One Touch

11: Flecks of Vermillion

The weekend was a tedious drag with nothing but sheets of homework and an eerie house. When Sunday eventually came around, it seemed like it was one of the longest nights yet. But it was certainly odd, as if I was missing something. It was one minute to midnight and the night was pitch black. There was no red glow out my bedroom window, and I felt a sudden emptiness in the dark. I had gotten so used to seeing the eyes; it was unusual without them.

I heard thuds as footsteps neared my door. Rick appeared at the doorway with his glasses propped onto his head. This was a first, seeing him at my door with willingness.

“We need to note down an update,” he said. “Stay at the end of the hallway while I talk to dad.”

I was eager to follow him and be anywhere near dad’s room. I stopped at the end of the hallway and watched Rick pause at dad’s door. Their voices weren’t inaudible, but they spoke in hushed tones I couldn’t make out much. Rick motioned me forward, and I prevented myself from sprinting there. Dad’s door was slightly ajar, a line of light peeking into the dark corridor. Before I reached there however, the door shut and I couldn’t get a glimpse of what was inside.

“Dad is listening from the other side,” Rick told me, and I stared at the wooden creases of the door. He was listening… “Did you get any samples from the Cages?”

I slipped a hand behind my neck. “Um, I’m kind of friends with Atlanta again, and I don't plan to break up.” I peaked at him. “Is that okay?”

“It’s alright,” he said, and rubbed his chin. “It’s actually much better since you can win their trust. If you do that, it’ll be easier to obtain the samples.” Well, that route sounded plain vicious to me. I didn’t want to betray my friend.

“I did try to get a strand of hair. I lost it in the process,” I said.

“Hair is the easiest one." A scowl emerged on his face. “But that Caspian wouldn’t let me get anywhere near him. You’re responsible for him, too. You know that, right?”

I cringed. “Yes, I know. I agreed to it, so can’t back out now.” To be honest, I didn’t mean any harm to the Cages. I didn’t want to act as a spy, because I genuinely did care for them. I cared for Atlanta, anyway.

“The hardest is the skin sample,” he said, scratching his ear. “But if we can get dandruff in the hair, or a nail, or better yet a piece of skin from a wound—”

“I’m not hurting anyone,” I made it clear to him. Rick scrunched his nose, and I crossed my arms. “That’s one thing I cannot do. I can’t hurt them. I’ll try my best, but this is only the beginning.”

“It’s not the beginning,” Rick said with a sharp edge in his voice. “If we get these samples, it’ll take only minutes to finish our lab study. Only a couple minutes to come to a conclusion.”

“And what will you do once you get an answer?” I asked.

“That will be given to you if you are successful in this mission,” Rick told me, and began to walk away. “No matter how close you get to them, this is the ultimate challenge for you. You better finish it.” God, I never knew Rick was this bossy. For five years, I had never talked to Rick in full sentences. Once we started talking, I never imagined we’d hold a deranged conversation like this.

The lights turned off in dad’s room, and shortly after, Rick’s light also turned off. The house was enveloped with complete black, and I found my way to my bedroom. I sat on my bed, staring out at the moonless sky and thinking to myself what I’d gotten into. But I didn’t regret any of it…yet. In the end, I wanted to know if this sample-mission had anything to do with dad’s belief in some fantastical creature.

The thought of the Cages got my gaze shifting to the house across from ours. The garage lights were on, and several cars were parked against the front curb of the house. Several people entered the house, and some left. Either way, their faint laughter and chatter echoed around the street. It was quiet again after a moment.

The door to their porch opened and a figure stepped out, closing the door behind him. He was well-dressed and held a drink in one hand. I could be wrong, but that had to be Caspian. He walked to the middle of his driveway and loosed his tie. Bringing his drink to his lips, he looked up. Our eyes met through the window in seconds, and I ducked down. This is awkward.

