Prophecy Girl (18 page)

She was glad when the professor finished her painting. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold back her tears, her sorrow for having someone, but wanting another, who didn’t want her. 

“Voilà,” Professor Clarke proclaimed.

She stood away from the canvas for the students to see. It was actually quite extraordinary. It was a portrait of a woman with her face hung low, as she looked down at a child, her child perhaps, and held the baby in her arms. The joy was so vividly expressed on the woman’s face, and the child looked happy, for it was loved.

A student started to clap, and then another, and soon the whole class, Eva included, applauded the professor’s fine work.

She bowed. “Thank you! Thank you!” Then she quickly brushed a few tears away. 

When class ended, Eva felt more at ease with art. She saw it as an expression of one’s soul, rather than a subject to be learned, and forgotten after the year ended.

After Art, it was time for P.E., but they had to go their rooms and change. Liam and Corrine didn’t want to say goodbye, but Eva reminded them that they’d see each other soon. And she had to tell the same thing to Finn and Meg.

“Whoa! Everyone’s hooking up around here,” Lucas said, approaching Eva in the Commons Area, while she stood with the two sets of lovebirds.

Immediately, Eva looked for Devin. He was the last to leave his class, but Bree was with him. They stopped near a closed classroom door, and to Eva’s shock, began to kiss, which seemed to drag on forever, as Bree kept running her hands through his black hair, and Devin kept sliding his hands up and down her back. 

Eva felt like she had just died inside and wished she had a vision, right then and there, to take her away from the hurtful scene in front of her. After Devin pulled away, Bree gave him a hug, and skipped up the west wing grand staircase. Devin ignored everyone, even his friends, but gave Eva a quick glance before he went to the east wing. Something was wrong with him. He looked…sad.

When Lucas slid his arms around Eva’s waist, she said, “We’d better go change.” 

She said it as sweetly as she could, because she didn’t want to hurt him. She was still thinking of Devin.

But Lucas didn’t seem aware of her desire to flee. He pressed his lips against her ear. “Can’t wait to see you in those tight shorts,” he said in a deep voice. Then he trailed kisses down her neck before pulling away.

She was left breathless, by his touch, by his kiss. He seemed to bring her back when she wanted to run away from him. She desired his attention so much more now that Devin didn’t seem to have any interest in her, kissing Bree like a madman. No, he wasn’t mad, but he was sad. He looked depressed after kissing Bree, and Eva didn’t know why.

She walked with an unusually silent Meg and Corrine up to their room, which she didn’t mind, because she was still thinking of Devin. And Lucas. She wanted to really commit herself to him, but she was consumed by Devin, desiring him, needing him, loving him. She wanted Devin’s attention, and it hurt her so much that he was ignoring her, thinking that Bree was a more suitable kissing partner. 

Inside the room, Bree was already dressed. She wore the required outfit of green shorts and a white tee. They fit her like a glove and she looked radiant with her shimmering blond hair down her back. She secured a pink band around it and fashioned a ponytail.

She smiled at the girls. “Isn’t it great that we’ve all found someone?!”

Eva had never heard Bree sound so…nice.

Meg and Corrine giggled. Soon, all three of them were on Bree’s bed, gossiping and talking about Devin, Liam, and Finn. Eva walked to her side of the room, away from all the giddiness. 

“Finn is such a great kisser,” Meg said.

Eva didn’t know they had even kissed. They must have sneaked it in, when no one was looking. 

“Well, Liam is a great kisser,” Corrine said, blushing.

Bree jumped off the bed. “No,
Devin
is the best kisser.” She gave Eva a wide smile. “Even better than Lucas.”

But Eva didn’t sense any meanness in her statement. She truly wanted to get the point across that Devin had the best pair of lips in the school.

“Well, I’ve only kissed Lucas, so I can’t compare,” Eva said, opening her dresser door, and selecting her P.E. outfit.

“Trust me.” Bree jogged over to Eva in her black sneakers and pink socks. That stupid grin wouldn’t leave her face. “Devin is
way
better.”

