radicalducati 110. Love Labor
110. Love Labor
EMMA's POV :
It was Christmas morning, and I woke up with the biggest smile on my face. My eyes were still closed, but I could tell it was morning because I could make out the bright sunlight streaming into the room. Reaching my hand to the side, I snuggled and cuddled, trying to feel Ian's warm body next to mine. Weirdly though, I reached the edge of the bed, and I found nothing but cold air.
Prying my eyes open, I took a look around and saw that Ian wasn't on the bed. Ian wasn't even in the room. There were no sounds coming from the en-suite bathroom either.
Is he downstairs already?
Ian was getting friendly with my parents lately. It was so cute to watch him bond with my dad over sports, and with my mom over me. I stretched my arms and yawned loudly before pulling myself up. I was about to leave my bed when I noticed a branch of mistletoe and a piece of folded paper on the pillow where Ian slept.
I grabbed the paper curiously and folded it open. On the inside, I found a strange set of gibberish words.
"I ma lnbiiog dan enaitmsg adn mnoniag, I onwk uoy liek me ni eht oimgnrn."
This was definitely not left here by mistake. A smile crept up my lips as I realized what this was. It was a riddle and Ian definitely left it there. I brought the piece of paper with me as I brushed my teeth and washed my face, racking my brain on figuring out the message.
After I got changed and I used a pen to help me unscramble the words, I finally got this message:
"I am boiling and steaming and moaning, I know you like me in the morning."
Boiling? Steaming? Moaning? I like it in the morning... ah, of course.
The answer's coffee!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I raced downstairs and to the kitchen. To my absolute surprise, there was no one in the house except my mom. It was Christmas morning. I thought everyone would be gathered around the living room, watching the game or opening presents, or something. But no, only my mom was there and she was wearing a weird apron and a suspicious smile on her face.
"Mom?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"You looking for something, honey?" she replied.
"Um, where's everyone?"
"Ding, that's not the right answer," she shook her head from side to side. She was talking in this robotic voice.
"The right answer?" I stared at her in confusion. Why was she talking like this? "Wait, mom, do you mean coffee?"
"Ding! That's the right answer," she nodded her head furiously and pulled out a large paper cup filled with coffee. She handed it to me and said, "Here you go, sweetie. Merry Christmas,"
"Thank you...?" I took the coffee from her. "Merry Christmas to you too..."
She smiled and giggled, unable to contain herself. I was still as confused as ever. But then I glanced at the paper cup and I noticed another gibberish writing on it.
"m'I tasf dna duol esaelp t'nod cinap, nehw m'I kcis I og ees a cinahcem."
Since I knew I had to unscramble the words, I grabbed a pen and started working on it. Mom was watching over my shoulder as I wrote down the words. I managed to find the message quicker this time, and the message was:
"I'm fast and loud please don't panic, when I'm sick I go see a mechanic."
A mechanic? Oh. Okay.
I took a sip of the coffee and kissed my mom goodbye before heading to the garage. The next clue was the car.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By the time I reached the garage, I finally realized what was happening here. Ian wanted me to play a scavenger hunt. He had my mom wait by the kitchen, and now my dad was standing in front of my car. Yup, the blue Mustang he got me for my birthday. He kept it still, and he was taking good care of it.
"Good morning, dad. Merry Christmas," I said to him as I kissed him on the cheek.
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he replied.
"You're in on this too, aren't you?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
He tried to keep a poker face, but he broke down within three seconds. Smiling sheepishly, he pulled out my car key from his pocket and whispered to my ear, "The next clue's in the glove compartment,"
I laughed softly and whispered back, "Thank you,"
Grabbing the car keys from him, I made my way to the driver seat and started raiding the glove compartment. Sure enough, there was another paper folded in two. Inside it was another clue:
"nO a oht msuesmr, ady sti eudnr ym sqeura of shdea ot pkee teh nus aayw."
Using my trustee pen, I scribbled and scribbled until I got the next message:
"On a hot summers day, sit under my square of shade to keep the sun away."
"Square of shade...?" I found myself muttering. "What's a square shade...?"
