STARBURST #1

by Woodruff, Jettie

  “I miss you Trevas,” she said, quietly after a few moments of silence.

  “Come here,” he whispered, and he leaned up against his car and took her in his arms. He held her face and kissed her knowing that he had about ten more minutes, and her dad was going to pull in.

  “Alley I want you to stop moping around and crying all the time. You are young, live your life, be happy.”

  “I don’t want to be happy without you Trevas. How can you just walk away and not care.”

  “Alley I care so much, and if I could change it, I would. I never in a million years imagined that I could love someone like this, and I am not sure I like it.”

  Alley smiled up at him. “Hurts like hell, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, it does. What the hell are you doing here with some guy? Do you even know his name?”

  “No. I never want to know their names again.”

  “Alley, promise me that you won’t ever do something like that again.”

  “I promise.”

  “I mean it Alley, no matter what. Don’t you ever get into some guys car again.”

  “Trevas, why wouldn’t you talk to me?” she asked, ignoring his last statement.

  “Because I knew it would make things worse for you. Your dad is not going to let us be together Alley. You know that.”

  “Trevas I’m going to be eighteen in like four months, he can’t stop us.”

  Trevas pulled her close. He just wanted to hold her and feel her tender body in his arms. She stayed wrapped in his arms, relishing him as much as he was relishing her for a long time.

  “Alley,” Trevas started to say, and then kissed her quickly when he saw the head lights and pushed her one step away from him so that he could move away from her.

  “Trevas?” she asked, not understanding what he was doing.

  “Your dad is here Alley.”

  She looked over his car and saw her dad and her mom in the passenger seat. She and she shook her head in shock at him. “You called my dad Trevas?”

  “I had to Alley,” he tried to explain, but she was already screaming again.

  “I hate you Trevas. How could you do that? And I don’t promise you jack shit.”

  “Alley, please,” he tried and she jerked away from him.

  “Fuck you. You low life mother fucker. You are nothing but a liar and I hope you rot in hell.”

  Alley was still screaming when her mom got out and ran to her.

  “Alley what the hell is wrong with you?” she said taking her by the shoulders, and pulling her toward the car, and all she could do was follow. She and Trevas stared at each other, and it broke his heart even more.

  “Thanks for calling me Evans, but I still don’t want you anywhere near my daughter. Do you understand?” Fletcher scolded with his finger.

  “I never took advantage of Alley, Fletcher.”

  “Then what the hell do you call it?” he asked, getting angry.

  “I fell in love with her, that’s what I call it,” he told him honestly, and that made him even angrier.

  “I didn’t hire you to mess around with my teenage daughter. I hired you to keep her safe and protect her.”

  “You hired me to keep her out of the tabloids, so she didn’t hurt yours and Ms. Paxton’s reputation. You don’t know shit about her,” Trevas yelled right back.

  “Stay away from her Trevas,” he warned with his finger and got into his car.

  Trevas hit the top of his car with both fists and yelled, “Son of a bitch.”

  Alley sat in the backseat and sobbed. He was so close, he was right there. She touched him, and now he was gone again, just like that. She didn’t even get to tell him that she loved him. Why would he call her dad?

  “Alley, I don’t know what is going on in your head, but don’t you ever get in some man’s car like that again. Do you have any idea what could have happened in there?” her dad lectured, and her mother just watched her sobbing daughter, trying to understand.

  “I wished it would have happened. I wished he would have just sliced my throat, and I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this shit anymore.”

  “Alley stop that, don’t you talk like that,” her mother now scolded.

  “Why can’t I make my own decisions? I have done it my whole life, but now that I’m almost eighteen, you want to jump in and be a God damn father. Fuck that,” she screamed between sobs.

  “Alley that man is twenty five years old. You are seventeen. He is way too old for you,” her dad explained in a yell.

  “You want to talk about age dad? My ex-best friend do you remember her? You are twenty three years older than her, that didn’t stop you from fucking her, did it?”

  “Alley that’s enough,” her mother stepped in.

  The rest of the ride home was quiet, and Alley stared out the window. As soon as the car stopped she was gone and back to her cave, locked in her room. Her mom tried to talk to her, but she didn’t want any part of it. She lay with her hand clinching the pendant and cried. She sent Trevas a text message, knowing that he would not get it.

  “Trevas, please come and get me,” she hit send, and instantly got a message back, saying that her message was undeliverable.

  She cried for days again, and hadn’t come out of her room from when she got home on Saturday until Wednesday. Peyton brought her food, and was sure that if she wouldn’t have, she would have starved to death.

  Peyton came to her room around ten on Wednesday morning and was going to try and get her to come down and eat and go into town shopping with her. When she opened the door she was gone and when she checked the bathroom she wasn’t there either. She searched everywhere she could be before calling her dad.

  “Fletcher, Alley’s gone.”

  “Great, I really don’t have time for this today. That girl is going to send me to my grave.”

  “Make time Fletcher, she needs us right now,” Peyton scolded.

  “Okay, okay, did you try her phone?”

  “Yes, it’s lying on her bed.”

  “I will call you back. Let me call Trevas.”

