| |
––––––––
Tuesday came and went in a blink of an eye. Grayson was a no-show for classes, but I refused to text him. If he wanted to speak to me, he’d make the first move.
Alyssa, of course, had glared at me every chance she got, especially in class. Grayson’s friends eyed me curiously, whispering something in between their laughs. I ignored all of it, well, as best as I could.
Allie, Derek, and Kate helped go over my lines after school. However, I still didn’t have it down. Of course, Derek played the part of the god. He loved every minute of it, until I forgot my lines again or I didn’t want to do the kissing parts with him.
Derek sighed. “Babydoll, I think you’re doomed. I’m surprised you remember to brush your teeth twice a day, or how to tie your shoelaces.” When I just glared at him, he winked and beamed at me. “I’m kidding! You know that.”
“I know, but this is useless.” My hands and arms flew in angry gestures as I paced the living room of Kate’s house. “This stupid play is pointless. I don’t even want to be a lead! Why can’t I just be a stupid bush, or a tree? Then Grayson doesn’t even show up today, and we only have a few days to practice! I should just quit!”
Allie grabbed my arms, barely avoiding being smacked in the process. “Calm down, okay? We’ll figure this out. Besides, I doubt you can quit now. We won’t leave you empty handed, and we’ll be there for support. Didn’t they tell you to just improvise your lines if you forget?”
“Yeah, but it’s not as easy tonight as it was yesterday,” I grunted.
“I think I know why,” Kate said, fanning herself with the copy of the play.
“Why?” Derek asked, and then he made an O with his mouth. “Grayson. Of course. The idiot couldn’t even show up to help Jazmin...”
“Derek, shut your mouth,” Allie warned. “We’re here to help Jazmin, not talk about Grayson.”
He pointed to Kate. “She started it!”
“I did not!” she cried.
“Did so!”
“Did not!”
I rolled my eyes and flopped down on Kate’s couch with a groan. Rubbing my temples, I attempted to ignore their bickering. Allie, with a few uncomfortable giggles and after telling them to be quiet, sat down next to me.
She patted my arm with her hand and said, “They don’t mean any harm. You’d think Derek and Kate were brother and sister.”
“It’s not that...” I started, but changed my mind. Instead, I watched Kate and Derek argue over something else with their voices hushed.
“What is it then?” Allie asked with her hand still on my arm.
“Have you ever felt like you’re so close to figuring something out, but you’re just jumping the same obstacles the whole time?”
“Sometimes. But that’s life, isn’t it? Always trying to fit in, be happy with yourself, and just be comfortable. Only, just when you figure it out, life tosses something else in your way.”
“Not that, Allie. Remember when I kept asking about Sophia? Well, I think she’s dead.”
Allie stiffened and whispered, “Why do you think she’s dead?”
“Because I see her ghost,” I breathed, so low that I wasn’t sure if she heard me.
Kate and Derek spoke in whispers, and Allie was so still I thought she might shatter if I touched her.
I had finally let out my secret, but I didn’t know if I felt relieved or not. Maybe telling Allie wasn’t the best idea, because they had been friends before she disappeared.
Her hand tightened on my arm. “What did you just say?”
I swallowed. Hard. “Allie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have broken the news like that. However, can we keep it just between us?”
“What are you guys whispering about over there?” Kate asked, drawing my attention away from Allie.
Derek plopped down beside me, glanced at Allie’s expression in confusion, and then up at me in question.
“Um... well...” Allie stuttered, and then cleared her throat. “Nothing. I just found out that one of Grayson’s friends said something nasty about me.”
“Want me to kick his ass?” Derek offered.
I let out a slow breath of relief. Allie had kept my secret about Sophia’s apparition and haunting. I’m sure she had more questions, but they would have to wait.
Allie forced a laugh. “No, Derek. Thank you for offering, though.”
He slung an arm around my waist, but I leaned out of his touch. “Are you ready to go home? I think you’re past your curfew.”
Checking the time on my cell phone, I sighed. “Yeah, I better go home. Allie? Are you going with us?”
Her eyes gradually met mine and she shook her head slowly. “I’ll have Kate bring me home.”
