Ex Convict

by Ashley Beale

  "See you," I tell him. I watch him for a minute while he heads towards the school. He may look pretty close to the same as he had but he really has changed into a different person. It makes me wonder if in fact we can be friends, I mean, without making Wes angry. Its not like I'm attracted to DJ but he is the only one from my past that I find myself being okay to talk with.

  I still haven't even gone to see my mom or dad, and it’s been three weeks since she showed up telling me about my dad. I did use Karah's phone once to call her but no one answered. I even left a message with her number, but never got a call back. I've been debating about actually visiting them but I can't seem to bring myself to do so.

  My mind circulates those thoughts the entire walk back. After a phone call this morning, Wes said that he probably wouldn't be back to his house tonight, there was some sort of emergency with a client, so it'll be a night in for me. I just hope I can shut up the voices inside my head before I get back, then I can just have a relaxing night. Hopefully one of the girls in the house will want to watch a movie or something. I have no life aside from Karah in a blue moon and Wes. Apparently I need more friends.

  Just before walking down the small stretch that’s considered a driveway, a car pulls up on the side of the road beside me. The driver's side window rolls down to reveal a very well dressed man in what looks to be a tailored suit. He doesn't say anything, but instead stares at me. I look around before giving him another glance, uncertain if to run like hell or ask him if he needs help.

  Being a dumbass, I pick the latter. "Can I uh... help you?" I don't step any closer though, wanting to keep my distance in case I need to run. Something about the man gives me an unsettled feeling.

  His tongue drags along his front teeth, revealing a gold plated front tooth for a very quick second. My fear doubles instantly. I take in the details of his car, just in case I'll need them later, at the same time taking a step towards the home.

  "I'm just looking for someone," he states.

  I glance at the home again, taking another step towards it. "Oh," I say, turning back to face him once more. I don't want to keep my back to him too long. Taking another quick step back, I ask, "Who?"

  He grins widely. He isn't a good person, I can tell. "Paul."

  I think hard about if I've heard any of the girls mention a Paul, but it doesn't click. I shake my head at him. "I don't think I know a Paul, sorry." I step back again, ready to run, just in case. I'm only several feet away, I could make it easily.

  He tips the top hat on his head, one I didn't notice him wearing before. A scar above his brow sticks out, warning me away as much as the tooth had. This man is a wealthy yet scary man, he makes it very well known. Not someone I should be communicating with. I should've followed my first gut instinct.

  "Well, then, sorry to bother you. I hope not to scare you... too much." The windows goes up as the car glides away.

  Everything inside me feels... off. I'm nauseous. Faint. Trembling. Dizzy. I swallow through my drying throat and try to ease my panic, at least until I get inside. I just can't seem to move. I know he just warned me of something, but of what, I have no idea.

  "Hope?"

  I jump drastically, spinning quickly to see who just nearly made me piss myself. Yan, the girl who sleeps across the hall from my room, stares out at me from the front door. "You okay?"

  Doing a double check behind me to make sure that the strange man is really gone, I look up at her and attempt to smile. "Yeah... Yeah, fine. I'm fine." I walk to the door quickly, not wanting to be left out here alone. She holds the door open for me, and I watch as she takes a glimpse around outside before closing the door.

  "Okay. You hungry? I was just getting ready to make some pasta, I can make a little extra."

  Grateful and a bit desperate for a friend, I agree to pasta with Yan. It'll be a great distraction while I attempt to process a situation I have no clue about.

  Shredding myself of the towel, I glance over at Wes, giving him a small wink. He takes in my body with his eyes, obviously enjoying what he sees. Being a little brave, since we're in public and all, I pull down the back of my bikini to show him a little ass. I can actually see his pupils dilate as he instantly gets turned on by me.

  Laughing softly, I take a step to the edge of the pool and dive in. The chlorine instantly burns my eyes, so I don't open them until I resurface. When I break through, I wipe away the water from my face and look for Wes, but he is gone.

