"A Single Yellow Rose" - Chapter Two
"You know what I think?" Shawn asked
as he stopped near the bleachers, grabbed the towel hanging over the railing
and tossing it in his friend's direction. "I think Jason has let one too many
players from the opposing team get past him to use you for tackling dummy."
Philip grabbed the towel in mid air and wiped away the sheen of sweat on his face. "I'm telling you man, something is going on deep inside that beautiful head of hers. I can't figure it out and I can't get her to talk about it."
"I thought things were going really
good with the two of you."
"Were being the operative word,"
Philip said as he draped the towel around his neck. "We were really getting
tight for a while there even though her mother still thinks I'm lower than dirt."
"Hey, you know how mothers are.
Especially Chloe's with all they have been through. She's just being over
protective. You know, no guy is good enough for her baby girl."
Philip watched as Shawn's eyes kept
straying off to where Belle, a few feet away, was bent over trying to stuff her
pom poms into her bag. Man, his buddy had it bad. And the best part was, Belle
felt the same way. "Yeah, right," he answered. "Belle's mom is really upset
with her daughter's choice for a boyfriend. I bet her and your mom are already
picking out china patterns and making up the guest list."
Shawn head snapped around. "What?
Are you nuts?"
"And I bet they've got the names of
their grandchildren already picked out." Philip continued.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Marriage? Kids?
That stuff is so far away right now I can't even see it."
"Right," Philip agreed, his
trademark smirk rising into one of those famous Kiriakis' dimples as he pulled
the towel off his shoulders and snapped it in Belle's direction. "Just like you
can't see yourself crawling into bed with THAT every night?"
"Don't even go there man." Shawn
warned, an answering smile on his face.
"Have YOU gone there…that's the
question." Philip shot back.
"I think that falls under the 'need
to know' category and you bro, have got NO need to know." Shawn answered. "Hey,
wait a minute…that's not it is it?"
Philip looked puzzled at Shawn's
unexpected serious tone. "What's it? What are you talking about?"
"You didn't go and do something
stupid one night did you?"
"What in the hell are you talking
about?"
Shawn advanced on Philip, his voice
low. "You didn't whip out a condom some night when things got hot and heavy
with Chloe in the backseat of your new wheels did you?"
"Give me a break Shawn! She never
even held hands with a guy before we starting seeing each other. What do ya
think, I'd give her a few weeks before I'd pounce on her? What do you take me
for?"
Shawn shoved his hands in his
pockets, embarrassed that he even brought up the subject. "Sorry man. I
shouldn't have said that."
"Christ, I can't even get an hour
alone with her lately. Except for English lit she's in all those high honor
courses, then she's off in Chicago three afternoons a week, including Friday's
and by the time she gets home Nancy's got her locked in for the night. I've got
practice every afternoon and for the last three Saturdays she's not getting
back from Chicago until it too late to do anything."
"Hey, the Homecoming game is this
weekend and then the party up at the lake afterwards. Surely, she's not going
to miss that. Did you give her your jersey?" Shawn asked, referring to the long
Salem High tradition of girlfriends and mothers of the guys on the team wearing
the jersey of their boyfriend or son to the game.
"Yeah I did but I really don't know
if she is coming. I mentioned it to her again on the phone the other night but
it's like she gone to another planet. A world so far away from Salem and
everything going on here. And the weirdest part is, I get the feeling she's
just not as excited about all this music stuff as she once was."
"Who's not as excited?" Belle chimed
in as she joined Philip and Shawn.
"Hey there," Shawn said, reaching around her waist to give her a gentle squeeze, his hand skimming along her warm skin.
Belle returned his smile before
turning her attention to Philip. "Are we talking about Chloe perhaps?"
"Of course we are," Shawn answered,
"and Philly here thinks something is wrong with his lady friend."
"Why Philip? Are you are feeling a
little neglected." Belle teased.
"It's more than that Belle. Not
every couple is attached at the hip," he said, gazing pointedly at his friends.
"I'll admit it, I miss her being here for the practices and the games and just
being able to spend time with her like before but I'm telling you its something
more. Even when we manage to find time together she seems distant. I mean, when
she first got involved with these lessons she was always going on about this
guy coaching her and all she was learning but lately I can't seem to get her to
open up to me about it at all."