It had been too abrupt, and I didn’t have enough time to hide or close the curtains over the window. It was too late now. I wanted to break the awkwardness. I couldn’t show him I was shy or afraid. I shouldn’t be caring what he thinks of me. I draped the curtains over the window and walked out of my bedroom. With confidence, I headed downstairs and exited the house.

My confidence lowered when I saw Caspian watching my every move. Empty silence surrounded us as I neared him and stopped a couple feet away. Now that I got here, I had no idea what I was going to say. My feet took me outside, and I wasn’t sure where the impulse came from.

“Were you waiting to penalize me for the loud noises?” he broke the silence. I couldn’t reply to that since my intention wasn’t to scold him for anything. He slipped his free hand into his pocket. “What? Just came here to complain about my appearance?”

I took a peek behind him towards his house and my eyes fell to the ground. “I didn’t plan to come here,” I said. Caspian had on a ‘then-why’d-you-come’ expression, but behind it, I saw deadness and fatigue. “Did something bad happen? You look miserable.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re concerned?” I shrugged. “Worried, huh? How caring.” Was he trying to mock me?

“I’ve always been, but you can’t see with the arguments between us,” I said. I couldn’t let him get to me. I took another peek at his house. “What’s going on in there?”

“A party.” He said it as if the word tasted bitter. “It’s a splendid time for our family, friends, and other junk to gather in one place.”

“That’s a bad thing?” I said.

“No,” he answered, and sighed. “But things get more complicated when more of us are involved.” He paced across from me, side to side. “Everyone says whatever they want and do whatever they please. It’s f*****g annoying.” I didn’t know what he was talking about, but for some reason, I didn’t like seeing him upset. Upset, or angry, whatever it was. He got irritated many times before this, but at this moment right now, it was different.

“Do you want…?” I began. Is it worth to ask him? “Do you want to walk around the neighbourhood?” I clutched my hands behind my back. “I know a park on the way,” I added. I didn’t know what came over me, but I was a little shy. “It’ll make you feel better.”

“Why would I go anywhere with you?” he said, breaking the flow I planned on having. I expected him to retort with a cocky statement, but it still unnerved me.

This was the same guy who had taken me to Starbucks, followed me around to apologize for being a jerk, and stared at me in class for nearly a month. And now, he saying this made me regret wanting to make him feel better.

Caspian stepped onto the sidewalk, and tipped his head back. “So, are you going to lead the way?” Then he did something like this, surprising me.

The crunch of our shoes against the ground was all we heard as we ambled down the street. The clock stopped ticking, the sky stopped moving, and it was just us two. I counted the number of streetlights we passed, and the trees ruffling in the soft wind. It was a peculiar moment I never thought I’d have with Caspian. Whether he enjoyed it or not, this moment gave me a sense of peace and I didn’t want it to end. It was kind of amazing to see Caspian normal, or at least, not a jerk.

“Did your popular crew come over, too?” I asked, but my main question was centred on Amber. Caspian nodded. “Is Atlanta there, too?” It was a dumb question, but I had to ask about her.

“She’s there,” Caspian said. “But she hates it. She sits somewhere in a corner and doesn’t say a word.” Concern filled my face and he glanced at me. “I don’t want to see her that way, but it can’t be helped.”

“Doesn’t she like her family?” I said.

He shrugged one shoulder. “This is not your usual, everyday family. You wouldn’t understand, and don’t even bother asking about it.” That sounded more like a warning to me.

“You…you sure care for your sister,” I said, concentrating on my shoes.

“Yeah, you’re not the only one,” he said with a little chuckle. It sounded more like a snort, but less sarcastic and more playful. I liked that kind of laugh.

“I didn’t say that,” I said, my lips quirking up. In fact, I already knew he cared for his sister but his arrogant attitude and misbehaviour were too overpowering to acknowledge the good in him.

We continued walking in silence, and I saw the park come to view across the street. It wasn’t a big or exciting park, but behind the swing set, there was a small pond covered with lily pads. That was my favourite part of the park, and I wanted to show it to Caspian. I wanted to show Atlanta one day, too.

