He reached into his pocket and pulled out a baggy full of pungent-smelling weed.
“That has to be good. I can smell it from here,” I commented while looking at the huge buds tucked inside.
“It is. Trust me. This is the really good stuff. I have a grower in town that I buy from. This isn’t your typical city weed or scraps from Mexico. I think you’ll enjoy this.”
“Here,” I said as I handed him my new bowl.
“Nice.” I watched his fingers as they delicately rolled the buds into fibers. His nails were well trimmed and clean for a man but they showed signs of intensive labor. He filled the bowl to the brim with bits of skunky green and held it within his hand. He drove to a familiar country road that I frequented and it was comforting in the unfamiliar company. I finally started to relax when he started speaking again. “What music do you like? I have a CD book in the glove box. You can find something you want to listen to.”
I pulled out his five-inch thick folder and flipped through them. He had at least a hundred CDs in there. There was a lot of metal. I didn’t find any punk, which was a little disappointing but he did have some of the same CDs that I did. I picked one out and put it in his console.
“What did you pick?” He reached into his pocket for a lighter.
“I’m not going to tell you. You’ll find out soon enough.”
He smiled. “I like the way you deliberate. You always make me figure things out, no easy answers.” He lit up the bowl and took a big hit. The burning embers released a skunk-like stench into the car and if anyone was nearby, they would’ve smelled it. He handed it to me and turned up the volume as a voice spoke in detail about the devil. A large cloud of smoke erupted from his mouth like a volcano and I rolled my window down a crack to release some of the fog. When he started recognizing the music, he looked at me with surprising acceptance.
“I never would have thought this was something you liked.” It was a European metal band, considered diabolic at its prime, who had great success in the 80's.
“I’ve been listening to them for a while.” I put the flame up to the bowl and took in as big of a hit as I could. Trying to be brave, I took in too much and ended up coughing most of it out. He laughed at me through my struggles and after I finally recovered, I joined in.
“Exactly. The same thing happened to me with my first hit of this blend.”
“It has a very interesting taste,” I said while swirling my tongue inside of my mouth, tasting the herb. It was unlike anything I smoked before.
“I’m pleased that you like it.” He held the pipe to his mouth and lit it on fire. His cheeks squeezed inward while he sucked in the smoke. He handed the pipe back to me and I took a deep breath. I paced myself this time, making sure to not take too much in. I handled it better and we continued this routine until it was finished.
“You haven't told me very much about yourself,” I said after finishing the last hit, glancing over but his eyes stayed on the road.
“What would you like to know?”
“I don't know. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“One, a sister. She's a few years older than me.”
“Does she live in the area?” I asked, engaged in any information he would give.
“No, she lives in California and the times I converse with her are few and far between. We rarely engage with one another.” I tapped the ashes out his window. He didn't say anything more and I didn't want to pry into his private life when he clearly wasn't up for it.
I stared out the windshield but I could feel his eyes every time they lingered in my direction, an apparent energy surrounding me that was hard to deny. Our conversation was lagging at this point but I was afraid to ask him any questions. He would always give me these short, sweet answers without any elaboration.
He turned down a country road that was completely bare of a surrounding environment and I had no idea where we were. There were no houses to be seen, only an occasional tree in the middle of an otherwise empty field. He was staring at the road with intense eyes and I admired him from my seat—his silky black hair, dark eyebrows, chiseled jaw, thick neck, and muscular arms. I moved my gaze back up to his face. He swallowed and I could see every movement in his neck. I got the sudden urge to lunge myself onto him and kiss him but of course, I controlled myself like a proper lady should. I imagined kissing him in my mind instead.
“Can I show you something?” he asked. This question broke my concentration and I looked over in his direction.
“Sure.” I felt completely safe in his company. Why not? He turned down a very narrow dirt road and I wasn’t even sure it was a road because we were headed straight for a patch of trees. “Are you sure we can go in here?” I leaned up in my seat as he ignored me and flew right through them.
“I can go anywhere in this town.” He started picking up speed, going well over what I felt comfortable with considering the terrain we were driving on. I clung to the handle above me, appropriately named the holy shit bar, and tried not to panic. We blasted through the thick of trees and their branches smacked hard against his frame as we flew by them. My blood was pumping at a record pace and I could see a clearing straight ahead of us. When the trees dissipated, the open sky was there to greet us and nothing else.
We were going straight toward a cliff with no sign of stopping. My eyes darted to him and back to the road and suddenly a sinister grin spread across his face.
He hit his brakes, jarring me from my seat, and flipped a quick one-eighty. I screamed at his sudden movement and closed my eyes, fearing we would fly off the cliff in his fancy sports car. The car slammed into park a few inches from the edge and I fell silent, a cloud of dust encasing us from the outside. I could feel my adrenaline pumping as I sat there quietly, barely able to breathe, my heart rattling in my chest. I turned slowly to glare at him with wide eyes.
“Are you crazy?” I shouted with hoarse vocal chords and he set off into laughter. Maybe he was. I looked out my window since it was facing the edge and looked below. There was nothing but air for hundreds of feet. “Shit.” I reached for my door handle but I felt his warmth upon my arm.
“I’m sorry Mina. I just wanted to see your reaction. I would never put you in any real danger.” At this point, I didn’t know if I believed him and I had the right nerve to slug him but as I gazed into his eyes, I saw that they were apologetic. I forgave him for the near-death experience, letting my anger dwindle but I was still shaken.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
He turned off the engine and told me to wait. When he reached my side of the car, he opened my door like a proper gentleman and I found this new character trait of his charming. He held out his left hand for me to grab and I reached for it with my right. I followed him to the edge to get a quick view.
“Whoa...” I took a few steps back while still clutching his hand, “that is wicked.” I stared down at the small town below but it appeared much larger from our angle, perched upon the great black mountains of Shadow Heights. I could see my house in the distance and downtown was lit up by streetlights. I squeezed his hand tighter as I walked to the very edge, allowing my toes to peek over and the side of his face rose into a smile. I pulled on his arm to use him as leverage so I could hang my legs over the side. His strong arm gripped me tightly and I knew he wouldn’t let go.
“This is where I come when I want to be alone. I figured you’d appreciate this spot as much as I do.” I looked over as he stared out at the horizon, his long hair blowing behind him. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.”
“Well, I'm lucky then,” I said, admiring the view. He sat down next to me and we stared at the sky for quite some time. It was nearing six o’clock and the sun was positioning itself for the descent of the day. It was breathtaking to see. I stared in amazement at all the colors painting the sky while at the same time feeling his tingling stare. It was a moment that I'd never forget.
“It’s so colorful, full o
f life,” I said, breathing in the fresh air. “I love sunsets.”
“Me too.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. We shared the burning stick of cancer, which really should be its name.
“I'd like to know you better,” he spoke openly. “You're unlike anyone else I’ve known.”
“I thought it was bad to be different.” He chuckled while shaking his head in disagreement.
“Believe me, after all the drones I've seen in life—you are refreshing to say the least.” I smiled. “Would you come by my place later?” I stared at the open sky and weighed my options. I had no plans for the evening and spending more time with him was definitely tempting. His face crinkled like a sad clown and it made me burst into laughter. “Come on. You’ll have fun and you haven’t gone out much since you moved into town.”
“How would you know that?” He shrugged.
“Lucky guess.” He stopped and then added, “However, that isn’t exactly true. I did see you out with somebody last week.” I knew exactly who he was referring to.
“Who? My sister? I’ll have to introduce you to her.” He smiled at my disguise.
“That’s not who I meant.” He stroked his chin with his right hand, searching me for an answer. “This person was a guy.”
“Oh. That would be Greg.” My eyes looked for his and he motioned with his hand for me to keep going with my story. “What? He’s just an old friend from back home.”
He stared up at the sky while he pondered my words. His neck and jaw were tense with obvious disagreement. “I suppose that reply will suffice. I was just wondering who he was.”
“Do you view him as a threat?”
“Not exactly. I was hoping there wasn’t a lot of competition but how could there not be,” he replied, returning his gaze to me. “Who wouldn't desire you?” I let out a single laugh in response. I didn't see myself that way—desirable. “Forget about it.”
“There’s nothing going on between him and me or anyone for that matter if that’s what you wanted to know,” I defended.
“You projected a curious vibe that day. It was as if you didn’t want me to see you with him. I kept asking myself—what is she trying to hide from me—and this was the only logical meaning that came to mind. You only conceal things from others what you don’t want known.”
“Well, you were wrong. He drove down from Cherry Ridge to see me and we went for a drive. We're just friends, nothing more.”
There was barely enough light surrounding us to make out his features so I couldn’t tell if he believed me. His hair blew across his face with the venturing breeze and it cast shadowy lines on his incandescent skin. I wanted to kiss him so badly but I knew I shouldn’t.
He stood up and reached for my hand. I took it willingly, while he pulled me up against him. I stopped breathing as we stared into each other’s eyes, our bodies connecting physically for the first time. I was about to speak when he lifted my hand to his face, stopping near his lips.
“You’ve bewitched me,” he spoke softly and kissed me with delicacy on the hand. The blood in my head rushed straight to my loins, inflaming them with lust. He continued to hold my hand while escorting me back to the car. I slipped into the passenger seat in a state of daze and watched him pass in front of the car with an amused smirk on his face.
On the ride back into town, I felt my phone vibrating inside my purse. I pulled it out to see who it was. My heart stopped for a second and I threw it back inside my bag. It was Greg. It was almost fate that he would call at that moment.
He looked over at me, “No one good?”
“Uh...it was just my mom. I’ll call her back later.” He didn’t suspect a thing judging by his reaction. We got into town and pulled into his stone-paved driveway. He walked me to my car and chatted with me for a few minutes outside.
“Will I see you later?” he inquired.
“I'm not sure,” I replied.
“I'll respect your decision either way but if I can plead my case, I would enjoy your company tonight. You can meet some of my friends. Maybe you'll even find one you like.” I looked over at him and chuckled.
