My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (6 page)

The friend beside Mateo laugh
ed and fist-bumped Molly. “I said that I’d come to one of these things.”

Ryan and Molly start
ed joking about the game while Stephen and Chris started to walk away, waving. The opposing team had already left, along with the majority of her teammates; only the minimal crowd was left. Audra skimmed the crowd and noticed Tobias talking to a friend while Jim talked to another female. Her eyes came back down and rested on Mateo with a reassuring smirk. Audra raised her eyebrow in question.

“I’m surprised nothing else came up.”

“You’re lucky nothing did,” Mateo replied.

“You don’t have to come to another one then.”

“Audra…” Mateo responded with a smirk, “I probably won’t.”

“Mean.”

“Nope,” he said.

“Go back to being a mime
, please.”

Mateo use
d his hands to zip his lips with a devious smirk, and it made Audra smile in return. She couldn’t explain the reasons behind the way she felt around him. It was nice to have a good laugh with a friend. She glanced down at the floor for a minute when a heat of warmth touched her side.

“Congratulations
,” Mateo said.

His
deep voice ran its course throughout her body.

“Thanks
,” Audra replied softly.

“AUDRA!” Jim shout
ed.

Audra turn
ed to find Jim and Tobias giving her dubious looks while Jim thumbed towards the parking lot. She huffed out a puff of air before letting them know she had to get her things from the locker. She waved good-bye to her friends while she grabbed her clothes in the locker room before going to her school locker to grab her backpack and books. As she pushed out of the school and into the parking lot, she realized that her hands were trembling. Her veins were throbbing with adrenaline.

*****

           
Audra flipped through the pages of her science book trying to make sense of it. She pulled out her notebook to scan her notes about the subject, but nothing seemed to make sense. All the words were running together. It was starting to give her a headache. She lay her head down over the book, giving up the battle.

“You won’t get it by doing that
,” Stephen said.

“I figure my head and the text should talk directly
. Clearly, something is getting lost in translation.”

“What subject?” Mateo ask
ed.

“Science
,” Stephen responded.

Mateo tug
ged the book from under her to skim the chapter. Audra looked up and shoved her notes towards him, too. If he could make heads or tails of the information and assist her, that’d be great. Molly started to chuckle softly at the expression of hope and hopelessness twisted together on Audra’s face.

“I think we’ve all tried to help
. Looks like it’s your turn, Mateo,” Molly joked.

“Don’t be discouraged
. Think of it as a group effort,” Stephen encouraged.

“You’re all ridiculous. It’s
just this one subject,” Audra muttered.

Mateo move
d from across the table to sit next to her, pointing to the notes section. She was looking at the wrong notes for the new chapter. Audra sighed frustratedly but flipped to the new notes. Mateo took his time explaining each page with her notes as back up, using examples that she could work with. After fifteen minutes, it seemed like she had learned more from him than during first few weeks of class. Audra added a few more notes and borrowed Stephen’s highlighter for the parts that she needed to truly focus on.

“Does that make sense?” Mateo ask
ed.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Stephen started to pack up, and Audra realized how quickly the time had gone. She stuffed her backpack with notebooks and books. Molly led the pack down the hallway towards the exit as Audra and Mateo lagged behind. She needed a tutor who made sense, and he was the only one who had managed to get into her thick skull. But would he be willing to do that for her? She really needed to keep her grades up so she wouldn’t get kicked off the volleyball team, but she also had to get her dad off her back.

“Hey…um
…can I ask a favor?” Audra asked hesitantly.

“Depends.”

“I really need to do well on my next test. Would you be able to tutor me?” Audra asked.

“I can try
, but no guarantees.”

Audra pull
ed out her cell phone and switched phone numbers with him. This way, if she needed help over the weekend and he wasn’t busy, she could call him. Audra smiled to herself. She may actually do well in this class. She could only imagine the face on her teacher or even Jim. She took a deep breath trying to reel in her excitement.

“Thanks
, by the way.” Audra said.

Mateo nod
ded as they began to walk out the exit towards Molly’s vehicle. Stephen and Molly were already inside waiting for them. Audra glanced at him, and the tension started to radiate once again. She furrowed her brow in question. What’s the big deal?

