“Jade, can you sweep the floor in Theater One before the next showing?” her manager asked.
“No problem.” Jade grabbed the broom.
The movie theater multiplex was in the mall in a neighboring town. The department stores sold their real estate as e-commerce businesses ate away at their sales. The mall had been rebuilt to appeal to the millennial generation's obsession with experiences. Large multiplex theaters like the one Jade worked at pulled in fantasy-seeking movie goers who felt a sense of adventure as they reclined next to their friends and devoured three-course meals during a show.
Jade made her way down the empty, windowless corridor. She didn't mind the busy work. The rush of people at the ticket counter was a welcomed distraction to the drama with her mother at home, and the peaceful moments in the empty theaters were revitalizing. There was no one expecting her to do something impressive or be someone important. She relaxed into the easiness as she approached Theater One at the end of the hall.
Jade opened the door and a sliver of light cut into a dark theater with rows of recliners and a walkway on either side. She flipped the light switch and sighed when nothing happened. The entryway switch was broken. She would have to cross to the far wall in front of the first row of seats to turn on the lights.
Jade stood still a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dimmed cinema. As she began the careful trek to the front of the theater, a dark figure streaked down the opposite row. Jade froze. At least, she thought it was a figure. It could have been her eyes playing a trick on her.
“Who's there?” No one answered. Goosebumps rose on her arms. “This theater isn't open yet.”
Jade peered around, begging her eyes to adjust faster to the darkness. She continued her path to the light switch, picking up her pace. She knew it was her imagination, but it felt like the darkness became thicker as she walked forward.
Jade's breathing grew heavy. Was someone watching her? If she could just get to the light switch, she could see who was haunting the theater. She put her hands out in front of her. Her heart raced.
Bang! Another movement of shadows caused her to whip her head to the left. “Hey!” Was it a person? She could have sworn it was a person. She wasn’t sure if they were hiding from her…or trying to prey on her.
The door of the theater opened. Light cut through the theater once more. “Jade, you're needed up front.”
Jade took a deep breath and glanced around the empty theater. Whoever was in there with her didn't want to be seen, and she knew how that felt. Jade turned to leave through the open door that her co-worker held open for her and was struck with a strange thought. Was it her co-worker sneaking around the theater? Jade said nothing as she walked past.
Jade's brother Bobby was waiting for her at the ticket counter. Since his growth spurt had occurred earlier than all his friends’, he hadn't increased in height over the last year. However, his muscle mass and narcissism had increased immeasurably. He leaned against the counter, scanning the movie-goers. When two girls caught his eye, he gave them a wink, and they walked away giggling.
Jade's cousin Marcus shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head at the interaction between his cousin and the girls. “You have no shame,” Marcus said.
Bobby straightened up and nudged his cousin harder than necessary. Narcissism didn't replace Bobby's insecurities. In fact, anxiety kept Bobby up at night. He never told anyone, but he felt different deep inside, like something was innately wrong with him. It took effort to fit in.
Marcus pulled his hands out of his pockets to keep himself from falling into the kiosk. While his cousin's daily routine included lifting weights at the gym, Marcus preferred to watch sports from the comfort of his couch.
“You're just jealous because you have no game with the ladies,” Bobby said.
“I prefer intelligent conversations rather than grunts and face sucking.” Marcus fell back into his usual pattern of teasing Bobby with pithy comments.
“You wish you were face sucking. The closest you get to a girl is a one-armed-butt-out hug.” Bobby demonstrated the awkward position on his cousin.
Momentarily forgetting about Bobby's new and improved muscles, Marcus shoved him. Bobby took the shove as an antagonizing push. He swung his fist at Marcus, who ducked just in time.
Jade stepped between them. “Enough! What are you doing here?”
Bobby stepped back and rolled his shoulders. Despite his effort to relax, the masculine angst wafted off him, as evidenced by his tense posture and stressed expression. “Tomorrow night is Thanksgiving Eve. Come to the party.”
Jade sighed. “I can't.” The last thing she wanted to do was reminisce with high school friends. She was attempting to build a separate life that wasn't micro-managed by her mother's social plans.
“Are you working?”
“No.” Jade began rearranging the signs on the ticket counter. She needed to calm down after the strange shadow she saw in the movie theater. The eye floaters and shadows were always worse around Thanksgiving.
“School work?” Bobby pressed.
“No.”
“Do you have other plans?”
“Why do you need me to go?” Jade asked, avoiding her brother's question.
Bobby looked at the floor. “Because you are my sister.”
“Or because Mom won't let you borrow the car?”
Bobby kicked the kiosk. “She picks on me. I breathe wrong, and she starts screaming.”
Jade softened. When she stayed out of the house, Bobby felt the brunt of her mother's abuse. “Fine, I’ll give you a ride.”
“Yes!” Bobby did the happy dance.
Zander turned the key to the house slowly, hoping the click of the lock and the creak of the door on the hinge wouldn't wake his family. It was two in the morning, and he had driven four hours to be home for Thanksgiving break.
