Intertwined episode 6

🤝INTERTWINED🤝

💑EP SIX💑

 

Prom was a month away and my relationsh¡p with Trip wasgetting deeper. He was making some moves to be moreintimate, and I was becoming more open to his advances.We were making out in his car one night. He nuzzled myneck and started to reach behind me to unhook my b-ra. Ipushed him slightly.

“Trip…wait,” I said gently. “Can we wait? Prom?”

He looked at me for a while and then he nodded. “You’reright. I’m sorry. It’s your…first time. It shouldn’t be in theback of a car.” He chuckled, then he leaned forward andgave me a smack on the l-ips.

“Thank you,” I said.

He turned to start the car. He was quiet the rest of theway, and somehow I wasn’t sure what he was thinking.

He stopped in front of my house. “Good night.” Hesmiled at me. “So, I guess prom night’s it for us?”

I smiled at him shyly and then I nodded. In my mind, Iwas thinking he’d rent a hotel suite where we could spendthe night, candles and roses all over the place. It would berom-ntic. It would be a night I would remember for the restof my life.

I was dreamy when I got home. I took a long bath injasmine soap. I dreamt of how it was going to be for me andTrip. After Prom, nobody would accuse that something waswrong with me.

I dried my hair and put on purple pajama bottoms and apink sleeveless top. I should remember to stop by a lingerieshop before prom, I thought. Maybe a Victoria’s Secretnightgown would come in handy for me in the future.

I dialed Trip’s number as I lay on my bed. It was busy. Itried about ten times, but it was still busy. I decided to waitten more minutes, then I tried again, but he didn’t pick up. Idecided I was going to wait fifteen minutes more, but Idozed off.

In my dreams, I dreamt of candles and roses while Enyaplayed in the background. He k-ssed me gently, thoroughly,and then he took my clothes off. I couldn’t see his face, but Iwas pretty sure it was Trip. He’d been so gentle with me. Heknew it was my first time. Then there was a tearing pain. Heheld me in his arms gently. He told me he was sorry forhurting me. He was so sweet I couldn’t help falling for him

more and more.

Just then, I woke up. I found myself lying in my bedalone. I looked at the time. It was past midnight already. Ilooked at my phone to see if Trip had returned my calls, buthe hadn’t.I caught a flash of movement in front of me. There was afigure on my couch. I turned on the lamp beside my bed andfound Travis sitting on the couch at the foot of my bed, hiseyes closed.

I got up from the bed and approached him. He hadkicked off his rubber shoes and draped his jacket on the armof the couch.

“Travis,” I whispered. He let out a little mo-n but didn’twake up. “Travis,” I said a little louder.

He moved a little and then finally he opened his eyes.

He looked at me for a moment and then he said, “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?”

“My father’s home,” he replied. “He wanted to talk to meabout university options.”

“And?”

“I’ve made up my mind where I’m going,” he said. “I leftthe house. His bodyguards are out looking for me.”

“And you came here?”

“This is the last place they would look. Since Thomas hasbeen gone, they don’t think I come here anymore. I hopeyou don’t mind if I stay here until morning.”

“Of course not,” I said. “But why in my bedroom? Youhave a room in this house, Travis,” I said, pointing towardthe bathroom that connects my room to the guestroom Travis’s.

He smiled at me bitterly. “Nah! Too many memories,cherie. Your house reminds me of Tom a lot. Except for yourroom. We never hung out together here. And right now, Idon’t really want to feel like I have no one.”

“You don’t have no one, Travis. You have me,” I said tohim.

He nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”

I went to my cabinet. I pulled thicker blankets out andhanded them to him. “Here, use these.”

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“Won’t they notice that your car is in the driveway?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t bring a car. I walked.”

I went back to my bed and checked once more if Trip hadsent me anything. Still, there was nothing.

“Goodnight, Travis,” I said.

“Goodnight. Thanks for letting me stay,” he said. “I wasalmost afraid you would kick me out.”

I giggled. “I would never do that. You can come hereanytime you want. How did you get in, by the way?”

“I climbed up from your balcony. Your sliding door isunlocked. That’s not right, Brianne. Anybody could havecome here and broken in.”

“You should be happy I forgot to lock up. Otherwise, youwouldn’t have been able to come in.”

“My refuge is not as important as your virtue, cherie,” hemurmured. “Please promise me you won’t forget to lockyour doors from now on?”

I smiled at him, and then I closed my eyes. “I promise.”

