Things That Go Bump At Night Part 6

"I...wow." I had no idea what to say.

Jake chuckled and steered me towards the hall where my locker was located.

"Did you have any more trouble in any other cla.s.s?" He asked as I stowed my books. I always felt naked in a way walking to cla.s.s without carrying supplies, but Art supplied its own supplies.

"No. Actually, a guy asked me out. What did you say to people?"

"Someone asked you out?" Jake asked, he kept his voice casual, but I could tell he didn't like it. "Who?"

"I don't know. Some idiot named Ben. I told him no of course. That was actually pretty fun."

Now Jake laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. So, I have practice after school, can you wait for me, or will you promise to get a ride from Kendra?"

"Oh. Um, I start choir practice today, tryouts actually, and they usually run long, so I'll probably miss her."

"Alright, then I'll meet you at the choir room when I'm done."

He still hadn't explained why he didn't want me going through the woods, but red eyes popped into my head and I was more than happy to accept his offer.

"Okay. I'll see you then." I backed away, knowing we had to go in separate directions. He stood where he was and watched me until I looked back just once before I rounded the corner. He winked.

It made me smile.

4.

First day of choir practice was spent going over the schedule. Practice three days a week, though Ms. Nelson insisted we practice at home as well. Yeah, like that'd happen in my particular home. Then the last half of practice was spent listening to the newcomers this season try out for the solo position. I thought it was sweet that any of them thought they had a shot. Ms. Nelson must have too, because she was so apologetically complimentary after each singer.

She saved me for last. I took a spot before the cla.s.s and waited for Ms. Nelson to hit play on her CD player, lovely music filled the room and soon I was singing a goose b.u.mp producing rendition of Ave Maria. Everyone listened in absolute silence. The solo was mine, and no little freshmen punk better ever think they had the pipes to take it from me. When I finished everyone still sat in silence, except for Ms. Nelson, she clapped. I noticed more than one set of eyes kept darting to the door behind me so I turned. Jake stood there, leaning against the door jam, his arms crossed over his chest, looking all mouthwatering good. He was watching me with as much awe as everyone else had.

I turned back and looked expectantly at Ms. Nelson. She smiled affectionately and nodded.

"Yes, yes. Great first day everyone. I will have the spot postings on the door tomorrow and will see everyone for practice on Friday."

I stepped down from the platform that we were required to sing on for tryouts and went to Jake at the door. I picked my backpack up off the floor, but Jake took it from me and swung it up over his own shoulder. Why did that little gesture feel so big to me? We walked in silence for a time before Jake finally spoke.

"That was one of the most impressive things I think I've ever seen. Heard." He said. "I mean, I've heard you sing at school functions before, but never like that."

"Well, Ave Maria isn't exactly a song clamored for at Webber Wolves functions." I shot wryly back. "I save it for tryouts. It's kinda my secret weapon."

"My girl can sing." He said, still in a state of awe. My neck nearly snapped when I looked up at him. His girl? What did that mean? He didn't seem to notice his slipup, so I decided not to correct him. He put his hand to the small of my back as we rounded his truck and it gave me the warm and fuzzies everywhere. I smiled when he opened the pa.s.senger door for me and turned to thank him. The woods caught my attention. It was only six thirty, but with the season getting later, the sun was setting sooner. Plus the cloud cover today had been pretty thick. It was darker than it should be...which is why I was probably able to see the glowing red dots from this distance.

I froze where I stood.

"What?" Jake asked, noticing we'd come to a standstill. He followed my gaze and I felt him tense as well. It caught my attention and I looked up at him, but his eyes were back on mine before I could figure out if he had seen them as well. "You okay?" He asked me. Obviously he hadn't seen anything, so either I hadn't really seen them, or they had disappeared before he could.