"Something that's outside perhaps? In the middle of town..." Dad pretended like he didn't hear me.
I let out a giggle and said, "Thanks, dad,"
"What? I didn't say anything?" he said, pausing for a moment before giving me a wink.
I smiled and nodded knowingly at him. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I quickly started the car, put it in gear, and drove out of the garage.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ten minutes later, I arrived at the community garden. The garden had a gazebo in the middle and it had a square roof. Walking into the garden, I was getting suspicious that maybe I was in the wrong place. It was a cold day in late December, plus it was Christmas morning, there was barely anyone outside, let alone in the park.
Out of all the places in this town, why this particular place?
As if on cue, I saw a familiar figure standing inside the gazebo. And then I knew why he picked this place in particular.
"Tyler?" I gaped.
"Merry Christmas, Emma," Tyler beamed. He was standing in the gazebo wearing our old community garden uniform.
"Merry Christmas!" I squeaked and ran over to hug him. "Oh my gosh! It's been ages. How are you?"
The last time I saw Tyler was probably a few years back when I came home for Thanksgiving. He looked exactly the same though, except his hair was longer and his jaw was scruffier.
"I'm doing good," he laughed and hugged me back. "I've graduated and I'm shipping out to South Africa soon, I've officially joined the Peace Corps,"
"You are? That's so great! I know how much you've wanted to do that. I'm so proud of you, Tyler," I smiled warmly and hugged him again.
"Thanks, I'm super excited. I can't wait to go out there and travel the world,"
For a moment, we just stood there and smiled at each other. But then I remembered why I was there in the first place. Narrowing my eyes at him, I shot point blankly, "Wait a second, what are you doing here in the community garden on Christmas morning? And why are you wearing this uniform?"
Tyler let out a chuckle and said, "To give you your next clue, of course,"
"Wait, you're in it too?" I was totally shocked. "But... how?"
Tyler didn't know about Ian and me. It was highly unlikely that Ian would get Tyler involved in this little game he was doing. What's happening here? Am I missing something?
Ignoring my question, Tyler simply said, "So, here's the catch, if you want your next clue, you have to work for it," suddenly, he pulled out a trash picking stick from behind him and handed it to me. "You still remember the good old days, right?"
"Oh my goodness... you have got to be kidding me!" I stared at him, waiting for an explanation, but he just stood there and grinned.
"Nope. I'm deadly serious," he reassured me.
"Tyler?" I gaped at him again.
"If you want your next clue, you better get working," he shrugged. "There's a lot of trash to pick out around here. And you might wanna start there, behind the bushes," he said as he pointed at a certain bush.
Rolling my eyes at him, I shook my head, and headed to the direction he pointed.
"I can't believe you're making me pick out trash on Christmas morning," I groaned and started working with my trash picker.
"Hey, I didn't make the rules. I'm just following orders," he replied.
Picking up trash at the community garden was our community service activity. I remembered spending lots of days out here with Tyler during my senior year. That was how we became friends in the first place.
Did Ian really get Tyler involved in this? Does that mean Tyler knows about us?
I was thinking about it as I picked up the trash, and then I noticed an empty soda can wrapped with a piece of paper and a rubber band. Sure enough, on that paper I found my next clue.
"yMan rsoites dna tasel I hdol, tub selnice palsee ton a rdow acn eb dlot."
I took a few minutes to figure out the next message, and it read something like this:
"Many stories and tales I hold, but silence please not a word can be told."
"The library...?" I said to myself, I was mainly thinking out loud.
"Just in case you're wondering, it's the one inside school," Tyler responded. He was standing right behind me.
"Thanks, Tyler," I said to him and I gave him the trash picker back.
"You're welcome,"
I was about to leave, but then I stopped and asked him, "Tyler, did Ian-I mean, Mr. Hayes... I mean... ah, never mind," I shook my head quickly and said, "Thanks again,"
I wanted to ask Tyler if he was a part of this because Ian asked him to. But I wasn't sure how to do that without giving too much information away. So I just smiled at him, waved goodbye, and headed back to my car.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The school's library should be closed. It was a public holiday today. But when I got there, I found that the front door wasn't even locked.
