As I reached Masons, I saw him washing his Black V8 Holden Ute. He was looking so good, all chiselled and topless. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed it off his face. I woof whistled at him and he turned his head and gave me one of his cheeky grins. I made my way over to get a better view, suddenly, he sprays the hose at me drenching me.
“Whoops, this thing can’t control itself.” He said being sarcastic.
“Oh you’re so dead!” I laughed and ran towards the bucket of water as he continued to hose me and I kept going as my goal was to drench him in nice soapy water. I got the bucket and chassed him around the car splashing him bit by bit until I ran out of water and I was defenceless. With the face I pulled, I made it obvious to him that I had none left. I quickly made a run for it. Screaming of laughter, he dropped the hose and chased me and grabbed me around the waist from behind and picked me up and spun me around, both laughing and dripping wet.
“why is it every time I see you, you always need new clothes.” He put me down looking at my wet top clinging to me, outlining my figure.
“Why is it every time I see you, you end up shirtless” I bantered back with him.
Mason pulled me in closer to him and lifted his hand and caressed one side of my face, drawing all my attention to his eyes. He lent in, darting his eyes at my lips. He slowly and lightly gave me a long romantic peck, pressing my wet body harder against his. I didn’t want the kiss to end and it was like he read mine and continued with a few soft kisses. With these butterflies fluttering around, I could feel that my top wasn’t the only thing that was drenched.
“Can you two keep it PG, you’re out in the front yard and the neighbours can see what’s going on.” We lost our moment and to both our surprise it was Clay yelling out his window as he pulled up on the other side of the driveway. I went front for being wet in so many ways, to the Sahara Desert, dry and disappointing in seconds. What the fuck was his problem, he was dead serious about keeping him and I apart.
“Bro what are you doing here? You never come over.” Mason walked over and did their bro hand shake and hug.
“Decided it was about time I join you guys for dinner as a family. Brought some wine with me for all of us.” He pulled 3 bottles of red wine showing Mason.
Mason yelled out to his mum and she came out in shock and surprisingly happy, she almost had tears in her eyes, that’s how happy she was. She gave him the biggest hug and he hugged her back, but how I was seeing it, he looked uncomfortable and pulled a fake smile that fooled everyone but me. Hmm that’s strange, I wonder what the story is there?
“Eden, I hope you don’t mind, but is it alright if steal my family for dinner tonight, I’m sure your parents would like to see you.” Clay was trying to get rid of me and trying to make me mad by saying parents when he knows how I feel about that.
“Clay, honey, Eden’s staying with us for a bit. She’s family now.” Judy smiled at me while she wrapped one are around my shoulder.
It felt so good having someone wanting me around and showing affection. Still getting used to it and all. Only because of Mason and his supportive family have shown me how families care for one another. Clay pulls a crooked smile and just didn’t argue and nodded. We all went inside and Judy had shopping bags from clothing shops sitting on the table.
“Go on a little shopping spree did you mum.?” Mason went in for a closer peek.
“Sure did, I thought I’d get Eden some clothes and underwear and the essentials while staying here.” Judy asked me to pull everything out and see if I liked it and I must admit she has good taste.
A few things reminded me of the old Eden and what I used to wear.
“Now, Mason has told me what your style is like, so I went with that and I brought a few other things that might be different and girly, but I brought you some sun dresses and some other clothes that I think would suit you more.” You could tell Judy wished she had a daughter, so she could spoil her with all this stuff and go shopping. I thanked Judy for buying me stuff that she didn’t need to.
“Judy how did you know, I would be back?”
“Well let’s just say a little birdy gave me a hit that you will most likely be back here.” She winked at Mason.
“Back?” Clay looked hesitant.
“Yeah, I stayed last night.” I was quite enjoyed this, he didn’t approve of this one bit.
“Why?” He asked.
Mason and Judy looked at me, waiting to see if I’d tell him. I didn’t want him to know so I lied
“My mother and her new toy are away on a business trip and I didn’t want to stay there by myself. I tried to last night, but I got to scared, so I came here.” I looked at Mason and Judy, so they could role with the story.
“But your mother came into school earlier today, when you fainted in class.” He could tell I was lying.
“Yeah she was only an hour away by plane, when she heard what happened she caught the next flight back in to see if I was ok, then she had to leave again.”
“It’s strange for a mother to leave their child straight after something serious happens to them.”
Mason, Judy and I all choked on our glass of wine. Judy thought wine would be a great idea to relax, but it just makes me want to keep refilling my glass or yet have a whole bottle to myself.