“I'm already interested in someone else,” I admitted without shame. The color of his irises was mesmerizing. They seemed to be changing every second, like they were always in motion, sort of like a kaleidoscope.
“So, can I expect you to be here?”
“I'll think about it.” Without giving him another glance, I left his side and headed home. But yes, of course I would go. Why wouldn’t I?
Chapter Nine
I arrived home and all of the good spots in the driveway were full since everyone was home from their busy day. Viewing it from the car, the house was full of mystery. It was just as I pictured, barely able to see its outline in the dark.
I walked inside and found my dad watching TV, lying across the couch with a newspaper covering his chest. He asked me the usual—how was your day? What did you do? After that was finished, I headed for the kitchen. I was glad that he didn’t talk to me very long. He made me feel paranoid whenever I was high. I think he could always tell.
My mom was preparing a big meal, dressed in a flannel apron, with cooking utensils in hand. It smelled delicious. I hadn’t eaten anything all day. I was in such a different world this afternoon that I didn’t even notice the hunger pangs that were now plaguing me.
“Hi sweetie,” she said. I walked up to give her a hug and moved quickly to the fridge. I grabbed a soda from inside and drank half of it in only a few gulps.
“I hope you’re hungry.” She was making her specialty chicken strips and garlic mashed potatoes along with some broccoli for me since I wouldn’t be eating the chicken. I decided to eat before everyone else since I was eager to leave. I didn’t want to go over there and only be able to stay for a couple hours.
I was almost finished devouring my food when my mother called the rest of the family for dinner. Even though I was already done, I sat and listened to their conversations for a few minutes. I told them I was going out but they didn’t ask me too many questions. They were probably both happy to see me going out for once. I was spending too much time indoors.
I walked up the stairs but my feet stopped moving when a noise at the end of the hall startled me. I heard a door slam into its frame and a loud creak came from the same direction. I knew everyone was downstairs so I hurried down the hall to see what had happened and that's when I noticed the attic door. It was standing wide open, still swinging with whatever force had exerted itself upon it. My mouth stayed agape while I approached it.
I reached my hand out to touch its antique frame and a force of energy blew right through me, throwing a gust of wind into my face. It was a feeling that made my hair stand on edge and I luckily moved my hand away in the nick of time.
What...the hell was that? Goose bumps protruded from my skin and I surveyed my surroundings with cautious eyes. I turned on the light in my bedroom for comfort but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, that something was following me. I looked through my closet for something to wear and tried to ignore the fear pestering inside but it was like a mosquito bite begging for a scratch.
I wanted to make a big impression on him but I didn’t want to look desperate so I changed into a pair of black hip-huggers and a black top that was form fitting, nothing to risqué. I put on some black sandals and redid all of my makeup. I lightly dusted some purple eye shadow on my lids, outlined my eyes in black, and put a shiny coat of gloss on my full lips. I was much improved from earlier I decided while reviewing my appearance in the mirror. I brushed through my hair and ran my fingers through it a few times until it was just how I wanted.
I sent Greg a text telling him I could call him later; although, I didn’t actually know if I would. I told my parents that I’d be out late as I headed out the door but they didn’t even stop me for questions. It was very odd. Usually they interrogated me about every detail.
I smoked a cigarette on my way
to Jaden's to help calm my nerves. I didn’t know what to expect but I couldn’t wait. It was almost 8:00 when I pulled up in front of his house. Three cars were parked in the driveway and my calm mood shifted to panic.
Breathe.
I stepped out of the car and approached the house. I could hear voices shouting loudly from inside and I was ready to knock on the front door when I heard a door slam in back. I moved off the porch toward the driveway and soon Jaden appeared carrying an oversized Hefty bag, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. After throwing the black bag into the trash can, he looked up with lustrous eyes.
“Hey, you came.” I waved at him.
“I haven't gone out in a while and been around people outside of my bloodline.” He chuckled. I walked by his side to the back porch and once I came into the light, he pulled me back into the shaded darkness with a quick jerk of his arm.
“Woah.” He bit his lip as he looked me up and down with his eyes. “I need to tell some of the guys to leave before you go in there.” He started to walk away but I tugged on his arm to come back.
“What’s the problem?” I asked hurriedly.
“Nothing. You’re just very curvaceous and I don’t want anyone hitting on you.” I rolled my eyes while he ran his hand through his long dark locks.
“I can go home and change.”
“No,” he answered quickly, “you’re perfect. Stunning, really. I’ll just have to behave myself.” I smiled from his words but was surprised by his change of reaction.
“You ready?” I nodded with uneasiness. “Don’t worry; there are only a few guys over. We usually drink on Thursday nights. It’s kind of a weekly ritual.” I saw Ryan appear at the back door with a beer bottle in his hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
“Come on, man. Let’s do some shots,” he yelled through the screen and his eyes drifted to me. “Oh, hey Mina. What's up?”
“Give us a minute,” Jaden replied. Ryan left us and I heard a few laughs coming from inside.
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