Chapter five: Coffee and Questions
Pounding. Strong pounding. Loud ponding. Make it stop! Very loud pounding. Shut up! Go away! Louder and louder pounding. But where was it coming from? Blackness. No light at the other end of the tunnle. Moaning now. God, make it stop. Voices near by, unfamiliar voices. Darkness fading. Light coming through. Blur shapes coming into focuse. A noise of things knocking down and some curses here and there. A sound of ruffling cloths and bedsheets. Pounding still continuing. A shuffling of feet against cheap carpet to a door that would make the noises stop. Door pulled open. Two heavy, large men in police uniforms outside. One of them, shorter then the other, pulled out a shiny golden badge.
"Califona Police Department, miss. Are you Miss Paige Taylor?"he asked, putting down his badge
"Yes, yes, Iam. May I help you two?"asked Paige, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Hello, I'm Detective Summers and this is my partner, Trish. We would like a few words with you, Miss Taylors, at the precinct please.
"The precinct? Have I done something wrong?"asked Paige
"Well, thats why we are here to find out. Get dress and follow us. Its really urgent, so make it quick."he said
"All right, I guess. I will be...right out."said Paige, shakily.
Paige quickly threw on a pair of unwashed jeans and a dark blue shirt and her high heels before heading back outside where the two policemen were. They both nodded and usher her through the hallway. Paige saw the doors of the other dorms being open up and people looking out, girls whispering to each other, and boys who were errily smirking at her.
Could her life get any worst?
"Oooh...Know-It-All Paige is in big trouble with the cops."said a voice right beind her
It got worst.
Paige, her fist clenched at her side, turn around to face the most evil of all things. Lily Laker. The most popular girl on campus, biggest prep, the perfect Barbie doll girl, a guy on her arm almost every day. Yes, this was the true evil. Lily had made Paige's life here on campus a total hell. Knocking her books from her arms, whispering things to her friends whenever she was around and pointing and laughing at her. Now this! She would probably telling rumors all over the school now.
"Can it, Laker."she said through clencthed teeth
"Ohhh, nice come back. Not!"yelled Lily as her little group of friends snicker behind her.
"Come on, miss, we need to go."said detective Trish, hoping to stop the two girls from fighting.
"Yeah, go with your little boy toys."mocked Lily
Paige glared at Lily with daggers before she turn and walked with the two police men.
'I will get you one day, Laker, no matter what'
Paige sat alone in the empty, white room. A steel, cold chair under her, made shivers go up her spine, a desk in front of her, a tinted glass window off to her right and a door to the left. Here she was in a police station, going to get asked plenty of questions about something she didn't know, and she would porbably get thrown in jail! She turn her head when the door open and walked in the two detectives from earlier, one of them reading something from a folder. The toehr pulled out the other chair in the room and turn it around and sat in it, his arms folded against the back.
"It seems you have no crimal record as yet to date. No evidence of being in jail, no drunkness rage, or anything like that."said Detective Trish as he read her records
"So, tell us what you remember about last night's events."said Summers
Paige began to tell them about what happen last night to every detail. What happen to her before she left her room to go to work, to the talk with Mr. Claude about her job, to walking back home and meeting up with that gang, and to their little 'talk' with her."...I must have blacked out from the lost of blood. I don't remember much afterwards."finished Paige
"We have talked to some few witnesses in the area when it acured. Some say that a man in black fought them off single handling, care to explain that? Did this man knew you or was he a helping citizen? So, friend or stranger?"asked Dective Summers
'Oh God, if I tell them about Erik, they would find him and throw him in jail or I don't tell them and lie, I shall be the one in jail! Come on Taylor, you can think of something convincing. Lie, thats what I will do. But, what if they find out Im lying and I go to the state's jail for lying to the police! But, if I tell the truth, Erik will go to jail and who knows what the crimanals will do with him. Wait, why am I concern about a guy I hardly know? But he did saved me and gave me a hot, fresh meal. Maybe he is not so bad.'She thought to herself
"Miss Taylor?"asked Trish, interruppting her thoughts.
"A stranger. The man is a stranger to me, sorry."she quickly replied
"Well, I think that all we can get now. But that does not mean the case is solved, we will be seeing you will soon, Miss Taylor. Its not everyday when there is a damsel in distrace like this, sorry for taking your time with us. There will be a taxi waiting for you outside. Good day, Miss Taylor."said Trish
Paige sighed in relief when they finaly left before walking out of the room and to the taxi. All she needed was a cup of coffee and a good book and she will finaly be relax and forget about this whole thing! Atleast for today that is.
Paige finaly return back to campus with a hot, refreshing, fat-free latte in hand. She saw that Stephanie left a quick note on the little bullentin board in their room. It said:
'Went to eat and see a movie with Phillp, be probably be back by 8 or later! Ciao!
