Rayshell and her family kept busy packing as Friday slipped into late afternoon. Tobias had arrived to assist them first thing in the morning. He and Jakobe finished loading the moving truck a second time just as five o’clock had moved into its second half. As promised, Rayshell had packed everything on her daily list, and Elizabeth granted permission to enjoy her evening with Tobias. After reaffirming a curfew, she and Jakobe departed in the moving truck while Rayshell stayed behind to get ready.
“I’m gonna go and change,” said Rayshell as she tugged at her black and pink pajama pants. The faded pattern on the fabric was only discernible by her. “I promise I won’t take long.”
“Alright, Ms. Pajamas. I’ll be waiting,” Tobias said, then kissed her.
As she walked down the hall, Tobias switched over to a different playlist of music on Jakobe’s old device.
“Hey, can you turn it up some more?” Rayshell called.
After fiddling with the dial on the Bluetooth speaker, Tobias paced the room for a moment. “Who is this, again?” he asked from the hallway entry.
“Orgy,” Rayshell answered back from inside the room.
“That’s right,” said Tobias, tapping his fingers against the wall to the drumbeat.
“Trish and I saw them right before summer break started,” she added. “Her dad took us.”
“Dang. Trish’s dad really is awesome.”
Rayshell agreed with a chuckle as she reflected on that night. “I don’t think they were his cup of tea, but he made it through the whole set. I gotta give him credit because he stayed by our side the whole night even though we were front and center.” Rayshell popped her head out from behind the door and added, “And we were singing with them the entire time.”
One of Kumiko’s memories slipped behind Tobias’ eyes as the next song, “Platinum,” began to play.
Navaryn sat at an ornate, white grand piano dressed in a shimmery gown retrofitted with a high slit, giving her access to the dagger she kept strapped to her thigh. A modest group of distinguished-looking guests had encircled her as she hammered away at the lower end of the keyboard. She was nineteen, just a year older than her human host, and still not accustomed to being in the spotlight. Nevertheless, her performance always drew a crowd. Kumiko knew that a dim room did well to calm her nerves, so he called away some of the flames from the overhead master chandelier with a set of swift hand movements. With two glasses of wine in hand, he cut through the crowd until no one blocked the line of sight to his beloved Navaryn.
Rayshell, who had been speaking throughout the recollection, flicked off her bedroom light and stood in front of Tobias with her jacket over her arm. Not even her movements had the power to compel him out of the flashback. With squinted eyes, Rayshell pushed on his shoulder with her finger.
“It’s a good song, isn’t it?” she said. “It’s kinda old school, but it still holds up.”
For a moment, her eyes looked just the same as Navaryn’s. Smiling, Tobias wrapped his arms around her. “You smell amazing,” he whispered after filling his lungs with the sweet, earthy fragrance trapped within her hair.
“Toby! That tickles!” she said through a giggle fit as he took another breath close to her ear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t even spray anything.”
“You don’t need it,” he professed. “It’s your fragrance that I like.”
Rayshell’s giggles waned as she slowly stepped away from Tobias. “Okay, no more Orgy for you,” she said, then turned off the music. “You’re acting like a weirdo.”
As the couple grabbed their riding gear, the home phone rang. Rayshell’s heart hit the ground as she looked at the dusty and crooked clock face on the wall. There was only one person who she thought it could be.
“Are you gonna get that?” Tobias asked after the fourth modulation.
Rayshell shook herself out of her blank stare, grabbed the phone, and walked to her room to take the call privately. Tobias turned to watch her with curious eyes and inched down the hall after her.
“Hello?” Rayshell answered in a faint voice.
Through the sound of chewing, smacking, and unsettling heavy breathing, Jack’s excited voice beamed through the receiver, “Ah, Rayshell! How’s my girl?”
Rayshell’s eyebrows folded in defeat. She wanted to throw the phone out the window and forget he ever called, though she resolved to stall him further. After forcing a few fake sniffles into the receiver, she replied, “Hey, Jack. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
“Oh no. You sound like you’re comin’ down with something. Have you taken ill?” he asked.
Tobias stood beside Rayshell’s bedroom door. With folded arms, he eavesdropped on her peculiar lies.
“Yeah. I think I’ve exhausted myself … work and school have been so hard to keep up with.”
