Читать книгу The True Story of Canadian Human Trafficking - Paul H Boge - Страница 9

chapter two

He was the first thought on her mind when her alarm clock woke her at 6 a.m.

Normally she would have touched the snooze button. Normally she would have gone back to sleep. But she didn’t normally receive friend requests.

Not from guys like Jake.

She looked at his picture. Felt an unmistakable connection with him. Like he could breathe a sense of calm into her life. She cycled through his photos, touching the screen longer than she usually did.

What do you know about him? Why did he contact you?

Part of her wondered if he was one of those guys who reach out to dozens and dozens of people to broaden their network of contacts and loosely defined friends. The other part of her wondered if, hoped, it was more than that. Hoped it was real. Hoped he saw something about her that interested him.

It wasn’t until she got into the bathroom and looked in the mirror that she remembered her injured nose. A light blue line ran across the bridge where it was bruised. She touched it. It didn’t hurt. Not that much.

She had other things on her mind.

The morning at school went faster than usual. When her class before lunch ended, she pulled out her phone and gazed at him again. She focused on him with such intent that she didn’t even notice Kedisha walking up to her.

“So how’s Toronto’s latest UFC fighter doing?” Kedisha asked, catching a quick glance of Jake before Abby hid her phone from view.

Abby looked up. Laughed. “Good. Doesn’t feel that bad. What’s new?”

“Who’s the guy?”

Abby felt her pulse quicken. Her face flushed. She sensed a rush of blood through her nose. What to say? She raised her shoulders as if it were no big deal. As if he hadn’t been the only thought on her mind since last night.

“Just some guy.”

“I don’t think so. Who is he?”

Abby clicked off her phone, then felt in a strange way that it was disrespectful to do so.

“Want to go for lunch?”

“I’ll meet you there. Need to talk to my band teacher.”

“Sounds good,” Abby said, hoping Kedisha would let it go.

At least until she had sorted Jake out in her own mind.

Abby walked into the crowded cafeteria and for the first time had no concerns about sitting by herself. Leaving her lunch unopened on the table, she put a knee on the bench and kept standing as she studied Jake’s face. Yes or no? Accept or decline? She looked into his eyes. Soft pools of golden brown. Maybe. Maybe this could become something. You never know unless you try.

Abby accepted.

She flicked through his profile to other pictures of him. Skateboarding against a backdrop of the setting sun. A selfie of him in a Mustang. Red. Convertible. One of him at Niagara Falls. With the large Horseshoe Falls behind, of course. That one was her favourite. He seemed so happy. So content. She felt relaxed just looking at him.

A message popped up from him. Her heart jumped.

“Hey, Abby. How are you doing?”

“So, you going to take boxing lessons next?” Kedisha asked with a laugh. Abby clicked off her phone. Part of her was glad to see her; part of her was annoyed that her friend had inadvertently cut short a great moment.

“Boxing? Me? No.”

“You sure? You can take a pretty good beating and keep on ticking.”

“Energizer bunny. That’s me.”

“Some of us are finishing our lunch break out on the field. Want to join us?”

Abby hesitated. It caught Kedisha off guard. Something wasn’t right.

“You go ahead,” Abby said.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine,” Abby replied, her attention already back to her phone, even if she was still looking at Kedisha.

“Okay. If you change your mind, you know where we are.”

The moment Kedisha left, Abby turned back to Jake’s message.

“Doing great. How are you?”

She waited. Was his message a typical one he sent to all the people he reached out to, or was this specific to her? Was this the beginning of greater things to come, or would he fizzle out like the dew on an early morning that the sun burns off, leaving no trace of what was once there?

Abby took out her sandwich. Was about to take a bite.

“I’m well. Thanks for responding. How’s your day going?”

Abby smiled. If there still was a crowd of students making noise in the cafeteria, they had all disappeared as far as Abby was concerned.

The bell rang. What? So soon?

“Going great. Thanks. Gotta run off to class. Chat later?”

She watched. Hoping for a response. Come on. Come on.

“For sure.”

Yes. Abby took her uneaten lunch and put it in her locker. Grabbed her books and headed off to class.

The walk home today felt different. Better. Much better. She stayed focused on her conversation with Jake. She reached her house, passed under the basketball hoop, not noticing it this time, said a quick hello to her mom and went upstairs.

“Hi, Abby,” her mom called out, watching her round the corner up the stairs. “Who are you texting?” she asked, trying to make conversation the way mothers do when they want to stay involved in their children’s lives and have a slight, or possibly exaggerated, fear that perhaps they are drifting apart.

“A friend,” Abby said. She entered her room and closed the door, shutting out her mother.

Abby got onto her bed, pushed her back up against the pillows and headboard and stretched out her legs in front of her. She messaged him back.

“So I’m curious, how did you find out about me?”

“A gorgeous girl like you?”

Gorgeous. When was the last time someone had said that about her?

“Thanks.”

“I saw you following one of the same people I follow.”

He gave the name. She recalled.

“Cool. Thanks for reaching out.”

“How could I not? You seem fun. What kinds of things do you like?”

A knock at the door. Her mom poked her head in. “Want to grab some ice cream?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“You sure?” Abby nodded. “Nose okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.” Her mother closed the door.

“I like playing soccer.”

“Me too. You have a favourite team?”

“Bayern Munich. Real Madrid.”

“I love Real Madrid.”

“What kinds of things do you like?”

“I’m a big soccer fan too. I love the feeling of being in a packed-out stadium. What else do you like?”

“Movies. Music.”

“What kind?”

“All kinds. Depends. I like trying different kinds out. You?”

“Yeah, I like all kinds too. Fun to try different things out. Lots of great stuff out there. You like hockey?”

“Yes! Go Leafs! I think this might finally be our year. Think we’ll finally do it?”

“Absolutely. We have to keep believing. You been in Toronto your whole life?”

“Yup. Born and raised. You?”

“Same. My parents too. Yours?”

“Yeah.”

“Your parents work close to your home?”

“I wish. My dad is away a lot with work.”

“That’s a bummer. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

“He’s great. Just not around much.”

“You had a good week so far?”

“School’s been okay. Homework. Other than that, not much.”

She wondered if she should have said that. Did that make her sound like she didn’t get out much?

“Nothing fun? No one to go see a movie or watch a game with?”

“Nope.”

Back and forth they went. She usually went to sleep around 10:30. He finally said good night at 1:30. She lay down in bed. Her alarm woke her four and half hours later, leaving her with the groggy feeling of a short night’s rest.

She didn’t discuss the texts with her mom over breakfast. Not with Kedisha over lunch. She rushed home that evening and threw herself on her bed with her phone, feeling the comfort that comes with being able to share your thoughts with someone who cares.

“I’ve been thinking about becoming a nurse,” she typed.

“You would be great at that.” His response came so fast. She smiled.

“I don’t know. It’s a lot of schooling. I’m not the best student.”

“It’s high school. Boring. Once you’re doing something you love you will be great at it.”

“You think so?”

“I know it. Your nose all better?”

“Still a little bit of a bruise. But I hardly notice anymore.”

“It’s been fun getting to know you.”

“It’s been fun getting to know you too.”

“You’re a really honest person. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you either.”

She watched the screen for his next response. Waited. Waited. Waited. Wondered if he had forgotten about her. Then it came.

“So, would you like to get together sometime?”