Helplessly Aware
By Charlie burton
Chapter 2
THE
fresh water crashed down the side of rocky bank, cascading into the green pool
at the bottom, surrounded a little too perfectly by lush green shrubs and a few
over hanging trees, some of their branches dipping into the rippling
water. The sun was still quite high in
the sky and a lone bird screeched overhead, a silhouette against the milky
azure sky and random white puff clouds.
“So what happened to the Camaro?” Chris whined, pulling a towel around his dripping body. “How’d we get from sexy car to wet pool?”
“It’s what the girls want,” Grace assured, nodding her head
in an uncertain fashion.
“Our buff bodies?” Justin enquired, taking interest in the
conversation. “Well, who could
resist?” He pulled a few poses in his
dripping white wife-beater and black shorts, tensing his muscles.
“Everyone except you,” Grace replied.
“Very funny!” Justin exclaimed, wrapping his wet arms round
her in a tight embrace.
“Euk! Get off me!”
she laughed, trying to pull away from the sodden boy. “Put this round you before you get cold.” Grace thrust him a towel dressing gown and
wandered off through the sandy rubble to see what was going on with her mom.
“Yes mom!” Justin called after her.
“Hey there,” Meg said, noticing her daughter
approaching. “Howz everything goin’?”
“Those two are jus’ messin’ around as usual. Complaining about the lack of a Camaro.”
“Ah, that’s for the sunset shoot. They’ll get their car.”
Grace stood next to her mom and half watched JC in the
clear bottle green pool, the sunlight twinkling in the water and the droplets
that clung to his skin.
“So, howz College?
I haven’t really got a chance to talk to you much yet, what with sortin’
these guys out and you hanging out with Justin.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve seen you two around each other,” her mom cooed.
“It’s nothing, I assure you. We’re friends, aren’t we allowed to be?” Grace protested.
“Whatever. So there’s
no guy at College?”
“Nope. A few
friends, but nothing more, just like there’s nothing more between Justin and
I. There never has been either.”
“Okay, sensitive subject, how about your art?”
“Mom! We’re
friends! Do I need to spell it out?!”
“Grace, art?”
Grace growled in frustration under her breath. “Art?
Good, they had some people looking round from one of the art museums in
D.C. They liked my work so far, and the
teachers are pretty cool too.”
“Nice change from High school?”
“Uh-huh. More
maturity, though there’s been some pretty good parties.”
“Not gettin’ in the way of your work, I hope?” Meg asked,
her eyebrows rising.
“Of course not,” Grace replied sincerely.
“Howz the basketball and kick-boxing going? I hear you were telling the guys.”
“Good, I’m really enjoying myself. I told you I’m on the team for basketball,
didn’t I?”
“In a letter, I’m sure.”
“Okay! We’re all
done!” A voice bellowed.
Grace saw JC let out a sigh of relief and she smiled. “C’ya round mom.” She walked over to JC and grinned down at him, he was still
sitting on a rock in the shallow green pool.
“That looks like fun.”
“You wanna come try it?” he asked sarcastically.
“Hey, you’re the famous, loved-by-millions-of-girls one,
not me.”
“I’m sure there’s millions of guys out there lovin’
you.” JC stood up the water lapping
around his waist and the black ribbed wife-beater clinging to his slightly
bronzed skin.
“I wouldn’t put it as far as millions,” she said.
JC splashed a little water at Grace with one hand,
sprinkling it over her, Grace shrieking in surprise.
“What was that for?” she exclaimed loudly.
“You looked a little too hot out there under the sun,” he
replied as he stepped out of the pool and up beside her, someone draping a long
dressing gown around his shoulders. JC
slipped his arms into the sleeves and pulled it around himself as he debated
whether she took what he said ambiguously or not.
Grace smiled and it said it all.
“So, you hanging around tonight?” he asked as they began to
walk towards the trailers.
“Uh-huh, if you guys’ll have me. I should be around till about Thursday, then I have to drive
back. Some art thing I wanted to go to
late Friday afternoon.”
“What? You’re not
staying Friday evening?” JC cried, stopping outside the trailer door.
Grace looked a little surprised. “No, I’ll be back in Cali by then. Why?”
“There’s some big do on in Orlando, Friday evening, we’re
performing. We were all hoping you were
gonna be there.”
“Sorry, can’t make it this time. Work calls.”
JC sighed. “Know all about that. Jus’ look at me. What the hell am I
doing standing in the middle of the desert, wet through to the skin?! I should have just left College.”