“It wasn’t anything serious, he said patronising me. I witnessed it, it was concerning. If I were a parent, I wouldn’t leave when my child is sick.” He was trying to trap me, but I wasn’t falling for it, I got to stay calm.
“I’m 17 years old. I don’t need my mother holding my hand when I’m sick, I can look after myself.” I held my head high.
Clay gave a sly smile before finishing the rest of his wine in his glass.
“You sure about that.?”
Judy jumped in and asked Clay to help her in the kitchen before it turned ugly. She already knows that we don’t get along. Mason grabbed the clothes off the table and grabbed my hand with his spare hand and guided me to his room and told me to get dressed into some dry clothes and have a breather for a min and calm down and come out when I’m ready.
I defiantly needed that breather. I could feel my neck becoming itchy and I didn’t want them to think something was wrong with it again. I put on a pair of denim shorts and a black singlet on. When I walked back out Phil had gotten back from work and cracked open a beer and sat at the dinner table ready for dinner. Judy had made tuna bake and vegies on the side, well all gathered around the table and sat in our spots and took turns self-serving. The table was quiet, and Phil decided to break the silence and asked how Masons and I’s day was. ‘We told him same shit, different day.’
he then asked about my mother and if we worked things out, all eyes were darting around the table. No one had fill Phil in on the fake story. Phil looked at all of us and looked confused.
“Am I speaking to the same Eden? the girl whose mother physically assaulted her yesterday.”
Phil was waiting for my reply, but I felt tongue tied and didn’t know what to do. No one was helping me out of this one. I looked at Clay to see him taken back at what he just heard. He made eye contact with me and I darted mine down looking at my food, the food I no longer wanted to eat.
“Will you excuse me.” I placed my knife and fork down on the placemat and pushed the chair out and got up. I grabbed the open wine bottle, it still was half full, and I went outside for some space.
I just needed to breath fresh air, something I didn’t want Clay to know, it would be another thing he could throw at me and laugh at me with. Now I felt powerless. I took a big swing of the red wine and pushed through its awful after taste. I heard the back door slide open and footsteps approach me from behind. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I just want to sit here on the kiddy swing and drink my sorrows.
“Who ever is behind me, I’d like to be alone right now. So please leave.”
“That’s the first time I have ever heard you be polite and say please.” It was Clay. Here it comes the part where gets the last laugh.
“Got what you wanted?”
“Not quite, but close enough.” He came and sat down on the swing next to me and held out his wine glass wanting me to top him up.
“I’m not sharing, bugger on off, I have nothing to say to you.” I took another swing. I heard him get up and leave. I could finally relax again until I heard footsteps come back. I looked next to me and Clay had brought himself a bottle of wine out because I wouldn’t share mine. ‘Bloody smart ass.’
“So, this explains some of your behaviour and I understand why you kept to yourself about it.”
“Why are you even speaking to me?, are you forgetting our little agreement earlier about ignoring each other.?” I was trying my best to push him away.
“Well my family told me not to go out, but I never listen to them. And I remember the agreement, but I didn’t agree to it you just assumed it.”
“Mr Ellis, Clay, what ever your name is, why are you here.?” I could feel the wine slowly creeping up on me.
“Well I’m here for multiple reasons and most of them involve you.” What he just said, was confusing the shit of me.
“If you’re looking for an apology from today or from all the others, sorry to disappoint you even more but you’re not getting one.”
“I know your defence mechanism very well by now and I don’t want an apology. But I want to apologize for what I said, I did take it to far and crossed a line as a teacher and a protective brother. When you hacked my computer, that’s like opening Pandora’s box. That’s my personal stuff on there and it angered me knowing you invaded my space. I’m sure you would feel the same if I did that to you. But what I realised once you left is, I never asked you why you hacked the school’s system and what you were after.?”
Holy shit, JADE!! I totally forgot that I was on a mission, the reason I needed mason was for his help. I got so caught up having a pointless fight with Mr Ellis earlier and wasted time then I got caught up in the moment with Mason having a water fight. I have to get to Mason now before I get to drunk and slur my words telling him the story. Without replying I put the bottle down jumped off the swing. I felt a bit wobbly but I could manage a walk straight… I think?
“I have to go, I forgot the real reason why I’m here.” I made my way to the back door and ran straight into it.
Who the fuck leaves the sliding door open but closes the glass door instead. Head first, I felt my head start to pound. Mason came running to the door and asked if I was ok. I just nodded my head looking up at him pressing my palm into my forehead. He started laughing and said he saw me coming and knew I was going to run into.
