EvaI am sitting on the bed, the soft, white bathrobe the hotel offers wound around my body. Nathan was right. They do have toothbrushes and everything in here. I’ve wrapped my hands around my knees and the water from my wet hair’s still dripping on me, some drops land on the nice, fashionable carpet on the floor. Everything seemed perfect. Once Nathan went out, I did stay alone with my head and took a look around. This was me and this was happening. I was here, miles away from home with the person I’ve liked the moment I had seen him. We were in a nice hotel, and ...and then I went to the bathroom and took my clothes off. What’s worse than having the school nurse come and give the class the sex education lesson and show us how to put condoms on; what’s worse than dropping your pad in front of your classmates on your way out to the restroom is, and I swear it’s the worst thing ever- is getting your period when you are finally with the person you’ve liked for months and you can fi
He’s closed his eyes, and water’s dripping from his hair all over his chest. I see his tattoos, the ones I’ve seen only partly are now at full display. There’s the dragon I saw that time at Aaron’s and I see branches of a tree that are drawn on the skin above his ribs. They continue to the back, and then the tree goes even lower on his torso, but the rest is under the soapy water. I avert my eyes and turn my back on him before he’s seen me checking him out like an idiot. Like last time.I know tattoos are something special to people who have them; I mean, that’s not always true for everyone, but I somehow know a little about Nathan to know by now that’s not the case with him and they are likely something important. And I don’t want to be sticking my nose where it shouldn’t be, so I only say.“Yes?”I lean against the wall of the bath and I hear him say behind me. “Why haven’t you asked me?”“About?”“What exactly happened back in England. “I relax against the thin wall, separatin
EvaAfter we've finished the bottle, we have decided I need a first tattoo and I am getting one. Tomorrow. We are lying on the bed, my head on his lap. Nathan checks quickly and finds a place. "They should be open. I don't know if they'll have available spots, but...""But you are persuasive".Nathan smirks."Well, I can be."My eyelids are getting heavier by the minute, but I'm trying to stay awake. I hear rustling from him and see he's looking for his cigarettes. "I thought you quit."I say, sleepy. "I am."Nathan says quietly. "I'll go out and..."He tries to get up, but I squeeze his tight lightly. "No, stay here.""Are you sure you don't mind?""Of course I am."I hear the sound his zippo makes, then I catch the scent of the smoke coming from his burning cigarette. The TV is still on, and the only light in the room comes from its screen, painting the whole room with the blue-is light. The sound of Nathan's quiet voice lulls me to sleep. I think he's asking me something, and
KyleWe finish practice at about four, but I decide to stay longer and work some more on my shooting. I’ve been favoring my strong side, the way we all probably do, but I know I shouldn’t. By the time I finish, even my coach’s left and the older guy, cleaning the ice yells at me from the top of the big machine he’s driving. “Hey, Kyle.”“Yes, Sir?”I lift my protection gear off my helmet and he shakes his head. “Wrap it up for today, boy. I ‘aint staying all night because of you. “I laugh and shake my head, but still, gather all my stuff and head for the showers. The school’s empty by now and I type a message to Jeremy if he wants to meet later. Although later would probably mean late, and I assume he’d say no. I take my clothes off and once I do, I realize my feet are numb and my leg has started to hurt even more. “Damn, it, “ I mutter as I try to relax and run the hot water over me once I’m in the shower. A few minutes like that and I feel better. Everything is quickly wrappe
Eva School, students, hallways, classmates talking about their homework; complaining about what their mother said, or about who had the shitty sandwiches at the cafeteria or will there be a history test next week. I am walking towards my classroom. Everything’s the same, yet it’s not. It is because those are the same faces I’ve been seeing for so long, that I know what each is talking about without even me trying to listen. It isn’t, because I feel different. It is not because of the tattoo, or everything that happened in the past days. I feel like, and it’s that perfect feeling, of not having to explain anything to anyone. It’s the absence of a need to try and make yourself clear to others. Because it doesn’t matter who does or doesn’t understand, as long as you know yourself. The chicks, the nerds, the gorillas from the hockey team, the funny clowns- they are all the same, The difference is- I don’t care about either of them. I open the door and head for my seat. “Sorry I’
