Envious (34 page)

He’s just trying to embarrass you, that’s all.

“Leave me alone,” I told him, walking away, trembling nervously. He could keep the shirt for all I cared. I didn’t want it after he had touched it. And I didn’t have a reputation to protect at this stupid school.

He called after me, “Don’t play shy now. You were anything but shy in my hands.”

Then I heard, “Shut your fucking mouth you filthy asshole.”

I whirled around to see Eric stalking toward Mike. He tossed his backpack to the ground angrily. Mike said in his calm, oily manner, “Ah,
Eric
. Another of Cassie’s satisfied customers.” And that was when Eric slammed him. The smack of fist to face echoed through the campus. Mike fell flat on his back, laid out in the melting snow. Eric reached down and yanked my shirt from Mike’s fist. The look on his face said that he knew it was mine, and he was disappointed in that.

Mike quickly sat up, snatched the shirt from Eric’s grip and stumbled to his feet. “You have to work to get yours,” he said as he wiped his hand across his already swelling face. He made a swing at Eric, but Eric dodged and buried his fist in Mike’s gut. He doubled over in pain.

Eric picked up the shirt again and lied, “It’s still got the tags on it, moron.” The divas all laughed out loud. I almost cried.

Eric whispered harsh words into Mike’s ear, then shoved him to the ground. I didn’t hear what he said, but I wished I did. I watched Eric sling his book bag over his shoulder and walk away, discretely crumpling my shirt into a ball in his fist. I started to follow him, but I saw Todd’s car pull into the parking lot.

I ran toward Todd as fast as I could, which was barely faster than a walk. My lungs screamed and my head pounded. Todd parked, got out of his car, and barely noticed me before I ran up to him. “Sandy,” he said in surprise, leaning back against his car door. I bent over, hands braced on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

“Todd,” I gasped. “Todd, I need… to talk to you.”
Breathe.
“Now.”

“Sure,” he said. He passively watched me, waiting for me to continue on. I stared back at him in shock. I couldn’t believe it. He barely had a scratch on him from the tussle two nights ago. He was taken out by three guys and bleeding from the mouth and nose, yet now he only had a tiny cut on his lip. Thinking back to how he looked after the fight on New Year’s, he must have had a very powerful opponent.

How the heck did I manage to break his arm? Was I really that strong?

I shook off my confusion and looked toward the dorms, wishing I felt ready to walk again and go inside. Todd said, “Oh, wait.” He opened his car door and reached inside with his good arm. He pulled out a shopping bag and kind of shoved it toward me. “Here,” he said.

I stood up straight, still panting like I ran a marathon but beginning to feel better. “What?” I asked, cautiously taking the bag from him.

“What do you mean,
what?
It’s a clock. And you owe me a thousand dollars.”

My jaw dropped. “A thousand dollars?” I repeated. “What for?” Suddenly I wasn’t feeling so much better.

“Hey, you’re lucky it’s so low. If college didn’t make me get health insurance…” he shook his head, “You’d be broke.”

“Like you?” I spat angrily.

He narrowed his eyes, a nasty scowl taking over his face. “You really wanna play it like that?”

How stupid of me. He was right. This wasn’t the time to give him attitude. “I don’t have a thousand dollars,” I told him.

“Should have thought about that before you broke my arm,” he said. “And my window. So what’s it gonna be? Cash or check?”

“I’ll have to ask my mom,” I told him, not to mention come up with a good cover story. I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth.

Todd nodded, shoving his hand into his pocket and looking down at the pavement. He needed that money. And I would bet anything that money was the main reason he flipped out on me just a couple of nights ago.

I led him into the dorms, still trembling from my encounter with Mike. I hoped Todd didn’t notice. Not that he would care. He would probably congratulate Mike for it.
No.
I felt guilty even thinking that. Todd would probably kill him, not thank him.
Why did I always do that to Todd?

