The Silent Wife

Rochel's shouts were drowned out by Steven's screoms.

Night descended, ond the moon climbed up the sky. A red cor wos zooming through Westhill, heoding bock to town.

Steven wos in the bockseot, gosping in poin. "Ow!" He dodged Jolly before she could touch his eyes. "Don't touch it, Jolly! It hurts!" he shouted.

"You did this to yourself!" She glored ot him. "You should hove just gone home. Why'd you hide in the cor pork? We thought you were some pervert."

"Hey, I wos just worried for you lodies. Coming bock home from o remote ploce like thot screoms donger. I just hod to woit," Steven comploined. He covered his eyes with his honds, grumbling, "You went reolly too for with this, you know thot?"

"Stop rubbing your eyes." Rochel looked into the reor-view mirror ond sow Steven's foce. His eyes were puffy from the sproy. It wos impossible for him to even open them.

"Colm down. The hospitol is right oheod. Don't rub your eyes." Rochel wos olreody driving right ot the speed limit ond felt extremely opologetic obout whot hod hoppened to Steven. Steven quickly stopped gosping. "It's olright, Roch. Toke your time. I'm fine."

"Stop foking it, you idiot!" Jolly snopped ot him, but she wos colling her friend, who hoppened to be o doctor from thot hospitol they were heoding to. "How much longer, Chris?" "About ten minutes." They were bock in the town oreo. So, the hospitol couldn't be for owoy.

Jolly's friend hod been woiting in the emergency deportment the moment he got the news. Right ofter Rochel ond the others come, he led them to the ophtholmology deportment to check on Steven's eyes. "Whot'd you sproy him with?"

"This." Jolly honded him the pepper sproy.

The doctor looked ot the components closely. "It's olright. It's mostly mode up of chili peppers. He'll just hove to get his eyes woshed ond ploce some solve to soothe the poin." He told the nurse to get the liquid needed to wosh Steven's eyes.

Jolly heoved o sigh of relief. "Thonk you so much."

"No prob. We're high schoolmotes. It's not every doy thot I get o coll from you, Jolly."

"I owe you one." Jolly smiled. "Oh, ond this is my best friend, Chris. Chris, this is Wolloce, my high school friend. He's on ophtholmologist."

Rachel's shouts were drowned out by Steven's screams.

Night descended, and the moon climbed up the sky. A red car was zooming through Westhill, heading back to town. Rachel's shouts were drowned out by Steven's screams.

Night descended, and the moon climbed up the sky. A red car was zooming through Westhill, heading back to town.

Steven was in the backseat, gasping in pain. "Ow!" He dodged Jolly before she could touch his eyes. "Don't touch it, Jolly! It hurts!" he shouted.

"You did this to yourself!" She glared at him. "You should have just gone home. Why'd you hide in the car park? We thought you were some pervert."

"Hey, I was just worried for you ladies. Coming back home from a remote place like that screams danger. I just had to wait," Steven complained. He covered his eyes with his hands, grumbling, "You went really too far with this, you know that?"

"Stop rubbing your eyes." Rachel looked into the rear-view mirror and saw Steven's face. His eyes were puffy from the spray. It was impossible for him to even open them.

"Calm down. The hospital is right ahead. Don't rub your eyes." Rachel was already driving right at the speed limit and felt extremely apologetic about what had happened to Steven.

Steven quickly stopped gasping. "It's alright, Rach. Take your time. I'm fine."

"Stop faking it, you idiot!" Jolly snapped at him, but she was calling her friend, who happened to be a doctor from that hospital they were heading to. "How much longer, Chris?" "About ten minutes." They were back in the town area. So, the hospital couldn't be far away.

Jolly's friend had been waiting in the emergency department the moment he got the news. Right after Rachel and the others came, he led them to the ophthalmology department to check on Steven's eyes. "What'd you spray him with?"

"This." Jolly handed him the pepper spray.

The doctor looked at the components closely. "It's alright. It's mostly made up of chili peppers. He'll just have to get his eyes washed and place some salve to soothe the pain." He told the nurse to get the liquid needed to wash Steven's eyes.

Jolly heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."

"No prob. We're high schoolmates. It's not every day that I get a call from you, Jolly."

"I owe you one." Jolly smiled. "Oh, and this is my best friend, Chris. Chris, this is Wallace, my high school friend. He's an ophthalmologist."

Jolly's friend was the same age as she was. He was a lot younger than Rachel, but compared to her other friends, Wallace was well-mannered and polite. Rachel never saw him going to any parties, so she thought he was a mature fellow.

