by Shayla Hyde
I glanced around Iris at Kaden. There were a couple of girls cornering him, but he was ignoring their advances for the most part. His textbook was closed even though there was no way he could have finished reading already. He'd only been sitting down for a few minutes. He must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked directly at me. I quickly darted my attention back to Iris who luckily hadn't noticed my attention had drifted elsewhere.
"We have Literature, Gym, and History together," she told me with a smile.
She showed me exactly how to get to my next class using the campus map. I took my schedule and map back from her when she was done and folded them into tiny squares that I could fit in my pocket.
"Thanks, Iris," I smiled, "I'll find my way."
Mr. Axton was struggling to hold his eyes open at his desk despite all the chatter going on in the classroom. What Iris said about his dislike for Mondays must have been pretty accurate. I noticed that no one else in the room was reading their pages at that point, but I read as many pages as I could before the bell rang. I made a mental note to bring my textbook home. The sudden realization that I would be alone when I got there made my heart twinge slightly.
The rest of the school day went by smoothly. I found all my classes without too much trouble. I sat with Iris in the cafeteria, and we ran laps together in the gym. Overall, she was an immense help and I was pleased I’d made a friend so quickly.
When the final bell rang, and it was time to go home, Iris and I walked to our lockers. She was rambling on and on about different things while I put in my combination. I shoved what I'd be needing to take home with me in my backpack and the rest in my locker. Iris was in the middle of a funny story when she suddenly fell silent. It was one of the few times all day that she had stopped talking.
Surprised, I glanced over at her. Her eyes were focused on someone or something behind me, and her chin was noticeably trembling. "Are you okay?" I asked, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. When she didn't respond, I looked over my shoulder. The hallway was cleared out for the most part, but I did exchange glances with a pretty girl. She was of average height with long platinum hair that reached her lower back and ocean blue eyes that were sparkling in the fluorescent hallway lights. Her skin was a shade of olive, and her body was shroud in expensive clothing. Her rosy red lips were stretched into a smile.
She was walking with a tall and slender brunette guy wearing a navy-blue baseball cap. He had his eyes on the girl and a smile on his face as well. When their backs were to us, I faced Iris again. She was choking back tears.
"Hey, what is it?" I said, taking her forearm in my hand.
"That guy is my ex-boyfriend, Jake Johnson. We just broke up last week," she stammered, "but I guess he's already over it."
I glanced back at Jake and the blonde. They were already exiting the building together.
"What a jackass," I shook my head, "who is the blonde?"
"I've never seen her before," she shrugged and wiped at her eyes with her shirt sleeve.
I found myself at a loss for words. I didn't know Iris or the situation well enough to offer any advice. So, I said the only thing I could think of. "You know what, you've been such a help today that I want to buy you some ice cream," I looped my arm through hers.
She sniffled and let out a soft giggle. "For real?"
"Yes, for real," I smiled, and then I got a not-so-bright idea, "There's an ice cream shop at the mall I went to a couple of days ago. We could go there."
She giggled again and nodded, "Okay, yeah. Deal.”
Side-by-side, we exited the school building. Jake and Blondey were out of sight and out of mind by now. I was glad for Iris's sake.
"Did you drive here?" Iris asked, scanning the parking lot.
"Yeah, my bicycle," I chuckled, pointing to where I'd left it.
She laughed, "We can just take my truck. I won’t make you try keeping up with me on your bike."
"Thanks," I smiled, skipping toward my bicycle.
"We can load your bike up in my truck, and I can drop you off at your place afterward if you want," she offered.
Thankful for her offer, I agreed. The temperature outside had risen significantly since that morning. Iris went ahead to get her truck while I grabbed my bike. I was alarmed when a black Dodge truck flew past me going dangerously fast. I wasn't surprised to see Jake, Iris's ex, sitting in the driver's seat. I rolled my eyes at his recklessness. I peeked over my shoulder to see if Iris was on her way over yet. I didn't see her, but I did see someone else that I hadn't seen since that morning in Literature class. Across the parking lot from me, Kaden was leaning against a chain-link fence. He seemed to be in an intense argument with someone in the silver Mercedes Benz parked next to him. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but his expression was ice cold.