Caspian’s steps slowed and he fell a couple feet behind me. I turned back and saw his face dreary, but crystal clear as he stared at the sky.

“Are you okay?” I asked him. His head straightened. “If you’re tired, you can just go to sleep.”

“Sleep won’t charge me,” he said. Charge him? When he caught me giving him a strange look, he shook his head and fell in stride with me.

The path to the park narrowed as we entered the catwalk. It was a dull, grainy paved path with blades of grass skimming the sides. It wasn’t mowed in months since it brushed the side of my pants.

“This park is tiny,” Caspian commented. It was also secluded, which gave it an abandoned appearance. Not many people came here.

Somehow, we ended moving closer to each other as the path grew longer and thinner. Our shoulders brushed now and then with every step, but both of us pretended not to notice. I kicked a pebble in my way and it rolled to Caspian’s side. When I thought we’d pass the stone, he kicked it as well and we watched it roll onto the grass. My eyes moved from the ground to our hands. They were a millimetre from touching, and I had the urge to take his hand. What is wrong with you? He’s your enemy.

He took a long sip of his drink, and looked at me from the corners of his eyes. I broke eye contact and looked ahead. The whole park came into view as we entered.

“Here we are!” I said, wanting to put some distance between us. But instead, my hand involuntarily bumped into his when I tried to part.

It was so sudden, and Caspian jerked from the contact. The glass dropped from his hand when he moved back. It shattered on the ground, the sharp sound of breaking glass making me wince. Silence took over once more as large pieces of it glinted under the streetlight. Did it shock him so much to the point he lost grip of his glass? Touching me must be a huge sin.

“Sorry,” I said meekly. Caspian was grumpy when he knelt down and picked up the shards. “You’re going to cut yourself. Be careful.”

“Enough with the overly caring bullshit,” he said, and his annoyance took me off guard. I was worried about how fast his fingers moved against the sharp glass. To prove my fear, his hand grazed the edge of a shard and a line of blood oozed from the cut. Caspian’s jaw clenched and I crouched with him. I took his hand but he pulled against it.

“Hey, you can be an asshole another time,” I told him, making his brows furrow. “You should’ve been more careful. Seriously, where’s your common sense?”

I lifted and dragged him across the park with me. Drops of blood ran down his wrist and to the ground. I quickened. He stumbled when I tugged him to the pond and plunged his hand into the water. Blood merged into the liquid and dissipated.

I felt a tingle in my hand—it was subtle but strong. “Um, I’ll wait for you to clean up,” I said, taking my hands out of the water.

Caspian’s eyes narrowed and he grabbed them back. He pulled both our hands into the water again. I felt a surge in my palm and seconds later, he stood up.

“Sorry,” I apologized while standing up. I didn’t know what I was apologizing for, but he seemed angry. His injured palm wasn’t bleeding anymore, and better yet, it was nothing but a scar-like line. “Your wound clotted pretty quickly,” I murmured.

“Thanks,” he said, and I looked up at him. Did he actually thank me? I wish I could replay that part. A smile appeared on my face and he stilled. For a brief moment, I saw the his eyes turn a shade much darker from deep amber to—if I wasn't dreaming—a dusky vermillion.

“What—did the colour of your eyes just change?” I asked in curiosity, taking a closer look.

Caspian stepped back. “Must be the shadows.” Ah, he must be right. It was midnight, anyway. He rubbed the back of his head and began to head back. “We should go.”

When we returned, he didn’t say goodbye or give me a mere glance. He rushed towards his house as if he was late for an important meeting. Maybe he was, but he, in general, was a mysterious person. I could never understand his motives.

But deep inside of me, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know every little thing about him. I was enthralled and couldn’t help but be absorbed by him—even if he was my rival. When he got hurt, I never thought about getting a sample of his skin or blood. It was unusual, knowing just how worried I was.