Flawless

Flawless [13]

13.

It's a hard thing to deal with, when this built up image of someone you have in your head is immediately destroyed. I thought I could trust Archer, I thought that he was one of 'the good ones' as my mother would put it. I never thought that he would be a person to be afraid of.

And now?

I'm scared, an unusual feeling that I've grown accustomed to in the last week. But it makes sense now. The day Archer showed up is the day that the USB went missing, and the day that the stranger began stalking me.

I feel stupid that I didn't guess it sooner, more than that, I feel stupid that I let my guard down so much as to let him kiss me.

My hand flew up to my mouth. Shocked, as if I was trying to wipe it away.

"Delta?" Poet whispered, "are you okay?"

I shook my head, "no," I said through my fingers. Slowly, I lowered my hand and spoke. "I kissed him, Poet, I actually kissed him." I got off the bed with deep frustration. "God, I'm such an idiot!" I exclaimed my voice breaking in the hysteric of the moment.

"No," Poet protested, "you couldn't have known it was him."

"I know, but I still feel so stupid, look what he did to you Poet."

Poet sympathetic expression turned to empathy, "actually Delta, he did think I was you."

So what he did to Poet he really wanted to do to me.

"It can't be him." I told Poet, I was probably wrong. It probably was him, but part of me was refusing to accept that he was the stranger. I couldn't tell though whether it was my head telling me that or my heart. The latter was more believable.

Poet wasn't refusing it, "Poet it's what I saw, it was defiantly him."

There was silence for a few minutes while I took in this new information, as I put together the puzzle slowly. "But why?" I asked, it was the most essential question. "That's what I really want to know, why is he doing this? And what does it have to do with me?"

Poet shrugged, "I don't know, but I can't say finding out will be too much fun."

I wanted to know, and I was determined to find out. An idea came into my mind, and I decided to act on it before I could over think it. I pulled my phone out my pocket. I flipped open my phone and began to clicked button and write out a message I hope would get me the answers I was looking for.

"What are you doing?" Poet asked after several moments of my intense texting.

I shut my phone and gripped it tightly when I was done, "nothing I can't get myself out of." I told her.

I was already home when Luka came in from school.  I was sitting on my bed patiently waiting for a video to load on YouTube when Luka's head came through the door.

"You are home." He said, bewildered, relief overcame him.

"Didn't you get my text?" I asked, curious.

Luka shook his head, several droplets of water fell from his messy locked and onto the floorboards "I left it at home this morning," he said finally, "I thought you might have been at home after I walked around the parking lot several times and the car was missing."

"Oh," I gave a little gasp, "oh I'm sorry Luka."

He shrugged, "It's cool, anyways, I'm just gonna grab my guitar. I'm heading over to Kyle's to practice. Check this out! Reagan was at our gig on the weekend and she asked us to play at the Halloween party next Friday!"

"Luka that is awesome!" I gushed out; I couldn't contain my honest joy for Luka and his progressive band. This is the kind of exposure that they needed, and not only will people not have to pay eight dollars door charge to see them, they won't have a choice to hear them.

Luka have my a little wave before closing my bedroom door for me. The YouTube video had finished uploading but I sat patiently and listened as Luka grabbed his guitar from his room, got the beanie from behind his door, headed back down stairs.

"I'm taking the car Delta!" he called out.

"Okay," I replied with, then he closed the door and I was safe again.

I straightened my back before pressing play on the video, the video ignited, the titled popping up on a hot pink back ground the letters black and bold 'Jimmy Ignacio Juggling Genius' then the video began. I sat quiet as I watched with intense concentration as a Hispanic man was showing off to the camera very impressive juggling skills. He started off with three balls, tossing them as you'd see any street performing, but then, he began throwing them higher, he caught one between his ankle and foot. Balancing on one foot someone threw him a forth ball and one he caught it he kicked up with ball from his foot. He continued throwing the four balls for several minutes. I paused the video.

Easing myself off the bed I picked up three tennis balls that I recovered from the garage.

I held two in one hand and the third in another. I drew in a long breath, I believed in myself and somehow I already knew how this little test was going to end. I threw the single ball in the air, followed by the second one, I moved the third ball to my other hand, caught the first ball, threw the third caught the second, and continued to repeat this until I was juggling at a steady pace for about 5 minutes.

I was starting to get bored of it when I finally caught the last ball and placed it sounded down on my desk.

So there you have it, another something to add the long list that was forever growing in my head. I can now repeat movements that I see.

I had been curious about this, it first came to mind when I was watching the Beijing Olympics. The girl's artistic gymnastics floor final was on television, I was home alone like I was now. The finalist from China was just about to begin her routine when I returned from the kitchen with a snack.

The opening pose to the routine was a handstand- she was in for a number of seconds. l always remember setting down my plate of biscuits and going into a handstand right in the middle of my living room floor.

I watched her whole routine upside down. I had some gymnastic skills from when I was younger but this was totally different, I had so much more energy for it, such different talent I didn't know I could do.

Repeating stuff straight off the bat fascinated me, but I didn't know the extent it could go. Could I continue it after an extended period of time? Would I be able to do it at any time? It was a vital question I wanted to know.

I moved my fingers over the keyboard as I typed in my next YouTube search. What I was after would certainly be the most help to me, it would actually give me a fighting chance...pun not intended.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated on my bed next to me. Flicking it open I finally got the reply that I had been awaiting. My phone showed of the thread of messages and with that displayed to me the text I had sent and the one I had just received.

To Archer: 'Hey, sorry my phone was turned off; do you want to meet up tonight? Let me know J'

Archer: 'Lol, that's okay J sounds good to me, how's London Lane at 7?'

My hand started to shake as I read over and over the text again and again.  But eventually, I moved my fingers over the keypad as I began to write out my reply. I hit send, and the text appeared on my screen underneath his, this told me that it had sent.

I re-read my text so I could completely understand and feel the weight of my decision as it was coming down on me.

To Archer: 'Sounds great, I'll see you there x'