"Yeah. Fine." I forced a smile and crawled into the pa.s.senger seat. I watched Jake through the mirror on the door. He paused at the back and stared out at the woods for a few moments before finally rounding the truck and hopping into the driver's seat. The ride was going to be entirely too short for my liking, but there was hardly anything I could do about that. And Jake seemed distracted. He pulled into my "community" okay, I couldn't even think that with a straight face- and I suddenly realized I didn't want him to take me to my door.

"You can just drop me here." I said quickly. Now I had his attention.

"No. I'll take you to your door." He insisted.

How was he going to do that without my instructions?

How did he do that without my instructions?

"How do you know where I live?" I asked looking out at my trailer that we were now parked in front of. He smiled over at me.

"Lucky guess?" He offered.

"Yeah right. Have you been stalking me?" I only half joked.

"Not like you think. I'll walk you to your door."

"No!" he looked surprised at the panic in my voice and I calmed myself. "Uh, no. Thank you though. I don't want to make too much noise in case my dad is sleeping. He, uh, he..." my voice trailed off, I couldn't even come up with a suitable lie.

"Okay." Jake said, letting me off the hook. I nearly sighed with relief, but my pulse hitched again when he reached out and touched my cheek. "Will you call me if you need anything?"

"What could I possibly need now that I'm home?" I asked casually, though my voice was slightly too breathless. Very unconvincing.

"Anything." He answered. "Even if you have a bad dream, you can text me."

Bad dream? Wow, he had no idea what a coincidence that particular statement was.

"Okay." I half expected him to kiss me but then had to remind myself that we were just friends. Although, do friends stare at each other this long when they say goodbye? I had to pull myself together. Kendra had stuffed my old clothes in my backpack and I needed to get to the woods (please, please, please before it got too dark) and change before Bob saw me.

"I have to go." I whispered. Jake nodded and let his hand fall from my face. I slipped from the truck and made sure to close the door gently. I watched him drive off before turning to race around the side of the house.

But I was too late.

The front door swung open.

"Who the h.e.l.l was that?" Bob asked. "Get your b.u.t.t in here."

I swallowed against the fear in my throat and went quickly to the house and through the door. Bob slammed it behind me as I retreated down the hall.

"Get back here." Bob demanded. I turned and went back down the hall. This was not going to end well. I looked at the floor in front of me as Bob tried to stare me down. Hard to stare down someone who wasn't looking at you, but Bob managed to do it anyway.

"I asked who the h.e.l.l that was." He finally said.

"A friend from school, just giving me a ride home after practice."

"Practice? What practice?"

"Choir." Keep answers short and sweet.

"Choir? What the h.e.l.l is that? You can't play a real sport? Is the clown that dropped you off in choir too?"

"No."

"What was he doing hanging around school then? Is he your boyfriend? Must be a real loser to want to date you."

"He's just a friend. He plays football."

There was a moment of silence. I was hoping that piece of information had intrigued him. Bob liked football.

"What are you wearing?"

Oh h.e.l.l. I had really hoped he just plain wouldn't notice, we were on such a good roll.

"Um, my friend Kendra borrowed me an outfit."

"Bulls.h.i.+t. Where the h.e.l.l are all these friends coming from suddenly? You've never had friends. What are you up to? Where'd you really get those clothes? They look expensive."

"I just borrowed them, I swear."

"Where you getting your money?"

c.r.a.p. Anything I said now would just be a lie to him. Whether it was or not. He was on a money roll now and wouldn't be satisfied till I handed some over to him. The problem was, I had none to hand over at the moment, and that was not going to bode well for me. So I said nothing. There was nothing I could say.

"Give it to me." Bob said.

I shook my head.

"I don't have any."

"Don't lie to me you stupid girl, I see those clothes with my own eyes. I know you have some. Hand it over."

Tears were stinging my eyes.

"I really don't have any." I couldn't give him what I didn't have.

"Spent it all on those clothes didn't you?"

"No, I borrowed them."

"Like the loser that you are. You have to borrow clothes. Do you think I'm an idiot? I said give me the money."

