Chloe
I glanced at the clock on the wall and knew there was no way I could make it to school today. But I didn’t regret it. Seeing the look on Mag’s face, I was in fact glad I brought her here. I knew she really needed it although she might never admit it in words.
We were at this ice rink we’d found after about an hour of just driving around and talking about nothing. She’d told me about her dreams, what she liked about that coffee she had in Venice when Mitch took her there last year, how hot the hostess on their return flight, how revitalizing morning sex could be and etcetera.
I’d just listened, making occasional questions so she’d know I’d heard it all, but didn’t’ ask anything about the one that made her this way. I knew she’d spill everything eventually.
“You ready for another round?” She asked, finishing up the shake in her glass.
“I was born ready, Miss.” I said with an over-cocky tone making. It wasn’t that funny but she laughed anyway.
“Actually, I’m kinda tired. Let’s just go home.” She confessed with a sheepish grin.
“I knew it. You wanted to make it look like you had to go home because of me.” I gave her a playful glare. “But seriously, you can’t do this to me. I’m all warmed up now.”
“And I know just the thing to bring that heat down.” And she wiggled her eyebrows.
“Ew! No offense but just, Ewwww!”
“Hey, I meant taking a shower.”
“Phew.” She giggled at my overdramatic sigh.
“Besides, you should be so lucky.” She said, getting up. “Now, come on.”
“Okay, okay. Let me finish this up first.” But I couldn’t as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the chair literally and we weaved our way out of the restaurant through the crowd giggling like crazy. Even if I had to wait one more day for Rina, I knew it was so worth it seeing her old self coming back to life again.
I joined her in the back verandah enjoying the breathtaking scene of cars parking in and leaving the lot. Handing her a cup, I leaned back on the balustrade and watched her in profile. She was more than just stunning.
“Too busy exulting in the battles for the parking space, I see.” I didn’t get an answer for a while. But when I did, it was a counter. A good counter!
“Loh,” she turned and perched her hip against the railing to face me, “what was she like?”
Of course I knew what she was talking about but said, ”What was who like?”
“Rina.” She was the only who knew about my past life. Not even Ian knew this much about me like she did. But even she knew only the name. I was never ready to confide in someone that much. But now was the best time to start changing, I guessed.
“The kind that I don’t deserve but at the same time, can’t let go.” Then I gave out a sigh. “Most days, actually. Sometimes, I couldn’t hate anymore more.”
“Makes two of us.”She chuckled then sighed and turned away from me. “Let’s play twenty questions about them?”
“Uhh,… I don’t know…”
“Come on, you start.” She said, ignoring my fudge and grabbed my hand. I had no choice but to follow her as she led me back into living room.“How’d you two meet?” she asked as we both relaxed on the couch.
A sigh betrayed me as I set the cup of chocolate back down on the trestle. “It was after my second foster home that they decided to put me in this orphanage. I was twelve.”She shifted a little at that.
“It was there when I first saw her. She was kind of a loner. Didn’t have that many friends.” My heart rate started to pick up as those days once again came on my mind like it was yesterday. “And I was one of those who took out their frustration with their lives on her.”
“In fact, of all those who bullied her, I was the worst.” I had to take a deep breath to be able to continue. “I … I did terrible things to her, Mag. Terrible things.” I closed my eyes and there was her, laughed at by everyone in the dining room after I’d ‘accidentally’ dropped my lunch on her. And the images went on like they could for eternity that I had to open my eyes again.
“And the crazy thing is ,” Biting my lips, I forced back the tears,”… she forgave me. All I said was sorry. I did mean it but that was that. But she forgave me, Mag. She acted like it’d happened to someone else and it always made me grow restless with guilt and shame whenever she smiled at me.”
She took my hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. But I didn’t feel at all reassured. It took me a few seconds to recollect myself. “That summer, we had this day out on a holiday. It was a rarity. And every kid wanted to go and got to go. Well almost every kid.”
“You see, it’d become a common knowledge that she was the centre of bad attention at the place and she’d earned some protection she deserved from the caretakers and such.” Maggie straightened up so she could look at me. She probably knew something bad was coming. It was. “So it bugged me to notice she wasn’t among us when the nuns and the teachers took us to the bus.”
“And this feeling, This gut feeling that something bad was going to happen grew in my stomach. So, I snuck out and went to look for her. We still hadn’t become friends at that time but I’d long stopped having it out on her so …,.Anyway, I went back to look for her.” Sobs started to take form in me as I processed the next words.
“I looked all over but she was nowhere to be found. It went on like this for quite a while. And I noticed that outside the buses hadn’t left yet. They must’ve found out we were missing, I’d figured. But it didn’t concern me more than her, to be honest.” I didn’t know if Mag could hear me right because my voice had become quite unsteady.
