4
‘Eric!’ Ariel yelled, ‘I’m off to school.’
‘Got any plans later?’ his father asked coming down the stairs, ‘it’s a Friday, you know, go out.’
‘Oh yeah? With whom?’ he asked sarcastically.
‘There’s always Leslie, or one of The Sirens,’ Eric suggested.
Ariel shook his head, ‘And here I thought that avoiding Lez and her friends was going to be the most uncomfortable situation of the day. He shook his head and headed for the door but his father called him back, ‘Ariel, I worry about you, OK? You’re not the same anymore, I just…if you ever need to get things off your chest I’m still your father.’
Ariel shook his head, no he didn’t, his father didn’t understand at all. ‘Don’t start, Dad. Just don’t, please.’ He opened the door and went out. His BMW car was parked right outside their house. He had gotten it for his birthday seven months ago and he loved it, it was painted white and the engine ran like hell. He got in and backed out onto the highway. He hadn’t gone six feet when a figure dropped from the trees onto the road and blocked his way. He stepped on the brakes instantly as he took a minute to think about the consequences of killing a human being. When he calmed enough, he saw the fiery mane of red hair and the smug smile. Lez crouched in front of his car and smiled at him.
‘Leslie!’ he shouted in anger, ‘Are you crazy? What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?’ He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. Lez stood up straight, all the curves of her body stood out in her slim jeans and suede jacket and her hair was free.
‘Hey there,’ she giggled, ‘Good morning to you too.’
‘I ask you,’ he said through his teeth, ‘what’s so good about the morning now?’
‘I thought I brightened up your day,’ she pouted.
‘Well don’t think on it so much, sunshine!’ he snapped. What a horrible way to start his day, he thought, talking to Lez. He made for his car but four other figures dropped into place. He threw his hands up, he had been surrounded.
‘Hey girls,’ Lez lounged on the hood of his car, ‘look who I found.’
‘Hey Ariel,’ the four girls said simultaneously.
‘Just grand,’ He nodded as he looked at all their faces. Lez was the oldest of the Sirens at seventeen, and then there were Zoë and Maxine Perry, the sixteen year, Jasmine Van Nolan also sixteen and the youngest at fifteen, Scarlett Rousseau.
‘Didn’t scare you, now, did we?’ Zoe: asked playfully, putting an arm around his waist and squeezing affectionately
She had been his favorite twin when they were growing up but now her affectionate gestures had since lost their innocence. Now, it seemed like she and Lez fought over his attention.
‘Of course you didn’t,’ he snapped, ‘I’m only annoyed.’
‘We didn’t mean to make you mad,’ she pouted her pretty lips at him, ‘but you’re always mad now, why’s that?’
‘Maybe it’s got something to do with your dad,’ snickered Maxine, ‘I hear he and Gabriel had a little tiff over Irene again.’
‘Hey, leave my dad out of this,’ Scarlett spoke up defensively.
He was in no mood to put up with their gossip or bantering so he said, ‘Look, I’d really love to stop and play but I have somewhere to be now.’
‘Going to school this morning?’ cooed Lez.
‘Some of us do,’ he replied simply. Lez usually ditched school so it was more of a chore to her. She could be found in the city or the coast hanging around older guys in college.
