Chapter 7
Rayne lay on her couch, staring blankly at her ceiling, when the phone rang. Without moving her eyes, she lifted the phone from the table beside her and placed it against her ear.
"Yea?"
"Rayne?"
"Yea?"
"It's Zeke. Listen, is your car working?"
"Last time I checked, yea, why?"
"Are you going to the dance tonight?" he asked. She thought.
"Yep. Why?"
"Could you pick me up? My battery ain't working." She smiled.
"Sure, Zeke. I'll be there in an hour," she said. They hung up, and she jogged up the steps, to take a shower.
Rayne shut off the water, and got out, wrapping a towel around herself. She felt strange, everything being okay again. Everyone being normal. She shrugged it off, and got dressed.
She pulled up in the school lot, and saw news vans surrounding the other cars. Her and Zeke got out, looking at each other. One reporter saw her.
"Rayne! Rayne, can we have a word with you?!" she called out.
"Oh no.not these guys again." Zeke took her hand, and they ran into the building, away from everyone. There were more reporters in the building.and they were all chicks. The reporters and the cameramen.women. All of them. Rayne looked around.
"There's no way to get rid of them!" she hissed. Zeke gripped her elbow with his fingers and pulled her into the boys bathroom, locking the door behind them. She looked around.
"Zeke, I can't be in here! It's the guys bathroom."
"Oh, you've been in here before, remember? You helped the janitor last summer."
"Yea, I walked in and walked out.I didn't come in here to escape anybody." There was a knock on the door.
"Rayne, we know you're in there! Let us in! We only want a few words with you!" the reporter's called. She dropped to the floor, tempted to break down and cry.
"I hate reporters. They've been bothering me since my aunt died." She stood up again, and walked into the attached locker room. Rayne peeked out the window.
"Well, at least they aren't around the windows.maybe I could sneak out and just leave."
"And go where?"
"Anywhere but here!" she exclaimed. She had just pulled herself up onto the lockers when Zeke pulled her back down.
"Zeke, what are you doing?" He didn't answer, but he did kiss her. Her eyes widened, confused, but kissed him back for the mere second before he pulled away. Her eyes shot up to his.
"What the hell was that?"
"Something to shut you up," he said. She closed her eyes, and thought long and hard about what to do. Finally, they opened again, and she found him staring at her. Her hand slammed into his chest, and she shoved him away.
"Where are you going?" he asked. She stopped, and turned her head.
"To face my fear, and tell the reporters to stick it where the sun don't shine." Her heels clicked on the tile as she unlocked the door and walked out. All the reporters ran over.
"Rayne! Rayne, a few words?" they asked. She shoved through them all, and stopped.
"You know, nothing's changed. It's people like you that make me wish everything were normal. But normal is vastly overrated. And you know something else?" They stopped.
"I hated reporters when my aunt died, and I still hate them today, so you can ask me anything you like, doll, but I wouldn't answer you if I had a gun pointed at my head and a knife at my throat, do you understand me?" she asked. They looked away, and left, grumbling about losing their story on her. Rayne continued into the gym, and walked up onto the bleachers, where she sat with Casey.
"Hey, Case."
"Hey, Ray. Reporters still bothering you?"
"Nope. Told them that I've hated reporters for years, and I wouldn't answer their questions if my life depended on it. What about you? How's life treating you now?" He shrugged.
"Can't complain. I mean, sure, I've had my share of reporter problems, but.what is Zeke doing?"
"Probably looking for me," she muttered, and looked up. He was looking around the gym, as though he was trying to find someone. Then he saw her up in the corner with Casey.
"Damn it." she muttered.
"What?" he asked.
"Zeke's looking for me. Listen, I'm gonna go, alright? I'll see you on Monday," she said, hugged him, and jogged down the bleachers.
"Rayne!" Zeke called.
"Leave me alone, Zeke," she said, and walked out of the school without another word. He watched her get into her car, and drive off, leaving him there.