Jeremy “Hey, Kyle. “ I send him a message while we’re in class and it’s one of those situations where you send a message to someone from the other end of the room and you wait for them to go for their phones and see it. Not that I’ve done this much before. He picks his phone out and I soon receive a “Yes?” “I also think about you when I jerk off. “ Kyle drops his phone on the floor, and the whole class looks at him, the teacher included. One of the bad things about Kyle being so popular is I feel like they just won’t let him off. I mean, girls are smiling at him all the time, but there’s nothing he does that goes unnoticed. I’m also jealous, and I can’t believe I’m saying it, but that’s my problem. Kyle mutters a sorry and he bends over and picks it up. The teacher continues with whatever she’s been saying, and the others return to what they’ve been doing. Kyle glances in my direction and I try to suppress a smile while looking out of the window. My phone buzzes shortly afte
“McDavid" My coach shouts at me as I am heading for the locker room after practice."Yea, Coach?""How have you been doing?" "How? You mean the leg?""No, I mean where's your head?"I take my gloves off and ask "Why, what do you mean?""Jared tells me you're working the same way together as before.""What? Did he say that?"My coach crosses his arms and says " Look, I don't know what's happening between you guys, and I see you're still my nest player, but if your Captain's feeling something's off, you get your ass there and figure out, yeah? I don't have time for this. You'll be leading the team soon, I might make the change even earlier. So better go smooth things put with him."He's already heading away, so I only say a"Yes, Coach."I head for the showers, trying not to get over-excited about what he just told me.* * *“Coach said something today."Jeremy stubs his cigarette on the ground."What happened?""That ...well, he said two things."Jeremy throws the cigarette bud in the
EvaI’m listening to music when my mother knocks on the door of my room. My tattoo has healed completely and I can’t believe my mother never even noticed. No, I can believe it. She knocks again and I say “Yes, “ Maybe something’s happened because my mother never knocks. She just opens, comes in, and does what she wants to either leave the laundry or ask me why I haven’t put my shoes back on the shoe rag. “Eva? Are you sleeping? ““No,” I say and take my headphones off. She closes the door behind her and sits at the edge of my bed. All right, something’s happened then.I doubt that Miss Chase has called. Or she might have, but my mother wouldn’t react that way if she had. I just know. Which means something’s wrong. I adjust my pillow higher and lean back straighter. “Mom, what is it? Are you all right? ““Yes, I’m all right. “She takes my hand and I just let her to. It’s something about work. I’m sure she got fired again.“Mom?”“They called from the hospital. ““What hospital
D Fox The story Nathan talks about when he explains his tattoos is Sakura Gari (The Hunt for Cherry Blossoms) by the brilliant Yuu Watase. He was the character I was most hesitant about when writing, just because Nathan is the ‘misunderstood’ one; the one even I couldn’t always understand. Everything starts with Jeremy, who speaks to the reader whenever he’s uncomfortable; he breaks the fourth wall in an attempt to escape, until he finally stops because he’s found his way. Partly thanks to Kyle, partly because of himself. And by the end, Eva is the one who starts talking to us. Gray Daze is the novel I began writing even before The Gentleman’s Code. I was just afraid of writing about some of the topics here. Afraid, because I know everyone dealing with any kind of emotional trauma, or however you want to name mental health problems (I hate the word problems, especially in this context, but that’s how they’re listed in the Mental Health Foundation List) has a different experienc
Eva "Eva, I'm off. Don't forget to eat something before you go to your part-time, okay?" “Okay. “ “Bye then, “ "No, Mom. Wait." I rush down the stairs and catch her right before she's closed the door from the outside. "Wait." "What is it." “Nothing. “ I kiss her lightly on the cheek "Just wanted to say have a nice shift." "Is this because I found out about the tattoo?" "No," I smile, "Because of everything else." My mother smiles at me and cups my face. “I’m your mother, Eva. “ “But still…” She pauses and when she speaks again, her voice is full of affection and understanding. "We all make mistakes. Look at me. And we're all first teenagers before we become adults. So don't think just because I am old, I don't remember what it's like to be 18." "Okay, I know, I just..." I cast my eyes down, and even though it hadn't been her intention, I feel guilty. Not for now. But for before, for all the things I've thought about her or called her in my head. "Okay, Eva
KyleI hear footsteps coming my way, as I'm lying under a car in Dad's garage, trying to fix the breaks of an old model they just brought in.I know it's not Jeremy because he's with Stela and they wouldn't be so quiet if they came in.I slide from under it and see my father."Dad?"We've been walking carefully around each other in the past few days.The reason- well, he knows about my grand show at the finals."Hello, Kyle.""Uhh, I'm almost done here, is there anything else I need to fix? I thought you'll be working on the truck. "I have no idea what he's doing here."No, you... That's enough for today once you finish with that one you can go.""Uh, okay."I'm still lying, waiting for him to continue.My father props himself against the front of one of the cars opposite me and crosses his arms.Then he relax
