by Maya Nicole
It was our first stay-late for yearbook since we had a deadline approaching for a portion of the fall sports and activities. I was impressed with the work Jax had done so far, considering he was new to the program we used to design the yearbook.
"Food's here." Ashley came to stand in front of my computer as everyone except Jax got up to go to the adjacent classroom to eat. "I need your money if you're going to eat."
"I brought something to eat." I didn't look up from my computer as she continued to stand on the other side of it. "You can go now."
"Come on, Jax. We're having sushi. I know it's your favorite." She sauntered out of the room and I rolled my eyes.
Jax clicked out of the layout he was on, learning his lesson from when I unplugged his computer and swiveled around to face me. "You've been bringing lunch every day. A peanut butter sandwich and pretzels."
"How do you know or even care?"
He stood and crossed his forearms on the top of my monitor, staring down at me. "Where's your car?"
I didn't answer and made sure to click save on the layout I had open. "It's none of your business."
My chest tightened and I fought the urge to flee. The last thing I needed was for Jax to know that I had absolutely no money. The few thousand that had been in the envelope Mr. Nguyen had given me had gone toward the bills that were necessary like gas, electric, and cell phone. Food was way more expensive than I thought, and I'd rather spend less than a dollar a meal than have sushi or cafeteria food.
"Any word from your mom?"
"No." I gulped back the sudden urge to cry. It had crossed my mind a time or two that they might have done something to her, but after the letter it was clear something bigger was going on.
"So, where are you getting money?" Jax was still leaning on the computer monitor.
I finally looked up at him and worry was etched in his features. Why was he worried? He hated my guts.
"I'm waiting on a judge to approve my extenuating circumstances." I covered my face. "Fuck. Now he's probably going to go on a leave of absence."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Detective Wilson and Mrs. Miller both conveniently went on leaves of absence with no return dates once I involved them with this." I moved my hands, not caring that tears were streaming down my cheeks. "I don't know where my father is and he doesn't care about me. Why are you ruining my life?"
"We didn't-"
"Forget it. You know what? I'll just see if I can finish my senior year online or even just get my GED." I logged out of the computer and stood. "Go enjoy your sushi."
"Riley."
I stopped at the door and looked back at him. "Fuck off, Jax."
I was grateful he didn't follow me. I started walking toward my house. It was about five miles and I needed the time to think. The sun was just setting, but I felt fairly safe walking home along the busy streets and highway.
I was about a mile into my walk when a black Maserati pulled over. I groaned in frustration and kept my eyes straight ahead.
Blake rolled down the passenger window as I was passing. "Hey! Get in."
I glared at him and continued on. I didn't want a ride from anyone, especially him. The car rolled up along the shoulder next to me.
"It's almost dark. You shouldn't be walking alone." He stopped ahead of me and got out partway, leaning on the roof of his car. "Did you hear me?"
I stopped and tightened my grip on the strap of my bag. "Yes, I heard you. I don't want a ride. Especially from you. Leave me alone."
He cursed and then jogged to catch up with me as I began walking again. "I wasn't giving you the choice." He stood in front of me, blocking my path.
I clenched my teeth and resisted the urge to shove him out of the way. His shoulders were so wide, he practically blocked the entire sidewalk. There was no getting around him.
"I don't want or need a ride. I have two perfectly good feet." I tried walking around him, but he moved to stop me. "Seriously?"
I bit down on my lip to stop myself from having a meltdown. He reached forward and put his hand on the side of my arm. "Come on."
He wasn't going to give up, and I did not want him to haul me over his shoulder like a caveman. I let him guide me to the passenger door. He opened it, and I dropped into the bucket seat with a huff. I'd let him give me a ride, but that didn't mean I had to be pleasant.
He jogged around the front of the car and smiled at me as he got behind the wheel. "See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"
"Just go." I buckled my seatbelt and crossed my arms.
We were both silent, the music coming from the speakers the only thing keeping it from being too awkward. I saw him out of the corner of my eye stealing glances at me, but I kept my eyes on the road or the side mirror.
The car passed my exit and I sat forward a little. "That was my exit." I was fairly certain he knew where I lived.
"I know. We're going to dinner." He started tapping on the steering wheel to the music. "Jax said you hadn't eaten."
That fucker.
"I don't want to eat dinner with you. You'll probably somehow poison my drink when I get up to wash my hands."
I sat back in my seat again, thinking about what my options were. I had a few hundred dollars left that I could use to call a cab, or I could call Ivy. Aiden wasn't an option since Blake would see him.
"Too bad. We're having dinner and you're going to answer some questions."
"Why the hell would I-"
The chirp of a siren came from behind us and I looked in the side mirror to see a highway patrol car with its lights flashing.
"Fuck." Blake's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he flipped his blinker on and slowed as he pulled to the shoulder.
"You weren't speeding, were you?"
His jaw was set tight and worry was written across his face as he glanced over at me and put the car in park before turning it off.
