by Zara Rivas
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Creston was still stunned with the current circumstances he was in… After assisting Essa in finding a present for Sophia, the girl had casually invited him for lunch. Practically jumping at the opportunity, he managed to shrug nonchalantly at her and now here they were, just the two of them sitting in a booth at a nice café which was famous for their foccacias and wonderful drinks.
"You still haven't gone into the details as to why you were at Borders on a Saturday morning." Essa pointed, digging into her pumpkin soup.
Contemplating briefly, Creston allowed some suspense to build. "Well," he began, inwardly smiling at the look of interest in the girl's eyes. "I came here to check out some chicks… Specifically, the ones that work at the coffee shop in Borders," he lied. "You know… The pretty faces and short shorts. It's great to be single,"
Ripping a piece of fresh bread, Essa dipped it into her soup before gazing up into his stormy eyes. For some odd reason she didn't believe a single word he said – well maybe the short shorts part and being single. Speculating, it occurred to her that the usual heartbreaker Creston was had been single for over two weeks and in her opinion, that had to be a world record for the guy.
She acknowledged the fact that Spencer was a prick at times, but now that she got to know him, she found that she understood some of his humour. It scared her just a little to find that she knew the true Spencer. Although Essa felt uneasy at the thought of seeing the real Creston, she knew that deep within she liked him better than the arrogant jerk he was from day one. And right now, Creston was definitely being a prick.
"Jealous?" Spencer queried, and saw the look of indifference on the girl's face. Chuckling, he shook his head. "I was just joking with you," he explained.
Dropping her spoon into her bowl, Essa arched a brow. "Well thank you for being honest," she replied curtly, a speck of sarcasm in her tone. "Now back to your story, minus the 'checking out racks' part."
Amusement danced across his handsome features. "I never said anything about 'racks'," he quoted. "Is there something you're not telling me Ess? Cause for a girl, you sure do look at your gender rather attentively."
"Puh-lease," Ess responded in a rather bored tone. "If it meant liking the kind of girls you date, I rather date my dog."
Chuckling softly, there was a short silence before Creston spoke again and when he did; his voice was soft and sincere. "I was searching for a planner," he revealed. "A planner for my step-mum,"
Feeling rather awkward now, Essa found herself speechless. She never knew Creston had a step-mother, but by the tone he was using, it was evident he had done something wrong. Unsure of what to say and rather curious, she could only stare at him.
"Did you end up finding one?" She found herself asking, no longer interested in her pumpkin soup. "There is a store around here that sell really nice leather ones,"
Creston noticed the way her demeanour altered a little. From the first time he met her, Essa had been cold and unkind, but now that they were somewhat acquaintances, he realised that she was a person capable of care as well as kindness. He knew he had been a total jerk to her from the beginning, but he wasn't used to the tone and the way she greeted him when they first met. Looking back now, he was stunned at how far they had come. They had gone from being a bickering pair, to well… civilised people that actually enjoyed one another's company.
Only just breaking out of his reverie, he smiled softly to let the girl know he was okay. "That would be great," he breathed.
Watching with her heterochromial eyes, Essa observed as the smile Creston had just exhibited, deepened the dent slightly in his right cheek. She was never one to see the fuss accompanied with guys and dimples, but seeing that lone indentation near Spencer's mouth made her want to touch it. He was one of the first people that she noticed had one dimple, and to her utter bewilderment, it was quite fascinating…
As the two chatted about various topics, Essa found herself slowly drawing away from the one subject that she was fond of and trying hard to pry into - Creston's family. She wanted to know more about his background but she felt a little odd asking. As the topic moved from music to soccer, Essa listened to the way Spencer described his team. From the sound of things he was a proud captain and took great pride in his team's achievements.
"…And Kieran Wolenski is a fantastic player. He's pretty damn good as goalie,"
Perking up at the name, an unconscious scowled made its way on the girl's forehead. "I don't want to hear about him."
"Is it because of Sophia?"
Astonishment was etched across her face as Essa stared at Creston. "H-how did you know?" She questioned, "I don't think I told you anything about them…"
Shaking his head, Creston drank deeply of from his cup. "You didn't," he agreed, "But Kieran did."
Feeling a little speck of anger rise within, Essa pursed her lips. "If that guy said anything horrible about Sophia it's not true – and I will kill him,"
Placing his hands up in mercy Creston smiled. "Easy there sweetheart," he demanded and realised his mistake in using such an endearment seeing as her eyes narrowed. "Sorry," he said quickly. "Kieran said nothing derogatory or anything else that would ruin her." He stated and was relieved that Essa had relaxed a little. "He just punched one of the guys on the team because of something they said."
Frowning, Essa thought for a moment. She remembered seeing Rowell Parker – one of the guys from the soccer team – wearing a heavily bruised eye a month ago. She had also heard various rumours around school accompanying that bruised eye. Apparently Rowell had sported that injury because he had made a move on Bailey Reed who was and still is Kieran's girlfriend.
