My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (10 page)

“Oh
, Mateo…I’m sorry, are you okay?” Audra asked.

“Go home.”

“I was…am. Are you sure you’re all right?”

She walk
ed closer, trying to inspect his injury, but he stepped back narrowing his eyes. “Leave me alone.”

Before she c
ould gasp from his remark, he had already crossed the street at a quick clip without looking back.

Her hands were aching from the dusting, polishing, sweeping and mopping, but it didn’t slow her down. She needed to keep busy, keep her mind on a progressive task. Mom was extremely grateful to see the chores completed yesterday, but today seemed to be overkill. At least she hadn’t complained out loud when the vacuum came out early this morning. Of course Jim did, but that was to be expected. Dad left.

Audra put
the vacuum back into the closet just as the doorbell rang. Jim opened it, inviting Tobias in.

“Shoes off
,” Audra stated.

“She’s been on a cleaning jag all weekend
,” Jim said.

Tobias t
ook off his shoes without complaint, but he gave her a curious look. She turned away from them, heading into the kitchen. Mom sipped from a cup while reading a magazine. Audra went to the sink, using the washcloth to wipe down the counters. She noticed a few utensils in the sink and began to wash them, too. When she dried her hands, Mom was staring straight at her.

“Sit
.”

“
But I’m not done,” Audra said.

“Now.”

Audra sat down, but her eyes scanned the room for a distraction.

“What’s got you in cleaning mode?” Mom ask
ed.

“Nothing.”

“No ‘study session’ coming up?” Mom inquired.

“No
, I just felt like it. All right?”

Unable to sit still any longer, Audra head
ed out of the kitchen and into the living room just as Jim started to head for the kitchen. The calmness of her brother’s appearance only ratcheted up her anxiety. Tobias caught her attention with a wave, and against her better judgment, she went over to him. He patted the cushion beside him, but she refused to sit. Her nerves were already jumping with lack of activity.

“Got plans for tonight?”

“Why?” Audra asked.

“I wanna take you out.”

“You’re kidding, right?” she inquired.

“We didn’t finish talking.”

“No, I’m glad that we stopped. You were right. I can’t unknow things,” she said.

“You’re all twitchy, which leads me to believe you already figured something out.”

“I just keep dreaming of the same memory over and over. Daydreaming included. It won’t stop,” she admitted.

“What do you see?”

“Nothing I can explain,” Audra said, noticing Jim returning. “See ya.”

She
went up the stairs to hide in her room with the cleaning products. It only took a couple of hours to get her room cleaned and organized. The smell of dinner made its way up the stairs and sent Audra down them. She made quick work of setting the table and assisting in the kitchen until everything was set and ready. Dad walked in the door just as the pot roast was pulled out of the oven.

Dinner
was served, although Audra only took a minimal amount to her plate. It only took her a handful of swipes through her portions to clear her plate. Dad started to get into the nitty gritty conversation of classes with Jim. Audra tried to take slow, deep breaths, but her insides seemed to coil tightly around each other leaving a nauseous feeling in its wake. She sipped her water a few times, but nothing seemed to quell the anxiousness. There seemed to be nothing obvious setting it off. Nothing she could notice at least.

“Did you take your test yet?” Dad inquire
d.

Audra g
ot up from the table to retrieve it, handing it back to him. He looked over the grade and grunted. It was apparent that he’d rather she do badly, so he could put down more rules. She looked over to her mom, but she still seemed to be dealing with her earlier mood. Audra took a few more breaths before she couldn’t take much more of the family dinner. She quietly stood, bringing her plate to the sink and washed everything. When she returned, worry lines seemed to be crossing her parents’ faces.

“Audra, are you feeling okay?” Mom ask
ed.

Her
first response was to say that she felt fine, but maybe it would help her cause if they knew she wasn’t.

“I just feel kind of anxious. And it’s turning my stomach.”

“Anxious about what?” Mom inquired.

“That’s just it. I don’t know.”

Feeling drained after the long day, Audra decided to go to bed. Her mind had been in overdrive since Friday, and she’d rather shut it all down. As she crawled into bed, she tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable spot, but nothing seemed to placate her mood. She stared at the ceiling for a minute before going to the window. Maybe if it was darker she could fall asleep faster. She reached out to the window cord when a feeling of heat started to rise once again.

She close
d her eyes and rubbed her face up and down, trying to gain control, but it was different. It wasn’t the same sweltering temperature change that had overwhelmed her previously. She took a few deep breaths before beginning to tug on the cord when she recognized a figure standing on the sidewalk. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was the only person she knew who took walks at night. But what was he doing out there? After the way he treated her earlier, there was no point in wondering. She tugged the cord hard, dropping the shades, and went to bed.

*****

“What are you going to wear on Friday?” Stephen ask
ed.

“Jeans and my jersey
,” Audra replied.

“The Pirates are no match for the Wolverines
,” Stephen stated proudly.

Audra roll
ed her eyes. It was only Tuesday, and Stephen was ready to start up the rivalry. For some reason, the schools had been pinned against each other for the last few decades. She felt the intensity when the games came around, but to start beating chests so early wasn’t in her. She had seen it happen to other teammates in sports, especially football. Those games were brutal on the field, and sportsmanlike behavior sat precariously on a pin. It only took one swing and a fight broke out.

“Is Chris coming too?”

“Totally. You have your official fan club,” Stephen commented.

