Sophia Portman seemed like your average teenage girl who dealt with just school and puberty and drama. But behind closed doors, there was more. So much more than one can imagine. Though her parents loved her, on some level, they were overly protective, increasingly strict, aggressive, and even violent at times. When she was a little girl, Sophia had seen her father swing a hand at her mother, and that was when she truly felt change come into her life. Not the type you get like when you cut your hair really short, or the type when you grow an inch in a year. This change was overwhelming, and it seemed as if the whole house felt and shook with fear at the time. Sophia hadn't cried, because she knew if she made a sound, her parents would notice she was eavesdropping on them, and she'd be in really bad trouble.
She was playing with her dollies that day in her room, and her mother and father were in the kitchen, talking about "financial issues," two big words Sophia didn't really know the meanings to then. She'd reminisced on that day and thought just how stupid those issues turned out to be.
That one day, when she was in her room, she had heard a sob echo quite loudly throughout the walls. At first, she was scared, wondering who was crying, and wondering why, maybe they had a booboo, she'd thought. She excused herself from the tea party she and her dollies were having. Mr. Teddy was quite gruff at her decision to leave, and remarked how rude it was to excuse one's self on such an important topic (they were discussing what dress she should wear to the birthday party the boy down the street was having next week), but she retorted with how much more rude it was to leave someone crying when they obviously needed her help. Mr. Teddy simply sucked down his tea and crossed his arms in stubbornness. Sophia giggled and stood from her plastic chair, walking to the door and jumping up to hold the knob with her chubby four year old hand. She silently shut it best she could and tip toed down the hall like a spy. She even backed up against the wall and made a gun out of her thumbs and index fingers. The crying got louder, and a deep voice bellowed at the smaller one to stop crying and answer the question. Sophia's eyes slanted in a frown, and she ran to the kitchen door, cracking the door open enough to hear a sickening slap reverberate against the tile walls.
She froze in her place, and saw her mother's dark hair swing and fall against her neck, a thin hand rising to touch her reddened cheek. Sophia's eyes widened at the cold sight, her heart skipping a beat when she saw her father glare angrily at her mother, whose eyes welled with tears, though no sound escaped her throat as before. He pulled his hand back and straightened awkwardly, his hand holding up a folded paper.
"You owe me two thousand dollars," and he walked out the back door without another glance, without even leaning down to check if Sophia's mother was alright. All this time, Sophia figured all married adults were in love, and they'd never want to hurt each other. She was severely wrong.
After that, she remained a quiet and reserved girl for some time, filling her parents with concern and wonder. Why did a four year old keep so quiet all the time? Why did a six year older refuse to attend parties and sleepovers? Why did a ten year old have no friends? Why was a teenage girl with a bright future and smile-splitting personality acting like this?
What happened?
That was the question every person asked if they crossed her path, always looking back at the girl with the pretty face and blank eyes. It's like she had no feeling. It was scary.
Throughout the years, many teachers and guidance counselors had talks with her and her parents, all asking that very same question. It was answered with shrugged shoulders and uneasy glances to the girl in the far away chair who continued to stare out the window, not at much in particular, as usual.
In the seventh grade, she was pulled out of her school's courtyard for punching a boy in the nose and causing it to fracture and shed blood. When the principal called the mother down, they both asked Sophia just why she did this. She didn't respond, and when her mother grabbed her shoulder roughly and made her turn to face them, Sophia's eyes flicked momentarily with fear and her mother felt the pain sting at the corners of her eyes. Sophia then answered back with a simple, "He hit me, so I hit him back." When asked why he did so, Sophia stayed silent. That day, Sophia barely even remembered that her mother was in the same car, driving furiously through the so-so traffic. She just stared out the window as always and reminisced on what really happened.
"Hey, Portman!" A boy called out to Sophia in the courtyard, a dodge ball under his arm, and a dirty smirk on his face. Sophia looked up half-heartedly, her eyes hesitating to leave the book she was reading. It was about angels. They could fly, just like her once imaginary friends could. They could fly, and she was always envious of that.
Sophia stared at the boy in front of her, and noticed the dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He wasn't too easy on the eyes, and he didn't seem too easy in the heart, just a selfish brat who liked to poke fun at people. He smiled menacingly at Sophia, and she merely stared back with a look of boredom on her face.
