“But why?” Ian asked, clutching the empty picture frame to his chest, the silver corners digging into his flesh.
“Because you wouldn’t stop crying,” his dad replied, turning away from him and stripping off his jacket.
But that was a lie. He had never let his dad see him cry. He knew he could never do that, no matter how much it hurt. Things slowly went downhill after that, culminating in his father’s remarriage a year later.
While he wasn’t sure exactly what it was his dad did for a living, he knew he made a lot of money. So much money, in fact, that not only did he have the mayor on speed dial, but the governor as well. Still, he was so busy that, at first, Ian had been surprised when his father had brought home a date.
She was a year older than his father, which was odd in and of itself because his mother had been several years younger than him. She wasn’t very pretty either with short brown pageboy hair and big, sad brown eyes. Even when she smiled, it seemed like was always about to burst into tears.
Ian was even more surprised when they were married two short months later. At first, Ian had liked his step mom, but the closer she tried to get, the more Ian felt like he was replacing his mother with another woman and that felt wrong to him. He knew that wasn’t actually the case, but for some reason, every time she tried to comfort or talk to him, a hole opened inside of him and guilt crept up the back of his neck like a red hot spider.
When he pulled away, disappearing into the emptiness of his room so he wouldn’t have to deal with her, his father told her Ian liked to be alone, that he was happier by himself.
Ian slammed his fist into the shower tile. Pain shot through his hand, sobering him. He felt tears well in the corners of his eyes, and he wiped them away angrily.
“Who said I wanted to be alone!” he growled at the wall. It did not respond.
When he was sixteen, he asked to move out, not wanting to be a nuisance to his father and stepmother, especially since she was pregnant with twins. He’d been given a two-bedroom apartment and money was regularly deposited into his bank account for living expenses. The only real contact they’d had since then were the occasions where his father asked if he was eating okay since he spent so little.
Ian subsisted largely on soda and ramen noodles. He called it his power food, but deep down, he knew it was because he wanted to be as little of a nuisance as possible. If only his friends knew he was thin not from swimming but more from not eating.
He shut the water off and began to dry himself with a thin white towel with a fading blue emblem of a crown in the bottom left-hand corner. He smirked. He’d tried better towels over the years, and had a closet full of more expensive ones, but for whatever reason, he always preferred the cheap one he’d nabbed from a hotel when his father had taken everyone to Europe two summers ago.
As he hung the towel back on the rack, a hunger pang struck him, and he gripped the wall for stability. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm him, but he fought against it desperately. The room continued to sway as he pulled his sweatpants over his still semi-wet legs and cursed at the trouble the pants gave him.
Ian stumbled into the other room and flopped down on the couch to catch his breath and wait for the world to stop spinning. Malcom didn’t move but continued thumbing through the book he was holding until he found the page he’d marked earlier. He glanced around until he found Ian and walked over to him, thrusting the book into his lap.
“As far as I can tell, Polyphemus was the cyclops that Odysseus tricked on his quest back home,” the words seemed to tumble out of Malcom in a rush so Ian had to turn them over in his mind for a moment before they made sense. “You know, the ‘nobody’ guy?”
“Nobody guy?” Ian asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, when Polyphemus asked Odysseus his name, Odysseus said ‘nobody.’ So when the cyclops yelled, ‘Nobody hurt me,’ everyone basically pointed and laughed.” Malcom shrugged. “If Polyphemus has a wife, I’m not sure who it is, Galatea, maybe, but I think she’s a nymph.”
“I’m pretty sure neither nymphs nor cyclopses are real,” Ian’s stomach grumbled so loudly he wondered if Malcom could hear it. Well, he did have food, after all… He got to his feet and went into the attached kitchen.
“The cyclops seemed pretty real when he attacked Kim in the hallway during school,” Mal replied, gritting his teeth together. His eyes went distant like he was reliving the memory.
“I asked Kim about it after the swim meet, and she told me you were a crazy person,” Ian said, pulling a Coke out of the fridge before shutting it and shoving some noodles into the microwave. “That there was no cyclops or anything at all. And,” he added, taking a swig of soda, “there is absolutely no damage to the school even though you claim the hallway had been partially destroyed.”
“How can she say that? The monster practically killed her.” Mal shook his head. “Are you sure she just wasn’t being hostile.”
“I’m pretty sure that was exactly what’s going on, unless you hallucinated the whole thing. You’re not doing drugs right?” Ian asked, half-jokingly.
“Not drugs.” Malcom got up and took the Coke Ian held out to him. “I hate to say it, but something feels really wrong with me.” He shook his head again. “I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it’s sort of like something inside me cracked and as it breaks apart, I’m becoming more…” he trailed off and took a sip of his Coke before frowning at it. “I don’t know how you drink this stuff. It’s so bitter. Pepsi is a lot better. It’s sweet and doesn’t bite your throat nearly as much…”
“You’re so wrong. There aren’t even words!” Ian sighed like a music student trying to explain the beauty of a flute solo to a chemistry student. The microwave beeped, and Ian swung it open to be blasted in the face by steam. He took a step backward waving his hand as the scent of chicken broth filled his nostrils. “Want one?” Ian asked over his shoulder.