Lowering my eyes, I nodded and followed Derek outside. I felt awful for how I’d broken the news to Allie. I wasn’t sure if she believed me. I just admitted to seeing Sophia’s ghost. If that wasn’t crazy sounding, I didn’t know what was. I sighed, jumped into Derek’s truck, and closed the door with a slam. He started the engine and then looked over at me as we pulled out of the drive.
“Are you okay?” he asked, glancing between the road and me.
“I’m fine, Derek. Just have a lot on my mind.”
His freckled, handsome face scrunched in thought. “You know, I don’t know what you said to Allie, but she acted like her world crumbled. Want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Want to at least tell me what Grayson’s friend said? I told you they were bad news, especially Grayson. You need to stay away from him, Jazmin.” When I glared at him, he frowned. “I’m serious. I don’t know what Grayson and his friends are involved in, but they have some sort of secret pact together. Actually, the whole football team does.”
Trying not to think about that scenario, I stared out the passenger window. Then I said, “How do you know that? You don’t even like Grayson and his friends.”
“I’ve heard rumors.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug as we pulled down the pothole-filled road that led to my house.
I waited until we pulled into my driveway and parked. After opening the door, I glanced at Derek. “You know what they say about rumors, Derek. They’re like framing somebody for murder. The only thing it does is ruin their reputation.”
He blinked at me. Then he smiled and winked. “Babycakes, sometimes rumors have some truth behind them.”
“And sometimes gossiping makes you look like a fool.”
When I removed myself from the passenger seat, I slammed his truck door. Derek’s door shut shortly behind me, and then he stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm.
“I’m sorry. I always open my mouth and regret it later. Grayson and I don’t have the best history together, and sometimes that clouds my judgment. The last thing I want to do is push you away because of my petty jealousy when it comes to that jerk.” He whispered, “Forgive me?”
“Always.”
Derek lifted his hands and cupped my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek. I pulled away from him, unsure what his gesture meant. Grayson believed Derek loved me. Maybe there was some truth to that. Instead of experiencing the gentle caress of his fingers, I frowned and stepped out of his arms as I turned in the direction of the house.
Before he made it to his truck, I stopped him. “Derek?”
He turned to look at me. “Yeah?”
I paused before I asked, “Why do you hate Grayson so much?”
“You really want to know?” I nodded, and he sighed. “Grayson and I’ve known each other since we were kids. We did everything together, attached at the hip if you will. We were best buds. Until he slept with my girlfriend.”
“What?” I breathed, my heart dropping at his answer.
“Did that answer your question? And answer why I don’t want him around you?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but only a croak came out. Grayson’s explanation was so much different from Derek’s answer. Who did I believe? I didn’t know. Still, I knew to stay out of that feud unless I wanted to be stuck in the middle of it.
Not able to come up with anything to say, I called out, “See you tomorrow!” Then headed inside my house, glancing out the side window to peek at Derek.
As if he was confused and disappointed, Derek stood in the yard and stared at the house for a minute. He raked a hand through his hair and then made his way to the truck. I watched as he backed out of our drive and as his headlights disappeared down the road.
I sighed and pressed my back against our front door. Sure, Derek may have feelings for me, and he was good-looking, but I had feelings for Grayson despite my best judgement. Not only that, but if I believed Derek’s story, then Grayson stole his girlfriend and stabbed him in the back. Obviously, I had forgotten to ask who the girl was. I think I already knew.
Tomorrow I’d see Grayson again, and act out lines for the play. This time, though, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to kiss me or not. Okay, who was I kidding? I always wanted him to kiss me.
*****
I woke in the middle of the night, only to spot Sophia’s transparent image floating next to my bed.
She held her hand out to me, and I scrambled up the bed and against my headboard. The pinky ring burned against my finger and I hissed, my other hand attempting to remove the ring. The metal wouldn’t budge.
“What do you want with me?!” I cried. My hands shook as I lowered them to the bedspread.
“The woods,” she hissed, her voice echoing and spooky in the dark room. “Don’t trust anyone.”
I rolled my eyes and tried my best to ignore her ring on my pinky. “Yeah, yeah. You keep telling me not to trust anyone, but you won’t tell me anything else.” Throwing my hands in the air, I yelled, “Tell me something I don’t know!”
