by RJ Gonzales
I crashed on the couch this morning after keeping a restless eye on Rini and her friend, making sure Bane didn’t try anything last night. At first I had slept, just for a moment. But at the faint sound of the backdoor knob jiggling, my eyes flew up and I let out a growl. The jiggling stopped, but even so, I stayed awake—looking after her. Wasting away the hours by watching her as she slept. Man, was that a sight. Her soft face, still equally as alluring, relaxed and crinkling every so often when she would toss and turn. I smoothed a few strands of hair away and watched as her cheek bunted into my hand the way a cat does when being petted.
“Down boy!” Del said, holding her hands out. “I’m going. Keep your chones on until I leave, please.”
“Hurry up!” I stammered. My hands on the band of my briefs, ready to pull them down.
“I’m going, Cabron! No me grites!” she yelled, slamming the door behind her.
“Don’t slam doors in my house!” Martin noted from his bedroom down the hall.
I exited the shower clutching a towel around my waist as I tiptoed back to the room to dress. Max was by the mirror checking himself. Dressed in a nice button-up shirt and black pants, as though he were headed to Sunday mass or a job interview. “Settle down there, GQ,” I whistled before removing the towel to get dressed as well.
Side Chapter
“The night Vera Hill disappeared”
“Ugh!” Vera spat into her cell phone as she dug through her purse for her car keys. She was out of the mall, walking toward her car—a black Mustang with two hot pink stripes down the hood, at the very end of the vacant parking lot. She’d just lost her job at a dress shop in the mall for trying the last nerve of her manager, who’d already warned her earlier today after someone had complained. “The nerve of that bitch! Jenna told me that girl was the one who reported me!”
“Yeah, she obviously doesn’t know who she’s dealing with,” Vera’s best friend, Annette said on the other line of the phone. “Don’t even waste your time thinking about her—she’s a nobody.”
“I know, and that’s what pisses me off! She’s nobody. Why doesn’t she get that? She has her place—serving me food, or pumping my gas!”
There was a loud cry at the other end of the phone line. “Hey, my baby is throwing a fit, I’ll text you later, kay?”
“Fine. Bye, Nette!” Vera snapped her phone shut and threw it into her purse. The distant sounds of cars passing by on the highway, and the echoing click of her heels as they stomped on the pavement filled in the ambience of wind and crickets outside. “Dammit!” she stammered as the cold air lifted her short pink skirt. She held it down and sprinted for her car.
Just as she turned the corner, she spotted a young boy sobbing into his knees against the door of her Mustang.
“Can’t you go cry somewhere else? You’re blocking my door!” Vera’s tapped her long acrylic nails on the metal roof of her vehicle.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” he sobbed. Looking up to her with his damp eyes.
Vera sighed. “What do you want, kid?”
“Can you please help me find my brother?” he wiped away a falling tear. His face was smudged with dirt, and his clothes were tattered as though he’d been dragged by the collar through the parking lot.
“Sorry kid, try bothering somebody else. I’ve got better things to do than help a little kid find his brother. Next time, don’t walk off and you wont be lost. Okay?” Vera pressed the button on her ket to unlock the door. “Now, move!” She pushed him aside with the stiletto on her right foot.
“I guess a more direct approach would suffice,” the little boy said in a deeper voice. Clearly not the voice of a child, but a man—a full grown man.
“What did you say?” Vera turned and found that in the little boy’s place, a statuesque, bare man stood, eyeing her up and down. Shreds of cloth were at his feet.
“—the hell?” Vera backed into her car, slowly trying to reach the handle. “What happened to the l-l-little boy?”
“I ate him.” The entity came at her, pinning her against the car to keep her from moving.
“Get off of me!” Vera scowled, trying to pry his hands from her shoulders. She shoved him off and broke one arm free to strike him flat across the cheek with the crack! of a sound as she hit bone. The man whipped his head back and heaved her over his shoulder and onto the black pavement. Vera skid across the sharp, rigid rubble that grated the skin on her legs and thighs. Blood began to pour from the gashes of shredded skin. She watched as he stood, blocking her from the car, inhaling the rust-like scent that was her fresh blood.
