All American Boys

Chapter 11: Shoshana Stein

I felt guilty. That morning I felt especially terrible. I saw him in the hallway that morning, and our eyes met. He seemed like he wanted to say something, and he began to step forward, towards me.

But of course Cyril showed up. Of course he had to.

"Morning Alex," he said as he walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "How did you sleep?"

"Great," I muttered. "Really good."

Cyril looked around, as if he wanted to tell me something so secret and confidential. Everyone seemed busy with their own thing, talking to each other and getting stuff out of their lockers. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business.

"Hey Anderson," Cyril called out to Isaac, who by now was suspiciously standing at four lockers nearer to where we were. "Would you knock it off? You're still trying to pick a fight with Alex huh?"

"What do you mean?" the young man said in reply, fiddling with the lock in front of him. "I'm just minding my own business man. Maybe you're the one with a problem."

I almost rolled my eyes. It was painfully obvious to me that he was trying to eavesdrop.

"That's not even your locker," Cyril said.

"How do you know where my locker is?" he shot back, his voice getting agitated.

"Um," Cyril said, raising his eyebrows. "Because that locker is mine."

There was an awkward silence as the boys just glared at each other. Isaac let go of the padlock quickly, putting his hands up as if he had just touched something disgusting. Without a word he took a few steps backwards, bumping into a girl who was walking past.

"Oh my gosh," she cried out. "Watch where you're going."

He only glared at her, before glaring at Cyril. Then he turned his attention to me. Without a word he left, disappearing through the crowd.

"Sorry for that," Cyril apologised to the girl. "He's like that sometimes."

"Oh don't apologise for him," the girl said, avoiding eye contact. "He's just an ass, it's not your fault."

He smiled, and the girl was soon on her way.

"You're quite a charmer aren't you?" I teased.

Cyril only shrugged as a sheepish grin crawled on his lips. I guess he did like it when I praised him, as much as he tried not to let it show.

Laugh, nod and giggle –

he was so easy to please. I guess when you're that infatuated with someone, everything they do can make you smile.

It was then when the bell rang, signalling that first period had begun. I had history, while Cyril had geography.

"I'll see you for lunch," Cyril said, as if he was so sure I'd be there.

"Of course," I told him.

With that, he playfully punched my forearm, before heading down the hallway with Aaron and a few other football players.

I went in the opposite direction, briskly walking towards history class. My eye wandered frantically among the crowds, trying to spot that familiar golden crown and green eyes.

I couldn't find him. I spent the hours between history and lunch worrying. We didn't share classes until English, so I hadn't seen him at all ever since he rushed down the hallway. I only hoped he was alright.

But at the very least Hayden had replied. He told me he was very busy at the base and he'd only be able to meet me the following weekend. I told him I'd drive over to see him at his quarters, if it was possible. He told me he just needed to fill in my paperwork for me, it was a restricted area after all. I was all set to go.

It was in almost two weeks' time, but at least it gave me the time I needed to calm myself and clear my head. The conversation we were going to have was going to be a heavy one for sure, and I knew I'd confirm things that I had suspected but never wanted to believe. In a sense it'd give me closure, but it could also end up opening a whole other can of worms. But I had to do it. Who else could I talk to but Hayden?

After a few hours of math, history and chemistry, it was finally lunch. I thought I'd make my way to the bleachers, until I remembered I had told Cyril I'd meet him at lunch. As I made my way to the cafeteria I thought of what excuse I could give to leave halfway through and sneak off to the bleachers.

I was greeted by the usual group, Cyril, Aaron, Shoshana and Emily. I sat down with them, right next to Cyril, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Oh how far Emily and I had come. We've breached the walls of Jericho, it felt like.

The rest of the football team sat at the table behind the centre lunch table, some of them coming over from time to time to talk to Aaron or Cyril, but for the most part I noticed their eyes wandering towards Emily and Shoshana – mostly Shoshana.

