Author's note: Sorry guys for the wait! I really have been on cloud seven every time I've received a suscribe-mail. Totally Awesome!
In this chapter I'm introducing a new crowd and mentioning two more. Obviously I've caught the bug of needing to interject a few bad-boy's but I do have a save and that is the gang that Jay and Sid later on skulks around with. The magazine is also called "Skate Board" but I added a "Magazine" so that I wouldn't have to explain it later.
Just a tiny side note that has nothing to do with the story; I've always wanted to say what Sheryl says to her guest, to a customer at the coffee place I work at and the accident that caused Sheryl's frustration actually happened to me. Enjoy!
Chapter four – "I hate Wednesday's".
Sadly, work was still waiting for her when she got back home from all festivities and contests. On the up side, she had a lot more people who came in to the food court, that recognized her and greeted her with more then just their order. Sid was a regular, so was Peggy when she wasn't off training, something that the girl took seriously because of the fact that she were the only girl on team 'Zephyr'. Sid was always happy to come by and get treated to some ice cream by Sheryl (and Stacey when they shared shifts) but she could tell that he was sad over the fact that nobody really cared if he was out training or not. She'd caught him off-guard once and asked him why he wasn't off training like the rest and she'd felt a enormous tug at her heartstring at his melancholy answer: "It doesn't matter if I get better or not, I'm more of a cute mascot."
He'd looked down at the floor angrily and Sheryl smiled softly.
"If it makes you feel any better; you make a really cute mascot." Sid had snorted at her try to encourage him, but had blushed nonetheless when he'd looked up to catch her wide grin. Sheryl straightened and smiled at the old couple, Mrs Maggie and John, who were regular costumers every weekend, as they left and thanked them for their visit and their tip, distractedly hearing the costumer bell on the front counter ring.
"I'll be right with you!" She stapled the plates and cups on her arms and shoved them into the kitchen and to Neil, who scowled, and pulled out a notepad from her front pocket apologetically.
"Hi, sorry to have kept you waiting. What can I get you?" She smiled a polite smile, the standard one, at a tall Latino guy who stood in front of her. He was very big, almost as big as her father, and had a shaved head and a tiny moustache, almost not deserving to be called a moustache. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off a tattoo in the form of three rings intertwining (reminding her of the Olympic rings) and the letters 'S.F.M' written underneath. Behind him stood four more guys who had either also shaved head or at least their hair trimmed short, and were dressed similarly with dark shirts and tank tops and dark baggy jeans. All wore the tattoo but only different initials under the three intertwined rings. Sheryl looked back to the guy in front again when he failed to answer her question, and found his brown eyes trail her form up and down appreciatively.
"Hello?" She smiled again, the polite smile growing a frostier bite, and tried to ignore all the five guys smirks, as she pointed to the menu over her head. The guy in the front glanced back at the guys behind him, whom all seemed to chuckle, before looking down at her with a small smirk.
"Five burgers and frites to go. Three cokes, one orange-juice and two beers." Sheryl wrote it all down in a rush and spoke in a reflex, forgetting that she was working.
"It's not even one in the afternoon yet." She looked up when they all froze, and stared at her stonily. She raised her eyebrows and hands in a 'peace' gesture and backed to hand the chef the piece of paper with the order and mumbled: "I'm just saying."
"What exactly are you saying?" The guys had their arms crossed over their chests and was portraying a rather scary picture. She cleared her throat and crossed her own arms over her chest defensively.
"I am saying that the time isn't one o' clock yet so it's pretty early for a beer, or any alcohol. As long as you're not driving-" she muttered and stood to count in their order on the cash register.
"It's not one yet guys." Sheryl sighed loudly at the obnoxious voice, this was the first time she had disagreed openly with a customer. With a few days space there would always come in somebody that figured that since you were working as a server, you ultimately were a servant and therefore a lower being. Once, she had been close to firing off a few chosen words to a group of people who had, by accident, broken a glass of milkshake and trudged up to her with a sour look telling her that she 'might need a mop to clean up that mess'. They had stood around her, acting as if she weren't there but also making faces that spoke of their frustration to how long it all took, and then when she'd managed to swab everything up and also sweep up all the shards from the floor, the girl who had, accidently of course, broken the glass turned to Sheryl imperiously: "I need a new milkshake." Sheryl scowled to herself at the memory and shoved on the 'total' button a little harder then necessary and asked for the money from the guy in front of her, who was looking at her with a amused glint in his eyes. She gave him his change back and in that moment she recognized him. Something about him had been bugging her from the moment she'd first looked at him, and now she recognized him as the cocky customer who'd ordered two cokes, and who she'd spotted later in the evening when walking home. 'The weirdo'.
