Milayna's Angel (14 page)

The images faded. The relentless pain slowly
eased. Sights and sounds returned to normal. I opened my eyes and
saw the oddest colored eyes staring back at me.

“Hey.” I smiled.

Chay let out a breath and smiled back at me.
“You feeling better? Tired, I’d bet.”

“Yeah. To both.” I reached out and touched
his temple lightly. “Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes
are?”

“No.”

“Remind me to tell you when I’m not so
tired.”

Chay laughed. “Okay. But I think you kinda
just did.”

“Nope. When I tell you, we’ll be alone and
I’ll be awake so you can kiss me. A lot. And then you can tell me
mine are beautiful—”

“Because they are.”

“And then you can kiss me some more.”

Chay smoothed a piece of hair behind my ear,
his gaze holding mine. “Have I ever told you I love how your mind
works?”

“I don’t know. I’m too tired to remember.
Write that down for later, too.”

“Did everyone get out?” Muriel asked
quietly.

I nodded. “I think so.”

“Thank God.” She grabbed Drew’s hand.

“Um, I gotta get outta here,” Drew said.

We looked at him then, and I burst out
laughing. He looked like a Smurf. Blue paint covered his right side
from his hair to his knees.

“I forgot the alarms sprayed paint to keep
students from setting off false alarms.” I laughed harder.

“Yeah, well, they do. And I’d like to get
lost before the panic wears off and someone notices.”

“Well, you’d better run,” I said, laughing
even harder. Tears stung my eyes, and I wiped them away with the
back of my hand.

“Yeah.” He took off for his car. “C’mon,
Muriel!”

“Geez, I’m riding home with dopey Smurf. You
know, he’s one of the reasons they spray blue paint, right? He and
his dipshit friends let off so many false alarms their freshman and
sophomore years that the school had the paint deterrent added.
Serves him right.”

“Muriel!” Drew yelled.

“See you later.” Muriel took off after the
giant Smurf.

I laughed so hard I snorted, which made Chay
laugh.

11

Date day. A thrill ran up my spine when my
phone rang at eight Saturday morning. I was getting used to his
early morning phone calls. And even though I was more of a night
owl to his early bird, I looked forward to them.

I answered the phone on the first ring.
“Hey.”

“Did I wake you?” His voice was still
gravelly from sleep, and I could hear the rustle of his sheets. I
closed my eyes and imagined him stretching in bed.

“Nope. This morning I was up before you.”

“Amazing.” He chuckled.

“I know, right? I surprised myself. I guess
I’m getting used to the early hours you keep.” I smiled and
stretched under my warm quilt.

“Stranger things have happened. So, are we on
for breakfast?”

“Wow! You’ve just started inviting yourself,
haven’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, same time. But it’s my turn to cook
this week. You can come a little early if you wanna help.”

The phone clicked in my ear. Four minutes
later, the doorbell rang. I laughed.

I guess he’s helping me cook.

I ran down the stairs while brushing my
teeth. When I opened the door, I froze. “What are you doing here?”
I asked around the toothbrush. Foaming toothpaste oozed between my
lips.

“Not who you were expecting?” Xavier
asked.

“No.” I opened the door and motioned for him
to come in before running back upstairs to rinse my mouth and run a
comb through my hair before Chay got there.

The doorbell rang a second time just as I
stepped off the bottom stair into the foyer. I inhaled a large
breath, stealing myself for what I knew was going to be dramatic
fireworks.

Oh, this is so not going to end well. Chay
and Xavier sitting around the same breakfast table is not a good
idea. They barely make it through lunches at school without tearing
into each other.

“Someone here?” Chay gestured to the car
parked in our driveway.

I walked outside and closed the door softly
behind me. “Chay, remember when we talked about the trust thing and
you not getting jealous?”

Chay ran his hand through his hair, resting
it on top of his head. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I don’t know why he’s here. Maybe my dad
invited him. He doesn’t know you two aren’t on the best terms. He
probably thought it would be good for you to get to know each other
or something.”

“I’ll just come back later.” Chay turned and
started down the front steps.

“Chay Roberts, don’t you leave.”

