Story A Day Cafe

Intermission

Tuesday, August 06, 2019

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In the Middle: Ch. 10

Two months after Brad’s father left the family for his mistress, Brad and I had dinner plans.

His father had left without a trace, not even so much as a phone call, and Brad had made it his mission to track him down. His drinking got predictably worse, and a thick cloud of anger had begun to take over his mood.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to break up with you and tell your mom what’s been going on,” I said one day after a particularly scary night.

Brad had gotten so drunk, he’d been hurling into the toilet all night, his skin pale, and soaked with a feverish sweat. The blood vessels in his eyes popped from the strain of his body forcibly eliminating the poison from his stomach, and his lips were dry and cracked, caked with vomit the next morning. I’d stayed by his side the whole night, crying silently at his agony and my inability to help him, scared that he would die if I left him alone.

“Okay,” Brad had said, his eyes filled with sympathy and that haunting pain. “I’ll stop. I promise.”

A week later he told me he had a special dinner planned.

“Wear that dress I like,” he said.

“The white one?” I asked. He nodded. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” he said with a wink.

I couldn’t stop smiling the whole day. My cheeks felt like they were going to fall off from the strain of my lips pulling them back into a grin. As soon as I got home, I began to get ready for the night. I took a long shower, and spent extra time doing my hair and makeup. I put on the white, frilly lace dress that Brad loved to see me in, and even painted my nails and toenails a seductive red.

He had kept his promise so far, and I had hope that maybe Brad was finally healing from his family’s separation. Maybe he was coming back to himself.

I didn’t even mind when he picked me up half an hour later than planned. This was Brad, and Brad was rarely on time. He didn’t show any signs of being intoxicated, and he had even cleaned his car. He held my hand as we drove into town, and our smiles mimicked what I thought appeared to be a mutual excitement.

“Where are we going?” I asked when we drove past town, watching our towns welcome sign fade in the side mirror.

“Just wait,” he said, lifting my hand and kissing my fingertips.

The farther away from town we got, the more I started to squirm. My palms began to sweat, so I wriggled my hand out from underneath Brad’s to wipe my palms on the frill of my dress skirt. Without thinking, I started to chew on the nail of my thumb, and a piece of nail polish chipped in my mouth.

The sun was starting to set as we pulled onto a dirt road that bumped and scraped us into a trailer park. Brad squinted his eyes, reading the numbers on the houses as we passed by. I watched as a little boy slithered down a basketball hoop, and ran into the road, screaming when Brad slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the child.

“Brad, what the hell! Where are we?” I asked.

I’ll never forgot the look in Brad’s eyes when he said, “I found him, Sarah. I found my dad.”

I felt my throat drop into my stomach as I swallowed my urge to cry. Things would not be better. Not at all.

Eventually, he pulled into a gravelly space next to a red sports car that looked like something out of a James Bond movie. The trailer was white with brown siding, and more dirt than paint, and the wooden steps creaked as we stepped up toward the screen door, and knocked.

“Come in!” his dad’s voice called over the sound of a television playing some action movie.

Brad looked back at me for the briefest of moments, begging me with his eyes to follow him into this house in a way I couldn’t refuse. He held out his hand, and I limply placed mine in his palm.

His dad was sitting in a torn brown leather recliner in front of a big-screen television when we walked in. A cigar was dangling from his lips, and an open whisky bottle was half-empty on the coffee table next to him.

He smirked when he saw us walk in, and said, “Son? Is that you?”

“Yeah, dad,” Brad said, “It’s me.”

“Well, shit.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

His dad chuckled. I noticed Brad’s fists tighten in anger, and I felt my stomach curl in anxiety.

His dad picked up the whisky bottle, and held it out for Brad. “Have a drink. Take a seat,” his dad said, the liquid sloshing in the bottle a little as he used it to gesture toward the second worn recliner on the other side of the coffee table. “If you want to talk, you’ll have to loosen up a little.”

Brad sat down on the recliner, grabbing the bottle of whisky from his father. I watched with abject horror as Brad proceeded to tilt his head back and finish the remainder of the bottle in one long gulp.

His father laughed so hard he started coughing.

“Thatta boy!” his father cheered when he caught his breath again.

His grin faded as his eyes landed on me, and the horrified expression on my face. He stuck the cigar in his mouth, and looked away, taking a long drag.

“You been taking care of my boy here, young lady?” he asked me without looking at me.