Though he anticipated the refusal of his offer, Jack said, “Well, If you’re feeling up for it, I thought we could get together today. Laura’s out shopping with Brian, and they should be back soon. I can come by and pick you up once they get back.”
“Aww, that sounds nice, but,” Rayshell answered between a few loud coughs, then plugged her nose, “I just don’t feel very good. I’d hate to get you all sick. I think Jakobe is starting to come down with something because of me.”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that you’re sick. I know Brian was excited to see you. He told me he wanted to try his hand at making dinner tonight.”
“He’s such a good kid. That’s so sweet of him.”
“Yep. And he sure misses you.”
Rayshell rolled her eyes at Jack’s clunky persuasions. In a raspy voice, she replied, “How about I cook dinner next week? Monday night, after school. How does that sound? I won’t make a very good guest today.”
After another bout of loud chewing, Jack added, “You’re always great company.”
Frustrated that he was not taking ‘no’ for an answer, Rayshell concluded, “I need to get some rest today, Jack. I don’t feel good.” She tried to remain composed as she imagined his grimace on the other end of the phone.
“Okay, Ray. I understand. I hope you feel better by then.”
After bidding Jack a quick and hollow farewell, she hung up the phone and sighed in desperate relief. Tobias quickly retraced his steps and made himself comfortable on a chair next to the front door.
“Who was that?” he asked as Rayshell exited her room.
“Eh, just a family friend.”
Tobias could tell she wasn’t interested in answering anything more about the phone call. He ran his fingers through his shiny brown locks, then changed the subject. “Sorry if I creeped you out earlier.”
Rayshell looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What are you talking about?”
“Earlier, when I smelled your hair.”
Rayshell couldn’t keep from blushing. “Don’t worry about it.”
The traffic was light for a Friday night, but Rayshell figured it was due to the holiday weekend. After a quick trip in the direction of their school, Tobias made a U-turn and pulled into a large plaza across the street from the froyo shop Rayshell and Trish frequented. One end of the strip was full of tiny shops either in the process of closing for the night or were tucked away behind protective bars. Tobias cut through the sparsely lit parking lot toward a large discount grocer, then rounded the corner. Tucked beneath clusters of overgrown trees was the bowling alley.
Once Tobias killed the engine, the pair hopped off the motorcycle and removed their helmets. Instantly, the noxious combination of cigarettes and fruity-smelling vape intensified. Rayshell held her breath as she crossed the parking lot through the rings of smoking patrons, then followed Tobias through the glass doors, where they were greeted by blaring music from a genre neither of them cared for. The black lights were on, and the carpet was a satisfying but equally disorienting neon mess.
“Are we still picking up your dad’s truck?” Rayshell asked under the sound of a persistent synthetic snare.
As Tobias handed the scruffy attendant his card to pay for a couple of games, he answered, “Yep. And maybe I can make you something to eat when we get there.”
Rayshell laughed as their receipt printed. “Do I sense pizza rolls in my future?”
Tobias scribbled his signature, unaware that it was only half-correct. “Pizza rolls?”
“Did you kick the habit or something?”
Tobias’ confusion intensified as Kumiko’s thoughts and emotions ran through him at full blast. “I can make other things, you know,” he insisted.
“Sure,” she playfully teased as they walked hand in hand to their lane.
Halfway through their first game, Rayshell scampered off to the concession stand and brought back two apples, some water, and a bag of spicy kettle-cooked potato chips for them to share. With a wad of napkins pinched between her fingers, she jammed one of the apples into her mouth as Tobias made his move.
“Damn it,” he muttered as her giggles crept to his ears.
“Nice try,” she reassured, referring to his admirable attempt to clear a 7-10 split. “You’re on a roll. That’s the third time.”
“I think this ball is cursed or something. I’m getting another.”
As he rummaged through the rack behind their lane, Rayshell turned to him and asked nervously, “Hey, Toby. Can you keep a secret?”
“If it’s about how to clear those damn splits, then probably not.”
After opening the stubborn bag of chips, she replied, “Seriously. Can you?” then shoved a handful into her mouth.
With an acceptable replacement ball in hand, he confirmed, “Of course I can. Why? What’s up?”
After wiping her hands clear of apple juices and flavor crumbs with a crumpled napkin, Rayshell muttered, “Remember this?” and pulled the pendant out of her shirt.
“I remember. And I also remember how Trish kicked you.”
