Trapped with a Way Out

by Jeffery Martinez

  "Yeah." Vincent composed himself, lips twitching between a frown and a smile. Blinking rapidly to settle himself again, he pressed on the keys, unaware of the sharp blue gaze that was narrowed on his movements. Abraham's hand came to grip his armrest loosely.

  The cobalt eyes widened slightly in recognition and some disbelief. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2…and the boy's performance…was remarkable, at a level that exceeded any that a common teenager, or any gangster, should be able to reach. As Vincent played, he had no age, no defining identity at all, except for the music and the interpretation he presented. It didn't seem strange at all when he moved with the music. It seemed like it was supposed to be that way, that the music could not exist without the swaying, the bending as he brought his eyes closer to the keys... It was somewhat intimidating, though.

  The soft notes took all thought away, as the mind sought to capture every varying voice it offered, and then all smiled when the notes became playful. None cared or were conscious of the extensive length. They all came to recognize the song, though they did not know the name or the composer, besides Abraham.

  "Woohoo!" William clapped and Rodriguez joined her this time with Richard smiling. Abraham's face could not be read, but Vincent failed to notice this as Rodriguez commanded the attention of the room now. They could all feel that the performance was coming to a close, vaguely aware of the limits of time. Rodriguez was requesting a final one or two possible songs.

  "Can you play one you wrote?"

  William' face brightened with recognition and she too turned to Vincent and seconded the request. "I'd really like to hear it."

  Richard and Abraham were caught by this unforeseen detail. Richard's uncharacteristic expression of surprise took Vincent's eyes and made his voice quiet when he responded her following question. "Do you write much music?"

  He paused. "Some." The boy admitted with his shoulders sagging a little.

  "Could you play one of your own songs for us?" The woman saw the reluctance in the teen, but was unwilling to let this opportunity go to waste.

  "The one I heard you play at school. Remember?" A few eyes glanced at Rodriguez but he was oblivious, gesturing to Vincent with his hand before Vincent seemed to recall the memory. The pale face adopted an odd expression as he thought back to the day the two had met, officially.

  His eyes sparked with humor when he smirked at the blonde teen, dimming Rodriguez's expression. "The one you heard back when you were spying on me? You know, now that I think about it, that was kinda creepy, Rodriguez. You always spy on people, or was it just me?"

  Rodriguez now became acutely aware of the stares, and his lips trembled in frustration and embarrassment as he heard the voices of judgment in his head. Vincent was still smirking when the boy scowled back at him, a hand hitting his armrest in a show of aggression. "I was not spying on you, really…not like creepy or anything, okay? I just heard the music." He looked around, searching for an ally as he tried to explain himself with urgency now. "I heard someone playing and I went to see, but the person ran away. Okay? It was late too, when the season was done and we were doing a few more after school kind of practices. I didn't even know who it was. I thought it was-" Rodriguez's voice caught and he almost cursed to himself, head turning away to cut off the stares that were burning his face. Never, never, never going to…

  The gasp came, and eyes went to William while Rodriguez's blood froze, stiffening his body and widening his eyes so that he stared at his own reflection in the window he was facing. He saw his own look of horror as well as a ghostly image of the rest of the room, and William' huge eyes.

  "Wait." He cringed at her voice, squeezing his eyes and clamping his teeth, hunching away as he readied himself for the blunt of the blow he expected. The girl was blinking, shock slowly falling to wild humor that stretched her mouth in an open grin of disbelief. "Wait. The person playing…beautifully haunting music just after the sun set?"

  Eyes blinked, recognizing the romantic tone of the words. William' grin gaped at her brother before it erupted, spewing a loud, high pitched cackle that startled even Rodriguez who felt the pitch as a damning knife in his back. With a snarl, he whipped around, making his mother flinch beside him. "Shut up William!"

  "Leroy!" Richard frowned with raised brows, unable to make sense of what was going on. Indignantly, Rodriguez scowled to himself and William, pointing at the laughing, watering eyes with near-hatred.

  "She's going to say something stupid! Make her shut up! She's-!"

