Red Sun (7 page)

             
“Ouch!”

             
“Tell me about it,” I replied 

             
“So, what happened?  How’d you find out?”  Kaya leaned in on her elbows to listen.

             
“Tarik caught him kissing the girl in the hallway by the gym after school.  So, I hurried to the parking lot before he could get there and I keyed his car.  Got suspended for that by the way. 
And
I had to pay to get it fixed, but it was worth it.”

             
Apparently Kaya found my life full of mishaps amusing.  “You’re funny.  Remind me never to cross you though.”

             
“What about you?  You seeing anybody?”

             
Kaya shrugged and smiled through the sadness that came over her all of a sudden.  “No.”

             
“Uh oh, you had a Vince too?”  I asked, trying to console her.

             
She shook her head.  “No, nothing like that.  Just one of those things where the feelings are kind of one sided.  It’s not really a big deal though.”

             
Kaya stood from our table and gathered all the trash to take to the garbage.  Like me, there are some things that she’d apparently rather not talk about, and I could respect that. 

             
When she came back, we walked out to her uncle’s truck again and drove back to Ruthann’s.  “We should do this again.  Got plans next weekend?”  She asked.

             
“You’ll have to give me time to check my schedule,” I said sarcastically.

             
She smiled and threw the truck into reverse.  “We’ll do something Friday when you get off work.  Just let your dad know you have a ride.”

             
“Will do,” I waved and shut the door.

             
Ruthann was busy with a customer, so I slid my purse beneath the counter and reclaimed my post in front of the fan.  They were discussing something about weed killers that I didn’t understand when I looked down at the message pad beside the phone.  Surprisingly, I saw my name at the top of the piece of paper and then glanced down to find that the message was from the one person that was making my stay here that much more unbearable…..
Jolon. 
His number was right beneath his name and I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of dialing it. 

             
“See ya, Jody,” Ruthann called out to the customer as he left.  She’d already turned her back to walk toward the greenhouse when I stopped her.

             
“Jolon called?  For
me
?”  I asked, trying to hide that I was a little nervous…..ok, maybe a lot nervous.

             
She didn’t lift her eyes from the paper that she held in her hands when she answered.  “Oh, yeah.  He was looking for you and asked me to have you call when you got back.”

             
I could feel my neck pulsating as my heart fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird inside my chest.  “Well, did he say what he wanted?”

             
With the same nonchalant tone she replied, “No, just asked to have you call.”  She didn’t give me anything but that.  A second later, she disappeared in the greenhouse and I was left with the phone at my side and the number of the person I loathed in my hand.  For a brief moment, I contemplated just throwing it away and pretending to never have gotten the message.  But the fact that I’d mentioned it to Ruthann made that impossible.  So, the only thing I could do was make the call as quick as possible and get off the phone.

             
My hands trembled as I pressed each of the seven digits.  Jolon is unfortunately one of the few people who has the power to make me feel intimidated.  Not even my dad has that affect on me.  It seemed like five minutes passed in between each ring of the phone and my stomach was in about a thousand knots as I waited.  With each tone, I had hope that he wasn’t going to pick up.

             
“Yes,” he answered, his voice deep and solid.

             
I felt like I was sitting in the principal’s office waiting to see if I was going to be in trouble.  “Y-yeah, this is Solei.  From Ruthann’s.  I just got your…”

             
“Right,” he interrupted.  “I called about the purchase I made yesterday.  I used my credit card and somehow you charged me twice.  What do you need to do to fix it?”

             
I had no clue.  “I-I apologize for that.  I’m kind of new here though; maybe Ruthann can help you.  Hang on while I grab her.”

             
Before I could set the phone down on the counter, he spoke again.  “But Ruthann’s not the one who made the mistake;
you
did.”

             
I could smell his arrogance through the phone.  “Well, you’re right, but I’m telling you that I’m not that knowledgeable about Ruthann’s policies just yet, but I’d be happy to…..”

             
“It was only about twelve dollars.  I have to stop back by there tonight to pick up the stone sample Ruthann got for me.  If you’ll drop it by here instead, I’d consider your debt paid.”

             
Debt? 
“Excuse me?  Making deliveries is not in my job description.”

             
“And neither is overcharging customers, now is it.”

             
We both held the phone in silence; Jolon, waiting for me to submit to his demands, and me, waiting for him to realize that he was being completely unreasonable.  “What time does your shift end?”  He asked.

             
“When it ends,” I replied.

             
He breathed into the phone.  “The shop closes at seven, so I’ll be expecting you before 7:30.  Ruthann can give you directions.”

