Soul Searcher by D.M. Richardson (novel24 .TXT) 📕

“I don’t understand” he said tentatively.

“My biological parents will be attending.”

“But your last name is Nyght not Woods.” Zeke said leaning over my shoulder to read. His closeness was both a comfort and a distraction.

“Now. It was Woods until I had Jack change it when I was seven. It took a lot of work, but he managed it. So I can’t go. I can’t be in the same room with them. Especially since they could look right at me and not know who I am.”

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. I never took my eyes off my hands which were folded in my lap. Zeke walked around the couch and sat down next to me giving me the space I needed. I felt everyone staring at me.

“You need to go.” Zeke said suddenly. I turned to face him.

“What?”

“You need to go. You won’t have to talk to them if you don’t want to, but you need to make them see you.”

“But that’s just it. They won’t. I would get up on that stage and all they would see is some girl they had never met in their life.”

“That’s why we should introduce you by your original last name. They would have no choice but to know it’s you. They would have to sit there and watch as you captured the entire room with that amazing voice of yours. And they will know how much they screwed up and missed out on.”

“I agree” Rob said suddenly.

“So do I” Koner added. I looked at Sara and she nodded. I looked down and suffered from a bad case of indecision. Finally I nodded.

“Okay I’ll do it, but this is the last time I go by that name.” I swore more to myself than anyone in the room.

Zeke

Will shouted with joy and my dad smiled. Koner looked proud and Sara had tears in her eyes. I looked at Rayne and she seemed like she was in immense pain. I hurt for her, but then again I got a pain in my chest every time I looked at her. Especially since she’s seemed to push me aside.

I couldn’t figure it out. Why she would kiss me back like she did and then just shove me away. I couldn’t even get her alone in order to talk to her about it. When my dad said it was time to go I tried to pull her aside, but she just shrugged me off and went back upstairs without so much as a backward glance.

I sighed and followed my dad outside after getting a look of sympathy from Koner. When we were in the street Will turned to me.

“So what’s up with you and Rayne? You guys seemed like you were getting really close and then it’s like she can’t stand to be in the same room with you.” I gave him a pained expression and he looked away.

“I don’t know” I answered honestly. I had no clue what was up with me and Rayne. She seemed to be the only one that knew and she obviously wasn’t telling.

I waited by the door in my incredibly uncomfortable suit waiting for my dad to finish getting ready. Finally he was done and we walked out the door.

The banquet was being held in the high school gym. We walked in and the place was unrecognizable. I looked around and spotted Koner, Sara, and Kristi. We were supposed to sit with them, and Kristi stuck her tongue out at me when I sat down across from her. I didn’t know why she didn’t like me, but it was getting annoying.

My dad and the Keely’s made quiet conversation when someone walked up to the microphone on the stage.

“Good evening. I know you all want to get along to the meal, but we decided to offer you a treat. The students here at the high school are our near future. And we felt it would do a lot of good to honor them. So we’ve picked out the most talented and have them perform for you. I hope you enjoy.” he held his arm out to the right and the band walked out on the stage. My breath caught when I caught site of Rayne.

She was wearing an elegant black dress that came down to just a few inches above her knees. She wore knee high boots with silver chains going across the sides. The dress had a scoop neck that showed off her shoulders and long, slender neck. Her hair was down with one side of it pinned back. She was stunning.

“It’s my pleasure to introduce Rayne Woods, William Spelt, Jerry Blanchard, Michael Pelerine, and Christopher Patton.”

I scanned the crowd watching for anyone’s reaction to Rayne’s former last name. I wasn’t disappointed. Three tables over a couple both jumped and turned to the stage in surprise. The man was tall but lean. He had dark brown hair just a shade lighter than Rayne’s. The woman had red hair, but it looked fake. She had Rayne’s build and bone structure though.

I watched as Rayne took the microphone. I could see her hands shaking and tried to will her more confidence. She looked at me and I nodded my encouragement. She stood up taller and brought the microphone up closer to her.

Will started on the guitar and Mike joined in on the drums softly. Rayne flowed into the song smoothly. The song choice was genius. ’Tell You Something’ by Alicia Keys. When she reached the chorus she looked right at her undeserving parents. They were transfixed by her performance and trapped by her gaze.

After the song was over they switched to a different song after just a few seconds. The next song was just as good. ’Dark Side’ by Kelly Clarkson again. When their performance was over everyone cheered. The announcer reappeared and told everyone it was time to eat.

