The Girl

Chapter 10: Rae Manor - Was It Only A Dream?

I went out from the car – I was back in San Rafael again – my Dad just dropped us off, he extended his day off from the never-ending movie world frenzy for a few days because of Rukka – he missed him so much.

I saw all the kids' eyes were turned to us, not because they saw who’s my Dad but more to his car, it’s a blue sky SLR McLaren Roadster – the color itself already attracting more over the brand. We argued this morning on which car he wanted to use to take us back to San Rafael, I asked him to take the least conspicuous car but he said the Bentley was still at the mechanic – which also wouldn’t be my choice. I wouldn’t have any problem if he used the car in Angeles - I mean all the kids there already knew who my Dad was but here it’s different.

My Dad insisted on meeting the principal – to thank her that she had taken good care of us. I was so furious when he mentioned that, I said that I won’t talk to him again, ever, for the rest of my life if he went off from the car. Since he loves me so much, he agreed even with all his rejection. 

I saw Jason was waiting for me in the parking lot – he’s talking with Cody and Jean. I saw Cody's eyes broaden with enthusiasm when he saw the car. Well,  it’s actually a good car – one of the best and the most expensive – but too conspicuous, like I’d said before.

My Dad waved his hand to Jason and gave him his deadly charming smile, to which he replied nervously. I told him to get going now before everyone recognized who he was, he curled his lips to show his refusal but he did it anyway – he could be like a kid sometime, my Dad.

I went to Jason – Reinn was already joining her friends. He kissed my cheek when I reached him and whispered how much he missed me in my ear – although he spent dinner with my family back in San Angeles yesterday – he didn’t know that I missed him too, not that I intended to say it, just keep it as a secret between us.

“Was that your Dad?” Jean asked, still looking at my Dad’s car – disappearing on the corner of the street. “He looks familiar? And not to mention he’s so handsome.”

I nodded – not saying anything.

“I’m handsome too,” Cody said, wrapping his arm around her.

Jean rolled her eyes. “You’re not even a mile near that guy,” Jean replied, chuckling.

“Hey, that’s rude, girlfriend!” Cody said, pretending that he was offended when I knew that he would never get angry with Jean. “Anyway, it’s a cool ride Rae. Was it an SLR Roadster?”

“Yes, uhm…I think it was,” I lied – of course, I know that it was.

“Wow! It cost probably a million bucks,” Cody said, waiting for my confirmation.

“Really?!” I acted like I was surprised. “I don’t know,” I was playing dumb, of course, I knew that – I saw my Dad wrote the check in front of me.

“Have the coach mention anything about the next game?” Jason asked, trying to change the topic – maybe he saw how uneasy I’ve become. It worked.

“No. Did he mention anything to you?” Cody asked.

I saw a police car come and parked nearby, Oliver was exiting from inside the car. He’s talking to a tall officer who drove the car, they shared some physical similarities – Oliver was as tall as the cop and might be getting taller since he’s still growing. They walked towards us.

“Morning boys and ladies,” the officer said, nodding his head over us.

“Morning Capt. Wright.  Did Oli do something bad?” Cody teased. The cop chuckled.

“Nope, he’s been a good boy this week.” He brushed Oli’s hair with his finger. “But you’d tell me if he does something bad, okay.”

“If it’s going to get him in trouble, you have my promise that I’ll tell you,” Jason said. Oliver punched lightly to his bicep – disagreeing with his best friend.

Captain Wright was laughing, but I could sense that he was proud of his boy – it showed in his eyes. He dismissed himself and went to the principal's office. “You ladies please be careful, don’t go anywhere alone. It’s dangerous out there!” By the look on his face, I could tell that he’s not joking – it’s more a warning than a piece of advice.

“What’s your father doing here?” Jason asked.

“I don’t know, but he’s been acting weird over the weekend. Very secretive,” Oliver said - his eyes were sweeping over the parking lot, searching for someone.

“She’s with her friend,” I said, knowing that he’s looking for Reinn. Oliver was grinning foolishly – my statement hit a bull’s eyes. “Why didn’t you come to San Angeles with Jason?”

Oliver was looking confused. “I didn’t know that he was going to Angeles. Did he?”

I nodded. “He needed to drop off something for his mom in Angeles.”

“Nah! I wouldn’t believe that, it’s just an excuse he came up with so it wouldn’t be too obvious that he wanted to see you.”

