He bowed his head as if to better observe me. I still did not understand what was happening to me.
"Uh...okay. Thank you," I stammered with difficulty.
I nodded at him while making an effort to try to find two more words to say to him, but it was impossible. Faïz frowned in a moment of doubt and then turned on his heels to get back to the stairs. Zoe, pull yourself together! I was generally unimpressive, but the feeling I felt at that moment made me angry. I absolutely had to keep control of this coming school year.
When I arrived in my room, I took my toilet bag out of my suitcase, along with some pajamas. I went to my private bathroom and prepared to go to sleep. Once in my bed, I couldn't help but think about Faïz's face. It obsessed me. I finally fell into a heavy sleep.
That Sunday began with storing of my luggage. Lily had asked me during yesterday's dinner if I wanted to accompany her and her daughter to church that morning. I’d declined the invitation politely without explaining that my faith had been shaken for a long time. Then I started to put away my supplies, classes, and paperwork so that everything would be ready for the next day.
I took a quick look at my alarm clock on the dresser and noticed that it was already late. In my shower, I saw myself again in front of Faïz, a loser, unable to start any conversation. On my way out, I put on shorts, a wide black tank top with the portrait of Notorious B.I.G. drawn on it, and my sneakers. In front of the mirror, I pulled my long curly hair back with my pliers, which brought out my green eyes. I was feeling more like myself. At that moment, I heard the front door close again. I concluded that Lily and Victoria had just returned from church.
Downstairs, I found Victoria on the terrace, near the pool with her mother. I didn't see Charles or Faïz. Part of me was disappointed, which annoyed me. I'm not going to get attached to the first guy I meet in Los Angeles! Miss Arlette had prepared a hearty brunch for us, which she had set up on the large outdoor table.
"Hello, Zoe. Did you have a good night? You're so cute."
Lily, under her big sunglasses, had a smile that I described as magical because she conveyed a good mood all around her.
"Yes, I was actually exhausted," I replied as I sat down.
"I love your shorts!" added Victoria.
"Thank you, I hope to find more in this city."
We talked about the weather and the sun of California during brunch. Everything seemed simple to them. Lily then proposed to go for a walk as soon as her husband returned to the villa.
"Where did they go?" I asked in a reserved tone, speaking of Charles and Faïz.
Victoria told me that her father was still at work and didn't really know what weekends were like.
"Yes, it's a shame!" sighed Lily.
"And Faïz?"
"My brother must be with Rachelle right now."
I gave her an interrogating look.
"His girlfriend!" Victoria said in a slow voice.
"Ah!"
I pretended not to be affected by this confession, but deep down, my blood boiled. After all, what had I expected?
After the hearty brunch, I went back to my room and took the opportunity to call my father. He must have been worried sick. He answered directly.
"Zoe! I didn't sleep all night," he shouted immediately. "How are you? How is your host family with you?"
"Dad, I'm fine," I reassured him. "You know, with the jet lag, I preferred to wait to call you. If you only knew. I'm in a beautiful villa. Elora seems to be a quiet and timeless neighborhood. The Mattew family is just great."
As I was talking to my father near the bay window, Victoria invited herself into my room. I nodded to her to make her settle in. She picked up the frame I had put by my bed that morning. An old picture of my mother and me, together.
"Dad, it's better to communicate by email. I'll call you back within the week. Kiss Grandma Dunia for me. I am thinking of you all the time."
I hung up. Victoria must not have understood anything, since our conversation was in Spanish.
"Is this your mother?" she asked me, brandishing the frame.
I nodded. Victoria looked at the picture and asked hesitantly,
"You ever talk to her sometimes?"
I was surprised by Victoria's question. I hesitated for a moment before answering her.
"Only in my sleep. I find her in my dreams and it's like she never left. I can almost touch her because it feels so real to me. It's strange when I think about it."
My heart tightened and Victoria didn't insist. I appreciated her discretion on the subject. Her understanding look was enough.
We decided to go for a walk on the heights of Los Angeles as soon as Charles arrived at the villa in the early afternoon. We abandoned Lily's Mustang for the family's black Escalade. Through the tinted glass, I admired the landscape with its peaceful coast made of a long stretch of beaches and cliffs. The Escalade climbed up the hills to the north of the city, revealing only the low roofs of the houses below us.
When we arrived at Griffith Park, almost three hundred meters above sea level, west of Los Feliz Boulevard, we parked in the observatory's parking lot. This one dominated the city with a spectacular view of three hundred and sixty degrees, which took my breath away. I breathed a deep breath, realizing that everything was real. In the distance, I saw on the south side the sign "Hollywood" in capital letters. I grabbed my smartphone to capture this moment with a photo.
"You like that?" Lily asked as she approached me.
"Yes, this architectural style is not common. It reminds me of a mixture between several cultures," I replied.
"You have keen observation skills," said Lily, "indeed, it is a mixture of two styles, Art Deco and Egyptian. The rendering is unique."
While Charles and Victoria were walking a little further away, Lily took the opportunity to say a few words to me.
