Desert Star

by Lisette Brodey

  `*`*`*`

  Gina had noticed during lunch that River seemed preoccupied and concerned. Every time his eyes scanned the cafeteria, she knew he had to be looking for Avalon.

  Bianca, who was sitting with Antonio only a table away, noticed the distress on her best friend’s face. Gina wanted to text her but couldn’t figure out how to do so inconspicuously. The tension was killing her.

  “Hey, Riv. I know you’re not looking for Larsen ’cause he just left the table two minutes ago. So, I’m guessing since she’s nowhere in sight, you must be looking for Avalon.”

  “Uh, yeah. Someone kind of did something not so nice to her this morning, so I’m wondering if she’s okay. I haven’t seen her.”

  “What happened?”

  “I can’t really talk about it. I’m guessing she’s outside. Do you mind if I go look for her?”

  Gina shot a quick look to Bianca to transmit her unhappiness and then put on a happier face for River. “Um, sure. She’s your friend. And she’s mine, too.”

  River looked unconvinced.

  “Really. We’re friends. We even exchanged phone numbers. So of course I want her to be okay. I’ll see you in history class.”

  River stood up, walked over to Gina, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and smiled. “Thanks for understanding.”

  As he walked away, Gina, without even realizing it, began to clench her fists as her face tightened. Noticing, Bianca excused herself from Antonio and plopped herself into River’s vacated seat. “Please don’t tell me he went to look for her.”

  “Oh, yeah. He did. He said someone did something bad to her, and he has to go see if she’s okay. She probably texted him something pathetic to get him away from me.”

  “I hope she doesn’t make a habit of that. Say, Gin, you look like …”

  “What, Bianca? What were you going to say?”

  Bianca looked uneasy. “Oh, nothing.”

  “Liar. Tell me. And don’t make me beat it out of you because I’m already way too stressed for that.”

  “Okay, okay. I was just gonna say that you kind of look like your sister right now. You know, all pissed off like you want to kill someone.”

  Gina looked down at her clenched fists as the color drained from her face. “Oh, shit. I don’t want to be like Taylor. I’m nothing like her. But come on, that doesn’t mean I like to see some other girl cozying up to my boyfriend.”

  Bianca leaned in. “Like I told you on Monday. Be a lover, not a fighter. Hey, are you hearing me, Gina? It’s not rocket science. It’s just showing your guy a little lurve …”

  “I hear you. I just wanted to wait a bit. Taylor never waited. I just never wanted to be like her.”

  Bianca sighed. “Your sister went from one guy to the next just to have someone. You’re nothing like that, so don’t even go there. Now, listen, you want to keep your guy? Or do you want to make it easy for Miss New Jersey to grab him?”

  `*`*`*`

  River had no problem finding Avalon. She was sitting on the farthest boulder from the school, looking off into the mountains. He sat down next to her, but she didn’t acknowledge him. River noticed telltale tear stains on her cheeks, and her vacant stare unsettled him. “Hey, Avalon. Feel like talking to a friend?”

  After several seconds, Avalon slowly turned her head to look at him. “Nuh uh.”

  “Erik told Lars and me what happened.” River could see the surprise in Avalon’s eyes. “Yeah, you know your brother is worried about you when he comes to talk to us. He showed us the toxic waste taped on your locker from the school’s welcoming committee.”

  Avalon reached into her backpack and pulled out another crumpled ball of paper. “Bet you don’t know anything about this one.”

  River looked alarmed. “What’s that?”

  “Just something I pulled off Larsen’s locker on the way to my own. He doesn’t need to know about it. Swear you won’t tell him, River.”

  Opening the note, River’s mouth dropped open, then he read it out loud. “ ‘I hear that that Larsen Davis blows dead cows. But that’s not true. I saw one move.’ ”

  River was boiling. “I’m not the violent type, but I swear I’d like to get my hands on whoever is behind this bullshit. I’m not so sure it’s not Jax or one of his lackeys. He’s already got it in for Lars, and after meeting your brother the other day, well, what better way to stick it to him than to bully his kid sister. But I’m not sure.”