             
When the call disconnected, I slammed the phone down and stared out the window.  If I hadn’t already hated him, I definitely would’ve after that.  It was hard to imagine that I’d once thought he was even remotely attractive.  It didn’t matter how hot he was on the outside, he was hideous on the inside.  And note to self:  stop calling him hot…..even if it
is
true.

             
Ruthann agreed that my making the delivery to Jolon was a fair trade for my minor mistake.  Not only did she agree, she even insisted on letting me drive her car which was parked in the driveway of her house right next door to the shop, hidden from the road.  I fussed the whole way to my destination; glancing down every so often at the directions Ruthann had given me to make sure that I wouldn’t end up lost in the woods. 

             
The whole thing was ridiculous but apparently no one saw it that way but me.  It didn’t make sense that this was the only way to rectify the situation.  Not only did I have to make the delivery after working all day, but I had to completely rearrange my evening to do so.  When my shift was over, I had plans to take a much needed shower and to catch up with Tarik.  But now, I had to let my dad know I’d be working over and that Ruthann told me to use her car to drive myself back to the house.  This guy was causing me way more trouble than he’s worth.  But, if Ruthann wanted me to go, I had no choice. 

             
The long, dark, winding road led me to the driveway of a small blue house with no shudders on the windows and very little character to speak of.  Out front, there was a rusted out gray truck that was undoubtedly the one I’d seen Jolon driving day in and day out whenever he came to Ruthann’s to make his purchases.  I felt the corners of my mouth turn down into a frown at the mere thought of his name.  How did I get suckered into doing a favor for someone that I don’t even like?

             
The porch light glowed through the oncoming darkness while my hesitant feet carried me to the door.  The sounds of crickets chirping echoed in the air, becoming louder as night fell over the sky like a blanket.  I’d already seen Jolon once that day and it seemed an injustice that I had to go through such a thing twice.  That was all I could think about while I waited for him to answer to my knock.  He’d no doubt be just as distant and evil as usual so there wasn’t any point in hoping for anything different. 

             
Inside the house, I heard heavy footsteps approaching and rolled my eyes dreading the short time I’d have to be around him.  The door swung open and he stood there, blocking out the light from behind, his body almost filling the entire doorway as he stared down on me without lowering his head to do so.  I felt my body subconsciously wanting to turn back toward the car and flee, but I still hadn’t given him his sample.  My eyes blinked uncontrollably, trying to focus on his face and not his shirtless body as he stood there in nothing more than a pair of dark shorts. 

             
“Here,” I said curtly, shoving the rock toward him, only allowing myself to glance at his chest one more time for good measure.  When we made the exchange, his hands grazed the outside of mine and I hurried to separate myself.  To be safe, I folded my arms while he looked the rock over with scrutiny.  It was so like him to even pass judgment on something as trivial as a stone. 

             
“Let me compare it to the one I already have to make sure it’s close enough.”  He turned and walked toward the back of the house and left me standing outside on the porch alone…..with the bears and whatever else lurked off in the distance.  Nervously, I checked over my shoulder to make sure nothing was creeping up on me.

             
“You can come in if you’d like,” he called out, never looking back to see if I’d accepted his offer or not before disappearing inside one of the rooms. 

             
Entering his home went against everything I believed in, but between the predators waiting to drag me back to their lairs and the mosquitoes making a meal out of my legs, I didn’t have much of a choice.  I walked in, convincing myself that it’d be fine if I only stood by the front door and didn’t touch anything.  I hugged myself and looked around at all of his things, his furniture, and then back toward the hallway I’d seen him walk down.  Being there made me jittery, or maybe it was just being around
him
that did it.  Either way, I was becoming more and more uncomfortable as each second passed. 

             
To my relief, I saw Jolon’s dark figure step out into the hallway which meant I’d be free to leave just as soon as he gave me the okay.  When he came into the light, I was shocked to see that it wasn’t Jolon at all, but another man of similar stature and an almost identical face – this had to be the brother Ruthann spoke of.  He too was bare-chested and wore dark shorts like Jolon.  It was easy to see how I’d made such a mistake.  In the dark it was hard to tell that his hair was cut short, nearly bald except for the shadow left behind on his scalp.  At first, there was confusion in his eyes, but then they softened as he drew closer and extended his hand to me.

             
“Elan,” he said, introducing himself.  “You are?”

             
“Solei,” I replied nervously.

             
He nodded with a faint smile on his face and then walked past me to get to the kitchen.  “Thirsty?”  He asked, looking back over his shoulder from the sink where he now stood.