“You’re next,” she said, her body flickering in and out.
“You don’t know that! Get out of here!” I screamed, but I knew what she had said was the truth.
My bedroom door swung open and my head turned to see my father coming into the room with sleepy, concerned eyes. He wore nothing but flannel pajama pants, his hair sticking up in every direction.
My eyes swung back to Sophia in surprise, but she was gone.
“What’s going on?” Dad yawned. “I heard screaming.”
“Just a bad dream,” I whispered, spouting the lie automatically.
Mom came into the room next, her pink robe wrapped tightly around her body. They both took a spot on my bed.
“Jaz, you probably should see a doctor about your nightmares,” she said. “They can prescribe sleeping pills to help you sleep through them.”
I laughed nervously. No amount of sleeping pills would help, and I knew Sophia’s warning rang true. If I didn’t figure out who her killers were, I’d be next. Heck, I may keep her company in the bottom of the lake even if I didn’t find them. Besides, if I told my parents what was going on, they’d send me to the doctor for sure.
“She’s right,” Dad stated. “I think we should make an appointment soon.”
Lying, I said, “I’m fine. These dreams are just stress from the play this weekend. I’m nervous and scared about it.”
With a sigh, Dad shook his head. “Still, I don’t like it. You’ve been acting weird since you started school. Are you sure there isn’t something else going on?”
I glanced between Mom and Dad, noting the honest concern for my safety and wellbeing. Still, I couldn’t say anything about Sophia or the note. Instead, I shook my head, telling them I was fine again, even though it was fake. I was scared, not only about the play, but at knowing somebody out there wanted to hurt me.
Mom let out an exhausted breath. “You’d tell us if something was wrong, right?”
Nodding my head, I felt guilty for lying to them so much. Being so thoughtless was reckless and immature. Especially with the threat looming over my head.
Dad said, “Goodnight, Jaz. We both love you.”
They both stood and began leaving my room. I whispered, “I love you, too.”
Mom paused and looked at me. I could’ve sworn I saw tears fill her eyes.
*****
We were to practice our lines on Wednesday, too, but Grayson was a no-show again. So I spent the day focusing on homework.
However, Alyssa wasn’t in class either. The evil thoughts of them together swirled in my head. So much so, that I didn’t notice the note placed on my desk in my first period. I jumped as I saw it for the first time.
Allie looked over in confusion, and then back and Grayson’s friends. She held out her hand and said, “Let me open it.”
I placed the note in her outstretched hand and waited. She snorted, writing something with a black pen. Glancing on her desk, I stifled a laugh. The note had some reference to oral sex, and she had written something about the size of their penises. Which was something I’d never have the courage to write back.
She folded the note and worked on reading the book in front of her as she waited on the bell to ring. When it did, she stood and called out, “I think this is yours.”
The two guys, both blonde and wearing their letterman jackets, laughed as they took the note back. Then their faces fell and they narrowed their eyes at Allie.
“You would know about that, wouldn’t you, skank?” he growled as I tried to remember his name.
Matt Crothers, of course. One of the guys who wrote the dirty note on my first day. Allie laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Listen, you worthless douchebags,” I said, “a real man wouldn’t write something like that. If I’m honest, neither would your friend Grayson.”
Matt busted out in laughter. “Then you don’t know Grayson very well. All he wants to do is get in your pants before moving on.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he chuckled with a shake of his head. He snorted and said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
The two jerks left the room, and I stood dumfounded.
“Don’t believe that nonsense,” Allie said and placed a gentle hand on my arm. “I’ve seen the way Grayson looks at you, and that’s not somebody who just wants to get in your pants.”
With a shrug, I replied, “Maybe, maybe not. Those two would know him better than me.”
Allie and I walked back to our lockers, and once she opened hers, she smiled at me. “You know him better than you think you do. Don’t believe everything you hear.”
That night I tossed and turned. The thoughts of what Grayson’s friends had said, and what Sophia had showed me the night before, had repeated in my head like a whirlwind of confusion. Yet, for the first time in a long time, Sophia stayed away. I still didn’t sleep much.
