by R A Watt
The music was cranked up as we made our way in through the front door. It was loud, crowded . . . and seemed pretty cool. I’d never been to a real house party before. One of the first things I noticed was that we looked like the youngest and smallest. It seemed like it was all seniors, the guys were so tall; I felt like a little kid.
“Let me find Chloe or Christy; you guys can go to the kitchen,” Rachel said, pointing to the busy back kitchen area.
People were drinking from red Solo cups, and playing games on the dining room table. There were plastic bowls of chips on the kitchen island counter, and everyone congregated around them, chatting over the music. The four of us found a quiet back corner where we could stand.
A beefy, blond guy who was probably well over six feet tall in a letterman jacket spied me and came over. “Hey, are you Suzanne’s brother?”
I gulped nervously and nodded. “Yep.”
He smiled. “I thought so, you kinda look like her. She’s cool.”
“Ah, thanks, I guess,” I said.
He handed me his cup. “I’m Jason. You want a beer? There’s a whole keg.”
Reluctantly, I took the cup. It was almost full, and I eyed it suspiciously.
“Relax kid, it’s just beer. A friend of Suzanne’s is a friend of mine.”
I’d never drank much beer before, besides the odd sip from one of my dad’s on a hot afternoon. Jason turned to grab himself another one, and Kevin tapped me on the shoulder.
“Bro! Jason Kemper gave you a drink, that’s huge! Can I have a sip?”
“Sure,” I said, handing him the cup. Kevin took a big gulp; his eyes watered as the carbonation hit him and he burped.
“Excuse me.”
Sybil confidently grabbed her own and then sipped it while looking at her phone. Jermaine, Kevin, and I shared the one Jason had given me, waiting for Rachel to come back. She eventually returned, and I quickly gave Kevin the last sip as she approached, not wanting Rachel to see me with it.
“So? You guys meeting some people?” she asked, sipping a can of Coke.
We all shrugged, but then Jermaine said, “Teavan knows Jason Kemper.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, I don’t. Who is he?”
“He’s a football star at Baker. How do you know him?” Rachel asked.
“He recognized me; I think he must know my sister from their school.”
Rachel smiled. “She’s pretty.”
“Huh?” I said.
“Your sister, she’s very pretty. Why didn’t you tell us? Her features are so delicate and defined, and I love her curly hair! Chloe just introduced us in the dining room.”
Was my sister here? At the same party I was? She wouldn’t be happy with me.
Kevin winked. “Agreed. She’s hot.”
“Kevin, I don’t want to hear that about my sister,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Rachel, did you tell her I was here?”
She nodded.
Ugh.
“Is that okay? You might need to get used to it; social circles are a little smaller here, they cross grades sometimes,” Rachel explained, then turned to Kevin. “And Kevin, Ava is here, too. She’s in the other room as well. I told her you were looking for her.”
Kevin’s face turned red and he bit his lip. “Huh? You did?”
“Well, you said you wanted to meet up with her. She’s in there,” she said, pointing to the other room.
“Ah, thanks,” Kevin mumbled nervously, thrusting his hands in his pockets. His overly confident tone seemed to disappear pretty quickly.
Rachel turned to Jermaine and me and winked with a grin.
I could feel someone staring at me from across the room; it was giving me a weird tingling feeling. Not the good kind. I spotted Jed McGregor, Bruno’s buddy.
The blood drained from my face. Bruno was probably here, too.
A concerned look spread across Rachel. “You okay?”
I shook my head. “No. I think Bruno might be here. His buddy is over there; don’t look, though.”
“Seriously?” Rachel asked, but she didn’t look. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a big party, and your sister has some football guys that seem to be fawning over her. Maybe having her here will end up being a blessing.”
“That’d be a first,” I said, scanning the crowd for Bruno. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck prickling when I heard his familiar voice.
“Well, well, look who’s here.” Bruno smirked as he circled us. “If it isn’t the newest kid in town and his two bodyguards, Churchmouse and Orphan Annie.”