“I have to tell you something, in privet.” I gave him a serious look, hoping he would catch on.
“Yeah sure come on, we will go to my room for a chat.” He guided me into his room.
“Jade, she’s being abused by her foster parents. I went to see Max today and he was the last person to see jade, but he thought I was and that she was ignoring him. She left her number wanting to see him again, and girls only do that if they are super keen on the guy. He called her, and it rang through until the other day she answered but she didn’t say anything. Max heard a conversation that was strange and didn’t make sense. He then heard her get hit because she whimpered, and it was her, he swears it.”
“Calm down you sure Max isn’t talking shit and Jade isn’t really ignoring him and wagging doing god knows what? You know what she’s like Eden. Did he have proof of the call.”
“Well no-“
“Well how do you knows he’s telling you the truth?”
“Well because his tone, facial expressions said he was being serious and now stressing.”
“what else did he say.?”
I told Mason the rest of mine and Max’s conversation and explain how it didn’t add up and the reason I couldn’t ask him to help is because we lied to him about our ages. Mason started pacing his room and looked deep in his thought’s. I pulled out the note Jade left for Max to give him as much proof as I got. As handed the paper Mason still holding, he grabbed it and I had a flash of another room. It was dark and only patches of light in straight lines ran along from above, it looked like maybe a basement. I hit back to reality and Mason was glaring at me.
“What just happened.” We both let the note go, looking at each other strangely. This wasn’t the kind of moment you want to have with the guy you like.
“I-I don’t know. That’s never happened to me before.” My neck was starting to burn up again and I was excruciating painful, I started yelling for help. What the fuck was going on. Wrapping my hand around my neck feeling the heat rising.
“Did jade put a hex on me? ever since I thought I got a tattoo and it turned out I didn’t, and I was only drunk as fuck and couldn’t remember anything. You sure she didn’t carve something else in me.” I lifted my hair exposing my neck and asked Mason to look for me. suddenly the door swung opened and Clay was staring at us, his widened at me.
“What the fuck is that?” Clay raised his tone looking at Mason.
“It’s not what it Looks like. I didn’t ‘TATTOO’ her.” Mason looked at Clay with seriousness.
“You lied to me!, I asked you ages ago if I did have one and you said I didn’t, did you and all lie to me?” was so pissed Mason lied and I had been walking around with an unknown tattoo on my neck then I realised I remember trying to see for myself when I was in the bathroom and there was nothing. I barged Clay to the side, so I could get through the door and go to the bathroom mirror. Still holding my hair up, I turned to see these raging red symbols on the back of my neck. My heart sank into my stomach and I suddenly felt sick. I ran straight to the toilet and vomited. Was Jade in a cult and branded me? or was she a witch and put a bad luck hex on me?. all these thoughts running throughout my head sounded insane if I said them out loud. This is impossible, it must be an infection that sort of magical shit isn’t real. The boys were outside the toilet waiting for me, I could hear them asking me if I’m ok. I opened the door and looking at the boys with evil eyes.
“Explain NOW!” I demanded answers.
“Jade did tattoo you and I noticed that she used white ink, so it wouldn’t show and reasons no one could see from a distance. I didn’t lie when I said it wasn’t a dick.” He did a little awkward laugh thinking it would lighten my mood.
“The reason I went off is because, I thought my stupid brother tattooed you. The reason it goes red and starts to burn is dirty ink, means this will happen for a little bit till it fully heals. Its common for it to get infected, especially at a dirty frat party, Mason told me that’s where it happened. So, don’t stress and it’s just some creative pattern. That Jade girl tattooed you, who you barley knew and you let a delinquent tattoo you, that’s stupid of you.” Clays words sounded comforting, knowing it’s not a hex or some other weird shit and it was just dirty ink that makes it flare up.
But the calling me stupid pissed me off and who was he to call Jade a delinquent, he has no idea what she’s been through. I wanted to stand up for Jade, but I felt like it would be a pointless argument with Clay, him being a teacher thinking he knew every student and just everything in general.
“So, I guess I should keep my hair down so mum doesn’t see?”
“Unless you want to be grounded for the rest of your life, I advise you to hide it yes.” Clay advised me to be more conservative and cautious.
Usually I wouldn’t listen to him, but this time I wasn’t going to fight it, my mother would kill me if she found out I had a tattoo. “I can’t deal with this right now, I just need to clear my head.” I looked at Clay and Mason gave them both the evil eye.
