Atlantis (13 page)

Charlotte’s head cocked to one side as she said, “Really?”

“
Yes.” He squeezed me.

It hurt that I could see the dark cloud above my room about to burst, and have no way to take cover. Charlotte had found a way to stop Nicholas from liking me, even as a friend, and was going to take it even if it hurt someone.

“
Lilly was a mess last night because of Ell-i-ott.” Of course she would emphasize every syllable of his name.

Nicholas’s arm fell off my shoulder and down to his side. Even though I saw it coming, it hurt seeing his reaction.

Nicholas looked down at me. “Who’s Elliott?”

I shrugged. I didn’t know what to say.

Unfortunately, Charlotte answered for me. “Oh Elliott is just her
boyfriend
.”

All Nicholas could do was whisper, “What?” It was as if someone had come up and punched him in the stomach. I could see in his eyes he was hurting inside. Charlotte’s words were stabbing my best friend and I couldn’t stop it.

I was pissed. Charlotte looked happy as a clam. “Oh it gets better.” She smiled.

“
What do you mean?” Nicholas could barely talk now. I hated Charlotte for ratting on me, but worse, I couldn’t believe she could purposely do this to Nicholas. All for the trivial offense of liking me.

“
Oh, Elliott is imaginary.”

My eyes closed in frustration and I took some slow deep breaths to help calm me down. If Charlotte didn’t can it quick, I was going to chuck a Pop-Tart at her pretty little head.

I opened my eyes and looked at Nicholas. It was hard to tell what he was feeling now. The pain in his eyes flashed confused, then back to pain. Now he was the speechless one. For as much pain as he was in, I was hurt too. He couldn’t even look at me as he picked up his shoes and climbed out the window.

I probably should have gone after him then, but I still wasn’t sure what to say in regards to the constant confusion I felt in relation to Elliott. And I would definitely have to address that issue now. Plus, I wanted to “talk” to Charlotte alone. Her little stunt pushed our frangible friendship status to broke. She couldn’t undo this.

I’d be surprised if Charlotte even understood what I was saying I was so angry. “WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?” My arms flew up as I started circling my prey.

“
Uhh.” My rage caught her off guard.

“
DID YOU SEE WHAT YOU JUST DID?”

“
Yeah,” Charlotte got her voice back, “I ruined your plans at stealing Nicholas from me.”

“
ARE YOU AS DENSE AS HE IS?” I stomped around my room some more. “OR JUST INSANE?”

Her mouth dropped open, scoffing me.

“
HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU. HE NEVER HAS LIKE LIKED YOU.” I paused. “AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL... NOW, GENIUS.”

“
You’re just mad that I ruined his crush on you.”

“
NO, I AM FURIOUS THAT YOU WOULD HURT HIM. UGH!” My circling of my room continued.

“
He’ll get over it.” Charlotte’s face looked smug as she added. “And then see the light that you’re a nut and there I’ll be.”

“
YOU WILL NEVER BE IN HIS LIGHT!” My throat was starting to hurt from all the screaming, but the volume control was stuck on pissed.

She obviously didn’t like my last comment because her voice shot up to match mine. “WELL AT LEAST YOU WON’T BE EITHER, NOW THAT HE KNOWS YOU’RE CRAZY.”

I starred at her, my face expressionless. I was so mad I was calm. The hate I felt for Charlotte was consuming me so completely. “Get out,” I whispered.

I may have spoken quietly, but the intensity was unmistakable. The drastic change in my tone and demeanor must have effectively conveyed the threat in my words to Charlotte, for she left in a hurry after that. As she proceeded to shimmy down my roof, I said, “Goodbye,” and shut my window behind her.

What should I do now? I needed to try and straighten things out with Nicholas. How to do that was a mystery. Especially since his feelings for me had all too obviously moved from friendship to fascination, since I last payed attention. In my defense, I had been overly distracted lately. I scolded myself that I hadn’t seen this coming.

Charlotte had inadvertently forced me to come to some sort of terms with my Elliott issue. I would need to have some foundation to base what I was going to say to Nicholas on. Yet, I still couldn’t seem to get a footing on what to believe when it came to Elliott. It all seemed transparent.

Nothing in my experience with Elliott was black and white. Just various shades of grey. The same grey that seemed to keep any aspect of him from landing solidly on the fact or fiction side of my mental tabulation scale. I couldn’t figure him out.

Maybe some coffee would help. I really should calm down first anyway.

I had a quickie shower, got dressed, and was out the door in less than ten minutes. A new personal record. I couldn’t be home with my thoughts.

