Intertwined episode 8

🤝INTERTWINED🤝

💑EP EIGHT💑

Everybody forgot about the girl whose body was dumped afew miles from our town. She wasn’t a local. She wastattooed, and there was evidence of use of drugs. Her bodywas probably dumped after an accidental overdose, as therewere no signs of violence on her, not even bruises.

I was glad, because if there was a murderer in town,Travis would have to hang around to make sure I was safe.And I didn’t want to see him again after that night. I was tooembarrassed, too ashamed.

I believed he felt exactly the same. He was gone when I

woke up the next morning. Therese, my maid, told me thatTravis sat on the couch all night that night. He waited untilthe house was up at sunrise, and then he left.

“I was startled to find him sitting like a statue in thecouch. He was not moving, lost in his thoughts,” she hadsaid. “He didn’t look like he slept at all.” Well, he wasn’t theonly one who wasn’t able to sleep that night.

The last thing he had said to me was that he didn’t wantto be in the same room as me. He was a gentleman. Hedidn’t say the words to my face. He didn’t want me, and itwas best he walked away.

Now it was one week to prom, and I didn’t have a date.

“A lot of guys are thinking of asking you out. Find outwho is decent enough, at least,” Cindy advised.

“I wanted someone as hot as Trip so I wouldn’t look likea loser to him.”

Sure enough, three days before the prom, a guy namedAlexander Jackson pinned a rose to my locker, with a notethat said:

Roses are red, violets are blue, I may be football captain,but I guess I lack the courage to ask you…But I’ll only get my answer if I ask, really…So here goes: Will you go to prom with me?

I had to smile at his attempt at poetry. It was sweet,actually. I pulled up a picture of Alexander Jackson in mymind. Football captain. Broad shoulders, muscular build,blond hair, dark eyes. He wasn’t as handsome as Trip, buthe was more charming. Plus, his eyes were always laughing.

I guessed he’d do well to replace Trip as my prom date.I placed the rose in,side my locker. Then I stuck a post-itoutside my locker and wrote: Yes.

I was nervous to go to art class. For the three classesthat I’d had, Mr. Atkins had asked us to paint in our ownchosen locations. It was great for me because I didn’t wantto see Travis. But now there was noescaping him. We’dhave to hand in our masterpieces.

We were asked by Mr. Atkins to express, in whateverform, the meaning of life…our lives. My art piece was a littlebit dark and sad. It was a combination of colors and hues inan abstract form. Greens, violets, and oranges mixedbeautifully on the canvas. Somewhere there was a tree,somewhere there was a boy standing at the end of a road. Iliked to think it was Thomas. Waiting there for me. The only

reason why I was able to move on. He was gone, but I lived.

And I would keep on living for both of us.

“Mr. Cross submitted his work earlier this week. He won’tbe able to make it to class today,” Mr. Atkins announced.Honestly, I was relieved.Relieved because I didn’t have to see him. But I was also

a little upset. Because it meant that he was employing all means possible to avoid me. I didn’t want him to. I had lost

Thomas; I didn’t want to lose Travis, too.

Mr. Atkins looked at my drawing for a while, and then hesmiled.

“You don’t always have to be sad, Miss Montgomery,” hesaid quietly. “But I admire your talent. You should considerart school when you graduate.”

Before Mr. Atkins dismissed us, he handed me a piece ofparchment rolled into a scroll.

“This is Mr. Cross’s work,” he said. “Kindly give it to him.I’ve already graded it.”

“Can’t you give it to him next time?”He shook his head. “Mr. Cross will not be in for the nextthree classes. He’s taken a special assignment for meoutside of class.”

He handed me the rolled parchment, tied with a blackribbon.

“No rush. I’ve already told him what his grade is.”

When I went home that night, I decided to clean up mypaint cabinets and org-nize my paintings.