I looked over to Jason, waiting for him to argue back to Oliver. Instead, he was grinning and not backfiring Oliver. I slapped his chest, “You lied to me!”

“Weren’t you happy to see me yesterday?” Jason caught my hand and held it gently.

I was happy but still, he lied to me – no excuse for that.

“I rest my case,” he said, cheering over my silent mode. “Come on, we’ll be late for class.”

“Where’s Alex?” I looked around to find him, but he’s not there – like he used to.

“He’s still in Angeles. He said he needed to investigate something.”

It’s kind of weird seeing Jason without Alex – since they looked like twins – it felt like something was missing.

The first class was Geography, Mr. Dottier’s class. I saw most of the students were fighting over not to fall asleep. This class can be boring, but since I’m half Roma I enjoyed this class – you can’t fool the blood of Roma.

Someone was knocking on the door - one of the administration guys entered the class and talked to Mr. Dottier. He looked over to me and Jason, and then the guy went out again.

“Rae, Jason. The principal needs you in her office,” Mr. Dottier said. 

I looked over to Jason who’s looking confused just like me. I didn’t recall that we’re in trouble – that what you would feel if somebody told you that the principal wanted to see you – I was in Angeles for the whole weekend. We got out of the class and silently walked in the hall, heading to the principal’s office.

Jane was there with Cody, she was crying on the couch. Cody was trying to calm her down, holding her hand and softly spoken in her ears but she wouldn’t stop. 

“Jean, what happened?” I asked. My head spinning around and I could feel the blood rushing through my head. I didn’t like this situation - it’s like heading to a battle without any preparation.

She didn’t answer me, she just looked at me with her tearful eyes. I saw Mark Logan was coming out from the office - he looked like he was beaten so bad without bruises – the depression painted so clear in his face.

“Rae, Jason. The principal wanted to see you now,” the admin lady said, opening the door for us.

I didn’t want to move, I just stood there. Jason reached for my hand, assuring me that everything will be okay. But will it be okay?

I saw Capt. Wright and my principal together talking slowly in low voices. They stopped talking when they saw us entering the room.

“Please come in Ms. Manor and Mr. Burrow,” her hand pointing to the empty chair across her desk. I sat down, looking at the two of them in front of me – giving my poker face so they wouldn’t know how confused I am right now.

“So kid, just straight to the point,” Capt. Wright said he folded his hand over his chest – intimidating. “What were you doing on Friday night?”

I remembered the game and the accident that almost took Jason’s life and that they were winning and the kiss. Oh yeah, that sweet gentle kiss that he gave me after the game when he was kissing me for the first time. Anyway, I believed that they didn’t want to know the details of the kiss – even though I remembered that one perfectly than the others.

“I was at the game, playing,” Jason said – awoke me up from my kiss rendezvous.

“I was watching the game with my sister,” I said, trying to pull myself back before this unknown heat in my spine made me do things that I would regret later – things that I’m sure my principal and the cop would disagree.

“After that?” Capt. Wright asked – he looked like we’re inside an interrogation room.

“We went to Cody’s place with Reinn and Oliver,” Jason stressed Oliver's name to convince the Captain.

“What did you do around midnight?” He asked again. I was getting irritated now - just cut the chase and get to the point, please!

“He drove us home with Oliver.” This time it was me who stressed over Oliver's name.

“Look kid, we just wanted to know did you meet Claire Jarred?” She said – she’s straighter to the point rather than the cop.

I looked at them curiously. “Why?”

“Just wanted to know,” he said, being so secretive – just like what Oliver described.

“She’s missing,” she said.

I could see that Jason almost tripped from the chair when he heard that. While I…I felt my body frozen like I was showered by buckets of ice in the winter. I remembered the glimpse of my dream filling my mind – the part where I saw Claire fell to the ground, dead.

“Since when?” Jason asked.

Since Friday night – I thought.

“Since Friday night,” my principal said as if she echoed my thought out loud. “She was reported missing on Saturday morning after her parents contacted all of her friends and asked whether she stayed over at their place or not.”

Don’t ask me how I knew when she was missing because the truth was I didn’t know. I just have this gut feeling, kept telling me that Friday night was her last night to be alive.

“So please, if you have anything that you know about Claire this would help us to find her,” she said – begged more precisely.

“We got information that you fought with Claire.” Captain Wright was looking deeply over me.

