“It really is.”
He held out a small white box wound with a delicate gold organza ribbon.
“You shouldn’t be buying me gifts.”
“I didn’t buy it. Open it?”
I took an end of the ribbon, and the bow came undone with one light tug. I opened the lid.
In the interior of the box, lay the turquoise butterfly from my dream. It stood swaying its velvet wings. A square piece of parchment paper with my name rested beneath it. The butterfly fluttered away into the morning breeze, disappearing into the shrubs. I took the paper from the box, and glanced at David as I unfolded it. The note read:
***
My heart’s beat thy sight stole,
Taking mine unruly soul.
My pulse at rates of abrupt speed;
I proclaimed love before my creed.
Blooming flowers hold no compare
To thy blissful beauty, oh so rare.
Give me agony or give me death,
I’ll take thy heart as eternal breath.
Ceaselessly Yours,
David Chios
***
I raised my head to look at him.
“Ceaselessly yours,” he repeated.
“Thank you… It’s incredible.”
“That earned me Brownie points the last time. May I drive you to school again?”
“Yes, you may.”
Today David drove his own car. I slid into the passenger side, and he closed the door for me. My cheeks were starting to hurt from the huge smile on my face.
“Has Gabriel attempted to contact you?” David asked.
“Yeah,” I said. So much for the happy morning I was having. “He came by last night. I closed the door on him… twice.”
“Galen was right about him. He’s determined.”
“I made it clear that I didn’t want to see him anymore.”
“I’m not convinced that will stop him. Galen sensed a high toxicity level in Gabriel. You should try to avoid him at all cost.”
“Toxicity? Like drugs?” Gabriel wasn’t stupid enough to fall into drugs.
“We’re not sure. Galen is the more empathic of the twins, but not as sensitive as my mother. All he perceived was a high dosage of some sort of toxin in his blood. Galen couldn’t assess the nature of it. It might be medicinal as opposed to recreational drug use, for all we know.”
“Is that why your brothers were so uneasy yesterday?”
“Yes. Under the effects of such a high dose of medication or narcotics, a person can behave irrationally… or belligerently. That’s why Galen approached me yesterday before we joined the group.”
“He was warning you.”
David nodded.
“Isis,” David said, “please, be careful.”
“I will.”
***
Our group was at the cafeteria table when we arrived at school. I could tell from the way Andy looked at me that she had something to tell me.
“Morning, David,” she said as she took me by the arm and pulled me aside.
“You’re not going to believe this. Bill and I bumped into Gabriel last night at the gas station. He was drunk, paranoid, and all jittery. He kept rambling on about you. He tried to convince Bill to get you to talk to him. He said he had gone to your house and you had brushed him off. Is that true?”
“Yeah, it is. Go on…”
“Well, he creeps me out. He said that his friends were waiting for him in the car and that he had to go.”
“What’s so creepy about that?”
“There was no one in his car.”
“What?”
“Weird, right? But there’s more… before Gabriel left, Bill told me to wait for him in the car—he got worried. So, I go to the car and five minutes later, Bill is all nervous, and he wanted me to call you. So, I did, but I kept getting your voice mail. It was too late to call your house phone. I didn’t want to wake your mom or get you in trouble.”
I took my cell phone out of my book bag. “It’s dead. I forgot to charge it. Sorry.”
“Yeah, I figured. I tried calling you at your house phone this morning, too. There was no answer. I guessed you’d already left.” She pressed her lips tight. “That’s not all.”
“Well, get to the point already.”
Andy glanced at Bill and back at me. “He told Bill he was packing.”
“Oh, thank God! He’ll leave me alone now that he’s going back to Florida.”
“No, stupid. He’s packing a gun.”
The blood in my head sank down to my feet. What the hell was Gabriel thinking? Where did he get a gun? And what did he want it for? My head was spinning.
“No. I don’t believe it. He’s not the type. No, no, no, Andy. I think Bill misunderstood.”
“He didn’t, Isis. Gabriel showed it to him.” She paused to glance at Bill who had been watching us the whole time. “You gotta tell your guy.”
“He’s not my guy. But you’re right.” I sat down. “Do you think Gabriel will show up here, looking for me again?”
“Girl, I don’t know, but you have to be careful. Gabriel sounds like his brain is fried. I think Bill’s right about him being on drugs.”
“I just can’t believe that, Andy. He looked down on people that were into that stuff. Remember?”
“Well, I don’t know what Gabriel is into, but I do know you need tell David about the gun and now. He needs to know.”
“Okay,” I said.
I was nervous. Andy pulled me up out of the chair and motioned for Bill to join her. But instead of going to David, I went to the one person that could give me insight on what was happening to Gabriel.
“Hey, Galen, I need to speak to you.” My voice sounded shaky.
“About?” Galen asked.
“What is it that you saw or scanned or whatever it is you call it, in Gabriel?”
“Didn’t you discuss this with David?”
“We did, but I need more details,” I said. “I need to know everything you sensed in him.”
“You’re shaking.” David stared at my hands.
“Why are you so upset?” Galen asked.