I found a familiar painting of candles and a rom-ntic bedin a hotel room. I scowled at it and then threw it in the bin.I figured that wasn’t going to happen. I needed to let goof that dream. I needed to accept that high school boyswere just not that rom-ntic—or even considerate.

I was disappointed to have painted such a rom-nticpicture of how my first time was going to be. The image wasso vivid, so accurate. And it was never going to happen. Itwas just a dream. Maybe someday, when I found the rightguy, it could come true. Now, I just didn’t care anymore.

With Alex…I would just let things flow. I won’t sell myselfout but I would stop thinking that fairy tales exist and boysare all prince charmings. If things get deeper with Alex, thenmaybe he’s the one. Although if I had a choice I know who Ireally wanted to be my first. If I would shoot for special moments and unforgettable firsts… there was only oneperfect guy who deserved it. But sadly, he didn’t want me.

The next afternoon, Cindy and I planned to go to themall to buy clothes.

“Aren’t you going to buy some nice lingerie?” she asked.

“What for?”

“Well, who knows? Maybe that will be the day. Don’t youwant to wear something that will haunt Alex’s nights andmake him ask for more?”

“Is that necessary? I mean…I am curious about s€×. But Idon’t have high expectations about my first time anymore,you know. I’m not even sure if I am going to like it. Andbesides, I’m just letting things flow. Not sure if the momentor the guy would be right. I’m letting fate decide.”

“Okay.” Cindy rolled her eyes. “But just in case Alex doessome grand gestures in the next couple of days and heturns to out to be your rom-ntic whirlwind rom-nce, don’tyou want to at least look nice under your prom dress?”

“I have nice Victoria’s Secret lingerie.”

“Yeah, like Lycra gym bikinis!” She rolled her eyes.

“What else could be better than that?”

“Silk. Strings.”

“I don’t want to look like a slut!” I rolled my eyes.

“All right. Whatever suits you. You would have mademore effort with Trip, you know.”

“Because I thought I was in love with Trip and he was inlove with me. And I was sure I wanted to keep doing thatwith Trip…exclusively!”

“And with Alex?”

“I haven’t known him long enough to feel anything deep.I am curious. He is sweet and good-looking. I think he’s agood guy. But maybe I’m overthinking this. I was dreamingtoo much that I’d give my V-card to some guy who wouldtreasure it like it was some God-given gift or something. Butlook what Trip had in mind for us, and he was my boyfriendfor a year.”

“You know what, you are overthinking this. Just rip offthe bandage! At least Alex won’t cheat on you…because…you aren’t officially dating exclusively yet. He might ask youto go steady after that, though. Would you agree?”

I shrugged. “We’ll see. I’m not in a hurry to getheartbroken again.”

The prospect of dating Alex is… okay, I guess. If theworld wasn’t mad, then I would have a better prospect than-lex. It’s not that he’s bad. He’s… okay. But he didn’t charmme as much as Trip did on our first date. And his k-ssesdidn’t make me insane like… Travis’s nerve-wracking k-sses.

Travis. Yeah, I didn’t know he could send my emotionsspiraling through the roof in less than a minute of making amove on me. How could he instantly make me want to go tobed with him with just a couple of k-sses? Was that the sideof him that he was hiding from me? The charming side thateven Tom didn’t want me to see?

Now there’s something worth trading my V-card for, Ithought glumly. Then I gro-ned. I have got to stop thinkinglike this about Travis Cross! He’s like my designatedguardian for Christ’s sake!

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a commotionbehind us. Some kids were rushing toward the gym.

“I wonder what that’s all about!” Cindy said.

“Maybe Trip was caught on top of a cheerleader again.

That would be a lovely second!” I said wryly.

“Hey, Matt!” Cindy called one of the guys rushing pastus. “What’s going on?”

“Fight! In the boys’ locker room!” Matt replied and herushed toward the gym.

“Interesting!” Cindy said excitedly. “I wonder who.”

“High school boys!” I said, rolling my eyes. “Come on,Cindy, let’s go.”

