Telesa - The Covenant Keeper (17 page)

His furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“You’re this sports machine – built like the Terminator but at the same time you’re intensely focused on your schoolwork. And you’re like a … demi-god to the other boys at school who all want to be you, so you should be brash and rough and trample all over feelings and stuff but the other night, at the pool, you were so kind and you know how to listen to people which hardly anybody knows how to do and look at this place, it’s so beautiful and you bring me here blindfolded and it’s a lovely surprise and … I just can’t figure you out …” My voice trailed away as I realized I may have revealed too much. I looked away, fearful of what his response to my confession might be.

“I guess that makes two of us then.” His tone was light but then it took on an incredulous turn “okay … terminator? And demi-god? Not sure what the heck is going on with those descriptors there! And about me being ‘brash and rough and trampling all over people – that’s what you’ve been accusing me of ever since you arrived. I didn’t even get a chance to show you how horrible I could be before you had decided that I was racist, sexist, oh and let’s not forget – potential rapist!”

I cringed. “That sounds bad, really bad! I guess I have been a bit quick to classify you.” I snuck a glance his way. He grinned.

“You think?! I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody so defensive, so ready to launch into offensive mode. Are you used to getting trashed back home or something?”

The conversation had swung back too far into my personal space. I was confused how we had gone from my observations of him to all of a sudden delving into my patchy past. The last thing I wanted was to dim this outing by talking about my horrible American school nightmares. I shrugged and tried for smooth evasion.

“Nah just prickly I guess. Hey, I think there’s crayfish in here! Look at that.”

Daniel stood to navigate over the rocks and join me. Together we bent to peer into the sparkling diamond water. Spidery translucent shrimp scuttled for safety as we reached to shift pebbles and grass.

“Yeah they’re kinda cute. Maybe we should catch some, do you like to eat shrimp?” Daniel’s smile was catching even as I shook my head resolutely.

“No we can’t eat them! You just said they were cute.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t eat them. There’s heaps of cute things that get eaten all the time. Besides, then you can add mean cruel animal abuser to your list of my sins.”

I groaned as I sat back down on the warm rocks. “Okay, okay enough with the list of sins already. I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I promise I won’t jump to conclusions about you anymore. I will only ever think something bad about you if you make it impossible not to.”

He laughed again as he sat beside me. This boy seemed to be happy all the time I thought fleetingly. I wonder what it would be like to be so happy. He interrupted me.

“There you go again, thinking.”

“So I’m not allowed to think now?”

“No – I mean yes, I mean you get that look on your face like you’re thinking of something far away and you’re not really here. You get that same look during geography sometimes.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Especially not to the revelation that he had been looking at me during geography. Another shrug.

“Oh, well hey, Mrs Jasmine can be boring sometimes.”

He feigned mock horror. “How could you say that, Geography isn’t boring!”

“You’re just saying that because you’re Mrs Jasmine’s pet. She totally adores you, it’s disgusting.”

He was quick with a retort, “You’re just jealous cos she doesn’t love your map calculations as much as she loves mine.”

And that’s how the rest of the afternoon went. Sitting on the rock in the middle of shimmering water, we talked. About school. About sports. About books. And TV shows. And music. And we laughed. And he kept teasing me. And I laughed some more. He made it easy. Comfortable. To be happy. To feel light hearted.

It was with unwillingness that I took stock of the time. Quarter to five. Matile and Tuala would be home soon and wondering where I was. And what I was doing.

“I have to get back. We better go.” I looked around for one more lingering look at this magical pool. This haven of happiness. Who knew when I would be here again? Daniel stood, giving me his hand to help me up. It was the first time he had touched me in the entire two hours we had been sitting there and it sent a rush of fire through me, so powerful that I worried he would feel it. I hoped desperately that I wasn’t going to have a heat attack, not now.