Something in her eyes must have told him that she recognized him, but probably not in the way he'd thought, judging by his chuckle.
"You don't know who we are right?" She rolled her eyes at the stupid line that only belonged in B-movies about mafias and reached for a bag to put their order and condiments in.
"Ooh, I'm shaking in my shoes. I suppose you're this law-breaking, all-known gang who everybody fear." She snorted to herself; the idea belonged in movies and big-cities. Not here in Dogtown, it was laughable.
"Funny girl" he commented and shook his head at her with an unreadable look in his eyes, ignoring the guys behind him who looked between Sheryl and him intensely. He grabbed the bag she held out and handed it to someone behind him, not looking and kept his eyes locked on hers. Smirk widening as she looked back at him unflinchingly even though she felt something telling her to look away.
"You're new around here right?" Sheryl sighed.
"Why does everybody keep saying that? I've lived in this town for eleven years, I just have a lot more on my plate then fashion and skateboards!" She glared when Neil snorted as he came out from the kitchen but stopped when he spotted whom she'd thrown her tantrum in front of.
"Ask him who we are, and we'll see how you act the next time we meet spitfire." He chuckled and winked at her before exiting with the others. Sheryl rolled her eyes in response and chuckled when she turned around to find Neil's slack jawed expression. She had time to help several customers by their tables and hand out checks before Neil found it in himself to breath out amazed: "Do you have any idea of who that was?"
Sheryl shook her head and placed the dishes she'd picked up, inside the kitchen, and returned to Neil with a dubious expression.
"That was the inner circle of 'The Counts' Sheryl. That is basic knowledge!" Sheryl sighed, still not fully grasping the concept.
"In case you haven't noticed; I'm not much of a social-bee so when was I supposed to have stumbled upon this little tid-bit?" She smiled at a passing family who thanked Sheryl for their stay.
"Sheryl, usually 'local gangs' is kind of a attention-grabber." Sheryl ignored the condescending tone he used and nodded to him before she went to collect the family's pay and counted it into the cash register.
"It most certainly is Neil, but I've never caught it Neil. But we must thank the lucky stars for me having you to tell me all about it now." She gave him a teasing grin, which wavered at his seriousness. Since day one, Neil had always been the one to lighten up the mood, not drag it down.
"'The Counts' is one of three gangs here in Dogtown and one of the two rivals. 'The Hounds' and 'The Crows' is the other two and 'The Crows' are the most peaceful in the manner that they keep to themselves."
"'The Hounds', how patriotic" Sheryl joked but shut up at his stern look.
"'The Counts'' leader is named Stephen Maves, the one you were so 'friendly' to-" Sheryl rolled her eyes at his sarcasm but felt a creeping feeling in her stomach that promised no good "-and is the one who overlooks their whole 'business'." Neil made bunny-ears to the word 'business' and Sheryl swallowed.
"Their tattoo is placed on their left upper arm and has the shape of three rings intertwining, chained together, and they all have their own personal initials underneath." Sheryl leaned back against the counter behind her and rubbed her forehead, she could feel a headache coming on.
"So what does this 'business' entail then?" Neil shrugged.
"Robbery, assault, murder, drugs; you know, the usual." Sheryl gave him a blank stare and nodded sarcastically.
"Yeah, the usual."
"They don't stand for violence against women and children, their own or others." Sheryl shook her head to herself and walked off to clean another table before she addressed Neil again.
"Guess that's some relief huh?" Sheryl mumbled with a tiny amused smile. This was so.. Weird. She snorted at that, hadn't her first thought of him, Stephen Maves, been that he was weird? She gave Neil a long stare and frowned at him as she leaned back against the counter.
"How come you know so much?" Neil looked back at her for a long moment before he shrugged and returned to the kitchen. Sheryl's frown deepened but as she leaned it against her forearms, and whined to herself she came to a conclusion.
She hated Wednesday's.
****
She was definitively paranoid the following days as she was on her way to and back from work. The sight of this 'Stephen' rushing up to her with a knife drawn, threatening her to never talk back to him again, hadn't left her since she dreamt it two night's ago. She hadn't gotten the whole 'gang-leader' impression of him when she'd first seen him, cocky and disgustingly sure of himself-yes, but now when she had the answers the four guys behind him should have been a tip-off. She'd told Sid who'd given her the longest stare and silence she never thought he would be capable of, and just breathed out a soft: "What?" Sheryl found herself being a bit annoyed over the fact that she'd been left out of the loop, and shouldn't there had been something on the news if they were so dangerous? 'They're that good' a treacherous voice intoned inside her head and sounded suspiciously much like Neil. When a week had passed and she'd had time to digest all the information and all of her concocted scenario's, she decided that it was just that; make-believe. She was leaning against the counter with her back to the restaurant and watched as Neil and Stacey duelled each other with dish-wash brushers in the empty establishment.