“HELP!” She got to her feet and ran limping into the forest digging into her purse for her phone. Tears burst down her cheek and multiple sharp, stinging pains from the scrapes were traveling up and down her body. “HELP!” she tried again, giving a quick glance back. He was hot on her heels, almost within reach. Gliding over the sticks and dirt with ease.
Vera, not watching her step, skid on the sludgy, wet mud beneath her feet. Gasp! Her knees gave out, and she was thrust to the ground, rolling down a small hill and crashing, side first into the razored edge of a rock. She let out a shrilling burst of pain that sounded more of a howl as she clenched her side with her hand. “Who are you? I’ll give you anything, just please let me go home!” Vera cried from beneath the man who had climbed on top of her. Setting his full weight on her to keep her from moving from his grip. The man gave a fiendish grin, as the sharp nails of his hand—slowly shifting into a large orange and black striped paw, pressed into Vera’s wrists. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat.
“Call me, Bane.”
Rini
15
Both Sarah and I waited out front by the dirt road. Celeste and George allowed me to go out since Sarah was tagging along. Funny, how they didn’t even ask to meet the guy first. I guess they figured I was smart enough to make wise decisions and steer clear from danger. Ha!
“This is utter bullshit! Aren’t girls supposed to be the ones that run late?” Sarah said—arms folded in chest from the brisk air. It was probably colder then it really was since we were wearing our dresses.
I laughed and kicked a few pebbles around with my black boots. “I guess they’re different.” That’s for sure. A lot different.
“Well—I, for one, am going to be royally pissed off if they stood us up and we got all dolled up for nothing.”
We both heard the sound of distant tires traveling fast along the road. Within seconds, blinding headlights turned the corner and bounced their way across the dips in the path to us. A squeaky, faded blue pick-up truck came to a halt in front of us.
“Sweet ride,” Sarah sarcastically muttered under her breath. I wanted to laugh, but instead bit my lip.
The door flung open. Creeeak! Max sat on the end of the seat in a button up t-shirt with his hair slicked back.
“Pretty suave, Max,” I complimented. He gave me a smile then returned his gaze to Sarah, who I must say looked stunningly gorgeous in her dress.
I saw Jett at the other end with his hands at the wheel. He leaned over Max’s shoulder, “Well aren’t you two all dressed up nice.” He smiled a sweet smile at me but was cut short when Max reached out of the truck to clasp Sarah’s hand into his.
“Come on babe,” he kissed her hand like a gentlemen, and helped her into the truck.
Babe? I mouthed to myself. I shrugged it off and waited for Sarah to get in. When she did, only a mere inch of the leather seat was left for me. “And where am I supposed to sit?”
Sarah tried to shift and make room, then instead, patted her knee. “Come on babe,” she joked before pulling me in.
“This is wrong on so many levels!” I said, sitting on Sarah’s lap as we drove onto the interstate. “We’re going to get a ticket!”
“Oh hush! Now, tell Santa what you want for Christmas,” Sarah said in a deep voice.
There were muffled chuckles from all three of the passengers—besides me. “Seriously Sarah, that’
s not even fun-nee,” we hit a bump and I jumbled my words. Hmph!
I felt a little overdressed. Well, compared to Jett, that is. He dressed in a beige Henley with dark jeans and brown boots. And here I was in my smokey-grey dress, my hair curled, make-up done, and wearing really uncomfortable boots that I wanted to secretly slide off for the rest of the ride to dinner.
The restaurant was in the actual city of Austin. We passed the university—a grand cluster of buildings, half hidden in the trees—and traveled down Sixth Street, where music was booming from various nightclubs, restaurants, and cantinas. It was like a mini Las Vegas—minus the gambling and men handing out pictures of naked women on cards—with all the colorful lights lighting the long strip I’d only experienced during the day, when it looked almost the opposite of what it did now. Now this is more like Austin! I thought, taking in the surrounding of music, neon lit signs and the light fog of smoke that roamed through the air from the people smoking outside cantinas, enjoying their beers or other alcoholic beverages. I could see the lighted Capitol I’d toured in the distance. The massive building lit to the extremes. Almost looking exactly how it did in the sunlight. I’d definitely want to live closer to here if I decide to come to the university in the fall. The more and more I explored it, the more I fell in love with this city. It’s eccentric vibe. The people seemed approachable. The nightlife. It was all—marvelous. Just marvelous. A hidden world that I could easily get lost in, and be absolutely fine with not ever being found.