Rayne sat on her couch, listening to the Matchbox 20 CD, "Yourself or Someone Like You," waiting. For what, though, she didn't know. She was just waiting for something to happen. Finally, she stood up, and went to her computer, where she was going to email a bunch of colleges and get information on scholarships and things. The year was almost over, and it seemed as though she might pass this year. Then the doorbell rang, and she jogged downstairs, hoping it wasn't Zeke. She pressed her eye against the peep hole, and, low and behold, it was him. She dropped her forehead against the door.
"Go away, Zeke!" she called.
"I gotta talk to you!" he called back.
"What makes you think I want to talk to you after what you've done?"
"I know you're mad at me, and I understand that! But I gotta talk to you!" She sighed, shaking her head.
"No, Zeke! Go away!"
"I'm not going to go away unless you let me in!" he called back.
"Then you'll be standing there for a while," she said, pulling away from the door.
"Please? Just let me talk to you for five minutes, and I'll leave you alone, I promise." She sighed, and opened the door. He stood out there in tattered jeans and a white long sleeve shirt under a black Tee. Shaking her head, she let him in, closing the door behind him.
"Five minutes. What do you want?" she asked. He took her into the living room, and sat her on the couch. He sat on the table.
"You never told me how your aunt died." She threw her hands in the air.
"Is that what you wanted to talk about?!" she cried. He grabbed her hands and pulled them back down.
"Chill.You'll understand in a minute.now, how did she die?" he asked. Rayne sighed, and looked up.
"Well.It was about.nearly two years ago, I guess.Okay. I was helping her paint the kitchen, and the smell of the paint was beginning to get to her, so she put her brush in the sink and closed the can. I rinsed the brushes and followed her outside. She told me she was going for a ride to the store, to pick up some smelly spray, to take away from the paint." Rayne stood up, and walked over to the mantle. Zeke turned around. "I hadn't even gotten back inside the house when I heard the wheels screaming. I started running down the street, barefoot, after the car. It hit a tree, and started on fire. She was trapped in the car. I grabbed the door, and tried to pull it open, but it just wouldn't budge, so I smashed it open with a rock.She was about to come out through the window, but pulled back inside. Her jeans were caught in the spring under the seat, and she tried to get it undone. The firemen were arriving, and hooking up the hoses.and she told me to get away from the car. I started to reach in to get her.and it exploded." She stopped for a second to take a breath, and sniffle. Zeke leaned forward. "By the time the fire was put out, she was dead.They took me and the body to the crematory and I got her cremated, and put in this box.Everything she had was left to me, including this house. I only get it for about five or six months after I graduate. After that, I get to sell it to the person of my choice." Zeke stood up and walked over to her. She turned to face him, and he held her. "So..what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, looking up. He stepped back, and looked down at her.
"Everything was left to you, right?" he asked. She nodded. "And you really loved her, right?"
"Of course.now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I came to see just how much you loved your Aunt.and to tell you that you should take better care of these," he said, handing her a silver banded ring with an ice-blue stone, and her Celtic necklace. She smiled.
"Thank you.." Looking at the clock, she walked to the door. "It's been five minutes," she said. He nodded.
"Goodnight, Rayne," he said, and walked from the room. She sat, still, for a minute, staring at the necklace and the ring, before jamming the necklace into her pocket, the ring on her finger, and running out after him.
"Zeke! Wait up!" she called, leaving the door open, and jogging down the sidewalk.
"What?" he asked, turning around. She stopped in front of him.
"Why did you come all the way over here to give me these when you would see me tomorrow?" He shrugged.
"Cuz I felt like it." She raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I thought it was a bit better than calling and telling you to come get it. That's why. Happy?" She smiled, and nodded.
"Very." He nodded.
"Can I go now?" She sighed.
"Sure. See you on Monday." As he walked off, she headed back inside, closing and locking the door behind her.
