Hey there everyone! I'm so sorry. If you haven't read my profile yet: I've been at my grandparents' house for the last couple of weeks and they don't have the internet so I haven't been able to update.
Chapter 4: Weak Defense
I was singing to the radio on my way home from the Wong household when I heard Aya's favorite song come on. I have to admit it was a pretty good song. I'd have to remember to ask her to teach me the lyrics. The only part I knew was the chorus.
I pulled in the driveway but stopped with my palm resting on the cool metal handle. Allison was still refusing to talk to me and my parents had been furious when I came home late, smelling like chlorine, and without my truck. Mom was being particularly fussy. Apparently, I was 'hiding' in my room again and she was threatening to take my door off of it's hinges. It wasn't an empty threat either. She'd done it before. I'd heard her fighting a lot lately with her new husband. I knew why. She was so stressed about being in a new place with so many strange people. That was probably the reason for this story about me hiding. Maybe if I hadn't convinced her to marry him-- to move here-- she would be happy. I told you things went smoother when I kept my nose out of them.
I parked my truck and went to tell Mom I was going to see Aya, but as I opened the door I was pulled into a tight hug. Kicking the door shut with my heel I hugged my sobbing mother back. Silver tears were spilling freely down her cheeks and smearing her makeup. "Mom, what's wrong? Where's Takeshi (step- dad)?"
"He left," she choked out. I peered through the front window, finally registering the dark black tire marks where he usually parked his car after work. "I don't want to do it again, Casey. He's just like your dad. He's never happy. I don't want to have to work through his temper to find him again."
I patted her back gently, remembering how my father always used to come home from work angry, how he would drink almost every night. How he died driving home from the bar and killed a classmate of mine driving his date home from the movies. That time I hadn't interferred enough. I should have stopped him that night. I should have called the police to tell them to pull him over. I should have hidden his car keys. I should have done something... but I didn't.
"It was a mistake ever coming here. It was a mistake getting married to him. I can't do it again. I can't."
Suddenly, the door opened again and Takeshi stormed in, face flushed and wobbling gently in th all-too-familiar drunken way. "What are you doing woman? Crying? Crying is for the weak!" he spat. Mom sobbed even harder and it seemed to make him even angrier. "I said stop crying!" he shouted. Then he did the unthinkable. He raised his hand to her.
I pushed her out of the way and felt a fist smash into my face. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled out on my back.
He looked at me, then at his hand, then at me again. Suddenly, he burst into tears. "I'm so sorry Casey. I should never have done that. Why did I do that?" He fell to his knees, not even trying to wipe away the tears. "I'm sorry Maddie," he told my mother. She just stared back at him for a moment.
"Promise me," she said softly. "If you promise me that you'll never get drunk again, I'll forgive you."
He reached out shakily and pulled her into a gentle hug. "Of course I promise. Anything for your forgivness." It was a strange sight, seeing my mom and my step- dad, my parents, sitting there, both on their knees, crying and hugging. After a few minutes they both wiped away their tears and she led him to the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Allison poked her head out from the kitchen. "Is he better?" I looked at Takeshi and saw him kissing Mom then nodded to her. She sighed in relief. "Good. He's only gotten drunk a few times before, but he gets really scary when he does. It's like he's bipolar."
"Yeah," I agreed. Then I looked at her. "If Mom asks, can you tell her I went to Aya's house?"
"I'm not your slave!" she snapped. Then she went back to her usual drama queen attitude. With a sigh, I wandered into the kitchen and shuffled through the drawer for a piece of paper and a pen. Upon finding one, I left a note for Mom on the kitchen table, put the pen back, and slid the door shut with my hip. When I got back in my truck I cranked the music up to a just- barable level and drove the uneventful route to Aya's house. I hadn't been to her house before but she had given me an address. Driving along the block I spotted her little silver car in one of the driveways. The house number matched the address.
Her house was a medium- sized house and had plain, white siding and many large windows. I parked behind her car and didn't even make it to the front step when the door opened "You're late!" she snapped mockingly. Taking one look at me, she suddenly grew serious. "What's wrong?"