"How dare thee steal me rum, ye' scallywag!" Sheryl laughed at Neil's pirate impression and Stacey cracked a smile before returning into character.
"What about ye', stealing me teddy-bear?" Sheryl burst out in laughter at Neil's shocking and indignant face and saw him swing the brush to whack Stacey on the head.
"Oi!" Stacey gaped ant Neil's nerve and swung right back. The plastic handles clanked as they crashed and the brushes ritched as the fought, and Sheryl laughed at the two childish boys.
"My shift is up now so I'll see you guys on Tuesday-" she winced when Stacey received a well-aimed hit on the side of his neck from Neil "-hopefully the both of you" she muttered. The boy's mumbled something she took as affirmative between vengeful whacks and exclamations so Sheryl snorted and left without another word. The weather was starting to improve again after the last week and a half's gloominess, but Sheryl was starting to feel colder as of late, so she was hugging herself on her way home, singing under her breath.
"I said baby, you know I'm gonna leave you. I'm leaving you in summertime." She was so caught up in her singing and the thoughts and memories that followed that she failed to hide to the side of the road as a car came riding by.
"Well well, if it isnt' Spit-fire?" Sheryl jumped at the deep voice and snapped her eyes to see the same brown eyes from two weeks ago. She frowned but the longer she kept eyesight with him the more relaxed she seemed to feel.
"I told you you'd act differently." He chuckled and looked ahead of him down the street and adjusted the car by the wheel as he rode along with Sheryl's steps.
"I am not acting differently 'Stephen'-" she stressed his name and missed the tensing of his jaw "-I am merely tired from working a eight hour shift."
"If you weren't a little girl I'd beat you blue and yellow right now for addressing me so informally." Sheryl's breath caught at his cold assessment and detached tone and stared at him steadily.
"Why? It's a nice name." The men in the car chuckled and so did Stephen when he saw her naïve bewilderment.
"Besides, I am no little girl." Stephen raised his eyebrows and gave her body an appraising look as he'd done in the restaurant.
"Yeah you might be right. Not so little." The street was about to come to a cross so Stephen looked to his friends, she could her their muffled voices as they spoke, and chuckled at her when he turned back.
"You're alright girlie. What's your name?" Sheryl frowned and tightened her arms around her as the street ended.
"Sheryl" she answered suspiciously and received more amused chuckles and looks.
"Well then Sheryl, I'll see you around." He stepped on the gas and the tires made a screeching noise as they spun and left tracks in the pavement.
"Neil is never going to believe this." She didn't tell her dad when she came home and he wondered what had taken her so long. She just said that she'd been lost in thoughts, not a complete lie, and then walked up to her room. She wasn't even sure herself of what just had happened.
****
"You still alive then?" Sheryl scowled at Neil's grin. She hadn't told Neil about Stephen confronting her that night, but she had told him before of her dream, but since Stephen hadn't showed up at the restaurant again, Neil had started to tease her about it. Calling her a scaredy-cat.
As she'd stepped in to the restaurant the following Tuesday Neil had teased her and Sheryl had just stopped and stared at him.
"You really want to play it out like that?" Neil had given her a tiny embarrassed smile but cheekily answered: "Yes please" so Sheryl had let it continue.
"You're being stupid Neil, we've talked about this." Sheryl smiled at Stacey who smiled back. She tied her apron around her waist and walked up to nudge Stacey's shoulder with her forehead in greeting. He looked down and greeted the shorter girl with a soft smile.
"How are you?" She raised her hand to his forehead but didn't feel anything suspicious, but winced when he slapped her hand away and looked up at him affronted.
"That's hardly the kind of behaviour you want to show the brother of the girl you're with." Tony stood smirking at Stacey who looked down at Sheryl uncomfortably and Sheryl scowled at Tony's remark.
"Would you-"
"We're just friends Tony. You know that." Sheryl gaped at Stacey and frowned.
"Why are you defending yourself to him?" Tony raised his eyebrows and asked with a malicious smirk.
"Were you talking about Kathy or-"
"Of course he meant me! Are you stupid?" Sheryl glared at Tony who stared right back at her, the friendly glint in his eyes forever gone as he spoke to Stacey. Something nobody but her seemed to be aware of.