"Zoe, I want you to know that if you need to confide in anyone about anything, we're here for you. You are part of our family. This year, there will inevitably be many ups and downs and I hope...very few downs." She hesitated at the end of her sentence.
"Thank you, Lily. You have welcomed me so well. I know how lucky I am."
She put one hand behind my back and smiled at me tenderly.
"Going thousands of miles away from home has been the only way to hope to move forward in my life since my mother's death," I added.
"I can imagine that. You must miss her very much."
"Yes, and it was only three years later and on the heights of LA that I really realized it," I admitted, saddened.
Lily hugged me, which comforted me more than any words. We then continued the visit for a few hours with Charles and Victoria. The astrological museum in the belly of the observatory surprised me with its pedagogical approach to earth. As dusk gradually fell on the city at the end of the afternoon, the sky began to change colors, giving a dazzling new spectacle. As I walked down to the parking lot, a bronze statue of a man looking at the horizon caught my attention. Below it was written "The Black Shadow."
"Who is he?" I asked the three family members.
They continued to walk in the direction of the SUV without stopping. I then perceived a certain uneasiness over them.
"Black Shadow," Charles confided to me after a few seconds of silence, "he is the guardian of this city, according to its inhabitants."
"Like a superhero?" I persisted.
"You could say that. Who's hungry? I suggest we get some pizzas tonight!" exclaimed Lily, obviously in a hurry to change the subject.
Back in Elora, I sat next to Lily around the living room table. After only a few minutes, the front door opened and Faïz appeared. The latter, dressed in jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt, seemed more relaxed than last night. His intense gaze was on me. I gave him a shy and polite smile.
"Good evening," he said.
He went to kiss his mother's forehead. Lily gazed at him with a maternal look. He then addressed me, without even looking at me.
"Tomorr
ow, I'll take you to class. We'll have to drop Victoria off at her high school first."
He went to the terrace without waiting for an answer from me. That was when Lily nodded for me to follow him outside.
"Go and join him," she whispered to me, "you must both get to know each other!"
I complied. Outside, as I approached him, my hands became sweaty. The night had fallen, leaving a fresh atmosphere in the air. I gently closed the bay window behind me.
"How is Baylor University?" I began the conversation.
Sitting on the bench facing the pool, Faïz remained imperturbable. Unlike him, I preferred to stand.
"Well...there's everything you need. Which major did you choose?"
He glance at me.
"Journalism. And you?"
"International trade."
He took off his shirt, showing a much more muscular torso than I'd expected, and straightened up. As he unbuttoned his jeans, I turned around by reflex, observing what the Mattew were doing in the living room. Lily and her daughter were having a peaceful conversation. Charles had simply disappeared, probably in his office upstairs. When I turned around again, I discovered Faïz in swimming shorts.
"Are you coming for a swim?" he asked me, even though he already knew my answer.
I cleared my throat.
"Not tonight," I replied, uncomfortable in front of his nakedness.
As he passed in front of me, our eyes met and his smile vanished. I decided to turn to get inside the villa. Through the reflection of the glass, I perceived an indescribable expression on his face, as if he was letting me go reluctantly.
During the meal, Charles reappeared. As for Faïz, he had joined us after changing his clothes. It was the first time in twenty-four hours that all the members of this family were reunited, although Faïz stood back a little, very attentive to the news on television. It was reported that a gang member had been arrested for kidnapping and other barbaric acts against several people from another ethnic community. When asked, the chief of police talked about a punching operation. At the end of his interview, he thanked the many journalists and the useful help of "The Black Shadow." I noticed, at that moment, Charles's eyes on his son.
"I have to go," Faïz said in a disillusioned tone.
"Darling?" worried his mother.
"I have to take a few things to my room. I'll come back tomorrow,” he said, speaking to her.
After wishing Victoria, Lily, and Charles a good evening, I decided to take a nice shower. Upstairs, passing in front of Faïz's room and without knowing why, I decided to knock on his door. Part of me wanted to see him one last time. Without an answer, I allowed myself to enter without authorization. His intoxicating smell permeated the room. I touched one of his jackets with a hesitant hand. Everything was carefully tidied up, yet my gaze fell on a large, closed badly cardboard folder, which revealed a few papers. The desire to take a look at it was stronger than anything else.
With my heart pounding, I looked around the room and began to consult the documents at hand. They were police reports, with photos. Each one was dated and its location noted. On several of them, there were different groups of men, and the investigation summary was at the very end of the file. A face caught my attention. Impossible. The guy who had just been arrested on television was in one of the photographs. It was the same man. What was the Mattew's son doing with such documents in his possession?
"Get out of here right now!" exclaimed a furious voice behind me.
Faïz's serious and authoritative tone froze me. I turned around slowly with a look full of questions.
"I knocked. There was no one there, and—" I tried to defend myself in vain.
He stood up straight, his eyes so dark that I was afraid of him.
"Get out!" he barked.
I rushed out of the room. As I crossed the threshold of the door, I turned around to face him.
"Faïz..."
He slammed the door violently without me being able to ask him anything.
