Telesa - The Covenant Keeper (16 page)

“Yes, dahling?”

“Thanks for that. I appreciate it.” I fell into step beside him as he sashayed along.

“Oh, don’t worry. Maleko’s an idiot. What’s in the star anyways?” Simone gave me a sideways smirk, as if he already knew the answer.

“Nothing. Just origami shapes. Something I like to play around with. You know. Keeps me busy during a boring class.”

“Yeah right.” Simone arched one eyebrow at my response. “Funny, there’s someone else here who likes to do origami too, someone who’s better known for his footwork on the rugby field rather than his paperwork. You two should get together and share designs some time. Keep you both busy during a boring class.” And with those cryptic words, Simone flounced off after another willowy boy-girl. “
Sass
wait up!” Leaving me speechless.

Shaking my head at his exit I looked around for a secluded spot to open my note, having to be content with a seat inside the library. With careful hands I unfolded the paper edges, trying to memorize the creases so I could be sure of returning it to its original shape afterwards. Yes! I was right – it
was
a note, but a confusing one.

Leila.

‘She moves in mysterious ways.’ U2.

Trying to figure you out.

Daniel.

I read over the words several times …
she moves in mysterious ways
? What the heck did he mean? I knew the song by U2 but wasn’t familiar with all the words. Urgently, I dug out my iPod hidden in the depths of my bag, glancing around furtively for teachers and prefects. I knew somewhere in my playlist I had an album from U2. Funny – but I hadn’t figured Daniel would be a candidate for a fan of an Irish band. Somewhere … somewhere … my fingers tripped over each other as I searched the playlist. Yes! I was right, there it was. I slipped on one earphone and pressed play, letting the rich power of the song wash over me.
She moves in mysterious ways…

So Daniel thought I was a mystery? A puzzle? Oh well, at least that sounded better than thinking I was a weirdo. A misfit. Which is what I was more accustomed to being. I almost laughed out loud in the studious silence as I thought of my gangly surliness moving ‘mysteriously.’ Flushed with pleasure, I refolded the note and put it safely in my pocket, then went in search of Simone.

I was walking in so much of a daze that the bell ringing for the end of lunch startled me into dropping my books. Bent to retrieve them, I heard a now familiar voice greet me.

“Hey there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. ”

Great. It was Daniel. And here I was on the ground scrabbling for books like the proverbial klutz. Quickly, I rose to my feet, wishing that I had taken the time to check my hair, my face, my anything during lunch. Like a regular girl. Instead of spending lunch in the library. Unsure of myself, I must have scowled even more darkly than usual because the smile on Daniel’s face faded uncertainly and the question on his lips died.

“Ask me what?” I tried not to sound ungracious. Which was difficult for someone without a gracious bone in her body.

“Umm if you read my note and … if you were doing anything today after school?”

“Oh. No. I mean yes. I mean – no, I’m not doing anything after school. And I mean yes, I did read your note. Thanks. I ... uh … it’s not what I expected.”

He looked quizzical. “What do you mean? What did you expect?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t expect anybody here to listen to U2. It’s not the usual choice of music for the usual 21st century teenager.”

“I guess I’m not your usual 21st century teenager then.” His eyes danced and his mouth smiled its crooked smile. The smile that kept catching at my heart strings. And sucking the air out of my personal space. Or something like it. Because it immediately had me struggling for breath. While trying not to show it. I mentally tried to slow my pulse and took a deep breath before answering.

“No. I guess not.”

Wanting to put distance between us so I could get a handle on myself, I turned and started walking down the hall.

“Hey where are you going? You didn’t let me finish.”

I stopped mid-step and half turned to see him looking after me with a confused expression.

“Oh. Sorry. Did you want something?” I was trying cluelessly for an air of sophistication but sure that all I was getting across was loutish grouch.

“Yeah. I wanted to make it up to you. For yesterday. For what was probably the worst day of your school life. I thought maybe we could go somewhere. Do something. Give me a chance to show you a better side of Samoa? Of me?” His last words died away and he looked a bit hesitant as if unsure of my response.