  Avalon looked into River’s eyes. “When I pulled this off Larsen’s locker, I heard some snickering around the corner, so I’m thinking that it wasn’t just one person involved.”

  “You know, when an ignoramus decides to throw a bully party, there are always plenty of idiots that are happy to show up. You hear me? And don’t worry, I’m not going to tell Lars. I just want it to stop.”

  Avalon played with the bangles on her arm. “Yeah, like these punk losers are really gonna quit this shit.”

  “Like Lars told your brother this morning, when you don’t react, it’s no fun for them. Bullies only enjoy themselves when someone else is miserable. Sort of like how vampires need blood. So, whatever you’re feeling, you can’t let them see that they’ve gotten to you.”

  Avalon sniffled. “Why do you think I’m sitting as far away from school as I can? I hate it here. You and Larsen are seniors. You’ll be out of this lame-ass institution in June. I’ll be here for another two and a half years. My dad’s job is supposed to last just about that long.”

  “I get how you feel, Avalon. But a whole lot can happen in that time. You just have to focus on something else.”

  “Yeah? Like what? My mom who tricked my dad into moving to LA so she could dump us for her boyfriend when we got here?”

  “I can feel your pain on that one.”

  “Yeah, well, everything worked out for your parents, but it will never work out for mine. And don’t forget what else my mom did. She faked a hate campaign against me to force my dad to leave JC. Did your mom ever do anything even close to that?”

  River had no answer.

  “No, of course she didn’t. Who cares? She is dead to me anyway. Not only did I lose a mom, I lost my love of painting. My maternal unit made it into something evil. I can’t help it that I have this weird gift for painting the future.”

  “No, of course you—”

  “And my dad and my brother are just so angry I barely recognize them, and I have to be like a mother to Isabella. And she’s only two years younger than me. She cries all the time because she misses her friends so much. I miss mine, too. Especially my boyfriend.”

  “You have a boyfriend?”

  “Yeah, Anthony. Been with him for a year and two months. But I don’t think it’s gonna last. Not that he isn’t chocolate cake with awesome sauce, but long-distance, high school romances don’t exactly have a track record for um … long … um … long… ”

  “Longevity.”

  “Yeah, that freakin’ word. Fuck it. Whatever.”

  River stood up and reached out his hand. “C’mon, Avalon. Let’s get back inside. I don’t want to raise any red flags in Bullyland. Please, will you come with me?”

  Reluctantly, Avalon held out her hand to River, who pulled her up. “I hate my life. What’s left of it.”

  “It’ll get better. I really wish you’d think about painting again.”

  Avalon walked alongside River as they headed back toward the main doors of the school. “Did anything bad ever happen to you because of what you drew?”

  River thought for a moment. “Hell, yeah. Once my aunt Stella ripped me a new one because I drew her dead boyfriend from twenty years ago. She went totally ballistic on me.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, and my dad had to call the cops, and they used the jaws of life to pull her off me when she tackled me with Krazy Glue smeared all over the front of her. It was a tense operation to yank her away before the glue hardened.”

  Avalon laughed. “You so took a wrong turn
into Bullshitland, Riv.”

  “Well, the first part of it was true.”

  “I figured that. Whatever. You made me laugh, and that ain’t happ’ning too much these days.”

  `*`*`*`

  “Guess who?”

  Gina loved it when River snuck behind her and covered her eyes. She loved the way their bodies felt so close together. “Well, I’m not quite sure who you are, but I can tell you have really handsome hands.”

  River burst out laughing. “Ha ha. Did you just say I had handsome hands?”

  Red-faced, Gina couldn’t stop the tears of laughter. “I was going to say that you had really nice hands and that you must be handsome, but it all came out together. That sounds so ridiculous! That’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever said.”

  River was still hysterical when his classmates Jerome and Duffie walked by and said hello. “Hey, Gina just told me I had handsome hands. What do you guys think?” He held up his hands for display.

  Gina was still laughing. “You are totally embarrassing me, River.”

  Duffie was eager to play along. “Wow, River! Mystekal’s greatest treasure, and none of us had a clue. Don’t you think so, Jerome?”

