Hellcat

Chapter 17

Abraham Bennett

August rolls into September softly, carefully, calmly. But every single cell in my body is far from calm. Because I'm not a moron, I know what is causing this shift within. Or more specifically, who.

Wilder.

Despite trying to avoid the intimacy growing between us, I would have to be blind and emotionless to miss the way my attraction to her speeds up my heartbeat whenever I'm near her, the way it opens my lips in breathy suspense when she's close.

I've never liked someone before and I didn't imagine this is what it would be like. Now I have my first infatuation and it feels like an invisible cushion pressing against my lips. Her voice, her face, her thin lips and smooth collarbone are all my brain would dwell on.

I chose the worst time to get a crush. Especially on a girl as unattainable as Wilder. I don't even know how it happened. The first day we met, I admitted to myself that she was good-looking. And that was supposed to be it. But after that night in the field, it felt like everything had changed. 

At least for me.

Wilder's behaviour around me hasn't shown any significant change. Which either means my feelings are unrequited or she's really good at hiding her emotions. 

I have so much going on in my life right now. Having a crush on a girl who I work with is really not one of my most desirable situations right now.

The worst part? I think Josh might like her too. And that's a truly scary thought because I don't want to even imagine the levels of catastrophe that will go on when the truth comes out and I can't hide my feelings anymore. Josh is my brother and I would never try and get in the way of his happiness. Even if it means giving up the first girl I have ever liked.

So much has happened in the last two weeks. Not just with me but with everyone else as well. 

Since meeting Eli, Josh seems to have finally gotten his act together. He really started taking tutor lessons from Arnold Wick. Arnold is an honour roll student and a friend from my physics class so I don't doubt that my little brother is in good hands. And he has stopped hanging out with girls. Now usually that would make me ecstatic and not concerned except he placed a bet on a girl falling for him and how can she do that if he is too busy trying to clean up his act to spend time with her? I love my brother and I just wish he had not put my car on the line when he made that bet. 

Besides Josh, Keith too seems to be very busy. His parents have been arguing a lot more lately and he even confessed that they have been mentioning divorce. It has gotten so bad that sometimes we can hear their screaming and when that happens, Keith comes over to our house to spend the night. 

I really don't get how his parents ended up like this. They were high school sweethearts, just like my parents. The difference is, Keith's parents got married right after college and have been together since. Whereas my dad enlisted in the army and my mom went to college to study cultural anthropology. I guess that space of six gear between my parent's relationship before they reunited was what it took to get them to truly love each other. 

Does that mean all high school sweethearts who get married early end up getting separated? Of course, my parents are still going strong and it has been thirty-four years since they got married. 

I'm so distracted by my thoughts I don't realise the lights have changed to indicate we can drive till the impatient tipper truck driver behind me blares his horn loudly to get my attention. 

"Hey, i***t!" He yells sticking his head out the window to tell at me. "Move your car. Not all of us plan on sleeping in the middle of the road."

Ignoring his rudeness, I shift the gears and continue driving. Not long after that incident, I arrive at Ms Pemberly's house. 

The house is bright blue, with small double-pane windows facing out onto the street. I ring the bell and look around the small front yard garden while waiting for a response. After several minutes have passed and there is no response, I try the bell again. Unfortunately, it appears to be broken so I rap my knuckles against the door instead. 

The door opens in my face suddenly, almost slamming into my nose. 

Ms Pemberly is a small woman. Her brown hair is streaked with lots of grey, braided and pinned to her head in a sparse coronet. She stands in the doorway. She's wearing a collarless beige shirt and loose blue jeans with tan ballet flats. There's a towel thrown over her shoulder and a hammer in her other hand. It looks like she was doing manual labour when I came in. 

"Oh, hello Abraham, " she greets kindly. "I was not expecting you so soon."

"You said I should come at six pm. And here I am, " I say. 

"Did I?" Ms Pemberly asks, glancing at her right wrist only to remember that she forgot to wear her watch. "I must have had the times mixed up. Never mind you can rehearse with Joey."

"Joey?" I question, mumbling thanks when she lets me into the house.

"Joey is my new student. He's applying to join our choir group. Since next year most of you will be off to college."

"Right."

I had forgotten that my position with the Allo Voices came with age restrictions. Was I turn eighteen I will no longer be eligible to be a member. It's a good thing I plan on studying abroad. I don't think I can bear being in New Jersey and knowing I am no longer a part of the Allo Voices. 

"Tea or coffee?" Ms Pemberly asks while I'm looking around. 

The decor is as modern as the exterior. An Eames-lounge chair knockoff is in the living room and a blue lacquered table with matching chairs in the dining room beyond.

"Just water, please."

I thank her a few minutes later when she offers me the bottle and we climb up the stairs to the music room. The stairs are solid floating slabs of wood with an iron railing. A domed skylight overhead lets in plenty of sunlight.

In a farther room, I see a boy not much younger than myself bent over the piano keys. 

"As much as I would love to stay and help you with your rehearsals, I have some work to do outside. Why don't you go in and introduce yourself to Joey? The music sheets are in the first drawer of the left cabinet." And with that, she was gone. 