I was pissed off on so many levels I didn’t know how to express myself. I barged both of them to the side to get through and walked myself out of the house. Mason called out to me, asking me to not leave, but I didn’t respond I just kept my head held high and kept walking. As I walked around through the streets, I thought to myself how stupid and reckless I was, and I got myself into this mess. It might be just a tattoo, but this tattoo was different it was ugly and not healing and it was causing so much pain and discomfort. I was way in over my head, drinking and being a total bitch, I lost sight on whom I truly was and how much I threw it away without being clear minded. Then getting mixed up with Mason and now Mr Ellis or should I say Clay now, then causing drama and school fights, it just wasn’t me, but I just can’t control my urge to fight or argue the point. My life has done a 180 on me and flipped it around to the opposite of who I am and what I wanted in life, I feel stuck and only felt like it was just the beginning. I looked up to see that I was in the same place I woke up the night after the party. I don’t recall walking this far yet this way, I guess I got to distracted in my thoughts my mind just took over and guided me to some where I could feel ease but why this spot, why this trail. I kept walking and found the tree I tried to kill myself on. Walking over I went to see if my clothes were still there, but they weren’t, the park rangers must have picked them up. I decided that I should head back because I knew it was late and Mason would be stressing. As I turned there it was the blue majestic glowing eyes, it was the Panther. I knew I wasn’t crazy now. The Animal circled me like it would before it kills its pray. Most people would be shitting bricks at this point thinking they’re about to be killed, but not me. I knelt making myself more vulnerable, I felt no fear, I felt nothing but numbness’
“Well I guess I wasn’t insane after all. Why are you here? Wait why the hell did I ask you a question you’re an animal you can’t talk nor understand me.” the Panther tilted it’s head at me, it looked confused. Maybe it could understand me.
“can you understand me?”. I looked at it and I was stunned to see it nodding its head at me, knowing it could understand me. that’s when my stomach turned, and I felt my heart beat pick up feeling nervous.
“Are you here to kill me?” it slowly came closer to me and sat next to me and shook its head to reassure me it wasn’t here to harm me. what a relief I felt, but it was just so bizarre that this creature could understand me.
“Did you know what I was trying to do the other night and stop me for a reason.” I looked at the panther and it glared at me and nodded its head. Why did it stop me? it’s not like I’m worthy of this life.” If only it knew the reasons.
“Since you understand me, let me tell you the reason I was doing something selfish.
My head and my heart haven’t been the same for a long time. I lost my father and he was my best friend and the only one who gave two fucks about me and encourage me to not give up not matter how hard life gets. I lost a part of myself after I woke up from a coma and realizing what had happened and I feel like I’m constantly drowning in my sorrows deep down and I like to deal with it the hard way. I feel so lost and don’t know why I do the things I do. I guess this is what happened when you bottle things up for a while the just burst out like a shaken-up champagne bottle and shit just ends up a mess. The only thing that is filling the void just a bit is Mason, he’s the only one who knows almost everything about me and makes me feel safe and is always there for me. like right now I’m staying with him and his family because my mother physically abused me and my mum’s boy toy is a cunt to me, the things he says to me are disgusting and I legit want run him over. I hate going home and I have nowhere to run to but Masons. Yeah, I have Ash and Talen, but I can’t tell them what’s going on with things at home because shit will go down with our families and I don’t want another pity party. I wanted to kill myself so I could escape my shitty life.” I could feel the tears slowly sliding down my cheeks.
I looked at the panther and it leaned in and rubbed its head on my shoulder purring. It reminded me of my old cat Truffles when he tried to comfort me or just wanted affection. I decided to put my hand out and pat it and it didn’t pull away. I looked up at the night sky, looking at the milky way and the stars that flickered all over the nights sky, it was mesmerising. I shooting star flew past us and I closed my eyes and made a wish. ‘let me love again’ when I finished making my wish, I looked at the panther and saw a little sparkle in its eyes.
“Did you make a wish too?”. It shook its head and looked down glaring at the ground. It looked almost sad that it didn’t. it got up and started to walk away.
“Hey wait! Will I see you again?”. I was stood up dusting my butt waiting for a yes or a no. it looked back at me and stopped still focused on me. it turned its head without any indication if I were to see it again it then ran into the over grown grass and disappeared into the darkness leaving me alone.
I had no other choice but to head back to Masons, so he knows I’m ok, since I didn’t bring my phone.
YOU ARE READING
Sedona.
FantasíaEden Evan's was a typical 17 year old girl who lived a small town called Sedona. Eden had top grades, dreams and ambitions, but one night after her ballroom competition she was in a tragic car accident with her father. A year later Eden wakes up fro...
