Such Unfamiliar Territory

"LOOK‌ OUT!"

My eyes were shut tight. Is this what death felt like?

But then I realized there was no blood under me, and that I was in no pain except for the sudden fall, which was caused by the person on top of me.

Apparently, just before the man could shoot, someone else jumped on top of me, shielding me. There was a struggle above for what felt like forever, and it sounded like the man on top of me got the gun.

And before I knew it, a gunshot echoed deafeningly throughout the large terminal and the man chasing me staggered and fell, clutching his neck in pain.

I slowly opened my eyes, my body heaving with heavy sobs.

"Th-tha-thank y-y-yo-you s-so-o m-much.." I barely managed to say through my tears.

"Don't mention it, Red.. but you must be shaken.", the blonde stranger helped me up to my feet.

I was too traumatized to care in the moment, but normally, I'd take offense to being called 'Red'. I have a freaking name and it is meant to be asked about. Yeah, shocking fact right there. After all, if you take the liberty of calling me Red or Ginger or something else unpleasant, I'll take the liberty of calling you an asshole. There, I said it.

But of course, I was too scared to worry about that. And more importantly, these rules probably don't apply to this guy because he frickin' saved my life, so he can do whatever the hell he wants.

The static of a com device rung out as a police officer ran towards our location, dropping down to check on the man on the floor.

"I've got one man down, no pulse. I need backup, stat!"

He rose to his feet, eyeing the two of us suspiciously.

"What the hell happened here?"

"Officer!‌ That man was going to shoot me!", I still had tears running down my face but he didn't seem convinced.

"And so why is he the one who's dead?"

I couldn't take it anymore. Too many things were happening all at once and this officer's attitude had just snapped my last nerves. I exploded,

"Where the hell were you when this guy was threatening to kill me and waving his gun at my face?!‌ If Yellow over here hadn't shown up, I'd be DEAD!"

"Ma'am that will be quite enough!‌ Your aggressiveness does not help your plea as the alleged 'victim' in this scenario.", he accentuated with air-quotes.

This was ridiculous.

"Oh, get out of this world!! This is unbelievable!‌ Right after I escape within an inch of my life, you incompetent jerks have the gall to basically accuse ME‌ of being the crook? Why, I ought to sue you guys for emotional trauma!"

I knew I was taking it too far but I couldn't help it, the trauma had just started to settle in and I wasn't about to go to jail for something I‌ didn't do.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, ma'am. But you have to see my perspective here. The man you claim was harassing you is on the ground dead. You, on the other hand, are very much alive and.." I shot him another glare. "ahem, full of fury."

The guy next to me finally spoke up, "If you don't believe us, go ahead and check your footage. I saw it too. That man was going to shoot Ruby Red over here. If you all had come earlier, you'd have seen this for yourself!"

Thank god I wasn't the only one feeling this way.

At that moment, another officer came running up to inform us, "The kid is right, Louis. The man on the ground is a member of the infamous Bloodminers Gang."‌

I gasped. A gang?‌ What in the world?‌

"The folks next to the screen just ID'd him after seeing suspicious behavior on the cameras. All of the flights leaving this terminal have been held until security has given us clearance. We need to rule out terrorist activity." He gestured to the panicked families and travellers running each and every way, "It's a mess in the terminal right now since the announcement."

Officer Louis then offered an apology, "Sorry about the confusion."

"However, we're going to need a statement from each of you. Sir, would you kindly follow me?"‌, he motioned for the man to follow him. I mumbled "Thank you again.."‌ but he couldn't hear me as I spoke so softly.

Still in a state of supreme shock, I couldn't quite grasp the fact that I escaped with my life thanks to this man. And that reminded me, I didn't even get his name!

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to tell me exactly what happened."‌, the officer who stayed behind with me explained. "I understand your state of shock, ma'am, but it is very important to know why you were targeted. Your bags are being searched for drugs as we speak."

My jaw dropped.

