Chapter 33 #2
What did my little Red have to face to make her so unwilling to receive anything from others? And for her to be so happy with something as tiny as a robbed muffin?
I know she’s like us, that she has her own pain…but how deep does it run?
Has someone hurt her? The thought has me instantly clenching my fists harder, the force of it drawing blood as it drips down my fingers and creating a trail to the path below.
No. I shake my head. She couldn’t smile so beautifully everyday and be as strong as she is if she had suffered like that.
Me and my brothers were different. We only survived our pain because we had each other, and even then we’re still broken. Our cracks show.
Whereas someone like Red, if she had suffered anything like that and alone…a heavy breath leaves my chest as I rub the spot there, a strange feeling making its way beneath my hand as I look toward her.
If anyone had hurt her–even so much as a papercut–I would gut the fucker.
I’d rip the flesh from their bones and burn them alive. And then rinse and repeat that shit everyday until there was nothing left. Not even a speck of dust would survive what I’d do.
Red was one of us now, and no-one gets to hurt her.
She was mine, and ours, and she deserved the world. Every blade, every diamond and every chocolate muffin.
My woman wouldn’t just eat crumbs, she would have the whole fucking cake and everyone else’s too. If I had to threaten, rob and maim I would.
What's life without a little fun anyway?
I watch on as Ezra tries to talk her around again, but she just shakes her head.
My Red didn’t know how to treat herself. Guess that was our job from now on, and making her smile would be our number one priority.
I notice my brother's frustration and give him a small nod before making my way over toward the shop's owner.
Apparently they do custom metal work here, and I’ve got something perfect in mind for Red. Something with a bit of me and Ezra written all over it. That way, anyone who saw it knows she's taken.
And ours.
Micai’s POV
It starts to get dark as we make our way out of the small metal trinket shop, called ‘Ellies’ . Such a strange name for a shop that held metal work. But maybe it was a family name?
Either way, the metal work, antique weapons and jewellery were beautiful. So many pieces caught my eye, and I think we had spent a good part of an hour just browsing through it all.
I look up just as the street lights flicker on.
Maybe it was time to head back? Classes would also be over by now and the frustration from this morning and weight of last night had already been eased.
Just as I’m about to say as much, Ezra grabs my hand and pulls me quickly across the road.
There's a grin so wide and full of genuine glee on his face that I forget what I was about to say.
We stop in front of an old building at the end of the avenue and further away from all the other shops. This building looks older and more run down than any of the others in town. Well other than the boys slaughterhouse.
The once dark green paint on its walls is chipped and falling off, and all its windows are boarded up with planks of thick brown wood. There's a faded sign sitting above us with dull pink painted letters making out the words ‘The Roller-Room’ behind broken neon light bulbs.
This place couldn’t possibly still be in business in this state. So why were we here?
Ezra whips out a set of keys and opens the large rusty doors in front of us. And before I can open my mouth, he takes my hand gently in his again and tugs me inside, as Annex follows closely behind us.
The place is completely empty inside and exactly what you would imagine an abandoned eighties roller rink to look like.
Ezra gives my hand a small squeeze and grin before letting me go and heading over to a booth across the room. After a couple of minutes–and the sound of him tinkering with something–the lights around the room flicker on, giving us a better view of the space around us.
I make my way further in and notice the huge roller rink encasing two thirds of the room.
Its red flooring is discoloured with three large pale black stars printed through its middle.
To one side of the rink are a couple of large booths with large stereos or racks of dusty rollerblades.
And to the far right of them were some benches to sit, some old arcade games and a small kiosk-like-stall that seemed like it once held sweets or hot food.
The largest of the booths–where Ezra went–sits to the very back of the room with large brightly coloured lights above it and two huge speakers at each end of it.
I look around the huge space and toward the large roller rink just as music starts to play around the room. Colourful strobe lights begin to come to life and flash above the rink to the rhythm of the song that's playing, giving the whole room a different atmosphere.
Ezra makes his way back over to us, carrying a bundle of rollerblades in his hands and a huge grin on his lips.
“What is this shit?” Chuckles Annex as he grabs a pair of skates and points toward the large speakers around the room.
