Rebel Soul (3 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

Thurs 7th June

Wow, Emily rolled over and laid her hand on her head, as she felt the sweat beads that was bubbling on her forehead. Jesus, what was that all about? Jesus, Emily opened her eyes, her breathing was hard and rabid, and she had to take slow deep breathes to slow her breathing. The dream still vivid in her mind, she closed her eyes again and tried to replay the whole thing. She wanted desperately to go back to sleep, finish it, right from the moment it left off, with her laying in the dark green grass at the clearing with Billy, were she sometimes went to read, next to the cave in the woods. The sun had been high in the sky, hot as it shinned down on them, their bodies were wet with sweat as he explored her neck with his tongue, then nibbled on her ear with his mouth. She giggled, it had felt good, she could still almost feel his hands now as she lay in her own bed without him, as they roamed across her breast and bend down and kissed her deep on the mouth, his kiss’s where sweet, he had wrapped his strong arms around her, and said I love you Emily Canton. But there was something else, which caused fear to inch into the middle of the dream, what was it. Shadows, she thought, of what?

Oh my God, I’m dreaming about him. She set up, knowing sleep was now out of the question. She through her legs out of the bed and stood up, then walked to the window and opened the curtains. The day was already sunny, and beautiful, not a cloud in sight. She opened her window to let in the fresh air and thought she smelled a scent of rain. Then walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and studied herself in the mirror. Does he thing I’m pretty? She found herself asking, wrinkling her nose. Then shoved the thought from her mind, trying hard to make sure, it went as far back as she could get it, she couldn’t dwell on him, Billy Johnson, laughing at herself for even entertaining the thought. “He’s a playboy” she told her image in the mirror and smiled. “He would use you and throw you away Emily.”

The sounds from down stairs, told her, breakfast was ready. She dressed then hesitated before walking down the steps, not knowing if she could face her family or not, while her mind was still on the dream, and forced herself forward. Then she strolled into the dining room and set down next to Joe.

The fork in her hand, Emily played with her food moving the eggs around her plate, mixing them with the gravy, turning it yellow, as she half listened to the conversation around her. She tried hard to avoid everyone’s eyes, afraid they might read her thoughts, the dream had stirred up emotions she didn’t know existed and her thoughts were still on his roaming hands and kiss’s, plus Billy Johnson’s cute butt. Get your mind out of the gutter she kept telling herself, over and over in her mind.

So relieved when everyone was finished eating she quickly cleared the table, dropping a plate, as it shattered into pieces on the floor. “Emily” Judy shouted.

“Sorry Mom, it just slipped” She said as she quickly snatched the broom from the closet, and begun sweeping.

“Slow down, whatever you have to do today, can wait a few extra minutes.”
Her Mom told her.

Finished with her morning chores Emily headed out to read in the woods. She was still trying hard to shake the dream from her mind as she walked down by the creek, and watched as the water flowed down stream. She closed her eyes as she thought she saw his reflection in the water. “Dam,” she whispered, the dream was still fresh and vivid in her mind and she felt flushed. She bend over then dipped her hands in the creek splashing the water on her face. She didn’t know she was being watched as she decided to pull her book out then set by the creek and read. With the book opened in her hands she begin reading as she imagined the characters as her and Billy, she laid back on the leaves as she ran her hand down her body. “Oh my God” she said out loud, and laid the book down beside her, she clearly wouldn’t be able to get him out of her mind, while reading a romance novel. Stupid Emily, stop it. It was just a dream. Laughing at herself she stood up and slowly walked further down the creek bank. I need to get out more, date a little bit, she thought. Laughing again at herself, dreaming about the boy next door, an enemy to my family, what’s my mind trying to tell me about my life? Snap, she heard the tree limb break and stopped to look around, “Who’s there” she shouted, spooked. She felt like someone was watching her, like the woods was closing in on her looking into her soul, but who, like glaring eyes hot on her flesh. “Billy is that you?” She shouted. Why did I say that, she shook her head at herself, stupid Emily? Why would I think he was out here in the woods watching me?

