by Katie Dunn
Troy calls dibs on sitting in the passenger seat, and after some arguing between the two, Derek finally gives up his spot. Victorious in the front, Troy messes with the radio. He flips from channel to channel looking for—well, I'm not sure as to what genre of music he likes. Until now. He stops at a country station playing my favorite song by my favorite singer. As much as I want to glance over to him, I try to keep my eyes on the road instead. "You like this song?"
I can't see him, but I am assuming that he's looking in my direction. "Yeah," he says, like it's obvious. "It's my favorite."
"That's so cool!" I say like some kind of schoolgirl. "It's my favorite too."
It's amazing how much Troy and I have in common. I'm learning that we aren't too different from each other—except for the fact that he's a skinwalker. I enjoy hearing more about him and finding out what other ways we are alike.
We also have physical similarities. My lightly tanned skin and blonde hair match his. My icy blue eyes compliment his dark blue ones. We are both tall and slender, aside from Troy's muscular build. There is very little contrast between the two of us. In a way, I guess it's true what people say about dogs looking like their owners.
I also have a lot in common with Tom, but it is not the same as it is with Troy. I have fun with Tom, but I don't enjoy just being with him. My feelings for him were not instantaneous; they came with time. Some people's feelings work like that, and some people's do not. It depends on the couple.
I'm still conflicted about my relationship troubles with Tom. We've had a little bit more to talk about these past couple of days, but there's still that annoying silence hanging in the air. I really need to talk to him about it soon. I'm just not sure of how to bring it up.
"Mine too," Derek says, mocking us from the back seat. I roll my eyes. I think Troy does the same. "Oh, brother."
I park my car in the garage beside my dad's truck. Troy, Derek, and I get out, and almost immediately Lenny comes tearing through the doorway. He runs straight to Troy and hugs him so tight he can hardly breathe. "Loosen your grip, buddy?" Troy asks him.
He slightly loosens his hold on Troy. He acts as if Troy may float away like a balloon. "What happened? Where were you?"
Troy returns his younger brother's embrace. "I was with Britt."
Lenny looks up at Troy. "Well, why didn't you tell me?"
Troy gazes down at him. "I promise I'll tell you the next time I leave, okay?"
"Okay," Lenny agrees.
Lenny was genuinely worried about his older brother. I wonder if mine would miss me if I disappeared. Surely they would. They'd have to. I know I would be devastated, and I'd do everything in my power to find them if they went missing. I try not to think of those things. With everything that's going on, it's very possible, but the thought of my brothers being so helpless and vulnerable to the skinwalkers makes me sad.
Troy pushes Lenny toward the door. "Come on. Let's get inside."
NINE
SINCE MY MOM IS a teacher at our school, she'd come up with a good cover story for Troy and Lenny. Lenny is Derek's age, so he will be in his classes, and Troy is my age, so he will be in all of mine. Thankfully, today is casual Friday, so we don't have to wear uniforms. I don't mind wearing them, but we don't have any that fit Troy.
Even though it's still warm outside, I wear blue skinny jeans, a fuchsia T-shirt that has "Charleston" written across it in black letters, and black and hot pink Nikes. Today, I even put my hair in its normal blonde curls.
Troy wears a plain gray T-shirt, blue jeans, and camo cowboy boots. I notice a few girls looking at him as we walk. A pang of jealousy shoots through me, but I try to ignore it. I'm with Tom, and that's all that should matter.
Troy takes the empty locker beside mine. He doesn't have any books to put in there yet, but he looks inside it anyway. "You are right. You're with Tom." I stare at him, jaw dropped.
How does Troy know what I'm thinking? Is it a skinwalker thing? It's gotta be. "How do—?"
"I know what you're thinking?" He looks at me and smiles. "Yes. It's a skinwalker thing. We have the ability to read human thoughts."
So he's been reading my thoughts all these years. Wonderful. It makes me uneasy knowing someone is invading my privacy. I have nothing to hide, but I don't want anyone hearing what I'm saying in my mind. I hand him my physics book. "Here. Just look over the first couple of lessons and stay outta my head."