Chapter 15
Sybil slid her phone into her back pocket, and her posture went rigid. Jed and Mike came up beside Bruno. We all stood in the back corner of the kitchen, unnoticed by the crowd.
“H-hey, Bruno,” stammered Jermaine. “Good game last Sunday, you had some great shots.”
Bruno paid him no attention and glared at me.
I remained silent, scared to say anything. I didn’t want to antagonize him. Rachel grabbed my hand and looked at Sybil. “Come on, you guys, let’s go. They can have the kitchen.”
Bruno put his hand in our way. “I don’t think so.” Then he looked at me. “Wait, so first Sybil has to defend you, and now even Churchmouse is taking care of you? You really are a joke, aren’t you? Aren’t the men supposed to take care of the girls? Or is this how it works on the East Coast?”
Sybil rolled her eyes. “No, Bruno, it’s just not 1950 anymore.”
He ignored her. My blood pressure was rising, and my face was getting hot. “Bruno, what’s your problem with me? What have I done to you?”
His fake smile turned angry, with his lips pursed. “We have a score to settle.”
“Over what?”
Bruno looked around, pretending to be thinking, then looked directly at me. “Family history.”
My head was reeling; had Mrs. Leclair been right about a feud between Grandpa and Bruno’s family?
“Come on, Laurent, let's go outside and settle this like men,” he said, his face twisting and turning red with hatred. “I don’t want to break anything here, just you.”
Now my pulse was really pounding, but I dared not move.
A girl came busting into the circle with a drink in hand. It was Suzanne.
“Teavan! What are you doing here?” she asked merrily.
Evidently she didn’t notice the tension or the standoff. I shrugged. “Errr, nothing, Suze. Just hanging out.”
Bruno snarled at her from behind. “Beat it, wench,” and he pulled on her shirt to remove her roughly from the circle. Suzanne spilled her drink.
“Hey!” she yelled out, spinning around. “You spilled my drink!”
Bruno pointed out of the circle, looking at her. “Leave. Now.”
Suzanne looked surprised and finally clued into the situation. “Teavan, who is this guy?”
I was literally shaking with anger. I watched Bruno and my sister, unsure of what to do, knowing that if I stepped in things would quickly escalate. At the same time, I wanted to crack him for even talking to my sister in that way. My clenched fists were sweating.
“Suzanne, are you okay?” said a deep voice from behind.
It was Jason Kemper.
Suzanne looked back and forth. “No, not really. This jerk just pushed me and spilled my drink.”
Now Jason’s face went red and he set his cup down. “Bruno, please tell me this isn’t true,” he said, walking up to Bruno until they were just a foot apart. Jason must have had six inches and forty pounds on him.
Bruno looked up, unwavering. “I don’t have an issue with her, just that kid.”
Jason looked over to me as Bruno pointed.
“Well,” Jason said. “That kid is Suzanne’s brother, so he’s off-limits. Now leave.”
They stared each other down, Jason breathing heavily through his nose with his mouth in a scowl.
Bruno smirked, looking up. “Or what?”
Jason laughed, stepping back.
“Bruno. Are you kidding me? Everyone has given you some leeway over the last year, because of Grayson and all. But you’ve pressed your luck too far.” He reached over to grab Bruno’s shirt but wasn’t quick enough. Or maybe it was the few beers he’d had, but Bruno swatted his hand to the side and hurled both palms into Jason’s chest, sending him stumbling back onto the kitchen table. Drinks, chips, cups, and everything else crashed to the ground.
“No, Jason. You mean you’ve pressed your luck too far,” Bruno snarled, then smirked as Jason tried to get up.
Even Jed and Mike stood back, looking surprised and a little scared at the quickness and ferocity of Bruno’s actions. The music turned off, and guys came running over in matching letterman jackets. An offensive lineman-sized guy helped Jason off the ground. “What happened?”
Jason shook his head, pointing at Bruno. “Vincent. He’s gone too far; I’m done giving him a free pass.”
Everyone looked at Bruno, who just stood there with a scowl on his face. “I don’t need a free pass, Kemper.”
