Jaided Read Free

them. She had found some friends. But it was only her first day.

Chapter 2

    B laize remained steadfastly belligerent through dinner and later in their room, he nixed every attempt Jaide made to breach the gap between them. All the other boys were delightfully convivial but she noticed they seemed to avoid the obvious question: “What the fuck are you doing here?”
    Was it a conspiracy , she wondered, something Tremaine had put them up to ? She knew even the best of brothers had a little larceny in their souls, especially toward sisters.
    All the rooms at Exeter had been designed with extraordinarily comfortable appointments to suit the lush pocketbooks of the parents. Jaide shared the adjoining bathroom with Blaize, outfitted with a marvelously private shower stall with glass doors. When she had finished toweling off, she returned through the bathroom door to find Blaize snoring away in their darkened room, on top of his Exeter bedspread. He was a large boy, sleeping face-up in his blue cotton soccer sweats, with his equally large earphones clamped to his head. A little red button light told her his music player was on but thankfully, he’d turned it low. She couldn’t hear a sound and crept into her own bed, pulled a sheet over her head, and fell immediately into the exhausted world of her neverending nightmares.
    In her besieged mind, she ran the Exeter soccer field ahead of a pack of wild dogs driven by a large figure on horseback. The figure kept clutching at her hair with his outstretched arm. The horse closed to within inches and the figure, who wore a black hood, gripped her hair in long, yellowing fingers, and lifted her body off the ground. Her running feet churned the air helplessly. She screamed for help but the horse, with its pounding hooves, turned its slobbering head into her lower abdomen and bit her crotch. Huge wads of spittle dripped down her helpless legs. She felt her pajamas become soaked in heavy horse slobber. The dark figure’s other hand reached into her mouth, turning her face toward the rider’s grinning countenance. She knew who it was and screamed again and again, until another hand shook her shoulder. She awoke with a start.
    Jaide sat bolt upright to find Blaize still gripping her shoulder. “Shit girl, I can’t sleep with you mumbling like that. Roll over and shut the fuck up.”
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered, but he had already plopped on his bed and in the dim light, she saw a bulky apparition put on earphones. She wasn’t sure where the nightmare left off and Blaize began.
    In the morning, Jaide woke early. It was the first day of classes. She was careful not to wake Blaize and hopped in the shower. She examined her privates for teeth marks, but there were no traces of horse bites. Her pajamas were dry. When she got out, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom. Blaize was up and in front of his dresser. When he saw her, he blushed and looked away.
    "I left plenty of hot water."
    He nodded and scooted past her into the bathroom. Jaide pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt. She was so glad this school didn't require uniforms. As Blaize came out, he was already dressed in dark blue jeans and a clean white t-shirt. He was clean-shaven.
    They both busied themselves packing backpacks. She almost regretted the bright red backpack she had picked out. Blaize left for breakfast without a word and she followed soon after. Breakfast was your choice of cereal and fruit. She choose an apple and a banana for potassium. Her legs were stiff and sore from the day before. Only Chance, Matt and Alex were at the table. They all looked a little tired and stiff also.
    She sat down beside Blaize, who had cereal.
    "Mornin’," Chance mumbled through his toast.
    "Hey, how are ya doing?"
    "Very sore," Alex said.
    Chance and Matt agreed. "For sure. Practice today is going to be a tough one," Matt groaned.
    Jaide nodded. She wanted to go check if she made the team. "I got English