She shrugged off his comment, then confessed in a timid tone just loud enough to breach the ambiance, “There are people after me, Toby.”
His eyes widened as a hurricane of Kumiko’s emotions pelted him. He asked earnestly, “Who’s after you? Are they people you know?”
“They’re not anyone I know.”
“Do you know why they’re after you?”
“They think I can help them find something. Something I’ve never heard of until last week.”
Kumiko’s thoughts fed right into Tobias as his nerves began to surge. Despite knowing she was undoubtedly referring to Iaalprt, he knew he had to press. “What is it?”
“A special book,” Rayshell revealed. “Not something you can find at the library or bookstore, if that makes any sense.”
Tobias continued to listen with feigned curiosity.
“But I don’t know where it is, and these people seem to think I do. I’m scared because they don’t believe me, and they’re not going to leave me alone until they get what they want.”
Trying his best to tap into relatable advice, Kumiko coaxed Tobias’ reply. “Have you told your mom?” Following her adamant declination by head-shake, he continued, “Have you gone to the police?”
Rayshell grabbed her ball from the return. “Hell no! They can’t help me. Nobody can. Especially if I can’t explain who I’m being chased by without sounding like a lunatic.”
After a fierce gutter ball, Rayshell stayed looking at her frame until she heard her ball come back through the return. On her second try, she toppled two of the far left pins.
“I don’t need the police, anyway,” she said, then tucked the pendant back under her shirt. “Not when I have this. It keeps them from finding me, somehow.”
“Trish has the same pendant as you. Does that mean they’re after her, too?” asked Tobias, recalling his earlier observation.
Rayshell nearly choked on her sip of water. She looked him dead in the eyes as he rested his elbows atop the counter.
“They are, aren’t they?”
Rayshell indirectly confirmed by blurting, “She’s gonna kick my ass if she finds out I told you anything. Do you swear to keep this a secret?”
Tobias nodded. “Of course. I already told you I would.”
“We’re going through the same shit, and she doesn’t know where the book is either. And if I somehow figure out where it is, I’m tempted just to tell them so they’d leave us alone.”
“Don’t tell them anything,” Tobias urged impulsively. “You mustn’t.”
After Rayshell had as much awkward silence as she could take, she muttered, “You probably think I’m crazy, huh?”
Aiming to give her the confidence she needed, Tobias responded, “Crazy? No. I believe you. But since you won’t report this to anyone, I’ll stay by your side to protect you.”
Something about his proclamation was concerningly nostalgic, yet also comforting since it came from Tobias. “You’d do that?” she whispered. “Why?”
“Because I care about you,” he professed, then went back to picking at the crumbly chips on his napkin. “But answer me this. Are you sure you don’t know where this book is?”
It took Rayshell a few moments to muster her simple reply. “I’m sure.”
“Have you tried to figure out where it is?” he pressed.
Rayshell’s eyes widened as his gaze intensified. “It’s not me, but what’s inside of me that knows. That’s who they’re after.”
His prodding softened once Rayshell grew agitated. Rather than continuing to pry, he simply reaffirmed his promise to protect her. The remainder of their evening chugged along as Rayshell’s nervousness steadily waned. However, as they approached their final frames, a familiar pitchy laugh broke the neutral ambiance. Rayshell’s heart sank as she turned to the register, where she spotted Stephanie, Amanda, and a few more of their friends. Fortunately, it didn’t appear Shawn was among their party.
“You okay?” asked Tobias on account of Rayshell’s tense posture.
“I think so,” she answered, then readied herself for what she hoped would be the first strike of the evening. “But it might be wise to wrap this game up.”
Just as she wound up to make her move, both Stephanie and Amanda’s obnoxious laughter racketed again. After roughly two meters down the lane, her bright pink ball dove right into the gutter. Tobias cringed but quickly reassured her that her next try would be better. Though he ended up being right, it wasn’t by much. With a stroke of luck, Tobias managed to avoid yet another split and cleared most of his frame, taking his score into the lead by two points. Reveling in triumph with his hands held high, he turned to Rayshell, already in her outdoor boots.
“No applause? Not even a congratulatory kiss?” called Tobias as Rayshell slipped on her armored jacket.
With a smirk, she muttered, “Nice job stealing my win.”
“Uh-oh, don’t tell me you’re a sore loser,” he teased, then worked on swapping out his shoes. “That’ll spell no pizza rolls for you tonight.”
