Sharp

It’s finally Friday and I’ve tried everything to suggest to my mom to let me stay home. Without telling her what has planned for me when I return to school today.

“Sweetie, that’s not going to happen. I need you to go to school. Being behind isn’t an option.”

“Mom, I’m not behind though. I’ve done everything I needed to. Heck, even homeschool me. Or I could homeschool myself. I’m smart enough.” I talk quickly, as if I’m trying to save my own life. Which could be reality.

“Where is this all coming from?” She shakes her head while snatching her keys from the hook by the front door, “I know you don’t like school. But it’s what’s best for you. End of discussion.” She quickly ended the conversation and opens the door.

“Come on everyone, time to go!” She yelled inside the house and everyone fell into line down the stairs. Andrew, Kevin, then Miranda. All set to go with their backpacks already placed on their backs.

She’s oblivious. My brothers walk down the stairs with guilty expressions. Trying their best to avoid making any eye contact with me. They know what is in store for me when I arrive back to school, yet they haven’t done anything to help me.

I asked them both to call a truce for me or have Misty call it quits. They push me away and don’t answer me. Their reputation at school means more than anything. If they sided with me, they would have the whole school against them. I’m left to endure it on my own, without support.

I can imagine it now, being taken away in a stretcher. My mom gets a phone call that I’m critically injured or worse, dead. Would she feel guilt? Would she finally listen and say that I can finally be homeschooled, though I begged for years. Since I was in 6th grade. Why would it take being brutally beatened by another to be listened to.

Or if she still decided school was my place to be, even after being hurt. What would be the reason for living at that point. Might as well end it myself.

I begin to feel depressed and like no one is listening to me. Like I have nothing left except being destroyed. All because of Tony.

My brothers get out of the car and hustle away to get into the school. We weren’t late but you could tell they didn’t want to be seen near me. I’m so used to making sure to take my sweet time so no one catches that were related. Especially today.

“I know how much you want to be homeschooled, but I don’t have time to teach you. I hope you understand.”

I didn’t say a word or give her attention to what she said. She never had time for me. It’s always work and cooking for her. She barely even has time for Miranda. Good thing she has a great coach at dance class and there are other parents looking out for her.

No one is looking out for me, not even my own mother.

I got out of the car and immediately shut the door. Instantly feeling panic. Looking around and everyone looking back. Everyone staring. Some whispering among themselves. Almost as if I knew what they were saying.

“Dead beat Becca!” Someone on a bike startled me as he drove inches in front of me. I glance back to see it my mom was still behind me in the car but she was gone.

I stood still, unable to move forward. I could run off campus and get away from school. Then I would be away and wouldn’t have to worry about getting beaten up. Until at least Monday. Get me prepared at least.

What if I did what Tony wanted me to do, ask for him to protect me. He wasn’t anything less of strong and seemed eager to help. He was the reason I was in this mess in the first place, might as well make him end it.

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and went to the App Store. For the first time, I needed Facebook on my phone. I had no other way of contacting him and he gave me his number on it.

My hands shook vigorously as the app was downloading onto my phone. Staring at the app finalizing as if it were a ticking time bomb. I didn’t know when or where Misty had planned for us to brawl. Looking at my phone could be enough distraction for her to come up behind me and knock me dead.

Checking around me in fear and anxiety, while quickly glancing at my phone to see if it has finally downloaded.

“Finally!” I angerly said aloud, too loud.

People were still staring at me. Then the first bell rung. My heart struggled to beat. My breathing became coarse and my hands began to start sweating terribly. Logging in seemed more difficult than I could have imagined.

Why wasn’t I normal? This all could have all been resolved in 6th grade. Why did mythical things catch my interest? Why did I have to be so different from everyone? Why does everyone hate different?

25 new messages? I scanned through them quickly.

None of them were from Tony. I continued to scroll through all the nasty message to get to the one I needed. When I did, I quickly clicked onto his number and my phone recognized it as a number I could call.

I let my phone do the rest and put it to my right ear. Then began to continue to look around for any danger that could go my way. After a few rings, he picked up.

