"Timber..."
Mocking laughter was heard across the courtyard and Timber could just see the outline of Diana through her teary eyes. Timber could hear Diana teasing her for crying and trying to get everyone else to laugh at her too. Her attempts were in vain because everyone knew Timber and they knew she never cried so to see her in tears was no laughing matter. Xianna squeezed Timber's hand, left the group and marched right to Diana. Xianna pulled back her arm and punched her as hard as she could in the face. Diana gasped. Xianna stood her ground glaring at her with a level of anger unmatched by Diana. Xianna walked back to Timber's side through a wave of cheers from the crowd of students. Timber watched Diana hurry off to the bathroom holding her nose and swearing loudly. Timber was suddenly very overcome with a wave of appreciation for her best friend.
"Well, that felt good," said Xianna. She took a tissue from her bag and blotted under Timber's eyes. "You're going to be alright. Just try to make it through the rest of the day, okay."
"Come here, Timber," said Ashley.
She took Timber by the hand and dragged her over to the Blue Lady Bench. It had hundreds of names carved in it already from generations of deep believers in the legend. Ashley was one of those who believed in the story. She took out a tiny pocket knife from her purple varsity jacket and began carving in an empty space.
"What are you doing?" asked Timber.
"Giving you a head start," said Ashley as she carved Timber's name into the painted wood. "You love him. The Blue Lady might make this happen for you. There."
"Looks good, Ashley," and Gina. "Put the knife away before a teacher sees."
"I carry this with me every day," said Ashley. "No one has said anything."
"That's because you don't wave it around," said Xianna. "Put it away."
Ashley rolled her eyes and put the knife back in her pocket.
"How are you feeling now, Timber?" asked Kendra.
"Lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut," said Timber. Her slight accent was coming out thick as it rolled off her tongue.
"What is it your aunt says? Oh yeah. It'll all come out in the wash," said Gina.
The bell rang before anyone could say anything else. Timber headed off to the girl's locker rooms to get changed into her purple and gray gym clothes. Timber was so out of focus she was trying to put her tennis shoes on the wrong feet. Her head was racing in a thousand different directions. How could she have let herself fall in love? She was always so careful to guard herself but Henry seemed to have unknowingly torn down all of her defenses. He had even managed to make her unable to fight back tears. As she walked out to the baseball diamond for softball, she resolved to keep her feelings a secret from him, otherwise, she risked exposing her real self.
She tried to enjoy gym class as much as she usually did but her heart wasn't in it. Timber wanted to go home, transform, and curl up into a ball and hibernate through fall and winter. Maybe she would sleep until summer...
After gym class, she changed back into her regular clothes and walked alone to room 108. Henry was standing in the front. Timber tried to give him a smile like she did every day but she couldn't get the muscles in her face to do it. Instead, she looked at her feet and sat down beside Xianna. Xianna grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly. Timber looked up at her with heartache echoing loudly on her face. She knew she could never be with the man at the front of the classroom and now realizing that she had fallen for him made everything worse.
Timber didn't look at him all period. Her body was still. She didn't even look at Xianna when she rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her. Timber kept her watery eyes focused on her blank sheet of binder paper the best she could but when Henry called her name she was forced to raise her head. Timber was stunned to see the classroom completely empty. She hadn't even heard the bell ring. Henry was standing beside his desk with his hip leaning against the side edge. He motioned for her to come up to him so Timber put her papers in her bag and walked over to Henry's desk.
"Timber, are you alright?" asked Henry.
"No," said Timber in a cracked voice. Before she could stop herself she was crying again.
"Did I go too far this morning?" he asked quietly.
Timber was unsure what he meant for a moment until she remembered the tears he shed on her shoulder in his living room. She shook her head and kept her eyes on her feet.
"Do you want to talk to me about it?" Henry was clearly worried about her which made what she was about to say even harder.