“It was all eighties tracks.” Ezra shrugs. “And I love a bit of Toto.”
Ezra chuckles as the song ‘Africa’ plays around us before handing me a pair of old rollerblades. Taking the white and purple shoes from him, my mind goes blank.
Did they actually want me to skate?
I probably should have put two and two together being in a roller rink and all, but I had never even put on a pair of rollerblades before, let alone moved in them.
They must notice my hesitation as we make our way over to a bench to put on our skates.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never skated before?” Grins Annex as he throws on his red and white rollerblades with ease. Great, something for the crazy asshole to poke at.
Ezra drops to his knees in front of me, a softer smile on his face as he holds up the rollerblades.
“Don’t worry, Micai. If you haven’t, it's not a problem. I can always teach you.” He leans in closer, his voice a little lower, “And I would never let you fall or be hurt. I promise.” The look he gives me seems so serious and resolute, with a slightly sharper expression like he could never allow such a thing to happen.
It has a small grin pulling at my cheeks, and with that, his expression softens again.
But I give the skates he's holding another weary look. Would I be even able to stand properly in those things?
He raises a brow, a small grin tilting his lips as he shakes the skates. “I didn’t take you for the type that gives up easily though, little sea star.”
“Nah, definitely not.” Grins Annex, as laces his skates. “Hurry up Red. I wanna see how you look when you fall on that perfectly plump ass.”
I could see what they were doing; trying to call to my stubborn and competitive nature, or trying to use reverse psychology on me to get me to push past whatever block I had.
And as much as I hate to admit it–with Annex’s smug grin and Ezra’s eyes full of challenge–it was working.
I also didn’t want to give up without even trying. And who knows I could even be good at it?
I throw on the skates and take my school blazer off, chucking it on top of the bench.
Annex is already on the rink, with Ezra waiting for me by the rink’s entrance.
I take a deep breath. I could do this. It was just one foot after the other right? It couldn’t be that hard.
I was wrong.
Ezra’s hands wrap around me, catching me as I fall forward, my legs wanting to each go in opposite directions.
Annex comes speeding toward me from the opposite side of the rink like some seasoned professional, his chuckle echoing throughout the rink.
“Didn’t know I was watching a rerun of Bambi.” His laugh grows louder with whatever annoyed expression he sees on my face.
“It's her first time, dickhead.” Calls Ezra, as he steadies me.
He turns me around, placing himself behind me with his hands gently gripping my hips. “Take your time. I’ll move when you're ready, and we’ll go slow.”
His breath brushes across my neck, the deep rich tones of his voice ringing in my ear as he leans in closer. I feel a slight blush creep into my cheeks as his hands shift on my hips, with a strange heat spreading wherever his fingertips graze.
My chest feels strange; my heart drumming a new rhythm of its own the longer we stand here together. Was Ezra always this tall? Were his hands always this big and steady?
“Micai?” He calls, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah? Right…” I shake my head, trying to push the strange thoughts away, “So what do I do?”
“Push one foot forward at a time and just take it slow. Move your hips slightly as you move and don’t worry…” He gives my hips a small squeeze, and the smouldering heat from earlier flares up, sliding lower down my back before unfurling in my lower abdomen. “I’m right here with you.”
His voice only adds to the heat twisting and curling within me as he leans in closer, his scent instantly hitting me and wrapping itself around me; like lavender and sweet honey.
I lean back toward him, his scent pulling me closer and wanting to feel more, wanting a small taste…
until Annex races by, breaking me out of whatever strange trance I was falling into.
I feel my cheeks flame and my breath catch as I try to rationalise what was happening to me. What was all this?
Why was I behaving like this around Ezra? We were just friends, right? And we hadn’t even known each other for that long either…What was happening here?
I wasn’t naive or stupid. I knew how my body was reacting, what it wanted…but from Ezra?
I mean, clearly Ezra was attractive. Was that all this was?
Then what about Annex?
I watch on as the tall smirking asshole in question passes me again, his dark brown hair swaying as he glides back and forth the rink with ease. The muscles in his arms flex as he waves to us while skating, moving the dark tattoos covering every inch of visible skin on his biceps.