Eva slammed the drawer, frustrated. “I thought you said he wasn’t passionate. What happened?” 

Bree shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he was unsure if he wanted to get back together? But who cares?!” She giggled, jumping up and down. “He’s great now!”

Eva forced a smile and went into the bathroom to change with a pair of white socks and her black Reeboks. She could hear the three girls, giggling and talking outside the door. She wanted to be happy for them, and for Corrine and Meg she was, but not Bree. Devin kissed her, not Eva. Devin touched her, not Eva. Devin actually remained solid around her, not Eva. She wanted to hate Devin, truly hate him, but she mysteriously loved him. 

Maybe she really was crazy.

When she walked out with her black hair in a long ponytail, she noticed that Corrine and Meg were halfway dressed, while Bree was reapplying her pink nail polish. 

“I’m heading outside,” Eva said to the girls.

“No, wait on us,” Meg urged, slipping into her green shorts.

“Yeah, wait,” Corrine said, yanking on her white tee.

Eva couldn’t run away from them, so she just smiled, and waited against the door. She watched perfect and lucky Bree blow the paint dry on her nails. After what seemed like forever, everyone was now ready.

Bree ran ahead of them. “I’m off to see Devin.”

Corrine and Meg laughed, and then began their own discussions of the virtues of their guys, Liam and Finn. Eva tuned them out. She liked Liam and Finn, but she didn’t want to hear how Finn liked to gently tug at Meg’s bottom lip as they kissed, or that Liam’s breath tasted like tobacco and Skittles, which Corrine didn’t have a problem with.

Eva had always had a problem with Lucas’ tobacco kisses that she tried to accept, but didn’t like. She wondered what Devin’s lips tasted like, but then quickly pushed her fantasies aside.

She was with Lucas and although possessive, he wanted her. 

“What are you daydreaming about?”

Eva was outside when she looked up and saw Colin, smoking and leaning against a chimney. He wore blue jeans and a black Led Zeppelin T-shirt. Ahead, Meg and Corrine were still chatting away, and didn’t even realize they had left Eva behind.

In the distance, she saw Coach Geoffrey Brennan, in his late fifties, muscular like a body builder with a green whistle on a black string around his neck. He wore a white T-shirt and black shorts, and stood near the basketball court, watching some guys shoot hoops.

She hoped that wouldn’t be their first assignment. She was never good at sports and hoped that Coach Brennan would settle for a short walk. That was easy.

“What makes you think I was daydreaming?” She leaned against the wall, next to Colin, looking around for Lucas and Devin, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Colin exhaled. The smoke trailed in her direction and she waved it away. “You have that look.” 

“What look?” She reached her hand up to touch her face.

Colin gently grabbed her wrist, and held it away from her face. He laughed at her silliness. “It’s not visible, but it’s there.”

She let him hold onto her wrist. It felt nice and warm. “What’s there?”

“The look of pain,” he said softly. “And not the type of pain from being a Banshee. It’s something else.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“What the FUCK do you think you’re doing?!”

She turned to see Lucas, a few feet away, with Devin behind him, and then Liam and Finn, already in their P.E. clothes: white T-shirts with long black shorts and black sneakers. Lucas was staring at her hand, being held by Colin. Quickly, she jerked it out of his grasp. Devin kept his distance, looking worried, sad. Liam and Finn tried to stop Lucas, but it was no good. He was advancing to them, and he was furious.

“I asked you a question, motherfucker! What do you think you’re doing touching my girl?!”

Lucas and Colin were now eye to eye. Lucas’ face was red hot, and he looked like he was going to explode in anger, but Colin was cool.

Colin shrugged. “If she didn’t want to be touched, she shouldn’t have let me.” Then he pointed his lit cigarette at Lucas’ face. “Maybe you’re not giving her what she needs,” he accused casually.

“Now you’re asking for it.” Lucas spoke in an even voice, which made him sound even scarier.