Lying in my bed, angry, I asked many questions, trying to understand the information I had seen in his room. Who are you, Faïz? His face, his smile, his look, so difficult to support... I could describe my feelings towards him as a disturbing psychosis. The Mattew family had secrets, I could feel it. By turning around in the bed, I finally managed to find my sleep, the only time I could see and talk to my mother again.
FAÏZ
He held his head in his hands, pacing around in his loft overlooking Downtown. Faïz felt as if he were losing control. She could have discovered everything, and this in only twenty-four hours, he thought. We will have to be more careful in the future. She looked so different from the others, as the Callis had described her. This time, his charm and assets would not be enough to keep this young woman away from all his secrets. He wanted to punch the wall with his fist, but he knew that the wall would not resist. He had to hold back, choosing to go and put cold water on his face to calm himself. Wiping himself with a towel, he faced his reflection in the mirror, his jaw tight. He hated himself.
In his bed, Zoe's gaze filled his mind. The anger gradually gave way to a strange feeling he didn't know. A slight smile appeared on his face when he saw her dressed in that tank top with that famous rapper drawn on it. At that moment, he thought of Rachelle, the impression of betraying her overwhelming him. As a couple for more than three years, he had become attached to her. Yet Zoe made him feel something else. Tomorrow, he would have to make the change without letting anything appear. His phone vibrated and he read the message quickly. Information to be transmitted. It was the code that Inspector Karl Barthey sent him when he needed him. He'd see him tomorrow after classes. When he closed his eyes, an incisive, emerald-green look invited itself into his sleep.
2
I woke up and opened my curtains wide. I will never get used to this sight, I thought, admiring the view of the ocean, which seemed to rise with the sun. After a good shower, I dressed quickly with military lattice pants, open boots, and a tank top. I put my big bracelets on my wrist and decided to hide my long curly hair for a change. I put a scarf around my head as a bandana to contain my big hair. Two small knocks sounded on the door.
"Hi, Zoe," Victoria said.
She looked at me with a certain admiration. I smiled at her and invited her to come into my room. Maybe she'd like us both to go shopping. We'd have to plan it for a weekend.
It smelled like coffee and hot bread in the living room. Lily got up from the table and came to greet us.
"Are you girls all right? Ah, Zoe, at this time of day it's better to eat indoors, because it's a little chilly outside. I suggest you put on a little jacket this morning when you go to class."
We sat down around the table and started chatting together. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and Faïz appeared in the room. His utopian beauty bewitched me. I would have liked to remain insensitive to his charms, but it was impossible. He was in a good mood, his anger from the previous day seeming to have disappeared. He greeted me with courtesy. He sat down with us and he grabbed a slice of peanut butter toast.
"Victoria, how's your chemistry presentation going this week? We can study it tonight if you want." he said.
He looked at his sister protectively and she replied with a cheerful nod. Faïz got up from his chair without saying another word and left the room.
I put on my black leather perfecto before to going the Escalade where Faïz was waiting for us. Victoria sat in the back, leaving me the passenger seat. She took out her books and started to study. On the way, the radio played a series of hits. I was dying to ask him a thousand questions, but with Victoria in the back, it was totally impossible. His fragrance filled the cabin. I smelled it discreetly. The closer we got to university, the more my anguish grew. Everyone had already known each other for a week. I sighed deeply.
"You will probably see groups already formed, but it shouldn't discourage you. Be friendly and reach out to others. Everything will be fine," Faïz
reassured me.
I was troubled. He knew exactly what I was thinking. As the car stopped at a red light, I took a quick look at him.
"Thank you," I whispered.
After several dozen minutes of silent travel, we arrived in front of Victoria High School.
"Good day," Victoria said as she got out of the SUV.
"I'll see you tonight," I replied.
Faïz left immediately.
"We'll be there in a quarter of an hour," he said.
I noticed that it took us almost twenty minutes to get to Victoria High School from Elora. After a few moments of deathlike silence, I decided to talk to him.
"You know, about last night. I wanted to apologize."
"You often walk into people’s rooms like that?"
"No!" I frowned, offended. "Actually, I just wanted to see you, and I'm telling you, I knocked first!"
"Why?" he grumbled.
"W…Why?"
"Why did you want to see me?"
I didn’t know what to say to him. My pulse accelerated. I didn't know the answer myself.
"To say good night," I replied shyly.
Damn it, Zoe, you couldn't have done better! Shamefully, I would have liked to disappear into the back of my seat.
"Don't ever do that again!" he warned me.
Deep down, I tried to convince myself with conviction that it would be the only time. We finished the journey in silence. Faïz disappeared into his thoughts, his mood dark again.
Baylor University was written big on the building in front of us. Its Romanesque Revival style made the building imposing. The neat architecture with its bucolic appearance, embellished by countless statues, dominated a gigantic campus. A few meters further on, I saw a church. It was really strange that the two buildings mixed in this different environment. In front of the university entrance, Faïz regained the use of his voice.
"Send a message if there's any trouble. Don't hesitate, okay?"
"I can also run. I haven't changed my phone package yet. I was planning to solve that problem within the week." I grinned.
DARK FAÏZ Book 1: Every hero has his legend Page 2