"What?! After the day I've had, you're going to accuse me of drug-dealing?!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, standard procedures. And please know that we're not accusing you of anything."

"Okay, but I don't have drugs! I'm just 17!"

"There's no age limit to get high, young lady." The officer barked out a laugh. "But in all seriousness, this is just a precautionary measure we are taking here, ma'am, in order to rule out possibilities. Drugs and revenge are the most common reasons for these sorts of assaults. After talking to you, I hope we have a better idea of what this man was really after."

That made sense. Although I genuinely had no idea what had just happened, let alone why, I provided my statement, and after they finished searching my bag, I asked the officer for his theory on what the man wanted of me. He basically told me that he suspected this was a random kidnapping attempt, and that he wouldn't worry about a repeat offense.

"But you let us know if you encounter any issues whatsoever in the future."

I nodded as he walked away, not completely satisfied with his answers. What he suggested didn't explain some of the stuff that horrific man had said. Who is the 'boss'? And why did they think I was dead? How would they even know me? And who are 'they' anyway?

I couldn't shake the odd feeling that this incident had something to do with my parents. Well, I supposed there wasn't anything I could do about it now.

After collecting my bags and finding the chauffeur, I arrived at the Ruscuiti manor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The glorious sight that met me made me completely forget about my traumatic experience just minutes before.

"Wow."

I couldn't help but stare in pure shock. The memories just flooded back to me. All the scents of the garden, the sounds of the water, and sight of this building.. all of it was so overwhelming.

And to think that after all these years I get to be where Matthew lives. It was a shame I wouldn't see him today but at the same time, it was such a relief that I would have time to gain my bearings and get used to being assaulted by old memories.

Everywhere I looked brought back so many feelings.. I hadn't felt this much freedom or anticipation in forever. I was literally tingling.

I stepped into the manor.

"Teresa? Are you here?"

My voice was trembling more than my body was, so locked in anticipation on the prospect of seeing her after all of these years. Every step I took forward was deliberate and painfully slow. My gaze roamed about the manor hungrily, as though this were a dream and I would cruelly wake any second. The smell was so familiar, driving me to remember some of the most precious times of my life. Little had changed inside the manor, and I‌ couldn't explain how reassuring this was. I felt like a lost child who had found her home. My eyes glazed with tears from the powerful emotions I felt. This was so surreal..

And then, from the corner of my eye, I spotted Teresa walking towards me with wide, glittering eyes, slowly and with a huge grin on her face. Our breaths caught and we both gasped, frozen in shock as the reality of this dreamlike reunion washed over us. I wasted absolutely no time running into her familiar embrace.

"Oh my darling Shelley! From my sweet little girl, you've grown into such a beautiful young woman!"

She then held my face, her eyes appearing to memorize my every feature..

"I've missed you so much, Shelley!"

"Me too! This is a dream come true!"

At that moment, a small figure rounded the corner almost crashing into me as she blabbered.

"Yippee!!‌ You're here!‌ Surprise! And sorry.."

"Miriam!! Oh my god!‌ How are you?? You've grown so much and you're such a pretty girl!"

"You remember me?", she looked up at me, flattered.

Teresa put her hand on Miriam's shoulder and chuckled, "She's been yakking about you non-stop all week. I swear the gardener will be relieved that you've finally arrived so Miriam will stop talking about you with him."

"How old are you now?‌ 8?"

"8 and a half.", she stated as we laughed at her smugness.

This is Matthew's little sister, Miriam. She was born two years after I first came to California, and she was only three years old when I left. For all the personality she didn't have when I last saw her, she certainly seemed to be full of it now.

"I like your shoes!‌ They look like they could skewer a boy."

Teresa gasped and chided her but I thought it was cute. She sure was wild and spunky but funny and real at the same time.

"And is there a boy you'd like to skewer, cutie pie?"

She shrugged. "All of 'em really. Waste of space and waste of brains. All they do is fart and snort all day."