“Oh, no. How could I possibly continue on in life,” she teased in a monotonous tone. “You know, I would have won if they hadn’t shown up.”
The pair grabbed their gear, dropped their shoes off at the counter, and then took their leave. Before they disappeared behind the corner of the entrance hall, Rayshell peered down to the far end of the alley to ensure Stephanie and the others hadn’t spotted them. Her movement wasn’t subtle enough to elude Tobias. With a smile, he put his arm over her shoulder and reassured her everything was fine.
Courtesy of the nearby smokers, the sickly sweet vapor and acrid combustion hovered in the frosty evening air as the couple exited the alley. As they passed between a set of bright orange lights, Tobias mocked a rendition of Stephanie’s laughter into Rayshell’s ear.
“You’re way too good at that.”
Tobias kissed the side of her head as they cut through the parking lot. While he dug in his pocket for his keys, he spotted an obscured figure sitting atop his bike.
“Yo!” shouted Tobias, then motioned for Rayshell to stop at his side. “You’re on the wrong bike, friend.”
Rayshell clutched her helmet as the dark figure took a more recognizable form.
“You know, I think I’ll go for my license, too,” Shawn’s antagonistic voice called. “That way, I can be as cool as you.”
Tobias stood in a defeated posture and responded, “Sure. Do whatever you like. Be whoever you want. Just get off my bike, man.”
Shawn eventually heeded his demand, though they knew he wouldn’t simply walk away.
“Do you think it will work?” he asked as he approached.
“I don’t know. Sure, I guess,” Tobias replied hurriedly.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Shawn said, lifting his chin. “I was talking to your girlfriend over there.”
Rayshell clenched her teeth as Shawn’s baby blue eyes gave her a quick stab. Rather than dreading their confrontation, she was more concerned by a peculiar sensation that ignited her nerves. Soon, her mind slipped into a persistent numbing darkness.
“This is getting old, bro. Please just back off. We’re leaving, alright.”
The fact that Tobias wasn’t looking for a fight made Shawn all the more eager to antagonize him. “Your snitchin’ ass ain’t gonna weasel outta this.”
“What do you want? An apology?”
Shawn stepped uncomfortably close and replied, “Sure. Let’s start there.”
“Look. I’m not sorry for anything. You’re fucked up for what you did. Not just to Rayshell, but to the other girls, too.”
“I don’t remember that being any of your fucking business. Or anyone else’s.”
“Fine,” Tobias conceded. “It’s your right to blame me for everyone learning who you really are. But it doesn’t change the fact that what you did was wrong.”
“Fuck you, Tobias!” yelled Shawn. “Mister Knight in Shining Armor. You think you’re better than me, don’t you?”
Tobias’ eyes hardened. The influence of his host’s temperament kept his nerves from catching fire. “Why don’t you just go inside and join your friends while you still got ’em.”
Shawn looked into Tobias’ eyes as their hot breath collided in the air. Their bickering garnered the attention of the smoking circles behind them. Shawn scanned the curious eyes that happened his way and balled his eager fists. Before he made his move, Rayshell erupted into hysterical laughter. Puzzled by her outburst, both Tobias and Shawn looked her way. When Rayshell’s fit settled, she corrected her wilted posture and looked at Shawn with a set of eyes that were no longer fearful.
Wearing an eerie smile, she sauntered toward him and called out, “Even when the book is closed right in your face, you still don’t stop.”
“Ray?” Tobias said, hoping to redirect her attention.
“But then again, you’ve proven incapable of conceding to anything. You, little boy, are one of the worst types of people.”
As Tobias called for her once more, Rayshell put her hand up to silence him in a fashion his host was more than familiar with. The butterflies in his stomach suddenly dropped to his feet like stones. Before Tobias could compose his racing, anxious mind, Rayshell handed him her helmet and continued Shawn’s way.
Fascinated to see such a drastic change in her demeanor, Shawn found himself unable to respond to her eloquent insults.
“… and I’m curious how clever you felt, waiting in the darkness like a rat.”
Rayshell stood close enough to feel his body heat reach for her like grabby hands. With her unnerving smile prominent, she looked down at his clenched fists and chuckled. “If you’re still looking for a fight,” she whispered in a decadent tone, “then fight me.”
Tobias couldn’t hear Rayshell’s antagonization, but Kumiko’s instincts flooded in once she shifted her weight onto her back leg.