"Rowell Parker had the black eye but I heard that it was because of Bailey Reed," she whispered.
"Not bad Einstein," Creston complimented, "But this just proves that you should never believe everything you hear," he warned, leaning back in his seat.
"On with the story Spencer," Essa demanded.
Smiling, Creston continued. "Well seeing as majority of the guys were at the locker rooms, we all knew what had really happened." He explained, "Rowell was busy changing, and like some of the jocks in the team, he was boasting about a girl and what he'd do to her if he had his way with her,"
Arching a brow Essa moved her half empty bowl aside, "You're really toning this story down aren't you?" She queried, but Creston didn't answer.
"Turns out this girl Rowell was pining for was your friend…" He drifted.
"But I don't get it; Sophia never told me anything about Rowell Parker. From what I know she's never spoken to the guy," Essa said, brows creasing in thought. A second lapsed before she finally put the puzzle together. "Tutor classes," she whispered. "Soph is responsible for holding after school tutor classes for students who are interested." Lifting her head, her eyes met grey ones. "You mean to tell me, one of your egotistical jerk-players was man enough to go to tutor classes?"
Shrugging, Creston had no idea how to respond. "Don't generalise," he exclaimed. "Not everyone on the team is bad. And yes, Rowell did take tutor lessons for English – and as surprising as it sounds, the guy does give a damn about his education.
Nodding her head, Essa had to agree with the brown-haired figure. She had always had a thing for Rowell, simply because he was the nicest guy on the team – aside from Chris. The guy was tall, dark and handsome. He was Spanish, and he had a sexy accent but he was also decent in the way that he only dated girls he truly desired and remained in a long-term relationship with them.
"The guy would have been perfect for Soph,"
"And a moment ago you were saying what a prick he was,"
As Essa opened her mouth to retort to Spencer's statement, her phone started ringing. Bringing the device to her ear and giving Creston an apologetic look, she heard the recognizable tone of Chris. Eyes glancing to her watch, Essa only just noticed the time - remembering she had plans to meet up with Chris at two – only n
ow it was quarter past two. Inwardly cursing at herself for her tardiness and forgetfulness, she apologised quickly over the phone before revealing her whereabouts and hanging up.
"Ahh, Chris calls." Creston voiced, "Off you go then,"
Essa shook her head. "Who said I had to go anywhere?" She asked rhetorically. "We still haven't finished shopping, and with Chris' help, we'll be done in no time."
At the mention of Chris' name, the blonde haired, blue eyed figure stood before them at their booth, seating himself beside Essa. Staring at the two boys, Essa noticed herself smiling. She really was going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon even if she despised admitting it.
"Gee, I'm so loved. I come in here to be greeted with: 'Chris this and Chris that'." The blonde mocked, "'I love Chris and he's the sexiest man alive. Sexier than Creston Spencer who's a loser compared to the blonde God.' My goodness Ess, I'm beginning to think you're infatuated with me."
Throwing a piece of bread at her childhood friend, Essa shook her head. "Infatuated?" she repeated, "Whatever."
"You lurve me," Chris replied in a teasing tone, earning a soft laugh from his childhood friend. "Creston my dear,"
Laughing, Creston shook Tynan's hand in a manly fashion, noticing the odd expression etched across Essa's features. She was staring at the two of them in an odd fashion, a distant look in her eyes. Just about to wave a hand before her face, he was surprised when that her eyes locked with his as she broke out of her day dream.
Seeing the studying gaze Creston had used on her, Essa felt her cheeks burn slightly as she pulled her eyes away from him. Oddly enough, the pair of stormy grey eyes she had once despised appeared to get sexier and more attractive as time lapsed. But the girl would be damned if she admitted that to anyone.
Chapter Nine
A mess was what Essa was greeted with the moment she arrived home from school. She had trudged up the driveway to find that her father's car wasn't home, however her mother's car was parked in the garage. The moment she entered the house, she was welcomed by the sight of a messy lounge room, cushions, and other decorations littered over the floor and the chairs. At first she thought there had been a burglary, but as she took in the images of the plasma TV, her mother's fine chinaware, she realised someone at home had done this.
Ascending the stairs, she was greeted with a chaotic hallway – clothes and other belongings scattered on the wooden floorboards – but what scared her were the muffled sobbing sounds resonating from her parent's bedroom. Closing the distance between the hallway and the ajar door, she peered into the master bedroom. There huddled in the corner of her parents' bedroom was the small figure of Ava Evans, weeping into her knees.
"Mum?" Essa found herself whispering, a lump forming in her throat.
As her mother gradually lifted her head, Essa was stunned by the image of a teary, swollen eyed mum.