*****
On Thursday morning, I entered school with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. Grayson leaned against my locker with a smile, but I didn’t return it.
“Excuse me,” I said, wanting to just get into my locker and get this day over with.
Grayson frowned, his eyebrows raised. “What’s up?”
“I’m tired, grouchy, and want to get to class,” I grunted. Honestly, I didn’t want to believe he left the note, was involved in the devil worshipers, or was in any way like his friends had said. Plus, it hurt that he had avoided me the past two days. Distancing myself from him might be the best way to avoid whatever was between us.
“I just wanted to give you something,” he said quietly.
My eyes found his whiskey-colored ones, and I instantly wanted to kiss him. And punch him. And kiss him again. Crap.
He held out a wrapped package in his left hand. Unsure what it held, I grabbed it from him and looked down at it in confusion.
“Are you going to open it?” he asked, his voice hesitant.
With my hands shaking, I removed the blue ribbon and unwrapped the gift. Inside a box held a bracelet with the words “believe in yourself” etched into the metal. I inspected the bracelet and noticed engraved words on the inside, too. They said, “New girl” with a heart. Tears filled my eyes, and I blinked them away.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here the past two days,” Grayson said. “Some family issues came up and we had to go out of town.”
“Why didn’t you text or call me?” I asked, my voice a bare whisper. I kept my eyes on the bracelet.
He sighed. “Mom took my phone away after our little picnic. She’s been a pain about this whole situation.”
I nodded. “I guess I can believe that.”
“Why wouldn’t you believe me?” he asked, his hand lifting to caress my face.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore, Grayson,” I replied, and his hand dropped.
Reaching forward with a sigh, he removed the bracelet from my fingers. He clasped the bracelet on my right wrist, and then he said, “Believe in yourself. You’re not a cipher, or a loser, or whatever you think you are. I’ve seen your strength and kind heart. That’s what I love about you.”
The bell rang, and he turned to leave me standing next to my locker with a confused expression. I had yet to grab my books, so I rushed to get everything together for my first class. Despite my rush, I would be late.
Allie hadn’t said much to me at lunch. She avoided eye contact with me altogether, even though she had spoken to me yesterday. I frowned. As Derek and Kate spoke about their frustrations with a teacher, I stared at Allie. I felt guilty and heartbroken. I’d caused her to withdraw from her friends. Finally, she glanced up at me and I stiffened.
I mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
She nodded slowly, and then looked away. Sure, Allie may not forgive me right now, but her nod meant she would eventually. I needed to get her alone and explain myself, but didn’t know when I’d get the chance before the play. After opening night, I’d force her to listen to me for sure.
With a sad smile, I said my goodbyes to my friends early and Derek stood to walk me to class. I shook my head and winked at him. He frowned, his blue eyes unreadable. Then I walked alone to the auditorium to practice my lines one last time.
Grayson met me on stage, his eyes on me the entire time. His gaze went to my bracelet, which I still wore, and he grinned. “Are you ready for our last practice before dress rehearsal, New Girl?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said with an eye roll.
Chris and Catrina joined us on stage a moment later, but Alyssa came in and glared at me from the back row. Her appearance caused my nerves to spiral out of control. Alyssa smiled at my shaking hands and legs. I tried my best to ignore her.
We began our lines from the beginning, and I had to improvise a few times. Alyssa laughed at a few of my stumbles, and I shook it off. When we were on act three, I happened to glance off stage and saw Sophia’s apparition standing there. The papers in my hands fluttered to the ground.
My face went cold as her see-through eyes watched me. She didn’t say a word, or make any other movements, just a blank stare in my direction. Mr. Krebbs strolled right through her and then shivered as if he felt something.
“What’s wrong?” Grayson asked, looking back where I was staring at stage left.
I couldn’t speak. Fear rooted my feet to the floor as the blood drained from my face. Sophia hadn’t appeared at school before, and I didn’t know what it meant. Then she opened her mouth in a silent scream, and I watched in horror as she began to sink through the floor, her arms flailing the entire time. Then with one last gasp of invisible air, she disappeared through the wooden planks of the stage.