When I woke up the next day, I found that Travis hadgone. He neatly folded the blankets he used and placedthem on the couch. On top of the blankets, I found a notesaying, “Thank you, cherie. But please remember what youpromised me.”

I smiled, feeling the bond that I now shared with Travis.Right then, it was difficult to remember why I hadn’t gottenalong well with him when Thomas was still alive. I wishedThomas had been able to see us like this.

***

By the end of that week, I was looking for Travis in school. Itwas difficult since we barely saw each other on campus. Infact, not many people knew we were still speaking to eachother. They knew Travis and Thomas were inseparable. Butsince Thomas had gone, Travis had been a loner. He didshow up to a beach party a couple of years before to givemy ex a shiner he deserved, but other than that, he was

barely visible.

He came to attend his classes and he aced all of them.But he didn’t hang out with anyone. He was almost anti-social. Except for some girls he ‘casually’ hung out with.By the end of the day, there was still no sign of Travis, soI just decided to go to the counselor’s office to ask where hislocker was located.

“Travis? Travis Cross?” the student assistant asked witha blush on her face. I didn’t have to be a genius to guesswhy she was blushing violently at the mention of his name.

“Yes,” I said trying to keep my voice at level.She flipped through her files and then gave me thelocker number.

“Thank you.”

I rushed with Cindy to where Travis’s locker was, hopingto catch him there.

“Why don’t you just call him?” Cindy asked.

“Tried. His phone is off,” I replied.

Finally, I located his locker, but there was no sign of him.I decided to leave the keys I duplicated the day before in asmall envelope and taped it to the front of his locker.

I wrote a note: I’m keeping my promise. 🙂

I promised to keep all the doors locked from then on, butI also meant what I’d said to him that he could come to ourhouse any time he pleased. Travis just appeared out ofnowhere most of the time. Usually, it was the times he feltmost alone or upset that he chose to come…to find somepeace, some comfort, some… family. I wanted to do for himwhat Thomas would have done had he lived. Like the way

Travis was looking out for me, the way that Thomas wouldhave.

I waited by the parking lot for Trip. Cindy waited for herboyfriend, Allan, who was also a member of the basketballteam.

“What was that you left at Travis’s locker?”

“House keys,” I replied. “To my front door, my room, andmy balcony.”

“Wow! Why would you do that? With a sweet note thatyou would keep your promise? You guys sound like you are

having a secret affair or something.” Cindy kept her tonevery low. The last time we talked in public, my V-rginity wasadvertised on the Campus Bulletin Board.

“Don’t be silly! Once in a while, he comes to my house,”

I said. “Last Friday, I found him sleeping on my couch when Iwoke up in the middle of the night.”

“What?” Cindy asked. She couldn’t believe what she washearing. “Why? He just breaks in to your room?”

“I forgot to lock my balcony door. Anyway, he made mepromise to lock up all the time, but that would also mean hewouldn’t be able to come in any time he pleased. Travis hassome issues with his dad. I’m the only family he has. He’slooking out for me. That is the least I can do to make his lifeeasy.”

“Thomas could have been the one looking out for you,”Cindy said sadly.

“Travis promised my brother that he’d take care of me.I’m not going to make it difficult for him.”

“How cool is it to wake up and find Travis Cross sleepingon your bedroom couch?” When I looked at Cindy, shelooked star-struck.

“Wipe off that drool, here comes your boyfriend!” Iwhispered to her, seeing her new boyfriend, Allan, approachus.

She scowled at me, and then she smiled sweetly atAllan.

“Where’s Trip?” I asked.

Allan looked dumbfounded and looked behind him. “He…was with me and then…I lost him.”

Cindy got on her tiptoes and gave him a thorough k-ss. Ilooked away from them. I checked around for signs of Trip.

“How are you getting home, Brianne?” Allan asked.

“I’ll wait for Trip. He usually meets me here,” I replied.

“He might have scooted already,” he said. “I was the lastin the locker room.”

I fished my phone from my pocket and dialed Trip’snumber. It was off.

“Nevertheless, I’ll wait a while. He might turn up. Healways does.”

It was thirty minutes after Cindy left with Allan, andthere was still no sign of Trip. The parking lot was almostempty now. I decided to take a walk home, still trying Trip’snumber.

When I rounded the corner, I found his car parked justoutside the campus. I looked in,side, but it was empty andhis gym bag wasn’t there, either, which meant he was stillin,side.