Wiping at her eyes furiously, Ava Evans stood on wobbly feet, ashamed at having her daughter witness her in such a state. With her back turned towards Essa, she started picking up her clothes that had been thrown all over the place in her fit of fury and hurt. Even now as she attempted to fold the clothes, the events between her husband and her was still raw in her mind.
He had cheated on her… All these months Ava had thought it was the way she dressed, or the way she talked that had made him pull away from her. She had always thought that it was her and her busy schedule. But she had tried to compensate by leaving the weekends free for her husband and the children. Hell! She had even taken off Mondays as an effort to make it up to her husband, only to find that he never came home for dinner because of 'appointments' and so on.
Ava hadn't been angry at Harold for his frequent absences for dinner, though it was when he stopped calling to inform her of his whereabouts, or he started sleeping at different places instead of home that hurt her most. At first she had thought nothing of it; however it was only a matter of time when she was aware of the lack of intimacy in their marriage as well as the missing verbal communication…
She never thought he was capable of having an affair – after all they did make their vows, and he had said to her that he'd love her and nobody but her. But now as she picked up her clothes and various other objects, she noticed the tears trailing down her face.
"When did it start?" She asked, her voice a high pitch.
"Eight months ago," he replied, tone solemn.
"Get out," she breathed and it hurt more than anything to see her husband of twenty five years turn his back on her.
He had left no explanation, he hadn't bothered to try and make things right. He just left…
"Mum is everything alright?" Came Essa's voice.
Glancing up, Ava's eyes met Essa's scared looking gaze and she reached out for her daughter, grabbing the girl in a tight embrace. She felt a little comfort when her daughter hugged her back with as much enthusiasm and it brought more tears to her eyes. Pulling apart so that they were at arm's length, Ava breathed in deeply.
"Your father and I are getting a divorce," she voiced and saw the look of horror register on Essa's soft features.
Essa was utterly speechless. She knew that things between her parents could have been better, but never in her life had she thought that they'd ever separate. Sure her father had been a little too busy and was always out on business trips, but he wasn't always to blame seeing as her mother was quite a busy woman herself.
There were times when Essa hated her mother's busy schedule, but she absolutely loathed the look of disappointment on her mother's face whenever dad had let her down. Ava had always made an attempt to make time for the family, she had even cooked a nice dinner, planned a few family activities, though whenever the clock stroke seven and her husband wasn't home, it was evident that she willed herself not to cry.
"Have you called Erica?" Essa found herself asking, her voice shaking. "She deserves to know mum,"
Ava nodded; her eyes scanned the mess she had created.
"Don't worry about that," Essa commanded. "I'll have it cleaned up in a short while," she breathed and watched as her mother fought an inner battle with herself.
Finding the strength to fight back the sorrow within, Essa grabbed her mother's hand, bringing her to the bathroom. She watched as her mother washed her face before leaving the bathroom briefly to make a phone call. One thing Essa knew about her mum was that the woman had a lot of pride, and she also knew that right now her mother needed someone more than she was willing to admit.
Dialling Aunt Elaine's mobile number, she began pouring over the events to the woman she had known since she was young…
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As the final piece of decoration was placed back into its rightful position, a sudden rush of grief overtook the raven-haired girl's body as she sat down onto the sofa. She had been cleaning up the house for the past hour, trying to think of nothing but the task of cleaning. Now that the deed was done, the girl couldn't chase away the need to cry.
Chris' mum had come over to take her mum out and Essa had remained at home. She had called her sister Erica to tell her of the news and had managed to stomp down the strong urge to cry over the phone. The moment she had hung up, she commenced cleaning to keep the tears at bay. But now that everything was done, memories and flashbacks entered her head as her eyes took in all the tiny details in the house that both her mother and father had designed – the house she had grew up in all her life.
Fingers trailed over plaques and awards, green-blue eyes examined pictures, staring at the happy faces that appeared to be looking right back at her. As she reached a boxed paintbrush that was set on a plaque, Essa smiled sadly in memory. It was the first paintbrush she ever used, and it was also the very brush that she used to paint her first picture with. Her dad had kept the piece and had gotten it boxed in glass, set on a dark piece of wood to encourage her to paint. That ornament was there as a reminder of what a great painter she was and it was her father's silent method t
o tell her she was doing a good job.
Slowly stepping away from the shelf and the photos, Essa closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in. A tear slid down her cheek but the girl didn't make any attempt to wipe it away. As memories of family gatherings and other various pieces ran across her mind, she realised she had shared so much joy with both her mother and father.
She remembered there was a time when she was busy playing at the playground, chasing after Chris. She hadn't seen the log and had tripped over it, grazing her hands and knees. Almost immediately her father came to her and he kissed her wounds better before tickling her.
Opening her eyes, Essa couldn't help but breathe in deeply. She would never have imagined her father having an affair – sure he looked great for his age – but her mother wasn't that bad either. Ava Evans was after all a dermatologist, so her skin glowed wherever she went.