My curiosity got the best of me. I tried to act busy while I watched the situation unravel. Suddenly, the Mercedes floored backward and burned rubber to the front of the school building. A guy I quickly recognized by his letterman jacket exited the school and paused by the vehicle. It was Bradley Clark, my neighbor.
He conversed shortly with the driver before opening the passenger's side door and hopping in the vehicle. The car quickly sped away, and when it paused at the caution light exiting the high school, I saw Blondey from the hallway sitting in the driver's seat. I grimaced and quickly assumed she was playing the field, literally.
I checked the parking lot for Bradley’s metallic Mustang with the tinted windows, and I noticed it just on the outskirts of the parking lot resting on top of a grassy hill. Probably not legal, but whatever. "You coming?" Iris called out, breaking my daze.
I hadn't noticed she’d already parked on the other side of me. I quickly picked up my bike and rested it in the cargo bed of her white two-door Toyota truck. I hopped into the passenger's seat, and she pumped the gas. When we stopped at the caution light in front of the school, I glanced back at the parking lot and fence where Kaden had been standing, but he was nowhere to be seen.
CHAPTER FOUR:
"So, how is the ice cream at this place?" Iris asked when we were close to the mall. “I’ve seen Gemstone before, but I’ve never been inside.”
"I didn't get a chance to try it," I reluctantly admitted, suffering a flashback, "but they have like twenty-six flavors to choose from."
She nodded in approval, "Sweet."
The parking lot was so full that we wound up having to walk a bit of a distance, but Iris didn't seem to mind. Once we were inside the busy mall, I navigated our way to Gemstone Ice Cream. All the while, I was having a small spell of PTSD and keeping my eyes peeled for any creepers.
Into the ice cream parlor, we went. I released the breath I’d been holding in my lungs when I saw a few other customers inside. It was
comforting, to say the least, that we weren’t the only ones. We quickly found an empty booth and sat straight across from one another. "So, these are your options," I slid the lengthy menu resting on the table her way.
Her eyes fell on the page, and she quickly scanned it over. "Butter pecan caramel? That sounds amazing," she licked her lips, "I know what I'm getting.”
I grinned at her, deciding I would get the same thing.
A moment later, a young and peppy waitress bounced to our booth.
She scribbled our orders on her little notepad before skipping away and exclaiming, “I’ll be right back with your orders!”
As we were waiting, I noticed a bleak expression forming on Iris's face.
"You okay?" I asked, stealing her attention.
She grimaced softly and said, "Not right now, but I will be." "I know we just met and all, but I'm a pretty good listener," I shrugged. "So, if you want to talk about it, just know that I'm here." "I just can't believe Jake's already moving in on another girl," she rested her hand on her forehead, “Like, did I matter that little to him?" There was a brief silence as I tried to conjure up a response. "Why did you guys break up?" I paused, quickly adding
, "if you don't mind me asking."
She placed her palms on her knees and sighed softly before responding. "My adoptive parents don't like him, and it caused a lot of problems. We had to sneak around if we wanted to see each other outside of school and we would argue about it every single day. We decided mutually that we needed to stop," she sniffled, "but that doesn't mean it hurts any less."
"I see," I sighed, "maybe it was nothing, you know? The two of them walking together. Maybe it wasn't what it seemed like." "Yeah, maybe," she agreed distressfully.
“You, um, you said you were adopted?” I asked her.
She nodded her head, “Yeah, my birth mother w-was, um, she was murdered when I was a baby.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry, Iris. I lost my mom when I was little, too,” I shook my head, “What about your real dad?”
“He was the one that killed her,” she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
I stared at her in astonishment.
