Читать книгу A Knife in the Heart - Michael Benson - Страница 12

On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, in the lunchroom at Pinellas Park High, Sarah stood out from the crowd. While other seniors ate their lunch and chatted noisily, Sarah sat alone in a corner, eyes swollen from tears.

Her friend Amber Malinchock came over to find out what was wrong. It was Joshua. Again. They’d been going out for months, Sarah was in love with him, and Joshua said she was his one and only.

But it wasn’t true.

He was still seeing his ex, a bitch named Rachel.

As Sarah tried to survive school all morning, with her emotional upheaval, her task was complicated by texts she was receiving from Rachel, boasting and taunting that she was back with Joshua.

Amber listened to Sarah and told her to forget about Joshua. He was a jerk and she deserved someone who could love her back. Amber told Sarah they should do something to cheer her up, go shopping, go to a movie or something, but Sarah said no thanks, she needed to talk to Joshua.

That afternoon Charlie Ludemann picked up his daughter after school, as usual. He was very concerned about her. She’d been crying again. When he tried to comfort her, she pulled away from him. She’d been dieting. He yearned for her to see the light. She’d never been with a boy before. She didn’t know about all of the great guys that were out there. No matter what he said, she did what she wanted to do, and she wanted to be with Joshua.

When Sarah arrived home, she went to Myspace and checked Rachel’s latest postings.

Her rival had written: Mood: Lovin’ my boo J.

Sarah sent Joshua a text:

Whatever Joshua, you get so mad at me for everything but you don’t give a shit when she puts something up or says something. You always believe her. It’s like no matter what I do she’s always that much better. All we fight about is her or something that has to do with her, and it sucks. I hate fighting with you. I love you so much, but this shit hurts.

No response. Sarah waited an hour and tried again:

You say you love me but you don’t have the decency to text me back.

It was just past 8:00 P.M. when Joshua finally responded: Bring the movies.

Her anger forgotten, Sarah returned to her Myspace and wrote: iloveyoubaby.

It was Rachel’s night off from waitressing at Applebee’s. She was in her apartment with her friend Egle Nakaite, who’d come over to visit—and Rachel was kvetching. As usual, the subject was Joshua. She wanted to trust him, but she couldn’t. He said he was true to her, but there was all of this evidence that he was seeing Sarah, again. Joshua had slept over the night before, but then he took off. It was like he had someplace better to be. Rachel couldn’t help it. Her vainglorious mind seized at the indignity.

Rachel’s friend Stephanie Pilver remembered the distress Rachel felt when she saw the Myspace New York City photos of Sarah and Joshua, accompanied by a taunting message. It was as if Joshua had “stepped on her heart.”

Egle wondered what Rachel was doing that night. Maybe they could hang out at Starbucks or something. Rachel said no. She had Joshua—she hoped. He said he was babysitting for his sister that evening, but he would be available later on.

Egle, one of the many women who hadn’t fallen for that ol’ Camacho magic, couldn’t understand what the big deal was with Joshua. The guy stood five-five tops and walked with a swagger, like he thought he was a tough guy or something. He sneered rather than smiled. One thing was for sure, he had a hold on Rachel. What was it about Joshua? That was the big mystery. He lacked prospects and any kind of a promising future. In high school, he’d worked as a cook at Chick-fil-A and Pollo Tropical, but after graduation it was as if he had retired to smoke pot. Joshua was content to be just a “playa” and a user. He didn’t have a steady job. He wasn’t going to school. He stayed with family members, unless he could talk one of his girls into letting him spend the night.

At twilight, Rachel was out walking her dog. Sarah cruised by in her parents’ minivan.

“Stay away from my man!” Sarah screamed.

Rachel was frightened. She didn’t want to be caught alone by Sarah, who was huge, or any of the friends she might be with. Rachel put a kitchen knife in her purse. That would scare them off.

Rachel also needed backup. She called her friend Javier and asked if she could come over.

At 11:00 P.M., Joshua and Sarah were playing Wii at Janet Camacho’s house. Headlights pierced the window. Joshua went to look and saw Rachel’s car pass.

Seconds later, Joshua received a text from Rachel: Now I know why you’re not talking to me—because you got her.

Joshua texted back: That’s right. I don’t like you no more. Why are you down this street? Go home.

Rachel responded: No, I’ll wait for her to go home.

Sarah didn’t want to leave the house and drive home, knowing that Rachel was out there, waiting for her; so Sarah texted her dad and said she was going to be home a little late.

Sarah’s curfew was 11:00 P.M.; so the truth was, she was already a little late.

Charlie texted back, asking when she’d be home. Sarah answered that it would be soon.

Rachel left.

Just before midnight, Sarah kissed Joshua good-bye and left. Joshua’s sister Janet and her friend Jilica Smith, who’d been sitting in cars with boys out front, asked Sarah if she’d give them a ride to McDonald’s before heading home.

Already late, Sarah said sure, what’s a few more minutes? So all three got into the minivan and headed to get fast food. At a stop sign, they encountered Sarah’s friend Ashley Lovelady, who told them she’d just seen Rachel.

Rachel was only a short distance away, hanging out with two boys in front of Javier Laboy’s house. Enraged, Sarah hit the gas so hard she left a patch of rubber on the street. Janet knew Javier—and didn’t like him. Javier had had trouble with Joshua over Erin Slothower. Her father had to call the cops on that jackass once for throwing an egg at their house.

Jilica sensed that they weren’t headed for McDonald’s anymore. As they sped along, Sarah’s cell phone rang.

It was Rachel.

“I’m going to kill you and your Mexican boyfriend!” Rachel screamed. Nobody was sure if the phone was on speakerphone, but Rachel was plenty loud and everyone in the minivan heard her. Sarah drove to Javier’s house as fast as she could.

There Rachel was, leaning on her car, her white tank top and white tennis shoes lit bright by Sarah’s headlights. Skinny ass trying to look tough. Sarah screeched to a stop in the middle of the street.