Ryan walk
ed over towards his navy car, flagging Mateo over. Audra looked back, noticing Mateo’s shoulders slump down in what she perceived as relief. Mateo nodded at Ryan, turning to face her.

“I’
ll see you tomorrow,” Mateo said.

“Okay.”

He walked over to Ryan, getting in the vehicle without an issue. It was the weirdest thing, watching someone tense up and be relieved within minutes with an exchange of driver and vehicle. Maybe Mateo didn’t trust female drivers? Audra shook her head and got in the car with her friends.

“Can you drop me off on Dover
Street?” Stephen asked.

“Sure
,” Molly replied.

“Chris?” Audra ask
ed.

“He was going to come today
, but something came up,” Stephen replied.

“You two a thing yet?” Molly ask
ed.

“We
’re taking it slow,” Stephen said.

“Why don’t
I believe you?” Molly continued.

“I swear. I learned my lesson after Brian
,” Stephen admitted.

Audra roll
ed her eyes and sank into the corner of her seat, laying her head against the window. She closed off her mind, watching the streets pass by in a blur. The colors that once littered the trees now covered the grass and roads. The wind playfully swirled a few leaves from yard to yard as a memory started to come to mind.

Dad
was driving with Mom up front while Jim rode in the back with her. They had spent the day with their grandparents, but Dad had to work early in the morning. On the way home, it had begun raining pretty hard. Audra had become scared believing that the rain was trying to get her. That was a time when quite a few things scared her.

“Don’t be stupid. The rain can’t get in the car
,” Jim had said.

“Don’t call your sister stupid
,” Mom scolded.

“Do you know why the rain is hitting the window at an angle?” Dad asked.

“No,” Audra replied.

“It’s the wind, blowing it. Can you guess how the wind works?” Dad asked.

“Cars,” Audra replied.

“Cars?” Dad asked.

“Cars make the wind blow. They go so fast.” Audra stated.

Mom and Dad had a chuckle at that. Jim ended up calling her stupid again and got put on punishment. It was clear even then at such a young age that science wasn’t going to be her strong suit.

“Audra?” Molly asked.

Audra glance
d around her surroundings noticing that Molly was parked in front of her house. She must have dozed off. How strange. She collected her backpack and waved thanks to her friend.

As she settle
d into her room, she couldn’t remember where that memory came from. It was too real to be just a dream, and the fear she felt about the rain had continued until she met Stephen. He forced her to practice dancing in the sprinklers to get her through it. When it finally rained, they had dressed up in matching rain slickers and boots. His parents promised to watch from the doorway as Stephen took her hand and led her out into it. It was one of the fondest memories she held of him. But why had she been so afraid of the rain?

The suds swirled down the drain while Audra toweled herself dry. She slipped into lounge pants and a t-shirt before heading into her bedroom. Nothing like a hot shower to rinse off the sweat and release the tension in her shoulders after winning another volleyball game. This team had been as easy to beat as the first one.

It didn’t stop the cheers roaring
from the bleachers at the win. It didn’t lessen the passionate fight from both sides trying to end on a positive note. It didn’t make the victory any less sweet as the opposing team lost due to the inability to serve over the net. And it certainly didn’t leave an ego in its wake, not for Audra.

Stephen and Chris were cheering boisterously
, trying to one up each other. Molly enjoyed that more than she had. Audra was solely focused on her blocking, trying to jump higher and time it perfectly. She was almost convinced that Mateo wasn’t going to show after his comments. She was surprised to see him and Ryan sitting on the bleachers at the end of the match. However, Jim was waiting at the bottom ready to whisk her home before she even got the chance to say hello to anyone.

Audra pull
ed out the new book for English class to read a chapter and write up a page summary answering key questions. The assignment didn’t take long to accomplish and relieved more stress from her mind. She searched the Internet for a little while when a loud slam from the front door bolted her upright in bed. Audra jumped off the bed, swinging open her door only to see Mom’s horrified face and Dad’s turning a dark red at the foot of the stairs. She shut it over quickly before they noticed, leaving an opening to peek through.

“
James, how could you?” Mom asked.

“It’s not what you think
—”

“Don’t lie to us! We both saw what was going on!” Dad yell
ed.

“We were just fooling around, that’s all
,” Jim admitted.

“You’re supposed to be setting an example for your sister
,” Mom advised.

