Apologies

Chapter 13 of Banished for Love

When I get back to Jeremy’s house, only one light is on downstairs. Being too much of a wimp to want to face anyone, I scale the plant grate that covers the entire front of the house into my room. I slip through the window and quietly close it.

 

As soon as I flip the lock, Jeremy turns my lamp on from his seat in the chair, scaring the bejeezus out of me. I whip around to face him, hand flying to cover my erratically beating heart.

 

“I was wrong,” he says softly, staring at his hands folded in his lap. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me. You were just trying to keep yourself from getting hurt. I see that now.” I am rendered speechless. I had been expecting anger, the cold shoulder, anything but this. He looks up at me, eyes shining with unshed tears.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers as those tears begin to spill over. “I was terrified when you never came back. I was so afraid something had happened to you, or that I’d scared you away entirely.”

 

I step numbly over to the chair, kneeling in front of him so we are nearly eye to eye. I take his face gently in my hands, wiping his tears away with my thumbs.

 

“Oh Jeremy,” I say softly. “I’m the one who should be sorry for running out on you.” He leans forward to wrap me in a tight hug. I return it, just as tight.

 

“Don’t you even say that, you had every right. I was being a serious asshat.” He murmurs into my hair.

 

“It’s alright, let’s just forget all about it, okay?” I say, pulling back to look at him.

 

“I’d like that,” he says smiling. “Oh, that reminds me. Stay here for a sec.” Jeremy disappears out the door. I turn to sit in the chair, curling up on one side of it to await his return.

 

“My parents recently went on vacation to Greece,” he says, walking in with his hands behind his back. “I asked my mom to get one of these for you,” he brings his hand out from behind him, revealing a small square box. I pat the chair beside me and he comes to sit down. I take the box from his outstretched hand, curiously lifting the lid.

 

Nestled in tissue paper is a glass circle with small wooden beads hanging from the bottom. Based on the style of design, I identify it as some kind of dream catcher. Though it’s unlike any I’ve ever seen. The main circle, as well as the beads, are designed, I can only guess, to look like eyes.

 

“Evil eyes, they ward off evil. Based on the nightmares you’ve been having, I figured you could use one,” Jeremy explains with a smile.

 

“It’s beautiful, and appropriate,” I say, smiling up at him. “Thank you, that's so thoughtful of you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” he replies, kissing my forehead. The warmth of his lips on my skin seeps a little into the black stain on my heart, but the feeling is still infuriatingly hollow.

 

I stand to hang the dream catcher on the wall above my bed. Then, remembering the promise I had made to myself, I walk back over to curl up with Jeremy. “So, I was thinking today and I realized we’ve never done the whole 20 questions thing where I get to learn your favorite things, your hopes and dreams, you know, stuff like that.”

 

Jeremy chuckles, “Ask away.”

 

“Alright, what’s your favorite movie?”

 

Jeremy ponders for a long time, “Moulin Rouge,” he finally decides.

 

My eyebrows shoot up, “For real?”

 

“You got a problem with my movie choice?” Jeremy looks at me defensively.

 

“Not at all, I love musicals, that’s actually one of my favorites too,” I say smiling.

 

“My turn to ask you something, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?” Jeremy asks me.

 

“Everywhere. This is the only part of Earth I’ve really gotten to see in person. England, Japan, Egypt, Australia, I want to see them all,” I say, thinking of the simulations I’ve seen of different parts of the world.

 

“Looks like we’ll have to plan a trip to sate your wanderlust,” Jeremy smiles at me.

 

My eyes light up at the thought. “It’s a date. Now, big one, what about favorite music?”

 

“For that it’s easier if we migrate to my room.” Jeremy stands up, taking my hand and pulling me up with him. We head down the hall to his room. “I have a bunch of my favorite CDs if you want to check them out. Right side of my closet,” Jeremy says, laying down sideways across the foot of his bed and propping his feet up on the wall. I kneel before his closet and slide the door open, off to peruse the shelf. I notice a rather large trophy shoved next to the rack.

 

“What’s this?” I ask, gesturing to it.

 

“Oh, that’s just a trophy from when I was learning karate and competed in tournaments,” he says, trying to brush it off as no big deal.

 

“Really? What belt are you?” I ask curiously. He rolls over onto his stomach to face me.

 

“First degree black belt,” he says with a triumphant, somewhat cocky, smirk. My eyebrows rise in shock.

 

“Wow, that means you must be pretty ninja,” I say jokingly.

 

He raises one eyebrow, clearly feeling challenged. “You doubt my ninja skills?”

 

“Maybe a little,” I say, playing along, baiting him. His smirk grows to the most devious grin I have ever seen. It looks misplaced on his usually sweet face. My eyes widen in response to it.

 

“You wouldn’t dare,” I say, narrowing my eyes as we both stand.

 

“Challenge accepted,” he says, slipping into a fighting stance. Before I have time to react, he drops to a crouch and sends out a leg swipe and the bottoms of my feet within the same second. My balance is thrown off and I fall back toward the floor, sucking in a surprised gasp. Before I hit the ground, Jeremy’s arms are catching me, mere inches from the floor. All this happens within a three second time frame.

 

He stands there, cradling me to him, still smiling deviously. I can only imagine the look of shock contorting my frozen face.

 

“If your eyes widen any further, they just might end up on the floor,” he says with great interest. I blink a few times, working to force my face to glare at him.

 

“Just be warned; I don’t get mad, I get even.” I say, the quake in my voice making the threat less effective.

 

“I dare you,” he responds, grin growing impossibly wider.

 

I c**k an eyebrow at him, concentrating. No longer in control of his actions, I have him first set me on my feet. His brow furrows in confusion before a goofy, over peppy grin is pasted on his face. He then prances happily around the room singing “I’m a pretty princess!” over and over again. I allow him to regain control of his actions and he turns to look at me, horrified.

 

“Now imagine if something like that were to happen in public. Say, at school perhaps. Maybe next time I’ll even have you belt out Broadway show tunes,” I take my turn to grin deviously. His horrified look intensifies before he surrenders.

 

“Point taken, don’t mess with Kelsey,” he says, doing a little I’m not worthy-esque bow.

 

“You got that right! You may be a physical ninja, but remember that I am a mental terrorist, a brain ninja.” I say smugly, tapping my temple.