“As best as I can,” I said, “considering the circumstances.”

His dad smirked, and nudged Brad with his elbow, winking at him. “I’m sure you are, little lady. I’m sure you are.”

“Leave her alone, dad.” Brad said, his words cut sharp.

“What are you doing here, son?”

The two locked eyes for a blistering moment of tension. Brad’s eyes drooped slightly when he said, “I want to know why you left.”

His father chuckled again, but when he saw the look Brad was giving him, he cleared his throat, and then looked back at me.

“Fetch me that bottle on top of the fridge, will ya girl?” he asked.

I thought about saying no. I looked at Brad and saw the pleading look in his eyes, that hopeful puppy dog look, and sighed as I stormed over to the fridge and retrieved the bottle. I handed it to his father, and ignored the once-over he gave me. I hugged my arms over my chest, and slunk onto the cooler by the door.

His father opened the bottle, and took a long gulp, handing the bottle to Brad with one hand, and wiping his mouth with the other.

I could only watch as Brad followed his lead until the bottle was empty.

Monday, August 05, 2019

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author: kayla mathys

Redemptive: Ch. 10

My parents were waiting for me when I returned home from school.

I noticed my mother first, sitting on the couch next to my father, sipping a mug of tea while my father pretended to be reading the paper. I knew he was pretending because he was wearing his reading glasses which he only wore when he wanted to present himself as more sophisticated and knowledgable. They were a staple on their television show, but he almost never wore them around the house.

“There you are,” my mother said, smiling.

I noticed her lipstick was smeared around her lips a bit as she smiled tightly at me. My father set down his paper on the coffee table in front of him, and nodded toward the leather chair left open across from them. I sighed, and took the seat, setting my bookbag on the table, and hoping this wouldn’t be as torturous as I was expecting. Would they ground me? Lecture me? Ban Ty from spending the night?

“How was school?” my father asked.

“Fine,” I said.

“Just fine?” my father asked, feigning a concerned expression.

I sighed again. “I know this conversation isn’t just about school, and I have a study group I need to prepare for.”

My parents exchanged a look, and I rolled my eyes.

“Well, would you like to tell us why you decided to break the rules last night?” my mother asked.

“It wasn’t really a decision,” I said. “We were both really tired, and accidentally fell asleep in the same bed. We didn’t mean to break the rules. It just happened.”

“You know, Camille, most pregnancies are explained the same way. ‘It just happened’ is pretty dangerous territory,” my father said, and I cringed.

“Can we not have the safe sex talk again? Please?” I asked.

My mother shifted in her seat and leaned forward a little. If there hadn’t been a coffee table between us, I’m sure she would have tried to make some sort of physical contact. It was a way to appeal to your conversation partner’s sympathies during a confrontation. I’d seen it on their show years ago. I wondered if my parents knew their tactics were pointless to use on me.

“We’re worried about you, Camille. We trusted you to follow the rules we set in place for your own health and safety, and then we came home this morning to find that you had broken that trust,” my mother said.

“We know you probably didn’t mean to, so we’re trying to understand your intentions so maybe we can come up with a solution for the future,” my father added.

I rolled my eyes. “Like what?”

They exchanged another look, and I grit my teeth.

“Perhaps you could give us some ideas?” my father said.

“It won’t happen again,” I said. “I promise.”

Another look. It always aggravated me when my parents had these silent conversations with each other right in front of me.

“Well, Camille, ordinarily we would believe you, but after this morning, we’re going to need more evidence that you can be trusted,” my mother said.

“Seriously? Then what do you want me to say? Or do?” I asked.

“We just want to know that you are safe. We’re not trying to make you defensive. We’re just telling you how we feel, and hoping we can come up with a solution to ease our worry about the future,” my father said.

“Like what? I don’t have any ideas. I don’t have time for this. I have a lot going on right now, and I really don’t want to have this conversation. So just tell me what the solution is you’re looking for, and let’s get over it already!”

Another look. I was about ready to start pounding my fists on the table. Ordinarily, I’d let my parents go through their process of punishment only mildly irritated. But I had much more important things to do and think about. Like coming up with my argument to convince Ty to let me go through with my plan. And a believable, bulletproof story should my parents decide not to let me see Ty. Which I’d have to come up with anyway if Ty agreed to my plan. Nobody would be able to know we were still together. Especially my parents.

“Camille, is there something you need to talk about? What’s going on?” my mother asked, wrinkling her forehead in concern.

I crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned back in my seat. I couldn’t tell them my plan. It would ruin everything. They wouldn’t agree with it, and would spend all their time trying to talk me out of it. They wouldn’t understand. But I also couldn’t lie to them. Not yet. Not before I had Ty’s approval.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, avoiding eye contact.

“Camille, honey, if something’s wrong, you need to tell us. Perhaps we can come up with a solution to whatever is bothering you so much,” my mother said.

“Can we do this another time? Please? I really need to get ready for my study group. I don’t want to fail my project. I need to focus. I don't have time for this.”

They exchanged another look, and I hoped it would be their final silent exchange for the evening.

“Your mother and I would like to come up with at least one solution before we allow you to leave, but since you seem so distressed right now, if you don’t think you can help us come up with a solution we will agree to pick this conversation back up tomorrow morning before school. We’ll wake you up before we leave for our morning show. Does that sound fair?” my father asked.

I clenched my fists and then released them. “Fine. Wake me up before school. I need to go now.”

My father stood up. “Okay. You’re free to go. But please think of a solution so we don’t have to rush tomorrow, okay?”

I stood up. “Okay.”

My father hugged me, and then my mother stood up and hugged me too. “We love you, Camille. Remember that. We only want what’s best for you.”

“I know. I love you too. Now I really need to go.”

I left as soon as I was released.

Sunday, August 04, 2019

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author: kayla mathys

Echo of Chaos: Ch. 10

The day seemed longer than others. It was muscle memory that carried me through the morning Drills. My mind was elsewhere, my eyes constantly searching for the arrival of the Information Delivery or perhaps the Captain himself. After a certain point, I started wishing they would show up, just to take away the gnawing unknowing eating away at my insides.

But then the Captain did show up.

Drills were almost finished when he walked in. I saw him from across the room as if he were moving in slow motion, his small army of guards trailing behind him. It wouldn’t be long before we’d receive our Execution assignments for the day, and as I watched him walk toward Felix, I knew with a sickening dread that he was here to change my assignment. I froze, and my combat partner I was drilling with that day kicked me in the side of the head, knocking me over.

“Oh no! Echo! Are you okay? I totally thought you’d dodge that,” my partner asked, standing over me.

I jumped to my feet, hoping the Captain didn’t notice my fall. I didn’t want him to know he had that kind of power over me. Thankfully, when I stole a glance in his direction, it appeared he was too busy with his conversation with Felix to notice what was going on around him. Felix looked to be arguing with him, his posture rigid in a way usually reserved for the most insubordinate of soldiers.

“Echo?” my partner asked.

I noticed him only because he was standing too close, close enough for me to feel him breathing on me. I took a step back away from him, and turned my attention back to the combat drills, responding with a powerful kick of my own. He fell backwards, but caught himself before he could hit the ground, leaping forward for a counter attack that I managed to evade. As the drill continued, I tried to push everything else from my mind. Perhaps the Captain wasn’t here for me after all. Perhaps he was here for a completely unrelated reason, and I was just getting ahead of myself, allowing my worry for my mother to turn into paranoia.

When the Drills were finished, the Captain was gone. I glanced around the room for him, but didn’t see him or his guards anywhere. Felix called for the Line Up and we all lined up in the same order we did every day to receive our Execution assignments. If Felix didn’t look so obviously tense, I would have thought I had imagined the Captain being here at all.

Without breaking formation, I glanced toward Forrest. He stood a few rows ahead of me, at an angle that put him right in my line of vision. Normally, I was grateful for this little bit of contact with him, but today I wished he was closer. I longed to feel the brush of his knuckles against the back of my hand, a gentle assurance that everything would be okay and this hole in the pit of my stomach was nothing more than simple worry.

Instead, I waited in agony for my name to be called, for the sequence of room numbers I would be expected to appear in, ready to perform the Execution of whoever was waiting behind the door.

“Echo. Room 331. Room 432. Room 124…” Felix listed off the remainder of my assignments, and I memorized the numbers numbly, more out of reflex than actual attention. My attention snapped into focus only when he added, “I’ll be shadowing you today.”

This was unusual. He shadowed me yesterday. We weren’t supposed to be shadowed two days in a row. There was a specific rotation to follow. Why would he be shadowing me again? The twist in my gut intensified. This couldn’t be good.