“She’s up in her room. She had no idea anyone was
even here,” Jim explained.

“Neither did we
, but the jig is up, son,” Dad stated.

“No, Dad
, please. I’m sorry I messed up, but nothing happened. No harm done to Audra,” Jim said.

“Honey, just go cool off for a while
,” Mom said, sending Dad towards the kitchen.

Mom walk
ed closer to Jim, but the frustration was apparent in the tone of her voice.

“This is unacceptable
. What if Audra saw you two? She’d think that it was okay for her,” Mom stated.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it. What if we hadn’t walked in?” Mom persisted.

Jim h
ung his head in shame but said, “It wouldn’t have gone that far. Audra isn’t the only scarred one here. At least she isn’t aware of it.”

Audra’s hands start
ed to shake with an unidentified fear. A current of dread and anxiousness started to swim down into the pit of her stomach. Scarred? What happened that was so bad that could cause such an effect on the rest of the family? Had she done something?

“Nobody deserves that kind of treatment, least of all your sister. And were lucky that she isn’t aware. We just need to stick together.”

“We’re not sticking together, Mom. Were imprisoned,” Jim said before turning to head up the steps.

Audra quickly shut
the door the rest of the way, locking the handle. She tried to make sense of the conversation she overheard, but nothing was adding up. As far as she could remember, Dad had always been overbearing and protective. It’s always been the family rule number one to make sure you were always safe and someone knew where you were. As far as she could remember, Dad’s temper had always been one of the reasons the three of them were so close, holding on to each other for love and comfort.

The feeling of dread start
ed to wrap itself tighter around her, and she opened the window for a breath of fresh air. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths. She kept doing it a few times until it started to have the desired effect in calming her system.

Audra lift
ed her head and noticed a familiar form walking by on the sidewalk. She dug into her pocket, going through the contact list and hit ‘call.’

“Hello?” Mateo ask
ed.

“Hey
,” Audra said.

“What’s up?” he ask
ed.

Audra pause
d. There was no real reason to call him other than the fact that she saw him. There wasn’t anything that she could do either. She was trapped in her room with her Dad on a war path downstairs. Mom was just as upset, and there would be no way she would be allowed out. Not without an explanation or someone with her. Mom had been lenient lately, but after tonight, who knew what would happen?

“Audra?”

“I see you,” she finally said.

Mateo turn
ed in a slow circle, skimming around until he noticed her waving arm.

“I see you
, too.”

“I…ummm…”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mi
nd company on your walk? I need to get out of here,” Audra admitted.

“Okay.”

Audra lifted the window, putting one leg out, sitting on her sill while trying to grab onto the closest tree limb.

“I don’t thin
k that’s a good idea,” Mateo commented from below.

“Shh!”

She’d seen people do this in movies and television all the time. There was the perfect tree to use right in front of her; she could manage it. She pulled herself over and used her foot to push against the house. Her grip was tight on the tree, and with the convenience of branches, she made her way down. It wasn’t as easy as it was portrayed in the entertainment industry, but it wasn’t impossible. Mateo grasped her hips assisting her to get down to the ground safely.

Audra smile
d, feeling accomplished, until she noticed his face. His hair was tucked behind his ears for the first full-face experience. It took her a minute to compose her features. Or at least she thought she’d composed them. Mateo’s face, flawless and smooth, sucked her in without words even in the evening light. Her eyes skimmed his cheek which appeared to be flushed a kind of pink color. She reached her hand up and tenderly rubbed it but stopped once he winced.

“What happened?”

“I didn’t make it down my tree unscathed,” he replied.

He shook
his hair free from his ears letting it cover his face again. Audra bit the inside of her cheek and walked a path away from the windows as to not be seen. Mateo followed noiselessly and a cool breeze whipped her semi-wet hair about her shoulders. Audra realized she had snuck out of her house without the protection of a jacket. She already scolded Mateo on the same issue, but there was no way she was ready to climb the tree again. She wrapped her arms around her waist trying to bring some sort of comfort to herself.

“Do you like it here?” Audra ask
ed.

“I would rather not be here
, but it’s not as bad as I thought.”

“Where are you
from?” she asked.

“I lived out west with my grandparents.”

Mateo sighed, causing her to glance up at him. “What?”

