As I lay in my bed, something compels me to open my eyes. My pupils dilate, and the darkness gives way to the vague shapes of my room. I listen for any sound that could have awakened me. The room is oddly silent with not so much as a chirp from the crickets outside. I decide it's nothing and start to close my eyes again when movement by the door catches my attention. My eyes shoot open wider.
A tall, broad man's silhouette takes tentative steps from the corner towards me. I freeze. I want to scream, but I can’t make my mouth move. His shadowed figure stops at the foot of my bed, and I watch in horror as black wings bud from behind him.
I can’t see his face. My head sinks further into the pillow as I try to escape in vain. My entire body’s paralyzed with the creature’s menacing presence. His left wing twitches as he cocks his head to the side, watching me. His wings rise and fall in unison with a gentle beat, lifting him in the air. He hovers for a moment, then leaning in, his wings propel him forward to float above me.
His eyes glow red with flames. I close my eyes, wishing myself to wake up. When I open them again, the creature dives at me with an unnaturally, overextended mouth in an ear-piercing scream. Just as I think he's going to consume me whole, everything goes dark.
I wake with a start, screaming at the top of my lungs. I'm out of breath, sweating, and my heart is pounding. I never get used to that. I started dreaming of what I call ‘the darkness’ almost four years ago. This was the fourth time since I had moved to Red Meadow that I had the dream again. Shaking the dream from my head, I smooth my hair back. I glance at my alarm clock on the nightstand beside my bed.
10:00 AM.
Hell.
I fall back on my pillow and try to regulate my breathing by considering plans for the day. I have nothing pressing, apart from finishing a Music History paper and working on some new material to present to The Red.
Alice emerges from her room, primped, clean, and ready for the day. The light shining through the patio windows into the living room give her an aura of golden glitter. She's full of energy, practically bouncing from foot to foot. “Hey. I’m starving. You want to get lunch?” She's a morning person, and I've come to expect her extreme hyperactivity when she wakes.
“Sure,” I mumble, closing my laptop. I have the munchies from my wake and bake and am not about to pass up food. “I still have to finish my paper, though. Can we just go to the coffee shop down the street?” I request, setting my laptop on the coffee table in front of my seat on our comfortable red couch.
“That's fine. Want to walk? I need some fresh air,” she suggests, twisting her extensive mane into a bun on the crown of her head.
“Yeah. Let me grab my wallet.” I welcome the four blocks of fresh air to clear my head.
Maybe I’ll go for a run later.
The coffee shop is filled with Red Meadow faux hipsters who are there to see and be seen. It's not my cup of tea, but it's close to the house and has coffee. The baristas are more concerned about their ironic t-shirts, their vague tattoos that reference music, and colorful bandanas, rather than serving a genuine cup of coffee. Because it's located on the corner of Red Meadow University, the primary clientele consists of college students. They come to hang out, study, read, or just escape to a comfortable place.
After ordering our overpriced coffees, sandwiches, and fruit bowls, we evade the indoor crowd and opt for the patio out back. The majority of patrons are young women in small groups. I observe a few sleeping and lounging, propping their elbows with indifference, or with their feet on the tables. We place our food down on an empty, round, green, metal table and sit in its matching chairs. Overlooking the large yard, which houses a gazebo stage for open mic nights, I can’t help but compare the surroundings to an outdated junk yard. The décor ranges from colorful flyers to antique junk lining the tall, wooden fence, enclosing the back patio. The vibe is a hybrid of vintage-modern-hipster-chic.
The air's hot and humid. My thighs are sweating, making them stick to the metal deck chair. I appreciate the frozen coffee cooling me down. Alice starts texting on her phone across from me, and I dig into my sandwich. My eyes travel to the prominent makeshift stage as I chew my food. I envision our band doing an acoustic set for the college hipsters, but The Red is already doing bigger shows. I'm a little nervous about our upcoming gig for the Greek Masquerade Ball.
Alice interrupts my thoughts by clearing her throat. “Hey. Eric and Jack are around the corner. I told them to come hang out with us.”
