You May Hold Me but I Am Not Your Slave

It’s been two days since Saul and The Fallen left for war. Two very long days. I wanted them to be back and safe so badly. I cupped my hands and placed my chin in the curve while leaning forward on my knees. It was sunny today and I was soaking it all up on the front porch steps. Sam took Beth to the park because...well…honestly Sam was the one who wanted to go. She is just like Beth: she’s a 4 year old inside. I could hear Escape the Fate blasting from the inside, so I knew Ashley was busy. It’s been really boring. There is nothing to do here! I can’t go out because it’s not safe. I can’t go swimming because the lake is fucking freezing. And I can’t go on the computer because Ashley is addicted to it! Ugh!

“Ali!” Ashley hollered out the front door. I cringed at the volume of her call.

“I’m right here, no need to yell.”

She looked down and smiled at her doing, “Someone is on the phone for you.”

“What?” she tossed my cell to me and I picked it up cautiously.

“It’s a boy.” She twirled her torso with a small girly voice.

I looked down at the cell and then brought it up to my ear, “Hello?”

“Hey, Aaliyah.”

“Oh, Craig! Hi!” I looked over at Ashley and shooed her away with my hand. She lifted an eyebrow and snuck back inside, only to turn down the music and open the closest window to me.

“Hey, I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight.”

“Nope, I have absolutely nothing going on.”

“Oh good,” he breathed, “So do you wanna do something tonight? With me?”

I smiled, but then it faded. Saul’s face flashed through my mind. I pushed it away mentally wondering why the hell he would pop up, “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“Uh, I was thinking movies.”

“Sweet, that sounds good.”

“So…should I pick you up around 8 then?” he asked.

“Yep, I’ll be ready.”

“Okay, see you then. Bye.”

“Bye.” I breathed hanging up. I looked up down the gravel road. A man on a horse walked across it in the distance. Geez, a place this boring should be ashamed to have a theater.

“What did he want?” Ashley burst through the door.

I stood up and swiftly walked by her and into the house. I strutted down the hallway, aware of her following me, and turned into my room. The sun beaming through the windows made the room glow, and it felt nice.

“Well? What did the dude want?”

I looked at her while rummaging through my clothes, “I,” I pulled out skinny dark wash jeans with shreds and laid them out on the bed, “Have a date.”

“What!?! No way! What’s his name?” she bounced on my bed and crossed her legs easily interested.

“His name is Craig,” I stated. She snorted and I shot her a glare, “I know, but don’t make fun! I met him at the mall last week.”

“Hmmm…I better meet him. How is he going to entertain you?” she asked sarcastically.

I tossed a slim Misfits shirt on the bed getting my outfit for tonight ready, “A movie.”

She snorted again, “That’s it?”

“Well I barely know him!”

“I know, but still.”

“Still nothing. It’s our first date, so why not. It’s classic.”

“Classically boring.” She scoffed.

I sneered and grabbed the towel slinging over the vanity chair and headed out.

“Where you going?”

“Uh, to take a shower. I’ve gotta smell clean for Craig!”

*

Craig stood nervously in the middle of the front room while Ashley circled around him. she sized him up, tugged at his shirt, and touched his hair…scoping is embarrassing. “Mhhhmmm.” She hummed.

“Shit Ashley! Can we go now?” I complained.

She gave him one last stare and nodded, “Cute, but could go for a little liner.”

“Oh, whatever! C’mon Craig.” I grabbed his hand and towed him away from another frisk.

“If you bring her back crying you’re going to wish I never found that pocketknife in your jeans!” Ashley hollered from the door as he opened the car door for me.

“Just ignore her.” I mumbled and got in. He curved the front of the car and got in himself and started the engine.

“It’s okay. It was different, but she only cares you know?” he said driving down the road.

“Yeah, but she shows it in the strangest way.” I chuckled at Ashley while thinking about how crazy she is. “So, what are we seeing tonight?”

“I don’t know, what type of movies do you like?”

“Horror.”

He glanced over at me with a huge smile, “Then this will be easy. I love horror. How about we see The Orphan?”

I shrugged, “Sounds good to me.”

It was silent for a good chunk of the time. It was kind of awkward. I just watched the silhouette of black trees fly by and other cars whiz past. “So popcorn? Or candy?”

I jumped at his voice: it was so abrupt, like a knife cutting into cotton candy…you would never suspect a knife going through that. “Popcorn of course. You can’t watch a movie without that.”

He grinned, “Soda?”

“Well, duh.”

“What’s your brandy?”

I peered up at him, he has a weird way of putting things, “Code Red Mountain Dew.”

“Nice choice.”

I nodded my head, “What about you?”

“Decently Coke.”

“That’s boring!” I laughed easing the tension in the car.

“At least it’s better than having a hundred teaspoons of sugar flow through my veins like you’ll have by the end of tonight.”

“Yeah, just take me to the movie.” I wasn’t sure if that was an insult or not…but for some reason I didn’t like how he sounded so defensive.

*

“And then during the movie he tried putting his arm around me!” I threw my hands up in the air exploding after a very horrible date. Ashley and Sam were sitting in their pajamas on the couch intrigued about my story of my date.

“No!” they both gasped.

“Yah! And then he got up to go take a call and when he stood he dumped his soda all over me!”

“Is that why you were wet when you came home?” Sam asked.

“That’s exactly why! And whenever we disagreed he always got so defensive! Ugh, it was a date never to be repeated.” I slumped into the couch and pouted.

“So, did he ask you out again?” Ashley asked a little afraid of my answer.

“Yep.”

“What did you say?” Sam sat up straight.

“I was being nice and said sure.”

I looked at them and both of their jaws dropped.

“What?” I asked getting up.

“If you had such a horrible night why did you agree to go out again?” they both yelled following me.

“I don’t know! I just wanted to, I guess.” They started to laugh like crazy and I joined in. I can’t believe I agreed to go with him again. Ha-ha! I’m such a desperate person! Ha-ha! The phone began to ring and we all settled down. No one moved to the phone, we just all stared at it dumbstruck. Almost as if we forgot how to answer the phone.

I made the first move and rushed to the phone before the answer machine came on. “Hello?”

“Ali?”

“Yeah, who is this?”

“It’s Olivia.”

A smile spread and an arousal of excitement grew, “Oh my gosh, Olivia! Are you okay? Is somebody hurt?”

“No, everyone is fine. We just sent out troops this morning. We’re just calling to see how everyone is doing.”

“Oh,” I looked around at the two girls staring at me, trying to listen in on the conversation, “Yeah, we’re fine. How are you guys?”

“Terrified.”

“Kind of guessed that.”

“You know I told Saul to let you come with us, right?”

I furrowed my eyebrows and blinked, “Uh, no.”

“Yeah, well I did. He’s very protective…especially over you.”

“I hardly believe that. If he is so protective then you should tell him to stop hurting me.”

She sighed heavily, “Listen I have to go. But I’ll give him your message. Bye.”

“Be careful.” I wished before she hung up. I set the phone down on the charger and turned around, thinking really hard.

“Don’t hurt yourself thinking blondie.” Ashley mumbled as I walked past her. But, I was offended…this might actually be the first time I hurt myself while thinking. I always knew he was protective…but why exactly?