Copyright © 2013 All Rights Reserved
Sharp Practice by Sierra B
CHAPTER SIX
Skeigh and I sit together under our usual tree in the park at six-twenty a.m. the sun barely peeking above the skyline, both of us leaning over my phone which is sitting face up on the ground, speaker on, dialing star-sixty-seven. The number I had stolen from my father’s notepad was flashing across my screen, the location under the number reading Ambrose, Georgia.
“Maybe it’s too early,” Skeigh whispers looking from the phone to me.
“May-” I start when a voice of the phone picks up.
“’Ello?” A tired sounding voice asks yawning.
“Um, hello,” Skeigh stammers nervously. “Is this Destiny?"
“Yes it is now who’re you and what’d cha want?” Destiny asks her accent noticeably present.
“Um,” Skeigh looks up at me with wide eyes. What do I say?
I shrug.
“Hi Destiny, my husband Quentan called you earlier this week?” Skeigh says into the phone,
“Ianna?! It’s been years!” Destiny exclaims. I silently curse, she knows my mother. “How’ve ya’ been?”
Years? Skeigh asks looking at me with wide eye. I stare back at her just as shocked, my parents don’t have Enlight friends. “Um, I could’ve been better.”
“I’d assume so. It’s really been a long time ya’ voice changed a lot. Ya’ sound younger.” On any other occasion I would’ve giggled but I was too busy keeping my jaw up. “Why the hell’re ya’ callin’ so dang early?”
“Um… I’m on my way to work,” Skeigh spits out quickly. “I just saw that Quen called you earlier this week and I was just curious about what.”
"Oh, well he was just callin' ta' ask me if I knew anything about someone with the same condition as ya' daughter."
Skeigh and I look at each other with the same thought in our heads. "Condition?" She asks.
"You know that thing ya’ daughter does. Q called to see if I knew anyone else like that.”
I frown a tad bit frustrated she didn’t say exactly what the hell is wrong with me. “Well do you?” I ask using my best impression of Skeigh’s voice which isn’t that hard since both of our voices are on the higher side.
“No, sorry hun. But I told him ta’ call my friend Deblin in Wales. He’s more involved in Order than me, but don’t worry I know how ya’ guys have been livin’ under the radar since ya’ daughter was born. Deblin is cool, you can trust him.”
Condition? Order? Radar? What the hell? Skeigh was too dumbstruck to think of anything else to say so I continue talking. “Order….right. Well thanks Destiny it was nice talking to you again.”
“Same here. Don’t be a stranger, ya’ whole family is welcome to visit me here in Ambrose. I miss ya’ lil green eyed beauty helping me plant flowers in my garden. How long has it been; a little over twelve years? She’s ‘bout fourteen right?”
“Fifteen, almost sixteen,” I say automatically not even thinking. I’ve met this woman, stayed with her, and have no memory of her whatsoever.
“Right, right.” She sighs, “We should catch up more often, I miss ya’ll terribly. I’m serious, don’t be strangers.”
I swallow my shock long enough to say, “I won't, bye now.”
“Bye.”
As soon as we hang up I turn to Skeigh who looks at me, not knowing what to say; her thoughts filled with questions: What condition? Is she sick? And what the hell is an Order? Like a secret organization order? Ambrose, since when has Ginger been to Georgia?
I frown staring at her, her questions only adding to my own. What are they hiding from me? What’s wrong with me? Our thoughts mixing together is overwhelming and I break down and start sobbing for the second time this morning. Skeigh tries to console me but her thoughts are filled with nothing but confusion on the phone call and the fact that she thinks I’ve finally lost it.
I want to push her away but I can’t do anything but sob into her shoulder. Eventually the sobs calm down but I can’t move so I just sit there staring at the ground while Skeigh stares at me. Sometime around seven I convince her to leave me at the park and head to school, telling her when I’m sure my parents are gone I’ll go home. I watch her walk in the direction of the school, turning to look at me every few steps until the trees block her view.