  William doubled over violently, assaulted cruelly by her humor, distracting Richard from her son as all stared at William. Vincent fidgeted uncomfortably when he realized that this might have something to do with him. "Alex- Alex thought-", laughs broke her words and she gasped. "Alex thought Vincent was a GIRL! Bwahaha!" She howled, holding her painful cheeks that threatened to rip under the stress her grin was putting on them, her muscles cramping. She laughed through the stunned looks while Rodriguez told her to shut up again, almost begging.

  She looked back at Vincent with effort, biting her lips together to hold off her laughter for a moment. "Did-" Giggle. "Did you know?"

  Vincent's brow furrowed with a frown, tempted to defend Rodriguez at this point, but also cross as he knew the truth in the girl's claim. "Yeah. Rodriguez is a dumbass, too stupid for it to be his fault."

  William' smile bulged, straining to hold in a laugh. She gave in, and laughed into her lap now, shaking her head. Rodriguez saw his doom before him, and knew that there was no escaping it, but he stood, never the less, to try and order her to 'shut up now, William'.

  She smiled deviously up at him, with a dark chuckle that turned into another cackle forcing her eyes shut, and choked her lungs, doubling her over again. "ALEX- YOU HAD A CRUSH ON VINCENT!"

  The scream of laughter paled the tan boy and his eyes dulled and then flared with rage. He glared at William and then lost the kindling for his anger, too mortified to prolong its life as he found his mother, his grandfather, and Vincent's blank stare. Hands swung by his side in uncomfortable frustration and dismay. The words blurted out as he became desperate. "I DIDN'T KNOW, OKAY?"

  There was a bang of low notes as something hit the piano. A ringing quiet occupied the air as the family looked at Vincent whose head now rested on the piano keys.

  Did…did he faint again? Richard wondered with numbed nerves that began to take on the feeling of concern. Rodriguez was frozen in place as he stared at the teen, and then he jolted with everyone else when he heard Vincent suddenly expel a laugh. A real, full laugh that stunned Rodriguez and removed his desperation now so that he felt stupid about how wound up he had gotten. Vincent just thought it was funny…just like William… Green glanced at Richard and then Abraham They were smiling awkwardly, and then grinned. Richard chuckled and looked at her son's deflated expression and motioned for him to sit down. So Rodriguez did so, sheepishly, and folded his hands and then released them when it felt that it was unnatural. Vincent removed his face from the piano and gave a faintly awkward grin to the other teen.

  "Shall I play some beautifully haunting music for you?"

  Rodriguez frowned, but slowly nodded, surprising Vincent for a moment, but the pale teen just snorted and turned his attention to the piano.

  He never began the song.

  …

  Thud.

  …

  Thud.

  …

  Thud….

  Round red eyes gazed at the piano, his body stiff as the blondes looked around curiously while Richard's eyes narrowed. She didn't like this. They weren't expecting anyone…and she didn't like the sound of the knocking fist on her door. She rose and started slowly and then picked up her pace as she went to the hallway, through a door, passing the Christmas tree and heading for the front door. Vincent snapped up and followed her just as Rodriguez considered doing so, so the tan teen followed the delinquent tailing Richard. The woman was seen dithering before the door, deciding whether or not she should risk op
ening it. She was searching for the logic, not the courage. Should she open that door…or should she ignore the person outside…or get her gun…?

  No. She would look through the hole to see who it was, and then she would call the police if- The thought made her snort discreetly. Calling the police…she was the police. She cut off her grim humor, stepping towards the door. Her sight focused as she closed an eye, splayed fingertips skimming the door.

  Vincent knew who it had to be once he saw the woman's spine straighten, and the mechanical way she retreated from the door, her face a mask when she looked at Vincent, not surprised even though she hadn't been conscious of the two that had followed her. She stared at him in a distant way that twisted the teen's stomach and drained what little blood his face had, chilling his flesh.

