Sorry for the week skip got grounded so to make it up 2 chapters this week. _Chapter 4
Ezra's Pov
I couldn't find Pongo anywhere. I was freaking out. Could the old bastard finally done what he promised and gotten Pongo euthanized? Shit, where was he!?
"PONGO!" I called shaking his box of cat food. Usually he came running knowing he was about to eat. I always gave him the same thing. Dry cat food and grapes.
"Pong!" I didn't worry about how loud I was being. Dad was out with his whore for the night. After two hours I sighed and let the cat door open in case Pongo had gotten out and wanted to come back in the house.
I went to bed. Then got up noticing that Pongo's food had gone untouched. I was really getting worried. I looked everywhere and even drove back to the school and checked there. But, nothing. I drove over to Ella's and asked to borrow her phone because as farfetched as it seemed the only other place I could think Pongo was at was at that chick, Sarrah's house.
I took Ella's phone and texted.
Hey.
Sorry we're having a little emergency right now if you need
something text me and if its quick and easy i'll text back
and if not I'll get back to it when it calms down
-Sarr)ah
Look, this is Ella's brother, Ezra. I was just
wondering if you've seen my raccoon.
Yeah he's here eating some grapes.
-Sarr)ah
Whens a good time to pick him up?
Anytime I quess
-Sarr)ah
Coming now
OK
-Sarr)ah
Damn, finally. Talk about taking three hours to text someone back. I handed Ella her phone back and got in my car. I drove back over to Sarrah's house and knocked on the door.
"Hey," I said when she opened the door. I smiled a little and pet Pongo, "Hi Pongo."
I watched as she kissed the top of Pongo's head then handed him back to. I don't know why, but I found it hot.
"How's your ankle?" I asked.
"Its ok," she replied and it looked like it was.
"Thanks for taking care of Pongo," I said gratefully. I didn't know what I'd do without him.
"Welcome, he's cute" she replied.
I smiled back, "Thanks, most people don't think that."
"I'm not most people."
"He seems to like you, too." I said biting my lip. Pongo was squirming around trying to get free. She petted him as I tried to keep a grip on him.
"I guess so." That's when he got free and wrapped himself around her.
I sighed. What was I going to do with him?
"Hey, hey, Mister, I love you too, but Ezra may want to take you home." she said picking him up.
"Well that's a first. You gonna turn on me too, bro?" I said bitterly petting him, letting it slip.
"Turn on me too?" she asked confused as Pongo rubbed up against her and licked my hand.
"Don't worry about it," I replied gruffly moving to take Pongo out of her hands.
Dumbest move I ever made. She, out of all people, noticed my scars.
"What happened?" She cried grabbing my hoodie and pulling the sleeve up so more of my arm was exposed.
"Nothing" I said pulling my arm back.
"No! What happened!?" she exclaimed keeping her grip.
It unnerved me. The creepy way she pretended to give a damn.
"I did it," I mumbled feeling ashamed.
"Why ?" she asked perplexed by my answer.
"Don't worry about it. I stated untangling my arm.
"Why would you do it to yourself? It would hurt."
Hadn't this girl ever heard of a cutter?
"Look ...Sarrah... don't worry about it," I replied lightly.
"No tell me." She demanded.
"You don't need to hear about stuff like that. Just listen to me, okay?" I said using the big brother tone I used with Ella all the time.
And then she pouted. I must admit I found it cute and somewhat endearing. It was innocent. Without thinking I reached out and touched her cheek gently. I have no idea why, but I felt the tiniest shock and when she gasped I pulled my hand away.
"I'm sorry." I said somberly as she jerked away.
"Here," she said abruptly pushing Pongo into my arms and walking away. God, was I confused.
I hurriedly turned around and walked out of the house and drove home.
Sarrah's Pov
I don't know how long I was in the shower before Ember was in the bathroom. I know that the hot water had numbed and super reddened my skin.
"Sarrah, Im so so sorry" She apologized holding me gently.
I just sat there in the water ignoring her. I wasn't even mad at her anymore I was mad at my fail at tryouts. She pulled me out of the shower wrapped me in a towel "What happened Sar-Bear?"