“Great,” I grumble. In truth, I don’t want to see Jack. I finish my sandwich and start scarfing down my fruit in an effort to leave before they arrive.
“What?” Alice asks with a look of annoyance.
I pause, thinking of how I can say what I want without being rude. “I'm not fond of Jack. He’s an egotistical jackass.” I snicker at my unintentional joke.
Alice grins, “He’s not that bad. We all grew up around here. He and Eric have a bromance going on.” She giggles. “And you’ve got to admit, he’s pretty hot.”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe, but he’s shallow. Not my type. I don’t understand all these bimbos throwing themselves at him, and he welcomes the attention. He's obviously a man-whore. I'm not about that.” The disgusted look in the wrinkle of my nose and the quirk of my upper lip does nothing to change her mind.
She waves off my opinion, “Yeah. It’s just a front. I promise he’s not that way. You should give him a chance.” Her brown eyes plead with me.
“I don’t know.” I try to change the subject, “Tell me more about this Masquerade gig.”
Alice double bounces in her chair and her brown eyes twinkle, “Oh! I’m so excited! The Greeks have it every year, and this is the first year we’ve been asked to play. We’ll probably play a ten song set. And they said it’s cool if we hang out before and after our set, even though we’re not Greek.” I see the anticipation in her countenance. It makes me more eager for the show. “It’s a perk!” she chirps.
“What kind of Masquerade is it? Greek Themed? Renaissance?” I wonder if the band is required to dress up as well, to better blend in with the guests.
“It’s a Halloween theme. It doesn’t matter what your costume is, as long as you wear a mask. I already have my costume picked out, but don’t ask me what it is. I want it to be a surprise. Let’s just say, it’s very...me,” she tells me, wiggling her eyebrows. I giggle at her demeanor.
“Alright, but I may need some help picking out a costume.” My own excitement is palpable. I haven’t been excited about something in a while, and I welcome its imposing irregularity. Alice nods while taking a drink from her frozen coffee.
“What’s up?” Eric greets, nodding at us, then gives Alice a peck on the cheek.
“Hey, babe!” Alice lilts. They're a good couple with a lasting kind of relationship. You can tell they have a history together, if not from the way they interact with each other, then from their permanent matching tattoos of symbols on their right forearms. They're good for each other, and I admire that about them.
“Fancy meeting you here, Sunshine,” Jack pulls up a chair next to me and sits in it backward with his arms crossed over the backrest.
My insides flutter with a magnetic pull towards him again. What's wrong with me? I can’t get involved with this guy! And did he just call me ‘Sunshine’ again? Ugh!
I try to play nice for Alice's sake and tell him in the most polite way I can, “That’s not my name.” And like an idiot, I grin!
Great. Now, he thinks I’m flirting with him.
Jack smiles back at me, “So, what is your name?” His heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and strong jawline, bring my attention to his invitingly, kissable lips. His eyes remain a mystery from his low sitting ball cap.
Alice looks at me wide eyed and gestures to Jack with the nudge of her head, urging me on.
Shit! I’m staring! I stop grinning and try to remember what he asked me. Your name, dumbass!
“Ivy.”
&
nbsp; “Ivy,” he repeats, and I bob my head in approval, finishing off my last strawberry. He's staring at me as well. My body begins to tingle as a calmness settles over me. I don’t know what to think of it. I light a cigarette to keep my hands busy and my eyes from staring. “What’s your story, Ivy?”
“No story.” I'm not about to spill my guts to him.
“Awe, come on. Everyone’s got a story.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond before adding, “Where are you from? What’s your major?”
“Um… The Hills.” I hesitate. “I’m a music major.”
“L.A., huh?”
Great. Here we go. Now, he’s going to ask me if I know any celebrities.
“City of Angels.” I offer a small smile at his comment. “And what made you want to move all the way out to little ole Red Meadow?”
I give him my most honest answer without divulging too much. “Change of scenery. What about you?” I question to divert the conversation to him.
“Criminal Justice. I grew up here.”