He listens. He leans on his locker and opens the book.
Tom leans on the locker on the other side of mine. "Why did you leave in such a hurry last night?"
Because I had to find my dog, again. Troy probably heard. Why did my mind have to think those words? "Uh…There was an emergency." I avert my eyes. He's my boyfriend. How can I look him in the eye and lie to him?
Troy stands on the other side of me, hearing my thoughts, Tom's thoughts, and our spoken conversation. Tom takes my little lie more seriously than I would've figured. "An emergency? Who got hurt?"
Nobody. Just my nerves.
I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. My struggle to find words takes longer than it should. Troy notices and covers for me. "My little brother tried to jump his bike over the creek, and thought he broke his arm."
I jump in. "Yeah. Um…Ryan was sure that his arm was broken."
"But luckily, it wasn't," Troy adds.
Tom introduces himself to Troy. "I'm Britt's boyfriend, Tom." He offers his hand. "And you are?"
Troy shakes his hand. "I'm, uh, Chase."
"Chase and Ryan are exchange students from Australia. So they're gonna be staying with us," I explain. At breakfast, we acknowledged the fact that we couldn't use Troy and Lenny's real names. It would be too coincidental. I don't want to risk my friends putting two and two together.
Tom nods. Other than that, I don't know what he's thinking. But Troy does. I look at him expectantly. He looks at me for a minute then barely nods, telling me Tom bought it. I feel awful for lying to my boyfriend, but I have to. I can't tell anyone Troy's secret. It's the least I can do after everything he has done for me.
Troy gives me a weird look. I feel my eyebrows furrow.
What? What is it? I ask in my mind, but he ignores me and turns his attention back to the book. Fine then. Be that way.
He still ignores me.
Seriously? You're a jerk.
That gets his attention. For a second, he briefly glances up at me.
I roll my eyes and turn back to Tom. He grabs my hand and pulls me away from Troy. "So, my parents want you to have dinner with us tonight."
I've already met them. They're city people, which means they don't approve of me. They think I'm a blonde hillbilly. I don't like them either. But not because they don't like me, it's because they're a bunch of rude snobs.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I know how my parents can be sometimes."
Sometimes? Try all of the time. One time, they took us to dinner at an expensive restaurant. Tom and his dad, Jonathan, wore suits, while his mom, Samantha, wore a dark green dress possibly made of the finest silk. Her neck bore an emerald necklace, and her matching earrings were so heavy, her ears practically touched the ground.
I hadn't been nearly as dressed up. I wore a light blue knee-length dress with short sleeves. I had looked like a young, respectable, business woman. I had pulled my hair into an adorable, messy side bun and put on light-colored makeup, which probably looked cheap to Samantha. My diamond earrings and matching necklace were simple as opposed to Samantha's. Tom said I looked beautiful, but from the looks on his parent's faces, they were horrified.
Throughout the night, they made snide remarks to everyone. The waiter, the people sitting next to us, me, of course, and even Tom. It was horrendous. It's a wonder how their son turned out to be such a nice person.
I wonder why they want to have dinner with me. They've never wanted to have dinner with me. I do not want to have dinner with those people. I'd rather Troy bite my
leg off. It would be much less painful.
I start to think maybe I should do it anyway. I could try to prove to them that I am a decent girlfriend. Enduring the continuous insults and drama might win me some points. Although, that sure is a lot to go through. "I'll go. Just tell me when and where."
Troy sits next to me in class. Since no one has assigned him any books yet, we have to share mine. Troy shifts his desk closer to me. "So, what did you tell Tom?" He asks in a hushed tone. That's why he gave me the look, I realize. He read Tom's mind.
I glare at him, but he smirks. "What? I'm just asking."
"I told him I'd go. And will you quit sticking your nose in places it don't belong?"
He drags his gaze from me to Tom. "Sorry. I just know that his parents are jerks to you."