             
Truthfully, I felt like my throat was on fire from breathing in the heat, but I didn’t feel right accepting a drink in the home of my nemesis.  “No, thanks,” I replied, wishing I could’ve said otherwise.

             
Elan didn’t respond with anything more than a shrug and I turned my eyes straight ahead again, still waiting for Jolon to come back to say whether or not to order more of the sample.  Beads of sweat were running down my back beneath my tank top, soaking the material and making me even more self-conscious now that I had to worry about the wet stain I was sure had formed there.  On top of the heat, it was beginning to feel like the walls were closing in on me as I stood there. 

             
“Come on.  Come on,” I whispered to myself, hoping Jolon would hurry up so I could go.

             
As if he’d telepathically heard my anxious plea; “It’s fine.  Let Ruthann know she can place the full order.”  I heard Jolon’s voice a few seconds before I saw him coming down the hall.  I nodded and did an about face to get to the car as fast as I could, walking sideways a little to keep him from seeing the back of my shirt.  Blocking my way, was Elan, as large and wall-like as his brother.  He’d obviously ignored my decline to the drink he’d offered, because in his hand was a glass of water he’d poured for me, filled to the brim with ice cubes. I wanted to take the glass so bad, but not as badly as I wanted to get out of there.

             
“Thanks, but I really should get back to the house.”  I took a step toward the door.

             
“You know, dehydration sneaks up on you kinda quick in heat like this.”  Elan laughed to himself.  “If it weren’t for the fact that we only have four cups in the house, I’d just let you take it with you.”

             
“Elan,“ Jolon snapped.  “She said she doesn’t want it.  I’m sure someone’s waiting for her to get home.”  His jaw was clenched when he spoke, but his intensity didn’t intimidate Elan.  Instead of cowering away, he rolled his eyes and held the glass out toward me one last time. 

             
I could feel more sweat forming at the base of my hairline and had a change of heart.  Cautiously, I took the glass from his hand and emptied it without taking a breath.  When our eyes met again, Elan was still smiling.  “More?”  He asked.

             
Droplets of the cool water were still on my lips and I had to say yes.  When I accepted Elan’s offer, he paced to the kitchen and a few seconds later I heard the faucet turn on.  Jolon stood still, staring in the direction his brother had just disappeared, with his fists balled up.  He turned and looked me up and down slowly, letting me know that I was at least as out of place as I felt.  I folded my arms over my chest and a small part of me hoped that he regretted ever insisting that I come by in the first place.

             
“Come on in and have a seat,” Elan offered.  When I saw that my being here was beginning to make Jolon uncomfortable, I felt vindicated.  Finally, I was the one getting under
his
skin which was a nice change if I might say so myself.  But as much as I enjoyed annoying him, I wasn’t sure joining Elan in the kitchen was a good idea.  Then I envisioned the cup of water with the condensation on the outside and decided to stick around for just one more glass.

             
“Thank you,” I replied, still not breaking eye contact with Jolon until I turned to walk into the kitchen.  In no way had I planned to be sitting here in his house, but I was so hot and thirsty in the ninety-something degree weather. 

             
Jolon winced at the sound the metal chair made when I slid it across the tile floor; apparently, any reminder of my presence was intolerable.  Elan took the seat across from me and handed my refilled glass back.  Jolon came in only to observe and made that clear by not joining his brother and I at the table.  Instead, he was posted against the wall, unmoving and silent.

             
Elan watched me drink with an inquisitive gaze set on his face, but he was courteous enough to let me finish before he asked his questions.

             
“So, when’d you get here to Conway?”

             
I smiled and crunched the piece of ice in my mouth.  “What makes you think I’m new?  Maybe we just don’t run in the same circles,” I replied sarcastically.

             
He laughed a little.  “That
was
kinda presumptuous of me, wasn’t it?  Let me rephrase that; have I seen you around before?”

             
I looked at him from the corner of my eye.  “No, I’ve only been here about a week.”

             
He nodded.  “You said your name’s Solei, right?  Like the Sun?”

             
“Yup.  Like the sun.” I glanced up at Elan for a moment and then back down at my glass, finding it hard not to look over at Jolon.

             
Elan leaned his head to the side.  “So, where’d you live before here?”

             
“Upstate,” I replied, wondering why he was so interested in the details of my life.

             
“You just came down here for a change of pace or something?”  He asked.

             
“Mmmmm…..I guess you could say that.  My dad’s down here on business and I came with.”

             
Elan nodded again.  “Cool.”  The conversation paused while he sipped his water.  “How old are you.  I’d guess eighteen.”

             
“Then you’d guess right.  What about you?”  I flipped the flow of the conversation on him so I wouldn’t be the center of attention anymore.

