Finding Calypso

Caught in the Middle

Chapter Six

~Gretchen~

I can see the big city as I drive down the highway. My heart is beating with excitement as I get closer but, I'm also feeling a little guilty. I am meeting the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

I want to call Caly and confess so I can go into this date with out the burden of keeping a secret from her. I want to tell her, but I'm not sure if she will be happy or mad at me for going on a date with the girl James brought to town.

The night Caly dropped Anora and I off at our cars after the beach Anora and I stayed in the lot chatted a bit before Anora jumped in her car to head home. I sat in my car to smoke a cigarette before leaving home myself when she walked up to me. I hadn't seen her in the parking lot before nor did I see her leave the diner, but there she was majestic walking towards me.

At first, I looked at her with a glare expecting James to be nearby, but when I looked around he was no where to be found.

She came right up to my open door and said.

" Hey, I saw you here earlier."

Her voice was soft as velvet and her smile so alluring. The moon light shined across her red hair and lit it up in the dark. I felt compelled to respond even though I wanted to dislike her.

"Oh, yeah?" Is all I said.

"Hey, do you mind if I use your phone? Mine died and I need to call a ride" she asked.

I hand her my phone and she dials away. A few seconds pass and she hangs up and says

"Well I guess I'll be sleeping in the diner tonight" jokingly. "You don't happen to know where I can get a room for the night?"

I think about our towns raggedy motel, and can't imagine a girl like her would be caught in a place like that.

"Well… Where do you need a ride to?" I ask hoping it won't be too far. Then I could just give her a ride.

"On an adventure" she says, with a wicked smile. I had to admit to myself that in that moment she spiked my interest.

I think she could see it across my face because then she went on to ask

"Why do you want to come?"

Already tired from being at the beach I considered just going home. But something about her made me want to say yes to anything she asked.

"Ok, jump in"

She had me take her to her house just outside the city. Her house is huge unlike any home in my town. I felt a little awkward as we walked inside. Every inch of the house was white, perfectly decorated, and clean. In that moment I felt embarrassed thinking of what my little room looked like at home.

I looked around and up the stairs expecting to see someone else, but no one was there to be seen.

"Where is everybody?" I asked as she begins to turn on the lights, and I realize just what a magnificent home this is.

"Everybody who?" She asks, her voice sounds like a melody.

" Don't tell me, you live here alone?" I question her.

"Sometimes" is all she says.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Her question gave me butterflies wondering what she meant was next.

"To go on an adventure with me?" She finishes her question.

And what an adventure it was. She took me to the city in her convertible. Our hair flew in the wind as we made our way downtown. The city lights lit up the night and music was in the air. She took me to this underground club where we danced all night. Her body swayed me into a spell. When we left we went back to her place and watched the stars turn into a sunrise. All night I could feel her watching me. Hungry for me and I could feel how hungry I was for her.

I ended up falling asleep, my head on her shoulder, just as the sun crept over the horizon.

I only woke when I felt myself geting picked up by her. I didn't open my eyes, but I could feel myself in her arms. I was surprised at her strength, lifting me almost as if it was nothing to her. She laid me in her bed before I drifted off to sleep once more.

I woke up not too long after. Reminiscing the night we had. I have never met someone so bold, so fierce, so dangerous. My heart felt as if it hadn't stopped racing since the moment she first spoke to me.

I looked around in the room and didn't see her. I strolled downstairs and the place was silent. I see my phone on the counter where I don't remember leaving it. I grab it to see that there is a text from her. With her name which I had never gotten last night.

"I had a great time last night, but had to run into work early. Meet me back here tonight I have a party to go to and I want you to come with me.

Octavia."

I look at the time to see that it's barely past 10:00am. I know I hadn't slept much, but I feel wide awake with excitement.

I grabbed my phone to call Caly before I hesitated. Feeling guilty in that moment.

I dial Anora's number instead.

Before she could even answer hello I ask "Can I come over?"

I drove like I was in a high speed chase to Anora's place. Wanting to go and confess everything that happened the night before. Hoping that Anora would give me the advice like she always does in how I should handle the situation. Falling in love with your best friends ex's new girlfriend doesn't seem like the right move. But I think that is what happened.

When I get to Anora's I can see she is getting ready for work. I want to unload everything on her, but I hold back.

