Chapter 3
983 Words
We were cruising down the highway on our way home.
Andre kept calling my phone.
I ignored every single one, treating them like spam calls.
My brother was focused on driving, completely oblivious to what was going on with my phone.
Our conversation eventually circled back to the dinner we'd just had.
I couldn't hold back the question any longer. I hesitated for a second before speaking up.
"Bro, how did Andre and Cindy meet?"
My brother drifted off into a memory.
"Tch, Cindy, is that dumbass Andre was actually dating, the one that got away, you know? He's stayed single all these years just waiting for her to come back to him.
"Back in high school, he even got a disciplinary record for her. Cindy was working part-time at a restaurant, and some customer was giving her a hard time. He grabbed a beer bottle and crashed it over the guy's head, no hesitation.
"Broke the guy's ribs, got his own leg broken in the fight, and both of them ended up at the police station," my brother said.
"Andre was a minor back then, so they settled it with money in the end. But he'd skipped school to go there, so the school still put a formal warning on his record.
"That's just what I heard, though. We didn't go to the same high school back then.
"You were off at summer camp at that time, right? I figured you wouldn't have heard about it."
The second those words left his mouth, my already shattered heart plummeted even further into an endless, dark pit.
Oh. So that's what really happened?
The second the thought crossed my mind, I was right back there at that summer camp.
The program had taken us camping at a top-tier local scenic spot.
That night, a few workers from a nearby construction site snuck into our campsite.
I can still feel it to this day. Those calloused hands sliding up my thigh, that slimy, revolting, bone-deep dread that clung to me like a nightmare I could never scrub off.
Screams erupted all around me.
I wasn't the only one they'd targeted.
The parents of the other girls showed up one after another soon after, yelling and demanding answers.
My parents were out of the country at the time.
My brother lived on campus, so he couldn't get to me right away.
I didn't dare bother Andre's parents, either.
The only person I could think of calling was Andre.
My hands were shaking so bad I could barely hold the phone when I dialed his number.
I'd fully expected him to agree immediately and rush over as fast as he could.
But his voice over the line was weirdly evasive.
"… I've got something going on over here right now. Can you hang tight by yourself for a little bit? Please?
"I promise you'll see me first thing tomorrow morning, okay?
"I swear it!" he replied.
I forced out a small "okay", disappointment settling cold and heavy in my chest.
The school booked us rooms at a hotel for the night.
I couldn't bring myself to sleep a wink. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could smell was that stale, reeking cigarette stench from that stranger.
The next day, an exhausted-looking Andre showed up at my hotel room door.
I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I threw myself into his arms and sobbed.
He almost stumbled backward from the force of me crashing into him.
He sighed, half-exasperated, half-fond, as he said, "Hey, you little menace, I'm here now, aren't I? What's got you crying this hard, huh?"
It wasn't until I'd cried myself out that I noticed he was leaning on a crutch.
He told me he'd gotten hurt playing basketball.
Said, he'd snuck past all the hospital nurses and rushed over as fast as he could.
I felt awful, my chest twisting with guilt and worry.
I reached out to touch his injured leg gently, my voice soft with concern.
"Does it still hurt? I'm sorry, I had no idea."
Andre grinned, playful and a little cocky, like he was just teasing.
"Yeah, it hurts. If you kissed it better, though, I bet the pain would go away."
The second the words left his mouth, he froze, like he couldn't believe he'd actually said that out loud.
Because I really did tiptoe and dropped a soft, feather-light kiss to his sharp jawline.
My face burning, I tried to dart away right after, but he caught my wrist and tugged me straight into his chest.
Andre's breathing came hard and heavy, his voice suddenly rough and gravelly, like he was straining every muscle to hold himself back from something.
He ground out each word one by one through clenched teeth.
"Sonia! Kissing? That's the guy's job to initiate."
I made a tiny "oh" sound.
My brain had already gone completely blank.
"Why are you crying?" My brother's worried voice wrenched me right out of the memory.
He started to reach for the brake, but I fumbled for a handful of tissues and wiped the tears off my face as fast as I could first.
I cobbled together a lousy excuse on the spot.
"Just moved by how romantic Andre and Cindy's story is."
My brother let out an amused snort, equal parts fond and exasperated.
"You girls have such soft hearts, huh? Do you get moved this easily?"
He was about to say more when his phone buzzed loudly against the dashboard.
Andre's name popped up clearly on the screen, impossible to miss.
I whipped my head around to stare out the window, terrified my brother would catch the mess of emotions all over my face.
Andre's rich, low voice drifted out of the car's speakers, sharp with an inexplicable edge of anger.
"Derick, do you have any idea where your sister went?"
- Writer