“We argued,” I said calmly – or at least I’m trying to be calm.

“Was it physical?”

Does the part when I caught her hand before she slapped me counted as physical?

“No,” I said – not so sure of myself.

“Where did she go after you two argued?” He asked again.

She was in the dark tunnel, walking over to her death – that’s the words in my head. Instead, I shook my head, expressing my ignorance.

“The last time we saw her was when she left Cody’s house,” Jason said. “After that, we don’t know.”

“Thank you kid, you may return to your class.” She stood up from her chair and came over to us.

“Are you going to tell everyone?” I said. People will find out sooner or later - I thought.

She nodded. “We’ll make official news after this.”

I was walking to the door when Captain Wright called me – my hand was over the knob. “Rae, I know that Oliver is dating your sister…” You and the entire school – I thought. “…and he’s also a close friend with you. Please, as a father myself, please be careful. Many young girls went missing these days, and most of them were found dead. I don’t want…”

“I’ll protect her Capt. Wright,” Jason said, cutting his line. “Wherever she goes, I’ll go.”

“Then I rest my case Mr. Burrow but still kids…please be careful.” I nodded and left the office.

We’re back in the hallway when the bell that marked the end of the first-class rings. I saw Jean and Cody were getting out of the class – she was holding my bag – with Oliver behind them.

“Did she tell you that Claire…” Jean handed my bag to me. Although she hated Claire’s attitude, they used to be best friend she once told me.

“Yes,” I said slowly.

“I hate her really but I…” She started crying again. I held her in my arms.

“She’ll be okay Jean,” I said. I was lying – again don’t ask me why, I just knew. Jean swept the tears from her face and tried to smile.

“I bet she’s somewhere laughing at us, at me especially.” I smiled over her confidence.

In our second class, world history – Ms. Clairmont’s, we heard the announcement of Claire’s disappearance. Most of the students were shocked just like Jean, the cheerleading team was crying over the news. The school asked us to cooperate with the police and that they will start to have the search party to look for her and request for our participants.

The rest of the class was quiet, Ms. Clairmont was the only person that’s speaking – not that she could ever stop talking, she loved talking. She even tried to cheer us up, but since our mind was too busy wandering around, it was pointless and she gave up – the cheering things but not the talking.

The lunch break was not as quiet as in the class, students started up to gossip about what they know – not that they knew actually – just to spice the situation a little bit. The cheerleading girls – to my surprise – came to me and asked whether my Mom could help them to find Claire with her gift, I knew that they weren’t trying to mock me – they were serious. How did I know they were serious? It’s because they pulled me to the empty part of the cafeteria and spoke in a low voice over the matter, it would’ve hurt their image if somebody knew that they were asking help from a medium – having a bad image in high school was a serious matter. So I just said that I would tell my Mom, not trying to promise anything.

Reinn joined us for lunch. She was trying to get confirmation – or more information – from us whether it’s right or not. Oliver confirmed it since his dad was the leading officer in the case. I could see that she looked troubled, I remembered that we had a nightmare that night, I still didn’t know her part of the story and I haven’t told her mine.

The search will start at 3 PM this afternoon, Jason asked whether I would like to join and I said that I would but I needed to go back home to change my clothes to something more casual – since it’d involve physical activities.

                                                                                     ******

“What is it, Rae?” He asked me. We’re at my porch – I had changed my clothes and we’re ready to get back to the school to join the others. “You’re so quiet today - I mean not that you always talk a lot but you just…”

“It’s about Claire.”

He kept silent, waiting for me to continue.

“I had a nightmare about her on Friday night.” He’s still kept silent but his eyes looked deeply over me. “I saw her walking in the dark tunnel,” I said, remembering my dream. “There’s this being wearing a dark robe and he had her…” I was eluding the fact that he slid her neck and she fell to the ground looking so dead – I don’t think he’s ready for that part.

“And you think it’s some sign?” He asked – he’s getting better with this eccentric part of me being a Roma.

I shook my head but then again I wasn’t so sure myself. “The logical part of me saying that it’s just a dream but the other part of me…the Roma part of me – the one who has this ability more than the normal human part of me – was telling me that’s it’s true, that she was in something bad,” my body shuddered.

He reached my hand and held it gently. “Don’t you think that your dream is just your self-conscious feeling guilty that you argued with her?”

“Are you sure you’re not a shrink?” He was laughing over my question. “Really? I think you should consider it as your future career.”