“Yeah?” I inquire, feigning interest. Alice and Eric are off in their own world, whispering in each other’s ears. Alice blushes and all of a sudden, I'm a third wheel.
“Yeah,” he drawls as his eyes follow my line of sight. He offers to change the subject again, “Why don’t you let me take you out sometime? I’ll show you what we really have to offer around here.”
Right. Is that a line out of your playbook?
“Um… That’s ok. I don’t want to be distracted with whatever Red Meadow has to offer,” I turn him down with tact, insinuating I’m not interested in him. He shakes his head with a grin on his face. I imagine he believes I'm trying to play hard to get.
“What time is it?” Alice raises the question, and I'm thankful to get out of Jack's pursuit.
I blow out a breath of smoke through my pursed lips and glance at my phone as I snuff out my cigarette in an ashtray on the table. “It’s two-twenty. I need to head back.”
“Me too.” Alice stands and turns to Eric, “I’ll see you later, babe. I’ve got to head over to the library. Will I see you tonight?”
“Yeah. I’ll text you later.” Eric stands up to kiss Alice goodbye. The legs of his chair grate against the dry, red dirt of the open patio. “Love you, babe,” he voices before kissing her hastily on the lips. They're never the type of couple that grossly displays their affection for the public. Behind closed doors is another story. Headphones come in handy during those times.
“Love you too,” she says.
I rise from my seat to leave and grab my phone and wallet off the table. “See ya’, Jack.”
Jack smiles up at me, and the Sunlight catches his irises. They sparkle a beautiful, intense green, causing my stomach to flutter again. “Bye, Sunshine.” I roll my eyes at his endearment.
Chapter 2
Alice and I leave the coffee shop to stroll back home. We cross the street, and she starts in on me, “See, Jack’s not so bad.”
“I don’t know.”
He’s trouble. I don’t need distractions.
“I think he likes you,” she states, smiling at me from ear to ear.
“Maybe, but I don’t want any distractions. I just want to focus on my music and graduating. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard for him to find another conquest.” As much as I'm attracted to Jack, I can’t afford to fall off track to the new life I'm trying to accomplish. College is my time to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my music. For so long, I thought I knew who I was, only to find out I was adopted. And I’m certain that the single friend I ever had before now was somehow responsible for almost killing me. Now's the time to change my life and mold myself into someone I recognize.
We stop at another crosswalk and wait for an open, yellow Jeep to pass. Alice continues, “Well, he’s sort of coming over tonight with Eric. I hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s fine.”
I’ll just lock myself in my room.
I unlock the door to our house and trail to the kitchen for a bottle of water while Alice grabs her backpack and keys from her room down the hall from mine. “Alright. I’ll be back,” she calls from the foyer. I can see the concentration on her face as she closes the front door behind her. She's already thinking about the research paper she has to write for her Psychology class. When Alice has to do anything with her classes, she takes it seriously with a higher degree than most. Her motto; There is a time and a place for everything.
Alice will be gone for a few hours, so I blast some death metal on my iPod and use the opportunity to do some laundry and clean up around the house. When I'm finished, I smoke another bowl and attempt to write some music. I started smoking pot and drinking after my wreck at the beginning of my junior year. It isn’t an activity I participated in heavily at first, but the freedom of college led to more and more. Being high lets me see things from outside of myself. My reality becomes a fiction movie I can take apart and decipher. It helps me see things from a different perspective so I can change what I want, even if it's fleeting. Not to mention, it keeps me from the paranoia of 'the darkness' becoming a reality around every corner.
After a few hours, my efforts are deemed unproductive in writing a new ballad. I can’t stop thinking about Jack. His smile. His piercing green eyes.
Stop it, Ivy! No, no, no, no, I coach myself, but it doesn’t work. I have an epiphany, pick up my guitar, and start strumming an upbeat, punk rock rhythm. I have to get the song off my chest, so it'll cease its repetition in my head, and I lose myself as I belt out the lyrics of “Hit the Road, Jack.”