"Still stuffing your nose into that stupid book, huh? What, your imaginary friends leave you 'cause you're so boring?" He cackled and the goons behind him and a couple of the girls playing rope next to them laughed along. Sophia mentally shrugged his comment off and looked down to the book again.
Soon, a smudgy hand appeared out of nowhere and forced the book out of her hands. Something in her mind clicked. She looked down at the book, then up at the boy, who seemed to be waiting for some form of reaction, a response, a twitch, a frown, something.
Sophia merely stood on her feet, wincing inwardly at the feeling of using her ankles again, and leaned down, picking the carelessly thrown book off the gravel, and standing straight again. She turned and began to walk away, but the boy's hand reached out and grabbed her upper arm, forcing her to turn around and drop the book. At the same time, his other hand took the dodge ball and he threw it straight at her face.
Her nose scrunched up and her eyes shut tightly to await the impact, which felt all too overwhelming and painful, as the rubber collided with her freckled skin. She thrust her body forward and her small hand reached to hold the bruising skin on her nose. She gasped several times and grunted before looking up with tears in her eyes and swinging her fist into the boy's nose.
The sound of bone cracking underneath her knuckles caused her inner being to smile triumphantly, but Sophia's face contorted with disgust, as she pulled her hand away timidly, and noticed blood staining her tan skin. She looked up and saw the boy on his knees, his hands holding his busted up nose and his teeth gritting. Many boys and girls leaned down to help him, but he rejected them and looked furiously at Sophia. She stared back with a blank look on her face, her eyes dull.
Sophia looked down at her closed fist, and noticed the dried blood stain. She blinked once, and then turned to see her mother concentrating nervously on the road, her back hunched, and her knuckles white from holding the wheel so hard. She glanced at Sophia to return the gaze, but she was already facing the window, looking out into the passing trees, noting the children with their mothers, noticing how loudly the birds chirped that day.
Sophia turned away from the class picture with a look of disappointment etched on her face. She felt anger towards herself for losing control that day; it was completely and utterly irresponsible. She had to learn to control her actions better, she thought.
No matter how bad the situation was, the outcome made up for it.
The day after the incident, she was sent into the principal's office, to receive punishment, a three-day suspension, she figured, but when she was stalking off to the room, another body collided with hers and she fell backward, her butt plopping on the ground with a painful grunt.
She reached down to rub the bruised area on her backside, when an irritated voice grumbled lowly, "Watch where you're going, dumbass."
Sophia looked up and stared at the girl with a pale face and big hands. Her name was Demi, as she recalled from her class. It was this really tough girl with an isolated mind. Her hair was light brownish and she had high cheekbones. Her jaw slightly wide, and her face squarish. Her nails were painted black, and her eyes were a dull shade of green.
Sophia blushed and turned away, muttering a quick "sorry" and scrambling to stand. Demi stood swiftly, staring straight into Sophia's eyes, as if looking for something, that was usually the face people would give her.
"You're that girl who gave Frankie the bloody nose, right?" Sophia stared ahead; surprised she was asking that question. Her eyes cast down and she nodded solemnly. A moment or so passed uneventfully, and she looked up timidly.
Plastered across Demi's face, was a smile, and her eyes enveloped Sophia in a friendly hug of warmth.
"Little bastard deserved what he got. You're alright." Her hand stuck out between and she waited patiently for Sophia's hand to wrap around her own. "My name's Demi. What's yours?" Sophia was increasingly surprised that this girl wanted to know her name. She was sure the surprise was etched on her face.
"Um, Sophia," she said hesitantly, timidly shaking Demi's hand back. Demi smiled again, her eyes brightening.
"That's pretty. My name's so stupid; it's so random and plain, and unknown. But yours, how many can I name off? Sophia Loren, Sophia Bush, Queen Sofia of Spain!" Demi mused, her hands gesturing to the air around her. Sophia smiled timidly and her eyes crinkled slightly at her mirth.
After that day, Sophia knew deep in her heart that she had a friend, a real friend she could depend on, and she hoped Demi felt the same.
