Your Voice (G x G)

4

I hurriedly exit the classroom before Ms. Blake even grabs a chance to talk to me. It looks like the tables have turned. Before she would curse hell if she catches herself looking at me, now it’s as if it’s all she can do. I know she felt the need to patch things up after she heard my side in the science fair, but I didn’t. It was actually more of a consuming fear of confrontation than not wanting to talk to her. Yeah, talk about ballsy, huh? One month has passed, and I was still hung up with everything.

“Hey, wait up!” Jill came running after me, “What is up with you lately? You haven’t been eager in class like you always have.” I shrugged and we went silent for a moment.

“How are you?” She knew it wasn’t the time to push my buttons so she went with how I was playing.

“Well, I do have some big news.” The redhead lit up just by saying those seven words.

“What is it? You’re not pregnant, are you?” She slapped my arm playfully, making me chuckle a bit.

“No, you ass! How can I be when Toby and I haven’t even tied the knot yet?” We laughed after she spoke, knowing what she meant.

“So, are you going to lose it tonight?” My words came out as a joke, never have I imagined Jill’s face contorting into a bashful way after I did. “Oh my god, you’re losing your v-card to Toby!?”

She closed her eyes out of embarrassment, “Yes! Yes! Now can you stop being so loud? I don’t want my first s****l i*********e to be the talk of the town.”

“Oh my god, this is big news, Jill! What are your plans?”

She was flushed with relief and I could see it, “Oh, I don’t know, we’re going to talk about it later.” As if on cue, Toby comes out of the blue with a big grin on his face.

“Hey,” he lets out, making his way to Jill’s lips.

“Look who’s excited.” I playfully say with a wink after their lips unlocked.

“So, you know, huh?” Toby smiles with a hint of embarrassment, “Anyway, mind if I steal your girl for a few?” I told him I didn’t mind and they made their way out.

I call out for Jill and when she turned, I hold up my thumb then sheepishly displayed an air thrust with a wink—the redhead smiles and laughs. After a few seconds I regret such display because I catch Ms. Blake watching me with a small smile. Goodness, I thought.

My legs walked fast as it could but in certain defeat, Ms. Blake caught up with me. “What was that all about?” She asked playfully, chewing on a piece gum in the process.

I was surprised of how normal she talked to me, “So we’re talking now?” I didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in my tone.

The older woman lets out a sigh, “Look, Collins, can we just talk? I’m sorry about everything, that night at the beach…” We both stopped pacing and I tried my best not to look at her, instead I focused on unlocking my locker. “It did mean as much to me as it did to you, it’s just that I’m scared.”

“Scared? We’re not doing anything wrong. You’re the paranoid one who keeps on shoving up the past, but that’s exactly it—the past. Can’t we be normal people now? Jeez.” This was the nth time I got flustered over talking to her.

“Yes! That’s what I want. You’re definitely right, I was paranoid before, but now I’m just less paranoid. I can make room for a friend.” My eyes were still not fixated on her, just her voice.

Her voice was different, it was kind of… “Are you alright?” I finally take a look at her. “Your eyes are bloodshot and you look kind of pale.”

“I’m fine.” She coughs and I make out from that, that she clearly wasn’t.

“You sure look like you’re not. Your voice is nasally as hell.” Without her consent, I place my hand over her forehead; we were the same height with her heels on. “Woah, you’re burning up!” She waved a hand as if it was nothing, “Seriously, you’re like a few degrees hotter than normal. How can you be still standing up, let alone teach class?”

I couldn’t tell if she was teaching normally because I was too caught up on my anger towards her. “I’m fine, really, Collins.” The bell rings and Ms. Blake fixes the bag on her shoulder, “I have to go. I’ll see you at 6th.”

When 6th period came—the last period of the day—Ms. Blake was nowhere to be found. Ms. Rivers came in to tell us that she couldn’t come in class because she was sick, stupid Sara, I thought to myself. Ms. Rivers left us an essay to write and just as she was out the door, she told me that she would like to see me in her office after class.

“Oooh, what did you do this time?” Jill said playfully. It suddenly struck me that Jill was going to take a step forward tonight. We’ve sworn to each other that we would wait for the right guy and I guess Toby is the right guy. I was so happy for her.

“I don’t know.” I laughed nervously towards her. I finished my paper before Jill did, “Jill, I’ll go before you. Good luck tonight, okay? Call me later.” She flashes her knowing smiles and I gesture a ‘fingers crossed’.

The hallway was still free of students because the bell still hasn’t ringed. I let out a deep breath before I knock and enter Ms. River’s office. Her face lit up just as she saw me, “No need to sit dear, I’m just here to give you a task.”

A task? I asked myself, remembering how well the Science fair went it would be a bit tiring to be a go-to-task maker. “Sure, Ms. Rivers, anything you need.” I said otherwise.