“It was quite unlike me to give up and seek out for help but I couldn’t shake off this worry that’d gripped me as minutes went by.” I felt her putting her legs up on the sofa and sit facing me fully but I kept my eyes on the ceiling. Saw nothing, though. “And I thought of this guy, this teacher. He was one of those that stayed behind at school. He was a real nice man, you know. Always nice to us. Even I liked him. Well, I had.”
”His office was a little far into the accommodation but I was already halfway so I decided to go there. I got there in record time. Turned out it was the only wise thing I’d done since I was borne to this day.“ My voice was really shaking now.”The door wasn’t locked. There was no need, everyone was supposed to be gone.”
I doubted Mag could catch my words because I couldn’t since I was having such a hard time forcing back the sobs and tears.“So I didn’t bother knocking and pushed the door open. And you know what I saw?”
I felt her wipe off the tears that I didn’t know were there on my cheeks and turned to look her in the eye. “He had her on the table. His desk. “I tried to describe it without the image replaying but in vain. It was becoming harder and harder to form the words. ”She was spread-eagled. She didn’t move or struggle. Clothes still on but barely. He was so caught up in getting his d*ck into her that he didn’t even notice me come in.” Mag pulled me into her arms as I began crying in earnest. But I didn’t stop. I had to get this off my chest.
“I picked up this broken table chair. I went behind him. And hit it across his thigh with everything I’d had in me. I was really shaking at that time and I missed the spot I’d aimed for. But God was with me, with us. The bar hurt his knee pretty bad.” I felt her rubbing my back soothingly but it did nothing to ease the pain or the rediscovered rage building up within.
“He dropped to the floor, his face contorted, not in anger but in fear and pain. I knew he couldn’t do anything anymore now but something in the back of my head urged me on and I kept beating him. People started to notice because he couldn’t stop screaming for help and soon they found us. I was forced back while they got him to the hospital. I didn’t remember much after that. But there was something I do remember.”
I pulled away and looked into her eyes, which also were full of tears.“She wasn’t passed out, like I’d thought earlier. But the way she looked at me ………that was when I really first met her. The love of my life.”
…………………………
…………………………
Rina
“And there’s Rod. Coach isn’t here today so you have to talk to him. He’s the assistant coach.”
I didn’t really catch what he was saying because I caught a glimpse of people playing basketball in the court well hidden behind the stands and kept watching. I’d always liked the sport.
“Played before?”
“What, me? Not really.” A look in the mirror had been enough for me to realize that I wasn’t cut out for it. Heck, I didn’t even think I could actually get on the team.
“Why not? With your towering height, you’d dwarf all those guys.” Now that hurt.
I gave him a playful glare, which was unusual. He didn’t seem exactly the fun type of guy and neither was I but I was somehow relaxed around him. “I know. But you didn’t necessarily have to rub it in my face like that.”
Our eyes locked and then we both laughed. But of course, he had to ruin the moment. “Rub it in your…! How could I do that to such a pretty face, you tell me.” I felt it but couldn’t stop the heat forming in my cheeks.
“I see now why you don’t wear make-up.” Was this ever going to stop? “You just have to blush.” And I thought (actually thought!) Ian had squeezed every ounce of blood onto my face earlier. I gave out a nervous chuckle and hid the tomato that had been my face not a moment ago. Where was Liz when you needed her?
“Umm,… so Coach isn’t here?” I felt his eyes on me but didn’t bother to make sure of it. “’Cause you said, he wa… never mind.”
He chuckled and said, “Yeah, he had to go to this conference in Berkeley for the upcoming game.”
Great, new subject! “The same one you told me was important?” I finally gave him a glance and saw him nod. “Is it really that big? I mean, to have meetings for a game is kinda exaggerating, I think?”
“Well, this is the opening game to the championship. Besides us and McClymonds are …well, let’s just say we aren’t best of buds when it comes to soccer, or anything for that matter.” Yeah, I’d heard Steve mention it before. “So the coaches have to settle things first. But for the two years I’d been here, I’d never seen it work.” He chuckled. And I noticed that he really looked good when he smiled. And that was a compliment, in every sense of the word!
I had to look away before he caught me staring at him. And that was when my eyes met Nicole’s. By the look on her face before it went blank, I knew I’d let her down and my heart sunk. She might now think me indecent since I was now talking and smiling with whom she had to save me from the other day. Well, on the bright side, at least she cared about me, right?
“You sure you guys are nothing?” he asked while she floated past us never sparing me another glance as she and the other boy who followed out behind her went to sit on the bench near the sidelines.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Tearing my eyes away from Nicole, I said as we reached the assistant coach. And I stood by as … can’t believe I still didn’t know his name.
“Rod, this is … uhh, …,” He went to introduce me but stopped halfway, giving me an amused sideway look.
I stifled a laugh and helped out. “Rina Haven. I believe my mother had already talked to the coach.”