“Hello?” He answered so politely. My mind eased to the sound of his voice.

“Hey, it’s Rebecca. This is Tony, right?” To make sure I was calling the right person. Even though I already knew it was him.

“Hello, Rebecca. I didn’t think you were going to call me to be completely honest. Is everything alright?”

“I’m freaking out.” I almost wanted to start crying after confessing my emotion.

“What happened? Are you okay? Where are you?” He began to spreak frantically into the phone, “Do you need my help?”

“I just got to school and I’m still not in the building. I’m scared of getting hurt by her again. Since everyone is telling me that she’s going to beat me up. I want to run away, I can’t be here right now.” My face was drooping from revealing my fears. I tried my best to not let people control my emotions, but I was indeed terrified.

“Where are you? Let me talk to you in person!”

“I’m in the front of the school.”

“Don’t move, I’ll be there in a minute.” Then he hung up on me.

I took my phone off my ear and wanted to confirm he did in fact hang up on me. Which he did. To my amazement when I looked up he was walking out of the building doors and hustling my way. He was the only one willing to protect me. A complete strange who I met a few days ago, willing to come to my side and swallow his pride and reputation to make sure I was okay. Not my brothers, not my mom, him.

When he came up to me to grabbed my hand and start walking along the sidewalk away from school. To my knowledge, he wanted to take me away from school as much as I want to be away.

“Where are we going?” As I still continue to follow him with his hand grasping my small wrist.

“My grandfather is going to pick us up. We can’t have you be here today. It isn’t safe for you. I heard several student chanting such an awful saying about you. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever see such a tragedy for a high schooler. What has the world come to. You did nothing to deserve any of this. The worst part, I aided to all of it. I’m not a bad person! My intentions were good for once. Yet it always seems to back fire some how.” He spoke while continuing to drag me along with him and I only had the ability to follow.

His other hand reached for his phone in his jacket pocket and began texting, which I assumed to be his grandfather.

“But I have to go to school!” I tried to resist his pull but he was much too strong for me, then I began to yell. “I can’t leave school! My mom will be furious with me!”

He turns around and brings me close to him. Our faces so close I could smell his fresh breath.

“I don’t care about your mother! She brought you here to die! Now I have to save you since she couldn’t do her one job as a mother. Protecting!” He eyes looked so enraged. His grip onto my wrist started to hurt and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer from the pain.

“You’re hurting me”

He let go instantly and took a deep breath.

“I’m. I’m so sorry. I just can’t see you get hurt again. It upsets me that she brought you here after what everyone is saying.”

I look down shamefully.

“She doesn’t know. I couldn’t tell her.”

I couldn’t tell her someone had plans to beat me up. Her heart would break. I can see how it would have helped to tell her, but my deepest fear is if she knows and still let me go to school. In hopes the school facility would protect me. Which wouldn’t have happened.

“Well, I understand now. Then I’m sure your mother would be pleased to have you protected instead of hurt.”

I look up at with a small pout. His eyes so soft and gentle. How is it he made it so easy to want to fall into his arms? To want to be craddled by him.

A jet black Cadillac sedan is in sight and rushes down the road to the school’s campus. Going a slower speed but seemed to head straight for us.

The car screech from the breaking right beside us and Tony immediate opens the back door.

“Come on in.” He gestures his hand to the opened car door.

I cautiously approach the car but feel safe to enter.

The interior of the car wasnt different than the outside. Jet black filled the whole car. The ceiling of the car had black silk fabric with black stones in different spots. The seats were all suede leather and so luxurious. The car seemed to be completely customary and would be such a dream to have as a vehicle.

The driver was a bald elderly man, almost dangerously elder. His hunched back curved like a cane, similar like the one in the seat beside him. He wore nothing ordinary for a grandfather, a black tuxedo with a white button down shirt. As if he was working at a limousine service company and he was our chauffeur.

This must be his grandfather.

Tony shut the door for me and walked around to the other side of the car. The windows are heavily tinted to where you couldn’t see anything from the outside in. Once you got in though, you could see from the inside to the outside easily.

The door opened and Tony sat right next to me. I looked around to my side for a seat belt and couldn’t find one.

