Chapter 2

Second chapter to my novel Aimless

Chapter 2

 

Luis

 

            Luis always loved Halloween, and this one would be no different then any other. He loved the flamboyant costumes, the raunchy laughter, and the cackles in the dark. Most of all, Luis loved fear. He loved the clenching of his arms and legs. The tingle in your stomach. The trembling in your hands as your blood rushed. The screaming in your brain to run, the pounding of your heart and the surge of adrenaline begging you to stay. Being terrified was really the only way to be one hundred percent alive.

          Another thing Luis loved was the Halloween party he threw every year. Because both he and Iris had Leukemia, and had to be careful about going about, his parents offered to throw them a party. True, the tradition started when the group was nine, and since then it has dropped from crazy decorations, a haunted house, and a safe trick-or-treat route to the five of them sitting in the Holley’s expansive living room with junk food and a collection of terrifying horror films.

          There was a rapid knocking. Impatient. An hour early. Definitely Naomi. Luis, tripping over an extremely large bean bag chair, opened the door to let her in. Naomi smiled and thrust a bag of candy at Luis, dancing towards the seat furthest from the television. Naomi hated things jumping out, or loud noises. Luis sighed and tossed the candy towards a large pile by the windows.

          “Every year, I tell you not to bring stuff,” Luis began. Naomi snorted. “Save it Luis. Already bought. And you know darn well that whatever we don’t devour, your siblings will. Where are Ted and Serena anyway?”

          Luis flopped on the couch. “Trick-or-treating with my parents. Serena’s first year.” Naomi made the typical girly squeal that any teenage girl makes when a baby does something cute. To be honest though, Cody and Sam made that noise sometimes too. Luis smirked. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone…or could he? Did he even want to?

          “Luis, guess what?” Naomi interrupted his thoughts. She then moved on to a long talk about her family friend doing something. Luis listened, but he also let his thoughts wander. His mind jumped, topic to topic. He finally settled on Naomi. He always thought she was pretty. She hadn’t had a chemo appointment in a couple of months, so her curly black hair had begun to grow back. Her large, sea green eyes sparkled as she spoke, her pale skin flushing as she laughed. Her pixie like body animated as she spoke, hands flying up and down. Luis smiled as Naomi wrapped up her story. He got up as the door was pounded upon. Time flew by as Iris, Sam and Cody appeared. They flashed through the films, starting with classics, “The Poltergeist”, “The Exorcist”, moving up to newer films. At the end of the last one, the clock chimed 10, and everyone had to disperse. Luis got up, and held up his hands.

          A quell of fear burbled inside of him. Never, in his life, had he been so scared. Maybe fear wasn’t the greatest thing ever. But he forced his mouth open, and the rehearsed words began to tumble out.   

          “So, you guys remember Jay?” General nodding. A rush of blood in his head. Keep going. “Well, we’ve been hanging a lot more lately-”   

          “Tell me about it,” Complained Cody. “I barely get to see you anymore, you jerk.” Sam chuckled and Iris threw a pillow and Cody’s head, laughing. But Naomi’s face scrunched up, trying to figure something out.

          “Luis… are you trying to say…?” Naomi leaned forward and said it softly, as Iris, Cody and Sam mock-argued. Luis shook his head and straightened. “Guys. Please. Let me finish.” The group fell silent.

          “I had a speech planned out, but to hell with it. I’m gay.”

 

Iris

 

            Iris groaned in  frustration, erasing the math problem in frustration. She hated math. She hated being bad at math. She hated her stupid head and her stupid worksheet, and the stupid teacher that wouldn’t acknowledge her when she raised her hand for her, and she hated the stupid-

          “Need some help?” An unfamiliar voice asked. She looked toward the source to find a boy pulling up his chair towards her.  He had big brown eyes, and curly brown hair. Iris smiled back reflexively. “I suck at pretty much everything. So, yeah.” The boy laughed.

          “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Algebra is confusing sometimes. I’m John by the way.” Iris shook his hand, and introduced herself.

          He took up her pencil and gave her a simple, easy explanation of her problem. Iris was exasperated. “Why the hell couldn’t Mr. Daley tell us that?” John laughed and stated, “He’s not the most…attentive teacher.” They both laughed as they glanced at the said teacher, who was reading a book. 

          “Well Iris, why haven’t we talked before? We have nearly every class together.” John tapped her wrist in disapproval. Iris smiled shyly.

