The Bet (Persaud Girl)

by Mott, Teisha

  Andie. He brought back to his mind her pale, pretty face, and her slow, bashful smile. She was a good person, he thought. She certainly did not deserve what he was doing to her, and he hoped to God she would not find out. With his conscience pricking him like a thousand tiny needles, he fell into a troubled sleep.

  77

  The Bet

  chapter four

  He was nine years old and in New York. His mother was at work at the free clinic. She had been called in to duty fourteen hours before and had not returned yet. That was distressing to him, because it was almost time for the baby to be born, and he did not think his Mom should be working so hard – especially since she was not even paid that much. He knew, because he had heard his Dad say it more than once. Dad had come to collect him from school that day. They had walked. It was only a few blocks from St. Peter’s Day Academy to the house, and it was a pleasant spring afternoon. He felt like a grown-up walking next to his tall, handsome, successful Dad. On the way, his Dad saw something shiny on the pavement, and bent to pick it up. It was a quarter.

  “Hey, look, son! A quarter!” His dad had said. “It’s always good luck to find money.”

  “You’re the luckiest person I know, Dad!” He replied.

  “No, you are,” Dad corrected. “This quarter is for you. It is now your lucky quarter.”

  He was pleased beyond words. He stuck the quarter in his pocket. When he got to his bedroom, he placed the quarter on his trophy shelf, at the spot he was saving for the huge trophy he hoped to win in the next two weeks at the Academy’s swim meet.

  The doorbell rang. His heart jumped. He knew exactly what would come next. He ran from his room and to the stairs just in time to see the housekeeper opening the door to the two police detectives. His Dad came downstairs. The detectives pulled out handcuffs. He heard them telling him he had the right to remain silent.

  “No!” He screamed. “Don’t arrest my father!”

  Suddenly, he was not nine years old anymore. He was twenty, and he knew he had to stop his father. If only he could get to his father.

  “Dad!” He cried, running to his parents’ bedroom.

  As usual, he was too late. The gun went off, and he saw his father’s brains splattered all across the bone white walls of the house…

  The paramedics were wheeling the covered stretcher out of the house. He ran up to the stretcher and stripped the white sheet stained with blood off the body it covered. It was not his father. It was Andie Persaud.

  “No!” He cried again. He looked at his hands. They were stained with blood. Andie’s blood…

  Nathan bolted up in bed. His heart was racing, and his breathing laboured.

  “Shit!” He breathed, and threw the covers off. His first instinct was to run, but something in his brain told him he had to keep calm. His body was covered with sweat and try though he did, he could control neither his breathing nor his heart rate.

  Hyperventilating, Nathan got out of bed. The room was dark, and admittedly, he was scared. He reached across and turned on his bedside lamp. The clock next to his bed read two thirty am. He raked his fingers through his curly dark hair. It had been months since he had this particular nightmare, and it had never terrified him as much before.

  Karma was a bitch, he thought, as he went to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and took it back to his room. He reached into his closet for the anti-panic meds the doctor at the university health centre had prescribed for him. She had instructed him to take one whenever he had a nightmare. It would calm him, and help him sleep. Nathan was not sure whether these drugs were a good idea. He had heard horror stories of people becoming addicted, but he took them nonetheless. He was very careful not to let his mother find out about the nightmares or the pills. Then, he reached into his wallet and pulled out his ‘lucky quarter’.

  He returned to bed, taking the quarter with him, pressed to his palm, and waited for the tranquilliser to take effect. The metal felt cold against his hot, sweaty hand. Like a scene set in a loop, the images from his nightmare played over and over in his head. The most disturbing one was seeing Andie’s body on the stretcher being wheeled away, and her blood on his hands. He did not need an interpreter to help him figure that out. It was obvious. Andie was going to get hurt, and he would be the one responsible.

  The drugs kicked in, and Nathan felt his eyelids drooping. He fell into a restive sleep with the thought on his mind that perhaps he should ask Jeremy to forget the bet.

  ***

  Thursday morning, Week 2

  Nathan waited for Andie to finish her GT11A tutorial later that morning. Presentations were going on, and Fern was in full argumentative mode. Nathan stayed outside and heard her high-pitched voice as she argued over whether the Monarchy still played a role in 21st century England. He sighed and pulled his fingers through his hair. He would have to miss swim club to help Andie with her paper. He did not mind missing swim club, but he minded having to press on with the bet.

  Nathan remembered Jeremy’s reaction when he had asked him that morning whether he would reconsider the bet. Jeremy had laughed so hard that he threw up, and Nathan wanted to wipe his face in it. Disgusted, he slammed out of Jeremy’s room and bumped into Micah, who was on his way to the shower.

  “I can’t stand that bastard!” Nathan seethed.

  “What happen now?” Micah asked.

  “I went to Jeremy about the bet…” Nathan began to explain.

  “You and this damn bet!” Micah commented, cutting him off.

  “Do you still think it is a bad idea?” He asked Micah.

  Micah slung his towel over his shoulder and looked pointedly at Nathan. “Does a fish piss in its own drinking water?”