"No." He grabbed his phone from the cupholder and pushed a few buttons before putting it back. "Just... don't say anything about me making you come with me. Please."
I didn't respond, and he rolled his window down half of the way, turned on the interior light, and put his hands back on the top of the steering wheel. His eyes were locked on his side mirror as the officer approached.
Blake’s breathing was labored as the officer came to a stop outside the window and shined his flashlight down on him. His hand was on his holster.
I'd never been in a car that had been pulled over before, but I didn't think having his hand on his weapon was routine procedure for a traffic stop.
"Do you know why I pulled you over, boy?"
"No, sir." I couldn't see his face, but his voice was serious and trembled slightly. "Sir, I wanted to inform you that once my car was in park and turned off, I turned on my video recorder on my phone."
The officer made a noise of annoyance. "This is a traffic stop, boy, not a shakedown. Unless you're hiding something?"
"I don't mean to offend you by filming. It's in my cupholder and won't interfere with you doing your job."
I sat up a little straighter in my seat. It sounded so rehearsed and my chest burned with the sudden realization that this was reality for Blake. I would have never even thought to record an interaction with the police.
"One of your taillights is out." The officer looked over at me. "Where are you two headed this evening?"
Blake's jaw ticked. "Just headed to grab a bite to eat. Just got done at Salinity Cove High with our extracurriculars."
"Young lady?" His eyes were locked on me and I met his questioning eyes. "Where are you headed to eat?"
"We haven't decided yet."
He studied me for what felt like entirely too long before his attention was back on Blake. "Let me see your license and registration."
"Sir, I'm going to reach for my wallet in my cupholder to get my license and grab my registration and insurance from my visor."
Blake passed the documents through the wi
ndow and the office looked at them. "Mr. Huron. You seem nervous. Is there anything in the car I need to know about?"
"No, officer."
"So, you won't mind if I take a look?" Tears sprang to my eyes and I sat on my hands, resisting the urge to give the man a piece of my mind.
"I don't consent to searches." Blake was calmer than I would have been. "Sir, am I free to go, or are you going to give me a ticket for my taillight?"
With a grunt, the officer walked back to his vehicle. Blake cursed under his breath and kept his eyes on the rearview mirror.
"Blake, what's going on?" I reached over to touch his arm and he pulled away, all the while keeping his hands on the steering wheel.
"Just... be quiet," he whispered.
The officer returned a few minutes later. "I'm going to let you go with a warning this time. Get that taillight fixed." He looked over at me again. "Have a nice evening."
Blake put his papers back in his visor with shaky hands and turned off the cell phone before starting the car and pulling back onto the highway.
We rode in silence and took the next exit. He pulled into the far end of a parking lot and parked.
"Get out and go behind my car to check my taillights." He stared straight ahead without looking at me.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it, Ri."
I unhooked my seatbelt and got out of the car, hoping he wasn't going to do something crazy like leave me behind.
"Do they work?" He pressed the brakes a few times and flicked both blinkers.
"Everything works."
As if he didn't believe me, he got out and came to stand next to me. "Get in the car and press the brakes and the blinker."
"Is that really-"
"Yes! It's fucking necessary!"
I did as he asked and got back out. He just stood there, staring at the back of his car. I shifted from one foot to another and he finally looked at me, his eyes holding a pain I didn't understand.
I took a step toward him and he backed up, turning and heading away from me. "Blake! Where are you going?"
"I need a minute." I barely heard him, but stopped myself from following him.
He got to a stray plastic cart, pushed it on its side and gave it a few kicks. He righted it and laced his hands behind his head, his back heaving.
I leaned against the trunk of his car and wondered if there was anything I could say to him to ease his pain and frustration. A million questions flitted through my mind about what had just happened.
A few minutes passed before he turned back around and headed toward the car. He didn't make eye contact or say a word as he got in. I scrambled to the passenger side and got in as he revved his engine.
"I'll take you home."
"What about dinner?"
"I'm not hungry."
He turned the music up loud enough where I couldn't talk and peeled out of the parking lot.
About fifteen minutes later, we pulled into my driveway and he turned off the car, turning toward me. "Do you understand what happened back there?"
"He pulled you over because you're black."
He looked out the front window at the garage door. "My father warned me that the people... the police... wouldn't care how rich I am or what my last name is."
I put my hand on his arm and this time he let me. "You could report him."
He snorted. "And what are you going to do? Testify that my brake lights were fine?"
"If I need to."
"It won't matter. In that officer's eyes, I'm just a black man in an expensive car, driving through a rich town with a white girl in my passenger seat. I can't wait for this year to be over to go back to where I'm not judged." He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Where is that?"
"Nowhere. Forget I said anything." He looked down at my hand on his arm. "You should get inside."
"Do you want to come in and work on homework or something?" I just wanted to make sure he was okay.
His eyes met mine. "Or something?" The corner of his mouth pulled up. Typical guy. "I thought you hated me."
"It's complicated." It was more complicated than I'd care to admit to him. "Thought you could use the distraction from... life."
