by Lyza Ledo
Chapter 5: What Are You?
Jayde
Finally, after four hours of prep work with Kohl and Julio, it was time for the party. I couldn’t wait to see how tonight was going to go. How many people were going to show up and if Kohl would even attempt to actually kiss me tonight? Most guys, after just meeting me just wanted to get me in bed. Kohl hadn’t even attempted to try to kiss me, except for the kiss on the cheek. That was the most action he had given me. I was confused as to where we stood.
“Cars are pulling up.” Julio said dragging me to the door to greet them. I was going to stay focused and behave tonight. Even though it was a party, I had enough restraint to not get lost in the atmosphere, I had to behave I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Kohl.
“Hi,” Ana Maria said walking through the front door with several other girls whose names I couldn’t quite recall. She had attended all my parties not because she liked me but because she liked Julio. She never was mean to me so I overlooked the fact that she didn’t like me.
“Welcome,” I said giving them each a hug, “Thanks for coming, the food is in the sunroom.” I continued as the next rush of people came in and I acknowledged everyone and after enough people had come. I sent Julio to turn on some music because no party is complete without music and dancing.
The crowd entering had lagged after the first half hour and I finally got a break to talk to Kohl alone. He was stiff and uncomfortable.
“Relax,” I whispered in his ear.
“I am,” He replied still not losing his uptight demeanor. It added to his allure. If the way the other girls were watching him was any indication.
“You don’t look it,” I teased, hoping to ease whatever anxiety he was feeling. I looked out the window to see if any more people were coming and saw one of the worst sights imaginable. Antonio dressed all in black as usual was opening the front gate and heading towards the front porch and apparently he had brought friends. This could not be good. I looked over at Kohl worried. When we talked the first night he had blatantly expressed how much he disliked Antonio and from the even more rigid stance he had taken he had seen Antonio as well. Antonio opened the front door, ignored Kohl and pulled me roughly into his arms.
“Jayde, you look beautiful tonight.” He said touching my cheek with his rough, calloused hands. I pulled away hoping he’d get the hint and noticed an even odder sight. Kohl and the other guy Antonio had brought were staring daggers at each other.
“Why are you here?” I said ignoring Kohl and Antonio’s friend and getting back to making my ex-boyfriend leave.
“It’s your birthday, Jayde love, I would never miss it.” He replied, touching my face.
“No!” I snapped firmly and slapped his hand away from my face.
“Jayde, babe, don’t be this way. We argue and make up it’s what we always do.”
“I told you before Antonio, it’s over. We are over. I want you to leave.” I said still trying to hold my ground with no support.
“Jayde, I know you’re mad, but it’s me.” Antonio tried grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the door. “Stay mad, but you have to come with me and at least see the gift I got you.”
I struggled to pull away, but Antonio’s grip was firm.
“Let go of her.” Kohl snarled with enough pent up anger to make a smart person run.
“Make me.” Antonio shot back and continued dragging me out the door, but Kohl didn’t miss a beat and a punch to the stomach left me free to run back into the house. The large man that had accompanied Antonio seemed a lot bigger when he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder while Kohl was still laying punches into Antonio.
A crowd was starting to form and Julio came running towards the giant carrying me. I was squirming and punching and kicking, but the guy was too big for me to even lay a dent.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Julio shouted turning the massive guy around, but he pushed Julio onto the lawn and continued walking not even flinching when I continued to pummel him with my hands and legs.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, but he didn’t budge and no one else from the party seemed to be willing to get involved. Julio was shaking Kohl out of his fury and away from the limp Antonio. They both came rushing out of the front gate and down the street the insanely monstrous man was carrying me down. We stopped at a blue sedan and he opened the trunk and dropped me in. Thankfully he didn’t get a chance to close me in when Kohl came in tackling him onto the street. They fell to the ground and Julio was there pulling me out of the trunk.
“Oh my god, Jayde! What’s going on?” He said standing me up. I tried to not think about the pounding in my head that was already making a terrible situation worse. I looked over at Kohl who didn’t seem to have much of an upper hand.
“Help him,” I pleaded with Julio, but he wasn’t budging. “Julio, please help him.” I begged, but he still didn’t move. So I got to work elbowing the brick wall of a man in the back. He let out an ‘oomph’ but continued striking Kohl. I kept doing it until finally, he pushed me away knocking me to the ground. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. It was my birthday, I was almost kidnapped, my new sort of boyfriend was getting his butt kicked and my head was pounding hard enough to make thinking impossible.
To make matters worse I turned around to see Julio and Antonio wrestling. When did Antonio wake up? This was a disaster. So how the next thing happened I couldn’t tell you why or how it worked, but it did.