I laughed at that, her innocence was so endearing.

"Wanna see me walk in high heels? I can pretend!"

As much as she was excited, I didn't want her getting hurt. "I'm not so sure you should do that, hun."

"No, I‌ can do it, and on one foot too!‌ See? I'll prove it!"

She then proceeded to hop around on her one foot, raised like a heel. But soon after..

"Whooooaaa!" She lost her balance and fell down, "Ow.."

"Oh no, you all right there, sugar?"

I bent down to help her but she quickly picked herself back up stating it was nothing.

"So, whaddiya think?"

"Miriam recently enrolled in gymnastics classes. I think if she doesn't stop with her silly shenanigans I'm gonna have to pull her oooouuut!"

Teresa shook her head over-dramatically as Miriam's face dropped and she begged,

"NO!‌ Anything but that!‌ Please!"

Teresa laughed, "Okay.. but let's give it a rest, alright? Shelley must be very tired after her travelling, so we have to let her be for now."

She nodded, "I'm just so happy you're here! Now I'll have two older brothers and an older sister too!"

"Miriam!", Teresa scolded her.

"But Mom-"

"Enough of that, dear. Don't make Shelley uncomfortable."

Knowing Teresa, her reaction to this harmless comment was a little strong. She generally takes things in stride and with a lot of humor. I suppose she didn't want me to freak out with undying declarations of love right away.

I picked Miriam up, "But you should know that I would love to be your older sister, sugar." I gave her a kiss on the cheek as she squealed.

"Yay!! I've always wanted one! I love you, Shewwie!"

"Aww!‌ I love you too."

As I threaded my fingers through her silky hair and around her little head, my heart was suddenly astir with feelings of love and protection for the little girl.. almost as if I was actually her sister. But besides my unforeseen strong connection with Miriam, I realized just how much I loved this family. I would love to officially be a part of this family.. and that unspoken declaration alone had my heart soaring because of the implications.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been three hours since I've arrived in San Jose, and it was finally evening. Miriam took a nap shortly after her exciting time getting to know me and playing hide and seek. I picked that up from all those hours babysitting back home. I liked that game because the little ones did all the running around. Conveniently, I got to stand in one spot.

I spent the rest of the evening catching up with Teresa in front of a warm, crackling fire. She kept hugging me every few minutes, and it felt like there had been no time lost between us. I suppose you could say we picked up where we left off on pause, emotionally richer and more grateful than we ever could be to have each other's company.

Being back has just been glorious and surreal. Teresa had just finished telling me her, mostly failed, attempt at picking up knitting as a new hobby. It made her feel too old, and we laughed as I noticed,

"I can't explain how normal I feel despite the long day. I mean, with this time zone difference, I've been up for a long time and traveled on top of that."‌

"That's good, sweetheart. With all of our wonderful conversation, I actually never got to ask you about your trip. How was your flight? You never let me know whether you landed and so I was a little unaware exactly when you'd arrive.."

And just like that, I was reminded of the traumatic encounter from earlier today. My stomach fell in dread as I remembered exactly what had transpired.

"What is it, sweetie? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Between short puffs of air, I spoke, "You'll never believe what happened.. I still haven't processed it myself."

"What do you mean, Shelley?"

For the first time since the incident, I found myself leaning on the shoulder of someone who was like a mother to me. Beyond my control, the tears flowed freely. I was reminded of the time I‌ sobbed in the crook of the same shoulder more than five years prior. 'Be strong' the words echoed back to me..

"Oh my, Shelley!‌ What happened to you?"

I couldn't help it. It was impossible for me to transmit words between my uncontrollable hiccups. And before I could compose myself.. I could hear the front door open and the gust of wind flow into the house.

"Hmm.. Cesare won't be back from his trip for a few days now.. I wonder who that could be."

Strangely, I knew exactly who it was. The electricity that jostled my heart was unmistakeable.

"I'm home, Mom!‌ My flight got cancelled. Apparently someone killed another dude over a chick."

