My Guardian Angel (8 page)

Coney Island

It was a week since I had seen Jason at the hospital and more than a week since the creepy songs.
Like I said, it happens sometimes. Some fans think what they send is appropriate, even though it’s not. I was having breakfast when my phone chimed.

Jason:
  b ready & meet me outside of ur house in 20min

It was from Jason.

Me:  why?

I fired back a text. I had things to do today.

Jason:  just do it

I couldn’t help it, so I caved.
I got ready wearing my boyfriend jeans and a green t-shirt with a pair of Converse. I waited outside, sitting on my stoop enjoying the early morning sun. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. The air wasn’t the cleanest, but I imagined it was. A loud honk startled me out of my daze; it was Jason. He drove up and rolled his window down.

“Looking good. Get in.” He motioned for me to get in the car.

“So where are we going?” I asked
, slamming the door to his car.

“Easy with my car, girl! She’s about as old as you are.” He laughed and I scoffed.

“What?” Before I could step out, Jason put the car into gear and pressed on the gas.

“We’re going to Coney Island.”

I laughed. “You have to be kidding right? That place is a dump!” I exclaimed.

“It’s not a dump.
It’s a landmark and I want to go and figured you’d want to go with me.” I hated that he was right.

“Sorry buddy, I have work to do and can’t spend my whole day playing.”

He pushed his Ray-Bans down to the tip of his nose and stared at me.

“You sound old.”

Out of instinct, I reached over and punched his arm.

“I'm not old and if you call me that one more time, I swear you’re going to regret it
,” I threatened.

“Nice! So you’re coming with me.” Damn, the man con
ned me.

About forty minutes later, we arrived at Coney Island. You’d think
because the man was a cop, he wouldn’t speed. Well, that was not the case.

“Come on
, girl! Let’s head down to the boardwalk.” He stepped ahead of me and waited.

He looked good with his usual t-shirt and jeans with combat boots combo.
The Ray-Bans did me in though; they added something.

The sun shined brightly and he glowed with the sun’s rays.
I let out a heavy sigh; the man was simply perfect.

“Come on, come on!” He gestured for me to hurry up.

We walked around the boardwalk, me with my hand on my large brown leather tote and him with his hands down his pockets.
I didn’t realize it, but he was leading me towards the Cyclone.

He stopped in front and wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you ready?”

I glared at him. “For what?”

He pointed to the giant wooden rollercoaster ride behind him.

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head slowly.

“Come on, you can do this.” He took my hand and began pulling me to the line to get in.

“Listen! I'm not getting on some hundred-year-old ride that has all these twists and turns,” I said rather nervously.

“You chicken?” He smirked.

“No one calls me chicken
,” I retorted.

“So go on and prove it or are you too old?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and punched him again.

“You listen
, asshat! I'm not old, you’re just too young.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever
, chicken.”

Damn him for conning me again!

I nearly threw up my breakfast the moment I got off the ride. Who knew an eighty-five foot drop could make you feel so queasy?

“Are you
okay?” he asked, concerned as I made my way to the nearest bench.

“Do I look
okay?” I said meekly. I lowered my head, trying to regain my equilibrium, when I felt his hand rubbing my back in slow circular motions.

Once I was
okay, we started off again, walking through the various rides and games. We reached an arcade area and I saw a game I used to play when I was younger. I ran up to it, taking him by the hand.

“Do you have change?” I asked excitedly.

“Yeah, why?”

I motioned my hands in front of the game. “I want to play.”

He laughed
. “Please! Like you can play Tekken.” He dismissed me.

“Why? You chicken?” I threw his words right back to him.

He narrowed his eyes. “Never.”

I pulled out some change and showed it to him. “So prove it.”

I put in the first quarters and selected my fighter
, who was always Nina.

“Bock, bock, bock, bock, bock, begowwwwk!” I made the sounds of a chicken and waited. He threw in his quarters and selected his fighter.

“Oh, my God, you’re so going to lose.” I began to laugh. “Everyone always picks Paul Phoenix.”

He turned his head and glared at me. “We’ll see.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“You want to make a bet?” I asked. Why was I tempting fate?

“Just play.” His eyes fixed on the screen in front of us.

I played around with him on the first match, well more like toyed with him.
It was fun to watch him try so hard. But I quickly finished it the moment he got cocky.

“Well
, I guess…you suck,” I said nonchalantly.

“Again!”
he ordered.

We must have played for
a while, because a small crowd began to gather around us. Mind you, it didn’t help that I kept dancing around him every time he lost.

“Had enough Tekken
, boy?” I mocked.

“I'm done with you.” We finished the last game and he proceeded to leave me behind.

“Ah, is Jason upset?” I teased. He wouldn’t look at me, but kept moving up ahead of me.

“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing here?” The man looked much like Jason, but older
; he smiled at me. I didn’t feel threatened by him.

“Enjoying Coney Island, what else?” I answered back.

“Alone?” he asked.

“No
, not alone.” Jason reached for my hand and intertwined my fingers with his.

“Sorry
, man, but your girlfriend is fuckin’ beautiful.” The man smiled and winked, Jason moved in front of me and glared at the guy.

