We were talking about basketball try outs, which were on Thursday, when the boom from a sub-woofer vibrated the pavement. I jerked my head around in time to see the red Civic pull into the school driveway, setting off sparks of excitement inside me. As hard as I tried to pay attention to Robyn, I couldn’t peel my eyes from the Civic.
Marcus had driven and was now getting out of the driver’s side. I got a sick feeling when I saw Evan getting out of the other side. They both came towards me. As much as I thought I was prepared to face Evan, I wasn’t.
Evan’s face held the same cute, boyish expression as it did every day, but I didn’t waste the moment looking at him. The hem of Marcus’ black shirt was bunched up around his wrists as his hands were shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. He wore a black leather jacket over the shirt, and under them both, a white V-neck T-shirt peeped through. He looked good in black. It suited his dark mood. Just watching him filled the emptiness inside me.
As the brothers neared, I forced myself to turn back to the group. I laughed at whatever they had been laughing at. Evan, who thought I hadn’t seen him yet, came up behind me and nudged me in the arm. I was disappointed when I turned to see it was him and not his brother.
“Hey,” he said, grinning, his blue eyes sparkling down on me.
“Hi,” was all I could think of to say.
This wasn’t going to be easy. My stomach churned at the thought of what I had to do. And when would be a good time? There was never any alone-time during school hours.
Marcus went to the other side of the circle to talk to Justin. It didn’t appear that he was paying any attention to me at all. But I hoped he was. I wondered if he’d dreamed about me, but then I figured, I hadn’t had a nightmare, so there was no reason for him to come to me, and therefore no reason for me to be in his dreams.
Last week the buzz at school had been about the party on Skull Island, this week it was all about the upcoming school dance on Thursday. Again, I didn’t want to go. This time I would make an excuse.
I spent the entire morning classes devising a plan. Ten minutes before the lunch bell, I would raise my hand and ask to use the washroom, but I wouldn’t come back. Instead, I would sneak upstairs to where the senior classes were and wait for Evan to come out of class. Third period was passing slowly as I watched the clock, but finally the time came to put my plan into action.
My stomach twisted into knots as I climbed the stairs. I’d never been on the senior floor before. I glanced in all the classrooms until I found Evan. He and Marcus were sitting in the back row of room 12-B, a few seats apart. Evan’s head rested on the backrest of his chair. Marcus sat slightly straighter, his head forward, scribbling something into the wooden desktop. Evan looked bored, Marcus preoccupied. Somehow, when they came out for lunch, I would have to get Evan’s attention without Marcus noticing me.
I leaned back against a locker on the opposite side of the hallway, where I had a clear view of the back row, and waited. Nervously, I flipped a strand of hair between the fingers of one hand while biting the thumbnail of the other.
After a couple minutes the bell rang. I jumped, dropping my hands stiffly to my sides. All the classroom doors opened at once. There was instant chaos as the seniors bolted through their classroom doors and into the hallway. Students blended together, and I couldn’t tell what class was what anymore. My eyes sifted through the guys until I saw Marcus coming down the hallway. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
His white T-shirt hung loosely under his opened black shirt. His shirt sleeves were bunched up past his elbows, one hand in the front pocket of his jeans, the other holding a textbook. He was laughing at something a pretty girl was saying to him. I couldn’t help but smile. Evan appeared from behind him. They both noticed me at the same time. I got a wink from some guy who walked past me and quite a few grins and glares from others. Apparently, no one had forgotten what had happened on the Island. And I was sure that those who hadn’t even gone to the Island that night knew the story, or some misconstrued version of it.
Evan’s huge grin told me how happy he was to see me. Marcus nodded once and kept walking with the pretty girl. I didn’t miss the grin in his eyes, however, and wondered if he knew what I was up to. I was about to make the choice. Perspiration beaded beneath my bangs as Evan stopped in front of me.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hey, City Girl.”
I figured this would be the last time I would hear him call me that, and it actually made me sad.
“Can I talk to you before lunch?” I asked.
“Sure.” He put his arm around me and puffed himself out, as if he was letting everyone know that I was his territory, and walked me into the classroom he’d just left.
“What’s up? Did you want some alone-time?” He put his other arm around me, encasing me. I felt as though I was being contained and twisted out of his embrace.
“Evan.” I sighed and decided right then and there that I needed to take the point-blank approach with him. “You and I,” I pointed to him and then to me, “we’re not a couple.”
The expression on his face changed slowly, like cooling lava.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have led you on.”
I went on to blame myself, because I thought it might be the only language he would understand. To him, he was Mr. Perfect. Nothing could ever be his fault. So I took full responsibility—anything to get out of the non-relationship I was apparently in.
Evan’s face hardened like stone. His blue eyes lost their sparkle. “So you did get it on with my brother.”
I gasped at his accusation, and then got mad.
“Not that you deserve an explanation after that remark, but no! I didn’t ‘get it on’ with anyone, and nothing happened on the Island!”
“But you want to.” Evan couldn’t contain his anger now.