Before entering my room, I told my cousin, “Don’t break anything.” He snorted, not amused.

I tossed down my coat and bag, then took a seat on my bed. Todd stood awkwardly in the doorway playing with his now black cast, trying to reach an itch inside.

“So what’s this about?” he asked in a totally opposite attitude from the last time he stood in my room. He was back to his mild mannered attitude, the way he acted when he was embarrassed or concerned, but was pretending not to be. I tried to focus, to get my mind off of Mike and onto what I wanted to ask Todd.

“Shut the door,” I said. He did as I asked. I searched for the best opening. Maybe I should get him to sit; then it would take more effort for him to storm out, which I figured he might. I shifted toward my pillows and patted the mattress next to me.

“Sit,” I offered.

“What happened to your wrist?” Todd asked, noticing the dark bruise peeking out from behind my blue sweater’s sleeve. I instantly pulled my hand close to me.

“What?” I asked, without thinking.

Todd stepped toward me, reaching for my arm. In a panic, I blurted out, “How could you have sex with Aurora?”

He snorted, annoyed, and followed my change of subject, “
This
is why you called? This is what was so fucking important? My sex life from three years ago?”

“You had illegal sex with my best friend!” I yelled, thinking that would be the only way to get down to the truth. Get him angry. The calmer, the more calculated. Todd would tell you anything if he was mad enough.

“You call
that
a friend? She’s a twisted bitch, Sandy,” Todd explained.

I hardened my eyes to a cold stare. “A twisted bitch you screwed. Was it worth it, Todd?” I challenged him.

“No!” Todd yelled.

“What?” I asked, shocked. He seemed to realize what he had said and quickly looked away. “What were you saying, Todd?” I felt desperate. “You had sex with a minor you hated. Don’t lie now. I know you hated her!”

“I wanted her!” he screamed. His face was twisted in a hot, growing rage. “I may not always have, but I did that day! I needed her! She was there and she was so damned strong!” His eyes rimmed red. I didn’t understand,
why was he so emotional?

“I should have stopped it, I couldn’t…” he said, turning his back to me. “I have to go.”

Bailey entered the room, gasping at the sight of Todd. He shoved past her, taking off down the hall. I wanted to stop him, but I didn’t know how.

Bailey crossed her arms sternly, “What was that freak doing here?”

The past Eric said that Aurora could control the mind.
Was that what she did to Todd? Is that what she’s doing to Eric?
I had to know. I had to be sure, no matter the cost, because I had made a promise, to Eric and myself. My dream where Eric fought and killed me… that was a vision. I could no longer deny it. And if it was real, I was sure the woman I heard was Aurora, controlling his mind. Eric hadn’t wanted to kill me. He had wept and begged. If that was real, Aurora could possibly be controlling his mind now.
Could my life be in danger if I become any closer to him?

I went to my only friend who had always been true to me. I could trust him. I needed his help. Elijah was my only hope. His door was open a crack and I knocked, hoping he would be there. I didn’t know his schedule, and I regretted that now more than ever. I heard from inside, “Come in.” I hesitated, then opened the door and stood face to face with Eric.

I think his face lit up. I couldn’t be sure, because I felt my face light up as soon as I saw him. All that I could think about was when he had protected me earlier, and the way he had looked in my last vision. I felt my heart flutter and a soft blush spread across my face.

“Cassandra,” he said, smiling. My heart skipped a beat.
He called me Cassandra…
“Uh,” he uttered, dropping his pencil on his desk. “What’s up?”

Without thinking I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. I hugged him and felt his arms slowly close around me, hugging me back. His chest felt so warm and inviting. I didn’t want to let go. Ever.

All of my feelings for him rushed to the surface of my mind. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel his lips and lose myself in him. Mike had been an excuse for trying to forget Eric. Mike had been a waste of time, a horrifying waste of time.
This
was love.

