"He could have killed me Penny!" I screamed as I paced my living room.
She bit into her nails, guilt clearly strewn across her features.
"I'm sorry Eden, I didn't know!" She defended as she rubbed her forehead "I spoke to Brad about it, and even he had no idea what a maniac he was"
"If Phoenix hadn't shown up who knows what Jaz could have-"
"Wait" Penny interrupted narrowing her eyes at me as I stopped pacing "Phoenix, as in that guy that keeps showing up at your door for you to stitch him up every week?"
"What difference does it make Penny?" I snapped
"It just... surprises me, what happened between them exactly?" She edged curiously
"They got into it, started threatening each other" I shrugged
"So, they know each other?" She mused
"It seemed that way. Jaz threatened that if Phoenix wasn't careful, a man named Gonzales would be after me" I informed her, sitting on the edge of the lounge
"Um, that's weird" She sighed "But it sounds dangerous, whatever they're going on about"
"If it wasn't for Phoenix, I could be dead, I need to at least go over there and thank him" I told her as I pointed a finger towards across the street
"Eden, something sinister is going on, even you know that, they're both dangerous, you said it yourself, somehow they know each other, that can't be good" She began "If he turns up again on Wednesday, we need to call the cops, something is fishy" She argued
I supposed in common sense, she was right. Something was completely off about it all, but Phoenix had saved me, he had helped me and defended me, despite knowing nothing about me. Maybe he thought he had owed it to me after all the late night stitch-ups.
I wasn't entirely sure.
Staying away from them all was the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do, but I knew I had to say thank you for what he had done. He didn't have to do it, he wasn't obliged to help me, but he did.
"Besides, we have bigger things to worry about right now" Penny continued
"What could possibly be worse than me nearly getting attacked?" I sarcastically threw
"We have two major tests coming up this week" She reminded me
"No Penny, that's something you have to worry about, not me" I sighed
"Ouch" She held her chest, pained "Fine, I admit it, I need help. Preferably from you, because you're so super smart and I don't really want to fail" She corrected herself as she pulled me into a hug, twisting my hair with her fingers as she spoke
"Of course I'll help you Penny, you know that" I told her, giving up on putting her down for setting me up with a psycho. It was over now, and I was okay, I had Phoenix to thank for that.
"So what are ours plans for today and tomorrow?" She jumped energetically sitting with her legs crossed on my black couch
"I don't know" I shrugged "What about shopping? I got paid last night" I smiled, eager to do something I actually felt safe doing
"I don't have any money.." She looked down at her hands, embarrassed
"I need to get out before my brain explodes, so how about it's my shout, now let's go" I told her as I stood up straight and beckoned her up off the lounge with a wave.
Despite the walk to the local mall, and the shopping, I still couldn't stop thinking about what had happened last night and what had been said. I felt a pull to find out, to dig deeper into what was going on, and that was out of character for me. If something seemed wrong or bad, I usually remained clear away from it, especially when it came to boys - boys in any position I stayed away from - but now, it felt as if I wanted to get involved. Yet the smarter part of me told me to steer clear, to stay far away from all of it, but I couldn't..
"What about Oscar, I know he's got a serious thing for you?" Penny continued to talk about boys as we sat in the middle of the food court, chomping on chips and gravy
"What is it with you and hooking me up?" I sighed as I dipped my hot chips into the steaming cup of gravy
"The school dance is coming up and you still haven't made any decisions about it" She nagged me
"That's because I wasn't planning on going"
"You have too, please, everyone is going, you need to do these things, you need to get out of the house, again, you said it yourself"
"I don't care that everyone else is going" I shot back
"I take offence to that"
"Is Jaz going to be there?"
"No, he's going away on Monday for a week"
"How do you know?" I questioned
"Brad told me" She shrugged "Because I asked in advance to make sure, now you have no excuse"
"I'll find another one" I shrugged with a smile causing her to glare at me
"You're going, don't bring a date, wear what you want, you need to come" She tried firmly as she pointed a chip towards me with narrow eyes
"We'll see" I mumbled "Besides, how do you know Oscar likes me?" I mused
"He told me" She proudly answered with a high held chin
I stopped chewing and stared at her "When?"