I said nothing, just braced myself for what to come. His fist landed in my ribs, I doubled over as the breath whooshed out of me. But what he did next, was something he'd never done before. As I was bent over he brought his knee up to my face; I don't know what angel was looking over me at that moment, but he missed my nose and landed his knee shot over the left side of my chin and jaw, I tasted blood when my lip split and I could have sworn I heard something crack. I saw stars as I flew backwards and landed on the hall floor on my back. Bob then grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the kitchen. He used his momentum to swing my leg around so that I slid across the floor, slamming my back into the cabinets. The impact rattled my bones and knocked the wind out of me. I definitely heard something crack this time, but thankfully it was the cabinets, and not me. I gasped for breath. Bob came over and hauled me up by my hair.

"Get dinner made." He ordered and he gave me a ruthless kidney punch, right over the spot that had made contact with the cabinets. It brought tears to my eyes. He stomped from the room.

I clutched at the edge of kitchen sink and wheezed until my breath came back. Then I washed my face and set about to make Bob his tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Not forgetting the pickle -that would earn me a slap. I popped the cap off a fresh beer and handed his tray to him over the couch. Then retreated to my room.

I didn't even change from my clothes, I crawled into bed and wrapped my arms around myself and silently cried myself to sleep.

I showered fast the next morning and left through the front door a lot quicker than I had yesterday. I hobbled down the several park blocks to where Kendra waited for me. My strength drained. I didn't have much to begin with and I couldn't seem to get control over the shakes that were nearly wracking my entire body. Kendra greeted me with a wave that soon turned to concern when she saw that I had my slouch back. A bruise had covered my ribs and wrapped around and covered nearly the entire left side of my back where I had slammed into the cabinets. It hurt to breathe in. My chin had bruised as well, it was an ugly mix of purple and blue spreading to an unhealthy green to yellow around the edges. I had picked the scab off my bottom lip while in the shower. But I knew it would only scab over again.

"Oh my G.o.d!" Kendra cried and ran around the car when she saw the condition of my face.

"No!" I held my shaky hands out to stop her from bundling me into a hug that would no doubt cause more pain that comfort. "Don't touch me." I whispered.

"I'm not going to hurt you Remi." She was offended.

"I know. It's not that."

Her eyes dropped to my torso. Then she looked back up to me, a knowing look in those pretty green gems. Hate filled them to the brim.

"Remi, this has to stop. We have to tell someone."

"No, please Kendra. Six more months, and I'm outta here." I begged.

"Can you survive six more months? Look at your face! I can't even hug you. What if he hurts you beyond repair next time?"

"He won't do that." I was not about to tell her that I was now worried about the same thing. He was violent, but I'd never worried in the past that it might go too far. He wouldn't do that because he knew it meant possible cops; but then he'd never kneed me in the face either. Now I wasn't so sure what he was capable of. "Please. Can we just get ready for school?"

"I'm not okay with this. This is not right, I can't sit by and do nothing knowing what he does to you."

"You will for me. Six more months Kendra. Please. Don't tell anyone."

"I'm reaching the end of this Rem. If I see new bruises on you tomorrow, you won't be able to stop me."

I wouldn't agree to that, but it was pointless to argue with her at the moment.

"Can we get ready for school, please?"

Her shoulders sagged. She looked helpless, but she nodded. I winced as I bundled myself into her back seat. My phone chirped at me before I had even begun to change and I pulled it out of the side pocket of my backpack.

Jake.

Can I pick u up 4 school 2day?

It almost made me smile.

Kendra is already on her way. I answered.

Next time then. C u soon.

I put my phone back in my backpack and pulled out a pair of soft black leggings from Kendra's bag. I could have cried with joy. The waist band of jeans would have been agony all day. I slid them on and realized they were Capri leggings and they went all the way to my calves.

"Kendra?" I called in a shaky voice that I couldn't get control over either.