After we were dismissed to report to our first assignments, I waited for everyone else to filter out first. Felix made his way toward me, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Why are you shadowing me again? You shadowed me yesterday,” I asked.

“Captain’s orders,” he said, sounding about as amused as I was. “Now get moving.”

“I see,” I said. “Is that why he was here earlier? To tell you to shadow me again? Why would he want you to shadow me again? Did I do something wrong?”

“I didn’t ask questions. You shouldn’t either.”

“This is ridiculous! Why am I being punished?”

“Stop asking questions, and move!” Felix said, giving me a not-so-gentle nudge with the tips of his fingers.

I rolled my eyes, but did as I was told, heading toward the door. I was to report to room 331 first. That meant I was to report to the first room on the third floor in the third wing. I chose to run up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. If he was going to follow me around all day, I was going to make him suffer for it. It wasn’t fair. Today was not the day to be watched, every moment judged. I wasn’t in the right mindset for this kind of scrutiny, especially when I’d already gone through it the day before.

We reached the third floor, and I noted with slight satisfaction that Felix appeared to be more out of breath than I was. He may have been stronger physically, but I definitely had more stamina. This thought reminded me of what the Captain had said at dinner last night. I was recommended for a promotion. Felix and I would be the same rank soon. Perhaps this is why I was being shadowed again. Perhaps it wasn’t a bad omen. Perhaps it was a good thing.

But I was wrong.

Saturday, August 03, 2019

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author: kayla mathys

The Forgotten: Ch. 10 - Katelyn

Katelyn --

Katelyn didn’t know where to begin. It had been so long since she had told her story, or even allowed herself to really think about it. Taylor was the last person she’d told everything to, back in the early days of their relationship. She’d felt so safe with him. He was the first person in a long time she felt she could talk to about anything.

She could distinctly remember the day they first met. She was guest starring for a season in his latest popular show, and they hit it off immediately. He came to introduce himself before their first scene together, knowing it was her first time on the screen and wanting to make her feel comfortable. He was so funny and smart and charming and not at all like she’d been expecting him to be. Most actors she met fell into one of two categories: either they were overly confident and arrogant or so carefree and laid-back it was just as impossible to have a conversation with them. But Taylor was somehow the perfect balance of both.

Once, during her first scene, she’d gotten so nervous she couldn’t remember her lines, but then her eyes met Taylor and he mouthed the words for her, and she’d been able to finish the scene flawlessly.

“Thank you,” she’d told him after the shoot. “I totally would have tanked this without you.”

He smiled, and said, “You would have been fine. It happens to everyone. My first scene, we had to retake over a hundred times because every time I’d see the light from the camera and all these people staring at me, waiting for me to get it right, my mind would go—“ he wiped a hand over his head and made a whooshing sound —“totally blank.”

“Really? I thought you’d be a natural.”

“Nah. If this came naturally, it wouldn’t be a passion. We take for granted what comes easily. Do you ever notice that?”

Later, whenever anyone would ask her, she’d say that was the moment she fell in love with him. The way he’d been looking at her in that moment, the way he put her at ease, made her feel like she could talk to him forever about anything.

They told each other everything. Their relationship contained no secrets, which was a first for her. To anyone on the outside, it would have appeared to be a perfect union, and most of the time it was, though it certainly hadn’t been easy to maintain. Katelyn remembered the first year of their marriage when he’d “fallen in love” with his co-star. The image of their kiss on the beach in Hawaii where the movie was being filmed—his hands on the flesh left exposed by her white bikini bottoms, her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his neck, lips pressed against his—burned in her mind, even now. The picture had made the cover of all the gossip magazines, and she’d had one in her hand, cheeks burning with tears when he came home a few weeks later. He’d taken the magazine from her hand, knelt down in front of her, and begged for her forgiveness.

“It didn’t meant anything,” he’d said. “You know I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you. It’s just the job. I wasn’t myself. Please forgive me.”

The year after that, he’d come home sloppy drunk every night—if he came home at all. She’d been called out of the studio so many times to pick him up at the hospital where he was being treated for alcohol poisoning she feared she wouldn’t finish her album in time.

“I highly recommend a treatment center,” the doctor had told her once. “There are plenty nearby that would offer discretion. I can give you some pamphlets.”

“I’ll consider them,” she had said.

She’d thought about leaving him multiple times, but then she realized she only thought like this when he was working. And if she truly loved him, she would have to learn how to love his career too. So she forgave him.

She always forgave him.