“I
, uh, I just lost them,” Mateo admitted.

“I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“It was a freak tractor trailer accident,” Mateo said.

Audra ball
ed her hands into fists. The urge to hug him and comfort him was strong, but she didn’t think it right. It was different with Stephen; he’d always been there for her. Mateo was an unknown quantity. She sucked in a deep breath; tonight wasn’t going as she planned at all. The strange feeling of anxiousness started to make itself known. This was supposed to be a calm walk to relax, but it was only making things weirder. She glanced down at the sidewalk.

“Do you like it here?” Mateo ask
ed.

“I’ve never been anywhere else.”

“What about college?” he asked.

“I don’t know if it’s for me. What about you?”

“Probably,” he replied.

They walk
ed around the block, but the cool air was starting to get to Audra. Mateo noticed her rubbing her hands up and down her arms, and he smirked.

“It’s not that cold
,” he commented but reached out, clasping her hand within his.

“Says you
,” Audra complained.

They continue
d walking back to the side of her house. She looked up at her second story window and bit the inside of her mouth. It didn’t look so far away when she was up there looking down. Audra gripped his hand with a squeeze before she used both of her hands to reach to the tree limb. He placed his hands on her hips again to assist in lifting her to the next branch. Oddly enough, it was much easier to climb back up, and she made it safely into her bedroom window.

Audra glance
d down at Mateo and smiled. He waved good-bye and headed for the sidewalk. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message.

Thnx
4 2night.

She receive
d a response within minutes.

Anytime
.

*****
 

          
Three hangers in each hand held a shirt while two pairs of jeans were over each arm. Her left hand held three button up dress shirts in different hues of green, while the right held polo shirts in different hues of blue. The four pairs of jeans all ranged from different colors, ripped, baggy and butt-enhancing. If Audra knew that helping Stephen find an outfit for his date tonight with Chris would be this tedious, she would have faked an illness.

“What do you think about this one? Too dark?” Stephen ask
ed.

“Please try on what we have before you add more. My arms can’t handle
this much weight,” she complained.

Stephen shook
his head, putting the shirt down but taking the clothing from her. They hunted down a men’s fitting room where he escaped into a stall. Audra sat down beside a mannequin in relief. She had been going from store to store with him since ten in the morning. It was already half past noon and there was no reason to believe he was ready to settle down on anything soon. She just hoped that they could grab something to eat before the next store.

Stephen walk
ed out with a huge grin on his face and held out one dress shirt, one polo and a pair of jeans for Audra to hold. They walked over to the register just as a familiar face caught Audra’s attention. She left Stephen’s side handing off the clothing and nudged Tobias while he scanned the rack.

“Hey, watcha up to?” Tobias ask
ed.

“Stephen is shopping and needed advice. You?”

“Same.”

Audra look
ed over to see Stephen still busy at the register. She leaned in closer to whisper.

“Did you go by the house?”

“Yeah. Jim really stepped in it.”

“Why does he hide things from me?” Audra ask
ed.

“He looks after you
. It’s what big brothers are supposed to do.”

“Tobias…he knows something but won’t tell me. They
all
know,” she whispered.

A serious look crosse
d his face before he averted his eyes back to the rack.

“
Oh, my gosh! You know, too, don’t you?”

“I
—”

“Please don’t lie to me. You know what I’ve been dealing with
for all this time,” Audra pled.

“You can tell me anything
, and you know I’d never say a word. It’s a trust that I won’t break. But I won’t betray Jim either.”

Audra step
ped back from him. So there was something that not only her family knew but Tobias, too. It clearly had something to do with her, but no one found it necessary for her to know. She bit the inside of her cheek trying to gather her thoughts. Tobias opened his mouth to speak, but she gave him her back as she walked back to her friend. He wasn’t going to tell her anything worth hearing. What was her family hiding?

“Hungry?” Stephen ask
ed.

“I need to get back
, but you can grab something if you want.”

“I can wait
,” he said.

As they start
ed to walk towards the exit, Tobias stopped them.

“I’m having a party on Friday night.
You guys should come,” Tobias offered.

“Can I bring a date?” Stephen ask
ed.

“No
,” Audra said.

“Of course
,” Tobias said.

“Great, we’ll be there
,” Stephen said.