It was the Fourth of July, and Sophia was sitting at her mirror, staring blankly at the girl that stared back. She completely hated that girl, but she really loved her too. The dull eyes that were rimmed with red and dripping with tears were now filled with mirth and a distinct high. The corners of her eyes wrinkled for all the right reasons, her hair carried a bounce and vibrancy to it, that she could feel that through the roots and it radiated through her finger nails and skin.
This feeling was overwhelming, like she was flying, like the way her imaginary friends did. They said they felt like this all the time, it was an unexplainable sentiment, she thought.
A sudden knock at her bedroom door shoved her off her train of thought, and she turned swiftly to witness her mother stand in the door way, her eyes filled with concern and second thoughts. She walked over to Sophia and rubbed her shoulder, smiling melancholy.
"Now, you're sure you can stay home alone for the weekend?" She asked, placing a loose strand of hair behind Sophia's ear. Sophia nodded calmly and turned back to the mirror, picking up the brush and swiftly going through her thin black hair. Sophia's mother stood and walked over to the bed, picking up the thrown around bed sheets and folding them neatly.
"We'll only be gone those couple days," she turned and glanced warily at Sophia, who continued to brush her hair. "There's tuna casserole in the fridge, eggs, you can whip yourself up some, cereal, anything you need, just be careful." The woman turned back around and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for Sophia to face her. She smiled and gestured for her to sit beside her, and she did, letting her mother hold her tightly, the way she used to when she was little.
Sophia's mother looked down at her daughter and smiled, moving a loose strand out of her face.
"Now why are you always so serious?" She tried to imitate the look, and Sophia merely smiled faintly, her eyes crinkling lightly. Her mother shook her playfully and rubbed her arm, placing a kiss on her forehead, before resting her head at the top of Sophia's.
"Oh, Sophi. It'll be alright." Sophia looked up at the sound of her nickname, and then cast her eyes down when she realized of just what her mother knew.
"I know you saw him hit me." Her mother glanced down, and then returned her gaze to the white closet door. "I know you were eavesdropping that day." Sophia glanced up nervously at her mother, biting her lip and moving away, holding her pillow and shoving her face into it. Her mother smiled woefully and held her daughter's shoulders once more.
"I'm not mad, just upset you never told me. But," she leaned down to wipe away the tears at Sophia's cheeks. "It'll all be alright, your father's different, and we're different." She gripped her daughter's shoulder gently and faced her. "But I promise it'll never happen again, do you understand me? Never again." Sophia looked down sadly and nodded solemnly, before her mother enveloped her in a deep and warm hug, Sophia felt she could just cuddle in her mother's bosom for the rest of her life, not worry about anything, no drama, no violence, no bullshit.
Nothing at all.
"Jane, we'll be late," the gruff voice of her father snapped both Sophia and her mother out of their moment. Mr. Portman was a tall man, reaching a little more than six feet, with very light brown hair and dark eyes. His voice was unusually deep, whether he was angry or not, it was just how he was. Sophia's mother looked down at her and smiled awkwardly, rubbing her daughter's upper arms to bring in unnecessary warmth. She stood and took the carry on suitcase from her husband, who smiled slightly, then turned to look at his daughter, who stared back with dull eyes.
He raised his hand to wave goodbye, and then walked down the stairs. Sophia's mother turned and smiled with sorrow, a goodbye in her eyes. Sophia smiled back and gestured for her mother to leave, go have fun for once. Her mother got the message and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Sophia sighed miserably, throwing herself back against the pillows, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I am going to be alone in this house, with nothing to do, nothing fun to eat, and no one to hang out with, for two days. Damn it. She grumbled inwardly, before the sound of a cell phone ringing made her jump out of her skin. She rubbed her face exasperatedly and fished around underneath her pillow for the mobile device.
She finally pulled it out and checked the caller ID.
Demi.
She smiled lazily and answered the call. A loud, slurred voice answered with a rather elongated hey. Sophia rolled her eyes and immediately began pulling her skinny jeans up her legs. Demi was having another one of her drunken nights; it was expected, it was eight o'clock, dark as heck outside, and considering it was the Fourth of July, most of the American population was tipsy.