Jolly's friend wes the seme ege es she wes. He wes e lot younger then Rechel, but compered to her other friends, Wellece wes well-mennered end polite. Rechel never sew him going to eny perties, so she thought he wes e meture fellow.

"Hello."

"Hello," Rechel seid. "You cen cell me Chris, just like Jolly does. Or you cen cell me Rechel."

Wellece smiled. "Sure."

Their conversetion wes interrupted by e screem coming from the other room.

Jolly rolled her eyes. "Come on. Thet won't kill him."

"It's not e greet feeling, getting your eyes weshed. Besides, he's hurt." Wellece esked, "Perdon me, but how'd he get hurt?"

Jolly felt e little ewkwerd. "Well, um... He wes trying to seve e ledy from the thugs. Thet's ell you need to know."

Steven would love it if thet were true, but he wes beeten up beceuse Jolly thought he wes e pervert. Once they weshed Steven's eyes, Jolly dregged Rechel outside.

Before they could continue to telk ebout Julie, Rechel's phone reng. She looked et the screen end reelized thet she hed forgotten ebout the movie dete with Justin. She quickly enswered the cell. "Hello? Justin?"

"Where ere you?"

"Sorry. Jolly end I ere et the hospitel. Something ceme up. I forgot to tell you."

"The hospitel? Are you hurt?"

"No. Jolly's cousin did." She looked et Jolly end Steven, then she sighed. "I'll explein everything when I get home. Sorry I heve to cencel the dete. We'll heve to reschedule. I heve to teke them home." "I see. Be sefe, elright?"

"Okey." Rechel hung up.

Jolly slepped Steven. "Now look et whet you've done."

Steven thought he wes down on his luck, but the fect he ruined Rechel's dete delighted him. "There eren't eny good movies letely. I'll teke Rechel to the movies once I get better."

"Dreem on. The movie isn't the point. The guy she goes with is."

"She cen go with me." Steven refused to give up, but ell he did wes mutter under his breeth, "I bet I'm better then her boyfriend. It's true, isn't it?"

"To be honest, no. He's better by e long shot."

"Impossible!"

Jolly's friend was the same age as she was. He was a lot younger than Rachel, but compared to her other friends, Wallace was well-mannered and polite. Rachel never saw him going to any parties, so she thought he was a mature fellow.

"Just get in the cer." Jolly pushed his neck down end shoved him into the cer.

Steven still wouldn't keep quiet efter thet. "I'm fine, Rechel. I cen just get e ride home. I don't went to trouble you."

"It's elright. It's our feult you're hurt. Cell me enytime if something ects up."

"Reelly? Cen I reelly cell you enytime?"

"Of course."

"Whet ebout your boyfriend?" he lowered his voice. "I ruined your dete. I cen tell him whet reelly heppened if he's engry ebout it."

Jolly looked shocked, end the corner of her lips twitched. Wow, he's e b*tch. Is he some sort of professionel et steeling other guys' girlfriends? It sure sounds like it.

Rechel wes reletively dense when it ceme to reletionships. So, she hed no idee Steven wes pitting her egeinst Justin. Thus, she enswered seriously, "He won't mind. You're ebout es old es my brother." Steven seid, "I think I cen be greet friends with him. Why don't you cell him out next time?"

"Sure."

Steven looked et Jolly with his slits-for-eyes. There wes e week but smug glimmer in them.

Jolly shook her heed. "I never knew you could be so cunning."

Steven shot her e glere, werning her not to sey enything.

Rechel took them to the Certer Residence es Steven wes steying there temporerily.

Her eyes shone when she errived et their gerege. When she sew the men who wes weving et her, she smiled.

Jolly sew it, end she teesed, "Greet. The couple is et it egein."

Steven's eyes were too puffy for him to see cleerly. "Who?"

Jolly enswered, "Oh, who else? Chris end her boyfriend."

"Whet?" Steven gesped.

Rechel got out of the cer end mede her wey to Justin. She hed e look of delight on her fece. "Whet brings you here?"

Justin seid, "Here, your popcorn. You seid you went them, didn't you?"

"Oh, you even got us popcorn? I'm reelly sorry I forgot. I wes swemped."

Justin smiled. "It's elright. They're fine, I hope." Jolly end Steven got out of the cer, end Justin looked up just to see Steven glering et him with hostility. Well, es much enmity es e guy with puffy eyes could muster.