"About three weeks ago, he's just too shy to tell you himself" She freely admitted "And you kind of come across as uninterested"
My mouth hung open as I stared at her
"That's because I am" I scoffed as I leaned back in my chair
She threw her arms up with a sigh
"I have my reasons" I defended myself
"You need to let go once in a while Eden Skye Milford, you need to start living in the now, not the past" She said, slapping my hand as it sat on the table
"Ah, the now in which I get attacked by a strange boy, and saved by one that is weekly beaten and ends up on my doorstep" I nodded, earning a roll of eyes
Penny looked at me seriously "Technically, that's the past, besides you should go with Oscar" She continued to persuade "He's cute, smart, just like you. You could have a lot in common, you could be around someone that will treat you good" She near begged
"I'll think about" I told her genuinely
She was right. I needed to be with someone normal, someone that would be calm and completely ordinary, like me. Oscar would never cause trouble, get beat up or hurt me. He didn't have that in him, even from a distance I knew that.
"Good, then we can go shopping for dresses together" She smiled as she popped the last chip in her mouth.
-
Once I got home, it was about five in the afternoon. Penny headed home from the mall by bus and I decided to walk. The fresh air did me good and I needed it. But most of all, I needed closure. I needed to go to Jett's house and tell them how grateful I was for what his brother had done for me. With that in mind the whole way home, I decided I was going to do it. I let my mind get the better of me.
Once I reached my street, instead of going straight home like I should have, I walked across the charcoal black coal that separated the houses. My heart was racing and my palms were sweating as I walked up the stone stairs towards the brick home.
The gardens around it were overgrown, the tree's drooping down as I pushed past them to reach the large double doors that almost taunted me to turn around and go back home. But my feet wouldn't allow it, neither would my heart.
I stopped at the doors and simply stared at them for a good five minutes, debating whether I should run or not. But it was too little too late when my finger connected with the doorbell, a ringing tune sounding. Suddenly I hoped they weren't home and I could shrug and make a dash for my house, my room, my bed.
Unfortunately for me, the door unlocked and the familiar face of Jett appeared in the doorway
"Eden, what a surprise" He smiled, the reaction not at all what I was expecting
"Hey" I nervously spoke fiddling with my hands "Is Phoenix here?"
"He is. Is... is everything okay?" He asked narrowing his beautiful brown eyes on me in a way that made me think he was trying to avoid me from talking to his brother.
"Yeah, I uh, I just want to thank him personally for yesterday" I admitted proudly as I felt some confidence lift in me
"I can tell him for you if you want me too" He suggested, my idea of him avoiding the contact proving
"I'd rather do it personally, it would just... it would feel better telling him myself"
"You don't feel guilty do you?" He raised an eyebrow
"A little" I admitted
"You realize I feel the guilt four times over?"
"I suppose you do, but.. but I'd still like to thank him" I stumbled, looking at the ground.
Once Jett realized I wasn't moving until I got what I wanted, he turned around and called out towards his brother
"You want to come in?" He asked as we waited awkwardly in the doorway
"Uh, no thanks, I'll be quick" I smiled appreciatively
I just wanted to say thank you, I wasn't going to hang around like a nuisance fly.
Two minutes later, Phoenix appeared in the doorway. His expression changed when he saw me standing on his porch, and so did mine when I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt.
I did my best to keep my eyes trained on his face, but it was made even more difficult when all I could see were various scars painted across his perfectly carved features.
"What are you doing here?" He bluntly asked as Jett stepped out of the middle
"I uh..." I stumbled, embarrassed as I stared down at my shoes "I wanted to thank you for yesterday" I started as he leaned on the doorway like an arrogant Greek god.