             
Jolon sighed and rolled his eyes when he got tired of hearing us talk.  Elan ignored him and answered my question.  “Twenty-two.”  He looked a little older than that, but probably only because of his size.  That made me wonder how old Jolon was, but I definitely wasn’t about to ask.

             
“So you know Jolon from Ruthann’s?”  He inquired.

             
From the wall, Jolon cleared his throat and smiled slyly which made my heart drop.  The last thing I needed was for him to remember that day at the river, so I quickly responded, “Yeah,” hoping Elan’s question didn’t trigger the same memory for Jolon that it did for me.

             
I could feel my chest and throat both tighten.  “Actually, Elan,” Jolon interrupted, “we met
before
Ruthann’s.  Right, Solei?  I think we were at the…..”

             
“You know what?”  I interjected.  “I really should get going.  My dad’s probably looking for me.  I’ll see you around though, Elan.  Nice meeting you.”  He was confused when I stood from the table hastily and made a mad dash for the front door.  My face must’ve turned bright red with embarrassment.  If Jolon was trying to get me to leave, he’d gotten his wish.  As I passed him at the wall, I brushed against his arm forcefully on purpose and then rushed to the car.  Never in my life had I met someone as difficult and bigheaded as him.  He had no tact and no sense of decency that I’d seen; I should’ve just delivered the stone and gone home. 

             
Behind me, I was shocked to hear a set of bare feet grinding into the gravel of the driveway as someone followed behind me.  A large hand nearly encircled my entire arm when he grabbed it, yanking me back in his direction lightly.  As soon as I turned to see that it was in fact Jolon, I snatched myself from his grasp and shot him a warning glare before continuing toward the car.

             
“Don’t touch me,” I asserted.

             
I heard him chuckle to himself which further pissed me off because I knew he wasn’t taking me seriously.  “Look, I was just trying to apologize,” he said abruptly just as I touched the handle of Ruthann’s car.  “I shouldn’t have done that.  It wasn’t my intention to embarrass you.”

             
The fact that he was actually capable of apologizing caught me off guard.  That’s probably the only reason I halted.  Automatically, I went into defensive mode.  “I wasn’t even watching you down at the river.”  The fact that I made the statement out of the blue made it that much more obvious that I was lying. 

             
“Never said you were,” Jolon replied.

             
“I just wanted us to be clear on that.”  I folded my arms over my chest and looked him up and down.  “It would’ve been well within my rights to call the cops on you for indecent exposure though.”

             
Jolon laughed quietly again; a new expression for him.  Perhaps it pleased him in some way to make me uncomfortable.  Typically, I either saw his face twisted into a frown or completely void of emotion altogether.  Now, I could see for the first time that he had a nice smile….you know, considering he’s my nemesis and all.  “You’re right.  You could’ve…..but you didn’t,” he pointed out.

             
“Whatever.”

             
He sighed.  “I’m not gonna hold you up; that was all I wanted to say.”

             
I rolled my eyes again and opened the car door without saying anything else.

             
“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”  Again, Jolon’s voice stopped me dead in my tracks.  I looked him in his eyes to see if he was being sincere.

             
“You think?”  I replied sarcastically, noticing Elan watching us from the kitchen window.

             
Jolon smiled again, this time it was softer, more natural.  “I just wasn’t sure how to read you.”

             
“Read me for what?  Is that a requirement before you can treat someone like a human being?”  In my head, I recalled each one of our uncomfortable encounters and felt a chill run down my spine. 

             
“It shouldn’t be, but……Look, we should just start over.  If you’re gonna be working at Ruthann’s we’re gonna see a lot of each other and it’ll make things easier for both of us if the air is clear.”  He extended his hand and I stared at it for a second while I thought.  To say that I was skeptical about this, and of Jolon in general, would be the understatement of the century.  I haven’t been in the market for new friends in a number of years and he’d given me no reason to consider making any changes.  With that, I ignored his gesture and climbed into the car where I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

             
Jolon stood there watching me, not shocked at all that I’d declined his truce.  He put both hands in his pockets and stared.  Our eyes were locked on one another the entire time I backed out of his driveway and he stayed posted there until I no longer had sight of him in my rearview mirror.  At first I felt bad about leaving him hanging like that, but that feeling quickly passed when I thought of our track record thus far.  This guy had given me hell since I first met him.  Not once before now had he ever made an effort to be cordial; in fact, on a number of occasions he’d gone out of his way to let me know that he couldn’t stand me.  Remembering these instances let me know that I’d done the right thing…..it’d be a cold day in Conway before me and Jolon would ever be friends.