"I've noticed that too the past
couple of weeks," Belle said, "remember at your Halloween party last month? She
had made it back from Chicago just in time to change into her costume and I
swear, her feet weren't touching the ground she was so excited."
"See, that's what I mean! Here is it
three weeks later and I have a hard time getting her attention in the hallway
much less getting her to talk about these lessons. I swear, it feels like she
is slipping away."
"Do you want me to talk to her?"
Belle asked.
"Thanks Belle, but I want to talk to
her. I'd resort to kidnapping if I wasn't sure Mrs. Wesley would have my butt
in jail in a heartbeat." Philip offered a smile but his friends could see it
didn't reach his eyes. "I don't know…I'm gonna hit the showers. If you guys
want to wait around I'll give you a lift home."
"Sure, sounds good." Shawn said as
he and Belle watched as Philip walked away.
"Do you think he's got a point Shawn?" Belle asked
as she tugged her bag over her shoulder. "Or is he just upset because Chloe's
not hanging around the practices and missing the games?"
"I don't know. Now that I think
about it the longer she has been taking these lessons the quieter she seems to
be."
"Sort of like when we first met her
huh?"
Shawn nodded in agreement as he
walked with Belle off the field.
*****
"Hey man, you okay?"
Philip leaned out from under the hot
spray of the otherwise empty shower room and opened his eyes to see Jason standing
in the doorway, clutching a white towel around his waist.
"No," he answered, leaning back
under the spray. Philip closed his eyes again and let the water rush down on
his upturned face.
"You wanna talk about it?" Jason
called out, raising his voice to be heard over the water.
Philip just shook his head, folded
his arms across his chest and stayed under the shower until the water turned
cold. Shutting off the valves, he grabbed a clean towel and quickly dried off
as he headed through the empty locker room towards his locker. He was surprised
to see Jason still there, pulling a tee shirt over his head before he sat on
the bench and started putting on his sneakers.
"You didn't wait around for me did you?" Philip
asked, opening his locker and grabbing his clothes.
"In your dreams pal, I prefer brunettes."
Philip shook his head, a genuine smile on his face.
It was amazing how much Jason had changed since he had broken things off with
Jan just before school started. That stunt she pulled out at his party at the
lake was the last straw and now she was busy hanging around the fraternities at
Salem University.
But he had really shocked them all when after a football practice during the first week of school, he walked up to the crowd that included Belle, Shawn, Mimi and a bunch of other kids, and apologized to Chloe for everything, including the chicken blood at the dance. He didn't offer the usual excuses but just said he was sorry, hoped that Chloe could find a way to forgive him and maybe they could be friends. Chloe didn't answer him right away, she only leveled those incredible eyes in his direction but Jason didn't back down. He knew Chloe had the right to rip him up one side and down the other.
Philip remembered catching her eye as he stood off to the right and behind his teammate. He had followed Jason when he saw where his purposeful stride was taking him but after he heard him start with his apology Philip knew he had to stay out of it.
'Your call,' he mouthed to Chloe,
feeling she was silent asking for his advice but knowing that she was the only
one who could make this decision.
She had simply nodded her head
before turning away and Jason had accepted that. Ever since he had put forth
the effort to get to know Chloe for who she was and in the process, Philip had
found his childhood friend again.
"Is it Chloe?"
Philip was startled out his memory
to find Jason staring at him intently. "What makes you say that?"
"Because your shirt is on inside out
and you just put your shoes on the wrong feet."
"What?" Philip looked down at his
feet.
"Got ya!"
Philip only offered a small smile as
he closed his locker and sat down next to Jason. "It shows huh?"
"Ever since you gave me hell last
summer in DotCom the day after the Last Blast."
"She's not like anyone I've ever met
Jase."
Jason nodded in agreement. "She's
been pretty scarce lately and your football skills are in the toilet. You two
having problems?"
Philip leaned forward, propping his
elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his hands. "Something's going on.
We might as well hand Milford the game on Saturday with the way I've been
playing. I've got to talk to her and its got to be tonight."
"I thought you were still on her
mom's hit list."
