by A. M. Hooper
“Gosh, girl. Watch the road, would ya? Or at least just stay on your side, eh?” Marian replied nonchalantly. I glanced sideways at my friend. She didn’t know I had just had a crazy person moment, but somehow I was offended she didn’t know. Marian was a good friend, but she more often than not noticed more about herself than anyone else. I looked back to the road as she giggled a little and flipped the mirror back down.
“So what do you think?” she asked, interrupting my reverie.
“What?” I asked. A confused look marred my face as I snapped back into reality. “What did you say?”
“Oh my gosh, girl. Have you not heard a work I’ve been saying?” Marian retorted, drawing out the beginning of every word. Her eyes were wide and her mouth elongated as she related her previous concern.
“I said—I’m thinking about wearing that black shirt to the bonfire tomorrow night. You know, the one that comes all low right here and makes my waist look super skinny?” Her hands moved to emphasize her imaginary neckline and waist. “So, what do you think?” she asked persistently.
“Yeah, I think it’s super cute,” I replied with a smile. She would just be wearing a sweatshirt anyway. But I must have been thinking quite illogically—clearly. After all, what if she had to remove her hoodie for thirty seconds? I rolled my eyes at the thought and an exasperated sigh escaped my lips as I finally relaxed in the seat. I couldn’t wait for high school to end. I openly hoped, though secretly doubted, the world might hold something more than superficial and vain people. I breathed in the familiar smell of musty seat covers and watermelon scented car trees to clear the depression from my mind, then made a mental note to vacuum the floors when I got the chance. The car slowed as I pulled up next to the cracked driveway.
“Alright, girl—I’ll see ya tomorrow at the party. But hey, call me ‘k. I need to help you find something to wear.” Marian flashed a perfect smile and grabbed her bag. She jumped out and waved as she walked backwards, holding her pink and thumb up to her right ear and mouthing ‘call me’ as she turned to walk up the front steps. I rolled my eyes with a small laugh and slammed the car into first gear. The old, blue car’s tires spun as they struggled to grip the gravel beneath them. Dust flew up in a cloud of smoke as the back end of the small car slid across the ground with force. I sped away, accelerating as fast as possible. The little four-cylinder pushed harder and harder, the speedometer increasing with every second. My small hand gripped the stick, manually switching the gears. Adrenaline pumped faster and faster through my heart with each gear change. A slight smile crossed my lips as I reached to turn up the music. I cranked the volume knob and tapped my right hand to the beat, making up lyrics to the familiar tune. I moved the stick into the last gear and my foot switched in sync.
Out of the corner of my eye, red and blue lights flashed behind me. Great—here we go again. If I was driving a nice car, they wouldn’t pull me over, but since I was driving an old beater . . . Hitting the radio in frustration, I slowed the car and eased over to the side of the road. White sunglasses covered the look of disgust in my eyes as I watched the oversized, blue uniform step out of the white Ford car and slowly meander over to my window.
“How’s it goin’ today, officer?” I asked sweetly. A forced smile crossed my face as the officer leaned on the open window and peered in.
“Goin’ a little fast, weren’t ya’?” the man in blue inquired in a drawled voice. He was chewing a toothpick, which he promptly removed from his mouth to point towards me.
“How old are you, little ‘miss?” His lips elongated with every word, spit attempting to make its way out of its disgusting cage. I tried to visibly move away from the flailing toothpick of spit and wood.
“I’m seventeen and a half, sir.” I smiled and tilted my head. “You know, officer, I was just a little frustrated—that’s why I was driving so fast.” I lifted my sunglasses to the top of my head.
“My boyfriend is being so awful, and I just wish somebody understood. But nobody does, and I . . . I . . .” I allowed short sobs to erupt from my mouth. “I’m sorry, officer. I just . . .”
“Oh, don’t you worry yer purty little head,” the uniformed man relied. “Just . . . just don’t cry.” He stood up straight and looked around, a look of worry on his face as I let out a short sob.