  Everyone standing around the pools looks at me with disgust. I recognize their faces instantly. DJ. Martin. Steve. Katrina. Others from our school. They look in a stage of panic. Nervous to what Wes will think, I look all around, wanting to find him, but he is nowhere to been seen. I attempt to scream out for him, but his name doesn't leave my mouth. Instead it’s the shrill of panic embedded deep within.

  People start pointing and I hear the whispers. I turn to look behind me just to see Jenny reaching for me, covered in blood. The water around her turning red, making it thicker. I reach to save her, but the blood in the water is pushing me away from her, not allowing me to save her. I scream out her name, "Jenny!" I yell. "Jenny. I'm so sorry!"

  I claw at the water, begging myself to reach her, but the harder I attempt to save her the more I'm pulled away.

  "No! Jenny!" I scream. I need to get to her. I need to save her. I have to. I can't let her die again. "Jenny, I promise I'll save you. Jenny!"

  I'm pressed against the edge of the pool, unable to move. I feel cemented into place. My voice isn't yelling out the words I need to say. The sky darkens around me. A deep dark grey hiding behind darker clouds. Thunder rolling in the distance but no lightening to brighten the sky. I quickly turn about, waiting for someone to help me, but they've disappeared. The only one left is Wes, staring directly at me.

  The glass in his hand drops, shattering to pieces. I watch him shake his head at me, playing in slow motion. He is disgusted by me too, but I can't blame him. "Wait," I yell to him.

  He either doesn't hear me or chooses to ignore me. I reach my hand out to him, starting to break free. My other hand comes out, and I push against the bloody water that’s keeping me in place, watching it break to pieces. I use it as leverage, climbing out of the pool, ready to go after Wes, but before I can get out, I feel a pull.

  Looking down, I spot Jenny under the cemented water with pleading eyes. My body trembles because I know what is about to happen. She is about to pull me down with her, taking my life as well.

  And they say when you die in a dream, you die in real life too.

  Wes

  Nostrils flaring, blood boiling, rage taking over. I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. It's not fucking true. I'm going to kill him. "How?" I snap at my dad. "How the fuck did this happen?"

  "I'm not sure it has. I have a feeling he is peacocking. Stop acting that way or he'll know something is up."

  "How do you expect me to act?" My jaw clicks as I work it back and forth. I'm about to snap. I could walk into Trapp's fucking home right now and kill every last mother fucker standing with the fury coursing through me. He calls up dad and says he found Paul, and hangs up with a warning to be cautious. Screw. Him.

  Dad shakes his head at me. "He's pissed he can't find Paul. He can only find me to blame right now. He'll get over it when someone else fucks him over."

  "I'll be the next to fuck him over, when I'm digging his grave. One for everyone in his damn family too."

  "Stop the shit," he tries to order. "You won't be touching a damn fool. You already did shit you weren't supposed to when you went up and got Paul. You could have gotten us all killed then!"

  Being calmer than he should be, he walks over to the hutch in his office, opening the drawer to pull out a tumbler and glass bottle. "I'll take one," I mumble. I sit down, cracking all the joints in my neck and arms, needing to ease the damn tension I have.

  Dad brings me over a glass of his amber liquid, then sits next to me with his own glass. "There really is
n't much more we can do tonight. We did what we could right now. Maybe you should head home and get some rest, or go pick up that girlfriend of yours."

  I don't listen to his dumbass remark about having a girlfriend, but instead down what’s in my cup, hissing out a breath as the burning sensations slides down my throat. "I ain't going home," I tell him. "I'm not going to be able to sleep until I know if he really found Paul or not."

  "It may be weeks. I shouldn't have even told you."

  I look over at him, watching him twist the cup in his hands. He doesn't even want to look at me right now. I swear I see him aging before my eyes. He shouldn't be dealing with all this. Maybe I shouldn't have ever gotten him involved, I should have done what I could on my own. "Sorry," I tell him.

  Clearing my throat, I stand up and set the tumbler down on his desk. "Don't be sorry," my dad tells me. I hear the thickness in his voice and it kills me.

  "Well I am." Without another word or glance in his direction, I walk out of the office. I need some damn fresh air.

