Tangled Luck Ch 1

I've never been lucky.  I bring good luck to others, but I've never had much luck myself.  I decided I couldn't change my life, but, once you decide on something, God let's you know that he has another plan in store.  At least, that's what I learned in the rain.

Chapter 1 – Changing Luck in the Rain

Rapunzel Moore looked glumly out the classroom window.  The weather outside fit her mood perfectly.  With every passing minute, the sky grew darker and darker over the city of New Sonnenburg.  Every now and then, fissures of lighting struck out across the bottom of the ominous clouds and thunder sounded the coming storm.  Rapunzel liked days like this, because even though the sun wasn't there, there was the promise that is was just beyond the clouds.  When she was younger and happier, Rapunzel would pretend that she could brush the clouds away with a flick of her hand.  But Rapunzel learned a long time ago that there's no such thing as magic or fairytales.
Rapunzel was named for her mother's favorite fairytale, The Brother Grimms' Rapunzel.  Every night, her mother would read her that fairytale and many others.  She believed in these stories since she was little, but then, her mother died and the fairytales stopped.  She was seven when her mother died of cancer.  It wasn't the slow sort of cancer either; she got sick very quickly; there was no time to prepare for loss.  Her father was so stricken with grief that he killed himself just a few weeks after the funeral.
Rapunzel had no grandparents to go to, only an aunt on her mother's side, Donna Gothel.
Donna was spiteful she was landed with a kid and she resented Rapunzel for it.  Donna was the sort of woman who lived young and wild; she stayed out late, was known to drink excessively, smoked and some nights didn't come home because she was out with men.  When Rapunzel came to live with her, she didn't change her lifestyle much; she kept doing what she'd been doing and gave little concern to Rapunzel.  At a very young age, Rapunzel had to learn to take care of herself.  She did her own laundry, cooking, cleaning and she even learned to pay some of the bills her aunt would get, because Donna never paid them on time.  Rapunzel even had to enroll herself in school and had to literally drag her aunt to parent teacher conferences.
Even though she despised her niece, Aunt Donna never hit Rapunzel.  She couldn't take the risk.  When Rapunzel was thirteen, Donna had gotten her into modeling to pay for herself.
"If you're going to live under my roof, fend for yourself."  This really wasn't all that necessary; Rapunzel's parents had left behind enough money for all of Rapunzel's needs.
Rapunzel did the modeling without much complaint.  She hated it, but it kept her aunt content, and that was better than the latter.
Donna kept up the front that she was a caring loving guardian, but she often left Rapunzel alone and when she was home, she would say mean and hateful things to her.  
Sloppy, underdressed, gullible, naive, ditzy, vague, chubby, and immature were just a few of her aunt's more common insults.  Rapunzel was used to these.  Most of them were just anger talking, but then there were others that were completely spiteful: flat-chested, clumsy, grubby, and recently, there was a new one that her aunt would only spit out if she were drunk.
"You fucking dirty little whore.  You'll spread your legs for any jack won't you?  You're just a sack for guys to jack off.  I won't look out for you when you come to me bare foot and pregnant.  Fucking bitch."
This always hurt Rapunzel the most.  She'd learned to stop crying a long time ago, but these words were the worst of all.  They weren't true at all; Rapunzel had never slept with anyone.  She was afraid to.  She'd heard so many stories from girls in high school in the locker rooms, saying that their boyfriend was too rough and they made them do weird things.  There was one story that went around about a girl who actually started bleeding down there during sex.  Her boyfriend was charged with statutory rape (he was older than her; she was sixteen) and the school did a whole seminar on sex education, which only fueled Rapunzel's fear of sex.  She vowed right then and there she would die a virgin and had so far, kept that vow.
She was in her first semester of college.  It was spring term, (even though it was the middle of February) because her aunt hadn't let her start college right away because of out of town modeling jobs.  She was taking mainly art classes, but some GED's too, and in the first few weeks she'd been able to stop the advances of the boys who thought she was cute.  She was good at making up excuses as to why she couldn't hang out with anyone, but mainly, it was someone named Pascal helping her.  
Cameron Green, or Pascal, as he preferred to be called was the tiny, somehow intimidating, best friend of Rapunzel.  Pascal was very good at scaring people off, despite his lofty height of five foot three inches.  Maybe it was his glare, maybe it was his threats, or maybe it was the fact he resembled a techni-color pin-cushion.  Pascal had piercings everywhere possible and then some.  Silver hoops ran the curve of both his ears and he had gauges big enough to fit a thumb through.  Both of his eyebrows were pierced multiple times and a bar ran through the bridge of his nose.  He needed glasses, but instead, opted to wear spiral colored prescription contacts.  And if all that wasn't enough, every few weeks he'd dye his hair whatever color he was feeling like and then would wear t-shirts that matched the chosen color with a pair of studded, chained, safety pinned, baggy black pants.