“Well, it’s more of a favor than a task—but a task whatsoever.” I nodded, clearly getting her point. “You know how to drive, don’t you?” 

Weird things came rushing in my mind, maybe the task she needed for me to do was something in the level of extreme. Drag racing, car rustling, escape car, drug bust, I had a really malicious mind. “…Yes.” I told the older woman.

“Okay, good.” She holds up a coffee cup keychain with two—maybe three keys hooked in. “I need you to drive Ms. Blake home.”

“Oh, thank god.” I blurted out, letting out a relieved breath. Ms. Rivers looked at me with questioning eyes, “Ehem,” I cleared my throat, “Yeah, I could do that.”

The older woman forced a smile, trying to die down the awkward on her face, “She’s in the nurse’s office. Here’s her purse.” She hands me a cream colored bag and I quickly take it and place it on my shoulder.

Next stop, the nurse’s office—I thought to myself.

Ms. Blake looked sloppy and unwary. There was a gap between her mouth as she breathed heavily through it. It was undeniable that she looked pale and sick and I felt like I needed to care for her more than ever. It was hard to guide her to her car but we got through it. As I seat her on the passenger side, she hoarsely speaks my name. I made sure her seatbelt was tucked in tight before I went behind the wheel.

The first thing I realized as I drive away from the school’s parking lot was where is Ms. Blake’s house? I hated myself for it but it was inevitable for me to wake her up for directions. She wakes up groggily, trying hard to push her eyes open. It was hard to keep up to her whispers but it was everything I’ve got.

Surprisingly, Ms. Blake lived in a beautiful house painted in cream. The outside looked big and I wondered how the inside would look. I am actually at Ms. Blake’s house! I said to myself, half-freaking-out. Heaving out a breath, I took the petite woman’s hands to help her up, just as she does so I place my left hand on her waist so that I could carry her weight.

Ms. Blake smelt like raspberries which to me was too sweet of a scent. Her breathing came harder and harder until we reached the front door. I lose my left hand of her waist and inserted the key to her front door. Click. Unlike the outside of her house, the interior was painted dark brown. As I scanned around, I took note that Sara was really, really neat.

Everything was in place and it was spotless. And as far as I know, she had a thing for wood and the color brown. “Where to, Ms. Blake?” I asked her, not knowing where I can lay her down to get some rest. Without energy, she lifted her arm slightly and pointed to the room far down from the left. We had to cross the living room which had a TV, a red record player sitting on a drawer, two cream-colored loveseats placed on a rug, beside it was a lamp resting on another drawer.

I placed my free hand to the knob and turned it. I quickly laid her in her velvet bed. Her room was again, neat. A desk was filled with books and a laptop. I eyed Ms. Blake, she was still heaving her breath, her nose may be blocked, I thought. I had no idea where anything was in her house but I managed to heat up some water and a towel for bathing. I rummaged through everything.

While I waited for the water to heat up, I opened a Campbell’s soup can and heated that too. I prepared a pitch of water for Ms. Blake and the medicine she needed. The hot water was good to go by then. I placed everything in her room.  I need to undress her. She was wearing her pencil skirt and a tucked in blouse and heels. It looked uncomfortable to sleep in so I made up my mind to undress her.

Her clothes were organized in a drawer, I got matching pajamas and grabbed a sweatshirt to let the heat come out. “Ms. Blake? I’m going to undress you now.” It sounded like s****l foreplay between two people but I shook it off. My stomach was churning up as I tugged out her tucked shirt, I started to unzip her skirt and fast later—she was on her underwear.

Before I dressed her up for the night, I scrubbed her skin with warm water. I started dressing her up, my skin kept brushing up her warm skin and it sent a sensation inside of me. It pained me to see her dainty self was having a hard time with everything. I fed her the soup and she barely finished it, after that I let her drink her medicine.

Her eyes were closed and she was still breathing through her mouth, “I hope you get better fast, class won’t be the same without you.” My hand was stroking her hair, hush and surprised tones found its way out my tongue. I guess I was still in a Sara daze after all this time. Well, how wouldn’t I?

The beautiful lady looked relaxed in her sleep, her eyebrows calm and her features tranquil. I started to caress her hair, letting the soft strands fill the spaces between my fingers. She shifted her head and felt my hand. Her lips were mumbling something I couldn’t easily make out until her voice grew just a bar louder, “Lisa…” Lisa? I asked myself. I suddenly felt stupid and left out—I was the one caring for Ms. Blake but she was looking for someone else.

Damn it, I thought to myself. I should stop getting my hopes up, we’re friends. Getting up, I made sure Ms. Blake was able to take care of herself from here. Heaving a breath, I made my way out.