Evan opened my door. “Is he bothering you?”
I heard Ryan laugh, which did nothing for cooling the anger on Evan’s face. I saw the look and I knew Evan was getting ready to walk away from me and go after him.
I put my hand on his arm, which stopped him before he could move. “Hey, no—it’s okay. He just heard my stereo and came over to listen for a few minutes.”
One eyebrow went up on his face asking a question without words.
“No,” I answered, “I didn’t invite him, but it’s okay.”
Jewels pulled in right behind Evan and must have had an idea what was going on. “Hey, guys,” she said cautiously. “What’s up?” But behind his back she motioned me to head in with Evan and then she pointed to Ryan and back to herself to let me know she bring him along separately.
“Let’s get going.” I tugged Evan’s arm, “I’ve—I’ve got to stop by the office this morning.”
He didn’t say anything at first, but when we were almost out of hearing distance, he growled, “I don’t like that guy.”
I didn’t have anything to do in the office when I started my morning until Ryan made that comment, and I now had a burning question for the registrar.
“I’ve got to see Mrs. Jones about one of my grades,” I lied—I hated to do that, but if I was right, he would likely go back out in the parking lot and beat Ryan into a pile of crap. He sat in the lobby, still trying to get his temper under control when I slipped around the corner to her office.
“Hey, Mrs. Jones, do you have a minute?”
She looked up from behind a stack of folders on her desk, “Sure, come on in. Annalisa, right?”
“Yes. I was wondering about the new student that started yesterday, Ryan Faultz.”
“Oh, yes, nice boy, but a little odd—don’t tell him I said that,” she said with a wink.
“No, I won’t, but I was wondering was yesterday his first day being on campus?”
“No, he was here most of Tuesday afternoon getting registered. Why?”
“I just thought he looked familiar.” I started to go out her door and then an afterthought hit me. “He is from Florida, right?”
“Umm—I think he’s from,” she picked up one of her manila folders and glanced inside, “West Palm Beach.”
I froze in place.
“Are you okay, Honey? You look a little pale.”
“I’m f—fine,” but the whole while I felt like throwing up.
Evan didn’t want me to go to class when he saw how sick I looked. “I’ll drive you home—your car,” trying to squelch any objections. “I’ll walk back.”
“That’s like six miles, Evan. I’ll be fine, honestly.” I turned for the English wing. I would have to get through three periods with Ryan today, English, P.E. and Chemistry. P.E. wouldn’t be so bad because I had a feeling he wouldn’t get too close to me with Evan at my side. Who knew where he’d be sitting during chemistry. The only thing I was becoming keenly aware of was that Ryan was on campus the day my battery cable had been pulled from my car and now I knew he was from my hometown. I was trying to calm my shaking nerves as I walked into English. He was already there, but he wasn’t looking up as I walked into the room. He was drawing something on a sheet of notebook paper and didn’t notice me until I took my seat.
“Evan leaves you alone long enough to go to class, huh?”
I ignored the remark and took out my textbook.
“Today we are going to take up the period with Poe-etry,” Mr. Shultz said with a smile. “We have a great collection to work from and we will see how many we can read today. Tonight you are going to do a little poetry of your own. I want at least one poem in Poe’s macabre style. I’ll choose from the best and we will have another poetry reading on Monday, but it will be your poetry, not Poe’s. Take a look in the textbook and raise your hand as soon as you’ve selected a poem and we will begin.”
I heard a noise behind me and then, “Mr. Faultz, what would you like to read?”
“Annabell Lee,” he answered.
“Very good, begin whenever you’re ready. When he’s done, I’ll expect someone else’s hand to go up. You have the floor, Ryan.”
He took a few steps forward as if he were heading to the front of the classroom and then stopped short just past my desk and turned around and began reading the poem. He was very good at being a dramatic reader, but the way he recited it gave me the creeps. Every time he said the name Annabell Lee, he drew out the Anna longer than the rest of the name. I never looked up, but it felt like his eyes were locked on me during the whole reading. The poem wasn’t that long and he eventually sat down, to the applause from the other students, and then the next person rose and began.
“Was that as good as your Raven?” he whispered.
I nodded, but refused to turn toward him. He said nothing for the rest of the period, but every once in a while I could feel my hair being moved and I knew he was playing with it.
There was no sense in trying to avoid a conversation with him when the bell rang because I knew he’d be stuck to me like glue so I might as well try to get some answers. I picked up my books, ignoring that he put out his arm as an offering to carry them.
“That’s okay,” I refused.
“Why don’t you have a book bag like everyone else?”
“I don’t know, I guess because there are only four classes a day instead of seven so that’s not too much to carry.”
“True, but why won’t you let me carry your books for you?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Are you that afraid that Evan will get mad and try to beat me up?” He gave a sardonic laugh.
“I don’t think it would be a matter of trying. I think if you get too pushy he might—or I might.” It was supposed to come out threatening, but it sounded hollow.
“You? Would you jump in and sacrifice yourself if it looked like he was getting the worst end of things, too?
I nodded.
“Very tough,” he smirked. “But not the wisest thing to do; jumping on a guy that is. Some guys don’t follow the rules about never hitting a lady.”