Sarah and Max climbed into one side of the large booth we were seated to by the hostess of the steakhouse we’d entered down the block from a bar where a drunken woman was singing karaoke off-key as her group of friends laughed and filmed her with their phones. Jett and I sat opposite them. There were peanut shells on the floor of the entire restaurant and a band was playing some country music in the back.
“Hi everyone, my name is Alvin and I’ll be y’alls server today,” a blonde waiter said, setting round coasters down in front of us. “What can I get y’all to drink?”
“I’ll have a sweet tea,” said Jett from beside me.
“Me too,” Max followed, his eyes on the menu.
“Same,” Sarah added, mimicking Max with her own menu.
The waiter looked to me. “Oh, um, I guess I’ll take a sweet tea too then.”
He disappeared into the kitchen doors that released a pleasant aroma of grilled steak. It made my mouth water, as well as the others’. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jett lick his lips, leaving a soft glossy finish to them. “Well,” he said, laying his menu down on the wooden table—decorated with laminated prints of cattle and all things Texas, “I’m having the steak, that’s for sure.”
Sarah dipped a chicken tender into the gravy and fed it to Max. In return, he offered her a piece of his steak. Evidently neither of them were ashamed of excessive Public Display of Affection, or PDA, as we ate our food once it’d arrived. It was as if they were in love for years, not days like in reality. Scratch that—day. Jett didn’t seem bothered, flashing short smiles of contentment in between bites. I shrugged it off and instead forked at my chicken fried chicken that was surprisingly crisp and juicy. It was weird being out with them—on a date. Date. The very word that made my spine tingle. It was even more bizarre to be out with Jett. I’d come to know him over the past few days, only through phone conversations before bed. But now, he was—here. And so was I. And we were on a date—in person.
“So, what do you think of the place?” Jett asked, breaking the awkwardness of chewing sounds and music.
“It’s nice, and the food is great,” I said—a hand over my mouth to block any food from shooting out as I chewed.
“All right, now we got a surprise for you all,” the singer from the back stage said over the microphone. She was a short girl in a white dress and brown cowboy boots. “For our next song, we’re gonna switch it up and play something different. Now, it’s new and all, so tell us what y’all think.”
A mid-tempo country song oozed from the speakers behind her, and she let out a perfectly harmonized tune that had me guessing wether it was from years of extensive training and practice, or just natural talent.
“Wanna dance?” Jett asked, placing his fork on his empty plate. Damn, he ate fast. I had barely finished with my fried okra, and was only starting on the chicken. He cleaned his hands on a napkin and held out his hand for me to take when I didn’t answer. Either way, I figured that time away from the very “in love” couple in front of us would be good.
I met my hands with his and followed him out to the small wooden dance floor. He cupped his hands at my side and I interlocked mine around his neck as though we were dancing at a prom or wedding. Something within me didn’t feel right. Swaying to the rhythm of the music, and just looking at each other. Jett had a half smile, half serious face. I imagined that my face looked foolish as I tried to find an expression to settle on. This is awkward, please just-
“You look beautiful,” he breathed into my ear so I could hear it over the music. My cheeks grew red and hot. Dammit!
“Thank you. You clean up nice too.” I brushed a string off of his shoulders.
“Oh yeah?” he smirked.
“Yeah.” He twirled me around and brought be back into his chest. I was now facing Sarah and Max—still sitting at the booth in each other’s arms. “So, what do you think of the lovebirds over there?” I lifted my chin to them, then looked to Jett over my shoulder for his answer.