"I - I can't - spend time with you - anymore," sobbed Timber. "I'm sorry. Y-you didn't do anything wrong - so please don't think that's why. It's just - you had to go and do everything right."
Timber could not bring herself to say anything else but her heart shattered into pieces as she saw the wounded look on Henry's face. She let out a soft broken-hearted cry and darted out of the classroom. She ran down the hallway to the girls' bathroom, locked herself in a stall and sobbed until she had no more tears to shed. She wasn't coming out, though. She wasn't going to come out until summer came or unless she was forced. She sat in the stall all through third and fourth period staring blankly at her feet. She didn't move, nor did she look up to read the graffiti on the salmon-colored stall. Eventually, she heard the lunch bell ring and the halls were suddenly loud with hundreds of voices. Halfway through lunch, Timber got a welcomed surprise.
"Timber, Honey?" called a voice she didn't expect to hear. She got to her feet and opened the stall to find her Aunt Grace standing in the bathroom with Xianna. Both of them were looking at her with concern. "Henry called me after you didn't show up for your third period class. I won't ask you what's wrong, but do you want to come home? I've already signed you out in the office."Timber nodded and tried to follow Grace out of the bathroom but her legs were not working properly. She was led by Xianna who was holding her hand and guiding her. She seemed to realize Timber was unable to move unassisted. Grace thanked Xianna at the steps and took Timber home in her car. As soon as the front door to the house was closed, Timber threw herself at her aunt and wept desperately into her shoulder.
"You were right. I do. I love him," Timber whimpered. "I can't - I never wanted this! I can't be in love! With what I am? How is he even supposed to accept me?"
"Timber, calm down," said Grace in her thick accent. "Yes, you can be in love. In fact, to be honest, you've been in love with Henry since you brought him home that first night. I've been wonderin' how long it would take you to figure it out."
"I - what?"
"You brought him home and your eyes were full of stars. You had that look on your face and I knew then that you had fallen in love at first sight. He's good for you too. Since you've spent time with Henry you've grown more confident. You walk taller when you're with him. And all those walls you built to protect yourself; they weren't good for you and we've tried to take them down for years. It took Henry just over three months. I'm not sayin' that you have to be with him, but let yourself be in love. It's goin' to be hard sometimes, but love is worth fightin' for. Don't worry. It'll all come out in the wash."
Grace left Timber in the front room with her thoughts. After several minutes, her thoughts were giving her a headache. She went upstairs to her room to think in a more comfortable place. Timber walked around her room trying to find things to distract her. The problem was that Timber kept most of her belongings away and out of sight. The only things she kept out in the open were her books and her camera and Timber didn't feel like pulling things out if her drawers. Timber gave up and crawled under her lemon yellow covers and got comfortable. She watched the time go by as she stared at her clock for half an hour when she felt the pressure of someone pushing the blankets tighter around her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a woman sang to her and Timber smiled before falling asleep.
Timber slept peacefully for an hour before she was awakened by a loud knock on the front door. Thinking it was Xianna to come and check on her, Timber stretched before she got out of bed. She hea
ded to the top of the stairs expecting her best friend. Instead of a "Hello Xianna," from Grace, however, she heard, "Hello Henry."
Timber stopped dead in the hallway. Her body was paralyzed but her mind was racing faster than a dragster after the green light. Why did he have to come over? Didn't he realize that Timber didn't want to see him? Wasn't she clear enough? Did running away like she did hurt him? It probably did. But couldn't he understand that she was scared? The front door closed and Timber got hit with the full scent of Henry's cologne. Her knees almost collapsed from underneath her body.
"Is Timber alright?" Timber heard the urgency and worry in his voice and it broke her heart.
"Timber is fine; she's just dealin' with emotions. She's seventeen. All girls go through this at some point durin' their teenage years. Some handle it better than others but Timber isn't used to feelin' strong emotions. She's used to bottlin' them away."
"I know she said it wasn't my fault, but -" said Henry. Timber heard his voice quiver and shake with a level of emotion Timber had never heard from him before. He sounded both guilty and afraid.