A blond girl came running in between them. “Outside!” she yelled, pointing to the front door. “Take it outside!”
Jason stared down Bruno, but nobody moved. “Okay Bruno, you heard Chloe. Outside.”
Bruno smiled. “Fine by me.”
Everyone started talking and crowding to the front door as Bruno turned around, looking at me. “You and I, we’re not done, Laurent.”
I gulped; just glad his immediate focus was off me. And to be honest, at that moment I was looking forward to seeing him get a beating.
Chapter 16
They squared off on the front lawn, a senior against a freshman. “Don’t worry Bruno, I’ll be gentle,” Jason said, his fists up.
Bruno smirked. “I won’t.” And with that, he kicked Jason’s leg hard, causing the big man to lean forward grabbing at his shin in pain. Bruno used the opportunity to punch him square in the nose, sending Jason reeling back, blood instantly dripping from both nostrils.
Jason wiped his nose, looking at the blood on the back of his hand with surprise. His face contorted in rage, his meaty fists balled up, and he lunged at the smaller Bruno. He ran headfirst into him, picking Bruno up onto his shoulder and running him backward into a parked car, slamming him onto the hood as Bruno’s head smashed against the windshield—hard. The glass cracked.
Bruno looked dazed and cross-eyed as he rolled off the other side onto the pavement. The crowd of onlookers went wild with taunts and jeers. Jason stood ready. “Get up!”
Surprisingly, Bruno stood from behind the car, rubbing the back of his head. He turned his neck awkwardly, and I heard a crack; then he rolled his head around, stretching it. “That all you got, Kemper?”
The crowd cheered. I couldn’t comprehend how a kid my age could get up so quickly from such a nasty throw down.
Jason shook his head. “You just don’t learn, do you?” With that, he walked around the car into the middle of the road. The streetlights shone down on him and Bruno, sending their boxing-stance shadows across the road. Jason looked more guarded this time.
The crowd whooped as the boys closed in on each other. Jason jabbed, hitting Bruno squarely in the face, the thud of his fist connecting to Bruno’s cheek.
He followed with a right hook, then an uppercut. The horrible cracking sound of Bruno’s lower jaw hitting the upper jaw rang out as his legs looked shaky. Jason finished him with one last punch to the side of his head, sending Bruno to the pavement again.
“Now stay down Vincent!” he called out amidst everyone cheering.
Bruno looked up, his mouth bleeding. There was hatred in his eyes as he crawled to his hands and knees, spitting out blood on the pavement.
“Vincent, I’m warning you, stay down.”
Bruno’s face contorted into a blood-lined smile as he looked up at Jason, who then shook his head in disgust. “Fine, you asked for it.”
Jason ran in and brought his foot up directly into Bruno’s stomach, lifting him off the road and sending him tumbling away. The thud sounded as if a rib might have snapped.
Bruno was lying on his back, panting, as Jason put his hands up in victory. The guys in matching jackets all patted his back, congratulating him.
“Damn kid wouldn’t give up,” one of them said.
“Kemper!” Everyone turned around as Bruno stood again, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the street. “I haven’t cried uncle yet.” He laughed with a look of madness. Bruno rolled his neck again and cracked his knuckles. There was a collective gasp that he could even stand, let alone want to keep going.
The distant sound of sirens could be heard over the murmuring of the crowd, and everyone stopped to listen. Someone yelled out, “Cops!”
Bruno stood staring, blood dripping from his mouth. “I ain’t done, Kemper.”
Jason looked around uneasily. “Well, I am. I’m not getting into trouble over this.” He turned to his buddies, “Come on, let’s go.”
Bruno did end up running off, once everyone saw that Jason left first. Before he turned to go, he looked at me and mouthed, You’re next.
I shuddered as our little gang jumped into the car with Suzanne and took off.
“Was that the guy Mrs. Leclair was talking about? I think he goes to my school,” Suzanne asked as we drove off.
“Yep. That’s him,” I said.