"Hey, Demi, um, are you drunk?" As if she didn't know already. A few voices cackled on the other line and Demi shushed them reluctantly.
"Nah, I just had a few beers, dude, you have to get over here! The fireworks are about to come on, and the coolest people are here!" A whole chorus of people greeted Sophia as she tied her hair into a pony tail, holding the cell phone between her ear and shoulder. She momentarily rolled her eyes then picked up her keys and wallet, scurrying off out the door. She stopped to check her parents were gone, which they were, and she skipped down the stairs, greeting her dog with a smile and turning to the fridge. She pulled out her Sunny D and switched off the lights, turning the TV on. She knew her dog watched TV; she especially loved Spongebob, which was on, lucky!
"So, Soph, you coming or what? It's time you get your first taste of alcohol!"
"She still hasn't tried it!" Another voice slurred out into the speaker. Sophia sighed for the fifth time that night and stepped out the door, giving her dog a kiss on the head and locking the house. She looked both ways on the street and waited by the bus stop for the next bus going to the Hudson Riverside.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there, just... give me fifteen minutes, okay?" She muttered into the phone as a bus came to a screeching halt in front of her. She hung up quickly and skipped into the vehicle, dropping the change into the coin slot for payment, smiling awkwardly to the elderly bus driver and found a spot in the back, next to a little blonde girl with her black Scottish dog. She smiled at the girl and patted the dog's head with the little one's permission.
A throat cleared and Sophia glanced up to stare into the threatening eyes of a girl with long and wavy blonde hair, faint freckles sprinkled along the sides of her cheekbones. A tall boy with shoulder length black hair sat next to her, his arms crossed and his eyes blank, though the smirk told a different story. Sophia smiled hesitantly to them and looked back down at the little girl, who simply smiled brightly at her. Sophia stared straight ahead, before glancing down to her phone and turning it on vibrate; it was eerily quiet on that bus, she didn't want her phone to randomly blare Lady Gaga to the rest of the passengers, who seemed to enjoy the quiet. She snuck a peek at the group next to her, and then quickly turned back around when she saw the older blonde girl glaring daggers at her.
A little boy, maybe eight, sat next to the girl with the puppy, his hand around hers. They seemed to be siblings, considering they both looked very much alike, the bright blonde hair, the crystal blue eyes, the fair skin. A black girl about twelve sat next to them, her eyes alight with excitement, maybe she was going to see the fireworks too. Her hair was long and frizzy, and her eyes were a bright shade of chocolate, seeming as though you could delve into the warmth. One boy that really caught Sophia's attention was the one sitting next to the boy with the long black hair.
He was just as tall, with a slender body and stick like fingers, them resting on his knees tensely, freckles all over them and the rest of his skin. He had a real bored expression on his face, and he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, just kind of facing the woman and her baby across the bus floor from him. His eyes were a silvery blue, and his hair was a shaggy ginger color, the tips faintly dyed black. Sophia smiled inwardly.
He's cute.
"Anyone to see the fireworks now is your chance to get off!" The elderly man voiced into the intercom. Several people stood and when Sophia stood to get off the side doors, she gasped strongly when the blonde girl towered over her. Strange how a girl merely an inch taller could be so intimidating. The rest of that group piled out, the boy with the black hair following closely behind her. The ginger boy slipped past Sophia with one of his hands stuffed into his hoodie pocket and the other holding onto the other older boy's belt loop. Sophia quirked her eyes at that, but merely dismissed as not her business. She ran off and went looking for Demi.
A hand dropped on her shoulder and she turned expecting to see Demi and her drunken friends, but instead a tall boy with dark brunette hair and dark eyes stood in her place. Sophia's breath caught in her throat, and she stared up at the boy she's been having a soft spot for quite some time. His name was Richard, but everyone called him Rick. He was rather the popular guy, juggling girls left and right, going to all the great parties, meeting all the right people. He flashed a pearly white smile and she licked her dry lips. She realized just how stupid that must've looked and a hot blush rose up her spine and manifested itself into her cheeks.
He was really tall, compared to her meager 5'3 measurement. He wasn't bulky in the arms, but slight hints of muscles stood out and, though he was just a junior in high school, a six-pack could be seen through his shirt. She was never for the big, strong, loud guys, but he was definitely an exception.