"Come on guys" Stacey entreated, and with a last scowl Sheryl turned and went in to the kitchen where it was her turn to do her duty. A couple of minutes later as she stood scrubbing furiously at a very stubborn plate, with Neil beside her joking and telling her of the time he'd caught Larry with his wife on the counter, Stacey cleared his throat softly as he leaned against the door-jam. Sheryl laughed at Neil and leaned her head on his shoulder before she turned to Stacey.
"Sid is asking for you." Sheryl frowned and glanced at Stacey before she continued with her plate regretfully.
"Could you tell him that-"
"She'll be out in a moment." Sheryl frowned and looked up at Neil who smiled at her as soon as Stacey left.
"I am giving you fifteen minutes of freedom. You go ahead." Sheryl chuckled at his mock-scared face and gave him a peck on the cheek and a smile before jumping out to greet Sid. Sid stood next to Jay, who smirked at her in greeting before turning his back to her and Sid gave her a small smile in turn.
"We've come to invite you for dinner tonight." Sheryl smiled at Sid's up blown frame and leaned her hip against the counter. She pointed to an empty table where they could sit, and grabbed a pad and a pencil which she passed to Jay who furiously began to write, scratch and draw. She looked back to find Sid smirking.
"So, dinner?" Sid nodded and made a nod towards Jay.
"Philaine invited us over for dinner tonight." Sheryl bit her lip as she glanced down to see that Jay had abandoned the pad, turning it over and making him start up again, and looked back at Sid. Sid followed her almost automatic gestures interested over the lack of hesitance she portrayed, but only smiled when she looked at him again.
"I just gotta talk to dad first. He told me to give him a 24 hour's notice after last time." Sid shrugged; he wouldn't want her dad on his case either. She took a few more seconds of thought before nodding with a smile.
"I'll be over around eight. That okey?" Had it been anybody else she'd found it strange to decide things with somebody else then the person she was supposed to go home to, but this was the way things were done with Jay and Sid.
"Who's making dinner?" Sheryl smiled at the two boys, Jay waking up from his furious drawing, to share a glance with Sid, and looked away.
"I take it you've been ordered. Just make something easy, soup and sandwiches. Easy, cheap and tasty," She glanced up to see Neil in the kitchen door with a waving dish-brush.
"Sorry guys but I gotta go back to work." She leaned over the table and hugged Sid and tore out the pages Jay had drawn on from the pad.
"See you tonight." She ruffled his hair, shocked over how soft it was, and jumped up to Neil to laugh at his impersonation of a 'house-mom'; waggling his fingers and her with one hip jutted out.
"Young lady-" he started in a high-pitched voice and the door swung closed to the sound of Sheryl's laughter.
****
She looked up at Stacey when he came in with dishes and bit her lip when he refused to look her in the eye. They hadn't talked much lately, as they used to, and Sheryl was aware that it was also her own fault for distancing herself but she felt hurt. Shouldn't he have fought against it? She was more then aware of the childish reasoning behind it all but she couldn't help herself, so she cleared her throat and gave Stacey a small smile.
"So how's the car going?" Stacey raised his eyebrows at her, she hated talking about cars, said it was just nonsense and a useless mean to continue a conversation that shouldn't take place. Sheryl was one of those people, not girls but people, that if they got the question 'What kind of car do you have?' she'd answer which colour it bore.
"It's running just fine." Sheryl nodded and looked back to her dishes since she expected Stacey to turn and walk out, he hadn't caught up on her hook. She knew there was something on his mind, but she also got the feeling that if she were to inquire it would just get worse. She heard him sigh and watched as he put his hair behind his ears.
"Sheryl?"
"Yeah?" She pretended as if she'd been engrossed with her dishes and slowly looked up to see him shift from foot to foot.
"I am not wondering, just telling you about this thing.. Well you see- there's this rumour going around that you and.. eh- that you and Stephen Maves..-" he exhaled loudly after his babble and aimed his stare at her "-are you dating Stephen Maves?" Sheryl snorted and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to crack and see his joking smile.
"Come on Stace-" she scoffed and raised her eyebrows "-where'd you hear something as stupid as that?" Stacey's brows twitched and his gaze fell to the floor and his hands stuffed inside his pockets.
"Tony said that Shogo had heard Chino and Montoya talk about how they'd heard Stephen Maves say that you and him were going to 'explore your newfound friendship.'" Sheryl frowned annoyed over having to solve the word jumble and sources, but as things cleared she started to scowl fiercely. She slammed the dishes loudly and grabbed a near-by towel to dry her hands.
"That rat! I've barely talked to him!" She turned and glanced at Stacey.
"You shouldn't just believe anything Stacey, especially not from those pot-heads. I can't believe that mongrel said that!" Sheryl fumed to herself, making short growling noises in her frustration and fought the urge to stomp her foot childishly.