“I might turn out to surprise you. How about you? Do you follow that rule or is everything fair game in love and war?”
“I love how you talk,” he said, breaking off my train of thought. “You aren’t a drama-queen, but yet you leave the drama up to the person listening. Very clever.”
“Why are you in Pensacola?” I blurted.
“I told you, I’m joining the Air Force after high school, remember? Eglin is practically next door.”
“A lot of guys join and get assigned to Eglin, but that doesn’t mean they all move here first.”
“True, but they may not have all the opportunities that I have.”
“Like what?”
“Money,” he answered, looking away from me.
“Why do you even want to go into the military? You don’t seem the type?”
We turned the corner for the locker rooms. He gave a slow smile, “It’s the only legal way to kill someone.”
That sent a chill down my spine. “Why would you want to do that?” I looked him in those ice cold blue eyes with as much courage as I possessed.
“Everyone has their reasons behind what motivates them—mine are private.” He turned and headed toward the guy’s locker room.
I felt someone grab my arm, Jewels was standing there.
“Hey, you know I don’t think that is a very good idea after this morning, unless you want to see them get in a fight.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Good because I like Ryan, and I don’t want to see him get that perfect nose of his broken.”
“I think he’s dangerous, Jewels. Don’t try to get too close to him.”
“Ha!” She laughed. “You’re a fine one to talk. Evan is like a ticking time bomb and you are warning me that Ryan is dangerous? I think Ryan talks a good game, but Evan is a good game. And, girlfriend, Evan really likes you.”
>
“You think so?” I felt he did too, but I didn’t know it was that apparent to others.
“Oh, yes. You seem to be the only topic he cares to discuss when you aren’t around.”
I was trying to hold back the smile that felt like it was going to tear my face apart if I didn’t let it out.
“It’s kinda creepy though. Definitely stalkish,” she added.
“Please, if there is a stalker here, it’s Ryan. Do you know he was at my youth group last night and I never saw him? And then he said he went by my house and saw me and Evan sitting in his car?”
“That is cree…ooh, how was the car?”
“Jewels,” I laughed, “You are impossible.”
Evan was good through gym and, just as I predicted, he stayed close by me. Ryan (with a little help from Jewels) stayed away.
Chemistry wasn’t so bad because Ryan couldn’t sit near me. When the final bell rang, I was out of the room before anyone else and headed for my car. I beat Evan, Ryan, and Jewels. I was aching to see Evan before I left, if for no other reason than to look at his face and know that he was now closer to me than even my best friend, Jewels. Yet, I was afraid of the implications of falling for someone. I’d been friends with several guys and thought I liked a couple of them, but it was nothing like I felt when I was near him.
I found myself imagining what it would be like to kiss him, really kiss him. But that terrified me to the core. It was like some deep, dark emotional chasm that I might fall into and be irreversibly lost. I’d seen it a lot last year as girls I have known all my life suddenly took notice of particular guys and then BAM! It was like they were from another planet and all they could talk about would be how they could spend every waking moment with these guys they’d fallen for. That to me was scary—like turning zombie scary.
CHAPTER FIVE
The parking lot topic for Friday, besides the weekend, was what we were going to agree to go see tonight at the movies. There were thirteen of us that stood around after school, discussing the options. With the exception of Evan and me, most of the girls wanted to see the latest romance, and the guys were out for guns and guts. Neither he nor I had a preference. They finally decided on the latest scary thriller which was a little of both. I was certain that I could have told them the plot before seeing it; guy meets girl, killer enters scene, blood-guts-gore, killer is vanquished, guy gets girl, killer not really dead, end of movie. It was definitely not something I would have picked, but for the sake of the group reaching a consensus before I was late picking up Kimmy, I caved. The showing for 7:15 was agreed upon and the group broke up.
“Great, I’ll see you at the movies,” I told Evan as I prepared to crank up and leave.
“Whoa, wait a minute. We’re going together. I’m picking you up at your house. I’d like to talk you into dinner, too. You pick the place.”
“Evan, I’m used to driving. It’s like a control thing, I guess, but I like being able to head home when I want to. The group sometimes decides to do other things that I don’t like doing.”
“You are really worried about this being an actual date, aren’t you?”
“N—no. I told you, I’m used to driving…”
“Fine then,” he seemed to relent, but then continued, “I’ll pick you up at 6:45 and you can drive my car. Fair enough?”
I wanted to tell him that it was not fair enough, because he was making it hard for me to weasel out of. “I keep the keys,” I retorted, hoping he’d give me an excuse to say no.
“Fine.”
“No dinner though. I’m eating before I leave the house.”
“Fine, but a snack after the movie, if you are willing, won’t be out of the question.”
“Fine,” I replied, mimicking his short response.
“And, you are my date tonight, got it?”
I opened my mouth and sat there like an idiot. He reached in and pushed my chin up to close my mute argument.
“You will be my date tonight. End of discussion,” he turned away and got in his car, smiling the whole time. He was gone as the word, “Fine,” finally came out of my mouth.
“What’s my curfew tonight? Ten or eleven o’clock?” I asked Matt. I purposely asked him because Bev was too lenient on me. Matt had this whole ‘dad’ thing going on lately so I was likely to get an early end to my night if he made the decision.
“I don’t think you have a curfew for the nights without school the next day,” he seemed confused. “Besides most seventeen-year-olds don’t like curfews, do they?”
“I do,” I beamed, hopeful that he would take a hint.
“Leese, that is exactly why I trust your judgment. You know your limits. I don’t want you to make it too late, but I won’t be mad if it’s one in the morning. Just be safe, okay? God knows your mom couldn’t handle the stress if anything happened to you.”
I knew that was true. Mom was so fragile right now that the tiniest thing might put her in the mental ward. I didn’t want to be that ‘tiny’ thing—that’s why I was here.
At 6:45 sharp, I heard the sound that sent my heart racing; Evan had pulled in.
I walked out on the porch to see him standing beside the open driver’s door.
“Do I need to come in?” He asked.
“No, they’ve already met you, so they’re cool about tonight.” I walked carefully toward the vehicle. It was a very distinct threshold I was getting ready to cross over. There was still something about him that caused me to be afraid, but I was to the point where my curiosity and desire to be close to him were slightly more overpowering. But, one wrong move on his part and the balance would quickly shift.
I put out my hand.
He smiled. “You know this isn’t your bug. The handling is different, it’s not a four speed, it’s six.”
I never changed the slight smile I wore on my face as I extended my hand.
“You’re sure you can handle it?” He looked worried for once.
I opened and closed my palm to signal that I was growing impatient. “I drive and I hold the keys, all night.” I reminded him.
He resigned with a sigh and carefully placed the keys in my palm.
I slid into the driver seat as he walked around to the other side. I put the key in the ignition and pressed down the clutch. “Are you ready?” I asked him, still wearing my barely visible smile.
“Please, don’t wreck my car,” he whined softly.
My smile got bigger, “You’d better put on your seat belt.”
He obeyed, but the worried look intensified.
I turned the key and the engine purred quietly to life. I left it in neutral and revved the engine, watching the tachometer move smoothly to the right and back down.
“You’re not in gear,” he pointed out. He must have thought I was trying to make the car move.
“I know that, silly. I’m just getting a feel for it.” I put the car in reverse and backed carefully into the street, then dropped it in first gear and took off in a flawlessly smooth motion. “I love the instrument panel,” I said as I worked my way through the gears. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was starting to breathe again. “How hard have you pushed it?” I looked over, hoping that his knuckles would soon get a little color back in them from gripping the seat so tightly. “The transmission is tight.” I continued my one-sided conversation. “Well that’s odd,” I muttered.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“If you stay this quiet the whole time I’m driving, then tonight is gonna be a cinch!” I started to laugh. “Evan, I can handle your car.”
“Just not the owner,” he said, finally relaxing in the seat and letting the color return to his knuckles.
That was when it dawned on me that it might have been better to have him gripping the seat in terror.
We pulled up to the light where the two-lane road turned into four. As I sat there waiting for the light to change, the sound of a classic engine came roaring up beside me. It was Ryan and Jewels with Nate
and Natasha in the back seat. They pulled up with big grins on their faces until they saw who was in the driver’s seat.
“Ah, crap,” Evan muttered.
“What? It’s not cool to let a chick drive your car?”
Ryan revved his engine making the car lurch slightly forward, “You wanna run it, Leese?”
“Don’t—don’t listen to him,” Evan said in a way that clearly showed he was worried.
“Drag racing is dangerous.”
“Good girl…”
At that moment the light changed and I dropped the Nissan’s gas pedal to the floor as the tires peeled out on the asphalt. I heard something come out of Evan’s mouth that didn’t bear repeating. I worked easily through the gears as I left Ryan and his muscle car screaming to try catching me.
“Leese! Slow down!” Evan yelled out over the high pitched whine of the Nissan’s motor. I checked my speed. I was close to 100 miles per hour so I backed off, down shifting gradually until I stopped a quarter mile away at the next traffic light. “Wha—what happened to ‘drag racing is dangerous’?”
I looked over at him and smiled sweetly, “Oh, please Evan. It’s only a race if it’s at least close—did you see how far back there I left him?”
The Trans Am pulled beside me, “Very funny, Leese—you didn’t say you were gonna race,” Ryan yelled.
I acted like I couldn’t hear him. Once again he began to dump the fuel into his four barrel carburetor, his car jumping up and down with the need to move forward. I looked over, and I don’t know what came over me, but I winked at him.
“No, Leese!” Evan warned, “I’m gonna take my keys back!”
I looked into those angry green eyes and then wound the tight little engine into a frenzy.
The light changed and the Trans Am tore off the line in a stinking cloud of blue-white rubber smoke. I just smiled as I gently nudged the car forward and proceeded at a normal pace.
“Good,” he began, “At least you finally got some sense…” Then I saw the smile break out on his face as he realized why I didn’t tear down the street. Ryan was being pulled to the curb by a Pensacola police officer. “You saw the cop, didn’t you?”
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