Heven & Hell Anthology (Heven and Hell) (2 page)

Sam

I took another glance at the clock. Only a few more minutes ‘til my shift was over. Usually I liked working; it was a good excuse not to be home. I liked the people. They didn’t seem to have any hidden agendas or horrible secrets lurking in their gaze. But tonight I just wanted to leave. I felt caged in, restless.

The monster was gone, and even though I knew it would be coming back, it
always
came back, I was thankful for the fact that I had been rid of it for a few days. I felt like I could breathe – I had been able to let down my guard for a while. I knew why I was so edgy tonight.

I wanted to see her.

It felt like eons since my eyes had last looked at her beautiful face. I said I wouldn’t see her again. I missed her. I could go and see her, from a distance of course and no one would know.

Just one last time.

I would make this last memory count. I would commit it to my brain so that I would always carry a little piece of her with me.

I would tell her goodbye. Even though I never got to say hello.

Heven

Best. Day. Ever! This day was turning out to be awesome! The cheer squad was mine, Brice and I were practically dating – we
would
be dating after Kimber’s party and summer vacation was only a couple short weeks away! Now, if I could only erase this little essay problem this day would be perfect. Maybe I should take Kimber’s lead on this one and buy a paper.

“Come on, Hev, let’s go!”

I took one last look in the full-length mirror before grabbing my stuff
a
nd heading out after Kimber. I looked good, just the way the soon-to-be head cheerleader should look. I was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a purple top that was softly tie-dyed and was slightly longer on each side of my hip. It was a loose, swinging style and since it was still kind of cool outside (Thank you, Maine weather), I was wearing a lightweight light purple Burnout tee underneath. To top off my outfit, I was wearing not one, but two, necklaces. The first was a long chain with a giant white paperclip that was blinged out with purple crystals. The second was shorter and simpler, my mother gave it to me: a simple silver cross on a silver chain. I finished off the outfit with a pair of dark purple heels with a crystal detail at the toe. I released my light blond hair from my ponytail and let it fall in waves around my shoulders.

With that I rushed out of the locker room and ran (as good as anyone can run in heels) to catch up with my friends. They welcomed me with smiles and more congratulations. It felt great. I was a lucky girl.

“So are we on for some celebration?” Amber asked.

Kimber looked at me. I smiled. “Sure thing!”

On the way out to Kimber’s too cute red car I leaned in and whispered. “Drop me off at the library after?”

Kimber laughed. “I knew you’d never buy a paper.”

I’d thought about it. But, yeah, in the end I couldn’t do it. I didn’t like being lied to and I wasn’t about to lie to my teacher. “Guess not,” I smiled.

Cole was driving by as we were climbing into Kimber’s car so he stopped and rolled down the window.

“Follow me!” Kimber called, and blew Cole a kiss.

I spotted Brice in the passenger seat of Cole’s truck and on impulse I blew him a kiss too. I saw him grin as they drove away.

Sam

She wasn’t at the first place I looked. Usually she was riding a horse on a huge property that belonged to someone she must know. She would ride the horse into the woods and along a trail that wound through the trees.

It was the first place I saw her. A day I wouldn’t soon forget.

I wasn’t sure where else she would be, but I remembered a place that I followed her to a while back and I drove there, hoping that she would be there. When I pulled up I got lucky and saw the red car that she was always riding in and I knew that she would be inside. It was a popular place to hang out, a coffee shop that also served food. Because it was late afternoon and school had let out, it was busy, but that was good.

It gave me cover.

I could blend in and no one would even know I was there. A little voice inside urged me to see how close I could get. I was tempted by the voice, but I had vowed to only see her from afar…

When I opened the door to the café, I was greeted with the strong scent of coffee and pastries. My stomach growled, I was always hungry, but I hadn’t come here to eat. To avoid sticking out I went to the counter and ordered some kind of coffee drink, I have no idea what I asked for because I was too busy trying to see where Heven might be.

When the barista went off to make whatever I ordered I took the chance to glance around the room and over my shoulder. I saw her immediately. It’s like her shiny blond hair and smile were a beacon to my lost ship. Her back was turned and she was laughing. She had a great laugh. It was confident and carefree. She was at a table that was full of people, so full that it spilled out to the booth behind them, where guys were leaning over it and talking.

All eyes were on Heven.

Why wouldn’t they be?

She was beautiful. There was something about her that people responded to.. As I was about to turn away (wouldn’t be good to be caught staring), I saw a guy directly across from her reach out and brush a strand of her hair away from her face. He was grinning, like a cat that ate the mouse.

I didn’t like him.

In fact, I wanted to deck him.