Rayne walked by her parents table without so much as a glance and sat down next to Kristi. Sara and Koner congratulated her on the performance and Sara gushed over her talent. Rayne smiled and endured it then sighed with relief when the food interrupted them.

By the end of the night I was bored out of my mind and from the look on her face so was Rayne. Finally it was over and we all got up to leave. Rayne was the last to walk out of the room and I was right in front of her. About half way down the hall someone called her name.

I turned to see who it was. She was about ten feet away from me and facing the couple that was approaching her. It was her parents. Her back straightened, her shoulders pulled back, and her head was held high. When they got close enough to her they took a moment to look her over.

“My god you’ve grown up beautifully.” her mother said softly.

“Am I to assume you two got remarried?” Rayne asked in an emotionless voice. Her mother winced.

“Yes, we managed to work out our differences not long after-” she cut herself off, but Rayne had no problem finishing her sentence.

“After you abandoned me.” They both winced and her father took a deep breath.

“Rayne we are so-” this time she interrupted him.

“You know. For years I used to lye awake wondering what you would say to me if I ever saw you again. Now… well now I realize that I don’t care. You mean nothing to me anymore. I have so many things that I can do for myself, and I just don’t need you. So tonight while your laying there thinking about tonight. About how I look and sound, and about how talented I am. I want you to think about that little six year old girl that you left in an empty church on a Saturday morning. About how much that little girl needed and loved you. And then think about how you mean nothing to your own daughter. How she’s moved on and thinks very little of you. How you ruined everything you could have had.” she started to turn but her mother grabbed her arm. She shrugged her off easily.

“Now that is not fair.”

“Save it. I’m not interested.” she started to walk away again, but stopped mid turn. She turned back to them and leaned in closer whispering something to them. Her mother took a step back in shock and turned to her father. Who was looking at her with a face red with rage. He walked away and her mother turned to run after him, but only after giving her daughter a frightened look.

Rayne turned around and saw me standing there. She gave me a small uneasy smile and walked past me without a word.

I got out of the car just as they pulled into their driveway. I watched them start to walk toward the house and made a split second decision. I ran across the street and stopped Rayne before she could walk in after the others. The door closed on it’s own and she turned to me.

“What do you want Zeke?” she asked in a tired voice. My heart skipped as she said my name and it filled me with anger.

“That’s a very good question. What I want is to know why in the hell you’ve suddenly decided I’m beneath your notice.” Her eyes widened slightly but not in surprise.

“I can’t do this right now.” she said turning toward the door. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Right now is when you have to do it. I deserve some kind of explanation. You can’t just kiss me like that and then decide I don’t matter.” she sighed and rubbed her eyes.

“It was just a kiss Zeke.”

“So it didn’t mean anything?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean? Either it didn’t mean anything or it did. There’s really no gray area here.”

“Yes it meant something. It meant allot. It meant too much.”

“What do you mean it meant too much?” She dropped her hands and they hit her sides with an audible thud.

“I can’t afford this! I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Get involved.”

“With anyone?”

“With you. It’s too dangerous. It could go too far and I can’t go through that. Not again.”

“Go through what? You’re not making any sense.”

“I can’t get too attached. With anyone. Even as much as I love Kristi there’s a chance that I’ll never see her again and it tears me apart. I can’t do that with you too.”

“What do you mean you might not see her again. You live with her.”

“Yeah now, but what happens when I leave? What then?”

“Why would you leave?”

“I would leave because eventually Sara and Koner will either get tired of me or get too scared to keep me around. It happens every time. Now can’t we just go back to being regular friends?” she asked with a large amount of desperation.

“No we can’t. That ship has sailed.”

“Then I’ll say goodbye now.” she turned to walk away and I growled in frustration. I grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her back around. Still gripping her I pushed my lips to hers. Hard. She tried to squirm away, but I wouldn’t let her. Instead I pushed harder. Not with my hands or mouth, but with my mind.

I shoved my way past her defenses and sank into her soul. I traveled through her memories and experiences. Everything that made her who she is. I pushed until I was at the beginning.

I watched as her mother put her in a pew. As she stood at the window and watched her drive away. She laid down on the pew and cried.

Shift

She was in her first home and the man crawled into bed with her.

Shift

She was seven and sat studying by flashlight after everyone had gone to bed.

Shift

She was buying her necklace with a little red haired girl.

Shift

She was laying awake crying as she looked at a picture of the girl that she bought the necklaces with.

Shift

She sat in a garage listening to a man