I could use the distraction as well. For whatever reason, sitting in the car with him, despite what had just happened, had made me feel calm. I was probably just going crazy.
"I can come in for a bit."
He followed me to the door, and once we were inside, we dropped our bags. "I'd offer a tour, but you already know your way around, don't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He flopped down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. "Let's talk."
My stomach growled and I pulled my uneaten dinner out of my bag. "Want a sandwich?" I unwrapped it and bit into it.
He grabbed it from me as I sat down and took a bite of it, scrunching his face. "It's drier than a piece of beached seaweed."
"That's an interesting comparison." I laughed and took the sandwich back, handing him the small bag of pretzels. "It fills me up."
"Do you not have any money?" He popped a pretzel in his mouth. "Jax said-"
"Why is he pretending he cares?" I put the half-eaten sandwich on the coffee table. "One minute you guys are threatening my best friend with a sex tape, and the next you're showing concern for me. It's like you have multiple personalities."
"We could say the same about you." He took a few more pretzels and threw the bag on the table. "One minute you hate our guts, the next you're inviting us into your house."
I pulled my leg up on the couch and turned toward him. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly."
He pulled his own leg onto the couch, his shin touching mine. "Depends what you're about to ask me."
"I saw you, Morgan, and Jax swimming that night." He was going to think I was crazy. "And I filmed it."
"Of course you did." He stood, looking down at me. "It wasn't on that camera?"
Before I could stop him, he reached for my bag and started looking for my cell phone. "It's not in there, and even if it was, I'm not stupid."
"You just told me you had a recording of us. That's pretty stupid." He dropped my bag and laced his hands behind his head again like he'd done in the parking lot. "You need to destroy it."
"Why?" I planted both feet on the ground and looked up at him. He didn't even know what I'd gotten on video.
"If anyone sees..." He started pacing in front of the entertainment center. "All it takes is the wrong person seeing us and that's it."
"What would happen?"
He stopped his pacing and sat back down before taking my face in his hands. The second his hands were on me, something low in my gut stirred. "You didn't see?"
"See what? You were swimming unnaturally fast and Morgan's eyes..."
"What about his eyes?"
"They were glowing yellow and looked weird. If you guys are on drugs that do that to you..."
He sat back, breaking contact with my skin. I frowned down at his hands, wanting them back on me.
He wasn't giving me the answers I wanted. "What do you know about sirens?"
"What do you know about sirens? You have a siren knife."
We stared at each other. I was gauging how much I could trust him about the knife and he seemed to be doing the same. Finally, he took my hand and my shoulders relaxed a little.
"All of those knives should have been destroyed a long time ago. They're dangerous in certain hands." I nodded, urging him to continue. "Forget whatever shit you've read from Greek mythology. That's not what sirens really are."
"What are they then?"
"They were warriors of the sea. Their purpose was on the front lines, protecting Poseidon's sea palaces from being discovered and infiltrated by explorers. One word from their lips could entrance anyone into forgetting their own name if they wished it." He stood again and went to look out the front blinds. "Poseidon gifted them with knives that had hilts of
abalone to sooth their more vicious nature. The knives themselves could cut through anything, including the same doors they were meant to protect."
I wanted to laugh at what he was telling me, because it sounded outlandish. "You said they were warriors?"
"The tritons destroyed their knives and killed them because they attempted to infiltrate the palace to take Poseidon's child."
"Percy Jackson?" I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I was enjoying this story he was telling.
Blake rolled his eyes. "I'm not making this up. Poseidon thought he was immune to the sirens, but he was wrong."
"Are sirens blue?" I still didn't understand how it all connected, or what my estranged father and my missing mom had to do with it all.
He turned back to the window again and didn't answer. I stood and went to stand beside him. Jax's SUV was sitting out front.
"They aren't blue." His frown deepened as Jax got out of his vehicle and leaned against the passenger side, staring right at us. "Tritons are blue... for camouflage."
Jax pushed off the side of his car and walked toward the front door, a scowl on his face. I didn't know what he thought he was doing, but I wasn't about to let him in my house so they could outnumber me.
"Are you going to let him in?" Blake's laugh was uncomfortable. "He'd love to hear you ask all these questions about sirens and tritons."
The doorbell rang. "Will he tell me what the hell is really going on?"
"Only one way to find out." Blake sat back down on the couch. "If you don't let him in, he'll find a way in."
I scoffed and went to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it. "What do you want?"
He walked in and pushed past me. "Blake. Why are you here?"
"Just hanging out. What are you doing here?"
They stared at each other and then both looked at me. I wasn't sure why I'd let either of them into my house.
"Blake was telling me about sirens and tritons." I crossed my arms.
"Was he now?" Jax moved toward me and I backed into the wall. "And what conclusions did you come to?"
I gulped as his hands went on either side of me on the wall, caging me in. "Are you three..."
"What, Riley? Are we what?" His head was cocked to the side in question and his blue eyes darkened. "Say it."