I shook my head not wanting to talk about it.
"Do you just want to go to bed?" She asked concerned. I nodded. She picked me up and carried me to my bedroom "Get dressed and take your medicine" I did as told and dressed in my comfy baggy flannel PJs as dorky as it sounds but they were sooo comfortable and warm. I was sore and hurt so I relied on them.
After my PJs I gave myself my steroid, and took my nightly pills and the two syrupy things that tasted like shit and crawled into bed.
She tucked me in a few minutes later and kissed my forehead. Exhausted I fell asleep.
While I was asleep I started having a coughing fit. It got really bad. The new meds that they put me on had caused me to stop breathing in the middle of the night. I would have died if Ember wasn't attentive that night.
I woke up to being licked in the face by a little cold tongue and wet nose . I was coughing and sat up. There was a Raccoon on my bed staring at me and made a weird ass noise.
"Who are you... Raccoon?" I sent out my senses and realized it was someone's pet. "you must be domestacated, and ur hungry," I deduced pulling my hand away ,"come on . Lets get you some food."
He licked my hand hopped off my bed and followed me into the kitchen. "What do Raccoons like ? " I mussed. I decided to just start going through the fridge and seeing what he'd eat.
I tired hamburger, cheese, raw meat, milk, and other things before Ember walked in. "Fruit, Sarrah,"
I handed him a grape and he ran off happy with it. "Thanks Ember," as I place the rest of the grapes on the floor on a little dish for him. After that I hugged Ember tight. "you look sad," I replied.
" I'm depressed, Sarrah. Its nothing new for me," She tried to convince me with a smile, that didn't reach her eyes. "Where'd the Raccoon come from ? "
"Don't know. He just kinda woke me up so I was trying to feed him." I noticed a piece of paper she had been playing without knowing it. "what you have there?"
"I don't know" She said reading it. Her face turned angry and worried. "I'm going to fucking kill him. That stubborn ass. " Getting up ,"takes charity from people who want to destroy him but not from the one person who actually believes in him ," putting on the Pentecostal necklace that was under the paper. "Eden!" She called out.
Needless to say I was worried. Eden came down the stairs in a rush. Her short asian pixie cut muses slightly.
It was when all of this drama was going on when I realized my phone was playing "Helena" by My Chemical romance, meaning it was ringing. It was Ella. I ignored the call and texted her back
Sorry we're having a little emergency right now if you need
something text me and if its quick and easy i'll text back
and if not I'll get back to it when it calms down
-Sarr)ah
"What's wrong Ember ? I asked getting really worried.
"We have to go save my stupid soulmate because hes a fucking retard . And I'm goint to kill him. Apparently, taking money from our mom is a huge fucking issue, but being turned against his will so he can support himself is okay. I'm going to kill him. Overly dramatic asshole! " She growled and turned to me "Brent's the problem. I have to save him before something bad happens. " She said it like raising her voice at me would crack me like a porcelain doll or a macrame egg. "I'll be home soon, Sar-bear." and kissed my forehead.
My Phone played "House of wolves" meaning I had a text message
Look, this is Ella's brother, Ezra. I was just
wondering if you've seen my raccoon
"Do you need help? " I asked Ember. I would do anything she asked me.
I replied to the guy.
Yeah he's here eating some grapes.
-Sarr)ah
"I'm not putting you in danger. " She says to me then turns to eden "You're coming with me to get Brent." then she said something in Spanish that I don't know what it was. My phone went off again.
Whens a good time to pick him up?
I was hurt I couldn't do anything to help Ember.
I answered him with.
Anytime I quess
-Sarr)ah
"Don't give me that look, Sarrah. I don't need the two people I love most in the world in danger at the same time. Please. Stay home. Come on" With that she turned to Eden grabbed the keys and Ran off.
My phone rang again
Coming now
I replied
OK
-Sarr)ah
Now all alone I started to play with the Raccoon. He made me smile and feel a little bit better. I heard a knock at the door and picked him up and walked to the door.