She knew what was going to happen next—a fight—and she didn’t want that.

“It’s okay, Lucas.” She gently touched his arm, trying to soothe him, as he had soothed her. Lucas angrily pushed her hand away.

“That’s no way to treat a lady,” Colin said, now sounding angry.

Suddenly, Lucas grabbed Colin by his shirt, and slammed him against the rough bricks, rearing his fist back. Eva closed her eyes, knowing what was about to happen.

“C’mon Lucas!” Liam shouted in his Texan accent. “He ain’t worth it.”

“Let it go, man,” Finn said in a calmer voice.

She didn’t hear Devin speak up, and she didn’t look, keeping her face pressed against the wall of the house. Then she heard a whistle blow and turned to see Coach Brennan, approaching them.

“All right, break it up!” he bellowed. “Daly! Use some of that pent up anger in class today.”

To Eva’s surprise, Lucas relaxed his fist, and let go of Colin. “Later, punk,” he warned him.

Colin didn’t respond and just took another drag.

Coach Brennan directed them to the field, where the rest of the students were waiting to start class. Liam and Finn walked away, and then Devin, who gave Eva a quick glance, one of repeated sadness, before he followed. Lucas finally moved from his determined spot and held out his hand for Eva.

“C’mon, babe. Let’s go,” he said with still a touch of anger in him. 

“Just get the hell over there!” Coach Brennan barked. 

Lucas had to forget about Eva. He walked away, angry, with the coach behind him. She let them go on ahead, but she didn’t immediately follow.

She turned to Colin. “Sorry about that. Maybe you shouldn’t touch me again.”

He smiled. “Maybe you shouldn’t let me.”

“It was just my wrist,” she said, defending her actions. 

“A long time ago, the touch of a woman’s wrist would’ve driven a man wild.”

“Do you mean you or Lucas?” she asked, confused, as to who was being driven “wild.”

But he only answered her with a smirk. Then he finished his cigarette, threw it on the grass, and extinguished it under his black boot. She heard the coach’s whistle.

“Better get going,” Colin advised.

She nodded and turned to walk away.

“One more thing,” he said.

She turned back to face him. “What?” 

He smirked. “Nice outfit.”

She just rolled her eyes and left him there, leaning against the wall.

When she finally joined the rest of the class, she stood with Corrine and Meg, while Lucas, Devin, Liam, and Finn were gathered behind her. Coach Brennan started them off with a series of warm-up exercises. Under the afternoon sun, they stretched, did jumping jacks, and squats. Eva could feel her shorts riding up her behind, but didn’t dare yank them out with fifty Leprechauns standing behind her. 

While the boys engaged in basketball, the girls went to the volleyball net. Coach Brennan went through the rules of the game. It seemed easy enough, but when the volleyball flew in her direction, hit expertly by Bree, Eva failed to hold her hands together to hit it back, and it slammed against her head. Amazingly, it bounced back so hard and fast that it flew up and over the net. The opposing team, in awe, failed to hit it back, and Eva’s team, composed of Corrine, Meg, and a few others, got the point.

Everyone cheered and applauded. Eva felt like her day had just started to get better, but then, it got terribly worse. She fell to her knees, clutching her head in her hands. 

She saw a man, driving drunk at night, on some busy highway. He was being reckless, heading straight for an offshoot, where a large oak tree was sturdily placed. She knew what would happen next. He would hit it with his car and die. And there would be blood. Tears were already threatening around her eyes like hot pools of clear lava. 

She felt soft hands on her back, her arms, but then a voice rang out in the distance, “Get off her! Get away from her! I’m the only one who can help her!”

It was Lucas. She needed him.

“LUCAS!” She cried out. “LUCAS!”

Suddenly, she felt warm, with strong arms around her back, and the smell of tobacco and sweat, as Lucas cradled her head in the crook of his neck.

“I’m here, baby. I’m here. Shhh…Shhh.” He held her to him, gently rocking her back and forth. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. I’m here now.”