He didn’t see my nervous expression as he turned to find a foothold through the dancing waters. Still he didn’t release my hand. As heat waved through me, I should have pulled away, but didn’t want to. I loved my hand in his. It felt … right. Like it belonged there. I took several deep breaths as we waded through the water and up the bank.
Stay calm Leila
. The grass was slippery and his grip tightened on mine as he pulled me up after him. At the top I almost fell into him and for a brief instant, we were breathing in the same breath, the length of his body against mine. His gaze was searching as he looked down at me, intent and steady. I couldn’t breathe as I looked up at him. Green eyes were chiselled emeralds cut into his profile. But as quickly as the moment started, it passed. He smiled and released my hand to reach in his pocket for the blindfold.

“What?! What do I need that for? I’ve already seen the surprise!” My hands on my hips.

“Yes, and now I want you to put it back on for the return trip. That way, you won’t ever know where I brought you. It will stay an unknown, hidden place. And you – and I – will know, that the only way you can come back here, is with me.”

His eyes danced, but he was perfectly serious. I flushed at the sweetness of it all. His intent – so unexpected – had me speechless. I stood passively while he secured the blindfold and took my hand in his again to guide me back to the car. I was quiet as I slowly followed his lead through the grass. Forever now, there would be a hidden, special place. That only he and I had experienced together. A secret that only he and I would share. A niggling thought crossed my mind …
as long as he didn’t bring another girl here
… or maybe he already had. The thought left grimy paw prints on my happiness and I was quiet on the ride home. Once back in town, he gave me permission to remove the blindfold. Noticing my silence, he queried.

“Hey, are you okay? What are you thinking about?”

“Just wondering, Daniel, how did you know about that place?” I battled to keep the suspicion out of my voice. His uncensored, swift reply went a long way towards stilling my unease.

“My grandmother. She goes there to pick the ginger plants – she says they’re better because the water is so clean there. And there’s less pollution in the air. She used to take me with her when I was younger. I had to carry the basket while she picked the plants. I gotta say, I didn’t much enjoy trailing after her. Not half as much as I enjoyed hanging out there today.” His eyes were trained resolutely on the traffic ahead of him, oblivious to my singing joy.

“So do you always take your friends there?” Stumbling over the term friends, hesitant whether or not we were even that

“No. I’ve never taken anyone there before.”

“Oh.” The shortness of his reply had me stumbling for thought. I felt him steal a glance in my direction. I bit the side of my lip and wished I had more experience with talking. To humans. My dad was the only person I had ever been comfortable with. Him and plants had been my sole conversation. The car drew up to Aunty Matile’s box house too soon for my liking. I got out reluctantly, shutting the door with a finality that I hated.

“Thank you. I had a nice time. With you.” The polite words seemed to stick in my throat. After the ease of the afternoon, I felt strangely awkward with him. But his smile had my tension seeping away.

“Me too. You’re welcome. And you didn’t even snap at me once. There must be hope for me. I just might be a decent human being after all.” This time we laughed together. And the flush of happiness was a good kind of heat that warmed me as I watched him drive away before turning to go inside the house.

That night I was content. For the first time in forever, everything was starting to come right in my universe. I was fitting in. I wasn’t the freak outsider anymore. A pathway of possibilities was blossoming in front of me. And all of them involved Daniel. I couldn’t understand why it was that I felt so at peace when I was with him, but I wasn’t going to question it. Everything was going to be alright … was my final thought as I drifted to sleep.

How wrong I was. This wasn’t the beginning of happiness. It was the first step into the inferno of a living nightmare.

Chapter Five

It was a rushed start to the next day. I slept in and missed the bus. Which meant I had to take a taxi to school. And still got there midway through first period. Too late to steal a glimpse of Daniel at rugby practice. Too late to watch him lead the morning assembly. But all that was forgotten when I felt the earthquake. It happened at the end of third period. Ms Sivani had finished giving us a poetry quiz and everyone was making their way down the corridor preparing to endure 40 minutes with the droning sound of Mr Michael’s voice in math. Walking along with one hand full of books and rifling through my backpack with another, I felt a wave of nausea sweep over me. I came to a standstill, causing a traffic jam in the milling crowd of students behind me.

“Hey what’s up?”