Knowing Ms Pemberly, she most likely would not return to ever check on us so I had the option to then around and go home to get some much-needed rest before tomorrow's game against Rastin High or I can go into the room and actually do what I'm supposed to do. The new sound is for a performance at a wedding in Pennsylvania next month. 

The choice is obvious.

The little room with the piano inside is more cluttered than the hall. The boy is sitting on an inflated cushion on the piano stools with his hands hovering over the piano his fingers soft as if afraid to hurt the piano. 

"Hi, " I say, moving to stand in front of him. "I'm-"

"Abraham Bennett. It's such an honour to meet you, " he gushes. 

Well, that was an unexpected plot twist. "You know who I am?" 

"Of course. I know every member of the Allo Voices choir. I have dreamed of becoming one of you guys since I was a kid, " he says rising to his feet and wiping his hand against his jeans before extending it to me to shake. "I'm Joey by the way."

I take his hand and pump it once before dropping it. "Was that Bill Withers you were just playing?" I ask, moving away from him and going to the drawer to take the music sheets. 

"Yes, " he sounds excited. "Lean On Me. That's one of my favourite songs."

"Me too, " I say in surprise. I find the music sheets and read the title of the new song I'm supposed to learn. Bind Us Together Lord by John Keys. I haven't heard the song before but I plan to so I can figure out how to sing it appropriately. 

Joey looks like he is about to say something when suddenly, I hear a loud pounding sound. 

"What was that?" I ask. 

"What was what?" Josh asks. 

Pound. Pound. 

"That!" I exclaim, referring to the sound. "That pounding noise coming from the back of the house."

"Oh, that's just Ms Pemberly. She's been at it all day trying to fix a leak in the roof. I offered to help but she turned me down."

"Seriously?" I ask in panic, jumping into action. "And you let her?"

"What was I supposed to do? She wasn't listening to me."

Rolling my eyes in irritation, I grab the pile of music sheets and bound down the stairs, taking two at a time to get downstairs quicker. I use the kitchen back door to get into the backyard. And there I find Ms Pemberly, just as Joey said, standing on a wobbly ladder hammering at her corrugated roof.

The roof was lower to the ground on this side corner of the house. By standing on the very top rung of the ladder, some eight feet in the air, Ms Pemberly could reach the metal roof with a stretch of her toes. She was so intent on her job she did not hear me approaching. 

I rounded the corner to find Ms Pemberly on the ladder. 

"Could you please get down-"

"Oh!" Ms Pemberly stared violently before I could complete my sentence, teetered for a few seconds, and then completely lost her balance. One moment she was on the ladder and the next she was in my arms, her eyes looking up into eyes as large and surprised as her own. 

"I'm terribly sorry, " I begin as I gingerly set her down, my hands making sure she is steady on her feet. 

"Thank you for catching me. I simply didn't hear you, " Ms Pemberly said. "And what are you doing outside, Abe?"

"I heard the noise and I wanted to come and make sure you were okay. Let me help you fix the roof so you can go check on Joey."

"I wouldn't trouble you so, " Ms Pemberly said, refusing my offer at help. 

"Please, I insist. Mostly because I don't want you dying on me. Who could possibly replace kind Ms Pemberly should fall and get hurt?" I ask.

Ms Pemberly courses her lips together tightly. "Alright fine. But I must warn you, the ladder us a but wobbly and may not be able to support all of your weight."

"I'm as light as a feather, " I joke. 

"If you say so, " Ms Pemberly agrees, at last, handing me the hammer. "If you need any help just call for me. I'll be in the kitchen." 

I nod and wait will she is safely in the house before taking hold of the short ladder that stands nearby. With a prayer for personal safety, I set the wobbly ladder against the wall as best as I can and begin to climb. On the final rung, I could see clearly the hole in the roof. Stretching my limbs to extend my height, I bent my head so I could see the inside of the house. Water had leaked into the dining room.

"Ms Pemberly!" I call. "Ms Pemberly! 

The hole is much bigger than I expected. I try to get a closer look inside but before I can realise what is happening, a strong guy of wind blows through Ms Pemberly's backyard. The ladder sways to one side and crashes to the ground. I fall with it but somehow the ladder ends up on top of me. On my legs to be precise. 

"Ms Pemberly!" I try to tell but it comes out as a groan. The impact of the fall has left me breathless. Clenching my teeth, I attempt to stand only to discover that I am trapped. 

This is what I get for trying to help an old woman fix her roof. 

"I'm coming dear, " Ms Pemberly responds, at last, her voice sounds far away. Seconds later, she comes in from the screen door in the back and gasps when she sees my body which is sprawled on the ground at an odd angle with the ladder covering both of my kegs. 

"Oh, Abraham, " she gasps. "What have you done?"

"The hole is bigger than I expected. You're going to have to call a handyman to check it out."

"Never mind that, " she waves dismissively, concern bright in her eyes. "What happened to you?" 

"Turns out I'm not as light weighted as I thought, " I say wrily. 

"This is not the time to be cracking jokes, " Ms Pemberly scolds. She pokes at my ankle, earning a loud cry of pain from me. 