Our teacher, Ms. Branson, makes her way to the front of the classroom, indicating that class is about to start. I grab my Literature book and set it on my desk. Troy picks it up and stares at it. "Literature? I might not be human, but I do know how to read." He puts the book back down.
Ms. Branson closes the classroom door. I lean in close to Troy. "Have you ever even been to school?"
He glares at me. "Yes, I've been to school before. I'm not a complete animal."
"Have you ever been to a Christian school?"
He shakes his head.
"Well, then, try to act like it."
Ms. Branson starts taking attendance. Class has officially begun.
͠
Walking out of class, Riley loops her arm through mine. "Do y'all want to hang out later? If I have to be stuck at home with my parents any longer, I'm gonna go insane." I look over my shoulder at Troy. He and Tom walk behind us. "Can't," Tom says. "Britt is having dinner with my family tonight."
"How about before then?" Riley asks.
Troy, once again, takes things into his own hands. "Britt still can't."
Riley stops walking and turns to face Troy. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
An uneasy look appears on Troy's face. He's been near her countless times. It's natural that he would be most weary of her. But for his sake, I don't think my friends would actually believe me, if I revealed this new information. Troy introduces himself. "I'm Chase. I'm an exchange student from Australia, and I'm staying with Britt's family."
I turn to Riley. "Sorry, Ri, but I promised Chase I would show him around town."
"I could just come with you," she suggests. "Nobody knows the best of Brighton better than I do."
I shoot a panicked look to Troy. What do we do?
Without blinking, Troy looks Riley straight in the eye and lies. "Actually, I was hoping to get some time alone with Britt, so I could get to know her better."
Envy shows all over Tom's face. This is new to me. I didn't think he was the jealous type, but apparently I was wrong. If only looks could kill... Tom shoots daggers at Troy.
Troy, having read Tom's mind and noticing his rage, puts a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, mate. Britt's not my type."
Troy! I chastise. "I promise you, Tom. Nothing's going on between us." I give Troy a look. "Tr—Chase," I correct myself, "thinks he's funny."
Troy shrugs. "I try to appreciate life."
Tom's jealousy diminishes a tiny bit, but he continues to glare at Troy. "Yeah, okay."
Later at lunch, Derek slips when acquainting my friends and Lenny. "Ryan, you already know Tom and Riley."
Tom and Riley exchange glances. "What do you mean, he already knows us," Tom asks.
Lenny covers for Derek—just like Troy did for me. "He meant that I know who you guys are. Derek has told me so many things about both of you."
Out of the corner of my eye, Troy slightly nods telling Lenny he did good. Derek and Lenny sit down and begin munching on their food.
Steering the conversation in a different direction, I bring up tonight. "So should I wear a dress, tonight?" I ask Tom.
"Probably, but not anything too fancy."
I cut him a look. "That's what you said last time."
He laughs, but it's not funny.
"How come you don't care that your parents hate me?" I ask, slightly hurt.
He stops laughing. "They don't hate you."
I scoff. That's not the impression I get every time I see them.
Tom sighs. "They don't and I'll prove it tonight."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, sure you will."
"Fine. Then wear a classy dress, and I'll put on something nice, too," Tom tells me.
"Okay," I agree.
"And leave your hair down. I like it down," he adds.
"I will."
Derek looks at us questioningly. "What're you two talking about?"
"I'm having dinner with Tom and his parents tonight," I explain.
"Why? I thought his parents were…" He glances at Tom and rethinks his choice of words. He forces a fake smile. "Yeah, they're such kind people. Tell them hi for me."
Tom ignores Derek's remark. "Anyway, try to arrive around seven o'clock. My mom should have supper ready by then." I dread his last words.
Samantha handling my food? How about I let the D'yavol pack tear me apart, instead? My meal will probably be laced with poison or some knockout drug. To my liking, Tom doesn't realize I'm having a small mental freak out. "I'll be there," I tell him.
"Momma?" Derek notices her approaching our table. She comes to a stop, and Derek jumps up to give her a hug. "What're you doing over here, Mom?" He asks after he lets go of her. "And where's the twins?" I ask.