"Your name's Sophia, right?" He flashed her another smile, and she looked down and blushed, an embarrassed smile spreading across her face.
"Heh, yeah." She looked up and saw he was gesturing for her to walk with him. She skipped over and felt his arm drape across her waist lazily. She squealed inwardly and looked ahead, waiting for him to say something.
"My name's Richard, but you can call my Rick. Or Richy. Whatever tickles your peach." He chuckled down at her, and she giggled cheerfully. Suddenly, explosions could be heard going off and she looked behind Rick to see the fireworks. He sighed contently and pressed her against his hot side. She looked away and her cheeks were tainted with deep scarlet.
"Sophi! Hey! - Oh, would you look at that, she's on a date, finally! Here, take this!" A loud and very drunk voice echoed in Sophia's ears and she groaned inwardly as she turned to get a red plastic cup shoved into her hands by none other than, Demi. Rick's eyes were full of amusement and he smiled down at Sophia, taking the cup, sensing her reluctance to drink from it, and poured the contents on the cement behind him and throwing the cup into a nearby trash can. All without Demi and her friends noticing.
"Hey, where'd it go!" One of Demi's friends shouted, looking around suspiciously for the cup. Sophia smiled nervously.
"Oh, um, I dropped it! Haha, wind took the cup away." She glanced towards Rick again and he smiled back. Demi sighed exaggeratedly and rolled her eyes.
"You sissy! Fine! I'll stop making you drink!" She smiled lazily at Sophia and turned to go back to partying with her friends. Sophia sighed a breath of relief, and Rick laughed lowly.
"Does she always do that?" He asked with humor in his eyes. Sophia blushed and rolled her eyes.
"Only on fridays." She and Rick shared a small laugh and began walking together again. Rick reached out and held her small hand in his. A sudden shudder crawled up her spine and she instinctively pulled her hand out of his. She admit, she liked him, but the thought of being anything more than friends with him, or even friends now that she thought about it, gave her the worst chill, she really couldn't explain why.
He glanced down to look at her with confused eyes.
"I thought..?" He smiled slyly and shook his head.
"You girls are so confusing." He began to walk away when he turned around and smirked menacingly at her. He stood beside her again and leaned in for a kiss, and she screamed and slapped her hands around his face. He stepped back and rubbed his cheek, before a snarl built up on his lips and he gripped her forearm.
"Hit me again, you-"
"Hey, what's going on here?" A sudden voice interrupted Rick, a sigh of relief escaping Sophia's lips. She turned and saw the boy from the bus, the one with the silvery blue eyes and freckles. He was smiling with his eyebrows furrowed, as if to repeat the question. Rick looked at the boy, studying his height and build. Sophia rolled her eyes and snatched her wrist out of his grasp and when he reached for it again, she unintentionally ran to the ginger haired boy, and he held his arm around her shoulders protectively, though his hand did not grip her shoulder, he still gave her that space.
Sophia looked at Rick, waiting for him to say something. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head, giving Sophia one last threatening glance, then turning and walking away. Sophia sighed deeply, very relieved to see him finally leave. A hand on her shoulder brought her to look up at the boy that had to be at least 5'10, maybe 6'0. He didn't really stare into her eyes as she'd expect him to, but seemed to look through her.
"Are you alright?" He asked, concern barely etched in his forehead. Sophia blushed and looked down, nodding vigorously. She looked up again and saw the boy's eyes; they seemed to be asking her again.
"Well?" She furrowed her eyebrows as to why he was asking again, and said aloud, "I... nodded." She said with a nervous smile. He made a sort of "oh" face and removed his hand from her shoulders.
"Well, okay then. Bye." He turned and began to walk away, but Sophia looked around and ran back, her hand holding his sleeve.
"Can I stay with you, please?" She asked, her eyes going bright. The boy's mouth slanted slightly down and he turned to look for someone. The girl with the blonde hair and side freckles came out of the crowd, with the black haired boy standing beside her, the black girl and siblings next to him. She was panting, and when she finally got sight of the boy standing next to Sophia, her eyes filled with relief, but when she noticed Sophia, her expression hardened.
