Capture the Moment (Moments #1)

13. Cleo

thirteen

Cleo

Unknown

you’re dead when i catch you

your mouth’s only good for one thing

remember that or i’ll expose you for the true slut that you are

i won’t be as nice if i find you and we all know what I have against you.

stay hidden little Cleo

My hands shake and my breathing becomes unsteady as I reread the countless threats from the Unknown number. They haven’t let up since I left Brighton, and I don’t think they ever will. I try my hardest to even out my breathing but my attempts are futile as my throat clogs. It feels like I’m being strangled as thunderous tears prickle in my eyes and spill out like a tropical storm.

Why haven’t they stopped? It’s been four months since I left. Why… Why won’t they stop? Why did this happen to me? I tried my hardest, I kept my mouth shut. I —

An additional ping of my phone sends my hackles raising. Are they not done? Have they come back to haunt me? I try my hardest to blink back more tears as additional texts come through from a new group chat.

Margarita Central

Georgia Peach

be ready at two babies!

#ROAAAARRRRSSS #TigressPrancing

#BIGORANGE #BIGBLUE

Denver

do I have to?

Si Si

i’ll come after practice

Georgia Peach

YES denver you have to. We haven’t hung out outside the apartment before and any friend of Cleo’s is a friend of ours.

plus you’re my new margarita bestie!!!

CJ where you at girl???

Back me up!

I chew on my bottom lip as I reread the thread, anxiety clawing at my throat. I’d introduced Denver to Georgia and Sienna three days ago after my “date” with Blake. The meeting of my new friend and older ones was eventful to say the least, ending with Georgia drunk out of her mind on our balcony with an equally drunk Denver shouting out to our neighbors about Lord knows what. Sienna and I sat back also inebriated, loudly singing along to princess musicals.

Since then, we’ve kind of adopted Denver. Or more like Georgia had adopted the unwilling girl and forced her to be in our group. Today’s the start of football season and Georgia has deemed it as a mandatory hang out day.

I’d been happy, excited even, for today to come. But now with the orange monster of anxiety slowly sinking her claws into my throat, I’d rather stay home.

But before I can respond to the group chat, another text comes through.

Sexy Boy Scout

like the name?

I thought it suited me more than creeper

Me

Why are you texting me?

pause.

Where did you get my number from?

I never actually gave it to you…

Sexy Boy Scout

don’t worry about it, see you at the game :)

Leaving Blake on read, I close my phone, lie back down on the bed, and stare at the ceiling. I thought that leaving New York would bring me a sense of peace but the demons of my past followed me into heaven. I roll over in the bed and pull the covers over my head, surrounding myself in darkness and allow myself to finally let go.

I cry my heart out, letting the world crash down over me and succumb to the dark abyss of my mind. I was never really a big crier growing up, I’d usually just laugh off my problems, but right now, I can’t. I cry so much that my mouth hurts from holding in my sobs. Here, at Summerfield, I have more people around me than ever, but why do I feel so lonely? The tears soon stop and hitched shallow breathing replaces it.

I’ve been under the covers for so long in my own world that I don’t notice when the door opens or when two other bodies surround me in the bed. I’m so stuck in the endless despair of my own darkness that I don’t notice the light around me until I’m being yanked out of my own self-loathing and arms wrap around me.

I can smell her before I can hear her. Georgia's undeniable scent of coconut and vanilla soothes something deep in my soul as I feel her place a kiss on the top of the cover closer to my ear rather than my forehead.

“I know that I said you didn’t have to tell us about what happened in New York, CJ,” she pauses, and I can feel that she’s looking over to Sienna for help with whatever this is.

Growing up, I was usually the one consoling others. So, I know my friends are probably scared of whatever it is that has me like this and I’m petrified at the thought of scaring them.

“But can you please talk to us? I can’t stand to see you like this anymore,” she finishes, slowly pulling the covers down.

“Cleo, we’re always going to be here for you, but we need to know how we can help you. You always help us but we're stuck when it comes to helping you.” Sienna’s voice is soft and soothing, the same voice that I assume she uses with the kids at the dance studio.

Georgia coughs quietly and her voice cracking nearly breaks my heart. “You don’t have to tell us everything but, please tell us something,” she cries.

“The phone,” I mutter, still under the covers, feeling as the two of them shuffle around for my device.

Gasps followed by quiet curses are the only thing to be heard in the near silent bedroom. Slowly, I peel back the covers and watch them read over the messages that’s been plaguing me for the past year.