He froze, his back facing me. “I don’t think
I can sit across a table with him, Milayna. Not when I know he’s
got a thing for you.”

“He doesn’t—”

He looked at me over his shoulder. “Oh, yes,
he does. I’m a guy. I know what other guys are thinking, and
there’s more than one at our school who has you in their sights.
You just don’t pay attention.”

“Stop.” I waved off his words.

“It’s true, and it’s also true that Xavier is
here for more than just breakfast.”

“You’re delusional, Chay.” I laughed.
“Besides, what difference does it make? Like you said, I don’t pay
any attention. And you know why? Because I’ve got you.” I wrapped
my arms around his waist and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his
stubble-covered cheek. “If you’re so sure he has a thing for me,
then don’t leave me. Stay. I want you to stay.”

He sighed and turned toward me, kissing my
forehead. “This is a bad idea.”

“Probably.”

“Let’s go. You’re freezing.”

“Hey, there you two are. How’s it going,
Chay?” My dad slapped Chay on the back.

“Hey, Chay,” my brother said, walking by and
rubbing his eyes. He was more of a night owl than I was. “Wanna
play video games after breakfast?”

“Sure, dude. I got to redeem myself from last
week when you handed me my butt.”

My brother laughed. At seven, Benjamin
idolized Chay. It helped that Chay didn’t treat him like a baby,
but talked to him like a
‘big kid’
and played video games
and remote-controlled cars with him. As long as he didn’t have to
see Chay kiss me, Benjamin thought he was a cool guy. But,
according to my brother, kissing his sister was almost as gross as
picking gum up from the sidewalk and chewing it.

Chay helped me make breakfast, which
consisted mostly of him standing in the kitchen and getting in my
way. Not that I minded.

“Do you need any help?” Xavier asked, sitting
at the table with my dad and brother, watching us cook.

“Nope, but thanks.” Chay gave him a tight
smile.

When breakfast was finished, we all sat
around the dining table to eat. I was wedged between Chay and my
brother. Xavier sat across from me.

“So, I was wondering if you were busy today,
Milayna,” Xavier asked halfway through the meal. Chay’s fork fell
against his plate with a clang. I squeezed his knee under the
table.

“Uh, actually Chay and I have plans this
afternoon,” I said, not looking up.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” my dad said, and I
glared at him. “Maybe the three of you could do something. It’d be
good for you to get to know each other better.”

I pushed around the food on my plate with a
fork. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dad.”

“That’s okay. I wouldn’t want to intrude. You
don’t need a third wheel.” Xavier wiped his hands on a napkin.

What was that? How could he even think about
asking me to do something with him in front of Chay? Or at all?

Finally the torture—and it was
torture
—of breakfast was over. Chay and Benjamin went into
the family room to play video games. I helped my mom clear the
dishes and load the dishwasher.

My mom took a stack of dirty plates from me.
“It’s not your day to clean up.”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you go visit with Xavier and
Chay?”

“Chay and Benjamin are playing a game.”

“And Xavier?” she asked.

“I don’t know what he’s doing.”

“Ah. Don’t really care to know either, I’m
guessing.” She looked at me with an arched brow.

“It’s awkward. I mean, didn’t you think it
was odd that he’d ask me to do something with him in front of Chay?
Asking me at all is bad enough, but in front of my boyfriend? Why
did Dad invite him, anyway?”

My mom scraped the food from the dishes into
the compost container. “I don’t know.”

When Chay went home to shower and change, I
excused myself to do the same. By the time I went back downstairs,
Xavier had gone.

“Xavier left this for you.” My dad handed me
a piece of paper folded in half, my name neatly printed across the
top.

If you change your mind, call me…

Wadding it up, I threw it away without
writing down the phone number he included. I wouldn’t change my
mind.

***

Chay and I met Muriel and Drew at a little
restaurant for dinner before we went bowling.

“Man, I can’t believe you want us tagging
along on your date.” Chay shook his head.

“It was Muriel’s idea. I’m just along for the
ride.” Drew rolled his eyes.

“Get used to it.”

I shot Chay a dirty look. “Is that what you
think? You’re just along for the ride?”

“No,” he answered quickly, his gaze darting
to Drew as if to say, “
See, what’d I tell ya?”