  “Do you actually think he would tell you if she was there Fletcher?”

  “Yeah, I actually do, but I know where he lives if you would rather we just show up there.”

  “Yes, I think that’s what we should do.”

  Fletcher sighed. “I will be there in ten minutes.”

  Trevas had just gotten out of the shower when he heard the door buzzer. He pulled on a shirt and ran the towel over his wet head.

  “Yeah,” he answered, pushing the call button.

  “Evans, its Fletcher, can I come up.”

  “For what?” he asked, not wanting to deal with Nicholas Fletchers cocky attitude.

  “We’re looking for Alley,”

  Trevas released the door right away and was standing in the door waiting for him. Peyton followed behind him, and he stepped aside to let them in.

  “How long has she been missing?” he wanted to know, letting his security training take over.

  “Peyton went to her room around ten, and she was gone, but we don’t know how long she has been gone.”

  “Has she tried to call you?” Peyton asked concerned.

  “No, she was pretty pissed because I called you last weekend. I don’t know if she would try to call me. I don’t know how much help I can be. She is such a loaner. I couldn’t even tell you where to look. She didn’t go anywhere.”

  As soon as Trevas said that, it dawned on Fletcher where she was, “Maria,” he called out. Come on Peyton. He said and rushed out hoping she was there.

  “Fletcher will you call me, please.”

  “Yeah, Trevas I will let you know. If you hear anything you do the same.”

  “I will.”

  Trevas was beside himself. He was supposed to be meeting his grandparents for lunch that day, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave not knowing where she was. He called the home to have his favorite nurse go in and tell them that he prom
ised he would be there tomorrow.

  “Sure no problem Trevas, I don’t think they will mind. Your friend is here with them, and I think they are pretty content with her,” the nurse explained.

  “My friend?” he asked, and his heart started to beat faster.

  “Yeah, you had her here a couple of times, I’m terrible with names.”

  “Alley?”

  “Yup, that’s it,” she laughed, remembering.

  “Jewels, forget I said anything. I will be there as soon as I can, but please don’t mention my name to Alley.”

  “Okay,” she asked with a confused tone.

  Trevas ran to his car and then called Fletcher.

  “She wasn’t there,” Fletcher answered.

  “I know where she is,” he countered,

  “Where?”

  “She is with my grandparents in Arvin. I visit them every other Wednesday. I just called to have someone explain that I couldn’t come today, and the nurse told me that my friend Alley was there. The address is 1251 Gardeners Court.”

  “Are you headed there too Trevas?” he wanted to know.

  “Yes sir, I most certainly am.” He didn’t care whether Nicholas Fletcher or Peyton Paxton knew he was headed to their daughter. He loved her, and there was nothing that either of them could do to change that.

  Trevas drove as fast as he could, white knuckled the whole way. He knew that Fletcher wasn’t far behind, and he wanted a little bit of time with her before he got there. He drove the hour and a half drive in an hour and five minutes, but so did Fletcher. He saw him pull in the parking lot just as he was opening the entrance door. He was hoping to get buzzed through before they made it inside, but there was no one at the desk. He rang the bell on the front desk frantically, and a familiar face let him in. Fletcher and Peyton followed, and Peyton held onto Fletchers arm holding him back down the long hall.

  Trevas didn’t want his grandparents to see him, and he stood back from the door a few feet.

  “Alley,” he said in a loud whispered. Her head snapped instantly, and she ran to him. Her parents watched as she wrapped not only her arms, but also her legs around him, and Trevas embraced her.

  “Listen to me Alley,” he spoke softly, and she carefully put her feet on the floor but didn’t let go of her hold on him. “Don’t go ballistic on me, your parents are right behind us.” Alley looked over his shoulder, and saw her mother holding onto her dads arm to keep him from moving. “Reach into my shirt pocket and take out the piece of paper. I love you Alley, go to your parents and don’t make a scene.”

  Alley looked up to him, and he kissed her quickly, not caring who was watching. He slid to the wall and crouched, covering his face with his hands. He couldn’t watch her leave again.

  Her mother took her hand with a look of pity, and she let her. Alley stopped and turned back to Trevas.

  “Trevas,” she said quietly, and he looked up to her.

  “Your grandpa is having a good day,” she smiled, and he smiled a warm smile back.

  Trevas stayed and visited with his grandparents, and Alley rode home in silence with her parents. Her dad never lectured her and didn’t speak at all. She knew that her mother had told him not to. Peyton looked back to her blank face periodically as she stared out the window.

  “Alley went straight to her room and opened the piece of paper. “I love you more than life Alley Fletcher, hang in there. We will be fine,” she read, and at the bottom was an email address and that made her very happy. Tevans@securitiy.com.

  Fletcher and Peyton sat in his car and watched her walk in.

  “What the hell are we supposed to do with her Peyton? She is just going to keep doing this,” Fletcher said, running his hand through his hair.

  “I think we need to let her see him,” she replied, and looked to see his reaction, and it was just as she had expected it to be.

  “What? Have you lost your mind? No, Peyton, and it’s not even up for debate. She is not seeing that man.”

  “Do you really think we are going to stop her? Did you not see how she clung to him, how in love with him she is?”