A shriek left my mouth, and Grayson caught my arms as my knees gave out. Then I couldn’t breathe as I felt my body pulled to the ground with an unseen force. As though Sophia had entered my body again, I understood her panic in that moment. As if it were me instead of her sinking below the water, I clawed at my throat as I struggled to inhale.
“What’s wrong with her!?” Catrina screeched. She helped Grayson lower me to the floor.
Mr. Krebbs rushed forward and pulled my mouth open to inspect for a foreign object as though he thought I had choked. Grayson yelled something to me, but I couldn’t understand him through my struggle.
Everything became a jumbled mess. People screamed for help, Mr. Krebbs told Catrina to call 9-1-1, and stars floated in my vision. However, just as suddenly as my breathing had stopped, my lungs now rasped in a much-needed gulp of air.
“The ambulance is on its way,” Chris stated, standing next to me with a pale face.
Grayson’s handsome face blocked my vision, and he let out a sigh of relief. “Jazmin?” He looked up at Mr. Krebbs. “She’s getting her color back.”
With Grayson’s help, I sat up with a cough. I breathed through my mouth and attempted to ground myself again. He unexpectedly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he said, hugging me tighter like he didn’t want to let me go.
“I can’t breathe,” I grunted through his unyielding hug.
“She can’t breathe again!” Grayson cried out, his voice so panicked that I blinked in surprise.
Pushing against him with my hands, I said. “No, I can’t breathe because you’re squeezing me so hard.”
“Sorry.” He pulled away and winced. Then his hands searched my face and hair, most likely looking for something wrong.
I waved his hands away from me, and then shakily stood on my feet just in time to see the police, fire department, and the medical people arrive. Several people followed in behind them to see what the commotion was, including Derek.
“Jazmin!” Derek shouted and attempted to get past the police officers. One of the officers told him to stand back so they could do their jobs.
Heat filled my face as I glanced at the entrance of the auditorium. Looking as though half the school was standing there, faces peered at me through the doorway. Great. Just great. Damn Sophia and her crazy idea of a haunting.
With a few heated words with a Grayson, they finally had to remove him from the stage because he didn’t want to leave my side and allow them to do their jobs. My pulse was checked, my eyes were probed with a light, and they asked me a million questions. Most of which I didn’t or couldn’t answer.
The principal, Mr. Oliver, spoke to Mr. Krebbs off stage, his hands moving in angry gestures. The principal’s comb-over was close to flopping over and hanging off the side of his head, and Mr. Krebbs’s face was red with anger.
As soon as the emergency medical staff finished, they made a phone call, to whom I assumed were my parents. Then they filled me in on their findings, which I already knew.
A fit woman with blonde hair in a bun smiled at me and said, “Miss Evans, we didn’t find anything substantial. Your vitals are fine. However, after speaking with your father, he stated you’ve acted strange and had nightmares. Did you suffer a concussion recently?”
My wide eyes swung to Derek and I gave a quick shake of my head to warn him to keep his mouth shut. He frowned in response, but I knew he hesitated to keep quiet. He had continually begged me to see a doctor since that day I’d whacked my head at the lake.
Grayson, noticing my reaction, glanced between Derek and me with skeptical eyes.
“No, I haven’t. I think I just had a panic attack from stress,” I lied. “I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I advise you follow up with your family doctor. Your father said he’d be here to bring you home and I advised him to seek out your family doctor as well,” she replied, packing up a few things into a black case.
“Thank you,” I whispered. She nodded at me in acknowledgment and then headed in the direction of the principal and drama teacher.
Grayson stood next to me and said, “You’re a bad liar, New Girl.”
I opened my mouth to smart something back when a body slammed into me with a bear hug. Grayson’s eyes narrowed.
“Thank God you’re okay,” Derek breathed into my ear.
Allie rushed onto the stage with a strangled cry, and I craned my head to see her and Kate coming at me with unshed tears. They both followed suit and gave me a group hug. Grayson, however, was pushed aside in the process. I loved that my friends cared so much, and I tried to find Grayson amongst the craziness. He watched me from about ten feet back and I smiled at him, truly thankful he was also worried about my safety.