Drew laughed and turned to the rack of
bowling balls, grabbing one for him and Muriel.

“What ball do you want?” Chay weighed two
balls, one in each hand. I was too distracted by his flexing and
bulging biceps to formulate a coherent answer. “Milayna?”

“Huh?” I looked up. A small smile tugged at
his lips.

“I asked which ball you wanted.”

“Oh, yeah, I was examining them.” I tapped my
finger against my lips.

“Really? That’s what you were examining,
huh?”

I smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “Well,
sorta. I can’t help it that your built like a Greek god. I get
distracted. It’s not my fault.”

Chay laughed before he bent down and kissed
me hard on the mouth. He lifted his head, looking me in the eyes.
“If I’m a Greek god, then you’re a goddess. You’re beautiful.”

I gave him a quick kiss. “The purple
one.”

“One what?”

“Bowling ball.” I laughed. “Now who’s
distracted?”

“Come on, you two! Let’s play,” Muriel
called.

“Guys against the girls, hey Drew?” Chay fist
bumped Drew.

Drew laughed. “You know it.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll let you have ten freebie
points just so you aren’t too embarrassed when we slaughter you.” I
slipped on the absolutely ugliest pair of puke brown bowling
shoes.

Ugh, who knows what’s growing in these
things. I should have worn two pairs of socks to protect my feet
from the fungus in the shoes. They even smell funky.

“Oooh, big talk over there.” Chay rolled our
bowling balls on the ball return.

Muriel entered our names into the
computerized scoreboard. She looked at me and rolled her eyes.
“Okay, Milayna, you’re up first.”

“Me?”

Ick, I hate going first.

“Come on, Milayna. Show us your skills!” Drew
called.

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered. I walked up to the
lane, lugging my purple bowling ball. I heard Chay chuckle behind
me.

Okay, I just need to keep it out of the
gutter. Why is my stomach fluttering? It’s just a stupid game. Just
throw the ball already. Aim and roll the ball. Oh, and hit some
pins. Please, please, please, hit some pins.

I pulled the ball up to my chin, aimed
it—sort of—swung my arm back and then quickly forward toward the
pins. The ball flew down the super glossy aisle, spinning toward
the ten pins at the end. It stayed on course and away from the
gutter. Twisting my fingers, I waited to see what I’d get,
completely amazed when I hit a strike. I stood there with my mouth
open for a beat before I put my game face on and strutted back to
my seat, blowing a kiss to Chay as I walked by.

“You just got lucky.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “We’ll see.”

We were about halfway into our game. We were
having fun talking trash to each other, and Muriel and I were
actually winning—barely. It was the most fun I’d had in weeks. But
then, my stomach cramped so bad I doubled over and dropped my ball.
It rolled over into the lane next to us. Of course, the vision had
to happen when it was my turn to bowl and I was standing up at the
lane where everyone could see me spaz out.

Drew got my ball and apologized to the people
bowling next to us while Chay rushed to me and helped me back to
the benches. I sat down bent over, my chest to my knees and my arms
wrapped around them. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I tried
hard not to cry out and draw even more attention to myself. Tears
rolled down my cheeks, and I clenched my jaw so tightly it felt
like someone had wired it shut.

“What do you need?” Chay asked.

I shook my head. There was no way I could
speak. My head started to pound. My vision bounced in time to the
beats. The people in the bowling alley looked like they were on a
trampoline, bouncing up and down, up and down. I closed my eyes and
laid my cheek against my knees.

“Do you see anything?” Chay’s voice sounded
so loud, like he was screaming in my ear. All the sounds in the
bowling alley were amplified and reverberated through my head,
causing stabbing pain as they bombarded my brain, crashing from one
side to the other.

“No,” I moaned.

A flash of the pin mechanism darted before my
eyes. I heard the sound of it clicking and the metal screeching as
it lifted the pins for the sweeper to move beneath it.

Another image flashed through my brain. The
pins dropping into their slots before the arms lowered them down to
the aisle. The machine clanged and creaked when the pins fell into
position; the metal shimmied as it lowered to the aisle and dropped
the pins onto the wooden floor before slowly rising.