“There’s something very wrong with Gabriel. I’m worried he’ll get himself into trouble.”
“Most likely, he will,” Galen said. “I sensed extreme levels of exposure to either a very strong prescription medication or a mixture of narcotics mixed with alcohol. I can’t tell you how long or how much was in his system, but I’d assume it was recent and high inebriation. Other than that, I couldn’t sense more than his physical tension as you and David approached, but I’m sure all of us felt that.”
“I just can’t believe it,” I said.
“Now, what are you not telling us?” Galen asked.
“He has a… a gun.”
Galen laughed.
“I don’t see how that’s amusing,” David said.
“Why fret over the little things? You know that boy is no match for us. What’s he going to do with his toy—play cowboys and Indians?”
“What if he tries to use the weapon and discovers we’re immortal? What then?”
“Pish posh. I’m a warrior. He’s a pubescent junkie. Enough said.”
“Exactly. His actions are impulsive. We have no idea what he might be planning. What if he decides to confront me in public?”
“Play dead. It works miracles for possums.”
“You’re such an imbecile,” David said in a loud voice. The kids at the next table stopped their chatter to stare.
“I’m not the one that decided to get involved with her.” Galen jerked his chin in my direction. “If anyone is an imbecile present, it’s you. Fix your own damned problem.”
David and I glanced at each other as Galen walked away.
“You would’ve had him on your side,” Eryx said. He was standing behind us. “You know how he hates being called that.”
“How much did you hear?” David asked.
“Cowboys a
nd Indians.”
“That pretty much sums it up,” I said, resting my forehead on my hand over the table. “I guess you guys are going back to… wherever.”
“No,” David said.
“Do you have a better idea?” Eryx asked.
“All we have to do is evade him until he’s gone.”
“Easier said than done.” Eryx sat next to me. “Isis, do you think he’ll keep harassing you?”
“From what Andy told me, yes. He even asked Bill to convince me to speak to him.”
“You know what you have to do,” Eryx told David.
“I won’t leave her alone while that boy is in town. He poses more threat to her than he does to me. It’s out of the question.”
“If that’s your final decision, fine. But you’ll have to count me out of your plans.”
“Why?” David looked surprised.
“You haven’t thought this through. The only reason she’s in any danger at all is because of you. You’re the one that ignited the fury in that boy, not her.”
David was quiet for a few moments.
“I’ll find a way to settle this.”
“There’s no settling it,” I said. “He’ll be gone in a week and a half, then things can go back to normal.”
“A lot can happen in that amount of time, Isis. I’d advise you not only keep your distance from Gabriel, but from him, as well.” Eryx nodded in David’s direction. “Think about it, brother. You’re taking a risk by staying.”
“And I understand that, Eryx. I just… I can’t leave her.”
“We can continue this conversation later, with mother. She’ll be interested to hear of this. Good day, Isis.” Eryx walked off disappearing in the masses of backpacks and gelled hair in the hallway.
The first bell had rung. I grabbed my bag and headed to class, David by my side.
“I won’t leave, no matter what my mother says,” David said as we squeezed through the crowded hall. “For the time being, it’s not a good idea that I drive you to and from school. But if he comes near you—”
“I can take care of myself. Gabriel would never do anything to me. He was my friend before he was my boyfriend. He’s a good person. He’s just fallen into a deep hole he can’t get himself out of.”
“Are you sympathizing with him?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I might be mad at the idiot, but I’m not heartless.”
“Wait.” David stopped me in the middle of the hallway.
“What are you doing? We’re going to be late.”
“I don’t care. I have to ask you something.”
“You might not care, but I can’t afford another tardy.”
“Do you still love him?”
“We can discuss this later.”
“Yes or no?”
“I can’t answer that right now.”
“That tells me enough.” His lips tightened.
“You’re misinterpreting. I didn’t say ‘yes’.”
The truth was I didn’t know what I was feeling. I felt sorry for Gabriel. But did I love him?
The final bell rang just as we walked into class. Andy was scanning the doorway for us.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
“She’ll be going home with you this afternoon,” David said, a step behind me. “Gabriel will be calmer if I’m not around Isis. I don’t want to risk her getting hurt on my count.”
“I told you he’s not like that. He won’t hurt me.” I dropped my book bag next to my desk and let myself fall on the chair.
“That was before,” Andy said. “We don’t know what he’s capable of now. He had that thing on him yesterday when he was picking the fight with David, Isis. What if he had used it then? Gabriel used to break up fights, not start them.”
***
Neither Galen nor Eryx were at our table during lunch. David joined the lunch line to buy our salads. I sat with Andy and Bill. I watched with disgust as Jean cut in line behind David.
“Looks like someone’s got a fan,” Andy said.
“I’d say it looks more like someone’s jealous,” Bill sniggered as he looked at me.
“Shut up,” I said. “He wishes.”
“And you’re bad at hiding it,” Bill added.
Andy laughed and nodded. “You are.”
“‘Et tú, Brute?’” I looked at Andy.