Rayne lay on her couch, staring blankly at her ceiling, when the phone rang. Without moving her eyes, she lifted the phone from the table beside her and placed it against her ear.
"Yea?"
"Rayne?"
"Yea?"
"It's Zeke. Listen, is your car working?"
"Last time I checked, yea, why?"
"Are you going to the dance tonight?" he asked. She thought.
"Yep. Why?"
"Could you pick me up? My battery ain't working." She smiled.
"Sure, Zeke. I'll be there in an hour," she said. They hung up, and she jogged up the steps, to take a shower.
Rayne shut off the water, and got out, wrapping a towel around herself. She felt strange, everything being okay again. Everyone being normal. She shrugged it off, and got dressed.
She pulled up in the school lot, and saw news vans surrounding the other cars. Her and Zeke got out, looking at each other. One reporter saw her.
"Rayne! Rayne, can we have a word with you?!" she called out.
"Oh no.not these guys again." Zeke took her hand, and they ran into the building, away from everyone. There were more reporters in the building.and they were all chicks. The reporters and the cameramen.women. All of them. Rayne looked around.
"There's no way to get rid of them!" she hissed. Zeke gripped her elbow with his fingers and pulled her into the boys bathroom, locking the door behind them. She looked around.
"Zeke, I can't be in here! It's the guys bathroom."
"Oh, you've been in here before, remember? You helped the janitor last summer."
"Yea, I walked in and walked out.I didn't come in here to escape anybody." There was a knock on the door.
"Rayne, we know you're in there! Let us in! We only want a few words with you!" the reporter's called. She dropped to the floor, tempted to break down and cry.
"I hate reporters. They've been bothering me since my aunt died." She stood up again, and walked into the attached locker room. Rayne peeked out the window.
"Well, at least they aren't around the windows.maybe I could sneak out and just leave."
"And go where?"
"Anywhere but here!" she exclaimed. She had just pulled herself up onto the lockers when Zeke pulled her back down.
"Zeke, what are you doing?" He didn't answer, but he did kiss her. Her eyes widened, confused, but kissed him back for the mere second before he pulled away. Her eyes shot up to his.
"What the hell was that?"
"Something to shut you up," he said. She closed her eyes, and thought long and hard about what to do. Finally, they opened again, and she found him staring at her. Her hand slammed into his chest, and she shoved him away.
"Where are you going?" he asked. She stopped, and turned her head.
"To face my fear, and tell the reporters to stick it where the sun don't shine." Her heels clicked on the tile as she unlocked the door and walked out. All the reporters ran over.
"Rayne! Rayne, a few words?" they asked. She shoved through them all, and stopped.
"You know, nothing's changed. It's people like you that make me wish everything were normal. But normal is vastly overrated. And you know something else?" They stopped.
"I hated reporters when my aunt died, and I still hate them today, so you can ask me anything you like, doll, but I wouldn't answer you if I had a gun pointed at my head and a knife at my throat, do you understand me?" she asked. They looked away, and left, grumbling about losing their story on her. Rayne continued into the gym, and walked up onto the bleachers, where she sat with Casey.
"Hey, Case."
"Hey, Ray. Reporters still bothering you?"
"Nope. Told them that I've hated reporters for years, and I wouldn't answer their questions if my life depended on it. What about you? How's life treating you now?" He shrugged.
"Can't complain. I mean, sure, I've had my share of reporter problems, but.what is Zeke doing?"
"Probably looking for me," she muttered, and looked up. He was looking around the gym, as though he was trying to find someone. Then he saw her up in the corner with Casey.
"Damn it." she muttered.
"What?" he asked.
"Zeke's looking for me. Listen, I'm gonna go, alright? I'll see you on Monday," she said, hugged him, and jogged down the bleachers.
"Rayne!" Zeke called.
"Leave me alone, Zeke," she said, and walked out of the school without another word. He watched her get into her car, and drive off, leaving him there.