“No, I need to be getting to work soon,” Malcom said, shouldering his little black backpack. “Thanks for letting me hang out here while you were out.” He looked down at his beaten up skater shoes. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Ian blew on his cup of soup. “But one thing is bothering me.”
“What?” Malcom asked, one hand on the doorknob.
“If Polyphemus came to our school looking to capture Kim and trade her for his wife, what is stopping him from trying again?” Ian took a careful sip of his soup, but it was so hot it scalded him. Malcom’s face paled, and his hand slipped off the knob.
“You don’t think she’s in trouble, do you?” Malcom asked, worry lacing his words. “Should I go over there and check on her?”
“Maybe.” Ian shrugged as a bad feeling settled in his stomach along with his first bite of ramen. “Amy and Jesse are already missing. It would make sense to try again when she’s home alone and not surrounded by tons of people.” Ian paused to take a bite of ramen. “But I was thinking about something else, the words the guy said before vanishing with our friends.”
“What’d he say?” Malcom asked, dropping his backpack onto the floor. Guess he wasn’t heading to work after all…
“Something about it being a trap and Polyphemus going to get the others. I don’t know who the others were because when I opened the door, everyone was gone, and the room was a burned out husk.” Ian finished his soup and tossed the empty foam container into the trash. “But it seems like Kim would be a pretty good guess.”
Malcom’s face fell. “When I went to save Kim, it felt like I had to get to her no matter what. The urge was overpowering. If that hadn’t happened or I’d gotten there just a few moments later…”
“She’d be gone too.” Ian tried to sip his Coke and was surprised to find it nearly empty. He tipped the last of it into his mouth before tossing it in a separate bin overflowing with red soda cans.
“I think you might be right. If Polyphemus was going to trade Kim for his wife, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t try ag
ain. I think I should head over there.” His face set in a hard line of determination as the words left his mouth. “Then I can protect her if something happens.”
“I know you think that’s a good idea, but let’s say we go there and there is a giant cyclops. What do you plan on doing, exactly?” Ian reached out and snagged Malcom’s barely touched soda from the counter where he’d left it. No sense letting it go to waste.
“You’re so not helping. You’re supposed to be helping. You’re at this very moment doing the opposite of what you should be doing.” Malcom crossed his arms over his chest.
Ian inwardly sighed. This was going to be a long, particularly crazy, day. Taking Malcom to Kim’s house did not seem like it would be a fun time. He especially didn’t want to be there if that Polyphemus character did show up. “I guess I could go with you, but I’m not sure how she’s going to react to that…”
“I think it would be better if we went over there to make sure she’s okay. If you want, I’ll wait in the car while you go check on her,” Malcom replied, eyes pleading.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea for you to come. You need to stay away from her. I can go by myself.” Ian exhaled. “As much as I hate to say it, you need to stop with her, Malcom. I never said anything before because I liked having friends that, you know, hung out together, but hear me when I say this: She’s bad news.” Before Malcom could respond, Ian held up his hand and pushed down a sudden surge of guilt. “She cheated on you how many times? I don’t want you to actually tell me. I just want you to realize you’re better off without her.”
“I’m coming. It will be fine,” Malcom said, words clipped and angry as he jerked the door open. “I’m going there with or without you, so you may as well pretend you’re my friend and take me with you.” His face softened and his eyes became sort of pleading.
“Fine,” Ian said as they stepped outside and approached Ian’s Honda. Ian opened his car door and got in. “Why do I always drive? What happened to your car, anyway?”
“It stopped running.” Malcom looked away as he got in and buckled his seat belt, and for a second, Ian almost thought he was embarrassed.
“Oh, what’s wrong with it?” Ian inquired innocently as Malcom leaned his head against the window and stared out into the parking lot.
“Out of gas.”
Kim 01:01
“Caden, stop.” Kim shoved his hand off her breast again. “I have a couple things to do first.”
He looked at her and smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to do anything you wouldn’t want to do.”
“I’ve seen that look before... You just want to have sex. It doesn’t really matter what I want, does it?” Kim asked, sliding away from him across the couch. “You don’t care at all.”
“That’s not true at all. I do care about you. I just know you want it too…” Caden leaned in, one arm sneaking around her waist and pulling her toward him as he kissed her neck, sending tingles racing across her flesh.
Kim tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “Can’t you keep your hands off me for five seconds?” she murmured, breath huskier than she’d have liked as he nibbled on her ear.
“You’re just so beautiful. I can’t help it.” His words were hot on her skin as he spoke, and she shivered.
“Well, you should learn to control yourself,” Kim whispered as his fingers trailed along her thigh in slow circles, threatening to turn her resolve into jelly.
“Why is that?” he breathed, fingertips edging under the hem of her black skirt.
“Because…”
“Because why?” he asked as his lips trailed down her neck and a shiver threatened to overwhelm her.
