Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.
Chapter 6: Truth or Lie?
Ok, so this chapter has a little bit of Spanish but it'll have its translation just like the last time. I'm sorry it took so long for me to update but I've been very busy (ironed 47 large shirts for my sister's husband, for FREE). But my hands are fine now… I'd also like to thank the people who reviewed: NinjaHarryPotter4life (you're awesome), softballcrazy42, michelle7, lovegurl5231, thank you so much, this chapter is dedicated to all of you. Really made my day with your reviews... So I hope you guys like it.
I was panicking as I closed the door behind me, taking my rain coat off and hanging it blindly I felt my heart pumping wildly. Those men where following Amber…
-Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. I chanted under my breath as I threw my back pack on the couch, heading towards the phone. To stop in front of it, she wouldn't have gotten home yet, and I didn't want to scare her mother if it was a false alarm… But what if those men actually caught up to her?
-¿Corinna? Corinna ven a ayudarme a lavar los trastes. (Corinna? Corinna come help me wash the dishes)- Called my mother from the kitchen, funny thing I didn't notice her there, cleaning Salvador's smudged with cheese face with a rag-, ¿despues me puedes ayudar a aspirar la sala porfavor? (Then can you help me vacuum the living room please?)
I mearly nodded and headed to wash a medium size pile of dishes, this would keep me busy while Amber gets home. I heard Salvador protest in his barely understandable voice under the rag, sounding as if he were suffocating. He should've thought of this before he went all Jackie Chan on those Cheetos.
I finished the dishes in a minute and went to the crime scene in the living room. Sweet mother of Jesus. Salvador should be posted in the FBI's wanted list as an active aggressor by now. What he did to those innocent Cheetos…
I was laughing shakily as I went to the garage for the vacuum cleaner. Amber should be home by now… I started to vacuum the little square that had to most Cheeto corpus, over the couch and under it, when I was sure all the evidence was destroyed. I went to the phone on a little table next to the couch and dialed the number I barely remembered. I didn't call Amber at all, only emergencies, and I hadn't had one since we got here.
The phone rang three times before it was answered by an older woman's voice.
-Willis Family.
-Good afternoon Mrs. Willis. This is Cory; I'm sorry to bother you but, is Amber there? I bit my lower lip, cursing myself for sounding so formal. Damned nerves talking.
-Oh hello sweetie- Mrs. Willis voice sounded pleasantly surprised, practically cooed at me-, you're lucky she just crossed the door.
I heard a little rustle as the phone changed hands, my body instantly relaxed as I heard Ambers voice on the speaker:- Cory? What is it?
Amber's voice was worried and I rolled my eyes, as if I would only call her if I were dying. Hilarious.
I took a deep breath, not really knowing how to phrase my next question correctly.
-Amber, what did you talk with those men?
A long silence on the other line.
-Wait a minute. She said as a loud shifting took place, heavy footsteps and a door slamming shut. Amber took the phone to her room. All the tension that I had simply disappeared and waited patiently. If Amber was lucid enough to think of hiding this from her parents then everything was fine.
A low sigh came from Amber as she spoke:- You saw us.
Not a question, a statement.
-Mmm, and?
Another sigh: - Well, they were there to accompany the guy to apologize to us and explain everything.
I frowned: - And why didn't he? I asked, genially curious.
-Because I didn't want to hear it…- a short pause, the ones Amber usually made when she bluffed and then she explained, a shy voice: - and I sort of used you as an excuse… just a little.
-Just a little?
Amber laughed under her breath and I heard the soft whisper of her bed sheets. She must be getting comfortable on her bed. Well, don't mind if I do… I spread my legs across the couch and grabbed one of Salvador's teddy bears and used it as a pillow while kicking my sneakers off. They fell on the floor with a muffled thud and silence ruled the kingdom.
-Comfy? - Amber laughed and I nodded even though she couldn't see it.
-Yes, you? I asked as I punched the teddy a little to soften it more.
-Yup- she responded, overly popping the "p"- , well, were was I? Oh yeah. Sam found me after school on my way to the parking lot and he and his friends told me that this "Paul" guy wanted to personally apologize to me.
-And I come in… where? I cut in as I grabbed the dumb teddy and threw it over to Salvador's toy basket in the far corner. I missed but it was close enough to the thing to consider it in its territory.
Amber made a frustrated noise, the one she made each time I cut her in middle of a good story.: -You come in when Sam wanted to call the guy over and I just happened to mention that I wasn't the only one who'd had an eyeful of his "glory" and that he had something he should probably give back to you before you buy another one, Jamal laughed at that.
I paid no attention to the proud tone she had when she mentioned that last part nor the special pronunciation she gave to Jamal's name, sort of extending it, making it sound distinguished. No, I said nothing of it; I had other matters in hand. Like:
-Are they really going to give me my blade back?