"Is this what's been bothering you? Why you've been so distant from me?" She regretted asking the second she did it, his face clouded over and he looked away from her with crossed arms and flung his hair from his face.
"I got work to do." Sheryl sighed and smiled sadly at Neil who came up to her, quickly dropping pretences when she wasn't fooled, he'd clearly been eavesdropping.
"It's tough being popular with the boys." Sheryl sighed and turned back to the dishes with a heavy heart.
"I hate Wednesday's."
****
She'd brought pie as dessert, or possibly dinner since Sid and Jay were in charge for food, and had rudely changed into a pair of old sweatpants and a tank-top.
"Hello?" She smiled brightly in the door and graciously extended the pie to Sid who came to greet her with a hug.
"Hiya' girlie." Sheryl snickered at the 'Skip' impersonation and stepped inside to find Jay and Philaine on the sofa in the living room, Philaine staring at the ground.
"Hello Addams family" She grinned widely at her joke and looked at them with a nod and raised eyebrows to encourage them as mother and son looked up.
"How long have you been saving that one?" She glared jokingly at Sid who was shaking his head at her, mock disappointment, and shared a smirk with Jay.
"I'll have you know that I thought of it just three hours ago, thank you very much" she sniffed and sat down to smile and hug Philaine.
"Hi, how are you?" Philaine blinked her eyes a few times and shook her head to refocus on Sheryl and smiling brightly and hugging her back.
"Sheryl" she said motherly and brightly, infusing a feeling of warmth inside Sheryl's chest. The two women clasped hands with smiling faces, communicating without words, before Sheryl turned to Jay and Sid.
"Why don't you boys fix up the food and let us relax, I don't know about you Philaine-" Sheryl leaned back and yawned obnoxiously just to rile "-but I am absolutely exhausted." Philaine laughed and leaned back as well while Sheryl smiled softly at Jay who slowly made a nod and followed Sid's tug. Twenty minutes later, after plenty of giggles and affectionate talking, Philaine and Sheryl walked in to the kitchen where the two boys sat with a fried egg on each plate and some toast. Sheryl smiled at Philaine who made a happy sound and walked up to the two boys and kissed and patted their cheeks lovingly.
"Tasty." Sheryl rubbed her hands together eagerly and sat down in an up curled position, similar to Jay's next to her. The evening turned out to be quite cosy, Philaine went to bed after deciding to save her piece of pie to later on, and gave them each on kiss on the cheek in goodnight, so now the three of them sat eating pie with hushed voices. Or Sheryl's voice was hushed and trying to quiet down the other two.
"So what are you up to tomorrow?" Sheryl sat with one leg curled underneath her, the other bent by the knee with her foot resting on the seat, chin on top of her knee, and arms loosely draped over her legs. Her eyes were dropping slowly but insistently and the two boys sat chuckling at her yawned question. She was having a nice time.
"Probably skate. The waves are mostly not worth it these days." Sheryl frowned before nodding, as if agreeing with the statement, and turned to Jay who sat staring at her.
"You working tomorrow?" Sheryl shook her head negative with a happy smile that was interrupted with a huge yawn. Sid laughed at her.
"You're sleeping on the couch." Sheryl shook her head again even though her eyes were dropping.
"No, my dad-" she mumbled.
"Yeah, I've seen her dad man. You don't want to get on that mountain's bad side." Sheryl snorted amused at the fear in Sid's voice and Jay sighed when he saw that Sheryl head had now been laid down on the table.
"You got a phone right?" It ended with Sid having to call Sheryl's dad, who naturally demanded to "speak with my daughter right now!" and Jay carrying the sleepy girl who mumbled into the phone.
""Hey man-" Jay looked up from putting a blanket over Sheryl and to Sid's face "-he wants to talk to you." Jay clenched his jaw and walked up to lean against the wall with the phone pressed to his ear.
"Yeah?"
"If the slightest thing happen to her, I will make it my personal mission to break every bone in your body. Understood?" Jay made a humming noise, mostly to camouflage his discomfort, and mumbled a "yes sir."
"Don't blow this." Jay stood with the phone to his ear and made a poke with his tongue to his cheek and met Sid's questioning gaze.
"We're safe." He smirked at Sid's relieved exhale and nodded goodbye to him a few minutes later. Jay looked to where Sheryl laid and frowned before shaking his head and walked away to his own room and bed.
He rather liked the notion of her in his home.
Sheryl slept on, nuzzling the couch and blanket, dreaming of younger days when she had fewer problems. As if her body had been reminded, her muscles cramped and her chest constricted. She woke up with a pained gasp and curled up into a foetus position, whining to herself. Her forehead was clammy by the time the pain subsided and she was sobbing quietly through her headache and fear. This couldn't continue much longer.