She close
d her locker and faced her friend with a forced smile. Her body temperature had been fluctuating with her daydreams, and as much as she tried to focus, she kept slipping into them. The memory was always the same, but she couldn’t figure out why or even the point. Audra wanted to know her past, know the reasons behind the actions being put upon her; but now it seemed like a waste as much as a burden. She still had no answers, more questions and felt like she could just melt from the searing heat her mind put upon her body.

As she beg
an to walk towards her next class she spotted Valerie, head held high with a bright smile. As a path cleared, it was obvious why. Tobias walked beside her with his arm casually draped over her shoulder. The girl finally managed to snag him, and it caused Audra to grit her teeth. Tobias deserved to be with someone who would actually care about him, not use him for popularity. It hadn’t been a secret that Tobias and Jim were part of the in-crowd; it was just horrible to see a friend being duped.

Audra use
d Stephen’s height to hide behind and blend into the crowd. Once she passed the couple, she made it a mission to keep her head down, walking straight to gym. She didn’t bother trying to discuss anything with Stephen, ducking right into the locker room. Changing into her uniform took a few minutes, but she had no will power to go back to the gym. She sat on the wood bench, blankly staring at the lockers. It was only the beginning of second period, but she was already thinking she made the wrong decision in coming to school.

The bell r
ang, reluctantly sending her into the gym, but she didn’t make a move towards Stephen. Instead, she decided to go for her lap alone, stretching silently but focused on her actions. Stephen gave her a strange look but sat beside her anyway. It wasn’t her intention to make him feel put out, but she couldn’t explain what she was feeling.

Mr.
Adams split the class in half and set up for a game of Spasticball—a mixture of soccer and basketball wrapped in one. They could only take three steps with the ball in their hands, and they had to shoot it into a basketball hoop. If the ball was on the floor, it had to be kicked into the goal. The only way to get the ball up was to have it kicked up like a hacky sack, no reaching down to get it. Stephen was teamed against her, which was a benefit in her eyes.

The game start
ed easily enough, mostly using soccer to get goals, but that wasn’t her type of sport. She made a point of staying open near the basketball hoop, dodging Stephen’s attention in the process. As the ball was kicked closer towards her, Mateo managed to guide it towards the soccer goal only to notice three people ready to block and steal it. In one fluid move, he got around two of them, but the third person blocked the area closing in to intercept it. Audra waved her hands catching his attention. Mateo used the toe of his shoe to roll it back and kick it up towards her. With an easy catch, she tossed it into the basket winning the point and tying the game.

Mr. Adams
blew the whistle soon after ending the game. Audra went straight into the locker room to change and was the first to wait by the door. Sudden warmth came to her cheeks. She rubbed them and didn’t feel anything, but it was clear the tingles had started in her face. Panic started to set in; she wasn’t daydreaming. She tried to take a deep breath but started to cough and choke, feeling a burning in her throat. The sound of flapping began once again, louder than before as her eyes began to water.

A firm pat on the back cause
d her to finally catch a deep, cleansing breath. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as Stephen rubbed her back comfortingly. She started to hyperventilate, freaking out. This couldn’t keep happening all the time. This wasn’t normal; it didn’t make sense. What was wrong with her?

“You al
l right?” Stephen asked.

“No…”

Stephen pulled her in tightly for a hug, trying to calm her since it was clear she was visibly upset. She looked around not noticing anyone near enough to overhear her. The last thing she needed was someone overhearing anything. That kind of information could easily find its way back to Jim.

“I need your help
,” Audra said.

“Sure.”

“I haven’t been feeling well for a while. Can you cover for me if I need you?” she whispered.

“What are you talking about?”

“I keep having this strange sensation happen and—”

“What do you mean
‘a strange sensation’?” Stephen interrupted.

“I can’t explain it. I just feel…”

Audra felt her cheeks begin to warm again and panicked, grabbing even more tightly onto Stephen. He looked down at her, rubbing her back again, concerned. She couldn’t explain anything in detail—at least not here—but something was coming. Anxiousness started to rumble in her stomach, but with Stephen’s help, took deep breaths to calm down. As she stepped back, her misty, amber eyes met with gray. Audra swallowed hard and wiped her eyes, adverting her stare to the floor.

“Different
,” she finished.

*****

Audra tucked her hair behind her ears while settling into her math assignment. Stephen silently worked on his own homework with Molly. She only had one overwhelming experience so far today, and she’d rather not explain another issue if she could help it. As much as she was glad that she at least mentioned something to her best friend, she could feel his eyes upon her, constantly watching like she was going to have a fit any moment. That wasn’t exactly what she had in mind when she asked for him to cover for her, but of course, he’d be concerned.

She ke
pt busy working through the page of math problems until she completed the assignment. One look at the clock, and she was more than ready to be on her way home. Audra packed up her notebook and books, following her friends down the hallway. Once outside, Molly started to unlock her car and Stephen got in the front.

“I’m gonna walk today. I need some fresh air
,” Audra advised.

“It’s
really windy though. Are you sure?” Molly asked.

Audra nod
ded and went back inside the building to her locker. She put her math book inside with the homework. One less item to carry on the walk back, but it was better if she had a few minutes to herself. The only alone time she ever had was in the confinement of her own room. She took her time clearing out her bag of needless items and slipped on her jacket before slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She made her way through the empty halls into the lobby area. She pushed against the exit when a voice surprised her.

“Audra?” Tobias ask
ed. “What are you doing here?”

She turn
ed, taking in Tobias in his usual baseball cap with sunglasses on top of the bill.

“Group study
,” she replied.

“Do you need a ride home?”