Unclutter, page 18
They started singing their famous song, “Young-ness,” with a fast beat. Everyone on the dance floor moved to the rhythm. Jai did his own thing, which looked easier to follow, so I ended up copying him. In Ekon’s group, Ekon’s friend Aat was dancing like a professional. Ekon and his two other friends were clapping and encouraging him.
Suddenly, I spotted a girl in the crowd who was trying to grab another student’s bu—, I mean, behind, while he stood clutching his chest tightly and closing his eyes. Aghast, I moved a little so that I would come in between her and the boy. The girl promptly proceeded to grope someone else’s behind. The guy spun her around, and they started making out. I was dumbfounded at this scene.
Couldn’t she have asked the guys before grabbing them like that?
The student thanked me silently with his eyes, and I shot him a reassuring smile.
“Having fun?” Jai asked me, dancing obliviously.
“I’m copying you. You can sue me,” I replied.
Jai laughed. “I think we both will be thrown out if we keep talking.”
I laughed with him. “You started it.”
During the break for dinner, everyone scattered. Jai went to meet his boyfriend. Rory requested that I give him my car keys and said he’d wait for me in the car. Someone tapped me on the shoulder.
It was Ekon.
“Hi, Tina. Can we talk in private?” Ekon asked.
“Sure,” I replied, my heart doing a somersault.
We went to a quieter place and took a seat.
“So, I’m going to be honest with you, Tina. I’m interested in you as more than a friend. I know you have a lot on your plate, but I need to know what’s on your mind. This ambiguity is not going to help either of us.”
I wasn’t expecting him to be so blunt. “I feel the same way about you, Ekon.” I paused, deciding whether to be equally honest. “But you’re right. I’m not ready for a relationship. I’m sorry for giving you mixed signals all the time. I really enjoy spending time with you…but…” I trailed off.
Ekon got up from his chair. “Okay. I’m glad we cleared this up.”
I nodded, gulping down the sudden urge to cry. “Thanks for understanding.”
When Ekon left, I felt a sharp pain in my chest—a pain more intense than anything I’d ever felt before. Tears rolled down my face despite my fiercest attempt to stop them.
So this is what a broken heart feels like.
It was the worst feeling in the world.
***
When I was about to leave the party, I saw Aiden and walked up to him. I wanted to ensure he was okay after being ousted from the university basketball team. “Hey.”
“Hi, Tina. Happy New Year,” Aiden said.
I smiled. “Same to you, in advance. Still a few hours to go.”
Aiden nodded. “Yes, I know. But I wish midnight would come earlier. I was up all night last night and just want to sleep.”
I laughed. “I’m sneaking out too.”
Aiden made a face. “I can’t leave until I drop my friends back at home.”
I changed the subject. “How are you holding up? I’m sorry you’re no longer a part of the basketball team.”
Aiden waved a dismissal hand. “I’m glad I’m out. My parents are terribly disappointed, but I want to concentrate on my books now.”
“Books? Are you an author?”
Aiden leaned closer to me and whispered. “It’s a secret. I write young adult fiction under the pen name Enida W. Alexander.”
I whisper-squealed gleefully. “OMG. I am a huge fan of Enida’s, no, your books.”
“It’s a secret, though. I’m scared of being made fun of for writing ‘girly’ YA novels.”
“My lips are sealed,” I assured him. “And there’s no such thing as ‘girly’ or ‘boyish.’ They are just stupid stereotypes. I think it’s super cool that you’re the best YA author ever.”
Aiden smiled. “Thanks. I’m not that popular though.”
“Yet. But it’s just a matter of time before you get there,” I said. “You’ve got over a hundred reviews already. And I presume at least a thousand sales?”
“Two thousand seven hundred,” Aiden corrected me shyly.
“See? Don’t forget us commoners when you become famous!”
After my conversation with Aiden, I walked to the parking lot, still trying to process his secret. It made perfect sense now. Enida was an anagram of Aiden.
A shiver ran down my spine from the cold wind, despite wearing my warm fleece-lined jacket over my jumpsuit. I called Rory to pick me up at the entrance but got his voicemail. I switched on my phone’s flashlight as it was dark outside, and the streetlights were dim. The parking lot was deserted, as it was before midnight, and most of the partygoers were still inside.
All was still, yet I had a distinct feeling I was being watched.
Trusting my instincts, I walked faster, looking for my car. Why had I parked so far away?
Soon, I heard footsteps behind me. Fear engulfed me. I could run but wasn’t sure how far I’d get. Keeping my pace up, I reached into my backpack slowly to take out my pepper spray without making it obvious.
What are my options?
Turn around and get back to the party? They could attack me before that.
Turn around and pepper spray them and run? What if I am overreacting and the person is just walking to their car?
Turning, I could now see the shadow of my follower. I could tell they were wearing a cap and a pink glow-in-the-dark wristband. And they were inching closer to me.
I dialed Rory’s number again in vain. Panicking now, I held up my phone and flashed the light, waving frantically, praying someone would recognize my SOS.
