Crimson Nightmares (#WATTYS2016)

Chapter Six

The dinner itself passes rather uneventfully, except for my own discomfort. It has stopped raining, leaving behind a freshness in the air. Michael and Joshua have been talking about Rugby, the school teams, and other sports. I think. To be honest, I've pretty much been trying to make myself disappear. Nobody spoke to me, so I haven't seen a reason to try and make conversation. I ate in silence, only responding when spoken to.

Finally everyone gets up, thanking my grandmother for the lovely meal. My grandfather and Mayor Steele leaves, and I know that they're heading to the porch. It's my grandfather's ritual to sit there and smoke his ancient pipe after every meal. Michael excuses himself too, and I follow behind my mother to the kitchen to help with the cleaning up. Annabelle follows too, although I hear her whisper complaints to her mother about the food behind me. This leaves me frowning, but I'm a little afraid of her so I leave it be.

"Juliet said she would show me the gardens after dinner, so may we please be excused?" Joshua speaks from somewhere on the other side of the room, and my head whips in his direction. I said no such thing.

Before I get a chance to say anything though, he's already crossed the distance and grabbed my hand. Once again an electrical current courses through me, and I peak at him trying to decipher if he feels it too. Joshua leads me out of the house, leaving me dumbstruck once again. Not wanting to cause a scene, I resign myself to his mercy and follow behind.

I search my mind for something to say, anything really, but nothing comes out of my mouth. We walk through the garden in silence, the nocturnal creatures the only cause of any sound. A cricket calls out to his mate and something moves in the bushes to my left, making me side-step to the right.

The sweet perfume of summer flowers hangs around us, and a light breeze caresses my skin. My shoes crunch on the wet gravel beneath my feet. My mind is swirling with questions, but as usual I'm unable to bring them to life. We stop at an old wooden bench, which is mostly dry thanks to the thick branches above us. Joshua pulls me closer as he sits down, motioning for me to take a seat beside him. He's still holding my hand in his, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"You don't seem to like me much," he says as he stares into the darkness that surrounds us.

I frown, wondering to myself how he could have come to such a ridiculous conclusion. "What do you mean?" Then, I remember my reaction towards him at school, mentally face-palming.

"Well, this afternoon, when you fell after the ball struck you... I really only wanted to help you." He turns to me, his face hidden in the shadows. "You seemed offended. Or something."

"It was 'or something'... I was embarrassed. And honestly, I'm not entirely sure why I reacted the way I did." The image of those girls staring at me came back to me. "Or maybe, I don't know..." I hesitate, unsure about mentioning it. "Uhm, it's probably stupid, but, well, some friends of mine might have mentioned that you kind of like to play the field... Well, when you were dragging me along, carrying my bag, and playing Prince Charming, there were these girls..." I look away, suddenly regretting my decision to bare all.

"Well, they looked at us funny, and I didn't want them to get the wrong impression. I'm not one of those kinds of girls – you know, uhm, the type with reputations... And since I'm new here, I don't want one either..."

He gently turns my face towards him, his warm fingers cupping my chin ever so softly. "I never for a moment thought of you in that way, and I know have a bit of a rep with girls... I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable, that was never my intention. I was genuinely concerned for you, that's all."

I suck on my lower lip, looking down at my lap. "I know. I'm sorry for behaving like a brat," I say, then take a deep breath, "and I'm sorry for shouting at you."

My head still bowed, I risk a peek at him. He's smiling, the most beautiful sight of my day. Then, to my surprise, he pulls me closer and hugs me. Shocked, and without any clues on how to react, I just sit there stiffly in his embrace. It never crosses my mind to extend my arms and return the hug.

It's a ridiculous situation, which my severe lack of social skills have only made worse. But, it's also kind of magnificent. His body is warm and hard, his smell intoxicating. I finally relax enough to place my head on his shoulder.

Honestly, it's all a little strange, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Here I am, with a handsome guy, one who half the female population of Nylstroom's only high school apparently has a crush on, and he's holding me. It might be completely innocent on his part, but my ego is purring.

He finally pulls away, still not letting go of my hand, and gazes up at the stars for a moment. We sit in silence; the only sound that of our breathing and a creature in the tree nearby.

"Would your mom have an issue with you riding on a motorbike?" He asks suddenly.

"Why?" I ask slowly, stretching the y.

"Well, why don't you just ride to school with me? You're on my way."

My father used to ride, and so did my mother when she was younger. I can't see why she'd have a problem. "Sure, I'd have to ask her of course, but I don't think she'd mind." The corners of his mouth pull upwards, and I can't help but wonder what his intentions might be. "Do you have an extra helmet?"

"Yip. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning. Will you be ready by then?" His voice is hypnotizing me, so I can only manage a nod as answer.

He lifts himself from his seat and then pulls me up. I stumble of course, and nearly crash into him.

"You really are clumsy my fair Juliet. I'm starting to worry." His eyes gleam, the faint garden lights reflecting in them. The smile he wears is brilliant, and his white teeth are easy to see in the dark.

I blush under his scrutiny, thankful for the darkness. "It only seems to happen around you..." I chew on the inside of my cheek, and then smile when I see the expression on his face change. He pretends to be deeply hurt or offended. I start laughing, and he soon joins in.

After that we walk back to the house, our conversation light. We banter back and forth, and I find myself feeling oddly comfortable, almost at home, in his company.

Reaching the house, we go inside and take a seat on the steps. He shares his dream of becoming a professional Rugby player, then answers a few questions I have about the sport. In turn I tell him about the life I left behind in Portland, my friends there, and finally my father's struggle with stomach cancer. It's the first time I tell anyone how hard everything has been for me.

About an hour later, my mother appears at the bottom of the staircase. "Joshua, are you ready to go? Your parents are leaving."

"Yes Mrs. Parker," he says and then turns to me, "thank you for your lovely company. It was nice to finally have a chance to talk."

We follow my mother, and I hear Joshua ask her if he could drive me to school. She asks him how long he's ridden, if he has a license, and if he has an extra helmet. Seemingly satisfied by his answers, she gives me a quick wink before giving her permission.

Everyone says their goodbye's and we drift outside. Just before he opens his door, Mayor Steele's cellphone rings. He gives a quick apology before answering, and everyone hushes. Only speaking a brief moment, he soon hangs up.

Turning towards us all, his face grows serious.

"There's been another attack."

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! What were your thoughts on the dinner? And the phone call? Do you think there's something developing between Joshua and Juliet? Don't hesitate to let me know what you thought in the comments section! Please vote if you enjoyed reading this chapter, your votes mean so much to me! And don't forget to add my story to a public reading list to help me gain reads! :)

Next update: 8 July 2016