However, his eyes watched me with curiosity. I was sure he knew I had I lied about a head injury.
“Okay, people, let’s get back to class. The show’s over,” the Mr. Oliver ordered in a shrill voice.
Classmates scattered, but my friends lingered.
“You too,” Mr. Oliver demanded to Kate, Allie, and Derek.
They gave me one last hug and then left the auditorium in a hurry. Grayson, on the other hand, remained close to me, but not touching.
“I’m sorry for the class interruption, but Miss Evans will be heading home as soon as her father arrives,” the principal said with a nod. “If you’ll come with me, Jazmin, we’ll get you to your father.”
I cleared my throat. “Mr. Oliver? Can I stay here and practice a few more lines before my parents get here? I have a play tomorrow and I need to do as much acting as possible. They can pick me up from the auditorium.”
Mr. Oliver seemed to hesitate, and then nodded. “Fine, but if anything happens, I want to be the first to know.”
Finally, once the aftermath was over, I turned to Grayson. “I’m sorry for all that.”
“No head injury, huh? Derek and you seemed to keep that hidden for some reason. Will you tell me what happened?” he asked, his brown eyes staring at me with determination. “And what’s going on between you and Derek?”
I swallowed. I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Not until the play was over. However, what he asked about Derek, I could answer. “There’s nothing to tell. Derek and I are just friends. That’s it.”
His arms encircled my waist, and he whispered, “I’ll find out what’s going on, whether you tell me or not. I wish you’d quit hiding stuff from me, Jazmin.”
Closing my eyes with a sigh, I pressed my head against his shoulder. Breathing in his scent of spicy soap, I let the breath out slowly. His lips pressed against my hair, and I realized I could stay in his arms for the rest of the night. However, sometimes things kept us apart. Like the note in my locker and the words of his friends...
“Jazmin Danielle Evans,” my father’s voice rumbled.
Pulling away from Grayson slowly, his fingers found my chin and he tilted my face to gaze up at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class. I believe in you, New Girl. More than you know. But I’ll figure out what you’re hiding.”
I nodded and watched him leave the auditorium, all while disregarding my father’s look of displeasure.
Dad crossed his arms across his chest. “What’s going on? I get a panicked call from the school about how you’re hurt and an ambulance is on the way. Then I get here and you’re fine. Instead, I see you wrapped in Grayson Sterling’s arms. Thankfully, the secretary interrupted our meeting and I rushed here as fast as I could. However, you better start talking.”
“The school overreacted, Dad. Everything’s fine,” I said, leaving the stage and grabbing my bag.
He was on my heels. “How is calling 9-1-1 fine?”
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I shook my head. “I think I had a panic attack, is all. Nothing to worry about, okay?”
With a gentle hand on my arm, Dad stopped me from marching away from him. “Jaz, it’s my job to worry about you. You’re my little girl, and I almost wrecked several times trying to get here. I thought something major had happened.”
I looked away from him, knowing something major had occurred. What was it? Well, I didn’t know. For the second time, I couldn’t control my body and was at the mercy of Sophia. That thought alone terrified me.
Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, I gave Dad a hug. “I love you, Dad.”
His arms hugged me in return. “I love you too, Jaz. You scared me to death.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be okay, I promise,” I said, pulling away from him. “Give me a few minutes to grab a few books for homework and I’ll meet you in the car.”
As if unsure, Dad took a minute to agree to it. “Fine, but if you’re not out in ten minutes, I’m hunting you down.”
“Deal.” I smiled.
My father watched me for a minute and then strolled back out of the auditorium and down the hallway. With a puff of air, I walked to my locker to get the books I needed.
After struggling with it for a few minutes, the stupid locker finally opened with a clang. I unzipped my bag and reached up to grab my Algebra book, but a note sitting on top of it caught me off guard. My heart kicked into overdrive and my stomach summersaulted. I didn’t want to read it. I didn’t want to know what threat it held for me this time.
Glancing around the hallway, I found it empty. Not a soul lingered inside the cold, sterile hall.
With little courage, my trembling fingers opened the note. The same handwriting as before stared up at me and the world dropped out from under my feet.
I hope you can swim. See you soon.