But I wouldn’t. Why shouldn’t she be happy?

The lady at the counter slid a cup across the counter and I handed her a few dollars, grabbed the cup (turns out I ordered something hot) and walked away. The booth directly in front of the one Heven was sitting in was being vacated and the temptation to be close to her was too great. I tried not to think about how easy my vow not to get too close to her was disregarded as I casually walked over and slid in. I sat with my back to Heven, her back to me. I imagined that without the thick wood of the bench, our backs would be pressed together.

I took a sip of my drink, it was coffee and it was sweet (not bad but I preferred something else) and sat it down. Then I reached into my leather jacket and pulled out a comic and slapped it down on the table. It fell open and I left it that way. To anyone who looked I would look like someone who was enjoying a coffee with my read.

In actuality, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the book if I wanted too. I was closer than I had ever been to her before. Her voice captivated me, held me prisoner, I sat there drinking the okay coffee drink and not even tasting it.

They –
she –
was talking about a party, apparently the party of the year. It was going to be in a couple weeks and apparently everyone was going to be there. The girls were all excited, talking about cheerleading. Apparently Heven was just named next year’s varsity squad captain.

I was proud of her.

There wasn’t anything especially enthralling about their conversations; it was really more the sound of her voice and the feeling of camaraderie that they all had together that kept me involved. It had been a long time since I felt like I belonged any place or even to anyone like that. The familiarity they had with one another, the ease with which they teased and talked, it was something that I missed but not really something I had longed for. Until perhaps now.

I thought maybe that it was enough that she had this. That this was her world. She represented so much of what I had wanted for myself (except the head cheerleader thing –
that
would be
weird.) and if it wasn’t meant for me then she was my choice for who should have it.

I don’t know how long I sat there, not quite part of, but as close as I could get to her world. It must have been a while because eventually her crowd started dwindling. I looked up and she was walking past the booth I was sitting in. I caught her profile as she walked by, and she was smiling.

“Drop me at the library?” she said to her red headed friend whose name I didn’t bother to catch.

The girl sighed dramatically. “Sure, then I’m going home to purchase an essay on the black market.”

Heven’s laugh lingered long after she’d gone.

I gathered my comic and tossed the mystery coffee in the trash and headed to the library.

Heven

The library was empty. It had been for about half an hour. The librarian just flicked the lights, reminding me, the last one here, that it was closing time. I stared down at the essay, still not complete. But it was almost done, I just needed more time.

I shouldn’t have spent so long at the café after cheerleading. I shouldn’t have gone at all. But I wanted to, and besides it was way more fun than this. With a sigh I pushed away from the table and went to find the librarian.

She was shelving books in the children’s section, humming softly.

“Excuse me.” I said, whispering. It was the library after all.

She turned and smiled. “Are you all finished then? Have a wonderful night.”

“Actually, I’m not. I’m almost finished, but I need some more time. I have this essay due tomorrow and…”

She smiled again, not seeming the least bit annoyed. “How much longer do you need?”

“Forty-five minutes?” I said, knowing it was more like an hour.

“Hmmm. All right. then. Hurry and finish, I have some paperwork to do anyway.”

“Oh, thank you!” I rushed back to my seat and buried myself in my work. Sure enough, an hour later my back was stiff but I was done. I stood and packed everything in my bag. Thank goodness that was over. I was soo tired of homework. Thankfully, it was almost summer break.

“Thank you, so much.” I told the librarian on the way out the door.

“You’re welcome, have a great night!”

I let myself out into the cool night air. I couldn’t wait to get home and put on my PJs. It had been a long day but a good one. Things were going so good. They couldn’t get any better.

I had no idea how quickly things could change.

Sam

The library closed and hour ago but I still hadn’t seen Heven come out. It was dark outside and there was no sign of her ride. It was possible that she went out the back door but I would have seen, I would have heard, but I knew she hadn’t gone out the back because the front door pointed her in the direction of her house.

I paced the street and all the dark shadows that I could conceal myself in while waiting impatiently for her to come out. What if something was wrong? What if she needed help?

I had just made up my mind to go in there when the front doors opened and Heven stepped out. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and looked off down the street in the direction of her house.

I melted further into the darkness, preparing to follow once she was a bit further ahead.

My attention slipped away from her when I heard someone nearby. The monster appeared in front of me, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“What have we here?”

I had no explanation. I got caught watching the one person I was suppose to not care about, the one person I was supposed to pretend didn’t exist.

“We had a deal; you broke your end of the deal.”

Before I could do anything else I was alone, the monster disappeared into the night.

Moments later, I heard a scream.