“Nah, you know why you’re here, and I’m pretty sure you’re
happy. Jus’ like the other guys –
wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, right?”
He looked around himself at the picturesque landscape,
swaying trees, the breeze rolling through scanty shrubs, cactus stood tall and
proud; small birds popped their heads out of the main trunks. Fine dust picked up in the air and a light
thundering sound like horses on the dry baked earth could be heard as the water
crashed down over the rocks. “I guess
not, huh? Some people would give
anything to be here.”
“Oh come on, let’s get out of talking ‘bout this
sentimental stuff and go get you something drier,” she said, opening the door
and pushing him up the steps and into the air-conditioned trailer where her mom
was busy sorting out clothes.
* * *
The Double Tree La
Posada Hotel that they were staying at in Paradise Valley, Arizona, was set
in beautiful surroundings at the base of a large rocky outcrop, with swaying
palm trees, thorny cactus and all the luxuries a person could want. There were tennis courts, two large pools that
joined with a bar set in rock over which a curtain of water glided into the
pool, a golf course, ballroom, immense dining facilities and all set inside
it’s own grounds.
Justin, Joey, Lance, Chris and JC were all relaxing in
their apartment when Grace knocked, all of them replying, “It’s open!”
“Gracie!” Justin announced as she closed the door behind
herself. She’d changed from her tank
top and shorts to a slightly cropped white halter neck, a knee length black
leather skirt with a side slit that ran half way up her calf, and a pair of
black strappy sandals. Grace felt
totally overdressed although she wore the clothes with confidence. There were a couple of colorful glass bead
bracelets hanging from her wrists and her long hair was loose and tumbled over
her shoulders.
“Hel-lo!” Joey exclaimed, seeing her figure enter the room,
and he rose from the large couch set in front of a wide screen television that
they’d been watching.
Grace smiled.
“Hi. I’m off to try line dancing
with mom, don’t ask why. I don’t think
I’m gonna last long, I’m exhausted.”
“Line dancing?!” Chris said, petting Busta who was laid out
in his lap as usual. “Well, there’s a
new one for you.”
JC and Lance also looked up from the television show they’d
been watching and their eyes widened.
“You sure that’s the little girl we used to know?” Lance asked, JC
dumbfounded by her natural beauty in the orange-red glow from through the large
windows.
“Hey! Don’t call
her little, she’s only a bit younger than me!” Justin protested.
“Apparently there’s some party afterwards, a big fire, and
cow-boy stuff.” She glanced at her
watch and sighed. “Well, I better be
going. You guys going out anywhere
tonight?”
“No, we’re staying in and relaxing,” JC commanded.
“That’s what he reckons, I could party all night and still
be fine,” Joey insisted.
“Get some beauty sleep Joe,” Grace assured, kissing his
cheek. “You guys gonna be up when I get
back?”
“Should think so,” Justin said. “We’ll probably watch a movie or two. Come round when you get in.”
“As long as it’s not in the early hours of the morning,”
Lance said, yawning a little. “I’m
tired.”
“Isn’t that JC’s phrase?” Chris asked, looking up from the
television.
“I’m jus’ chillin’ tonight,” JC said.
“I gotta go, c’you guys later then,” Grace called, turning
back to the door.
“Don’t hook up with anyone! Curly’s still hopeful!” Chris called.
Grace closed the door behind herself, laughing a
little. Muffled screams came from
inside as Justin started a playful brawl with Chris. She half hesitated on her way down the hall, considering calling
off the line dancing and hanging out with the guys for the evening, but in the
end she pulled herself into the lift and pushed the first floor button. The smooth metal doors slid to a close and
she leant back against the mirrored walls in the posh lift as she headed down.
* * *
Grace arrived back at the hotel, her legs aching from
dancing all night and she could feel her cheeks burning. She pulled the small Jeep into a parking
space in the La Posada parking lot
out front and locked the door. Grace
started to walk towards the hotel lobby when someone touched her arm causing
her to whip round in fright.
“Whoa, I didn’t mean to scare you,” came a calm voice. A tall guy with short spiky blond hair, an
Armani suit but no tie and a cool smile was standing behind her, his sharp
facial features illuminated by the lights from the main building.
“Jeez!”
“Hi, I’m Oz, Oz Quest.”
“Hi,” Grace replied, unsure of the stranger in the
darkness.
“I’ve seen you around this evening, you were out at the
line dancing, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“No, I was just making sure I got the right person. Nice little Wrangler you got yourself
there.”
“Thanks. Was there
anything you wanted?”
“I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the bar for a
drink, my treat. I have a proposition
for you.”