“Where’s my seat belt?” I looked at him.

“The car doesn’t have seat belts.” He grinned.

“Oh, well that’s not safe.”

“Trust me, you be fine. I won’t let harm come to you while in this car.”

“If you say so.” I said extremely sarcastically. The missing seat belt did help with the appearance to the car, but I felt so lost without being strapped into the seat. It felt so wrong.

His grandfather then started to drive but not as recklessly as he did when approaching. His driving was perfect and did everything correctly to get off the campus of the school.

“This is my grandfather, Anxillion. He’s my father’s father.”

His grandfather politely waved his hand forward in gesture for me.

“Hello, Anxillion. I’m Rebecca Hanson.” I smiled at him, even though he couldn’t see me. Not even through the rear view mirror.

My eyes flash over to Tony, who had his eyes glued to my face.

“I’m going to take you our home, if that’s alright with you?” Anxillion announced to me.

“Sure, it’s better than being at school.”

Tony chuckled and took his phone out of his leather jacket.

“Now that I know you’re phone number, I can save it into my phone. Rebecca Hanson. Any chance are you related to Richard Hanson?”

“How do you know him?” In udder shock.

“Is he you’re relative?”

“That’s my dad.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You mentioned he passed away a few years ago. Wasn’t aware the two were the same person.”

“How do you know of him?” I needed the answer from him.

“He used to be close buddies with my father. They drifted apart when my father got sick, which was right before we moved to Tennessee for a final time. My father, my mother, my sister, and I all moved there. More rural so neighbors wouldn’t bother us. Preferance from my parents.”

“Wow, small world. What’s your fathers name? I might have heard of him.”

When my dad was alive he only spoke of a few friends, so it’s possible I knew of him.

“Well, he carries a different last name. We take after our mother’s last name. That tradition is known in our family line. So don’t be shocked if it’s different from mine. But his name is Andrew Saltzman. He was born in Louisana in this very town and grew up here. My grandfather owns the very home that he used to live in as a child.”

“Honestly, the name doesn’t ring a bell. What’s crazy is that’s my oldest brother’s name. It’s possible he name his first born child after him.” Fascinated by the name resemblance, “Did you guys move at a young age?”

“We’ve moved back and forth over the years. But when we did the final time it was when I was younger.” His hand guided his phone back into his pocket and then his hands tended to one another. “As you know I moved back since there are issues happening with my family. My parents found it best for me to live here for awhile. I really didn’t want to leave but they made it no choice of mine. Since it’s another home to me and I have my grandfather to watch me. It was the only place for me to go.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Moving my long black hair off of my shoulder, “What is it that happened to be forced to come back here though.”

“It’s really a long story, but it was family friends that we in have in Tennessee. They wanted me to marry one of their daughters. In hopes to unite our families. My parents are hesitant since we’re such a wealthy and powerful family. The problem is they had a feeling that this family friend wasn’t being very truthful or honest about their intentions. They also weren’t very keen to the idea of me having an arranged marriage. They married for love and they found that to be more important.” His focus was brought to his own hands, “I also didn’t want to have an arrange marriage. And the suitors weren’t ladies I admired at all. They have attitudes problems that turn you off instantly and expectations that aren’t achievable. They’re also very rude, which I am no fan of.”

“That’s crazy, makes sense why you would move back. You’re also so young. Why would they feel that to be appropriate?”

His brown eyes squinted shut.

“That’s an even longer story, for another day.”

Being a sophomore in high school seemed extremely inappropriate for a marriage to be arranged. But then again, in other countries arranged marriages are common depending where you live. Maybe the family is used to marriage done in such ways.

I look out the window close to me and see that we’re on the more wealthier side of town. Where the homes have gates in front of their yards and the front lawns stretches out for a good acre or two.

“We’re here.” Anxillion announces to us as he turns left into a driveway with a black metal gate. Which is connected to a tall pointed fence made out of the same black metal. The gate immediately opened upon arrival. Assuming he has a button to open the gate within the car in quick reach.

The house wasn’t in sight from the front lawn that was full many trees. Many of which are dead and on the brink of collapsing, a very haunting look.