"Hey" he said to me "Hi Pongo" he said with a small smile petting the Raccoon's furry head.
Once he pulled his hand away I kissed Pongos head and Gently handed him over to his owner.
"Hows your ankle?" He asked, Pongo now in tow.
"Its ok," it only hurt a little.
"Thanks for taking care of Pongo" He looked grateful, and I thought maybe he's not such a bad kid after all.
"Welcome hes cute "with a smile
He smiled back "thanks most people don't think that"
"Im not most people" still smiling, this conversation was nice. I could be friends with him. Pongo started squirming in his arms.
"He seems to like you too." He said biting on his lip ring a little. I wondered if it hurt to get that done.
I petted Pongo and replied "I guess so." It was then that he got free and started rubbing up against my leg like a cat.
I picked him back up , "Hey hey Mr. I love you too but Ezra may want to take you home.
"Well thats a first. You gonna turn on me too bro?" He said sounding depressed the earlier smiles gone.
I frowned trying to decipher what he meant as Pongo licked his hand but snuggled into me" Turn on me too?"
"Don't worry about it," He said gruffly with his accent really prominent . No more smiles. He moves to take Pongo back from me . His arm was completely covered in scars like my middle from my surgeries. I wondered what kinda surgery people could get done to have that many and that kind of scar.
I'd grabbed his arm closing my fingers around the fabric of the hoodie"What happened?" I shrieked worried for him.
"nothing" He replied trying to pull his arm back.
"No!" as if that'd make him tell me "What happened!?" I exclaimed again.
"I did it" He mumbled.
He did it ? That made No sense to me . "Why ?" I asked confused.
"Don't worry about it" His eyes were abnormally big and his voice had some light yet somber tone to it
"Why would you do it to yourself? It would hurt." I have never heard of a cutter in my life at that point the idea of someone cutting themselves on purpose was foreign.
"Look ...Sarrah... don't worry about it," the lightness was winning out over the somber.
"No tell me" I demanded pouting.
"You don't need to hear about stuff like that. Just listen to me, okay?" He was starting to sound like Ember.
I continued to pout.
He reached up and touched my cheek tenderly, which i got a light literal shock from. "I'm sorry," dominated by somber now.
I jerked away.
"here," I handed him Pongo and walked away.
Ezra's POV:
I sat with coach talking about all the girls who tried out. Ella was a shoe in. She'd been practicing since I can remember. I listened as he talked about Sarrah. And that's when I decided to intervene. I mean, I felt like I owed it to her to vouch for her.
"I know she's sickly, but you have to admire her strength, Paul. She worked her ass off to get to this point. And she didn't want to sit out even after she injured herself."
"You're right, Ezra. She'll do good."
I felt proud of myself as he started making phone calls and listened as he talked to some Autumn chick. I hoped she'd be excited.
Then I got up and went straight to work. I loved my job.
Sarrah's POV:
I was sitting on the stairway when Autumn sat down beside me.
"Hey Sarrah" She said as happy go lucky as always.
"Hey ," I replied. She may not be a friend but she was ok, a genuine new innocent , kind, soul. It had something to do with her being part ghost or something Ty said once..
"What's up?" She asked being nice.
"Not much," I replied. My life was dull.
"Your coach called this morning"
"Yeah to tell me I didn't make it," pulling my knees up to my chest.
"What are you talking about?" She asked handing me the message.
Couch called...said he can't wait to see you at practice.
Any girl who shows that much devotion to the game
is worth being on the team. Thank Ezra Scar-something
I can't spell Barnes for helping him see your potential.
"What? I asked unbelievingly.
"Sounds like you made the team to me," She said with a smile.
I couldn't say anything.
"Some guy vouched for you. He must have good standing with the couch," She said smiling.
"I guess," I couldn't think to come up with something better to say.
"Congrats" Smiling.
"Thanks " I say feeling better with a small smile.
"We'll have to celebrate volleyball star."
I smiled liking her even more.
"I'll get Eden and Ember and we'll plan something" She exclaimed running up the stairs "Eden!"