"Oh, they're back in other building having lunch. I came to check up on Chase and Ryan," she explains.
Part of me thinks my mom is truly concerned for them. She wants to make sure that they are adjusting and fitting into school just fine. That's my mom, always worrying about everyone but herself. She is a down-to-earth kind of person. I can't imagine her any other way.
"Yes, ma'am. We haven't had any problems, so I'd say we're good," Troy assures her.
She smiles. "Great. I wanted to see to it that you boys are enjoying the school day, and now that I have, I'm gonna return to my class."
"Momma, can we go shopping after school?" I ask, before she goes.
Her eyebrows furrow. "I thought you were gonna—"
"Show Chase the town?" I interrupt. "Yeah, but I'll only be a minute at the mall." My mom would never sell out Troy and Lenny, but I suspect her story would not be the same as ours.
"Alright, we can go," she agrees. "But why do we need to shop?"
"My parents want her to come over for supper, later tonight," Tom explains. "If it's okay with you, Mrs. Thompson?"
"That's fine, as long as she's back home at a reasonable hour," Mom agrees.
I have no doubts that my dad will ask Troy to keep an eye on us—with murders on the loose, I'd be surprised if he didn't take extra precaution. But even if my dad doesn't ask Troy, something tells me the Australian will be watching me. A moment later, he smirks at me, confirming as much.
"Yes, Mrs. Thompson. We won't keep her long," Tom assures my mom.
She nods. "Good." She turns to Derek and me. "I will see y'all later."
"All right. Love you," Derek and I say to her in unison.
TEN
FINDING A DRESS was taking longer than I had expected. All the ones we found were either too short, too big, or too showy.
The boys—including Lenny—sit on a bench nearby, while my mom and Troy help me with my search. I stop at a rack with graphic tees hanging on it. "We're not getting in any training today are we?" I ask Troy.
My mom pulls out her phone and checks the time. "It's not even four yet, so if we get a dress and head on, y'all should have plenty of time."
I take a good look at my surroundings. All I spot, are dresses we've already seen. Nothing new. Frustration overruns me. I cannot wear that light blue dress, again. Unfortunately, it's the nicest thing in my closet. I need to make some sort of impression on Tom's parents. At this point, I don't care what it takes.
I'
m not getting anywhere here. Maybe we need to go to a different store. "Let's go. We're not going to find anything here," I officially give up. Maybe we can find something at the next store. Though, the price may be higher.
My mom ponders this for a moment, then suggests my light blue dress. "No ma'am, Priscilla," Troy tells her. "That dress wasn't good enough for them last time, and now, she refuses to wear it in front of them."
I would jump right in to this conversation, but something else catches my attention. "You know my mother's name?"
He nods. "I must have heard it a hundred times, since I've been with y'all. Just like I know your name, Brittany."
I narrow my eyes on him. "Don't call me that!"
He turns his gaze to my mom and they both give a small laugh.
I roll my eyes. "Let's get outta here." I want to appear perfect for Tom's parents—which to his parents may be decent enough. It's my last chance and I'm desperate—if it's not already too late.
I find my way through the maze of clothes, to the bench. But the boys are nowhere in sight. "Where'd they go?" I don't ask anyone in particular. We glance around, but don't see them. My mom walks over to the corner. "Boys? Derek?" She calls.
This is the last thing we need. With the D'yavol pack on the loose, nobody is safe. We all have to be careful. We know what they are capable of and I don't want my brothers—or Lenny—to suffer from their terror. Going after me is one thing, but my brothers? Game on. I'll make your life a living nightmare.
If anybody hurt any of my brothers, I'd be hurting them. If I can make a water bottle explode, surely I can make other things explode as well—say, like, a head. The D'yavol pack may be big and bad, but they haven't met me. And if they harm my brothers, I'll certainly make them pay for it.
I try not to panic, but it's difficult not to assume the worst. Everybody is always going missing. Is that a trend now? It seems like it. I turn to Troy. "Can't you read Derek's mind and see where they are?"
