"No freaking way Arlen!"
"Awwwww c'mon Liu-"
"No! I need my car tonight! I have a late class tonight, and I don't want to take the subway!" I snatched the keys away from my brother. I was so tired of arguing over my car. It was the third time today that I had to yell at him for taking my car. I needed it tonight. It was my first class back since winter break, and I needed to have my car. I needed to take my canvas to my Painting class and it was too big to carry on the trains. Plus, it was dangerous to take the train late at night. A lot of unsavory characters skulked the subway at night, and I didn't want to be there.
Arlen groaned as he snatched back the keys. "I need the car tonight too, Liu. I have a gig tonight, and I need transportation." He scowled, and I frowned at him.
"Then take Papa's car! He'll be home soon!" I shot at him.
"No! I have to get going now! I need to set up the equipment before the venue opens."
"Arlen, I need to go to class! I can't carry my canvas on the train!" I moved to snatch the keys, but he held it above his head, where I couldn't reach.
"Then I'll drive you to your class." He said matter-of-factly.
"And what about after? My class ends at nine!" I pouted, angry.
"Then I'll pick you up. My gig should be done by then. Just relax Liu!" he said. I sighed. I didn't have the time or energy to fight with him. I threw my hands up in frustration.
"Fine! But you better come and get me at nine, or you're a dead man!" I threatened. He laughed heartily as I lifted my covered canvas.
"I'd love to see you try Chibi." He teased as we stepped out of the door. I shook my head. I was angry, but I didn't want to fight anymore. I just wanted to get to class. I carefully placed my canvas in the trunk next to the music equipment as Arlen started the car. I shifted my backpack and jumped into the passenger seat as my brother backed out of the drive way. I clicked on my seatbelt and lit a cigar as we drove down the street.
"You make me so mad, you know that right?" I said, cracking open the window.
He opened his as well as he lit a blunt, smiling. "Yeah but you love me." I rolled my eyes as we drove down the park way into the city. I rubbed my temples, trying to soothe the headache that was coming on. I hated arguing. And I was nervous about my project. I had to redraw a new subject for my project and paint it all in one night. I couldn't submit the canvas with Jeff on it. It would raise some unwanted questions. Not to mention I was stressing about the current picture that I had worked on all of last night and this morning. It still wasn't finished, and it was something I felt that I couldn't just part with, but I just hoped that I could just scrape by with a decent grade.
After about twenty minutes, I was pulling out the covered canvas from the trunk, my nerves are really frazzled.
"Now… you promise you'll be here by nine?" I asked Arlen sternly. I was seriously concerned about his timeliness.
"Yes, your highness! I shall arrive to thee at the nine o'clock hour. Now can I go before I'm late?" he said sarcastically. I shook my head and slammed the trunk closed.
"Remember, nine o'clock." I said as he began to pull away.
"Got it..." he waved as he pulled away.
)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(
"What the hell do you mean you can't come get me?!" I shouted into my phone as I stood outside the campus building. I lowered my voice as I tried to make out what Arlen was saying on the phone.
"I'm sorry Liu, but the gig is running a little longer than I had anticipated. I probably won't be out until maybe eleven-"
"ELEVEN?!" I shrieked. I was shaking. I was not only angry, I was scared. I've never been out in the city this late at night without my car. And the subway at night made me incredibly nervous.
"Dammit Arlen!" I scolded over his shouted "I'm sorry"s and hung up the phone. I contemplated my options. Ruvel and Tawny couldn't come pick me up because of the gig with Arlen, and Gwyn was working the late shift in the city hospital tonight, while Aunt Mei was in the next city over for her business. And I definitely wouldn't call Papa. The idea of me being in the car with him while he's horribly intoxicated absolutely terrifies me.