Sybil, Jermaine, Rachel, and Kevin were crowded into the back seat of Dad’s car. Suzanne asked for directions to where each of them lived so she could drop them off. Nobody wanted to bike or walk home.
Suzanne shook her head. “That kid . . . there is something wrong with him.”
Kevin leaned forward. “Yeah, and he’s getting worse.”
She looked at me. “Did you tell them what Mrs. Leclair said?”
“Not really.” I proceeded to tell them the whole story as Suzanne drove around aimlessly so I could finish.
It was Jermaine who spoke first. “Well, if someone is cursed in this town, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it was Bruno. That dude is not right in the head.”
I laughed, then said, “Well, sure, except believing in werewolves is about as right as believing in faeries. Just because he’s nuts doesn’t mean he’s a werewolf. It just means he’s a bully, and his wires have gotten crossed in the head.”
Everyone stared at me.
“Right?” I asked. They just shrugged.
Rachel spoke up. “Like I said at the soccer game, we have more than our fair share of weird things here. If we have powers of supreme good, which I know to be true, then unfortunately the opposite is also true, Teavan.”
The thought sent a shiver down my spine. They all were quiet. My friends back in New York would have laughed at such a story.
“So the opposite of supreme good is evil, which is a werewolf?” I asked. “Or is it just Bruno that is evil?”
“I don’t know, but I’m just saying there could be something to the story,” Rachel answered.
We dropped everyone off, stopped at The Creamy to put my bike in the trunk, and drove home. Honey was safely inside the house, and my dad was on his computer. Suzanne asked that I keep my distance from Bruno. It wasn’t something I needed to be told.
I closed my window and drew the blinds before crawling into bed.
Sleep didn’t come easily, but at least I got a nice goodnight text from Rachel. A text from her always seemed to make me feel better.
* * *
“A movie?” I asked Rachel on Monday, replying to her question.
“Yeah, you know, like at the theater? Like you and me?” Rachel joked.
“Sure,” I fumbled after she suggested during lunch we go to a movie Tuesday night. There were only two playing: the latest Avengers and some new thriller. I had a feeling she wasn’t an Avengers kind of girl.
“A thriller?” I asked.
Rachel grinned. “Perfect. Pick me up at six thirty? You can meet my parents.”
My delight turned to mild
dread at the thought of meeting anyone’s parents, but I feigned a smile. “Sounds good.”
Tuesday night rolled around, and Suzanne dropped me a few houses down from Rachel’s. She wanted the car that night and Dad said she had to drive me and pick me up to have it. A small price.
Rachel’s house was compact but very well kept—not a weed to be seen. A jovial looking man answered the door. “You must be Teavan?”
I nodded, sticking out my hand. “Yes. Nice to meet you, Mr. Denning.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” he shook my hand firmly then stood aside, waving me in. “Come in, come in. Please.”
Mr. Denning sat me down in the front room and riddled me with questions about New York, my father, and how we liked living in the Iz. He was less scary than I had pictured him—which had been like a TV minister who would quiz me on my beliefs—though he did ask me which church we went to. I explained we hadn’t attended much since we moved, and he looked disappointed.
“I see . . . ” he said.
Good thing I didn’t mention that we never went.
Rachel came into the front room; she looked beautiful as usual. Or almost more beautiful if that was possible, smiling radiantly. “Hey, you! I see you met my dad?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Following behind Rachel was Sybil. She looked at me and just gave me the hello nod.
“Hey,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment at her joining us.
Rachel noticed my surprise. “Do you mind if Sybil comes?”
“Oh, of course not. The more, the merrier,” I lied.
We made our way to the front door. Mr. Denning looked at me. “Have them home by nine thirty, please, Teavan.”
“Yes sir,” I said as we stepped outside.
With his index and middle finger, he pointed to his eyes, then to me. Like we were in a movie.
I’m watching you, I imagined him saying.
Chapter 17
Rachel positioned herself in the middle of our little threesome as we made our way down the sidewalks toward the Plaza Movie Theatre. She was good at keeping the conversation going, since Sybil was often quiet and I was shy.