Sighing I close my eyes and rest my head against a tree, the faint sun beams lighting the back of my eyelids. I don’t know how long I was sitting there but suddenly everything goes dark and I open my eyes to find a concerned looking Kris looking down at me. He sinks to his knees in front of me and asks something along the lines of “Are you okay?” but I don’t actually hear it, I just stare at him, my mind numb.
He frowns at me and asks more questions I don’t process before he scoops me up in his arms bridal style and carries me to his car. He sits me in the passenger’s seat and buckles me up like a helpless child and though part of me wants to protest I just sit there and let him do it silently praying to Buddha that he doesn’t take me to school. He then closes my door and walks around the front of the car and gets in. He says something else, “Whatever’s wrong I’m going to fix it,” I think.
I bring my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs, resting my chin on my knee caps as I stare out the windshield. Kris starts the car and says something else in the foggy language he was speaking before pulling off. I make a noise I think is a sigh of relief when we drive past the school and get onto the highway before sinking into the Chiodos album Kris puts into the CD player.
“School?” I force myself to ask, the word coming out like my mouth was full of marshmallows. It’s like my head is filled with cotton making it hard to hear, speak, and think. Skeigh was right, I’ve lost it.
He speaks in the fog language, something along the lines of, “We’re not going.”
I make a grunting sound before I close my eyes enjoying the ride on the highway; I’ve always liked road trips and being in a car. I can feel myself nodding off and though part of me fears what I might dream of, I fall asleep anyway.
Ϡ
When I open them we’re pulling in through a gate and onto a dirt road. “Where are we?” I ask, the cotton feeling leaving my head with the sleep.
He smiles at me, aw she looked adorable sleeping. “Look who can speak.”
I deadpan, “Where the hell are we?”
“Jordan Lake,” he smirks. “I figured the fresh air would help you clear your mind.”
“I don’t appreciate you taking me from the park against my will,” I grunt crossing my arms.
“I asked you if you were okay and when you didn’t respond I asked if you wanted me to take you away, blink once for yes twice for no. You blinked once,” he shrugged still smirking.
I grumble obscenities and huff, bouncing in my seat as we drive down the dirt road. The lake was kind of deserted considering it’s a Wednesday in October; there were barely any boats in the water and no campers. We drive to one of the boat ramps and park the Acura on the side out of the way. Kris gets out the car but I stay in my seat with my arms crossed being indifferent.
“Get out the car or I’ll get you out,” he warns opening my door.
I sigh and unbuckle my seatbelt and start to get out the car when Kris picks me up anyway and throws me over his shoulder. “What the hell?!” I cry as he walks away from the car.
“You weren’t moving fast enough so I moved for you,” he smirks. Plus you’re fun to carry, he adds.
“Put me down,” I growl.
“Not until I take you to where I’m going to take you,” he says readjusting on his shoulder.
“You’ve only lived here for like three weeks and you’ve spent most of your with me and Skeigh, how did you even find out about this lake?” I grunt crossing my arms.
He thinks something in Greek and continues to walk not answering my question. We had been walking or rather I had been carried away from the boating ramp and into the thin tree line surrounding the lake. At first I think we’re following a trail but then I realize Kris was walking throw a slush pile of fallen leaves headed somewhere that must not be a top tourist attraction.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To rape you and throw your body in the lake,” he rolls his eyes. “Stop asking questions.”
That comment pisses me off so I yank myself from off of his shoulder and fall on the ground landing flat on my ass. I realize that I forgot how high I was and didn’t really think that through considering the fall kind of hurt. I glare at him from the pile of leaves I fell on pretending it didn’t, “I don’t know you.” I growl. “Don’t treat me like some whore you can just throw around and talk to any kind of way. Rape isn’t funny.”
Kris frowns. “Ginger what are you talking about? I’m sorry for the rape comment but I’m just trying to make sure that you’re okay.”
“Well I didn’t ask you for your concern,” I grunt.