She began to walk angrily towards them, and Sophia hid behind the boy. He smiled with an amused look in his eyes.
"Max. Hey. Yeah, um, I heard this girl in trouble so I thought I should help her..." Sophia peeked from behind his arm and the girl was glaring at her, so she hid again. She could feel the boy's uneasiness.
"Help me out, -Nick." The boy said, turning to the one with the long black hair.
"I don't really think I can add much at this point." Nick said. Sophia studied him a bit more, noticing the dark and tattered clothing, the scuffed up toes of his boots, the slight tan on his skin. He turned to stare back and she hid her eyes behind the ginger boy.
"Forget it, Jeff. Come on, we have to go." The blonde made a motion to take "Jeff's" hand, but the African American girl came up and put her hand on hers.
"Come on, Max. Can't we stay for just a little while longer, pleeease? I mean, it's really nice here!" She smiled her brightest to the blondie named Max, and the two younger siblings stepped up and nodded agreeably. The youngest one, the little girl with the dog stared into Max's eyes, giving the worst case of puppy dog eyes and Max sighed strongly.
"Fine, fine! But only a half hour longer, Mom wants us back before ten." She turned to look at Jeff, then at Sophia, suspicion shining brightly in her eyes, before Nick took her arm and led her through the crowd, eyeing Jeff cautiously, as if sending waves of 'be careful.' Jeff turned and smiled at Sophia. He gestured to the railing like a gentleman and Sophia laughed soundlessly, walking next to him.
"So, your name's Jeff?" She tried to ask politely. He nodded and leaned on the blue railing.
"Yeah, what's yours?" He turned to look at her and she smiled as attractively as possible. She may never see this boy again, but there was such thing as Skype and texting.
"Sophia, but usually only my mother calls me Sophi, either way's alright with me." She smiled again and turned to the boy, who was still staring at her, with a concentrated look on his face. She suddenly felt self conscious and turned to look to the river again, a blush creeping into her cheeks and nose.
"Can I see what you look like?" Jeff suddenly blurted out, raising his hands. Sophia turned to him and her eyebrow rose very slowly in question. There was an awkward silence before she finally realized why he would ask that. He was blind.
"Oh, so you're...-"
"Blind? Yeah..." Jeff looked down, or rather faced his smudgy boots, a sort of sad look on his face. Sophia frowned and gulped quietly to herself, then, mustering up all the courage in her body, reached out and held his hand, bringing it to her face and placing it gently on her cheek. He smiled awkwardly and felt around slowly, concentration once again hardening his expression. His fingers lightly brushed her tan skin, careful not to poke an eye or scratch anything. Sophia smiled sweetly, a blush heating her cheeks.
"Your cheeks..." Jeff mused, and he smiled as well. He slowly brought his hands to his sides again and looked up to the sky with a look that read he was thinking hard. He faced her again and the notion made Sophia blush for the millionth time that night.
"I concur," he said, with a slight smile, "that you're beautiful. Come on." He nodded his head to continue walking with him, and Sophia did so, blushing and sliding the long sleeves around her wrists; it was this habit of hers when she got nervous.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about Max, she's just really overprotective of our little sister, Ariel." Jeff glanced to Sophia and gave an awkward smile, one she was quick to reciprocate. The heavy silence weighed down the already uncomfortable air around them.
Sophia turned to look at Jeff again. It was strange, how she felt so comfortable with a boy she had just met, instead of the boy she's had a crush on for the past five years. Maybe it was for the fact that that boy was the type who juggled girls, and perhaps a few boys at equal times, or maybe it was because of what he was into: drinking, partying, sex. Maybe all that was what scared her. But this boy, the one with the silvery eyes and freckles, he seemed different. He felt different. Something about him made her want to touch him, feel the freckly skin underneath her own, or perhaps stroke the ginger locks on his head, maybe hold his cheek, and wait to feel the immense blush creep into them. Sophia smiled at the idea; she was quite the poet.
She looked at Jeff again, and before she knew it, he turned to face her too. The shy little purple monster inside her told her to look away, to blush, and giggle awkwardly. But the untamed, dormant red best inside her told her to keep looking, as in really look, see past the freckly skin and blue eyes, peer into him, find his weakness. Use it, own it, something to own him.