  It almost said, What have I done? Or bordered hostility, viewing Vincent as the component of danger he was in reality, what he was involved in and what he brought with him. Risk. It came to risk and involvement and her children, and her father…and…also…Vincent. Her pupils dilated a bit, thawing her gaze. Her rigid jaw loosened as she looked at Vincent's empty features and the guarded look in his eyes, and then Richard looked at the door again. Rodriguez stood behind them, staring at his mother and then the door, chilled and somewhat heated in his muscles as he recognized the potential threat. Whoever was at the door wouldn't be able to touch his family. He wouldn't allow it.

  Vincent's eyes darted to Rodriguez as the boy passed him. Richard saw Rodriguez enter her peripheral vision. In alarm, she caught his sleeve near his shoulder, catching his eyes, her face telling him to stay back. But his face already told her that if she stepped forward, he would be beside her.

  They stiffened, losing thought when the knocking returned for a few seconds.

  This was not something was would just disappear if they ignored it. Richard's eyes narrowed at the door, bristling with hostility, but it all escaped as her lips parted and her eyes widened when Vincent swept passed her so abruptly she didn't have enough to time realize what was happening until she saw her son reach to grab Vincent. But the pale fingers were too fast, and when Rodriguez pulled him back, he only helped Vincent to open the door. Green grew, observing the towering form that seemed to fill the frame of the door.

  Dark eyes peered down at the red pair that shone up at them. The man blinked, his gaze going to Richard's hostile glower and then to Rodriguez's astonished look that flashed with a streak of hostility as well. When the dark brown eyes viewed Vincent again, they found his strange attire and had to blink again, lightening a shade.

  Vincent was frowning at him, but he lacked the hostility and distrust the others displayed. The pale hand shifted on the door handle, and the boy glanced back at the glares behind him, swallowing when he knew that his words would not be well received. So he cleared his throat with a choked sound, gaining their attention and sparing Jake their hard looks. "Can he get out of the rain?"

  Blue and green went to the ricocheting droplets that bounced off of Jake's hood, missing the blink of disbelief the man gave Vincent at the suggestion. They would never… With grim acknowledgment, Jake noticed when Richard avoided the question, sending him a daggered glare. "How did you trespass onto my property?" She spat out with a spark of animosity that jerked Vincent's muscles. He moved to the side to distract her and prevent some form of conflict, giving the woman a beseeching look. The look was lost when Vincent glanced back at Jake.

  The man was frowning at his shirt. "Where are your clothes?" They have to dress him up in order for it to be okay for him to be in their house? No. Last time he had his own clothes. Are they really celebrating Christmas with him as if-?

  "Oh." Vincent found Rodriguez, troubled by this new challenge. "They're…in…the wash."

  Vincent became aware of the mud that clung to parts of Jake's clothing…and the wind was blowing water through the door. The teen took a breath and acted with a levity that the Rodriguezs did not respond to. "So I have to go home now? I guess…so Chief I'll trade the clothes back tomorrow or something, right?" He attempted to smile at the two, but the chill the two emitted killed his feigned cheer. The red eyes dimmed with further dread as he saw William and her grandfather in the background. Jake noticed the additional presences, eyes lingering on the unfamiliar old man, glancing to find his resemblance in Richard. The woman was still glaring at him, but he couldn't blame her.

  Vincent looked up at him, nearing distress that he swallowed with a tightened throat. The pale teen took a venturous step forward and cringed when Rodriguez's grip on his shoulder tightened and forced him to retreat back.

  "I'll have to ask you to leave." The cold voice was Richard's, and she moved, a hand touching Vincent to draw him back so that she could take his place. Vincent knew this. Jerking loose from Rodriguez, he avoided her, and stood facing the family, his back to Jake. Strained red eyes found the faces, guilt clear in his tight mouth and creased brow. He looked at Rodriguez, clinging to a casual air. "Can I borrow your clothes for tonight? Or I can get my other clothes…it's raining anyway…"

  "No." Rodriguez's hard face made Vincent stare at his eyes, taking a deep breath of disappointment.

  Richard spoke in a growl now. "You're trespassing on my property. If you don't leave I will call for someone, or I myself, will assist you off of my property.

  Granted little space between the two fixed forces, Vincent found that he couldn't move. The pressure sharpened his tongue and expression as he cut in, aggravated now though he was looking at Richard. "I'm going."