“Skeigh did.”
“What?”
“She called me this morning and told me where you were and asked me to go make sure you were okay and to take you somewhere where you could clear your mind.”
I frown confused. “Why would she do that?” She won’t admit it but she doesn’t want me spending too much alone time with Kris because she thinks he likes me.
He smiles “Because she’s your best friend and she cares about you.” Offering his hand he adds, “Now Ginger will you please accompany me to my favorite place by Jordan Lake?”
I sigh and take his hand allowing him to hoist me off the ground. Kris pulls hard or maybe I’m lighter than I thought either way I stumble and go flying into the air crashing into his chest. He laughs and grabs my waist steadying me as I push away from him glaring.
“Come on,” he smiles, letting go of my waist to walk past, continuing his journey to wherever the hell was supposed to clear my mind.
I follow quietly.
“I like your jacket by the way,” Kris smirks from in front of me.
I look down at myself confused before I realize I’m wearing his jacket. For some reason I blush. “Do you want it back?” I ask starting to unzip it.
He shakes his head, “You can keep it.” For good.
“Thanks,” I mumble zipping it back up.
We walk in silence for about thirty minutes, crunching through the leaves and stepping over roots and fallen branches before Kris stops. We had walked to high ground and were a good twenty feet above the lake walking along a small perch. Kris walks over to the edge and crouches down looking down at the water before slipping off the side and out of sight. A slash follows and I run over to the edge to see if he fell.
“Kris!” I cry when I make it there. I look down and see him standing on a giant bolder/ slate jutting out of the ground ten feet below where I was standing.
He puts his arms up towards me, “Jump.”
“Are you crazy?” I ask raising an eyebrow.
“Only a little, now jump.”
I sigh and take a tiny step closer to the drop. “Are you sure you won’t drop me?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes before jumping off the edge. The drop was short but I still screamed, cut off by the feeling of Kris’ hands on my sides. I open my eyes as he places me down on the rock.
He laughs, “The scream wasn’t necessary.
I roll my eyes, “How are we gonna get back up?”
He points to a bunch of little slabs jutting out of the end like stairs leading back up to where we were.
“Why didn’t we just take those down?” I grumble.
“Jumping is more fun,” he smiles. “Now stop asking questions and enjoy the view.
I grunt and look out over the lake. From the rock you could almost see to the other side of the lake along with a tiny island in the middle of it with birds and snapping turtles resting on it. Fish swan just underneath the surface, a few tiny fish jumping out of the water trying to get away from bigger fish trying to eat them. A squirrel that had apparently fallen into the water was squealing as it swam towards the shore trying to get away from the lakes inhabitants. I smile at the sound of its cries, the whole ordeal reminding me of the time Skeigh fell into the pool when we were little and started screaming about how she couldn’t swim when she only fell into the three feet.
I look to Kris who had sat down and was watching me. “Thanks,” I smile sitting down next to him.
“No problem.”
“How’d you find this place?” I ask lying down on my back to stare up at the trees.
He shrugs, “I just did.” He lies down next to me sighing. His mind goes to a time when he had lain and watched the stars with his grandparents in Greece back when he was little.
“Why’d you leave Greece?” I ask glancing at him.
He shakes his head. “Long story. Why are we here?”
“Not a long story,” I sigh.
He looks at me curiously but doesn’t push, not aloud at least. He opens his mouth to say something when my phone starts to ring. I look at the caller ID and go white, it was my mom.
I answer, “Hello?”
“Wherever you are come home now, we need to talk and you are in so much trouble.”
Another chapter done late x3 Vote + Comment people other than Raine and Anna. Come on I need support xc I'll give you a cookie (o.e)>O The lady over there on the side right there is Ianna :3 Her hair ish pertty. Dedicated to Mockingpow for the sexy ass cover cx Like seriously it's freaking awesome x3 I would've put the song over there but apparently youtube deleted it -.- so instead enjoy this inspirational video on bullying courtesy of Anna.