Out Of Time

“Man, that’s mess up. I can’t believe his parents are bailing him out.” Nick said as we walked out of the gym building heading out toward the track field where the Gym teacher Mr. Jacobs told us we have to run a whole a mile for today.

“Yeah it is.” I whisper softly agreeing with him.

I couldn’t help but think about Lena in this moment wondering how she was doing. When Taylor confess that Drew’s parents are bailing him out, I saw the fear in her eyes as her face went all pale. My heart went out to her. I’ve never seen Lena been afraid of anything as long as I known her. I thought she was strong but she was fragile and weak too.

“What are you thinking about, man?” Nick asked wanting to know looking at me as we walked along side of each other.

“Lena, did you see the way she looked this morning when Taylor told her the news?” I said as I turned my head to looked at him.

'Nick nodded at that. “Yeah, poor girl, man. I feel sorry for her, having to go through that experience. It sucks big time.”
“
You want to know what sucks even more. Ever since that night, she hasn’t been the same.

She is afraid of been alone. This is some kind of wound that left her in a place that sometimes I can’t even reach. She puts up a strong face but something tells me it’s going to take awhile to heal up but I am going to be there. I am going to be there for her no matter what happens.” I said truthfully as I looked up at the sky.

It was a bright sunny day. I breathe out hoping and praying that somehow everything will turn it out well. But if Drew something to Lena when he comes back I am going to be ready for him.

“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”

I turned to looked at Nick who was looking at me with a knowing expression on his face. Almost as if he know what was going through my mind.

“She means so much more to me than I ever thought possible. A lot more than I ever want to care about anyone.”

“I think that somehow I knew that. You two have been getting close a lot lately. But be careful, Chris. I don’t think right now is the best time to be with her in the way you want to. When she is ready, she will tell you.” Nick said as the couch called out to the students to called roll.

After roll was called he set the timer and the students were off. I ran alongside of Nick as we advance the other students easily. I thought about what Nick said as I ran and knew he was right. I didn’t want to pressure Lena into something that will hurt more after what happened to her. It was going to take awhile but either way. I was ready. I was ready for something more with her. I was ready for something that will mean the whole to me.

“I knew you were falling for her even when you said you weren’t.” Nick yelled out as he was running backwards in front of me facing me with a smile on his face. He was wearing grey shorts with a white shirt and white sneakers while I was wearing a white shirt with dark blue shorts and black sneakers.

I laugh at that.

“She got you real good, buddy. Real good.” He said with a teasing tone.

“Shut up.” I said shaking my head as I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

“I just knew she was going to be the one to change you. I just knew it. From the first time you saw her and you pick her. I knew it.”

Now I didn’t know about that but come to think of it. It was true. Ever since the day I saw Lena, something feel out of place.

Flashback

“What do you think about that red head?” Taylor asked me leaning close to me pointing a red head cheerleader talking to her friends that perfect day nine months ago in the middle of March as junior students.

The girl turned to looked with a flirty smile she wave at me.

“No.” I said looking at Taylor.

“Aww come on, we have been here for over fifteen minutes. This isn’t some sort of contest. Just pick one and get over with.” Mike said looking frustrating.

“It just no one of them appeals to me.” I blurt out honestly.

“Appeals to you.” Mike repeated looking at me like I was out of my mind.

“Yeah, no one of them appeals to me.” I said honestly to them rolling my eyes feeling tired of this picking girls thing.

After a few minutes of silence as I looked down at the grass from the bench I was sitting outside of the school.

“Ooo, what about her?” Mike asked in a interesting tone and I looked up to find that he was pointing a blonde with green eyes.

“No, I want something different this time.” I said coming to the realization that all the girls that I’ve been with already look alike to me. None of them looked different. Nick looked at me with an amusing expression on his face holding back the laughter that much I knew.

Taylor breathe out still feeling frustrated about my choice.

“What’s wrong with you, man? You have never been this picky before. I am starting worry.”

He said looking at me in a concern way.

I looked at him. “I want something different. All the girls that I have been with already are starting to look alike.” I said honestly and stand up from the bench getting ready to walked away.

As I was walking away, Taylor took a hold of my shoulder and turned me around. Then pointed at someone while I was looking at him.

“What about her?” he said with a twinkle of happiness of his choice on his reflecting on his face. I breathe out and turned my head to looked at the girl he was pointing at.

Suddenly as the breathtaking creature started to smile showing an adorable pair of dimples on her cheeks I feel my world turn upside down and I couldn’t even breathe. Everything seems to freeze and the only thing that I was staring it was her. As her beautiful skin glisten with the sun and her hair move against the wind this creature I now realize looked like an Angel. A beautiful angel.

“She is perfect.” I said honestly as a smile spread across my face happily.

“Woohoo, looks like we have a winner.” Taylor cried out happily. “Look in the yearbook, what’s her name?”

I turned to looked at them as I watch Mike flip through the yearbook page after page. Then after a few seconds he stop and turned the yearbook for me too see. He pointed at the picture.

“Lena Santos.” He said.

“Lena Santos.” I repeated then turned back to looked at the girl. If I remember correctly Santos means Saint in Spanish which suit her perfectly by been an angel. “I want her.” I said feeling please about my choice and turned back to looked at the guys.

