OUTCAST: A Stepbrother Romance (12 page)

I
stood
up and a liquid substance trickled down my thighs. I checked the bed and a puddle of wetness formed from where I got up.

I
gazed back
at the window. The glass pane was open.

H
e was here
.

W
e made love
.

I
wasn’t dreaming
.

A
nd I failed
to say what I should’ve told him.

A
fter classes ended
the next day, I hurriedly walked towards the parking lot. I was planning to do something that afternoon, and I didn’t want to get home late as that would surely rouse up some suspicions at home... suspicions which I was in no position to answer.

I
dashed through the hallway
, down the main steps, to the open area where the students converged. Some were planning about parties they will either host or attend the coming weekend. Some were just busy chatting. Others were engaged in gossips. A number were huddled in groups, gaining some confidence to flirt with some people a few feet away from them. Strength in numbers, so they say.

A
ll of their chitchats
, all of the issues they were discussing, all of the pseudo-problems they were tackling... they were all mundane compared to the things I was going through.

B
ut was
it something that I should really be worried about?

W
hat if the
test was wrong?

I
had to be sure
.

I
had
to know for certain so that I could plan my next course of action.

H
alfway through the quadrangle
, a familiar figure approached me. Tall, slender, blonde and extraordinarily beautiful, I cringed as she called out my name,

“
H
ey Andrea
,” she said, “can you spare a few minutes? We really need to talk.”

I
pretended
like I didn’t hear her. I walked faster towards the parking lot, towards my car, adamant to get out of there as soon as possible.

“
A
ndrea
, please...” she pleaded. There was a tinge of helplessness in her voice, begging for mercy.

S
o I stopped
and turned to face her.

“
T
here’s
nothing to talk about, Jaynie,” I frigidly told her.

I
t was true
. What could we possibly discuss that I didn’t already know? The truth? That she and Finn were having an affair behind my back? Or the excuse that Finn already told me? That she just went to his place for a shower?

“
Y
ou haven’t been attending
practice,” she calmly said, an icebreaker of sorts, or so it seemed.

“
T
hat’s
because I have quit,” I replied callously. “Or do I need to put that in writing and give you a thirty day notice?”

“
N
o
, no,” she answered as she bowed her head... because of shame or disheartenment, I would never know. “It’s just that, well, the girls have been asking about you?”

R
eally now
?

I
found
that very hard to believe. Everyone in that group... well, majority of them, at least... hated me. To them, I was the commoner who never belonged, the average girl - unexceptional in every way - who managed to win the heart of the hottest guy in school. Either because of jealousy or discrimination or plain arrogance, they never really accepted me in their ranks.

“
T
hey were asking about me
?” I sardonically asked. “Or are you just worried that I told some of them about you and Finn?”

H
er eyes widened
, in dejection more than shock.

I
started
to walk towards my car once more, and that time, she didn’t stop me. She has delayed my plan already, and I couldn’t afford another second in school. I had to be somewhere.

I
rode
my car and drove off. Some fifteen minutes later and I was at Lincoln Highway, about to turn left towards Mosquito Road.

L
inda’s Round
-The-Clock Convenience Store.

T
hat was
the name of the shop by the gas station. It was on a lighted signage right above the main door. How could I have missed it before? As it turned out, the proprietor’s name had to be revealed via an unexpected encounter with our next-door neighbor. I prayed that Billy Bob wouldn’t be there that time around.

I
parked
a few meters away from the store. As I walked towards the entrance, a lot of questions started to flood my mind...

W
ill Linda remember me
?

W
ill
she be as helpful and as nice as before?

D
o
I really need to buy another kit?

W
ill it show a different result
?

A
n electronic tone
- like a Christmas song - sounded as I opened the door, and Linda greeted me good evening as soon as I entered.
Good evening.
I didn’t even notice that the sun has set. I had to do this quick. I had to get back home fast. It was late enough as it was.

I
didn’t dillydally anymore
, like how I did during my first visit. I didn’t have the luxury of time. I went straight to the counter where Linda was.

“
H
ow can I help you
, young lady?” she asked with a warm smile, her spectacles looking small above her chubby cheeks. She was a rather rotund elderly woman with the most pleasant of personalities. And based on how she treated me the last time around, she was a very kind and understanding person as well. That’s why I drove this far to her store.

B
ut her question
gave me the impression that she didn’t remember me.

O
h crap
.
That would make matters more difficult.

“
U
hm
... uhm...” I started to say, trying my best to find the right words to utter.

“
O
h
... it’s you!” she suddenly exclaimed, much to my relief. “You’re Billy Bob’s neighbor, right?”

I
nodded
and gave her a shy grin.

