KISS (9 page)

“
Yeah, it’s really sad. He
doesn’t let anyone know about it. How’d you find out?”

“
She had an episode when we
were leaving the grocery store. I haven’t said a word. I wouldn’t
even have told you if you hadn’t said your mom was a doctor. I’m
assuming she’s treating his mother.” Natasha didn’t get a chance to
reply. The professor walked in ready to start class when Axel
walked in behind him.

Iris pretended that she wasn’t
frolicking in a fantastical forest in utter happiness because he
was there. She glanced at Natasha when she cleared her throat.
Natasha gestured toward the broken pencil in her hand and Iris
flushed, so she was a little excited she couldn’t help
herself.

“
Hey.”

“
Hi Axel,” she muttered
looking down. When she continued to feel his presence she glanced
up and gazed into his startling eyes. They were clouded and
confused. She wondered what was on his mind. Her finger twitched
from her need to reach up and smooth the crease between his brows.
She was stupid. She didn’t even know why she bothered with him. He
was such a douchebag last night. She didn’t know what to expect
from him. It was oddly disconcerting.

Axel sat in his seat once class
started, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off Iris. If his dad knew he
was focusing on a girl instead of his studies, he would get an
earful. The scouts were going to be at the school soon and he
needed to be playing in tip top form. He excelled in his studies
because his dad wanted to make sure they had everything covered,
when they came to draft him. But Iris had the prettiest colored
eyes he’d ever seen. She was so different from the other girls,
soon his eyes drifted over towards Natasha her friend. Whenever he
looked at her his head hurt. He clasped it in his hands. Maybe he
should get it check out. He’s been having an awful lot of headaches
lately.

“
You alright?”

“
Yeah, I’m fine,” he
grunted returning his focusing toward the teacher.

***

Axel was glad the day was over. He’d
been feeling strange since seeing Iris and he was afraid that
something happened, but he couldn’t remember. School had let out a
while ago, the students glad to be released from the confines of
the classrooms. If it were only that simple for him. Things were a
little tense on the football team. Axel was the starting quarter
back and Brad had been his tight end. The plays wouldn’t work if
they weren’t in sync and it was obscenely obvious at today’s
practice.

“
I don’t care what
happened. Leave it in the damn locker room!” the coach yelled at
the two once practice was over. Axel hung his head in shame. He
hated to disappoint people and he could tell he’d let his coach
down. He needed to go for a run to release some pent up
frustration. Axel began to strip in the locker room. He groaned
when Brad approached him.

“
Didn’t know you were that
kind of person. You should have told me you were seeing the girl. I
thought I was your bro,” Brad said angrily.

“
Dude, I’m sorry. I just…I
don’t know. I lost it.”

“
That’s all you can say.
Dude, you bloody me up. I wasn’t expecting that from someone who’s
back I’m always covering. Don’t worry about it. I’ve already warned
her.”

“
What the hell are you
talking about Brad?” Axel could feel his hands trembling and the
world became distorted.

“
Dude calm down,” Brad said
backing away with his hands up. “I’m just looking out for her.
There’s something wrong with you Axel or Rex. Whatever one you
prefer.”

Brad realized he’d bitten off more
than he could chew when he saw the fury in Axel’s eyes. He didn’t
know why he always pushed the guy’s buttons. It wasn’t his fault,
he made it so easy. He would never admit that it was his fear for
his classmate that made him mean.

“
What’s going on in here?”
the coach asked.

“
I was leaving,” Axel said
moving past both of them.

11

Kisses and Fireworks

“
I’m paying you a lot of
money to fix him!” he thundered.

“
Mr. Rotterdam, it is
unnecessary to use that tone or language in this office, and I
can’t do anything until he opens up more.”

“
I don’t have the time. The
scouts are coming and I refuse to see a chance of a lifetime for
him go down the drain. Now if I don’t see some results I will take
my business somewhere else.”

“
But sir, you can’t.
Dissociative Identity—”

“
I don’t want to hear it!
Fix it!” he roared as he stormed out of the psychiatrist’s office.
Lisa sighed, she had no idea how she was going to help him when his
father wouldn’t even acknowledge Axel had a problem. She looked
down at her diagnosis while massaging her temples.

Dissociative identity
disorder is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process which
produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories,
feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity
disorder is thought to stem from trauma experienced by the person
with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a
coping mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself from a
situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful
to assimilate with his conscious self.

Lisa Covington was beautiful woman.
She had creamy caramel colored skin and bright almond eyes to
match. Her eyes were distant when her daughter entered and the
confusion in them eluded to the complexities of her
thoughts.

“
Mom?”

“
Hi sweetie. How was school
today?”

“
It was good. I’m worried
about my friend Iris. I think something happened with her and
Axel.”

“
Why would you think that
sweetie?”

“
I don’t know they seemed
weird.”

“
Well darling you know I
can’t talking to you about Axel. Confidentiality, HIPAA laws
prevents me from doing so and mom wants to keep her
job.”

“
I know but.”

“
No buts. Now are you still
crushing on little Axel after all the years?”

“
Bye mom!” Natasha squealed
before making a beeline towards the door. Her mother chuckled at
her antics, how was her little girl going to get home if she had
the keys.

***

Iris sighed when she got home. School
was going fine but she felt like everyone was keeping something
from her, and Axel was just well a mystery. She launched herself
into Chester’s arms, smiling into his beautiful violet eyes. He
always made her heart race. She wondered if he remembered he stole
her fist kiss, it was something she’d never forgot; without her
knowledge her eyes locked onto his lips. They were so smooth and he
had the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. She licked her lips
reflexively.