Eric let me go. I felt the cold reality that this was not the past and he did not love me here. I let go, too. “Um,” I searched my mind for words… “That was for earlier, with Mike. Thank you for standing up for me.” I looked up at his face and he smiled helplessly.

“Yeah. Was that really your shirt?” Then he looked down at the floor. “Sorry, not my business. I just asked cuz I have it, if you want it back.” He pointed to his backpack.

“Uh, you can keep it.” My eyes opened wide in horror at what I said. “I mean, I don’t want it. You can throw it out or something… Is Tony around?”

“Nah, but he should be back any minute. Want to see what I’m drawing? Come look…” he said, not waiting for an answer. “We had to draw some sort of architecture.” He showed me his drawing, and I gasped.

“It’s charcoal,” he commented. “I’m not very good at it.”

“No… no, it’s beautiful.” I stared at the picture he made. I recognized its subject at once. There was no doubt in my mind. It was my home…that little home in the far past. Some things were a bit off. The hills behind should have been taller. My garden was missing. But there was the doorway that I had stood at, waiting for him so many times. My eyes welled with tears.

“It’s not done yet. So if you think it looks good now, you just wait…” he laughed.

Eric knew. He knew. For how long? Why hadn’t he done something about it? Said something about us? I searched his face. There was nothing, no hint that what he had drawn was anything more than a picture to him.
Does he even realize what he’s drawn? What it means to us?

“Sandra?” he uttered, his voice suddenly filled with concern. I quickly turned my head away, blinking away tears. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. I have to go. Tell Elijah I stopped by?” And I fled the room.

Bailey watched TV while I reclined on my bed, trying to read my business law book. It was impossible. All I could think about was what I was going to tell Elijah.
What could I tell him?
I had been at it for hours, and still…

Just when I thought I would never figure it out, Elijah stepped into the room. “Hey Bailey. Hey Sandy,” he said brightly. His hair was spiked up today. Bailey nodded, still staring at the screen. She was obsessed with her soap operas. “Eric told me you came by,” Elijah prompted me.

“Is he still there?” I asked, closing my book.

“No, he and Aurora went for food.”

“Let’s go to your room,” I said.

As soon as we were in, I shut the door. He watched me strangely. “Elijah, I have to tell you something.”

“About Mike?” he inquired.

“What?” I asked, my eyes shooting wide open, then I quickly added, “No.” He crinkled his forehead, looking confused now.
What made him think this was about Mike?
Eric must have told him.

My heart began to thump hard against my chest. Elijah must have noticed, because he didn’t look confused anymore. He gazed sympathetically at me. I sat down on his bed, quickly becoming dizzy. “Sandy, you can tell me,” he began, dragging a stool over to his bed for himself. “I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”

“Something about Mike?” I asked, trying to play dumb. “There’s nothing to tell,” I added, watching him curiously as he pulled a small black box from his pocket.

“I got you this,” he said, holding it out to me. I took it, curiosity overwhelming me. I opened the lid and saw a silver necklace. I lifted it gently by the thin chain. The charm that hung from it was very pretty, a smooth, long cylinder, with colored gemstone flowers winding their way up the shining silver tube.

“Elijah… it’s beautiful,” I uttered, not understanding why he would give me a gift like this, out of the blue. I ran my fingers over the silver, looking at the pretty design, and noticed that it was hollow.

“It’s a whistle,” he explained. “I got one for my…well, for a friend of mine. She liked it because you can’t tell what it really is. She says it makes her feel safe.”

“Your friend who used to date Mike?” I asked.
Was she raped by him?

“A different friend.” He reached out, lifting the silver from my palm, holding it up, explaining, “You blow into it this way. So, if you’re in trouble, you can attract attention and get help. Okay?”

I looked up at him, silent. My chin tightened and my eyes began to sting.
He knew.
No one had to tell him. He knew what had almost happened with Mike. And, the gift, a perfectly disguised whistle. How did I get so lucky, to find a friend like him?