"Yeah I am but Dr. Wesley's been
pretty cool. Maybe he can help."
Rising, Jason slapped his buddy on
the back as he grabbed his letterman jacket. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Philip grabbed his jacket and
backpack and dug into his jeans pocket for his keys. He still got a thrill every
time he closed his fingers around the cool metal of the ignition key to his
mint, cherry red '69 mustang. He had headed out for school one morning last
month and did a double take when he saw the car parked in the circular drive
out front of the house with a large blue bow wrapped around it.
His dad had taken a long time with
the lecture about the responsibilities of a new car but his smile was broad
when he placed the keys in his son's outstretched hand.
"I'm dropping Shawn and Belle off at
home. You want a lift?" Philip asked, checking his watch as they walked out
into the early evening dusk. Geez, it was almost five already. With only two
days until the big game, coach was running practices later and later.
"Umm, no thanks." Jason hesitated.
"I've got a ride."
"Yeah? With who-" Philip stopped
short when he spotted a car parked at the edge of the field and he saw Mimi
waiting in the drivers seat. Philip's gaze shot from Mimi's shy smile to his
buddy's equally self-conscious grin. "Have I missed something here?"
"I plead the fifth." Jason called
over his shoulder, as he jogged over to the car.
"Hey!" Philip called as Jason reached the passenger
side door, opened it and tossed his stuff inside. Jason looked over at his
friend and Philip just stood there with his arms held wide, confusion written
on his face with questions he couldn't ask in front of Mimi.
'Just friends,' Jason mouthed over the roof of the
car.
"Yeah right." Philip said, shaking his head with a
grin, knowing that something else was going on as he watched Mimi watching
Jason.
"Good luck," Jason said, offering a wave before
ducking inside the car and slamming to door shut. Mimi pulled out and waved at
Philip before they speed off.
Turning around Philip headed across the student
parking lot, looking for Shawn and Belle. Maybe they got tired of waiting, he
thought. Philip felt his grin fading and his steps slowing at he stared
intently at his car. There was movement in the front seat. Fearing someone was
trying to steal it, Philip took off in a run, berating himself for not double
checking the locks this morning.
Suddenly the door open and she stepped out.
Her long legs encased in baggy jeans and his
oversized Buffalo Bills sweatshirt, borrowed weeks ago and conveniently
forgotten to be returned, warded off the coming chill of the night air. She
closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her hands stuffed deep in her
pockets.
Philip halted a few yards from her, wondering if his
mind was playing tricks on him. There was no way Chloe could be standing there,
waiting for him. She was still in Chicago, not due home for another couple of
hours. He slowly started towards her, feeling foolish with the thought that if
he hurried she would disappear.
"Hi," he said as moments later he was standing
directly in front of her.
"Hi."
"What are you doing here?" Philip asked after what
seemed like a lifetime of silence.
Chloe dropped his gaze and seemed to be
concentrating on a rock she was pushing back and forth with the toe of her
shoe. "Uh, Brady came by and Shawn and Belle got a ride with him."
"Okay," Phillip nodded, still not knowing why Chloe
was here instead of at her voice lessons. He could tell something was bothering
her, she seemed intent on looking in any direction but at him. "Again, what are
you doing here? Shouldn't be at your-"
"I split early and caught a ride back here with one
of the other kids."
"Baby, are you okay?" Philip reached out to touch
her but Chloe skidded away from him, her eyes round and unblinking.
His hand froze in mid air before he curled his
fingers into a fist, feeling his keys bite into the flesh of his palm. She
doesn't want me to touch her, he thought to himself, his stomach muscles
clenching as the thought reverberated through his mind, she doesn't want me to
touch her.
"Are you heading home?" she asked.
"Why?" Philip whispered, dropping his hand back to
his side.
"Can we go…somewhere? I-I want to talk."
Philip closed his eyes at Chloe's words. "Sure."
He walked around the back of his car to the other
side and opened the passenger door. He waited until Chloe followed his steps
and climbed into the car, still refusing to look at him. He shut the door
tight, his fingers spread out, pressing hard against the glass.
"Well, be careful what you wish for Kiriakis," he said.
"You just might get it."