* * *

Billy walked down to the creek to get water for his plants, when he seen Emily wading in the water down the creek bed and he stopped to watch her. She is so beautiful, he thought, the girl that he had seen in his dreams for years. Emily Canton, he stood behind a tree and watched as she splashed the creek water on her face, he smiled as he thought about the other day with her, how cute she had been watching him pull his pants down, then he had turned at the last minute, teasing her. The expression on her face as he flirted with her was amazing, he loved it. He knew Jr had seen her hiding in the woods that day, but hadn’t said anything, thank goodness, it would have scared her off.

This stupid feud between the families though had made it impossible to go out with her, so far. That would change soon, he hoped. Just once he wanted to touch her hair, or her hand, just once.

     He watched as she ran her hand down her body, while reading, it really turned him on, then she laid her book down, beside her. She always had a book with her, reading till the bus arrived avoiding all the commotion between the families. Always setting by herself on the bus with her face in a book, reading the entire 20 mile ride into school. He laughed at his self as he followed her down the creek bed, remembering the time when he was about eight, sitting next to her on the bus for a whole five minutes. His brothers had teased him and her brothers glared at him, like he was one of the pigs his dad raised, but he had watched her from afar for years. She was special, different, not one of these girls out here, just out for a good time, not the kind of girl he generally went out with. Emily Canton was different. He yearned for her to be his, and wants her heart and soul in his hands, forever.

     This past year he had gotten bold, talking with her a few times, while picking Jr up from school. He really liked her, a lot and didn’t fully understand these feelings for Emily Canton, the only girl that had ever turned him down. He laughed, it wasn’t like he couldn’t get a date, but if he could get her to date him just one time. He thought that he could get her to love him and see him as more than just the play boy, that he had the reputation of being.

He had talked to Ed a few times about her. Ed laughed telling Billy, he was obsessed with her, and it would never work between them anyway. You will get yourself killed, by one of her brothers. But right now, as her undying beauty, stood in front of him, it didn’t matter, because he knew in his heart, he would die to be with her, if that’s the way it had to be.

He was still watching her, when Ed trampled through the woods, Billy put his finger to his mouth, telling Ed to be quite, but it was too late she had heard the stick snap under Ed’s feet. Ed stopped beside him, “Billy” Ed mouthed at him in a whisper, Billy shoved him, “Quite,” Billy mouthed, he wanted to watch her longer, and he didn’t want to let her go. Then without warning, he couldn’t believe his ears, “Billy is that you.” She shouted. He was stunned beyond believe. “Let’s go Billy,” Ed pulled him away, “Your obsessed Bro.”

* * *

Emily walked back down the creek bed and through the woods to her house, actually almost ran the whole way, the feeling in the woods after the snap from the stick had scared her bad. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, her mind on Billy more than ever and why she even thought to call out his name, after the stick snapped. Her hands were shaking as she added the cream and sugar to her coffee causing her to spill some on the counter. Jesus, Emily wiped the counter, troubled about her feelings, she had never been one to obsess over a boy. She could just hear the gossip around town if she went out with Billy just one time, A Johnson and a Canton dating laughable, and then her brothers, why they would kill him, and it would all be her fault. A ridiculous thought Emily she told herself and let out a breath, but his body, it looked so hard, with bulging muscles and his face so handsome and charming. Jesus how could anyone be so desirable. How could she even ponder on such thoughts?

“This is absorb” she said aloud.

”Did you say something honey?” Judy sitting at the table reading the newspaper ask. Emily jumped, not realizing anyone had been around.

”No Mom” Emily sit down next to her and took a drink of her coffee, her hands still slightly trembling.

“Then what’s absorb” Judy laughed, and touched her hand to Emily’s, as if to stop the trembling.

Emily shook her head, “I don’t know, I guess I’m just bored, out of my mind.”

“I have lots for you to do if you’re bored Emily. Do you plan on getting a job this summer?” Judy looked up from the paper and ask.

“I don’t know yet.” She answered still sipping her coffee.