Pascal hardly ever left Rapunzel's side, so he was always there to chase away unwanted attention.  After a week or two of seeing him with her, people just assumed that Rapunzel was a punk too and it'd be better to not get involved.
Pascal actually wasn't a punk; he was genius.  He got his nickname from being the only kid in his first grade class who could figure out how to do Pascal's triangle.  He was a math whiz and was pretty good at science too.  He was a fast reader and very good at memorization.  He tested really high for the SATs and he'd even gotten offers from some of the best colleges in the country, but he decided to go to Kingdom County Community College, just so he could stay close to Rapunzel.
Pascal was a wonder with academia, but not with anything else.  So, why he was in an art class seemed a little odd, but Pascal hardly ever did leave Rapunzel's side.  That was one of the ways he could be irritating.
As Rapunzel was staring out the window at the angry clouds, Pascal was glaring at his canvas, paint dripping from his brush.  He growled at his 'art'.
"Rapunzel," he moaned, "why doesn't this look right?"  She tore her eyes away from the window to instead stare at Pascal's canvas.  She narrowed her eyes at it.
"Well, for one thing, we're supposed to be experimenting with color and shades, but yours is sort of turning brown."  Pascal had used every color and just slapped it on the canvas.
"What do you want from me, I'm color blind.  And I'm also feeling funny.  I hate rainy days like this."  Rapunzel smiled sympathetically.
Besides his sense of fashion, Pascal had one odd trait that really made him different from anyone else; he was a bit of a psychic and his specialty was empathy readings.  That meant that Pascal could tell how someone was feeling just by being near them.  And that was the other thing that sometimes made him irritating.  
Rapunzel could never hide from him if she was feeling upset about something; he always knew and he would bug her until she told him what was wrong.  The only time when Pascal's readings weren't that good was when the air was charged with electricity.  That was another reason why she liked storms; Pascal couldn't read her and that was always a nice break.  
"You know, Pascal, if you don't feel well, just go home.  You're obviously not going to get this picture done today."
"No way, I'm walking you home today."  Rapunzel cocked an eyebrow at him.
"I know you're color blind, but if you looked in the mirror, even you could tell that your skin is paler."
"But I always ride the bus home with you and walk you home."
"I can get home fine by myself.  Besides you're going to want to be home once it starts raining.  You know what rain does to you."  Pascal looked out the window and grimaced.  
"Maybe you're right," he mumbled.  He raised his hand and waited for the teacher to come over.  Mr. Busby weaved his way through the tables, chairs and easels to get to Rapunzel and Pascal.  He first looked at Pascal, then at his painting and frowned.
"Mr. Green, I said to use color for this painting, but I didn't necessarily mean all of them."
"Yeah, I know, I'm a rule breaker.  I was actually wondering if it would be alright if I left a little early.  Weather like this makes me sick."  Mr. Busby could tell that Pascal wasn't his usual sassy self.  He nodded.
"Sure.  Just come in sometime later this week to finish this… painting."  As Pascal bent down to gather up his stuff, Mr. Busby stooped over Rapunzel's shoulder.  "How are you doing Miss Moore?"  
"I'm doing fine," she mumbled, blushing a bit.  She pulled her brush away from the canvas and looked at it.  She had painted the whole of it dark blue, mixing purples and black in with the paint to create a dark night sky.  She was just starting in on adding paper lanterns when Mr. Busby had walked over.  She knew what was going to come next.
"Oh, Miss Moore, this is fantastic.  The soft colors against such a dark background.  Are those lanterns?"
"Un-huh, like the ones they release in Thailand during their festivals.  I was going to put arms on the bottom, to show they've been released."
"Ah, why am I not surprised you're also creating a story with your art?  The lanterns are like hopes and dreams and they're being let out into the world.  Good work."  Mr. Busby patted Rapunzel on the shoulder and walked away.  He didn't notice that she flinched.
Pascal stood up, his back pack slung over his shoulder.  
"I'll see you later, Rapunzel.  I think this storm is going to knock me out for tomorrow too.  I don't think I'll see you till Monday.  Uh… I hate rainy weather."
"Bye-bye, Pascal."  Rapunzel waved to him as he staggered out.  When he was gone, Rapunzel looked back out the window and sighed.