-I suppose, after I expressed my very personal point of view of the moral law that is decency… well, we came to the agreement that they'd come over tomorrow to talk with both of us, maybe then they'll give it back.
Amber finished with a bit of reluctance, as if she had to see the guy now instead of in another 12 hours. I didn't judge her, I was suddenly annoyed myself at the fact.
-You are a deceiving young child, very naughty Amber… I'm so proud. I said cynicism clear in my voice. Amber laughed merrily and I decided not to say anything to her about the men possibly following her. I wasn't sure of anything and it would only scare her. So we ended talking of homework and her birthday next week. After a little while we said our goodbyes and hung up. I stayed on the couch and looked out the window, Goosebumps littering my skin.
Amber hadn't noticed those men following her, and granted, maybe they weren't but if the chances were it turned out true. What could I do? What should I do?
Amber said that they'd been looking specifically for her; did they want to hurt her because she tried to tattle on their friend? Or were they helping the guy get what he wanted in the beginning?
I was all worked up by the mare thought of seeing those guys tomorrow but it presented me the opportunity to actually figure out what they were after. Reading their faces from afar can only give you so much information, now I needed a face to face confrontation. I was sure I would be able to get at least one reaction out of them to tell me what was really going on.
I got up from the sofa as my mom called us over to eat our dinner. I hadn't notice just how late it was. I must have looked very stupid just staring out the window for over an hour. My sister Leo made a comment about it, nothing new; I would've been worried if she hadn't.
So the next morning came to fast and I started to wonder when I would have some peace again. For now at least I had to deal with myself. And as I stared at myself in the mirror I understood just how much insomnia d I'd been under.
The girl in front of me wore a subtly provocative warm beige sweater, the cleavage was in a low "v" that showed just a light shadow of my breasts and hugged my figure enough to mark my curves and still let me breathe. A pair of skinny clear jeans and some low heeled caqui boots I borrowed from my mom. And that was just the clothes.
I'd picked some strands of hair up on the sides, letting some softly curled locks frame my face. And, shame on me, I'd actually gotten to the point that I applied make up. A bit of mascara, and a light shadow in the palest pink that highlighted my green eyes in a way I'd never thought possible, it looked like a supernatural halo that was really starting to scare me. Then again, I was more scared of the lip gloss on my mouth.
I looked good, seriously good but it wasn't me, my lips looked as if I'd French kissed some salivating cow. I took some toilet paper and began to wipe that thing off when my mom called me from what I supposed was the van by the muffled sound of her voice. I threw the used paper leaving a delicate cover of that glow and all the rubbing with the paper just made my lips a darker more tentative pink while all I wanted was to wash my face and stop acting like a baby.
I ran out with my back pack and my longer, thicker, black rain coat, one my dear old lady neighbor gave to me when I started to work for her. The same one I reserved for special occasions like floods and what was going on out there right now, apocalyptic rain.
Like yesterday the ride to school seemed to short for my brain wrecking nerves, even thou my mom had stopped to escort Vicky up to the front door of her school with a wide floral umbrella, much to my sister's dismay.
I said good bye to my mom and kissed Salvador's forehead in hopes to smudge most of the remaining lip gloss on him. No such luck, damn those long lasting thingies. I got out the van covering with my coat both me and my back pack all the way to my first class.
I got to the class room seconds before the teacher was and mostly ignored the poem he recited for us, now my attention was on the newly found staring from my male classmates. If I had known the effect I would have I wouldn't have put the freaking sweater on. Where fear had been now ruled lust and it had me curling uncomfortably in my seat.
When the bell rang I already had everything packed and nearly ran out as soon as I had the rain coat on. Karma's a bitch.
All the next classes were the same, some amazed glances and me running off and dodging students. I so liked it better when they were peeing their pants at the sight of me. I really couldn't handle the staring, and I began to fear it would show. My legs were shaking so much already.
I hopped that lunch would go better and that Amber made no comments. I was out of Algebra and about to go off to the cafeteria when Jamal caught me before I got to the door; I slowly turned and gratefully saw that, if he was checking me out, he wasn't making a parade out of it.
I smiled at him and we walked to the cafeteria in a peaceful silence.
-You look nice. He said, as a compliment I'm sure. I rolled my eyes.
-More like uncomfortable. I raised my face to the sky that had finally stopped weeping. I turned to Jamal a second later to see his confused expression. I faked a smile and nodded towards something that had just caught in my peripheral vision. Jamal looked in the direction I signaled and his face turned red under his dark skin. A couple of his friends where making "way to go" signs while they thought I wasn't looking.