The loud sound of explosives boomed through the air, breaking both Jeff's and Sophia's train of thought. They both turned sharply to the bright colored lights in the distant, way over the river. People shouted, they cheered in their drunken haze, and all clapped. Sophia smiled to herself at a lost memory of that last time she went to see the fireworks with her parents. That was over eleven years ago. Only a few months before the incident involving her father's hand and two thousand dollars worth of debt. She shivered involuntary and turned to look at Jeff, only to find him staring straight at her, the word "staring" used very loosely.
She blushed deep crimson and thanked the heavens he couldn't see it.
The loud sound of a throat clearing caused the two to jump and turn away from each other very quickly. Jeff turned his head to Max and rolled his sightless eyes, knocking it off when he felt her glare. Sophia blushed a darker shade of red when she realized what kind of position Max and Silent Bob had found her and Jeff in. How embarrassing.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Max asked, with an intent glare fixed on both Sophia and Jeff. Sophia sighed and crossed her eyes in contempt. Max stomped angrily to Jeff and gripped his forearm, pulling him to her so their faces were mere inches. She murmured something to him that Sophia could barely hear, although she knew it was about her, by the way Max's eyes shifted to her every now and then. Jeff clenched his jaw and pulled away from Max, about o say something, but Sophia beat him to it.
"Listen, Jeff, I really need to go, it's getting kind of late and my parents are expecting me," she lied. Technically, they were; they wanted a call from her before she went to sleep. "So, I guess I'll see you." She muttered, before nodding to both Max and him, and pushed past them both into the crowd.
She could hear Jeff calling out her name above the crowd's cheers, but she didn't feel like responding. She continued to push past people, knocking over their beer bottles and their flags. She continued to push past them all until she collided with one body and pushed it over. She stopped dead and recognized Demi's light brown hair. Sophia leaned down and began to help her up.
"Still drinking, are we?" She asked when she saw the broken bottle of beer in Demi's hand. Demi smiled lazily at her and handed her a new bottle, Sophia grimaced at it and held it in her hand.
"So, what happened between you and that guy?" Demi asked in her drunken slur. Sophia furrowed her eyebrows and smiled nervously.
"Which one?" She teased, and Demi squealed in laughter.
"You whore! The second one, the ginger, which by the way, I never knew you were into those." Demi smirked and took a swig of her beer. Sophia rolled his eyes and laughed nervously.
"Um, his sister, yeah, she basically came up to us and told me off with her eyes. It was basically eye sex, only this time, I'd call it eye rape." Sophia laughed quietly to herself and Demi roared her own.
"And what happened after that? Tell me you hit her." She smiled to Sophia who merely gave a light shrug and turned away.
Suddenly, a hand dropped on her shoulder, and the beer bottle fell out of her hand. She thought it would be Rick again, considering he seemed to enjoy sneaking up on her like that. But when she turned to see who it was, it was none other than Jeff. He smiled at her and she smiled at how his freckles lined his cheeks when they curved around his smile.
"I can buy us ten minutes, come on." He whispered to her, and she looked around for Max or any of the children seen with her as Jeff pulled her out of the crowd. She smiled lazily at how he was willing to risk his skin to be with her, for at least those ten minutes. This was what every girl wanted. Someone who actually cared, someone willing to do anything for her. What was she talking about; she'd just met the guy! Sophia shook the thoughts of love and peaches out of her head as Jeff pulled her into a very secluded alleyway, right by a closed cigar store and a hardware store. Jeff pushed her up against the brick wall and held her in a way she'd never thought she'd be held until she was engaged. He gently pulled her hair to gain access to her neck and she gasped when his tongue melded to her skin. This was going all too fast.
No way could this be Jeff, he didn't seem like this horny beast before, what the hell was going on?
Sophia pushed violently against him, but he was too strong. His hands tightened around her waist, his fingers pushing into the skin exposed underneath her shirt. She continued to beat against his body, her hands flailing and her legs kicking. He was just too big, too hefty. How could it be possible for a boy so thin and tall to feel this strong and burly.