“Yes, yes. Cameron said you’d be coming. I’m Rodriguez.” He said, offering his hand, which I took. “Well, Cam isn’t here but he didn’t mention you wanting any particular position. And it just so happens that we’re having tryouts for the keeper so if you’re interested, you could stay.”
“Yes, I’d love to.”
“Great. Then you better get dressed and limber up. Derek, will you?” he asked and thanked him before turning to me again. “He’ll get you your kit and show you where to change.”
I thanked the man and followed Derek as we walked into the tunnel. It was strange we’d been talking without actually knowing each other. But it doesn’t matter what someone is called when it comes to friends, I guess. We could be friends.
So with that hope, I tried to shake off the worry that’d crept its way up my spine when he stopped abruptly and started to turn around slowly. I mean, real slowly. We were only a few yards in but I knew no one could see us. If he tried something again, what d…
“You know, I should just strangle you to death here, before…,” he said with a killer-serious look plastered and truth be told, it was unnerving me, “…you forget to tell me your name again.”
His face broke into a grin, which then turned into a heartfelt laugh as I joined in.
“Derek Hughes.”
Did I mention he had this charming smile that just made you keep staring till it wore off? Well, it had me staring at him and this time he caught me red handed; red faced, actually.
“This is the part where you say, ‘Rina Haven, Nice to meet you’.”
But I didn’t hide my blush this time as I repeated what he’d dictated. And we both fell into another bout of chuckles as the walk resumed.
Instead of going straight to the locker room where I’d thought the spare kits would be kept, he made a left turn at the intersection and led me down another short corridor. My heart wouldn’t stop racing since that moment he’d caught me staring at him.
But it sure wasn’t worry or fear that got me like this. I knew because I didn’t feel that overjoyed at the sight of Steve coming our way from the other end of the hallway. And I kinda hid behind Derek as I tried to will the still lingering blush off of my cheeks.
“Hey, you seen Nik?”
“Yeah, on the pitch. With Clay.”
Then he saw me. “Hey, great to see you. Thanks, man.” He said patting Derek’s arm and coming around. “Listen, I gotta talk to you. When does the practice finish?” So, Liz had told him about me trying for the team.
I looked to Derek since I didn’t know when it’d end. But before I did, he’d already answered for me. “It’d be over around two, at the latest.”
“Kay. I’ll come after next period. But if I don’t, can you come meet me at the library?” he seemed kinda anxious.
“Of course.”
“Alright, see you, then.” He then walked in the direction we just came after giving me a smile, which by the way had nothing on Derek’s … Sh*t! I gotta stop with this smile thing.
I turned and found Derek at the end of the corridor opening the door to a room on the right. He handed me a new kit which he got out of his backpack when I reached him.
“You keep spares on you all the time?” I queried, half-teasing-half-curious.
“It’s mine. I didn’t want to go to the locker room and come back all the way here. I have my old one there.”
“Won’t this be too big for me?” I asked, taking the package from him.
“Well, Adam is the smallest here but I think even his is a little big for you. Besides, you don’t wanna wear too tight-fitting outfits around these guys. Trust me” He said and held the door open from the outside. “You can change here.”
I nodded and peeked in, and found lockers! “In here?! What if the guys come in?” I asked as I’d thought this must be the basketball team’s place,
“This is the cheerleaders’ room. So don’t worry about guys barging in.” He assured me and flung his backpack over his shoulder.
“Oh, okay.” I went in and was about to close the door when I stopped curious. “Isn’t this supposed to be kinda … locked?” Popping my head through the half-closed door, I asked. And instantly regretted that I did.
“Well, apparently I’ve got the key, don’t I?” He said with a cocky grin. I didn’t say anything back but rolled my eyes and closed the door hard enough to make a bang.
I heard him chuckle. “Take your time. I’ll be waiting at the other end.” He said from the other side. I stood up from sagging against the door after a while and locked the door. Despite that first impression, he made me feel like he was a real good guy. So why did my heart rate peaked when he gave me that grin? Maybe that was the worry winding down after being sure he wasn’t at it again. But then why wouldn’t it stop racing even after he was gone? Weird.
“Actually, don’t take your time. Everyone must be here by now.” I almost jumped at the suddenness.
“Okay, just so you know, you’re getting a death glare now.”
“What? I said I’d wait at the other end.” I didn’t need to open the door to see him feigning shock. “I never said it wasn’t the other end of the door!”
I gave an audible sigh so he could hear and he followed up with a laugh which made me smile. “Just leave, okay. I’ll be out in a sec.”
“Alright.” And I heard his footsteps sound before they finally faded away. Folding the package onto my chest, I went in and found the bathrooms. I took the nearest one, closed the door and started to change. Yeah, the size is a little big, to say the least.
I was almost finished when the showerhead caught my eye and a random thought crossed my mind. Nicole’d said something about a broken faucet but there was no tub in my bathroom. She must have had to carry me over to her en suite to clean me up last night. Oh, my sister!