“
W
ant to make sure
, huh?” she said with a weird expression on her face... like a mixture of excitement and glumness... wanting to reassure but quite anxious at the same time. It’s amazing, however, how she seemingly read my mind.

A
gain
, I just nodded.

“
C
ome here
, right around the counter,” she invited me. “Least thing we want is another person who’ll come in and recognize you while you’re buying another rabbit test.”

I
did as she instructed
. I walked to the side of the cashier’s table where a small opening led to her area of the store. Then I stood right beside her.

S
he opened
the drawer below the desk and showed me a number of pregnancy kit boxes of different brands.

“
W
hich one do you want
?” she asked.

“
I
dunno
,” I replied. “Which one is the most accurate?”

“
A
ll of them
are equally reliable,” she said. “This right here, though, is a lot cheaper than the rest.” She reached for a baby blue box that was noticeably smaller than the others.

“
T
his would be good
,” I told her. I hurriedly picked up the box and placed it inside my bag before anyone would see me carrying it in my hands. I was traumatized by what happened last Saturday, and I didn’t want a repeat of that incident again. “How much?” I asked Linda.

S
he didn’t answer
.

I
was
about to repeat my question, fearing that her advanced age has diminished her hearing. But when I gazed at her, I noticed that she had a disturbed look on her face. She was seemingly alarmed and frightened and at the verge of panicking as she was staring outside, past the glass windows of her store. I turned to look at what caused her trepidation.

T
hen I saw them
.

F
our people
, garbed in worker’s overalls much like the ones that carpenters and plumbers usually wore... but what was terrifying about them was that they were wearing clown masks. They didn’t want to be identified. It was clear that they had very, very evil intentions as they approached the shop.

T
error gripped
me and I began to hyperventilate. I saw two of them carrying baseball bats. Any reasonable person would immediately know that they were planning to rob Linda’s store.

S
uddenly
, I felt a hand snatch the back of my shirt and pulled me down. I wasn’t able to resist as my knees bent and my body collapsed over my thighs. The hand held the top of my head, pushing me further down... hidden behind the counter.... hidden from their sight.

“
W
hatever happens
,” Linda said, “don’t stand up. Just hide there.”

I
held
my legs tight and curled into a ball. I tried to ward off my tears... to muster enough courage... to keep my mind clear so that I’d know how to react to the situation that was about to unfold.

I
heard
the door open and the electronic chime that followed.

I
heard
their heavy footsteps enter the premises and walk towards us.

I
heard
Linda gasp for air as she braced for the worst.

“
Y
a’ know
what this be about, ya’ fuckin’ old tramp?” one of them asked, mockingly.

H
is voice
... his voice was somewhat familiar. I’ve heard it before...

“
C
alm down
, son,” Linda said. “Take whatever you want and leave. I won’t fight back.”

“
L
ike hell you can
, ya’ old shitty tranny!” the same voice yelled again.

T
hen it struck me
. It was the white guy from last Saturday, one of the two people who threatened me when I walked out of Linda’s store... the guy who wore an inverted baseball cap.

I
heard a slapping sound
, followed by another, and another, and yet another after that.

“
T
ranma
! Tranma!” the white guy’s voice continued to taunt her. I looked up and saw the he was striking her with his open hand. “A tranny granma... tranma.” He laughed. “Ain’t that funny, Cholito?”

“
Y
ou fucking idiot
!” another voice screamed. “What ya’ doin’ speakin’ my name like that?” It was another voice that I’ve encountered before... the white guy’s Latino companion... the one who asked me to deliver the message to Nash... the one who called me a
crab bitch
...

“
E
nough of that shit
, both of you,” yet another voice commanded. I haven’t heard it before. Based on his authoritative tone, it was apparent that he was the leader of their group. “Open the damn register and get the money.”

“
Y
a’ ain’t
the fuckin’ boss of me, hommes,” the white guy rebelliously replied. His words were followed by a swinging noise and the sound of bottles smashing against the force of a blunt object. “just coz’ the General made you leader o’ this set doesn’t mean you be the boss of me, you fag!”

“
Y
ou motherfucking moron
!” the unknown voice answered back. His words were straighter and more common than the lingo the other two were using. “Stop drawing attention and finish this job quick!”

I
heard
the cash register open. I heard their hands grabbing the money inside, including coins... some of which dropped to the floor right in front of me. I prayed really hard that they won’t bother to pick them up.

“
T
his be like eight Benjamins
,” the Latino said. “This ain’t worth shit for all the effort we balled,” he continued, angrily.

“
T
hat’s all I have
,” Linda was quick to add. “Take the money and leave. I won’t even file a report.”

“
T
he General ain’t
gonna be pleased with this haul,” the Latino voice muttered his frustration.

“
W
e got
two more joints to raid,” the unknown voice spoke. “Let’s just get this done and move our ass to the next stop.”