“I know
, that’s why she’s mine,” he hissed.

The man bowed his head and held up his hands. “Don’t want any trouble
. Just wanted to try my luck on such a gorgeous girl.”

I blushed. I seriously blushed.

“Too bad. You’re too late,” Jason added and pulled me to him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and began walking us down the boardwalk.

Half an hour passed and Jason still didn’t say a word to me.

“Umm…” I started, unsure how to do this, but I figured we were friends and I'm supposed to talk to him like one. “Are we going to talk or are you going to ignore me the rest of the time we’re here?” I stepped in front of him, making him stop. He looked at me, his grey eyes pulling me in.

“I'm sorry
,” Jason said softly.

“For what?” I asked confused
with where this was going.

“You might have been interested in that guy and I stepped in.”
He looked away now.

My heart
winced a little. Why couldn’t he see I was interested in him? Why couldn’t I muster up the courage to say it? The age thing scared the shit out of me. The man was maybe five years younger than me, plus I had told him about what had happened to me. No, there was no way this was going to work out the way I wanted.

“Look, Jason
, I wasn’t interested. I was flattered, but I wasn’t interested. I'm here with you, and apparently, we’re supposed to be having fun, which I am having ever since I handed your ass back on a Tekken plate.” I laughed.

“That’s not funny
,” he murmured.

“
Well, it is to me.”

The sounds of Coney Island were great to hear
; kids laughing, machinery working as rides were in full swing. I dragged Jason to the Sideshow by the Seashore and enjoyed the weird and the strange talents of the performers, who were dressed up in different old school get-ups. He laughed and I finally felt relaxed. I teased him the rest of the day as we ate pizza and some ice cream from Ruby’s Bar and Grill.

“God! This is so good!” I stuffed my face with ice cream.

“It should be, since you ate three scoops.”

I narrowed my eyes and stared.

“Never mention the amount of food I eat. I realize it’s freakish, but I don’t want to hear it,” I warned. He nodded as if he understood.

“Maybe we should go back to the sideshows and ask them if they need anyone
,” he said flatly. I hit his chest and he started to laugh.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

We slowly headed back. It almost felt like we didn’t want the night to end. Well, I didn’t. It was one of the best days I had ever spent. The sun was now setting, painting the sky with reddish hues, as the sky above it had grown dark and the first stars began to appear. Yeah, this would have been the best first date I ever had, had it been a date.

We headed towards the car.
Jason held the door open for me and I slid in. We drove off, back to the reality of Manhattan and my deadline, which was due today. I didn’t tell him, only because my heart really wanted to spend the day with him. I switched on my phone and I had plenty of messages and missed texts. I only had one chapter left and it wasn’t a big deal. I texted Darios and told him I was okay, I was just out for the day. He was angry that I didn’t text back quicker, but was glad I was safe. Tiff was angry, but I told her that I would be sending the stuff by the end of the night. Midnight was my cut-off.

“Everything
okay?” he asked, looking at the road ahead of him.

“Yeah
, just fine. Needed to text some people, that’s all.”

I was mesmerized by the way he drove, his hand wrapped around the top of the steering wheel, while his other hand held onto
the gear stick. He got silent in the car and so did I. The atmosphere around us had gotten awkward again.

After forty minutes of silence, we reached my home.

“So…” I said.

“So…”
he repeated.

“Do you want to come in for a beer? I know Darios leaves a few here for himself
,” I offered, hoping he would take it.

“Sure.” He smiled and my heartbeat quickened.

He parked the car and we headed inside.

“Hey
, there’s a package here for you.” He grabbed it and handed it to me. I stared at the writing. It was similar to the one I had gotten before.

“What is it?”
he asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

I fished my keys out and unlocked the door. I turned on the lights. My home phone began to ring and I ran for it, but it was too late, the machine got it before I could. Garbage’s song “I Would Die for You” began to play. I threw the box on the counter, went over to my phone and turned down the message. I had thirty missed calls.

“What’s going on
, Kassia?” Jason marched up to me, grabbed my arm and looked right into my eyes.

“It’s nothing. So how about that beer?” I moved around
him, went into my fridge, and took out a beer Darios had left.

Without asking, Jason took the other box that I had left on my counter and opened it, finding the mp3 player and the dead flower.
He took the piece of paper out and read it.

“Kassia! What the fuck is going on?”
he roared.

“Are you serious
? You go through my things and ask me what’s going on? I don’t have time for this! I have a deadline,” I fired back. The fear was beginning to take over me.

“A deadline?”
he repeated. “Then why did you go out with me today?” he yelled.

“Because you asked me
,” I retorted. He lowered his head, putting his hands on his hips.

“I shouldn’t have bothered you
,” he bit out.

“Why did you?” If I asked him, maybe he’d tell me what I wanted to hear. He looked at me for what seemed like forever.

“It’s my birthday,” he said quietly. “I don’t have much family and I wanted to go to Coney Island with you.” All the air inside me escaped.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I nearly sobbed.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s actually the first time I celebrated it. Usually, I work and don’t mention anything to anyone.”