  As the day progressed, Emily, tried to find ways to get Billy and the dream off her mind, she opened up her laptop and went to Facebook, and there he was, all handsome in a picture with some girl. “That whore” She spoke out loud then glanced around the room as if someone might have heard her. Jealous, why should I be, she laughed asking herself, but I am. Emily wanted to climb through the computer screen and rip the girls eye’s out of her head. What am I going to do about these feeling? She ask herself with anger burning in her soul, then closed the lap top blocking the girl from her eyes. The stupid girl that was lucky enough to be wrapped in the arms of Billy Johnson. A bimbo whore, why would he date a bimbo whore like that. She tossed her pillow on the floor and threw herself on her bed. Don’t he have more respect in himself then that? Why would I want to date him, someone with so little confidence? She walked back over to her desk and opened her lap top up again, shaking her head with disgust, when the message appeared, it was from Billy, “When are we going out? Remember the bet. Your half of the hundred is fifty LOL.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Fri 8th June

“Aw, what am I going to wear?” She screamed. Emily had furiously been going through her closet for over an hour, pulling out clothes, trying them on, shaking her head no, as she decided she didn’t want to wear this and that, then throwing the clothes this way and that. “Oh, my, gosh,” she shouted. She didn’t know what to wear, but, the one thing Emily did know was she wanted to look good. Extraordinarily good, just in case she ran into the good looking Billy Johnson. I can’t let him see me like this she thought as she pulled out a pair of jeans, and held them up to her. Oh let’s see how they look she thought as she pulled them on, then threw on a red flowered shirt, and looked in the mirror. Dam it, no that’s not right, she pulled the jeans and shirt off and started digging deeper in the closet. She was frustrated, “I don’t have any clothes” she shouted, and growled looking at the bed full of stuff she didn’t like.

Minutes later, after looking through her dresser drawers and failing to find the right outfit, Emily set down on the heaping, pile of clothes on top of the bed, “shit what should I wear? I give up.” she reached across the bed and picked up her favorite faded blue jeans, then pulled a white button up blouse out of the closet knotting it at her stomach. Then worked on her hair a minute, combing it straight, feathering it back, then frowned and pulled it up into her usual pony tail, then ran quickly down the steps. Half way down, she remembered she hadn’t brushed her teeth then turned and headed back toward her room.

"Hey where are you going? Joe shouted, his eyes smiling at her as he laughed.

"To brush my teeth," Emily turned and yelled back as her brother Dan rolled his eyes, putting his hand on the back of a chair as if to say, are we ever going to get out of here? She finished brushing her teeth then bounced down the steps.

"You ready now," Joe asked smiling as he bend down and playfully, looked her in the eyes. "You don't have to go back up and primp some more, do you? What have you got a secret boyfriend or something?" they both teased her.

"Let’s go," she hit Joe on the shoulder, pushing him toward the door.

"We’re out of here," Dan stuck his head in the kitchen and told their parents, who had agreed to watch his daughter Mia for the night. Dan now twenty two had gotten a girl pregnant a couple years ago, the relationship didn't work out, but he got a cute baby girl out of it. Mia spends every weekend with him, gracing the family with her sweet presence every Friday night through Sunday. “Bye, bye, daddy,” she called after him, as they all giggled at her sweetness. Dan laughed and turned around to go back to kiss her.

They excitedly left out the door and climbed into Dan's old Chevy Camaro, then spun out onto the road spinning dirt everywhere as they pulled out. The county fair was in town, a big event in these parts and Emily always enjoyed the rides. She smiled thinking about her favorite rides, the fast rides, like the Himalaya, the Enterprise, the Sipper and the Gravitron.

"Hey ant that the Johnson's behind us?" Joe ask, turning around in the front seat. Emily grew anxious at the mention of the Johnsons. She so hoped they were heading to the fair, and said a little cheer to herself inside.

"Yeah and it looks like Ed thinks he can pass us up," Dan said smiling, glancing in the rear view mirror, "Buckle up kids,” he laughed “looks like we're going to race," he added and stomped hard on the gas as the rear end slid and Emily had to grab the seat, to keep from being thrown forward.