“Ah, shoot,” he murmured, kicking the gravel with his worn cowboy boot. “You just slow down a mite, and go talk to yer mother about it,” the officer stammered as he backed away from the car. He tipped his hat and walked quickly back to his own car. He tipped his hat and walked briskly back to his own car. I smirked as he walked away, my white teeth glinting in a victory grin. Pulling my sunglasses back into place, I eyed my rear view mirror before pulling out onto the highway. Wow, what a sucker.
I wiped a fake tear from my face, silently gloating at my sweet escape. I raised my sunglasses to look in the mirror, wiping at the slightly smeared mascara. I couldn’t even count the number of times I had gotten out of speeding tickets. I giggled a little, but my voice caught in my throat. Another tear slipped across my cheek. ‘Go talk to your mother about it,’ he had said. I watched my face scrunch up with emotion. A frown crossed my brow and upturned my mouth. I straightened my furrowed eyebrows and tore my gaze away from the mirror, trying to clear my mind. Stop thinking about, Emmaline, I coaxed my fragile emotions. Usually once I started crying, I couldn’t stop. That all happened a long time ago, anyway. I gripped the steering wheel and shook my head to clear my mind. I turned my attention back to the road as I pushed the gas pedal farther to the floor, reveling in the rush of the quick acceleration.
I veered right, entering onto the highway. Woods Bay, Montana was a small town filled with a small amount of people who led very small lives. Nobody did much in Woods Bay; if somebody did head off to college, h only moved about one hundred miles south to Missoula. Most of my neighbors were retired or ‘drove truck’ as they called it. I was born in Woods Bay—well, in Kalispell, really, because no hospital existed in Woods Bay. In fact, Woods Bay couldn’t even boast a grocery store. The only big thing about Woods Bay was Flathead Lake. All of the houses lined the lake’s edge, so most docks were private. I went to school in Big Fork, and my dad bought groceries in Kalispell, though that wasn’t very often. We mostly ate Chinese. The people in Woods Bay spoke in drawled voices, like the police officer who pulled me over, but my mother had never let me develop a ‘twang.’ She wasn’t from here. Lucky. I slammed on the breaks as I entered the gravel driveway. My mother would make me chocolate chip cookies right now if she were here.
Breathe, Emmaline, Breath. I took a deep breath and relaxed into my seat, then threw open the car door. My footsteps pattered across the walkway that led up to my front door. The pathway wound around the corner of our white stucco house to two white, stucco columns. A pair of lush, green plants sat beside the dark, wooden door. Original stained glass filled the space above the door, colored with blue, purple, and green. When the sun shone through the glass, a kaleidoscope of colors reflected onto the wall directly behind the door. But the sun wasn’t shining right now. I pushed open the heavy door and dropped my book bag on the entry table. I walked down the hallway to peer into the living room.
“Dad!” I called, flipping on the living room light. He was forever ‘saving’ electricity. “Dad!” I shouted again, though I could never be even the slightest bit put out about my father, regardless of his annoying habit to always work in the dark.
“In here, pumpkin,” a deep, resonating voice replied. I made my way to the office. The man sat in a large, black chair at an old, wooden desk. He leaned over a paper and studied it, his eyes close to the desk. Sleek, black-rimmed glasses sat atop his prominent nose while a pen twitched in his hovering hand. His dark hair stuck out in every direction, contradicting the stern concentration that marked his square jaw. He was quite handsome for forty-three. Dark eyes peered through the glasses as he glanced up, an easy smile flashing across his bronzed face.
“How’s my girl?” he asked, his arm opening up for a familiar hug. I smiled and walked over to my father, giving him a quick embrace. He held me away from him and eyed my facial features. His eyes twinkled, then softened.
“You look so much like your mother,” he said nostalgically. I rolled my eyes and pushed away.
“Oh, Dad. You know I look just like you,” I rejoined. “I’m going upstairs.”
“Don’t you want dinner?” he asked worriedly. “I got your favorite.” He smirked and nodded towards the kitchen.
“You did?” A grin spread across my childish face. I ran to the kitchen and began opening cartons of food.
“Dad, hurry! It’ll get cold!”