And I wouldn't blame them. She was beautiful. Her face was lightly powdered, her slim lips a light hue of dark red. Her eyes were lined perfectly and her mascara really brought out her long lashes. On her neck was a star of David necklace, her slender shoulders framed with the graceful collar of her sailor shirt. Her blonde hair was done up in a faux-bob, her beautiful blonde locks covering her ears

"You look really beautiful today," I complimented her as I opened up my lunchbox. "I really like your earrings. Where did you get them?"

"These?" the young woman said, bringing up her fingers – their nails pink and manicured – to touch the stud on her right. "Oh, they were a gift."

"They're really pretty," I told her.

"Well," she said, a sweet smile on her lips. "Don't just use up all your compliments on me. I'm pretty sure some other people would appreciate it."

She shot a look at Cyril, batting her long lashes. The young man only avoided my gaze as he looked down at his lunch. I only giggled.

I kept trying to come up with an excuse to leave, but my mind kept drawing blanks. I wondered what he was doing right then, did he even have his own lunch this time?

But I didn't have to wonder for much longer. Right in front of me, walking into the cafeteria was the young man himself. I thought he was going to look for an empty seat, but he turned straight to us.

He walked up to the centre lunch table confidently – a stark difference from the sad, vulnerable boy back at the bleachers. Or perhaps he was emboldened by the fact that Cyril was here. Either way, I wouldn't know.

He was always a capricious once – unpredictable and volatile. He always kept me on my toes.

Maybe that's what I liked about him.

"What are you doing here?" Aaron snarled as Isaac approached.

"What's the matter?" Isaac asked. "It's my seat after all."

Before anyone could protest, Isaac plopped himself beside me, squeezing me between Cyril and himself. His shoulder rubbed against mine, and I couldn't help but feel my heart thump in my chest. A silence descended on the table, before Isaac let out a rather deliberate cough.

"Weren't you all just talking earlier?" he said, cocking his head.

The rest of lunch was dominated by an awkward silence as we all just ate our food. Yeah, Isaac might've been the captain of the football team, but he didn't seem to be very well-liked. He had a few people talk to him when the occasional football player came over, but other than that we all ignored him. I saw him stealing glances at me every now and then from the corner of my eye. He looked at me as if he expected me to say something, but I only kept silent. Shoshana and him shared a look just for a brief second, but it was enough for me to notice.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to talk to him. But I couldn't possibly do that with Cyril right beside me. My heart kept thumping in my chest with Isaac so close to me, but it hurt that I couldn't even say a word to him.

It was then when that soft, gentle voice called out to me.

"Alex," Shoshana said, looking at me. "Would you like to accompany me to the vending machines? I'm thinking of getting some coffee."

"Hey I can go too," Cyril interjected.

"It's fine," the young woman replied. "If you want anything the two of us can come bring it back."

"Get me a coffee," Isaac said, shooting a glare at Cyril.

"Yeah," Cyril added. "Me too."

Aaron and Emily didn't want anything, so we just headed off. I didn't know why she wanted me to come with her of all people, but I was glad that I was away from the table. Isaac sitting so close to me and brushing against me was too much for me to bear.

"What do you think of Isaac?" she asked, looking behind her shoulder to make sure we were really out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" I asked, taken aback.

Surely she could not have known from just looking at the two of us. If she really did, then I guess either she could read minds or that Isaac making me flustered was too obvious of a sign.

"He told me," she said. "About how the tutoring session went. And about what happened at the bleachers. You know, when you gave Isaac those brownies you claimed you made."

I felt a warmth in my cheek as I heard the young woman giggle.

"I don't know about you," she continued. "But don't think I haven't realised how you act around him. Yeah sure, Cyril himself is too flustered around you to notice, but when Isaac sat right beside you I swear I saw you turn red."

"I think you must've misremembered," I said, trying to cover myself. "When I'm with Cyril I just can't help but feel shy around him."

"Oh, don't bullshit me," she said, rolling her eyes.