If his smile had me breathless, then his request definitely had me gasping for air. He wanted to hang out with me? He took my silence for hesitation. “Hey, if you don’t want to, that’s okay. I get it. You didn’t exactly have an amazing first time out with me, I mean, asking you to come to a rugby game that turns into a brawl where you get beat up is not really the ideal way to impress a girl is it?” His crooked smile lightened his words, but still my mind was reeling.
He wanted to impress me? Are you joking? Is this boy for real?

“No – I mean yes. I want to. Sure. We can hang out. Today. I’ll do it. No problem. I don’t mind.” I shrugged casually, but my hands were clenched tightly on my book bag.

His answering smile was a light that lit up the entire hall. “Great. I’m parked at the back by the tennis courts. I’ll meet you there after school. You remember the green bomb right?!”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and sprinted lightly down the now empty hall. Leaving me shaken. And late for class.

* * * *

In the car, he produced a red cloth. “Here. Blindfold. Put it on.”

“Excuse me? Are you nuts?” My voice rose several octaves. “Just what kind of afternoon did you have in mind?”

He laughed, shaking his head at me as he changed gears, the car slowing as we made our way up the steep incline. “No. It’s nothing like that. I don’t want you to know where we’re going. It’s a surprise. Please. Trust me?”

The thought of what my grandmother’s reply would be was enough to get me tying on the blindfold. “Okay. But it better be a good surprise. And don’t forget, I’m the girl who knows how to kung fu kick your butt outta here!”

His laughter was my only reply. We drove like that in companionable silence for a few minutes, the car grating over potholes and still going uphill. The suspense was killing me. I tried more questions, “So where are we going?”

“Patience, patience. You’ll see. We’re almost there. You’ll love it. Trust me.”

“Why the blindfold? You know I’m new and have no idea where anything is anyway so anywhere would be a surprise.”

He laughed softly. “I just don’t want you to know where we’re going. Enough with the questions already.”

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a sense of peace sitting beside this red and gold stranger. Instinctively, I knew that the boy who had sat and held me in the weeping night was not a threat to me. Rather, there was an indefinable closeness, an intimacy that I could not explain. Could not capture with mere words. I knew him. Somehow. And I knew that I would always be safe with him.

The truck grating to a sharp halt broke my reverie.

“We’re here. Wait, I’ll come over and help you out. It’s not time yet to take off the blindfold.”

The sound of the car door opening and closing had me tensing. The darkness was comforting. But only when he was right beside me. Thankfully, I only had to sit alone in the front seat for a few moments and then he had my door open and his hand was on mine. “Here, take my hand and I’ll guide you. There’s a few rocks to get through. Watch out.”

His hand on mine burned my skin and had my pulse pounding again. Feeling very exposed without my sight, my tone was sharper than I planned it to be. “I can’t watch out can I?” I sniffed the air, listening intently to my surroundings, trying to find some clues as to our location. The air was … cooler? Quieter. There was no sound of rushing traffic. Only the rustle of leaves and grass in the wind. And birds calling. And … far away, very slightly, was that the ripple of water?

His body next to me, slowly walking me through the grass distracted me from my detective work. He was so close to me that I could taste his scent, the warmth of his skin against mine. He had one arm on my shoulders, the other holding my hand.

His voice was a hot breath against my cheek as he replied. “You can snap all you want but it’s still not time to take off the blindfold. Now, I’m going to have to carry you here because there’s too many rocks. Hold on.”

Without warning, I felt myself swung up and into his strong arms. I shrieked in protest. “Hey! Wait up – noooo you never said anything about this bit, put me down Daniel!”

Being carried when you can’t see anything is terribly disconcerting. You can’t tell where up or down is and you have no concept of how far off the ground you are. I clutched my hands around his neck tightly. “Daniel – put me down. That does it, I’m taking off the blindfold.”

Before I could carry out my threat, he placed me back on the ground, steadying me with his hands, a gentle touch on my waist. “There you go. We’re here. Quiet. Listen. What can you hear?” His voice was a hushed whisper against my cheek and I shivered involuntarily at his closeness. In my darkness I could ‘see’ him standing behind me, his hands on my waist, his head bent to whisper in my ear.