“
Iris?” she glanced at him
surprised. She was a nice bun warming in the oven and the
temperature had risen to four hundred degrees. Shoving Chester away
from her she fled to her room. Once she reached the safety of her
room she closed the door and buried her face into the pillow. Why
did she have to like boys?!

Oh no! He saw me staring
at his lips like they were James Dean’s leather jacket! He knows!
I’ve ruined everything.

Thump! Thump!

Her heart beat painfully in her chest
and she held her breath as Chester entered the room. She was a
complete mess. She was the sun having a solar flare. She was
ablaze, the high energy radiated from her skin eluding to the chaos
that took place inside of her. Was it possible for a person to
erupt?

“
Iri?” She heard the
question in his tone, but she kept her face buried in the pillow.
After all the years he was going to find out she’d been crushing on
him, not only was she confused by Axel’s presence, a certain
someone else plagued her thoughts. She grunted as Chester covered
her body with his own and ignored the feeling burning in the pit of
her stomach. His hands wrapped around her wrists. She buried her
face further into the pillow, as his lips grazed her
ear.

“
Iri. It’s okay. No more
running.” What was he talking about? She wasn’t running. She was
regrouping preparing for the battle that laid ahead. “Cheese what
are you doing?” she gasped out as he flipped her over and stared
into her eyes.

“
Stop running from me
Iris,” he panted out heavily. This was the moment he’d been waiting
for. He wanted to profess his feelings for her but wasn’t sure how
she’d respond until today.

“
I wasn’t running. I was…”
her sentence was cut off by a kiss. Iris gasped into his mouth and
was blown away by the fireworks that rocketed into the realms. The
brilliance of colors dazed her, and left her speechless by their
intensity. She’d been blinded, and left at a loss for words staring
into the brightest pair of violet eyes she’d ever seen. They were
so unique.

“
Wow,” she whispered
touching her lips. His snickers filled the silent room bringing
heat to her face once again.

“
I’ve been wanting to do
that for a while now.” He gave her a chaste kiss before releasing
her. She sat up and looked at Chester with wide eyes; her face was
bound to liquefy at this point.

“
How did you know?” she
stuttered out. Iris felt as if she were in a labyrinth its complex
structure of passages muddled her already addled brains. She sought
to find the key and free herself. She was so close to obtaining her
goal when the door to her room opened.

“
Hey kids, dinner will be
ready soon. Iris there’s an event this weekend and I want you to
attend. Tootles.” Iris groaned as her mother closed the door. She
didn’t want to go anywhere this weekend.

“
Hey, it comes along with
being part of an elite crowd. You really should just accept
it.”

“
Not you too Cheese. C’mon
I’m hungry let’s see what’s for dinner.”

***

Iris stood grumpily next to her
parents as she cursed Chester. He was able to skip out on this
little party. Tables were covered in beautiful cloth, succulent
dishes thrived in the light begging to be tasted and there was an
abundant of alcohol. She wore an off the shoulder black dress that
hugged her curves with metallic pumps to match. The tear drop
diamond necklace her parents got her sparkled in the light. Iris
felt naked with all her hair piled on her head.

“
Iris! Hey darling glad you
could make it.” Iris wanted to roll her eyes as Jean-Pierre
approached. She was starting to think her mother was trying to set
them up. It was just like her, she would love to have a fashion
designer in the house.

“
Jean.”

“
Don’t be that way,
especially when I’m about to do you a favor.”

“
What is that?” she huffed
out.

“
Show you some real fun,”
he said smiling deviously at her. Iris heart thumped in her chest.
What was up with her and bad boys. Don’t let the perv get you. Not
the perv. Nope. Not happening.

“
What are you doing?” he
asked quizzically. Iris opened her eyes and glanced at him. She
hadn’t realize that she sought the altar of the gods, offering them
her prayers, hopes and dreams only to be mocked and dragged back to
realty by this man. It seemed Hades was the only person who came to
answer her call.

“
Fine,” she said and her
shoulders sagged as Jean-Pierre dragged her to her doom.

12

Love Square?

Iris followed behind Jean-Pierre and
didn’t really understand why she did it. She wanted to know his
story, he was a mystery just like everyone else. It wasn’t very
often that she came across someone with Latin Descent with a name
like Jean-Pierre. It was usually Juan, Luis, or Mario.

“
Why Jean-Pierre?” she
asked as he led them to another entertaining area. He froze and
glanced back her. “My mother is French and my father is from
Honduras.” He briskly turned around and she followed him. Was it a
sore subject for him? Did she offend him? Was he angry? She should
return to the front; before she could voice her opinions they
stopped. They were in another opulent room. People sat around on
premium leather furniture. There were people cuddled up a little
too close and a little too touchy for her taste. She didn’t think
Jean-Pierre would take her to such a place. She fought back the
need to close her eyes and run away, as a woman shoved her hands
down the pants of her male companion. Iris remained transfixed by
the expression on his face. He sat with his legs spread and the
woman next to him. His head rested on the back of the couch and the
look of euphoria, pleasure on his face made her want to capture it.
She blanched when he opened his eyes and connected with her. Damn.
She’d been caught. Jean-Pierre took her hand into his and smiled
interrupting the battle of wills between her and the unknown
man.