I ran my fingers through my hair and started making my way to the station since I had no other choice. I tried to keep myself calm as I took out my metro pass from my bag as I entered the station. I ignored the weird stares as I swiped my pass and made my way to the platform. The concrete was wet with melted snow and salt as I made my way towards the end of the station to catch the front of the train. I checked my phone and waited. The next train would come in ten minutes, and then I would have to transfer to another train. It wasn't totally empty in the station, due to all the other students that were also taking the train, so I didn't feel so uncomfortably alone. I took a calming breath and thought back to my project. Instead of a portrait of Jeff, I submitted an unfinished portrait of my mother, which the teacher allowed me to finish during the rest of the class. It had gotten an A on it, and it had taken away a lot of the anxiety I felt about it.
I looked up and jumped to see the train pulling up to the station. I stepped into the crowded train car when the door opened. I managed to squeeze myself to a support bar and held onto it tightly as I could to keep my balance. I was wearing a pair of dolly shoes that were a little higher than I normally wear, so my balance was a little off. I smoothed out my dress and my jacket and looked down, away from some people's stares. Despite being comfortable dressing the way I do, I sometimes feel uncomfortable when people openly stare at me. I don't feel like it's unusual, but other people do. I just kept looking down, trying to concentrate on listening for my next stop announcement and seriously regretting not having my I-pod with me.
After a while the conductor announced my transfer stop, and I excused myself as I pushed past some people trying to get off the train. I stepped on to the wet station and straightened out my jacket as the doors shut behind me. I shifted my messenger bag and looked around at the near empty station. I instantly felt my nerves go on edge as I noticed that I was the only one in the station. I shivered as I quickly made my way up the concrete stairs of the station. I was underground now, and the train I needed to take to get me home was on the upper platforms. I walked into the new platform and waited alone for the train. I looked at the train schedule and found that the next train was coming in five minutes. I sighed and shifted my feet, anxious to get on the train and get home. There were only a few people on the platform, and a group of rowdy young guys were drinking and conversing loudly near the front end of the platform. I surreptitiously made my way to the opposite end, more towards where the back cart would be. I wished that there were more people here, but because of the hour, there aren't many people.
The train entered the station a few moments later, and I stepped into the empty train car. I sat down in an empty seat and just tried to relax. The lights were flickering ominously, and it didn't help settle my nerves. I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye turned to see a guy hunched over, his dirty hoodie covering his face. He seemed to be sleeping. I looked away from him, hoping that my presence wouldn't be a disturbance. I sighed softly as I took out my sketchbook and started to do some outlines. This ride was going to take at least ninety minutes to get to the station closest to my home.
I managed to do some rough sketches of some random anime characters of my own design when the click of the car doors caught my attention. The rowdy guys that I had seen earlier came into the car. I quickly put my sketchbook away in my bag and averted my eyes, hoping they wouldn't notice me. I heard the clattering of metal cans as I noticed that these group of guys were drinking excessively. They chattered loudly about vulgar nonsense, and I hoped with all my heart that they wouldn't notice me. I was so close to my stop; just five more stops.
They started to laugh hysterically as they chucked cans around, not bothering to empty some of them. Only four stops left.
A can had rolled noisily and ended up next to my foot, and the chattering had quieted for only a moment. I looked down, my heart beating nervously. Only three stops left. I was so close.
I saw movement at the corner of my eye, and I looked up to see the three guys approaching me. I gulped and looked down, hoping in vain that they wouldn't bother me.
"Hey baby." A sleazy voice said from above me. I looked up and flinched at the sight of the three hoodlums that now surrounded me. I held my bag closer to me.
"Hey now, you're a cutie. What choo doin' out here all alone?" another guy in a parka said, slinking next to me in the seat. I scooted away uncomfortably, not bothering to answer.
"Aww she's a shy one." Another guy said, his speech slightly slurred. He leaned down, his pock marked face really close to mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I flinched away.
"OH shit man! She's a fuckin cutie fo' sho! Maybe we should play with her." he smiled evilly. I gasped and stood up, making my way to the train door. The sleazy guy in a windbreaker stood behind me and grabbed at my arms. I pulled way.