I shuck my head and laughed under my breath: - I liked it a lot more when they only saw me to know in which direction to run away.
Jamal laughed along: - Yeah, I think so, you do look really cute thou.
-Thanks. I couldn't help but smile at him, he was just so nice and respectful about all this, he noticed it I didn't like the attention so he just soothed me and walked in friendly companionship.
We got to the cafeteria and I opened the door for us before he could do it, not wanting that action to start a new rumor around here. He made the same face than the last time and again I ignored it. Waving good bye I walked to our usual table, getting my IPod out of my jean pocket and put on a song that would calm me down.
The song, aggressive and daring, really helped me stand the harassing staring while I waited for Amber, playing with a small lock of mahogany hair, rolling and unrolling it on my index finger, my eyes craving a hole on the wooden table. I saw a chair move on my side and I raised my eyes to encounter a clear blue ones. I signed and sunk in my chair with dramatic relieve.
Amber raised an eyebrow.
-A little nervous this morning? She mocked me as she sat down.
I huffed and merely made a sign to my entire body. Amber laughed and handed me my usual. I was about to get the money from my pocket when she shook her head.
-It's been paid for. She explained, pointing to an extremely blond boy who smiled widely at me. I looked back at Amber with horror.
She cracked up laughing, gasping "gotcha" as she tried to inhale. I glared at her and gave her the money with a burning face. I opened the can and gave a long drink that made my head wobble a little and Amber still laughed. It took a while but she caught the vibe I was giving her. Seeing I was seriously uncomfortable she calmed herself and looked at me empathically.
-You know? At first I thought I was the only one scared that day in the beach- Amber looked at me straight in the eye- , I know it might sound cruel but I'm happy I wasn't just me, I mean, you handled it so well, cold headed and just about not affected at all, I'm relieved it wasn't like that for you.
I sat in my chair, furrowing my eyebrows stubbornly, I took another long sip of my coke, acting ruff: - It isn't fear, its unhealthy expectation.
Amber laughed again and murmured under her breath something that sounded like "Whatever you say". A minute later came Jamal, who apparently planed to make this eating in communion a routine. He smiled at us and began eating.
-So… do you know who wants to see you today in the parking lot? Jamal asked me with a casual tone, taking a big bite on his sandwich, his eyes sober. I smiled sarcastically and made the same signal that I made to Amber, from head to toe.
-Doesn't it show? I said. Jamal stopped chewing looking startled and upset. Amber laughed and gave him a soft pat on the shoulder, letting it linger there for a while, feeling up his rock hard arm.
-Cori has this thing, when she's scared she dresses up, it's something like her nervous tic. Amber explained, retrieving her hand very slowly from his shoulder. I frowned irritated.
-Again, it is not fear, its unhealthy expectation.
Amber rolled her eyes and stuck her tong out at me; I returned the gesture and stole one of her grapes in the process. Jamal snickered and continued to eat, looking at me with kind understanding. We really didn't talk much afterwards but it was a nice silence.
The last classes where easier for me, I had already gotten over the initial shock of the staring and I had now passed to the numbness of oblivion as I ignored everything and everyone except the teacher. It was a mode I'd come very familiar when I was little and I craved to escape from inside my skin.
When I got out of my last class I walked to the parking lot, thankful that the torture was about to end. I went to sit in Amber's car, listening to my IPod for both, reassurance and boredom.
I was about to face the same guy who'd scared the shit out of me these last few days and I was very glad it was in a crowded place. I would get to judge for myself this whole situation and decide what to do next. Maybe Amber was right and everything was one big misunderstanding.
Kids started to fill the parking lot and then came Amber and Jamal. I got out the car and walked to them with that numbness still on me. I got to them and Amber quickly took my hand for support. I gave it a soft tug and started our way up to the 5 gigantic men who waited for us in a more secluded spot.
We closed the distance with them and I immediately identified the Groin kid "Paul". Amber squeezed my hand and I shifted slightly to cover our joined hands, a clear sign of weakness, in a move that looked unconscious. Jamal frowned as that move left me closer to them.
Amber cleared her throat: -Cory, I would like you to meet Sam Uley- she gestured at the oldest man with the impassive face-, and his friends, Jacob Black- she nodded to the second tallest-, Jared Levi- the third tallest-, Embry Call-, the skinniest of the group- and I suppose you remember Paul Thail.
-Of course- I said, and "Paul" looked hopeful for a second-, a pleasure to meet you all- I paused as they nodded to me and then turned to Paul-, nice seeing you with clothes on.
Amber pulled a my hand as a warning while Paul blushed under his copper skin and, slightly shaking, glared at Jared, Jacob and Embry that snickered lowly, Embry tried to cover it up with sneezing but I wasn't paying them attention, I stared at Sam, and even thou he made no movement at all, it seemed as if he had called them in order as they fell silent. The "Paul" took a step forward with a white long bundle in his hands.