He kissed my hand but still smiled. “I just read a lot of psychology books, you know when I thought Alex was my other personality.”

Oh yeah, that’s normal – thinking of a ghost’s voice as your other personality. I mean who wouldn’t think that way? I'm sure I would too if I couldn’t see him.

“But really,” he wrapped my waist with his arms and slowly pulled me close to him. “I found you quite an interesting subject.”

“This is part of your shrink personality or Jason the Football captain that found me interesting?”

“This is part of me that is madly in love with your personality, thinking,” he winked his eyes. “I mean see yourself, a bright and very smart girl that has this logical way of thinking, and yet you have the ability way beyond logic.”

It’s true though, what he said.

“Which part of you do you believe Rae?”

“I don’t know, you’re the shrink…help me.”

“Let’s play a game,” he said – still wrapping me in his arms. “I will throw a question and you have to answer it without you thinking about it first, okay.”

I nodded – agreed to participate in his shrink’s game.

“Do you think that the dream is real?”

“Yes.” I am perplexed by my answer but there’s no turning back right now since I agreed to be part of this game.

“Will we ever find her?”

“No.” I saw his face was changing – surprised over my answer.

“Are you sure of it?”

“Is this still part of the game?” I asked – feeling uneasy.

“No this is me, Jason, asking. My shrink part ended over that last question.”

Oh okay – I thought.

“I’m not sure Jazz…I mean, I know that we’re going to find her but the end isn’t what we hoped for.”

He’s in his thinking mode now, how did I know? That’s because he’s touching his chin now.

“I mean…don’t listen to me, I’m crazy sometimes.”

“No really Rae, I feel that you haven’t told me everything.” He looked deep into my eyes now.

Oh no! Not that looked, please…please don’t make me say about the killing part and that she’s dead.

I closed my eyes, avoiding the hypnotizing gaze of his. He’s more witchy than me sometimes, he could make me do things that I never or wouldn’t do – like when I was dressing for him and put Reinn’s lip-gloss on.

“What are you doing? Why do you close your eyes?”

“You bewitched me and I hated that,” I still closed my eyes, I heard he was laughing – my body moved in his arms. Then I felt that his lips touched mine, the gentle kiss that would’ve always melted me.

I kissed him back, aggressively – I think. This tingling sensation was unbearable now - my clear conscience was gone right the moment he kissed my lips and I pressed my lips even harder against his. I pulled my face away within a second – I would’ve died suffocating if I didn’t stop.

“My oh my Ms. Manor,” he brushed his lips with his thumb and still held me with one arm. “I think we should do this more often,” he teased.

“Yeah right…In your dream boy!” I looked away from his teasing gaze – he’s chuckling. “No Jazz really…”

“What? Really no kissing like that again?”

I punched his chest hard enough for him to grimace in pain. “I have this feeling…of something bad happening.”

“Oh please, don’t become the second Alex. I have enough with the whining,” he rolled his eyes.

“I’m not being the second Alex, but I think I know how he felt now.”

“We’ll discuss this again when he comes back, just hope that he’s come back with some answers.”

I nodded, pulling myself away from him but he wouldn’t let go of me.

“Who’s said I let you go now,” his face was closing, kissing me again – pushing his luck over my statement.

My body moved against my will – my lips even moved on their own. I pressed myself over him, replying to his kisses, when the thought of my bed flashing in my head, I pulled myself away – about a foot from him – and controlling my desire and my primeval instinct to throw him on my bed.

“See, I’m not dreaming right now…” he teased and gave me his winning smile – winning over my reaction to his kisses.

“No more kissing!” I gave him my warning look – it didn’t score though. He’s pulling me back in his arms again.

“Rae, you’re the one who bewitched me body and soul,” he softly said.

“Since you’re not Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, those words didn’t move me,” I said.

He was laughing. “I may not Mr. Darcy but I read Pride and Prejudice.”

“As I said, it didn’t move me.”

“Oh yes, I did.”

“Come on! We better get going.”

He held my hand and led me to his car - even played as a gentleman - he opened the door for me. “No more kissing?”

“Yes,” I firmly said when I sat down.

“Now?” He asked again when he sat on the driver’s seat.

I nodded.

“But later we have our kiss?” he winked his eyes.

“Don’t push your luck boy!”

He was laughing again, and we drove away back to our school.