Free My Soul Keeper by Ker Dukey Page A

The sirens blare and fade the farther away the ambulance gets.
    “You can ride with me,” Leah suggests.
    “I wasn’t going to go to the hospital,” I tell her.
    “What? But Simone’s going to need you there.” She grabs my hand and drags me across the street to a Volkswagen Beetle. It’s pink - bright pink. I gesture to her car and furrow my brow. “What? She’s my baby. Get in,” she tells me in a commanding tone, which makes me laugh.
    “Okay then.” I pull open the door and take a seat; there’s a vase with a flower in it on the front console, which makes me shake my head.
    “Hey, don’t mock my pink lady,” Leah warns.
    I hold up my hands. “I wouldn’t dare.”
    “So, mall hunk, what’s the deal?”
    I look to her. “Mall hunk?”
    “Yeah, that’s what I call you,” she says, like it’s a normal name.
    “Okay. My name is Shamar; feel free to call me that.”
    “That’s a weird name.”
    “It means Keeper.”
    Her eyes look to mine and her brows pinch a little. “Keeper? Like goalkeeper?”
    “No.” I can’t help the humour in my voice; she’s quite a unique human.
    “As in keeper of something precious like life.”
    “Well that’s weird. I want to know what your intentions are with Simone.”
    Her blatant question leaves me to pause for a few seconds, gaining me a raised eyebrow from her.
    “I find myself drawn to Simone, she’s quite a girl.”
    Leah nods. “She’s amazing and has been screwed over before, so I don’t want her hurt again. If you’re just trying to get in her pants, I think you should look elsewhere. She’s not that type of girl.”
    I sense her genuine protectiveness for her friend and I like this girl. She loves Simone. “I know what type she is and believe me, I would never hurt her.”
    A smile lightens her face. “Glad to hear it.”
    We pull up at the ER entrance and it’s packed with students.
    “Wow, he’s well-liked then?” I say to Leah, who gives me a questionable look.
    “He’s the star quarterback.”
    Okay... , not someone I thought Simone would be interested in. She seems too timid for that kind of crowd.
    The doors slide open as we trigger the sensor. Leah walks in ahead of me and I’m suddenly pushed backward by Gabrielle.
    “What is going on?” she questions me.
    “Your Destined’s boyfriend got hit by car.”
    “I know that, but why are you here? She’s meant for another. You need to get over this crush you have.”
    “A crush, really?”
    “Well, what else would it be? You need to stay away. Don’t make me go above you. I will speak to your father.”
    I look at her with disbelief. “That’s a pretty big threat.”
    “I can’t have her falling for you. She’s meant to fall for someone else. It’s her destiny.”
    Dread washes through me like ice. Having it confirmed, that she’s meant for a man, is like the worst torture. I can’t help how I feel for her and she has awakened a light in me I wasn’t sure I possessed.
    I leave and manage to stay away for a week.

The flurry of activity in the hospital of the nurses and doctors cutting away Jacob’s clothing, inserting needles into his skin, and shining lights into his eyes and ears leaves me feeling sick. I can see his leg’s broken; it looks out of shape, and a sob escapes me.
    “He plays football; it’s his life,” I tell them as they discuss the damage to his leg.
    “I’m sorry, please let us work,” is all they keep saying.
    When his parents arrive, the rush of emotions leaves me drained. His mom cuddles me to her and thanks me for being with him. When they have him stabilized and patched up, he’s left to sleep. Machines beep around him; his leg is in a cast from hip to toes.
    “This will destroy his scholarship,” his dad retorts.
    Jacob’s mom shakes her head in disbelief. “He's alive, David. That’s all that matters,”
    I take my leave and tell them I’ll be back in the morning.
    My house feels empty. Mom has taken Junior to visit her