Amber squeezed the blood out of my hand and I felt my fingers painfully sting but I didn't back down.
-I believe this is yours- said Paul quietly, handing me the package exaggeratingly slow, as if he expected me to run if he even dared to blink too fast. About to approach him Jamal extended his arm in front of me; shaking his head he went to retrieve the object.
Paul glared resentfully at Jamal and the tremors became more pronounced but he gave the bundle silently. Jamal weighted the thing for a second to then hand it over to me with a curious light in his eyes. As soon as it was in my hand I knew what it was and decided to leave it wrapped up as we were still surrounded by very impressionable students and also, still in school property.
I felt a lot better as I put it away in one of my inner rain coat pockets.
I smiled: - Thanks.
Paul looks as if he'd won a Nobel price, his brown eyes bright with unshielded joy, and smiled goofily at me for a long, and mean long while until Jamal made a little noise as if urging him to go on with the show. All happiness left Paul's eyes and his expression became dull.
-Well- Paul started with a deep breath, looking at both Amber and me-, I wanted to apologize for the incident the other day and explain what really happened.
Amber and I nodded as I prepared myself for the facial and body language analysis, careful to keep my face blank I listened intently at what he had to say. Another deep breath and Paul continued with a rushed voice.
-That day I'd gone out cliff diving and when I was done my clothes were all wet so I left them to dry on a tree branch, the thing is I hadn't been getting a lot of sleep lately so I snoozed out after a while… then I woke up to the sound of laughing and I went to see what it was, I swear I didn't remember I'd left my clothes drying and it was never my intention to scare you… and when I tried to follow you and explain, well…
His voice trailed off as he nodded at my coat with his face full of tenderness and pride. And after all this I was certain that every word he'd spoken was first class bullshit. I'd surveyed their faces while he gave out that speech, and as Sam's face looked cold, the other ones showed an almost undistinguishable spark of nerves and expectation. If all that were actually true there would be none of this, they would not be so intent on our reaction; they would be more confident and maybe even bored to be there because they would know that it was true and be positive that we'd believe it right away. That and the fact that Paul's eyes paled with guilt every time he found mine instead of blushing and looking ashamed.
So, whatever really happened that day was not for us to know and it was big.
I was almost a 100% positive that Paul had been put up to say this just to shut us up, most certainly by Sam, who just observed like an all mighty judge. I was sure that Sam himself had made that story up, because from what I could see in Paul, the way he so openly showed his emotions, he would've just gone straight to the point instead of dragging it out as he did, so not only was it bull, but it was a rehearsed bull, probably had him memorize it for today.
Amber let go of my hand and relaxed with a small smile, no longer afraid and buying all the stinky, decomposing pile they offered. I made no comment and kept my face numb to everything. Paul and the rest looked at us, waiting for our answer. I kept my eyes on them, now more certain than ever that they were not trust worthy as I called Amber.
Amber nodded and took a tiny step forward to be by my side.
-Sure, apology accepted, Cory?
I nodded and faked something like a smile as I caught a glimpse of Jamal who had also taken home a truck load of that shit and seemed very pleased by his purchase. They all relaxed and smiled at us, and Sam looked satisfied as Paul advanced and neither one of us backed away.
-I would like to make it up to you- he said in a rush with a huge grin plastered on his face-, would you like to go to lunch? My treat.
I stopped my eyes from narrowing and turned to Amber and Jamal, both eager and I became more frightened than before. This situation was getting out of hand. Tense and alert for any move they made. I shook my head and began to pull Amber and Jamal away with a supositly disappointed smile.
-We really can't, but thank you for the offer.
Paul's face fell and even though I felt a tinge of pity, it didn't change the fact that he was hiding something. And that something could be very dangerous. So I nodded goodbye at them and as soon as we got to Amber's car I let go of them and went straight to my seat, ignoring the confused looks they sent my way.
Eventually Amber got to her seat and started the engine without a single word. Jamal came up to me and leaned on the window pane.
-So, what did that guy give you? He asked, letting his confusion show now that we were away from those guys. I turned to Amber and she smiled back at me mischievously, so I simply opened the coat and unfolded the clothe to give him a short look at the blade without pulling it out of its hideout.
The look on Jamal's face… priceless.
Amber and I laughed as she got out of the nearly empty parking lot as we waved Jamal good bye.
I looked down to my lap were the white piece of clothe lay and as I folded it in a neat square I was completely sure I would be seeing Paul again… maybe sooner than I expected.
What do you think? please review and have a good day… or backwards, I'm not picky.