"Whoo hoo,” Joe yelled pounding on the dash board, like a drum. “Go-o-o Dan”

The Johnsons were right on their bumper. Emily looked out the back window to see how close they were. She could see Billy was in the front seat, he waved a little wave at her and smiled. She smiled back then quickly turned around and giggled. Ed was weaving trying to pass them, but Dan wouldn’t let him, at one time Emily thought Dan was going to push Ed off the road and grabbed her heart, relived when Ed backed off a little. As they ended the dirt road, Dan skidded out onto the pavement fishtailing, as the Johnsons right behind him did the same, "Yes, whoo" Dan shouted "No one pass's me," he laughed. They raced a little further but soon had to slow down as they approached more traffic then headed into town. The race over.

After driving around a while trying to find a parking spot, Dan ended up parking at least a half a mile away Emily figured and had to walk to get to the fair entrance.

"If Emily hadn't taken so long to get ready, we wouldn't have had to park so far away," Joe remarked.

“Quit complaining Joe” Dan laughed as Emily said,

"Shut up Joe," laughing as she playfully pushed him. He stumbled almost falling off the sidewalk in front of a car. Emily and Dan both grabbed him, as they laughed even harder.

Emily could heard voices behind them and knew right away who it was. She turned around to see Billy and his brother Ed. Billy saw her and grinned, she turned back around quickly, so no one would see.

They had to stand in line forever it seemed like, Emily felt so impatient she thought she could scream, but knew it would just make her look crazy and she laughed at herself. But it sure didn’t help matters with Billy in the line next to her, giving her the sweet smiling, big eye’s thing, every time he thought her brothers wasn’t looking and of course this was making her laugh, which was hard to hide from Josh and Dan. They finally got to pay their way in and all decided to go their separate ways, agreeing to meet at the entrance at eleven.

"11pm sharp," Dan said with authority, and pointed his finger at them both. Emily waved bye at her brothers heading toward the cotton candy stand, that was suddenly screaming come eat me at her. The lights and music from the rides were amazing, Emily thought as she paid for her cotton candy, then looked around her as she spun in a circle staring at the rides that looked so inviting, the many colors all flashing, the screams and laughter from the rides, sent sensations of joy through her body, and she wished she had someone to ride with. Maybe, just maybe, her mind went to Billy.

She walked toward the animal exhibits, stopped and looked at her Dad’s cows and goats he had showed, then laughed at the cute little bunnies someone had brought, then headed toward the games.

Laughing, she stood and watched as a young man threw dart after dart attempting to win his girlfriend a large stuffed dog. Emily thought it was so funny, how he continued to throw money away trying to impress his girl, when he clearly couldn’t hit the balloon. So involved in the pitiful show she was watching, she didn’t hear him approach.

"You want one" the familiar voice behind her said, she turned around surprised to look into the big brown eyes of Billy. Oh, it’s him, she felt her heart leap.

"What one for me?" she asked, pointing at her chest, attempting a smile.

He smiled at her, then said "watch this,” as he leaned into her with a whisper, “I bet I can get you one before he gets one for his girl."

I bet you can, Emily thought as she watched Billy walk up to the Carny and pay the man, for three darts. He pulled his dart back and hit the first balloon, pop Emily felt herself smile, and watched as he hit all three balloons. He looked back at her smiling, then he traded the small prize for three more darts. She watched in amazement at his skill as he throw dart after dart, trading up for a bigger prize each time, then, before long he had a big blue stuffed dog in his arms. Smiling proudly as he handed the dog to Emily.

“Thank you Billy” she laughed.

“Throw a little lighter man, or give up.” Billy smiled and told the other guy. Emily laughed as they both walked away.

She felt his hand touch her arm, "You want to ride a few rides with me, I have a handful of tickets, and you do owe me a date." he smiled, as he waved the tickets in his hand, showing her. She was stunned and thought for a minute, wondering who would see and tell on her, or even if her brothers might see. If they did, she would be in big trouble.