She pouted. “Can we at least hang around for tenminutes? I want to know what that was about.”

“I never figured you to be a gossip,” I muttered undermy breath. But I didn’t have a choice. I was catching a ridewith her and I knew she wouldn’t rest until she found outwhat the fight was all about.

“Let’s go closer!” she said, pulling me with her.

I let her drag me to the direction of the gym. However, Ifroze in my tracks when I saw Travis going out of it, lookinglike he was on a warpath.

Since that night I k-ssed him… I haven’t stopped thinkingabout him. And now that I’m seeing him in the flesh againmade my heart pound in my chest, and I think I forgot howto breathe. If I were to be really honest, I would say that mycuriosity for s€× was only encompassed by my keenness tofeel Travis’s mind-blowing k-sses again.

“What’s the matter with you?” Cindy asked me, noticingmy stiff reaction. Then she followed my gaze and saw Traviscoming closer toward us.

“I think we should go!” I said to her.

But Cindy looked star-struck, staring at Travis headingtoward us. His hair was w-t and disheveled. He had anangry look on his face. It took me a moment to realize thathe was staring at me as he came closer to us.

“I think he’s headed this way,” Cindy whispered.

I should have run, or made an effort to hide. Travis was€×cellent at getting ahold of his emotions and keeping hisfeelings to himself. But right then, he was not making itsecret that he was furious…raging mad, even.

He stopped in front of me and searched my face. Myheart probably stopped beating altogether, and I wasn’tsure how I was able to breathe.

“You’re not going to prom with Alexander Jackson!” hemuttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Tell Alexander Jackson you’re not going to prom withhim! Not in this lifetime!”

How could he ask me to drop my prom date at the lastminute? He wasn’t my boyfriend, nor my brother!

I shook my head. “I’m not going to prom without adate!” I said angrily.

He raised a brow. “You’re not!” he said. “I’m taking you!”

And he started to walk away.

I stared at his back. How could he make this choice forme after he rejected me… after he made me feel wanted forone minute before shooting me down the next?

And then suddenly, I realized… did he change his mindabout what I asked of him too?

With all the courage I could muster, I said, “This isn’t justabout prom, you know!”

He stopped on his tracks and stood motionless for asecond. Then he turned around to look at me in the eyes. Hetook a deep breath and said, “I know.”

My heart suddenly dropped to my toes. I don’t know howI knew, but I was sure that we were referring to the samething. In his eyes, I saw concern, pain, and theoverwhelming desire to…protect me.

He nodded slightly, and then he turned around andheaded toward his car and sped off. I was left standing therelike a statue, staring after him.

“Oh my God!” Cindy breathed behind me. “What justhappened?”

“I’m…not sure actually.”

“He’s…taking you to prom! This is a game changer! Iknow you weren’t sure about Alex. But come on, no matterhow hærd you deny it, you and Travis Cross have the hots foreach other.” Cindy said, almost jumping up and down.

“I wonder what happened to him in the boys’ lockerroom,” I said.

Matt walked past us.

“Hey, what happened?” Cindy asked him.

Matt gave me a weird look first and then he said, “Well,Trip Jacobs and Alexander Jackson were bantering about some sort of bet.” He looked at me again. “Cross was there.He didn’t like what he heard, I guess. He went for both ofthem.”

“What?!” Cindy was shocked. “Where’s Trip and Alex?”

“Still there. Trip lost a tooth. Alex had a bad shiner, Ithink,” Matt replied, and then he started to walk away.

“Wait!” Cindy called. “What was the bet about?”

Matt shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I was told it hassomething to do with you, Brianne.”

“Wow!” Cindy breathed. She turned to face me as soonas Matt walked away. “Well, there goes your knight inshining armor.”

I pulled her toward the parking lot. “Let’s go.”

When we got into the car, Cindy smiled at memischievously. “So? Have you changed your mind aboutbuying lingerie?”