****
She'd stumbled home after writing a quick note to Jay and Philaine, thanking them for a pleasant evening and for letting her stay the night, and tried to smile at her father who stood shaking his head at her, almost sadly. She was struck with a wave of dizziness just as she was about to protest to his gesture, and had just begun up the stairs but the next time she could grasp her surrounding she was in her room, in her bed, with her father's worried face over hers.
"Hi honey, how are you?" He stroked some hair from her forehead and sat down next to her hip on the bed.
"Just tired" she mumbled in response and shivered when she felt a cold wind sweep against her bare skin.
Ben Parker was not a smart man in the ways of scholarly or logic but he was by no means stupid when it came to the two either. He knew that something with his baby-girl was off. Her face was pale as a ghost and her forehead clammy and wrinkled in silent pain and her breaths came in small gasps. Ben felt a growing worry spread throughout his body.
"Okey honey-" he answered disbelieving "-but call for me if you need anything. Anything at all you hear? I'll be right downstairs." Sheryl murmured her affirmative and shifted to draw up the blanket to her chin.
****
When she came jumping down the stairs the next morning, her father stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her and to feel her forehead.
"You feeling better today?" Sheryl smiled and nodded at her worried father.
"You sure? Um, okey, I'll guess I'm off to work then. I'll see you tonight." He kissed her on the head and they departed in opposite directions. Ben out the front door, off to work, and Sheryl further into the house, to the kitchen for breakfast. She leaned against the coffeemaker who slowly but steadily had begun it's work, and frowned to herself in thought. She made an aggravated sigh and jumped in surprise when she heard a knock on the front door. She glanced down at her boxers and tank top she'd changed into during the night, and whined before patting up to the front door and smiling as she found Peggy at the other side. The girls smiled at each other.
"Hey girl, you look like shit." Sheryl scowled and rolled her eyes still a little amused at her friend's ways.
"Please don't sugar-coat it. Thank you."
"You wanna come skate?" Sheryl raised her arm to rub her fingers against her forehead harshly and leant back against the wall for support.
"I wish I could, but I really can't." Peggy looked at Sheryl with a small frown. Peggy didn't have too many girlfriends, mostly they were too fragile and didn't skate unless in means to attract a boy. But Sheryl, Sheryl was different. She was a girl, somewhat fragile, but she was mature beyond her eighteen years of age, making Peggy herself feel more childish. She, who found herself to be the epitome of maturity.
But the Sheryl in front of her now was not the girl she'd gotten to know these last weeks. This girl was not in good shape; she had the look of someone that knew the world would end. Her hair was lifeless, her face pale and her posture seemed fragile and careful, and not in cautious way. Sheryl gave Peggy a weak smile in apology and Peggy nodded.
"Okey, it's fine. Hope you feel better soon." Sheryl chuckled, somewhat bitingly, to herself and drew her fingers through her hair.
"Yeah me too. I have work on Saturday." Peggy looked at her and poked her inner-cheek with her tongue as she thought.
"You work too hard, and do you ever spend the money?" Sheryl just nodded in affirmative and took a deep breath.
"How about tomorrow? I'll come by and pick you up and we'll hang out." Peggy smiled hopefully and Sheryl nodded happily with a smile, somewhat sore.
"See you tomorrow girl" Peggy saluted and placed her skateboard on the ground to skate off. Sheryl locked the door, and poured herself a cup of coffee before eagerly shifting on to the sofa, closing her eyes as her head spun.
"Alright miss Parker, I got your test results here-" the tall doctor in a long white robe waved a folder in front of them "-and I'm sorry to inform you that you have a form of Anima." Sheryl shook her head and stared confused at the sympathetic doctor.
"To simplify; your blood has a difficulty with catching oxygen cause of the lack of red blood cells and it seems that, sorry for the bad wording, your body has reacted differently then the usual cases of Anima, and has escalated the problem to the degree that the medicine we would've prescribed you won't be a permanent fix. We have another pill with extra high dosage of iron and I want you to come back in two weeks to check up so that the iron hasn't been clogged up in your liver or bone marrow and the like." Sheryl nodded and drew a shaky hand through her hair. The doctor sighed with silent agony; 'she's just a little girl.'
"Are you sure you don't want me to call anybody? Your mother, father?" Sheryl shook her head adamantly and stared the doctor fiercely straight in the eye.
"I am eighteen, doctor-patient confidentiality right?" Sheryl stared at him worried and slumped in relief as he nodded.
"Alright, then, if you have no further questions I'll hand the recipe to the front desk where you can book our next appointment and purchase the pills." Sheryl smiled and thanked him yet again for his kindness and assistance, trying to control her heaving sobs that began just as he stepped out of the room.