“Yeah, I know,” Iris cleared her throat, “but that’s how I met my adoptive dad. He was the first officer on scene that day. He didn’t give me many details about it, just that he took one look at me and knew it was meant to be.” She smiled softly, her focus drifting elsewhere.
I didn’t know how to respond. I put on a forced smile and nodded respectfully.
The same peppy waitress from before brought our ticket and ice cream to the table with a smile. I slid Iris's bowl closer to her.
"Eat up. Ice cream makes everything better," I grinned, handing her spoon over.
"Thanks for this," she beamed. "Breakups suck so much. You're the only person that's been there for me and we literally just met today.
That just goes to show how much my friends suck."
"I can relate. I'm pretty sure none of my friends back home have even noticed I'm gone," I joked, taking a delicious bite of ice cream. "But you're so nice," she shook her head, muddled.
"Thanks," I smiled, “I’ve just never been all that great with friendships."
"What do you mean?"
I sighed somberly, "My dad is very, very strict, and the only friends I had in Langley were a little on the wild side. They had better things to do on the weekend besides stay over at my house and be watched like a hawk by my dad.”
She nodded in understanding, "If it makes you feel any better, I know what you mean. Like I said, my dad is a police officer. I guess it’s his job that makes him so protective. He’s seen a lot of terrible things.
He knows how evil the world can be.” Iris shook her head. “I’ve never experienced a lot of things that most teenagers do.”
“Neither have I,” I stated, “not without sneaking out after he went to bed.”
She chuckled, “and let me guess, he always found out when you did?
My parents always do.”
I laughed, “Yes, he always finds out! It’s like I have a built-in tracking device.”
“Same here! Maybe we do,” she took another bite, “That’s the only explanation.”
I grinned, dropping my focus to the table between us. “My dad just got this new trucking job. He left this morning. In one way, I’m glad I’ll have a little bit of freedom and alone time, but at the same time, it’s kind of terrifying being on my own.”
“Well, if you ever get lonely, let me know. We’ll come back to Gemstone or something,” she smiled ear-to-ear. “Maybe this will be a chance for you to experience some of the things you’ve missed out on, but be careful, yeah?” Her smile faded. “This world really can be a dark place.”
I smiled softly and nodded in agreement, “Of course.”
I grabbed our ticket from the table and saw our total was $8.72. Not bad, I thought. I slid out of my seat and signaled to Iris that I would be right back. I walked across the checkered floor to the counter, ticket in hand, and gave the cashier my dad's hundred-dollar bill. The hatchetfaced cashier turned her nose up at me when she realized she had to break a hundred, but I kept a fake smile plastered on my face even while she counted my change back to me.
Iris and I stayed in Gemstone for over an hour, even after our bowls were empty, just getting to know each other. By the time we decided to head out, Iris seemed to be in a much better mood, and I was glad I'd had something to do with it. On our way outside, she had to make a quick stop at the restrooms. I saw a bench close by and headed toward it.
I reached in my pocket for my cell phone, and while I was distracted with fishing for it, my body slammed directly into what I thought was a brick wall. My nose struck first, and I started to fall back when I was caught by two strong hands and steadied on my feet. I peered up and found Kaden's troubled facial expression.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry," I stuttered, holding my throbbing nose.
"Are you sure? Your nose?"
"Yeah, I'm good" I reassured him, taking a step back.
"I'm surprised to see you back here so soon," he joked, taking his hands off my shoulders.
I shrugged, "I wanted ice cream." I pointed to Gemstone, and his narrow lips turned up in a playful smile.
"So, you go to Westview?" I said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Yeah, I just transferred today," he concurred, his smile fading slightly.
"So did I," I commented, suspiciously squinting my eyes.
"Huh, what are the odds," he said attentively, "Where from?"
"Washington," I replied, "A small school in a small town." He bowed his head and grinned, but I saw a sudden change in his face. It was slight, but for a moment, his smile had faded into more of a scowl. From the corner of my eye, I saw the bathroom door open and Iris stepped out. She had her cell phone pressed against her ear, and I heard her say, “Okay, I’ll be home soon, Dad. Bye.” Her eyes found us, and she strolled in our direction.