"Eva? Really? ""Yeah, why? "" I'm Adam. ""You are kidding," Chris exclaims and I give him a flat look."That's not your real name.""Does it matter?"The guy asks and leans forward, placing his palms on the table we've been standing around."No," I say, "It doesn't.""Are you a friend of Max's?"Chris asks and the guy, maybe his name is Adam for real, and he shakes his head. "No, my friend is. I don't know anyone here.""You do now."Chris says teasingly and they exchange a smile."You have a friend here, let's go to him. I wanna meet him."I'm pretty sure Chris is getting tipsy, but that shouldn't be a problem.On the contrary.We go back to the living room, where I see an unfamiliar face, and I assume that's Adam's friend.He's another cute guy, not that tall, but it's still evident he works out.Adam introduces u
"Eva!"Chris hugs me when she sees me enter the room at Max's.It's crowded, as usual.I can't help but glance at the piano, and that time when I first spoke to Nathan.It feels like two lifetimes ago."I wasn't sure you'd come," she says worriedly.But I'm not worried, not anymore. I don’t care f he’s here or not. I might be lying to myself, but I’m trying to sound as persuasive as possible, even in my head. So far it hasn’t been working, but I’m doing my best."Well," I smile widely, “I have a reason to celebrate too. ““Yeah?”“The principal let me off the hook this time.“"No!""Yes," I say and Chris hugs me again.“I mean, it wasn’t that simple, but he said considering my previous record, he won’t suspend me.““Oh, my god, that’s awesome. We really should cel
* * *We won. We didn't only win, but we won with a big difference. It’s indescribable, I feel my hands are shaking while I am taking my skates off. Even an hour later, the exhilaration still hasn’t died yet and I hear the others singing and banding the walls on their way to the lockers. They all come in together, I guess I’m busted because I kind of ran away again."Sorry, guys," I say and laugh "But I just thought that's the thing to do." "Are you crazy? " Will pushes past Mile and says "We were with you since the beginning. I don't care where you put your thing as long as it's not in me." "Yeah, Kyle. I mean, “ Max says, “I knew ever since I saw you with Jeremy at my place." "Really?" "Well, yeah. I don't know, man. Just- I don't care, what you do is your business. I don't think anyone else besides Jared had a problem with it." "And his actual problem was you're better. That's all." Will says"I can't believe you think that,"“Of course we do. That's more girls for us, right
Kyle"All right, listen up," Coach gathers us all right before the game."That's your most important game. Not only because we're almost at the finals, but because tonight the audience is not just your grannies or cousins, all right?""Yes, Coach,"We say together and he continues "Tonight there are recruiters from some of the top league teams. Do you know what this means?"It's like we're retarded. Of course, we know what it means, but we can't tell him that, so we shout in agreement again."Now get your asses out there and if you impress the right people, your future is something to be proud of. Come on and let's kick The Knights' asses."Everyone starts booing and we lift our sticks and get out on the ice.My teammates are excited, dizzy with the adrenaline, and the amazing prospect of either being offered a scholarship, or invited to an actual professional team.&nbs
"You stupid bitch, who do you think you are?" Maddison pulls my hair and my hand goes automatically for hers, pulling harder.It probably looks nothing like fighting in movies.It's mostly hair-pulling and shouting.I feel hands around my waist, pulling me back.I see someone else's arms wrap around Maddison and there's enough space around us now that I can pause and take a breath. "You're crazy," She keeps shouting at me and I push my classmates to hold me.The damage- I did pull her hair extensions and they're now on the floor.Some of the guys around are laughing, others are frowning at her eye, turning blue very quickly. Me. Well. I feel the blood of my split lip trickling and my hand shots to wipe it clean and I flinch as I do so, because it stings. The reason for all of this-Maddison is wearing the scarf I saw in Nathan's room.
Oh, there it is, I think to myself. This is what probably Nathan meant when he said addiction never goes away.He not only meant it doesn't go away for you but also the people around you.I guess they suspect him every time he is home after eleven.I shake my head, somehow understanding why he doesn't like trusting people.Trust is a two-way street, and, even his closest, or at least those that are supposed to be his closest ones, don't trust him."No, Jeremy," I say and smile "Don't worry. He's fine. We're fine."He frowns and something passes his face."What?""No, nothing. That's good, then. Just don't trust him too much, all right? ""I thought you were his brother."I joke."Exactly."He holds my eyes for a second and I decide to change the topic."Okay, I’ll keep it in mind. Thank for…for the warning. And you? How are thing