I guess I must be in the right place?
As soon as I stepped inside the library, I heard a loud familiar squeal and Carrie came rushing out.
"Emma! You made it!" she raced over to me and hugged me tight.
"Carrie!" I beamed. "He got you into this too?!"
"Congrats on making it this far. You're doing great by the way," suddenly I heard Mark's voice. I whipped my head around, and there he was, standing right beside me.
"Mark...?" I gaped. I shot Carrie a worried look and said, "Wait, does he know...?"
"Everything's under control. You just focus on getting your next clue," Carrie said reassuringly. Then she turned to Mark and said, "You ready, babe?"
"Hit it," Mark replied.
"Hit what?" I asked.
Carrie pulled away from me and stood right in front of Mark. Then she put her hand over her face dramatically before saying, "Let me alone. Let me alone!" she sighed loudly. "If I've done wrong, I'm dying for it. It is enough! You left me too, but I won't upbraid you! I forgive you. Forgive me!"
"It is hard to forgive, and to look at those eyes, and feel those wasted hands," Mark replied, and he was speaking in a weird accent. "Kiss me again, and don't let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer - but yours! How can I?"
These two were acting out a scene between Catherine and Heathcliff. I burst out laughing as Carrie and Mark channeled their inner Shakespeare.
"What are you guys doing?" I laughed maniacally.
"Please tell me you got the clue and we don't have to continue," Mark hissed.
"Of course, I do," I said in between my laughs. "I've known it since the first sentence but I just want you two to keep going,"
Mark rolled his eyes at me and Carrie just shrugged. Walking towards the literature section, I scanned the shelves for a familiar book, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It was such a meaningful book for Ian and me, so of course I knew the quotes by heart.
Once I found the book, I flipped it open and found a piece of paper stuck inside. On it was my next clue:
"I eamk oyu raies yrou nahds pu gihh, uoths htiw em dna tchou eht ksy."
It didn't take me long to figure out this one. The message was:
"I make you raise your hands up high, shout with me and touch the sky."
"Raise my hands up high and touch the sky...? Is he talking about cheerleading?" I said to myself.
"Bingo!" Carrie chimed.
"Wow, you are good at this," Mark commented.
"Thanks guys," I told them before rushing out eagerly. "And Merry Christmas!"
I knew I was getting closer and closer to my prize with each clue and I couldn't contain the excitement anymore.
Where's Ian going with this? Could it be...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Walking inside the school's gymnasium, I was reminded of the days when I used to practice cheerleading with the squad in here. I remembered going to the games and cheering for our school. And Ian would sit in the back bleachers and we'd steal glances at each other, smiling in knowing secrecy.
"Took you long enough," a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned around instinctively and there she was.
"Tiff?!" I gaped.
"This place brings back memories, huh?" she said, pausing for a beat before continuing, "Perhaps this will make it even better?"
Tiff had a brown paper bag in her hand and she gave it to me with a playful smile. I took the bag from her and checked the inside. It was my old cheerleading uniform.
"You're not serious, are you?" I glared at her.
"I'm just following orders," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Just put it on so I can give you the next clue," she ordered bossily when I kept glaring at her.
Rolling my eyes at her, I grabbed the uniform and started undressing. Since we were the only two people in that gymnasium, I didn't bother going to the ladies' room to change.
"There," I said once I finished changing. "Where's the clue?"
"Here you go," she said in a singsong way and she gave me a piece of paper. "It's the last one,"
The clue was: "nI siht moor I ldto uyo I vole ouy, ni ihts ecpal uyo illw dnif het utrht."
And it only took me a couple of seconds to figure this one out.
"In this room, I told you I love you. In this place, you will find the truth."
"Thanks, Tiff," I gave her a quick hug before turning to my heels.
"Anytime," she replied.
I didn't even need to think to figure out the answer. I knew exactly where he would be. It was the place that started everything. The place where I saw him again for the first time since we met at the bar. The place where our love had to stay hidden, but also helped us grow stronger. It was the place where I got to call him my teacher.
The art classroom.
- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -