by Sharon Kleve
Feeling my blood boil, I continued my internal dialogue. Who the hell does this guy think he is? The unexplained emotional response brought with it a feeling of protectiveness, and a bit of possessiveness as well, I suppose. I stepped in front of Cali. But, like a tiresome Christmas ornament, she shoved me aside for a view of the latest decoration.
Red’s smile continued. And it seemed as if he was simultaneously laughing.
Is he laughing at me? I quickly considered. Now filled with all kinds of negative emotions, my eyes began to water. And to make the situation worse, I heard Cali whisper, “Oh, my.” Her seemingly unintended utterance was loud enough for me to hear. I turned in time to witness her squirm, while catching the end of her bashful blush. As if she was ignoring my presence, staring straight at Red, she returned a coy smile. I’d seen that smile before, and it was directed at me.
I grabbed Cali by the arm and led her away from the car and the enticing stranger. “Let’s go,” I demanded.
But Cali wasn’t having any of that. She ripped her arm out of my grasp, and shouted, “Let me go!”
“I don’t like the way that guy looked at you,” I insisted.
“So what?”
I tried to grab her again. This time, Cali swung her arm and walked ahead of me. I was left holding one strap of her purse. Holding the other strap, Cali was yanked to a stop. She reached into her leather bag and snatched up her keys. Keys in hand, she straightened her arm and opened her hand. The maneuver caused me, purse in hand, to stumble to the ground. Sitting on my ass, I watched Cali walk toward her car. There was an extra swing in her stroll. Her hips seemed exaggerated, making her walk even sexier than usual. It was as if she was trying extra hard to highlight her hips.
“Shit!” I struggled to get to my feet, and ran to catch up. By the time I got there, Red was consoling her.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “That guy seemed a little aggressive with you. A pretty little thing like you should never take that kind of abuse.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you. I don’t think he’d ever hurt me.” Cali glanced back at me.
Now within arm’s distance, I again, tried to reach for Cali. “Come on,” I demanded, once again. “Let’s go.”
Red stepped in front of her.
“It’s okay,” Cali said. She softly laid her hand on his arm, and cleared her throat. “He’s harmless.”
And just like that, I was a former love interest, and Red was the new stud in town. But I wasn’t giving up that easy. “Aren’t you a little old to be hanging out at a high school?” I asked, trying to expose him as a poser and a pervert.
Looking at the endless stream of students heading our way, Red declared, “I can’t see my brother. Oh well.” He shrugged, and looked Cali up and down. “Besides, I think I like the view right here, much, much better.”
“Yeah,” Cali joined in. “I kind of—ah…ah,” she stammered and blushed, again. “I kind—a—like ah—the view, too.”
Eyes still locked on Cali, Red gave a ridiculously, cheesy smile.
What a scumbag.
Then he opened that hoser mouth of his, and said, “Why don’t we forget about my brother? What do you say we go get a burger or something?”
“That’s a great idea.” Cali smiled. “I’ll follow you.”
“What about me?” I asked.
“I’ll catch up with you later.”
“You don’t even know this guy,” I pleaded. “You can’t be serious.”
All googly-eyed, Cali glanced at Red. She cleared her jumbled throat, one more time. Then, with a hoarse, yet obviously excited voice, she said, “I think I’ll be okay.” She turned and gave an upward nod toward her BFF, who stood behind me, to my right. “I’ll call you later.”
I better cut this crap now, I thought. Or should I?
I probably should have done more, but, at the time, I felt it might be better to let Cali get him out of her system, and then she would be all mine.
Truth be told, getting Red out of Cali’s mind and heart was only half the story. Getting Red out of my system was just as important. So, I set out to take care of the situation myself—twice.
The first time I confronted Red was that night, after their date. I found him all alone at the burger place. I called him outside to warn him to leave Cali alone. I even promised to hurt him if he didn’t. But, before I knew what hit me, I found myself pinned against an alley wall. Red leaned into me, getting face-to-face and eye-to-eye. His breath smelled of burned cabbage, and his eyes lit up like a Sunday morning stoner. With his forearm jammed to my neck, and my throat collapsing inward, I pleaded with the devil for mercy. He never let me live it down.
I wasn’t done just yet, though. I knew that in order to live another day, I’d need to give up and give in, so I could get close and keep an eye on him. That meant having to endure whatever evil dish Red would throw at me. So, I did. I took it, and eventually he let me into his exclusive little club. I’m pretty sure it was to rub Cali in my face though; even if it had only been a couple of weeks, they seemed pretty tight. Then, one unsuspecting day, I got him alone again. It was the very same alleyway. We were on a snack trip. He pulled in the alley to take a whiz. Just after he finished buttoning up his Levi’s, I turned him around. By the look in Red’s surprised eyes, I knew I had him. But it could have been the knife I held just inches from his flesh that caused him to flinch and tremble.
“I told you she was mine,” I growled. “Leave her alone.”
Red held up his arms in defeat. “I get it,” he said. “You want Cali to yourself.”
“That’s right. I’ve never felt this way about anybody, and I’m not going to let you ruin it.”
“Okay.”
With the fiercest look I could conjure, I gazed into the redhead’s eyes while I pressed the knife against his cheek. “Our Lord,” I growled, “says there is no peace for the wicked—like you. That’s Isaiah 57:21. You got it?”
Red took in a deep breath. When he exhaled, he blew his breath in my eyes, causing me to flinch. As soon as I made a backward move, Red dropped his arms. He easily knocked the knife to the ground. I tried to fight back, but he kneed me in the groin. I bent. Red kneed me in the head. I dropped—lights out.
When I came to, Red held the knife to my bottom lip, and his legs pinned my arms to the ground.
“Next time I’ll cut you up.” He chuckled. “That’s Red—10/10—you got it?”
All I could do was nod.
CHAPTER TWO
I considered many other ways of eliminating Red, but none got past the fantasy stage. Fearing that any other plans might backfire, got me buggin’ a little. Well, maybe I was buggin’ a lot. Nonetheless, it was Halloween, and I knew I was standing in front of pure evil, and he knew I was frightened.
Red stood, smiling. And like the football players, he seemed to pat himself on the back. He blew a kiss, and repeated, “Tomorrow is Dia de los Muertos.”
“Dia de los what?” I whispered.
Despite thoughts of all kinds of evil, I focused all my attention on the one we called Red. I watched him gawk at several of the students, now standing around making plans, or not, for their late afternoon and evening, Halloween adventures.
Red looked around the school grounds. When his gaze stopped, he seemed to chuckle at a few of the students dressed up as a flock of wizards—right out of a Black Sabbath video. He then gave a nod of approval at a few other students who were dressed like Jason; it was as if they were paying homage to the legendary, fictional psycho killer. Also scattered around the parking lot were the Bauhaus vampires. And one girl, who stood alone, not too far in the distance, came to school as the Exorcist girl. Finally, there was the usual group of the cool, hot chicks who always flaunted their goods. Halloween gave them ample excuse to dress as perky school girls, with the bottom of their butt cheeks exposed.
Red, however, didn’t need a costume. He had a new, sinister look and feel about him. It was a feeling that I couldn’t
quite explain, but it out-spooked even the most dedicated Halloween thrill seekers. The odd thing about the whole scene was that the costumed creatures all kept an eye on Red. It was kind of like they were a clandestine army, waiting for their apt leader, Red, to give the word to attack the locals. It got me thinking, Are they in on his evil plan, too? Or, am I just being paranoid?
Confused and chilled, I watched the tall redhead place his chiseled, right arm on the hood of his car and, staring over the top, give an ever-so-evil grin. With the callousness of a shark, Red stared into our eyes, piercing the soul of all who dared to return even a slight glare into his menacing gaze.
Once again, louder than before, Red said, “Tomorrow is Dia de los Muertos.”
Still confused, I whispered, “What the heck does that mean?”
Seemingly, as if he’d just finished a satisfying meal, Red slowly nodded his head. He rolled his eyes and ducked to get into the driver’s seat of his ‘79 Pontiac, Trans Am. The tinted windows provided cover from anyone who might be wondering who, or what, was inside of the car. Without warning, Red rose again. He gave an upward nod, and another twisted grin. “It means ‘Day of the Dead,’ for those of you who are interested.”
Did he hear me? Did he read my lips? I shook my head. Through grinding teeth and stiff lips, I whispered, “There’s no way.”
“It’s also called All Saints Day!” Cali shouted, with an unmistakable blush oozing from her shy, naive smile.
Somewhat awkward in her style, I’m not sure Cali even knew just how beautiful she really was. But that was part of her allure—like she needed any more reason to entice the predators who seemed to adorn her. Caught in the moment, I stared at Cali, thinking, She’s a vision of perfection.
Standing next to the passenger door of Red’s teal blue Trans Am, Cali leaned on the front fender. I think she was trying to appear more sophisticated than she was, trying to impress Red, I’m sure. With her left hand, she gently pulled her hair over her ear, exposing her flawless, olive skin. She looked back at Red and gave a subtle, but undeniable, flirty smile.
It was then that my heart stopped. I knew, without a doubt, I was in love with Cali. And I needed to stop the inevitable. I needed to make her see that I was the one for her. That creep, Red, could never love her the way I did.
Still beaming the gentle smile of an angel, Cali turned to us. Her teeth, sparkling white, were highlighted by perfectly formed, ruby lips. In a Polaroid picture moment, all of Cali’s wonder was framed by the wings of the absolute, most perfect angel costume ever made.
My heart jumped into my throat when I saw Cali turn and, without concern, start to open the car door.
“No! Don’t go!” I yelled, just before my mind went blank. At least, I think I yelled out to her. When I recovered from my momentary, stress-induced blackout, I didn’t know if I’d said anything. I’m not even sure how long I was frozen in my stance. All I know is that when I came to, the rain had started again, and that Red was staring straight at me. Several drops of rain beaded on his face, while others cascaded down the tall redhead’s crown. The crystal streams rushed between spiked strands of hair, which appeared as needles ready to pierce someone’s skin.
As if he were trying to give me some weird, secret message, his intense glare continued, but now with his head conspicuously tilted to the left.
Scared and unable to move, I couldn’t help but stare back at the absolute evil before me. My eyes squinted, but even with the rain falling on my face, they never closed. My body shook, but not from the brisk weather. No, it was something much darker and more disturbing that shot tremors through my body. And, I’m sure, it had something to do with the conflicting emotions that wrestled for my soul. My love for Cali, coupled with the innate need to protect her, was brawling with the fear that Red had instilled in me. The battle churned in my stomach, while a sudden heat-shield kept me motionless in the rising mud.
Red continued the unsettling stare down.
“He’s a psychopath,” I whispered.
Red chuckled. Again, it was as if he could read my lips. When he stopped laughing, he leaned forward and shouted, “She’s a special one, all right. I’ve never had an angel before. And you know how I like my cave women.”
What in the hell is he talking about now? I shuddered to think of the possibilities.
Red winked and ducked. He leaned like he was reaching for the dashboard. When he returned to an upright position, Red showed me a half-pint of vodka. “Here, drink this. It will help you figure it all out.”
He can’t hear me? My mind fogged. Can he? This isn’t real, is it? This must be what it’s like to go insane? I shook my head violently. I looked around and realized that I couldn’t hear the words of any of the other students in the parking lot. The rain and background noise was too much. Flustered and dumbfounded, I turned back to Red.
I was about to yell again, when he threw the vodka bottle at me. I caught the vodka and tucked it into my pants. Instinctively, I looked around. This time, I wanted to see if anyone had seen the flying alcohol—I think. The new, ominous fear, of being suspended because of alcohol, made me feel faint.
For some curious reason, my glare stopped at the main highway. In a moment of distracted relief, I watched a big rig roll by. It could have been moving fast, but to me it seemed like a slow-motion video replay. It carried dozens of fresh logs, no doubt cut at one of the local logging camps. The trip to the camps is thirty miles up the road, and another hundred miles into the wilderness. The connecting highway is called never-ever-land, because legend has it that most of the young women who travel along that corridor, never ever return. If they do, it’s usually in a body bag.
How fitting, I thought, connecting the ironic timing of a big rig, from never-ever-land, also known as “the land of innocence lost,” and the evil encounter about to occur between Satan’s spawn and the love of my life. The thought reenergized my sinking soul.