Finding out he was accepted at Yale had been exciting; however, the reality of attending the Ivy League school was a different experience. The first semester of his freshman year had not been a piece of cake. He was used to being the smartest person in the room like he was in high school. Being surrounded by the most intelligent eighteen-year-olds in the country had been miserable. He constantly questioned if he deserved to be there.
He stepped into the familiar house, placed his bag on the floor, and closed the door as quietly as possible behind him. It was comforting to be home. He couldn't wait to be with parents who built up his ego and a sister who idolized him. Perhaps that irrational view of himself was the root cause of his problems at college, but for now, he was going to enjoy being their golden boy.
Zander's eyelids felt heavy. He had managed to stay awake for the ride by day-dreaming about running into Jade Miller. Despite their limited interaction, he still held the flame for her. She was the ideal woman and no one, not even the girls at Yale, compared to her.
Now the long drive was catching up to him. All he wanted to do was collapse on his childhood bed. He reached for the railing and made the ascent to his bedroom.
The lights in his parents’ and sister's rooms were off. He would say hello to them tomorrow morning. There would be plenty of time to catch up.
He opened the door to his bedroom. His brain was heading into shut-down mode, ready to recharge for twelve hours. However, his muddled mind sensed something was in the room with him. No, not something, but someone. Alarm bells went off in his head, trying to break through the sleep that threatened to take over.
Zander glanced around his dark room. Light from a street lamp outside streaked through the window blinds and painted the comforter on his bed with horizontal stripes. A shadowy figure crossed the room, and Zander backed against the wall in shock. Was he just exhausted, or did he really see someone?
A car passed on the street outside, temporarily lighting Zander's side of the room. The black outline of a person shifted and slipped inside his closet, which was open a crack.
Zander debated what to do. If someone
had broken into the house, he had to defend his family. He had grown four inches, but hand-to-hand combat would never be his forte. He grabbed one of his debate team trophies off the shelf and headed for the closet. He tip-toed, hoping he had the element of surprise on his side.
The hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck were standing up. Catching a burglar was not in his homecoming plan. The floor boards threatened to give away his impending attack with each step that he took.
One more step and he would be within arm's reach of the closet. He held the trophy high in his right hand, ready to swing.
The light to his bedroom switched on. “Zander, is that you?” Rayley asked from the door.
Zander pulled open the closet door and light bathed the inside. He scanned the abandoned hanging pants and too-small suit jackets. There was no one inside.
Zander took a deep breath. “Yes, it's me.” He turned to find Rayley in her pink pajamas. Her fiery hair was falling out of a ponytail.
She rubbed her right eye and giggled. “Why are you holding your debate trophy?”
Zander looked down at his right hand, surprised to see the tight grip on his makeshift weapon. “Never mind.” He put the trophy back on the shelf. He must have been seeing things.
“I can't believe you drove straight home after staying up all-night to finish that paper.” Rayley put her arms out for a hug. Zander had kept Rayley up to date on his progress at college. It had been comforting to text with his little sister and be reminded of home.
Zander relaxed into the hug, resting his chin on her head. “I couldn't wait to be home.”
“Marcus, hurry up!” Jade shouted. She was sitting on the stool in front of the vanity in her bedroom. It felt like Marcus was taking forever to get ready, but maybe it was her nerves messing with her brain. Thinking about the night ahead was putting her on edge.
It had been months since she played high school sweetheart, immaculately dressed and flirting with the most popular boy in school. One puppy dog look from Bobby, and she would be right back in the thick of the high school drama. She hated it.
Her mother's head popped into the doorway. “Where are you going tonight?”
Jade stiffened. She kept her eyes on the pair of earrings in her hands. “Out.”
Her mom entered the bedroom. “Bobby isn't joining you, right?” Her hands were on her hips.
Jade reached up and placed one gold hoop in her ear. “Nope,” she lied.
The reflection of her mother filled the mirror behind Jade. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected Jade's appearance. “Are you going to wear your hair like this?” She reached over and tucked Jade's hair behind her ear.
Jade untucked the strand. “Yes.”
Jade's mom clicked her tongue in disappointment. “If there are boys at this undisclosed location, you should put in more of an effort.” She began fussing with Jade's shirt.
Jade felt her blood begin to boil. She shoved the other earring in her ear and stood up. “Bye, Mom.”
Jade strode out of the house. Her car was halfway out of the driveway when Marcus came running out of the house. She stopped the car to let him in. His eyebrows were raised when he glanced in Jade's direction, but she kept her eyes on the road. She didn't have to explain her actions to him. He had witnessed the abuse her mom dished out for as long as he could remember.
“Breaking news.” Marcus put his finger to his ear like he was listening to a correspondent's message. “The newest addition to the Thanksgiving Day parade is brought to you by evil moms everywhere. It's Satan in the form of an overripe pumpkin!” Jade cracked a smile without looking at her cousin.
They drove halfway around the block and parked the car, turning to look at the back of the house through the neighbor's yard. Bobby was climbing out of his bedroom window. He gracefully swung his legs out the opening and lowered his body.