He had to repeat his question before I could focus. “What can you hear Leila?”

I wanted to reply.
I can hear my heart singing. I can hear your voice filling my world and I never want it to end.
But I didn’t. Instead, I stood poised in the darkness and listened. “Water. I hear water! On rocks. And grass in the wind. And birds. And what is that heavenly smell?”

Overwhelmed with curiosity I ripped off the blindfold and gasped at the sight before me.

We were standing in a green blanket. Tall grass blended with darker green bushes. Branches heavily laden with white flowers formed a circle around us. In front of me was a stream of clear water that danced over mossy black rocks, forming a small pool before trailing away through the grass. Spangled above us was the deep blue sky but the scorching gold sun was sheltered by a mountain rise. We were standing somewhere in the mountains, nestled in a green room. Nothing but sky, forest, the white ginger plants, water, and us. It was so achingly beautiful that I hated to breathe. But the fragrance of the white flowers enticed me to breathe deeply. I took a step forward and picked one startlingly white blossom, and savoured its perfume.

“Daniel – it’s perfect. Perfect.”

With eyes only for me, his reply was quiet.

“Well … now it is.”

I was too flushed with the beauty of the surroundings to try to decipher his reply.

I turned to face him, a huge foolish smile on my face.

“Where are we? Surely we’re not still in town? We must be high up – it’s cooler here and the water …” My voice trailed away as I carefully made my way to the water’s edge. Kneeling on slippery wet rocks, I leaned over and trailed my fingers in the rippling shimmer.

“Yikes! It’s cold! Yes!” I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that pealed. For a girl used to Washington winters and the temperate air, it was pure heaven to escape, even so briefly, the sauna-like humidity I had been stifling in for the past month. Without thinking, I took off my shoes and waded into the cold stream, taking several steps before sitting down on a rock jutting from the center.

I motioned to the water. “I wish I’d brought something to swim in – the water is so cold. I love it!”

Standing across the water from me, his eyes flashed with laughter. “As I recall, that didn’t stop you the other night …” his voice trailed away suggestively.

Remembering my outfit the night he had come across me unawares had me flushed with embarrassment. I narrowed my eyes at him. “And as I recall, I warned you what would happen if you gave me any hassle about that. I was hoping you would forget about that, thank you very much!”

He held his hands out in supplication. “Okay okay … I’m backing off oh-miss-Jet-Li-supreme kung-fu maestro!” the same golden laugh sending heat up my spine. “But I gotta warn you, there’s some things you can’t forget.”

I didn’t think he was talking about my death and mayhem threats but I deliberately misunderstood him. With my legs dangled in the delicious water, I yelled back at him.

“I’m happy to give you a demonstration of my Jet Li skills if you need more reminders!”

“Nope, I’ll take your word for it thanks.” Shaking his head, he bent to sit on a rock directly opposite me across the silver water, arms hugging his legs. For a few minutes we sat in companionable silence. Just rippling water on rock, wind through rushing grass and the occasional bird call. I felt myself relax, every tense fibre unwinding in the peace of a perfect Samoan afternoon. There had never been a person that I could just sit and BE with. Without the need to talk. Fill the gaps. For some reason, there didn’t seem to be any gaps between me and this strange boy full of contradictions. I stole a glance at him. He had his arms leant back against the bank of the stream now, head facing the sun, eyes closed. He had taken his uniform off in the truck and a white singlet hugged the curve of his chest, the tattoo boldly curling down his arm. Black rugby shorts only covered the top of his thighs, leaving the tattoo on his calf muscle clearly exposed. I craned my neck trying to decipher the symbols that ran down his leg. Just then, he opened his eyes and crinkled them in amusement as he saw what I was trying to do.

“What are you looking at?”

Caught, I flushed guiltily.

“Nothing, I was just thinking.”

He sat forward, his grin unconvinced with my answer.

“Okay, so what were you thinking about then?”

I scrambled for a credible answer.

“Umm … you.” I winced as I heard how raw that sounded. “Your note said you were trying to figure me out but you’re kinda difficult to figure out yourself.”