  The air outside does nothing to cool me off, in fact, it kind of pisses me off more. I need a cool air, and this shit is humid. I pull out my cell phone to dial Hope's number just to remember she doesn't have a fucking phone. Who doesn't own a phone? I haven't understood that shit since we met.

  Instead I slide through my contacts until I reach Tristian's name. He picks up after the third ring. "Hey," he answers.

  "What are you up to?"

  "Uh. Just hanging out at the house. What’s up?"

  Before I speak, I hear a chick in the background asking who is on the phone. Damn does that piss me off. People can never be patient enough to wait to ask dumb questions. Then again, right now everything is pissing me off. "Never mind. You got company. I wanted to head out."

  "Oh, you're not with Hope tonight?"

  "I don't hang out with her every night," I snap at him.

  "I know, dude. Just thought you were. Karah is here. Usually if Hope is home, she is too, so I just assumed." I can hear his annoyance and I feel like a prick.

  "Sorry man, just got some bad news. Not taking it well." I run my hand over my face as I have a quick debate. Do I want to head out to the clubs alone, maybe even with Edison, or do I want to find out where Hope lives once and for all, and surprise her.

  "It's fine," he tells me. "Maybe you shouldn't go out. You'll probably end up arrested or something."

  He makes a good point. I'd probably end up doing some shots then head out to find out where Trapp lives. "Yeah," I admit, "probably. Hey, mind telling me Hope and Karah's address? I'll just go over to her place."

  There is a strange pause. I know he is still connected because I can hear him breathing, but he doesn't say anything. "You there?" I ask anyways, waiting for him to answer.

  "Uh," he says, dragging the word out. "You don't know where she lives?"

  I guess I probably should at this point, but then again, it’s only been around six weeks. Plus, we're always at my place. She has a roommate and shit, we haven't needed to hang at her place for any reason. I guess here is to some new places to christen. "No. What’s the address? Karah is there, she should know it."

  He whispers something to Karah, then repeats the address she gives him. 17th Park Ave shouldn't be too hard to remember. I thank him and hang the phone up before calling a cab.

  The cab pulls up in front of a two story home. I didn't expect her to have such a big place, I was expecting an apartment complex. I guess it could be, however there is only one car parked outside. Paying my fare, I climb out and make my way towards the door. There are no names or apartment numbers near the door, so I can ring her down. It’s got to just be a home they rent out.

  I knock on the door and wait. I can see a couple lights on in the home, but she doesn't come to answer the door. I knock again, a little louder this time, but after waiting over another minute there is still no answer. I put my hand on the knob and turn it. It’s unlocked. I am going to have to have a talk with her for leaving it unlocked. That is way too dangerous, especially if she is home alone and can't even hear a freaking knock on the door.

  Walking into the large foyer, I close the door slowly behind me, not wanting to be too loud. I don't need her coming after me with a baseball bat or anything, thinking I'm an actual intruder. I take a peek into the first room, which happens to be an office but the light is off and no one is in there. Walking into the kitchen, I see a man bent down and looking into the fridge.

  I haven't heard of her having more roommates, especially any guys. I look around the kitchen, which looks a little old fashion, but no one else is in here. I clear my throat, leaning against the doorframe. The guy peaks over the fridge door in my direction. If this guy is screwing Hope, I'll have no choice but to beat his ass. He has to be at least double her age- what a creep.

  "Can I help you?" He closes the fridge with only a soda in hand. He cracks it open, taking a sip.

  I crack my neck and flex out my arms, just in case this happens to get ugly. He doesn't look like the fighting type, which is good, hopefully he'll leave easy enough when I let him know that Hope is off limits. I don't care that we're not labeled as anything, she is mine and she fucking knows it.

  "Yeah, where is Hope?"

  He raises a brow but doesn't answer right off. "Ms. Manson?" He takes another sip of his drink, watching me intently.

  "Yup."

  "I can go get her for you." He walks past me without a second glance. Maybe he is just a roommate, but I wonder why she didn't tell me she lived with a man. "If you're staying, you need to sign in."