“Move on, come on girl, get a move on.”

Sinalei looked back at me, “Come on, Leila, we’re going to be late.”

Books spilled from my grasp as a cloud of dizziness fogged my vision. I reached out to steady myself on the wall only to find the wall was moving. The ground was moving. Rocking and heaving beneath my feet. A scream tore from my throat as I tried to stand. Everyone was staring now with confused, some amused, faces. I was terrified. Couldn’t they feel it? The earth was moving. The entire school was uprooted and felt like it was about to tumble down around us. I turned, searching to find some means of escape from the destruction that was sure to ensue, only to find my way blocked by a crowd of puzzled people, all staring at me in confusion. Again the ground shook violently, taking me with it. I fell to the floor, hands raised to shield my face, landing painfully on my arms. Still the ground moved. I felt nauseous again and then thankfully, everything went black.

“She’s coming round.” A voice spoke from a far-off distance.

“Leila are you alright?” It was him. Strong and sure. I clung to that voice with a whimper of relief in the black fog that surrounded me. Something that made sense. Something I trusted.

A cool wet cloth was placed on my forehead and a clicking fan whirred somewhere overhead.

“Tell me again, what happened?” Ms Sivani sounded puzzled. Sinalei’s eager voice answered her.

“We were all walking to math class when suddenly she just started screaming that the building was moving and shaking. Then she fell down and passed out. It was sooo weird.” I could tell that Sinalei was thrilled to have been a spectator at the morning’s drama. Her voice took on a worshipful tone. “Then Daniel came and carried her here to the staffroom. Thank goodness you’re sooo strong Daniel.”

In the blackness, I winced at the thought of Daniel carrying me like a sack of potatoes through the school for everyone to gape at. I didn’t want to wake up now, for sure. Someone was holding my hand though and I wanted to see for myself if it was him. I tried opening my eyes, afraid the dizziness and shaking would still be there. The light had me blinking. My vision settled and I looked around dazedly.

It
was
him. He sat beside me, holding my hand in his, his head bowed. For one sweet moment I savoured the sight of him, the feel of his skin, the thrill of his nearness. Then Sinalei pounced.

“Miss, she’s awake!”

I had worried he would let go once he knew I was conscious, but at Sinalei’s words, his grip on me tightened and he leaned forward, blocking out everything and everyone else in the room.

“Leila, are you ok?” His eyes scanned me. “Does anything hurt?”

Ms Sivani cleared her throat and interrupted him, pursing her lips disapprovingly as she surveyed how closely he was positioned over me. “Daniel that will do. You’ve done quite enough for Leila today and I’m sure you’re needed back in class. You run along and we’ll make sure that Leila gets home alright.” I hid a grin. The way Ms Sivani spoke, you would have thought that Daniel had knocked me out on the ground himself, instead of being the one to stagger to the office with my inert body.

Daniel went rigid at her words and a familiar angry look came over his face. I was sure he was going to say or do something completely unbecoming of a Head Boy, so I jumped in.

“Ms Sivani can Daniel please help me back to the classroom? I’m feeling much better now and I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to miss the biology test this afternoon.” I looked at the teacher with what I hoped was an angelic expression, trying to impress her with this life-or-death commitment to my studies.

Ms Sivani harrumphed with a disbelieving snort, but she only motioned for Daniel to help me off the bench. “Daniel, you and Sinalei see if Leila feels up to going back to class then. I’m sure we can count on you to keep an eye on her for the rest of the day. And Leila, try not to have any more dramatic episodes in the corridors please?” Ms Sivani spoke dryly as she moved towards the staffroom door.

I felt weak with relief at the close escape. The last thing I wanted was for Uncle Tuala to come pick me up in the middle of the day, brimming with uncomfortable questions about what had happened. I took a deep breath and went to swing my legs up only to be brought short by Daniel’s sharp tone of disbelief.

“Ms Sivani, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Leila passed out in the hall. She fell down and could have hit her head badly. She needs to go home and rest, maybe even see a doctor.” He spoke with the assuredness of one accustomed to being obeyed.