He hung from the ledge for a minute, and Jade's anger at her mother turned to anxiety for her brother. He gently pushed off the side of the house and dropped one story to the grass. Jade sucked in her teeth as Bobby rolled once and rose to his feet. He didn't even glance back as he brushed dirt off his jeans and passed through the neighbor's yard.
“I think you have a career as a trapeze artist in your future,” Marcus told Bobby as he climbed into the car. “I hear girls like men in unitards.”
Bobby grinned. “I bet you fifty bucks that you couldn't make that jump.” Jade rolled her eyes and put the car in drive.
Zander pulled up to Vicki's house and honked the horn.
“I'm glad you’re coming with us. I know it's just a local Thanksgiving Eve party, but we'll have fun,” Rayley said. She was grateful he had set aside other plans to be with her. She knew he was having a difficult time adjusting to college life, but if anyone could find a way to succeed, it was her brother.
Zander had pretended to drag his feet about attending the party. He didn’t admit that he had a newfound appreciation for his little town after a semester of college. “It's no problem. I'm happy to hang out with you.” He silently said to himself that he hoped to be hanging out with Jade, too.
Vicki opened the side door and stepped into the car. “Hey, Zander. You survived your first few weeks in college!” She reached across the middle console to give Zander a hug. He put his hands up to stop her.
“What's this?” Zander motioned toward Vicki's face.
Vicki smiled. “I got a new lip gloss.” She reached across Rayley's seat and pulled down the sun visor. She smacked her lips as she examined herself in the mirror.
It was more than a new lip gloss. Vicki had always looked mature, but with dark black eyeliner, mascara and red lips, she looked more than just older. “Why are you wearing that?”
She glared at him from the corner of her eye. “I'm sorry, Zander. We weren't going to stay sophomore babies forever. We're juniors now. Besides, Nick likes it.”
Zander fumed because she hit the nail on the head. He didn’t want Rayley and Vicki to look overly sexy, like other girls he knew. “Who's Nick?”
“He's a senior at school. You don't know him.”
Zander looked at Rayley. He breathed a sigh of relief because she was only wearing clear lip gloss. “Do you approve of her new look?” he asked.
Rayley gave her best friend a big smile. “I think she looks sweet.” She relaxed when her brother didn't say more. She hated confrontation.
Fresh concern for the party prickled to the surface of Zander's mind. He had expected to come back as an experienced college guy while everyone at home stayed the same, but maybe he was wrong.
“Zander, how's school? Do you have a girlfriend?” Vicki asked. She wiggled her eyebrows at him in the rearview mirror.
“No girlfriend,” Zander replied.
“Are you still hung up on Jade Miller?” Vicki asked. She didn't give him a chance to respond. “Remember last Thanksgiving Eve? You spent the night swooning over her, and then she ghosted you for the rest of the year.”
“I did not swoon,” Zander said. He remembered the night like it was yesterday. Jade had shared a secret with him. He felt the connection, even if she ignored him for the rest of the year. He would never forget her.
“Hopefully, she doesn't make an appearance tonight,” Vicki said as Zander put the car in park. He couldn’t disagree more.
Why had Zander wanted to see people from high school? He wasn't friends with them then; why would they care about him now?
What made it worse was that Vicki and Rayley had turned into regular high school party-goers. Vicki tossed back beers like a professional, joining the games of beer pong and Rayley–while better behaved–was Vicki's silly sidekick. The two of them looked right at home, while Zander stood awkwardly in the corner of the room.
Zander decided it was time for some fresh air when Vicki's “friend” Nick put his tongue down her throat. This sent Zander into high-school-party overload, and he opened the screen door and stepped outside.
“Zander Stein?” so
meone asked from the lawn chair on the deck. He would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Jade?”
She stood to give him a hug. Jade hadn’t thought about Zander in a long time. He had been background noise to the drama of her high school years, sharing just one night exactly a year ago. He’d been sweet and non-judgmental while she blew off steam at last year's party. There was a connection between them, but he was collateral damage from her ongoing battle with her mother.
Zander’s arms tingled as Jade's arms brushed against them as she wrapped him in a hug. “You got taller!” she yelped.
He smiled because he had been hoping someone would notice. “My growth spurt came late.” Zander couldn't believe his words were forming full sentences. Maybe he had changed! “I was hoping to see you.”
When Jade's lips tipped up, Zander's heart fluttered. He had said the right thing without stuttering or seeing black dots. He didn't need everyone to notice his transformation. The only person that mattered was Jade.
“You were?” Jade looked at the ground. The way he gazed into her eyes made her nervous. It was both flattering and unnerving. She could never live up to the expectations behind them. He knew her as the person she portrayed in high school, and he also knew that girl wasn't truly her.
Zander wondered if Jade knew how overwhelmingly beautiful she was. “What are you doing outside?” A cold wind chilled the air, foreshadowing the onset of winter.
The corners of Jade's lips dipped. “I’m not into the party scene. How about you?” She went back to the lawn chair, pulling her knees to her chest.
In a single moment, Jade had put a wall between them. He felt its imposing presence. He pulled a chair next to her and sat down. Wall or not, he was going to salvage the night.
All Shadows Eve Page 3