And then there was the night of his death when he’d found something she hadn’t meant for him to see. He’d knelt down in front of her, pressing his face into her stomach, and planting a kiss just below her belly button.

“I’m so sorry,” he’d said. “I love you so much. It won’t happen again. I’ll take a break. I won’t accept any new roles. We can still work this out.”

He’d surprised her by coming home that night. Filming wasn’t supposed to wrap up for another week. She didn’t think she’d see him before the start of her World Tour, and she remembered thinking that was probably for the best. She’d wanted time to figure things out.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she’d said. “I can’t do this right now. I have to get ready.”

"Where are you going?” he’d asked. “I thought your flight wasn’t until six?”

“I’m meeting Delia to go over the plan.”

It was the first time she’d lied to him—and the last. She’d give anything to take that back now.

She hadn’t known there wouldn’t be a later. If she had, she would have stayed. She would have called her tour manager, Delia, and told her the tour would have to wait. The shows could be rescheduled. Nothing would have been more important than being with her husband.

Because as much as he put her through, it wasn’t nearly as terrible as the first time she’d fallen in love.

She was barely sixteen when her high school choir teacher decided to enter the students in the Highland Mall Winter Talent Show. If Katelyn had known William Friday was amongst the panel of “judges”, she might have been more nervous during her rendition of “Popular” from Wicked, the song she’d been assigned to perform. And if she’d been just a little more nervous, William might never have approached her after the show, handing her the winning trophy himself.

“Congratulations,” he had said, handing her the trophy. The skin around his dark brown eyes crinkled when he smiled, his full lips parting to reveal a row of shiny, white teeth. “I must say, you far exceeded the expectations of this competition. You have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh,” Katelyn had said, smiling bashfully, her cheeks flushing red, “thank you.”

He stuck out his hand and introduced himself. “My name is William Friday. I’m the executive producer at TGIF Records in Los Angeles.” His hand was warm as it enveloped hers, and she thought she could have stood there for hours just holding his hand. “Would you be interested in making a demo?”

“I…” Katelyn had been at a loss for words. “I’m only sixteen.”

He had winked at her. “I’m sure we can work something out.” He let go of her hand, and pulled out a business card. “Give me a call, if you’re interested. I’ll be in town for the next two weeks.”

Her mother had been reasonably skeptical when Katelyn had told her about the opportunity she’d been given. But whatever doubt she had was eliminated when William invited Katelyn and her family out to dinner to discuss Katelyn’s future in the music industry.

“Your daughter has such a rare gift. Her raw talent is unlike anything I’ve heard before. She’s truly remarkable,” William had said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Katelyn and then back at her mother. “It would be a shame not to pursue.”

Her mother had put down her glass of the expensive wine William had ordered, and dabbed at her lips with her napkin. “The thing is,” she had said, “our home is here. When my husband passed away five years ago, he didn’t leave us with much. His pension barely covers the mortgage on the house we have now. We couldn’t just pack up and move to California on a whim. I mean, say we did. Say we relocate our family just so Katelyn can work with you. Realistically, what are the chances she’ll even succeed with her music? I mean, she’s only sixteen. I’m sorry, but it’s just not a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I understand your concern, Ms. Harper. I truly do,” William had said, placing a hand over her mother’s. “But I also truly believe in your daughter’s talent, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I return to California without her. So perhaps we can come to an agreement…”

William’s charm was a superpower, impossible to resist. So an agreement was made. A check was written that night with the promise of more to follow once a month, and in the weeks following the dinner, a lease on an apartment in a building William owned a few blocks away from the TGIF studio was signed by Katelyn and her mother, paid in full for the year. Visits were scheduled as often as her mother’s busy work schedule and Carrie’s school schedule would allow, but those visits would be cancelled after the one that changed everything.

And perhaps if she hadn’t said what she did, everything would have turned out okay.

Friday, August 02, 2019

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author: kayla mathys

Blood Rose: Ch. 10

The next day I woke up to the feeling of freezing water being splashed on my face. I sat up quickly with a gasp, rubbing the water from my eyes. When I turned my head, Jay wasn’t in sight at all. Instead, I was lying on his couch greeted by a smirking Iris and a snickering Keira.

“What do you want?” I asked them without bothering to hide the bite from my tone.

“Come with us,” Iris said. “There’s someone we think you’d like to see.”

