Out of the Blue

20

The sun went down and the five lamps illuminated the exhibit area. Stephanie was feeling lonely so she called up Marie. She talked with her for an hour or so. Stephanie heard the sliding doors of the aquarium open and Ms. Darla yelled "I'm headed home! Lock the place up when you leave!" Stephanie yelled "ok!" Back and continued to tell Marie everything that happened .

Andrew saw Stephanie start to walk towards the aquarium while on the phone and he bolted for his truck. He parked on the side of the building near the trees so she couldn't see his truck.

The thought crossed Stephanie's mind that she would have to walk back home in the dark. She felt fear crawl up her body but she pressed down the feeling, she had her board to protect her. Marie offered to pick Stephanie up and take her home but she declined. Stephanie began walking down the side of the road towards home.

Andrew hid in his car wondering if he should take Stephanie home. He had a bad feeling. He pushed it aside and decided he will do a quick drive by past her house in a half hour. If he sees her board on the porch she made it home safely. The bad feeling began to creep up again...

Stephanie was about half way home when the glow of taillights beamed from behind her the car slowed down as it passed Stephanie. Stephanie was still on the phone with Marie. She tightened the grip on her board and her heart began to pound. The car was now parallel to her.

"Well hey there sexy thing, what's a little girl like you walking alone in the dark for?" Stephanie's ears cringed at the voice. It was Caleb. Stephanie kept walking, avoiding eye contact. " do you want a ride home?" He asked.

Stephanie shook her head and said curtly, "No thank you, I'm good." She began to walk a little faster. Caleb sped the car up and turned right in front of her, blocking her path.

"Come on, let me take you home" Caleb persisted. He ran his fingers through his long hair " a cute girl like you shouldn't be walking home alone in the dark, strange things out there, stranger people."

Stephanie avoided eye contact and said "I'm good." This time with a little more attitude. Caleb laughed. It wasn't a nice laugh. Stephanie began to walk around the car when Caleb got out. Stephanie was about to head into a sprint when Caleb took a strong hold of her shoulder, causing Stephanie to drop her phone, and yelled " Get in the damn car!"

   Thinking on her feet, lead by fear and adrenaline, Stephanie mustered up all her strength and twisted her body hard enough to knock her board onto Caleb, releasing his grip. She hit him a second time to knock him to the ground. The momentum caused Stephanie to drop her board. When she saw Caleb was down, Stephanie burst into a sprint. But Caleb was too fast. He got up and yanked Stephanie  back by her arm. She felt like it was yanked out of her socket. Stephanie tried to escape his grip but Caleb dug his nails into her arm and put his other arm tightly around her shoulders.

  Caleb came really close to Stephanie's ear and whispered, "When someone offers you a kind gesture, you take it." He walked Stephanie back to his car. But he didn't open the door. Caleb slammed her back against the car door, getting closer and closer to her. Stephanie had a lump in her throat. Fear was screaming inside her but she tried to be brave on the outside. Caleb had her shoulders pinned to the car.

   "Has anyone told you how hot your body is? Don't expect that from the lowlifes at school like you. You should have hung around us more" he put himself even closer to Stephanie. He bit and kissed her neck.

  "Please stop. Please let me go home. Please stop." Stephanie was whimpering. Tears beginning to roll down her face. Headlights began to grow closer in the distance. Stephanie tried kneeing him but Caleb threw her down to the ground, put his knees on either side of her waist and pinned down her shoulders. The purring sound of an engine came closer and the headlights almost became blinding. This was her chance. Stephanie screamed "help" as loud as she could then before her head processed what fully happened, her right cheek began to sting, and the intensity of the stinging grew. Caleb had slapped her.

  "We will have none of that shit." Caleb said through gritted teeth. Then with wild eyes he crept a small smirk. Now pinning her shoulders down with his left forearm he moved his right hand down towards her shorts, pulling them down... Stephanie closed her eyes and started to cry, muttering "please stop".  A few second later, which seemed like a devilish century to Stephanie, all the weight was lifted off her body. She sat up and scooted herself back as quickly as she could. A tall, lean figure was silhouetted in the headlights of the truck, holding a shorter, stockier looking silhouette by the shoulder. And other arm cocked back for the punch. In a sharp movement, the shorter figure was knocked to the ground.

"Keep away from her you creep! If I see you making a move on her again, I'm calling the cops and putting your ass in jail!" Caleb wiped the blood out of his face and ran towards his car. Yelling out the window "Go screw your self", he revved the engine and sped off into the night. The lean figure walked towards Stephanie and when she saw his face she completely broke down.

Andrew sat down towards her side and held her tight. Stephanie deeply sobbed into his chest. "I've nev-v-ver been s-s-so scared" Stephanie said through a veil of tears. She wrapped her arms tightly around Andrew. Never wanting to let go of him. Her entire body was trembling, but so was his. Andrew brought Stephanie into his lap and continued to hold her tight. He would never let her go again. He was never going to lose her.

  Andrew picked up Stephanie's phone and carried her to his truck then placing her board into the bed. They drove back to the aquarium. The entire ten minute ride back Stephanie never let go of Andrew's hand. Once they were inside he carried Stephanie down to the couch in Ms. Darla's living area. On the couch, Stephanie was still laying on Andrew's lap but now she had a blanket wrapped around her and Andrew held her tight.

   "Tell me what happened, please" Stephanie looked into Andrew's Caribbean blue eyes. Looking for truth and closure.

  " Anna walked into the shop that morning saying she wanted me back. I told her to stop being stupid and that she needed to leave. Then she said "a pretty boy like me shouldn't be tied down" and I told her to go. Anna got really pissed and told me to watch my back because I never know who has their eye on me or you. Then she heard you walking up the stairs and she began to kiss me, then you know the rest. All of it was a set up! She wanted to break us up. Anna isn't a good person."

  Stephanie nodded her head. She believed him. The  Stephanie asked, "How did you know I was in trouble?" Stephanie needed an answer. Andrew took  breath.

  "Earlier tonight I came to the aquarium to check up on you and I ran into Ms. Darla. I had to check to see if you were ok. Ever since Anna told me I needed to watch out who has their eye on you I knew something was up. Something bad. I parked my truck on the side of the building where no one sees and when you walked in I hid in my truck. When Ms. Darla left, she whispered for me to look after you. So I did. I planned on doing a quick drive by your house to see if you made it home safely. About ten minutes after you started walking home I started to get really nervous. Then I got a call from Marie. She was panicking and said you might be in trouble. The rest is in the past. What matters is that you're safe, safe in my arms.

  Stephanie's round brown eyes burned into Andrew's blues. "I'm so sorry I didn't beli--" Andrew kissed Stephanie mid-sentence. She didn't say anything more. He kissed Stephanie on her forehead. Stephanie snuggled her head between Andrew's chest and shoulder. He rocked her back and fourth still trying to calm her down. A tear streaked down her face every now and then but the warmth of Andrew made her feel safe. 

    Andrew held her close until she fell asleep. He promised her he was going to protect Stephanie.  Nothing was going to stop him from keeping that promise. Andrew reached over to shut off the lamp beside the couch. He watched her sleep. Wondering what she was dreaming about. He can't protect her from nightmares, but he can be there for her when she wakes up. Andrew listened to Stephanie's heart beat until he drifted off to sleep himself.