"Kaden, this is my friend Iris, " I introduced them to one another,
"and Iris, this is Kaden."
"Nice to meet you," Kaden grimaced again. His discomfort seemed to be getting worse. It almost looked like he was in pain.
"You too," Iris smiled awkwardly.
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence that Iris broke by pointing to my nose. "Oh, um, Eve. Your nose," she said softly. As soon as the words escaped her lips, I felt the warm liquid oozing from my nostrils. I instinctively covered my nose with my fingers.
When I removed my hand, it was coated with fresh blood.
"I'll go grab some napkins, be right back," Iris said before rushing toward the restrooms again.
I glanced back at Kaden ready to make a quirky comment about how he'd busted my nose, but he was nowhere to be seen. I searched the mall around me, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. Iris returned quickly with a stack of paper towels, and I thanked her. I dabbed at my nose the best I could without making it sorer than it was already.
"Do you get nosebleeds often?" Iris asked, a concerned crease between her brows.
"No, I ran into Kaden. Literally." I explained, still wiping at my nose with the paper towels.
"Oh. Well, where'd he go?" She asked, scanning the mall.
"I don't know," I admitted, "but he just acted really weird."
When I realized the bleeding wasn't stopping any time soon, we tried to leave for a second time. I nonchalantly searched for Kaden while we were walking to the parking lot. I was perplexed, but I decided not to dwell on it too much, so my feelings wouldn't be hurt. Maybe he was late for something, or there was an emergency, and he didn't have time to tell me bye?
"I don't know. Maybe Kaden's put off at the sight of blood. There are lots of people like that. My mom faints when she sees it," Iris suggested, cranking up her truck.
I buckled my seatbelt and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I guess that's a possibility."
"So, how do I get to your house?"
"Turn right at the stoplight, and I'll show you from there," I told her, still holding a paper towel over my nose. I directed her to my house all while trying to kee
p my blood from dripping on the interior of her vehicle.
"Oh wow, you live here?" Iris asked as she pulled into my driveway.
"Yeah," I glanced at my house and then back at her, "why?" "We're practically neighbors," she pointed ahead, "I live just a few blocks from here."
"Oh, wow," I grinned, “Nice.” I put on my backpack, hopped out of her truck, and grabbed my bicycle from the cargo bed with one hand. I propped it up on the gravel and stood by the partially open truck door. "If you want, I can start picking you up for school," Iris offered, "I know riding a bike all the way there can't be much fun."
"Really?" I asked, "You'd do that?"
"Yeah, it's no big deal. I pass through here on my way to school anyway," she shrugged.
"I would really appreciate that, even if it's just for a couple of days until my dad's car gets here."
She grabbed a notebook from the floorboard of her truck and ripped a sheet of paper out. She pulled a pen from the glove compartment and started scribbling on it.
"Here's my cell phone number," she handed the paper to me, "Just text me in the morning and let me know when you're ready to go." "Alright. Thank you, Iris," I smiled, folding the paper up and shoving it in my back pocket.
"See ya then," she waved.
I waved goodbye and shut the truck door. The vehicle accelerated away and left me standing alone in my driveway. I faced the house and sighed softly when I realized I didn't have anyone inside waiting to hear about my first day. It was probably for the best, considering my nose was bloodied up. I didn't need my dad hightailing it to the school and causing a scene because "somebody punched my daughter in the face and they're going to be expelled."
I left my bike parked in the driveway and walked to the front door.
As I was unlocking it, I glanced across the street at the Clarks’ house.
Bradley’s Mustang was missing, but there was a black Crown Vic parked in the drive. I heard the lock click so I faced forward and pushed the door open. I stepped inside, my day playing on repeat in my head. I tossed my bloody paper towel in the trash, threw myself on the couch, and pulled out my cell phone.