End of flashback

I guess it was true what Nick said. Ever since the day I saw Lena something snapped inside of me. Something change. I wasn’t even interested in all the others girls the guys were picking out for me but when I saw Lena something change. Something move out of place from that first sight of her. It took me awhile to convince her to go out with me but she say yes and we went out. Ever since from our first date to our first kiss weeks after I feel like my life has change for the better. I found someone who make me happy and make me feel special. I found someone who motivated me, stood there for me, who knew me for a whole new me and someone who make me realize what life was all about. But it came to all end, when she found out the true and now looked where we were friends. At least I thank god that she was in my life now. I find myself smiling at that as I continue to run my laps.

“Ooo, what’s the smile about? Are you thinking about Lena, Chris?” Nick said looking at me with a teasing expression.

“Shut up.” I said as I continue to smile as my face heat up all at once.

“Oo look at you. Man, and I thought I was way off. But yes I can see it now. Lena and Chris
sitting on a tree…” he started to sing in a cheerfully tone.

God why did he have to be so immature? I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Shut up, Nick.”

But he didn’t he continue to sing loudly ignoring the “I s he out of his mind” stares that the classmates were giving him.

“Nick, I mean it.”

“Oh yeah what are you going to do about it, lover boy.” He said with a challenging smile and I took off running faster chasing after him wanting to literally hit him hard so he could stop singing that stupid song.

At lunch time Nick finally decided to stop tutoring me to death which I god thank for it. We walked outside the cafeteria and headed toward the table where our friends were eating their lunch. I stop on my tracks when I didn’t see Lena with them. I looked around the patio and spotted her sitting all by herself away from everyone around.

“She said she wants to be alone.” Alexi voice said making me turned around and looked at her. She was looking at Lena with a gravely concern expression on her face then she looked up at me.

“Is she…” I started to asked but decided to drop it since I already knew what it was. “I am going to go and talk to her.”

Alexi nodded and I started to walked toward Lena’s direction.

“Chris…” Alexi’s voice called out to me. I turned around to looked at her once more face to face but this time from the distance. “I am really sorry about what I always thought of you. I was wrong.” She said looking guilty.

I nodded at that not knowing what to said but then end up saying “Thank you.”

Without another word I walked toward Lena and when I was close enough I sit down next to her hoping that somehow my presence will make her feel better. Her eyes turned to looked at me without a word. As her eyes search mine, she smile a little but still looked sad.

“Cookie.” I said holding a chocolate chip cookie toward her.

She slowly reach for it and took it in her hands. Still she didn’t eat it. Instead she just looked at it. I reach slowly and put an arm around her shoulder. My touch made her flinch a little but then calm down as I pulled her toward me closely. Without a word I pass my fingers through her soft hair gently.

“Everything is going to be okay. I promise. I am going to be right here with you. I am not going to let anything bad happened to you.”

I feel her tremble against my touch but she nodded her head. I slowly put my lips down on her head and close my eyes tightly shut trying to stay calm for her. It was worse than I thought. It was getting worse that much I knew. She might looked strong but she was fragile and falling apart because of it.

“I will always be here, Lena. I promise.”

****

“Everything is going to be okay. I promise. I am going to be right here with you. I am not going to let anything bad happened to you.”

The sound of his voice resounds on my head as I lay my head on my pillow looking out the window. I wish he was here. I wish he was here to make me feel better to tell everything that it’s going to be okay.

Flashback

“Hey guys what’s with the grim looked in your faces?” Alexi asked as Jaime came closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

“Well we have some bad news.” Taylor started to said when all of the sudden Mike cut him off by hitting him on the back of the head. “Ow. What was that for?”

“Dude, don’t tell them.”

“Why not? They have a right to now. Especially Lena.”

Now I was confused. There were talking about me.

“What’s going on?” I asked looking at them and they all looked so guilty so secretive. I turned to looked at Chris who was standing on my right. “Chris.” I said waiting for an answer as I looked up at him. He looked so uneasy of all of the sudden.

“Lena…” he started to said but Taylor cut him off.

“Drew’s parents are bailing him out today.”

End of flashback

I bit lower lip as tears started flowing out of my eyes rolling my cheeks. I tremble in cold fear at the thought of him. Why? Why did he tried to take advantage of me? Why did he even do it in the first place?

“Chris…” I cried out as his smiling face appear on my mind. I took that as a sign of comfort. I embrace it as I curl myself in a ball putting my arms around me. Will this feeling of fear ever go away? For the past three days I’ve been feeling alone, scare, and in pain, holding all in to myself making me have nightmares every night but lately they were getting worse. Much worse.

Flashback

“Get off of me. Get off of me.” I said trying to hit him but his holds on my arms were far too strong for me to break. “What are you doing this to me?”

“Because I want you and now I am going to have you one way or the other.” He said then bent his head and force his lips on mine.

I move my head breaking the contact. I feel my heart beat in fear as well as my skin.

End of flashback

I sit up right away as the memory came to alive in my mind. I move back and on sitting position I put my knee’s up and buried my head in them as more tears came. I rock myself back and forward. I bit my lower lip in order not to scream from the top of my lungs. Something tells me it was going to be another sleepless night.