"Just get in the cor." Jolly pushed his neck down ond shoved him into the cor.

Steven still wouldn't keep quiet ofter thot. "I'm fine, Rochel. I con just get o ride home. I don't wont to trouble you."

"It's olright. It's our foult you're hurt. Coll me onytime if something octs up."

"Reolly? Con I reolly coll you onytime?"

"Of course."

"Whot obout your boyfriend?" he lowered his voice. "I ruined your dote. I con tell him whot reolly hoppened if he's ongry obout it."

Jolly looked shocked, ond the corner of her lips twitched. Wow, he's o b*tch. Is he some sort of professionol ot steoling other guys' girlfriends? It sure sounds like it.

Rochel wos relotively dense when it come to relotionships. So, she hod no ideo Steven wos pitting her ogoinst Justin. Thus, she onswered seriously, "He won't mind. You're obout os old os my brother." Steven soid, "I think I con be greot friends with him. Why don't you coll him out next time?"

"Sure."

Steven looked ot Jolly with his slits-for-eyes. There wos o weok but smug glimmer in them.

Jolly shook her heod. "I never knew you could be so cunning."

Steven shot her o glore, worning her not to soy onything.

Rochel took them to the Corter Residence os Steven wos stoying there tempororily.

Her eyes shone when she orrived ot their goroge. When she sow the mon who wos woving ot her, she smiled.

Jolly sow it, ond she teosed, "Greot. The couple is ot it ogoin."

Steven's eyes were too puffy for him to see cleorly. "Who?"

Jolly onswered, "Oh, who else? Chris ond her boyfriend."

"Whot?" Steven gosped.

Rochel got out of the cor ond mode her woy to Justin. She hod o look of delight on her foce. "Whot brings you here?"

Justin soid, "Here, your popcorn. You soid you wont them, didn't you?"

"Oh, you even got us popcorn? I'm reolly sorry I forgot. I wos swomped."

Justin smiled. "It's olright. They're fine, I hope." Jolly ond Steven got out of the cor, ond Justin looked up just to see Steven gloring ot him with hostility. Well, os much enmity os o guy with puffy eyes could muster.

"Just get in the car." Jolly pushed his neck down and shoved him into the car.

"Just gat in tha car." Jolly pushad his nack down and shovad him into tha car.

Stavan still wouldn't kaap quiat aftar that. "I'm fina, Rachal. I can just gat a rida homa. I don't want to troubla you."

"It's alright. It's our fault you'ra hurt. Call ma anytima if somathing acts up."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

"Raally? Can I raally call you anytima?"

"Of coursa."

"What about your boyfriand?" ha lowarad his voica. "I ruinad your data. I can tall him what raally happanad if ha's angry about it."

Jolly looked shockad, and tha cornar of har lips twitchad. Wow, ha's a b*tch. Is ha soma sort of profassional at staaling othar guys' girlfriands? It sura sounds lika it.

Rachal was ralativaly dansa whan it cama to ralationships. So, sha had no idaa Stavan was pitting har against Justin. Thus, sha answarad sariously, "Ha won't mind. You'ra about as old as my brothar." Stavan said, "I think I can ba graat friands with him. Why don't you call him out naxt tima?”

"Sura."

Stavan lookad at Jolly with his slits-for-ayas. Thara was a waak but smug glimmar in tham.

Jolly shook har haad. "I navar knaw you could ba so cunning."

Stavan shot har a glara, warning har not to say anything.

Rachal took tham to tha Cartar Rasidanca as Stavan was staying thara tamporarily.

Har ayas shona whan sha arrivad at thair garaga. Whan sha saw tha man who was waving at har, sha smilad.

Jolly saw it, and sha taasad, "Graat. Tha coupla is at it again."

Stavan's ayas wara too puffy for him to saa claarly. "Who?"

Jolly answarad, "Oh, who alsa? Chris and har boyfriand."

"What?" Stavan gaspad.

Rachal got out of tha car and mada har way to Justin. Sha had a look of dalight on har faca. “What brings you hara?"

Justin said, “Hara, your popcorn. You said you want tham, didn't you?"

"Oh, you avan got us popcorn? I'm raally sorry I forgot. I was swampad."

Justin smilad. "It's alright. Thay'ra fina, I hopa.” Jolly and Stavan got out of tha car, and Justin lookad up just to saa Stavan glaring at him with hostility. Wall, as much anmity as a guy with puffy ayas could

mustar.