Chapter 2
“Girl! What are you wearing?” The exasperated look on Marian’s seemingly flawless face made me laugh. I looked down at the oversized, gray hoodie. The words “Princeton University” were fading with age. Grabbing at the bottom of the old piece of clothing to get a better view of the writing, I looked up sheepishly.
“You don’t like it?” I asked innocently. The nearby fire highlighted the cracking letters.
“I said to wear something attractive, not that old, hideous thing!”
“I know, but—” I began to protest.
“I don’t wanna hear it,” Marian replied, throwing her hands up in the air. “I don’t know why Chase even dates you. You can’t dress and you hate social events. Here—put this on, at least.” Marian spritzed a small bottle of perfume and I twirled in the mist.
“It’s because I have ambition, and he’s afraid his basketball skills won’t take him anywhere. He’s going to need a sugar momma,” I laughed.
“You are so crazy,” Marian giggled. “Come on, we’re missing out on the fun!”
We ran over towards the fire. Our giggles carried into the deep, open sky, disappearing into the gray clouds that drifted through the lavender sky. Smoke wafted up and up and up, twinkling stars sprinkling the purple with heavenly light. Small fireflies began to dance around the low, green grass, and sparks from the crackling fire drifted upward as the ginger glow lit the darkening night. I stared up into the peacefulness, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. My hands rested inside the front pockets of my old, hideous sweatshirt. I laughed silently at Marian’s outrage. I knew she was only looking out for my best interest. Chase did have standards, after all, and I did need to look like I at least put a little bit of time into myself.
Marian’s comment rang tirelessly through my head as the heat from the growing fire warmed my eyelids. ‘I don’t know why Chase even dates you,’ she had said. Why did he? Perhaps that was a better question than why I dated him. I wasn’t the kind of girl who put out, and I did, indeed, loathe social activities. Maybe he did just want to live off of me when he didn’t go anywhere. But what was my excuse? I guess I was just playing the part to get through high school. I didn’t plan on living in this boring town forever. My name would be lost forever on the wind the day after graduation. Maybe I was trying to feel something again after my mother died, but then, I knew my father loved me. Maybe I was screwed up and shallow. I laughed silently at the thought, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. The air was calm, the woods silent. Only a gentle breeze rustled the pines’ prickly leaves. My long, dark hair fluttered over my shoulder, gently curling around my ivory skin. I felt more out here from the gentle breeze than I ever had in Chase’s arms. Feeling something must not be the answer, then. A deep breath caught in my throat and my eyes flashed open to assess the sudden touch on my shoulders. The feeling of fear replaced my body’s calm feeling.
“Emma? Silly girl, haha.” Chase chuckled as he squeezed me playfully around my arms and grabbed me by the hand. “Come over here and meet someone.”
I followed obediently and blinked to recover from my fright.
“You scared me,” I laughed.
“Oh,” he replied. “My bad,” he mumbled, nodding to a friend as we passed. I looked at the hand that clasped mine. It was a big hand, a capable hand, attached to a muscular arm clothed in a dark blue, long-sleeved, cotton t-shirt. A new pair of black basketball shorts with red stripes down the sides, as well as worn red basketball shoes, completed the outfit. An ever present, light blue baseball cap sat backwards atop his head and bleach blonde hair poked out the sides. Colorful skin showed in the glow of the approaching fire. He was the type of guy every girl dreamed of being with. His dark eyes beamed with charm and his personality burst with charisma. Somehow, though, his flattering words and overwhelming stature faded in glory as time progressed. Chase sure knew how to have a good time, and his basketball skills were more than sufficient. I was somehow stuck in this situation, though, always behaving contrary to my personality. The thought crossed my mind that I didn’t want anyone to know my personality. Did anyone? If people knew my real personality, if people really got to know me, with all my quirks and follies, would anyone really like me? It was easier to be liked just because I was Chase’s girlfriend.
I was drawn out of my reverie when our walk was brought to a halt by the tug of Chase’s large hand.