  With a smile on his face, Jerome nodded. “Oh, yeah. Might want to think about having a bronze statue made. Put it in the trophy cabinet in the lobby or something. Hey, better yet, have a larger-than-life statue made and stick it outside the school. Peace out, Riv. Don’t let your hands go to your head.”

  As Jerome and Duffie walked down the hall, River turned to Gina. “You know, I always thought my knuckles were pretty rad, but I just never dared to dream that the entirety of my multifingered extremities would be worthy of such prodigious praise. You know, I’ve gone through life thinking I’d never be appreciated for all of my gifts, and then a beautiful girl tells me that I have handsome hands, and it completely changes my perspective on life and the role I play in this vast and complex universe. I’m no longer a grain of sand on the beach or the blink of an eye in eternity. I’m a dude with handsome hands.”

  Gina closed her locker door. “They seriously broke the mold when they made you, Riv. Come on, let me hold one of those handsome hands.”

  River took Gina’s hand in his and walked down the hall toward the front doors of the school. With his free hand, he pushed open the door, and the two walked into the shining afternoon sun.

  “Are you going to walk me home?”

  “Sure, Gin. I just can’t hang today because my dad’s off early, and we’re going to be looking at art schools.”

  Gina’s face fell. “Are you looking at schools far away?”

  “Nah. No farther than LA probably. How about you? Haven’t you started planning what you’re going to do after graduation?”

  “Sure. I’m thinking that I want to learn another language besides Spanish so that I can work with kids. I haven’t quite figured out in what capacity, though. But I don’t have to make any decisions about my entire life right now, you know? I just need to know where the starting line is.”

  “That sounds solid.”

  Gina smiled. The sun’s rays felt good on her face, and River’s hand felt so comforting in hers. About ten minutes away from school, Gina finally got up her nerve to say what was on her mind. She stopped walking and looked at him. “Hey, Riv. Um … I was wondering if you would come to dinner at my house on Saturday night.”

  “Sure. Just you and your parents?”

  “Uh, actually, just me. My parents are going to LA Saturday morning to visit Taylor. It’s one of the rare times I get the house to myself, and believe it or not, I can actually cook.”

  “Oh, yeah? Can you make tuna casserole? That’s the first meal my mom whipped up for us when she came back home.”

  “Seriously? Is that what you want?”

  River chuckled. “Not exactly. I want whatever you want to make. Just not big on fish.”

  “No way I would make fish. Ever. Maybe some spaghetti with Bolognese sauce or something along those lines. I’m pretty good with Italian cooking.”

  River put his arm around Gina and squeezed her tight. “Will you let me stir the pot?”

  Gina felt every inch of her body go crazy in anticipation. “Absolutely, handsome hands. You can stir to your heart’s content.”

  Chapter 14

  Erik leaned against the wall and spoke softly on his cell phone. “Yeah, baby. I’m just sort of watching my sister’s locker when I can. It’s lunchtime here, and empty hallways are breeding grounds for cowardly scum to do their shit … Yeah, for real. Our mother did enough to traumatize Avvie for life. She was like the hot fudge sundae of destruction, and these douches are tryin’ to be the cherry on top.”

  Hearing footsteps, Erik looked up to see Jax fast approaching with a smirk plastered on his face. “I gotta go. Call you later … love you, too.”

  Fearlessly, Jax walked up to Erik. “Well, I’ve been hoping for a chance to catch you alone, birthday boy. You’re twenty fucking years old today according to your New Joisey driver’s license. And here you are in fucking high school. I hope you’re not planning on flunking out again because you really don’t want to spend the big two-one here, do you?”

  Seething, Erik stepped on Jax’s right foot, bearing down. “Yeah, I’m twenty, and how the fuck old are you? Ten? Shouldn’t you still be in the fourth grade? Your body may have grown up, but it forgot to send a memo to your brain, asswipe.”

  Refusing to show fear, Jax continued to torment the newcomer. “So, why don’t you come into the cafeteria? I’ll buy you a cupcake, and we’ll all sing happy boithday to you while I shove the cake down your throat until you choke on it.”

