,” Adrian says, taking her hand. “Today you told me someone was trying to force you into marriage.”
Jazz’s throat warbles with the threat of sobs. “There is something very wrong with this city.”
“You guys ok?” Eddy says, entering the kitchen.
“Yeah,” Adrian replies. “Are you? How did that all happen?”
Eddy rubs the back of his neck, sighing. “It was fast. I should have seen it coming. He’s been declining for the past few days.”
“I thought he was doing better,” Adrian replies.
“He couldn’t stay,” Eddy adds quickly, his green eyes full of sadness. “He would have hurt someone or himself.”
Adrian nods, his stomach knotting. “Ok.”
Eddy tilts his head in Jazz’s direction. “You ok?”
She nods. “I will be.”
“I’m doing the rounds,” Eddy says, walking back into the dining room.
“I should too,” Adrian says to Jazz.
Jazz pushes her hair off her face and tries to look brave. “Yeah, it’s getting late. Do you want me to help clean up?”
Adrian takes Jazz by the hand and leads her out of the kitchen. “No, you look too shaken up. How about I walk you back to your room? I want to check on Tessa. I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”
“Thank you,” she says and squeezes Adrian’s hand. “This certainly wasn’t where I thought tonight was headed.”
Adrian bites his lip and tries a smile. “Nope, me either.”
Hector swirls a mop against the vinyl floor, red streaking the waves of disinfectant and water.
“I’ll be back to help,” Adrian says as he leads Jazz out of the dining room. “I’m just walking Jazz to her room.”
“No worries, brother,” Hector says, frowning and shaking his head. “You take your time. I was useless back there. Frozen. I don’t mind doing the cleaning up.”
“It was a crazy thing,” Adrian replies. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Adrian rubs Jazz’s shoulder as they walk down the hall. “You’re freezing.”
“Must be shock,” Jazz murmurs, opening the bedroom door.
They walk inside and Adrian pulls a blanket off a bed and wraps it around Jazz’s shoulders.
“You should sit,” he says.
Jazz peers at the dress between the folds of the blanket. “I don’t care what Gene says, this dress is officially dead now.”
“You want to go change or take a shower?” Adrian asks, kneeling by her and staring at the bloodstains on the dress.
“I don’t think I could stand in the shower right now,” she replies. “I might just sit for a minute and then change.”
“Good call.”
Jazz stares at her palms, then flips to see the back of her hands. “I don’t feel clean.”
Adrian brushes her hands. “It’s ok. You got all of it.”
“Adrian, hey,” Tessa says, hurrying into the room. “You two ok?”
Adrian stands. “We’re ok. Are you?”
Tessa nods and looks at the ripped part of his shirt, stained red with a bandage underneath. “I can’t believe he cut you. Is it serious?”
“No. It hurt at first, but it’s fine.”
“Ok, good.”
“
D’you mind if I stay in here for a few minutes?” Adrian asks Tessa. “Jazz is in shock.”
“Please,” Tessa replies, a shiver knocking her shoulders. “I’d feel safer with you here, too.”
Jazz rubs her forehead and lies back on the bed. Adrian sits by her bed and asks if she’s in pain.
“Just a headache,” Jazz says, eyes closed.
“You want me to go?” he whispers, stroking her hair.
She shakes her head and opens her eyes. “No.”
“Shut your eyes,” he says. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”
Jazz pulls the blanket tighter around her and sleepily says, “Did you know I was named after my mother?”
His eyes widen as he wonders if she’s talking in a dream. “Really?”
She nods, nestling in for sleep. “Yes.”
He strokes her hair as she drifts to sleep. “Ok, Jazz. Sleep well.”
Dumb
JAZZ’S head throbs. She barely slept all night. She woke to lights out and the sounds of Tessa sleeping in an adjacent bunk. Still wrapped in a blanket in her stained dress, Jazz’s frown refuses to budge as she stares at the space near her bed where Adrian had sat.
Her heart expands at the thought of him. He’s so special. What a guy.
She showers after waking, even though it’s the earliest of the hours. The thought of spending another moment in that dress sickens her. Once she returns to her room, she tosses and turns, regretfully not a moment more of sleep. She thought of Myra and Taz and where they might have gone. Would they be mixed up in a troubled situation like DJ put everyone in? Had she already run from situations like that? The thoughts make Jazz shudder.
She busies herself with thoughts of numbers and business structures. When the sun rises, she leaps out of bed and hurries down the hall.
Eddy walks into the shelter, gym bag slung over his shoulder. “You’re up early.”
Jazz stops her pacing. “I didn’t sleep much.”
Eddy nods. “I don’t sleep at the best of times. Last night was a doozy.”
“When I can’t sleep, I think about business plans,” Jazz blurts.
“Counting coins instead of sheep?” Eddy jokes.
“Adrian can’t read,” she says bluntly.