“Hey, I call ‘em like I see ‘em, girlfriend. You really should just give in.”
“I’m not ready for that, yet. Not after…”
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about going back to Gabriel?”
“No.”
David was a couple of tables away carrying a salad in each hand, Jean prancing by his side.
“Moving along…” I prompted Andy to change the subject.
Galen and Eryx arrived at the table at the same time as David and Jean. At the sight of the twins, Jean turned around and walked over to join her friends.
David handed me a salad and a bottle of water.
“What’s the topic of the hour?” Galen stood at the head of the table with his arms crossed.
“David is,” Bill said.
“Seems he’s a popular subject these days.” Galen gave me a meaningful look, and then he turned his attention to Principal Miller as she walked by and winked at her. Eryx shook his head at him.
“What about me?” David asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “Bill’s being a nuisance.”
“Don’t lie. Just tell him how jealous you are of Jean,” Bill said.
Andy, eyes wide, slapped Bill on the arm. My mouth dropped open.
“Thank you for that piece of information,” David smiled. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
I put my hand on my forehead, hoping they wouldn’t see me blush. I contemplated ways to kill Bill on the ride home this afternoon.
“On another note,” Andy told Bill, “Isis is riding home with us today.”
“Because of Gabe?” Bill asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Speak of the devil,” Bill said, looking at his phone. “Should I answer?”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” I said.
“He’ll just keep calling you if you don’t answer,” Andy said to Bill.
Bill held the phone up to his ear. “Hey, Gabe. What’s up? No, she’s not around. Andy and her went… er… somewhere together.” I could hear Gabriel’s voice on the other end of the line, but couldn’t make out the words. “Yeah, I’ll tell her you want her to give you a call, man. Okay, Gabriel. Yeah, okay… I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“What was that about? All I heard was babbling on the other end,” Andy said.
“He was slurring.” Bill looked at the table with unease. “He was rambling on about you again, Isis. He’s my friend and all, but maybe you should look into getting a restraining order.”
“I stepped out of class and called the police department earlier.” David pushed his salad plate away. “They said that restraining orders vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In order to obtain one, you must have been threatened or provide proof that the person you’re placing under restraint has caused material, property or physical damage. Gabriel hasn’t done any of those to Isis.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Galen said. “He’s carrying a weapon that’s probably not under his name nor does he have a permit for; that should be enough for the authorities to see the impeding danger.”
“You’re right,” David said. “But laws are laws.”
“I think we should go to the police in person,” Andy said.
“That decision is up to Isis to make, not us,” Eryx said. “She’s the one being harassed.”
“No.” I looked at everyone at the table. “I can’t do that to him. He’ll have a record. He’s just started college.”
“And your safety?” David asked. “We don’t know if he intends to use that gun.”
“Think about it,” Eryx said.
Fourth per
iod was stressful. The back of my neck ached with tension as I thought about the problem with Gabriel. I couldn’t deny that he was under the influence of some sort of drug or drugs. It scared me.
Maybe I had made him out to be this grand person when I was with him, when in fact he wasn’t that much different then. He wasn’t a bad guy. I had just given him more credit than was due.
I knew I had changed, too—not now, but at some point after he left. That’s why I saw him for what he really was.
“Isis Martin.” Mrs. Vincent, the teacher, was calling on me.
“Yes?” My heart rate accelerated. I must’ve missed something.
“The counselor needs to see you.” Mrs. Vincent looked at me through her bifocals. “You’re excused from the last fifteen minutes of class.”
“Thank you,” I said, standing up and clutching my bag.
I glanced at David as I left the class.
***
The counselor reviewed my applications for universities with me in a brief ten minutes time. She suggested I take some entrance exams that would be offered in the next couple of months. I was thankful she called me in. Otherwise, I might have put off seeing her until the end of the school year, which might have been too late.
“By the way,” Ms. Albright said, walking me out of the office door. “Your boyfriend was here earlier. He was asked to leave. You should remind him that this is a closed campus. We don’t want you getting on Principal Miller’s bad side two months before prom.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“You’re not dating the Betancourt boy anymore?”
I shook my head.
“Good for you. He looks a mess. Don’t you follow that example, missy.”
“No, ma’am.”
The tension flared like fire on the back of my neck.
David was waiting for me by the car door when I arrived in the parking lot to ride home with Bill and Andy. I skipped telling them that Gabriel had been back.
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to drive you.”
“It’s no big deal,” I said.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nodded.
He kissed me on my cheeks, opened the door, and turned to wave to Andy and Bill. He then headed toward his car where Eryx waited, leaning against the passenger side door.
When I saw the Maserati’s taillights turn the curve, I leaned back in the seat. I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath.
Before I ran upstairs to plug my phone into its charger, I stopped at the fridge to see if there was anything good to munch on while I worked on a two-page report for government and economics due on Friday. I figured I might as well get it out of the way while I had nothing else to work on.
The fridge was half empty. I took a sliced apple and the jar of peanut butter to my room. I finished my paper in about forty-five minutes. It was an overview of the last month’s work—no references needed. Piece of cake.