“Ugh.” Frustrated, I gave up and pushed to go past him, but he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.
When he spoke next the bitterness had left. “Brooke, I’m sorry, really. I told you already that I believe you, so what’s wrong with us?”
I couldn’t tell him the rest, so instead I gave him a reasonable excuse. “Evan, you move too fast for me. I just started school here, and you were all over me the first day. I need some space.” Guilt gnawed its way inside my stomach.
His expression cooled again. “Fine, if that’s the way you want it. I always thought you were a stuck-up city girl anyway.”
His last words stung, but it was for the best. I didn’t reply, letting him have the last word.
He let go of my arm and walked out the door as Marcus was entering. “She’s all yours now bro,” he said, shouldering Marcus into the door on his way out.
Marcus had come back, but why? I turned away from the door and took a few steps toward the window while a stubborn tear slid down my face.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
The smoothness of his voice lingered in my ears. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. He was standing closer to me than I’d expected him to be.
“I did it. It’s over.” I’ve chosen. I laughed to myself at the joke and at the irony of it. The fact that I hadn’t even considered Evan and me a couple, but I still felt free. Breaking up with my non-boyfriend was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
I gazed upon the choice I’d made. The windows behind me reflected in his eyes. He was close enough that I could see rich honey flecks scattered throughout the velvety browns in his irises, so different from Evan’s striking blue eyes. I couldn’t think of a single visual that connected the two as twins.
Marcus was at least an inch taller than Evan and not as broad. He was as brunette as Evan was blond, and their personalities were as opposite as hot and cold. And he was staring at me right now. And he was hot.
He must have just realized that he was my choice, because there was a slight blushing of his cheeks. “I forgot my jacket,” he said quickly. “That’s why I
came back.”
“So,” he said changing the subject, “judging by the jab into the door I got, Evan didn’t take it too well?”
“No. He was pretty nasty.”
“No one’s ever broken up with him before. You’re his first.” There was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “He’s used to breaking hearts, not getting his broken.”
“I highly doubt that I broke his heart. I think it was more his ego that got broken than anything.”
Marcus gave me an adorable grin, and I did my best to mirror one back at him. He took a few steps closer still. Only his desk stood between us.
My smile faded. “I guess I’m stuck taking the bus home now.”
“I can drive you sometimes. It’s not just his car.”
“Why do you share a car anyway?”
“Our uncle bought it for us when we turned seventeen.”
“Nice.”
My phone vibrated annoyingly in my back pocket. I grabbed it and looked at the display. It was Luke calling. He would be on his lunch break too. Sorry Luke, later. I shoved it back in my pocket and let it vibrate.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“It’s not important.” No, not even my old friends from Boston were as important to me as this moment was.
He nodded then looked up at the classroom clock. “You’d better go have lunch before classes start again.”
“I don’t feel much like eating, but you go eat. I have some studying to do anyway.” I lied.
“Oh.” He sounded disappointed.
The truth was, I didn’t want to show my face in the cafeteria, where Evan probably was. I imagined him bragging about breaking up with me, and I didn’t need the glares.
I left Marcus at a turn in the hall, pretending I actually had some place to go. Shortly after, I came across a girl’s washroom and ducked inside. I walked over to the sink and stared at the unhappy girl in the mirror. I hadn’t been unhappy a few moments ago when I was talking to Marcus. Was he the key to my happiness in Deadwich? It seemed as though the only times I wasn’t scared of something or unhappy since I’d moved here was when he was near.
I pulled my lip gloss out of my pocket and slicked it across my pouting lips until they looked like they were dipped in strawberry jelly. When I thought I’d given Marcus enough time to get to the cafeteria, I went back to his classroom.
His desk was easy to find. His jacket still hung on the back of the seat. It was clear to me now that the jacket wasn’t the reason he’d come back to the classroom. He’d used it as an excuse. My hand caressed the soft leather from shoulder to shoulder before I took a seat. I slouched down and rested the back of my head against the collar of the jacket. I imagined myself sitting beside him during class. The looks we would exchange back and forth.
What was happening to me? I’d never had this much of a crush on anyone before. I’d never noticed a guy’s scent before, or how deeply they looked at me. Marcus’ smile made me melt inside. If I could just get past the darkness that surrounded me now; I was sure this could be a great year at Deadwich High.
I sat there daydreaming, and in the daydream, I scribbled the initials, B D + M K inside a heart onto the middle of his desk—a surprise for when he came back to class. I was deep into my daydream when the bell rang. I jumped up so fast I got a head rush then bolted from the classroom, hoping no one would see me until I was on my own level of the school.
“Where were you during lunch?” Sammy snapped at me from her desk.
I glanced around the classroom. When I was confident enough that there was enough noise from the students shuffling to their seats that no one would hear me, I said, “I broke up with Evan.”
Sammy gasped.
“Um, and then I went for a walk.”
“A walk?” She looked at me as if I had two heads.
“Yeah, a walk! Didn’t you hear the first thing I said?”
“Everyone’s heard. Evan was bragging about breaking up with you, though.”
“Well whatever, as long as he gets the point.”