“This is one of the new guys,” Chase announced. He nodded toward a guy at the other end of the circle that encompassed the varsity basketball team. A figure stood from the bar he was leaning on and turned towards Chase’s voice. He took a step forward and stopped, his eyes widening. He squinted his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His eyes pierced mine—I took a step back and my eyes narrowed. Why was he staring at me? If Chase noticed . . . My breath caught in my throat and I looked directly into a pair of captivating, blue eyes. A swirl of cerulean and azure painted perfect circles that contracted into a deep, black center. The fire danced across his eyes. I was mesmerized. I couldn’t think, and I could barely breathe. I attempted unsuccessfully to tear my gaze away—I had never seen such allure in one person’s being. Though I felt quite stupid, I couldn’t help myself—my knees began to go weak. I cleared my throat and looked away. The handsome figure looked toward Chase, who didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
“This is Cephas,” Chase motioned towards him. “He’s the new guard on our team—just moved here. Cephas, this is my girl, Emma.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” he mumbled, then looked abruptly away. He stared off toward the distant mountain, his eyes retaining a look of concern. I looked sideways at him and allowed my eyes to travel up and down his body. He wore new basketball shoes, but new basketball shoes. Chase always wore old shoes—he said he played better in his old, lucky shoes—maybe this guy just got new shoes, but why was he wearing them to a bonfire? Maybe he wasn’t too bright—that was entirely possible. I dismissed the thought and continued with my observations. A long-sleeved t-shirt clung to his toned arms—his clothing seemed to match the people around him, but something was different. His head was shaven, and his chiseled jaw line fell into a smooth circle at his chin, maturing his facial features. His cheek bones pointed towards dark, furrowed eyebrows. His pink mouth pursed together in concentration. What could he be thinking about that was so important at a bonfire? How much could a basketball player have to think about anyway? Wow, that was rude. I was dating a basketball player, after all. Then maybe he wasn’t really a basketball player? No—Chase put him on the team, so he had to be a good player. His deep concentration was disconcerting.
I felt eyes on me and jolted from my mindless thinking. I seemed to do that quite often (think privately in public, that is). Our eyes met. Why was he looking at me like that? Cephas looked away and the left corner of his mouth turned up into a slight smile. He glanced once more at me, then followed Chase, who was beckoning him to join them in jumping over the rather large bonfire. I waited until his back was turned, then watched him go. He jogged easily over toward the group of hormone-filled boys to join in the competition.
“Hey! What have you been up to?” Marian bounded over towards me, shoving me playfully before tucking her hair behind her ears. “And who was tha
t cutie you were talking to?” she asked with excitement.
“Cephas,” I mumbled, still watching the group intently.
“What? Cephas, eh? Kind of a drab name, don’t ya think?” Marian asked nonchalantly. I didn’t respond; at least, I don’t think I did.
“Hmmm. Well, you wanna go cheer for Chase?” Marian grabbed my hand and dragged me to the log near the bonfire. We sat on the makeshift bench and smiled and laughed, clapping our hands when Chase cleared the fire, booing when a freshman cheated. I was good at playing the part, and I sometimes fancied I was actually enjoying myself. At least Marian made me seem fun. I shook my head, trying to focus on the trivial game taking place in front of me. Cephas seemed to stand back, lingering near the back of the line. Was he scared? I found my eyes frequently traveling to the back of the line, intrigued that this newcomer didn’t try to prove himself like the others. My musings didn’t last long, however. Chase’s sense of competition got the best of him. He tired of beating everyone, so he challenged the newest member of the team.
“Cephas!” he shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Why don’t you jump over the fire?”
Cephas let out a low chuckle and waved him off. Chase, however, was not one to give up so easily: he protested adamantly.
“Come on, Cephas. It’s not a big deal. Are ya’ scared?” he jeered. An evil smile crept across his face. Cephas looked up from where he leaned carelessly against a nearby tree and rolled his eyes. Jumping the fire appeared to be a burden to him rather than a fun competition. He walked towards the fire and was about to start running.
“Wait,” Chase interrupted, halting his competitor. “I know you can jump the fire, so let’s raise the stakes.”