          “I don’t really talk to people much.” John shook his head.

          “Then who is that tall guy you talk to everyday?” Iris laughed nervously. “Are you spying on me?” John rolled his eyes.

          “He walks you from last period to home all the time. I would know…I have that class with you.” Iris flushed.

          “Sam is different.”

          “How? Are you guys dating?”

You’re really invasive. Leave me alone. Iris thought about saying that. But she didn’t want to. She liked talking to John. He helped her….open up.

          “No…we’re in a support group together. I have Leukemia, he has Endocarditis.” John went pale.

          “Oh shoot. I’m so sorry, I’m getting way to obnoxious. I’m sorry-” Iris smiled and tapped his hand.

          “It’s fine. It really is. I like talking to you anyway.” The next 20 minutes Iris talked on and on about her family, her disease, and her friends. John was surprisingly interested, interjecting with questions, smiling and looking sad at the right moments. She paused when she came to Luis being gay.

          “How do you feel about that?” John inquired, leaning closer. Iris shrugged.

          “Happy for him I guess. Kind of surprised. But really happy for him.”

John smiled as the bell rang.

          “May I walk you to Biology?” He asked, walking out with her. Iris gave him a look. “How do you-”

          “Same class Iris.” John and Iris laughed. Iris glowed, excited to be with someone she can talk to so easily.

 

Naomi

 

 

            The two young people smiled as they leaned their heads forward for a kiss…

“And have no noses,” Naomi gasped, annoyed. She ripped the page out of her book, and tossed it aside. All day, all week her art has been screwed up. She blamed Cody, one hundred percent. After the party, Cody disappeared. No one had seen or heard from him all week. Naomi has sent him around 50 texts, and nearly went over her limit. He didn’t respond. Sam called up Ruth, who cryptically said “I’ve talked to Cody recently. He’s fine. He’s just fairly wrapped up with something right now.”

          “Jerk.” Naomi muttered. She stood up, and stretched. Her mom was at work, and the apartment was clean, for once. She sat down and grappled with paper and pencil for about twenty minutes, struggling to draw something… attractive. She pulled back, and smiled. A fairy sat on a rock, one leg stretched out, one bent. Her arms wrapped around the shin of her bent leg. Her pale pink hair fell in waves down her back, dainty blue butterfly wings sprouting from her back. Her blue eyes were down cast, her green skin pale. Raspberry petals sprouted from a wreath of little purple flowers outlining her chest. One strap slid down her slim arm. A dark forest surrounded her, and she was illuminated by fireflies, which buzzed about. Naomi grinned. Maybe her best work yet. She closed up her sketch book, grabbed her phone, and called Cody. She usually called him 5 times a day. She was used to hearing two rings then being dumped into voice mail. On the third ring, someone answered.

          “Jesus woman. Calm down with the calls.” Cody sounded annoyed, but he was laughing a little.

          “Cody!” Naomi squealed, jumping up and down with delight. “You actually answered!”

          Cody laughed. “I guess I did.”

          Naomi stopped jumping. “You jerk! Where have you been?”

Cody sighed on the other end. “It’s actually good news. I was staying with my mom, and she’s getting remarried. I’m glad; dad was a jerk to her.”

          Naomi yelped with delight. She loved Amelia.

“That’s great!” “Yeah, it is,” agreed Cody. “She wants to spend a week with my soon-to-be-step-dad’s family, and they live in the middle of freaking no where. I had no service until now.”

          “Oh. Makes sense.” Naomi sighed with relief.

          “Well, -g-to-leaving-no-ser-bye!” Cody fizzled out. Naomi smiled, sat down, and retried the sketch of the kissing couple.

          They looked early familiar.

 

Cody

 

        Cody despised the country. He hated the emptiness. The bugs. The cold. And the people. They were nice enough, but they were…off. As Cody, his Mom and Jaime left the restaurant that was actually near cell service and drove back in the car Cody leaned forward.

          “They’re all serial killers, aren’t they?” He glanced at Jaime, his soon to be step dad.

          “Cody!” His mother admonished, staring at him widened in the rear view mirror. She tightened her grip on the wheel. Jaime laughed loudly, and grinned at turned around.

          “Yeah, my family is a little…I come from a weird family.” Cody smirked. That’s part of the reason he liked Jaime. He understood Cody.

          “Jaime, don’t encourage him,” Amelia budded in, laughing herself. Her eyes sparkled when she laughed.

