Warm Blood Over Marigolds

CHAPTER SEVEN: La Ciguapa- Part two

                                        Zoey

Running back home, all the memories of our times together bombarded my thoughts. Everything would all make sense if I actually believed what she had just told me. Was it true, though? And my dream? How could she know?

When I made it to the dorm, I went upstairs and opened my bedroom door. I saw Ellie who was sitting on her top bunk, dangling her legs off the edge. She could see I was in distress as I helplessly flooped my body onto my bed.

"Girlfriend, what's going on? You look like you saw a ghost."

Didn't I? No, that would be crazy. Maybe Sofie was just a raving lunatic.

Just as a went to dump everything that had been going on with Sofie to Ellie, Hunter walked into the room.

Was she back? Did she want to talk? She never returned home after she found me and Sofie. Maybe she took last night to cool down.

She addressed Ellie with a nod, walked past me, and went into one of the closets and took out her large, black duffel bag.

"Hunter?" I called out, hoping she would be willing to talk and work things out.

Ignoring me, she was aggressively stuffing everything that could fit into the bag.

Ellie, unaware of anything that had happened between Hunter, Sofie, and me, asked her, "Got a trip we don't know about it?"

Hunter continued packing and looked up at Ellie and said, "I'm staying at Coach's for the meantime."

Ellie glanced at me in confusion.

I put my head down.

"Why? Whats going on? Is everything okay?" Ellie asked, concerned.

"Ask your friend. I gotta go," Hunter returned as she stood up with her duffel bag in hand and walked out the door.

She was gone.

"Zoey, girl, what is going on?" Ellie asked seriously.

I told her about how Hunter walked in on Sofie riding my face.

"Girl, that is just terrible. I didn't even know you and Sofie were even feeling each other like that."

"It happened the moment we all met her.. the instant connection.. I couldn't help myself. I tried to shake it off, but I just felt so out of control."

I continued to explain to Ellie about how it wasn't like me to go about things the way I did. I, then, told her about the story Sofie had told me and how she claimed we were fated lovers. I even told her about my dream and how Sofie admitted she knew about it.

Ellie shook her head and said, "Zoey, all that sounds crazy."

"I know! I didn't buy it either! I don't want to lose Hunter. It was a mistake. I love her too much," I admitted while drying the tears that were flooding my eyes.

Ellie hopped down from her bunk and sat next to me on my bed. She wrapped one of her arms around me as she tried to console me.

"You guys will work it out. Hunter loves you, girl. But what you did was just so messed up. It's going to take time," Ellie assured.

"She didn't even look at me just now. She's gone. I really messed up."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I balled my eyes out into the pillow and sobbed heavily- until became difficult to breathe.

Ellie rubbed my back and the soothing sensation put me right to sleep.

Glass shattering. Flames growing higher and higher. Pain radiating through my chest. A woman was screaming. This time, I could make out her face, though she was far from me. It was Sofie.

When I woke from my dream, I looked around the dark room to see Ellie was gone. I was drenched in sweat again and my heart was beating very fast. The dream felt too real and I was panicking. I quickly took off my clothes and hurried to open the bathroom door when I heard someone approaching from the other door, outside the hallway.

Knock-knock, went the door. Thinking it was Ellie, I yelled for her to come in. She had seen me naked plenty of times. The door opened slowly and Sofie stepped in and saw me standing there naked, sweaty, and terrified.

"You had the dream again?" she asked me calmly.

I was silent and I reached for my sheets, grabbing them and wrapping them around my body. I was still freaked out by Sofie from earlier.
"It's ok, Zoey. If you just let me.. I can explain everything to you. I know this seems crazy and I know you are scared, but you have to hear me out."

"Sofie, just go. Please?!" I panicked, shooing her off with one hand while the other held my sheets in place.

"I will give you your space, but we really need to talk," Sofie said while walking backwards towards the door.

She left the room and I curled up in Hunter's bed and sobbed. I could still smell her on the sheets. In that moment, I just wanted Hunter to hold me and make me feel safe and help everything make sense- but she was gone.

The next morning, I woke up to laughter coming from downstairs in the living room. I thought I had heard Hunter's laugh, so I threw on a t-shirt and shorts and rushed to meet her.

When I made it down to the communal space, I saw Hunter standing by the couch with her arms wrapped around a beautiful, slender woman wearing a jersey that had Hunter's player number and last name. She was tall like Hunter and her skin was a rich, medium brown color. She had several sleek cornrows that reached mid thigh and her laughter was contagious- at least, to Hunter, Gracie, and Amanda who all found her funny. I, on the other hand, had to keep myself from getting sick at the sight of Hunter with another woman.

Just as I spun around to head back to my room and scream into my pillow, Hunter called to me.

"Hey, Zo, come here. I have someone I want you to meet."

I had hoped she wasn't being serious.

I stayed where I was, at the bottom of the steps, and looked Hunter's way.

"This is Lianna, Coach's niece, she's going to help me finish packing up," Hunter said.

Lianna waved at me and smiled, but I blankly stared at her and then at Hunter. Hunter really had some nerve!