Rainy days were her favorite, because sometimes, she just wanted to be alone.
For the next hour and half of her lab class Rapunzel worked quietly, with only her thoughts to keep her company.
Mr. Busby said the lanterns were like dreams and wishes.  Is that what people think they are?  It was just my idea for this assignment.
Rapunzel didn't like it when people thought all art was to have some meaning.
It's not supposed to have a meaning.  It's just art.
Soon class was over and Rapunzel put her picture in the back room where it could dry.  It needed a few more layers of paint to get the right sense of depth, but she could work on that later.  Rapunzel gathered up her stuff and headed out the door.  
The art building was not connected to any other part of the college, so Rapunzel found herself running to the main building.  It had started raining just as class got out and it had decided to rain buckets.  Rapunzel wished she had watched the weather report that morning.  She would have brought an umbrella.  At least, though, the rain wasn't freezing.  It was unusually warm for February, considering that 46 degrees was warm, even if March was just a few weeks away.
She got to the main building and shook out her coat.  She frowned as she felt that the bottom of her jeans had gotten wet.  She checked the time on her watch and decided she had enough time to buy a tea from the campus' coffee and tea bar.  She had to wait in a line.  It looked like a lot of people wanted something to warm them up.  Rapunzel ordered a raspberry and hibiscus hips blend and a chocolate mocha muffin.  After she got her drink and food, she made her way through the lobby to the circle drive where the bus came to pick up and drop off.  Her bus was the 1:45 pm High Street.  That was where her aunt told her to meet her after school.  She had a new modeling gig for her.
Though rainy days didn't drain her like they did Pascal, she didn't want to work today.  Lately, Rapunzel had been feeling like her life was getting too oppressive.  Her aunt was drinking more, making her more aggressive.  She was giving Rapunzel a hard time with everything.  Rapunzel just wanted some time to herself.  She wanted to get out, but she had nowhere to go.
The bus came and Rapunzel sat in the back, where she usually sat.  It was a little odd at first to not have Pascal right beside her, but she didn't mind.  She wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
From campus to High Street, Rapunzel sipped her tea and munched her muffin and thought about what her aunt had said to her the night before.  It had started when Rapunzel told Donna she didn't want to do the job she was heading to.
"I had to stop my life and my career for you!  Do you think it's been easy on me?  I never wanted kids, especially a kid who isn't even mine.  I don't care if you are my niece, you're not my own.  You should thank me and repay me.  I don't ask you to do much.  It's perfectly reasonable what I ask you to do.  I don't know why I keep you.  You're eighteen.  I should just kick your sorry ass out.  Go pick one of your fucking boyfriends to live with.  Honestly, I really should kick your whoring little ass out.  Get my life back."
She didn't cry.  She just sat there and took it.  Eventually Rapunzel said she'd do the job, just to appease her aunt.  She didn't want one of the neighbors calling the cops.  
The words had swirled in her head all day and she was so glad that Pascal hadn't picked up her depressed mood.  
Rapunzel wanted out so bad.  She just wanted everything to end; the yelling, the hate, the hurt she felt whenever her aunt pointed out she was unwanted.  But what could she do?  Sure, she had a job, but her aunt controlled her money, even though she was eighteen.  If she left, she wouldn't be able to support herself.  She couldn't ask Pascal and his family to take her in; she didn't want to be a bother to anyone.  She really had no way out.
The bus stopped.
"High Street," the driver said.  A few people stood up, Rapunzel among them.  She got off the bus and stepped onto the sidewalk.  It was still raining.  Rapunzel pulled her hood up.  The bus closed its doors and drove away.  Rapunzel looked at the address she had scribbled on her wrist that morning.  
14785 High Street, in the Clarion building.
Rapunzel looked around, squinting through the rain.  She saw it on the other side of the street.  She walked up to the cross walk and waited for the light to change.  She glanced at her watch.  Two o'clock.
Great, Aunt Donna wanted me there at two.
The light changed and she hurried across, but her shoe had filled with water.  Through the schlop, schlop, her shoe fell off in the middle of the road.  She went back to get it.
Someone screamed.  People pointed.  Rapunzel looked up to see a car speeding down the street.  Her light had gone out and the car wasn't stopping.  It was going to hit her.
She didn't think to run.  She didn't think at all.  She just stood there in the pouring rain, holding her shoe.
This is it, she thought, this is my way out.  Rapunzel closed her eyes and waited for her bad luck to finally do something good for her.
She didn't brace for the impact.  She didn't do anything, but wonder.  She wondered what she'd see when she died.  White?  Her parents?  God?  She didn't care, as long as she was free.