"That hurt, " I mumble, cheeks aflame in embarrassment. I hate showing my pain to the world. So I lock it up in my heart and pretend it doesn't exist. 

Her stern expression softens. "I'll call Joey so he can take the ladder off." 

I nod. She disappears into the house returning a few minutes later with the scrawny teenager that now looks guilty as he stares at me.

Together, the three of us manage to lift the ladder off my legs and fling it to the side.

"Can you walk?" Joey asks. 

Ignoring his questions, I press both of my palms flat against the ground to help me push off and to stand. I cry out in pain when I try to stand on my ankle, a sharp shriek followed by the crumbling of my bones onto the ground in an annoyed but not defeated heap. 

I try to stand again. But each time, the pain in my ankle is too much and I only manage to stand for a few seconds before stumbling back to the ground. 

Ms Pemberly looks at me remorsefully. She says the dread words quietly. "I think it might be strained." 

"No, " I say more forcefully than I had intended. "I'm fine." When I try again, I don't last a second before falling to the ground. I taste grass and earth in my mouth for my numerous faceplants into the garden within the last five minutes. 

"I'm going to call an ambulance, " Joey says quietly before going into the house. 

I nod, tears of anger and frustration building in my eyes. I blink them away angrily. After all the training I have gone through this last month, I will not, after all, be taking part in the first game of the season.

"It's definitely sprained, " Dr Heart says, taking the light away from my foot and looking at me with serious eyes. "I will advice you to stay off your right ankle for the next two weeks. As minimal physical activity as necessary and you'll be good as new."

"I'm so sorry, Abe, " mom says, draping her hand over my shoulder comfortingly. 

I shrug her hand off and force a smile. "It's not the first time I've sprained a ligament." 

"But you're going to miss the big game. And I know you were really looking forward to it, " she says. "And I'm sorry about that."

"Just take me home please, " I say quietly, not in the mood to talk. No one understands what I'm going through right now. Not participating in the game is worse than losing because in this case, I don't even know whether there was a chance of my being able to win should I have participated in the game. 

Keith and the guys are going to be so disappointed. But now I'm glad I grovelled them extra hard during the coach's sick days. Because now they are equipped with the skills to kick Rastin butt. My only regret is that I won't be on the court playing with them.

Mom obeys my request, talking to Dr Hart for a few more minutes before helping me to the car. I hate the fact that I have to wear an orthopaedic boot to support my ankle and help the healing process. The walker boot is bulky and makes my movements berserk and not at all as graceful and fluid as I usually am. 

I feel like a malfunctioning robot. The drive home is filled with silence. When we get to the house, I am forced to talk to Josh to ask for his help with the stairs. Climbing them with my sprained ankle is pure agony, and I collapse onto my bed in exhaustion the second I enter my room. 

Face buried into my pillow to muffle out the sound, I let out a loud frustrated scream. 

That makes me feel better for a few seconds. 

I end up falling asleep and I wake up much later in the evening when mom comes in to check on me. 

"You didn't show up for dinner, " she says, picking a sweater from between the cushions of my sofa and folding it up. 

"I fell asleep, " I reply, tongue heavy in my mouth because of dryness. 

"I noticed." For a while, we are both quiet. "You don't have to go to the game tomorrow if you don't want to." She says at last. 

"Just because I can't play with them does not mean I can't help my team. I'm going to the game to support my friends."

"I just thought it would be-"

"Too much for me?" I ask with a sneer. "I told you, I'm fine mom. Quit worrying about me all the time." 

Mom looks at me, hurt. "Okay."

"I'm sorry mom, " I sigh an apology. "The stress is getting to my head and I didn't really mean that."

Mom comes over to where I am sitting in a hunched posture on my bed. "I know, " she says softly, hugging me slightly. "And I'm sorry if you feel like I'm worrying too much. It's just hard not to when I see how depressed you look."

"I'll be fine, " I say firmly. I don't know who I am trying to convince more, my mother or myself. As a last resort, I add, "I promise."

Mom nods with a tight-lipped smile before pressing her lips to my forehead. "I love you, Abe."

"I love you, too mom."

The loneliness and anger attack me ten times stronger when she leaves the room. It's like when there is no one around, the walls around my heart start to crumble and all my emotions come pouring out of every last pore in my body. 

Standing up, I make my way to my bathroom. It's difficult to stand on my ankle, but I have learnt that one of the best ways to survive pain is by learning how to endure it. So I stand in front of my bathroom counter, hands gripping the marble counter tightly as I strain to see how long I can last on both feet before collapsing. 

Fifty seconds.

Weak. 

I glare at my reflection in anger. I decide to brush my teeth and hit the hay. That's when I notice the box for the first time. It's a small dime store candle with a sticker on it. When I read it, I laugh.

"Make like a proton and stay positive. Anyway, get well soon, Eli." 

A random thought suddenly occurs to me that leaves me smiling. 

Eli does care about me. 

I'm still smiling when I fall asleep that night.

These double updates really shouldn't become a regularity but I am afraid they already are. This story is just so gripping, I need to see it through to the end