Shawn feigned his intent to back down, then quickly moved in for a sneaky backhand. Guided by Navaryn’s keen senses, Rayshell dodged his initial swing and continued to evade his increasingly aggressive attacks. Moments into the scuffle, a few curious bystanders had meandered toward the trio to observe. Every line on Shawn’s scowling face had deepened as she deflected his punches one after the other.
“Slow,” Rayshell critiqued in a very disappointed tone. “Messy. Too wide. Ugh, are you even trying?!”
Frustrated, Shawn lunged with the intent to tackle Rayshell to the pavement. Yet again, she stepped to the side at the perfect moment.
“You’re wasting my time. I know children that can fight better than you!”
The surrounding subtle laughter made Shawn’s face feel like it was on the verge of exploding. Every advance was expertly out-maneuvered until Rayshell lost her footing over a hunk of crumbled pavement. Shawn seized his opportunity to overtake her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Rayshell smiled in the same maniacal fashion as earlier, then kissed his forehead with hers. As soon as his first uneasy footstep settled behind him, she swept him to the ground.
“You can’t even fall right,” she added after his head finished bouncing off the pavement.
Rayshell then sat on his stomach and watched him wince and writhe while she cocked her arm back. The stone butterflies at Tobias’ feet fell through the center of the earth as she unleashed a series of blunt punches into his face.
“You’re not even trying to block me. Have you given up?” she taunted.
“Ray!” shouted Tobias. “That’s enough!”
Rayshell ignored his plea and continued to pack Shawn’s face in until he seized her by the wrist. Irritated by his interference, she ripped her arm free and socked him once more for good measure. Rayshell smiled as she admired her handiwork and basked in the unprecedented fear in Shawn’s eyes. His face was left a bloody, puffy mess on display for all of the spectators to behold.
As Shawn coughed up the blood that ran down the back of his throat, Rayshell bent down to his ear and whispered, “This is your final warning. Keep the book closed and set it on the shelf like a good little boy.”
Shawn looked into her piercing eyes just in time to catch a frisky white flicker bounding through her irises. Though it appeared odd, he was too dazed to consider it anything other than the glint of the overhead streetlights.
Tobias firmly shoved her helmet into her awaiting hands to dissolve her devilish grin. They looked at each other for a few tense moments before Rayshell’s expression suddenly grew troubled. Through Tobias’ eyes, Kumiko could tell she had returned from wherever Navaryn had sent her.
“Let’s go,” he commanded in a firm voice, then slipped his helmet on.
Rayshell took a moment to once-over the growing crowd and Shawn, who lay bloodied on the ground, then looked to her throbbing, scuffed knuckles. Once Tobias revved the engine, she quickly readied herself for their ride. After cutting through the curious crowd, the pair sped out of the parking lot and dashed down the main street.
Shawn waited for the sound of Tobias’ motorcycle to clear from the air before he picked himself up off the ground. His face and body ached, but his shattered ego pained him the deepest. It wasn’t until he had finished brushing the rubble from his light blue overshirt that he realized how just many onlookers surrounded him. His face soured at the slew of phones pointed in his direction that recorded every embarrassing moment.
“That chick totally whooped your ass!” one of the spectators called out, rousing the others to laughter.
“Fuck you,” Shawn griped, then shoved his way through the wall of bodies.
Ignoring the obnoxious mirth of the crowd was impossible. Shawn doubled his furious pace toward the bowling alley entrance, then stopped before the glass doors. In disbelief of his disheveled reflection, he slowly raised his hand and pressed over the glimmering streaks of red.
Suddenly, Stephanie’s astonished face hardened behind his reflection in the glass. She pushed the door open with wide eyes, looking as though she was moments away from crying. “Oh my god, Shawn. What happened!?”
Shawn looked at the drying blood on his fingertips, then shook his head. “Nothing,” he answered coldly.
Stephanie folded her arms and waited for him to disclose more details, but all he did was remove his overshirt and use it to wipe the blood from his face.
“I’m out. Tell the others that I needed to leave,” said Shawn as he headed for his car.
“Wait a second. I’m coming with you.”
“No, you’re not. Catch a ride home with Ryo or something.”
His reply stopped Stephanie in her tracks. With tears streaming down her face, she called out for him, only to be ignored entirely. Confused and hurt, she watched him peel out of the parking lot and disappear down the street.