Within seconds, I felt a blow to my hands. My pepper spray and the cell phone fell to the ground. Before I could even wince in pain, the masked attacker approached me, pinning both my hands with one of his behind my back.
With the other hand, he pushed me against a parked car and raised a knife.
I don’t want to die.
Chapter 26
When my attacker tried to stab me, my survival instincts kicked in, and I quickly ducked. Kneeing them hard in the stomach, as Dr. Nakamura had taught me, I tried to free myself from their grip, but in vain. I wasn’t strong enough.
They swore bitterly and raised the knife again. But before they could bring it down, two humongous shadows bolted toward us and tackled the attacker to the ground.
Ribster and Dexter!
The two dogs pinned him to the ground and started barking loudly. Finally free, I kicked the attacker’s knife far from his reach. Next, with the dogs nipping at the person, their owner, a lady with long hair, and I dragged him to a pole nearby and tied both his hands with a scarf.
Before we could secure the attacker’s hands, he slashed the side of my stomach with a pocketknife, and I winced in pain, forced to let him go free. Ribster and Dexter’s owner knocked the guy unconscious with just one blow to his head.
Collapsing on the ground and clutching my side to control the bleeding, I watched as the wonder woman single-handedly tied the criminal’s hands up with her scrunchie. She tied his shoelaces together as I called 911.
Next, she tied a scarf around my wound as we waited for help to arrive.
“Thank you so much,” I said to my saviors.
Ribster and Dexter licked my hand lovingly in response.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Tina,” the lady told me with a smile that reached her striking eyes. “Take care.”
“T, are you alright? What happened?” Rory came running, and I turned toward him.
I gestured for him to wait for a moment and spoke to the lady. “Wait, how do you know my na—”
“Who are you talking to?” Rory asked me. “There’s no one else here.”
“Where did my saviors go?” I wondered aloud. “If not for them, I wouldn’t have survived.”
Rory apologized profusely for draining his phone battery, but his voice was a haze, and the world around me went black.
***
When I woke up, I wondered where I was, as everything was a blur. I tried to sit upright, pushing the white sheets covering me slightly when I felt a faint pain in my side. I wrapped the thin blanket tightly around me when I realized I was at the hospital and wearing nothing but their gown.
My throat parched, I reached for a cup of water on the table next to my bed, but knocked it over, spilling it on the floor.
“Little Monster, are you alright?” Jai asked me, drawing the curtain aside and rushing to me.
I giggled nervously. “Sorry, I was thirsty and dropped the cup.”
Jai poured some water for me in another plastic cup. “Thank goodness you’re okay.” He opened the small paper box next to it that read “Recharge Café.” “Do you want something to eat as well?”
“Did you get this cinnamon roll for me?” I asked as I bit into the heavenly treat that was still warm.
Jai shook his head. “No, Ekon brought it. He’s my friend.”
My heart did a flip-flop. Was Ekon here?
“Rory informed your parents, and they’ll be here as soon as they can,” Jai said.
I was relieved that Mom and Dad would be with me soon. “Thanks.”
Rory peeked through the curtain. “T, the police are here. They have some questions for you. Can you talk now?”
I nodded slightly, my head throbbing. Jai left as a lady officer stepped inside and smiled at me. “Hi, Miss Lauren. I am Officer Hussein. How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know, Officer. Everything happened so fast. It feels like a dream,” I answered.
“Don’t worry, your attacker won’t hurt you again. He’s in police custody,” Officer Hussein replied. “Do you know the person who tried to stab you?”
“I’m not sure. His face and head were covered. Even when I switched on the flashlight on my phone, I couldn’t identify him,” I said.
“Can you tell me more about what happened?” she asked.
I told the police what had happened, and she took notes intently. Reliving the horrifying experience sent a shudder down my spine, and I thanked God silently a million times for sending Ribster, Dexter, and the mysterious stranger to save my life.
“Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you?” the officer questioned. “We want to ensure that this wasn’t a planned crime targeting you.”
I felt the blood drain from my face when I realized I might have been attacked by Nicholas Parker or his gang. This hadn’t struck me until now, and I racked my brain about how to answer Officer Hussein. Should I reveal the truth? Or hide some of it?
“There was a se-sexual assault attempt on me at the Strollfield Cultural Festival fundraiser. And I just gathered the courage to press charges against the perps today. One of them, who helped plan the crime, Pete Hilton, got expelled from the university, but the other who attacked me, Nicholas Parker, has not yet been charged,” I explained to Officer Hussein.
I provided more details about the crime at the fundraiser and everything that happened after that. I told her everything, including how a stranger and her two dogs saved me tonight. I also spoke about my speculations of Nicholas’s attempts to torment my friends. I didn’t have proof, but if his team was involved in stabbing me tonight for pressing charges against him and his underlings, everything else fell in place logically.
“Have you registered for the victims’ notifications service?” Officer Hussein asked.
I shook my head. “What’s that?”
“The police will notify you about the investigation’s progress via text.” She gave me a business card that read “Special Victim Protection Services.” “You can also call this number at any time.”
After the police left, exhausted from the night’s events, I drifted off to Dreamland.