“Caden…” She swallowed, trying to force her words out of her mouth. It was so difficult, she nearly failed. “I just don’t want to go so fast. I’m not that kind of girl…”
“It’s okay, Kim,” he replied, his fingers drifting up even farther. “We can stop whenever you want.”
“Stop,” she whispered as his fingers inched up. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath, trying to slow her speeding heart and regain control. His fingertips brushed across the edge of her panties, and an electric shock went through her. If she didn’t end this now… she wasn’t going to be able to stop…
Her eyes shot open, and she looked into his smiling face as he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers as his free hand slipped up, gently pushing her backward onto the couch. As her back touched the soft green fabric, she reached out and pressed her hand against his chest. “Please. Not like this…”
Caden groaned and sat back so he was on his knees, looming over her prone body. He leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t see what the big deal is,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not like you haven’t done this before.”
“Every time you say something like that, I start to think you only want one thing, and maybe I’m optional,” Kim replied as he stared at her, lips curled in annoyance.
He sighed, an explosive exhalation of breath that made a tremor run down her spine. “I’m here with you aren’t I? I could probably go get any other girl I wanted. But no, I’m here with you. That should mean something!”
“Oh, is that so?” Kim snapped, scrambling away from him and leaping to her feet. “Your ego frustrates me to no end. I don’t think I can even deal with it anymore. You can get any girl you want? Well here’s your chance.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Caden sighed again as he stood. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean it like that. It just seems like I want you so much, and you don’t even care for me at all. It’s driving me crazy. I don’t know what to do anymore. It’s like you’re off in your own little world sometimes.”
“When you’re off feeling up other girls, do you tell them that too?” Kim asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Caden rubbed a scar on his eyebrow for a moment with one slender finger. “There are no other girls.”
“So what about the girl at the swim meet?” Kim turned and began to walk out of the room though she wasn’t sure why since it was her house. He should be the one to leave, not her. She spun to face him. “You should just go. I’m sure it won’t be a big deal for you. I bet you’ve probably already found my replacement.”
“You keep saying those things, but I’m not the one who was making out with Malcom in front of everyone...” Caden replied, voice soft and strangely understanding as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, but instead of gripping her tightly, his fingers began to caress her flesh through her thin white shirt. “But I’m willing to make an exception this one time.”
Kim’s heart felt like it would explode as his words reverberated in her head. Was he seriously blaming her for Malcom kissing her? It wasn’t like she wanted him to do it. Anger rushed through her body so quickly, she could hardly contain it. Was Caden trying to make her feel guilty?
“So you want me to be more discreet about it?” she asked and as she said the words, his face hardened. “I mean, you know what you’re getting yourself into with me, don’t you?”
“You’re just saying that to make me jealous, aren’t you? That’s pathetic. If you think I’m going to actually date you if you sleep around, you’re out of your goddamned mind,” Caden snarled, his eyes going flat and empty. “Or is it all the same to you? Boy wanted, name and face optional?”
“God, you are such a hypocrite! So it’s okay for you to screw everyone, but not for me?” Kim asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
“I never slept around while I was dating someone.” Caden crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “It’s kind of an important point, and I’m not sure why you don’t understand that.”
“I don’t understand why you keep bringing it up.” She sighed, shaking her head as she rubbed her temples with one hand. “I swear that’s all you think about when we’re not screwing…”
Caden shut his eyes and looked away, red f
lashing across his face. “We both know you want it just as much as me.”
“Well, you’re entitled to your own opinion, but I’m pickier than you think.” Kim felt heat rise on her cheeks as she stared at him because as much as she wanted to argue with him, it was true. She did want sex, even now while they were fighting. Did that make her a bad person? Surely not…
“Is that so? I was there. I saw what you did. I bet Malcom doesn’t even know about it.” Caden laughed to himself.
“I was drunk, Caden! I didn’t go into that willingly. If you cared about me at all, you would have stopped it!” Her hands balled tightly into fists as she spoke, the words spilling out of her before she could stop them. The memory was still blurry in her mind, but all she remembered was the feel of hands on her skin, of lips on her neck.
“Whatever, you guys were all over each other the whole night.” He leaned in so his face was only inches from hers. “It seemed like you were having a great time from what I heard after you shut the door.”
“Asshole!” Kim stomped past him, their shoulders colliding as she passed him. How dare he say that to her. Wasn’t he supposed to be her boyfriend? Wasn’t he supposed to take her side? She spun to glare at him, about to ask him what his problem was when a sound from outside crept into her ears, stopping her in her tracks.
It sounded like a car, but her parents weren’t supposed to be home from dinner for another few hours. Besides, they always called when they left. They had given permission for Caden to come over… but still. This was bad timing. She listened for a moment, unsure of what it could be. She heard it again. Then someone was knocking at the door, although not very loudly.
“Did you hear that?” she asked as a chill crawled over her skin. She watched the door, anxiety welling up inside her as the seconds mounted. Her parents wouldn’t knock on the door after all… they’d just come inside.
“Hear what?” Caden growled as he followed her gaze toward the door. “No, I didn’t hear anything.”
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