"Calm down Sheryl, you can do this." She repeated the mantra over and over again, clenching her fists in the examination bed's paper until they burned with exhaustion.
"You can do this, Sheryl, you can do this." She stood with a deep breath, smiled at the woman in the front desk as she was helped with the recipe and booking a next appointment, and went home to start with tonight's dinner.
She wasn't supposed to get stressed, together with the pills it would cause her body to escalate in function and clog up the iron and red blood cells. The pills she'd been prescribed was by no means cheap, they were quite expensive and took about half of her pay check while the other half went to food groceries and a portion of their rent. Her father had no idea. Her first visit had been during the time when her father was the most hurting of her mother's leaving and when things started to get better, she never found the time to tell him. Or she made no time, to be perfectly honest.
These last weeks had been more eventful then she'd ever experienced in her life and she had more fun then ever before. She had friends now, her work was getting along fine and her dad was, now, exactly the type of father she needed him to be. He cared, but he wasn't nosey.
Suddenly a case of hysteria hit her, and she tried to stifle the sob that came, but soon another followed and pretty quickly she was lying curled into a ball; crying heart-wrenching sobs. She'd never spoken the words; neither had the doctor when he'd told her that the pills she were given wasn't a permanent fix. But she was starting to feel it now; the truth was knocking on her door.
She lied there for a few hours, a time that felt like an eternity, before she took deep calming breaths and tried to calm down.
"Sheryl, you can do this, Calm. Down." She relaxed her body as much as she could and sat up slowly, pouting exaggeratedly when she felt her coffee to be cold.
Anything to distract herself.
****
A long relaxing shower and painted dark red toenails later, Sheryl was feeling better and decided to take a walk. Get some fresh air and some fresh thoughts.
She grabbed a sweather, as usual, and her tiny shoulder bag and felt her feet direct her down to the beach. For being such a beautiful day out, there was a, surprising, lack of people walking around, the exception being the stray dog-walker. She laid back in the sand, cursing the second after landing with her head into the sand since she'd just taken a shower, and stared up at the blue deep sky. She heard some sea-gulls squaw in the back of her head and more close-by she heard a car-door slam and curiosity told her to look behind her but her body refused to listen.
"Well well, if it isn't the 'working-girl'."
"Hey! Shut it man, before I break it." Sheryl glared as the first voice spoke, the scorning and leering way he'd said the words gave her the most disgusting shivers she'd ever gotten in her life, but her body took the shivers as a initiative to start moving just as the second voice spoke. Sheryl glanced at her bag beside her before looking up to see three young men in front of her; all three overdressed for a visit to the beach. Starting from the left, the first one was the leering face of a guy she recognized from when 'The Counts' came by the restaurant. He was Latino and had short black hair that was just long enough to run his fingers through. He wore baggy jeans and a white tank-top; openly showing his tattoos and among them 'The Counts' tattoo on his upper arm. Beside him stood Stephen, who was glaring at his friend, wearing baggy dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt; sleeves rolled up. The third one, and the last, was a tall brown-haired guy with green eyes and smoking a cigarette as he stared down at her.
"What's up with these nasty 'whore' comments? I find them cruel." Sheryl heard the rasp in her voice, evidence from all of her crying, and the misery but none of them called her on it.
"They are-" Stephen concurred and glared harshly at his first friend who clenched his jaw when he stopped leering "-and shit-face Maroni over here is sorry. Now, what are you doing down here all alone?" Sheryl looked at this Maroni for a few seconds as he stared down at her, before shrugging and deciding to act normal around the feared gang-leader.
"Not so high on socializing and didn't want to just sit home alone." Stephen frowned at her, wondering what the hell he was doing when caring for this little thing, and nodded for his friends to return to the car. They both scowled, Maroni spitefully at Sheryl before he stormed off, and the green-eyed one handed Stephen his cigarette before looking at her steadily.
"I hear your crowd's in the paper." His voice was surprisingly melodic, and somewhat hoarse from his smoking, to Sheryl who raised her eyebrows and made a surprised sound as he slowly, and gracefully, walked off to join Maroni. Stephen and Sheryl kept staring at each other in silence; the only sound was the water crashing on to the beach in tiny waves and Sheryl fidgeted.
"So what did I do to have earned this lovely surprise? Except for apparently being very 'good friends' with you?" She made her voice spit out the two words hatefully and glared at his cold smirk, she blamed him for the comments. Stephen raised his hand to rub his jaw and let out a chuckle when her glare only grew in volume.