Sienna is the first to speak, her tone soft as her wide brown eyes look between Georgia, the phone, and me.

“Who… Who is sending you this?” she questions, scrolling through the texts .

“And why the fuck haven’t we killed them for threatening you?!” Georgia shoots up from her spot near me, knocking over the small cup of water on my nightstand.

“Fuck me…” she curses, leaving to get napkins.

Sienna takes a moment before speaking up; she stares at me long and hard and then sighs before looking back at the messages, clearly shaken by them.

“You don’t have to tell us everything right now, but when you do, just know that we will go to hell and back for you, Cleo. The person texting you this stuff will get what’s coming to them.”

“I don’t know specifically who it is…” I croak, wiping my eyes of the nearly dry tears.

Georgia comes back with our mop and some napkins. “Do you have a clue on who it may be? And why are they picking on you? You’re the nicest person I know.” She frowns as she picks up the cup.

I gulp, looking between the women who are like my sisters and just as I’m about to spill my dirty laundry, the doorbell rings.

“Shit… Denver’s here. I’ll go get her and if you’re up to it, we can talk about this before going to the game.” Georgia gives me a soft smile before leaving.

Sienna frowns, tugging me into her arms. She cuddles me, rubbing circles on my back as I sit in her lap.

“Was this why you left New York? Is this why you’re not at Brighton?”

All I can do is nod as she sighs. “Was it Marcelo? Is that who started this?” she asks, and I guess my silence is enough of an answer because Sienna pulls back from me, her gaze sharp and locked on mine.

“I’m going to skin that motherfucker and feed him to Oscar.”

I can’t help the chuckle that falls from my mouth at the thought of Sienna feeding my ex-boyfriend to her pet ferret. We spend a few more seconds simply embracing one another as Denver and Georgia’s loud footsteps travel towards us.

“Was it my cousin? If it was my cousin, I'll call his mom on him!” Denver exclaims as she enters the room, she jumps on the bed with bright eyes, her ruby red lips curled in a large menacing smile .

Denver’s like the missing piece in our friend puzzle; she fit right in perfectly when I introduced her to Sienna and Georgia and she’s also been the only other person who can go “shot for shot” with the crazy blonde.

I shake my head at her antics with a small smile and stretch. “No, but, he did text me.” I chuckle, showing the girls the recent messages. Denver grimaces as Sienna and Georgia each smile at the text.

“C’mon, ladies, enough moping around. We have sweaty football players to watch!”

The boys are losing so bad it’s not even funny. When we’d gotten to the Tawny Reeds Stadium, it was filled to the brim with both SFU and Rhode Island University students, all excited for the first game of the season and all signs pointed to a win from Summerfield. We’d pre-gamed with a few of the frat guys from Omega Tau, and Georgia (to no one's surprise) did a keg stand with them.

Our spirits were finally high after being so low back at the apartment, only for them to droop tremendously after the very first play where SFU fumbled the ball after being tackled by the largest man I’ve ever seen in my life.

From there, the game went downhill and I can just feel the anger radiating from both my brother and Tatum from here.

“I thought you two said this would be fun…” Denver whispers to Georgia and me, her eyes locked on the field as she frowns.

Georgia sighs, running a hand through her straightened hair. “It usually is! I don’t know what’s going on with Ry but hey! It’s only the first quarter…they can still make a comeback,” she says skeptically.

I frown, my eyes never wavering from the field as the Rhode Island Rams score again, bringing the score to 4-12.

“Hockey is way more interesting,” a deep voice whispers so close to my ear that the hair on the back of my neck raises; I jump looking over at the smiling culprit. Our faces are so close that our noses are just shy of touching as the minty smells of his breath invades my senses.

“Why are you here?” I ask, trying and failing to sound cold as Blake’s smile grows wider, resembling the Cheshire Cat.

“Well, madam… If you actually read my text instead of just opening it, you would see that I told you I’d be here and that we also have to work on our project tonight.” Blake shrugs leaning back, my eyes rake over him unconsciously noting his backwards cap, SFU Hockey tee, and dark light-washed jeans.

“She has plans,” Georgia interjects the grinning Blake; his smile falters for a second before it returns to its usual bright state.

“No she doesn’t,” he retorts cheekily.

Denver groans from beside me, clearly annoyed by her cousin's presence.

“Yes she does, you idiot. Her brother invited us out for the night.”