I decided to walk to the coffee shop since I really shouldn’t drive in my unstable, emotional condition. It wasn’t far, maybe a mile, and walking always helped me clear my head anyways. It was as if the simple act of walking could somehow purge all the unnecessary worries from my head while organizing everything else into manageable piles that made at least some sense.

By the time I made my way up the hill to the coffee shop, I could feel my mind clearing. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed yet, just that I didn’t feel so muddled. I sighed, clarity was on the way.

I decided to get Nicholas his favorite, a caramel frap with extra whipped cream, to try and butter him up. Now all I had to do was find him. My mind ran while I walked back towards home.

Nicholas had been extra sneaky lately, and I was sure it was in an attempt to hide from Charlotte and her increasing infatuation. But he hadn’t even told me where he was hiding out these days, and I was positive that wherever that hiding spot was, Nicholas was in it.

I couldn’t see him hiding out in his house, that would be too obvious. And although he liked my park, Charlotte would think to look for him there. Where could I find him? I was almost home when I realized where I was headed. Where I was sure he would be.

Drinks in hand, I ran flat out under the shade of the maples that lined my street. At the end of my road, I rounded the bend that put me on Nicholas’s street, Boulder Lane. I darted through the first yard I came across and charged head on into the trees that made up the back yards of the houses. His house was in the middle of the lane, but I figured it would be best if no one saw where I was going. Especially if Charlotte was on the lookout for a sign of Nicholas’s whereabouts.

I skirted along the inner edge of the trees, safe in the shadows. I was careful that no one saw me.

I don’t know why I felt scared all of a sudden, but I did. I hadn’t been to this place in years, and it petrified me then, too. I was now hidden in the trees behind Nicholas’s house, and I turned my back on it and proceeded to go deeper into the wood.

My destination wasn’t far, a hundred feet at most. I could start to make out some familiar shapes, though now overgrown, of the place I had avoided for years. Though wary of my surroundings, I couldn’t help but smile at the genius of his fortress.

No one would think to look for Nicholas here. In my opinion, this place made my cemetery look like a soft fuzzy kitten. Ivy covered almost every inch of the place I was sure Nicholas was taking shelter inside. I brushed some deep bowing limbs of a bent willow aside as I laid my eyes on the dirty aged wood of the cellar door.

Chapter 7. The Choice

I pushed my weight against the thick, solid wood door. It was heavy, and obviously long forgotten, that it slowly opened, creaking the whole time I forced it to move. I only managed to get it unblocked enough for me to get in.

I didn’t dare shut it behind me.

It was dark in the cellar. Tiny rays of light were fighting their way through the spaces between the boarded walls. The smell of stale air and dirt only intensified my nerves. In my opinion, this is what it would be like to be in a coffin.

I slowly crept deeper into the shadows of the cellar, away from the light. I wished I didn’t have both hands full with coffee. I might have felt a little better if I at least was armed with a stick to defend myself from all the perilous mice and spiders that were sure to inhabit the shadows I was stalking.

Then I heard a sound that was neither a scurry beneath my feet, nor a rustling of the leaves outside. It was a sad sound, and it came from somewhere in the darkness that lay before me.

“
What are you doing here hoe?” Nicholas talked so quietly, if I had been any closer to the door I don’t think I would have heard him.

I still couldn’t see where he was, but I figured he could see me. I let my eyes fall to the ground and held up his caramel frap as a peace offering. A white flag. I didn’t want to fight with him. I really was sorry.

“
You think you can bribe me with coffee?” he paused. “How weak do you think I am?”

“
Sorry, I didn’t realize.” I tried to tease, but I was so anxious my voice squeaked. “If you’d rather not have this delicious caramel frap with extra whipped creamy goodness, I guess I can go.” I turned around.

“
Give me a sec.”

I smiled in the blackness.

“
I might accept the frap...for starters.”

“
Thanks.” I turned back around, facing into darkness. “Uhm. Where might I deliver this scrumptious bribe?” I hesitated, seeing nothing.

I heard Nicholas laugh, a deep throaty sound, at the obvious trepidation in my voice. I noticed his laugh was an empty shell in comparison to what it usually was.

Shadows seemed to move all around me. But I still couldn’t make out my friend from the surrounding black. The smell of dirt was stronger now. I was sure the shadows were stirring it up.

The soft dirt floor made his movements barely audible. I was startled as a big, familiar pair of arms bear hugged me from behind. The happy feeling that emitted from his arms last night and this morning was gone. Sadness was consuming Nicholas now. I could
feel
it.

My words tumbled out. “I’m sorry about Charlotte. I’m sorry about everything.”