“Hey!” I yelled. I postured and took a step toward the muscle car that, like a pit-bull, seemed to match the aggressiveness of its owner.
With a bizarre, blank look, and a new, sinister smile, Red raised his right hand, telling me to stop.
Oddly, I obeyed. I stopped my advance. But, I was ready to move at the drop of a pin. At least that’s what my new bravado suggested.
With much interest, I watched Red raise his left hand from the inside of the car. In his hand was a strange object. He slowly raised it to his face, and, suddenly, there it was—a plaster mask of a sugar skull. The tortured mask was complete with colorful markings, painful teardrops, and large stitches. The sugar skull mask covered all of Red’s face, leaving only his diabolical eyes revealed. Piercing through the cutouts of the mask, his eyes seemed to shift their shape and become black. And I’m pretty sure the whites of his eyes turned to red.
The fear I had so proudly managed to overcome, had returned with a thunderous thump to my brain. I began to shake with furious abandon.
Time once again distorted, and after several minutes, which were probably mere moments, Red lifted the mask slightly. He smiled and blew me a kiss. And, with the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the car.
What’s going on? I thought. I shook my wet, petrified head to get my bearings. Having broken the mesmerizing stare, I glanced down and saw Cali, in the passenger seat, waving and smiling at us.
“I’ll be back later, and we’ll party,” she shouted.
“Wait!” I yelled. “Come back!”
Before I got the words out, the blackened, passenger-side window was raised, and the car’s engine roared. The Trans Am squealed in place, spitting out streams of mud in its wake. Abruptly and violently, the car spun and shot toward the main drive of the high school, the drive that leads to the highway, and the countless roads to nowhere and despair.
My arms fell limp and my body nearly collapsed.
“Oh God,” I whispered. “I got a bad feeling about this. Like it’s the last time we’ll ever see her.”
CHAPTER THREE
Paralyzed, I watched the car pull out of the drive and turn left. “Wow.”
“Wow is right. That guy gives me the heebee jeebees,” came from the voice next to me. It belonged to Cali’s BFF, Linda McNally. Everyone called her Lin for short. “Where do you think he’s taking her?”
“I have no idea,” I whispered, still staring at the Trans Am as it disappeared in the distance. The wail of the engine continued and could be heard for miles, beyond what our eyes and imagination could see.
“And you need to check that gnarly feeling bud,” Lin said. “You’re trippin’, and I can’t deal with you spazzin’ too.”
“Something about that guy is very, very wrong,” I whispered.
“I’m already worried enough about Cali—okay?”
“Yeah, me too.”
“I don’t need you to get me all buggin’ now, too.”
I continued my stare in the direction of the faint sound of the car’s engine disappearing into the green countryside. Suddenly, I felt an elbow in my ribs.
“Hello. I’m shaking here!” Lin shouted. “I need some warm nurture, dude.”
Lin’s mini-outburst caused me to turn and reconnect with reality. I looked her up and down and noticed that her frail, wimpy body, and lame costume, was indeed in need of a warm wrap, and perhaps a nurturing hug. I wasn’t too keen on hugging her, so I offered my jacket instead. My heavy, brown-leather coat caused Lin to lean to the right, and nearly tip over. She stumbled, yet managed to keep herself upright.
I snickered and shook my head. It never fails, I thought. Every time I see her, the word “meek” comes to mind. “The meek shall inherit the Earth,” I whispered, just like I always do.
And, without fail, Lin replied, “And don’t you forget it, bud.”
Lin is the original redhead of the area, or so she says. I have no idea what color her hair actually is—because she has none. She’s worn a red wig ever since I’ve known her. It changes with the many moods of tiny, little Lin. Somedays she’s a short-haired, redhead, which, along with her hazel eyes, comes off as kind of sexy. Other days she may have pigtails, making her look like she’s about ten years old. Then, on other days, Lin may have huge curls that give her a redheaded, Whitney Houston, vibe. Today’s hair of choice is a long, straight cut with bangs. I think it’s a new wig to match her Tinkerbell costume. I didn’t see it, but she swore it matched the costume. No matter what the hairdo, on most days, Lin’s kind of a frumpy, frail girl, with numerous bruises covering her body.