As he strode in, time slowed to a halt as my vision became blurry. Suddenly, I was stuck in a trance. My stomach fell a million miles and my heartbeat like a trampoline, so quickly that I was afraid it would beat out of my constricting chest. My throat became parched and my palms became sweaty, all in the midst of my gut churning terribly giving me a stomachache.

And then his laugh.. oh God.. it was like a million explosions going off in my stomach. No lab test ever produced such extreme feelings of anxiety and nervousness. I felt so pathetic all of a sudden. This feeling was so uncomfortable, so stressful, and so unfathomably terrible.. yet it was so incredible and electrifying all at the same time.

"Oh Matthew, you're home!", even though he towered over her, Teresa went on her tiptoes to pepper him with kisses.

"Mom, you're so happy that I'm starting to suspect that you're behind my cancelled flight."‌

As he laughed again I realized how I was so not ready for this. My face was tear stained, I probably had snot all over my clothes, and I couldn't do anything but gasp! My head was spinning as I recognized the sharp contrast of this situation to my expectations of reuniting with Matthew. This was a disaster. As I deliberated the quickest modes of escape, my attention sluggishly tuned back into the conversation, noticing that they were looking at me.

"Oh, sorry.. I kind of zoned out there. Is something wrong?"

Is what I intended to say but what I actually sounded like was a series of squeaks that barely got out under my breath.

"Mom, does she usually squeak?"‌, he asked with a smug grin on his face.

Fabulous.

Teresa quickly went to fetch me a glass of water so I could clear my throat.

"Sorry about that. I don't know what overcame me."

She looked at me with concern, "I was worried about you!‌ First you were in tears and then you became oddly frozen. Are you okay? The long day must be getting to you."‌

Before I could respond Matthew laughed, "Wait. Michelle was the one sobbing when I came?‌ I thought that might have been our Miri-pie."

This is so not what I‌ envisioned happening when I pictured a reunion. And 'Michelle'?!‌ NO‌ ONE calls me that except new teachers and the nurses at the doctor's office. Whatever happened to 'Shells'?‌ Or 'Shelley' at the least?

"Mom, I think she's spaced out again."

"I'm not spacing out. And I'm not Michelle! It's Shelley, or do you not remember that?" Remembering the comparison to Miriam I added, "And before you make assumptions about my emotional maturity.. I was shaken up because I almost got killed today at the airport. I was the 'chick' you heard about."

"WHAT?!‌ What do you mean?" Teresa was in shock.

"Yeah, I mean, no offense but you're not much of a looker."

Did I just hear that correctly?

"Ex-cuse me?!"

Matthew looked down in embarrassment. "D-did I‌ say that out loud?"

"Mmhm."‌ I glared at him.

Eventually, I told them the details of what happened to day at the airport, to which Teresa immediately started fussing over me.

"Oh, darling! I had no idea! I am so shocked. Why, I'm going to file a complaint immediately! Those incompetent idiots! I'm so relieved that you're alright."

"Teresa, don't worry. I'm fine, really."‌

"Come here, sweetheart."‌

As I went to give her a hug, Matthew butted in yet again,

"Wow. You do know though that you acted stupidly, right?"

I was appalled that he was so openly judgemental.

"In hindsight, of course I could have handled things differently. But you try being chased by a tall scary man running after you and threatening to kill you if you make a sound. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Clearly.", he shrugged off my reply.

Teresa yawned as she supported her back with her hand, "It's getting late, I think I need to lie down now. I'll see you kids in the morning."

We said our goodnights and bid her off upstairs and soon enough, we were alone. Strangely, I didn't feel so nervous anymore. I mean, we obviously didn't get off on the right foot, but maybe we could start over?

"So.. Matthew. I've been really looking forward to see you after all these years. And I see you've changed quite a bit from five years ago."

His face might as well have been made of stone.

"Was it really only five years ago? I guess I'm pleased to see you too."