“He invited us too!” Jace speaks up from beside Blake. I jump from the sound of my best friend’s voice; I’d been staring at Blake for so long that I didn’t even notice the hoard of hockey players, plus a toddler, behind us.

“Oh, fuck me sideways, why are you here? Don’t you have some girl to paint or something?” Georgia looks at the toddler and whispers before rolling her eyes and popping her gum as she looks Jace over with disdain.

He mimics the eye roll and sighs. “Did Halloween come early, or have my nightmares come true, Peach?”

He got her riled up instantly and the two of them began bickering like cats and dogs. Usually, I’d step in and cut them off before they could even start, but the roar of the crowd draws my attention back down to the field.

“Number 21, Ryan Santiago-Jones with a touchdown!”

The crowd erupts in boisterous cheers, everyone jumping out of their seats cheering for my brother, and soon enough, the game starts to turn around.

“We’re all going to 88UP tonight after the game, the teams usually go there whether we win or lose to let off some steam. You guys are more than welcome to join.” An invitation from Blake has my reluctant cheeks heating from his unwavering eye contact .

“We. Have. Plans,” I say, getting closer to his face with every word before turning quickly back to the field.

The game goes on with the SFU Tigers leading by 15 points, we watch as Ryan and Tatum dominate the field racking up points with ease as Rhode Island’s defense begins to waver. In the end, SFU takes home the win leaving us with a whopping 45-26.

Immediately after the game, we all go down to the locker rooms to wait for Ryan and Tatum.

Denver groans, shifting her weight on her heels as she leans back against the wall. She wasn’t lying when she said she hated football, she was unamused the entire game and confused about what was happening on the field. It took Georgia explaining the game and its rules for Denver to somewhat understand it.

“Now listen up losers… When my man comes out those doors, don’t say anything to him. Just let him come home to mama.” Georgia grins before curling her lips into a snarl as she makes eye contact with Jace. The boys (though no one asked them to) decided that they would follow us down to the locker rooms. Along the way, Sienna declared that she wasn’t feeling up to partying. Derek also announced that he had to take his adorable daughter, Delilah, home as well so the two of them left together since we’d driven Georgia’s car here.

Jace scoffs at Georgia, his tanned skin burning red as he looks down at her. She simply sticks out her tongue at him but doesn't try arguing.

Like clockwork, the hall begins to fill with grinning football players. The boys all cheering and greeting Blake and Jace as they exit the locker room out to the main hall of the stadium. Ryan and Tatum are amongst the last to leave. My brother’s grin is as bright as the sun as he approaches us but stops for a second as looks at me…wait—not me?

I follow my brother's gaze all the way to Denver?

His lips form a lopsided smile as he draws closer, walking straight past Georgia to the annoyed brunette beside me. Georgia’s mouth drops as she watches Ryan lay on his “charm” to our newest friend .

“I’m Ryan,” is all the man says, and I wonder if that usually works for him because he seems as confident as ever as he looks down at the unimpressed girl.

Denver looks up at Ryan, craning her neck back due to his height, and smirks. “I didn’t ask.”

He tilts his head at Denver as if she’s a puzzle that he wants to solve and it takes everything in me not to burst out laughing as Tatum claps a hand on his shoulder.

The boys look at each other, silently conversing with their eyes before stalking towards the exit with all of us in tow. I’m walking at the back of the group and sigh as Blake falls in step beside me, smiling deviously.

“You know we never finished our game of ten questions.” He chuckles, taking my tote bag from my shoulder and sliding it onto his with ease.

My belly heats at the action and I mentally fight it for being absurd. “Is this how you start a conversation, Boy Scout?” I ask peering up at him.

Blake boops my nose with a smile. I blink, confused at the action and he acts as if that didn’t just happen.

“Are you saying that you agree to play the game?”

“Oh, trust me, you don’t want to play any games with me.”

At my words, Blake halts all movement. He rolls out his neck before looking me over.

“How about we play a game, Princess?”

“I’m listening,” I say pausing just a few steps away from him.

“If you win more rounds of our games at the bar, I’ll leave you alone or do your bidding for a week. But, if I win…you have to grant me three wishes.” His grin is devious and enchanting as he focuses his attention on me, his eyes dancing with unspoken promises.

My stomach heats as all the possible things he could wish for swirl around in my mind.

“I’m not a genie, Creeper.”

“Then you can be a fae princess… Whatever you want. But, what do you say?” he asks, stepping closer.

“Deal.”