I gave up.

"Yeah," I finally said. "It's Isaac, okay? He's nice, and sweet, and considerate, and there's just something about him, you know?"

"Aww, look at you," she said. "Like a lovesick puppy."

"Please don't tell Cyril," I begged. "He's nice, and amazing, and genuine but-"

"But?" the young woman said, raising her eyebrow.

"It's complicated," I told her.

"Isaac did mention something about your sister," she replied as we approached the vending machine. "But I don't think it's my place to talk to you about it. I just put two and two together that's all. I might be right, I might be wrong."

I only kept quiet.

Shoshana dropped a few coins into the slot and pressed the button for a canned coffee.

"But you and me, we're similar you know?" she said, picking up the first can of coffee that had fallen into the bin. "More than you think."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We both are faking it," she declared matter-of-fact, as she looked at me with her pretty eyes. "It's true isn't it?"

"I really don't know what you're talking about," I said, denying as I stepped up to buy my can of coffee. "And even if I did, I don't think this is the perfect place to talk about it."

"Of course," she replied. "It's always good to practice caution. You'll never know who might be listening."

I only shrugged.

"Or, we could always take a detour by the bleachers," she suggested as I bought the second can of coffee. "Besides, I have something else that I need to talk to you about."

I followed her as we walked out of the school, down to the bleachers. Thankfully it was a rather cloudy day, so it wasn't that hot. But there were very few people about. A few students were hanging out on the left side of the bleachers, so naturally we headed for the farthest end.

"It's about Isaac," she told me. "I wasn't sure at first because I thought you might really genuinely like Cyril, and that you might be toying around with Isaac. But I see it's the other way round."

I let out a sigh, letting my shoulders fall.

"I wouldn't call it 'toying' around with him," I said.

"Whatever you call it, you're not genuine to him," she replied, a sweet smile on her lips. "Because what you want isn't his wholehearted love. But I'm not saying that that's a bad thing."

"You sure make it sound like it is," I replied.

"You and I both know how this town's like," she said, cracking open her can of coffee. "Good people don't get far around here."

There was a short moment of silence as I, too, opened my can and brought the rim to my lips. Soon cool coffee flowed down my throat.

"I know what kind of man Cyril's father is," she told me. "And I know what he did. And I know when your sister tried to tell everyone about him, he had her killed."

"Yeah," I muttered under my breath.

"And I think about your sister and that poor girl. . ." Shoshana said, her grey eyes looking down at the ground at her feet. "Everybody forgot about her. It isn't fair."

"Rosalina," I added. "She was my sister's best friend."

"They got rid of every piece of evidence they could find," she said, turning to look at me.

For a moment, I saw sympathy and sadness in those eyes. Eyes that were so used to batting their pretty lashes and smiling with the most saccharine smiles.

"I'm really sorry about what happened," she said. "But one day he'll get what's coming for him."

"I hope so," I replied. "But I don't know. Anyway, how would you know so much about this anyway? I doubt Isaac knew that much."

The young woman only smiled as she brought her hand to part her hair, revealing her ear and the golden earring hanging from it. They were shaped like an elaborate eye, with a sort of tendril pointing downwards, almost looking like an R shape. Whatever it was, I couldn't deny that it was a beautiful earring.

"These earrings don't pay for themselves, now do they?" she said, batting her long eyelashes, trailing off with a giggle.

Before I could respond, the smile had faded from her lips, and her expression turned serious again.

"I don't know what you're planning, even if you're even planning anything right now, but I know your type," Shoshana resumed in her controlled, sweet voice. "You're waiting for an opportunity. But promise me, when that opportunity comes – Promise me you wouldn't hurt Cyril. His father's a scumbag but Cyril's a nice kid, he doesn't even know what's going on."

"Of course," I said nonchalantly.

"Promise me," she repeated, as if she needed my explicit agreement.

"I promise," I replied, nodding my head.

It was a promise I didn't know if I could keep.