Lukewarm much? Uhh.. next topic I guess.

"How's Stanford?"

"Oh you know, classes, tests and homework. Living the California dream. How long are you visiting for?"

Finally, some nice conversation. Flirting 101: lean in, make eye contact and mirror body language.

"I'm here for the summer for now, doing research through the Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program. But I'm hoping to extend my stay for a year, and maybe beyond if I get accepted into Stanford next year. It's my dream school." He nodded. "We'll see what happens though. Do you have any advice?"

"Hmm.. join some clubs, build relationships with your teachers and figure out if you belong here."

"Solid advice, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

I scrambled to make more conversation in my head and not let the awkward pause fester.

"Do you know how good Stanford is with scholarships?"

That was the best I could come up with.

"Hmm.. are you really depending on one?"

"Well.. I had a full-ride for NC‌ State this year and an okay scholarship for UNC. But I wanted to experience Stanford so I‌ gave them up. It's unlikely that I'd get anything here.. much less even an acceptance at this point, but I was just curious."

"You know.. I don't know if giving up a scholarship to a great school like UNC was wise. I mean it's no Stanford but still.. I'm aware that this is blunt but in my opinion, giving up a full ride takes some arrogance.‌", he paused. "Especially if you're not well off to begin with."

Ouch. That burned.. but as much as I'd like to rage at that, maybe.. he has a point?

"Stanford doesn't just give out scholarships, or even acceptances for that matter, to just anyone."

"I know that, but there's no harm in trying.. or hoping, right?"

"Sure. Good luck. You might need it."

"Umm.. thanks? So.. how are you paying for tuition?"

"Well, I could make do without any loans or scholarships, but it was important for me personally to get one."

Duh!‌ I should have known that! Stupid stupid stupid..

"My tuition is fully covered since I'm the Quarterback of the Stanford Cardinals."

Wait, what?

"Since when do you do sports? And quarterback?!‌ Isn't that big?"

He smirked, "You sound surprised."

"Well, I am. I mean you weren't really a jock when we were kids. You were more into poetry", I paused realizing how that might come off and rushed to correct myself, "not that you couldn't have done both."

"Key word: kids. And I can't remember when I wrote my last poem."

Ok.. wow. Better talk sports then.

"Well, I'm happy for you!‌ So, um.. quarterbacks.. that's football, right?"

He laughed incredulously, "No, we play basketball."

Shit.

"Oh!‌ Sorry, I'm not into this stuff.."

He laughed even harder, "Evidently not. We do play football."

I couldn't believe I'd gotten tricked so easily.

"So I was right then!"

"It's not that hard to make that educated guess, bookworm. I'm guessing you don't get out much?", he crossed his arms. "Either way, you should know that most big colleges have major football teams."

I meekly replied, "Right.. so-"

"Look, now that I'm not going to Costa Rica, and thanks to you, no less, I'm gonna be back here and might as well get some studying done. I hope you feel better after today, but I'd better go and get busy."

He headed over to swiftly climb the stairs when he turned around and gave me a nod.

"I suppose that I'll see you around for a while, Michelle."

I retorted back, "Shelley."

He said awkwardly, "Right, well.. I'm going to go unpack."

And with that, he was gone.

What. the. HELL?! That was anticlimactic as shit! I feel so deflated! I'm so lost and numb.. It's like nothing is real anymore! Most awkward conversation ever!‌ And who the hell is this guy? He's nothing like the Matthew I knew.. that was four insults in one conversation.

First, he practically says I'm nothing to look at, then he judges my decision-making, then he sneers at my financial situation and finally he calls me a bookworm. He's so rude.. like a bully from when I was younger.

And yet, I've still got butterflies in my stomach as I remember all of his crooked smirks when he was making fun of me. Why, I'd like to wipe that smug grin off his face!

'With a slap or a kiss?' my subconscious mind outrageously asks me.

Oh my god. How STUPID could I be?! Get a grip, Shelley. Get a damn grip.