“I’ll admit it’s a bit much.” The music stopped and he dropped his hands from my hips. “But, as long as they’re happy, right?”
“Yeah,” I agreed. Sarah was happy, and really that’s all that mattered. As long as they’re happy, I told myself. It didn’t matter how long they knew each other. A lot of people date. No one has to wait months upon months to barely even conceive the idea of being in a relationship or have a first kiss. As long as they’re happy.
The band shifted to another song and Jett reached for my hand, twirling me around back to face him—pulling me in for another dance.
...
“Rini, I’m sorry—but I’m super full, and if you sit on me this time, I’ll probably hurl,” Sarah said, as I tried to accommodate myself onto her boney lap. We had left the restaurant and were now in the jam-packed truck getting ready to go back home. The air was even colder than before, and I just wanted to shut the door I was dangling out of before I froze to death. Over exaggeration? Maybe. I have a really low tolerance for cold weather. Even lower for hot weather. My ideal temperature for a day is in the high sixties or low seventies. Where it’s nice and sunny, but at the same time cool.
“Where am I supposed to sit?” I asked, stepping down from the truck. I missed the curb and nearly stumbled out. A set of laughs from drunk men outside a music-blasting cantina sounded.
“Watch your step, Sweetie,” one of them said while the another beside him whistled.
I fixed myself and veered to Sarah. Giving her a what-the-hell type of look as I tapped my foot. Sarah followed with a shrug. Yeah, I love you too, best friend.
“Why don’t you and Sarah sit in the bed of the truck?” Jett suggested to his brother beside him. Max agreed and led Sarah to the back of the truck. He didn’t speak much tonight. Keeping quiet and only uttering faint words to Sarah. They hopped over the tailgate and sat against the back window.
“There,” Jett said to me, patting the area next to him on the vacant leather seat inside. “Now you have plenty of space,” he smiled. I climbed into the truck, feeling the cool leather seat cling to the exposed skin on my thighs and legs. He set the truck into drive and headed for the interstate—back to the boondocks.
“So,” Jett asked, adjusting in his seat. “Did you have fun?”
I was staring in the rearview mirror watching the colorful lights of the city become distant blurs. The city was a million times more gorgeous at night. “Yeah,” I sighed, admiring the fading scenery. Kind of a underdeveloped an
swer, but I was too nervous. I’d never really dated before, I always seemed to be too busy and shy, or just never really got the attention of anyone before. “Did you?” I asked. It was only customary to return the favor.
“Oh, I had a blast. Especially since it’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone.” His right hand lied set on the steering wheel and the left—dangled outside of the window.
“Really?” I asked—a sudden spark of interest igniting a burst of curiosity within me. “How long has it been?”
“A while,” his voice was reserved. “Too long ago to remember.”
“You’re only twenty-one,” I noted. “Exactly how long can ‘too long ago’ be?”
“More than you think,” Jett side-smiled and winked—eyes still fixed on the road. I wanted to blush at the sight of his wink. Could feel the blood already rushing to my face and making it hot and flushed. For the second time tonight, he’s said something or done something that made me feel—strange. In a good way.
The radio was quiet. Only a few mumbles of singing could be heard, but I could easily recognize the familiar song pouring from the speakers on the side of the doors. “Oh, I love Run!” I said, referring to the tune sung by one of the kings of country music—in my opinion, George Strait.
“What do you know about George Strait?” he playfully scoffed. A little condescending, but whatever.
I inched closer to the radio, stopping a few inches from him and turned the volume dial up. “More than you think,” I winked in return.
“Ah, well played,” he laughed.
Sarah giggled from the truck bed and I turned my gaze to them snuggling in the back window. “So, is there any particular reason why your brother, Max—the shy guy behind his computer—is now all over my best friend?” I said, pointing to the couple in the back with my thumb.
Jett peered into the rearview mirror, bringing his dangling arm in to take ahold of the steering wheel. “Nope,” he laughed, and used his newly freed right hand to lower the radio to a low, yet enjoyable volume, then rested it on the backrest of the seat. I repositioned myself and tried to keep a distance from his arm that was now two inches behind me.