Rapunzel was struck, but not from the front.  She was hit from the side.  A great big, hard force knocked her off her feet.  People screamed again.  Her feet left the ground and she and the force went airborne.  She fell against the cub of the road, her left elbow smacking into the bumper of a car.  Rapunzel didn't bang her head.  Something was protecting the back of her skull.  She realized she was being held tightly; she couldn't move.  
Rapunzel heard the sound of tires screeching on the wet pavement.  Rapunzel opened her eyes.
Someone was on top of her.  Someone who had pushed her out of the way.  Someone, who was a man, and he was lying on top of her.  He was the one holding her, cradling her.  He had just saved her life.  
He moaned and pushed himself up a bit.  Rapunzel heard a door slam shut and she saw a business looking man stalking towards the two.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" he shouted at them.  The man who had saved Rapunzel from being hit stood up and rounded on the other man.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?  She was in a cross walk."
"Her time ran out and I had a green light.  I had right of way."  The other man shoved Rapunzel's guy.  He shoved back.
"Yeah?  And you were also speeding.  Do you know what hydroplaning is?  And tell me something; would you have not speed down for a group of kids in a crosswalk if you had a green light?"  The man shut up for a second.  His eyes shifted to the crowd that had gathered.
"No," he mumbled.  He glared back at the man who had saved Rapunzel.  "Fuck off."  He walked back to his car.
"Yeah, you fuck off too!  Bastard."  The man turned back to Rapunzel.  He knelt down to her level.  "Are you alright?"  
Rapunzel was a little caught off guard.  The guy was so….handsome!  He looked to be in his mid-twenties.  He had very thick eyebrows and incredibly dark brown eyes.  His hair was much the same color. (Rapunzel wondered if it was that dark because of the rain.)  He had really strong features; his nose was so straight and his cheeks were so defined.  He had a scruffy beard on his chin, which only outlined his face even more.
"Are you alright," he asked again.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Rapunzel said slowly.
"Good," he sighed with relief.  "I was afraid I'd knocked you stupid."  He stood up and offered a hand to Rapunzel.  She took it, hesitantly.  He pulled her up with little difficulty.  Rapunzel was surprised by his strength.  The movement was so sudden, that it jarred Rapunzel's other arm.  She exclaimed in pain and released the man's hand to hold it.
"Oh, you are not fine if you just said 'ow'.  Where does it hurt?"
"I'm fine, it's just my elbow."
"Here, let's get out of the rain."  The man picked up his and Rapunzel's bags, which had fallen off, and ushered her onto the sidewalk.  He looked back for his umbrella, but saw that it lay broken in the street.
"Damn it, I just bought that thing."  
The man steered Rapunzel under the awning of a store's front window.  He set their bags down.
"Let me look at your arm," he said gently.  She reluctantly pulled her hand away.  He stooped to look at it.  He let out a low whistle.  "Yeah, it's already swelling.  It's got a nice bruise starting too.  Well, nothing else for it.  I'm taking you to the hospital."
"What?  No, you don't need to do that.  I'm fine."
"You are not fine.  Your elbow could be fractured."  As he pulled his hand away, Rapunzel saw that the back of it looked like the bad side of a deal between a piece of meat and a grinder.  She thought she saw bone and tendons.
"Your hand!"  She pointed at it.  He looked down.
"Hm, will you look at that.  Looks like both of us need to go to the hospital."  Once again, the man picked up the two bags and put his uninjured hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.  He led them back into the rain and hailed a taxi.
He opened the door for Rapunzel and she slid in, still not really sure what to make of the whole situation.
Some random guy had just saved her life, at risk to himself.  Randomly!  
He sat down next to her in the car.
"Saint Augustine's Hospital, please."  The driver nodded his head.  The taxi pulled into traffic.  Rapunzel's hero pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wrapped it around his hand, wincing a bit.  Rapunzel felt so guilty.  She was the reason he was hurt.
"You really don't need to see me to the hospital.  I mean, don't you have some place to be?"
"Not really.  I was just heading to work.  My boss'll understand."  He smiled at her.
Rapunzel twisted her head around and watched as her destination, 14785 High Street, Clarion building got further and further away.
I'm going to get in trouble later.
"- rt."
"Huh?"  The man had said something to Rapunzel.  She turned back around and he was offering her his uninjured hand.
"I said my name is Eugene Fitzherbert."  He was grinning at her.  God, he had perfect teeth.  Rapunzel took his hand, still dumbfounded.  She shook it slowly.
"Rapunzel Moore."
"Gesundheit," he said.