"Please…" I said in a small voice. "Please just leave me alone…" I backed away, my back hitting the support pole.
The parka guy stood up and smiled, his crooked teeth made his smile look evil.
"Aww baby doll, ya don' wanna play with us? You're awfully purdy, and I think we're gonna have a lot of fun, ain't that right boys?" he nodded to his cronies, and they nodded and started laughing. I backed away, and then turned to run, but the pock marked guy grabbed my arm roughly. I cried out and tried to pull away. He pulled me closer to him, and I used this momentum to swing my hand and palm him in the face. My hand had made contact with his nose, as he yelped in pain and released me. I stumbled forward and caught myself on the seat in front of me. He looked at me, blood covering his face and rage in his eyes.
"You're gonna regret that, ya little bitch!" he said as his friends all pounced on me, pinning me down and tearing at my clothes. I kicked and fought as I tried to get their hands off of me. One of the guys had slapped me hard across the face and I screamed as loud as I could. The windbreaker guy smothered my mouth with his hand as the one with the parka started to tear my jacket open. He tried to pry my legs open and I fought even harder, even though it was getting harder to breathe with windbreaker covering my mouth. I felt tears spill out of my eyes as I tried to fight. I didn't want this! Oh god, Jeff help me! I thought desperately as the guys started to tear at my clothes.
Suddenly, the parka guy froze, his face contorted in pain. He let out a cry, blood spilling from his mouth. A deep, dark rough voice sounded from behind him
"You shouldn't touch what isn't yours…." My eyes widened as the parka guy fell over. The other two dropped me and backed away from the figure responsible for stabbing their leader. He was tall, wearing a bloodstained dirty hoodie and dark jeans. He held a bloody kitchen knife and started to laugh. I looked up into his face and gasped. The familiar, pale scarred face with the carved smile.
"Jeff…" I breathed softly
"You Mother Fucker! Y-you fucking killed him! You killed him brah! You fucking sick fuck!" the windbreaker guy swung and landed a punch on Jeff's cheek. He staggered slightly, then started to laugh. The other two guys backed away a bit as Jeff straightened up and started laughing manically. His hood fell off, exposing his face to the flickering lights of the train car. The pock marked guy screamed and the windbreaker guy just froze in terror.
"That was dumb… and you shouldn't have done that…. Now I think it's time, for you to GO TO SLEEP!" he pounced on the windbreaker guy, and he fought against him, but Jeff was stronger, and I watched in horror as he stabbed and slit the throat of my potential rapist. I watched as the guy choked and sputtered as he fell to the ground, drowning in his own blood.
I whimpered at the sight. "Oh god…" I gasped. I looked back up at Jeff. His back was facing me as he stepped towards the pockmarked guy, who was cowering by the door.
"You like to "play" with cute little girls huh? And they call me a monster. Well maybe it's time for you to go to sleep!" Jeff said, his voice full of anger as he lifted the guy up and plunged his knife into his stomach. He repeatedly stabbed him until the guy's whimpering came to a stop. He dropped his body onto the seat and turned to me. I flinched and closed my eyes.
I sensed him kneeling next to me and I flinched as I felt his fingers gently touch my cheek. I opened my eyes and looked at his face. It was set in a serious yet worried look.
"Are you okay kid?" his said quietly. I felt the tears spill from my eyes as I threw my arms around his neck, all the feelings of fear and relief just overwhelming me. I cried on Jeff's shoulder and shook violently as he wrapped his arms around me.
"You're here! You're really here! Oh Je-Jeff!" I choked out as he rubbed my back soothingly.
He didn't say anything, but he lifted me up onto my feet and started to walk me quickly out of the train. I hadn't even noticed that it had stopped. He held my arm as I stumbled next to him, holding my jacket closed as he escorted me out of the station. I was about to tell him to slow down when I heard a loud scream come from the platform below. I shut my mouth as we made our way, unnoticed, out of the station and onto the street.