Stephanie'
Paige sighed and placed her latte on her desk and sat down and turn on her little laptop. She pulled up her private journal and typed in what had happen in the last 48 hours to her. She was about to get to the point when she met Erik when a loud knock on the door came and breaking the silence. She sighed and closed her laptop and got up and went to answer the door. She was surprised to see Robert at the other side.
"Heya, Paige,"he said
"Hi, Rob, what brings you by?"asked Paige
"Can I come in? I would like to talk to you in private."Rob replied, looking around for anyone.
"Sure,"she said, letting him in and closing the door,"So what is on your mind?"
"I want to talk about last night. I'm sorry for getting angry with you and Stephie, I was just so worry about you. You know I care about you very much and well when I heard I nearly had a heart-attack. So for forgivness, I got you these."he said, bring a bouquet of yellow daisies.
"Oh, Rob, you didn't have to do this. Only a 'sorry' would be good enough for me. The flowers are very lovely and beautiful even, thanks."said Paige, putting the flowers in a vase on her desk.
"Hey, umm Paige, are you doing anything for the rest of the day?"he asked suddenly
"Oh, nothing really. Probably work on the rest of my homework, read a good book and probably head in for the night early. Why do you asked?"she asked
"Well, there is a new cafe a couple of blocks from here and I was wondering if you care to join me. Will you? Please say you will."he said quickly
"Rob, are you asking me out on a date?"she asked, raising an eyebrow at him
"No, no,"Rob strutted blushing,"Not unless you want it to be. I mean-"
"I will go with you, Rob."she intrupped,"No more talking or you get even more embarassed. Just give me a minutes to clean up and I shall meet you outside and we can go."
Rob smiled brightly like a little kid on Christmas day before nearly running outside. Once he was gone, Paige laughed slightly before turning towards her closet and picking out a simple outfit. A blue blouse and a grey skirt and black high-heels, she pulled her hair in a bun on the top of her head before walking outside to meet Rob. He smiled before bowing slightly to her.
"May I escort my lady to the coffee shop?"he asked in a fake old bristish accent
"Certainly, lead the way, my good sir."she replied in a lady's voice and taking his hand.
Paige and Rob at their little performance before walking outside and to the cafe.
It was around 9 o'clock when they were walking back to campus, the stars and moon shinning out brightly for them. Paige was laughing at what Rob told her about his sister when they were little. This was the far most best day in her life, besides go to the police station and getting harassed by Lily, it was ok for her. They went to the new cafe shop in town, then to the book store afterwards, and to the park where they enjoyed the little treats which they bought in the cafe. She smiled when she remembered Rob almost being attack by birds for his snack. Her thoughts were intrupped when Rob waved his hand in front of her face.
"You ok, Paige?"he asked
"Yes, yes. So what were you saying?"she replied
"About when me and Stephanie went camping and she got lost in the woods,"said Rob
"Oh yeah, Stephie told me about it. She said you were the one to find her, what bravery you have, Robby."she joked
"I told you and Stephanie both, I don't like to be called that! Man, girls with weird nicknames."he mumbled under his breath
"Hey, what can you do? Can't live with us and can't live without us. Lighten up, Rob, its just a name we like to call you. I think its cute, so deal with it."she said, shoving him in the arm.
"Hey! Play nicely, missy!"he warned
"Yes, dad."she mocked, sticking out her tongue at him.
Rob glared at her before walking on, Paige giggled behind him. She stopped suddenly she felt eyes on the back of her neck, she turn around in every direction to find the source. Nothing. She saw nothing but the night's sky and the busy streets. SHe turn her head when she heard Rob call her name and raced over to him.
Paige return to her dorm around 9:15 PM, she put her keys in the door and went inside. She flicked on the lights switch and closed the door behind her, there was no sign of Stehanie around. She was still probably with her boy friend and making out in his room.
'Will I ever find love or am I going to die alone? Hey, Im still young and pretty, I will probably find true love soon. Give it time.'she thought to herself, sadly
Paige sighed and shook her head before taking off her shoes and socks off and feeling her bare feet against the cheap carpet. Her eyes spotted a single red rose and slip of paper on her pillow. She slowly walked towards it and lifted up the rose then the paper, it was a note! It was writing she didn't recorized and it was in red ink, it was written carefuly. It read:
'Next Friday, 8 o'clock pm at the old warehouse off 12th street, to start your first singing lesson.
Erik'
Paige smiled, atleast he didn't forget and he was all in her mind. She put the rose in the vase along the daises Rob given her. She quickly changed in her pj's and slipped into her bed and falling asleep with a smile on her face. She dreamt of herself dancing in a grandballroom by a figure she could not recornized but she felt at peace with him.
Dance of love and peace.