"Come on sugar, that's just guy talk. That's all there is. But I'd happily be 'good friends' with ya'. End those rumours and those rowdy boys." Sheryl snorted and closed her eyes under the sudden pressure before it slowly eased away under the soft murmuring in her ear.
"Come on now chica, don't make me call for help." Sheryl realised that Stephen was kneeling in front of her between her legs with his hands holding her head and stroking her hair.
"Sorry" she mumbled quietly, embarrassed, and looked down.
"Does this happen a lot?" She opened her mouth to answer but instead went to stand.
"None of your business. I'll see you around pal."
"Hey come now-" Stephen murmured softly, 'that tone of voice of his should be illegal' Sheryl decided, but the biting undertone was perfectly clear. She looked up at him and frowned, she was getting tired again.
"Don't do that- don't stand there and threaten me and expect me to think of you as a friend." She shook her head and turned to walk up to the road, smiling confused when she found Sid shifting next to Stephen's two friends. She was in the middle of another step when she felt her leg cave and she fell to the side, giving off a loud yelp when a hand curled around her bicep and another around her waist.
"We are chica-" Stephen murmured in her ear, 'that voice is really far too dangerous to be legal', and pulled her closer and around to face him "-we are friends." Sheryl took several calming breaths and followed her eyes to where her hands were gripping his arms to his eyes that instantly held her captive.
"What's going on?" she asked softly and flicked her eyes between his with a sense of nervous amusement.
"It's okey. Everything's gonna be okey." The words were too much, they hit too deep, so to shield her eyes that had started to tear up, she closed them. It felt like a sweet mistake for all of a sudden she was aware of how close they were, how strongly he held her, his manly comforting smell, and the vibrations from his comforting voice. He lowered his head, his breaths puffing against her face, making her clench her eyelids, relieved that she didn't have to be the responsible one for once. Her fingers gripped his arms tighter in accordance to the suspense and slowly felt his lips brush against the corner of her mouth.
"It's not mine chica." Stephen's timbering voice woke her from her spell with a disappointed frown. She was caught within those dark-brown eyes that tenderly looked all over her face. Her feet and legs were now steady and his hand dropped from her bicep to catch hold of her cheek, swiping his thumb along her cheekbone,
"You're not meant to be mine." She snorted at him disbelievingly and he chuckled ruefully at the look in her eyes.
"You go up to your little friend and I'll talk to you later. He looks like he's gonna shit himself." Sheryl exhaled loudly in soft annoyance before she nodded with a resolute smile. It wasn't meant to be.
Sid stood gaping, at her presumably, when she came up, shifting nervously and glancing nervously at the big guys leaning against their car. She gave Maroni a scowl and a snort, glancing at the green-eyed one, before smiling at Sid.
"Hello baby-Sid-" Sheryl murmured and walked beside him slowly, concentrating on breathing rhythmically "-what ya' doin' here?" She could see him fighting between sharing his exciting news and continue questioning her, something Jay must have rubbed off onto him. His excitement got the greater of him though and he gave her a grin.
"'Team Zephyr' is on the cover of 'SkateBoard Magazine'!"
"Oh! Sid's that awesome!" She grinned at the best of her ability, relieved when it turned out to be enough, and smiled as Sid jumped around excitedly.
"Yeah, it's really cool." Sheryl shook her head amused at Sid's lame attempt of trying to look cool by toning the whole thing down.
"Anyway, Skip is hosting a party tomorrow in celebration. You have to come!" Sid stared at her accusingly, daring her to refuse and nodded pleased when she murmured her acceptance.
"So.. How did the whole skating thing go with 'SkateBoard Magazine' there?" She nudged him playfully and Sid looked around them on her street bashfully.
"I didn't get to skate much. Jay and T.A. got the most attention from the camera while Stacey was interviewed."
"Shocking" Sheryl mumbled teasingly and the two of them chuckled.
"How about Peggy? Did she show up on time to get in?" Sid made a affirmative sound from the back of his throat and looked at their twenty remaining steps mournfully.
"Yeah, she came sailing inside, did one of her things with Jay and stood frowning a lot when the reporter mentioned her being a girl all the time." Sheryl laughed and made quick work of getting her door open and leaning heavily against the door-jam.
"I'll see you tomorrow Sid. Peggy's' taking me somewhere to skate, so we'll probably see you guys around. Otherwise-" she pointed a finger at him and smiled when he immediately pointed one right back "-I'll see you at Skip's celebration party." They made quick and soft goodbyes and Sheryl wasted no time to crash onto her bed and sleep all day, until her father came home to wake her up for dinner.
So what do you think? Hopefully worth the wait (which I apologize for again) and more is coming along soon.
Review please! Tootles!