"You didn't have to do what you did, and if you didn't... I don't know what could have happened" I finished, raising my eyes
He gave a long sigh and looked up at me "You didn't have to fix my face countless times either, yet there you were" He smirked, something behind it dark and unreadable
"Can I ask you something?" I dared, brave
"I suppose I owe you that" He shrugged, watching me carefully
"How do you and Jaz know each other?" I slowly asked, watching his every movement
One side of his neck twitched, along with his jaw as his eyes averted above my head
"Does it matter?" His tone was borderline angry
"To me it does" I tried
He was quiet for a second, but leaned off the doorway
"I think you should go. Don't get involved with that kid, and don't get involved with me, simple" He shot towards me, closing the door in my face.
I wanted to slam my fist into the wooden door, demand to know the answers to my questions. He had no right to tell me not to get involved with him. He was the one in the first place that had involved me with him. He had been the one to turn up at my door, battered and bruised.
I was taken aback, angry. Like a mosquito bite, it was itching at me.
Forcing back my curiosity and anger, I turned around and walked back to my house, a cloud above my head as I entered my home and stood aimlessly in the middle of the living room.
The house was quiet, completely silent, something I was growing accustomed to. Everything about the house fell into place, matching all over thanks to Gracelin's interior decorating friend Patrice. Black lounges matched red rugs, red picture frames on the walls matched black and white photos inside. The carpet was a clean perfect white until it met the floorboard hallway where every room connected.
There were numerous things I could have done, like study, read a book, or finish off two assignments that were due at the end of the year, but of course, my mind was elsewhere, distracting me from what I needed to do, what I was so used to doing.
Someway my mind was in rebellion mode, kicking out any sensible thought, any sensible action and that was starting to frighten me, I was going to get myself into trouble.
I broke from my statue stance and began towards our desktop computer set beside the living room, the one Gracelin only used to let me used under strict supervision until she left me and the house. I didn't understand why she didn't trust me, I suppose she was trying to act like a mother would, she was trying to replace my mother, and I understood that.
I booted it up and watched impatiently as it ran through its fast top upgrade procedure before allowing me full access. My finger found the internet and took control as I picked my brain for the correct wording as I opened Google and its search engine.
'Ground Phox' I typed, hoping it would come up with some answers.
Few results were useful, mostly websites about muscle builders and protein shakes, hardly what I was looking for. I'd hit a brick wall until I come across the word Marx in a website link. Instantly, my heart began to race as I clicked eagerly on the link. An aggressive black page opened up with chains and bare knuckles decorated its outskirts. It was far from a professional page. It didn't take much of my exploring until it hit me. All of it made sense, every word Jaz had spoken. The threats to stay away from them were for a good reason.
'Phox' Vs 'Ruze' WEDNESDAY night 10pm
This IS the big one, don't miss it! MSG Kane for arena details!'
'Phox' was Phoenix, and he was an underground fighter. It explained why he turned up at my doorstep not wanting to go to the hospital in case of being recognized. What he was doing was illegal, what he was doing was barbaric. Jaz was right, he was an adrenaline junkie getting himself beat up in an underground fight club, and like all the weeks before, it was going to happen again this week. Knowingly, the man was going to end up on my doorstep bloodied up once again.
I should have called the police. I should have snitched him in straight away. I should have stormed over there and demanded that they stop, that they stay home and prevent it from happening again before he was to really get hurt, before they dragged me into their illegal handiwork. How dare they, how dare they take advantage of me to cover their own tracks. I was fuming, my hands were shaking, my blood boiling. Forcing it back, I stood and headed towards the shower, desperate on washing away this sudden chaos.
That night, I found it hard to do anything remotely simple. Lying in bed, begging darkness to overcome me was never so difficult. That's when I needed to tell myself the one thing everyone else was telling me, including Phoenix. Stay away. Don't get involved. This could really be dangerous and you could get hurt. Jaz's threatening words rang in my ears, the name Gonzales haunting me from the inside out.
It was a warning, and now that I knew how violent the situation really was, I needed to keep my head out of it, as much as my mind begged me to continue into the crash and burn of it all.