  "No." Rodriguez snapped automatically while Richard's eyes had widened a little.

  Vincent snapped back at her son, scowling and turning in his limited space. "You can't force me to stay here."

  It was quiet in the wake of Vincent's declaration. Richard closed her eyes and slowly touched her son's shoulder, telling him that Vincent was right. Rodriguez scowled, his glare falling to his shoes. He turned sharply. "Your clothes will be dry in twenty minutes." He strode away before anyone could protest. When the teen was gone, attention returned to Jake while Vincent took advantage of the extra room to make himself more comfortable. Red went to Richard doubtfully.

  "Can-" His eyes flicked back to Jake and then Richard. "Can Jake get out of the rain now? Your floor's getting wet too."

  Richard frowned at him, displeased with his stubbornness. Her expression softened and her attention twisted to the old man that clasped her shoulder, looking up at Jake. Time had stolen a few inches of his height, but he was just as tall as the red-eyed teen, or few inches taller. There was no feeble look in the aged man, and nothing had stolen the sharp intimidation of his electric eyes. A wrinkled hand patted his daughter without looking away from reading Jake's brown eyes. Brown…nothing menacing, they were even apologetic as they looked back at the blue…though not they weren't entirely apologetic… Jake's eyes were a puzzle with morphing, scattered pieces.

  "Come in."

  Stunned, Richard allowed herself to stare at her father as he moved her back, snapping her eyes to Jake when the hesitant giant wiped his shoes on the bristled mat outside, water oozing from mat before he took a careful step inside. He moved only so that Vincent could close the door quietly. Five eyes were fixed on either Richard or Jake. William fidgeted with crossed arms, lurching forward and then going back and leaving them. She returned shortly before she had been missed by anyone other than Vincent who had seen her go. His eyes blinked at the towel she brought with her, and a relieved, thankful smile helped his tired features. He stepped towards her, motion attracting eyes, and took the towel she handed to him, and he in turn presented it to Jake who stared at it. Eyes went to William, coloring her cheeks while toughening her expression as she gave her mother a frown. Vincent was focused on making the giant realize that he was dripping on the mat he was currently standing on.

  The teen threw the towel over Jake's head, startling the others. A large hand grasped the cloth, letting it run over his water beaded jacket and hood,
and then it dangled in his hand as he hesitated and then pretended that he was being watched at the moment so he could dry himself off. His stiffness told of his failure.

  Abraham's patting hand on Richard's shoulder obtained her attention. The woman, with a flare of resentment, stepped away, crossing her arms and sending her glare back at Jake.

  For Vincent, the entire moment became surreal, from Jake's appearance to what was now happening. The teen gazed blankly at the room, Richard, Abraham, William, and then Rodriguez when he returned. Vincent felt Jake's presence at his side and experienced another wave of disbelief that made his head swim, making his eyes fall to his shoes, too exhausted to look up at Richard's fury. Some of her anger resided with him, and ALL of this…was his fault. Again. The teen sighed with the responsibility, reaching for a brightness to throw in his voice. His head popped up and he looked at Abraham. The old man gazed back at the teen.

  "So this is Jake." A pale hand lifted as if holding up an object as Jake stood behind it, peering at the gesture and then the teen. The hand fell to slap the black pants Vincent was wearing, and he pivoting to Jake to take the towel, and then went to William and returned it to her. "Thanks…and sorry it's all dirty." Damn it. Say something.

  William stared at him, her mouth opening without being able to speak. She blinked, pursing her lips and then imitating the boy's smile, taking the towel. "It's fine. I'll go put it in the laundry room." She began to leave, muttering an embarrassed 'be right back'. The girl felt like she was abandoning them for some reason.

  Vincent searched the remaining faces, settling on Rodriguez's unfriendly expression which was directed towards Jake. The red eyes surveyed the general area, unfocusing as his hand lifted again to show Jake. "So, this is Jake." He pointed at Rodriguez. "That's Rodriguez." His finger found Richard. "The Chief." On Abraham, Vincent took a moment to figure out how he should introduce the old man, but he received a pleasant surprise when the old man introduced himself.