I walked back and headed toward the gym, I stood by the entrance of the locker room, but it wasquiet, which meant nobody was there anymore. I decided to head out, dialing Trip’s number again. This time it rang. Ittook me a moment to realize that I could also hear his

phone ringing from in,side the girls’ locker room.My heart pounded in my chest as I tiptoed in.

“Don’t answer it!” I heard a girl mo-ning. “Who is it,anyway?”

“Nobody,” Trip’s familiar voice said. “Now, where werewe before we were rudely interrupted?”

“You were right on this s₱0t.” And then there was agiggle, followed by a series of mo-ns.

I followed their voices, tiptoeing as quietly as I could.Then finally I reached the end of the row of lockers. I peekedand found Trip with a blonde whom I recognized to be one ofthe cheerleaders. They were unclad. She was lying on abench and he was on top of her.

The image was so vivid, so clear, it couldn’t have beenpainted as anything else. They were having s€×. And it wasnothing like what I pictured in my mind. What they weredoing was…rough…animalistic.

“What about your girlfriend? Have you successfullypopped her?” the girl asked.

“Prom night is the night, baby.”

She laughed. “Too bad for you, then. She’ll want you tobe gentle.”

“Oh no,” Trip said. “I’ll teach her how to be rough thefirst time around!”

“Oh, poor girl. I’ll bet she’ll cry. “Where do you plan to doher anyway?”

“We’re all going to Michael Hornby’s place. His parentsare away. I reserved a room in their servant’s quarters for

my precious V-rgin Mary! Hang around Mikee’s after prom, I’d like to have fun after I’m done with her.”

At that point, I thought I’d seen and heard enough. But Irefused to be the only person embarrassed to be in thatroom. So I showed myself to them.

“Don’t worry. You can have all the fun you want with her!I don’t want your filthy body ever touching mine!” I saidangrily.

They were both startled as they realized I’d beenwatching them all that time.

“Oh my God, Brianne!” Trip said, blood draining from hisface.

“You’ll never get the chance to sleep with me, TripJacobs!” I said. “Goodbye!”

I stormed out. Because I was so mad, I broke the firealarm window and pulled the plug down, setting off alarmsacross the wh0le campus. Problem kids did this all the timeat our school and they went unpunished. At least I wasbreaking the alarm to report a violation happening in,sidethe girls’ locker room.

I couldn’t believe what I had seen and heard. How couldhe? And I fancied myself in love with him! The words he saidabout me…they were degrading! Did he think I was low likethose girls who snuck into the locker rooms to have s€× withhim? I thought he was the one! I thought this relationsh¡pwould last forever.

When I looked back at the gym again, guards wererunning toward the entrance to the locker room. Servesthem right if they get caught in their underwear!

I was blinded by tears as I walked out of the campus. Ididn’t expect Trip to follow me. I believed he was busyputting his p-nts on in front of the campus guards.

Suddenly, a car slowed down beside me and stopped afew feet ahead. It was a luxurious Bentley, and I wasn’t sureif the driver was waiting until the car plate caught my eye:TJCROSS

Suddenly, relief washed all over me. I ran toward the car.The passenger door opened from in,side as soon as I reachedit. I hopped in and found Travis staring at my tear-strickenface.

“When can I come and find you and you won’t havetears on your face?” he asked quietly.

I giggled humorlessly and realized that lately, wheneverI’d cried my heart out, Travis was the first person to find me.

“What is it this time?” he asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t help myself—I leanedforward and gave him a hug. I felt his arms wrap around me.

“Sshhh…” he whispered. “You’re safe now.”It was a couple of minutes more when my tearssubsided. I was resting my head on Travis’s shoulder.

“I got your keys,” he said quietly.

“I’ve been looking for you all day,” I said. “Your phone isoff.”

“Sorry, cherie,” he said. “My…father was calling me non-stop.”

“College options?”

He nodded.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Have you decided where you’re going?”

I shook my head.

“Then I’ll tell you when you’ve decided,” he said.

A car sped past us. It seemed that the driver was in sucha hurry he almost hit the tree in front of us.

“Isn’t that supposed to be your ride?” Travis asked me.

I sighed and remembered the pain in my chest again.

“Not anymore,” I whispered.

Travis looked at me wearily, his usual, cold, carelessfaçade completely gone. Instead, he gave me a look ofgenuine concern and sympathy. I leaned my head on hisshoulder again.

“You’ll be fine,” he whispered to me.And I knew he was right…