  I turn around to see what he is talking about. He walks past the table in the foyer, tapping his fingers on it, then takes the steps to go upstairs. I walk towards the table to see what the book is all about. There are two paragraphs on each page, names listed in both, with time marks. This most definitely is not an apartment... or house.

  I hear a shrill scream come from upstairs. My heart nearly stops when I realize its Hope's. Taking the steps two at a time, I race to the top. Three other girls go running into a room down the hallway. I run into the same room behind them, pushing one out of the way.

  Hope is on top of a bunk, kicking at the blankets in a fetal position. The guy I met downstairs and is backed away from the bunk, hands in the air in defense. "What the fuck did you do?" I scream at him, pushing another chick out of my way to get to Hope. She is panting heavily, trashing around in her sleep.

  "You need to go downstairs," the fucker replies.

  Ignoring him, I reach for Hope. "Baby, wake up. Wake up Hope. I'm here." She sits up quickly, gasping for air. I watch as sweat pours down her face and neck. All the times she has slept next to me, not once have I watched her have a nightmare before. "Hope, baby, I'm here," I tell her.

  She looks at me with terrified eyes before taking in the others in the room. "What are you doing here?" she hisses.

  "I came to get you. You were screaming. Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?"

  "You need to go downstairs, now," the guy says behind me.

  Turning to face him, I yell out at him. "I'll go downstairs when I want to go. I'm making sure my girlfriend is alright."

  Facing Hope again, she stares down at me with pinched brows. "Girlfriend?" her voice whispers.

  "Your girlfriend will be terminated from the premises if you don't go downstairs... now." It’s the first time I heard him raise his voice. Not that it matters. What does matter is the two things that just happened. I just called her my girlfriend without realization, and she is in some kind of... facility.

  "Hope." I look up to her, unsure what is happening.

  "Go, Wes. I'll be right there. Please," she begs softly.

  Nodding my head, I take a step back. "Yeah," I tell her. "I'll be downstairs." I don't bother looking at anyone else, instead I push back through the bodies in the room and head back down the stairs. I need answers, and I need them soon.

  Hope

  Staring at Wes, s
eeing the worrisome look in his eyes, may actually be more terrifying than the nightmare I just had. I used to have dreams about Jenny all the time, but since I met Wes, I can't remember having one. The fact I had one tonight makes me curious as to what has suddenly changed. The fact Wes is in my room, staring at me like I'm a lunatic has me curious as to if everything is about to change.

  "What are you doing here?" I ask breathless.

  His head cocks to the side. "I came to get you. You were screaming. Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?" Each question comes out panicked. I hate seeing him so concerned about me.

  "You need to go downstairs, now," Jase threatens Wes. I noticed the other girls in here, I hadn't noticed him. I'm so screwed.

  Turning to face him, Wes snaps at Jase. "I'll go downstairs when I want to go. I'm making sure my girlfriend is alright."

  Oh, wonderful, now I'm really going to kicked out. Wait. Wait. Did he just say... "Girlfriend?"

  "Your girlfriend will be terminated from the premises if you don't go downstairs... now." Jase is really starting to get angry, but I can't say anything, because the word girlfriend is echoing through me.

  "Hope." He looks to me, pleading.

  Finally, I speak up and let Wes know he has to go downstairs. He doesn't have a choice. "Go, Wes. I'll be right there. Please," I beg.

  Nodding his head, he takes a step back cautiously. "Yeah, I'll be downstairs."

  He pushes through and heads out of the room. All the girls stare at him- not that I can blame them- until he is out of view. Yan looks back to me and wiggles her brows before giving me a wink, she then turns and leaves the room. The other girls follow after her, leaving me alone with Jase.

  "What happened?" I asked. I have a feeling its to do with my nightmare, but it still doesn't make sense as to why Wes was up here.

  He looks out to the hallway before answering. "Your boyfriend showed up and asked for you, I came up to get you. The second I touched your shoulder to wake you, you started screaming, but you didn't wake. Everyone ran in after."