She was expecting me to say something since she can see how filled with glee I am.

So I said I have a date. It's not exactly a lie, it's just not the whole truth. I pretend I came over to have her help me get ready, and I decide I'll just call her after the party and tell her everything. And Caly everything too.

I just want one more night with Octavia. Just in case they convince me to stay away from her.

I find something cute amongst all her clothes and jump in the shower so I can change.

I head out with Anora as she leaves for work.

Before I knew it, I was back on the road going towards the city. It is still early afternoon, but I just couldn't see myself going home as anxious as I am. To what? Just sit in my room and wait for the evening to come?

I end up stopping at a little coffee shop to kill sometime before I head back to Octavia's house.

Once I left I drove slow to her house, but I still arrived earlier than I felt comfortable with. I pulled down Octavia's driveway and I see her standing outside as if she was waiting for me. My heart flutters at the thought.

Octavia walks right up to my car and I get out. I close my door before I realize how close she is moving in towards me. I reach my arms up to give her an awkward hug when I feel her arms wrap around my waist. In that moment with us being so close I first had the urge to kiss her. I imagine anyone that would get this close to someone this beautiful feels the same way.

I begin to let go and I feel her hug on me tighten. Face so close to mine waiting. I didn't make a move so she decided to lean in a bit closer. We both giggled and then she let go. I could feel my whole body hot. My cheeks burned and I imagined how flushes they must be. While Octavia remained a perfect ivory.

Not too long after I arrive, we jump in Octavia's car to head to a party. On the ride there we dive into conversation. Clicking just as we did the night before. When she awkwardly brings up James. Which made a little jealousy boil inside me.

Octavia goes on to reassure me she had no interest in James and that he was frightfully boring. Before she casually brings up Caly. Octavia began by asking how James and her knew each other. And then asked how close we were. I didn't lie, of course, and told her everything.

She seemed excited to hear that Caly and I were best friends. She then goes on to ask if she could meet her.

I hesitated before I responded, remembering I haven't told Caly or Anora anything about Octavia.

"Yeah" I say, I didn't mean to but my tone obviously sounded hesitant.

She ignored it and responded as if I was just excited for Caly and her to meet as she was.

I began to question her motives, but before I knew it she had distracted me again with her charms.

We pulled down a beautifully paved driveway that goes on forever. It is getting dark outside already, so I can't see much of what is around me. Other than lights from a house that lay at the end of the road.

Before we get too close, Octavia says "s**t" out of no where.

She steps on her breaks immediately, and throws us into reverse. She steps on the gas as we begin to fly backward when we hit something hard, and we stopped instantly.

My head feels dizzy from the immediate holt. I look over to Octavia, but her eyes are looking around us. Then a man comes around to her window and knocks for us to open it. Octavia rolls it down, and I see the man leaning his head down into the window. When he says

"Not tonight".

His eyes immediately flash towards me, and I swear I could hear a deep rumble coming from his chest. Before I knew it my door was open, and his arms were around me unbuckling my seatbelt.

His face leaned in close to my neck, and I could feel him breathe me in. He grabs my arm, and pulls me out of the car where he looks me over confused.

I can hear Octavia yell

"Stop she is mine"

Cars began to fly down the driveway fleeing the home. I look behind Octavia's car to see we are still in the middle of the road. I expected to see the end smashed into something, but there was nothing behind us. An SUV slowed down and stopped. The back door opens as the man next to me escorts me to the vehicle.

I look back at Octavia still in her car. I feel the man push me into the seat, and I wonder why they are taking me. The black top SUV, and this mans black clothes made me think they must be police, and the party was raided. But why take me? I have done nothing wrong.

I expected someone else to jump out to get Octavia as well, but they didn't.

The man slid in next to me, eyes wide, staring down on me. Nose flared smelling the air, and we began to drive away from the property. I went to grab my phone. I feel the need to call someone to let them know where I was at. When the man next to me quickly snatches it from my hands.

I glare at him in hatred and ask

"Aren't you going to read me my rights?"

When everyone in the vehicle laughs. That is when I take notice of the man and a woman in the front seats of the car. The woman speaks first and says

"Where you were headed you wouldn't of had any rights"

She turns her head to look back at us when the man beside me, let's a rumble through his chest again in warning for her not to look at me. Which brought silence to the car.

