The Dawn of the Elites

2 | Between You & I

Fairity had barely escaped the white knuckled clutches of her mother that morning unscathed. The lie she told. The lie she shared with a guy from the neighborhood, whom she loathed, was like acid on her tongue. It made her bones ache and her head quiver with a migraine.

She'd never lied to her mother before. Never. And now, with the possibility of her life and the life of everyone she loved in danger, she had done the incomprehensible. Tears streaked down her mocha cheeks, a silent prayer for above, that traveled down around her chin and disappeared into the high neck of her sleep shirt.

Her eyes narrowed out of her window towards the east. The sun was rising, dawning on the landscape with warm streaks of light, lighting up the building across from hers. A lone figure stood on the roof.

Shoulders, broad and muscular, were covered in a dark hoodie. She could tell the figure, more than likely male, was wearing jeans, but his shoes disappeared behind the edge of the roof. A breath caught in her throat as she realized he was staring in the direction of her building, hoping beyond hope, that he couldn't see her through her white curtains.

Just in case he could, she stood and pulled her second set of curtains, all black, closed over the first. Feeling safer than before, but still mildly exposed, Fairity found her way back to bed. The twin bed creaked underneath her. It was worn and old, sagging on the left side from years of use. Her mother had purchased it from a garage sale almost eight years ago. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought.

The little bed had seen better days, but she begged her mother to buy it for her. Reluctantly, Vheta had agreed and purchased the bed for $13. Fairity touched the hand-hewn headboard, feeling the familiar twists and turns of the wood design, a dragging drawing dredged decidedly through the wood with a blunt instrument. It felt like home, the retouched paint oscillated between white, tan and eggshell from years of attempted restoration.

Fairity loved her bed. Just as she loved her room. The walls were painted lavender with matte black trim. She handpainted a field of multicolored flowers on the wall across from her to cover the old water stains, then forced her chest of drawers in the corner to her left and on her right sat her two bookcases overflowing with adventure.

Cracked, crooked and careening on the edge of being deemed garbage hung her door to the small three-quarter bathroom off her bedroom. Only with great care and angled just right, did it close and stay closed. But, the bathroom was in much better shape than her bedroom and it worked, which is more than what other tenants in her building could claim.

Fairity's alarm clock came to life with a single shrill shriek, then the crackling sound of Sinatra asking to be flown to moon soothed her frazzled nerves. A smile tugged at her lips, the man on the roof long forgotten, as she traipsed into her bathroom to get ready for school.

~

If only Jake felt the same level of calm and contentment that Fairity felt. He was still standing on the roof of his building, staring at her building. Rage coursed through him.

A girl. A girl he hated nonetheless, could be the cause of the end of his high school career and beyond that, his life. With no luck of catching her yesterday, Jake had taken the few flights of stairs down to his family's cramped apartment and snatched a little over six hours of sleep. Then he awoke, tossing and turning, his mind swimming with images of wide brown eyes brimming with fearful unshed tears.

If he focused long enough, he could make out the slight flecks of gold in her eyes. He had never gotten close enough to her to notice them. His first loyalty was to football, his ticket out of this town, and his second, friends and girlfriend. So when he found himself back on the roof, staring dead into the bedroom belonging to certified school freak and nerd Fairity, who seemed to be staring right back at him, the gravity of the situation struck him like lightning.

The sight of her body standing from her bed to close the curtains sent a second jolt of rage through him. How could she be so calm after what they had seen? Why hadn't she reached out to him? And more importantly, why did he care so much?

Sounds of laughter and loud music tore him from his reverie, and he leaned over the edge of the building to get a view of the street. His friends were making their way down the street toward his building, clumped in a group of 10, with his girlfriend, Porsche, at the head.

Letting one last look fall on the curtained bedroom belonging to Fairity, Jake turned to head down the 12 flights of stairs and out onto the sunlit street. Porsche met him there, pulling him into her perfumed arms. A bright smile broke across her made up face.

With effort Jake returned it, taking in her blue eyelids, long lashes and maroon colored lips. A low whistle of appreciation came from his lips at the sight of her curvaceous frame encased in her favorite summer dress. He'd seen it more than enough time to know it had pockets. Everytime he complimented her on it she would smile, point out the pockets and then stuff her manicured hands inside to prove it.

She kissed him, winding her fingers into his hoodie to pull him down to her level. He let her, kissing her back with as much energy as me could muster after the events of the past 48 hours. Porsche didn't seem to notice a change. Her behavior was the same as always -- see Jake, kiss Jake, and then go back to her friends. Jake did the same, gently threading Porsche to the left and grabbing his best friend, Malek's, arm and slapping his other hand across his back.

A flash of light catches his eye, momentarily bringing his attention to Fairity, dressed in a white skirt, blue top with her hair pulled up into a curly ponytail. A flicker of his anger returns, but is quickly doused along with her disappearance into the crowd.

Porsche took her usual spot next to him again, joining him in the center of their friend group. Other football players surrounded them, some with girlfriends and others alone, chattering and laughing as they made their way to the North Hills High.

Jake slips through the back of the crew to head around the gym. A ponytail of curls and a flash of blue expose that Fairity is circling the gym as well, taking the side entrance to her first class. Her gasp is cut short by his hand wrapping around her open mouth, while the other roughly yanks her into the janitor's closet. He traps her small frame against the wall with his muscled arms and pins her frightened eyes with his malice filled stare.

"You and I have something to discuss."