I highly doubted whoever they wanted me to meet would be worth my time or energy, but seeing as I was currently wasting that away wallowing in my misery (and the fact that it would be pointless arguing with them as they were clearly far more powerful than I was), I got up with a sigh. Keira palmed the wall, and opened us a door to walk through, and I followed them like the lost stray I was.

We entered a dark hallway, so dark I couldn’t even see my own hand in front of my face. I stopped walking, not wanting to trip over my own feet in the dark or get caught in whatever prank Iris and Keira clearly had planned for me. Iris sighed somewhere in front of me.

“Already calling it quits, human? You must be afraid of the dark,” Iris said.

“I can’t see,” I said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, another vampire appeared, this one with fire glowing from her hands, illuminating the path in front of her. She had long, straight, dark brown hair that swung in an elegantly high ponytail at the top of her head, and amber colored eyes that were striking even in the low lighting. She looked to be about my age and height, but it was obvious she’d been around much longer than I could imagine.

“Calm your tits, ladies. I know I’m late, but I’m here now,” the girl said. “I’m Leah in case these two haven’t warned you already.” Giving me a once-over, she asked, “You must be the newbie I’ve been hearing about.”

“Not quite. Jay wants to wait for her consent before he turns her,” Keira corrected.

“How romantic. Where is he anyway?” Leah asked.

“He went to help London,” Iris said.

“In the sun?” Leah questioned doubtfully. “If that’s the case then he must have…” A sudden burst of wind hit me, brushing my hair back. “Oh my goodness, he did! He drank her!”

“What an ass,” Iris said, shaking her head. “Leaving us on babysitter duty while he gets all the fun.”

“How kinky!” Keira said. “That must have been quite fun.”

Leah sighed wistfully. “Oh, yes. Jay really knows how to please a lady.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to figure out whether it was worth it to try to run away from them and find a place to sleep. My dream had been peaceful for once. Everything had been the way it was before this disaster of a trip. I’d been eating a plate of Nana’s special apple pie. It didn’t taste the same as when she was alive and making it herself, but it was her recipe so it was close enough. The whole family was gathered at the table, and Grandpa was about to draw from the vacation jar that would decide our fate. In my dream, I knew I would have a chance to pick something else, to avoid this terrible situation. It would be like hitting a reset button, and it would be wonderful.

But instead, I was standing in a cave with three vampire girls who wouldn’t stop talking about me as if I wasn’t right here in front of them. To make matters worse, they had made it pretty clear that they all hated me too. Oh, and my entire family was dead. Fun.

“Shall we carry on Blood Bag?” Iris asked, nudging me with her bony elbow.

I shrugged. It’s not like I had a choice in the matter.

“Right, right. I’m supposed to be the guiding light here,” Leah said, brightening the flames on her hands. “Follow me.”

I numbly followed them through the winding hall of the cave until we came to a dead end. Keira stepped forward, and opened up another section of the wall for us to walk through. I hated that I was getting used to these weird occurrences already.

As soon as we walked through, I was suddenly being embraced by some random person. At least that was my first impression of him.

“Grace! Oh my god! I thought you were gone! Oh, Grace! I’m so glad you’re here! I can’t believe it’s you! It’s really you!”

It was Derek, my brother.

Thursday, August 01, 2019

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author: kayla mathys

Winning the Game: Ch. 10

The next day, Karissa woke up a little later than usual. Her classes didn’t start until after lunch, so she had some time to kill. Without any homework to do, though, she didn’t really know what to do with herself. Joyce had arrived sometime late last night. She’d woken Karissa up with all of her banging around, but she wasn’t here now so Karissa had the place to herself.

After stretching the sleep from her limbs, she decided it would be nice to go for a run on the beach. It had been a while since she’d been able to do so, and she figured she might as well take advantage of the opportunity. She dressed in some shorts and sports bra, wrapped her hair in a bun, grabbed her headphones and iPod and headed out.

There was a trail from her dorm building to the beach, and she relished in her luck at being able to live so close to the beautiful ocean as she began her run. She loved the cool breeze on her skin, the smell of the ocean, and the sound of the waves crashing into the shore in the distance, her heart beating a steady rhythm with her feet.

When she reached the beach, she took off her shoes, and stood on the shore for moment, allowing the cold water to kiss her feet. She could tell this was going to be an amazing day.

After her run, she took a long, luxurious shower in the empty dorm bathroom. By the time she finished getting dressed, it was lunch time, and she felt completely rejuvenated.