  “Somebody has to put Jeremy in his place,” Nathan argued, trying to justify himself.

  “Yeah, yeah!’ Micah sauntered off. “Tired of hearing that story now. Just make sure you’re not the one who ends up ‘put in his place’!”

  Nathan sighed and looked at his watch. He was pressing on. Despite his nightmare, despite his conscience, despite the fact that Micah thought the bet was a bad idea. In seven weeks, he would have slept with Andie Persaud.

  “Hey, waiting long?” She was next to him now.

  “A while,” Nathan replied.

  “That’s because Miss Speaker of the house,” she pointed at Fern, “could not shut up.” They started to walk towards Preston.

  “Why isn’t your major Law, Fern?” Nathan asked.

  “Because then I wouldn’t get a chance to harass Professor Brown,” Fern kidded. “I think that’s the reason I was born. I wonder what he will give me for my paper.”

  “For his sake I hope he gives you an A!” Andie said. “You may haunt him for the rest of his life if he doesn’t.”

  “So what you guys going to do now?” Fern asked.

  “Work on my paper,” Andie informed her.

  “That paper had better be good!” Fern warned, “Or I’ll have a lot to say about it – both in tutorial and out!”

  Andie believed her. As she sat with Nathan on that Thursday afternoon in Preston Hall’s study room, she was determined that her paper would be good. In fact, it would be better than good – it would be great. She and Nathan ate peanut butter on sweetbread and drank chocolate milk, which she discovered were Nathan’s favourite things in the world to eat, while they took turns typing Andie’s paper.

  That Sunday, Andie asked her cousin Dylan to take her to the UWI’s swimming pool – much to her father’s chagrin, as Sunday was the day that he and Andie swam together – where Nathan had asked her to meet him. Andie wore a pea-green Izzy bathing suit which showed off her trim, but surprisingly shapely figure, and Nathan could not help but notice her slender waist and broad hips. It was doubtlessly the sexiest swimsuit Nathan had ever seen on a girl. From behind, Andie looked as though sh
e was wearing a two-piece, but from the front, he realised it was a one piece. She explained that her Aunt Elisabeth had designed a new line of ‘monokinis’ last summer, and that that was one of them. Nathan was convinced that the monokini was cut with her in mind, as it looked as though it was painted on to her. It was hell trying to take his mind off Andie’s toned body and concentrate on her Politics homework.

  Over the next week, Andie had changed her study routine. Instead of meeting with her sister and cousins in the library, she met with Nathan on Preston. When Samantha was ready to go home, she would drive down to Preston and pick her up. Samantha did not mind. Micah Elliott was a Statistics major like her, and while she waited on Andie, she was able to go over the problems on the tutorial sheets with him. The only drawback was that Jeremy Malcolm insisted on hovering over them all the time, and she did not like him. They even had a falling out once. She had been going over the tutorial sheet for Probability and Distribution Theory with Micah. He had left her alone in the common area to take a phone call, when Jeremy came in, all sweaty, and smelling like the gym. He was not wearing a shirt, and was quite proud of his well-toned body. Jeremy was sure that made him irresistible to the ladies.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Sammy Persaud!” Jeremy said, trying to sound and look sexy.

  “Bingo!” Samantha said sarcastically. “It certainly is. You must be in the running for a first class honours, Jeremy!” Samantha returned, without even bothering to look at him.

  He sat across from her. “So Nathan is still tutoring your little sister eh?” With a smirk on his face, he continued. “I hope the only thing he’s in the study room teaching her is Politics.”

  Samantha looked at him scornfully. He grinned.

  “Since he’s helping her with her paper, is there anything I could help you with?”

  “Yes,” Samantha said, giving him a lazy smile. “Perhaps you could help me think of a polite way of telling you that you smell like stale cabbage, and you make me want to vomit!”

  “It’s the workout,” Jeremy explained, too dense to realise that Samantha was insulting him. “I’m going to have a shower now.” He sniffed at Samantha. “You’re not so fresh, either, Sammy. You want to join me? I’ll wash your back and, if you want, you can wash mine!”

  “I want to introduce my foot to your ass, you jerk!” Samantha snapped, pushing back the chair violently.

  Micah re-entered the room at that moment.

  “What’s happening in here?” He asked, looking at Jeremy.

  “Nothing,” Jeremy said with his trademark smirk. “Just having a little chat with Ms Samantha Persaud.” He looked at her and shrugged. “She takes things too seriously, though. I think I prefer her little sister.”

  “You stay away from my sister!” Samantha warned, anger causing her hazel eyes to turn green.

  Jeremy sauntered out of the common area. “I think you’re saying that to the wrong, person, Sammy! Maybe you should be warning Nathan, not me.”

  On Wednesday evening, Andie’s paper was finished, bound, and ready for presentation. In Nathan’s room, Andie was freaking out.

  “I can’t stand in front of everybody, worse of all Uncle Marcus, and present this tomorrow!” Andie moaned, pacing the room.

  Nathan sat on the bed and watched her. “Why not? You presented fine in front of me!”

  Andie pulled at her hair. “Nathan, you’re different. I am not a people person,” she explained. “I am bound to muck up everything tomorrow!”

  Nathan sighed and got off the bed. “Come here,” he said, taking her shoulders into his firm hands. “Listen to me. You’ve done a great job on this paper. You’re bright and you’re confident. You can stand up and present tomorrow and take home the A.”

  Andie groaned. “Why couldn’t we just handed in the paper. Why do we have to present it too?” She wiggled out of Nathan’s grasp and flopped on to the bed.

  “Here’s what you are going to do,” Nathan said. “Tomorrow when Professor Brown calls you, you’re going to stand up. Come on, stand up.”

  Andie struggled to her feet, and Nathan continued. “Then I want you to give your brightest smile. Can I see that?”

  Andie gave a big, toothy grin.

  “I said smile, not scare the room!” Nathan commented with a chuckle. Andie glared at him.

  Nathan stood beside her, and pulled her over to the mirror. “When you get up, I want you to think confidently. No one has to know you’re nervous, Andie. You have to fake it till you make it. If you pretend you’re not scared, then chances are, you won’t be, I promise you. Can you pretend to be confident?”

  Andie smiled at their reflections in the mirror. She thought they looked so nice together. “I think I can!” She said.

  “Of course you can!” Nathan said. “I know you can.”

  “Thanks, Nathan.”

  “Hey, I have something else!” Nathan moved away from the mirror. He pulled out his wallet and removed the lucky quarter.

  “What’s that?” Andie asked.

  “It’s my lucky quarter,” Nathan told her. “On the day my father died, he had walked me home from school. We found this quarter on the sidewalk outside our house. My dad gave it to me – he said it was my lucky quarter.” Nathan’s eyes misted over a little. It was hard to believe that less than three hours later, his father was dead.

  Andie noticed the sad look on Nathan’s face. She touched his shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Nathan assured her. He could not believe he was on the verge of blubbering in front of the girl he was trying to impress. “I want you to have my lucky quarter, Andie!” he told her.

  “Nathan…I couldn’t…”

  “No, no. I want you to have it,” Nathan repeated. “Please. It didn’t bring me much luck. I lost my father shortly after he gave it to me. Let’s hope it works better for you.” Nathan held out the quarter. “Here, take it.”

  Andie reached out and took the coin Nathan held out to her. She allowed her fingers to cover his and linger for a while. “Thank you, Nathan. I’ll make sure it works.”

  Nathan smiled faintly and Andie resisted the urge to touch his dimple. More overwhelming was the desire to step into his arms and have him hold her. He read her mind, and enveloped her into a huge bear hug. She could feel his heart beating against her chest. His hug was firm and comforting, and she did not want him to let her go.

  “You’ll be okay tomorrow, Andie,” he whispered. “You’re going to hit a six straight over long off boundary. I believe in you.”

  Nathan did not want to let her go either. She felt so soft and warm, and she smelled so nice. But he had to, because there was someone knocking at the door. Reluctantly he pulled away.

  “Yeah, come!”

  It was Samantha. She had come to pick up Andie.

  “Ready to go, Andie?” She asked as she entered the room. As usual, she was wearing a pleasant smile, and did not look as though she had just gone through a full ten-hour day.

  “Yep,” Andie said, reaching for her bag and her precious paper.

  “Let me walk you to the car,” Nathan offered.

  “So I take it Andie’s A is in the bag for tomorrow!” Samantha commented as they walked to the parking lot.

  “Your sister certainly put her back into this one,” Nathan confirmed. “If Professor Brown doesn’t give her an A, well I don’t know what to say!”

  “Uncle Marcus is a fair man,” Samantha said. “Andie will get her A if she earned it. I take it you got an A when you did GT11A, Nathan?”

  Nathan nodded. “As did you?”

  Samantha smiled. “Welcome to the distinguished society of people getting As for GT11A, Andie! Believe me when I say we are few and far between.”

  “I haven’t gotten the A yet, Sammy,” Andie reminded her sister, as she got into the Rav4.

>   “Well, you will,” Nathan said confidently. He looked at her directly in the eyes, and she could feel her face burning. “You will.”

  As she drove home with her sister, Andie was extremely quiet. Samantha looked at her.

  “You all right?”

  “I guess,” Andie said.

  “Nervous about tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” Andie said half truthfully. The truth was that although she was nervous, something else was bothering her. That ‘something else’ was the fact that since her paper was now finished, she would no longer have an excuse to spend time with Nathan. She liked him. She got butterflies in her stomach whenever she was around him, and she did not want to stop spending time with him.

  But Nathan was her friend, just like Fern was. He did not seem interested in anything else. She recalled Sunday evening after they had come from the pool, she had gone over to Fern’s house to borrow a highlighter. It had taken Fern some time to find it, and when she returned, Nathan was on the phone. She tried not to eavesdrop, but she could not help but overhear him constantly referring to the person on the other end as ‘baby’. The worst part for Andie was when Nathan said, “I miss you too, baby. I’m coming home in a couple of weeks, and we’ll spend the entire weekend together. Yes, I promise.”