The driveway stretched very far through the property’s woods. Very exclusive and led us far away from the street that the house resides on.

I looked through the front windshield and saw the house sitting ahead. The size of it wasn’t anything compared to a house. It’s a full mansion with a large round driveway right in front of it. The dull grey colored siding with slick black triangular shaped shingles on the roof. Making me feel like I was stepping into a perfect representation of the mansions inside the books that read plenty of. Preferably a vampire’s house. There sat 2 gargoyles guarding the staircase leading to a double door front enterance. The door was large enough to let a huge monster in. The black rectangular framed windows have sharp corner that could cut someone. The boarders of the mansion carried a gothic Victorian vibe that were painted in black.

The gloomy sky and chilly wind of fall complimented their home perfectly. My eyes can’t even comprehend the beauty this place holds. The hedge around the base of the mansion was on the bridge of death, showing either bare branches or dark dreadful green leaves.

The closer we got, the exterior details of the mansion became more precise. The two-story building had a small third floor at the left most part of the mansion. Showing off different windows compared to the rest of the home. It had three stained glass windows in view of the front. The features of the glass window was hard to make out, except the deep red rose placed in the center.

Jaw ajar, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I never knew this excited in the same town I lived in. Not only that, it belonged to the man who was sitting next to me. A truly shocking moment.

“This is you’re home?” Swallowing the saliva that was stagnant inside my mouth from leaving my mouth open for too long.

“It may be a bit on the creepy side but...”

“No! It’s gorgeous!” I grabbed his arm closest to me and shock it, “I am in udder shock of the beauty and characterostic of this home. I could have only dreamed of this place.” My eyes look out of my window, in awh of such beauty. It may have a creepy sense to it, but that what made it entirely beautiful to me.

“I’m glad that you’re very fond of it. Would you like a small tour on the inside?”

I turn with joy. Similarly to a child awaiting to play at the park.

“How could I say no to that!”

“Alright, let me get out and give you a hand with the door.”

What a gentleman he is, making sure to help with opening the door. Struck by how horrible this day was, to how much better it got with the help of Tony.

Turning to Anxillion who still sat in the driver seat, “Thank you so much for picking me up. I am incredible greatful.”

“My pleasure, miss Rebecca.”

The car door opened and Tony stood his hand out to assist me out of the vehicle. He was making me feel like Cinderella, but without a ball to attend to.

I grasp his hand for leverage out and I was out of the car. Walking slowly to the mansion as Tony shut the door for me. The car slowly began to move to the alley way beside the home. Assuming towards a garage near the back.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” He asked.

“Making this day way different than I could have imagine. I thought I was going to get beatened to death. Instead, I’m view this incredible building. A literal dream come true.” My genuine smile came easy. He reflected the same smile in return.

“Of course. Even though I hope I can figure out a solution so you could return to school. Doing this will buy me some time to figure it out.”

“Could I just run away. Live in this mansion with you for the rest of my life.” I stepped closer to him, but he stop a step back away from me.

“It may seem great to live here, I can even admit that. But you can’t run away from your problems. I’m here to help you, but running away isn’t the solution.”

I was caught off guard and my eyebrows shifted downward.

“How can you say that when you did that very same thing though.”

“That’s way different, Rebecca.” He shook her head quickly, “Entirely different situation.”

“Oh yeah, someone wants to marry you. Big whoops. That’s not as bad as having someone wanting you dead, for no reason.” I stood their crossing my arms, “Yet you had to run away and I have to go back. Not sure how fair that is.”

“Are you crazy? And have a missing person report and have police knocking on my doorstep. Your mother worried sick about you. I had complete permission to leave. And to reiterate, I didn’t even want to leave. I was forced to.”

“Then force me! I don’t have a chance against Misty. You know it. Finding some solution isn’t going to help any.”

He stepped closer to me. Filling in the void between us.

“I can’t do it. I will not do it.”

“I want you to protect me!” Saying those words lit a spark in his eyes. As if I had called into his soul. The very thing he asked of me I finally released him authorization. I needed his help, his strength.

“Alright.”