  “Peyton, she is not seeing Trevas Evans, forget it. What would people think of us?”

  “I think we need to not care what people think of us, and care about our daughter for once in our life,” she stated, and it made him stop and think.

  “Peyton he is like seven years older than her, don’t you find that a little disturbing?”

  “I don’t think either of them cares much about that, and seven years is not that bad. You were nine years older than your last girlfriend,” Peyton reminded him.

  “Yeah, and it lasted a year, and she was not seventeen.”

  “We can lay down some guidelines Fletcher, we don’t have to let her just come and go with him as she pleases. Think it about it, okay?” she told him and got out of his car.

  Alley was sitting on her bed with her laptop. She emailed first but just a quick note.

  “Hey baby, for the first time since I have known you, I’m at a loss for words. So here is my email. I’m sure you have lots of words for me.”

  Her mother came in and leaned against the headboard with her, putting her arm around her, and was surprised that Alley let her. She snuggled up to her mom, and didn’t even try to close out the pictures of her and Trevas in Utah. What was the point? She thought. They knew now, there was nothing more to hide.

  The picture was of Alley sitting on the lake dock between his legs, leaned up against his chest, and she held the camera out to snap the picture.

  “Do you have any more?” Peyton asked, looking at the picture.

  Alley hit the next button, and she was smiling the biggest smile ever sitting on the school bus.

  Peyton had an odd look on her face. “A school bus?” she asked, and Alley smiled remembering that day.

  “Yeah, one night when we were talking, Trevas wanted to know something that I’ve always wanted to do that I hadn’t yet. I told him I had never gotten to ride a school bus and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. One day when we were in Utah he made me stay with his mother, and wouldn’t tell me why. He came back with this borrowed school bus and took me for a ride.”

  “Wow… that is very sweet. Tell me about him Alley.

  Alley sat up and turned to her. “Mom he is a good man, you would like him if you would give him half a chance.”

  “How did this all start? When did it start?” she wanted to know.

  “I honestly think it started the very first night that he was there. I was standing in my normal awkward position, off to the side at one of dad’s stupid parties, and our eyes met. I don’t know how it all started, but it was more me than him. He tried like hell to keep me in my place, but I wouldn’t let him. We played a game of checkers one night, and he made the rule that whoever won had to do whatever the winner wanted. He thought I was going to make him take me to a concert or something, and I made him kiss me. He protested and refused to do it, but I pretty much kissed him, and that one kiss threw me so far for a loop, I didn’t know what was happening.”

  “What was he going to make you do?” she asked curious.

  Alley laughed. “Eat supper when it was ready and not come down in the middle of the night to eat.”

  Peyton laughed too. “Did you have sex with him Alley?”

  Alley didn’t speak, if she said yes he could go to jail, but it felt so good to talk to someone, and even better knowing that it was her mom. “Are you going to tell dad any of this?” she asked, thinking about whether or not to take the chance.

  “No, I’m not. I actually just had an argument with your dad because I told him that I think we should let you see him.”

  “You did?” she asked, excited and shocked.

  “I did, but he hasn’t agreed to it yet, so don’t get your hopes up.”

  “Yeah right, you have him more wrapped around your finger than I do, and you have been divorced for twelve years.”

  Peyton laugh
ed, knowing she spoke the truth. They had always stayed friends, and were much better friends than they ever were as a couple. “Answer my question Alley,” she requested, wanting to know if her daughter was sexually active.

  “Yes we did,” she admitted quietly, looking at the computer of the now picture of Trevas on his motorcycle. “But that was all me too mom, he didn’t want too. He was scared shitless because of my age, and then even more when he figured out that I was a virgin,” she snorted, remembering how freaked out he was.

  “He didn’t know?”

  “No, he assumed because of the promiscuous tabloid photos, and the fact that I was on the pill that I was not. He was so mad at me, he wouldn’t even finish,” she explained, and felt a little flushed, sharing this information with her mom.

  “I’m guilty of that too,” her mom admitted. “That is why I put you on the pill a year ago, because of the pictures of you dancing way to provocative with that guy in the club.”

  “You of all people should know not to believe what you see on the internet or on the cover of a magazine.”

  “Very true,” she again admitted. “Why was he so mad that you were a virgin? I mean most men look at that as a trophy.”

  “Trevas isn’t like that mom. He was upset for one because I didn’t tell him and two, he felt like he was taking something from me that didn’t belong to him, like he was ruining me or something, I don’t know, he’s kind of weird.”

  Peyton laughed a short laugh. “I don’t think that is weird. I think it is kind of sweet and mature. You really like him don’t you Alley?”

  “I love him mom. I can’t stand not talking to him or seeing him. I can’t imagine ever feeling this way about anyone else.”

  “Alley you are so young. You don’t know that. Don’t you think you need to play the field and see what else is out there?”

  “No. I don’t, not at all. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t need to see the difference. I love what I see in Trevas and how he is with me. He has set the bar way too high for anyone else to even have a chance.”

  “Wow…I can’t say that I have ever felt that way about anyone,” Peyton admitted, and then they heard the ding from the new email that popped up and said Trevas.