He then barks an order to take me to headquarters.

"We are not taking this one home". He says.

I look back and forth at them and say

"Look, I don't know what you are looking for, but you are not going to find it in me. I was invited to that party, but I didn't know anybody there other than the girl I was with in the car" They all remain silent at my response, and I decided to do the same.

I knew whenever they took me to the station I would just explain the truth to them, and they would let me go.

We are in the middle of downtown when we pull into a parking garage. All three of them jump out in sync, and I scoot myself to the end of the backseat of the SUV and take a look around before I jump out.

The man that sat beside me grabs my arm again and leads me to the elevator. They hit a button to one of the mid floors, and we begin to go up. The doors open to a floor of people. Tables and white boards scattered about. Everything seemed cluttered and unorganized unlike the police station Caly's dad works at. I think to myself "What the hell is this, the CIA? "

Men and women at work. Some with weapons holstered. Not just guns, but knives and a few with arrows. The man grabbing my arm gives them all a glaring look, and not one seems to dare look in our direction. He leads me to one of the offices against the wall and closes the door. I take a seat at the nearest chair and he goes to sit behind the desk.

" So am I under arrest" I ask.

"No" he says examining what I'm wearing.

"Then can I have my phone?" I respond with an attitude.

"You can, but I need you to answer my questions" he begins to demand.

Every muscle in his body seems to be tensed. His buttons on his black tshirt look like they are going to burst as he stares me down.

"Ask away, but like I said, I know nothing about what was happening at that party" I say obviously irritated with having to be here.

"I believe you" he says and im a little stunned by his response.

"I don't think you would have gone willingly if you did" he says, as if he some how did me a favor by taking me from that party.

I roll my eyes waiting for him to begin questioning.

His first question catches me by surprise.

"Who's clothes are you wearing?"

I glare back at his dumb question and say

"Mine"

"Let me be more specific. Who's jacket are you wearing?"

I look down at myself and realize I'm wearing Caly's leather jacket. I look at him and snap back

"What does that information have to do with anything?" wondering how he knows this isn't my jacket.

"Where is she?" his calm voice all the sudden turned to a roar, and I can hear all the murmuring outside quiet.

I stand up infuriated with his tone and try to walk out. When quick as lightning he is behind me and grabs my arm. He throws me around and slams me on the door. The office had glass windows, so I turned my head and screamed

"HELP" at the top of my lungs but none of them budged and kept working.

I could feel hot tears stream down my face, and my whole body is filled with anger. I turn to see the man's eyes looking like the devil.

"I don't know" I scream, knowing no one is coming to my rescue.

"Liar" he says, as he lets go of my arms and I don't even dare to try to attempt to leave.

He turns and paces through his office. He makes his way around the desk and throws his hands down hard on the table before he begins again

"Tell me and I will let you go" this time his voice has softened significantly.

"Tell me why you need to know, what does this jacket have to do with anything?" I protest, trying unsuccessfully to hold back my tears.

"I will tell you nothing" he responds, assuring me.

"If you want to leave here, you will tell me where she is" even though his tone was softer I could hear the threat in his voice.

I weigh my options, and I feel helpless. I try to convince myself if I tell him what he wants to know all will be fine. That this must be something that has to do with Caly's dad's work. And the moment I leave here I can just call her and warn her before anything bad could happen.

But I know I'm just telling myself this because I'm scared, and I want to leave. I know deep down there is something dangerous happening, and I really don't want to bring Caly into this.

I sit down acting as if I collected myself.

I begin

"I don't know where she is" I say, truthfully. I really don't know where she is at this very moment.

He throws my phone on the table and tells me to call her. I do as he says. Caly picks up and I ask her where she is. She responds she is at Her Gramair's, which I know means her grandmother's. Right after her response, he takes the phone from me and hangs it up.

"Now tell me where is she?"

I tell him and then go on to say I don't know where her Gramair lives. Even though that was a lie.

He sees straight through me and gives me a look of warning.

And so I say

"It's some where in the country just outside of our town."

His body relaxes and he almost seems like he is smaller than before. He looks up at me and says

"Thank you for your cooperation. Leave the jacket and leave the building"

I do as he says, and practically run out of there. I was already in the elevator when I realized I had forgotten my phone, but I didn't dare go back.