“Now you don’t have a date for the dance.” She pouted.
The noise in the classroom dropped a few levels, so I lowered my voice. “Sammy, is that all that matters to you, a date for the stupid dance? I’m not going to the dance anyway,” I said as an afterthought.
“What? Yes you are. You’ll change your mind by Thursday. Besides, even if you don’t have a date, you can come with Justin and me.” She grinned sinfully.
“So, what, you two are together now?”
“We will be by Friday morning,” she said with an exaggerated grin.
I rolled my eyes.
When Ms. Myra came in, Sammy was still hanging sideways out of her desk, talking about Justin. I quickly turned to face the front.
“Samantha,” Ms. Myra said, startling us, “would you like to share your thoughts with the class?” There were a few giggles from the girls close enough to hear what she’d been telling me.
Flustered, Sammy bolted upright in her seat and shook her head, smiling innocently.
Last class came and went, and I knew I wouldn’t get my drive home in the Civic, so I automatically walked to the bus. Sammy was already on and had a seat saved for me a few rows from the end. Even though I knew it was no use, I scanned the bus on my way back to her, hoping a certain someone would be on it, but I didn’t see him. A few rows in, Megan stuck her pointed-toe boot into the aisle, intending to trip me, and she’d almost succeeded, but I grabbed the seat to the left and saved myself the embarrassment. I kicked her foot out of the way and continued up the aisle, still scanning.
As I was about to turn and sit beside Sammy, I saw him. Almost hidden in the back row, next to the window, Marcus sat alone. Ignoring Sammy, I walked to the end of the bus.
“Hey,” she called after me, “I saved this seat for you.” She gave a soft sound of exaggerated frustration.
Although no one was in front of me, I still harbored an irrational fear that someone would appear and jump into the seat beside Marcus before I could get there.
His face was turned toward the window when I reached him. “Is this seat taken?” I asked calmly, nearly bursting on the inside.
An adorable smile lit up his face as he looked up at me. He shook his head. I smiled back and sat down, proud of myself for making another move. I sat back, relaxed and crossed one leg over the other. There was a soft squeak of leather on leather as the sleeves of our jackets pressed together. He didn’t move away—neither did I.
“So,” he asked casually, as if we were old friends now, “are you going to the dance Thursday?”
“I think I’m having a déjà vu,” I said. We laughed briefly. “I’m not planning on it, but you know how plans change. You?” I asked.
“Probably. You should come.”
All of a sudden I became over-heated. He wanted me to come to the dance, therefore of course I would.
But I kept nonchalant about the whole thing and simply said, “I’ll see,” which put a hopeful look on his face.
“Have any bad dreams lately?” he asked.
“No. Not since I found the pendant. You?”
He shook his head. “But that’s a good thing, right?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, “it’s good.” It was good, but I missed him in my dreams.
“Are you working today?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“No, tomorrow, but don’t remind me.” It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him my thoughts of Maggie, but I didn’t want to ruin whatever was brewing between us.
Life really didn’t seem so bad at the moment. Marcus and I were getting to know one another, the bad dreams were gone, and I was rid of Evan.
Chapter Fourteen
I was anxious to get to bed that night for two reasons. I couldn’t wait to get to school the next morning, and I couldn’t wait to try out my little experiment. So after supper I pretended to yawn a lot and went up to my room early. I took the pendant off for the first time si
nce Saturday. Immediately, I felt its absence. Nothing felt right. Nothing looked right, so I put it back on. After pacing the room several times, I convinced myself not to be such a wuss and took it off again. Same thing—I almost felt ill without it, but with great effort, I placed it in my jewelry box and went to my computer.
I found Marcus on my favorite social media program and added him. In the message, I put an XO, then I climbed into bed.
I lay awake for a couple hours, tossing and turning, feeling the absence of the pendant—so much for going to bed early. At one point, I even felt nauseated. Finally, I fell asleep.
Sometime later, I heard whispers and couldn’t open my eyes—same as always. Shadows passed over my lids—as before. The whispering grew into a steady monotone hum. I tried frantically to open my eyes, but couldn’t. The whispering grew louder. With every ounce of strength I had, I flung my eyes open. Dark shadows circled the bed. The hum transitioned into a chant. I couldn’t make out the words, but I could tell the sound was coming from the shadowy forms. With clenched fists, I gripped the edge of the comforter and pulled it tightly around my chin—this was not how the dream was supposed to unravel.
The chant grew louder. The shadows stopped circling and turned towards me. Past them, I could see that I wasn’t in my room anymore; however, I was still in my bed. The room had transformed into a forest. Twisted shapes of trees, their branches reaching out like claws, stood where the walls had once been. Above the tangle of branches, the midnight blue sky peeked through. There were no stars, just the crescent moon cut like a slash into the night sky.
The air around me grew colder as the shadows drew nearer. Now I could see that they were human shaped and clothed in robes of the deepest black, their faces hidden under billowy hoods.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the nightmare would change. Marcus should be with me by now, pushing the darkness away.
The chant continued.