“Stop!” I shouted and every wrestling man halted looking at me nearly frozen in position.
“Jayde,” Kohl said as he was the first one to move. “Breathe,” I exhaled and everyone but Kohl collapsed to the ground. Everyone else was getting up and preparing to start their fighting again, but I couldn’t take it.
“Don’t move,” I snapped and the large man, Julio, and Antonio didn’t move.
“Jayde, I don’t want to hurt you.” Antonio said again but not moving. “But you have to come with us. You don’t even know this guy, he’s lying to you.”
I looked at Kohl, “I’m not lying to her, but why don’t you tell her what you’re hiding.” Kohl retorted heatedly.
“I think all of you are no good for Jayde.” Julio interrupted angrily. “Jayde, let’s go back to your party and forget about these asses.” I should have went with Julio, the rational part of me screamed to leave all these strange boys behind and go with my best friend. The other part of me that I didn’t completely understand told me this wasn’t over and if I walked away now I’d still end up in the middle of this again.
“Julio, go back to the party and take care of everything. I’ll be there in a few.” I said as calmly as I could with my head ready to explode. Julio’s eyes widened in disbelief, but he listened and headed back to my house where everyone was watching from the front lawn. “Okay now the three of you are going to tell me what the hell is going on.” I said to the remaining men in front of me.
“Jayde baby, I have somewhere I wanna take you so you can be safe from this monster.” Antonio said still not budging. “You are changing and you need to be safe.”
“Changing?” I looked at Kohl whose face was unreadable. I looked at the other guy, who was just wearing a look of pure anger. “What the hell are you talking about? Have you been drinking again, Antonio?” The large man couldn’t seem to take to his nonmoving stance anymore and went for Kohl again, but what Kohl did was unbelievable.
Kohl started to mummer something under his breathe and the enormous giant of a man flew to the ground without being touched by Kohl or Antonio. The colossal guy fought with all his might to get up, but he couldn’t fight whatever was happening.
“Jayde, that isn’t normal.” Antonio said again, pleading with me to come with him. He was right that wasn’t normal.
“What are you?” I asked looking at Kohl.
He dropped his focus from the man and only held his hand to him. His dark eyes locked o
n me. “I wanted to tell you this. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for you, Jayde.” Kohl replied a remorseful look covering his beautifully, dark features.
“Tell me what?” I asked not understanding still what was going on around me. All of these people were hiding something and I was going to know one way or the other.
“I told you he was lying, Jayde.” Antonio continued effectively cutting off Kohl.
“Shut up, Antonio!” I shouted making him step back.
“Jayde, I didn’t lie to you.” Kohl started. “I’m really not from around here, I’ve told you that, but I didn’t tell you why I was here. I came here for you.” He said as earnestly as he could muster. I gulped. Was Antonio right? Was this guy a monster? Why else would anybody be looking for me? “I know that doesn’t sound right, but if I can just explain everything to you, you will understand.”
“Explain.” I said angrily. Why couldn’t I just meet a nice, normal guy, why did trouble follow me around like a lost puppy?
“It’s a long story; that’s pretty unbelievable if we can go somewhere private.” Kohl said, but Antonio was already walking towards him ready to start another fight.
“Like hell you are going anywhere with her…” he started with a rush of profanities following.
“Antonio,” I said frustrated that he was still trying to attack this person that could do a lot of damage without even touching him. He looked at me still angry, but it started to subside as time passed. Kohl looked at me still pleading for me to come along with him.
“How can I trust you?” I asked a lot calmer than my mile-a-minute-thoughts would have me be.
“I won’t lie to you, Jayde. I’ve answered all your questions honestly. I’m not from around here and neither is Antonio or Arthur for that matter.” Kohl said coming near me again. I stepped back falling onto the hood of a red car parked by the street near my house.
“What are all of you?” I asked actually afraid now. I had this eery feeling I was trapped in a bad sci-fi movie where aliens had come to abduct me.
“Don’t be afraid I won’t hurt you.” Kohl said again attempting to move closer to me. He sat on the hood of the car beside me. I couldn’t seem to move or run I just watched him slowly sit beside me and lay a hand on my shoulder. “You remember yesterday by the river?”
I nodded cautiously still keeping my eyes on the three guys. The massive man named Arthur was still on the ground from whatever spell Kohl had cast on him. Antonio was standing near the car but not too close, just listening to what Kohl had to say.
“We talked about the legends of freshwater dolphins.”
“Encantado,” I replied.
“Yes, well that’s what we are.” Kohl said it without even a hint of a lie.
“You’re kidding right? That’s just some story, Kohl. It’s not actually true.” I said losing all the fear I had once had and getting ready to return to my party minus some whack jobs.