Rayne sat on her couch, listening to the Matchbox 20 CD, "Yourself or Someone Like You," waiting. For what, though, she didn't know. She was just waiting for something to happen. Finally, she stood up, and went to her computer, where she was going to email a bunch of colleges and get information on scholarships and things. The year was almost over, and it seemed as though she might pass this year. Then the doorbell rang, and she jogged downstairs, hoping it wasn't Zeke. She pressed her eye against the peep hole, and, low and behold, it was him. She dropped her forehead against the door.
"Go away, Zeke!" she called.
"I gotta talk to you!" he called back.
"What makes you think I want to talk to you after what you've done?"
"I know you're mad at me, and I understand that! But I gotta talk to you!" She sighed, shaking her head.
"No, Zeke! Go away!"
"I'm not going to go away unless you let me in!" he called back.
"Then you'll be standing there for a while," she said, pulling away from the door.
"Please? Just let me talk to you for five minutes, and I'll leave you alone, I promise." She sighed, and opened the door. He stood out there in tattered jeans and a white long sleeve shirt under a black Tee. Shaking her head, she let him in, closing the door behind him.
"Five minutes. What do you want?" she asked. He took her into the living room, and sat her on the couch. He sat on the table.
"You never told me how your aunt died." She threw her hands in the air.
"Is that what you wanted to talk about?!" she cried. He grabbed her hands and pulled them back down.
"Chill.You'll understand in a minute.now, how did she die?" he asked. Rayne sighed, and looked up.
"Well.It was about.nearly two years ago, I guess.Okay. I was helping her paint the kitchen, and the smell of the paint was beginning to get to her, so she put her brush in the sink and closed the can. I rinsed the brushes and followed her outside. She told me she was going for a ride to the store, to pick up some smelly spray, to take away from the paint." Rayne stood up, and walked over to the mantle. Zeke turned around. "I hadn't even gotten back inside the house when I heard the wheels screaming. I started running down the street, barefoot, after the car. It hit a tree, and started on fire. She was trapped in the car. I grabbed the door, and tried to pull it open, but it just wouldn't budge, so I smashed it open with a rock.She was about to come out through the window, but pulled back inside. Her jeans were caught in the spring under the seat, and she tried to get it undone. The firemen were arriving, and hooking up the hoses.and she told me to get away from the car. I started to reach in to get her.and it exploded." She stopped for a second to take a breath, and sniffle. Zeke leaned forward. "By the time the fire was put out, she was dead.They took me and the body to the crematory and I got her cremated, and put in this box.Everything she had was left to me, including this house. I only get it for about five or six months after I graduate. After that, I get to sell it to the person of my choice." Zeke stood up and walked over to her. She turned to face him, and he held her. "So..what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, looking up. He stepped back, and looked down at her.
"Everything was left to you, right?" he asked. She nodded. "And you really loved her, right?"
"Of course.now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I came to see just how much you loved your Aunt.and to tell you that you should take better care of these," he said, handing her a silver banded ring with an ice-blue stone, and her Celtic necklace. She smiled.
"Thank you.." Looking at the clock, she walked to the door. "It's been five minutes," she said. He nodded.
"Goodnight, Rayne," he said, and walked from the room. She sat, still, for a minute, staring at the necklace and the ring, before jamming the necklace into her pocket, the ring on her finger, and running out after him.
"Zeke! Wait up!" she called, leaving the door open, and jogging down the sidewalk.
"What?" he asked, turning around. She stopped in front of him.
"Why did you come all the way over here to give me these when you would see me tomorrow?" He shrugged.
"Cuz I felt like it." She raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I thought it was a bit better than calling and telling you to come get it. That's why. Happy?" She smiled, and nodded.
"Very." He nodded.
"Can I go now?" She sighed.
"Sure. See you on Monday." As he walked off, she headed back inside, closing and locking the door behind her.