"Jeff, please, get off me! Jeff!" He wouldn't listen. Instead, his hands traveled down to the waistband of her jeans and his fingers began to unbutton them. Sophia gasped in realization and began to kick and scream louder. One of his hands shot up and covered her mouth, muffling her piercing cry from reaching the ears of the citizens walking by.
Sophia continued to scream, her hands pushing and shoving against his massive build. She stopped short. She couldn't remember Jeff as this strong. He was thin, he was tall, and this person… this wasn't him.
Teary eyes widened at the glowing bright eyes of Rick's, noting the long canines pushing into his bottom lip. Rick wasn't human. He couldn't be.
His sideburns were longer and thicker than she could remember. The skin on his cheeks seemed stretched and red, almost as if trying to keep something inside. He growled at her and dipped down to sweep his tongue on her skin again, his hands finally removing the fabric from her legs. Sophia screamed again and was quick to move away, but he held her in place against the cold brick wall. He stopped and looked at her, really look at her. His heavy breath fanned her face and the wisps of hair stuck to her sweaty skin trembled in response to it. He smiled with those pearly white daggers in his mouth.
"I finally have you right where I want you." He made another motion to sink his teeth into her shoulder, when suddenly a dark shadow swooped down and knocked straight into his side. Sophia watched with frightened eyes as the two wrestled viciously.
This thing has wings… Sophia thought in her mind. It was true; the shadow had two large grey and white wings on its back. They were immense and powerful as they swept through the air and pounded against the cement of the floor. It suddenly turned to her and stared into her eyes with his own. They shone with the light of the distant street lamp, making him look scared and distressed.
"Get out of her, now!" He screamed as loud as he could, before Rick lifted his boot and kicked it into his throat, causing him to cough up blood. Sophia gasped at the dark red liquid dripping down his chin, but he still fought for her. She swallowed and leaned down to pick up her jeans, taking them and running out of that alley, down to the gasoline station by a fast food restaurant. She hid behind the dumpster and quickly pulled on her jeans. She began to hyperventilate, moving the hair out of her face and rubbing away the tears that streamed down her bright red cheeks. She gasped and huffed into the cool summer night air.
She sat there for what felt like an eternity, until she saw a blurry shadow run past the gasoline station, going at lightning speed. It was Rick. She held her breath and stood shakily. She tip toed towards the station's entrance, looking both ways for him. She waited, and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized he was gone. She scurried off into the direction of the bus stop, when she heard a groan from the alleyway where Rick and the winged creature had fought. She stopped and swallowed the ball of cotton that built in her throat. She turned tentatively in the direction of the alleyway, and began to walk into it.
There, the shadow was lying, face down, his shoulders tense and trembling. His wings lay on both sides of his body. As if defeated, dead, they did not twitch, they did not move. Feathers and blood littered the floor, and Sophia was careful not to step on the blood. She looked at the creature and held up a hand to touch it.
"A-are you okay?" She choked out. It twitched and began to rise, the arms lifting it off the floor. She began to move back when he retracted the wings into his jacket.
Suddenly, five other creatures like this one swooped down from the dark sky and lifted him up. Sophia gasped and crouched when they almost knocked her over. She looked up after them, but they had quickly disappeared into the starry night filled with fireworks and the sound of laughter. Sophia breathed in several times, not believing what had happened. Not believing what she'd seen with her own two eyes.
"They, they had wings, and Rick, he-" Her eyes widened, and she remembered that there was the slightest possibility that he'd be back. She looked around very quickly and ran to the bus stop. It came by soon and she ran inside, not even caring to drop the coins into the slot yet. The passengers all looked up at her, as she searched for a seat in the back. She must of looked frightened as a deer caught in headlights by the way she was panting and how widened her eyes were.
She sat in the back by the window, looking out from the tinted windows and into the streets. She hoped she wouldn't find him lurking through looking for her. She heaved a heavy sigh and looked down, at the single light and fluffy feather on her wrist. It was small, most likely part of the secondary feathers. She picked it up and examined it closely. It was mostly heather grey, but the top was dipped in white. Through the tears, she could Sophia could crack a smile. This was the thing that saved her, this person, this angel.
If it were not for him, she'd be left for dead in a grimy alleyway. She owed him everything.