***
The next morning, I was woken up in my hospital bed by a call from Madison. “Teensy, how are you? I heard everything.”
I was glad to hear Madison’s voice. “Mads, Happy New Year. How are your rehearsals coming along?”
“Let’s talk about you first,” Madison said, her voice breaking.
No, Mads. I want to know how you are. You lost your scholarship while trying to help me.
“I’m alright, Mads,” I reassured her.
I told her what had happened last night as she listened intently.
“Well, thank goodness, you’re not more hurt,” Madison told me. “Have the police found out if it was a mugging attempt, or were you the specific target?”
I shook my head. “No, they haven’t found out anything yet.”
“I’ll be back this evening. Until then, please don’t go anywhere on your own. Jai and Rory will be with you at our place until I come,” Madison said. “This is nonnegotiable.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
In the afternoon, the doctors signed off on my discharge, and I was elated to get back home. Jai and Rory helped me get into my place and instructed me not to move from the couch. Both of them were gloomy and quiet the entire time. They had hardly spoken to me except that they had informed my parents, and that they would be here to see me later today. Rory pulled up a chair and sat on it, burying his face into his phone. Jai went to our kitchen to prepare food.
I tried to get up from my seat, but Rory’s glare stopped me. A few minutes later, Jai brought me some oatmeal that warmed my soul and felt like a hug. He sat next to me on the couch with his own bowl of food but refused to look at me. Rory ate while browsing his phone.
“R, Fellow Monster, if you both are mad at me, please say something,” I said. “Your silent treatment is driving me crazy.”
“Why did you leave the party midway?” Jai asked, the hurt evident in his eyes. “I went to see the MyWay twins for a moment, and you were gone. Couldn’t you have informed me?”
Rory sighed and placed his phone on the coffee table. “It’s my fault. I was waiting for her in the car. But my phone was switched off because I had drained its battery.”
I took a deep breath. “Neither of you had anything to do with this; it was the attacker’s fault. Sure, I should have informed you before leaving the party, Jai. And R, I could have asked you to pick me up at the entrance. But there’s no guarantee that, even if we’d been more careful, I wouldn’t have been attacked.” I paused for a moment. “I followed Parker’s underling’s instructions willingly and went to the abandoned swimming pool area at the fundraiser. Was that my fault?”
Rory and Jai shook their heads vehemently. “No way.”
“Do you know how many times I have asked myself ‘what if’ questions about that day?” I asked my friends. “It never helps. The only thing that did was—it could have been worse, so I am thankful.”
Rory and Jai nodded their heads in agreement.
“I’m sorry I made both of you worry, but can we please put this behind us and enjoy the first day of the new year?” I requested.
Jai smiled at me for the first time since last night. “Fine, but you better promise never to leave without informing one of us again.”
I grinned back at him. “I promise.”
Rory, Jai, and I played Scotland Yard, my favorite board game. Jai was new to the game, and I explained the rules to him.
“So, one of us would be selected as X, the convict. The objective of X is to run away from the other two police officers who try to catch them,” I said. “The board is the map of Scotland. The officers and X have only finite bus, taxi, and tram tickets to achieve their respective objectives. If the police detect X’s position, they win. Otherwise, it’s X’s game.”
I won all games, whether I was X or the officer. Jai and Rory were bent on beating me, so I asked them both to be the fugitives and still won.
“Not fair, T. We’re newbies, and you’ve played this many times before,” Rory complained.
I laughed. “You’ve played Scotland Yard before with Mom and me. That makes you a little more experienced.”
“Well, I played this for the first time, and it still took Tina nine moves to catch me,” Jai added proudly. “Maybe I’m secretly a pro and will be able to beat both of you by the end of today.”
“No way. It’s impossible to beat me at this game,” I boasted.
“Then show us by winning with only half the moves,” Jai challenged me.
I smirked at my friends. “Challenge accepted.”
Sure enough, Jai and Rory were still not able to beat me.
Rory threw his hands up in frustration as I guffawed loudly, mocking him. “I give up. This game is rigged.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “You are a sore loser. And I am a genius. Accept it.”
“Yeah, yeah, beat me at chess, then I will accept your statement,” Jai said, snickering.
“Don’t ever play chess with Jai. He turns into a monster,” Rory cautioned me.
Jai snickered at Rory’s warning, but I flipped my hair mock-arrogantly, knowing chess was one of the most difficult war strategy games in the world, with intricate rules. “So what? You still can’t beat me at Scotland Yard.”
Our banter continued for some time when I suddenly started feeling drowsy and exhausted. I could feel the effect of the medication wearing off. I winced in pain, and my friends got up from their seats to make sure I was alright.
“T, please get some rest in your room,” Rory suggested.
I went to my room without argument and plopped on the bed. I woke up with a start later and realized it was dark outside.
I saw that wristband in my dream just now. Was it really him?
Still groggy, I fumbled for a piece of paper inside my backpack. When I found it, I switched on the lights and examined the photograph carefully. It was the same picture that had led me to believe Pete Hilton was involved in the horrific crime at the fundraiser. Shaking Pete’s hand was the person wearing a pink wristband.