  Erik had promised himself not to let anyone get the better of him. But he was nearly ready to break his own word as Jax sneered and laughed in his face. “And after you’re done singing to me, how ’bout I take a knife and castrate you?”

  Jax laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  Erik put his hands on Jax’s shoulders and swung him around until his back was pinned against a locker, once again, only with greater force than the first time. “I think I can perform a little surgery right here in the hall. Won’t take me but a minute, desert boy.”

  Now frightened but trying not to show it, Jax tried to muscle his way loose. “Take your hands off of me, Jersey scum.”

  Pushing harder, Erik was unrelenting. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!”

  “Nooooooo! Stop!”

  Erik turned to find an attractive young woman he’d never seen before. She looked to be just about the same age as he was.

  “Break it up, guys. Now. Before you’re both really sorry.”

  The second Erik broke his grip, Jax hurried away, but Erik was intrigued. “And who are you? Like a student teacher or something?”

  “I’m the ‘or something,’ I guess. I’m Jinxsy Patterson.”

  Erik stared at her. “Uh, yeah. I know who you are. You’re Ms. Carrow’s daughter, and you own a big piece of this desert paradise. You’re my dad’s boss. Or at least one of them.”

  Jinxsy scanned her brain for data. “Okay, you must be one of Gabe Martelli’s kids. Did you want to tell me your first name, or should I just do a Henry Sledge and call you Mr. Martelli?”

  “Oh, sorry. Erik. Call me Erik.”

  “Erik. Okay, well, listen, I know all about Jax Reinhardt. He was a sophomore when I was a senior here. He was a bully then, and I know he’s a bigger one now. He just came off a suspension, right? He’s treading water by messing with you. But what’s your excuse? I’m gonna be really honest, Erik. When I met your dad, he told me that your girlfriend back home was expecting your child and that you’re going to be a father. Did I get that right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “C’mon. Take a walk with me to Eve’s classroom. We need to have a talk.”

  `*`*`*`

  Eve and Jinxsy embraced while Erik walked sheepishly into the room and stood by the door. Noticing him for the f
irst time, Eve looked at Erik, then at Jinsxy. “What’s going on here?”

  With a nod of the head, Jinxsy motioned for Erik to come closer. “Don’t be shy. Take a seat. We’ll have a little group chat. Doesn’t that sound like a blast?”

  Having no idea what to make of Jinxsy or her request, Erik tentatively pulled up a classroom chair and sat down, then crossed his arms defensively in expectation.

  Eve looked at Jinxsy. “You never do anything without a really good reason, so tell me, what’s going on here?”

  “Oh, not too much. Only a few minutes ago, I happened to catch Erik just as he was about to kill Jax Reinhardt in the hall.”

  Eve bit her lower lip as she contemplated her daughter’s words. “I see. Is that an accurate assessment, Erik?”

  “Yeah. Whatever. Maybe.”

  Jinxsy turned to Eve. “Gabe Martelli, Erik’s dad, told me, on the day that Arielle and I hired him, that Erik is going to be a father in May and that he can’t wait to graduate and move back east to be with his family. And to marry his girlfriend.”

  “Oh, wow. I didn’t know that.”

  Erik looked nervous. “Well, my old man should have kept his mouth shut, but do me a favor and don’t broadcast this. I don’t need any more bullshit.”

  Jinxsy cleared her throat. “No, you certainly don’t need any more bullshit. Who does need bullshit? I know I don’t. So, for someone who doesn’t want to ride the bullshit train, why were you hopping aboard with the school bully? Because all bullshit trains end up at the You’re Effed station. Is that where you want to go? Do you seriously want to give that guy power over you and your future? Really? Or do you want to graduate and get the hell out of here?”

  Embarrassed, Erik put his hand to his forehead and wiped off the beads of sweat. “I want to graduate and go back home.”

  Eve jumped in. “Then listen to my daughter and stay out of Jax’s way. I understand why you would want to respond in kind to someone who is provoking you, but you have way too much to lose.”

  “Yeah, Ms. Carrow. I hear you. It’s just … uh … really hard for me to put up with crap. Something in my blood just makes me forget everything that matters and live in the moment. I almost pounded that dick last week, but Larsen stopped me.”