I blinked. I had thought my face was schooled extremely well. It could have fooled anyone. Anyone but Aya. Nothing could fool Aya. But I gave it a shot anyways. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."
She scolwed at me and grabbed my arm, pulling me inside. I was then led forcibly down a sparcely furnised hallway and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind us. "Sorry about the mess," she said, not really sounding sorry at all. Indeed, everything within the lavender- tinted walls suffered from the clutter. Her bed was pushed up against the left wall and covered with a mountain of purple pillows and white sheets, The desk against the far wall was hidden beneath untidy stacks of papers and writing utencils, and one of the drawers of the dresser to the right was hanging open and spilling t- shirts. She pushed me down on the bed and stood above me with her arms crossed. "What's wrong?" she repeated sternly.
Sighing, I flung myself back to lay down crossways on her bed with my feet still dangling over the edge. "It's all my fault. Allison and Tala are mad because of what I said, Tala tried to drowned you, and now Mom and Dad are mad at each other and I'm the one that convinced her to marry him. And then there's Will..." I silently recalled the accusatory looks I'd been given when I went to my classmate's funeral.
Her face softened considerably and she sat down next to me, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "It's not your--."
"Yes it is. If I hadn't screwed up... none of it would have happened. Everyone would be happy." I was surprised to find my eyes stinging with tears. I hadn't cried in a long time.
"You can't go blaming yourself for everything," she said softly. "You aren't responsible for everyone's happiness. Allison and Tala are over- reacting and it's your parents that took the vows. As for me, I'm the one that pushed Tala over the edge. I told him off last night and he got angry and threw me in the pool. It wasn't because of you."
"I'm the reason the confrontation happened," I pointed out.
"Would you rather have not told him off?" I thought a moment and shook my head. "Do you regret moving here?" I had to think more about that one. Then something caught my eye.
I frowned and sat up grabbing one of the pillows. 2 dark, wet spots showed on it. "Okay Dr. Phil. My turn. What's wrong with you?" She blushed and snatched the pillow away from me, pushing it behind her and burying it into the mess. "Why were you crying?"
She blushed a deep red and looked away, refuseing to meet my eyes. "I... I think I have a crush..." She paused again, nearly going purple.
"On who?" Now I was curious. I had never seen Aya react so much to anyone, much less a guy, and I still hadn't found out why she had been crying.
"O- on," she swallowed nervously. "On Tala."
I'll admit it. My jaw dropped. "No way. You have a crush on the guy that threw you in the pool? Why?"
She fiddled with the trimming on her skirt. "I never told you what happened before... before he threw me in. He was flirting with me. I looked at him and I knew he was just trying to use me but..." She looked at me and I saw something in her face. Something had changed about her. There was hope and hurt all mixed together in her eyes. "I felt like I belonged there, Casey. Like I belonged with him. It's... hard to understand unless you've felt it. He's probably still angry at me though and I never really stood a chance. And I know you don't like Tala but--."
"How romantic!" I flung my arms out and rolled onto my back so I could look up at her. "So? When's the wedding?"
The blush that had disappeared returned full force. "I'm being serious Casey!"
"So am I." I flashed her a crooked grin. "Go get him, Tiger."
Monday homeroom was extremely tense. With me sitting infront of Tala and Aya sitting behind him I felt isolated. Tala didn't seem particularly fond of the arrangement either. The black eye Queen had given him was turning a disgusting shade of yellow but he had had the decency to cover it up with foundation. It was quite funny to watch him fume. It seemed like he was trying to glare at me, Queen, and through the back of his skull at Aya all at once.
Kai was also glaring, though at a different person and for a different reason. Apparently, the tention Tala was emitting was disturbing his laid- back aura and getting on his nerves. Even the thicker fangirls could sense it and knew enough to not say a word to him throughout the rest of the day. Only the ignorant, Kai, and Spencer dared to walk on the same side of the hallway as him or voluntarily sit next to him in class and the teachers decreased the amount of homework given out. In other words: everyone stayed as far away as possible and kept their mouths shut when ever he was within earshot.