"It's not, trust me," said Grace gently. "I can't tell you because Timber has to, but you did absolutely nothin' wrong."
"I want to do right by her," said Henry. "If I hurt her in some way... I never meant to... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if ....." Henry exhaled heavily. "I never wanted to admit this but I'm crazy about her. I - I'm in love with her."
Timber stood at the top of the stairs feeling thunderstruck. Was Henry truly in love with her? When? How? She couldn't wrap her head around it. There was, in her mind, nothing that made her special, and yet it was her that he had fallen for. She found herself smiling at the top of the stairs but she didn't dare go down.
"Aren't you upset?" asked Henry
"Of course not!" said Grace happily. "Why in tarnation would I be upset about you bein' in love with Timber?"
"The age gap," said Henry impatiently. "I'm twenty-four, and she's seventeen. Not to mention that I'm her teacher."
"You're only her teacher at the school," said Grace gently. "Here, you're her friend. Though, I would prefer for you to wait until she's eighteen before you sweep her off her feet so, just a few weeks."
"Grace you know that I can't have a relationship," said Henry. "I'm sick. I can't ask Timber or anyone else to bare that kind of burden. Being in a relationship with her could jeopardize her chances for a normal life and any kind of decent future. I can't do that to her. Not with my - condition."
Grace sighed heavily. "Henry there's really no point in keepin' it from you anymore. I know."
"You know what?"
"About your condition."
Henry suddenly became silent and Timber could feel his anger fill the house. It felt as though a storm cloud had formed and would become a raging wind at any moment. "How did you find out? Who told you? Did you -"
"I wasn't snoopin' Henry," said Grace mildly. "The place where you order your medication is my place of business. I was fillin' prescriptions when I saw your name. I'm not stupid. I know that drug because Chad and I developed it."
"You - invented it?" Henry choked.
"Yes."
"How do you know about -?"
"That's between me and my family. If Timber wants to tell you, that's up to her, but I can't." There was a short pause, and then, "Timber, come down. I know you're listenin' at the top of the stairs."
Timber often swore on many occasions that Grace could see through walls. This was one of those times. Timber sighed and made her way down to the family room. Henry was looking at her with an expression Timber couldn't read, and Grace was standing by the fireplace. Timber avoided looking at her aunt. Instead, she looked at Henry. He was paler than he was that morning and he looked ill, but Timber contributed it to the stress she put him through at first. Though, there was the other explanation...
"I'm goin' to leave the two of you alone," said Grace with a pointed look. Then she smiled. "I promised Emily I would be there for her drama auditions. We won't be home until six and Chad will be home shortly after that so you have a full hour to figure things out. Oh, and Timber, you can push the rule we talked about to today if you want. I'll deal with Chad but it's best if you tell Henry."
With that, she left the room and Henry and Timber beheld each other. Neither of them said anything for a long moment but the brokenness in Henry's eyes made Timber want to smash her head into a wall repeatedly and cry.
"I'm sorry I ran away from you today," whispered Timber softly. She looked at her feet in shame. She hurt him and she knew that. Her heart sunk like a defeated battleship into the dark pit of her twisted stomach.
"You worried me so much Timber," said Henry with a trembling voice. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Timber melted into him, taking in the way he smelled and the rhythm of his heart. "I didn't know where you went, but when Mrs. Marvel called my room and said that you didn't turn up for class, I began to panic. I thought you might have gone home but with Greg around... I didn't know what happened. I called Grace and she left work to find you. Timber, please don't do that to me again."
"I'm so sorry," whispered Timber into his chest.
"I don't want anything to happen to you." Henry pulled away and lightly cupped her face in his rough hands. Timber was overwhelmed by the desire to tell him that he had stolen her heart away from her. "Timber, I can't wait for another month. I have to tell you now. I love you. I've loved you since the first night we met when I saw you under the street light."