There wasn’t a soccer practice that day, so she and Able had plans to meet in the dining hall instead. She was looking forward to the chance to actually talk to Able, and hopefully not be interrupted by Tori again.

“Hey there, Able!” Karissa greeted as she arrived at their usual table. Able was already there, reading over what appeared to be his notes. “How has your day been so far?”

“Busy,” he answered. “How about yours?”

“Oh, it’s been so wonderful! All my classes today don’t start until after lunch, so I got to sleep in, and go for a run, and today has just been a dream.”

“That sounds lovely. I’m glad at least one of us has gotten to relax today.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall and familiar figure standing quite close to their table. She turned her head, and realized it was the soccer player Tori had pointed out during practice the previous day, although she couldn’t remember his name. He had a disheveled look on his face, and he was just standing there with his lunch tray, probably searching for a place to sit. Without thinking, Karissa decided to invite him to sit.

“Hey there, handsome!” she called out to him, waving her hand over her head, and he quickly switched his attention to her with a shocked look on his face. “Yes, you! There’s an empty seat over here if you’d like to come sit!”

“Isn’t that—” Able started to say as the guy began walking toward their table.

“Tori’s soccer sexy? Yup,” Karissa said.

The guy sat down in the empty chair next to Able, though he looked like he wasn’t quite comfortable.

“Hi, there! I’m Karissa, and this is my good friend, Able!” Karissa introduced. “You looked a little lost, so I thought I’d offer you a seat. You’re on the soccer team, right?”

“Yeah, thanks. I’m Parker. Normally we have practice at this hour, but Coach James has the day off this semester for some reason, so we don’t. All the other guys on the team have classes or girlfriends they hang out with, and I hate feeling like a third wheel, you know?”

Karissa was surprised Parker didn’t have a girlfriend already. He was certainly cute enough. He was incredibly tall with suntanned skin, and lean, defined muscles. His eyes were nearly the color of gold, slightly hidden by the dark, shaggy curls that brushed across the top of his face. To top it off, he had ample lips that Karissa couldn’t help imagining kissing. She was quite ashamed of herself for it too. She’d never felt that way before. It shocked her. She could definitely see why Tori was so in love with him.

“Yeah, that’s the worst,” Able agreed, nodding his head. “We’re much more fun to hang out with. Trust me.”

Parked chuckled a little. “Yeah, I can tell already.”

“So, Parker, I heard you guys had a girl on your team last year. That must have been interestin’ huh?” Karissa asked.

“I don’t know if interesting in the right word for it. She wasn’t much of a girl to us. She was a hardcore lesbian for one, and we pretty much considered her one of the guys. So in a way, it wasn’t like having a girl on the team at all.”

“You should ask Karissa to be on the team then. I promise she’d be interested, and far more interesting to have on the team,” Able said, and Karissa wasn’t sure whether she should kick him or kiss him for being so blunt.

“Oh yeah? Do you play?” Parker asked Karissa.

“Only my whole life!” Karissa laughed, trying to hide the reddening of her cheeks. “I was the best forward on my team for years, but I haven’t played in a while. I might need some trainin’ first before I try out for anything real,” Karissa answered.

“That’s awesome! You’re interesting already. I love your drawl. Where are you from?” Parker asked.

“Georgia.”

“Really? What brings you all the way over here?”

“My parents own a horse ranch. It gets pretty noisy and crazy over there, especially during the summer when they host their summer camp. I thought goin’ to school here would be a nice vacation, and it certainly has been.”

“A horse ranch? Really? Do you know how to ride a horse then?”

“Pardon me? Of course I do! What kind of question is that?”

Parker chuckled again. “Sorry. I know it sounds weird, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to ride. My grandpa owned a horse ranch in Wisconsin, and some of my favorite childhood memories take place there. He always promised he would teach me how to ride, but he passed away before he got the chance.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Karissa said.

“Yeah, that sucks,” Able agreed.

“Yeah,” Parker shrugged. “But anyway, that’s why I was asking.”

“Well, how about you help me train for try-outs, and sometime I can teach you how to ride? Sound like a deal?” Karissa offered.

“Yeah, that would be awesome.”

And just like that, Karissa had another new friend.

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

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Intermission

In the Middle: Ch. 10

Redemptive: Ch. 10

Echo of Chaos: Ch. 10

The Forgotten: Ch. 10 - Katelyn

Blood Rose: Ch. 10

Winning the Game: Ch. 10

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