Needless to say, it was a very dreary morning. He disappeared around lunchtime after shoveling a bit of food down his throat. When he returned in time for 3rd period he looked a bit sweaty but much calmer, meaning Kai returned to usual, socially- challenged self as well.
With a sigh, I threw my bag in my Ranger and groaned when I realized that I had forgotten my math textbook. "I'll be right back Aya. I need to go grab something from my locker." She nodded in understanding and waited by the passenger side door. She needed a ride home since her car had lost the muffler in the driveway this morning. That must be the greatest thing to wake up to, huh? Anyways, I rushed towards the building, not wanting to keep Aya waiting.
Aya's POV:
I waited silently for Casey's return, just listening to the wind rushing through the trees. It was really calming you know. That is until a shout of pain ripped through the air, scattering the birds in the branches over head.
I jumped and whipped around in search of it's source. At the far end of the parking lot I saw 6 people, fists and other hard objects flying. I moved stealthily down towards the fight, catching a glimpse of a familiar head of red hair. Tala! And isn't that Kai? I don't recognize the other 4. Who are they and why are they attacking Tala and Kai? I frowned, remembering a few rumors I'd heard a year ago about them being in a gang. It was right before Bryan moved.
Tala was wielding a crowbar from the trunk of Kai's car and one of the 4 boys I didn't recognize was scuttling away on his back holding his stomach in agony. I grimaced. That must have hurt. One more was thrown from the group by a hard right hook from Kai. The crowbar rolled nosily over the pavement and Tala stumbled backward out of the brawl with a curse.
He was about to jump back in to assist Kai when I saw the gleam of afternoon sunlight on metal. Locating it I tensed in alarm and realized that it was pointed a Tala. 'It' being barrel of a cheap handgun.
"TALA!" I shouted. He turned in time to be tackled to the ground between 2 cars. The sound of the shot was deafening and I swear I felt it whistle over my shoulder. We hit the ground hard and I was glad I was on top. No time to be embarrassed, I rolled off of him and pulled him towards a spot out of reach of the gun. Bright orange hair greetd me. "Brooklyn? What are you doing here?"
"Trying to get in my car without getting hit by a crowbar, baseball bat, or shot," he replied. I let go of Tala and moved past Brooklyn to peek around the bumper of the silver car. The gun had followed our progress and when he spotted movement he pointed it at me. I was frozen there, looking down the barrel of the gun, and I just knew he was going to shoot me.
Then Casey appeared. She was wielding the fallen crowbar and brought it down on his wrist. There was a scream of pain and she backed away slowly, holding the bar before her defensively. "Tala, go!" I hissed. "He lost his gun."
Tala nodded and sprinted off to help Kai, who was fading fast, weaponless, in his 2 against 1 fight. Brooklyn looked over the hood of his car. Did he seem tense? "Brooklyn, what is it?" I demanded. He had always been a pretty hard one to read but I could sense a sudden panic.
"The death card," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "Casey. I read her tarot and--."
"She got the death card?" He nodded silently then sucked in a sharp breath. The 2nd unfamiliar boy that had stumbled out of he fight was armed with a baseball bat and quickly rid Casey of the crowbar. I watched as a left hook threw her out of sight around the counter. "CASEY!"
Brooklyn was there first. He plunged around the corner, throwing a right hook of his own. Both boys drew knives and the first boy (the one with the now- broken wrist) hit Casey in the neck with the handle, connecting with a pressure point, effectively knocking her unconscious. The second boy dove, slashing Brooklyn across the arm. It was a deep cut, oozing blood between his fingers. Brooklyn fell and the boy stepped closer, so I did the only other thing I could do. I grabbed the crowbar and jumped between them. He smirked, grabbing the end of the bar. He twisted it out of my shaking hands easily.
No defense. No help. No chance.