          “Come on. They drink the syrup!” Cody said, shaking his head. Putting waffles in your mouth, and then drinking syrup? Off.

          “Thank God I escaped to New York when I had the chance.” Jaime shook his head.

          “They’re nice,” comforted Cody, cocking his head to the side and smiling helpfully.

          “Enough,” allowed Jaime. But his expression darkened. “But don’t do anything wrong. My parents like to raise children the old fashioned way, and aren’t afraid to cut a switch.”

          Amelia frowned. “They touch my son, I dump you.”

          Jaime mock gasped, “No!” He dragged out the ‘O’, then banged his head mournfully on the dashboard and made odd wailing sounds. Cody roared with laughter, and Amelia smiled.

          “Seriously though Jaime. Help Cody out a little.”

“Of course,” Jaime smiled. “I’ll look out for my buddy.”

          Cody smiled. Actually happy. The only other time he was this happy was when he was with Naomi.

          Naomi. She texted and called Cody way more then the others. Did that mean-? No. Don’t think it. Don’t start. Thinking and wishing would get him exactly no where.

          He sighed, and wondered if Jaime would give him any girl advice.

 

 

Sam

 

         Did Sam always suspect Luis was gay? Well, no. But his curiosity began about the time school started, and the talk of Jay began. When ever it was the two of them, Luis would talk on and on about Jay.

          Sam glanced across the table at Luis. He sat chattering about Jay again, every now and then sipping his coffee.

          “Is he gay?” Sam interrupted, sipping his own drink. Luis choked a little.

          “What?” He spluttered, wiping up the mess he made as best he could.

          “Is he,” Sam repeated, “gay?”

          “I-I don’t kno-wha-you’re-if…”Luis faltered, fumbling with his cup. “So you don’t know then,” Sam concluded, smirking.

          “I…you can’t just ask…why does it matter?” Luis finished with a look of disdain. Sam rolled his eyes. “It’s obvious you like him. You talk about him almost nonstop.” Luis frowned.

          “Maybe. But I don’t know if he’s…well…if he’s…”

          “Gay? Playing for the right team? There are others, but they’re rude,” Sam remarked with a grin. Luis grimaced. “It’s not something you can randomly ask, Sam. What if he’s…well…”

          “Straight? Playing for the wrong team? Luis, there is a plethora of usable terms!”

          “Whatever; I don’t know if he’s on my team, but I suspect so. At least I hope so.”

          Sam smiled. “Well, the only thing you talk more about is-” Sam broke off, wheels in his head turning. No way. He thought. There’s no way that-

          “Same?” Luis interrupted his thoughts. Sam leaned forward. “The only thing you talk more about is Cody.”

          Luis’ eyes popped. He stood up quickly, grabbed Sam’s arm, then dragged him out of the café.

          “Don’t you dare tell a soul,” hissed Luis. “EVER.”

          “You love Cody.” Sam stated, staring at Luis. This is one screwed up soap opera crap fest. Luis likes Cody, Cody likes Naomi, Naomi likes Cody, I like Iris and she loves… Sam had no idea who Iris liked.

          “It’s not love!” Luis snapped. Sam gave him a look.

          “Really? How long have you felt like this?” Luis hesitated. “Long enough he said bitterly.

          “A day? A week? A month?”

          “Four years. Happy?” Luis threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. The two glared at one another, then Sam sighed.

          “I won’t tell.”

 

          “Luis,” Ruth began, “How does coming out feel?” Everyone groaned and Luis shook his head. “Ruth, have you been watching Maury?” Sam, Iris and Naomi laughed. “Maybe,” Ruth admitted. “But this needs to be discussed!” No one volunteered information.

          “I’ll get everyone pizza,” She offered. “I feel freer!” Cried Luis, laughing.  The collection joined in.

          “Okay. Good enough.” As Ruth scurried off to call for pizza, the doorbell went off. Naomi opened it. The others heard a loud shout of delight. Cody strolled in, with an eager Naomi clinging to him.

          “Sorry I’m late guys. Just got back from the freaking country.” There was a general welcoming, then everyone fell into their usual seats. Cody regaled them with tales about his extremely weird soon to be family, and jokes Jamie had made.

          Ruth watched the group laugh and joke. She decided to wait in the kitchen until the pizza came. She decided that the kids deserved a little bit of time to be carefree. 

Author's Note

Does the dialogue seem logical? Is it interesting at this point?