"Henry," whispered Timber.
She looked up at his beautiful hazel eyes and decided to throw caution away. She wanted this man more than she had ever wanted anything else before. She grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs to her room. She closed the door for privacy and the curtains to make sure no one outside could see in while Henry looked on in confusion. Then she walked up to Henry, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down.
She placed her lips firmly on his and she suddenly felt a blazing fire ignited in the depths of her soul. Everything around her faded away like ice in hot water. There was nothing between them but intense, explosive passion as Henry's lips possessed hers with desperate aggression. This was the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced in her life. Their lips moved together perfectly as Henry pulled her in closer closing the already small gap between them. He ran a hand down her back, stopping at the bottom and then he moved his hand to rest on her hip. She tangled her hands up in his hair and soaked up the taste of his lips.
Timber could taste the want and wild longing and it only fueled her fire. She became more aggressive and ferocious. She bit his bottom lip gently and tugged at his hair and Henry responded by backing her firmly up against the wall. She let out a low sigh of ecstasy, announcing her pleasure. Henry picked her up by her thighs and lifted her up easily without leaving her lips. Timber wrapped her legs around his waist as he kept her in place by pinning her between his body and the wall. Timber's sensitive ears could hear his heart beating erratically and wondered briefly if he could hear hers as it beat a tattoo into her ribs.
A sudden noise from outside the window brought their mouths apart. They gasped for air and smiled as the adrenaline that overtook them wore off. Then he set her down and backed away a step. They were breathing heavily. Timber looked up at Henry with a loving smile.
"I'm in love with you too."
Henry smiled and held her quietly for a long moment. Timber turned pink and curled her pedicured toes.
"I just realized it even though I loved you the moment I set eyes on you. That's why I ran away from you," confessed Timber. She was now in an emotional state of intense discomfort with herself. "I was afraid of my own feelings and I was terrified of you finding out - about me." Timber took a deep breath. "I have a lot of things I have to explain to you if what we have is going to last. If I scare you and you never want to see me again...at least you kissed me first."
"I highly
doubt that you could scare me."
"You may want to sit down on my bed." Timber waited a moment as she calmed her nerves. "I know you know about Haven. I saw your reaction when I stopped on the documentary that night. I'm pretty sure I know how you know because I can venture an educated guess. Don't get mad because I figured this out on my own having had experience. I know that you've been to Haven and I know that you're not entirely human. Your smell and your teeth give you away. Yes, I can smell you. I'll get to that in a minute."
"Timber -"
"Just listen. I know the reason you're ill tonight is the same reason you were ill on the full moon every month. You're a werewolf."
Silence. For several moments the only sound that could be heard was the song of a finch on the back fence and little kids playing in the street, trying to catch the clouds that had settled low to the ground. The smell of the air before winter's delicate touch filled the room though there were no open windows.
"How - how did you know?" asked Henry. His widened eyes and gaping mouth told Timber that he had never expected her to ever find out. "No one knows about this. I guess except your aunt. And if you knew, why are you still willing to be near me?"
"Two reasons. I'm not afraid of you and even if you did bite me, it would do nothing but make me sick temporarily. In response to your first question, you have the same teeth and the same wolfish scent as my parents," said Timber. "It took me a while to figure out where I knew that scent from."
"Wait, your parents? Werewolves aren't allowed to breed. The rules are clear about this. Wait a minute. Brogan. Of course. Daniel and Elizabeth. I had a feeling you were related."
"I'm their daughter. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that is why my parents left Haven and came to this world. My parents were both werewolves and conceived me during the full moon. They didn't know what would happen because that's never happened before. The result was a baby that wasn't human."
"You're not a werewolf, so what exactly are you?"
"I'm a Shapeshifter. You know how you're a human who turns into a wolf on the full moon? I'm not like that. I was born a wolf and I can turn into a human when I want though, I prefer to sleep in my real form."
The Timber Effect Page 10