"What about your little blond girlfriend," Emily snarled.

"Who?" he laughed, but she didn’t think he looked surprised.

“The girl I saw you with in town the other day, she’s also in your profile pictures.”

"Oh, you’ve been looking,” He reached his hand and touched her hair, Emily liked the way he twirled it around his fingers. “She’s not my girlfriend. Why are you jealous?" he grinned, but let his fingers linger in her hair.

Emily laughed nervously, she was jealous “No, why would I be?” She lied and glanced around at the crowded fairgrounds, to make sure one of her brothers wasn’t around. Then turned to him, why do I feel so nervous around him she thought "Sure lets ride,” she shook her head yes. “What do you like to ride, I like the fast ones.”

"Yeah, I've noticed" he laughed.

"What do you mean by that?" Emily exclaimed.

"The car ride over here." he smiled moving his hands like two cars racing.

They rode several rides, the Sipper, large Farris Wheel, the Swings and the Himalaya, before ending up on the bumper cars. As soon as they got in the cars, Billy began showing off his driving skills by ramming into her several times. She would bump him back he would laugh as he drove quickly away coming back around and surprising her. Emily was truly enjoying herself with him, he was fun and soon found herself again looking at his strong muscular body. What would it be like to be wrapped in his arms she wondered? As he bumped her again, and she laughed.

The ride was soon over and Billy grabbed her hand as they left the bumper cars. His hand was soft, softer than most farmers, and it send heat through her body that left her breathless. Not knowing if she would ever breathe again she sucked in some air, and hoped it filled her lungs.

"I’ve got some shine in the car, blackberry if you want a drink?” he ask her. She wanted to, the way he stood in front of her, the beauty in his strong features, she wasn’t ready to leave him, but knew she would be in trouble if she was late meeting her brothers.

"I’d love to,” she answered him as she looked at her watch, “But I have to meet my brothers back at the gate in thirty minutes."

"Some other time then,” He smiled and widened his eyes as if to say, let’s spend more time together.

"Sure,” she knew, spending time with him could be dangerous, the feud, his wildness, the reputation, but she really did want to see him again.

“Let me have your phone number, so I can be sure, to see you again,” he laughed, “I do want to see you again, Emily Canton.” They exchanged numbers, then she waved good-bye and headed toward the gate, walking backwards part of the way, till he was out of sight.

Almost at the gate Emily saw Joe and Billy's brother Ed in a heated argument. “Jesus can’t we do anything without a fight.” She watched as Joe pushed Ed with both hands on his chest. Then Ed quickly jumped back up his fist hitting Joe in the mouth as the blood splatter run down his shirt. Emily started running toward them, this has to stop, she heard her own voice shout, as Billy suddenly showed up out of nowhere his arms flew around her waist.

"You'll get hurt, let me try to smooth this over." He whispered in her ear. Even in the heat of the moment, his breath in her ear, caused her emotions to overflow. She watched as Billy ran to them grabbing Ed and pulled him away from Joe as Dan grabbed Joe and done the same.

"Let’s go Joe" Dan shouted at him and pointed his finger at Billy and Ed, “This ant the place and time, but there will be a place and time, someday Johnsons."

"Come on Emily, catch up" Joe shouted at her as they headed toward the front gate and the Johnson boys headed back into the fairgrounds toward the rides.

“What was that Emily?” Dan shouted at her. She wasn’t sure, what he was mad at her about. Did he see me on a ride, she worried.

“What was what?” She said carefully.

“The way Billy Johnson stopped you back there. I would have thought you would have elbowed him in the nose or something.” Emily felt relived, he hadn’t seen her with Billy earlier, and heard Joe giggle, “Yeah Emily, You didn’t come to my recue.” He continued to laugh.

She felt her cell phone vibrate, “Goodnight Emily Canton” Billy had text her. Emily smiled then text as she walked “Good-night Billy Johnson” she sent back to him.

“So you did give me the right phone number” the next text from him read.

“Of course” she sent back, laughing. “Why wouldn’t I”