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
Startled mid-chorus, I jump. “Yeah?” I yell through the door, embarrassed at my tirade.
A deep voice answers on the other side, “Hey, Sunshine. Alice wants to know if you’re hungry. We’re going out for pizza.”
Oh, crap! Did he hear me? I didn’t hear anyone pull up or come in!
I answer the door after hiding my bong. “Hey,” I huff as my heart pounds. In passing, I consider if he can hear it.
Jack’s body fills my doorframe, forming a blockade. His hands rest on either side of the frame as a self-satisfied grin graces his perfect, chiseled face. It's beautiful and irritating. “Thinking about me, Sunshine?”
I can’t seem to stop!
“It’s a cover song,” I roll my eyes. “And yeah, I could eat,” I shrug my shoulders, avoiding his interrogation. He takes a step back, his amusement apparent. I lead us to the living room where Alice has her purse over her shoulder and an arm hooked through Eric’s. “Where are we going?” I prompt as I grabbed my keys.
“Just the pizza place off Normal Park,” she replies.
“I’m taking my car. Do you want to ride with me?” Jack sounds hopeful with his question, and Eric looks at me with expectation.
I know that look. He’s telling me he wants to be alone with Alice, so I resign, “Sure.” I hide my apprehension about riding with Jack and follow Alice through the door.
Eric steers Alice to his car while Jack waits for me on the porch to lock the door. Approaching his Skyline, I'm eager to hear the purr of its engine again. Before I get to the passenger door, Jack reaches around me to open it, “Here. Allow me.” His breath caresses my neck, sending chills up my spine. It causes my skin to tingle with excitement.
I don’t know how to feel about his chivalry towards me. No doubt part of his playbook. I don’t remember the last time a guy opened a door for me.
It's unexpected and kind of sweet. I stammer, “Th-thanks.”
The leather interior of his car is black with admiral blue accents matching the body. The new car scent versus the stench of a trashed bachelor pad is not what I expected. Maybe he just had it detailed, I assume.
As he starts the car, butterflies swarm my stomach. He looks over his shoulder to back out. His baseball cap creates shadows across his face, making him even more dark and mysterious. I sense myself being drawn to him and eager to see his green eyes again. Rid
ing a few minutes in uncomfortable silence, I play with my cell phone to appear distracted as I enjoy the way he handles his car. Fast. Smooth. Aggressive.
Jack brakes the silence, “So, I’m guessing that Evo is yours?”
“Yeah.”
“Sick,” he responds.
“And is this car yours?” I'm curious how he paid for it.
He chuckles. “Yeah. It gets me around.”
“Let me guess. Your parents bought it for you?” I'm irritated he pretends it’s just another ordinary car and not the speed monster it deserves to be recognized as.
“Hell, no!” he bellows, peering at me with petulance.
I think I offended him… Good.
“I work my ass off for what I have.”
“Oh.” I'm surprised. He comes off as just another trust fund kid, the type that doesn’t appreciate the things they have and throws money away at the same rate they flush toilet paper.
“What about you? Did daddy buy your car for you?” he counters.
“No.” I keep my answer short. His mention of my ‘daddy’ brings up corrupted memories of my adoptive father. His drunken bouts of anger and physical violence flash in my mind.
Jack seems to notice my uneasiness and attempts to apologize without verbalizing it, “Well, it’s pretty sweet. Do you know much about cars?”
I feign ignorance, “Not much.” Deciding not to come off as a complete ditz who can’t take care of her own car and needs a man to do it for her, I add, “I mean, I know the basics. I can change my oil and a flat.” Jack smiles. It's truly charming.
We arrive at the pizza joint, choosing a booth in the corner of the restaurant, and Alice and Eric come through the doors soon after. I don’t want to sit in uncomfortable silence after we order, so I excuse myself to go smoke a cigarette outside. The evening is forming into a double date, and I'm uneasy about sitting in such close proximity to Jack. He's affecting me on an anatomical level. My body tingles when he's inches from me, my stomach does flip flops, yet I'm at ease. It's confusing.
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 2